2027: Wike denies Makinde’s claim on ‘holding down’ PDP for Tinubu
“Seyi Makinde has never called me Wike. “Why did Seyi Makinde not come up all this while to tell the party, see what Wike is doing? “I have told everybody, frustration — if you can see it, if you watch Seyi Makinde, you can see frustration. According to Makinde, Wike voluntarily pledged to undermine the PDP to aid Tinubu’s re-election bid, without any prompting from the president. “Wike said he was going to hold the PDP down for President Tinubu,” Makinde claimed during a public address, explaining the root of their fallout.
Source:Punch
December 29, 2025 17:07 UTC
Speeding, wrongful overtaking caused crash involving Anthony Joshua – FRSC
Photo: FRSCThe Federal Road Safety Corps has confirmed that excessive speed and wrongful overtaking led to the crash involving British-Nigerian boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on Monday. The Corps Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Olusegun Ogungbemide, stated this in a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Monday. The statement disclosed that one sustained injuries, while two others escaped unhurt., noting that Joshua was rescued alive with minor injuries. The statement added, “The injured victim was evacuated for medical attention, while the remains of the deceased were conveyed to Livewell Morgue, Ajaka, Sagamu. It als reaffirmed its commitment to safer highways through enforcement, rescue operations and public education.
Source:Punch
December 29, 2025 16:38 UTC
'One-Punch Man' Season 3 Part 2 Officially Set for 2027 Release
SummaryBandai Namco Filmworks confirms One-Punch Man Season 3 Part 2 will air in 2027Despite animation criticisms, J.C. Staff remains the production studio for the next phaseNew teasers highlight the long-awaited showdown between Saitama and GarouImmediately following the finale of One-Punch Man Season 3 Part 1 on December 28, Bandai Namco Filmworks announced that Part 2 is scheduled to air in 2027. Season 3 Part 1, which aired from October 12 to December 28, unfortunately faced criticism from fans regarding inconsistent animation quality and potential production hurdles at J.C. Staff. Despite these concerns, it has been confirmed that J.C. Staff will remain the production studio for Part 2. However, the 2027 release window—a relatively long production timeline—suggests that Bandai Namco may be prioritizing more time to address the technical issues that hindered Part 1. Both of them are pointing to the long-awaited showdown between Saitama and Garou, a definitive clash that fans of the series have been eagerly anticipating.
Source:Punch
December 29, 2025 16:37 UTC
What to expect from the Tata Punch facelift - Introduction
While Tata Motors is yet to officially disclose details, here’s all that we know about the 2026 Tata Punch. What will the exterior of the Tata Punch facelift be like? In terms of its exterior styling, the 2026 Tata Punch will look a lot more modern than the existing (pre-facelift) model. What engine options will the Tata Punch facelift get? The primary rivals of the 2026 Tata Punch include the Citroen C3, Maruti Suzuki Ignis and Hyundai Exter.
Source:Punch
December 29, 2025 16:28 UTC
No victory in Rivers without our grassroots structure, says Wike
Wike also dismissed the notion that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) automatically confers party leadership on him in Rivers State, arguing that there are exceptions to political conventions. Wike described the allegation as a “blatant lie,” stressing that no such meeting ever took place. Why did Makinde not come out to tell the party that this is what Wike said? Wike clarified that the only meeting involving Makinde and some PDP governors after the 2023 general election was a courtesy visit to President Tinubu, not a political negotiation. “Myself, former Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom; former Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; former Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and Seyi Makinde went to see the President after the elections.
Source:The Guardian
December 29, 2025 16:28 UTC
![[VIDEO/PHOTOS] Anthony Joshua in Ogun road crash, two die](https://cdn.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/29125308/WhatsApp-Image-2025-12-29-at-12.50.55-1-828x630.jpeg)
[VIDEO/PHOTOS] Anthony Joshua in Ogun road crash, two die
Anthony Joshua after being rescued from the car crash | Photo redit: Adeniyi OrojoWorld-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua was involved in a road accident today in Makun, Ogun State. Watch videos below:The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated. “It was a two-vehicle convoy: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV. The passenger beside the driver and the person beside Joshua died on the spot,” he said. Joshua, born to British-Nigerian parents, attended a boarding school in Ikenne, just a few miles from where the crash occurred.
Source:Punch
December 29, 2025 15:50 UTC
34 lawyers fail integrity test, dropped from Federal High Court judgeship race
No fewer than 34 lawyers nominated for appointment as Judges of the Federal High Court of Nigeria (FHC) have failed the integrity test for appointment as judicial officers in Nigeria and have been dropped from the race. The 34 legal practitioners were part of the 62 applicants nominated for the bench of the High Court but were knocked out by various petitions against them during the integrity test. The publication of nominees’ names on 17 September 2025 invited members of the public to submit feedback on nominees’ integrity, reputation, and suitability for judicial appointment. Our correspondent gathered that the 28 nominees would be presented to the NJC at its meeting scheduled for January 2026. “You are all aware, like the general public too, that transparency and judicial integrity have remained a top priority for the Kekere-Ekun-led administration.
