News
JUST IN: INEC explains kicking against tendering own documents against Tinubu’s election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has shed light on why it kicked against the tendering of its documents as exhibits by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Gregory Obi, to establish his petition against the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The electoral body had on Thursday vehemently objected to the admission of several documents brought to the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) by Obi and the Labour Party for the purpose of tendering them as exhibits to justify their petition.
However, at Friday’s proceedings, INEC lawyer Kemi Pinheiro SAN, told the court that the electoral body kicked against the tendering of certified true copies of the documents, mainly election result sheets, because Obi and the Labour Party did not challenge the conduct of the election in the areas relating to the documents.
Pinheiro explained that issues were not joined in the local government areas where the result sheets were sought to be tendered, adding that it was wrong of the petitioners to go beyond the areas where the election is disputed.
He accused Obi of trying to confuse issues by bringing result sheets where he did not dispute the election and the returns adding that the presidential candidate ought to have guided himself with the pleadings in his petition.
According to INEC, the local government areas unlawfully smuggled into proceedings of the court are totally strange to the petition and cannot stand in the face of the law.
INEC’s explanation offered while lawyers were ordered to make an appearance, however, drew the anger of the Presiding Justice of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani.
Justice Tsammani held that it was wrong of INEC’s lawyer to have smuggled the explanation into the proceedings because all parties in the petition had agreed to offer such explanations at the address stage of proceedings.
Pinheiro, in return, apologized to the court but said that he was forced to speak up on the objections because of the deluge of criticisms suffered in the media by his client.
The senior lawyer hinted that social media users had turned his client to an object of ridicule without finding out reasons for objections against the admissibility of the documents.
Meanwhile, the court has admitted as exhibits form EC8A from 21 local government areas of Adamawa and eight local government areas of Bayelsa States and parts of Rivers and Niger State as tendered by Obi and the Labour Party.
Peter Afoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, is conducting proceedings for Obi and LP.
Earlier, hearing in the petition of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) was further shifted to June 9 by the court to enable lawyers to obtain the May 26 judgment of the Supreme Court that would determine whether the petition still has life to sustain it or not.
The Nigeria Police Force has recently unveiled the official portrait of the new Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu (also referred to as Tunji Disu).
This follows his appointment as Acting IGP on February 24, 2026, after the resignation of the previous IGP, Kayode Egbetokun (who cited family reasons).
The Nigeria Police Council unanimously confirmed and endorsed Disu as the substantive IGP on March 2, 2026, during a meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu. His formal swearing-in is scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
The portrait was released on March 3, 2026, by the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, via official channels (including X/Twitter and the Nigeria Police Force’s social media).
It depicts Disu in full police uniform and is set to be displayed at key police formations nationwide as part of the formal recognition of his leadership role as the 23rd indigenous IGP.
Disu, born April 13, 1966 (age 59), hails from Lagos Island and joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1992. He has a background in public administration, forensic investigation, criminology, security studies, and more.
Prior roles include heading the Special Protection Unit and Force CID Annex in Lagos, and he previously served as Aide-de-Camp to then-Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu (during which time Egbetokun was also in the governor’s security detail).
This marks a leadership transition amid ongoing security challenges in Nigeria, with congratulations and discussions already circulating on social media and news outlets.
News
BRT Bursts into Flame on Mile-12 Bridge in Lagos
Passengers quickly evacuated the vehicle and moved to safety following the outbreak of the fire.
Passengers narrowly escaped death on Tuesday when a moving Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus caught fire on the Mile-12 Bridge along Ikorodu Road, Lagos.
Eyewitnesses reported that the high-capacity bus burst into flames mid-morning while in transit.
Passengers quickly evacuated the vehicle and moved to safety following the outbreak of the fire.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, working alongside other emergency responders, promptly extinguished the blaze.
The burnt bus was later removed from the bridge to prevent disruption to traffic flow.
The burnt bus was later removed from the bridge to prevent disruption to traffic flow.
Fortunately, there were no casualties reported from the incident.
News
President Tinubu nominates Oyedele as Minister of State for Finance
Before President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Oyedele(from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State), was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.
Taiwo Oyedele and President Tinubu. Credit: State House Photo
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Mr Taiwo Oyedele as the minister of state for finance, replacing Dr Doris Anite-Uzoka.
Anite-Uzoka will now move to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as the Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration. President Tinubu has today conveyed the nomination of Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Before President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Oyedele(from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State), was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.
Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert.
He attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy and finance.
He attended Oxford Brookes University and earned a BSc in applied accounting.
He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.
Oyedele spent 22 years of his working career at PwC, joined in 2001 and rose to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.
Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.
Chimamanda’s Son Death: Medical Council Suspends Euracare’ Director, two Doctors
Nigeria Police Unveils New IGP Portrait
BRT Bursts into Flame on Mile-12 Bridge in Lagos
Tech Expert, Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions, Adesanya, Alexander
Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu bags 10 years in UK prison
SAINT OBI: Between his marriage and his death
-
News2 days agoA Lagos Drug Kingpin Ends Up in NDLEA Net After 13 Years in Hiding
-
News1 day agoNational Police Council Ratifies Disu’s Appointment
-
News2 days ago
Police hunt for abductors of Ebonyi ex-deputy Governor’s Father
-
News1 day agoDSS Arrests Suspect Over Edo Attack on Peter Obi, Others
-
Business1 day agoIran-US-Israel war Drives Dangote Refinery’s PMS to N874
-
News2 days agoChaos at Lagos Airport tollgate as cashless policy commences
-
International1 day agoHow Iran chooses its supreme leader, and who could be next?
-
Entertainment1 day agoHow I met my husband, Olu Jacobs, on a movie set – Joke Silva