Tag: Nigeria - Page 15 - African News Today

Subsidy wasn’t Removed by Tinubu – Keyamo

31May

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Economy, News, Nigeria, Petroleum

Subsidy wasn’t Removed by Tinubu – Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, the Chief Spokesman for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign, has clarified that President Bola Tinubu did not remove fuel subsidy. Keyamo stated that a section of the media is twisting the narrative to read that Tinubu's government has removed subsidy, despite the president proclaiming that subsidy was gone while giving his inaugural speech on May 29. The former Minister of State for Labour explained that Tinubu's administration only inherited a regime where there was no provision for subsidy in the 2023 Appropriation Act beginning June 2023, and the Petroleum Industry Act, which is now extant, has no provision for subsidy. In a series of tweets on his official handle, @fkeyamo, he said, "President Tinubu merely acknowledged this state of affairs in hi...

An Open Letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria on Transparency and Accountability In Court Proceedings – Adebowale Aluko

28May

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Elections, Justice, News, Nigeria

An Open Letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria on Transparency and Accountability In Court Proceedings – Adebowale Aluko

An open letter from a frontline legal practitioner to the CJN My Lord, I write, as a concerned member of the Nigerian bar, regarding a subject which has generated controversy among members of the bar and indeed the larger public in the past week. Confidence in the judiciary is at an all-time low. On 22 May 2023, at the opening ceremony of the annual conference of the National Association of Women Judges, Your Lordship urged judges sitting in election petition matters across the country to do substantive justice and eschew technicalities, in order to restore the confidence of the public in the judiciary. It is against this backdrop that I write in relation to the directive of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), prohibiting mobile phones and other electronic d...

Opinion: Nigeria’s Election Highlights Anglo-American Missteps – M. Page

28May

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Elections, News, Nigeria, United States of America

Opinion: Nigeria’s Election Highlights Anglo-American Missteps – M. Page

Nigeria’s just concluded presidential elections have been focusing minds in London and Washington. Like tens of millions of Nigerian voters, Anglo-American officials realized what was at stake. Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and is on track to be the third most populous country in the world by 2045. The UK and the US have enduring strategic interests in Nigeria, which are threatened by Nigeria’s kleptocratic ruling class’s tolerance of – and complicity in – democratic backsliding, grand corruption and gross human rights violations. The new administration faces a daunting array of challenges, from underdevelopment to insecurity, fiscal pressures and poor governance, which went unaddressed under outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari. But over the last several years, the UK and US h...

Inauguration: FG Restricts Movements Around Eagle Square

26May

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Elections, News, Nigeria

Inauguration: FG Restricts Movements Around Eagle Square

The Federal Government has directed the restriction of movements around the Eagle Square, the venue of the inauguration parade, from 2 p.m. on Friday till Tuesday. This move is in preparation for the swearing-in of President-elect, Bola Tinubu and his vice, Kashim Shettima, on May 29. A circular issued by Ngozi Onwudiwe, a permanent secretary at the Head of the Civil Service, stated that the Federal Secretariat Complexes Phases I, II, III, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be cordoned off by security operatives ahead of the ceremony. The government has been conducting military drills in the past few weeks in preparation for the inauguration ceremony. The Inauguration Parade and Swearing-in of President-Elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which is the climax of the Programme, will t...

Supreme Court Rules in Favour of Tinubu’s Eligibility

26May

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Breaking News, Nigeria

Supreme Court Rules in Favour of Tinubu’s Eligibility

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed the eligibility of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the President-elect, to contest the presidential election that held on February 25. In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel, the apex court held that an appeal filed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lacked merit. PDP had sought Tinubu’s disqualification on the premise that the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, allowed himself to be nominated for more than one constituency ahead of the 2023 general elections. The party argued that Shettima’s dual nomination was in gross breach of the provisions of Sections 29(1), 33, 35, and 84(1) and (2) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as amended. Aside from praying the court to nullify Tinubu and Shettima’s candidacy, the PDP equally ap...

