Top Officials To Appear Before House Committee Over Phantom Presidential Council
The National Security Adviser, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and other top government officials are expected to appear today before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the legal basis, operations and budgetary inclusion of the phantom Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The committee’s probe centres on how the council was established, its mode of operation, and how it found its way into the national budget despite questions over its legal standing.
Dangote Refinery Resumes Naira Sales, Raises Petrol Price to N1,215
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has resumed gantry loading of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in naira after a week-long suspension, while raising its ex-depot petrol price to N1,215 per litre.
The refinery had suspended gantry and coastal loading on July 15 after introducing a dollar-denominated pricing template for refined petroleum products, a move that had disrupted supply to marketers before the reversal.
Trump Writes Tinubu, Commends His “Decisive Leadership”
United States President Donald Trump has written to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, commending him on his decisive leadership “on behalf of the Nigerian people.”
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
Nigeria Drops To 90th On Henley Passport Index
Nigeria has dropped to the 90th position on the latest Henley Passport Index, with holders of the country’s passport now able to access 44 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance.
The July 2026 global ranking, released by Henley & Partners on Tuesday, placed the Nigerian passport 90th out of 199 countries assessed worldwide, with a visa-free score of 44.
Naira Depreciates To N1,413/$ At Parallel Market
The naira on Wednesday depreciated to N1,413 per dollar at the parallel market, from N1,409 per dollar on Tuesday.
However, the local currency appreciated to N1,369 per dollar at the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM).
Fubara Declares Support For Tinubu, Wike’s Rainbow Coalition
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared his support for President Bola Tinubu and the Rainbow Coalition, a political movement led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Fubara made the declaration on Tuesday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction and equipping of the Riven Medical Facility, a public-private sector pharmaceutical factory in Rivers State.
ICPC Names Police, Five Ministries With Highest Ghost Worker Cases
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has identified the Nigeria Police Force and five federal ministries and agencies as having the highest number of suspected fake workers uncovered during its payroll verification exercise.
ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed the findings while speaking on the commission’s investigation into payroll fraud across federal government institutions, according to a BBC Pidgin report on Wednesday.
Ondo Assembly Crisis Persists As Lawmakers Issue Speaker Sunday Ultimatum
The crisis in the Ondo State House of Assembly remains unresolved as the majority of lawmakers have issued a Sunday ultimatum to the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, to resign from office or face impeachment.
Twenty-one of the 26 members of the House have signed an impeachment notice against the Speaker over alleged financial misconduct.
Lagos Mother Cries Out Over Alleged Police Cover-Up In Daughter’s Rape Case
A mother, Mrs Zainab Musa, residing in the Ketu area of Lagos State, has cried out over what she described as an orchestrated attempt by some police officers to frustrate efforts to secure justice for her 15-year-old daughter, who was allegedly raped inside a tutorial class in Ketu.
It was gathered from the survivor’s mother on Tuesday that the suspect, whose name was withheld, was the survivor’s lesson teacher and had allegedly threatened to kill the teenager if she disclosed the incident to anyone.
Nasarawa Governor Sule Sacks Six Commissioners In Cabinet Reshuffle
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has relieved six commissioners of their appointments as part of a minor cabinet reshuffle aimed at strengthening his administration.
The Secretary to the State Government, Labaran Magaji, announced the development while briefing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting on Tuesday in Lafia.
It Is A True Honour To Stand With You – Trump Praises Tinubu
United States President Donald Trump has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as decisive leadership in confronting terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria, particularly violence affecting Christian communities.
Trump conveyed the commendation in a letter dated July 6, 2026, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
In the letter, Trump reportedly reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Nigeria’s campaign against terrorist organisations and strengthening security cooperation between both countries. He described the relationship between Nigeria and the United States as vital amid the spread of armed conflicts and terrorist activities across West Africa and other parts of the world, adding that both countries shared the objective of confronting terrorism in all its forms.
‘Ghost Of Your Sordid Past Haunts You’ – APC Fires Atiku Over Alleged N12.8trn Hidden Under Tinubu’s Govt
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, over allegations of N12.8 trillion allocation allegedly hidden under President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Atiku had claimed the sum was concealed under the Service-Wide Vote (SWV) in the country’s 2026 budget, describing it as the most brazen assault on transparency and fiscal responsibility in Nigeria’s democratic history.
Reacting, the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said in a post on his X handle on Wednesday that a Service-Wide Vote is not a secret fund or illegal slush account, but a long-established budgetary mechanism for government-wide obligations and unforeseen expenditures arising after the annual budget is passed. Morka further accused Atiku of lacking understanding of the mechanism, saying the former Vice President was only projecting the “overflowing store of misdeeds” from his years in government.
