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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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National Police Council Ratifies Disu’s Appointment

Disu is now expected to proceed to the senate for confirmation as the last hurdle before attaining a substantive position as the IGP.

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The National Police Council has ratified the appointment of Olatunji Disu as the acting Inspector General of Police.

The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu , the third National Police Council session under his administration since taking office.

Disu was nominated by the president last week following the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun .

Disu is now expected to proceed to the senate for confirmation as the last hurdle before attaining a substantive position as the IGP

The National Police Council is responsible for the organisation, administration and operational oversight of the Nigeria Police Force, including the appointment and discipline of senior officers.Governors of Kwara, Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Enugu and Plateau states attended the meeting, alongside the ministers of Police Affairs, the Federal Capital Territory and Interior.

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DSS Arrests Suspect Over Edo Attack on Peter Obi, Others

Stephen stated online that Obi was lucky to have escaped in Benin, and vowed that the former presidential candidate wouldn’t be that lucky next time.

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• Suspect Udeme Monday Stephen, posted on his X account @stevetom788.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a man suspected of being behind the recent attempt to assassinate the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, in Benin, the Edo State capital.

Obi, a former governor of Edo State, Chief John Oyegun, and several chieftains and members of the opposition All Democratic Congress (ADC), on February 24, escaped death by the whiskers when armed men fired several gunshots at them at their party’s meeting in Benin.

Shortly after the attack, one Udeme Monday Stephen, posted on his X account @stevetom788.

He claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened further attacks on Obi.

Stephen stated online that Obi was lucky to have escaped in Benin, and vowed that the former presidential candidate wouldn’t be that lucky next time.

“We warned Obi against his entrance into Edo State, but he mistook our resolve for his Obidiots online noise. Thank his stars he (Obi) survived this one…

“I learned that he’s going to my Rivers State… Na my men go handle that one and dem no dey miss target… Speak no peace to a bastard and wish him no long life, for he’s destined to die,” posted Udeme.

A top security source disclosed that, no sooner had Stephen issued the threat than DSS operatives began covert investigation, deploying forensic analysis to track and arrest him.

The source disclosed that the suspect is 26 year old called Udeme Monday Stephen, and teaches at Jessica High School in Eliozu, Rivers State, at Umuehere Community, in Obio-Akpor LGA of the state.

“I strongly believe that the outcome of the agency’s forensic investigations implicated the suspect,” the source stressed”

You know that, as a responsible security organisation saddled with the task of counter-espionage, VIP protection, among other asset protection duties, the DSS is always alive to its responsibility of investigating credible intelligence, irrespective of tribe or religion.

“They swiftly deployed operatives and the man who threatened Peter Obi was nabbed and is in custody,” the source declared, adding that Stephen would soon be charged to court.

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Chaos at Lagos Airport tollgate as cashless policy commences

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The implementation of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) new cashless payment policy at airport access gates sparked significant chaos and gridlock at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) tollgate in Lagos on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Motorists and passengers faced long delays, with vehicles backing up at the toll lanes as many drivers attempted to register for the required prepaid “Go Cashless” cards on the spot.

The policy, which took full effect nationwide on March 1, 2026, prohibits cash payments at airport toll gates, car parks, executive lounges, and other revenue points, mandating the use of contactless prepaid cards issued by FAAN.

The sudden enforcement caught numerous users unprepared, despite prior announcements and publicity campaigns urging early registration at designated FAAN offices or points near entrances.

Reports described heated exchanges between drivers and toll officials, failed electronic transactions, and confusion over the new system, leading to some passengers missing flights and widespread frustration.

FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, confirmed that no cash payments were accepted on the first day, attributing the congestion to on-site registrations. He emphasized that the initiative aims to eliminate revenue leakages, enhance transparency, and align with the Federal Government’s push for a cashless economy, in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria.In response to the disruptions,

FAAN issued an appeal for patience and cooperation from motorists and airport users. The authority noted it had deployed additional personnel to the gates and increased registration points to speed up processing for first-time users.

Officials acknowledged the initial adjustment challenges as typical for such a major transition but assured that operations would stabilize over time.Similar gridlock was reported at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, highlighting nationwide implementation hiccups on day one.

FAAN reiterated that prepaid cards enable faster, safer, and more convenient transactions moving forward, with provisions made for easy access and activation.

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