A broad coalition of civil society organisations, lawyers, and political figures, including ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to task the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) with investigating the controversial “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” (PFIPC). They argue that an independent inquiry is necessary to ensure public trust and a credible outcome, demanding that Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila and other connected officials temporarily step aside to allow an impartial investigation.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The controversy centres on Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims Gbajabiamila facilitated his appointment as Director-General of the PFIPC. While both the Presidency and Gbajabiamila vehemently deny any connection, branding Adeyemi’s documents as forgeries, Adeyemi insists on the council’s legitimacy, citing its physical office in the Federal Secretariat and a ₦1.3bn budgetary allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

Critics contend that the Presidency has already compromised the investigation by prematurely exonerating Gbajabiamila. By leaving accused officials in power, they argue, the process creates a conflict of interest and the perception that investigators are constrained.

Key figures have voiced the following concerns:

• Atiku Abubakar (ADC Presidential Candidate): Demanded a “truly independent investigation” that follows the evidence without fear or favour, asserting that Nigerians deserve the full truth rather than “scripted press statements.“

• David Ugolor (Executive Director, ANEEJ): Argued that for the sake of justice, public confidence, and international standards, officials under investigation must step aside to avoid interference. He called for full transparency, including making the terms of reference and final findings public.

• Lanre Arogundade (Executive Director, IPC): Acknowledged the ICPC’s statutory powers but suggested that given the intense public interest, a process perceived as fully independent would have been more appropriate.

• Andrew Mamedu (Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria): Emphasised that the investigation must be credible and transparent in practice, allowing the ICPC to work without interference and addressing the institutional weaknesses that allowed the disputed body to secure office space and funding.

The controversy is seen as a test case for the administration’s commitment to accountability, with critics stressing that no official should be above the law.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has firmly rejected requests to extend the July 11, 2026, deadline for political parties to submit their presidential and National Assembly candidate lists via its online portal. INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna clarified that while 14 parties had utilized the portal by the deadline, not all had completed their submissions for every constituency.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Submission Status: As of the deadline, 14 parties—including the APC, PDP, and LP—had engaged with the portal.

• Candidate Confirmations: The APC successfully uploaded President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, though the party has yet to finalize its National Assembly candidate lists. Conversely, the PDP faction recognized by INEC had not yet submitted its presidential ticket as of late Saturday.

• Handling Technical Challenges: Commissioner Haruna emphasized that missing the upload deadline does not result in automatic disqualification. Parties facing difficulties may utilize the established window for candidate withdrawal and substitution, which involves a formal physical review process by the commission to ensure all procedures comply with electoral guidelines.

• Calls for Extension: The Young Progressives Party (YPP) formally requested an extension, citing technical issues with the INEC portal that prevented the upload of certain candidates who were duly elected during monitored primaries. YPP spokesperson Wale Egbeola-Martins argued that an extension is necessary to prevent the disenfranchisement of parties and candidates due to factors beyond their control.

INEC previously cautioned that the nomination portal is programmed to reject any candidate names that do not align with those produced by party primaries that the commission officially monitored.

The sixth group of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Friday night, raising the total number of returnees to 1,174. The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) confirmed this in a statement by its Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, noting that the latest batch included 40 individuals arriving on a chartered flight.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Evacuation Breakdown: The evacuation process was completed through four Air Peace flights, which transported 258, 266, 262, and 282 returnees, respectively, along with a ValueJet flight that carried 66 citizens.

• Official Acknowledgments: Returnees expressed their appreciation for the support received from President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa Temitope Alexander-Ajayi, and NIDCOM Chairman and CEO Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

• Financial and Institutional Support: Various government agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigeria Immigration Service, were present to manage documentation and reception.

• State Intervention: NIDCOM reported that returnees originating from Imo State were provided with ₦1 million each, following an intervention by Governor Hope Uzodimma.

• General Gratitude: The returnees thanked the Federal Government, various state governments, private institutions, and religious organizations for the assistance and warm welcome provided to them upon their return.