General
Why We Rebuilt Yinka Ayefele’s Music House—Oyo Govt
By Dipo Olowookere
Oyo State government has explained why it used state funds for the ongoing reconstruction of the façade of the Music House, owned by the gospel musician, Mr Yinka Ayefele, which was partially demolished in August 2018.
Part of the building, which houses the popular Fresh FM in Ibadan, was brought down for allegedly breaching state laws.
The development generated mixed reactions across the country, leading to a truce between the state government led by the Governor, Mr Abiola Ajimobi, and owner of the property in question, Mr Ayefele.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Mr Bolaji Tunji, the government said its intervention was informed by the acknowledgment of contravention of the state building code by the management of the Music House and the personal appeal by Mr Ayefele to Mr Ajimobi.
Mr Tunji also explained that the appeal by various stakeholders to the state government, as well as the preparedness of the owner of the building to rectify the contraventions, which would involve the reduction of the frontage fence line by 1.5 metres, among others, informed the intervention by the governor.
He added that the parking lots at the tail end of the building close to the entrance of Lagelu Estate had also been reduced by 10.9 metres to allow visibility.
Similarly, he said that the current frontage of the building was being remodelled to become the back of the building, while the current back of the building had been converted to the frontage.
In line with the recommendation of the joint committee of the state government and the Music House management, he said that an entrance was being reconstructed from the rear of the building to the staircase housing the ram for the exclusive use of Mr Ayefele.
He added that, “There is also the recession of the current façade on the frontage of the building by 2.9m. The new fence will be grill fence to ensure visibility, while a staircase will be built at the basement to access the studio.
“The structural elements in the building will also be strengthened, while the two projections at both ends (stair halls) of the current frontage will be retained.”
Mr Tunji said that the clarification by the government, as well as newspaper reports credited to Mr Ayefele on Sunday where he thanked Mr Ajimobi and stated that the governor had “through this magnanimity helped us to right our wrong and we shall be eternally grateful to him” should lay the matter to rest.
He advised those seeking to rubbish the political capital built by the governor in the past seven years through purposeful governance and unprecedented achievements to look elsewhere.
“Following Mr Ayefele’s admittance of breach of procedures in the construction of the building and his subsequent apologies, as well as intervention of well-meaning members of the public, the governor agreed to temper justice with mercy.
“The governor’s approval on the reconciliation of the issue was communicated to Mr Ayefele on October 19, 2018, where His Excellency also approved the assistance on the reconciliation agreed upon on compassionate grounds, as he earlier promised publicly.
“It is necessary to put it on records that the governor or the state government was not out to witch-hunt the popular musician or anybody, but had acted to safeguard members of the public who daily ply the roads contiguous to the Music House,” Mr Tunji added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, August 16, 2026, declared the incumbent Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, winner of the 2026 governorship election held a day earlier.
Mr Adeleke, who contested under the Accord Party, defeated his closest challenger, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, to secure a second term in office.
The governor polled 511,067 votes, while Mr Oyebamiji scored 444,815 votes, giving Mr Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Mr Najeem Folasayo Salaam, came a distant third with 17,180 votes.
Mr Salaam had entered the election as one of the candidates expected to potentially emerge as a third force, particularly following the backing he received from former Osun Governor and former Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola.
However, that expectation did not translate into the numbers needed to seriously challenge the two leading candidates.
Mr Adeleke’s victory means he becomes only the third governor in Osun State’s history to win a second term through an election.
He joins Mr Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Mr Aregbesola in the state’s political history, although Mr Oyinlola’s tenure was later cut short following a court decision that nullified his election over irregularities.
Mr Aregbesola subsequently succeeded Oyinlola and went on to secure a second term, completing eight years in office.
Mr Adeleke’s re-election comes after a fiercely contested campaign marked by intense competition and reported violence from competing parties.
Despite those challenges, the governor consolidated his support across the state and secured a decisive victory over the APC candidate, extending his administration for another four years in the southwest states.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the collapse of five transmission towers along the Ikot Abasi–Eket 132kV Double Circuit Transmission Line.
This was attributed to severe acts of vandalism, as TCN disclosed that the structure collapsed after vandals removed critical structural bracing members.
The affected towers were N9, J4, N10, N11 and N12, the organisation said in a statement on Friday.
It explained that the extensive damage was discovered during a routine joint line patrol conducted on August 9, 2026, by TCN linesmen.
Further inspection revealed that structural members from seven additional towers along the same transmission corridor had also been removed and stolen. The towers, J3, N8, N13, N14, N15, N18 and N19, are now structurally compromised and pose a risk of further collapse.
TCN condemned this act of sabotage and reiterated its commitment to working hard to maintain a robust and reliable national grid.
The statement said that to mitigate the impact on electricity supply, the network has been reconfigured to prioritise supply to Ekim transmission station, leaving Ibom Power as the only station without supply.
TCN said it is mobilising an urgent intervention to complete the reconstruction of the affected sections of the line, with security agencies also notified to aid investigations and prevent further acts of vandalism along the line route.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, has urged all relevant government agencies to promptly initiate actions for the full implementation of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026, following its signing into law by President Bola Tinubu.
The bill, sponsored by Speaker Abbas, was aimed at repealing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act, Cap. N133, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and establish the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports while safeguarding the interests of shippers, service providers, and users of regulated port services. With the President’s assent, it has now been enacted as an Act of Parliament.
The legislation represents one of the landmark achievements of the 10th National Assembly. It reflects the Speaker’s commitment to legislative excellence, institutional reform, and sustainable economic growth, according to a press statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Mr Musa Krishi.
The bill underwent a rigorous and inclusive legislative process, including extensive stakeholder consultations and a public hearing. It was passed by both Chambers of the National Assembly and subsequently assented to by the President.
The Act provides a robust legal and institutional framework to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports by fostering transparency, competitiveness, and efficiency in port operations; protecting the rights and interests of shippers, service providers, and other port users; and aligning Nigeria’s port regulatory system with global best practices, thereby enhancing the ease and cost-effectiveness of doing business.
Despite receiving presidential assent, the Act has yet to be fully operationalised.
He warned that any further delay would undermine the legislative intent of the reform, prolong the exposure of port users to arbitrary charges and operational inefficiencies, and deny the nation the anticipated benefits of increased revenue, improved trade facilitation, and stronger investor confidence in the marine and blue economy sector.
The Speaker urged the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, in collaboration with all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government, to take the necessary administrative, institutional, and financial measures for the prompt implementation of the Act.
He said this should include the formal transition to, as well as operational empowerment of, the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to discharge its statutory mandate effectively.
The full implementation of the Act is critical to unlocking the economic potential of Nigeria’s ports, reducing the cost of doing business, strengthening trade competitiveness, and positioning Nigeria as the leading maritime and logistics hub in West and Central Africa.
The statement noted that the Speaker reaffirmed the 10th House’s commitment to exercising the necessary legislative oversight to ensure this landmark legislation, along with others assented to by the President, is fully implemented and achieves its intended goals for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
