Vehicle owners in Abuja have begun to throng filling stations even as fuel stations have hiked the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), checks by Daily Trust have shown.

Daily Trust reports that the price of PMS, popularly known as petroleum has been jacked up to N640 in some private filling stations in the capital city, up from the N617 it was formerly sold.

Our reporter who visited some filling stations observed long queues, especially in NNPC retail stations who still maintain the old price.

The queue led to traffic gridlock along Olusegun Obasanjo Way at Wuse as the two NNPC stations along the route had long queues of cars waiting to fill their tanks.

While Total Energies’ station at Wuse Zone 6 was closed when our reporter visited, the one at Wuse Zone 2 was opened with a fairly long vehicle queues but not as much as the ones at NNPC stations.

The Mobil Filling Station at Utako also had vehicles waiting to purchase fuel even though it was sold at N640 per litre while ETERNA fuel station in Jabi was closed.

The situation was the same on Airport Road with long queues in stations like BOVAS, SALBAS OIL, AA Rano and SHEMA.

At AA Rano located at Jabi, only one fuel pump was dispensing the product from the 30 fuel pumps in the station.

Few cars were allowed into the station with the main gate to the station locked to prevent other cars from coming in.

A taxi driver, Salisu Ibrahim, who spoke with our reporter in one of the stations said the queue started on Friday with some selling at N630 and others at N640.

“Since the Friday, some of the stations have closed up and the rumour we are hearing is that they want to increase the pump price to N700 per litre.”

Daily Trust reports that the Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, had last month said they received the assurance of the NNPC that there is available stock of petrol in the country.

Speaking after a meeting with all relevant stakeholders in the oil industry to ensure availability of fuel in the country, Ahmed however said independent marketers with licence to import the product complained of lack of access to the official price of dollars, thus, costing them more to import the product.

He added that they complained that the current pump price is not profitable for them and they can’t compete with the NNPC, which is importing the product at the official price of the dollar

The Imo governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and Labour Party (LP) Senator Athan Achonu, on Monday, gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seven days to cancel last Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

They gave the ultimatum in Owerri while speaking jointly on the outcome of last Saturday’s governorship election in the state, where INEC declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) victorious.

They said that was because of the alleged massive rigging as well as the diversion of electoral materials to private homes where they were thumb-printed.

“It was not an election. it was a war. Over 70 per cent there was no collation of results. This a PDP state, where the governorship election took two days to conduct. The INEC has seven days to review these elections or cancel outrightly,” Anyanwu said.

“We have written to the INEC chairman calling for a total review of the election or outright cancellation of the election,” Achonu added.

Former Chelsea midfielder and retired Nigeria international, John Obi Mikel has vowed to ensure that he makes his countryman, Victor Osimhen join Chelsea next summer.

Obi Mikel who had the best part of his football career at Chelsea believes that Victor Osimhen is the kind of striker the Blues have been lacking since Didier Drogba left the club.

While speaking with Osimhen on his podcast: Obi One Podcast, the 2012 UEFA Champions League winner said: “Next season, I know you’re gonna come to Chelsea man!

“I’m telling you, I’m gonna be the agent to broker that deal.

“I’m gonna make sure that happens. We are crying out for someone like you — since Drogba left the club”.

Obi Mikel is a legend at Chelsea with huge access to the club and the West London side have shown interest in Victor Osimhen, especially in the last summer transfer window. Hence, there is a high chance that he could broker Osimhen’s move from Napoli to the West London side in the forthcoming summer.

However, the process might not be as easy as anticipated because Osimhen, who is said to be a fan of Chelsea before he became a professional footballer, said he doesn’t have a favourite club in the Premier League.

The 24-year-old Nigerian striker who still has until June 30, 2024, before his contract with Napoli expires, however, noted that most of the people who are currently close to him are Chelsea fans.

“I don’t have a favourite PL team but I’ve two jerseys: Chelsea and Man United”, Osimhen told Obi Mikel.

“Many friends of mine are Chelsea fans, few are Man Utd fans”.

“Premier League is the most appreciated league by every African player — it’s a huge league”.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the withdrawal of Police personnel serving as security details for Very Important Personalities (VIPs).

The Minister of State for Police Affairs, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, made this known on Monday at a 2-Day Retreat for Directorate Cadre in the ministry held in Abuja.

She said the mandate of the ministry includes amending the Nigerian Police Act, developing and implementing a harmonized police reform report, and developing a community policing strategy for the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Sulaiman-Ibrahim said her ministry will soon carry out the presidential directives, saying that are not mere tasks but transformative initiatives that can enhance internal security in the country.

She said: “The key mandates of the Ministry of Police Affairs are developing and implementing a harmonized police reform report, amending the Police Act, executing Mr President’s directive on the withdrawal of police personnel from VIP security duties, and developing a community policing strategy.

“These mandates are not mere tasks but transformative initiatives that can enhance internal security in Nigeria. This two-day management retreat will inspire a collective commitment to align efforts of the Ministerial mandate to contribute to the realization of Mr. President’s vision for a renewed, highly effective Nigeria Police Force.

“The Nigeria Police Force finds itself at a critical juncture and currently struggling with the consequences of decades of neglect that have hindered its ability to fulfill its constitutional mandate.

“The Ministry of Police Affairs has also not been spared. However, given Mr. President’s commitment to reforming the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry is now positioned at the forefront of the Police transformation agenda, and it must rise to the challenge.

“The Ministry must bear this weighty responsibility of ensuring coordination and creating the enabling frameworks to steer the Nigeria Police Force towards improved technical and operational effectiveness.”

