NEITI Audit: Senate threatens sanctions against Seplat, Aradel, others

The Senate Public Accounts Committee has given Seplat Energy and three other oil firms 48 hours to appear before it over allegations contained in NEITI audit reports for 2021 to 2023.
Apart from Seplat, the companies listed are Network E & P Nigeria Limited, All Grace Energy Limited and Aradel Energy Limited. The committee said they risk legislative action if they fail to honour the summons.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, issued the ultimatum on Tuesday after members expressed displeasure over the companies’ repeated non-appearance.
The issue generated heated debate after Senator Abdul Ningi revealed that Network E & P wrote to the committee stating that NUPRC was its only regulatory body.
Ningi condemned the position, calling it an affront to the Senate. He insisted that the legislature can invite any individual or institution under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution.
“The Senate and by extension, the National Assembly, is the custodian of Nigeria law that has power to invite anybody or agency for explanations on issues raised against them,” he argued.
Senator Shehu Kaka Lawan, Borno Central, backed Ningi and urged the committee to invoke its powers. He specifically called out Network E & P for ignoring two invitations.
Following this, the committee ordered the MD of Network E & P to appear on Thursday or face sanctions. The same directive was extended to Seplat, All Grace Energy and Aradel Energy.
In a separate case, Dubri Oil Company Limited appeared before the committee and disputed a $3.025 million debt for royalty and gas flare contained in the NEITI report.
Dubri’s representative, Soyode Olusoji Clement, said the figure came up during a reconciliation issue with NUPRC that has now been resolved. He submitted documents to that effect, and the committee said it would review them before issuing a clean bill of health.

Time to reverse Nigeria’s dwindling football fortunes 

By Chiedu Uche Okoye
In today’s world, football is the most popular sporting activity. From Brazil to Ghana, and from Italy to Australia, people who are from different races play the game of football. And, globally, millions of football fans follow football events and competitions, religiously. Back in Nigeria, football has been our only unifying factor as we do bury our ethnic and religious differences to cheer our national teams whenever they are playing against other countries during international football competitions.
In the past, when sporting competitions were integrated into secondary schools’ curricula, football competitions were organized for secondary schools in different states in the country, periodically. And many football stars who played for our national teams were discovered during such secondary schools’ football competitions.
For example, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, who won the Nation’s Cup for Nigeria as both a player and a coach, excelled in the round leather game while attending St. Finbarr’s College, Lagos. Another footballer, Henry Nwosu, who was a member of the Green Eagles team that won the 1980 Nation’s Cup, played secondary school football, too. And Arthur Ebunam, who once played for Enugu Rangers International, was a member of the Christ the King College (CKC), Onitsha football team that won the world secondary school football championship in Dublin, Ireland.
A great number of our secondary schools’ football prodigies matured to play for our national football teams and for renowned club sides in Nigeria and beyond. At that time, football clubs that reigned in Nigeria were Stationery Stores of Lagos, IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Enugu Rangers International FC, Flash Flamingoes of Benin, Sharks of Portharcourt, Calabar Rovers, Spartans of Owerri, Mighty Jets of Jos, Racca Rovers of Kano, and others. And such talented footballers as Patrick Okala, Yisa Sofoluwe, Adokiye Amasiemeka, Jude Agada, Mike Emenalo, Friday Ekpo, and others dominated our football scene, then.
Again, our national football teams imprinted our country’s name in the collective psyche of millions of people by winning international football competitions. In 1985, against all expectations, the Nduka Ugbade led Golden Eaglets of Nigeria won the maiden edition of the Kodak under-17 male football world cup. And at the Saudi ’89 under-21 football world cup, the Flying Eagles of Nigeria recorded a historical and memorable comeback in one of their matches and went ahead to win the silver cup in the competition.
More so, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, our under-23 football team, the Dream Team, not only dazzled football fans, globally, with their breathtaking football displays, but they, also, won the Olympic soccer gold. Before then, Emmanuel Amuneke, a great winger, helped the Super Eagles to win the 1994 Nation’s Cup with his powerful strikes.
But today, our national football teams are struggling to win matches at continental and global football fiestas. The teams have not realized their full potentialities. The star-studded Super Eagles of Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 and 2026 senior football world cups. Yet, the Super Eagles parade an array of football stars, who play topflight football in Europe, Asia, and America. Are Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Maduka Okoye, Victor Osimhen, and Chukwueze not great footballers?
Again, recently, our female national football team, the Super Falcons, which was tipped to win the 2026 WAFCON, fumbled and wobbled at the competition when the ovation was loudest. The less-fancied Cameroonian national team eliminated the Super Falcons from the WAFCON competition. Millions of Nigerians have not come to terms with the Super Falcons ouster from the 2026 WAFCON competition.
Now that the Lionesses of Cameroun have eliminated our senior female national team from the 2026 WAFCON, the Super Falcons will walk a tight rope to qualify for the forthcoming female football world cup. The team will take on South Africa in a play-off. But the Super Falcons, who are struggling to qualify for the forthcoming senior female football world cup, have a surfeit of quality players who play professional football in Europe and America. Are Michelle Alozie, Assisat Oshoala, Esther Okonkwo, and Chiamaka Nnadozie not great female footballers, who can hold their own during football matches?
But the fact is that Nigeria’s dwindling football fortunes are caused by lacklustre, corrupt, and myopic football leadership, and not by the players that don our national teams’ jerseys. So those who supervised our national teams that performed abysmally at international football fiestas should be barred from seeking re-election into football offices.
What should be done is to elect new football administrators, who know their onions about football administration. Our football bodies need a crop of new leaders who will bring fresh ideas into our country’s football administration. It is they that will revamp football administration in Nigeria, and return our national teams to their winning ways.
Our placing of square pegs in round holes, which is caused by the existence of the culture of corruption and political patronage in Nigeria, is at the root of our national teams’ poor performances in international competitions. We should do away it if we want to regain our lost football glories.
It is high time seasoned and patriotic football administrators took over our football bodies and ignite our football renaissance.

