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Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday unanimously resolved not to join any coalition or merger as the 2027 elections approach.

The PDP Governors’ Forum meeting, held in Ibadan, Oyo State, was attended by key governors, including Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Agbu Kefas of Taraba, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa, Ademola Adeleke of Osun, and Douye Diri of Bayelsa.

Governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom were represented by their deputies.

In a communiqué read by the Governor of Bauchi State and the forum’s Chairman, Bala Mohammed, the forum noted the “nationwide speculations about possible mergers of parties, groups, and/or associations” and resolved that “the Forum will not join any coalition or merger.”

Equally, the forum emphasised that “the PDP, as a major opposition party, welcomes any parties, persons, or groups that are willing to join the party with a view to wrestling power and enthroning good leadership in 2027.”

The governors reiterated their positions regarding the party’s national secretary, stating, “The Forum reiterates its position taken in Asaba regarding the National Secretary of the party.”

They recommended that the deputy secretary temporarily act as national secretary “pending the nomination and ratification of a substantive secretary from the Southeast zone at its next meeting.”

The communiqué also expressed solidarity with the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, stating, “We restate our commitment to stand with him until the end amid the challenges posed by the declaration of a state of emergency in his state.”

Addressing the worsening security situation in the country, particularly in Borno, Katsina, and Edo States, the forum expressed alarm, stating, “The Forum finds alarming the worsening security situation in the country.”

The PDP governors called for a “review and reorientation of priorities and strategies,” emphasising the need for a bottom-up approach to tackle security breaches effectively.

A coalition of women groups on Monday staged a protest in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in support of the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu in the state.

Dressed in white, the women marched from the Garrison Flyover to Isaac Boro Park, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “State of Emergency is Constitutional” and “We Don’t Want Fubara.”

The demonstration was led by Ifeyinwa Aguma, a former Commissioner for Social Welfare in Rivers State and an ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The protesters expressed support for Ibok-Ette Ibas, who was appointed by President Tinubu as the administrator of the state following the declaration of emergency rule. They urged him to continue his work in the state.

Monday’s protest follows a similar demonstration last week by women who declared their support for the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara.

President Tinubu had last month declared a state of emergency in Rivers State due to the ongoing political crisis. He suspended Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

Citing security reports and recent pipeline explosions in the state, the President described the emergency declaration as “inevitably compelling.”

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that 180 candidates who attempted to cheat during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mock exercise will face severe sanctions, including the cancellation of their results.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, made this known on Thursday while monitoring the mock examination at a Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre in Bwari, Abuja. According to him, the candidates were caught after making payments to a fraudulent website set up by the board as part of its strategy to expose examination malpractice.

“We have opened our own rogue website. As of this morning, about 180 students have paid into it. Attempting to cheat is already an infraction, and we are going to deal firmly with them. Their results, both UTME and Direct Entry (DE), will be cancelled,” Oloyede said.

He added that the board’s decision is aimed at sending a strong message to candidates and institutions encouraging malpractice. Oloyede also warned students against giving out their registration details, stressing that UTME is not a school-based examination and should not be manipulated by third parties.

“Some of these schools want to brag that their students scored high marks, but we are fully aware of these tactics. We are doing everything possible to stop such practices,” he stated.

Oloyede advised candidates to avoid fraudulent websites and individuals claiming to provide exam questions or shortcuts, noting that some candidates paid as much as N30,000 for fake services.

Meanwhile, over 211,000 candidates sat for the 2025 UTME mock examination nationwide on Thursday. The results of the exercise are expected to be released on Friday.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a reduction in the ex-gantry price of Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) to N865 per litre. This marks a N15 decrease from the previous price of N880 per litre, which was in effect as of Wednesday.

The new pricing was communicated to marketers and customers through an official notice issued by the refinery on Thursday morning.

This latest price adjustment reflects Dangote Refinery’s ongoing efforts to stabilize the downstream petroleum market and provide relief to consumers amid fluctuating fuel costs. The reduction is expected to positively impact the cost of transportation and industrial operations, which rely heavily on diesel.