The opposition Action Alliance (AA) has reacted to the outcome of the just concluded governorship election in Kogi State.

Naija News recalls that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Ahmed Usman Ododo of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) winner of the election.

Addressing a press conference in Lokoja on Monday, the Kogi State Chairman of AA, Fred Ambo rejected the outcome of the election.

He described the election as fraudulent, adding that it was marred by alleged ballot box snatching, and manipulations in various polling units across the state.

He called for the total cancellation of the entire exercise, adding that the party would be contending the outcome of the election in court.

”INEC promised us free and fair election, but what we saw was a show of shame. There was ballot box snatching, while result has already been written before the commencement of election to favour a particular political party. They have stolen our mandate.

“The party declared winner by INEC, if they are sincere with themselves, knew that they never won this governorship election in Kogi State. Why where they scared of our candidate, Olayinka Braimoh?

“They used their power to arrest him for no reason just because they want to subvert the will of the people. The Kogi State governorship election on Saturday is a scam and we won’t accept it. We are going to court to seek redress for this injustice,” he stated.

A former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has revealed how much President Bola Tinubu, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representative, Tajudeen Abbas, allegedly spent during the 2023 general election.

According to Lukman, Tinubu may have spent around N100 billion to clinch the presidency, while Akpabio and Abass spent N50 billion each during the last elections.

Lukman revealed this in an article titled: ‘Resolving APC’s Progressive Retrogression’.

The APC chieftain said the high cost of winning elections was enough to weaken the bond between elected leaders and the party.

He noted that money politics played a key role in the emergence of Tinubu and other public officeholders.

According to Lukman: “It is possible that President Asiwaju Tinubu may have incurred not less than Fifty Billion Naira (N50 billion) to win the APC Presidential primary and emerge as the party’s presidential candidate.

“Certainly, inclusive of the cost of winning the presidential primary, winning the 2023 presidential elections may have cost President Asiwaju Tinubu upward of One Hundred Billion Naira (N100 Billion). By every standard, this is very outrageous and alarming. Cascading it down to Governors, it would have cost each of the APC governorship candidates for 2023 elections not less than Ten Billion (N10 Billion) to win the elections.

”It may have cost both Sen. Godswill Akpabio and Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen nothing less than Fifty Billion Naira (N50 Billion) each to win the contest for Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.”

Social media influencer, Priscilla Ojo, the daughter of Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo, says she cannot date someone below her financial status.

Naija News reports that the 22-year-old upcoming actress made this known during a podcast with Jermaine Media.

Priscilla claims she is financially buoyant and hardworking, stressing she needs a supportive partner.

According to the influencer, dating someone below her financial status will pull her down and she would not be able to stand it.

She said, “I’m rich, I make my money, and I work hard, so I need someone in that bracket who will support me because I feel like if I’m dating someone below me, you’re pulling me down, and I wouldn’t be able to stand it.

“If you are not adding any value to my life, we can’t be friends or have a talkless relationship because you have to support me in one way or another. I post my business, you patronize me, and I support you too.

“Be there for me on my birthday; be there for me on important dates. So, imagine having a friend who is not supportive, talkless, or a partner who is not supportive.”

The West African Examinations Council has adopted the Computer-Based Test mode for the conduct of the Senior School Certificate Examination.

WAEC made the announcement on Monday.

This is contained in a statement signed by the acting head of the Public Affairs Unit of WAEC, Moyosola Adesina, and released on Monday.

According to the statement, the innovation would kick off with the conduct of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination for private candidates in February 2024.

“In line with global best practices, the Nigeria National Office of the West African Examinations Council wishes to inform the general public, and all its stakeholders, that it has concluded plans to migrate its WASSCE for Private Candidates Examination Diets from Paper and Pencil Test to Computer Based Examination,” the statement from the body partly read.

Popular Barbadian singer, Robyn Rihanna Fenty, is expecting third baby with her American rapper, ASAP Rocky.

This follows the arrival of the celebrity couple’s second child, Riot, in August 2023, just nine months after the birth of their first baby, RZA Athelston Mayers.

Rihanna and ASAP Rocky were first romantically linked in 2020 and welcomed RZA in May 2022.

However, the 35-year-old singer confirmed the expectation of their third baby as she was seen stepping out with baby bump.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the Bayelsa State governorship election held on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

The who contested for the second term in office was declared the winner on Monday afternoon, November 13, 2023, by the Returning Officer, Prof Faruq Kuta, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Of Technology, Minna.

Diri polled 175,196 to defeat his closest rival, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who garnered 110,108 votes while the Labour Party polled 905 votes.

While 18 candidates vied for the post, Sylva was Diri’s main contender. The immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum was contesting to return as the governor of the South-South state.

He first became a governor from May 2007 to April 2008. Sylva returned as the leader of the state between May 2008 and January 2012

But his third attempt to become the governor of Bayelsa State was a bumpy ride. About one month before the election, the Federal High Court in Abuja disqualified him from the contest, citing a breach of the 1999 Constitution if he won.

According to Justice Okorowo, since Sylva has served twice and five years as governor of the state, he would breach the 1999 constitution as amended if allowed to contest again.

The judge also declared that Sylva was not qualified to run in the November poll because if he wins and is sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as governor of the state.

In the wake of the ruling, INEC delisted him as a contestant for the exercise. But APC and Sylva challenged the judgment with the Appeal Court on October 31, 2023 later reversing Sylva’s disqualification for the poll.

This report is developing, more details will be shared on the Intel Region WhatsApp group as soon as possible.