Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Osinachi Ohale has brought an end to her international football career after 16 years of representing the Super Falcons according to Nigerian sports journalist Victor Ademola.

Ademola announced Ohale’s retirement in a post on X, paying tribute to the veteran defender and highlighting her lengthy service to the Nigerian women’s national team.

‘After 16 years, four FIFA Women’s World Cups, seven WAFCON appearances and five African titles, Osinachi Ohale has called time on her international career. Thank you for your service to Nigeria, Osinachi. Forever a Super Falcon,’ Ademola wrote.

Ohale made her senior international debut for Nigeria in 2010 and went on to establish herself as one of the most experienced defenders in the history of the Super Falcons.

Her international career spanned four FIFA Women’s World Cup appearances, with her featuring at the 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 editions. She was also part of Nigeria’s WAFCON-winning squads in 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2024, giving her five continental titles.

AFCONQ RESULTS

Niger 2 – 1 Lesotho

Malawi 2 – 1 South Sudan

Gambia 2 – 1 Somalia

Togo 1 – 0 Burundi

Mozambique 1 – 1 Senegal

Sudan 1 – 0 Ethiopia

Rwanda 3 – 1 Liberia

Tanzania 0 – 2 Guinea-Bissau

Nigeria 2 – 1 Madagascar

Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has announced plans to revive the 5-km road project in each of the 16 local government areas of the state to improve rural connectivity and stimulate economic activities.

He said this yesterday during a town hall meeting with stakeholders from Ekiti South Senatorial District in Igbara-Odo, Ekiti Southwest Local Government, as part of consultations towards the preparation of the 2027 budget.

The governor said the programme will ensure every local government benefit from at least five kilometres of road construction, particularly to improve access to rural communities and boost economic activities.

He promised to intensify efforts to fast-track the disbursement of financial support to traders and artisans, while maintaining human capital development as a major priority of his administration.

Oyebanji said his administration would equally focus on improving electricity supply, road connectivity and educational facilities across the state, following demands made by stakeholders at the meeting.

Describing Ekiti people as his ‘benevolent employers,’ the governor said their views would continue to influence government policies and programmes.

‘I have absolute respect for Ekiti people and will never disrespect them. You put us in this position; you are our employers. Your voices must be heard and respected,’ he said.

Oyebanji also described Ekiti East Local Government Area as a strategic gateway to the northern part of the state, promising to attract private sector investments to accelerate development in the area.

Stakeholders from Ayekire, Ekiti Southwest and Ekiti East local governments called for the revival of the five-kilometre-per-local-government road initiative, as well as urgent intervention in erosion control, electricity, health care and education.

Representatives from Ikere, Ise/Orun and Emure councils also sought increased government investment in roads, power, health care and education, while calling for stronger security measures in boundary communities.

They urged the government to sustain forest-combing operations to tackle criminal activities and improve security in vulnerable areas.

A representative of persons living with disabilities, Damola Ogunleye, commended the governor for allocating five per cent of positions to persons with disabilities during the recent recruitment into the civil and teaching services.

Ogunleye said the policy had improved the socio-economic well-being of persons living with disabilities and demonstrated the administration’s commitment to inclusive governance.

Commissioner for Education, Dr Olabimpe Aderiye, says Ekiti currently has 958 public primary schools and 200 secondary schools.

Aderiye said the government was implementing free education and partnering with private institutions as part of efforts to reduce school dropout and improve learning outcomes.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is targeting a 17 per cent year-on-year growth in real output, thereby pursuing an increase in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to N23.2 trillion by implementing a new Bill mandating 30 per cent value addition to raw materials before export.

One of the premises of this target is that, according to the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s real GDP in 2024 averaged N19.83 trillion, when Quarter-on-Quarter performance stood at N18.28 trillion, N18.29 trillion, N20.12 trillion, and N22.61 trillion for Q1 to Q4 of the preceding year.

Last year, the real GDP grew by 3.87 per cent. Therefore, an increase of 17 per cent in the average real output would push GDP to N23.2 trillion. It is an ambitious target, but achievable if the foundation and strategic pillars are properly set; and if the process of legislation is appropriate, and the consequent policy is well implemented, end-to-end.

In my view, this is a very important step in the right direction. I am therefore in support of the Bill.

