By Patrick Idowu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Mr Taiwo Oyedele as Minister of State for Finance, replacing Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite.

In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President sought the Senate’s confirmation of Oyedele’s appointment. Uzoka-Anite has been redeployed to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning as Minister of State.

Oyedele, from Ikaram-Akoko in Ondo State, was until his nomination the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which led major reforms of Nigeria’s tax system.

An economist and accountant, Oyedele holds a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy and Finance from Yaba College of Technology and a BSc in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University.

He has attended executive programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

He spent 22 years at PwC, rising to Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader. Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University and a visiting scholar at Lagos Business School.

By Omoniyi David

Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr Sam Amadi, has urged Nigerians not to place confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s deployment of technology.

Amadi spoke at the Citizens Town Hall Meeting on Electoral Act 2026 in Abuja, where he called for a bipartisan audit commission to review INEC’s technological systems. He said controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections remain unresolved.

“We finished the 2023 election with so many allegations and issues,” he said, criticising the National Assembly for failing to conduct a comprehensive public hearing. He noted that key officials were not put on oath to explain what transpired.

Amadi insisted that electoral accountability is vital to restoring public trust, warning that without an independent audit of INEC’s technological infrastructure, confidence in the electoral process will remain fragile.

By Omoniyi David

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission said it recovered suspected wiretapping devices and sensitive security documents from the Abuja residence of former Kaduna State governor Nasir el Rufai.

The commission disclosed that a Magistrate Court in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory, granted a 14 day detention order to allow investigators conclude their probe.

According to the agency, electronic equipment capable of intercepting phone conversations was discovered during a search at el Rufai’s Asokoro home. Officials also said documents described as sensitive to national security were recovered.

The ICPC dismissed claims that the former governor was being unlawfully detained or politically targeted, insisting that due process was followed.

In filings before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, the commission urged the court to dismiss el Rufai’s suit alleging violation of his fundamental rights, maintaining that its actions were lawful and necessary for a thorough investigation.