These are the stories that drove the conversation today:

Professor Hafiz Abubakar, the deputy governor of Kano has resigned his position.

---

Former Governor of Akwa Ibom and Minority leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio on Sunday met President Muhammadu Buhari in London.

The issues discussed between both parties were not disclosed, but it is widely believed to be part of recent moves by the Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West, to perfect his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akpabio had recently met Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja and also national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Lagos.

---

A statement on Sunday signed by the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabena, in Abuja, has rescinded the suspension of Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani.

The APC directed the ward chairman and other party officials in Kaduna to implement the directive with a view to complementing the peace efforts being made by the national leadership of the party to restore peace in the state chapter of the party.

“The National Secretariat has received the news of the suspension of Senator Shehu Sani by the Tudun Wada Ward chairman and wish to clarify that the purported suspension of Distinguished Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District is hereby lifted and he is confirmed as a bonafide member and leader of our party.”

---

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has on Sunday condemned the invasion of the runway of the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto by a crowd of political loyalists on Saturday.

The FAAN’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, who made the condemnation through a statement in Lagos, alleged that the loyalists broke through the airport fence and invaded the airport in a bid to receive their political masters.

The general manager described the incident as a gross violation of the security and safety arrangements at the airport, adding that “the airport environment is a highly regulated environment and should be seen as such.”

---

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the names of the top five candidates based on performance in the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The board’s Head of Media, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in a statement on Sunday, in Abuja said that the information became necessary to put the records in proper perspective following a circulated misinformation in some quarters.

From the 1.3 million candidates who sat for the exam, Galadima Zakari from Biu in Borno State, is the candidate with the highest score of 364, closely followed by Adekunle Jesufemi from Ogun State who scored 358 while the third position went to Alikah Oseghale from Edo State with a score of 357.

The fourth is Ademola Adetola from Ogun State with a score of 355, while Akinyemi Paul from Ogun state, Ape Moses from Benue and Obi-Obuoha Abiamamela from Rivers came fifth with a tie score of 354.

---

And stories from around the world:

The islands of Bali and Lombok in Indonesia were struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on Sunday, killing dozens of people and triggering panic among holidaymakers and residents. (The Guardian, UK)

---

Six people have been arrested in Venezuela for involvement in an apparent assassination attempt on President Nicolás Maduro, the interior minister says. (BBC)

---

The United States on Sunday denied involvement as Nicolas Maduro blamed the opposition and Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos for an alleged “assassination” attempt on the Venezuela president. (AFP)

---

The President of South Sudan and head of the country’s main rebel group signed a final cease-fire and power-sharing agreement on Sunday and hailed a new longed-for era of peace in the country. (Reuters)

---

Italy praised Egypt on Sunday for its “excellent cooperation” in an investigation into the 2016 death of an Italian student whose killing threatened to severely damage relations with Europe. (Reuters)