As the engine room of incubation and development of innovation and materials and in Nigeria; the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), will play a key ‘focal point’ role to upscale the value of our production, industrial growth to international standards and more importantly to make our products to be effectively competitive, sellable and acceptable. This will surely add value to our export earnings, enable the achievement of the ‘Nigeria First’ policy of President Bola Tinubu, and consequently significantly upscale our GDP by ensuring sustainability.

Accordingly, over a year ago, on July 2, 2025, the Senate approved an amendment to the Raw Materials Research and Development Council Act, 2022, which will mandate that exporters must process at least 30% of raw materials locally before exporting.

While the bill is undergoing legislation, I reiterate (as I have stated in other forums) that the following key points should be noted:

The value addition policy and Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global market:

According to a Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum, Nigeria scored 48.33 points out of 100 (48.33%) in 2019. Before then, the Competitiveness Index in Nigeria averaged 13.81 Points from 2007 until 2019, reaching an all-time high of 48.33 Points in 2019 and a record low of 3.37 Points in 2011. These are key indications of how important the value addition policy will be to upscaling the competitiveness of Nigeria’s products and services in the continental and global arena.

If the value addition policy is successful, our products and services will be more competitive in the international market. For example, in the agriculture sector, fruits, vegetables, and even flowers from Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, India, etc., are very competitive in the international market. But Nigerian exporters are not competitive due to value addition, post-harvest/post-production challenges like poor storage, poor logistics and supply chain infrastructure and systems, use of some pesticides during planting or post-harvest, etc.

Consequently, a lot of Nigerian products and services are rejected or underpriced. Therefore, the value addition is a welcome development if properly formulated, and more importantly, if the policy is well implemented.

Reversing trade deficits to become a trade surplus:

Essentially, Nigeria cannot achieve its social and economic objectives by just exporting raw materials, products, and services without processing and/ or value addition. I also strongly believe that the value addition policy, if properly implemented, will significantly change Nigeria’s trade deficits to become trade surpluses, and make the country more competitive in international trade and investment. This will significantly increase foreign exchange earnings and foreign direct investments in the real critical sectors of the economy.

Technology transfer and job creation:

Furthermore, the value addition policy will anchor foreign investors to situate their industries within Nigeria, thereby ensuring employment for our teeming youth, ensuring technology transfer and achieving economic values within the country and exports with concomitant effect on our economy, while also ensuring sustainability.

Standardisation:

In my view, during the process of Legislation, some germane questions should be addressed as stakeholders distill the ‘30%’ value addition within the framework of the Bill. For example; What are the standards? What makes up 30% value addition, in terms of the products? What are the standards for that 30% value addition? Because, again, in my view, value addition should also encompass storage, logistics and supply chain, infrastructure, facilities, and systems, etc. For example, in the case of agri-products, the quality of most products degrades by the time you move the products to the seaport or airport for export. This is notwithstanding the processing and value-addition on to the products. Therefore, the products (especially fruits and vegetables, and other perishables) will not be competitive, or will not even be sellable or acceptable in the global market.

Accordioning, I hope that there will be clear definitions and boundaries of standards with regard to value addition and processing. It is also crucial that almost all our national policies key into an overarching national development strategy, in terms of industrialization, trade, and investment, etc. Thus, there should be policy coordination and policy coherence as the Bill undergoes legislation, such that when enacted into law, the policy will not be in conflict with other Bills or policies that are already in place, and if so, for a realignment or streamlining to be done, so as to ensure success.

Infrastructure:

Infrastructure is crucial to the achievement of this very laudable bill. Particularly, logistics and supply chain platforms and systems (land, sea, and air), intermodal transportation networks, storage, etc., are also key to the success of the value addition policy. As an illustration, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has stated that over 50% of the agricultural products we produce in Nigeria get wasted from the farmland to the market or even to the dining table. Therefore, value addition and bridging the infrastructure deficit are crucial to our national economic diversification strategy, achieving the N2.3 trillion GDP, and also achieving the $1 trillion economy target set by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. So, I hope that the foundation laying and the strategic pillars setting will key into an overarching national strategy, so that we are moving lockstep in the right direction, to achieve successful legislation and passage of this laudable Bill, and effective implementation.

Power/ energy as a sine qua non:

Earlier on, I stated that value addition and processing, cannot be achieved without infrastructure in terms of power. Nigeria is lagging far behind in terms of meeting its power/energy requirements for any meaningful economic turnaround, growth, and development.

