Category: PM News

UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has dismissed a stinging comparison made by LBC host Nick Ferrari, who likened her leadership struggles to those of Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim.

Ferrari made the remark during a live interview on Tuesday, suggesting that Badenoch, like Amorim keeps ‘asking for more time’ while presiding over losses.

‘If this was football, Mrs Badenoch, you need to look across to Old Trafford. The manager of Manchester United, Ruben Amorim, keeps saying, ‘Give me time,’ and keeps losing matches. You’re losing councillors, you’re losing support, you’re losing members. You are the Ruben Amorim of politics,’ Ferrari said.

The comment came a day after Badenoch addressed the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, where she urged members to stay united despite mounting internal pressure and defections to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party.

Rejecting the comparison, Badenoch said her leadership was focused on rebuilding the party after years of setbacks.

‘Well, that is certainly not the case,’ she replied. ‘What we are doing is shedding a lot of the baggage of the last 14 years. We need people in the party who are here for the right reasons.’

The Conservatives are currently polling at around 17 percent according to YouGov, one of their lowest ratings in decades, as frustration grows within party ranks.

Meanwhile, Amorim himself has been under intense scrutiny from Manchester United fans after 17 defeats in just 36 games. Football legends Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney have both questioned his tactics, with Scholes saying the manager is ‘getting too much time.’

Ferrari’s quip has since sparked debate online, with observers joking that both Badenoch and Amorim may be ‘leading struggling teams in need of a reset.’

American singer and song-writer, Taylor Swift, has broken her own album sales record with her newly released album.

The album, The Life of a Showgirl, which was released on Friday, has sold over 300,000 copies in just a span of five days.

This feat broke the record of UK first week sales which stood at 270,000 copies from her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department.

In the United States, Taylor Swift sold up to 2.7 million copies on Friday alone.

ýGrammy-nominated artist Meaku and legendary Afrobeat producer Fliptyce have joined forces for ‘High Vibration’, a 12-track collaborative album that ýredefines the possibilities of global sound.

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ýThe album’s breakout track ‘Back To Sender’ will appear on the 2026 Grammy ballot for Best African Music performance and Best Global Music Performance, while the album itself will compete in the best Global Album category.

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ýBlending Afrobeat, R and B, and Meaku’s signature Hybrid Vibe genre, the project stands as both a celebration of African music and a bold step toward its future.

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ýThe album features an impressive roster of collaborators, including Grammy-nominated superstar Yemi Alade on ‘Gimme Some More (Club Mix),’ vocalist Amanda Holley, international rapper Mega Ran, and rising talent Naika Oko.

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ýThe title track, ‘High Vibration,’ is ýelevated by a saxophone performance from Baba Kuboye, nephew of Afrobeat originator Fela Kuti, grounding the record in the genre’s rich lineage.

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ýMeaku and Fliptyce’s bond stretches back a decade, beginning with their 2015 hit ‘Baby Oh’ featuring Ugandan superstar Eddy Kenzo. Since then, the duo have built a catalog of boundary-pushing collaborations defined by passion, cultural fusion, and undeniable energy.

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ýWith High Vibration, they deliver the apex of their partnership: smooth, powerful, fun, sexy, and deeply resonant. ‘It is an album born from pure love and intentionality. High Vibration is a breath of fresh air for Afrobeat music,’ says Fliptyce, adding that ‘It feels like the missing piece in the Afrobeat puzzle.’

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ýReleased through ML1 Records via Too Lost distribution, High Vibration has already surpassed 50,000 streams on Spotify, marking a strong global reception out of the gate.

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ýMeaku first earned Grammy recognition in 2020 for his vocal contributions to Rufus Du Sol’s Solace, nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album.

His performance on the single ‘Treat You Better’ went Platinum in Australia and Gold in Canada, cementing him as a boundary-breaking

ývocalist. Beyond his Grammy nod, Meaku has collaborated with some of the biggest names in African music, including Wande Coal, Yemi Alade, Eddy Kenzo, Iyanya, Masterkraft, Niniola, Yung6ix, and more – reinforcing his reputation as a global voice.

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ýFliptyce on the other hand is a prolific Afrobeat producer, widely recognized for his ability to craft infectious rhythms and globally resonant soundscapes. Over the past decade, he has worked with some of Africa’s most influential artists, including Davido, Yemi Alade, Akon, P-Square, and May-D, consistently shaping the evolution of the genre. His breakout moment came in 2011 with P-Square’s ‘Chop My Money’, a track whose remix featuring Akon catapulted Afrobeat into international consciousness.

