Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned politicians and political parties against using abusive, intemperate or inflammatory language in their campaigns ahead of the 2027 general election, saying offenders risk heavy fines and possible imprisonment under the Electoral Act 2026. The Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, in a telephone interview, said campaign rhetoric crosses the legal threshold into electoral intimidation the moment it moves beyond robust partisan debate or policy critique and enters the realm of coercion, hate speech or the threat of harm. “Under the Nigerian legal framework, rhetoric becomes punishable intimidation when…

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has arrived in Abuja for the official commissioning of the presidential campaign office of the African People’s Movement (APM), candidate, Seyi Makinde. Obi, who arrived at about 12:31 pm, is among the political leaders attending the inauguration of the campaign office, which is expected to mark a significant step in the APM’s preparations for the 2027 presidential election. The event, which is taking place in Abuja, brings together party members and supporters, political stakeholders, and other invited guests. Makinde, the governor of Oyo State and presidential candidate of the…

Union Bank of Nigeria has been recognised for its leadership in gender inclusion, emerging as Most Outstanding Bank in Gender Inclusion at the Women in Marketing and Communications Conference and Awards (WIMCA) 2026, held in Lagos recently. The award was in affirmation of the bank’s commitment to advancing gender diversity through an inclusive workplace and financial ecosystem that empowers women, female entrepreneurs, and professionals with tailored products, capacity building, mentorship, networking, and broader economic opportunities. Themed: “Grow, Give, Glow: Building Resilience for Distinction”, WIMCA 2026 convened leading female marketing and communications professionals from across Africa to explore industry trends, leadership,…

Mastercard has entered a strategic collaboration with Flowcart to embed secure, seamless card payments directly within social and conversational commerce journeys. Initially launching in Kenya, the collaboration will expand across East Africa and into key high-growth markets including South Africa, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, supported by broader scaling across pan-African markets. This initiative allows consumers to discover products, place orders and complete payments within a single chat-based journey, eliminating the need to redirect users to external websites or apps. Positioned to scale rapidly across multiple regions, it accelerates the adoption of seamless, in-chat payment experiences and significantly improves payment completion…

File photo: Dangote Refinery The Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has disclosed his vision to make the Dangote refinery the largest refinery in the world by 2028. Currently, the 700,000 barrels per day refinery, situated in Lagos State, is Africa’s largest refinery. He made the remark on Monday at the preliminary signing ceremony for the proposed initial public offering (IPO) of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals. The IPO comprises 4.1 billion ordinary shares at N525 each and is expected to raise just over N2tn, according to Dangote. The businessman said the minimum subscription would be 10 shares. Dangote…

UK flag The UK Government has appointed Alastair Long as His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Africa, with a mandate to deepen economic ties and expand commercial partnerships between Britain and the continent. The UK Department for Business and Trade welcomed Long to the position, according to a statement issued on Monday by the British Deputy High Commission. The mission said Long would work with African governments, investors, businesses and institutions to strengthen economic relations between the UK and African countries. It added that his responsibilities would include expanding commercial partnerships, supporting UK and African businesses, attracting investment and helping…

PremiumTrust Agusto & Co. and DataPro Limited, have upgraded the credit rating of PremiumTrust Bank. While Agusto & Co. upgraded the Bank’s long-term rating from BBB+ to A- and its short-term rating from A2 to A1, DataPro has upgraded the Bank’s long-term rating from A- to A, while affirming its short-term rating at A1. A long-term rating in the ‘A’ category reflects a low credit risk profile and a strong capacity to meet financial obligations as they fall due, while an A1 short-term rating denotes the highest capacity for timely settlement of short-term financial commitments. The agencies cited the Bank’s…

General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye…Photo Credit: IG/ thehgservice The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has admonished Nigerians to overcome anxiety and pressure by making rejoicing, praying and giving thanks a daily habit. The cleric gave the advice while preaching at the church’s headquarters in Lagos on Sunday, saying he had discovered that the three practices, when done wholeheartedly, could change a person’s life. Our correspondent retrieved this on Monday from a report by Church Times Nigeria. There, the cleric, who cited 1 Thessalonians 5:16–17, urged believers to begin each day with…

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr The Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr, has debunked claims that the student loan scheme is biased. Sawyerr noted that it was “completely ridiculous” to make such an allegation. He also said the electronic process for loan application required basic information such as the student’s name and matriculation number, which, according to him, wasn’t programmed to detect political affiliations. The NELFUND boss stated this on Sunday during his interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme. “I have not heard this allegation, but…

INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan * Introduces Operational Tracker Template. The Independent National Electoral Commission has unveiled a new operational strategy aimed at strengthening its preparations and identifying potential challenges ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections. The strategy centres on a real-time monitoring system that will allow the commission’s headquarters to track the preparedness of its offices across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, announced the initiative while opening a two-day Strategic Operational Workshop for the commission’s Administrative Secretaries in Lagos. The commission is introducing an Administrative Secretary Master Operational Tracker Template, described as a…