The Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Johnson Asiama, has announced that the central bank is set to begin regulating cryptocurrency and related platforms by the end of September 2025.

Speaking at the African Leaders and Partners Forum, organized by the EBII Group during the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., Dr. Asiama explained that the move depends on the passage of the Virtual Asset Providers Act.

 

This legislation will enable the Bank of Ghana to license and regulate platforms and entities operating within the virtual asset space. 

 

“To enhance the regulation of these platforms and assets, the Bank of Ghana is establishing a dedicated unit focused on digital assets,” Dr. Asiama revealed.

“This is a technology we cannot prevent, hence the need to move fast to regulate it.”

The forum, which brought together stakeholders from finance, trade, and agriculture across Ghana, the U.S., Europe, and the Americas, aimed to explore strategies to improve trade and investment between Africa and the United States.

A Nigerian couple has been jailed in the United Kingdom after attempting to illegally bring an orphaned baby girl into the country using falsified documents.

Raphael Ossai and Oluwakemi Olasanoye were arrested at Manchester Airport, per a BBC report, after Border Force officers noticed unusual behavior between the pair and the infant they claimed as their own.

Initial checks revealed inconsistencies, prompting further investigation. 

Ossai presented a birth certificate listing Olasanoye as the mother, but officers later uncovered a second birth certificate hidden in the couple’s luggage, naming Ossai’s British wife as the child’s mother.

The incident triggered a complex inquiry into the child’s true identity, which remains unresolved. DNA testing later confirmed that Lucy—an alias given to the girl by authorities—is not biologically related to Ossai, Olasanoye, or Ossai’s British wife.

It was established that Lucy was born in rural Nigeria in September 2022 and placed in an orphanage days after her birth by a young student mother.

Ossai and Olasanoye pleaded guilty to immigration offences and were sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by deportation.

Throughout court proceedings, it emerged that Ossai and his wife had been seeking to adopt a child and had obtained permission to foster Lucy, but did not have the legal right to adopt her or remove her from Nigeria.

Social workers described signs of serious neglect during Lucy’s early months in the UK, noting that the child was emotionally withdrawn, underfed, and struggled to form secure attachments.

Although Ossai and his wife appealed to the High Court to be assessed as Lucy’s carers, citing concerns over her cultural identity if placed with white foster families, the court rejected their application.

 

Justice Sir Jonathan Cohen ruled that the couple’s deception and unlawful actions had caused Lucy “very significant emotional harm” and ordered that she be placed for adoption within the UK.

Lucy, who has been moved between multiple foster homes since her arrival, will be provided with information about her heritage as part of her upbringing.

The Nigerian High Commission was said not to have responded to repeated requests for assistance during the High Court proceedings, leaving questions about Lucy’s full background unanswered.

The Home Office declined to comment on the individuals’ deportation status but reiterated its commitment to removing foreign nationals who break the law.

…2027 will determine whether Nigeria ‘ll continue to sink under incompetence

…Why I disagreed with some things going on 

…I expected Tinubu to correct Buhari’s govt 

…Presidency isolated itself to be advised

…This administration lacks quality, competent hands

…Nigeria can’t survive under present leadership

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed recently resigned his appointment as Political Adviser to the President in the Vice President’s Office. The former Publicity Secretary of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, who has been a critic and vocal voice against bad governance, in this interview, revealed that he never had a place in the Bola Tinubu administration.

He also speaks on the 2027 election, why Nigerians should not trust the drivers of the planned coalition and what is expected of Nigerians. Excerpts:

As a Political Adviser to Mr. President, in the office of the vice president, what were some your experiences? 

I did my job as best as I can when I worked with the Vice President.

I believed the administration could have used people like me better, we were never in the mainstream of policy design, policy implementation, policy monitoring, mitigation of aura, steps and errors, building bridges with the communities and more importantly giving advice consistent with my mandate which is to give advice on political matters, I don’t think the administration had enough interest in what we could do.

