Author: Opalim Lifted

President Bola Tinubu has appealed to Nigerians to forgive him if he has sinned against them, urging citizens to embrace unity, peace, and moral renewal at the start of Ramadan. Tinubu spoke on Wednesday during the opening of this year’s Tafsir at the State House Mosque in Abuja. The president highlighted the overlap between Ramadan and the Christian season of Lent as a reminder of shared values. “Ramadan coincides with Lent, reminding us of our common commitment to sacrifice, discipline, prayer, and self-denial,” he said. “We begin this Ramadan with all the teachings it brings. The main principle is to…

President Bola Tinubu has signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) Bill into law, declaring that electoral results in Nigeria are “finalised by humans, not computers”. The legislation was passed by the National Assembly on Tuesday after months of debate, review and revisions by both chambers. Tinubu assented to the bill during a ceremony at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday, attended by senior lawmakers. Speaking after signing the bill, the president stressed that while technology plays a role in elections, the ultimate responsibility lies with human officials. “No matter how good a system is, it’s managed by the people,…

A new industry report has found that 71 per cent of Nigerians believe in-app support on banking applications is ineffective, exposing serious usability gaps in the country’s fast-expanding digital finance sector. The findings are contained in the State of UX in Financial Apps: Nigeria Report 2025, released on Wednesday by Interswitch. The study surveyed hundreds of banking app users and combined interviews with technical assessments based on global usability standards. It revealed that although digital banking adoption is rising steadily, support systems inside apps have failed to keep pace. Users Frustrated by Poor Guidance According to the report, many customers…

Negotiations over the proposed Providus-Unity Bank merger have stalled amid a bitter dispute over insider loans allegedly owed by directors of Unity Bank. A senior management source at Unity Bank said the insider credits are “not less than N4.8 billion”, though the exact figure remains unclear. The directors are reportedly pushing for the debts to be written off ahead of the merger with Providus Bank. Providus’ board and management have strongly opposed any write-off, insisting that all obligations must be settled before the deal proceeds. Sources say regulatory compliance concerns are at the heart of the resistance, particularly with just…

Two people have been killed and five others injured after violence erupted during the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congress in Idanre, Ondo State. The bloodshed broke out on Wednesday at Odode-Idanre, headquarters of Idanre Local Government Area, as the ruling party conducted congresses across its 203 wards. The chaos is believed to be linked to tensions from Tuesday’s disruption at the party’s secretariat in Akure, where suspected hoodlums stormed a stakeholders’ meeting and attacked party leaders. Among those targeted was Raphael Adetimehin, younger brother of Ade Adetimehin, the state caretaker chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He reportedly…

At least 37 miners have died in a suspected carbon monoxide leak at an underground mining site in Zurak, Wase LGA of Plateau State, in what is shaping up as a devastating Plateau mining tragedy. The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Tuesday while the miners were carrying out routine operations deep inside the tunnels. According to counter-insurgency publication Zagazola Makama, the victims mostly young men aged between 20 and 35 inhaled toxic fumes that suddenly filled the underground shafts. Eyewitnesses said several miners collapsed inside the tunnels before help could reach them. Twenty-five other workers were rushed…

There are managers in football who age and become statesmen of the game. Then there is Jose Mourinho, who appears determined to age into a caricature. For years, Mourinho’s fans have conflated belligerence with brilliance and petulance with personality. The self-described “Special One,” who some critics now dub the “Specious One,” has long cultivated the image of a misunderstood genius, forever persecuted by referees, journalists, governing bodies and, occasionally, reality itself. But there comes a point when the theatre stops being amusing and starts being ugly. By attempting to justify racism while simultaneously shifting blame onto the alleged victim, Mourinho…

Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, has predicted that the naira will strengthen to N1,100 per dollar in 2026. Dangote spoke on Tuesday during the launch of the National Industrial Policy 2025 by the federal government. The naira has strengthened in recent weeks, appreciating to N1,335.95 per dollar at the official market and N1,380/$ at the parallel market on Tuesday. Commenting on the development, the billionaire businessman said the country has the potential to generate large-scale consumption, industrial growth, and increased disposable incomes. “I mean, today, if you look at it, Your Excellency, I believe that with the policies…

Terror swept through parts of Niger State again on Tuesday as heavily armed gunmen stormed border communities in Borgu and Agwara, forcing thousands of terrified residents to flee into the Benin Republic. The latest Niger terror attack came barely 24 hours after Governors Umaru Bago of Niger and Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State met in Minna to review security in border towns. Eyewitnesses said more than 200 terrorists riding about 70 motorcycles invaded Konkoso in the early hours of Tuesday, their second assault within a week. Homes were set ablaze before the attackers moved towards Segbana, a border town linking…

Lucky Aiyedatiwa has denied allegations that he ordered thugs to attack the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akure, Ondo State. The Ondo governor dismissed claims linking him to Tuesday’s violence at the party’s state headquarters, insisting he was attending a birthday ceremony when the attack occurred. Suspected hoodlums stormed the APC secretariat in Akure during a stakeholders’ meeting convened ahead of the ward congresses. Ade Adetimehin, the caretaker chairman of the party in Ondo, was reportedly beaten and had his phone seized during the incident. The disruption forced stakeholders to abandon the meeting. Witnesses said the attackers…