General
Buhari Never Authorised $6.2m for Election Observers—Boss Mustapha
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, has informed Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, that former President Muhammadu Buhari did not approve the withdrawal of $6.2 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to pay foreign election observers.
It was alleged that Mr Buhari, who left office in May 2023, signed a memo directing the CBN to pay in cash the sum of $6.2 million to international election observers in the last 2023 general election.
This revelation was made in the ongoing trial of the former Governor of the apex bank, Mr Godwin Emefiele, in court. He was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
While appearing as a prosecution witness on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, Mr Mustapha stressed that neither Mr Buhari nor himself raised the controversial memo.
“My Lord, all through my years in service at my capacity, I never came across such a document. Having served for five years, seven months, I can say this document did not emanate from the office of the President,” he said.
He faulted the correspondence Mr Emefiele claimed came from the President’s office with a reference number, revealing that “once a correspondence has the President’s seal, there is no need for a reference number, because the seal is the authority.”
“I have looked at it, read it, and the Federal Executive Council’s decisions are not transmitted by letters but through extracts, after conclusions were adopted.
“My Lord, I am a custodian of all records, therefore, the President cannot give me the records, and in all my years in service, I have never heard the term Special Appropriation Provision that is referred to here.
“In all the correspondence I have received from my principal, it has never ended with please accept the assurance of my highest regard. I am his subordinate, so nothing of such would emanate.
“Lastly, my Lord, the Nigerian government has nothing to do with financing foreign observers. I know for a fact because I managed two elections, so the responsibility of such lies with INEC,” the former SGF added.
Asked by the prosecution counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), in respect of exhibit PD7 which states that it was 187 FEC meeting that held on January 18, 2023, Mr Mustapha affirmed that a FEC meeting held, but it was not 187 session, but rather first meeting of the year because it was January.
“My Lord, there was a meeting and it was the first meeting not 187. It was the first meeting of the year. My Lord, all FEC meetings are normally Presided over by the President or Vice president.
“In the case of January 18, it was the Vice president that presided over the meeting because the President was not around.
“My role was to prepare the agenda of the meeting and on that day, there was a16-point agenda, and there was no agenda that had to do with foreign observers, so it did not appear on the FEC of 18 January, there was no such approval or anything else from the FEC,” he said.
Asked whether the letter for the approval of the money emanated from his office, Mr Mustapha denied any knowledge regarding it.
“My Lord, to the best of my knowledge, that letter did not emanate from my office, not to talk of signing it.
“I am saying it was not from me for the following reasons; I was not privy to the operations of CBN, so I cannot write to the governor or the director.
“Secondly, the heading is defective because it reads ref. for election observers. It presupposed that there were previous correspondences when you say ref.
“So, my Lord, it is not true because it does not carry any FEC approval. And finally, there was a reference at the end of the letter.”
“I wish to state my Lord that I am not aware of any Special Taskforce and I do not know one Jibril Abubakar, Principal Officer One, who was alleged as the coordinator of this Taskforce, so I did not introduce any Abubakar to the CBN governor,” he said.
While on cross-examination, Mr Mathiew Bukka (SAN) asked whether Mr Mustapha received any amount from the money, he said he did not receive a single dollar when he was serving and when he left office.
He denied knowledge of Knowing Abubakar, stressing that he had never met him, nor did he ever work for him, saying he knew about the scandal on social media when it was stated that the defendant and himself connived to steal the huge amount of money, and for him to protect and redeem his image and integrity before the world, he then made a Press Release exonerating himself and at the same time encouraged further investigation on getting to the root of the matter.
After his testimony, Justice Muazu adjourned the matter till March 7, 11 and 25 for the continuation of trial.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) has reaffirmed its determination to bridge the gap between education and employability in the country by sustaining its flagship Youth Empowered (YE) programme.
This initiative provides hands-on learning, real-world insights, and access to career-shaping opportunities to young Nigerians.
The 2026 edition of the scheme commenced on February 2 at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), with participants mainly young people between the ages of 16 and 35.
