The Commission also released timelines for party primary elections in both states.

The primaries for both states are to start on August 18, 2019, to September 5, 2019.

The electoral body said that the conduct of primaries and nomination of candidates should be transparent and democratic in accordance with the provision of the Electoral Act, as well as INEC’s regulations.

INEC Chairman, MAHMOOD YAKUBU, during the presentation of certificates of return to election winners from Zamfara state, challenged political parties to conduct credible primaries for the nomination of candidates in a bid to strengthen the electoral jurisprudence in the country.

President MUHAMMAD BUHARI has signed the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.

The signing took place at the 12th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union on AfCFTA and the First Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities in Niamey, Niger Republic.

Nigeria has become the 53rd county in Africa to sign the AfCFTA agreement.

BUHARI accepted to sign the agreement after a presidential panel he set up to look into the AfCFTA advised that Nigeria would benefit economically from the envisaged trade relations with other African countries.

Nobel Laureate, Prof WOLE SOYINKA, has warned the Federal Government against the proposed establishment of RUGA settlements across the country for herdsmen.

He made this statement at the launch of United Nations’ Solutions 17 SDG programme in Lagos, berating the federal government for the idea, which he warned may cause Nigeria to explode.

He however noted that the handling of the herdsmen issue by President MUHAMMADU BUHARI was enough to make him lose re-election for 2nd term in office.

The federal government has denied the release of list of the Ministerial nominees.

Presidential spokesman, Malam GARBA SHEHU who was reacting to the rumor of the release of the list on his tweeter handle said Nigerians should disregard any list seen on the social media.

He said that he has no news about President MUHAMMADU BUHARI’s ministerial list.

According to GARBA SHEHU and I quote” My Twitter account is a verified one. Whoever wants to know what I have said should go to it, not to a fake one. I have no breaking news on the appointment of ministers because I have not been briefed about it. Ignore the report they are attributing to me, please.’ End of quote.