News
JUST IN: Appeal Court Affirms Fintiri As Adamawa Gov, Dismisses Binani’s Appeal
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has affirmed the re-election of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri as the governor of Adamawa State.
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Aisha Binani, had appealed against the judgment of the state governorship election petition tribunal which affirmed Fintiri’s re-election.
After the supplementary election, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party the winner of the polls with 430,861 votes while Binani of the APC polled 398,788 votes.
READ ALSO: INEC Announces Date For Re-run, Bye-elections
Binani then approached the tribunal citing allegations of corrupt practices and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
On Monday, a three-man panel of the appeal court led by Justice Tunde Awotoye held that the appellant’s brief was invalid and is likely to be struck out for being incompetent.
Awotoye further held that the appellants filed an incompetent record of appeal contrary to the practice directions of the court and tried to make the appeal court speculate.
READ ALSO: Why I Am Completing Inherited Osun Projects — Adeleke
The appeal court also held that the appellant’s allegations of corrupt practices were not backed by sufficient evidence and were rightly struck out by the tribunal.
“The evidence of the appellants at the tribunal was hearsay evidence which deserves to be ignored.
“I hold that this appeal lacks merit and is dismissed,” the court held.
The appeal court also ordered Binani and APC to pay N1 million to the governor and his party,for filing a “vague” application.
News
NiMet Predicts Three-day Rain, Thunderstorms From Monday
News
JUST IN: Ooni Visits Olubadan-designate Ladoja In Ibadan
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on Sunday, paid a visit to the Olubadan designate, Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The PUNCH reports that Oba Ladoja will be installed as the 44th Olubadan on Friday, September 26, 2025, following the demise of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90 years.
READ ALSO:Ladoja Coronation Date As 44th Olubadan Revealed
The two paramount rulers are currently exchanging pleasantries.
Details later…
News
JUST IN: FG Revokes 1,263 Mineral Licenses Over Unpaid Fees
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has announced a fresh revocation of not less than 1,263 mineral licenses.
These licenses, which will now be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.
The minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave the revocation announcement in a statement issued by his special assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Sunday in Abuja.
The minister explained that the directive was issued due to the companies’ failure to comply with the requirement of paying their annual service fees.
The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3, 794 including,619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.
READ ALSO:FG Introduces Chinese Language Into School Curriculum
By opening up the areas formerly covered by these licenses, the revocation is expected to spur fresh applications by investors looking for fresh opportunities.
The statement read, “Not less than 1,263 mineral licenses will be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, MCO, following their revocation by the Federal Government.
“These include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.”
Approving the revocation following the recommendation of the MCO, the Minister said applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.
“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder, while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites, is over.
READ ALSO:FG Gives Mining Firms Deadline For Community Agreements
“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the license because the law allows you to return the license if you change your mind,” the minister said.
He warned that the revocation does not mean the Federal Government has pardoned the annual service debt owed by licensees, adding that the list will be forwarded to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission to ensure that debtors pay or face the wrath of the law.
“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities.”
In the recommendation to the minister, the Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when the MCO published the intention to revoke licences in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.
He informed the minister that the gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to sensitise licencees and encourage them to comply within 30 days in compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.
READ ALSO:FG Gazettes New Tax Reform Laws
He observed that the delay in the final recommendation was due to complaints of several licensees who claimed to have paid to the Federal Government through Remita and had to be reconciled.
Earlier this month, the DG MCO had hinted that more mining licences would be revoked as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector and protect investors from fraudsters.
According to Nkom, the clean-up exercise, which covers expired, speculative, and inactive titles, is necessary to make room for genuine investors and ensure compliance with the law.
This is part of ongoing efforts at sanitising the sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration, and the salutary effects of the reforms are massive and manifest despite the attempts to push back by defaulters and their agents.
-
Metro4 days agoJUST IN: 6 More Deaths Confirmed In Afriland Towers Fire
-
News5 days agoNAFDAC Warns Of Fake Artemetrin DS, Antibiotic Ciprofit 500 In Circulation
-
News4 days agoCourt Restrains EDSIEC, Edo Govt From Conducting LG By-elections
-
Politics4 days agoPHOTO: Rivers Residents Throng Govt House To Welcome Fubara
-
Politics4 days agoJUST IN: Rivers Assembly Resumes Sitting After Six-month Suspension
-
Politics3 days agoBREAKING: 24hrs After, Fubara Finally Arrives Port Harcourt
-
News4 days agoPolice Disown Viral Recruitment Notice, Warn Against Fraud
-
News2 days agoFULL LIST: FJSC Releases Names Of 62 Candidates Shortlisted For Judicial Positions
-
Entertainment3 days agoHow Obi Surprised Me Early Morning with ‘Ghana-must-go’ Bag — Charly Boy
-
Metro4 days agoFake Madman Arrested For Cultivating Cannabis Farm In Anambra