Last year, President Tinubu signed into law, the legislation that enables all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, to generate, transmit, and distribute their power/energy capacities to drive socio-economic development. Thus, Nigerians want to see value innovation by the governors. We also expect decisiveness by the federal and state governments in result-oriented moves to ensure that we have enough power/ energy that will recover and sustain our industrial sector, and the Micro-Small-and-Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in the short to mid-term, even if it is in a phased fashion. Our expectation is that governments at the federal and state levels are able to generate, distribute, transmit, and more power/energy for industries.

Infrastructure connectivity and interlinks:

Furthermore, as stated earlier, the other critical infrastructure, i.e., intermodal transportation, rural feeder roads and bridges, logistics and supply chain, are critical to the success of the value addition policy. When production/ processing/value addition is completed, the efficient and safe movement of products from production location to the market, whether domestic or international, is also critical in the value chain. Therefore, the qualities and standard of the road network, and airports (passenger and cargo) we build, should fit into our short to long-term socio-economic visions and strategies to support and sustain the economy. It is very important for us to also have effective interlinks between land, air, and sea transportation systems so that we are able to succeed in a timely and coordinated manner.

In conclusion, I advise that there should be policy consultation, and policy coherence so that there are efficient and effective synergies coordination across; Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to ensure success and achievement of the desirable objective(s), i.e., national economic recovery, economic growth, and sustainable economic development.

President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the face of the country’s security challenges and economic difficulties, assuring that better days are ahead.

The President said peace was gradually returning to the country and that his administration was taking steps to put Nigeria firmly on the path of development.

Tinubu spoke on Friday at the 66th Independence Anniversary Juma’at Service held at the National Mosque, Abuja.

He was represented at the ceremony by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.

The President acknowledged that Nigeria had faced numerous challenges and missed opportunities over the years but said his administration was working to address the mistakes of the past.

He said, ‘Peace is coming back to this country. Development is coming back to this country. Things will get better as we progress in this democracy’.

Tinubu urged Nigerians to use the Independence anniversary to reflect on the country’s past while looking ahead to a more prosperous future.

He said the administration’s focus was to correct the cumulative mistakes and missed opportunities of previous years, stressing that the country was now on the right path.

According to him, both the government and citizens had made sacrifices to rebuild the nation and restore its prospects.

‘We should give this government more opportunity for it to come back and finish the good work,’ the President said.

The Independence prayer service was attended by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin; Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago; Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo; Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, and other dignitaries.

The naira fell 1.08 per cent to close at N1,400 to dollar in the parallel market two days after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)-led Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) cut benchmarkt interest rate by 350 basis points.

The local currency however, shrugged off exchange rate pressures at the official window, where it firmed 0.23 per cent to N1,328 to dollar.

The exchnage rate position widened the gap between official and parallel market rates to N72 to dollar.

In emailed note to investors, Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane, said the MPC cut the policy rate to 23 per cent from 26.50 per cent and narrowed the corridor to plus 50 and minus 300 basis points.

The move he said put the deposit window at 20 per cent and lending at 23.50 per cent.

President, Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Aminu Gwadabe, said despite current pressure on the nira, the local currency still has great potential.

The rising foreign reserves at nearly $55 billion, he said presents great buffer for the naira gainst global shcoks.

Other analysts said yields fell across every tenor at Wednesday’s auction. The 364 day bill cleared at 15.89 per cent from 16.62 per cent, a true yield of 18.89 per cent, on bids of N4.09 trillion against N400 billion offered and N447.07 billion allotted.

The 91 day at 15.50 per cent and the 182 day at 15.80 per cent were both undersubscribed.

Rewane said: ‘Why it matters, the transmission everyone was waiting for has arrived, and it has gone into the bond market rather than into credit. For Nigeria, today’s money market rates confirm it. The open repo rate fell a full point to 21.00 per cent and overnight to 21.76 per cent, against 22.00 per cent and 22.27 per cent yesterday’.

‘The price of money has finally moved. What has not moved is the direction of the money itself, which is still going to the CBN. Cardoso called the corridor change an operational reset rather than a shift in stance, and both markets have taken him at his word’.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) explained that monetary reform cannot be effective in a vacuum.

