Author: Chronicle Editor

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has delayed accelerated hearing on a suit to stop Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state from contesting the primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The court presided over by Justice E.O. Obile stood down the matter for three hours following appeal by the lawyer to the plaintiff, Ferdinand Orbih that they should be given a brief period to explore an out of court settlement. The judge had while ruling on a motion ex parte on Tuesday granted an order restraining Obaseki from participating in a primary election of…

The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has dismissed claims by the Oyo State Government that it gave the hospital N118 million to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The spokesman of UCH, Mr Toye Akinrinlola, refuted the claim in a statement issued on Tuesday in Ibadan. “The attention of the management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has been drawn to the content of a press release from the Oyo State Government that the sum of N118 million was given to the hospital to fight against the COVID 19 pandemic. “The press release quoted the Oyo State Commissioner for Finance, Mr…

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti on Tuesday took former Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Victor Giadom to Aso Rock Villa in a failed attempt to see President Muhammadu Buhari. According to The Nation, the visit was to convince President Buhari about the personality and agenda of Chief Giadom, who has been laying claim to being acting national chairman of the party. It was also gathered that Fayemi wanted Giadom to see Buhari to get endorsement for the emergency National Executive Council (NEC) he had summoned. But the duo couldn’t see Buhari despite spirited attempts. Court strips…

EU ambassadors meet on Wednesday to plan reopening external borders on 1 July, and travellers from the US could be among those not allowed in. A number of European countries are keen to open up to tourists but others are wary of the continued spread of coronavirus. The 27-member bloc must first agree the measures that non-EU countries should meet before deciding on a safe list. The virus is spreading in the US, so it is likely Americans would be barred. Brazil, Russia and other countries with high infection rates would also be left off a safe list, according to…

Arsenal defender David Luiz has agreed a new one-year contract with the club. Defenders Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares will also join the Gunners permanently at the end of their loan deals, from Flamengo and Southampton respectively. Meanwhile, midfielder Dani Ceballos has extended his loan deal from Real Madrid until the end of this season. “I am really happy that we will have these players in our squad for the future,” said the Premier League club’s technical director Edu. “They have been part of the long-term technical plan [manager] Mikel [Arteta] and I have developed. They bring the right balance…

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 said on Monday it had started reviewing the guidelines for lifting of the ban on interstate travels. Speaking at the daily press briefing of the PTF in Abuja, the National Coordinator of the task force, Dr Sani Aliyu, said the roads would be opened when the bus termini in the country all had COVID-19 preventive measures in place. Aliyu stated this as the PTF Chairman, Boss Mustapha, disclosed that the Federal Government would next week decide on its lockdown policies, including the ban on interstate movements. The PTF coordinator said the guidelines submitted by…

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday chaired the National Single Window Trading Platform committee as Nigeria seeks new ways to make export and import easier. In a tweet by Laolu Akande, the spokesperson to the Vice President, he said the meeting was conveyed to review the plan for a Single Window platform for all importing and exporting processes in Nigeria. ‘VP Osinbajo just finished presiding over a meeting of National Single Window Trading Platform Committee, with some ministers including Finance; Industry and MDAs heads, Customs and NPA to review plan to have a Single Window platform for all importing and…

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has pulled out of the reconciliation efforts of the Edo State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He told newsmen in Port Harcourt today that some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP are sycophants and tax collectors who will never tell the truth. According to him, instead of the NWC to carry everybody along in Edo state, they resorted to using the media to blackmail him. “I told them that in Edo State, we must handle the issue carefully and carry everybody along. They must respect human beings and…

President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana Tuesday spoke with President Muhammadu Buhari, expressing his sincere apology for demolition of a building on the premises of Nigerian High Commission in Accra, Ghana. In a telephone call, the Ghanaian leader told President Buhari that he has directed full investigation into the incident. A statement by Shehu Garba, President Buhari’s spokesperson said, “Earlier in the day, it further emerged that some suspects had been arrested, and will be arraigned in court”. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama revealed on Monday that Nigeria had earlier summoned the deputy High Commissioner of Ghana to Nigeria, Ms…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has stated that no member of its National Working Committee (NWC) sponsored any media publication to castigate and malign the person of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike. The party in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, national publicity secretary described such publications as handwork of external forces and enemies of the PDP who are bent on sowing seeds of discord within the party. “The NWC also wishes to place on record that none of its members has acted like a “tax collector” in whatever meaning the term represents, either in the process leading to the Edo…