• Peter Obi proposes five-year single presidential term for Nigeria
• 9mobile rebrands as T2 after new ownership
• Nigeria maintains stance against accepting US deportees
• INEC, correctional service partner to protect inmates’ voting rights
• NAMA unions suspend planned strike after progress in pay talks

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the top five Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.

Peter Obi proposes five-year single presidential term for Nigeria

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called for a single five-year term for Nigeria’s president, saying the current two-term arrangement should be scrapped.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed on Friday, Obi argued that removing the option of a second tenure would improve governance and accountability. He noted that a similar system works effectively in countries like South Korea.

Obi stressed that if given the opportunity, he would push for the reform, insisting that leaders should focus on delivering results within a single term rather than working towards re-election.

9mobile rebrands as T2 after new ownership

Telecoms provider 9mobile has officially rebranded to T2, marking a new chapter for the company. The unveiling took place on Friday at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos.

The change comes a year after LH Telecommunication Limited acquired a 95.5% stake in the network, taking over control from its previous owners. This is the company’s second rebrand, following its 2017 transition from Etisalat to 9mobile.

Femi Banigbe, CEO of Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Limited (EMTS), described the move as “the beginning of a bold new chapter” aimed at repositioning the brand in Nigeria’s competitive telecoms market.

Nigeria maintains stance against accepting US deportees

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its refusal to accept deportees from the United States, distancing itself from countries like Rwanda, Eswatini, and South Sudan that have agreed to take in foreign nationals expelled from the US.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa said the decision is rooted in national security and economic concerns, stressing that Nigeria’s position remains unchanged.

Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar revealed in July that the US, under former President Donald Trump’s “third-country deportation” policy, has been pressuring African nations to accept Venezuelans, including some released directly from American prisons.

INEC, correctional service partner to protect inmates’ voting rights

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) have strengthened their partnership to ensure inmates in correctional facilities across the country can exercise their voting rights.

INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, during a visit by NCoS Controller-General Sylvester Nwakuche to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to upholding this right.

Yakubu stressed that the right to vote is a fundamental human right that cannot be taken away solely because an individual is serving a term in a correctional facility.

NAMA unions suspend planned strike after progress in pay talks

Aviation unions under the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) have suspended their planned strike, citing progress in negotiations for improved wages.

The strike, initially set to begin on Monday, August 11, was called off after the Budget Office issued a “no objection” letter to the National Incomes, Salaries and Wages Commission, and NAMA’s management assured that new remuneration would be paid alongside August salaries.

The decision was disclosed in a joint statement by union leaders, including AbdulRasaq Saidu of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals and Odinaka Igbokwe of the National Union of Air Transport Employees.