In the course of the week, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) began a nationwide strike demanding the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the assault on NLC president Joe Ajaero in Imo State.
The strike, which started on Tuesday, was suspended on Thursday following the intervention of the federal government, led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
INEC releases result from Imo, Bayelsa, Kogi off-cycle elections
On Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commenced the announcement of results from the off-cycle governorship elections held on November 11 in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi States.
Governor Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was reelected for a second term, receiving a total of 540,308 votes. This victory came as he surpassed Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who obtained 71,503 votes, securing the second position.
In the Kogi State gubernatorial election, Usman Ododo emerged as the winner for the APC, garnering 446,237 votes. His closest competitor, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), received 259,052 votes.
Similarly, Donye Diri of the People’s Democratic Party claimed victory in the Bayelsa State governorship election with 175,196 votes, defeating Timipre Sylva of the APC, who accumulated 110,108 votes.
Court sacks Abba Yusuf as Kano Governor
Some noteworthy judicial development stood out in the week under review. The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja dismissed the appeal filed by the Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), challenging the judgement of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, that ousted him from office.
The judgement declared the All Progressive Congress (APC) flagbearer, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, as the winner of the poll held on March 18.
On September 20, 2023, a three-man panel of the Tribunal led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay had sacked Yusuf after deducting 165,663 of his votes.
In a related development, the Court of Appeal in Abuja declared as inconclusive the March 18 governorship election in Zamfara State, which produced Dauda Lawal as the elected governor.
A 3-man panel of Justices of the Court on Friday in a unanimous judgment, voided and set aside the declaration of Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the lawfully elected governor.
Still on Judicial matters, the High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory ordered that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of his bail request.
Emefiele is standing trial for alleged procurement fraud. The trial that had been stalled on three occasions finally held on Friday.
Nigeria’s inflation rate hits 27.3%
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) disclosed that Nigeria’s annual inflation rate rose to 27.33% in October from 26.72% in the previous month.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Wednesday showed that the October 2023 headline inflation rate increased by 0.61% points when compared to the September 2023 headline inflation rate.
“The increase in the headline index for October 2023 was attributed to the increase in some items in the basket of goods and services at the divisional level”.
Saudi Arabia revokes visas upon the arrival of 264 Nigerians
Saudi Arabia revoked visas for all 264 passengers on Air Peace’s flight from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, via the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Nigeria, to Jeddah, instructing the airline to return them.
The visas were cancelled upon landing, but the intervention of the Nigerian embassy was reported to have reduced the number of deportees to 170.
A few days later, the Saudi Arabian embassy in a statement explained its action, attributing the visa cancellation to the failure of those affected to meet entry conditions and the submission of inaccurate information.
Abuja Airport shut as Aircraft overshoots Runway
The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja closed its runway temporarily due to safety issues caused by an Aero Contractors aircraft. The aircraft, arriving from Lagos, had its nose wheel stuck in the grass verge while trying to exit the runway via A4.
A similar incident occurred at the Port Harcourt airport, where an aircraft slid off the runway during a taxi turn after a safe landing.
Fortunately, in both cases, there were no injuries or fatalities.
FG declared state of emergency in health sector
The Federal Government announced a state of emergency in the country’s health sector. This declaration was made during the 64th National Council on Health meeting held in Ekiti State, where stakeholders addressed critical issues in the health sector, particularly focusing on the urgent need for improvements in health facilities.
Zamfara declares state of emergency in the education sector
Similarly, the government of Zamfara State declared a state of emergency in the education sector. Governor Dauda Lawal in a statement by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Baba Idris, expressed concern about various challenges affecting education, including inadequate learning environments and staff.
As part of the emergency response, the state government has initiated the construction and renovation of 245 schools across the 14 local government areas, providing two-seater desks for 9,542 pupils and students, and furnishing the schools with 619 tables and 926 chairs for teachers, among other measures.
Still on education, WAEC is implementing a transition from paper and pencil testing to Computer-Based Examination (CBE) for its WASSCE for private candidates.
This move aligns with international standards, and according to Mrs. Moyosola Adesina, the Head of Public Affairs in Lagos, registration for the examination is set to begin on Monday, December 18, 2023.
World Cup Qualifiers: Egypt, Nigeria battled for spots
The football teams from Africa put up a lot of effort to guarantee their spots in the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
Anticipation brewed from the Super Eagles, who were looking for a successful outing after missing out on the last World Cup in Qatar, with bookmakers believing they would have little or no trouble in Group C, which also includes South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda.
Egyptian football fans were excited with anticipation as images of their team’s top player, Mohamed Salah, training with teammates before the match went viral on social media.
There are nine African qualifying groups, with the group winners advancing to the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico, and the US.
The Super Eagles on Thursday commenced their World Cup qualifying journey with a disappointing 1-1 draw against the underdog team, Lesotho.
Burna Boy, Davido, Others applauded over Grammy nominations
Among the nominees for the 66th Grammy Awards are Nigerian celebrities Burna Boy, Davidao, Ayra Starr, Asake, and Olamide.
The nominees of the Nigerian singers were congratulated by Bayo Onanuga, Special Advisor to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy.
David Adeleke, also known as Davido, who received three nominations for the 2024 Grammy Awards, expressed his joy on Instagram, stating that delay was not denial.
With four entries on the Grammy list, Burna Boy had the most nominations ever for the award.
It is anticipated that the 66th Grammy will take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 4, 2024.
Famous rapper Oladips passes away at age 28
Oladips, the late Nigerian rapper, received a plethora of condolences after his death Wednesday at the age of 28.
The late rapper’s management issued a post on Instagram to confirm his demise.
The message stated that he had been fighting silently for the last two years due to personal issues, even though the cause of his death was still unknown.
His music genre centered on social issues in society, while his song featured the END-SARS brutality in 2020.
Oladips gained prominence after winning the King is Here rap competition hosted by Nigerian music icon DBanj in 2015.
