Ministry of Justice opens Lango regional office

The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs launched a regional office in Lango, sending a wave of relief among the people.

Located in Lira City West Division in Lira City, the office will enable localised consultations, more effective representation in court and timely delivery of justice.

‘To me, this is more than just the opening of an office. It is the beginning of the government coming closer in the service of the people entrusted to it,’ Mr Lawrence Egole, Resident City Commissioner (RCC) of Lira, said at the official opening of the new office on Wednesday.

He added that: ‘For years, the districts within this region and even the citizens in Lango and the surrounding areas had to travel to Gulu or to Kampala for legal advice, and also for contract vetting and representation in civil matters.”

The distance has been associated with the cost of time, delayed services and too many expenses.

Mr Egole believes that the new office will correct the imbalance, save resources and enhance the administration of justice in the area.

Lira Resident High Court Judge, Lady Justice Sarah Mry Birungi, said the establishment of the new office is a critical step in ensuring that the judiciary has the necessary partners to operate efficiently and effectively at the grassroots level.

‘So, by establishing this regional office, we expect excellent service to them. The litigants will have an easier way of coming to your offices for consultations, for effective representation in courts, and having timely justice delivered.” She said.

Mr Moses Otim, acting Chief Administrative Officer of Dokolo, said the establishment of the regional office is a critical step towards ensuring the judiciary has the necessary partners to operate efficiently and effectively at the grassroots level.

Residents are optimistic that this development will bring justice closer to their doorstep, saving them time and resources.

Mr Simon Muyomba, regional head, assured the service seekers that his team has the determination and charisma to offer original, reliable, special and unique services.

Talawakelle Tea Estates achieves international organic certification for Great Western and Logie Teas

Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC has secured internationally recognised organic certification. A member of the Hayleys Plantations Sector and one of Sri Lanka’s premier Regional Plantation Companies, this milestone enables the Company to market certified organic teas under its renowned Great Western and Logie garden marks.

The certification spans three major global standards: the EU Organic Regulation of the European Union, the National Organic Program (NOP-US) of the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) for organic products. With this achievement, Talawakelle Tea Estates is now positioned to supply premium organic teas to international markets that demand the highest standards of certification, traceability, and product integrity.

Talawakelle Tea Estates Director/CEO Nishantha Abeysinghe said, ‘We are proud to reach this significant milestone after more than four years of dedicated effort to build a fully compliant organic cultivation and processing system that meets stringent international standards. This achievement shows the strength of our partnerships with the Tea Research Institute (TRI) and internationally qualified consultants and, most importantly, the commitment and collaboration of our estate and corporate teams. Together, we have established a robust and sustainable organic management framework that will support our long-term vision.’

To ensure consistent compliance with international standards, Talawakelle Tea Estates appointed dedicated full-time personnel from its estate teams and corporate sustainability division to oversee and manage every stage of the organic value chain – from cultivation to final manufacture.

The Company has also developed an end-to-end organic cultivation and processing management system covering the full value chain – from field-level practices to final manufacture – ensuring a structured and carefully monitored approach to organic tea production.

To safeguard product integrity and eliminate the risk of cross-contamination with conventional teas, the Company has designated low-risk fields exclusively for organic cultivation and dedicated the Logie factory entirely to organic tea production, minimising the risk of cross-contamination.

Following a series of rigorous audits, Talawakelle Tea Estates has secured full certification and is now set to launch its certified organic tea range globally under the prestigious Great Western and Logie garden marks names bringing together heritage and sustainability.

This achievement marks an important step in the Company’s broader journey to build a more sustainable, nature-based product portfolio in response to growing global demand. By combining strong garden identities with internationally recognised organic standards, Talawakelle Tea Estates continues to strengthen its position in the premium tea segment.

Governing better amidst crises

I fully understand and recognise that everyone has a right to develop their own perceptions on why the Sri Lankan economy is in the current predicament in mid-2026, again heading towards potentially another major monetary and fiscal crisis just as in 2022.

While we all have the right to have our opinions, we also have our own faculties to look at the facts and if necessary change our perceptions and opinions, no matter how hard it is. It may be more difficult to some whose entire life is spent in their own political echo chambers who have pointed to some ‘other’ as a simplistic ‘root cause of all evil’ – JR, Ranil, Mahinda/Rajapaksas, Free Market Economy, IMF, Capitalism, Free Education, Language policy, Trade Unions, ISBs, USA, India, China, to name a few .They might be thinking that punishing or at least venting their anger those they have ‘arrears’ with as mentioned above, will resurrect the Sri Lankan economy magically, though the truth and reality may be far from it.

