Headline

INEC Releases Final List of Governorship Candidates, Others Today

Published

7 years ago

January 31, 2019

Eric

The Independent National Electoral Commission will on Thursday (today) publish the final list of candidates for governorship, state houses of assembly and the Federal Capital Territory’s area councils elections on its website and all state offices nationwide.

The commission’s Chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, stated this in Abuja on Wednesday during the inauguration of a new Resident Electoral Commissioner, Monday Tom, from Akwa Ibom State.

The commission is awaiting the confirmation and appointment of the nominee from Osun State.

Yakubu informed REC that his appointment came just 16 days to the commencement of the 2019 general elections, adding that the commission had already implemented 10 out of the 14 activities in its timetable and schedule of activities.

While deploying the REC in Bayelsa State, Yakubu charged him to be responsible for the implementation of the commission’s policies.

He further charged him to “exercise supervisory control over personnel, resources as well as the legal and administrative processes in the state to which you are posted.”

He added, “You will also interact with various categories of stakeholders. In doing so, you must maintain the required openness and consultation. At the same time, you must be very firm and courageous on the side of the law as well as our regulations and guidelines at all times as required of an unbiased umpire.

“Furthermore, as a REC, you can be posted to any part of the country at any time as the exigencies of service require. For now, you will be posted to a state within your geo-political zone but you will never serve in your state of origin throughout your tenure. In line with this principle, you are hereby deployed in Bayelsa State.”

In his response, Tom said he would discharge his duties with fairness, equity and the fear of God.

His appointment brings the number of RECs nationwide to 36.

The Punch

Headline

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

Published

2 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

1 day 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.