By Dipo Olowookere

The Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, has left the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Fubara, who was restored as Governor of the oil-rich state in September 2025, announced his defection to the APC at a stakeholders meeting at the government house in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

In March 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency on Rivers State, suspending Mr Fubara and lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months due to political unrest in the South-South state.

It was gathered that on Monday night, the governor visited Mr Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja for a meeting.

His defection from the PDP comes a few days after 16 members of the Rivers Assembly formally joined the APC due to crisis in the PDP.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin in support of efforts to restore peace and stability following Sunday’s coup attempt.

The Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio, announced this on Tuesday during plenary after lawmakers considered the request in the Committee of the Whole in line with section 5, Part 11 of the Constitution.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly unanimously voted in favour of the deployment, giving legislative backing for the regional security intervention.

Mr Akpabio described the decision as a step in the right direction, noting that instability in any neighboring state poses a threat to the entire region.

“An injury to one is an injury to all,” the lawmaker said, underscoring that it is Nigeria’s responsibility to support its Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) partner.

He said the Senate’s consent letter will be transmitted to President Tinubu immediately.

Earlier, President Tinubu had written to the Senate, seeking their approval for the deployment of troops to the Benin Republic. He said that Nigeria has a historical responsibility to support Benin under the existing Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) security frameworks.

According to the President, the crisis demands “urgent external intervention” to help restore stability and prevent further breakdown of order.

Benin Republic’s attempted coup occurred on Sunday, when some military personnel who called themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR) took to national television to announce that they had met and concluded that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic”.

However, the country’s military thwarted the effort and regained control, with aerial support from Nigeria, as per requested.

“The regular army is regaining control. The city (Cotonou) and the country are completely secure,” sources close to Talon said. “It’s just a matter of time before everything returns to normal. The clean-up is progressing well.”

Following the development, ECOWAS said it will deploy a standby force to the area.

“After consultation among members of the Mediation and Security Council at the level of Heads of State and Government, the Chair of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government has ordered the deployment of elements of the ECOWAS Standby Force to the Republic of Benin with immediate effect,” the regional bloc said.

“The Regional Force shall be made up of troops from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, and the Republic of Ghana.

“The Force shall support the Government and the Republican Army of Benin to preserve constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin”.

Earlier today, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) refuted reports that 11 of its personnel are currently being held by the Burkinabe military regime in Bobo-Dioulasso, southwest Burkina Faso.

It was reported that the Nigerian military officials were captured after their aircraft conducted an emergency landing, alleged to be violating airspace belonging to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

AES, made up of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, said in a joint statement that the aircraft carrying the 11 military personnel did not have permission to fly over Burkina Faso.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has refuted reports that 11 of its personnel are currently being held by the Burkinabe military regime in Bobo-Dioulasso, southwest Burkina Faso.

It was reported that the Nigerian military officials were captured after their aircraft conducted an emergency landing, alleged to be violating airspace belonging to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

AES, made up of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, said in a joint statement that the aircraft carrying the 11 military personnel did not have permission to fly over Burkina Faso.

The allied military-led nations of the Sahel collectively threatened action against violations of their airspace.

“An aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, type C-130, was forced to land today in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency situation while it was operating in Burkinabe airspace,” according to an alliance statement read on state media in the three West African countries.

The statement called the landing an “unfriendly act” and said the countries’ respective air forces had been put on maximum alert and authorised to “neutralise any aircraft” found to violate the confederation’s airspace.

The joint statement did not mention what happened to the 11 military personnel onboard the Nigerian turboprop plane.

The trio of Sahel countries, all under military rule and battling long-running jihadist insurgencies, maintain uneasy relations with their west African neighbours.

In January, they left the regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after forming their own alliance, AES.

The three states have also distanced themselves from the West, notably from former colonial ruler France, while drawing closer to Russia.

This comes after Nigeria helped Benin Republic quell a coup that sought to remove President Patrice Talon from office, less than five months till the end of his second term.

The putsch which failed saw arrests of over 14 soldiers, while some reportedly remain at large, holding some hostages.

But reacting via a statement on Tuesday, NAF its men are being treated with respect, with the scheduled mission to resume.

“The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) wishes to clarify reports regarding the diversion of a NAF C-130 aircraft during its ferry mission to Portugal on 8 December 2025. Following takeoff from Lagos, the crew observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, the nearest airfield, in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols. NAF crew is safe and have received cordial treatment from the host authorities.

“Plans are ongoing to resume the mission as scheduled. The Nigerian Air Force appreciates the support received during this period and assures the public that NAF remains professionally committed to strict compliance with operational procedures and safety standards, ensuring the protection of its personnel while fulfilling its constitutional mandate,” the statement signed by the Director of Public Relations and Information for the agency, Ehimen Ejodame, said.