But to the degree that I was available and I was there, I did my best and at the the end, I found that I really had no place in the administration. Many things that I could have advised on were going on, it didn’t look like my advice was necessary and I also disagreed with many of the things that were going on and the best way to deal with this kind of thing is to leave. But I left, I expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve my country through the administration. I got to respect a lot of people in the government, forgive me if I don’t mention names. And ifI am also to be honest with you, I was disappointed that the administration has an opportunity to correct the ills and mistakes of the Buhari administration and it hasn’t, that’s all.

Can we know some of the pieces of advice that you gave to the government as political Adviser that were ignored?

No, maybe perhaps you read my open letter to the President wrongly. I never said I gave advice which were ignored. I said those who were involved in advising government or implementing the policies of the government were not of the calibre and the quality that an administration like President Tinubu’s, which was dealing with a very bad inheritance and which faced a lot of challenges which has created its own challenges, should have.

 

It wasn’t formed by the realities on the ground and he (Tinubu) and the presidency itself was isolated to be available to be advised, I think that was the point I made.

What are the areas you think that if the government takes positive steps to address will improve the lives of the citizenry?

I think they need to review their entire mandate, they should look at Nigeria as it is now and not just simply push out press releases and press statements.

They are spending a huge amount of energy celebrating, getting people who have brought the country to its knees to now join them. If this government thinks that getting defectors from parties that have failed the country, people, who have failed the country who are now looking for refuge and getting them to join their party, they are making a terrible mistake.

The future doesn’t look healthy with the APC which is overburdened by its own liabilities as well as the liability from other parties. They should look at where they are now. They still have two years, they can work very hard but the most important advice I gave in my open letter is that President Tinubu should work very hard to address the current challenges, to find younger people, more energetic people, people with the vision to fix the country.

 

People who recognise the fact that the future belongs to them and assure them. And then create a generation of politicians that will take over from him and people like him who just live in a small room called APC. All these huge number of people who have questions to answer on the way they run this country, have no business asking us to trust them again. They should look for younger people, people with more experience, people with more knowledge, people with the vision and passion to fix Nigeria. Those are the people I think President Tinubu should encourage his party to entrust the responsibilities .

As a seasoned politician are you ready to join the coalition so that the country will perhaps get it right?

Let me correct you, I am not a seasoned politician, I have been a public servant, what other people call as a technocrat virtually all my life. I have also been a critic of poor and bad administration. I am not interested in joining any coalition of people who have wrecked the country and who are looking for refuge and other opportunities to continue to do what they were doing before, I am not interested in that kind of politics.

Nigerians bear the brunt of any good or bad government, as the 2027 election draws near, what is your advice to them?

I will tell them to open their eyes and be very careful. 2027 will be a very, very important and decisive election. It will determine whether we will continue to sink under the incompetence and indifference of the last 12 years, eight years of Buhari and now four years of Tinubu, or we want to recreate Nigeria and re-engineer it so that it can address the problems of insecurity and poverty and deterioration of inter community relationship.

 

Nigeria can survive and can overcome its problems but it certainly cannot do so under the present leadership or the kind of coalitions of all these politicians who are desperately clinging to power, making it to appear as if the future belongs only to them. The future belongs to Nigerians. Nigerians should be very careful, they should not be carried away by all this business of North and South, ethnicity and religion. Everybody is a victim of the same problem created by the same people who are now asking us to trust them, they should not trust them.

At least 14 dead bodies of mourners were recovered, with others sustaining gunshot injuries, when suspected members of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists invaded Kopl village, Chibok local government area of Borno state. 

The incident is coming barely 24 hours after dozens of motorists and passengers were killed along the Gamboru Ngala -Kala Balge road after stumbling on an Improvised Explosive device, IEDs planted by terrorists, with others sustaining serious injuries. 

Initially, the Chairman of Chibok local government area, Hon. Modu Mustapha, told Vanguard Yesterday (Monday) that 7 people were confirmed dead, while search and rescue ongoing. But in a telephone call on Tuesday morning said, 14 dead bodies had been found so far, with a fear of more.

“I called you to inform you that the Kopl attack on mourners by Boko Haram terrorists is very devastating, because, as at this morning, 14 dead bodies were recovered.

“The terrorists also set ablaze a Church and over 10 residential houses. The entire community is Displaced without confrontation from security agencies.

