By Saint Mugaga

President Bola Tinubu has approved sweeping changes in the nation’s military leadership with all the Service Chiefs sent packing

According to the President, the development is in furtherance of Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen the national security architecture.

A statement issued on Friday by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, named Olufemi Oluyede as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to replace Christopher Musa.

The new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is Major-General W. Shaibu. Air Vice Marshall S.K Aneke is Chief of Air Staff (CAS) while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Major-General E.A.P Undiendeye retains his position in the new set-up

All appointments take immediate effect.

Full text of the message read thus: “PRESIDENT TINUBU CHANGES SERVICE CHIEFS”

“President Bola Tinubu has made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.

“The President appointed General Olufemi Oluyede to replace General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff. The new Chief of Army Staff is Major-General W. Shaibu. Air Vice Marshall S.K Aneke is Chief of Air Staff while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff. Chief of Defence Intelligence Major-General E.A.P Undiendeye retains his position.

“The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, expresses most profound appreciation to the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and the other Service Chiefs for their patriotic service, and dedicated leadership.

“The President charges the newly appointed Service Chiefs to justify the confidence reposed in them to further enhance the professionalism, vigilance and comradeship that define the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

“All appointments take immediate effect.”

NNPC Ltd has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his role in the emergence of Nigeria’s candidate Dr. Philip Mshelbila, Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Ltd as the new Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), describing it as a historic moment for Nigeria and a testimony to the Federal Government’s Gas Agenda aimed at utilizing natural gas as a major fuel for industrial growth and economic development.

Mshelbila, who was elected at the Forum’s 27th Ministerial Meeting held in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, succeeds Algeria’s Mohamed Hamel as the 5th scribe of the global organisation, which has been a leading voice in positioning natural gas as a cornerstone of global sustainable development.

Speaking on the milestone, the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd., Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari said: “NNPC Ltd is proud of what Mshelbila has achieved at Nigeria LNG, where he has worked tirelessly to transform Nigeria’s vast gas reserves into export-grade LNG, LPG, and condensates, serving domestic needs and global markets in the process,” he said.

“With this feat, Philip Mshelbila has put Nigeria on the global energy map for good.

This shows that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s gas to prosperity agenda aimed at utilising natural gas as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrial growth, energy security, and economic transformation is on the right trajectory,” Ojulari added.

He further assured that with Mshelbila at the helm of GECF, Africa, Nigeria and indeed the NNPC Ltd will witness a remarkable progress in the quest to make natural gas the pivotal resource for inclusive and sustainable development.

The GCEO also congratulated the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, on his emergence as President of the 2026 GECF Ministerial Meeting, saying the Minister has been at the forefront of championing efforts to harness Nigeria’s abundant gas resources for industrialisation and economic development.

The GECF is an international intergovernmental organization that provides a platform for the exchange of experience and information among its Member Countries.

Representing the world’s leading gas-exporting nations, the GECF aims to foster constructive dialogue between gas producers and consumers to enhance the stability and security of global gas supply and demand.

The organisation’s membership include Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. It also has Observer Members in Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Peru, and Senegal.

Collectively, the GECF Member Countries hold 69% of the world’s proven natural gas reserves, account for 39% of marketed production, contribute 40% of global gas exports, and represent 51% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.

By Saint Mugaga

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted a member of the House of Representatives, representing Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia state, Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prosecute the minister of state for labour, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha for alleged forgery of election results in 62 polling units during the 2023 general elections.

Justice M.G. Umar of the Abuja Federal High Court, in his ruling dated September 23, 2025, on an ex-parte motion brought by Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah said he was satisfied that the applicant has placed relevant materials in his affidavit to warrant the judgment.

Hon. Onyejeocha had dragged Hon. Ogah to the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal after the 2023 elections claiming victory. But Ogah accused her of forging the results she tendered before the tribunal and Onyejeocha eventually lost the case.

While Ogah contested on the platform of Labour Party, Onyejeocha was the APC candidate in the elections.

Ogah, thereafter proceeded to the High Court seeking the leave to apply for an Order of Mandamus against INEC to prosecute Onyejeocha, now a minister for alleged forgery of results.

The lawmaker had alleged that after he was declared winner of the federal constituency by INEC, “Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha forged the results in respect of the polling units listed, which results were tendered during the trial of the petition at the Election Tribunal to prove the allegations contained in the petition.

“That Hon. Nkeiruka Chidubem Onyejeocha forged Exhibit 3 and passed them off as the official election results and documents of the respondent, and, the respondent vehemently disputed the authenticity of Exhibit 3 during the trial of the Election Petition.

“That Hon. Nkeiruka Chidubem Onyejeocha even attempted to deceive the judiciary by presenting the forged documents i.e. Exhibit 3 to the Election Tribunal and Court of Appeal as documents that were issued by the respondent”

In granting the lawmaker the go ahead to apply to INEC for the prosecution of Onyejeocha, Justice M.G. Umar said “I have considered Order 34 Rules 1,3 and 4 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019 upon which this application is based and I am of the view that it is trite that application of this nature where the Court is required to exercise discretion, it must be so considered judicially and judiciously.

“Consequently, I am satisfied that the applicant (Ogah) has placed relevant materials in th affidavit in support of this application and this court is there by persuaded to exercise discretion in favour the applicant.

“An order is here by made granting leave to the applicant to apply for an Order of Mandamus against the respondent compelling the respondent (INEC) to investigate and prosecute Nkeiruka Chidubem Onyejeocha for the electoral offence of forging the election results of the polling units within the Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia state”.