NNPC Awards Oil Swap Contracts to 34 Firms Ejiofor Alike with agency contracts to exchange crude the deals said. Barbedos/Petrogas/Rainoil; referred to as offshore crude supplies crude oil to selected reports oil for imported fuel. The winning groups include: UTM/Levene/Matrix/Petra oil processing agreements local and international oil Under the new contract that BP/Aym Shafa; Vitol/Varo; Atlantic; TOTSA; Duke Oil; (OPAs) and crude-for-products traders and refineries in The Nigerian National will take effect this month, a Trafigura/AA Rano; MRS; Sahara; Gunvor/Maikifi; exchange arrangements, are exchange for petrol and diesel. Petroleum Corporation total of 15 groupings, with at Oando/Cepsa; Bono/ Litasco /Brittania-U; and now known as Direct Sale- NNPC had in May 2017, (NNPC) yesterday issued least 34 companies in total, Akleen/Amazon/Eterna; Mocoh/Mocoh Nigeria. Direct Purchase Agreements signed the deals with local award letters to oil firms received award letters, four Eyrie/Masters/Cassiva/ NNPC’s crude swap deals, (DSDP). for the highly sought-after sources with knowledge of Asean Group; Mercuria/ which were previously Under the deals, the NNPC Continued on page 8 Lower Commodity Prices Weaken Inflation to 11.22%... Page 8 Tuesday 16 July, 2019 Vol 24. No 8863 Price: N250 www.thisdaylive.com T RU N TH & REASO Oyo Governor Publicly Declares Assets Worth over N48bn... Page 9 Obasanjo Calls for National Confab, Says Nigeria is on the Precipice Writes Buhari PDP, Afenifere, Ohanaeze, Southern, Middle Belt leaders back former president Yakassai faults content of letter By Our Correspondents plunging into an abyss of before Nigeria witnesses the varied reactions from some aligned with Obasanjo’s Forum (ACF), Alhaji Tanko insecurity. Rwandan-type genocide or critical stakeholders. position, calling on Buhari to Yakassai, dismissed the content Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in an open letter turn to another Yugoslavia. The leadership of the take the former president’s of Obasanjo’s letter, describing Obasanjo yesterday expressed to the president, released His letter, which detailed Southern and Middle Belt warning seriously before it it as not only selfish but also concern over the spike in cases in Abeokuta, warned the the security challenges Leaders Forum (SMBLF); is too late. unpatriotic, ill-conceived and of killings and kidnappings president that Nigeria was confronting the nation and pan-Yoruba socio-cultural But a former Liaison Officer a clear invitation to national in Nigeria and called on on the edge of the precipice his suggestions on how to organisation, Afenifere; and to Second Republic President disaster. President Muhammed Buhari and urgent steps must be resolve them, including a the main opposition Peoples Shehu Shagari and a founding to pull back the country from taken to find lasting solutions national conference, elicited Democratic Party (PDP) member of Arewa Consultative Continued on page 8 OBAIGBENA AT 60... Encomiums as Toni Braxton, Tiwa Savage, Wizkid Headline Celebration How to make Nigeria greater, by Fashola, Obiozor, Danbaba, NPA MD It's all about God's grace, says celebrant Nseobong Okon-Ekong, yesterday at the Eko Hotel Chiemelie Ezeobi, Vanessa and Suites, Lagos, where Obioha and Solomon Elusoji Chairman/Editor-in-Chief THISDAY Media Group/ It was a night of glamour. Of Arise TV Networks, Nduka tributes. Of music. Of gaiety Obaigbena, a prince of Owa and camaraderie. Kingdom in Delta State, drew There was much to eat political bigwigs, technocrats, CELEBRATING OBAIGBENA @ 60... and to drink. The ambience captains of industry, the was cool and the guest list intelligentsia and others to L-R: Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; celebrant/Chairman, THISDAY Newspaper & Arise TV, Prince impressive. Nduka Obaigbena; Chairman, Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Jim Ovia and Governor, Delta State, Senator Ifeayin Okowa, during the 60th That was the atmosphere Continued on page 8 birthday party of Obaigbena in Lagos... yesterday abiodun ajala 2 TUESDAY JULY 16, 2019 • THISDAY TUESDAY JULY 16, 2019 • THISDAY 3 4 TUESDAY JULY 16, 2019 • THISDAY TUESDAY JULY 16, 2019 • THISDAY 5 6 TUESDAY, ͹;˜ͺ͸͹΁˾THISDAY PAGE SIX Tribunal Admits Atiku’s Video Evidence in Petition against Buhari Witnesses allege attacks on PDP agents, intimidation of voters in Borno, Yobe Alex Enumah in Abuja counsel, in their submissions, rigging during the poll. In a short ruling, Justice controversial central server West African School Certificate had objected to the Immediately Atiku's counsel, Garba dismissed the objection and the third on Buhari's (WAEC), there is no evidence President Muhammadu Buhari, admissibility of the video Chris Uche (SAN), announced of the respondents, reminding certificate. of the WAEC result in his the Independent National evidence on the grounds his plan to tender the video them of the agreement they In the first video, which personal file with the military. Electoral Commission (INEC) that the documents were not discs and play some of them freely