The latest Chibok community incident in Kopl took place at about 6:pm on Monday when armed terrorists descended on some mourners who were gathered for a final day prayer of one of their loved one who died last week.

Many of the victims who sustained injuries in the attack were evacuated to Mubi General Hospital in nearby Adamawa state for treatment.

Responding to the renewed escalating attacks, especially in Southern Borno Senatorial District, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume described the situation as pathetic and beyond human imagination.

He added that, even yesterday, he received a distress call that over 10 members of vigilantes were killed in a community between Hawul local government area of Borno state and Garkida town in Adamawa state. 

” My people are into severe casualties with no confrontation almost on daily basis. In the last one month, over hundred were killed in several and coordinated attacks in Sabon Gari, Izge, Kirawa, Pulka, Damboa, Chibok, Askira Uba and too numerous to mention”. Ndume lamented.

…More govs ‘ll move — Oborevwori; Our decision for the good of Deltans — Okowa

…Defection of high-profile politicians, govs widely exaggerated, has no electoral value — El-Rufai

 

 

AS the defection from Delta State, one of the traditional strongholds of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, continues to stir debates in the polity, President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, said a political tsunami which saw Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and the PDP structure defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC, has never happened in the country.

He spoke on a day former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, dismissed the relevance of high-profile defection of politicians, describing same as widely exaggerated and doesn’t add any electoral value.

Tinubu’s declaration came at the official defection of Governor Oborevwori and other PDP members in the state to the APC held at the Cenotaph in Asaba, Delta State.

The defections of Oborevwori, Okowa and other major PDP stakeholders ended the almost 26-year reign of the party in the state.

Among those present to receive the decampees were Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who represented the President; National Chairman of the APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje; Governors Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Bassey Otu (Cross-River), Monday Okphebholo (Edo), Ahmed Ododo (Kogi), Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Dikko Radda (Kastina) and Mohammed Yahaya (Gombe).

Also present were former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo; Senators Ned Nwoko, Joel Onowakpo-Thomas and Ede Dafinone, among others.

Addressing the crowd, Tinubu said: “What can be greater than the promise of this day? This is a political tsunami of unimaginable proportions that has never happened in the history of the South-South and this country.

 

“A political tsunami of this proportion, where all the members of the upper chamber of the National Assembly are in the APC, has never happened.

“So many members of the House of Representatives, the governor, his entire cabinet and 500 councillors across the 25 local government areas of this great state. What testimony do you have greater than this?

“The true measure of a political party lies not merely in the industry, the very name of its members, but in the conviction. It is, in fact, among those who once stood across from them.

“This vindication is even more fundamental when those who once saw us as outsiders and opponents crossed the lines of difference to become part of the enduring family we have built. “

He commended the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, for the “wonderful” relationship that existed between him and his successor, describing him as a great leader.

 

More govs’ll move — Oborevwori

While justifying his movement to the APC, Governor Oborevwori said the movement was not only for them in Delta State.
Oborevwori, who was quick to add that other opposition governors will soon join the APC, said: “It is a statement and I believe that other governors will join. It is a movement and when you have a movement, you cannot fail.

“This is Delta State; Delta cannot carry last. We have been in opposition for almost 10 years; do we need that? Mr. President has supported us, he has shown us love; we cannot face him in 2027 and work against him.

“That love that he has shown to us in Delta State, we must reciprocate. We cannot do that in our old party, we have to be inside to do it and do it well.”

The governor also doused speculations that the APC in Delta State was factionalised.

“I want to assure our national chairman because there are things people say in the newspapers, that there is confusion and faction. As I have come, there will be no more faction again.

 

“Let me tell you, APC is not like PDP. Let me tell you, the governor takes charge and we are taking charge. Whether the faction of Ovie Omo-Agege or that of Festus Keyamo, I don’t believe in any faction.

‘’Everybody must queue and unite to move the state forward for the benefit of the state and bring development and peace to Delta State and Nigeria.”

Our decision was for good of Deltans — Okowa

In his remarks, immediate past governor of the state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, said their decision to dump the PDP for APC is for the common good of the people.

He explained that his defection to the APC was motivated by the desire to connect the state to the seat of power in Abuja.