I can see a fair bit of IMF bashing, ISBs bashing, Ranil bashing, Rajapaksa bashing as the “root cause’ of the currently brewing economic crisis in Sri Lanka in mid-2026 among some professionals, intellectuals, academia, media and general public whose economic analysis and deductions are based on strong pre-conceived notions and ideologies they honestly believe in good faith.

But .. is it ?

IMF’s role

The IMF has a clear mandate – to assist countries that are at the risk of or already facing an issue of sovereign bankruptcy due to significant balance of payment issues – Sri Lanka belongs to the latter group in 2022. IMF since 2022, facilitated Sri Lanka to negotiate debt rescheduling, and agree for a revised debt servicing schedule for mostly bilateral loans and ISBs, that gives Sri Lanka a breathing space of not servicing most external debt for a few years, to build a substantial war chest of official USD reserves and re-commence all external debt servicing in 2028.

IMF’s role here was to be the ‘guarantor’ for Sri Lanka when Sri Lanka negotiates with those countries and ISB holders – without which Sri Lanka would not even be given an opportunity to talk to and end up being isolated and left out of international trade, where businesses were not even allowed to open a L/C (Letter of Credit) – if someone thinks ‘well we can still export…’ the reality is every export is intertwined with multiple imports – no imports, no exports. In addition, the IMF did provide Sri Lanka a financial relief package of $ 2.9 billion over 8 installments as an EFF (Extended Fund Facility).

As a part of these negotiations, Sri Lanka had to demonstrate that they can govern the country in a fiscally responsible manner, and the Government spends what they actually have, not what they ‘think’ they can have in future. Sri Lanka meeting those fiscal management benchmarks – such as official USD reserves, GDP growth rate, debt/GDP ratio, USD:Rupee exchange rate, Government tax revenue, current account balance, domestic debt, rate of inflation, etc – would show it can resume debt servicing in 2028.

The ISBs, China, India, Paris Club, Japan were all part of this process facilitated by the IMF to support Sri Lanka come out of bankruptcy, via an agreed plan where the IMF will continue to be the guarantor for Sri Lanka.

While the IMF laid out some broad parameters, it does not micromanage the Sri Lankan Government to decide how these parameters are met. It requires the Sri Lankan Government to take some strong unpopular decisions and implement them. These measures can most likely be very uncomfortable and painful to all Sri Lankan individuals and businesses – in the short term, it may create economic slowdowns, reduced public services, higher unemployment, some businesses going bankrupt, etc – but mid to long term, as a nation, Sri Lankan economy will first stabilise and then grow – hard times will be over mid to long term. Recovery for a country out of bankruptcy is not a bed of roses.

Clearly, Sri Lanka managed the stabilisation exceedingly well and overperformed the IMF targets under President Ranil and managed to come out of bankruptcy essentially during his tenure of just 2 years, though Ranil lost election in September 2024 – President Anura Kumara Dissanayake upon winning the election in September 2024 and elected President promptly confirmed that he too will follow the same IMF program and will adhere to the agreed parameters that by then, has enabled Sri Lanka out of bankruptcy, and even hailed as a ‘great economic turnaround success story’ by some bureaucrats such as Donald Lu, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia in February 2024.

Next was for Sri Lanka to enter into the rapid growth phase in 2025 immediately, and continue the growth till 2028.

Yet, here we are in mid-2026, where the Sri Lankan economy is sliding backwards towards 2022 and not progressing towards 2028 targets. Why ?

I know that some would point out that external matters beyond the Sri Lankan Government’s control is the sole ‘root cause’ such as US Tariffs, Cyclones, Iran War, etc, though one cannot totally ignore the fact that there is an element of failure in Government policy planning, policy implementation mechanism and risk assessment/response process that has contributed to this situation and outcome.