2027: Fubara Reveals Governorship Candidate He Is Supporting In Rivers State
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared his support for the Rainbow Coalition, a political movement comprising members of different political parties in Rivers State, led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Fubara made the declaration during the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction and equipping of the Riven Medical Facility, a public-private sector-driven pharmaceutical factory in the state. He affirmed President Bola Tinubu as his preferred presidential candidate and Kingsley Chinda as his preferred governorship candidate, urging supporters to back all candidates on the coalition’s platform in 2027.
The governor said the period of political conflict in the state was over, adding that some politicians had wanted him to delay publicly aligning with the coalition, but he had already made his decision. He warned against actions capable of creating divisions in the state.
Police Top List As ICPC Exposes 908 Fake Workers
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers across more than 50 federal ministries, departments and agencies, recovering about N942 million allegedly linked to fraudulent salary payments.
ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, said the investigation began in 2024 after the commission detected irregularities in pension payments, according to a report by BBC Pidgin. He said the Nigeria Police Force recorded the highest figure with 570 suspected ghost workers, followed by the National Water Resources Authority with 80, and the Federal Ministry of Works with 56.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had 24 suspected ghost workers, while 19 were uncovered at the Ministry of Defence. The Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each recorded 17, the Federal Ministry of Health had 15, and 12 were found in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. Aliyu added that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior were also affected, though investigations there were still ongoing.
Osun 2026: I Am Stubborn And Impatient – Aregbesola
The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, has described himself as “a bit stubborn” and a man with limited patience.
Aregbesola, a former Minister of Interior and Governor of Osun State, stated this while addressing indigenes of Ile-Ife at the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, shortly before the ADC campaign rally in the ancient city. He said the party’s governorship candidate, Hon. Najeem Salam, has the patience and character needed to provide effective leadership in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
While comparing his personality with the ADC candidate’s, the former governor admitted he could be stubborn and lacked the level of patience that Salam possessed.
Dangote Announces New Petrol Price, Resumes Naira Sales
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has resumed gantry loading in naira, ditching its earlier decision to sell petrol in dollars, and announced a new petrol price of N1,215 per litre, an increase of N140 from the previous price of N1,075.
The refinery had earlier pegged the ex-depot price of PMS at $0.779 per litre, commencing dollar-denominated sales and ending the naira pricing regime introduced under the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude policy. The new pricing template also reviewed benchmark prices for diesel and aviation fuel.
The switch to dollar pricing had been linked to difficulties the refinery faced in procuring enough crude oil under the naira-for-crude arrangement. The 650,000-barrels-per-day refinery, now the country’s largest supplier of refined petroleum products, began accepting coastal loading orders again after notifying customers on Tuesday of the new terms, following the suspension of gantry and coastal loading on July 15.
‘I Don’t Want To Hear Justice For Your Stupid Name’ – Actress Bimpe Blasts Troll Over False Paternity Allegation
Nollywood actress Adebimpe Oyebade, better known as Mo Bimpe, has slammed a social media troll and threatened legal action over a report alleging paternity fraud involving one of her triplets.
A social media user with the handle @iam_Mardiyyah had claimed that Bimpe’s husband, actor Lateef Adedimeji, filed for divorce over the paternity of their triplets after a general hospital in Ilorin rejected his blood donation for one of the babies. Reacting via her Instagram Story on Tuesday, Bimpe said she would not listen to the public as she pursues legal action against the troll.
Falz Reveals The Only Politician He Can Endorse
Popular Nigerian rapper and activist, Folarin Falana, better known as Falz, has said that if he finds a politician he can trust 100 per cent, he will support the person.
He clarified that he has never publicly endorsed any politician or political party, stressing that his advocacy has always focused on encouraging Nigerians to participate actively in elections. He said his main concern remains seeing Nigerians register, collect their Permanent Voter Cards and vote, rather than campaigning for any particular candidate.
FIFA Names 2026 World Cup Best XI
FIFA has released its Best XI from the 2026 World Cup, with some of the biggest names in world football making the Team of the Tournament.
The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, ended with Spain lifting the trophy for only the second time in their history after defeating defending champions Argentina 1-0 in the final. Despite winning the tournament, Spain had only three players selected in the Best XI — Rodri, Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella.
Phil Foden Signs New Manchester City Deal Until 2030
Phil Foden has ended speculation over his future by signing a new four-year contract with Manchester City that will keep him at the Etihad until 2030.
Foden, 26, previously had a deal set to expire next summer, but the England midfielder has committed his future to the Premier League champions as they begin a new era under head coach Enzo Maresca. He made his senior debut as a 17-year-old under Pep Guardiola and has become one of City’s most successful academy graduates, making 369 appearances for the club and winning six Premier League titles, the Champions League and two FA Cups.
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