Air Force: Super Tucano Fighter Jets Depart US for Nigeria Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Nigerian Air Force said yesterday that the long-awaited first batch of six A29 Super Tucano aircraft, ordered by the federal government from the United States, were on
their way to Nigeria. The fighter jets, bought following the award of a $329 million foreign military sales contract to SNC by the United States government to build 12 A-29s for the Nigerian Air Force in November 2018, are
expected to fly through five countries, notably Canada, Spain, Greenland, Iceland and Algeria before arriving in Nigeria. The jet fighters were billed for delivery to Nigeria between 2021 and 2022. The air force,
in earlier statements, had said six of the fighter aircraft were to be delivered by July while the remaining six would be in Nigeria by December. The air force had also completed construction of a hangar in Jaji, Kaduna State,
where the attack aircraft would be domiciled. A delegation of the House of Representatives had some weeks ago visited the United States to ascertain the state of the fighter jets. The delegation had raised
questions over the delay in the delivery of the fighter jets. A statement by the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters said the first batch of the fighter jets departed the United States Continued on page 10
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Emir Bayero Tells Buhari to End Nigerians’ Suffering Kasim Sumaina and Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
DIAMOND FOR NGIGE... L-R: The celebrant, Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN); his wife, Ogochukwu; Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN); and former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, at a thanksgiving to mark Ngige's 60th birthday in Lagos…recently
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, yesterday told President Muhammadu Buhari to step up efforts by his administration to end the sufferings of Nigerians. The emir told the president who paid him a courtesy call Continued on page 10
Afraid of Defeat in 2023, APC Senators Weaken e-Transmission of Election Results How senators voted Commotion forces House to adjourn decision till today New law may be unconstitutional
Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Alex Enumah, Adedayo Akinwale, Udora Orizu in Abuja, Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu, John Shiklam in Kaduna and Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan Despite the independence conferred on the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) by the 1999 Constitution (as amended), on the conduct of elections, the Senate yesterday passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which requires the commission to seek clearance from the Nigerian National Communication Commission (NCC) and the National
Assembly before deploying electronic transmission of election results in any area. By the decision, the National Assembly, statutorily designed as a law-making organ of government, seeks to assume powers to approve a decision exclusively within the purview of the executive
arm of government. The senators, with marching orders from their party, All Progressives Congress (APC), buckled and deployed their majority in the Senate to weaken the quest for electronic transmission of poll results in the 2023 election cycle Senators from the ruling
party, with two opposition lawmakers who broke ranks with their party, at the consideration of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, voted 52 to 28 to amend clause 52 of the bill that would have empowered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results
electronically during the 2023 general election. Twenty eight other senators were absent to cast their votes. But THISDAY gathered that many of them were in the chambers before voting begun. The senators' tactical Continued on page 8
Alakija: My Transition from Fashion to Oil Industry Was God Ordained... Page 5