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On Thursday, the Lagos State House of Assembly ratified and certified 15 of the second list of 18 nominees that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had submitted.

The most recent Commissioners for Health and Information and Strategy, Professor Akin Abayomi and Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, respectively, who were turned down by the Assembly during the initial screening, are among those who were confirmed by the Assembly.

Former Economic Planning and Budget Commissioner Sam Egube, who was also eliminated from Sanwo-Olu’s initial list, was one of those rejected on Thursday.

Additionally, the Assembly again rejected Engr. Olalere Odusote, a former commissioner for energy.

But the House decided to postpone Tolani Akibu’s confirmation as a replacement.

On Thursday, former vice president Atiku Abubakar dismissed the decision of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal upholding President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the presidential election held on February 25, 2023, saying it did not instill trust.

He said the tribunal judgement failed to restore confidence.

“Though the judgement of yesterday is respected, it is a judgement I refused to accept. I refused to accept the judgement because I believe it is bereft of substantial justice,” Atiku said while addressing a world press conference at the PDP headquarters in Abuja.

The tribunal affirmed Tinubu’s victory and dismissed the cases of Atiku, the PDP’s presidential candidate, and Peter Obi, the candidate for the Labour Party.

Atiku and Obi both disagreed with the tribunal’s decision from Wednesday upholding Tinubu’s election. Kehinde Edun, the Labour Party’s legal adviser, vowed to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.

Atiku’s lead attorney, Chris Uche, SAN, added that his client had given him the go-ahead to appeal to the Supreme Court.

He said “The judgment has been delivered but we have not received justice. Luckily, the law has given us leverage to go on appeal to the Supreme Court. We have instructions from our clients to go to the Supreme Court. The struggle continues.”

The PEPT, which convened at 9.40am at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, declared unanimously that Tinubu had won the February 25 presidential election and rejected the case submitted by Atiku, Obi, and their parties.

The challenges filed by Atiku and Obi challenging Tinubu’s election as president by the Independent National Electoral Commission on March 1, 2023, were dismissed by the five-member panel, which took turns doing so.

Justice Haruna Tsammani, the tribunal’s chairman, gave the decision with assistance from the other judges on the panel, Stephen Adah, Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf, Moses Ugo, and Abba Mohammed.

Atiku, though, stated that he was not a stranger to legal conflict and that he would continue to go to the judiciary for relief when speaking at a press conference on Thursday.

“However, the disappointment in the verdict of the court can never destroy my confidence in the judiciary.

“Consequently, I have asked my lawyers to activate my constitutionally guaranteed rights of appeal to the higher court, which in this instance, is the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”

He added, “My decision to go to court is anchored in my belief that the court is the sanctuary of justice. The journey of my political career, as you know, holds so much to the courage and fearless decisions of our judiciary.

“Indeed, I am no stranger to legal battles, and I can say that I have a fair idea of how the court system works. All through my career as a politician, I have been a fighter, and I must say that I have found the judiciary as a worthy pillar to rest on in the pursuit of justice.

“The last presidential election in our country and the way it was managed by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, leaves behind unenviable precedents, which I believe the courts have a duty to redress.

“Our gains in ensuring transparent elections through the deployment of technology was heavily compromised by INEC in the way it managed the last presidential election, and I am afraid that the judgement of the court as rendered by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal yesterday, failed to restore confidence in our dreams of free and fair elections devoid of human manipulations.

“Like I did say at the beginning of this legal battle when I instructed my lawyers to file my petition challenging the outcome of the presidential election, my ultimate goal in this pursuit is to ensure that democracy is further strengthened through the principles and processes of fair hearing.”

Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate for the election scheduled for February 25, 2023, will speak at a press conference today in front of a large audience.

After the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal dismissed his claim and affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s victory, this has happened.

According to The PUNCH, Atiku and Peter Obi, a representative of the Labour Party, disagreed with the tribunal’s decision from Wednesday confirming Tinubu’s election.

