News

Imo senatorial aspirant, Nwachukwu drags NDC to court over ticket denial

Published

2 months ago

June 17, 2026

Preport

A Senatorial Aspirant, Isaac Nwachukwu, has dragged Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before a Federal High Court Sitting in Owerri, Imo State, over the fallout of the party’s National Assembly primaries.

Nwachukwu, in a suit filed through his Counsel, Cajethan Oguzie, accused the party of denying him the Imo North senatorial ticket after emerging a consensus candidate and paying N5m for the nomination form.

The suit also disclosed that Nwachukwu had paid N20m for the support of the party, but his support was unexplainably reduced to N10m when the list of those who supported the party was published.

The NDC Senatorial Aspirant, in his prayers before the court, demanded that a declaration should be made that he is the consensus candidate of the party in the state with regard to the Imo North Senatorial Zone in the 2027 General election.

“A declaration that the first defendant, NDC, be restrained from fielding another candidate except the plaintiff in the General election into the Imo North Senatorial Zone as he is the consensus candidate for the said election.

“A declaration that the second defendant, INEC, be perpetually restrained from recognising and accepting the candidacy of another person except the plaintiff in the Imo North Senatorial election pending the determination of the matter,” the suit stated.

In an affidavit supporting the originating summons, Nwachukwu stated that he purchased the expression of interest form to aspire for the position for Imo North senatorial zone, a copy of which is attached in the suit already filed.

The NDC Senatorial Aspirant added that upon the purchase of the form, he made a monetary contribution in support of the party’s growth in the tune of N20m into the party’s FCMB account number through his Counsel, receipt also attached in the suit as an exhibit.

“The first sign of irregularity and no compliance with the NDC constitution and electoral act came up when the N20m I paid for party support was allocated to one of the aspirants for my Senatorial District by the name Matthew Omegara, and the N10m that Matthew Omegara paid for party support was allocated to me by the Screening Committee headed by Sam Egwu and Buba Galadimma.

” In compliance with NDC’s directives, I participated in the NDC screening exercise and was successfully cleared as an aspirant to participate in the primary election.

After my consensus candidacy was ratified, my name was shortlisted as a Candidate for Imo North district. A copy of the result is hereby annexed as Exhibit 1U5,” the affidavit added.

Nwachukwu alleged that his name was substituted with Omegara after he had been declared the winner of the primary election.

The Imo North Senatorial Aspirant claimed that the National leader of the party, Seriake Dickson, had summoned him for a meeting telling him that his candidacy was affected after a party chieftain from his state said he didn’t know him.

Among other demands, Nwachukwu is asking the court to order NDC to issue him a certificate as its candidate for the Imo North Senatorial District.

Business

AXA Mansard Health Int’l Health Plan Covers Cancer, Other Chronic Health Conditions

Published

3 minutes ago

August 20, 2026

Preport

AXA Mansard Health’s International Healthcare Plan, iMED, offers Nigerians access to comprehensive medical coverage for cancer, as well as critical medical procedures such as organ and bone marrow transplants, and international emergency medical assistance at leading healthcare facilities in Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom and Dubai.

According to estimates by the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), more than 150,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed annually in Nigeria, with over 90,000 deaths recorded each year. Among men, prostate, colorectal and liver cancers remain the most commonly diagnosed, while breast, cervical and colorectal cancers account for the highest incidence among women.
In response to these evolving healthcare needs, AXA Mansard was designed to provide its eligible enrolees with access to premium international health insurance coverage that supports access to advanced medical care for eligible medical conditions through a network of accredited healthcare local and international providers. This product offers comprehensive cover for a broad range of medical services, including chronic condition management, chemotherapy and radiotherapy where medically necessary, helping individuals prepare for unexpected health events and associated medical expenses.
Speaking on the rationale behind the introduction of the plan, Chief Executive Officer, AXA Mansard Health, Tope Adeniyi, said the company remains committed to developing solutions that address evolving healthcare needs while reducing barriers to specialized treatment.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the growing impact cancer continues to have on families and communities, not only in Nigeria but across the world. As a company committed to acting for human progress by protecting what matters, we recognise the need to continually develop healthcare solutions that respond to the realities our customers face.”
“Through iMED, we are bringing world-class healthcare closer to Nigerians by providing access to specialised treatment options across local and international medical facilities. This solution helps bridge critical gaps in healthcare access and gives our customers greater confidence that they can receive quality care when they need it most, regardless of where they are in the world,” Adeniyi said.
With access to an extensive network of leading healthcare providers across key medical destinations, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Dubai, iMED is designed to provide individuals, families and corporate clients with enhanced protection against the financial and emotional burden often associated with serious illnesses.
Beyond cancer care, the plan also provides access to treatment for a range of chronic and complex medical conditions, reinforcing AXA Mansard Health’s commitment to improving health outcomes and ensuring Nigerians have access to quality healthcare without geographical limitations.
As healthcare needs continue to evolve and demand for specialized treatments also increases, AXA Mansard Health remains focused on delivering innovative solutions that empower customers to navigate complex medical journeys with greater peace of mind while supporting broader efforts to improve health and well-being across Nigeria.