Okowa said: “When the news broke on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, that we have decided to change our path, people wondered why.

 

“One thing is very important in the history of a people; there is always a time to change their path for the common good of the people and whatever decision we took was based on that common good and the need to change our path in the interest of the state.

“As I did tell people on that day, it was not about me; it was not about the governor but the fact that there is need for us to connect to Abuja. That goodwill that we see in Abuja to which Delta State is a large contributor, there is a need to connect to it.”

It’s a political legacy —Ganduje

Receiving the governor and other decampees into the APC fold, the National Chairman of the party, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, while describing the occasion as a historic one, said: “This occasion today is a political legacy laid by the governor of Delta State.

“I thank President Tinubu for providing good leadership in Nigeria that has greatly added value to our dear party, the APC. This added value is attracting other political parties to be attracted to our great party.

“Our core value in the APC is progressive leadership, and coincidentally, from what we are seeing on the ground in respect of your programmes and projects, you are a progressive governor, so we are welcoming you for coming home.”

 

Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma, commended Oborevwori for the infrastructural development of the state, saying that what the APC is known for what the governor is already doing in Delta State.

Ogboru welcomes decampees to APC

On his part, the 2019 governorship candidate of the APC, Chief Great Ogboru, welcomed the decampers, describing it as a historic move not only for APC but also for the state.

Ogboru, in a statement, said the decision of the governor and others to defect to APC signified a turning point in Delta State’s political history.

He said; “I welcome Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, former governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and other political heavyweights of PDP to Delta APC.

“This is a defining moment for Delta State and Nigeria. It signifies a turning point in our state’s political history because Oborevwori’s decision will further reunite our people and fasten development and progressive governance in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

 

“With Delta State aligning with the party at the centre, it is certain that a new chapter has been set for greater collaboration, impactful governance and a more inclusive political process.

‘’This synergy between the federal government and Delta State will ensure significant benefits to our people in Delta State in terms of infrastructure and human capital development.

“Together, we will build the Delta State of our dreams and write a new chapter in Delta State’s political history. Together, we shall steer the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to greater heights. Together, we will work tirelessly to achieve greatness for Delta State and Nigeria.”

Defection of high profile politicians, govs widely exaggerated, has no electoral value — El-Rufai

Meanwhile, former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has described the recent defection of high profile politicians in the country as widely exaggerated and doesn’t add any electoral value.

El-Rufai, who stated in an interview with newsmen in Kano State yesterday, said the defection of a high profile politician or governor doesn’t determine election results.

 

He said: “As far as I’m concerned, the defection of high profile politicians is not the issue. These high level defections are widely exaggerated. It’s good for headlines. It’s good to sell your media.

“But on the ground politically, if you don’t have the people, you can have as high a profile as possible. You are nothing.

“We want to return politics to the people, not to godfathers, not to high profile politicians. We want to return politics and political decision making to the people that have the vote. That’s the objective of the SDP.

“The fact that one governor from PDP has defected and so on, it’s nothing. We are not looking at governors, we are trying to offer Nigeria and Nigerian voters an alternative.

“A governor has only one vote. Nigerians have many more votes than one governor or 36 governors. It doesn’t matter if you collect 36 governors, if the people of Nigeria say we are not with you, it’s over.

 

“The president had a sitting governor and he lost Lagos. So what is the value of a governor? I was the governor of Kaduna State, I fought hard to deliver the president in my state, but I lost.

“Governors don’t determine election results, the people do. This is what many Nigerians forget.’’

The two-term former governor, however, said he joined the Social Democratic Party, SDP because of its potential to provide credible alternative to the APC, and People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

He said both parties had been pocketed by some persons and also ravaged by crisis but noted that Nigerians are yearning for something different.

“I believe very strongly that the SDP provides the potential to recreate a major political party. But with the support of some of the opposition groups, we will not get all. But most importantly, the people of Nigeria need a credible alternative.

 

‘’I use the phrase credible alternative very, very carefully because PDP had run the country for 16 years. Nigerians know what it is, even though it’s a long time. Many may have forgotten. APC has run the country for 10 years. And most people want something different. Most people want a new brand of politics, a new style of governance, and new faces.

