Headline

Observer Groups Reject Ekiti Election Results

Published

7 years ago

July 17, 2018

Eric

A coalition of observer groups and civil society organisations have rejected the outcome of Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election.

In a statement by spokespersons Comrade Haruna Farouk and Nze Adachi Okoro, they said the exercise did not reflect their findings, promising a full disclosure tomorrow.

“Other incidents that we recorded will be made open in our findings, which will definitely shock Nigerians and expose the conspiracy of INEC, security agents and the APC to keep the people of Ekiti from expressing their constitutional rights,” the statement said.

The Peoples Democratic Part (PDP) yesterday also restated it would not accept the result.

It described the outcome of the poll won by former Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kayode Fayemi, as a “stolen mandate” and promised in “a matter of time” that it would “use every constitutional means” to reclaim the victory.

The state’s party chairman, Gboyega Oguntuase, while addressing journalists, blamed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for the “robbery”.

He said: “This election was far from being free, fair and credible. In Ilejemeje, Ilawe, Ikole, Ise/Orun, Oye, Ado and other major towns in Ekiti, APC thugs aided by security men beat many of our people. As we speak, the results declared by INEC that gave victory to Fayemi were more than the number of accredited voters. So, where did they get the additional votes?”

This was as the Akwa Ibom PDP chapter denied an allegation by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that Governor Udom Emmanuel spent N5billion to boost PDP’s chances in the Ekiti election.

The State publicity secretary, Ini Ememobong, said persons still nursing the pains of losing the 2015 Ekiti election to the then ruling PDP were behind the allegation.

“The APC in Akwa Ibom State has for the past few days exhibited unbridled capacity in concocting falsehood engineered by crass ignorance and mischief. The claim that Governor Udom Emmanuel donated N5 billion to the Ekiti State government for the prosecution of the just-concluded election is manifestly false and can only be a product of minds seeking political attention from the government and their pay masters,” he said.

The Guardian

Headline

Defence Gulps Lion Share As Tinubu Presents N58.47trn 2026 Budget to NASS

Published

7 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Eric

President Bola Tinubu has presented a budget of N58.47 trillion for the 2026 fiscal year to a joint session of the National Assembly, with capital recurrent (non‑debt) expenditure standing at N15.25 trillion.

Tinubu presented the budget on Friday, pegging the capital expenditure at N26.08 trillion and putting the crude oil benchmark at US$64.85 per barrel.

He said the expected total revenue is N34.33 trillion, projected total expenditure: N58.18 trillion, including N15.52 trillion for debt servicing. The budget is N23.85 trillion, representing 4.28% of GDP.

The budget was anchored on a crude oil production of 1.84 million barrels per day, and an exchange rate of N1,400 to the US Dollar for the 2026 fiscal year.

In terms of sectoral allocation, defence and security took the lion’s share with N 5.41 trillion, followed by infrastructure at N3.56 trillion.

Headline

Mike Adenuga, Emmanuel Macron Hold High-Powered Meeting in Paris

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Accomplished billionaire businessman and Commander of the French Légion d’Honneur, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., GCON, CdrLH, has held a private meeting with the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

The two powerful citizens of the world held the meeting on Wednesday at the historic Élysée Palace in Paris.

The high-level engagement underscores the longstanding relationship between Dr. Adenuga and the French Republic, as well as his continued relevance in global business and diplomatic circles.

A respected industrialist and philanthropist, Adenuga has been widely acknowledged for his contributions to economic development, telecommunications, energy, and humanitarian causes across Africa and beyond.

The meeting adds to Dr. Adenuga’s growing profile as a bridge between African enterprise and international leadership.

Headline

Free at Last: Burkina Faso Releases 11 Nigerian Soldiers, Aircraft

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Burkina Faso has released Nigerian soldiers who were detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country earlier this month, Nigerian officials said.

The release followed a diplomatic intervention by President Bola Tinubu, who dispatched a high-level delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to meet Burkina Faso’s Military Leader, Ibrahim Traoré, on Wednesday.

In a statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, said both sides resolved the matter amicably and secured the release of the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.

The soldiers had been held for nearly two weeks after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the aircraft’s landing as an “unfriendly act” carried out in defiance of international law.

The Nigerian Air Force, however, said the crew encountered a technical issue that required a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield. It said the landing complied with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.