Alignment with fiscal policy has strengthened Nigeria’s macro stability and yielded tangible results including reduced domestic borrowing costs, improved liquidity conditions, and more predictable fiscal operations.

The Ondo State government has rehabilitated some public secondary school students who were allegedly involved in activities that disrupted public peace during the recent end-of-school ‘sign-out’ celebrations in the state.

The rehabilitation programme, organised by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, was carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the State Neuro-Psychiatric Specialist Hospital.

The State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, announced this in Akure, the state capital.

Ajibefun said the rehabilitation aimed to correct negative behaviours and instil discipline and responsible conduct.

He noted that the initiative would also help the erring students understand the consequences of actions that threaten public safety and disrupt peace in society.

The Commissioner added that the rehabilitation programme was a novel approach, with the government deliberately choosing counselling over punitive measures that could negatively affect the students’ futures.

‘What you have done has been totally forgiven because you have undergone the desired change, so we want you to continue to behave responsibly.

‘Anywhere you find yourself, you are representing your family; you are representing Nigeria. Please behave well so that we can continue to be proud of you,’ he told the students.

Ajibefun assured the students and their parents that their names had been removed from the ‘Black Book.’

He also stressed that their West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE), previously withheld, would be released to them.

While reaffirming the government’s commitment to inculcating discipline, the Commissioner said the Ministry would monitor the rehabilitated students to ensure good morals.

Ajibefun, however, lauded officials from law enforcement and professional agencies who contributed to the success of the rehabilitation programme.

Director of Guidance and Counselling, Continuous Assessment and Evaluation in the Ministry, Mrs Olufunke Ademuyiwa, said the students were taken to the Ondo State Neuro-Psychiatric Specialist Hospital and the Correctional Centre in Akure for educational tours and counselling sessions with professionals.

Ademuyiwa added that the students had also shown significant positive changes and were already willing to help other young people make better choices.

She added that the four-week programme covered psycho-education, individual and group counselling, behavioural reflection and anger management.

Spokesman for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Ondo State Command, Oyewole Adedayo, warned students against engaging in criminal activities that could lead to imprisonment.

He urged teachers to strengthen their monitoring of students and emphasised the important role of parents and the home in raising responsible children and adults.

Adedayo noted that some inmates were products of broken homes and stressed that parents and guardians must pay close attention to their children’s upbringing and behaviour.

The Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the State, Gabriel Folayemi, lauded all those who contributed to the success of the rehabilitation programme.

Represented by the Assistant State Commandant, Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation, Funmilayo Bamisaye, Folayemi reminded students that they had the power to make responsible choices about their actions and the peers they associated with.

He recommended establishing a platform where young people exhibiting similar behavioural traits could receive continuous mentoring as a preventive measure.

The Chief Medical Director of the Ondo State Neuro-Psychiatric Specialist Hospital, Akure, Dr Sunday Sajo, described the rehabilitation initiative as a welcome development.

He advised students to maintain close relationships with responsible older people who could provide guidance and mentorship.

Also speaking, Magistrate Damilola Sekoni recommended that schools regularly organise orientation and counselling programmes for students.

He further cautioned rehabilitated students against repeating the offences that led them to participate in the programme.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will soon transmit to the National Assembly two Executive Bills seeking special legislative seats for women and representation for persons with disabilities at the national and sub-national levels.

House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas announced this when he hosted the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku; President of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, Prof. Justin Green, and other members of the board on a visit.

Informing his guests about the legislative initiatives of the 10th National Assembly, Abbas said the proposed legislation on women’s representation would provide special seats for women in the National Assembly, besides existing elective seats that legislative candidates contested for.

The Speaker stated that the Federal Ministry of Justice was fine-tuning the Bill, following President Tinubu’s agreement to sponsor it as an Executive Bill.

‘We have persuaded Mr. President, and he has accepted for the very first time to sponsor the Executive Bill. Through our efforts, the Executive Bill proposed to the National Assembly to provide seats, special seats for women, that would be independent from the regular seats that have been contested,’ Abbas said.

The Speaker also said President Tinubu was expected to transmit another Executive Bill in the coming weeks that will provide legislative representation for persons with disabilities at both the national and the sub-national levels.

He said the National Assembly facilitated the initiative in collaboration with the Presidency to increase representation of persons with disabilities in legislative institutions across the country.