“I believe SDP can be the party that gives that alternative to Nigerians, a party that is not controlled by anyone, that is not pocketed by anyone, a party that will provide a level playing field to any person who wants to aspire for leadership, either in the party or in the government. Okay?

‘’What has destroyed political parties in Nigeria is lack of internal democracy and godfatherism. We want to eliminate that in SDP.

“The APC started well but has ended up being pocketed by one or two people. We want to avoid that. So we want a party that no one owns, that no one controls. And the SDP has that pedigree and history.

“If all the major opposition groups go into that party as equal partners and invite Nigerians that want real change to join the party, and we have different rules of engagement, no godfathers, no impositions, competition for every position, I think we will give Nigerians an opportunity to join a party they can claim is their own, not somebody’s own,” El-Rufai stated.

 

El-Rufai, who was also former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, said they were currently at the point of building the party, adding that the target is to woo and register three million electorates in Kano State.

Some children of the legendary juju musician, Sunday Adegeye, aka King Sunny Ade, are currently at loggerheads over his well-being and whereabouts.

A daughter of the singer and guitarist, Damilola Esther, took to social media to accuse her step-brother, Dayo, of holding their father hostage, and also booking him for events without honouring the engagements.

In a series of social media posts, she also called for her brother, who she referred to as his manager, to be apprehended for “stealing” from KSA.

One of the posts read, “Dad told my brother that he wants to go home. Where is he? Where are his phones? He has not been online or picking his calls. Where is he?” 

Another one read, “I want Dayo (manager) apprehended. I want him to provide all the money they have been stealing from him. He has a UK visa, thinking he can run.”

However, in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, Dayo said their father was hale and hearty.

He maintained that he was not the father’s “official manager” but was only helping out his dad in that regard.

 

He said, “The allegation is false. On Saturday (April 26, 2025), my dad performed at the 60th birthday party of a fan. The event took place at 16 Musa Yar’Adua Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. He still had rehearsals with members of his band last week. He will perform in Akure (Ondo State capital) on May 1.

“She (Damilola) is not in the right frame of mind for her to have made those posts. On Easter Sunday, she called me and said she wanted to speak with dad, because she doesn’t live in Nigeria. I gave the phone to my dad, and they spoke for about 30 minutes. I then told her that if she wanted to see him, she could come to Nigeria.

“The moment she started making nasty comments about dad, she crossed the line. You cannot speak ill of my father and expect me to still reckon with you, no matter who you are. Even my mother wouldn’t do that. Why would you (Damilola) go on social media and call daddy names?”

Dayo also stated that KSA would release a statement to clear the air and put things in perspective.

 “Kindly ignore all she has said. KSA will release a statement on social media within 24 hours.  And if you are free, you can join him in Akure for his performance on May 1. He will be glad to have an interaction with you, and answer questions on what you have heard on social media about him,” he said.

Clarifying that he was not KSA’s manager but was only “helping out” in the absence of one, Dayo told our correspondent, “I am not an official manager. I just assist my father. I have my businesses. As I explained to her (Damilola), I don’t have any employment letter, and I am not on the payroll.

“I am just helping my dad, like the Scripture commands. This arrangement was not even planned but was necessitated by some developments. He (KSA) asked me to help him handle certain things, pending the time he gets someone in that position. And, he feels extremely comfortable with what I have been doing, and he said I should continue doing it.

 

“This is like paying him back for all the things he has done for me. One of the things he loves the most is going on stage to perform, and that is what he has been doing for the past 59 years. We cannot just ask him to stop doing that.”

Another son of the iconic musician, David, asserted that Damilola was making things up.

In a separate interview with our correspondent, he said, “As I’m speaking with you, daddy is fine. He is not working under duress. He just finished an event. I can tell you with proof and evidences that he is fine.”

David also noted that he was ready to volunteer more information to prove that their daddy was fine, and there was no cause for alarm.

However, a respected journalist, Olawale Olaleye, claimed that KSA was no longer accessible to people who used to be in contact with him.

In a social media post, he noted that Damilola reached out to him with the claim that something sinister was going on with her dad, and that he was not reachable.