Kehinde Edun, the Labour Party’s legal adviser, vowed to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.

Also, Atiku’s Lead Counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, said he had received instructions from his client to file an appeal at the Supreme Court.

He said “The judgment has been delivered but we have not received justice. Luckily, the law has given us leverage to go on appeal to the Supreme Court. We have instructions from our clients to go to the Supreme Court. The struggle continues.”

The PEPT, which convened at 9.40 a.m. in the Court of Appeal, Abuja, declared unanimously that Tinubu had won the February 25 presidential election and dismissed the appeal brought by Atiku, Obi, and their parties as having no substance.

The challenges filed by Atiku and Obi challenging Tinubu’s election as president by the Independent National Electoral Commission on March 1, 2023, were dismissed by the five-member panel, which took turns doing so.

Justice Haruna Tsammani, the tribunal’s chairman, gave the decision with assistance from the other judges on the panel, Stephen Adah, Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf, Moses Ugo, and Abba Mohammed.

Atiku, a former vice president, and Ambassador Umar Damagun, the acting national chairman of the PDP, expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision and said that they will be speaking to the world press about it.

The scheduled conference at the NEC Hall, which is on the first floor of the PDP National Headquarters, is scheduled to begin at 2:30 pm.

“Hello Gentlemen of the Press, good evening,” read the invitation that the party’s national director of publicity addressed to journalists.

“This is to invite you to a press briefing to be addressed by the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagun and PDP Presidential Candidate, H.E. Atiku Abubakar, GCON.”

Ayomiposi Esan, a 17-year-old child, is accused of robbing his parents, Mr. Oluwafemi and Mrs. Tosin, of three mobile phones, two generator sets, a sound system, and a Toyota Corolla automobile, among other things.

After locking his parents inside the home in Ogijo, Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State, the child fled with the valuables.

It was gathered that on September 3, 2023, the suspect was said to have broken into the house in the wee hours of the night while the couple were asleep in the apartment.

A source in the area, who did not want to be mentioned because he was not authorised to speak for the family, told our correspondent that it took a joint effort of other residents to free the parents from the apartment after their son fled the scene with the stolen items.

Awode Olatunde, a superintendent of police, led his men in a vigorous pursuit of the suspect after the victims reported the event to the Ogijo Divisional Police Station. This pursuit ended with the suspect’s arrest in Lagos while he (Ayomiposi) was hunting for buyers for the stolen goods.

The source said, “The boy had successfully sold one generator set he stole. The father is preventing the police from prosecuting the son after his arrest. The police wanted the boy to be prosecuted for his action, but the parents said they wanted him to be released along with the stolen items.”

Omolola Odutola, the state’s public relations officer, verified the occurrence to our correspondent on Wednesday and commented on it. He said the force wanted to charge the youngster but was unable to do so because the boy’s parents were against it.

Odutola said, “The course of the investigation was truncated by the complainant, who was equally the biological father of the suspect, as he vehemently declined prosecution of his son, one Ayomiposi Esan. He wanted his son and the recovered stolen goods, including the car, released.

“In the spirit of community policing and taking into consideration the image of the force so that police will not be seen as being too harsh on him and his family, the teenage son was consequently released with his property on bond.

“However, the son was counselled, cautioned, and advised to turn a new leaf and shun further indulgence in all forms of delinquency to avoid future occurrences.”

The price of single-phase and three-phase pre-paid power meters will increase, the federal government stated on Wednesday. The increase will go effective on September 6, 2023.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission made this announcement in an order that was issued with the NERC/2023/020 number and was jointly signed by the commission’s Chairman, Sanusi Garba, and its Commissioner for Legal, Licensing, and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye.

According to the government’s order, the cost of a single-phase meter has increased from N58,661.69 to N81,975.16 and the cost of a three-phase meter has increased from N109,684.36 to N143,836.10.

However, power users fought back against this, questioning why the Federal Government kept raising the price of key commodities in Nigeria’s energy industry.

