Category: PM News

Political parties in Osun State have signed a peace accord, committing themselves to a peaceful, free and credible governorship election in August 15.

The accord was signed on Saturday at the Governance and Election Integrity Summit held in Osogbo, the state capital.

The summit was organised by the Osun Development Association and brought together key stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, political parties and civil society organisations.

Organisers said the initiative was designed to promote peaceful conduct and reassure voters of a safe environment before, during and after the election.

With less than a month to the poll and the tempo of election-related violence rising, participants stressed the need for restraint and education of all on the imperatives of peace and security.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Oluwatoyin Babalola, said safeguarding the integrity of the election was a shared responsibility, urging stakeholders to prioritise peace, patriotism and the interest of the state above political considerations.

In a keynote address titled ‘Peace Before Progress: Why the 2026 Osun Election is a Referendum on Southwest Nigeria’s Capacity for Peaceful, Development-Driven Democracy,’ the speaker emphasised that democracy cannot thrive in an atmosphere of fear, violence and intimidation.

The summit concluded with representatives of participating political parties signing the peace accord, pledging to conduct their campaigns without violence.

In continuation of the National Media Tour, which showcases federal and state governments’ landmark projects across the country, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and members of the Presidential Communications Team on Sunday commenced the inspection of strategic federal and state government projects in Kogi State.

The team inspected the Kabba Junction section of the Abuja – Lokoja Expressway, which is also the starting point of the Lokoja – Benin Expressway.

The Kogi State Commissioner for Works, Barrister Salami Ozigi Dedaat, explained that the Abuja-Lokoja highway had been in a very deplorable condition due to abandonment by past administrations but has now been earmarked for completion by President Bola Tinubu.

The road has been divided into five different sections, each awarded to a different contractor to speed up its early completion.

Dedaat commended President Tinubu for approving the project and others across the state.

The team visited the state-owned Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara with a mixture of federal and state government projects.

According to the Director of Administration of the college, Mohammed Ahmed, the Federal Government through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), constructed the Faculty of Science Complex, Faculty of Environmental Sciences Complex, Faculty of Management and Social Sciences Complex as well as the Faculty of Anatomy, valued at over N2.3bn.

He said TETFund had also supported the institution through the 2025 Special Intervention (Renewed Hope Initiative) by the construction of the female hostel, Project Maintenance Intervention as well as in academic and research support.

The Renewed Hope Ambassadors also inspected the Barefoot Renewable Energy College and the Green Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Pilot Plant established in the university by the Federal Government through the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN).

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication and also the leader of the delegation, Sunday Dare, said the tremendous physical and academic development witnessed in the university was a fallout of the courageous reform policies taken by the President, which has freed more funds to the states.

‘When you look at the cardinal points of the eight – point Agenda of the President, education stands on a solid place in that list. There is no better adroit testimony to what we have seen at the Confluence University of Science and Technology.

‘For the 21st Century economy, there is primacy for science and technology. We have seen the investments that have come here. We have seen the benefits of continuity on the part of the former governor, Yahaya Bello and we have seen Governor Usman Ododo follow through.’

Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Engagement, Strategy and New Media, Mr. Otega Ogra, said the Barefoot Renewable Energy College and Green Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Pilot Plant will equip Nigerian youths with practical skills in renewable energy technologies, which will focus on developing a skilled workforce capable of installing, operating, and maintaining clean energy systems.

‘The College is the second globally, after the one in India. The Hydrogen Plant is the second in Africa,’ he said.

In Kogi West Senatorial District, the team inspected the Kogi State University in Kabba, which has seen marked development in just two years, Mopa Primary Health Centre, some completed inner roads in Kabba-Bunu and the erosion control project in Kabba under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in mid arid areas put together by Governor Ododo.

Earlier on Saturday at the reception organised in honour of the team, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Honourable Kingsley Olorunfemi Fanwo, said the Kogi Rebrand Initiative of the Governor Usman Ododo administration was meant to change the narratives of the state through impactful infrastructure and people – oriented programmes.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while celebrating Senator Yinka Omilani who clocked age 90 on Sunday 19 July, described the insurance mogul as a statesman, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist and devoted Christian.

