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16 Days To Handover: President Buhari,Aides Move Out Belongings From The Villa

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President Muhammad Buhari during a recent Parade

With 17 days to the end of his regime, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has moved out of his official residence inside the Aso Rock Presidential Villa to the Glass House, a temporary structure that has served as the abode of outgoing presidents since 1991.

The move is to allow for maintenance works on the residence in preparation for its next occupant, President-elect Bola Tinubu.

Reports indicate that most of Buhari’s aides have also been moving their personal belongings out of the seat of power in order to create room for Tinubu’s personal aides and key Presidency officials.

On the nature of renovations in the main residence, a senior State House source said that the 32-year-old edifice was being coated with white paint, while some of its sections were being cleaned and fumigated.

However, the renovation, which largely entails finishing and fittings, will not include the provision of new sets of furniture as the incoming President will determine whether to change the existing ones or not.

You know that most of the structure is white. So, the renovation will involve repainting of the stained sections and replacing fittings that have gone weak or bad. The furniture may not be changed. But that will depend on the new President,” the source said.

According to a two-minute video clip earlier published on her Instagram handle, the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, revealed that the Glass House had since been the new residence of the first family.

Aisha was seen showing the incoming First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, around the State House official residence, adding that the Glass House should remain in use as the transition base for outgoing presidents and their spouses.

She said, “I have taken the incoming First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, around. She has seen the main house; we are now at the popular Glass House. The Glass House is a transitional home for outgoing presidents.

“I’m advising that the Glass House should maintain its tradition of being a transition home for outgoing presidents. As I am talking to you now, I am residing here with my husband.

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“Only two of us here, I think it should remain so as a norm of the institution and of the house

It was reported last week that the State House Management had begun renovating and refurbishing sections of the Presidential Villa.

The concrete perimeter fence encompassing the President’s office, official residence, the Council Chamber, press gallery, as well as other administrative offices were being overlaid with new white and green paints.

Our correspondent also observed the delivery of a new set of furniture to the green room adjoining the Council Chamber. Months earlier, the management had carried out a routine upgrade of card readers and installed barricades in areas, which were once freeways.

Meanwhile, the Villa Clinic located at the administrative section of the State House has been relocated to the N21bn VIP wing of the State House Clinic, now a medical centre.

In March 2023, Buhari approved the re-designation of the State House Clinic as the State House Medical Centre.

The Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar, had disclosed after a pre-inauguration inspection of the new presidential VIP wing of the State House Medical Centre by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, accompanied by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; and Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba.

It was observed that the President’s aides started packing their personal belongings out of the Villa earlier this month in order to avoid last minute focus on them by “overzealous security officials,” who might be taking pictures to give the impression that the aides were engaging in last-minute looting of the residential apartments.

Another aide of the President, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said, “Since we all know that the tenure of the present administration ends on May 29, which is about 17 days’ time, why will we wait until the new appointees start to resume before we move out?

“Already, the President and his family have also moved from the main building to a smaller one within the Villa, and I am sure that the first family will soon start moving their belongings out of the Presidential Villa.

“The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has taken the incoming First Lady round the residential areas and buildings in preparation for the handover. So, what are we going to be waiting for? The outgoing First Lady did that because she knows the incoming First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

However, we are not sure who will occupy our offices now. So, the idea of waiting for them or taking them around is not feasible. That is why we will have to move out of the official quarters.

We know how Nigerians begin to crucify an outgoing government and vilify its officials as soon as the handover is completed. We are not immune to that. We are expecting the same, but we won’t wait until we are disgraced before moving our personal effects out of the villa.

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Court Restrains Anti-Corruption Commission, Others from interfering in MAAUN’s Affairs

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A Kano High Court has granted an interim injunction restraining the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) and four other parties from interfering in the internal and external affairs of Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria (AAUN), Kano.

Justice Sanusi Ado Ma’aji of the High court of Kano Judicial Division issued the order, while ruling on a motion of ex parte filed by the management of the university.

The respondents in the suit are the Kano State Government, PCACC, Kano State House of Assembly and the state’s Attorney-General and concerned parents of the institution.