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ýIn August 2025, Billboard cemented his legacy by ranking ‘Chop My Money’ number 10 on their ‘Top 50 Afrobeats Songs of All Time.’ Known for blending traditional Afrobeat foundations with modern production techniques, Fliptyce has built a career as one of the genre’s most important sonic architects, bridging African culture with global pop appeal.

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ýWith its seamless collision of swag, culture, and sound, High Vibration is more than an album.

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ýMeaku and Fliptyce have created an immersive listening experience with equal parts celebration and elevation, marking a milestone moment for Afrobeat’s global rise.

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The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has strongly criticized Senator Adams Oshiomhole, a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and current lawmaker representing Edo North, for his recent comments about the disagreement between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the management of Dangote Refinery, PM News can report.

Recall that last Friday, Oshiomhole appeared on Arise TV and faulted the strike action by PENGASSAN against the Dangote Refinery, which led to a nationwide shutdown of oil facilities.

He described the strike as hasty and unfair, saying that unions should defend workers’ rights without worsening the country’s economic situation.

In response, NUPENG leaders, Comrades Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, issued a statement expressing disappointment in Oshiomhole’s remarks.

They accused him of betraying the labour movement and defending corporate interests instead of workers’ rights.

‘We are deeply disappointed to see a former labour leader now defending the same corporate oppression he once fought against,’ the statement read. ‘His comments misrepresent both Nigerian labour laws and international labour standards.’

NUPENG argued that PENGASSAN’s action was legal, citing Section 31 of the Trade Unions Act, which allows workers to go on strike in solidarity with others.

‘The principle that an injury to one is an injury to all is the foundation of trade unionism,’ they added.

This reaction followed Dangote Refinery’s public appreciation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others for helping to end the strike.

The refinery described itself as Nigeria’s biggest private employer and largest taxpayer.

PENGASSAN had gone on strike to protest the mass dismissal of Nigerian workers at Dangote Refinery.

The strike, which lasted two days, ended after the Federal Government intervened and both sides reached an agreement.

Globally, there is an auto-revolution; from traditional petrol-powered vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) and driverless cars.

The auto trend, no doubt, magnifies the urgency of catching-up, adapting and repositioning Nigeria’s auto-sector as the country marks 65 years of independence.

From the establishment of the first assembly plants in the late 1950s, to the entry of Peugeot in Kaduna and Volkswagen in Lagos in the 1970s, and Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company Limited (ANAMMCO) in 1977, Nigeria stood out as a hub of vehicle assembly in Africa.

Lately, the entry of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), Nord Automobile, among others, has revved up the sector.

The automobile sector, at its peak, provided thousands of jobs, boosted local content, and spurred a chain of ancillary industries such as tyres, batteries, and spare parts.

The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) was established by Act No. 83 of May 30, 2014, merging the former National Automotive Council and the Centre for Automotive Design and Development to serve under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

Its mandate includes formulating the National Automotive Policy, recommending incentives and protective measures, overseeing design and assembly programmes, and encouraging local content in components, thus driving the auto sector in the country.

Nigeria’s automotive sector has continued to record modest progress including under the present administration.

This is evident with recent policy interventions, revived institutions and clearer regulatory signals by the Federal Government and also the vital steps made towards reviving local manufacturing.

The Director-General of NADDC, Joseph Osanipin, upon his assumption to office on Oct. 17, 2023, emphasised on boosting domestic production, increasing licensed assembly plants, and ensuring that quantity per plant improved in the country.

At the inauguration of the council’s board in July, the director-general said that annual production of locally assembled vehicles had risen from about 3,000-4,000 units to over 12,000 by the end of 2024.

One policy drive earning praise is the ‘Nigeria First’ initiative, announced in May, which mandated federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to procure Made-in-Nigeria goods including vehicles and auto parts.

According to Osanipin, the policy is a critical step toward reviving local vehicle assembly and boosting economic development.

Stakeholders such as IVM and Dana Motors, while expressing strong support for the policy, said it would generate demand and create jobs for Nigerians.

Chairman of IVM, Innocent Chukwuma, was upbeat.

