Author: Daily Post Nigeria

Senator Idiat Adebule has secured the All Progressives Congress, APC, senatorial ticket for Lagos West ahead of the 2027 general elections after emerging unopposed at the party’s primary election.

Adebule, who currently represents Lagos West Senatorial District in the Senate, was affirmed during the APC senatorial primary conducted at the Agege Stadium in Lagos State.

Delegates and party members drawn from the 11 wards in Agege Local Government participated in the affirmation exercise.

Announcing the outcome of the primary, the Returning Officer, Olugbenga Nola, said the senator emerged through the party’s direct primary process as the sole aspirant for the position.

Nola described the exercise as peaceful and transparent, noting that the process reflected the level of unity and coordination within the party structure in the district.

Reacting to the development, former Chairman of Agege Local Government, Ganiyu Egunjobi, praised party members and stakeholders for the orderly conduct of the primary.

Egunjobi, who is also seeking the APC ticket for the Lagos State House of Assembly seat in Agege Constituency I, said the successful conduct of the exercise demonstrated the spirit of cooperation among APC members in the area.

“Agege is like one big political family, and that is why our primary elections have been peaceful and successful. We congratulate Senator Adebule on her emergence and wish her success in the general elections,” he said.

Party stakeholders across the district also described the exercise as evidence of unity, consensus-building and effective grassroots mobilisation within the APC.

A member representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency, Benjamin Olabinjo, commended party supporters for their peaceful participation and urged them to sustain the same level of discipline in future party activities.

According to him, the smooth conduct of the exercise was largely due to internal consensus arrangements and the absence of opposition in the race.

The Executive Chairman of Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Adenike Rosiji, also said the peaceful atmosphere surrounding the primary reflected the acceptance enjoyed by Adebule among party members.

Rosiji stated that consultations and engagements among stakeholders played a key role in ensuring unity ahead of the primary election.

Similarly, the Deputy Chairman of the APC in Ifako-Ijaiye, Gbenga Agoye, who monitored the accreditation process, said officials adhered strictly to the party’s guidelines during the exercise.

He noted that both accreditation and vote counting were conducted in accordance with laid-down procedures.

The primary election attracted a large turnout of delegates, party faithful and supporters at the Agege Stadium, while security personnel were deployed to maintain order throughout the exercise.

Idiat Adebule emerges APC senatorial candidate for Lagos West

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is expected to inaugurate at least 18 projects during the third anniversary celebration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, disclosed this on Monday while addressing journalists shortly after an inspection tour of projects and the three-storey building in the Gudu area of the FCT, […]

The post FCTA to inaugurate at least 18 projects to commemorate Tinubu’s third anniversary appeared first on Tribune Online.

The Anambra State Government has ordered a legislative ban on the presentation of items, including cows, goats and other expensive gifts, during condolence visits.

The development followed a recent legislation enacted by the Anambra State House of Assembly on Monday, aimed at regulating burial and funeral ceremony activities in the state.

The state government viewed the ban as a major step towards curbing extravagant funeral practices, thus reducing extravagant spending and week-long funeral activities that disrupt working days.

Under the legislation, “No person shall give to the deceased person’s family, as a condolence gift, any item exceeding money, one jar of palm wine, one carton of beer and one crate of soft drinks.

“All burial and funeral ceremonies are now restricted to Saturdays only. Midweek (Monday to Friday) burials are prohibited. All burial ceremonies must be completed within one day.

“Public display of caskets for advertisement or sale is barred, and dancing with caskets is prohibited.”

The burial law also demands that all burial ceremonies must be completed within one day, and wake-keeping ceremonies have been entirely abolished.

“Vigil masses, services of songs and related religious activities must end by 9pm, and no food, drinks, live bands or cultural entertainment may be provided during such events.

“The law also prohibits the erection of billboards, banners and posters of deceased persons anywhere in the state.

Only directional signs leading to burial venues are permitted, and they cannot be displayed earlier than seven days before the burial date.

Undertakers are limited to six persons during funeral activities.

“Corpses are not to remain in mortuaries beyond two months from the date of death.

“Any corpse kept longer risks being classified as a ‘rejected corpse’ and may be buried in government-designated burial grounds to be established in every community.”

The legislation aims to limit excessive spending during funerals by making food and drinks optional for guests and prohibiting the sharing of souvenirs.

Second funeral rites are not allowed, except in cases related to a legacy.

