The Benue State Goverment has directed legislators from Otukpo Local Government Area of the state to stop further actions against Council Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri.

The directive was given by the Deputy Governor of Benue State, Sam Ode, for the suspension of all actions taken by the Otukpo Legislative Council and the Otukpo Executive Council against the chairman.

In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Deputy Goverñor, Ior Ikyereve, Ode directed that the status quo ante must be maintained during this period in the local government.

The statement read, “In light of this, the Deputy Governor invites Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Secretary and Honourable Councillors of Otukpo Local Government Area for a meeting at the Government House, Makurdi on Monday, 14th July 2025 by 12noon.

“All parties are advised to adhere strictly to this directive, while the Chairman has been directed to take necessary steps to avert any breach of security in the local government area.”

Recall that the legislators of Otukpo LGA recently accused the Chairman, Ogiri, of financial misconduct and asked the State Assembly to suspend him from office for proper investigation to be conducted.

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has expressed delight at the Supreme Court judgment which upheld Governor Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State.

Akpabio, in a message he personally signed, described the Supreme Court verdict as a triumph of democracy and the will of the people.

He said, “What the apex court in the land has done is to affirm the will and wishes of the overwhelming majority of the people of Edo State. It shows that the election was transparent, free and fair.”

Akpabio’s position is contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Office of the President of the Senate, Eseme Eyiboh.

Eyiboh quoted the Senate President as noting that, “The declaration by the Supreme Court in favour of Senator Okpebholo against Mr Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the legitimately and constitutionally elected governor of Edo State has proven that elections are won at the ballot and by people who have identified with the grassroots.

“This judgement has again reaffirmed the fact that democracy is at play and the people of Edo State have wholeheartedly embraced the All Progressives Congress, APC, and popularly elected their preferred choice of Senator Okpebholo as their governor.

“This milestone affirms Governor Okpebholo’s mandate and paves the way for him to continue delivering exceptional service to the good people of Edo State. He’s done well in the past seven months and I believe he will do excellently well in his four-year tenure.”

In his congratulations to the Edo State governor, Akpabio assured him of “the Senate’s support and collaboration in ensuring the state’s progress and development.”

Nigeria’s naira appreciated against the dollar at the official exchange market on Thursday, as pressure mounts on the Central Bank of Nigeria to extend the Bureau De Change, BDC, operators’ recapitalisation deadline.

Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria showed that the naira strengthened to N1,525.98 per dollar on Thursday, up from N1,531, the highest exchange rate recorded at the close of trading on Wednesday.

This indicates that the naira gained N5.02 against the dollar on a day-to-day basis.

Meanwhile, the naira remained flat at N1,550 per dollar on Thursday, the same rate as the previous day.

OSUNDAILY NG reports that while the naira has continued to fluctuate in the official market over the past four days, it has remained relatively stable in the black market.

BDC operators across the country have been struggling to comply with the apex bank’s recapitalisation policy.

The CBN has maintained that BDC operators’ recapitalisation deadline elapsed on June 3, 2025.

However, on Thursday, a group known as the Arewa Economic Forum, led by its chairman, Ibrahim Dandakata, called on the CBN to extend the deadline, citing its potential adverse impact on the Northern economy.