Femi Gbajabiamila Clashes with Deputy over Control of the House

25May

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Elections, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Femi Gbajabiamila Clashes with Deputy over Control of the House

A crisis appears to be brewing in Nigeria's House of Representatives over who presides over the 10th assembly. Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and his deputy, Ahmed Wase, clashed during the plenary session on Wednesday, leading to speculations that the race for the key position is getting messier by the day. The Guardian reported that Wase is eyeing the seat of the Speaker and is a member of the G-7, a group of aspirants who are not comfortable with the zoning arrangement of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Gbajabiamila, on the other hand, had recommended Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu for Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively, leading to their endorsement by the APC. The trouble started when Gbajabiamila asked Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Abubakar Fulat...

DSS Raises Alarm Over Plans to Disrupt Handover Ceremonies in Nigeria

25May

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Elections, News, Nigeria, Security

DSS Raises Alarm Over Plans to Disrupt Handover Ceremonies in Nigeria

The Department of State Services (DSS) has raised an alarm over plans by some subversive elements to disrupt the handover ceremonies in some parts of the country. The DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, disclosed this in a statement released on Thursday, May 25, 2023. The DSS stated that these elements plan to undermine the efforts of the security agencies as well as cause panic among the citizens. The DSS has urged citizens to adhere to the laid down protocols for the events across the country to ensure a peaceful and successful ceremony. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Transition Council had announced activities for the Presidential inauguration on May 29, 2023, in Abuja. On the same date, new Governors will also be inaugurated in m...

We’ll Tell Dangote to Provide Forex to Nigeria at Good Rates – Emefiele

25May

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Economy, Finance, Lagos News, News, Nigeria, Petroleum, Trade

We’ll Tell Dangote to Provide Forex to Nigeria at Good Rates – Emefiele

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, has disclosed that the Dangote Refinery will be encouraged to sell foreign exchange earnings to banks at a good rate. Speaking after the 291st Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja, Emefiele stated that his team would engage with Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the promoter of the refinery, to ensure that Nigerians benefit from the venture. He noted that the CBN, the Federal Government, and the country had helped Dangote set up the refinery, adding that with local refining, the country would save about 20 per cent of the total cost of importing petroleum products, thereby reducing prices in the long run. Emefiele expressed optimism that the refinery would ease foreign exchange scarcity in Nigeria, adding that by the time ...

Ibikunle Amosun Denies Allegations Over Dangote Refinery Relocation

25May

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Economy, Employment, Labour, News, Nigeria, Petroleum, Trade

Ibikunle Amosun Denies Allegations Over Dangote Refinery Relocation

The former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has refuted claims by his successor, Dapo Abiodun, that he was responsible for the relocation of the $19bn Dangote refinery from Ogun to Lagos State. In a statement issued through his media aide, Bola Adeyemi, Amosun labelled Abiodun's allegations as "lies." He argued that the decision to move the refinery was made by Alhaji Aliko Dangote himself according to his business strategy and risk assessment. Amosun also clarified that the Olokola Free Trade Zone project was a Joint Venture between the Federal Government of Nigeria (which owned the majority 51%), Ondo State Government (14.5%), Ogun State Government (14.5%), strategic core investors (20%), and Alhaji Aliko Dangote who subsequently bought and took over the 20% equity...

Opinion: The Vindication of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the Biafra Question – P. Omonua

24Mar

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Biafra, Elections, News, Nigeria

Opinion: The Vindication of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the Biafra Question – P. Omonua

"The trio of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho) and Professor Banji Akintoye, all of whom have advocated for the creation of separate independent Nations are not eccentric nor delusional." Someone forwarded an audio recording to me few days ago which must have been preserved for more than 57 years. It was the voice of Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola (SLA), the last Premier of the Western Region and the 13th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland The voice was unmistakable, in his distinctive Ogbomosho accent. The summary of what he said, which I have transcribed from Yoruba to English as best as I could was: “…. Let us the Yorubas come together. Let the Ibos not ‘disorganize’ us with this election. We must not allow them to use this election to destroy our land, take over ...