October 2026 - Page 12 of 20

All Posts in "Month: October 2026"

2027: Every vote will count, people’s will respected — Ondo INEC REC

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Ondo State has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting credible elections, ensuring that every valid vote counts and that the will of the electorate is respected ahead of the 2027 general election.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Mutiu Agboke, gave the assurance following the conclusion of the commission’s senatorial district stakeholders’ meetings and voter education engagements in Okitipupa, Ondo State.

Agboke said the commission remained committed to ensuring that “the will of the electorate is respected through a credible electoral process”.

The engagement formed part of INEC’s ongoing preparations for the 2027 general election, with emphasis on voter education, stakeholder mobilisation and increased public participation.

Addressing participants at the meeting, the REC urged eligible voters to take advantage of the nationwide display of the Preliminary Register of Voters and the simultaneous collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), which commenced on Friday, October 9, 2026.

“Eligible voters across the state should participate in the exercise, which is taking place in all 203 electoral wards in Ondo State to verify their registration details and collect their PVCs where applicable,” he urged.

As part of the voter education campaign, Agboke also visited the Okitipupa Central Mosque on Friday, where he joined Muslim faithful for the Juma’at prayers.

During the visit, the electoral commissioner urged members of the Muslim congregation to “participate actively in the ongoing display of the Preliminary Register of Voters and the collection of their PVCs”.

by admin — October 10, 2026 in News 0

Obi should honour his pledge to quit 2027 race – APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, citing alleged financial liabilities linked to his administration as governor of Anambra State.

The APC Presidential Campaign Council made the call in a statement issued by its spokesman, Dele Alake, on Friday night.

Alake said Obi should honour an earlier pledge to step aside from the presidential race if liabilities were established against his administration in Anambra State.

The council claimed that official financial records had already established the liabilities and urged the former Anambra governor to keep his word.

The statement also criticised Obi, who is now the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), over his recent interview with the BBC, during which he maintained that he won the 2023 presidential election but acknowledged that he had no evidence to support the claim.

“Obi should present verifiable evidence to support his claim of winning the 2023 presidential election, especially when INEC’s official results placed him third,” Alake said.

The APC campaign council maintained that the outcome of the 2023 presidential election had been settled through the legal process.

Alake noted that President Bola Tinubu’s victory was upheld by the Presidential Election Petition Court and the Supreme Court.

The council accused Obi of continuing to question the election outcome despite the courts’ decisions.

It added that Tinubu was focused on implementing his administration’s economic, educational and infrastructure policies rather than engaging in arguments over the previous election.

by admin — October 10, 2026 in News 0

Fufore council chairman, Yahya Saidu, is dead

The Executive Chairman of Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Dr Yahya Saidu, is dead.

Saidu, who was sworn in as council chairman on July 15, 2026, died in the early hours of Friday, October 9.

He becomes the second Fufore council chairman to die in office in less than two years, following the death of Alhaji Shuaibu Babas on April 23, 2025.

Saidu’s death has come as a shock to the people of Fufore, who regarded him as a philanthropist and grassroots mobiliser with development promises he had barely three months to pursue.

Reacting to his death, the member representing Fufore/Song Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Aliyu Boya Wakili, described Saidu as a dedicated public servant whose contributions would be missed.

Burial arrangements were yet to be announced by the family as of the time of filing this report shortly before 8am on Saturday.

DAILY POST recalls that the death of Babas in April 2025 triggered controversy over the succession process in Fufore Local Government Area.

Babas’s deputy, Esther Audu, was not immediately sworn in as his successor following his death.

Her delayed inauguration sparked protests, with residents questioning whether her gender or Christian faith had influenced the decision to withhold her swearing-in.

After about two weeks of protests and public outcry, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri eventually swore in Audu as the council’s substantive chairman.

by admin — October 10, 2026 in News 0

Abuja residents lament prolonged blackout, landlords plan protest

Residents of parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have lamented days of power outages, saying the situation has disrupted businesses, water supply and other daily activities.

