Nigeria's national carrier was 'unveiled' in London this week, and the race for 2019 takes interesting turns.
Week 29 was an interesting one as it had a lot of political intrigue on offer.
There was fallout from the July 14 Ekiti State gubernatorial election as Dr Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives' Congress (APC) defeated Governor Ayodele 'The Rock' Fayose of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), even though it was the name of his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, that was on the ballot.
President Muhammadu Buhari stood before the judges of the International Criminal Court to tell them how much Nigeria respects fundamental freedoms (*cough* Jones Abiri *cough*).
Based on 'evidence' of the Ekiti election, the PDP also threatened to boycott the 2019 general elections while also making major moves to peck at the ruling APC for more recruits in its crusade to take back Aso Rock.
Never the one to be outdone, Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West - APC) was embroiled in another trouble with the authorities after he claimed there was an assassination attempt on his life.
Here's a roundup of some of the notable stories of the week:
Monday, July 16
- After the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Fayemi the winner of the Ekiti gubernatorial election, many were eager to see Fayose's reaction. Everyone had to wait until Monday and he did not disappoint as he went after the APC and President Buhari, alleging that the election was marred by violence and illegal vote-buying.
- After months of speculation, Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, said the APC has kicked him out and announced that he was shopping for a new party. Even though his spokesperson, Terve Akase, told me on Monday that the governor would find "another club" soon, he was back in the APC on Thursday, July 19 as he declared, "I am here in APC, a member of APC, I'm still flying the flag of APC" after a meeting with the party's national leadership in Abuja.
- The Nigerian Army was also forced to dismiss reports that 23 soldiers were missing after an ambush attack by terrorist group, Boko Haram, in Borno State.
Tuesday, July 17
- On the occasion of the 20th anniversary celebration of the International Criminal Court at The Hague, Netherlands, on Tuesday, President Buhari delivered a keynote address and told judges that Nigeria has a strong belief in the respect for the rule of law and human rights. You be the judge of that.
- During plenary on the same day, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, read a letter from President Buhari who requested the Senate's approval of N242.45 billion for INEC to enable the commission commence preparations for the 2019 general elections.
- Saraki also disclosed that the president declined to sign four bills that had been forwarded to him for assent.
- The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was forced to disown a tweet that had gloated over Fayose's 'loss' in the Ekiti election and threw a subtle threat the governor's way.
- The Katsina State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) confirmed that at least 52 people were killed in the flood tragedy that struck Jibia local government area of the state on Sunday, July 15, 2018.
Wednesday, July 18
- It's Nigeria Air!
At the Farnborough International Public Airshow in London on Wednesday, the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, unveiled Nigeria's new national carrier to mixed reviews from Nigerians.
- Days after cutting back on the expiration date of the continuous voter's registration (CVR) exercise from December 2018 to August 17, 2018, INEC announced that Nigerians can now register for their permanent voter's cards (PVC) on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays between August 1 to 17.
- The Nigerian Police Force paraded eight suspects who participated in the infamous abduction of 276 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno, four years ago. A suspected commander, Mayinta Modu, said he received N30,000 as payment for coordinating and participatiing in the abduction.
- Just a day before he publicly announced his return to the APC, Ortom was in Kwara State for an unusual meeting at the funeral of a PDP chieftain's mother, and met with some major players expected to make big decisions as the 2019 elections inch ever closer.
- A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, passed away in a hospital in Abuja after a brief illness.
Thursday, July 19
- PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, disclosed that the party is trying to decide whether to participate in the 2019 elections or not due to the alleged miscoduct of security agencies and INEC in the Ekiti election.
- The Osun State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) managed to end up with two factional flag bearers to represent the party in the state's upcoming gubernatorial election.
- Buhari met with Saraki at the Presidential Villa in a meeting believed to be about Tuesday's budget but also, of course, the 2019 elections.
- Senator Dino Melaye took to his Twitter account to raise an alarm over an assassination attempt on his life which he alleged was carried out by the police and military.
- The police dismissed his claims, alleging that his security aides shot and injured a police sergeant, and invited him for questioning.
- Former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was appointed as an independent director on the Board of Directors of social media giant, Twitter Inc.
- Former Inspector-General of Police and the Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Ibrahim Coomassie, died in a Katsina hospital.
Friday, July 19
- Over 230 Nigerians, who were stranded in Russia at the end of the 2018 World Cup tournament, were flown back to the country by the federal government.
- President Buhari disclosed that he announced his re-election bid early in an attempt to "cool tempers".
- In preparation for Osun State's September 22 gubernatorial election, the APC elected Gboyega Oyetola as the party's candidate after emerging victorious in a primary election where all card-carrying members of the party were eligible to vote.
- The federal government released the final selection list of 300,000 Nigerians employed for the second year of its National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP), N-Power.