Osun: Obi decries Senator Fadahunsi’s threat on voters, demands retraction

 

 

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate in the 2027 poll, Peter Obi, has described as deeply concerning the tactless and provocative statement of Senator Francis Fadahunsi on Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Osun State.

Fadahunsi who belongs to the All Progressive Congress (APC) had threatened to kill supporters of Accord Party on the election day.

Obi also demands his immediate retraction of the statement and that Osun voters be allowed to determine who peacefully governs them.

Writing on his X handle, the former Anambra State Governor said, “I wish to express my deep regret and profound concern regarding the recent inflammatory comments and threat-laden rhetoric attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi in the lead-up to the Osun State election on Saturday.

 

“As a high-ranking lawmaker representing the people in the National Assembly, Senator Fadahunsi carries a solemn constitutional and moral responsibility to promote peace, uphold democratic norms, and foster unity. It is therefore alarming and unacceptable that a distinguished senator would deploy intimidation, incendiary remarks, or political threats capable of heightening tensions, instilling fear in voters, and potentially inciting electoral violence in Osun State.

 

“Elections are meant to be a celebration of democratic franchise – a peaceful exercise through which citizens freely choose their leaders without intimidation, harassment, or coercion. Resorting to threats of force or disruption undermines the integrity of our electoral process, disrespects the electorate, and threatens the fragile peace of the state.

 

“I therefore respectfully demand that Senator Fadahunsi retract these harmful statements and tender an apology to the peaceful people of Osun State.

 

“All political leaders, stakeholders, and party loyalists across party lines must exercise the utmost restraint, moderate their language, and recommit themselves to peace and democratic decorum.

 

“The relevant security agencies must closely monitor inflammatory statements and ensure equal protection for all citizens, election officials, and voters before, during, and after the polls.

 

“The democratic mandate belongs to the people, and no individual, regardless of status or political office, should attempt to subvert the will of the people through fear or coercion.

 

I urge the good people of Osun State to remain calm, peaceful, and resolute as they exercise their constitutional civic duty at the polls.

 

“Getting elections right is a necessary step towards a New Nigeria that is Possible.”

I never said Military should reject salary increase – Obi

 

 

Frontline Presidential Candidate for the 2027 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi has denied ever asking soldiers to reject the recent salary increase announced for them by the Federal Government.

In a statement from his media office on Tuesday, Obi described the false story as one of the attempts by political enemies to tarnish his ambition.

Obi who is the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) lamented the attempt to credit to him, things he never said.

Said the statement: “In a fruitless search for fault within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC, presidential candidate Peter Obi’s messages. His opponents now fabricate words and feed the public as if they were coming from him.