Tinubu said the life of the Ode-Omu, Osun State-born politician ‘has become a beacon of service, humility, integrity, and enduring impact.’

The President said this in his letter of felicitation to Omilani, released on Sunday in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.

‘At ninety, your journey stands as a remarkable testament to God’s abundant grace, unwavering faithfulness, and the power of purposeful living.

‘Your philanthropy and investments in education, healthcare, youth empowerment, and humanitarian causes have brought hope where despair was present and opened closed doors.

‘May Almighty God continue to strengthen you and give you good health in your mission to make a difference to mankind,’ the President added.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking networks, intercepting 1.63 million pills of tramadol concealed in two articulated trucks bound for Kano from Lagos, while arresting an 80-year-old suspected drug dealer, a businesswoman, a Chadian national and several other suspects in coordinated operations across the country.

NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the seizures were part of sustained intelligence-led operations targeting a transnational drug trafficking syndicate smuggling tramadol from Togo through the Benin Republic into Nigeria.

According to him, the latest interceptions came barely a week after operatives recovered 558,900 tramadol pills hidden in a false-bottom compartment of another truck that entered Nigeria through the same Togo-Benin Republic corridor.

Babafemi disclosed that the first trailer, carrying 853,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed beneath its cargo floor, was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on July 2 while heading to Kano. The 22-year-old driver, Jabir Kabiru, was arrested.

He said operatives struck again on July 4, tracking and intercepting a second trailer on the same route. A further 777,000 tramadol pills hidden in a specially fabricated compartment beneath the truck were recovered, leading to the arrest of another 22-year-old driver, Muhammed Nuhu.

Investigations, according to Babafemi, revealed that the three trucks intercepted on June 21, July 2 and July 4, along with their illicit consignments, belonged to the same transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria corridor.

In a separate operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA officers intercepted two consignments of Canadian Loud, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 4.70 kilograms.

Babafemi said the illicit consignments arrived from Canada aboard British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines flights in cartons boldly labelled ‘Odugwu.’

The investigation led to the arrest of two cargo agents, Ali Rotimi Samson and Orimolade Oluwagbenga, before another suspect, Edeh Onyeamachi Stanislus, was apprehended while attempting to collect the consignments from a logistics company.

Further investigations culminated in the arrest of the alleged owner of the shipments, 44-year-old businesswoman Chioma Nneka Mokeme, in Surulere, Lagos, on July 7 in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Area C Command.

Babafemi said the suspect, who claimed to operate a printing business, told investigators that a friend based in Canada, identified as Agbons Collins, introduced her to the illicit trade.

In Rivers State, NDLEA operatives arrested 80-year-old Chika Ugwoji at Ahoada after he was allegedly found in possession of 800 grams of skunk.

The agency also dismantled an alleged drug warehouse in Benin City, Edo State, where a couple, Christian Chukwuka, 32, and Nwanneka Christian, 33, were arrested.

Recovered from the warehouse were 22 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 219.5 kilograms and compressed blocks of Canadian Loud weighing 192.67 kilograms.

In another intelligence-led operation, Babafemi said a consignment of 50,000 tramadol pills intercepted in Kogi State was traced to a Chadian woman, Hajara Abdullahi, 38, and her Nigerian accomplice, Abdulkarim Jidda, 44, who were subsequently arrested in the Apapa area of Lagos.

Beyond enforcement operations, Babafemi said the agency sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through sensitisation programmes in schools across Katsina, Enugu, Lagos, Rivers, Ekiti and Kano states as part of efforts to reduce drug abuse through public education.

Commending officers involved in the successful operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised personnel of the MMIA, Lagos, Rivers, Edo and Kogi Commands for their commitment to the agency’s anti-drug campaign.

He urged officers nationwide to remain vigilant and sustain the momentum in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and abuse across the country.

