1. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has banned all staff found negligent in the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections from participating in March 11 governorship and state assemblies elections. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced this at a meeting with the Resident Electoral commissioners (RECs) in Abuja on Saturday.

2. Abdullahi, one of the sons of the late former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, is dead. This was revealed on Saturday by the deceased’s sister, Gumsu Sani Abacha.

3. The Labour Party said it had engaged the services of at least 20 senior advocates of Nigeria to challenge the outcome of the February 25 presidential election on behalf of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi. According to sources within the party, the lawyers drawn from different chambers were being furnished with materials that would be used as evidence in court.

4. Suspected gunmen have abducted the two wives and a son of the Chief of Sarkin Kudu in the Ibi Local Government Area of Plateau State, Dan-Salama Adamu. This is coming barely three weeks after the two wives and five children of the Chief of Mutum-Biyu were abducted and murdered by bandits.

5. Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa yesterday stated that the Muslim-Muslim presidency is not God’s will for Nigeria. The governor also expressed his fears about the closure of the church within the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He spoke on Friday at a meeting with Isoko Church Leaders held at God’s Fountain of Life Mission in Oleh, Isoko South LGA.

6. The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said it won’t congratulate the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his vice president-elect, Kashim Shettima, now due to the declaration made by the second runner-up in the presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi, to challenge the victory in court.

7. No fewer than 200 Boko Haram fighters, women and children have been reportedly killed by the Islamic State of the West Africa Province, ISWAP, in a deadly rival clash in Gudumbali, Borno State. Sources said the Boko Haram terrorists, who had scampered to safety, ran towards the Mandara Mountains in the Gwoza axis to seek refuge.

8. Governorship candidate of Labour Party, LP, in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said those doubting his Yoruba heritage should study the history of Lagos, saying his focus is on how to uplift the megacity. The LP governorship hopeful, who said this in a statement yesterday, described himself as the original Omo onile olona of Lagos.

9. Troops of Sector Four, Operation Whirl Punch and Special Forces of the 167 Battalion of the Nigerian Army have cleared a bandits’ hideout in a fierce encounter in Kaduna State. The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the development in a statement on Saturday.

10. Police officers deployed for last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections are grumbling over delay in payment of their special duty allowances. But the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba claimed that the force has paid all its personnel the election allowances.