Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, over alleged money laundering offences.

A source within the anti-graft agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, disclosed on Wednesday that Abdullahi was arrested in Abuja and is currently in the custody of the commission.

According to the source, the alleged fraud involves funds estimated at N500bn.

“We have arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, for money laundering offences. He was arrested and is currently in our custody. The money Is to the tune of N500bn,” the official said.

Efforts to get confirmation from the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful as he could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.

President Bola Tinubu had on October 24, 2023 appointed Abdullahi as Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria.

… Several Band A Customers downgraded to Band C

Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission, EERC, has announced the downgrade of 59 feeders under the franchise of the MainPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited.

MainPower is a subsidiary of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, which services customers in Enugu State.

EERC attributed the action to MainPower’s failure to meet the threshold of minimum hours of power availability, especially for Band A customers, despite charging them Band A tariff.

It could be recalled that the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, in November 1, 2020 categorized electricity users into Bands.

It incldued: Band A: Minimum of 20 Hourss; Band B: Minimum of 16 Hours; Band C: Minimum of 12 Hours; Band D: Minimum of 8 Hours and Band E: Minimum of 4 Hours

However, there has been an outcry by electricity users in Enugu over the inability of the Disco (Manpower) to meet the electricity supply target, necessitating the EERC’s intervention in line with its statutory powers.

The public notice, signed by the Commission, said the downgrade would remain in place until power supply improved on such feeders.

Providing background to the decision, EERC said it arose following persistent complaints from electricity consumers in Enugu State, particularly Band A customers.

Their complaints were regarding the drastically reduced hours of supply.

Consequently, the EERC said it conducted a technical and safety audit of major injection substations operated by MainPower.

“In addition, the Commission continued its routine monitoring of MainPower’s feeder performance through its online platform, the Electronic Design and Manufacturing International (EDMI) Multidrive Manager.

“The findings from the Commission’s field inspection and the online monitoring platform corroborated customers’ complaints that MainPower had failed to deliver the expected hours of supply as required under the Service-Based Tariff (SBT) regime.

“The SBT framework was introduced to ensure that customers pay for electricity commensurate with the quality and hours of availability of the supply received.

“The public is hereby notified that the Commission has directed MainPower to downgrade all fifty-nine (59) affected feeders, as listed in the Commission’s directive, to their appropriate service bands immediately,” it disclosed.

EERC, however, hinted that upon request by MainPower, it may approve the upgrade of any of the downgraded feeders “once it is verified that the feeder met the threshold of minimum hours of availability in the preceding month in line with the SBT framework”.

Some of the feeders downloaded include: 9th Mile Industrial 11KV, downgraded from Band A to Band C; Abakaliki Road 11KV, downgraded from Band A to Band C; Abakpa 1 11KV, downgraded from Band A to Band C; Abakpa 2 11KV, downgraded from Band A to Band C; Abakpa 3 11KV, downgraded from Band B to Band C; Amorji 11KV, downgraded from Band B to Band D; Nsukka Township, from Band B to D; Presidential, from A to C; UNEC from A to D; University of Nigeria Nsukka from A to D and Government House from A to E.

Other affected areas included Emene, Topland, Ugwuoye, Chime Avenue, Achi, Amechi, Ibagwa, Ugwuogo, Ugwuaji, Okwe, NOWAS, Coca Cola, Coal Camp, Dhamija, among others.

No fewer than 30 or 31 governors, 88 senators, 242 members of House of Representatives and President Bola Tinubu’s sole challenger, Osifo Stanley, and 2,620 others will know whether or not they will contest the 2027 elections on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, today.

Also, Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma; House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu; Ogun East Senator, Gbenga Daniel; former governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo are among those screened by the party. As part of activities to meet the timelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the polls, the APC will today publish the names of cleared aspirants.

It was gathered that the party screened no fewer than 2,980 aspirants for one presidential slot, 28 governorship, 109 Senate, 360 House of Representatives, and 991 state assembly positions.

The screening panel granted President Tinubu a waiver.

Among those screened between May 8 and 12 were a host of serving and former governors, lawmakers and technocrats, who purchased and submitted expression of interest and nomination forms.

Among those whose fate hangs on today’s publication is Osifo Stanley, the only aspirant challenging Tinubu for the presidential ticket.

Another aspirant is Hope Uzodimma, who holds multiple positions as Imo State governor, chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, and Chairman of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors leading President Tinubu’s re-election push.

It was gathered that the APC hierarchy is under pressure to prevail on Uzodimma to drop his senatorial ambition, which they said would create crisis in the polity.

How? If Uzodimma runs for Imo West senatorial seat and wins, he would have two positions at the same time because his governorship will lapse in January 2028.

In Ogun State, former governor and serving Ogun East Senator, Gbenga Daniel is locked in a tough fight for the seat with serving Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Gombe State governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, is also challenging Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo (his predecessor in office) for a senatorial seat in Gombe.

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who is gunning for Abia State governorship, recently fought against a petition accusing him of going to the Law School and doing the one year national youth service at the same time. His fate will also be known today

Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, has two formidable opponents in former Senator Gbolahan Dada and ex-Works Commissioner, Olayiwola Taiwo, for the APC ticket in Ogun West senatorial district.

With most of the aspirants insisting on direct primaries, kicking against consensus, and threatening fire and brimstone, if candidates were imposed, National Chairman of the party, Professor Nentawe Yiltwatda, yesterday read the riot act to unruly aspirants.

Yilwatda on Monday put aspirants seeking elective positions on the party’s platform on notice, warning that the forthcoming primaries must be conducted peacefully or sanctions will follow.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda said: “The leadership of the party will not tolerate any act capable of disrupting the smooth conduct of the primaries.”

He noted that any aspirant or supporter found instigating violence, sponsoring unrest, engaging in anti-party activities, or attempting to undermine the integrity of the process will face severe disciplinary measures, including immediate suspension from the party.