Author: Africa News Nation

By Ajuluchukwu Brown, Abuja As voters prepare to choose their governor next Saturday, the bigger question is whether Nigeria’s electoral umpire can translate its technological investments and institutional reforms into an election whose credibility survives the pressure of money, logistics and political power For the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Osun State governorship election is no longer merely another off-cycle poll. It is becoming a referendum of sorts on how far Nigeria’s electoral administration has evolved and how much remains unresolved. When voters go to the polls next Saturday, August 15, they will determine who occupies the Government House…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has highlighted a steady improvement in crude oil and gas production under the leadership of its Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bayo Ojulari, saying crude output increased by about six per cent while gas production rose by five per cent within one year. The company also clarified that the recently concluded oil licensing round cannot be attributed to the performance of NNPCL or its leadership, stressing that the allocation of oil blocks is the statutory responsibility of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). In a statement issued in…

… Adeniyi Warns Smugglers Ahead of Election Season, Vows Zero Tolerance for Complicity By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its anti-smuggling operations with the interception of a container concealing components of more than 140 pump-action rifles and the seizure of cannabis-infused products worth ₦373.8 million at the Tincan Island Port Command, Lagos. The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the seizures at the port on Thursday, August 6, 2026, saying the operations were products of the Service’s intelligence-driven enforcement strategy and enhanced risk-profiling system. According to Adeniyi, the container conveying the suspected…

… Says “No political ambition is worth the loss of a single Nigerian life. By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja Ahead of the forthcoming Osun State Governorship Election, civil society organisations (CSOs) have alerted the Nigeria Police Force that 13 of the state’s 30 local government areas have been identified as high-risk hotspots, urging security agencies to maintain strict neutrality before, during and after the polls. The recommendations was delivered on Friday at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, during a courtesy visit by a coalition of CSOs led by the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Mr. Samson Itodo, to the Inspector-General of…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has extended the commencement date for the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II Orientation Course in Sokoto and Niger States due to ongoing renovation works at the orientation camps by the respective state governments. In a statement issued by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the scheme announced that the orientation exercise, initially scheduled to commence earlier, will now begin on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. According to the revised timetable, the Cut-Off and Swearing-in Ceremony will hold on Friday, August 14, 2026, while the Closing Ceremony has been…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The Accord Party has commended President Bola Tinubu for directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to reverse the freezing of the Osun State Government’s bank accounts, while demanding the immediate resignation of the EFCC Chairman over what it described as an unconstitutional action capable of undermining Nigeria’s democracy. Addressing a world press conference at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Friday, National Chairman of Accord, Chief Maxwell Mgbudem, accused the anti-graft agency of overstepping its constitutional mandate by ordering the freezing of the state’s accounts ahead of the August 15 governorship election. He…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has inaugurated a 23-member National Reconciliation Committee to address internal disputes and strengthen party unity ahead of the 2027 general elections. The committee, chaired by Prof. Pat Utomi with Engineer Buba Galadima as co-chairman, was inaugurated on Thursday in Abuja by the party’s National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe. It comprises 21 other members drawn from the North, South-East and South-South. Speaking at the inauguration, Zuwoghe said the committee was constituted to resolve grievances arising from the party’s recent congresses, national convention and primary elections, and restore confidence among members. He…

… Minister Orders NGSA Hourly Updates, Urges Residents to Remain Calm By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has recorded another earth tremor, marking the third seismic incident in a series of ground movements that have unsettled residents since 2024, prompting the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, to direct the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) to provide hourly updates on the situation. The latest tremor, recorded on Tuesday, comes after repeated seismic activities experienced in September 2024 and a previous light tremor on August 4, 2026, reinforcing concerns over recurring earth movements in parts…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the statistics for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), revealing that more than 1.2 million candidates obtained the minimum requirement of five credits, including English Language and Mathematics. According to the examination body, a total of 1,959,668 candidates registered for the 2026 WASSCE, while 1,950,726 candidates eventually sat for the examination conducted across 24,207 centres nationwide. The statistics show that female candidates slightly outnumbered their male counterparts, with 997,267 candidates, representing 51.12 per cent of the total candidature, compared to 953,459 male candidates, representing 48.88…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja. Three senior officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) at the Ibara Medium Custodial Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State, are facing possible dismissal for alleged violations of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, after a death row inmate appeared in a viral TikTok live stream from inside the custodial facility. The Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, has ordered the immediate removal of the Officer-in-Charge of the custodial centre alongside two other principal officers, following what the Service described as a grave breach of custodial security. The directive was announced on Thursday in Abuja by the Service Public…