Nigeria News Digest: September 1, 2025

Nigeria saw heated disputes over the Rivers local‑government elections, a Finnish court sentencing separatist Simon Ekpa, major business developments including a Union Bank‑Titan Trust merger, and a wave of security incidents.

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Politics & Governance

APC won 20 of 23 chairmanships in Rivers State’s local government elections on 30 August 2025, while the PDP captured the remaining three seats. Former vice‑president Atiku Abubakar called the exercise an absurdity, and former deputy speaker Chuks Okocha praised the RSIEC’s performance.

- thisdaylive.com

Onanuga accused former minister Nasir El‑Rufai of leading a campaign to oust President Tinubu, while highlighting Tinubu’s achievements over two years. He contrasted El‑Rufai’s claim that four years are insufficient for meaningful change with Tinubu’s record of boosting foreign reserves, a stronger stock market, a harmonised exchange rate and a decline in inflation for four months.

- punchng.com

NSA Nuhu Ribadu rejected former Kaduna governor Nasir El‑Rufai’s allegations that the federal government is supporting bandits, calling the claims false and insulting. Ribadu said anti‑corruption agencies act independently and that the government does not provide incentives to criminal groups.

- premiumtimesng.com