‘The policy will encourage patronage of locally made vehicles and enable the country to conserve foreign exchange otherwise spent on imported cars and spare parts,’ he said.

In addition, the Nigeria Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA) hailed the proposed Local Automobile Industry Patronage Bill, which aligned with the ‘Nigeria First’ agenda.

NAMA Chairman, Mr Bawo Omagbitse, said the law could revolutionalised the automotive industry in Nigeria.

‘It could mark a turning point for the sector by guaranteeing sustained government patronage and boosting investor confidence,’ he said.

Beyond policies, the NADDC had also advanced efforts to increase local parts production, with Osanipin emphasising that the country must reduce its reliance on imported components.

He said that necessary structures and frameworks had been put in place to tackle import dependence which reportedly costs Nigeria about one billion annually.

‘Nigeria has the capacity to begin local manufacturing of spare parts.

‘This will not only reduce import dependence but also create a viable supply chain that supports our assembly plants and the council aims to increase the share of locally manufactured components in vehicle assembly.”

The director-general, while reiterating the importance of transiting to alternative fuels like Compressed Natural Gas(CNG) and EVs, said it must be built on standards, safety, capacity building and infrastructure.

‘The future lies in electric vehicles, renewable energy, and local innovation.

‘With the right policy consistency, Nigeria can reclaim its place as Africa’s automotive hub,’ he said.

He said there was the need for national occupational standards to guide maintenance, retrofitting and conversion of vehicles for CNG use, and for EV servicing.

At a training programme in Owerri, for instance, Osanipin stressed that a skilled workforce was essential to realising Nigeria’s aspirations in clean transport, noting the importance of certified conversion workshops and consistent standards nationwide.

He also acknowledged that while CNG offered environmental and cost benefits, Nigeria currently faced infrastructure gaps hindering a more rapid adoption.

On training and skills development, Osanipin announced that 21 Automotive Training Centres were being established across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

These centres are being equipped with state-of-the-art tools, including training for CNG conversion of petrol vehicles.

He said the council, in a bid to explore financial mechanism for local manufacturers including tyre factories, recently partnered with the Bank of Industry (BOI), where stakeholders at the meeting underscored the need for accessible funding to strengthen value chains and improve competitiveness.

The director-general said in spite the progress made in the sector, challenges still persisted which the Federal Government through council and other parastatals was tackling in the interest of Nigerians.

Sen. John Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, during the inauguration of the NADDC Governing Board in July pledged to work with the National Assembly to fast-track legislation to bolster investor protection and regulatory frameworks for the auto sector

Enoh, while reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to transforming the automobile sector, said the administration targeted mass production of Made-in-Nigeria vehicles.

He said that spare parts and auto maintenance issue must be addressed to boost demand for locally made automobiles by Nigerians.

Meanwhile, stakeholders in the sector have decried continued issues of infrastructure, financing, and policy inconsistency, hindering the growth and development of the sector.

Mr Anthony Attah, an automobile expert, reiterated the need for urgent investment in local content, saying that, without strong local content and reliable infrastructure, our growth will remain limited.

‘The auto sector, which once thrived in the 1980s with brands like Peugeot and Volkswagen assembling in Nigeria, has faced setbacks due to policy reversals and influx of imported used cars.

Yet, industry experts believe the present administration’s renewed focus offers hope.

‘By promoting local assembly, investing in component production, and ensuring sustained government patronage, we can finally reposition this sector as a driver of industrial growth,’ Attah said

Mr Rafiu Garba, an auto dealer, called for deeper partnerships of the government with private investors, research institutions, and skilled manpower development to meet modern technology required in growing the sector.

‘Although there seem to be some recorded progress in the sector, the coming years will determine whether the sector can overcome structural hurdles and deliver on its promise of jobs, innovation, and economic diversification,” he said

Mr Chukwuma Madueke, an economic expert, reiterated that local producers had continued to grapple with high production costs.

According to him, forex scarcity and energy costs has made it hard to compete with imported vehicles.

‘We need stronger incentives and deliberate enforcement of auto policies to grow local content.”

Madueke said the influx of second-hand cars was a major setback.

He said that while the vehicles provided cheaper options for Nigerians, they crowded out opportunities for local manufacturers to expand.

‘In spite these challenges, opportunities remain.

‘The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers a platform for Nigerian-made vehicles to reach wider markets.