He stated that another associate reached out to him and asked for his help in getting across to KSA to book him for an event.

 

According to Olaleye, he tried different means of getting across to KSA but all were to no avail.

He added, “Curiously, everyone who could reach KSA at a dial could not anymore. And at that point, I gave up and continued with my life of hustling…”

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is proposing major amendments to Nigeria’s electoral framework, including stripping the President of the power to appoint Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).

Instead, INEC is seeking constitutional changes that would grant the Commission the authority to appoint and discipline heads of its state offices, to be known as State Directors of Elections.

 

The proposals were disclosed by Mohammad Kuna, Special Adviser to the INEC Chairman, during a retreat with the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Electoral Matters held in Lagos on Monday.

INEC is pushing for amendments to:

  • Section 14 (3) Paragraph F of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution to empower the Commission to appoint and discipline Heads of State and FCT Offices;
  • Section 6 (3) of the Electoral Act 2022 to align the Electoral Act with this new arrangement.

Currently, the President appoints RECs under Section 154 (1) of the Constitution, subject to Senate confirmation, with removal only possible by presidential action supported by a two-thirds majority of the Senate.

“Critical for Transparency and Accountability” — INEC

Kuna said the changes were necessary to promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency in electoral administration, especially in light of controversies surrounding the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

The heads of INEC offices at state level, now proposed to be called State Directors of Elections, would be fully accountable to the Commission rather than to political interests.

INEC Proposes Electronic Voter Cards

INEC is also seeking to amend Sections 47 (1) and 16 (1, 2 & 4) of the Electoral Act to allow the introduction of electronically downloadable voter cards to replace the traditional Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

The move is aimed at modernising voter identification and reducing logistical challenges associated with PVCs.

Push for Early, Special, Diaspora, and Inmate Voting

Another key proposal is the amendment of Sections 77 (2), 117 (1), 132 (5), and 178 (5) of the Constitution to allow:

  • Early voting for election officials and essential workers;
  • Special voting for Nigerians under incarceration;
  • Diaspora and out-of-country voting for eligible Nigerians living abroad.

INEC said these reforms are essential to broaden electoral participation and protect the voting rights of under-represented groups.

INEC also proposed constitutional amendments to create:

  • An Electoral Offences Commission to handle electoral violations;
  • A Political Party Regulatory Agency to oversee party activities and ensure compliance with electoral laws.

These would be achieved by amending Sections 153 (1), 154 (3), 156 (1a), 157 (2), 158 (1) and 160 (1) and the Third Schedule of the Constitution.

Affirmative Action for Women and Persons with Disabilities

The Commission is proposing special seats for women and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) by amending Sections 48, 49, 71, and 91 of the Constitution to create designated constituencies for these groups.

While the Commission should continue to work with political parties for greater participation of under-represented groups, the surest way to achieve that objective is through affirmative action backed by law,” the document stated.

INEC also called for a clean-up of ambiguities and cross-referencing errors in the Electoral Act 2022, including:

  • Clarifying the difference between “transfer” and “direct transmission” of results (Sections 60 and 64);
  • Correcting incorrect cross-references between Sections 64 (4a & 5) and Section 47 (2);
  • Cleaning up inconsistencies in Sections 29 (1), 75 (3 & 4), 77 (3), 131 (5 & 6), and 132 (5–10).

Additionally, INEC proposed amending Section 65 (1) to specify that election results can only be reviewed if declared under duress.

There are strong indications that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is preparing for more defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, as several political figures within the opposition party are reportedly set to join the ruling party in the coming weeks.

Following the high-profile defection of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, former Delta Governor and PDP’s 2023 vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, along with other PDP members in Delta State, APC sources have revealed that the movement of more PDP governors and lawmakers to the APC is almost a done deal.

A senior APC source told Daily Sun that the ruling party is expecting at least 20 federal lawmakers and additional PDP governors to cross over soon.

The defection of influential figures like Oborevwori and Okowa has raised expectations that more members of the PDP Governors’ Forum will follow suit.