‘We also initiated and facilitated, through Mr. President, for the very first time, the inclusion of representation of the physically challenged in the National Assembly and the sub-nationals,’ he said.

Abbas said the initiatives were part of the efforts of the 10th Assembly, which began in June 2023, to promote inclusivity and broaden participation in governance.

He added that the House had introduced the National Assembly Open Day, an annual initiative designed to enable Nigerians to scrutinise its legislative activities and engage directly with lawmakers and committees.

According to him, the third anniversary of the initiative recently provided an opportunity for people from different sectors to interact with the House, examine its legislative activities and make recommendations.

Abbas said the initiative was aimed at making the National Assembly more accessible and responsive to Nigerians, promising that the House would continue to introduce measures to strengthen public participation in the legislative process.

Commenting on Nigeria’s hosting of the World Public Relations Forum (WPRF), scheduled for November 15 to 22, the Speaker described the event as a ‘historic opportunity to showcase the country’s potential to the international community’.

He said the forum would provide participants from around the world an opportunity to see Nigeria beyond the perceptions of its development challenges.

‘I am happy, particularly not because of the 126 countries coming, but for the opportunity that will present itself for those doubting Thomases around the world who think Nigeria is at the lowest ebb of development, to come and see with their eyes what Nigeria is and what Nigeria is promising to be in the future,’ Abbas said.

The Speaker assured the organisers of the National Assembly’s support for the forum, describing Nigeria’s hosting of the international gathering as a significant achievement.

Neliaku had said Nigeria had overcome several hurdles and international doubts about its readiness before securing the right to host the WPRF.

He noted that although Africa first hosted the WPRF in 2007, the forthcoming event would be the first time the global forum would be held alongside the continental public relations conference.

Neliaku said the successful defence of Nigeria’s hosting bid had helped to reinforce confidence in the country’s capacity to host the global event.

Green said Nigeria’s hosting of the WPRF followed a decade-long effort to bring the global public relations gathering to Africa, despite persistent misconceptions about the continent.

He recalled that an earlier attempt to host the forum in Africa in 2015 was cancelled.

‘This has been 10 years in the making,’ Green said, describing Nigeria’s successful bid as a major breakthrough after years of setbacks.

Green also hailed Abbas for legislative initiatives promoting inclusivity, particularly those involving children, youth, women and persons with disabilities.

He said the initiatives reflected the values of the Global Alliance, which seeks to bring people from different regions and cultures together.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of First Trustees Limited, Ereifemi Akeredolu, has said sustainable growth in Nigeria’s agricultural sector requires more than funding, stressing the need for clear responsibilities, sound governance and proper risk allocation.

Akeredolu stated this at the maiden Commercial Trust Colloquium organised by First Trustees Limited, a subsidiary of FirstHoldCo Plc, in Lagos.

The colloquium, themed ‘Beyond Intervention Funds: Building Sustainable Financing Models for Nigerian Agriculture,’ brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors to discuss financing options for the agricultural sector.

She said the availability of capital alone was not sufficient to guarantee sustainable growth, noting that investors were more likely to commit funds when risks were properly understood and the structures surrounding transactions were reliable.

‘In my work across trust and financial services, I have seen that sustainable growth is rarely the result of funding alone. Capital moves more confidently when responsibilities are clear, risks are properly understood, governance is sound and all parties can rely on the structures around a transaction,’ Akeredolu said.

According to her, trust institutions have a role to play in establishing accountability, protecting the interests of parties involved in transactions and ensuring that agreed obligations are fulfilled.

She said such functions could help create structures capable of supporting long-term investment in agriculture.

The discussions at the colloquium focused on financing models beyond government intervention funds, with participants examining issues around agricultural value chains, risk allocation, productivity and private-sector investment.

The stakeholders also considered ways of developing financing structures that could attract long-term private capital to viable businesses across the agricultural value chain.

Agriculture remains a major contributor to Nigeria’s food supply, employment and industrial activities, while access to sustainable financing remains a key challenge for businesses operating across the sector.

The event also featured the unveiling of an upgraded digital platform by First Trustees, which the company said would digitise some of its trust-service processes and reduce paperwork and documentation requirements.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries for the National Assembly seats in Ondo State may have come and gone. Still, the controversies that greeted the outcome of the exercise remain unabated.

No doubt, the results of APC primary polls sent from the state to the national Secretariat of the party were overturned by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party when they were eventually released.

