The Senate Press Corps (SPC), the umbrella body of journalists and media representatives covering the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has named the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, as the Most Outstanding Deputy President of the Senate Since 1999.

The award was presented today at the National Assembly, Abuja, in the presence of the leadership and members of the prestigious parliamentary correspondents’ association.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Chairman of the Senate Press Corps, Comrade Taye Odewale, who has covered the Senate for the past 22 years, said the association’s assessment identified Senator Barau as the most outstanding Deputy President of the Senate since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

According to him, the assessment was based on Senator Barau’s contributions to legislative development, quality lawmaking, presiding capabilities, contributions to debates, oversight, responsive representation, accessibility and commitment to humanity.

He particularly highlighted Senator Barau’s legislative record, noting that despite the administrative demands of his office, the Deputy Senate President had sponsored 48 bills within the last 40 months of the 10th National Assembly, five of which had been passed into law.
Senator Barau is also the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.

Among the landmark legislation highlighted by the SPC Chairman are the North West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2023; National Identity Management Commission (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2024; Agricultural Research Council Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024; Federal Medical Centre, Gwarzo, Kano State (Establishment) Bill, 2024; and Federal University of Science and Technology, Kabo (Establishment) Bill, 2025.

The association also acknowledged Senator Barau’s commitment to responsive representation and impactful public service delivery through constituency projects and empowerment programmes benefiting various categories of people across Kano North, Kano State, the North-West geopolitical zone and Nigeria at large.

Responding, Senator Barau thanked the Senate Press Corps for recognising his modest contributions to the development of the legislature.

He described the honour as both an acknowledgement of his efforts and a motivation to do more.

“This honour is not only an acknowledgement of the work we have done but also a motivation to do even more. As the popular saying goes, to whom much is given, much is expected.

“I assure you that I will not let you down. I will not let the Senate down; I will not let the National Assembly down, and I will not let the entire legislature or our country down.

“I remain committed to strengthening our democratic institutions, advancing people-oriented legislation and delivering purposeful representation to my constituents in Kano North Senatorial District,” he said.

Amnesty International Nigeria has received a petition against a Kano APC chieftain, Hon. Baffa Babba Dan Agundi, over allegations of promoting youth thuggery, political violence and incitement.

The petition was submitted by the Coalition of APC Progressive Youth Groups, through its Secretary, Comrade Usman Salisu.

In the petition, the group urged Amnesty International to examine the allegations against Dan Agundi and assess any available evidence of political incitement or promotion of violence.

It also called on the human rights organisation to document credible incidents of politically motivated attacks, intimidation, threats and other human rights violations associated with the allegations.

The petition further urged the organisation to encourage relevant authorities to conduct independent, impartial and transparent investigations where sufficient grounds exist.

The group expressed concern over the potential exploitation of young people for political activities, particularly in connection with the Kano Emirate crisis, warning against the use of political disagreements to justify violence or attacks on innocent people.

Copies of the petition were also sent to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigeria Police Force and the Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking for consideration within their respective mandates.

The petition clarified that copying the agencies was not an allegation that Dan Agundi had committed any drug-related offence, but a request for them to assess any relevant information within their statutory responsibilities.

The group called for the protection of young people, accountability without political favouritism and peaceful political participation across Kano State.

They also expressed readiness to provide further information, including verifiable statements, recordings, photographs, video footage and witness accounts, where available.

The National Primary Election Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has officialized Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura as the party’s candidate for the Zamfara North Senatorial District in the upcoming 2027 general elections.

The declaration follows the successful conclusion of a court-mandated re-run primary election conducted on Monday, November 2, 2026.

Announcing the final results on behalf of the Senatorial Primary Election Committee, committee member Sani Abdullahi confirmed that Senator Kaura secured a decisive victory by polling 16,758 votes.

He outperformed his primary rivals, Sahabi Alhaji Yau, who secured 1,465 votes, and Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, who received 1,447 votes.

According to the official figures released and certified by the election committee’s leadership, the electoral roll comprised 23,257 registered voters, with 19,608 delegates accredited for the exercise. A total of 19,292 valid votes were counted during the direct voting process.

Delivering the formal return, Abdullahi affirmed that Senator Kaura satisfied all statutory requirements outlined in the APC Constitution and the party’s electoral guidelines. Having amassed the highest number of lawful votes, Kaura was officially returned as the party’s candidate for the district.

The official result sheet was formally signed by the committee’s Chairman and Secretary at the close of proceedings on November 2, 2026.

This decisive primary outcome resolves a prolonged legal dispute over the nomination.

The exercise was ordered after the Court of Appeal in Sokoto upheld a ruling by the Federal High Court in Gusau, which nullified the previous primary election due to reported irregularities and mandated the party to conduct a transparent re-run.