Former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa defeated incumbent senator Ned Nwoko in the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Delta North because of his deep grassroots connections and strong relationship with party members, according to Delta State Commissioner Charles Aniagwu.   Speaking on the outcome of the APC primary, Aniagwu dismissed allegations that the exercise was manipulated, insisting that the vote reflected the will of party members across the district. According to Channels Television, Aniagwu said Okowa’s long-standing engagement with stakeholders and empowerment programmes gave him an edge over Nwoko in the contest. He argued that political loyalty and emotional attachment often influence party primaries, adding that Delta North has more than 150,000 registered APC members. Aniagwu also claimed that Senator Nwoko failed to adequately consult key stakeholders before seeking re-election. He said the lawmaker lacked a strong political presence in the district compared to Okowa, whom he described as deeply rooted among party members and residents. The commissioner further alleged that many political leaders who supported Nwoko during the 2023 elections had withdrawn their goodwill ahead of the latest primary. Reacting to claims that the election was manipulated, Aniagwu said there was no “magic counting” during the process. He accused Nwoko of allegedly relying on support from influential figures in Abuja instead of depending on the democratic process. Aniagwu also criticised the senator’s performance at the National Assembly, claiming many constituents in Delta North could not feel his representation. In the APC senatorial primary, the party announced that Okowa polled 113,309 votes, while Nwoko secured 2,612 votes. Mariam Ali received 40 votes. Nwoko had not responded to the commissioner’s claims as of the time of filing this report. Okowa, who governed Delta State between 2015 and 2023 under the Peoples Democratic Party, defected to the APC in April 2025 alongside Governor Sheriff Oborevwori. The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed the National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027.

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, says the planned initial public offering (IPO) of the Dangote Refinery could hit the market in September as investor interest surges into billions of dollars.   Dangote disclosed this during a visit by Femi Otedola and senior executives of First HoldCo to the refinery and fertiliser plants in the Lekki Free Trade Zone. According to a report by TheCable, Dangote said the company is accelerating plans for the IPO due to mounting pressure from investors eager to buy into the refinery project. “There is quite a lot of demand in terms of people pushing us, saying we want to buy,” Dangote said. “That is the reason why we are trying to make sure that by September, we will be out there in the market to sell the IPO. But we have a lot of demand in billions of dollars.” The billionaire industrialist added that advisers are still determining the refinery’s valuation and target listing price ahead of the public offer. Dangote also revealed that interest in an earlier proposed $2 billion private placement had already exceeded expectations. “We are not selling up to that, but we’ll see what we can allocate to them. We can see what we can allocate to an IPO,” he said. He explained that the public offer is aimed at broadening ownership and allowing more Nigerians to participate in the refinery venture. Dangote described the refinery as one of the world’s biggest industrial projects, claiming it would account for about 10 per cent of America’s refining production capacity. “It’s going to be the largest refinery ever on the earth of this world,” he said. He further projected that the refinery business alone could eventually generate more revenue than any other company in Africa. During the visit, Otedola praised Dangote’s vision and leadership, describing him as “a colossus” and “a genius” whose investments have helped free Nigeria and Africa from “economic slavery”. The First HoldCo chairman said his company’s management visited the refinery as part of efforts to learn from Dangote’s business strategy while pursuing its ambition of becoming one of the biggest banks in sub-Saharan Africa within five years.

President Bola Tinubu has accused beneficiaries of Nigeria’s former fuel subsidy regime and multiple foreign exchange system of sponsoring instability and insecurity across the country.   Speaking through former Ogun State governor Olusegun Osoba at the launch of the book The NADECO Story in Lagos on Wednesday, Tinubu said individuals who profited from the old system were fighting back against his administration’s economic reforms. According to a report by TheCable, the president said the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market disrupted entrenched interests that had long benefited from corruption and round-tripping practices. Tinubu said those affected by the reforms were now attempting to destabilise the country in retaliation. “He is aware that there is a deliberate attempt to disrupt the peace of the country by those he knew he had offended by cancelling the multiple exchange rate regime and removing fuel subsidy,” Osoba said while delivering the president’s remarks at the Muson Centre in Onikan. The president said his administration remains focused on tackling economic and security challenges before addressing other political matters. Tinubu also defended the impact of the reforms on the naira, noting that the gap between the official and parallel foreign exchange markets had narrowed significantly. “You can see the difference between the parallel and the official markets is virtually zero. The naira, which was about N2,000 to one dollar, is now around N1,380,” he said. He added that despite continued attempts at foreign exchange manipulation, his administration would continue pushing reforms aimed at restructuring the economy. The event centred on the legacy of the National Democratic Coalition, a pro-democracy movement that opposed military rule in Nigeria during the 1990s.

The Labour Party has shifted all its primary elections for the 2027 general elections to May 30, 2026.   According to a statement issued on Thursday by Ken Asogwa, the party’s national publicity secretary, the governorship and state assembly primaries earlier fixed for May 27 have now been merged with the presidential and national assembly primaries. The party said all primaries for the offices of president, governor, senate, house of representatives and state houses of assembly will now hold simultaneously on Saturday, May 30. The Labour Party explained that the adjustment was necessary because the earlier dates clashed with the 2026 Eid el-Kabir celebration and activities marking the third anniversary of the inauguration of elected public office holders across Nigeria. The statement noted that May 27 coincides with the Eid al-Adha celebration, while May 29 marks three years since current elected officials assumed office. The party said the decision was taken to allow members, aspirants, supporters and Nigerians to fully observe the religious and national events. The Labour Party also apologised to aspirants, stakeholders and supporters for any inconvenience caused by the change in schedule.