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Political Earthquake in Senate as Seven Lawmakers defect to ADC ( full list)

Published

3 months ago

March 13, 2026

Preport

Nigeria’s political landscape has witnessed another shift following the defection of seven senators from their former political platforms to an opposition party, a development that could alter the balance of power in the National Assembly.

Reports indicate that the lawmakers formally announced their decision during plenary at the Nigerian Senate, citing internal crises within their former parties and the need to align with platforms that better represent the interests of their constituents.

The senators explained that persistent leadership disputes and ideological differences forced them to reconsider their political affiliations.

The defection was formally communicated through letters addressed to the Senate leadership and read during plenary by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.

According to the lawmakers, their decision was driven by the desire to pursue a more stable political environment that would enable them to effectively deliver democratic dividends to their constituents.

Political analysts say the development may have significant implications for legislative activities, particularly as party alignments often influence voting patterns, committee leadership, and policy negotiations within the National Assembly.

The shift also highlights the continuing fluidity of party loyalty in Nigeria’s political system, where defections have become a recurring feature of the democratic process.

While supporters of the move argue that lawmakers have the constitutional right to associate with any political party of their choice, critics believe frequent defections undermine political stability and weaken party structures.

Observers say the coming weeks will reveal whether more lawmakers may follow the same path, potentially reshaping alliances ahead of future political contests.

The Senate leadership has yet to announce whether the development will lead to any immediate changes in committee assignments or legislative responsibilities for the affected lawmakers.

The List

The senators who defected are Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto South), Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo (Nasarawa South), Binos Dauda Yaroe (Adamawa South), Austin Akobundu (Abia Central) and Lawal Adamu Usman (Kaduna Central), all from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Others include Ireti Kingibe (Federal Capital Territory), Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and Tony Nwoye (Anambra North) from the Labour Party (LP), as well as Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

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Ogunsanya Wins Nigeria’s First Medal at Ulaanbaatar Open Wrestling Ranking Series

Published

19 minutes ago

June 6, 2026

Preport

Nigeria’s Christiana Ogunsanya has secured the country’s first medal at the ongoing 2026 Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series in Mongolia after winning bronze in the women’s 53kg category.

Ogunsanya delivered a spirited performance to defeat Mongolia’s Otgontuya Bayanmunkh 6-6 on criteria in the bronze medal bout on Friday, handing Team Nigeria its first podium finish at the prestigious United World Wrestling Ranking Series event.

The Nigerian wrestler showed resilience throughout the competition, battling against a strong international field that included top athletes from Asia and Europe.

Her bronze medal finish marks another important milestone for Nigerian wrestling on the global stage.

The women’s 53kg gold medal was won by DPR Korea’s Kyong Ryong Oh, who defeated Japan’s Moe Kiyooka 10-6 in the final, while Romania’s Andreea Ana claimed the second bronze medal in the category.

Ogunsanya’s achievement comes as Nigeria continues to strengthen its reputation in international wrestling competitions, especially in women’s wrestling where the country has consistently produced world-class talents.

At the Ulaanbaatar Open, India emerged as one of the standout nations in women’s wrestling, winning gold medals through Manisha in the 57kg category and Neha in the 59kg division, while DPR Korea also secured multiple titles.

The Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series is one of the major international wrestling tournaments sanctioned by United World Wrestling, attracting elite wrestlers from across the world as they prepare for upcoming global championships.

News

Reid Hoffman is leaving Microsoft’s board to go ‘founder mode’ with startup Manus

Published

1 hour ago

June 6, 2026

Preport

After a very profitable decade on Microsoft’s board, Reid Hoffman is stepping down, the company announced Thursday. Hoffman joined the board after Microsoft bought his company LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in 2016.

Hoffman was on Microsoft’s board when it invested its first $1 billion into OpenAI in 2019. Hoffman was one of OpenAI’s original investors and served on the model maker’s board until he stepped down in 2023, citing too many potential conflicts of interest to continue. He was also on Microsoft’s board when the tech giant entered into one of those non-acquisition, acqui-hire deals for $650 million with his AI startup Inflection AI. Microsoft hired Inflection co-founder Mustafa Suleyman through that deal.

Hoffman said on a recent episode of his “Possible” podcast, while talking with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, that he’s ready to go “founder mode” with his latest AI startup, Manus. Manus is a drug discovery company that raised over $50 million through a couple of seed rounds last year. Hoffman is an investor, as is General Catalyst.

Hoffman is cited as a co-founder of Manus and chairman of the board, not the CEO, though. That job belongs to Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, a physician, biologist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the 2011 book “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer.”

Still, Hoffman said he’s excited to give Manus more attention.

“One of the things I realized over the last month was that, we’re seeing such progress with Manus. I need to get back to founder mode,” he said. He believes the startup is making progress on “Move 37” AI, meaning AI that supersedes human creativity in chemistry, especially to combat various cancers, he added.