WHALEXTRA

Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru , has approved a major cabinet reshuffle, and redeployed commissioners in a move aimed at strengthening governance and improving service delivery. The changes were announced on Monday by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ikeuwa Omebe, while briefing reporters after the State Executive Council meeting at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Abakaliki. Omebe said the reshuffle followed the swearing-in of two new appointees into the administration—Prof. Omari Omaka (SAN), who was inaugurated as Commissioner for Tertiary Education, and Njoku Onyekachi Felix, who was sworn in as Special Assistant to the Governor and subsequently assigned as Special Assistant on Youth Mobilisation. Under the new arrangement, Hon. Chidi Onyia has been redeployed from the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. Mrs. Dr. Ngozi Obichukwu moves from the Ministry of Aviation to the Mini...

  The member representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will secure an easy victory in the 2027 general election. Oseni, an All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial aspirant for Oyo South Senatorial District, said the achievements recorded by the Tinubu administration over the past three years have positioned the President for re-election, insisting that no opposition party can prevent Nigerians from returning him to office for a second term. The lawmaker spoke in Ibadan during an empowerment programme he facilitated for farmers in his constituency, where more than 7,000 beneficiaries received farm inputs, agrochemicals and farming tools. Oseni, who chairs the House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), also reaffirmed his commitment to mobilising support for the President through the Remi Oseni Committee of Friends (ROCOF...

Three African nations have secured places in the Round of 32 at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking a strong showing for the continent at the expanded tournament. Out of the 10 teams representing the continent, Morocco, South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire have so far confirmed their places in the knockout stage. Egypt, Ghana, Cabo Verde, Algeria, Senegal and Congo DR remain in contention ahead of their final group matches as of Friday, June 26. Morocco finished runners-up in Group C after a 4-2 victory over Haiti, setting up a Round of 32 clash against Group F winners the Netherlands on June 29. South Africa made history by reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time after recovering from an opening defeat to co-hosts Mexico.

  The parents of a Nigerian student convicted of robbery and blackmail in the United Kingdom have appealed to the authorities to review the verdict, insisting that their son was wrongly convicted and is innocent of all the charges against him. Mr Aderinkola Akinrinola and Mrs Olayinka Akinrinola made the appeal in a statement released in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, following the conviction of their son, Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola , by a UK court on June 19, 2026. He is currently being held in a prison in Nottingham pending his sentencing, scheduled for July 27. The distraught parents alleged that the conviction was based largely on circumstantial evidence and their son’s association with the principal suspect in the case. They explained that their son met Richile Vagnu shortly after resuming his studies as a first-year student at Leicester University in September 2025, describing their relationship as that of acquaintances rather than close associates.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) recorded sweeping victories across four states in Saturday’s by-elections, winning key senatorial, House of Representatives and state assembly seats in Ondo, Nasarawa, Kano and Kebbi, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) retained the Rivers South-East Senatorial District seat. Results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday showed the APC consolidating its electoral strength ahead of the 2027 general elections, with decisive victories in most of the contests. In Ondo State, INEC declared Prof. Dayo Faduyile, a former National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and Special Adviser on Health Matters to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, winner of the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election. The Returning Officer, Prof. Gbenga Solomon-Ibileye, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, announced that Faduyile polled 68,474 votes to defeat Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), ...

  The Senate on Wednesday abandoned plans to use its electronic voting system for consideration of the constitutional amendment bill on the establishment of state police after the voting machines failed to function. Following unsuccessful efforts to activate the electronic system for more than 30 minutes, senators resolved to adopt a manual voting process, with members required to indicate their votes by raising their hands. The decision was taken as the Senate commenced voting on the report of the Constitution Review Committee on the Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for the establishment of state police and related matters. The switch to manual voting followed a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), who argued that the chamber should proceed manually after repeated attempts to use the electronic system proved unsuccessful. The motion was seconded by the Senate Minority Leader...

The G7 summit of world powers in France is being chaired by President Emmanuel Macron as host but on Wednesday his guest US President Donald Trump left no doubt over who he believed was in charge. “I’m the boss,” Trump said as he strode in to the morning session of the last day of the three-day G7 summit, with the other leaders already in their seats. Amid laughter, Macron appeared to take the comment with good humour. “How are you?” the French president asked. “Good, thank you,” replied Trump, a tycoon before becoming president who famously hosted the TV show “The Apprentice” with its catchphrase “You’re fired!”, as he finally took his seat. Fresh from clinching an accord to end the war with Iran and celebrating his 80th birthday, Trump’s presence has dominated the summit in the spa town of Evian on Lake Geneva.

  West Africa’s leading airline, Air Peace , has launched scheduled flight services connecting Lagos with Douala (Cameroon), Libreville (Gabon), Bamako (Mali), and Conakry (Guinea), effective August 1, 2026. The airline said the new routes would operate four times weekly on the Lagos–Douala–Libreville–Douala–Lagos service every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Flights will depart Lagos at 8:00 am, arrive in Douala at 9:30 am, depart for Libreville at 10:10 a.m. and arrive at 11:30 am. The return flight will leave Libreville at 12:10 pm, arrive in Douala at 1:30 pm and depart for Lagos at 2:10 pm, landing at 3:40 pm. The Lagos–Bamako–Conakry–Bamako–Lagos route will operate every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Flights will depart Lagos at 7:00 am, arrive in Bamako at 8:30 am, depart for Conakry at 9:10 am and arrive at 10:50 am. The return service will leave Conakry at 11:30 am, arrive in Bamako at 1:10 pm and depart for Lagos at 1:50 pm, arriving at 5:20 pm. Through its Lagos ...