A resident of Kubwa, Fatima Muhammad, told DAILY POST that the blackout had affected her household and baking business.

She said she had run out of water because she could not power her pumping machine, while some of her baked products had spoilt due to the lack of electricity.

Muhammad said the outage had caused her financial losses and made it difficult to carry out her daily activities.

Other residents have also taken to social media to express frustration over the prolonged power interruption and the response of electricity distribution authorities.

A user on X, Peace Kanu PIAK, said her area in Dutse had been without electricity for two days before she came across an update on the situation.

“Thank you for the information. However, be informed that my area, Dutse, has not had electricity for the past two days, and we just got your update here. Please, TCN technical team should accelerate the restoration process,” she wrote.

Another user, Christian, criticised the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), saying residents had endured five days without power.

“If your team put the same energy into being proactive and ensuring our complaints are resolved as you do into updating us, this five-day absence of light would have been sorted out,” the user said.

A user identified as Nazeerah said residents of Area 8, Garki, had been without electricity for three weeks.

“We haven’t had electricity for three weeks now. Very, very unfair and overwhelming,” she wrote.

Another user, BLVCKK, complained that customers paying for Band A electricity were not receiving a consistent power supply.

“We pay for B and A, and you guys are stylishly giving us one day in, one day out. It is becoming a pattern. I believe this isn’t faults anymore, but rationing,” the user said.

Dane Doug, another user on X, also expressed frustration over the blackout.

“Freezers are freezing, but there is no light across all the major areas of the FCT,” the user wrote.

Similarly, Mark Itsibor lamented the prolonged outage in Bwari, the Nigerian Law School area, Ushafa, Bmuko and Dutse, accusing the electricity authorities of failing to address the situation.

“What kind of hell have you subjected most Abuja residents to in the last one week? Why are you so careless? There has been no light in Bwari, Law School, Ushafa, Bmuko and the entire Dutse for days,” he said.

DAILY POST gathered that landlords’ associations in Ushafa, Dutse and Kubwa are planning a protest for Monday if the power situation remains unchanged.

Meanwhile, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), in a statement on Wednesday, announced a planned interruption of electricity supply in parts of Abuja to enable it to carry out maintenance at its 132/33kV Kubwa Substation.

“Consequently, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) will be unable to offtake electricity supply to customers in Kubwa, Bwari, Army Resettlement, parts of Dutse Alhaji and adjoining areas during the maintenance period,” TCN said.

Also, AEDC on Friday informed customers in parts of the FCT that the disruption they were experiencing was caused by a technical fault on TCN’s 330kV Shiroro-Katampe transmission line.

In a notice posted on its X handle, the distribution company listed Garki, parts of Apo, Asokoro, Wuse Zones 1 and 2, Wuye, Jabi, Utako, Jahi, Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Kubwa, Dawaki, Dutse, Dei-Dei, Suleja and adjoining areas among the affected locations.

AEDC said TCN’s technical team was working to fix the fault and restore stability to the national grid.

The company assured customers that electricity supply would be restored to all affected areas once the transmission line was cleared.

The development comes weeks after the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said some electricity consumers had asked him to slow down following improvements in power supply.

Speaking at the commissioning of a three-megawatt solar hybrid power project at the University of Abuja in September, Tegbe said some areas that previously went without electricity for months were now receiving up to 18 hours of supply.

“Places that didn’t have light at all for three months are now having 18 hours of light. Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing,” he said.

He responded that freezers were designed to keep food frozen.

“That is what a freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen,” he added.

by admin — October 10, 2026 in News 0

PETROAN reveals why fuel discount may not work

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN, has revealed why the Federal Government’s proposed fuel discount may not be implemented efficiently.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, PETROAN President Billy Gillis-Harry said the limited number of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, retail outlets could restrict the reach of the fuel discount.

This follows the Federal Government’s recent proposal to offer a 30-day fuel discount at NNPC outlets across the country.

