Ozekhome Trial

Nigeria Immigration Service denies issuance of passport used in purchase of alleged London Property.

The court hearing the document forgery case against senior lawyer, Mike Ozekhome has been told that the passport used for the alleged London property purchase was not issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service.

The prosecution’s first witness, Aridegbe Akim, told the court that investigations conducted by the NIS revealed that a passport with the name Tali Sha and 

number- A07535463 did not originate from the service. 

Akim explained that the immigration service received correspondence from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) requesting verification of two passports said to belong to a Ponfa Useni and Tali Shani. 

After reviewing their records, the service discovered that while the passport issued in Useni’s name was authentic, the one associated with Shani had no trace in the NIS system.

During the proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, tendered both EFCC’s request to the NIS and the response from the immigration authorities through the witness. 

Counsel representing the defendants, Tayo Oyetibo, S.A.N and E. R. Onoja (S.A.N), did not oppose the admission of the documents.

Akim told the court that when officials attempted to verify the name Tali Shani in the immigration system, no data or personal record associated with the name could be found, stating that the service also had no record indicating that a passport with the referenced number was ever sold or processed by the NIS.

During cross-examination by Ozekhome’s counsel, Oyetibo, the witness stated that he assumed the position of principal staff officer in December 2023 but had been on an overseas posting before July of the same year, noting that Nigeria was fully admitted into the Public Key Directory and Public Key Infrastructure systems, as the country carried out an ICAO upgrade in 2025.

The case has been adjourned to April 15th 2026 for continuation of trial.

APC National Convention

Senate President inaugurates APC Convention Sub-Committee on Programmes and Events.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) Convention Sub-Committee on Programmes and Events, charging members to work diligently to ensure the success of the party’s forthcoming national convention.

Akpabio, who also serves as Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Ceremonies, Programmes and Events, said the committee is committed to delivering a seamless convention that will further strengthen the ruling party ahead of future political activities.

The committee, which has 98 members, has the Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila serving as its Secretary. 

Other members include the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, and the Executive Chairman of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Ismael Ahmed, who serves as Assistant Secretary.

Akpabio commended the leadership of the party, for assembling what he described as experienced hands to manage the programmes and events of the party’s national convention scheduled for March 26, 2026.

He assured that the sub-committee would work closely with the National Convention Committee Chairman and Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, to ensure that the event is well organised and hitch-free.

State House Press Release

 President Tinubu Sets Up Presidential Taskforce On Petroleum Sector Reforms.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the establishment of a Presidential Petroleum Reform and Value Optimisation Taskforce to design and sequence the next phase of structural reforms in Nigeria's petroleum sector.

Mr Fola Adeola, co-founder of Guaranty Trust Bank and founder and chairman of the Fate Foundation, is the Task Force's chairman. As chairman, he will coordinate the group's work and ensure the timely delivery of its mandate.

Other members of the Taskforce are: Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, Osagie Okunbor, Abubakar Suleiman, Adaeze Aguele, Farouk Gumel, Phillipa Osakwe-Okoye and Seyi Bella.

Mofoluwasho Fadayomi will serve as secretary.

As constituted, the Taskforce is a time-bound, high-level executive working group tasked with producing execution-ready reform blueprints that will consolidate ongoing reforms, unlock capital within the petroleum sector, and strengthen Nigeria's position as a leading global energy investment destination.

The initiative reflects the President's commitment to transforming Nigeria's petroleum industry into a more competitive, transparent, and value-maximising sector capable of driving long-term economic growth, macroeconomic resilience, and industrial development.

It will operate as a technical reform body rather than a representative committee, engaging industry operators, regulators, investors, and civil society as consultees while focusing on actionable policy design and implementation strategies.

The Taskforce will report directly to the President and provide monthly progress memoranda. An interim report will be submitted after three months, while the final outputs are expected within six months of inauguration.

President Tinubu expects the Task Force to deliver three major reform blueprints.

One of the deliverables is the Implementation Toolkit for Immediate Structural Fixes – including draft legislative amendments, executive instruments, and institutional restructuring proposals.

