Rumours

The power play over who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 may have created a wedge in the relationship between Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his mentor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Daily Independent has gathered. Though he is yet to confirm or deny reports that he is nursing a presidential ambition in 2023, many loyalists of Tinubu, who played a significant role in President Buhari’s election in 2015 and 2019, have confirmed that he is passionate about becoming the number one citizen in the next political dispensation. It was gathered that Tinubu had decided to lie low in respect of his ambition for now so as not to upset Nigerians and President Buhari, who is just six months into his second term. It would be recalled that Tinubu’s rumoured plan was to serve as running mate to President Buhari during the 2015 presidential election but some stakeholders such as Bukola Saraki,

Investigation by our reporter has revealed that the major textile and rice markets in Cotonou, Benin Republic, have seen a massive decline in patronage following the complete closure of the land borders and increased clampdown on smuggling. A 24-hour observation at the Seme border post revealed a complete compliance with the FG’s directive on the closure of borders to both imports and exports as only passenger movement is aloud. In August, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the closure of Nigeria’s land border with Benin, hence preventing the import of goods. This recent move is part of an effort to tackle smuggling and associated corruption and also to spur domestic agricultural industry. On October 14, 2019, Nigeria ordered the closure of its border with Benin, as well as those with other countries, for the same reason. According to the Nigerian maritime site Ships and Ports, in 2014 Benin lowered its tariffs on rice imports from 35 to seven per cent, while Cameroon erased it

Female bank Chairman and business woman, Ibukun Awosika has shared some critical decisions she had to make at 25 that has helped her become successful. Ibukun Awosika who is also an author and motivational speaker revealed that at the age of 25 when she was starting her first business, she made a decision never to sleep with a man for an opportunity or pay bribe and even when people thought she was just an idealist young woman, she kept the principles. She said; As a young woman of 25 when i was starting my first business, i made up my mind that two things were going to be critical to me. I'm from Nigeria and there are many things that my country is struggling with in many ways but we're a great country of a great people. I made up my mind two things, i was never going to pay bribe in order to succeed in my business nor was i ever going to sleep with a man in order to take an opportunity Everyone thought i was an idealistic young woman that wasn't going to go too fa

French oil major, Total is seeking to sell its 12.5 per cent stake in the giant Bonga deepwater oilfield off the coast of Nigeria, in an effort to adjust the energy company’s Africa portfolio amid a broad expansion. Reuters quoted banking and industry sources as saying that the stake in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 118, which is located some 120 kilometres (75 miles) off the Niger Delta, is valued at up to $750 million. Investment bank, Rothschild, is said to be running the sale process for the oil major. Rothschild and a spokeswoman for Total declined to comment. OML 118 is operated by Royal Dutch Shell, which holds a 55 per cent interest. Exxon Mobil holds a 20 per cent stake in the block, while Italy’s Eni and Total each hold 12.5 per cent. The sale process is part of Total’s plan to sell $5 billion of assets around the world by 2020, the sources said. The block includes the Bonga field, Nigeria’s first deepwater project which started in 2005 and produced around 225,000 barrel

Former speaker of the House of Representative, Yakubu Dogara, has been appointed as Chancellor of the Achievers University, Owo. The lawmaker made this known via his official Twitter handle on Wednesday, 6th November. Also, he is expected to be conferred with a doctorate degree from the same institution on Saturday, 9th. He wrote: "I am honoured to be appointed as the Chancellor of Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State". https://twitter.com/YakubDogara/status/1191975647910006784

There were wild jubilation as the Appeal Court, Owerri division on Thursday, November 7, dismissed the suit challenging the victory of, Orji Uzor Kalu, as the senator for Abia North Senatorial District, Igbere TV reports. Igbere TV reported earlier that The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, Abia State, has nullified the victory of a former governor of the state, Orji Uzor Kalu, at the 2019 general election. However, the court of appeal dismissed the case of irregularities brought before it by Senator Ohuabunwa. The Court delivered a judgement affirming the election of Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu as the duly elected representative for Abia North senatorial district.

Daily Trust Online has exclusively obtained names and portfolios of some of the aides of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who were sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari. The crisis rocking the presidency yesterday worsened as Buhari sacked 35 aides of Osinbajo, Daily Trust reports. Prominent on the list of the affected aides is Ajibola Ajayi, the daughter of former governor of Oyo state, Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi. She was appointed Special Assistant, Legal to the President (VP’s office) in August 2019. She was a former SA to the President on Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE (VP’s office) from October 2015 to May 2019. Also on the list are Lanre Osinbona, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on ICT; Imeh Okon, SSA on Infrastructure; Jide Awolowo, SA, Oil & Gas; Gambo Manzo, SA Political and Edobor Iyamu, SSA, Niger Delta. But the presidency also yesterday insisted that there was no rift between the president and his embattled deputy. Multiple presidency sources confirmed the sack

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has banned the operations of Dana Air by suspending its operating licens. NCAA’s spokesperson, Sam Adurogboye, announced the suspension in a statement Wednesday. Mr. Adurogboye explained that the suspension order commenced on Wednesday. According to him, the suspension was carried out to pave way for an investigation on the airline. He explained that Dana Air had already complied with the order. DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the suspension is coming on the heels of an earlier resolution of the Senate’s directive to the NCAA to ban the airline from flying in the Nigerian airspace. A Dana Air aircraft carrying 153 people crashed in Lagos on June 3, 2012, killing everybody aboard and 6 on ground.

The statement that roads in the country are not as bad as they are portrayed, attributed to Babatunde Fashola, Minister for Works and Housing, has earned him a response from a member of the House of Representatives, Bamidele Salam. Mr Salam (PDP–Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo federal constituency) challenged Mr. Fashola and other relevant stakeholders to boycott air travels for road ones for the next 90 days in order to estimate the ratio of good to bad roads in the country. Mr Fashola had on Wednesday while addressing state house correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, said: “The roads (in the country) are not as bad as they are often portrayed. I know that this is going to be your headline, but the roads are not that bad.” The gauntlet But Mr Salam, while speaking with journalists Thursday, chided the minister. “I found this statement, which had been repeated by the Hon Minister at least on two previous occasions as a clear indication that som