DAILY POST recalls that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, had said the Federal Government was offering a discount on petrol sold by the NNPC for the next 30 days.

Reacting, the PETROAN president said: “Over 230 million Nigerians depend on energy to run their economy, and the number of NNPC outlets might not be enough to implement the discount efficiently.

“If we get petrol at a discount, we’ll be able to sell it to people at a lower price, which is better than having only 15 stations in a city.

“We have NNPC retail outlets that are officially our members, but we would welcome government intervention as something that could really help Nigeria as quickly as possible.”

by admin — October 10, 2026 in News 0

AGRA, SMEDAN open agribusiness contest for young Nigerians

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and Jesnoch International Limited have opened applications for a national agribusiness competition offering young Nigerians seed funding, mentorship and business training.

The Annual Youth in Agribusiness Innovation Contest is open to Nigerians aged 18 to 35 who are running or planning to establish agricultural businesses, from the idea stage to growing enterprises.

The contest is being delivered by Plus Incubation Hub Nigeria Limited under the AGRA-funded project, “Systems Strengthening for BDS Provision and Access to Finance for Ag-SMEs,” according to a statement on Friday.

Applications opened on Thursday, October 8, 2026, through the contest portal and will close on Friday, October 16, 2026. Ten winners will receive seed funding, structured mentorship, and introductions to financiers and off-takers.

Thirty finalists will pitch their businesses in Lagos on Thursday, October 29, 2026, while the prizes will be presented at the National MSME Conference in Lagos from November 8 to 10, 2026.

Applicants who pass the eligibility check will also be invited to a free nationwide virtual training session on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

The training will cover agribusiness fundamentals, financial literacy, access to finance, and investment readiness.

The sessions will be recorded and shared with participants who cannot attend live, allowing them to complete the modules at their convenience.

Additionally, 120 young people, comprising 40 participants each from Niger, Nasarawa and Kaduna states, will receive two days of intensive, practical training on Wednesday, October 21, and Thursday, October 22, 2026. The sessions will take place concurrently in the three states.

In-person training places will be allocated to eligible applicants residing in the respective states based on the order of verified, complete submissions. Each state will have at least 12 places reserved for women and eight for rural participants.

Selection for the training programme will be conducted separately from the contest judging and will not give participants an advantage in the competition.

Although the contest is open nationwide, 60 per cent of finalist and training places will be allocated to Niger, Nasarawa and Kaduna, the focal states of the parent project. Applicants from other states will compete for the remaining places using the same published assessment criteria.

The allocation will be applied at a single declared stage of the selection process, with full details provided in the contest rules on the portal.

To qualify, applicants must have an agribusiness registered through one of three channels: Corporate Affairs Commission registration as a business name or limited company, SMEDAN MSME registration, or registered membership of a cooperative society.

The application is individual, meaning one named person aged 18 to 35 must apply, undergo assessment, pitch and receive any award. The registration requirement applies to the business rather than the individual applicant.

The organisers said the requirement was intended to ensure that seed funding was paid to an entity legally able to receive and account for the money, while supporting SMEDAN’s mandate to develop registered micro, small and medium enterprises.

The three registration options reflect the different ways young agripreneurs operate in Nigeria. While some run CAC-registered businesses or companies, others have SMEDAN MSME registration or operate through registered cooperative societies.

Cooperatives are a common legal structure for rural agricultural businesses, particularly in Niger, Nasarawa and Kaduna states. Accepting cooperative membership as evidence of a lawful trading arrangement is intended to allow young rural entrepreneurs to participate without restricting eligibility to businesses registered with the CAC.

However, cooperative membership does not make the application a group entry, and the cooperative itself is not the applicant.

by admin — October 10, 2026 in Business 0

Juhel CEO Okoye emerges MAN president

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has elected Dr Ifeanyi Okoye, Chief Executive Officer of Juhel Nigeria Limited, as its 12th president.

Okoye succeeds Francis Meshioye, who completed his four-year tenure, following the election at MAN’s 54th Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday.