‘The global transition to electric and green mobility also opens space for innovation and investment.

‘It is therefore important for the government to sign the National Automotive Policy into law to secure foreign investments and deepen local assembly operations,” he said.

An industry analyst, Ajuma Omale, said that while several assembly plants in the country remained under-utilised, Nigeria’s vehicle ownership ratio lagged far behind global standards, reflecting both affordability concerns and the need for a more vibrant financing system.

Omale warned that unless infrastructure such as reliable power supply, modern transport networks, and skilled manpower improved, local manufacturers might struggle to compete with global players.

Stakeholders say the path forward is clear: a coordinated push for policy stability, adapting to modern trends, infrastructure support, and innovative financing.

With Nigeria’s large market and entrepreneurial base, they believe the automotive industry can still deliver on its original promise of jobs, industrialisation, and mobility for millions.

President Bola Tinubu has declined assent to the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology Establishment Bill 2025, and the National Library Trust Fund Establishment Amendment Bill 2025 recently passed by the National Assembly.

The President declined assent to the two bills in two separate in two sperate letters addressed to President of Senate, Mr Godswill Akpabio and read at plenary on Tuesday.

Tinubu in the letter on the bill seeking to establish the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, said it was tainted with fundamental defects.

He said:

‘I convey to the senate, my decision to decline assent to the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology Bill 2025.

‘The rationale for my decision is that the bill is tainted with fundamental defects.

‘Section 18 of the bill expands the source of funding the National Transport Logistics Research to include one per cent of freight on every import and every export from Nigeria without their approval.

‘In addition, the bill is tainted by the Federal Executive Council, and more so, when the Institute is to be funded by the Federal Government itself.

‘Section 21, 2 empowers the institute to borrow by way of loan or overdraft without the consent of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, except where the amount to be borrowed is above N50 million.

‘In the extant act, borrowing can be made with the approval of the President, the removal of the approval of the President has not been explained or justified.

‘The provision could be abused as the incident could have been a major one, or a financial violation of its responsibility, this will amount to serious financial abuse,’ he said.

On section 23, 4, on power to invest surplus funds, the President stated that since the institute is to be funded by the Federal Government and money appropriated by the government for any agency usually projected and accounted for, it is unlikely to have surpluses.

‘The issue of investing surplus funds is usually applicable to agencies that have a surplus fund that is not funded by the federal government of Nigeria but generates revenue to spend.

‘In addition, section 21 states that it is the surplus fund of the Institute that should be invested, while section 23 states that any of the institute’s funds could be invested.

‘This can allow funds other than surpluses to be diverted for investment purposes, from original purposes.

‘Section 18 requires money in the form to be applied toward promotion of the objectives and functions of the act,it does not include or recognise the investment of the funds of the institute.

‘This seems contradictory to section 23, which proposes to allow the institute to put surplus funds.’

On the National Library Trust Fund (Establishment) Amendment Bill 2025, the President cited ambiguity in the bill with existing laws and policies.

According to the President ,the bill contradicts core government policies on funding of public agencies, taxation, public service remuneration, and age and tenure limits for public servants.

He said that enacting the bill in its current form would create an unsustainable precedent against public interest.

Akpabio thanked President Tinubu for taking time to go through each and every bill passed by the national assembly, sent to the executive for assent.

‘This is very very impressive because it means that the executive took time to go through the bills.

‘We will do justice to all the observations in the bill,’ he said.

A Kaduna housewife identified as Zainab Alhassan has divorced her husband, Tijjani Muhammad over his refusal to repair her damaged cell phone worth N70,000.

Zainab told a Sharia court on Tuesday that she was not longer interested in her marriage to Tijjani Muhammad.

She said she was ready to divorce him through Khul’i, (a type of divorce where a woman returns the dowry she received to her husband.)

Alhassan told the court that she was ready to return the N30,000 dowry to regain her freedom.

She told the court that she was watching a movie on her phone when her husband started fighting her, collected her phone and allegedly smashed it.

She, however, noted that she does not have a witness to prove her claims.

On his part, the defendant said he does not have a problem with her divorce plea but disagreed with the claim that he damaged her phone.

The Judge, Malam Mu’awiyya Shehu dissolved the marriage on the basis of Khul’i and dismissed the complainant’s plea for the repair of the phone .(NAN)

An Ikeja Special Offences Court was told on Tuesday that its order on the examination of the phone and WhatsApp conversations in the on going trial of former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele met a brick wall as parties failed to agree on modalities for the examination.

