Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Monday, 26th October, 2026.
1. SERAP Sues Tinubu Government Over ₦78.8 Billion Cash Transfer Allegations
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the Federal Government over alleged financial irregularities involving ₦78.8 billion allocated to cash-transfer programmes for vulnerable Nigerians.
The organisation is asking the court to compel the government to investigate the allegations, recover any funds found to have been misused and take appropriate action against those responsible.
The suit follows findings by the Auditor-General, who questioned several expenditures linked to the programme designed to provide financial assistance to vulnerable households across 35 states.
According to SERAP, the programme was intended to benefit more than 3.2 million households. However, the audit findings have raised concerns about the management of the funds and the verification of payments to beneficiaries.
The Auditor-General reportedly questioned ₦33.751bn said to have been transferred to households in 2023, citing inadequate records to verify payments and reconcile beneficiary information.
The report also flagged ₦36.744bn in payments allegedly made without prepayment audits, ₦4.616bn in unsupported expenditures, ₦350.182m spent on enrolment, ₦89.511m on store purchases and ₦17.422m in diesel advances.
SERAP’s lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Kehinde Oyewumi, argued that the government had failed to investigate the allegations, account for the questioned funds and recover any money found to have been unlawfully spent.
2. NDC Releases National Campaign Council Members For Peter Obi, Others
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has unveiled the list of national campaign council members for the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
The list was released by the NDC National Publicity Director, Osa Director, in a post on his 𝕏 account on Sunday.
Naija News reports that the list features the NDC National Leader, Seriake Dickson, as the Chairman of the National Campaign Caucus, while the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was listed as co-chairman.
The NDC National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Zuwoghe, was listed as Vice Chairman for the campaign caucus, while the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, was listed as co-vice chairman for the caucus.
The list also includes a National Campaign Advisory Council headed by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.
Mallam Ibrahim Abdulkarim was unveiled as the Director-General, while the list also includes state coordinators.
The party said the campaign council would coordinate its campaigns across all elective positions, including the presidency, National Assembly, governorship and State Houses of Assembly.
3. Ebola: NCDC Identifies 53 Contacts, Rules Out Suspected Rivers Case
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NSCDC) has identified 53 primary contacts linked to the country’s confirmed Ebola virus disease case, as authorities intensify surveillance to prevent further transmission.
The agency also disclosed that a suspected case reported in Rivers State had tested negative for the virus.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday.
He said: “We have established two suspected cases and 53 primary contact links. They are primary contacts. We have an isolation centre and a quarantine centre.”
Idris said health authorities were monitoring individuals who might have been exposed to the infection following the confirmation of Ebola in a 42-year-old woman who recently returned to Nigeria from Uganda.
4. ‘I Feel Election Will Be Postponed’ – Aisha Yesufu Speaks On Plan To Rig Election
Activist and politician, Aisha Yesufu, has raised the alarm over what she described as a possible plan to rig the 2027 general elections through a last-minute postponement.
Naija News reports that Yesufu, in a post on her 𝕏 handle on Sunday, said she suspected the polls could be shifted by a week on the eve of the election, when politicians are most exposed.
The activist explained that a sudden postponement would deplete candidates’ resources, who would have exhausted their funds and be forced to start spending all over again.
Yesufu urged opposition politicians and their supporters to anticipate every possible scenario, but cautioned them against using wrong methods.
5. We’ll Politically Retire Atiku And His Lying Brother Peter In January – Presidency Vows
The Presidency has vowed that African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will be politically retired in January.
Naija News reports that President Bola Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Olusegun Dada, made the declaration in a social media post on Sunday.
He expressed confidence that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would defeat the two opposition figures politically when Nigerians go to the polls in January.
He wrote on 𝕏: “We will retire Atiku and his lying brother Peter politically in January once and for all.”
6. NCDC Approves ₦100,000 Weekly Payment For Ebola Contacts
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved a weekly payment of ₦100,000 for each person identified as a contact of an Ebola patient.
Naija News reports that the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, announced the decision on Sunday, October 25, during a briefing on the country’s response to the Ebola outbreak.
Idris said the agency decided to provide the money after some people under monitoring complained about the financial difficulties they faced while staying away from their normal activities.
He explained that some of the contacts were worried about how to feed themselves and provide for their families while complying with the health authorities’ instructions.
7. Divorcing Jarvis Means Imprisonment, Giving Her My Property – Peller
Popular Nigerian TikToker, Peller, has dismissed calls for him to divorce his wife, Jarvis over their public disagreement.
Naija News reports that the content creator made his position known during a live video on social media.
The TikToker pointed to the legal and financial implications of ending their marriage, explaining that his decision to marry Jarvis in a court ceremony came with responsibilities and consequences he was not prepared to ignore.
According to Peller, divorcing his wife could expose him to a four-year prison sentence and require him to surrender 30 per cent of his property.
8. ‘I Would Be Happy If He Is Not Buried In A Burial Ground’ – Toluwanising’s Father Speaks On Burial Plans
The father of the late gospel singer, Olayemi Bolaji, better known as Toluwanisings, has disclosed that he prefers his son to be buried in the house he built, not in a burial ground.
The father made his preference known in an interview amidst reports of disputes over where the late singer should be buried.
According to reports, the singer’s father wants his son buried at his house or taken to Ikirun, Osun State, where his late mother was buried, while the wife reportedly prefers that he be laid to rest in a cemetery in Ibadan.
He also disclosed that the singer’s real name was Sadiq Olayemi Bayonle and that he was born in July 1992.
According to him, Toluwanisings lost his mother when he was just six months old.
9. Premier League: Bournemouth Thrash Man United As Liverpool, Newcastle Win
Bournemouth compounded Manchester United’s struggles with a 3-0 win at Old Trafford earlier today, October 25, while Liverpool and Newcastle United recorded wins in their Premier League fixtures.
The defeat was United’s third in four home matches and extended their winless run in all competitions to eight games, increasing the pressure on manager Michael Carrick.
Carrick left captain Bruno Fernandes on the bench following United’s midweek defeat to Como, but the decision failed to produce the desired response as Bournemouth dominated proceedings.
Rayan opened the scoring with a volley from Justin Kluivert’s free-kick, while goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic denied Bryan Mbeumo an equaliser.
Bournemouth doubled their advantage after Leny Yoro’s mistake allowed Adrien Truffert to set up Marcus Tavernier, who finished confidently.
Carrick introduced Matheus Cunha at half-time in an attempt to revive United, but the hosts struggled to mount a comeback.
Evanilson sealed Bournemouth’s win after capitalising on defensive confusion, rounding goalkeeper Senne Lammens before finishing from an acute angle.
The result gave Bournemouth their fourth consecutive win in all competitions and extended their unbeaten run against United to seven meetings.
10. NFF Hails Alex Iwobi As He Equals Salah’s Premier League Record
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has congratulated Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi after he equalled Mohamed Salah’s record of 328 Premier League appearances by an African player.
Alex Iwobi reached the milestone on Saturday, October 24, as Fulham defeated Coventry City 1-0, drawing level with the Egyptian forward among African players with the most appearances in the English top flight.
The 30-year-old is now 25 appearances away from surpassing former Ivory Coast international Kolo Touré, who made 353 Premier League appearances during his career with several English clubs.
The NFF’s Acting General Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, praised Iwobi’s achievement and expressed hope that he would go on to set a new record for African players in the competition.
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