Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has demanded that the commission should be funded directly from the federation’s account to guarantee free, fair and credible elections.

Amupitan made the call while speaking in Abuja on Thursday during the public presentation of Shadows: Protest Essays on Africa’s Most Consequential Country (1999-2023), a two-volume book authored by Eniola Bello, managing director of ThisDay Newspaper.

The INEC chairman said that the current budgetary process undermines the commission’s financial independence and operational efficiency.

Amupitan said although the Constitution places the commission on the first-line charge, the existing funding framework does not guarantee genuine financial autonomy.

He said that INEC’s dependence on the annual appropriation process and the federal government’s envelope budgeting system makes it difficult for the electoral body to function independently.

“Experience over the years has shown that as long as INEC is still subject to the normal envelope system and the processes of appropriation, having to go to the national assembly, it is very difficult to operate in such a situation without wasting your time,” Amupitan said.

Petrol price has climbed to as high as N1,400 per litre, across Nigeria cities Oil prices hit $100 a barrel on Thursday for the first time since May, after attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in the Red Sea threatened to squeeze global supplies further and reignite a global inflation shock.

Brent crude, Nigeria’s benchmark, rose more than 6 percent to $100, extending a blistering rebound this month amid fears that the US and Iran are headed for a return to full-blown conflict.

Fresh loading data obtained from petroleum marketers showed an upward movement in ex-depot prices across Lagos, Warri and Calabar.In Lagos, A.A. Rano increased its ex-depot price from N1,275 to N1,279 per litre; while African Terminal, Ascon, Gulf Treasure, Integrated and T.Time hiked their rates to N1,275.

Aiteo, Heyden and Nipco maintained existing prices of N1,275; while Emadeb bucked the trend by reducing its rate from N1,278 to N1,274 per litre.

Dangote Refinery, the dominant fuel supplier, had on Thursday resumed gantry loading of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in naira after a week-long suspension, while raising its ex-depot petrol price to N1,215 per litre.

• 11 poets for 2026 NLNG prize

The Advisory Board of The Nigeria Prize For Literature, on Thursday, July 23, 2026, announced a longlist of eleven poets for the 2026 edition of the prize.

The Nigeria Prize for Literature, sponsored by NLNG, carries a cash award of $100,000 for the author of the winning book.

The eleven outstanding poetry collections which emerged on the longlist were selected from 223 entries received earlier for the competition.

The chairman of the Advisory Board for the Prize, Prof Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, said that the entries mark a significant milestone in this year’s competition and reflects the exceptional quality, creativity and diversity of contemporary poetry.

The longlisted titles, arranged alphabetically are: Adult Love by Tanure Ojaide, Bakandimiyaby Saddiq Dzukogi, Black Passport by Paul Akpomuje, 2000 Blacks by Ajibola Tolase, Ceremony for The Nameless by Theresa Lola, and Corpus: Animistic Verses by Ayo Oyeku.

Others are: Floral’s Love Colonyby Tares Oburumu, The Origin of Wounds by Malik Gbolahan, The Years of Blood by Adebayo Agarau, Unbind Me Nowby James Ugwu Eze and Why Does God Need a Gunby Ogaga Ifowodo.

The announcement of the 11-title longlist formally opens the next phase of the shortlist of three in August and possible announcement of the winner in October.