To ensure fair and reasonable pricing of meters to both Meter Asset Providers and end-use consumers, the NERC explained why it increased the price of the meters.

It claimed that the price increase would guarantee MAP’s capacity to recoup acceptable expenses related to the acquisition and upkeep of meters while ensuring that their pricing structure permitted a workable return on investment.

“Evaluate the affordability of meter services for consumers, aiming to prevent excessive pricing that could burden end-users. Ensure that MAPs are able to provide meters to end-use customers in the prevailing economic realities,” the commission stated.

It said the closure of the metering gap for end-use customers was fundamental to the financial sustainability of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry as end-use meters provide revenue assurance to both the utility and their end-use customers.

“The Meter Asset Provider scheme is one of the four frameworks in the regulations for the provision of meters to end-use customers in NESI.

“Section 8(1)(c) of the regulations provides that the costs of single-phase and three-phase meters issued by MAPs, inclusive of all other associated costs of installation and warranties shall be at the regulated rates approved by the commission.

“The commission notes that significant changes in macroeconomic indicators, such as inflation and changes in the foreign exchange rates have necessitated a review of the regulated rates for MAP meters,” the NERC stated.

According to the statement, the commission used relevant data on substantial changes in macroeconomic indicators from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Central Bank of Nigeria as benchmarks for the review of meter prices.

While this was going on, the commission said that the prices for MAP single-phase and three-phase meters, as well as any other installation and warranty charges, would continue to be regulated and certified by the NERC.

It said the approved meter prices were exclusive of Value Added Tax, but noted that they were inclusive of the revised Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency sealing cost.

It stated that the sealing cost for a single-phase meter was N842.80 per unit, while that of a three-phase meter was N1,100.80 per unit.

“All MAPs shall adjust their prices to reflect the approved rates. All MAPs shall supply meters previously paid for by end-use customers prior to the commencement of this order at the prevailing rate when payment was made by the customers without additional increase in cost.

“All Discos and MAPs are to develop/implement customer enlightenment campaigns on the price review along with a schedule on the implementation of their meter rollout plans. All MAPs shall continue to file monthly sales and meter installation returns with the commission,” the industry regulator stated.

On Wednesday, two protestors who were opposing a fee increase at the university were detained at the University of Lagos Junction.

Police officers apprehended the two students, Philip Olatinwo and Femi Adeyeye, and placed them in a waiting police van.

Adeyeye shared another footage of himself and Philip in the van in a distress message he sent to our journalist, adding, “They mobilized policemen from many stations.”

Another demonstrator, Bayo, claimed that police sprayed tear gas at them, causing many of the gathered kids to disperse.

“Many students have fled the scene. I’m hiding somewhere. Femi and Philip are inside the Black Maria. They have not moved them to anywhere,” Bayo said.

A video that was provided to our correspondent showed some of the demonstrators running away from what appeared to be police tear gas while clutching placards.

As of the time our reporter filed this story, Benjamin Hundeyin, the state police public relations officer, had not returned calls or texts.

The National Association of Nigerian Students have been urged by the Lagos State Police Command to tell them of their plans for a protest at the University of Lagos today, September 6, 2023.

As a universally recognized human right, NANS had cautioned the Department of State Services not to obstruct students from expressing their freedom to protest.

Giwa Temitope, the union’s national public relations officer, claimed that the DSS’s claim on Monday that some politicians were enlisting student leaders for a violent protest against the Federal Government over socioeconomic issues was false propaganda and that the protest would proceed as scheduled.

Student Solidarity Group Against Fee Hike, a group, announced this week that it would stage a demonstration against the fee increase at the University of Lagos on September 6, 2023.

One of the leaders of the group, Femi Adeyeye, told on Tuesday that the protests would go on planned. “We’re all set, students are ready,” Adeyeye said.

Backing the move, the NANS PRO, in a statement sent to our correspondent on Tuesday, said the student body would be storming UNILAG for the protest, urging the DSS not to infringe on the rights of students.

