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Aso Rock to disconnect from nat’l grid in March – Perm Sec

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The Aso Rock Presidential Villa is expected to fully disconnect from the national electricity grid by March 2026 following the completion of its solar power project, the State House Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashedemi, has disclosed.

Fashedemi made the revelation on Wednesday while defending the State House 2026 budget before the Senate Committee on Special Duties at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.

This is according to details of the proceedings transmitted to State House correspondents by the Presidency on Wednesday evening.

He told the committee, chaired by Senator Kaka Lawan (Borno Central), that the solar installation was completed towards the end of 2025 and had been undergoing testing since December.

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“We are hopeful that maybe by March we’ll be able to do a full cutover,” Fashedemi said, adding that the transition would deliver significant cost savings for the government.

The Permanent Secretary cited the State House Medical Centre as proof of the project’s viability.

The facility, he argued, completed its own solar installation in May 2025 and has since operated entirely without generator power.

He stated, “I have to say that since that time, the generator in that State House Medical Centre has not been put on for one minute since May last year.

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“Only a couple of months, we used three per cent from AEDC (Abuja Electricity Distribution Company), so the rest has been strictly from the solar and from the battery electric storage system.”

The Federal Government budgeted N10bn for the “Solarisation of the Villa with Solar Mini Grid” project in 2025.

The move that sparked widespread criticism from Nigerians who argued that the decision to install solar panels at Aso Rock amounted to an admission that the Tinubu administration could not fix Nigeria’s epileptic power supply.

The 2026 Appropriation Bill contains an additional N7bn allocation for the project.

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However, the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, defended the project in April 2025, describing it as unsustainable for the Villa to continue paying an estimated N47bn annual electricity bill.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had also cited the White House’s use of solar energy as justification for the initiative.

Before the solar transition, the State House had accumulated electricity debts nearing N1bn.

In February 2024, AEDC listed the Presidential Villa among the top government debtors with an outstanding bill of N923.87m.

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Following a reconciliation process, the figure was revised to N342.35m, which President Bola Tinubu ordered to be settled immediately.

Fashedemi told senators that the testing phase had exposed systemic overbilling by AEDC, with transformers charging for electricity not supplied.

He said, “What we have discovered in the course of all of this, especially during the testing phase, is that there’s been a lot of overbilling.

“When we’re testing it, a number of the transformers, we’re seeing that they were billing for electricity not supplied.

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“So we are using that period now to point it out to them and hopefully do some reconciliation about this legacy liability.”

The Permanent Secretary expressed optimism that once the full cutover is completed, the Villa’s ageing generators, installed when the complex was originally built, would no longer be needed.

“We’ve been having a lot of pressure from the service providers that we need to replace them,” he said of the generators.

Fashedemi added, “But we are happy that with the performance we are seeing at the State House Medical Centre, when we do the cutover, we will not need to do that.

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“Maybe we just have a couple for backup in case of any eventuality.

“But we believe that the solar infrastructure will suffice.”

Meanwhile, Senator Lawan criticised the N127m allocation for SUV vehicles in the State House budget, describing it as grossly inadequate.

“I will join my colleague Aminu in also rejecting N127m for SUV cars in the Villa. It cannot buy even a bulletproof tokunbo,” the committee chairman said.

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He added, “We don’t want a situation where a visiting president will use a tokunbo (fairly used vehicle) at the airport. No, that is unacceptable.”

He directed the Budget Office of the Federation to review the allocation upward, adding, “They have to do justice to your request, not by reducing it to a paltry amount that would end up buying a tokunbo.”

The senator commended the State House for appearing before the committee on schedule, noting that it set a positive example for other ministries, departments, and agencies.

“If the State House would appear before this committee as you did, we see no reason why other MDAs will not come. You have led by example,” Lawan said.

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Makinde Hails Adeleke’s Re-election, Berates Attempt to Use Federal Might 

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Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has hailed his Osun State counterpart, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, on his re-election, describing the victory as a triumph for democracy and the people of Osun State.

Makinde, who is also Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, said Adeleke’s victory was a reward for his commitment to serving the people and delivering good governance.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the governor commended Osun voters for demonstrating courage and determination in exercising their franchise despite what he described as violence and the use of federal power.

He urged Adeleke to see his re-election as an opportunity and encouragement to consolidate his achievements and deliver more development to the people of Osun State.

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Makinde said the outcome of the election had once again demonstrated that power ultimately belongs to the people in a democracy.

“The results of the election proved again that the people reserve the absolute power in a democracy and that their movement will always triumph over all other considerations,” he said.

The governor also commended the people of Osun State for voting for their preferred candidate, saying their action demonstrated that the will of the electorate could prevail over political manoeuvring.

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Osun election: Read What Adeleke Said After Defeating Oyebamiji

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Osun State Governor and candidate of the Accord Party, Ademola Adeleke, has thanked God and the people of the state following his victory in the governorship election, saying he expects the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, to call and congratulate him.

Adeleke, speaking after the declaration of the election result, described his victory as a triumph for democracy and a reward from the people of Osun State for his administration’s achievements.

He thanked God for what he described as a successful election, saying the outcome reflected the people’s appreciation of his administration’s efforts in infrastructure, healthcare, security and other areas.

“I thank God Almighty for this victory. It’s a victory for democracy. Victory for Osun election,” Adeleke said.