A statement from the organisation said this year’s rollout will expand to more tertiary institutions, including the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). This follows a successful 2025 tour that reached seven cities across the country, including Makurdi, Jos, Benin, Kaduna, Asaba, Akure, and Port Harcourt.
Participants in the 2026 programme will receive training across key modules designed to support personal, professional, and business growth, including Business Life Skills, Adaptability and Resilience, Financial Literacy, Customer Service and Communication, Sales and Negotiation Skills, and Workplace Ethics.
The sessions will also feature breakout workshops on Business Planning, Project Management, and Time Management, alongside the Director’s Grant Pitch Competition, where participants can pitch their ideas for a chance to win business funding.
In addition to skills development, NBC’s People and Culture team will be present throughout the programme to identify outstanding talent for future opportunities within the organisation, further strengthening the connection between learning, employment, and long-term career growth.
One of the participants at the UNILAG training, Waliat Adedogun, who received a cash grant through the Director’s Grant Pitch Competition to support her small business, said: “Youth Empowered gave me more than training; it gave me clarity and confidence. Winning the grant means I can finally take my business idea from a dream into something real. I now feel prepared to build, grow, and create opportunities not just for myself, but for others too.”
Since its launch in 2017, the scheme has impacted more than 70,000 young Nigerians, equipping participants with practical skills, confidence, and exposure needed to succeed in today’s dynamic workplace and entrepreneurial landscape.
This year’s programme is being delivered in collaboration with Fate Foundation as the implementing partner, with funding support from The Coca-Cola HBC Foundation.
Last year, 10 beneficiaries were selected for six-month paid internships across NBC locations in Lagos, Ibadan, Asejire, and Challawa, gaining direct industry exposure.
Additionally, three outstanding participants received sponsorship for an all-expenses-paid intensive culinary training programme and were awarded N1 million each to support the launch of their businesses.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections will take place on Saturday, February 20, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed.
In a notice for the 2027 general polls issued on Friday, the electoral umpire also disclosed that the governorship and state assembly elections for next year would be on Saturday, March 6.
Speaking at a news briefing in Abuja today, the chairman of INEC, Mr Joash Amupitan, expressed the readiness of the commission to conduct the polls next year, which is 12 months away.
The timetable issued by the organisation for the polls comes when the federal parliament has yet to transmit the amended electoral bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
This week, the Senate passed the electoral bill, reducing the notice of elections from 360 days to 180 days, while the transmission of results was mandated with a proviso.
Recall that on February 4, INEC said it was ready to go ahead with preparations for the elections despite the delay in the passage of the amended electoral law of 2022.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The pipeline network of the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC) will witness a temporary reduction in gas supply for four days.
This information was revealed by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mr Andy Odeh, in a statement on Thursday night.
A key supplier of gas into the NGIC pipeline network is Seplat Energy Plc, a joint venture partner of the state-owned oil agency.
It was disclosed that the facility would undergo routine maintenance from Thursday. February 12 to Sunday, February 15, 2026.
The NNPC stated that, “This planned activity forms part of standard industry safety and asset integrity protocols designed to ensure the continued reliability, efficiency, and safe operation of critical gas infrastructure.”
“Periodic maintenance of this nature is essential to sustain optimal system performance, strengthen operational resilience, and minimise the risk of unplanned outages,” it added.
“During the four-day maintenance period, there will be a temporary reduction in gas supply into the NGIC pipeline network. As a result, some power generation companies reliant on this supply may experience reduced gas availability, which could modestly impact electricity generation levels within the timeframe.
“NNPC Ltd and Seplat Energy are working closely to ensure that the maintenance is executed safely and completed as scheduled. In parallel, NNPC Gas Marketing Limited (NGML) is engaging alternative gas suppliers to mitigate anticipated supply gaps and maintain stability across the network,” the statement further said.
“Upon completion of the maintenance exercise, full gas supply into the NGIC system is expected to resume promptly, enabling affected power generation companies to return to normal operations,” it concluded.
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