Justice Ma’aji in the court order dated December 11, 2025, restrained the respondents or any other person acting on their behalf from inviting officials of the institution or interfering in the administrative and academic activities of the intuition, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

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The court also directed all the parties to maintain status quo in relation to the matter between the applicant and the first respondent, pending the determination of the originating summons.

Speaking after the ruling, MAAUN’s counsel Zahraddeen M. Bello, said that the court’s decision reaffirmed the rule of law and the need for due process, saying the university will continue to operate within the confines of law, while the case is pending.

However, the court granted leave to the applicant to serve court processes on the fifth respondent at its office located at No. 224 Sabo Bakin Zuwo, Kano.

The matter was adjourned to December 29, 2025 and the order was given under the hand and seal of the presiding judge and was duly endorsed by the Principal Registrar of the court.

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Jigawa Trains Local Government Chairmen on 2025 Tax Reform Act

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The Jigawa Joint Task Committee has commenced a two-day capacity-building training for local government chairmen and policymakers. The two-day capacity program focused on the new Nigeria Tax Reform Act (NTA) 2025, which is scheduled to take effect nationwide on January 1, 2026.

The training gathered a contingent of state and local revenue stakeholders, including all 27 local government chairmen of Jigawa State, led by the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), revenue officers, and key policy and tax experts.

The core objective of the session was multifaceted: to enhance understanding of the NTA 2025 and its specific implications for local government administration, strengthen collaboration between state and local tiers for revenue harmonization and joint administration, and improve the technical capacity of local government leaders in deploying modern revenue processes and digital systems.

During the event, the Executive Chairman of the Jigawa Internal Revenue Service (JIRS), Dr. Nasir Sabo Idris, commended the state government’s leadership for its commitment to fiscal autonomy.

“I wish to acknowledge the immense support of His Excellency, Governor Malam Umar Namadi, FCA,” Dr. Idris said.

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According to Dr. Idris, Jigawa Governor’s commitment to revenue generation has been unwavering, ensuring a consistent improvement in the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Dr. Idris pointed out that the upcoming launch of JigiTax, a wholly digital platform designed to streamline and modernize revenue collection across Jigawa State, is underway.

He said the move is seen as a direct response to strengthening transparency and blocking revenue leakages.

On his part, the Jigawa State Commissioner for Local Government, Ibrahim Graba Hannun-Giwa, whose address was delivered by the Director of Research, Malam Samaila Yusuf, said:

“The Ministry of Local Government is doing all it takes to continue supporting the visionary policies of Governor Namadi and driving policies that will shore up the revenue base of our local governments,” Malam Yusuf stated, emphasizing a unified approach to fiscal strength.

The dividends of the collaborative efforts were highlighted by the ALGON Chairman, who also serves as the Chairman of Dutse Local Government.

Speaking to newsmen, he asserted that the state’s disciplined approach had fundamentally altered the financial landscape at the grassroots level.

“With the commitment shown by Governor Namadi and the diligent efforts of the Jigawa Joint Revenue Committee, no local government in Jigawa now seeks intervention,” the ALGON Chairman declared.

He said, “Revenue loopholes are being systematically blocked, and improved compliance by different stakeholders, including markets and motor parks remitting their taxes, has significantly boosted our revenue drive.”

He further confirmed that the local governments had already undertaken a series of awareness trainings for all relevant stakeholders to ensure a seamless transition to the NTA 2025.

Barrister Aliyu Abdullahi said the in a paper presentation titled “State and Local Government in the Law,” by a legal practitioner. The paper specifically called for the legislative institutionalization of the Jigawa Joint Revenue Committee by the State House of Assembly. This institutional backing, the practitioner argued, would solidify the collaborative framework for revenue harmonization and ensure its longevity beyond the current administration.

 

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Former President Obasanjo Endorses Turaki’s Faction of PDP

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo hosted the national working committee (NWC) of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun state.

The PDP faction visited the former president on Saturday, and Kabiru Turaki led the delegation.

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Those among the delegation are: Muazu Aliyu, former Niger governor; Jonah Jang, former governor of Plateau; Adolphus Wabara, former senate president, and many more.

Interacting with the delegation, Obasanjo commended the faction’s effort, adding that its members should “soldier on”.

The former president also urged the faction to remain steadfast in instilling discipline in the party, adding that:

“anybody who wants to belong to a political party must adhere strictly to its rules and regulations”.

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