By Naomi Sharang

The Obidient Movement says it has intensified mobilisation of supporters for the presidential bid of Mr Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The movement expressed confidence that its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) can provide the leadership needed to address Nigeria’s economic and governance challenges.

The call was made on Sunday in Abuja during the ‘FCT Obidient Movement Engagement Forum Towards 2027’ tagged ‘Building Unity, Strengthening Democracy, Shaping the Future’.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Obidient Movement.

National Coordinator of the Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said Nigeria’s current economic hardship was worsened by the manner in which fuel subsidy was removed without adequate measures to cushion its impact on citizens.

According to him, the policy triggered increases in transportation costs, labour costs and the prices of goods and services, while the expected benefits of subsidy savings had not been visible to ordinary Nigerians.

Tanko urged leaders to prioritise investments that would improve the welfare of citizens through better public transportation, healthcare, education and other essential services.

He also called for a more equitable society where every Nigerians would have access to opportunities and public utilities regardless of social status.

Similarly, a chieftain of the NDC, Mr Peter Ameh, said that poor governance, corruption and mismanagement of public resources were responsible for Nigeria’s economic and infrastructural challenges.

Ameh, a former National Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council said Nigeria possessed sufficient human and natural resources but lacked leaders with the competence, vision and integrity required to manage them effectively.

He criticised what he described as wasteful public expenditure and called for prudent management of national resources to improve education, healthcare, infrastructure and security.

Ameh urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to remain actively involved in the democratic process to ensure accountable leadership.

Also speaking, the FCT Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Daniel Dumije, said the movement had inspired greater political participation among young Nigerians who previously regarded politics as a dirty game.

He said the movement remained committed to promoting integrity, accountability and active citizenship, adding that preparations had already begun toward the 2027 elections.

Dumije encouraged supporters not to be intimidated but to remain peaceful, organised and focused on achieving a ‘New Nigeria’ through democratic means.

A public policy expert, Sam Amadi, urged members of the movement to remain united, committed and strategic in their mobilisation efforts.

Amadi stressed the need for vigilance in the electoral process and expressed confidence that sustained citizens participation could strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and improve electoral outcomes.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has said its offshore terminal currently receives 90 i8 about 75 tanker vessels every month and expects the figure to rise to between 900 and 1,000 tanker calls yearly as the refinery reaches full production capacity.

The company’s Head of Port Infrastructure and Marine Operations, Captain Satendra Singh Rana, disclosed this during a tour of the refinery’s marine facilities by participants of the Global CEO Africa Programme of Lagos Business School.

According to Rana, the refinery has handled about 1,100 tanker calls since it began operations, a development he said is helping to transform Nigeria’s energy and maritime sectors.

He explained that crude oil is delivered by large vessels to offshore terminals known as Single Point Moorings (SPMs). The crude is then transported through underwater pipelines to storage tanks onshore before being processed into refined petroleum products.

After refining, products such as petrol, diesel and aviation fuel are pumped through separate pipelines back to offshore terminals for export or local distribution.

Rana said the refinery operates five offshore SPMs. Two are used for receiving crude oil, while three are dedicated to loading refined products.

He noted that the offshore system allows very large vessels to dock in deep water without the need for expensive dredging, making operations more efficient and cost-effective.

According to him, some of the largest vessels visiting the terminal carry as much as three million barrels of crude oil. He added that Very Large Crude Carriers carrying about two million barrels regularly call at the facility, while Suezmax tankers often deliver one million barrels of crude from both local and international sources.

Rana also said the offshore location gives the refinery an advantage because it is less affected by severe weather conditions, allowing marine operations to continue throughout the year.

Speaking during the visit, the Academic Director of the Global CEO Africa Programme at Lagos Business School, Enase Akinwuntan, described the refinery as a major example of what African businesses can achieve through local investment.

She said the project, led by billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote, shows how private-sector investments can support industrial growth, create jobs, strengthen regional trade and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.

Visitors were taken around key sections of the refinery, including the gantry, processing units, laboratory, control room and crude oil storage tanks. They also attended a session where company officials explained the refinery’s operations and logistics.

