News
UK Government Reacts To Ekiti Guber Polls, Gives Verdict
The United Kingdom government has released its verdict on the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State, praising the overall peaceful conduct of the exercise while raising critical concerns over technical glitches and the accessibility of polling stations.
In a statement issued through the British High Commission in Abuja, the UK government congratulated the voters of Ekiti State for their participation and extended congratulations to Governor Abiodun Oyebanji of the All Progress Congress (APC) on his re-election victory.
The commission welcomed the peaceful and orderly delivery of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and other local stakeholders, noting a positive collaboration on the ground that kept voting mostly peaceful.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the election marked the first major test under the new Electoral Act 2026 and its associated guidelines. Ahead of the polls, a team of British High Commission observers met with key stakeholders, including police and INEC representatives, to understand how the new legal framework was being implemented.
While the observer team commended the prioritisation of vulnerable voters at several polling units, they expressed reservations regarding the physical layout of the voting areas.
“While our team noted the prioritisation of vulnerable voters at several polling units, which is commendable, the physical location and set-up of most polling units visited were inaccessible to voters with disabilities.”
The UK government encouraged continued collaboration among Nigerian stakeholders to scale up good practices at all polling units ahead of the general elections in 2027.
The British observer team also reported notable technical challenges involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) across multiple locations.
“Our observers also noted delays to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) at some polling units, which slowed down voting. Technical issues risk undermining voter confidence in electoral systems and can discourage turnout.”
Beyond technical hitches, the international observers expressed concern over malpractices in the field.
“Our observation team were concerned to see instances of vote trading and interference by party agents at polling units visited. Vote trading erodes public confidence and undermines the democratic process. We call on all actors to take urgent steps to address this corrosive practice.”
Looking forward, the UK government urged Nigerian electoral authorities and political actors to immediately absorb these lessons from Ekiti as the next off-cycle election approaches in Osun State. The statement emphasized that as Nigeria moves toward the 2027 general elections, maintaining a credible process will be vital for public confidence in democratic institutions, national progress, and Nigeria’s leadership role across Africa.
The UK reaffirmed its readiness to work alongside the Nigerian government and civil society groups to champion credible electoral processes, strengthen public institutions, and support organizations working toward a more inclusive and accountable system.
News
JUST IN: Electricity Company Announces Total Blackout in Three States [FULL LIST]
Rivers, Bayelsa and Imo states have been plunged into darkness following a forced outage on the Alaoji 132-kilovolt transmission line operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).Geographic Reference
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, TCN said the incident occurred at about 3:39 a.m. on Tuesday.
The company explained that the outage was caused by an earth fault and a distance protection failure along the transmission line.
As a result, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) has been unable to receive bulk electricity for distribution to customers in Owerri, Yenagoa and Ahoada, affecting Imo, Bayelsa and Rivers states respectively.
“The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) wishes to inform the public that there was a forced outage on the Alaoji 132kV Transmission Line at about 3:59am today, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, due to an earth fault and distance protection failure.
“TCN’s maintenance crew has since swung into action and is currently working on the line to ensure that normal bulk power supply is restored as quickly as possible.
“Consequently, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) has been unable to off-take electricity supply for distribution to its customers in Owerri, Yenagoa, and Ahoada.
“TCN apologises for any inconvenience this outage will cause affected electricity customers,” TCN stated.
News
Tinubu Never Promised Nigerians 24-Hour Electricity – Onanuga
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has denied claims that his principal promised to provide 24-hour electricity for Nigerians during the 2023 presidential campaign.
According to Onanuga, the claims that Tinubu promised Nigerians 24-hour electricity during the 2023 election campaign are a misrepresentation of his words.
Naija News reports that Onanuga offered the clarification in a statement on Monday, 22nd June, as part of his response to calls by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for Tinubu to resign from office over worsening security and economic conditions in Nigeria.
Obi said that, as an example of leadership and accountability, Tinubu should resign just like the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announced his resignation over growing dissatisfaction from citizens.
As part of the alleged failures of the Tinubu government, Obi cited insecurity, unreliable electricity supply and worsening economic hardship.
Particularly, he mentioned that President Tinubu, in the build-up to the 2023 elections, had promised Nigerians 24-hour electricity and told them not to re-elect him if he failed to keep the campaign promise.
However, in response to the call and submission, presidential spokesperson Onanuga accused Obi of misrepresenting Tinubu’s 2023 campaign promise. He said the president did not promise 24-hour electricity for all Nigerians.
The presidential media aide added that those claiming Tinubu made such a promise are simply being mischievous.
According to him, Tinubu was addressing Lagosians during his campaign speech, and the context was about paying estimated electricity bills.
“Concerning President Tinubu’s campaign promises on power supply, it is misleading for Peter Obi to parrot the claim that candidate Tinubu guaranteed 24-hour electricity for all. What he actually said on that occasion in Lagos and which Obi and his followers have consistently misquoted, for the sake of mischief, was: “Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept. If I don’t keep the promise and I come for a second term, don’t vote for me—unless I give you adequate reasons why I couldn’t deliver.,” Onanuga said.
To justify his principal’s performance in office, specifically in the power sector, the presidential aide said Tinubu’s administration had signed the Electricity Act, expanded prepaid meter deployment and invested in alternative power sources.
News
FG Convenes Emergency Meeting Over Rising Cooking Gas Prices Nationwide
The Federal Government has moved to address the growing concern over rising cooking gas prices across Nigeria by convening an emergency stakeholders’ meeting aimed at finding immediate and long-term solutions.
The meeting was called amid fresh concerns over the continuous increase in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, which has placed additional financial pressure on millions of Nigerian households already battling rising living costs.
Key players across the gas value chain attended the meeting. They included government officials, regulators, gas producers, marketers, terminal operators, and major industry associations. Discussions focused on the factors driving the sharp rise in prices and practical steps needed to improve supply and stabilize the market.
Speaking during the meeting, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, described LPG as a major source of energy for homes across the country. She said cooking gas remains critical to Nigeria’s broader energy transition goals, especially as the government continues efforts to encourage cleaner and safer energy alternatives.
Oyekunle noted that the rising cost of cooking gas is becoming a serious concern for many families. According to her, the increase is not only affecting household spending but is also pushing up the cost of essential goods and services.
She stressed the need for urgent intervention to prevent further strain on consumers.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said President Bola Tinubu is closely monitoring developments in the sector and is concerned about the impact of rising LPG prices on Nigerians.
Ekpo revealed that the President has directed all relevant agencies and stakeholders to take immediate and proactive steps to tackle the situation.
He said while increasing supply remains important, it must be supported by better logistics, improved infrastructure, and transparent pricing systems to ensure that consumers feel the impact of any intervention.
According to the minister, solving the problem will require coordinated efforts across the entire gas supply chain.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Rabiu Umar, pointed to high landing costs as one of the major reasons behind the current surge in LPG prices.
He explained that several market factors, including import costs, foreign exchange challenges, transportation expenses, and supply bottlenecks, continue to affect pricing.
Despite the challenges, Umar expressed confidence that ongoing efforts by regulators and industry operators would begin to ease market pressure in the coming weeks.
He added that the authority is actively engaging producers and marketers to boost domestic supply, strengthen market monitoring, and improve product availability nationwide.
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