The Presidential Election Petition Court has stepped down hearing in the petition filed by Peter Obi and the Labour Party against the election of President Bola Tinubu. The court, during its proceedings on Thursday, cited some inconsistencies in the documents from the 23 Local Government Areas of Benue State. The court thereafter stepped down hearing of the petition and ordered the legal team to go and re-file the schedule of documents in line with the provisions of the pre-hearing report. Peter Obi and the Vice Presidential candidate of LP, Datti Baba Ahmed, alongside the leaders of the Party, were in the court, to witness the proceedings. The five Justices led by Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani hearing the petition had also retired to their chambers while Obi’s legal team reconciled their documents.

The CBN refuted the report, tweeting a graphic to debunk it and referring to it as fake news. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, met with President Bola Tinubu where they discussed the issue of the exchange rate. Emefiele did not reveal what was discussed at the meeting, but Tinubu had already stated that his government’s decision was to unify the exchange rate in Nigeria. During the presidential inauguration ceremony, Tinubu argued that the CBN needs to replace the previous multiple exchange rate regime implemented during the administration of the previous president, Muhammadu Buhari. Tinubu also pointed out that the Naira redesign policy implemented by the CBN did not consider the number of unbanked Nigerians.

The PUNCH reports that earlier on Wednesday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited had informed of an adjustment of the pump price of petrol to reflect the market realities. However, the House urged the government to roll out palliatives and other measures to cushion the effects of the removal of the PMS subsidy on Nigerians. These were part of the recommendations by the House Ad Hoc Committee on the Need to Investigate the Petroleum Products Subsidy Regime in Nigeria, which the lawmakers considered as a Committee of the Whole and adopted in plenary on Thursday. Chairman of the committee, Ibrahim Aliyu, had laid the report on Wednesday, 11 months after the task was assigned to the panel. “With the subsidy removal, the Federal Government should forthwith suspend all Direct Sales Direct Purchase (oil swap) contracts.

Nigeria’s state-owned oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will soon end its monopoly on petrol supplies, according to its chief executive Mele Kyari. The move comes a day after the NNPC nearly tripled prices at its fuel stations countrywide. Newly inaugurated President Bola Tinubu pledged to remove fuel subsidies, a popular but costly benefit that has drained billions annually from government coffers. He added that under the Petroleum Industry Act signed into law two years ago, NNPC cannot supply more than 30% of gasoline in Nigeria. The move is expected to bring in new companies and improve petrol prices for consumers.

Workers of the Ogun State House of Assembly under the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) have begun an indefinite strike over their salaries. At the expiration of the ultimatum last Thursday, the workers shut down the assembly complex but still got no response from the government. Read the communique below:COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF PASAN OGUN STATE CHAPTER EMERGENCY CONGRESS AND NOTICE OF INDEFINITE INDUSTRIAL ACTION. The non-compliance of the State Government with the provisions of sections 10(2), 13, and 14 of the State Assembly Service Commission Law, 2018, and the Statutory Offices (State Emoluments) Amendment Law, 2018. The non-implementation of the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS) to members of staff in the State House of Assembly and House of Assembly Service Commission.

A mother broke down in tears after receiving a call from a medical examiner informing her that her son was dead. The poor mother instantly regretted giving her son her car which got into a fatal accident that killed him. According to her, the young man had crashed his first car and in her quest to make him happy, she gave him hers to drive. “My son crashed his first car and I wanted him to be happy so I gave him my car and I wish I never gave him my car cause he used this car to take his life”, the woman lamented.

Energy data and consultancy firm Rystad Energy presented its analysis of Africa’s energy landscape on Thursday at the Invest in African Energy Paris Forum, hosted by the African Energy Chamber (http://www.EnergyChamber.org). The country now has a large number of viable projects that need capital and would offer good returns to investors. Bimbola Kolawole, Vice President and Head of Business Development for Africa, detailed the findings of the ‘The State of African Energy 2023’ report that is produced by the African Energy Chamber with data and analysis from Rystad Energy. Rystad Energy is a partner of the African Energy Chamber for its annual African Energy Week conference, to be held in Cape Town on 16-20 October 2023. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Nigeria’s Simi Nwogugu, CEO of JA Africa, has been named as a Top 10 finalist for the Africa Education Medal 2023 . Founded last year by T4 Education and HP in collaboration with Microsoft, the Africa Education Medal is Africa’s most prestigious education accolade. Prior to becoming JA Africa CEO in 2020, she led JA Nigeria to impact the lives of over 1 million Nigerians in 5,000 schools. Mayank Dhingra, Senior Education Business Leader, Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa, at HP, said: “My warmest congratulations to Simi Nwogugu on being named a Top 10 finalist for the Africa Education Medal 2023. The winner of the Africa Education Medal will be announced in July.