The wearing of uniform attire, commonly known as ‘aso ebi’, is restricted to immediate family members, church groups, ‘umunna’, ‘umuada’, and ‘iyom di’, where applicable.

“To ensure compliance, the state will establish monitoring and implementation committees in various communities.

“These committees will oversee the registration of deaths, approve burial ceremonies, and monitor adherence to the law.”

The legislation further placed a fine of N100,000 for offenders, or up to six months in prison, or both.

Soludo Bans Souvenirs, Presentation Of Cow, Goat In Funerals is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has slashed the price of aviation fuel (Jet A1) from N1,750 to N1,650 per litre, a move designed to ease the financial burden on airlines and guarantee steady fuel supply nationwide. According to a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Monday, the refinery is also offering a 30-day […]

The post BREAKING: Dangote Refinery reduces jet fuel price to N1,650 appeared first on Tribune Online.

Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Sunday Steve Karimi, has expressed appreciation to the leadership and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following his emergence as the party’s senatorial candidate for the 2027 general elections. In a statement issued on Monday after the Senatorial primary result, Karimi described his victory at the recently concluded […]

The post Kogi West: Karimi appreciates APC leaders after clinching second-term ticket appeared first on Tribune Online.

Manchester United’s second goal in Sunday’s Premier League win over Nottingham Forest should have been disallowed for handball, the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) has admitted.

The referees’ body contacted Forest on Monday to confirm there had been a misjudgement by referee Michael Salisbury, who rejected a video assistant referee (VAR) review to rule out the goal.

The ball came off the arm of United forward Bryan Mbeumo before the Cameroon international saw a shot blocked by a defender.

Team-mate Matheus Cunha moved on to the loose ball and fired a shot past Forest keeper Matz Sels to score.

Salisbury was sent to the pitchside monitor by the VAR, Matt Donohue, to disallow the goal.

But Salisbury decided the handball was accidental and stuck by his on-field decision of goal.

It put United 2-1 up in a game they went on to win 3-2.

“From the angle I was standing at, it looked like he caught the ball,” Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White said after the game.

“Whether he scores or not, for me it was still a handball.”

Referees’ boss Howard Webb spoke to Forest to explain that while there could be justifiable reasons to judge this was not handball, a better decision, and one that would be expected, is for it to be disallowed.

The Premier League has a more lenient approach to handball, understanding the natural movements of players, but the VAR review should have been accepted.

Webb’s view was shared by former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann.

“While I think that it is commendable to see a referee stick with his original decision, I believe that football’s expectation is Mbeumo controlling the ball, especially when it leads to a goal, outweighs the possible deflection off Mbeumo’s hip,” Cann said.

“Mbeumo does control the ball [with his hand] and while he’s not the scorer himself, football’s expectation is for that to be disallowed.”

It was only the 17th time in seven seasons – and the fourth this season – that a referee has rejected the advice of the VAR at the screen.

PGMO Admits Handball Error On Man Utd Goal Against Forest is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

 

FALSE AND MISLEADING REPORT: THE 8TH ANAMBRA ASSEMBLY DID NOT PASS ANY NEW BURIAL LAW

The attention of the Anambra State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Somtochukwu Nkem Udeze Ph.D has been drawn to a misleading publication making the rounds, particularly a sensational headline by Punch Newspapers claiming that Anambra State has introduced a “new burial law” banning the presentation of cows, goats and other condolence gifts.

For the records, this publication is FALSE, misleading and a gross misrepresentation of facts.

The 8th Anambra State House of Assembly did not pass any new burial law. No such bill was introduced, debated or passed by the current Assembly.

The existing burial regulatory framework being mischievously referenced by some media platforms was enacted into law in 2019, long before the inauguration of the present 8th Assembly. Since the inauguration of the current House, no amendment whatsoever has been made concerning the areas sensationally reported in the media.

It is therefore irresponsible and professionally unethical to attribute a non-existent “new law” to the present Assembly simply to generate traffic, controversy and public outrage.

At a time when fake news and distorted headlines are becoming a serious threat to public trust and social stability, media organizations must understand that journalism is a sacred responsibility, not a tool for clickbait sensationalism.

The Anambra State House of Assembly remains committed to transparent, people-oriented legislation and will continue to engage citizens openly on every law legitimately before the House.

We urge Ndi Anambra and the general public to disregard the false narrative and rely only on verified legislative information from official government channels.

Signed:

Franklin Osankwa ANIPR 

SA| Office Of The Speaker 

ANHA

Former Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Delta North Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general election.