Several members of the party, who were declared winners of the primaries in the state but later dropped by the NWC, have approached the court to seek redress, while some have defected to other political parties to pursue their ambitions.

It is obvious in the state that the party is divided between those who were winners at the state level and those declared winners by the NWC. The aggrieved contestants are not in agreement with the decision of the party’s leadership, as they insisted that the conduct of the primary polls followed due process.

One of the constituencies that is currently under legal contention is the Akoko South-East/South-West Federal Constituency, where the incumbent member of the House of Representatives, Adegboyega Adefarati, Dr. Victor Olusegun Ategbole, and Ajongbolo Seun contested for the ticket of APC to be able to contest in the general elections.

One of the contestants in the primaries, Dr. Victor Olusegun Ategbole, who participated in the May 16, 2026 APC primaries for Akoko South-East/ Akoko South-West Federal Constituency, has approached the court seeking redress on the final decision of the party’s national leadership on the result of the election.

In Suit No: FHC/A79/CS/59/2026 filed at the Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital, by Ategbole, he is interested in the interpretation and application of Sections 84, 85 and 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 as well as other relevant laws for the determination of whether the party’s NWC has power to replace the initial results with another.

Also, Ategbole faulted the claim that he was disqualified from participating in the primary, as he was screened and cleared to contest the primary election. In the report from the National leadership, his name is on number 45, just as his name was sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He insisted that there was no time he was disqualified from participating in the party’s primary as Ategbole’s name was reflected on the APC documents forwarded to INEC for the conduct of the primary election for the Federal Constituency on 16 May 2026 Relevant documents had been duly certified by INEC to confirm the eligibility of Ategbole for the primary election.Ategbole lawfully participated in the election on 16 May,2026 as declared the winner by the Returning Officer having scored 1,2011 valid votes .

The respondents in the suit filed by Ategbole through his team of lawyers led by Dr Remi Peter Olatubora included the All Progressives Congress (APC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Gboyega Adefarati.

In the originating summons Ategbole, raised four questions for determination, which included whether having regard to the provisions of sections 84, 85, 86 and 88 of the Electoral Act 2026, Articles 19.6, 20.1, 20.3 and 20.4 constitution of All Progressives Congress (APC) and the first respondent’s guidelines for the nomination of candidates for the 2027 general elections, the first respondent’s National Assembly Primary Election Committee has the power to make a second result declaration, superseding the declaration and return of the plaintiff, by the APC’s Federal Constituency Returning Officer, as the winner of the House of Representatives Primary Election held on May 16, 2026 in Akoko South-East/Akoko South-West Federal Constituency as declared by Hon Akin Aibinuomo, the returning officer.

Likewise, with reference to the same sections of the Electoral Act and Articles of his party, Ategbole is asking the court whether his party’s NWC has the power to make Adefarati, who came second as the party’s candidate.

His third question is whether, as the winner of the primary, he ought not to have been returned as the party’s candidate.

Lastly, he wants to know whether the declaration of third respondent, Gboyega Adefarati, as the winner of the primary election is ‘not illegal, unlawful and contrary to the provisions of Section 36 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and sections of the Electoral Act and the Articles of the party.

Consequently, Ategbole sought five reliefs from the court. He wants the court to make a declaration that he is the winner of the House of Representatives Primary Election for Akoko South-East/Akoko South-West Federal Constituency.

Also, he is also seeking an order directing his party, APC, to issue a Certificate of Return to him as the winner of the primary election for the federal constituency, just as prayed for an order restraining his party, APC, from forwarding Gboyega Adefarati’s name to INEC.

Alternatively, Ategbole sought an order directing his party, APC, to retrieve the name of Adefarati from INEC and submit his name as the candidate of APC for the 2027 House of Representatives election in the federal constituency.

In proving his case beyond reasonable doubt, Ategbole had approached INEC to obtain certified true copies of the results as declared at the federal constituency collation centre, Saint Patrick Secondary School, Oka-Akoko. In a true certified copy of the INEC report signed by G.D. Dung on the conduct of the primary election stated that INEC staff went out to monitor the primary election and filed reports. INEC further confirmed that the primary election took place in all 26 RA/Wards Collation Centres in the federal constituency on Saturday, 16th May 2026, and that the party’s primaries commenced as scheduled in the federal constituency.