The second deliverable is the Capital & Liquidity Acceleration Blueprint, aimed at unlocking $5–10 billion in sectoral liquidity while safeguarding Nigeria's sovereign interests.

The third blueprint will focus on the National Energy Transformation Strategy – a ten-year roadmap with measurable targets for production, foreign exchange earnings, GDP contribution, and cost competitiveness.

President Tinubu has directed all Ministries, Departments, Agencies, regulators, and relevant institutions to provide full technical support to the Taskforce and to submit inventories of ongoing initiatives to ensure alignment with the emerging reform framework.

In furtherance of this directive, President Tinubu has also directed all existing committees, teams, and working groups established under various reform initiatives within the sector to align their activities, reporting structures, and work programmes with the new Task Force.

The streamlining will ensure coordination, avoid duplication of mandates, and provide institutional clarity, thereby ensuring coherence in the petroleum sector reform architecture.

The President has also directed that all relevant documentation, institutional knowledge, and ongoing workstreams should be made available to the Taskforce to support the development and implementation of its comprehensive reform framework.

The creation of the Taskforce represents a strategic presidential instrument to accelerate petroleum sector reforms, strengthen governance architecture, optimise national energy assets, and position Nigeria's petroleum resources as a foundation for sustainable economic transformation.

The Taskforce will automatically dissolve upon submission and acceptance of its final report.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President

(Information & Strategy)

March 13, 2026

Political Appointment

President Tinubu Nominates Taiwo Oyedele As Minister Of State For Finance.

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Taiwo Oyedele as the Minister of State for Finance; to replace Doris Anite-Uzoka.

Anite-Uzoka is to move to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning as Minister of State which marks her third portfolio in the present administration. 

President Tinubu conveyed Oyedele’s nomination to the Senate for confirmation in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga the nomination is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s fiscal and economic management framework.

Until his nomination, Oyedele, a native of Ikare in Akoko, Ondo State, served as Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, where he spearheaded sweeping reforms that overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

The 50 year old Oyedele is an economist, accountant and public policy expert. 

He holds a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy and Finance from Yaba College of Technology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Accounting from the Oxford Brookes University.

APC Delta Congress

The All Progressive Congress, APC in Delta has successfully conducted its state congress with new party executives emerging through consensus.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who expressed satisfaction with the peaceful exercise, charged the new EXCO on 2027 victory.

The governor charged the new executive to strengthen grassroots engagement and intensify voters mobilization ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In his acceptance speech, the state's APC chairman, Solomon Arenyeka, thanked party leaders and members for the confidence reposed in him, while assuring the governor of reelection victory in 2027.

APC Bayelsa Congress

The All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State has elected a fresh State Executive Council, with Warman Ogoriba emerging by consensus as the Chairman.

At the State Congress held today at the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre in Yenagoa, Governor Douye Diri asserted firm leadership, declaring that the smooth exercise has ushered the APC into what he described as a new era of unity, discipline, and electoral strength.

The exercise was supervised by the party’s national leadership and monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Addressing party faithful, Governor Diri charged the new leadership to uphold discipline, loyalty, and the core values of the APC, urging stakeholders to close ranks as well reposition the party as a formidable force ahead of future elections.

APC Kebbi Congress

The Incumbent Chairman of the APC Kebbi State, Abubakar Muhammad Kana Zuru, has secured another 4 year term, emerging through consensus at the State Congress in Birnin Kebbi.

Also elected through consensus, were twenty nine other executive members, who retained their positions except three who swapped posts.

The Chairman of the Congress, Modibbo Bello, commended the delegates for good conduct, thanking Governor Nasir Idris for providing a conducive environment for clean and robust politicking in the state.

In an acceptance speech, the new chairman, Kana Zuru, pledged absolute loyalty to Governor Idris as leader of the party and to work for the success of the APC in all forthcoming elections.

Governor Idris thanked the delegates for their good and peaceful conduct at the Congress, while the Minister of Budget and National Planning Atiku Bagudu pledged to support all elected leaders to deliver victory for the APC in 2027.