“Everyone heard when the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, said he would be supporting President Tinubu’s re-election. Not long after that, we saw the Delta Governor defect to the APC along with his predecessor. In a matter of weeks, we will be receiving at least one more PDP governor and several opposition lawmakers. It should not be surprising to anyone that this is happening because the PDP is literally dead,” the source stated.

The impending defections are believed to be tied to a confidential agreement between President Bola Tinubu and several PDP governors, many of whom have pledged support for his 2027 re-election bid.

Last week, Daily Sun reported on this pact, which has heightened tensions within the PDP and fueled distrust among its ranks.

The defection of Oborevwori and Okowa, alongside others, has drawn sharp criticisms from within the PDP.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the move, asserting that “freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy, they are fundamental rights. Undermine any of these, and democracy itself begins to crumble.”

Reacting to the defections, former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Olabode George, expressed shock, stating that it was unfathomable that Oborevwori and Okowa, both elected on the PDP platform, would leave for an “unorganised” party.

PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, called the defections unfortunate but remained optimistic. He stated that the defection would not significantly impact the PDP’s chances in the 2027 elections, emphasising that the next general election would be a contest between President Tinubu and the Nigerian people.

Damagum reassured party members, stating that the number of governors a party holds would not necessarily determine the outcome of the 2027 elections.

As tensions within the PDP continue to rise, political analysts suggest that these defections could have significant implications on Nigeria’s political landscape, further consolidating APC’s hold on power as the country prepares for the next election cycle.

The competition and consumer protection tribunal has rejected the terms of settlement proposed by the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC), also known as Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

On Monday, the tribunal upheld the FCCPC’s imposition of a N190 million fine against NBC for misleading packaging of its Coca-Cola products.

The tribunal, comprising a three-member panel led by the presiding judge, Thomas Okosun, dismissed NBC’s appeal for the adoption of the settlement as judgement, describing it as “an attempt to arrest judgement”.

During the proceedings, O. Ogunride, NBC’s counsel, informed the tribunal of an agreement reached with the FCCPC.

 

“We are pleased to inform the tribunal that the parties have agreed to terms of settlement, and we urge the court to adopt the settlement as its consent judgment,” she said.

Abimbola Ojenike, representing the FCCPC, confirmed the existence of the settlement, noting that NBC’s legal team communicated the agreement to him on April 23.

He further said that Akoji Achimugu, the FCCPC’s legal director, had participated in finalising the terms.

 

However, Okosun highlighted that NBC filed the terms of settlement after the judgment had been reserved and both parties had submitted their final written arguments.

“The notion of arrest of judgment is unknown to Nigerian law,” the tribunal ruled.

Okosun noted that entering into a settlement after judgment had been reserved was beyond the FCCPC’s statutory authority.

“This undermines the FCCPC’s role as a regulator,” Okosun said.

 

He further criticised the FCCPC’s acceptance of a post-judgment settlement, arguing that it conflicted with the commission’s regulatory responsibilities.

“The tribunal cannot indulge in private compromises; we must uphold our constitutional duty to the public,” he said.

Additionally, the tribunal criticised the FCCPC’s sudden reversal of its earlier position, pointing out that the settlement declared “there is no penalty,” contradicting its regulatory findings.

As a result, the tribunal rejected NBC’s application to adopt the proposed settlement terms.

 

TRIBUNAL UPHOLDS COCA-COLA’S N190 MILLION FINE

In its final judgment, the tribunal upheld the FCCPC’s five-year investigation, findings, and the imposed penalties as consistent with the Nigerian constitution, also ruling that NBC’s conduct was misleading and in violation of Nigerian law.

 

Regarding the legality of the N190 million fine, Okosun affirmed that the administrative penalty was lawful under the FCCPA and the 1999 constitution (as amended).

Dismissing NBC’s appeal for lack of merit, the tribunal ordered the company to remit the N190 million fine within 60 days of the judgment.

 

On August 1, the FCCPC had said Coca-Cola and the NBC have been carrying out unfair marketing tactics, thereby “misleading consumers”.

However, Coca-Cola said its packaging provides clear information and meets the national regulatory requirements.

 

NBC, subsequently, approached the tribunal, requesting that it set aside the commission’s N190 million fine, citing multiple grounds.