entered, adding that once were from a clip recorded But when Buhari's lawyer, and the All Progressives front loaded, not part of the through one of the witnesses, an agreement is reached, it from a television programme Alex Izinyon (SAN), sought Congress (APC) yesterday documents agreed and they Segun Showunmi, counsel to becomes binding on all. aired on a Lagos-based private to play a counter-video failed in their bids to stop were taken by surprise by the INEC, Yunus Usman (SAN), He stressed that no party station, Channels Television, recording, the petitioners the Peoples Democratic Party petitioners. objected to the request. could deviate from the INEC's Resident Electoral objected, forcing Izinyon to (PDP) and its presidential Atiku and his party, the PDP, Usman said INEC did not agreement or adopt a position Commissioner in Akwa Ibom ask for an adjournment to candidate, Alhaji Atiku are alleging that the February support any bid by Atiku that breach the terms of the State, Mike Igini, was quoted enable him to bring his own Abubakar, from tendering 23 presidential poll was and PDP to play the video agreement. as saying that results from equipment for the purpose of video compact discs (VCDs) marred by widespread rigging, recordings for the tribunal He said in line with the the units and wards will be cross examining the witness. as evidence to prove their violence and substantial non- to see and to admit same as agreement, parties had collated from the Form EC8E The tribunal granted the petition that the president did compliance with the Electoral exhibits. tendered various documents after which they would be request and adjourned further not lawfully win the February Act. He added that the video and objections indicated with transferred to the card reader hearing in the matter till 23, 2019 presidential election. They have called witnesses VCDs were not front-loaded reasons to the objections and "transmitted to the central Tuesday for the continuation The Presidential Election from various states, particularly by the petitioners and that deferred till the final address server." of the cross-examination of Petition Tribunal, sitting from the northern part of the INEC, which conducted the stage. However, under cross- the petitioners’ witness. in Abuja, dismissed their country, where they alleged election, has been ambushed. He added that no particular examination, the witness Earlier, three witnesses, objections and admitted as most of the abnormalities He told the tribunal that only document was excluded from admitted that Igini was not the Babagana Kukawa, Hon. exhibits 48 VCDs tendered took place. documents front-loaded would been tendered from the bar. official spokesman for INEC. Abana Pogu and Suleiman by the petitioners. After calling three witnesses be allowed to be admitted as "Cases sighted are not The second video exhibit also Mohammed Bulama from The five-man panel, led by at the resumed hearing exhibits. material at this stage, the showed INEC Chairman, Prof. Borno and Yobe states, had Justice Mohammed Garba, in yesterday, Atiku sought to Buhari and APC aligned documents are admitted in Mahmud Yakubu, expressing testified that Buhari and APC admitting the documents, tender 48 video recordings of themselves with the submission evidence", the tribunal held. optimism before the election on the election day used dismissed the objections raised alleged irregularities during of INEC. Consequently, the panel that the commission would use soldiers to attack and injure by all the respondents on the the conduct of the poll. Responding, Uche drew the admitted the 48 video CDs the electronic system during PDP agents. grounds that the documents The former vice president attention of the tribunal to the as exhibits and ordered the the conduct of the 2019 general The witnesses also alleged sought to be tendered were and PDP also applied to the pre-hearing report where they petitioners to lead evidence election. that village and district heads in line with the agreement tribunal to play the video all consented that objections on them. The third video showed were also used to intimidate reached by the parties and recordings in the courtroom to documents admission Showunmi played three the military during a press and threaten voters to vote for adopted by the tribunal. as part of efforts to substantiate could only be made at the of the CDs, two of which briefing stating that although Buhari or risk being ejected Buhari, INEC and APC their allegations of massive final address stage. bordered on report on the Buhari claimed to possess a from their farmlands. OBAIGBENA AT 60: ENCOMIUMS AS TONI BRAXTON, TIWA SAVAGE, WIZKID HEADLINE CELEBRATION join him in celebrating his 60th to the admiration of all. The Duke. for Nigeria. must not underestimate the he charged the audience to birthday. For her almost one hour Reading intermittently "The problem of Nigeria capacity and power of a well “think about Nigeria, think Yesterday’s event, tagged on the stage, Braxton sang, from their speech, they said: is the political leadership.