MAN Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, announced Okoye’s emergence in a statement on Friday.

Okoye, who founded Juhel Nigeria Limited in 1987, leads a wholly indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturing company headquartered in Enugu State.

The company expanded its operations over the years, moving to its permanent site in Emene, Enugu, in December 1989 before adding syrup and capsule production facilities in 2001. It opened a major parenteral manufacturing facility in Awka, Anambra State, in 2010.

The new MAN president holds a pharmacy degree from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, as well as master’s and doctorate degrees in Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he graduated as the best student in his class.

He is a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and an alumnus of Harvard Business School in the United States. He is also a member of the National Institute, having attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Plateau State.

The Federal Government conferred the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic on him in 2012.

Okoye has also served on several public-sector committees, including the Ministerial Committee on the Establishment of World-Class Hospitals and Diagnostic Centres between 2013 and 2015.

He served on the Governing Council of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria from 2009 to 2022.

His election followed decades of involvement in MAN’s activities, including his service as chairman of the association’s Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi states branches between 1998 and 2005.

He subsequently served as the association’s vice-president from 2006 to 2010 before emerging as its national president.

His emergence comes as Nigerian manufacturers continue to contend with high production costs, infrastructure deficits, foreign exchange pressures, and other constraints affecting industrial competitiveness.

by admin — October 10, 2026 in Business 0

Fidelity Bank’s Strong Performance Excites Stakeholders

Shareholders of Fidelity Bank Plc have lauded the Bank’s Board and Management for strengthening its capital base, improving asset quality and sustaining earnings growth despite a challenging operating environment.

The shareholders expressed their support at the Bank’s 38th Annual General Meeting, held virtually on Friday, 9 October 2026.

Speaking during the meeting, Bisi Bakare, National Coordinator, Pragmatic Shareholders Association of Nigeria, drew attention to the Bank’s non-performing loan ratio of 2.4 per cent and capital adequacy ratio of about 16.1 per cent as indicators of its financial resilience.

“The figures demonstrate that the Bank remains strong. With a non-performing loan ratio of 2.4 per cent, a customer base of 16 million and a capital adequacy ratio of 16.1 per cent, shareholders have reasons to support the Board and Management,” Bakare said.

Another shareholder, Boniface Okezie, Chairman of the Progressive Shareholers Association, commended the Bank’s leadership for completing its capital raise and positioning the institution above the new regulatory threshold.

“We commend the Board and Management for the successful capital-raising exercise. This gives us greater confidence in the future of the Bank and its capacity to deliver sustainable value to shareholders,” Okezie said.

The Bank completed a N227.05 billion private placement in December 2025, increasing its eligible capital from N305.5 billion to N532.6 billion. This placed Fidelity Bank above the N500 billion minimum capital requirement for banks with international authorisation.

Presenting the Bank’s performance, Board Chairman, Mrs Amaka Onwughalu, said Fidelity Bank remained focused on building a stronger and more sustainable institution capable of delivering long-term value.

“At Fidelity Bank, we are building for the long term by creating lasting value through trust, innovation and shared progress. Guided by purpose and responsibility, we are building a stronger, more agile and more sustainable institution, one designed to thrive through change and deliver enduring impact for generations,” Mrs Amaka Onwughalu said.

The Bank’s 2025 financial statements showed that gross earnings increased by 45.6 per cent to N1.52 trillion, compared with N1.04 trillion in 2024. Profit before tax stood at N347.7 billion, while profit after tax closed at N242.4 billion.

The Bank also strengthened key balance sheet and risk indicators. Its non-performing loan ratio improved to 2.4 per cent from 3.1 per cent, while the coverage ratio rose to 203.9 per cent from 138.4 per cent. Liquidity stood at 66.5 per cent, above the regulatory minimum of 30 per cent, while total equity increased to N1.09 trillion from N897.9 billion.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, said the Bank’s strategy remained centred on building a resilient institution, deepening customer relationships and creating sustainable value for stakeholders.