Any Government needs to realise that as the Government, punishing their adversaries and running a slogan of ‘catching thieves’ and ‘eliminating corruption’ is only a very small part of a Government’s mandate, not the entire scope of things they have to do as a Government

Governance dynamics

Firstly, any Government needs to realise that these types of global/regional issues always prevail, that are beyond the Sri Lankan Government’s control, at all times. (even during President Ranil’s tenure 2022-2024, there was Ukraine War, Red Sea blockade due to Houthi Rebels, Israel-Hamaz conflict, Drought in Europe/China/Panama Canal, Southeast Asian floods, Post-Covid19 economic friction/commodity price escalation, etc )

Secondly, any Government needs to realise that as the Government, they should be proactive and look for options when they can foresee economic headwinds (due to possible regional/global crisis) or in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters. If a Government is caught flatfooted being unable to read these situations and respond in advance, it is their inability. Unfortunately, a Government cannot seek “excuses” as the public and their stakeholders expect them to deliver results under any condition, since they are entrusted with the nation’s people and wealth for their tenure.

Government needs to realise that as the Government, they cannot make their way out of an economic crisis by partisan rhetoric, massive media coverage and an enormous volume of social media posts – a Government has a real job to do, and it is very different from seeking publicity and popularity

Thirdly, any Government needs to realise that as the Government, punishing their adversaries and running a slogan of ‘catching thieves’ and ‘eliminating corruption’ is only a very small part of a Government’s mandate, not the entire scope of things they have to do as a Government.

Fourthly, any Government needs to realise that as the Government, they cannot make their way out of an economic crisis by partisan rhetoric, massive media coverage and an enormous volume of social media posts – a Government has a real job to do, and it is very different from seeking publicity and popularity.

At the end of the day, even if they are novices and new to the difficult, complex and often unforgiving business of governance of a country, any elected Government should at least pinch themselves and realise that they are the party controlling the Government of Sri Lanka. Once they are the Government, the buck stops there with respect to the well-being of the country’s economy and people, they can no longer afford to act as an opposition party with just few MPs in parliament – they need to perform as a Government to drastically reduce rhetorical propaganda, punishing adversaries/opposition and increasingly invest their energy to deliver actual results for Sri Lanka pragmatically !

If the any Government feels and/or believes that it cannot do that and are truly a novice Government still woefully incapable to make a confession and do a necessary course corrections, then the time has come for them to throw in the towel and handover the Government to someone else, who can at least try and do something (like President Ranil did 2022-2024 after taking over Sri Lanka from President Gotabhaya) – before it is too late.

President to meet with business circles in Mumbai on Thursday

President Nikos Christodoulides, on the second day of his official visit in India, is expected to address the Cyprus-India Business Forum, on Thursday morning, and hold meetings with Indian business leaders and investors.

During his stay in Mumbai, the country’s economic hub, he will also attend the inauguration of the Representative Office of Eurobank, and visit the National Stock Exchange of India.

The President’s meetings are ‘aimed at further strengthening relations between Cyprus and India in the fields of economy, investment, shipping, technology, and innovation,’ Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said in a post on X on Wednesday. He also noted that Cyprus is promoting its role as a reliable European gateway for Indian businesses and as a stable partner in a region of growing geoeconomic importance.

After these meetings, the President will then travel to New Delhi where he will meet on Friday with the Prime Minister of India and later with the President of India, who will host an official dinner in his honour.

Cyprus Department of Meteorology – Forecast for the Sea Area of Cyprus (?)

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (A)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 21/05/2026 UNTIL 0600 22/05/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1006hPa (hectopascal)

Weak low pressure is affecting the area. Locally increased cloud will be present at times, initially with risk of isolated showers over western and northern areas. In the afternoon isolated showers and/or thunderstorm are expected over southern and eastern areas. Tonight, increased low cloud coverage will be present over the west and later also over the east.

Visibility: Good, but moderate in showers

Sea surface temperature: 21°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast Morning Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, gradually West to Northwest 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Afternoon West to Northwest 4 to 5, locally 5 to 4 Slight to Moderate

Night South to Southwest 3 to 4, near the coast Northwest to Northeast 3 Slight

South Coast Morning Southwest to West 4 to 5, gradually 5 Slight to Moderate

Afternoon Southwest to West 5, locally 5 to 6 Slight to Moderate, locally Moderate

Night Southwest to West 4, gradually 3 to 4 Slight

East Coast Morning South to Southwest 4 to 5, gradually locally 5 Slight

Afternoon South to Southwest 5 Slight to Moderate

Night South to Southwest 3 to 4, at times offshore 4 Slight

North Coast Morning Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, gradually Southwest 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Afternoon Southwest 4 to 5, locally 5 Slight to Moderate

Night South to Southwest 3 to 4, near the coast Southeast to Southwest 3 Slight

Time of issue: 0530

Date: 21/05/2026

Taduran feels sad after Jerusalem’s defeat

Reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimum weight champion Pedro Taduran – now the country’s only Filipino world boxing champion-will go back to active training next week at the Elorde gym in Sucat, Parañaque City.