Justice Oshodi had ruled that the mobile device, marked ‘iPhone 2’, and its WhatsApp contents tendered by EFCC as evidence against Emefiele should be examined scientifically.

This was as a result of Emefiele’s lawyer’s application on the necessity of subjecting the phone device to forensic examination in the presence of experts on the sides of the prosecution and defence, to serve the interest of justice.

But at the resumed trial of the case on Tuesday, Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, told Justice Rahman Oshodi that on two occasions, representatives of the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission, EFCC, as the prosecution, successfully blocked execution of the court’s order to examine the phone.

Ojo told the court that on the 24th and 25th September, 2025 the dates directed by the court for the forensic examination of the device, although representatives of both parties were present, together with the Registrar of the court, nothing could be done as EFCC’s representatives failed to present the phone to the examination team.

‘The first brick walls we faced was that the EFCC said the device cannot be exposed to the entire team. On 25th September, the Registrar was also present and clarified that the order directed that the WhatsApp messages can be examined. He said when the Apple expert demanded phone device, it was not produced.

‘The EFCC met us with categorical NO. The Registrar cannot take decision. The same thing happened on the 25th, equally wasted. There must be unfettered assess for the experts to do their job. We were blocked. The court should give directive to assess the phone and WhatsApp’, Ojo SAN submitted.

However, the prosecutor, Barrister Rotimi Oyedepo SAN submitted that the objection of the prosecution was based on the fact that the forensic expert presented by the defence team was not credible and has no fixed address.

In addition he said the forensic expert was trying to link the device to internet and that will disrupt the whole system of the device.

Justice Oshodi has adjourned till Wednesday 8 October for continuation of the trial.

Afrobeats queen Tiwa Savage has made a surprising revelation about one of Mavin Records’ biggest anthems, ‘Dorobucci.’

The award-winning singer disclosed that when she first heard the early version of the track, she thought it sounded terrible and had no idea it would later become a continental hit.

Speaking in an interview with NotJustOk, Tiwa recalled that Mavin Records boss Don Jazzy played the unfinished version of ‘Dorobucci’ while they were in a hotel in Dubai for her wedding.

‘Don’t know if people know this, but Don Jazzy played ‘Dorobucci’ in the hotel when we were in Dubai for my wedding, and honestly, I thought it was such a crap song,’ she confessed.

However, Tiwa said her perception changed completely when she returned to Nigeria and heard the final version of the song in the studio.

‘When I got back to Nigeria, and I got to the studio, and I heard the song that I heard him play in Dubai, I was flabbergasted. I was so angry, like, I don’t know, because this had happened with Eminado too, and I did not like it,’ she said.

The ‘Somebody’s Son’ hitmaker admitted she was reluctant to record her part and was the last among the Mavin stars to lay her verse.

‘I was the last person to record my verse because I was looking at everybody and I was like, ‘Do you guys really like this?” she added.

Despite her initial hesitation, ‘Dorobucci’ went on to become a massive hit across Africa, dominating airwaves and cementing Mavin Records’ legacy in Afrobeats history.

Reflecting on the track’s success, Tiwa credited Don Jazzy for his creative brilliance and foresight.

‘We all know what happened to the record. I don’t know what Don Jazzy does, but yeah, that was. I heard it, and I didn’t want to tell him. I was like, man, who. I was like, is it Reekado he’s doing this song for? Is it Korede or Dija? Not knowing I would be on the song too, and it turned out to be phenomenal. Shoutout to Don Jazzy too,’ she said.

Released in 2014, ‘Dorobucci’ became one of Mavin’s defining records, featuring the label’s all-star lineup, including Tiwa Savage, Don Jazzy, Dr Sid, D’Prince, Korede Bello, Reekado Banks, and Di’Ja

A National Commissioner at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), May Agbamuche-Mbu, has officially assumed duty as the Acting Chairman of the Commission.

This comes after Professor Mahmood Yakubu handed over responsibilities on Tuesday as he proceeds on terminal leave.

The brief handover ceremony took place at the INEC headquarters in Abuja during a stakeholders’ meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners.

Yakubu, who has led the electoral body since 2015, will step aside ahead of the completion of his tenure.

Further details are expected to follow.