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According to him, the result was also a way for the people of Osun to repay his administration for its efforts in improving infrastructure, healthcare and security across the state.

He said: “The victory is a way Osun people is repaying me for the infrastructural developments, health, security and other things I have delivered for my people.”

Adeleke, who adopted a conciliatory tone after the election, said there was no victor and no vanquished, while expressing optimism that his main challenger would accept the outcome.

It’s no victor, no vanquish. I am expecting for the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, to call me and congratulate me,” he said.

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The governor also attributed his victory to his faith in God, saying, “I have a God who never fails.”

Adeleke further thanked President Bola Tinubu for what he described as a successful election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke the winner of the election after he polled 511,067 votes, defeating Oyebamiji of the APC, who scored 444,815 votes.

Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11, giving the incumbent a 66,252-vote margin.

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NDLEA nabs India-bound bizman with cocaine, recovers N3.6b Colos, codeine in Lagos(Photos)

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. 70-year-old grandpa nabbed, large consignments of opioids, others seized in Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo, Delta sweeps

A 48-year-old businessman Nwankwo Innocent Onyebuchi who liquidated all his assets to chase a dream of quick riches in the illicit drug trade has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos, while heading to New Delhi, India, with 1.550 kilograms of cocaine cleverly concealed within the side walls and railings of his bag.


Nwankwo who deals in marbles in Lagos was arrested at the departure hall of terminal II of the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi, India.

A search of his check-in bag uncovered 1.550 kilograms of cocaine factory-fitted in the walls and railings of his bag.

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In a candid confession that lays bare the desperation that fuels the drug trade, Nwankwo said he had sold off his marble business and every asset he owned to raise the ₦23 million he paid for the consignment, with the expectation of selling it in India for as much as N100 million.

With his assets gone, and Nwankwo’s dream of transiting from a marble trader to a drug kingpin effectively shattered following his arrest, the suspect remains in custody awaiting prosecution and likely time in jail.

In another operation, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence raided a warehouse within a residential compound at 20 Hakeem Dosumu street Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos, where a massive stockpile of codeine-based syrup was discovered.

A total of 3,776 cartons, comprising 377,600 bottles of the controlled substance, valued at over N2.6 billion, were recovered between Friday 7th and Saturday 8th August 2026.
In yet another intelligence-led operation, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 14th August raided the residence of a 55-year-old kingpin Shoremi Kayode, at 37 Ogundare street, Ipaja estate, Ipaja area of Lagos, recovering 324 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a street value of Nine Hundred and Seventy-Two Million Naira (N972,000,000).

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Also recovered from the suspect were a Mercedes-Benz car and a Toyota Corolla car.
In Kwara, two suspects: Abubakar Adamu, 50, and Bilyaminu Nuhu, 30, were on Thursday 13th August arrested at Kam Wire area of Ilorin with 55.96kg skunk in a truck marked DKA 350 XL recovered, while two other suspects: 70-year-old grandpa Abdulfatai Oyelaran and Abdulrauf Ajadi, 50, were nabbed by NDLEA officers on patrol along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Ibadan, Oyo state on Wednesday 12th August. Recovered from their Toyota Sienna vehicle marked FFA-115KA, include: 52,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection.


A total of 124,100 pills of tramadol; 786 bottles of codeine syrup; 2,598 tablets of rohypnol;
4,800 tablets of diazepam; 470 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from two suspects: Osaro Ikpoba, 43, and Samuel Godbless, 18, along Onitsha/Asaba expressway on Thursday 13th August, while another suspect, Emeka Tony, 50, was nabbed with 1,244 pieces of cartridges and monetary exhibit of eight million naira (N8,000,000) only along Kwale/Ozoro expressway on Wednesday 12th August.
A Toyota Corolla car with registration number MKD 341 EA was intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Riyom/Jos road, Jos Plateau state where 239,490 caps of tramaforce, a brand of tramadol were recovered and a suspect Kasum Sherif arrested.
In Kano, six suspects were arrested on Monday 10th August by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Zaria-Kano road.

They include: Okodili Ibeabuchi, 60; Onyeka Vincent, 47; Nwanko Wisdom, 36; Success Chigozie, 30; Emmanuel Jude, 27; and Chinedu Peter, 39. Large consignments of opioids were recovered from them include 728,958 pills of tramadol, rohypnol, and others as well as 360 grams of cocaine, 99.8 grams of methamphetamine, 50 bottles of codeine syrup and and 2.7 kilograms of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis.


Also in Kano, NDLEA operatives on Friday 14th August raided the Zawaciki Gida Dubu, Kumbotso LGA, where they recovered 171 blocks of skunk weighing 106.8kg and arrested two suspects: Mustapha Iliya, 30, and Abdulwahab Abdulrashid, 24 in connection with the seizure.
A total of 4,628.9775kg skunk was destroyed on two cannabis farms that measured 1.851591 hectares at Ugboku/Igbanke forest, Orhionmwon LGA, Edo state where a suspect Agholor Elebojie, 40, was arrested in one of the farms during a raid by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 12th August. Another suspect, Kingsley Anigala, 28, was nabbed with 25.857kg Loud and 93 grams of meth during a raid of drug joints at Oluku area of Benin city on Friday 14th August.


The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Madarasatu Sheikh Muhammad Rabi’u Arabic School, Kano and Olomu Junior Secondary School, Ajah, Lagos state, among others.

While commending the officers, men and women of MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo and Delta Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

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