After spending quality time with his wife Mary Joy and son McGaven in Cabuyao, Laguna, the 29-year-old two-time world champion also expressed sadness after Melvin Jerusalem lost his World Boxing Council (WBC) minimum weight title in South Africa last week.

‘I was sad because I am the only Filipino world champion right now after Melvin’s loss, but I believe he can comeback as a world champion again. On my part, I need to be in a good condition to prepare for my next fight,’ Taduran told BusinessMirror on Wednesday.

‘We never know how long we will be champion. So, we must take care of ourselves even though we do not know when our next fight will be,’ he added. ‘Anybody is welcome.’

Jerusalem lost via unanimous decision in his rematch with South African Siyakholwa Kuse on Sunday at the Kempton Park.

But Taduran (20-4-1 win-loss-draw record with 14 knockouts) believes another Filipino – if not Jerusalem – will rise to the occasion to become a world champion soon.

‘There is Charly [Suarez] this year, and some other Filipino fighters that can become champions,’ added Taduran, who is coming from a seven-round knockout win against Gustavo Perez Alvarez of Mexico last April 3 in Pechanga, California.

He also said that he is open to fight either Kuse or World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimum weight champion Oscar Collazo in a unification fight anytime, and anywhere to unite the 105-pound belt.

Corruption: The great leveler

IN the nineteenth century, people died of syphilis without ever knowing they had it. It showed up as something else every time-palsy, psychosis, heart disease-and physicians treated the presentation while the spirochete did whatever it liked. The Great Imitator did not hide. It simply let the symptoms take the blame.

Syphilis was also known as the Great Leveler. It struck down kings, artists, writers, and intellectuals with particular cruelty because these men lived long enough for the disease to reach its late stage, where it attacked the brain and produced madness, paralysis, and ruin. The poor often died early from other causes before the worst symptoms appeared. But the disease was patient. It waited, and in the end, it leveled them all.

Corruption is the Great Leveler of our time, and a broken judiciary is its perfect carrier.

The Philippines has a judiciary that processes cases across timelines measured in decades. A commercial dispute filed today may not reach final resolution until the plaintiff’s children are middle-aged. How many times does a land title case outlast the landowner? A plunder charge against a sitting official will survive multiple administrations, several amnesias, and at least one political resurrection before a verdict arrives if one ever arrives at all. This is not inefficiency. Inefficiency is a clogged toilet. The delay is built into the system. The delay is the point.

The Sandiganbayan, the anti-graft court created precisely to hold power accountable, closed 2025 with roughly 805 pending cases, its lowest backlog on record. This is supposedly a big accomplishment. What was not mentioned is that a low backlog at the end of the pipeline tells you nothing about what is happening before cases reach the end. Cases dropped on technicalities leave no trace. Defendants who outlast the prosecution leave no accountability. A decade-long delay ending in acquittal on procedural grounds registers in the statistics as a ‘completed case’ and makes the numbers look clean.

A corrupt official does not read the newspaper headlines. He thinks about how long cases take, who controls the appointments of the judges hearing them, and how many administrations have come and gone since the last high-profile conviction actually resulted in someone serving time. The answer to that last question does not encourage restraint when the bribe money is on the table.

Some major infrastructure projects and nearly all second-tier projects in this country carry a price premium that never appears in the official budget. It is built into the contractor’s bid, allocated across ghost deliverables, and distributed through the subcontracting chain that exists specifically for that purpose. The public pays it through roads that fail before the warranty expires and flood control works that perform exactly as designed-a payoff to everyone in the procurement and delivery process.

None of this is invisible, requiring the services of Sherlock Holmes to uncover. It simply goes unprosecuted at a speed that functions as permission to be corrupt.

Foreign capital knows the reality. Vietnam sits higher than the Philippines on contract enforcement metrics despite being a single-party state with no pretense of judicial independence in the Western sense. Manufacturers relocating supply chains out of China are making allocation decisions, and the Philippine judiciary’s caseload timeline is part of that calculation whether or not it appears in any investor presentation.

The reforms exist, and that is the problem. The Supreme Court’s strategic plan through 2027 includes e-filing, online hearings, and AI-assisted case management. These are useful improvements. What they do not address is whether any of it makes a corrupt official pause before he signs on the approval line and then goes to the bank.