In the same report, INEC stated that ‘Accreditation of party faithfuls was done by checking party membership registration cards while in queue. A copy of the party’s area register had earlier been submitted to the state office. In the declaration of results, according to the INEC report at the end of the collation exercise at St. Patrick’s College.

It further stated that the exercise came to a close amidst jubilation by party members. In its conclusion, INEC wrote that ‘The Party Primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was successfully conducted in all the Registration Areas within Akoko South-West Local Government Area without any controversy.’

One of the documents obtained from INEC showed a list of the Local Government Planning Committee to include Hon. Agbede Sunday (chairman), Hon. Ibitayo Olusegun (Secretary) and Barr. Felix Alonge (member). The INEC Registration Area monitor for the local government is Akeredolu Adewale.

In a separate document, which contained the INEC report on the same APC primary election in Akoko South-East Local Government Area, a true certified copy of which was signed by Dimas F. Emmanuel, at INEC headquarters, Abuja, on July 7, 2026, the commission stated that ‘The primary election was conducted through direct primaries using Option A4 at the Registration Areas level.

Results from the various RAs were collated at the Local Government level before being forwarded for constituency collation. The primary election was well organised and conducted in accordance with the party’s guidelines.’

In the declaration of results, according to the INEC report, ‘At the end of the collation exercise at St. Patrick’s College, the votes scored by each of the contestants are as follows: Mr. Ajongbolo Segun scored 74 votes, Mr. Adegboyega Adefarati scored 1,965 votes, and Dr. Olugbenga Victor Ategbole scored 12,011 votes as declared by the returning officer for the federal constituency.

The Anambra State Government has challenged former Governor Peter Obi’s argument that the $156 million he left in investments was sufficient to offset any other liabilities allegedly incurred during his tenure.

The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Chukwukadibia Okoye, in a reaction on Friday, said Obi still had questions to answer over the financial position of the state when he left office in 2014.

Okoye said Obi was ‘slowly drifting away from the facts’ of the controversy, which centres on the completeness of the financial records presented at the end of his administration.

He said, ‘In public accounting and generally accepted accounting principles, nobody refuses to account for a valid liability, and when it is brought to his attention, his defence becomes that the assets are sufficient to pay undisclosed liability.

‘At the minimum, such accounting records are withdrawn and restated. This is the globally accepted standard.’

The commissioner said the more fundamental issue was whether Obi’s claim that he left no liability other than the N5 billion disclosed in his handover note was accurate.

‘The Anambra State Government has presented records indicating that there were indeed external debts and other financial obligations that remained unsettled as at the date he left office,’ he said.

Okoye said the controversy was not simply about whether the state had assets capable of covering some liabilities, but whether the handover statement provided a complete and accurate picture of the state’s assets and liabilities as of March 17, 2014.

He also questioned the nature and valuation of some of the assets described as investments.

‘Not everything described as an investment necessarily represents cash or a readily realisable financial asset. For instance, an uncompleted project cannot ordinarily be treated in the same manner as cash or a liquid financial investment,’ he said.

According to him, such an asset should be regarded as work in progress, with its value independently established.

He also questioned the valuation of equity investments, citing the reported investment in Intafact, which he said had subsequently suffered a significant decline in value.

‘This raises an important accounting question: what was the basis of the valuation assigned to such investments at the point of handover, and were those valuations realistic, independently verifiable and realisable?’ he asked.

Obi’s 2014 handover document, which has been made public amid the dispute, listed $156 million in foreign-currency investments, N27 billion in local investments and other balances, with an estimated N5 billion liability deducted to arrive at a net balance of about N86.67 billion.

The Anambra government, however, has maintained that external loans and other financial obligations remained outstanding from the period of Obi’s administration.

It has cited records showing eight external loan facilities and an outstanding balance it puts at $92.35 million as of June 30, 2026.

Obi has rejected the government’s claims and maintained that he left office without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or liabilities to contractors for duly executed and certified projects.

Okoye said the $156 million investment argument therefore did not, by itself, resolve the controversy.

‘The questions that need to be answered are much broader. What were the state’s complete liabilities and commitments on that same date? Have they been properly and fully disclosed? Does that report represent the true and fair position of the assets and liabilities of the state at handover date?

‘The real issue is the completeness and accuracy of the 2014 handover position,’ he told The Nation.