During the proceedings, NBC acknowledged that the FCCPC had obtained evidence showing that the mislabelling of the zero-sugar Limca Lime-Lemon variant was caused by a production error at its Abuja factory — one of eight facilities operated by the company.

In its revised appeal, NBC emphasised that the mislabeling was unintentional and not deliberate.

Represented by Oluseye Opasanya, NBC’s legal team filed an appeal with number CCPT/APP/6/2024 on September 5, 2024, arguing that the commission’s conclusions were unfounded and exceeded its statutory authority.

In response, Ojenike defended the commission’s statutory mandate, empowering FCCPC to issue and enforce penalties for corporate or consumer violations.

The counselor urged the tribunal to dismiss NBC’s appeal as lacking merit and to uphold the FCCPC’s directives.

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) says the country’s non-oil exports recorded $1.791 billion as revenue in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025.

Nonye Ayeni, executive director (ED) of NEPC, spoke on Monday in Abuja.

“This year, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) reported the highest value of export since it was established 49 years ago with a year-on-year increase of 20.77% from $4.517 billion in 2023 to $5.456 billion in 2024,” Ayeni said. 

“The council working with our supervising ministry, federal ministry of industry, trade and investment, and other stakeholders remains committed towards continuing this trajectory of increasing the volume and value of non-oil exports from Nigeria by providing support to the exporting community in the areas of capacity building, standardisation, enhancing market access and others”.

 

The NEPC ED also said “these efforts are impacting positively on non-oil export volumes and proceeds”.

“The year 2024 result lends credence to the fact that several export intervention programmes/projects initiated and executed by the Council, especially the ‘Double Your Exports’ campaign, are now yielding results,” Ayeni said.

“Nigeria’s non-oil products exported in the first quarter of 2025 were valued at US$1.791 billion.

 

“This is a 24.75% increase over and above $ 1.436 billion reported in the first quarter of 2024.

“The volume also increased to 2.416 million metric tonnes, an increase of 243.44% from 1.937 million metric tonnes recorded in the first quarter of 2024.”

‘PRODUCTS EXPORTED INCREASED TO 197 FROM 162’

Ayeni further said that in the first quarter of 2025, 197 distinct products were exported.

 

“This figure reflects an increase compared to the one hundred and sixty-two (162) products recorded in the first quarter of 2024,” she said.

“These products ranged from manufactured and semi-processed goods to industrial extracts and agricultural commodities.

“Based on information received from Pre-shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs), of the top-20 products exported in the first quarter of 2025, Cocoa and its derivatives, including cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, cocoa cake came first, followed by Urea, Cashew Nut, Sesame Seed, Gold Dore, Cocoa Butter, Aluminium Ingots, Copper Ingot, Soya Beans/meal, Rubber were the top of the list.

“The top commodity in terms of total non-oil export, accounting for 45.02%, was cocoa beans. urea/fertiliser held the second position at 19.32% while cashew nuts came third with 5.81 percent of the total exported products.”

 

She added that Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemical Limited and Starlink Global & Ideal Limited, led the top 20 export companies, accounting for 12.07 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

“This is attributed to their notable export value of fertiliser and cocoa products,” the ED said.

 

“Ten (10) member countries of ECOWAS actively engaged in importing Nigerian products throughout the first quarter of 2025,” she said.

“These exports, totalling 362,126.92 metric tons and amounting to $63.060 million, constituted 3.52 percent of the total export value and also a significant increase of 223.10 percent when compared to the recorded figure of $19.517 million for the first quarter of the year 2024.”

 

Ayeni said Nigeria also exported to other African countries in the first quarter of 2025.

“The value of these exports, totalling 281,480.29 metric tons valued at $ 32.732 million, represented 1.83% of the total export value,” Ayeni said.

 

“This is evidence that the non-oil export is increasing and all stakeholders are taking advantage of the potential and opportunities inherent in the sector.”

Ayeni said the evidence also lends credence to the fact that AFCFTA holds the key to intra-African trade as it “promises to be the largest free trade area in the world both by area and by the number of countries, connecting the 55 countries in Africa with 1.3 million people”.