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Tribunal: Atiku, PDP Indicates Plans To Call 100 Witnesses

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Both the Peoples Democratic Party and it’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar are challenging the declaration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the February 25 election.

Both PDP and Atiku have indicated plans to call “not more than 100 witnesses” to the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.

Counsel for Atiku and the PDP, Chris Uche, addressing the court in Abuja on Saturday, said all the parties had met, and considered and agreed on the numbers of witnesses, duration and examination of witnesses.

Uche added that though the new time given them to call the witnesses is seven weeks, they would need three weeks, since the issues were getting narrower.

All the parties in the suit agreed to streamline the numbers of witnesses as well as the duration of each party to call witnesses.

For the evidence in chief, they categorised them into 30 minutes for the lead witness because they will tender and identify documents.

They also proposed 15 minutes for each respondent for cross-examination and five minutes for re-examination of the lead witness of the petitioners. In addition, 10 minutes was proposed for other witnesses of the petitioners, as well as 10 minutes for cross-examination of these witnesses, by the respondents.

The star witnesses of the respondents — the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu and the APC — 30 minutes was proposed, while 30 minutes was proposed for cross-examination of the respondents’ witness, by the respondents.

INEC said it has two witnesses that will testify, while the counsel to President -elect said it had 39 witnesses ready.

For the President-elect, the report of any star witness should be made available 48 hours before hearing.

The schedule of documents to be filed must be given to other parties before the hearing and calling of witnesses.

Examination of experts/star witnesses was fixed for 20 minutes, while cross-examination by respondents was scheduled for 30 minutes. Re-examination was fixed at five minutes.

Furthermore, examination of non-experts/star witness was scheduled for 10 minutes; cross-examination, 15 minutes; and re-examination at five minutes.

The same applies for the APC. The only difference is the number of witnesses — it has 25 witnesses set to testify.

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JAMB releases Thursday’s UTME results

In a statement issued by the Board on Friday, and signed by its spokesperson Fabian Benjamin, candidates were advised to check their results by sending “UTMERESULT” via SMS to 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number (SIM) used during registration.

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the results of candidates who sat for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination on Thursday, April 16, 2026, with a total of 632,788 results now available for viewing.

In a statement issued by the Board on Friday, and signed by its spokesperson Fabian Benjamin, candidates were advised to check their results by sending “UTMERESULT” via SMS to 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number (SIM) used during registration.

JAMB clarified that at this stage, candidates can only view their results, as printing options are not yet available.

It also issued a strong warning against attempts to manipulate or alter result messages received from official channels, stressing that such actions constitute a criminal offence.

The Board added that it is already taking action against offenders, revealing that some suspects are currently in custody.

“Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means. Any candidate found culpable will face the full consequences of the law,” it stated.

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Arise TV Deputy Director News Win Editor of The Year Award

The award’s: “In recognition of your exceptional editorial prowess, insightful journalism, and outstanding contributions to media excellence in Nigeria.”

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Deputy Director of News, Arise TV, Ohi OIdiai, has won Editor Of The Year 2026 Awards category, courtsey of The Industry Newspaper.

In a statement, the organiser said that the award was: “In recognition of your exceptional editorial prowess, insightful journalism, and outstanding contributions to media excellence in Nigeria.”

Details later…

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JUST IN: Tinubu Signs ₦68.32 Trillion 2026 Budget

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……Extends 2025 Implementation to June 30

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given assent to the 2026 Appropriation Bill, approving a record aggregate expenditure of ₦68.32 trillion for the fiscal year.

The President also signed legislation extending the implementation period of the 2025 budget specifically its capital component from March 31, 2026, to June 30, 2026.

According to details of the new budget, ₦4.799 trillion is allocated for statutory transfers, while debt service is pegged at ₦15.8 trillion. Recurrent expenditure stands at ₦15.4 trillion, with the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure receiving ₦32.2 trillion.

Capital spending thus accounts for approximately 50 percent of the total budget, reflecting the administration’s focus on infrastructure development, national security, economic stability, and inclusive growth.

A statement from the State House described the allocations as striking a strategic balance between mandatory obligations, debt servicing, day-to-day government operations, and productive capital investments aimed at boosting productivity and improving the quality of life for Nigerians.

President Tinubu also assented to the Appropriation (Repeal and Enactment) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which formally extends the 2025 capital projects window. Officials said the extension will allow Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to complete advanced-stage infrastructure and development projects, improve execution rates, and deliver better value for public funds.

The 2026 Appropriation Act takes effect from April 1, 2026, paving the way for full implementation in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The President has directed all MDAs to ensure disciplined, transparent, and efficient use of resources, with strict emphasis on value for money and timely project delivery.

President Tinubu commended the National Assembly for its swift consideration and passage of the budget, describing it as a demonstration of diligence, cooperation, and patriotism.

He reaffirmed the need for continued collaboration between the Executive and Legislative branches to advance national development goals.

The President further assured Nigerians of his administration’s commitment to deepening fiscal reforms, boosting revenue generation, stimulating economic growth, creating jobs, and strengthening social protection programmes.

The announcement was made by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, on April 17, 2026.

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