“An example of such is the circulating news that said the military personnel should reject their salary hike.

 

“Obi, explaining on his X handle, wrote, “I wish to address a recent report that falsely attributes a statement to me, suggesting that Nigerian soldiers should refuse any salary increments until after the elections. This assertion is entirely untrue.

 

“My profound respect for our security forces, particularly the Nigerian Army personnel who diligently serve and protect our nation under challenging conditions, is unwavering.

 

“I have consistently advocated for the adequate provision of equipment, motivation, and protection for our security personnel.

 

“My concern was palpable when soldiers were lost to insurgents due to a delayed rescue effort, prompting me to question how those defending us could be left vulnerable in their time of need.

 

“Should I be elected President, the well-being, resources, safety, and honour of our soldiers will be a paramount priority. Those who ensure Nigeria’s security must never be relegated to a secondary concern. Our soldiers are deserving of our utmost respect, unwavering support, and a government that will unequivocally stand by them. Under my leadership, scenarios where our servicemen and women are left unprotected in the face of peril will be eradicated.

 

“I implore the Nigerian populace to dismiss this misleading report. I remain committed to articulating a clear and consistent vision for a secure and prosperous Nigeria. The realisation of a new and secure Nigeria is indeed POSSIBLE,” the statement concluded.

 

2027 Election: Atiku raises concern over outdated BVAS

The Osun State mock-accreditation failures of August 1, 2026 and Monday’s revelation by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Director of ICT, Dr Lawrence Bayode, has exposed the inadequacies of the BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System), a critical asset in the conduct of elections in Nigeria.
Speaking on Arise TV on Monday, Bayode said that BVAS, which was first introduced into our elections in 2021, is currently running on Android  version 10.
What the INEC ICT Director did not say, however, is that the Android  version 10 is outdated as it reached end of life in 2023, meaning that it is no longer getting updates or security patches.
The ADC Presidential candidate said that running an election technology platform like BVAS on an outdated operating system poses severe cyber and operational risks.
He wonders why INEC with its humongous budget cannot update the BVAS software long before the 2027 general elections or even before the series of off season elections like the Osun State governorship election during which the updated version would have been test run.
Atiku said that the nonchalant attitude of handling the BVAS issue is suspicious and a deliberate attempt to subvert the integrity of the country’s elections.
According to him, this vulnerability could allow criminal elements or hackers to bypass the BVAS application entirely, gain root access to the device file system, and potentially alter cached voter logs or polling unit result files before they are transmitted.
He noted that since BVAS machines must necessarily transmit polling unit results over weak public telecommunication networks to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, outdated cryptographic foundations elevate the risk of Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks, where sophisticated actors could intercept, block, or manipulate data packets over the air.
The former Vice President pointed out that because BVAS handles both fingerprint and facial recognition, an outdated biometric framework (such as INEC is still using), has the potential of “reducing the system’s accuracy and resilience against spoofing methods such as fingerprint and photo bypasses.”
He expressed deep concern that “bugs or memory leaks within legacy system frameworks can cause the app to crash during peak voting hours —leading  to “technical glitches” and delayed accreditations as have been witnessed in the past.”
He supported the position of cybersecurity expnoerts that “running critical national infrastructure on an end-of-life operating system creates a broad attack surface. To safeguard election integrity, it is vital to perform an independent, comprehensive code and hardware audit of the BVAS devices.”

Suspected vandal killed as 330kV transmission tower collapses in Delta

By Okey Muogbo
A suspected vandal has been crushed to death following the collapse of a vandalised 330kV transmission tower along the Ughelli-Benin transmission line in Delta State.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in statement signed by it’s management on Saturday, said the victim was discovered on Saturday, August 8, 2026, by its linesmen during an intensive patrol of the transmission corridor.
According to TCN, the patrol was launched after the Ughelli-Benin 330kV transmission line tripped on earth fault.
The patrol team from the Delta Sub-Region, Lines Maintenance Department traced the fault to Tower 101, which had collapsed.
The body of the suspected vandal was subsequently found trapped and crushed between the collapsed tower members.
Further inspection by the TCN team revealed that Tower 101 on the adjacent Ughelli-Sapele 330kV transmission line had also been extensively vandalised, although it remained standing as of the time of the report.
TCN condemned the incident, describing the vandalism of power infrastructure as a serious threat to national assets and public safety.
The company urged host communities and members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities around electricity infrastructure to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
It stressed that the fight against the vandalism of power infrastructure requires the collective efforts of government agencies, host communities and the general public.
The company also warned that tampering with transmission infrastructure could result in loss of lives, damage to critical national assets and prolonged power outages.
TCN urged Nigerians to see the protection of power infrastructure as a civic responsibility and called for greater community vigilance to prevent further incidents.

