Author: starconnect
By SCM Political Desk I August 27, 2026 LAGOS — Prominent economist and founder of Anap Foundation, Atedo Peterside, has raised critical questions regarding the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the recently concluded August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election. In a statement shared via his verified X handle, Peterside demanded urgent explanations from the electoral body over unexplained delays, sudden surges in uploaded data, and missing polling unit results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). Reflecting on his initial election night monitor, Peterside listed three core technical anomalies that he argues compromise public…
BY Emmanuel Thomas l Thursday, August 27, 2026 ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the 36 State Governors have agreed to take immediate, coordinated steps to drastically reduce public transportation fares across the country, leveraging the lower costs of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric vehicles. Speaking following a high-level meeting with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday, President Tinubu declared that the ongoing transition to cheaper alternative fuels must directly translate to relief for Nigerian commuters. According to the President, state governments have pledged to take the lead in enforcing…
By SCM Sports Desk I Thursday, August 27 ABUJA — Indication emerged on Thursday that the Federal Government has ordered a comprehensive overhaul of Nigerian football administration following the country’s persistent failures to secure qualification for major regional, continental, and global tournaments. The directive targets deep-seated structural defects within the sports sector, aiming to align Nigeria’s abundant grassroots talent with modern governance standards and international performance expectations. Football remains Nigeria’s most unifying institution, cutting across ethnic, political, and generational lines. Despite producing world-class talent and maintaining one of the most passionate fanbases globally, the national teams have suffered…
By SCM Business Desk I Thursday, August 27, 2026 KANO, Nigeria – Leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, is set to host the next edition of its Quarterly Business Forum on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, in Kano, bringing together business owners, entrepreneurs, industry leaders and key stakeholders to explore opportunities for business growth and sustainability across Northern Nigeria. The Kano edition builds on the success of the Bank’s previous Quarterly Business Forum held in Port Harcourt, which provided business owners and entrepreneurs with practical insights, valuable industry connections, and opportunities for sustainable business growth. Themed “Positioning Northern Businesses…
BY SCM International Desk I Thursday, August 27, 2026 JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the world’s second-largest intergovernmental body after the United Nations, elected veteran diplomat and former Mauritanian Foreign Minister Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed as its new Secretary-General on Thursday. The election took place in Jeddah during the 23rd Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers. Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s appointment comes at a high-stakes juncture for the 57-nation bloc, as member states navigate compound regional instability, humanitarian crises across the Sahel, and escalating military tension in the Middle East. Ould…
By SCM International Desk I Thursday, August 27, 2026 JERUSALEM — Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has delivered a striking public defense of her family, claiming her adult children are facing systematic bullying and harassment solely because of international accusations directed at their father’s leadership during the military operations in Gaza. The remarks, which have ignited intense debate across Israel’s politically divided landscape, highlight the deeply personal friction between the Netanyahu household and the global opprobrium surrounding the ongoing war. ”My children are being bullied simply because their father committed genocide,” Mrs. Netanyahu asserted…
By SCM Sports Desk I Thursday, August 27, 2026 ABUJA — In a historic and unprecedented turn of events, the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has officially resigned from his position alongside members of the NFF Executive Committee and the federation’s long-serving General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi. The mass departure marks the dramatic collapse of the leadership structure at the Glass House following weeks of escalating pressure from football stakeholders, sports administrators, and fans. Dr. Sanusi confirmed the development on Thursday, acknowledging that both he and the NFF President had bowed out of…
Admin I Thursday, August 27, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Stanbic IBTC Holdings, a member of Standard Bank Group, successfully hosted the 2026 edition of its Together4ALimb Walk recently. This year’s event attracted a significant turnout, with employees, beneficiaries, families, partners, and members of the public coming together for a commemorative awareness walk in the heart of Victoria Island, Lagos. Now in its 12th year, Together4ALimb continues to make impactful changes in the lives of children living with limb loss. This year, the initiative welcomed 50 additional children – each receiving a custom-designed prosthetic limb along with a Stanbic…
By SCM Foreign Correspondent l Thursday, August 27, 2026 WASHINGTON — The Biden-Trump counterterrorism apparatus executed a sharp pivot in federal enforcement strategy on Wednesday, imposing broad economic sanctions on a network of international far-left organizations accused of facilitating political violence, infrastructure destruction, and cyber-enabled activism across North America and Europe. The actions, announced jointly by the State Department and the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), target the Italy-based digital infrastructure provider Autistici/Inventati (A/I Collective), the United Kingdom-based protest network Palestine Action, and the transnational organization Masar Badil, alongside two of its key…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Thursday, August 27, 2026 ABUJA — The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has formally rejected allegations of officer complicity in highway abductions made by social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as “VeryDarkMan” (VDM). In an official statement released in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the police high command officially invited the activist to immediately present verifiable proof to back his sweeping claims. Addressing the controversy sparked by Otse’s presentation in Port Harcourt, CSP Ani Iniedu declared that allegations of such magnitude require a corresponding standard of proof—a standard…