“Our focus remains on making financial services easy and accessible to our customers while building a stronger institution for shareholders, employees and the communities we serve,” Dr Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe said.

The External Auditors, Deloitte & Touche, issued an unmodified opinion on the Bank’s accounts, stating that the consolidated and separate financial statements fairly presented its financial position, performance and cash flows in accordance with applicable reporting standards and Nigerian laws.

At the meeting, shareholders received the Audited Financial Statements and reports of the Directors, External Auditors, Statutory Audit Committee and Independent Board Appraisal Consultants for the year ended 31 December 2025.

Shareholders also considered the election of Dr Jonathan Ososuakpor as a Non-Executive Director and the re-election of Mrs Amaka Onwughalu as a Non-Executive Director. The meeting noted the retirement by rotation of Chief Nelson Nweke as a Non-Executive Director.

Other business included authorising the Directors to fix the remuneration of the External Auditors for the 2026 financial year, disclosing the remuneration of the Bank’s managers and electing members of the Statutory Audit Committee.

The shareholders urged the Board and Management to sustain the momentum, deepen market competitiveness and continue strengthening returns to investors.

Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving over 10 million customers through digital banking channels, its 255 business offices in Nigeria and United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.

The Bank is a recipient of multiple local and international awards, including the 2025 Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) Innovation Award for MSME support; Best Retail and SME Bank Award from Independent Newspapers; Best Bank for Export & Trade Finance and Most Innovative Bank of the Year at the 2025 BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards; and Nigeria’s Best Private Bank at the 2025 Euromoney Awards. The Bank also received the inaugural Most Improved Commercial Bank of the Year award by Nairametrics, the SME Bank of the Year award by NewsDirect, and the Straight-Through Processing (STP) Excellence Award by Citi Group, in addition to recognition by Global Brands Magazine for Excellence in Community Empowerment.

by admin — October 10, 2026 in Business 0

Rivers 2027: ADC panicking over Wike, Fubara reconciliation – Ikenga

The spokesman of the Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State, Chibuike Ikenga, says the African Democratic Congress, ADC, is panicking over the reconciliation between the state governor, Sim Fubara, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

Ikenga made the claim on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television.

This comes after Wike and his supporters held a four-hour meeting with Governor Fubara in Port Harcourt.

“The ADC is troubled because they do not have the numbers we have. The tantrums from yesterday were triggered by the leader of the Rainbow Coalition, Wike.

“Wike has continued to buil the team in Rivers State and has met with the governor and his team, with our APC candidate also present.

“This has thrown the ADC into disarray because they did not want Wike to reconcile with the governor.

“So, because of that, they have come out to say that they are out to stop a state capture. I can tell you that the state capture was initiated by the boss of the ADC in Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi,” he said.

by admin — October 9, 2026 in News 0

Oyo APC guber candidate, Alli alleges attack on wife, others

The gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has raised the alarm over an alleged attack on his wife, Mrs Tawakalitu Alli.

Alli also disclosed that some hoodlums attacked the party’s Oyo South senatorial candidate, Remi Oseni, and its House of Representatives candidate for the Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West Federal Constituency, Hon. Folake Olunloyo-Oshinlowo.

Alli made the claim in a statement signed by the director of his campaign organisation, Bisi Oladele,

He explained that some hoodlums attacked his wife during a programme at Ibikunle Palace in Ibadan on Wednesday.

He added that some miscreants also attacked Oseni and Olunloyo-Oshinlowo at separate locations in Ibadan on Wednesday.

Reacting, Alli described the attacks as unwarranted and barbaric.

“As the chief security officer of the state, Governor Makinde carries the responsibility to protect all residents, irrespective of their political leanings.

“The SSACO calls on security agencies to fish out these perpetrators of violence and bring them to book in order to serve justice to the victims and also serve as a deterrent to violence in our dear state,” he said.

by admin — October 9, 2026 in News 0