Meanwhile, the refinery recently confirmed that it raised $2.5 billion through a private placement ahead of its planned Initial Public Offering (IPO) later this year.

Group Executive Director of the refinery, Devakumar Edwin, said the funds would be used to support the next phase of expansion

. The refinery is currently valued at about $39.1 billion, and market observers are closely watching the planned IPO, which is expected to be one of the biggest listings in Nigeria’s capital market.

The Federal Government is stepping up efforts to reform the solid minerals industry by leveraging digital identity technology to improve oversight, identify mining operators and combat illegal activities across the sector.

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, disclosed the plan while hosting the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and members of her management team during a courtesy visit in Abuja.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Lara Owoeye-Wise, the ministry said both organisations were exploring closer cooperation aimed at integrating digital identity solutions into the mining industry to enhance governance, transparency and security.

Alake described NIMC as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s development agenda, noting that modern governance depends heavily on reliable identity systems, technology and quality data.

‘NIMC occupies a critical position in translating policy into reality. It is pivotal to the development of any nation because governance today is driven by data, technology and credible identity systems,’ the minister said.

He explained that the ongoing transformation of the mining sector required strong collaboration with institutions responsible for identity management to improve accountability and strengthen regulatory enforcement.

According to him, establishing a robust identity framework would enable authorities to distinguish licensed operators from illegal miners while improving surveillance of mining activities nationwide.

‘Without identification, we cannot trace; we cannot track, and insecurity will flourish. In the solid minerals sector, we need effective tracking of both legal and illegal operations.

‘A credible identity ecosystem will strengthen regulation, improve enforcement and support our efforts to sanitise the sector,’ he said.

Alake also identified digital identity, technology, data collection and statistical analysis as essential tools for evidence-based policymaking, effective licensing processes, stronger regulation and attracting investment into the industry.

He added that dependable data would give government agencies clearer insight into activities within the sector, allowing them to formulate policies that promote sustainable growth.

The initiative forms part of broader government efforts to address persistent challenges in the mining industry, including illegal mining, weak regulatory oversight, insecurity and inadequate data on operators. Authorities believe that stronger regulation, supported by reliable digital information, will help unlock the sector’s economic potential while reducing unlawful activities.

Speaking earlier, Coker-Odusote outlined several areas where NIMC could support the ministry’s reform agenda.

She said the recently enacted NIMC Act 2026 had reinforced the country’s legal framework for digital identity management and opened the door for wider adoption of identity solutions across government institutions.

According to her, integrating NIMC’s digital identity infrastructure into the mining sector would facilitate database integration among government agencies, improve compliance with regulations and strengthen security operations.

She also said it would enhance the monitoring of mining operators and provide stronger support for the implementation of Community Development Agreements in mining host communities.

Coker-Odusote noted that dependable digital identity systems would enable government agencies to maintain more accurate records while improving transparency and service delivery.

She added that the new legislation would promote secure identity verification, enhance information sharing among government agencies and improve the delivery of public services to Nigerians and legal residents.

The NIMC chief said the commission’s digital infrastructure could help establish a more reliable identity ecosystem for the mining industry, enabling regulators to verify operators more effectively and strengthen nationwide monitoring.

Both organisations reaffirmed their commitment to working together on technology-driven initiatives designed to improve governance, transparency, accountability and security in the management of Nigeria’s mineral resources.

By Salisu Sani-Idris

Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Sunday arrived in Lungi, Sierra Leone to participate in the 69th Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government Summit.

On arrival at the Sierra Leone International Airport, Lungi, Shettima was received by the Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr Mohamed Jalloh, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye.

Also on ground to welcome the VP are the Nigerian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Amb. Ayo Luther-Ogbomode, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo, the Nigerian Permanent Representative to the ECOWAS, Amb. Olawale Awe, among others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the high-level gathering brought together Heads of State, government officials, diplomats and development partners from across West Africa.

The participants gather to discuss key regional issues, including peace, security, economic integration and sustainable development.