Source:The Guardian
December 29, 2025 15:42 UTC
DSS arrests suspects linked to 2023 abduction, killing of Calabar neurologist
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested two men alleged to be key members of the gang responsible for the 2023 abduction and killing of Professor Ekanem Philip Ephraim, a neurologist in Calabar, Cross River State. Security sources said the suspects were arrested on December 27, 2025, during an operation in Cross River State, where they were allegedly planning another kidnapping targeting a medical practitioner. The suspects were arrested at a medical facility in the state, where operatives reportedly moved in after receiving intelligence on their movements. Professor Ephraim, a neurologist, was abducted on July 13, 2023, when gunmen reportedly entered her clinic disguised as patients. Her disappearance triggered widespread outrage across Cross River State, particularly within the medical community.
Source:The Guardian
December 29, 2025 15:38 UTC
Three dead as youths, security operatives clash in Katsina
A clash between security operatives and youths suspected of being social miscreants has left three people dead and several others injured in the Katsina State metropolitan area. The situation was said to have resulted in a violent clash. During the chaos, one of the police officers fired a shot that hit Uzairu, who later succumbed to his injuries. The next day, December 29, another violent clash occurred between police officers and the youths at the graveyard where Uzairu was being laid to rest. During the clash, the youths set fire to an outpost belonging to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and were almost successful in doing the same to a police outpost in the area.
Source:The Guardian
December 29, 2025 15:38 UTC
Defence chiefs fete frontline troops in Sokoto, urge vigilance
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Olufemi Oluyede, alongside the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Waidi Shaibu, on Thursday, December 26, 2025, feted frontline troops of Operation Fansan Yamma at a special Christmas luncheon held at Giginya Cantonment, Sokoto State. The operational visit to the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North West), Operation Fansan Yamma, was aimed at boosting morale, appreciating the sacrifices of troops and reinforcing strategic directives for ongoing operations across the North West. Oluyede praised the operational gains recorded under Operation Fansan Yamma, noting that the efforts of the troops have contributed significantly to restoring public confidence and stabilising the North West geopolitical zone and adjoining states. He also charged the troops to maintain heightened vigilance during the festive period, warning that criminal elements often exploit such occasions to undermine security. “It gives me a deep sense of fulfilment to celebrate Christmas with you, our gallant troops of Operation Fansan Yamma, alongside the Chief of Defence Staff.
Source:The Guardian
December 29, 2025 15:25 UTC
Foundation distributes Christmas palliatives to 1,000 widows in Rivers
About 1,000 widows across three local councils in Rivers State have benefited from Christmas palliatives distributed by the Tekena ThankGod Ikpaki Foundation. The distribution covered the nine clans of the Kirikese nation in Ogu/Bolo, Okrika and parts of Port Harcourt City local councils. Ikpaki said his passion for charity, especially supporting widows, motivated the initiative, adding that his actions were guided by biblical principles. What I’m doing today is my heartbeat and I do it every day. One of the beneficiaries, Tamunoboma Aberemieka, thanked the foundation for sponsoring the cataract surgery that restored her sight after years of blindness, saying she was identified during a previous widows’ outreach by Ikpaki.
Source:The Guardian
December 29, 2025 15:25 UTC
Calls for honour, justice as Madam Tinubu’s 138th anniversary holds in Lagos
The legendary feats of the 19th-century Amazon, Madam Efunroye Tinubu, were the focal point at the Civic Centre in Lagos on Wednesday night. It was the 138th anniversary remembrance of Madam Tinubu, blending history, heritage and a fierce demand for justice. Chief Akindele Akinfolabi Adamakin, Sole Administrator of the late Madam Tinubu’s estate and Chairman of the group, delivered a compelling address, urging the Federal Government to bestow a posthumous national honour on the iconic figure. Madam Tinubu, he noted, traded with the Portuguese before British annexation, a brainy powerhouse predating modern institutions. Adamakin affirmed that the President’s surname traces to Madam Efunroye herself, yet a 1945 rift divides the Lagos and Abeokuta branches.
Source:The Guardian
December 29, 2025 15:15 UTC
Gov Yusuf’s planned defection to APC is gross betrayal – NNPP
The New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) has distanced itself from the plan by Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf of Kano State to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Besides, the party reaffirmed its strong loyalty to its national leader and founder of the Kwankwasiyya movement and former governor of Kano State, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Addressing journalists on Monday, State NNPP Chairman, Hon. Hashim Dungurawa, insisted that Yusuf’s plan to defect to the APC was a gross betrayal of the party’s trust and added that Kwankwaso would remain in NNPP. “It is important to make clear that the Kano State party, the national party, and our national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, together with other leaders, do not approve of what is happening.
Source:The Guardian
December 29, 2025 14:51 UTC
Men’s transfer window January 2026: all deals from Europe’s top five leagues
Claudio EcheverriMidfielderBayer Leverkusen to Manchester CityCity recall promising playmaker who struggled for game time in Germany and is likely to be loaned out again in January
Source:The Guardian
December 29, 2025 14:31 UTC
Turmoil looms in Kwankwasiyya movement as Gov Yusuf prepares to join APC
Barring any last-minute decision, Governor Yusuf will join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to secure his ambition for a second term, The Guardian reliably gathered. Hashim Dungurawa, said that Kwankwaso is not part of Governor Yusuf’s decision to join APC. Dungurawa warned all party leaders not to join any move to endorse or sign any document that would signal a defection from NNPP to APC. However, some strong loyalists of the governor have mobilised party members to front the official defection of Yusuf to the APC. At engagements across their constituencies on Sunday, aides to the governor declared their readiness to join the APC.
Source:The Guardian
December 29, 2025 14:13 UTC