The Philippines does not have a corruption problem wearing the face of a judiciary problem. It has a judiciary problem wearing the face of everything else. A faster filing system is still a system where the powerful walk free. A digitized court is still a court where the verdict depends on who knows the judge. Congress can pass another anti-corruption law with another set of teeth that will never bite anyone. Until judicial appointments are insulated from politics, until a case that takes 15 years is treated as an utter failure rather than a statistic, and until conviction becomes something a corrupt official actually fears, every other reform is a fresh coat of paint on a condemned building. The disease will continue to do whatever it likes.

Foreign investors, local banks eye majority stakes in Nigerian insurance firms

As the deadline for insurance industry recapitalisation draws closer, foreign investors and local banks are increasingly showing interest in Nigeria’s insurance sector, with many targeting majority equity stakes in struggling firms.

Although the prospect of relinquishing controlling shares is not well-received among many operators seeking fresh capital, industry analysts believe the development could significantly reshape the ownership structure, corporate governance, and competitive landscape of the sector.

The growing interest is being driven by expectations that recapitalisation will trigger consolidation, strengthen underwriting capacity, and position the industry for bigger participation in major sectors of the economy, including oil and gas, aviation, infrastructure, and marine business.

An executive director in one of the second-tier insurance companies, who preferred anonymity, said: ‘We are having both local and foreign investors, including banks, interested in bringing in funds. But the conditions are not favourable to our core investors.’

The ED, however, expressed optimism that the firm would overcome the hurdle and ruled out the merger option.

Wale Onolapo, chairman of Davisther Brokers Limited, speaking on the development, said: ‘You know, he who pays the piper dictates the tune. So, at the end of the day, operators may have no option but to accept the entry of strategic investors coming in with capital.’

Onolapo, who was the managing director/CEO of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc before retiring to establish his brokerage firm, stated further: ‘What will eventually happen is that either a foreign investor or a local bank interested in taking a controlling stake in an existing company will find a way in.’

‘I am aware of some players who, in confidence, have already conceded that it may simply become a change of name to that of the bank. That is the reality.

‘What this means for the industry is that it will further consolidate its resilience. It is in the best interest of the industry because operators will have more capital to work with. In the long run, it will position the insurance industry better,’ he noted.

Obinna Chilekezi, an insurance consultant and visiting lecturer at the West African Insurance Institute (WAII), The Gambia, said: ‘The issue here is control, since the majority shareholders will call the shots.’

‘For the present owners, the choice is either to ensure the survival of their businesses by allowing new investors to get what they want, source the capital elsewhere, or allow the affected companies to die,’ he added.

At the last count, about six Nigerian insurance companies had approached the capital market to raise about N78.18 billion in fresh funds.

Among the firms is Linkage Assurance Plc, which is seeking to raise N16.3 billion through a Rights Issue involving the issuance of 12.32 billion ordinary shares to existing shareholders, making it one of the largest ongoing capital raises in the sector.

Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc recently launched a N5.02 billion Rights Issue, offering 2.51 billion ordinary shares at N2.00 per share to existing shareholders.

SUNU Assurances Nigeria Plc is also seeking to raise N9.3 billion through a Rights Issue involving 2.08 billion shares priced at N4.50 per share.

Coronation Insurance Plc obtained shareholders’ approval to raise N9.26 billion through a private placement targeted at selected investors.

Universal Insurance Plc is also pursuing a fresh capital injection of up to N15 billion, exploring a combination of a rights issue, public offer, and private placement to meet the recapitalisation threshold.

Guinea Insurance Plc is equally targeting a N5.8 billion Rights Issue involving 5.3 billion ordinary shares at N1.10 per share.

International Energy Insurance (IEI Plc), the latest entrant in the market, has officially launched its N17.5 billion public offer, floating 5,468,750,000 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N3.20 per share.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s state-owned MISR Insurance Group, the largest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, visited the Nigerian insurance market and the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) in February 2026, with plans to expand its footprint in the non-life insurance and reinsurance segments of the industry.

The expansion push, according to Mohammed Maharaj, MISR chief executive officer, is driven by Nigeria’s growing risk landscape and low insurance penetration rate.

With the signing of NIIRA 2025 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on August 5, 2025, insurance and reinsurance companies in Nigeria were given new minimum capital requirements, with July 31, 2026 set as the deadline for compliance.