Okowa defeated incumbent Senator Ned Nwoko in the party’s direct primary election conducted across wards in the nine local government areas of the district.

Announcing the results, the Delta State National Assembly Primary Election Committee of the APC said Okowa secured a landslide victory with 113,309 votes, while Nwoko polled 2,612 votes.

Chairman of the committee, Eugene Odo, declared Okowa winner of the contest.
“Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, having secured the highest number of votes in the APC senatorial primaries in Delta North, is hereby declared winner of the election,” Odo stated.

The outcome sets up Okowa, a former vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the APC standard-bearer for the district in the 2027 polls.

In Delta Central Senatorial District, incumbent Senator Ede Dafinone also secured the APC ticket after defeating former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.

Dafinone scored 116,252 votes against Omo-Agege’s 3,643 votes in the primary election.

Barrister Nusa Amagbor, Secretary of the Delta State National Assembly Primary Election Committee and returning officer for the election, confirmed the result.

“Based on the authenticated results before me, Senator Ede Dafinone scored a total of 116,252 votes, while his opponent scored 3,643 votes,” he said.

“Having satisfied all the requirements of our great party and secured the highest number of valid votes cast in this primary, Senator Ede Dafinone is hereby declared winner of the Delta Central Senatorial District primary election.”

Meanwhile, the Ned Nwoko Campaign Group has raised concerns over the conduct of the Delta North primary, urging party stakeholders to ensure fairness and allow the will of party members to prevail.
In a statement issued by its

Director-General, Ekene Kerry, the group alleged that the primary process was manipulated to deny Nwoko a return ticket in favour of Okowa.

Okowa Floors Nwoko To Secure APC Delta North Senatorial Ticket is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano Zonal Directorate, on  Monday,  May 18, 2026  officially handed over recovered monetary exhibits totaling ₦837,485,389.00 to the Katsina State Government.

The handover followed separate investigations into two major cases involving stolen public funds belonging to the state.

In the first case, the Commission recovered ₦547,015,389.00 ( Five Hundred and Forty Seven Million,  Fifteen Thousand,  Three Hundred and Eighty Nine Naira)  following a petition from the Katsina State Government regarding the criminal diversion of nearly ₦1.3 billion in statutory tax remittances.

 The funds, which originated from international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and ALIMA, were systematically diverted into a private bank account by six Board of Internal Revenue Service (BOIRS) personnel and three bank employees.  Following the investigation, 12 suspects were charged to court. Six  of the suspects have already been convicted after pleading guilty, while the remaining six are currently standing trial at the Katsina  State High Court.

In the second case, the Commission recovered ₦290,470,000.00 ( Two Hundred and Ninety Million,  Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira)  traced to a systemic fraud uncovered by a 2021 intelligence report. The investigation revealed that former Sub-Treasurer,  Sani Lawal BK and former Deputy Sub-Treasurer Saadu Maiwada in the office of the  Accountant General of Katsina State  colluded and diverted the sum to their personal companies through unauthorized, substantial cash withdrawals from the Katsina State Sub-Treasury Expenditure Account. Investigation also revealed that no services were rendered, nor  any contracts awarded to warrant the withdrawals.

The suspects had since been charged to court and arraigned on July 11,  2023 on offences bordering on  money laundering and misappropriation of funds in both Federal and State High Courts.   Trials have commenced and witnesses are testifying before the courts. 

The handover ceremony took place at the Kano Zonal Directorate, where the Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC,  ACE1Friday S. Ebelo, presented the recovered funds to Dr. Kabir Abdullahi Yantumaki, Executive Director of Standard and Compliance,  Katsina State Internal Revenue Service.

Speaking during the ceremony,  Ebelo reiterated the Commission’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that public funds are protected and that individuals entrusted with their management are held accountable. He noted that the recovery was a  result of painstaking investigative work by the hardworking officers of the Commission. He also urged the Katsina State Government to utilize the recovered funds judiciously for the benefit of Katsina State citizens.

 “This money belongs to the people of Katsina State, and I will urge that same be used for the betterment of the people of Katsina State,” he said.  He urged public officials to adhere to due process and warned that the EFCC would continue to track all forms of financial malfeasance.

Receiving the drafts, Yantumaki expressed gratitude to the EFCC for its diligence and professionalism.   He assured that the recovered funds would be properly channeled into the state’s consolidated revenue account for the benefit of citizens.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primaries held across the three senatorial districts of Ogun State on Monday were conducted peacefully, orderly and without any reported incident, contrary to earlier insinuations by one of the aspirants over alleged planned violence.