Giwa said, “It is quite embarrassing that the DSS has derailed to become the propaganda arm of the Federal Government, thereby, raising false alarms and even interfering in affairs that do not in any way relate to their line of profession.

“As an association, we maintain that we are not satisfied with how the Nigerian society is being run, most especially, as regards arbitrary fee increment across our tertiary institutions.

“Students are therefore enjoined to come out en masse and join the protest for the immediate reversal of fee at the University of Lagos.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the protest is a fundamental human right and the command is only asking the students to inform the police so that measures can be taken. The UNILAG management increased fees in July 2023 and cited “prevailing economic realities” as the reason for the hike.

The PPRO said, “The police do not give permission to protesters. It’s their inalienable right. They are only advised to inform the police so that adequate measures can be put in place.”

US President Joe Biden tested negative for COVID again Tuesday but will wear a mask out of precaution after First Lady Jill Biden contracted a mild case of the disease, the White House said.

The President, 80, also tested negative during a check-up on Monday and is “not experiencing any symptoms,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

However, because he was with his wife on Monday “he will be masking while indoors and around people” in alignment with government health guidance, she said.

“The president will remove his mask when sufficiently distanced from others indoors and while outside as well.”

Jean-Pierre wouldn’t give further details on Biden’s masking plans for the G20 summit in New Delhi later this week or for alternative arrangements in case he tests positive for Covid ahead of or during the foreign trip.

“The president certainly is going to test on a regular cadence,” she said.

Jill Biden, 72, is experiencing “only mild symptoms,” her office said, and will remain at the couple’s private home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

She last tested positive for Covid a year ago.

The United States has been experiencing a rise in Covid cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks.

The Allied Peoples Movement’s claims against President Bola Tinubu and his Vice President, Kashim Shettima, were dismissed by the Presidential Election Petition Court for lack of substance.

The PEPC rejected and deemed “incompetent” APM’s attempt to invalidate Tinubu’s election.

The court decided that the pre-election problems brought up by the APM in its petition could only be resolved by the Federal High Court.

Justice Haruna Tsammani, the panel’s chair, read the decision.

The Independent National Electoral Commission and four other parties were named in the tribunal’s dismissal of the APM petition.

INEC, the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, Kashim Shettima, and Kabiru Masari are listed as the first through fifth respondents.

The tribunal reached a decision regarding each of the claims made by APM.

The petition, according to Tsammani, lacked merit because the petitioners couldn’t back up their claims.

In order to contest the petition’s competence, all of the Respondents presented preliminary objections, which the judge upheld.

Tsammani ruled that the APM needed to file a lawsuit within 14 days of Tinubu’s APC nomination because the petition hinged on whether or not Tinubu was qualified to run for president.

He maintained that the APM lacked locus standi to contest Tinubu’s candidacy because the issue touched on a pre-election topic.

Tsammani also ruled that a political party may not challenge the method used by another political party to nominate a candidate under the law.

With accordance with the provisions of Sections 131 and 137 of the Constitution, the judge further found that an improper nomination or a duplicate nomination did not constitute as a reason for disqualification with regard to a presidential election.

According to The PUNCH, the APM requested that the President’s votes be declared void on the grounds that his vice, Shettima, was nominated twice.

The APM stated that Shettima was running for senator in Borno State at the same time he was chosen as the APC’s vice presidential candidate.

After calling one private witness, the case involving the APM was started and closed on June 21.

Niger’s military leaders have decided to reopen the country’s airspace to all commercial flights, ending a closure that had been in place since August 6th when they took control of the government in a Coup, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the transport ministry on Monday.

According to Reuters, the closure had led to the suspension of flights by Air France and other European carriers, which were compelled to take longer routes around the African continent.

Niger, a landlocked nation, boasts a vast expanse, more than twice the size of France, and is situated along several key flight paths across Africa.

Initially, the junta had closed Niger’s airspace, citing concerns about potential military intervention from the West African regional bloc.

However, they did not immediately provide an explanation for their decision to lift the ban.