Under the new requirements, life insurance companies are required to raise their minimum capital requirement (MCR) to N10 billion, general insurance companies to N15 billion, composite insurance companies to N25 billion, and reinsurance companies to N35 billion, alongside a transition to a Risk-Based Capital (RBC) framework.

Ekerete Ola Gam-Ikon, deputy commissioner for Insurance, Finance and Administration, speaking at the opening ceremony of Insurance Industry Week held in Lagos, said the Nigerian insurance industry holds immense potential not only as a key component of the financial services sector but also as a catalyst for national growth and development.

Urging operators to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the ongoing reforms, he said: ‘Let us sustain the momentum we have built, and let us work together to create an insurance sector that is inclusive, innovative, and globally competitive.’

Gam-Ikon stated that the success of NIIRA 2025 will depend on how effectively its provisions are implemented and the momentum of reform sustained.

‘As regulators, we remain committed to ensuring diligent and consistent enforcement of the Act. We will continue to strengthen our supervisory frameworks, deepen engagement with industry operators, and uphold the highest standards of accountability.’

‘Sustaining reform momentum, however, requires more than regulatory action. It demands a shared commitment across the entire ecosystem, insurers, brokers, agents, policymakers, and all relevant stakeholders,’ the NAICOM boss said.

High-stakes battles, succession intrigues as APC holds gov’ship primaries today

The All Progressives Congress (APC) is set for one of its biggest internal political tests as the party conducts governorship primaries today amid mounting tension, fierce power struggles, and widening cracks within its ranks ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Across the country, the build-up to the exercise has exposed deep divisions among governors, ministers, lawmakers, and influential party stakeholders jostling to shape the party’s future and control its political structures beyond the current administration cycle.

Across several states, succession battles have intensified, particularly where incumbent governors are completing their second terms and are pushing to install loyal successors in a bid to retain political influence after leaving office.

States such as Kwara, Gombe, Oyo, Adamawa, Bauchi, Plateau, Lagos, Nasarawa, Rivers and Yobe among others remain hotspots of intense intra-party contestations.

In Kwara State, consensus efforts have suffered setbacks as over 10 aspirants prepare to confront Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s preferred candidate, Yahaya Seriki, despite some withdrawals.

A similar situation is unfolding in Nasarawa State, where aspirants are challenging Governor Abdullahi Sule’s anointed successor, Senator Ahmed Wadada. In Lagos State, political negotiations have continued as aspirants realign ahead of the primaries, with many coalescing around Obafemi Hamzat.

Bauchi State also presents a crowded field, including Yusuf Tuggar, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Shehu Buba Umar, and Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, former governor of the state among others. In Oyo State, key contenders include Adebayo Adelabu, former Minister of Power, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, Akeem Agbaje, and Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin.

Adamawa State has an equally crowded race, with Abdulrazak Namdas, Mustapha Salihu, Senator Aminu Abbas, Abdurahaman Haske, Felix Tangwami, Joel Madaki and Bello Ibrahim in contention. In Abia State, four aspirants, Mascot Uzor-Kalu, Henry Ikoh, Martins Azubuike, and Opah Chinemeucheya, have locked horns for the governorship ticket.

Benue State also has several aspirants, including Mathias Byuan, Kuraun Isaac, Akutah Ukeyima, and Terwase Orbunde, challenging Governor Hyacinth Alia. Gombe State’s contest features Senator Sa’id Alkali and Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s preferred candidate, Jamil Gwamna.

In Plateau State, one of the aspirants, retired military officer Yilcini Bida, dismissed reports suggesting he had stepped down for Governor Caleb Mutfwang.

Meanwhile, some of the first-term governors who defected to the APC from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are widely regarded as consensus candidates within the party. They include Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Abba Yusuf (Kano), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom).

However, BusinessDay reports that one of the major issues shaping the primaries is the rising allegation of candidates imposition by outgoing governors and entrenched party leaders.

Aspirants in several states have accused powerful interests of manipulating delegates’ lists and screening processes to favour preferred contenders, leading to protests, parallel meetings, and threats of legal action in some cases.

Another major fault line is the mode of primaries. While the APC leadership has encouraged consensus arrangements to reduce rancour and litigation, many aspirants insist on direct primaries, arguing that consensus is increasingly being used as a tool for imposition rather than agreement.

Security concerns have also heightened in politically sensitive states following reports of clashes among supporters of rival camps. There are fears that disputes over voting procedures, and result announcements could trigger violence in some areas.