As early as 8:00 a.m., party members trooped out in large numbers to the designated collation centres across the 236 wards in the state to cast their votes for candidates of their choice in an atmosphere described by observers as calm and well-coordinated.

In Ogun East Senatorial District, Governor Dapo Abiodun emerged victorious as the sole contestant after his rival, Senator Gbenga Daniel, stepped down from the race a few hours before the exercise, citing perceived hostility — a claim many party members and voters dismissed as unfounded.

At several wards visited across the district, party faithful were seen openly queueing behind Governor Abiodun in affirmation of his candidacy, while electoral officials conducted the exercise peacefully.

A similar atmosphere played out in Ogun Central Senatorial District, where Senator Shuaib Salisu emerged as the consensus candidate. APC members were seen queueing in front of his posters across various voting centres monitored during the exercise.

In Ogun West, the same orderly process was witnessed as Hon. Jimoh Olusola Odugbele coasted to victory amid massive support from party members.

The election also went peacefully in Remo North Local Government Area, with party leaders and members applauding the orderly conduct of the exercise across the council area.

Across the LGA, voters turned out massively for the primary elections held at the various ward secretariats. Reports gathered from the field indicated that Governor Abiodun maintained a commanding lead with overwhelming margins, while Senator Daniel trailed distantly.

Declaring the result in Ward 9, Ode Remo, the Presiding Officer, Mr. Opeyemi Odunsi, announced that Governor Abiodun polled 1,116 votes, while Senator Daniel recorded zero vote.

Similarly, in Ward 10, Governor Abiodun secured 714 votes as against Senator Daniel’s zero vote. The result was announced by Oladipupo Ogunsanya.

In Ward 2, Isara, Governor Abiodun polled 532 votes, while Senator Daniel again recorded zero vote. The result was declared by the Presiding Officer, Yusuf Asenuga.

Speaking after participating in the primary election at Ward 3, Iperu, in Ikenne Local Government Area, Governor Abiodun dismissed insinuations of planned attacks or violence during the exercise.

The governor, who secured 810 votes out of the 812 accredited party members in his ward, said the exercise across the state had remained peaceful, transparent and credible.

“I want to debunk the perception some people are trying to create. Someone claimed that he withdrew from the race because of perceived or planned violence.

“We had an election here on Saturday. Even though it started a bit late, I monitored the exercise across the 236 wards in the state and the 103 wards in Ogun East.

“I did not hear that anybody stepped on anyone’s toes. The process was free, fair, and transparent. It was an election, not an affirmation. In an affirmation, people simply say yes or no, but here, people voted, results were collated, and winners were announced,” he said.

Abiodun maintained that there was nothing unusual about aspirants stepping down from contests, describing such decisions as noble and voluntary.

“This morning, I received text messages from aspirants in Ogun West saying they were no longer contesting. Last night, I also received multiple messages from aspirants in Ogun Central stepping down for another aspirant, and none of them claimed it was because of perceived or planned violence.

“So, if an aspirant in Ogun East steps down, we will clap for him, applaud him, and consider it a noble gesture.

“But for him to begin to mischaracterise the situation by claiming he stepped down because of planned violence is very disturbing,” he added.

The governor further stated that the prevailing peace across the state during the primaries reflected the stability his administration has sustained over the years.

“Normally, around this period in Ogun State, there would have been a total breakdown of law and order. The centre would not hold anymore, and people would be harassed left, right, and centre, perhaps because they were not towing the line of one person or another.

“Today, everybody in Ogun State is going about their normal activities peacefully,” he stated.

Recalling his political experience, the governor noted that he contested and won the 2019 governorship primary through the direct primary system despite the turbulence that characterised the process at the time.

“Today, seven years into my tenure as governor, I am once again presenting myself to serve my people in the Red Chamber,” he added.

He also appreciated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, the media and party members for ensuring a peaceful and successful exercise across the state.

Speaking while announcing the result at Ward 3, APC representative, Prince Waheed Adedotun, disclosed that out of the 837 registered party members in the ward, 812 were accredited, while Governor Abiodun polled 810 votes.

He added that no other candidate was represented at the exercise as all voters queued behind the governor.

APC senatorial primaries peaceful across Ogun as Abiodun dismisses allegation of violence