Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, has reiterated his claim that he won the poll but admitted he has no evidence to substantiate it.   Obi made the statement during an interview with the BBC, when asked whether he still believed he won the presidential election after Nigerian courts dismissed his challenge to the result. “I still say what I said,” Obi said when asked if he maintained his claim. When pressed on whether he had evidence to prove that he won, the former Anambra State governor replied: “There is no evidence. Everything is not based on evidence. I won the election, and that is where I will end.” Obi contested the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party platform and was officially placed third with 6,101,533 votes. According to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress won the election with 8,794,726 votes, while Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party came second with 6,984,520 votes. Obi challenged the outcome before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, alleging widespread irregularities and seeking to overturn the result. The tribunal dismissed his petition in September 2023, after which Obi appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court subsequently upheld Tinubu’s victory in October 2023 and dismissed the appeals filed by Obi and Atiku. Obi had initially said, shortly after the 2023 election, that he had won and would prove his claim in court. His latest comments represent a restatement of that position despite the judicial decisions that affirmed the declared election result.

Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State Governor, and Kingsley Chinda, the APC governorship candidate in the state, have held a four-hour reconciliation meeting in Port Harcourt.   The closed-door meeting, which took place at Fubara’s residence on Tuesday, brought together key figures and supporters from the two political camps involved in the prolonged Rivers crisis. Wike and Chinda arrived at the governor’s residence with their supporters at about 4pm and joined Fubara and members of his political camp for the discussions. The meeting ended at about 8pm. The engagement marked the first time Fubara hosted or personally participated in a reconciliation meeting involving his supporters, signalling a further step towards rapprochement between the previously divided camps. However, details of the discussions and any agreements reached were not disclosed. None of the participants addressed journalists after the meeting. The meeting comes against the backdrop of years of political disagreements between Fubara and lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly who are loyal to Wike. The crisis escalated in March 2025 when President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Fubara, his deputy and members of the state House of Assembly. The emergency rule was lifted in September 2025, allowing Fubara and the lawmakers to return to their respective positions. The latest reconciliation effort also follows recent comments by Wike that Fubara had corrected his political mistakes by returning to the political family that produced him as governor. Wike had said Fubara’s return was expected and that the various political interests would work together to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid. “He has publicly stated that he has returned to where he started, and we receive him with an open mind,” Wike said. “There is nothing to hide. We will all work together to ensure that we deliver the votes President Tinubu needs for his re-election.” The latest meeting is therefore part of ongoing efforts to consolidate the emerging rapprochement between Wike, Fubara and their respective political supporters in Rivers State.

The United States and the World Health Organisation have asked Russia to provide more information about a suspected case of plague after a laboratory worker in Siberia died from pneumonia of undetermined origin.   The woman, who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East, reportedly died last week, prompting concerns over whether she may have been exposed to the plague bacterium while handling dangerous pathogens. Reports on how she may have contracted the suspected infection have varied. One account said she told medical workers that she accidentally broke a test tube containing live bacteria while collecting samples. Another report claimed she had travelled to an area where plague naturally occurs among wild rodents. However, Russian authorities have rejected reports of a laboratory incident. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the reports as rumours and speculation, while Russia’s consumer and health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said laboratory tests on material from the woman did not detect microorganisms associated with her work. The agency also said there had been no emergency or security breach at the institute and that no other infectious disease complaints had been recorded among its employees in the previous 10 days. However, the Russian statement did not explain what caused the woman’s pneumonia and death or provide details about reports of a second employee suffering from pneumonia of undetermined origin. US, WHO seek more information US officials have expressed concern over the limited information coming from Moscow. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he was scheduled to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon and that his administration was involved in discussions over the incident. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said information from Russia remained “quite limited” and urged Moscow to be more transparent. “Maybe there’s nothing there. Maybe it’s bigger than we thought. We don’t know,” Rubio said. Rubio also warned that failing to provide relevant information could breach Russia’s obligations under international health regulations. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there was currently no indication of a wider threat to the United States but added that it was monitoring the situation closely. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation had requested further information from Russian authorities, including clarification on the cause of the severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted public health measures and reports of another employee with unexplained pneumonia. He stressed that timely and transparent information sharing was necessary to resolve conflicting reports and properly assess any potential public health risk. The European Commission also said it was closely monitoring the situation. Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and is naturally found among some wild rodents, including marmots. The disease was responsible for the Black Death, which killed millions of people in Europe during the 14th century. Nearly 200 people have reportedly been placed under medical observation following the laboratory worker’s death.

A traditional ruler in Ayeka, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, High Chief Akinwalere Akinola, was reportedly shot dead during the burial rites of a fellow traditional ruler.   The incident occurred on Tuesday while traditional rulers and other community members were participating in the funeral ceremony. A source in the community said a firearm was discharged during the programme, with the bullet striking Akinola in the head. “During the programme, a firearm was discharged. The bullet struck High Chief Akinwalere directly in the head, resulting in his instant death,” the source said. The incident reportedly caused confusion in the community, with the circumstances surrounding the firearm discharge remaining unclear. Confirming the incident, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said one suspect had been arrested in connection with the death. Jimoh also disclosed that an investigation had commenced to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. “One suspect arrested. Meanwhile, thorough investigation has commenced,” the PPRO said.