The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has suspended all transport levies imposed on commercial drivers in the state. This was contained in a statement on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma. He stated that the directive was in line with the campaign promise of the governor to sanitise methods of revenue collection in the state and stop all forms of extortion, intimidation and harassement of motorists. The statement read, “The governor has directed the immediate suspension of all kinds of transport levies payable to the Abia State government and imposed on tricycles (Keke), buses, taxis and other commercial vehicles plying Abia roads. “This suspension takes immediate effect, and will remain until government reviews these levies and makes public its arrangements for the smooth, organised and transparent collection of such transport levies in a manner it would not lead to extortion, intimidation and violation of rights and privileges of Abia residents.

Two women leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State, Hajiya Lami Awarware Hajiya Haulatu Aliyu, have been abducted by bandits. The women were reportedly abducted along the Manini flashpoint in the troubled Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. According to the Chairman of Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union, Ishaq Usman Kasai, the incident happened after the women leaders attended the inauguration of the state governor, Senator Uba Sani, in Kaduna on Monday. Apart from the two APC chieftains, Kasai said scores of others were kidnapped by the hoodlums. Meanwhile, operatives of the Katsina State Police Command have killed two terrorists while they also rescued one Yahaya Usman who was abducted by the bandits.

Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi has approved the setting-up of 12 man Taskforce Committee on Petroleum Monitoring and Distribution in the State. Alhaji Hussaini Ali Kila said the committee would ensure, among other things, the efficient supply and distribution of petroleum products across the State. Members of the committee include Muhammad Usman Na- Allah, representatives of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries and Ministry of Information, Youth, Sports and Culture. Others are: representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Jigawa State Command, Department of State Service, Nigeria Army, Jigawa State, Nigeria Security Civil Defense Corps, Department of Petroleum Resources, Independent Petroleum Marketers, Jigawa State and Directorate of Research Evaluation and Political Affairs, Office of the SSG while the Director Special Services, Office of the SSG will serve as the Secretary of the Committee. The statement said the committee will be inaugurated tomorrow by His Excellency Governor Umar Namadi at the Council Chamber, Government House by 2:30 pm prompt.

A former Metropolitan Police constable, Jade Ebanks, 29, on Wednesday, appeared before District Judge Briony Clarke of the Westminster Magistrates’ Court for raping a woman five times in London. Ebanks is charged with five counts of rape against a yet-to-be-identified woman, an act he allegedly carried out two years before he joined the force. Ebanks joined the Metropolitan Police in June 2021 and was placed on patrol in Brent. He was arrested on May 5, 2022, before being suspended from duty and later resigned a week before he was charged on April 28, 2023. During court proceedings on Wednesday, the defendant only spoke after confirming his name and date of birth.

IF the streets of Ogun State blared forth music and ecstatic crowds danced to their hearts’ content today, the celebrations would have been fully deserved. In a great testimony to the manifold blessings of God, the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, clocked 63 on Monday. Governor Abiodun truly passed through the fire of politics, but he has remained strong. He promised to work for the good people of Ogun State, coming up with the acronym, ISEYA. With his ISEYA (Infrastructure, Social Welfare and Wellbeing, Education, Youth Development and Agriculture and Food Security) mantra, he has turned around the fortunes of Ogun State.

Photographer: Tom Saater/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesCommissioning Africa’s largest refinery was supposed to have been one of the first ribbon cuttings of Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency. At the ceremony, Buhari described the refinery — the largest and most modern in Africa — as a significant milestone for the country. The Dangote refinery is expected to buy Nigeria’s crude oil for the same price that it would be sold overseas. The government, which owns a 20% stake in the Dangote refinery, owns four other refineries, all of which are in disuse. Instead, projects such the Dangote refinery would increase carbon emissions, as well as local air pollution.

The Rivers State Police Command has rescued six pregnant young women from a child trafficking syndicate arrested in Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state. According to her; “I have given out six children in the past, I started the business three years ago. I do not have boys who get the girls pregnant, they were already pregnant when they came; they came to me on their own. She disclosed that the father of the unborn baby was neither aware of her pregnancy nor that she was in a child trafficking home. I reiterate my pledge to serve people of Rivers State diligently to the best of my ability”.