Good morning, Nigeria. Welcome to your Gossip News Now roundup of the major headlines making waves across the country today, Saturday, November 1, 2025.
1. FG Launches ₦10 Million Tax Reform Challenge for Students, NYSC Members
The Federal Government has unveiled a ₦10 million Tax Reform Challenge targeting Nigerian students and NYSC members, aimed at increasing public understanding and engagement with the recently introduced tax reform laws.
Announcing the initiative on Friday, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, said the programme seeks to encourage young Nigerians to contribute to the national fiscal debate through creative and research-based content.
In a post on X, Oyedele described the challenge as “big news for Nigerian students,” adding that it will promote tax education and inspire youth-driven dialogue around Nigeria’s evolving tax policies.
“This challenge is designed to raise awareness, promote tax education, and inspire constructive youth-led dialogue on Nigeria’s tax reform,” he stated.
The competition is open to undergraduate students in Nigerian tertiary institutions and NYSC members or graduates awaiting mobilisation.
Participants must study Nigeria’s new tax laws and submit either an article, video, podcast, radio programme or social media content published between July 1 and December 31, 2025.
Entries will be evaluated on accuracy, creativity, and educational value. Oyedele noted that critical submissions are welcome, saying: “Don’t just watch history. Shape it. Read. Create. Educate. Grow.”
The competition features a ₦10 million prize pool — ₦5 million for first place, ₦3 million for second place, and ₦2 million for third place — along with gadgets, internship slots, job opportunities, and recognition as Tax Reform Youth Ambassadors for the top 10 finalists from each geopolitical zone.
Oyedele emphasized that the initiative aims to build a generation of tax-literate young Nigerians equipped to contribute meaningfully to national development through civic engagement.
2. PDP Reacts, Vows to Appeal Court Ruling on Convention Suspension
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed displeasure over the Federal High Court ruling that halted its national convention scheduled to take place in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Reacting in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party described the ruling by Justice Kolawole Omotosho as an attack on Nigeria’s democratic process.
The PDP insisted that the court order does not prevent it from continuing with internal preparations for the event, even as it pledged to challenge the decision at the appellate court.
Justice Omotosho had ordered the PDP to suspend the convention following a suit filed by party officials — Austin Nwachukwu, Amah Nnanna, and Turnah George — who alleged breaches of the party’s constitution during preparations for the exercise. The court also directed the party to fulfil the statutory 21-day notice requirement before proceeding.
Ologunagba argued that the ruling contradicts an existing Supreme Court decision affirming the autonomy of political parties to manage their internal affairs.
3. Agba Jalingo Alleges Prison Officials Sell Cell Spaces to Wealthy Inmates
Journalist and human rights activist Agba Jalingo has accused officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service of selling preferential cell spaces to wealthy inmates for up to ₦300,000.
Jalingo made the allegations during an Investigative and Accountability Journalism Masterclass hosted by the Agba Jalingo Foundation in Calabar, Cross River State.
“I am saying emphatically that some prison officials across the country sell cell spaces to richer inmates. Some charge ₦250,000, ₦300,000 or more. I know this because I spent time there and saw how it works,” he stated.
The activist, who was previously detained at the Afokang Federal Correctional Centre in Calabar, described his time in custody as an eye-opener to deeply rooted corruption within the prison system.
He noted that the sale of cell spaces is just one part of a wider system of injustice, where poor defendants suffer disproportionately due to lack of resources and systemic exploitation.
“Many inmates are languishing in jail not because they are guilty, but because they cannot afford legal representation or bribes demanded by officials. The system punishes the poor and rewards those who can pay,” he said.
Jalingo added that his experience has strengthened his commitment to advocating for prison reforms and justice for wrongfully incarcerated individuals.
He also thanked Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu for granting amnesty to 54 inmates of the Afokang facility, following his plea on behalf of deserving prisoners.
4. Burna Boy Says Only Fela Kuti Is Greater Than Him in Africa
Grammy-winning Nigerian music star, Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, has declared that Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti is the only African artist greater than him.
The remark was made during a livestream with Australian streamer Playboymax, where Burna Boy praised the late music icon.
“He is the king. He is the only one who is greater than me. He is the only one,” Burna Boy said, referring to Fela Kuti.
Burna Boy, known for hit songs such as Last Last, is regarded as one of Africa’s biggest contemporary music stars. However, debates about the greatest African artist of all time continue to circulate within the music community.
5. Premier League to Feature Only One Boxing Day Fixture in 2025
The Premier League has announced that Boxing Day in 2025 will feature only one match — a major departure from the long-standing tradition of a full slate of games during the festive period.
Manchester United will host Newcastle United on Friday, December 26, 2025, marking a historic change in the English football calendar, which has seen packed Boxing Day schedules for more than a century.
According to BBC Sport, the adjustment is due to fixture congestion linked to expanded European competitions and changes in the global football calendar. The Premier League noted that despite keeping its 380-match format, the domestic season has effectively been compressed into 33 weekends.