Nigeria’s presence at the summits further demonstrates its commitment to regional diplomacy and its determination to strengthen cooperation among ECOWAS member states.

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) says it will establish an independent tribunal, comprising retired judges and other impartial officials, to hear broadcast violation cases.

The commission also disclosed that it will appeal the court judgment on its powers to impose financial sanctions on erring broadcast stations.

The Director-General of NBC, Dr Charles Ebuebu, made these known in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

Ebuebu clarified that the court did not prohibit the commission from imposing sanctions on erring broadcasters.

‘The court didn’t say NBC cannot sanction. It only said you cannot be a judge and jury in your own case,’ he said.

He explained that the judgment specifically addressed financial sanctions, which the court viewed as akin to criminal penalties imposed without an independent adjudicatory process.

According to him, NBC disagrees with the interpretation, insisting administrative fines differ from criminal fines, hence its decision to challenge the ruling on appeal.

‘There’s a difference between a criminal fine and an administrative fine.

‘That is why we have appealed the court’s decisions,’ Ebuebu said.

He said the commission was designing an independent tribunal within the regulatory framework but separate from NBC to determine broadcast violation cases.

Ebuebu said retired judges and other independent officials would serve on the tribunal to ensure fairness and transparency in adjudicating violations.

He likened the arrangement to the Federal Road Safety Commission’s mobile court system, where traffic offenders appear before an independent tribunal before sanctions are imposed.

‘If you’re caught, you go before a tribunal or a mobile court.

‘You don’t really have to go before a fully-fledged magistrate court,’ he said.

The NBC boss warned that removing sanctioning powers would weaken broadcast regulation, as some operators ignore warning letters until penalties are imposed.

‘We don’t want to go from warning letters to withdrawing a licence. That’s arbitrary.

There must be a process, and we are going back to court to appeal that decisions’ he said.

In May 2023, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the NBC lacked the power to unilaterally impose financial sanctions on broadcast stations without judicial intervention.

The court held that imposing monetary fines without an independent adjudicatory process breached the principles of fair hearing, and consequently nullified fines earlier imposed on affected broadcasters.

The NBC appealed the decisions of the high court in the case institute against the commission by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda.

On April 2, 2026, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed the NBC’s appeal and affirmed the Federal High Court’s judgment, holding that the commission’s appeal lacked merit.

The appellate court upheld the nullification of the fines imposed on affected broadcasters, reinforcing that the NBC cannot unilaterally impose financial penalties under the existing legal framework.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has emerged as the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), becoming one of the leading voices in Nigeria’s legal profession.

Called to the Nigerian Bar in 2002, Badejo-Okusanya obtained her law degree from the University of Lagos before beginning her legal career at Olaniwun Ajayi LP, one of Nigeria’s foremost commercial law firms. Over the years, she built a reputation as a skilled legal practitioner with expertise in litigation, dispute resolution and public sector law.

Her rise in the legal profession saw her attain the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on September 29, 2025.

The SAN title is regarded as the highest professional distinction for legal practitioners in Nigeria and is awarded to lawyers who have demonstrated excellence, integrity and significant contributions to the development of the law.

Beyond private legal practice, Badejo-Okusanya has also served in public office. In 2007, she was appointed by former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, as a senior aide on Justice Sector Reform.

In that role, she contributed to initiatives aimed at improving the administration of justice and strengthening legal institutions in Lagos State.

She later served as General Counsel to the Lagos State Governor between 2011 and 2015, providing legal advice on government policies, governance matters and public administration.

Currently, Badejo-Okusanya is a partner at ALP NG and Co. (Africa Law Practice NG and Company), where she serves as Co-Head of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. Her work spans complex commercial disputes, arbitration and strategic legal advisory services.

She is also widely recognised in the international legal community through her memberships in several prominent organisations, including the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), the African Arbitration Association, Arbitral Women, the International Bar Association (IBA), and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA).

With more than two decades of legal experience across private practice, public service and international arbitration, Badejo-Okusanya’s emergence as NBA President marks another significant milestone in a distinguished legal career.