The post AXA Mansard Health Int’l Health Plan Covers Cancer, Other Chronic Health Conditions appeared first on Business Today NG.

News

Apollo Atomics wants to make nuclear power cheaper by shrinking an overlooked part

Published

7 minutes ago

August 20, 2026

Preport

The nuclear power industry is undergoing something of a renaissance, with startups raking in funding to develop advanced reactors in a quest to lower costs. But based on recent projections, it’s unlikely those reactors will be cost-competitive anytime soon.

Assil Halimi and Drew Walker, the founders of Apollo Atomics, think that’s because companies have been chasing the wrong problem. So instead of designing a new reactor, Apollo is rethinking the way thermal energy is converted into electricity.

“We focus on the largest component, the steam generator,” Halimi, the startup’s CEO, told TechCrunch. “We have been able to shrink that component and make the whole system way more compact than any other reactor in the market.”

A necessary but unsexy part of a power plant, these generators produce steam from the reactor’s coolant loop to drive a turbine. While most steam generators are hand-built and several stories tall, Apollo says its version can be mass-manufactured and is about the size of a person. That has allowed the startup to build a reactor that’s 40-times smaller than one that uses a conventional steam generator.

To build a demonstration reactor ahead of a planned commercial deployment in 2028, Apollo recently closed a $26 million seed round that included $5 million in debt, the company exclusively told TechCrunch. Apollo’s design is based on research from MIT.

Halimi projects an Apollo power plant can generate electricity at a rate of 3 cents per kilowatt hour. “We don’t want to be incremental in nuclear and just improve a small thing,” he said. “Our target is to beat natural gas.”

Existing steam generators have left plenty of room for improvement, Halimi said. Old designs borrow heavily from those used by coal and natural gas power plants, but both of those fossil fuels have far lower energy density than nuclear fuels like uranium. “You have this high-potential fuel, but you’re converting just a small piece of it,” he said, pointing to how current generators fail to make the most of nuclear fuel sources.

Most steam generators run reactor coolant through a series of large tubes, which are surrounded by the water used to make steam. Apollo’ generator would thread the two fluid loops through a compact block of metal that’s laced with needle-thin channels — a setup that would allow heat to be transferred more efficiently, which in turn lets the company shrink its size.

With the compactness of the generator in mind, Apollo plans on assembling the reactor and steam generator in a factory rather than on site, which is the case with nuclear power plants today. Between the labor savings and smaller size, Halimi expects Apollo will be able to build a 300-megawatt power plant in less than 24 months, and predicts the reactor itself to cost four to five times less to produce than existing designs.

Apollo has already built a small, 40-kilowatt reactor at MIT to demonstrate the technology. It plans to offer three sizes, ranging from 10 megawatts-electric to 300 megawatts.

FCVC led the funding round, with Telesoft Partners, Y Combinator, Alumni Ventures, Robinhood Ventures, Nucleation Capital, Pelion VC, Duke Capital Partners, New Era Ventures, Orange Collective, Stanford University, E14 Fund, and Neutron Power Ventures participating. Apollo was part of Y Combinator’s Spring 2026 batch.

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