Observers are also watching how the party navigates zoning arrangements, ethnic balancing, and power-sharing considerations, particularly in states where such factors remain politically sensitive.

Fubara knows fate today

Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State governor, is expected to know his fate today amid growing uncertainty over his future within the ruling party.

Fubara had appeared before the screening panel after other governorship aspirants from Rivers State were screened ahead of today’s primaries. He, however, declined to speak with journalists after the exercise in Abuja.

The uncertainty surrounding his ambition has been heightened by the position of his political mentor and predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who has repeatedly insisted that Fubara would not secure a second term in 2027.

The situation became more intriguing following Wike’s recent meeting with Nentawe Yilwatda, the APC National Chairman, in Abuja. Wike and Fubara have remained locked in a prolonged political battle over the control of the state’s political structure, governance, and resources despite being members of different parties.

Wike is a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but is serving in the APC-led government as Minister for the FCT, and wields so much influence in both parties.

Those contesting against Fubara are Kingsley Chinda, Dax George-Kelly and Tonye Cole.

Azerbaijan’s trade surplus surges to $6.3 billion, easing currency pressure

The structural shift in Azerbaijan’s foreign trade during the first four months of this year offers more than just encouraging macroeconomic data; it provides a profound sense of relief for the country’s monetary stability. For the past three years, a concerning narrative had been quietly building among economic analysts and the public alike. Azerbaijan was witnessing a persistent trend where export revenues were systematically softening while the national appetite for imports expanded aggressively. Even though the country managed to close previous chapters with a positive trade balance, the narrowing margin triggered whispering alarms. Economists warned that if this trajectory spilled uninterrupted into the coming years, the central bank’s tight grip on the currency peg would face structural pressure, rendering a devaluation of the Azerbaijani manat against the US dollar an inevitable reality by the end of this year or early next.

However, the newly released trade figures for the January-April period have dramatically rewritten this script, effectively neutralizing the immediate threat of a currency correction. According to the latest data, Azerbaijan’s exports surged by an impressive 35.2 percent to reach 11.879 billion dollars, while imports plummeted by 32.1 percent to 5.525 billion dollars. This dual mechanism-a massive export expansion coupled with a significant contraction in import spending-has culminated in a staggering foreign trade surplus of 6.354 billion dollars. To put this into perspective, this surplus is nearly ten times larger than the one recorded during the same period last year. For a economy heavily reliant on its trade balance to support its monetary framework, these numbers represent a powerful defensive wall erected around the national currency.

The immediate casualty of this trade renaissance is the persistent devaluation anxiety that has shadowed the domestic market. The math behind currency stability in Azerbaijan is straightforward: as long as the supply of foreign currency flowing into the country comfortably exceeds the domestic demand for dollars, the central bank can maintain the fixed exchange rate with absolute ease. The dramatic expansion of the trade surplus ensures that the banking system is flushed with dollars, absorbing the structural pressures that had critics speculating about an impending adjustment. By reversing the dangerous three-year trend of dwindling exports and rising imports, the first third of this year has signaled to the markets that the underlying fundamentals of the economy remain robust enough to defend the peg.

This reality is further reinforced by the shifting dynamics within the domestic foreign exchange market itself, as recently illuminated by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan. For a long time, the primary concern was whether the regulator would have to burn through its reserves to satisfy a sudden thirst for dollars among local businesses and citizens. Instead, the narrative has flipped entirely. The Central Bank recently revealed that it was compelled to intervene in the market not to rescue a weakening manat, but to absorb an oversupply of foreign currency because commercial demand simply could not keep pace with the influx of dollars. With the Governor of the Central Bank hinting that similar interventions to buy up excess dollars are highly probable as the year progresses, it becomes clear that the challenge is no longer defending a weak currency, but managing an abundance of foreign capital.

When these interventions are paired with the steady growth of the Central Bank’s official foreign exchange reserves, the outlook for monetary predictability solidifies. A rising reserve cushion acts as an ultimate guarantee, signaling to international investors and local market participants that the monetary authorities possess more than enough ammunition to neutralize any speculative shocks. Therefore, looking at the macroeconomic landscape compiled over the last four months, any expectations of a shift in the manat-to-dollar exchange rate for the remainder of this year are fundamentally detached from reality. The trade surplus has returned with a vengeance, the central bank’s coffers are expanding, and the structural imbalance that once fueled devaluation fears has been decisively corrected.