INEC extends deadline for upload of Guber, State Assembly candidates

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to upload the names of their governorship and State House of Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The commission shifted the deadline from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026, following appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process.

Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, who made the disclosure in a statement issued over the weekend, added that the submission window, which was originally scheduled to close on August 8 in line with the revised timetable and schedule of activities for the general election, would now remain open until August 11.

He said the extension was granted in response to appeals from political parties seeking more time to conclude the upload of their candidates.

In a related development, INEC announced the suspension of the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced PVCs had until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.

Haruna explained that the deadline was necessary to enable the commission to compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of collected voter cards ahead of the election.

INEC also disclosed that downloadable replacement PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas whose cards were reportedly carted away by hoodlums during an invasion of two collection centres.

The commission, however, clarified that the stolen physical PVCs could not be used to vote.

The commission recalled that PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level on July 22 and was initially scheduled to end on July 28.

According to Haruna, the commission extended the exercise to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties encountered by voters at collection centres.

The collection subsequently moved to the local government level from August 1 to August 7.

INEC reiterated its commitment to conducting a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election in Osun State on August 15. Authority.

Osun Guber: INEC suspends PVC collection

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Osun State ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

The commission announced the suspension in a statement issued over the weekend by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna.

INEC said the decision would enable it to compile data on downloaded PVCs and prepare the final statistics of voters who collected their cards ahead of the election.

The commission also announced that voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced PVCs have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.

According to INEC, the deadline is necessary to allow it to compile the data of downloaded PVCs for the final statistics of PVCs collected in the state.

The commission recalled that PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level on July 22 and was initially scheduled to end on July 28.

It said the exercise was extended to July 31 following complaints from voters over large crowds and difficulties encountered at collection centres.

The collection subsequently moved to the local government level and continued from August 1 to 7.

INEC further disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas whose cards were allegedly carted away by hoodlums who invaded the two collection centres.

The commission, however, clarified that the stolen PVCs could not be used to vote, urging affected voters to obtain their replacement downloadable copies within the stipulated period.

INEC reiterated its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election in Osun State on August 15. Authority.

Peter Obi’s anticipated presidency and Nigeria’s seemingly ineradicable culture of corruption

