The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to implement stricter selection criteria for academics assigned as Returning and Collation Officers ahead of the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

This demand follows reports that more than 600 senior academics from public universities across Northern Nigeria publicly endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC expressed strong concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest, noting that university staff are frequently deployed by INEC to handle critical electoral tasks.

While conceding that lecturers possess the constitutional right to support political figures of their choice, the party maintained that individuals who openly take political sides should be barred from managing sensitive processes involving those same candidates.

“No person who has openly taken a partisan position should subsequently be entrusted with determining the outcome of an election involving that candidate,” the party noted, adding, “You cannot campaign for a candidate and then be entrusted with counting the votes and declaring winners in the same election that your candidate is contesting in.”

Key Demands to INEC

To safeguard the credibility of the upcoming polls, the ADC outlined two major requests for the electoral commission:

• Establish Clear Guidelines: Formulate and publish explicit rules disqualifying any prospective election officials who have publicly endorsed candidates or engaged in partisan activities.

• Early Public Disclosure: Release the names of proposed Returning and Collation Officers well ahead of time to grant political parties and citizens adequate opportunity to flag potential conflicts of interest.

The party emphasized that the integrity of an election relies heavily on the transparency and neutrality of the administrators entrusted with managing and declaring its results.

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As the massive ₦2.15 trillion Initial Public Offering (IPO) for the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals officially commenced, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a strong caution to the public to stay vigilant against fraudsters.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

A stellar assembly of Nigeria’s political heavyheads, traditional rulers, banking elites, and capital market moguls converged on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) in Lagos on Monday to mark the official opening of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE Initial Public Offering (IPO).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The high-profile ceremony featured the historic launching of the ₦2.15 trillion public offer, with Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Industries Limited, officially sounding the trading floor gong.

Elite Turnout at the Exchange
Prominent figures who graced the trading floor included:

Lagos State Governor: Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Traditional Royalty: The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi

Financial Titans: Zenith Bank Founder Jim Ovia, Coronation Group Chairman Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, and Zenith Bank GMD/CEO Adaora Umeoji

Market Leaders: NGX Group Chairman Umaru Kwairanga, NGX Group GMD/CEO Temi Popoola, and Nigerian Exchange Limited CEO Jude Chiemeka

Dangote Executives: Group Vice President for Oil & Gas/Fertiliser Devakumar V.G. Edwin, and Mariya Aliko-Dangote, Group Executive Director for Commercial Operations (Cement and Foods)

IPO Structure and Details
The blockbuster public offer puts forward 4.1 billion ordinary shares priced at ₦525 per share, requiring a minimum subscription of just 10 shares valued at ₦5,250. The window will remain open until October 13, 2026, aiming to harvest approximately ₦2.15 trillion.

Addressing attendees at the ceremony, Dangote emphasized that the strategic decision to list the refinery goes beyond mere capital generation. Instead, he described it as a deliberate step toward “democratising wealth creation,” empowering everyday Nigerians to secure direct ownership stakes in the monumental industrial asset.

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