With Boxing Day falling on a Friday in 2025, seven matches will instead take place on Saturday, December 27, two on Sunday, December 28, and Matchweek 19 will continue on Tuesday, December 30, with six fixtures scheduled.
The league assured fans that the traditional Boxing Day fixture list will return in 2026, when the date falls on a Saturday.
6. Esther Okoronkwo Backs Super Falcons to Claim 11th WAFCON Title in 2026
Super Falcons forward, Esther Okoronkwo, says she is confident Nigeria will secure an 11th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title when the tournament holds in 2026.
The Nigerian women’s national team — the most successful side in African women’s football — sealed qualification earlier this week with a 3–1 aggregate win over the Benin Republic, extending their flawless record of appearing in every WAFCON edition.
Under coach Justine Madugu, the Falcons will enter next year’s tournament as defending champions, determined to maintain their continental dominance. The 2026 WAFCON will also serve as a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, adding extra motivation for the team.
Okoronkwo, an increasingly influential figure in Nigeria’s attack, expressed confidence in the squad’s winning mentality.
Speaking to Channels Television, she said:
“With Nigeria, everything is possible for sure. We’re not going there just for vibes. We want to win the 11th title.”
7. MC Oluomo Says He Spent ₦756 Million to Support Tinubu’s 2023 Campaign
National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) President, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, has claimed he spent over ₦756 million of his personal funds to support President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 election campaign.
In a viral social media video, the Lagos transport leader and close Tinubu ally stated that he financed campaign expenses independently, with no financial contribution from Abuja.
“I spent ₦756 million of my own money during the campaign. Nobody from Abuja gave me anything. I paid for hotels and took care of everyone working day and night for Asiwaju’s victory,” he said.
MC Oluomo disclosed that he secured 140 hotel rooms at ₦45,000 per night for four months and funded logistics, feeding, and stipends for Nollywood actors, actresses, and other supporters involved in the campaign.
He explained that the spending was necessary to ensure smooth mobilisation across Lagos and other states ahead of the presidential poll.
“I provided accommodation, feeding, and transportation for all campaign teams, including entertainers and volunteers who supported us,” he added.
Reiterating his loyalty to President Tinubu, MC Oluomo said he is already preparing for the 2027 elections and vowed to commit even more resources to secure Tinubu’s re-election.
8. Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri Set to Defect to APC on Monday
Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, is expected to officially join the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday in what is shaping up to be one of the most significant political crossovers in the South-South since 2023.
According to reports by TheCable, President Bola Tinubu, APC governors, and members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) will formally receive the governor during a ceremony in Abuja.
Diri, who resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 15, is said to have been in discreet talks with top APC figures for weeks to finalize the move.
An APC insider told TheCable that the timing was carefully chosen to ensure the “smooth integration of the PDP bloc into the APC’s Bayelsa structure” and prevent internal conflicts ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The governor wanted everything aligned before going public. Both sides finalized a sharing formula to avoid friction after the defection,” the source said.
Diri’s switch marks a major strategic win for the ruling party in the South-South—an area historically dominated by the PDP. His defection adds to the wave of top-level PDP losses, which has seen governors Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), and Peter Mbah (Enugu) join the APC within the last year.
9. Court Halts PDP National Convention Scheduled for November 2025
A Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from holding its planned national convention slated for November 15–16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The convention was expected to usher in a new set of national officers for the opposition party. However, the court halted the process following a suit filed by three party officials: Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Amah Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman), and Turnah George (South-South PDP secretary).
The plaintiffs accused the party leadership of violating the PDP constitution and due process in the preparation for the convention. They argued that the event contravenes the provisions of the party’s constitution, the 1999 Constitution, and the Electoral Act, claiming that congresses were not conducted in 14 states ahead of the planned exercise.
Their counsel told the court that the lawsuit concerns compliance with legal and constitutional provisions, not merely an internal party dispute.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice James Omotosho ordered the PDP to suspend all arrangements and return to address the alleged procedural breaches. He further directed the party to issue the mandatory 21-day notice before rescheduling the convention.
10. Presidency Explains Tinubu’s Approval of 15% Import Tariff on Petrol, Diesel
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a 15% import tariff on petrol and diesel, a decision the Presidency says is aimed at boosting local refining, reducing Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel, and creating jobs.
In a statement on Friday, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, described the policy as “a bridge, not a burden,” stressing that it is intended to strengthen the nation’s energy independence and attract investment in domestic refining.
“It is no longer news that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a 15 per cent import duty on petrol and diesel — a bold and strategic move aimed at reshaping Nigeria’s energy landscape,” Dare wrote on his official X handle.
He noted that Nigeria’s long-term dependence on imported petroleum products has weakened the economy by draining foreign exchange and limiting local industry development.
According to Dare, the tariff will make imported products less competitive, giving an edge to local refiners like the Dangote Refinery, Port Harcourt Refinery, and modular refineries nationwide.
That’s all for today’s top Nigerian news headlines. For more updates and breaking stories, stay connected with Gossip News Now. Join us again tomorrow for another news roundup.