By Chiedu Uche Okoye
Nigeria’s underdevelopment is attributed to  the culture of corruption, which pervades the entire country. Is she not blessed with abundant human and material resources? Doesn’t she have large arable land? And is Nigeria not a country that has many waters (rivers, lakes, ponds, and rivulets), and equable weather conditions? A country that possesses the aforementioned things ought to be a developed nation-state.
But the obverse obtains in our polity. Why? Over the years, our successive political leaders have continued to deepen our egregious and despicable culture of corruption, which is the cankerworm that is destroying our country’s moral fabric and stultifying our national development. And Nigerians from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, who are not occupying political offices, have embraced the culture of corruption that prevails in our country.
Consequently, every system of doing things in Nigeria has been compromised and corrupted. For example, in today’s Nigeria, educational certificates, ranging from FSLCs to university degrees, can be secured through underhand and corrupt means. And while our judges accept financial inducement so as to  pervert the course of justice, our  politicians rig electoral polls to access political power at different governmental strata.
Again, our politicians, who perceive their occupation of political offices as opportunities to become rich by dipping their hands into our collective financial tills, have caused the ruination of our national economy. They are wont to divert public funds earmarked for the execution of projects into their private bank accounts. The trial, conviction, and imprisonment of Joshua Dariye and Rev. Jolly Nyame, who are former governors in Nigeria, are proofs that corruption has been encumbering our national development. That Nigeria is hobbled by official corruption is beyond question; and it is an incontrovertible fact.
But sadly, and incredibly, too, parents, who ought to provide the moral compass for their children and wards, are socializing and initiating them into the culture of corruption. When parents hire surrogate candidates to sit such examinations as SSCE and NECO for their impressionable children, they are socializing and initiating them into the culture of corruption. Are the personalities of human beings not formed during their formative  years?
Now, Mr. Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election is riding on the crest and coat tail of his possession of probity to wrest power from President Bola Tinubu. But would Mr. Peter Obi, who is believed to be incorruptible and morally upright, be able to extirpate corruption in Nigeria if he became the president of Nigeria in 2027? We have  no doubt that he is a man of probity, who is well-intentioned. But freeing Nigeria from the chokehold of corruption is an arduous task that requires the collective efforts of millions of Nigerians.
If he became the president of Nigeria in 2027, he would be surrounded by party members, who do not share his philosophy of life and political ideologies. Most of his political acolytes and supporters are hypocritical and sycophantic politicians, who are set in their evil and duplicitous ways. So Mr. Peter Obi and they would work at cross-purposes. Their working at cross-purposes would undermine his efforts at cleaning our country’s Augean stable.
But Nigeria is not past redemption. The panacea to the culture of corruption, which causes our country’s economic strangulation, technological underdevelopment, and infrastructural rot and deficit, is effecting moral regeneration among us. The agents of socialization, which are family, religion, and school, should be used in reforming  the youths’ characters.
In this regard, parents should inculcate good morals into their children instead of socializing them into the culture of corruption. They should adopt this biblical saying in raising their children: spare the rod and spoil the child. And the mosques and churches should preach messages that border on holiness, chasteness, faithfulness, honesty, perseverance, and love. Such messages would mould their personalities and transform them to morally-upright and god-fearing people.
When an army of patriotic, morally-upright, and well-adjusted young people are raised in Nigeria, Mr. Peter Obi, who is honest and well-intentioned, could deploy them in the arduous task of revolutionizing Nigeria and nation-building if he became the president of the country.
But without effecting moral regeneration among us so as to raise a young demographic of patriotic, morally-upright, and god-fearing Nigerians, Nigeria will remain hobbled by corruption. And economic, technological, and infrastructural development will continue to elude us. As a result, the eradication of corruption in our country will remain a mirage.

Governor Idris to commission Lead 91.1 FM Radio in Kebbi, marks 61st birthday

 

 

Arrangements have been concluded for the commissioning of the newly established LEAD 91.1 FM Radio Station in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State even as the Governor marks his 61st birthday.

The station, owned by Optimal Image Media Services under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Shuaibu Yusuf Mungadi, is scheduled to be commissioned by Comrade Governor Dr. Nasir Idris on Monday, 11th August, 2026.

This was contained in a statement by Abdullahi Idris Sadaukin Zuru, Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to the Governor.

With the establishment of the Birnin Kebbi station, Optimal Image Media Services now operates five media outfits across the region. These include stations in Gusau, Zamfara State; Katsina; Abuja; and 3rd Eye Africa Television in Abuja, an addition of LEAD 91.1 FM that marks the organization’s continued expansion and commitment to credible broadcasting in Northern Nigeria.

LEAD 91.1 FM becomes the sixth privately owned FM radio station* in Kebbi State and is expected to provide quality programming and news coverage to a wide audience across Gwandu and Argungu Emirates in Kebbi State, as well as Yabo and Tambuwal Local Government Areas of Sokoto State.

Ahead of the commissioning, the management has completed the installation of state-of-the-art digital broadcasting equipment and facilities

In line with sustainable energy practices, the station will be powered by solar-generated sources*.

The establishment of LEAD 91.1 FM is also in direct response to Governor Nasir Idris’s consistent appeal to indigenous entrepreneurs to return home and invest in various sectors of the economy. The initiative is expected to contribute to the socio-economic development of Kebbi State and create employment opportunities for the people.

Members of the press, government officials, traditional rulers, and stakeholders in the media industry are expected to grace the commissioning ceremony.

Meanwhile, the statement disclosed that Governor Idris has clocked 61 years.

According to the statement, at 61, Comrade Nasir Idris( Kauran Gwandu) has proven to be a special gift and blessing to the people of Kebbi State.

From his days as an internationally recognized labour unionist, to serving our country in different capacities, and now as the democratically elected Executive Governor of Kebbi State, his commitment to transforming the socio-economic well-being of our people is clear.

As we celebrate his 61st birthday, may Allah SWT continue to grant him sound health, more courage, and abundant wisdom to continue his purposeful and impactful leadership for the people of Kebbi State beyond 2027.

Congratulations to a God-sent messiah.