1. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday described his decision to pick Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his life.
Speaking in Lagos at an event held to unveil maverick musician and activist, Charly Boy’s foundation and his memoir, “999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa”, the former president was asked one mistake he made while he was in office as President. He said: “Mistake when I was in government? The man I picked as my running mate, my number two — if I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him.
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2. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has scrapped a divisive proposal to sell stakes in the governing body’s flagship competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, following widespread pushback from across global football. Infantino, who has led FIFA since February 2016, confirmed the decision in a statement, saying the initiative had “created divisions” that ran counter to its original purpose, adding simply: “As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”
3. The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has directed lawyers and court officials to immediately stop using the title “Barrister” before their names in all official dealings with the Supreme Court. She declared the practice inconsistent with the professional standards expected at the nation’s highest court.
4. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, will today publish the names and personal particulars of candidates contesting the January 16, 2027 presidential election as well as elections into the Senate and House of Representatives. Potential voters as well as political opponents are expected to look out for discrepancies in certificates, age declarations, affidavits or nomination procedures.
5. Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has called on President Bola Tinubu to end all forms of killings by state actors, adding that the silence of residents also worsens the situation. This was as Soyinka dedicated his 2026 public lecture to the victims of Nigeria’s extrajudicial killings and state excesses, declaring that the nation’s greatest failure is not only the murders but the collective silence that allows killers to walk free.
6. NNPC Limited recorded N535 billion Profit After Tax for June 2026, representing a 15.8 per cent increase from the N 462 billion recorded in May. This figure is contained in the company’s monthly financial and operations report for June 2026.
Total revenue for the month stood at N4.389 trillion, while cumulative statutory payments to the Federation for the period January to June 2026 increased to N6.286 trillion, underscoring NNPC Limited’s sustained contribution to national revenue generation.
7. Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has said that he’s not attacking the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, but asking the South-East people not to vote for him. He said that he had been proud to work for President Bola Tinubu’s reelection due to his infrastructural projects in Nigeria, especially in the South East zone.
8. The Federal Government has ruled out any immediate increase in electricity tariffs, reaffirming its commitment to improving power supply through ongoing reforms and strategic investments in the sector. Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, made this known during a stakeholders’ engagement session in Lagos.
9. The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the conviction and sentence of two Chinese men, Zhang Lin, and Gao Hai, before Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, for conspiracy and the illegal mining of solid minerals. They were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy and the unlawful possession of mineral resources intended for export without lawful authority.
10. The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has deployed Erale Samuel Etaifo to Osun State as Commissioner of Police to oversee the security architecture for the forthcoming governorship election. Etaifo’s deployment was announced in a statement signed by the Osun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, and obtained in Osogbo on Friday.
