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Dino Melaye: Senate Orders IGP to Appear on Wednesday

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The Senate has ordered the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to appear before it at 11 am on Wednesday, to answer questions on why Senator Dino Melaye was handcuffed by policemen, who arrested him on Tuesday.

Idris was also expected to answer questions on the spate of insecurity and its attendant killings in different locations across the federation.

The police boss, who was summoned to appear before the lawmakers yesterday, failed to show up, as he was said to have accompanied President Muhammadu Buhari to Bauchi State on official engagement.

Announcing the inability of the IGP Ibrahim to honour the summons, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Abu Ibrahim, said the IG had mandated Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Operations to stand in for him.

But the senators were piqued by Senator Ibrahim’s statement, with many of them accusing the IG of being disrespectful of the Senate.

Senate President Bukola Saraki reminded Ibrahim that it was the IGP that the Senate summoned through a resolution and not the DIG.

Deputy Senate Leader Bala Ibn Na ‘Allah urged members not to listen to any other person other than the IGP.

“This Senate consists of elected representatives of over 180 million Nigerians. So, the invitation to the IGP is from over 180 million Nigerians.

“I am not comfortable with the way democratic institutions are being treated in this country. It is in the interest of the President that his appointees respond to invitations from the legislature.

“I don’t want my grandchildren to look into my legislative record at the National Assembly in the future and say that ‘our grandfather was stupid.”

A suggestion by one of the senators that the IGP should inform the Senate about a convenient date to honour the summon was dismissed by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa.

Senator Emmanuel Bwacha said the Parliament has suffered untold humiliation in the hands of officials of the present administration, regretting that some officials believe that the legislature should be treated as an appendage of the executive arm.

The senator representing Taraba South noted that some of the President’s appointees were responsible for the strained relationship between the executive and the legislature with habitual disrespect for the institution of parliament.

According to him, many of these appointees have the erroneous impression that it is disrespectful of the legislature to invite the President’s appointees, particularly security chiefs.

Senator Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North) blamed Senator Abu Ibrahim and the President’s liaison officer at the Senate, Ita Enag, for the lapses.

In his own contribution, Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio said he was of the conviction that the IG would be glad to honour the invitation to address the Senate on issues of security.

Senator Isa Misau wondered why the IGP could mobilise over 100 armed policemen within a short notice to arrest Senator Melaye, whereas the police were yet to arrest the thugs that invaded the Senate chambers and made away with the mace.

Closing the debate, Saraki said the dignity and integrity of democratic institutions should be respected, saying that he had been trying to reach the IGP in the last 72 hours without any response from the police boss.

He stated that if the IG had informed President Buhari that he had a date with the Senate, the President would have given him leave to honour the invitation, adding that it was disrespectful of the IGP to send his DIG.

The Nation

 

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NNPC Reduces Petrol Price Seven Days after Dangote Slash

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has reduced the price of its premium motor spirit aka petrol seven days after Dangote Refinery adjusted its petrol gantry price.

Reports said on Tuesday that NNPCL retail outlets in Abuja and environs have slashed their petrol to N1,260 per litre, down from N1,335. The new price represents a N75 cut per litre.

Reports from Abuja said the new price has been implemented at NNPCL retail outlets on Kubwa Expressway, Wuse Zone 6 (Berger), and Zone 4.

On June 16, Dangote Refinery reduced its petrol gantry price to N1,175 per litre, which triggered a drop in retail fuel nationwide as a result of reduced crude oil prices.

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Court Remands Sowore in Kuje Prison

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A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the remand of Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his application challenging the revocation of his bail.

Mohammed Umar, the presiding judge, made the order on Monday after dismissing an application by Sowore seeking the judge’s recusal from the case on grounds of alleged bias.

The judge subsequently adjourned hearing on the motion for stay of execution, as filed by Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, Sowore’s new counsel, to June 24.

In a brief ruling, Umar held that Sowore should remain in custody pending the hearing and determination of the application.

Sowore had appeared before the court earlier on Monday, days after the judge revoked the bail earlier granted him and ordered his arrest.

At the last sitting on June 16, the court revoked the activist’s bail after stating that a letter seeking an adjournment on his behalf did not provide reasons for his absence from court.

The Department of State Services (DSS) is prosecuting Sowore on a two-count charge over a social media post in which he allegedly described President Bola Tinubu as “a criminal” on his X and Facebook accounts.

Following the revocation of his bail, the Oyo chapter of the AAC criticised the court’s decision, describing it as political persecution and alleging an attempt to frustrate Sowore’s political activities.

The party had argued that Sowore attended the previous hearing and requested alternative dates because of a scheduled trip.

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Ekiti Guber Election: INEC Declares APC’s Biodun Oyebanji Winner

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, winner of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.

Oyebanji secured a landslide victory, polling 319,224 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede, who garnered 40,543 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dare Bejide, came a distant third with 12,872 votes.

The election, held across all 16 local government areas of the state, was overshadowed by reports of irregularities and widespread allegations of vote buying, drawing strong condemnation from observers.

The official results were announced on Sunday morning by the Chief Returning Officer, Professor Adenike Oladiji, who declared Oyebanji duly elected after meeting the constitutional requirements.

In her declaration, Professor Oladiji stated: “I, Professor Adenike Oladiji, hereby certify that I am the Returning Officer for the Ekiti State Governorship Election held on June 20, 2026, and that the election was conducted in compliance with the provisions of the law. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of valid votes cast, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”

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