The Vatican has confirmed that only one round of voting will take place this Wednesday afternoon as the conclave to elect the next pope officially gets underway.

Cardinals from around the world gathered earlier Wednesday in the Sistine Chapel, where they took a sacred oath of secrecy before the chapel doors were ceremonially closed with the Latin phrase “extra omnes,” meaning “everyone out.” The papal master of ceremonies then declared the start of the conclave, invoking a centuries-old tradition whose name comes from the Latin cum clave, meaning “locked with key.”

Wednesday’s solitary ballot marked the opening step in the process to choose the new leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics. Should the vote prove inconclusive requiring a two-thirds majority to elect a new pope, cardinals will resume the process on Thursday, casting up to four ballots daily until consensus is reached.

Each cardinal votes by writing “Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (“I elect as Supreme Pontiff”) on a paper ballot, followed by the name of their chosen candidate. In a quiet and orderly procession, they approach the silver and gilded urn in order of seniority to place their ballots.

As the final vote is cast, the tension rises in St. Peter’s Square, where the faithful and millions watching around the globe await the first sign of smoke from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney. Black smoke will indicate that no decision has been made; white smoke will proclaim that a new pope has been elected.

The last two conclaves, in 2005 and 2013, ended on the second day, with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis elected after a series of swift ballots, respectively.

As the doors remain closed and Vatican cameras withdraw, the world waits in hushed anticipation for the next chapter in the history of the Catholic Church to be written.

Governor Hyacinth Alia will not honour the House of Representatives Committee invitation scheduled for Thursday, May 8.

The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Tersoo Kula, confirmed this to journalists on Wednesday in Makurdi.

The House had summoned the governors of Benue and Zamfara, alongside their Assembly leadership.

Kula stated that the invitation is unconstitutional and the governor will not comply with it.

He explained that Alia has filed a case at the Supreme Court challenging the lawmakers’ invitation.

“Yesterday, the Benue Assembly passed a resolution rejecting the Reps Committee invitation.

“They believe the invitation is based on ignorance and have decided not to attend. They will also challenge it in court,” he said.

Kula added that the governor, independently, has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the invitation’s legality.

He said: “Since the matter is in court, I will not speak further on it.”

Kula also claimed that the civil society group behind the petition is faceless and unregistered.

According to him, the address on the group’s letterhead is fake and lacks credibility.

He said there is a coordinated campaign of misinformation and sponsored protests aimed at destabilising Benue.

In recent weeks, he noted, there have been protests in Abuja allegedly representing Benue people’s concerns.

“These protests aim to provoke a state of emergency in Benue by portraying it in a negative light,” he said.

He claimed the organisers seek to undermine progress and return to a failed political order.

“Their ultimate goal is to create chaos for selfish political gain,” Kula added.

He accused the protest sponsors of trying to remove the governor through disruptive means.

“They will not succeed. Benue people stand firmly with their governor,” he said.

He assured the public that Benue remains peaceful and the government is functioning effectively.

“Governor Alia is committed to fulfilling his mandate and addressing the state’s challenges,” he said. (NAN)

Federal Government says Nigeria has so far lost more than N1.3 billion to outbreak of Tuta absoluta commonly known as the tomato leaf miner or “Tomato Ebola” in three states.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, said this at the on-going four-day capacity building workshop for financial institutions on Wednesday in Abuja.

The workshop is organised by HortiNigeria in collaboration with the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Plc.

Kyari said the outbreak had consequently led to the surge of 50 Kilo Gramme basket of tomato from N5, 000 to N10, 000 and approximately N30, 000 thereby exacerbating food inflation and straining household budgets.

According to him, the states where the loose were recorded include Kano, Katsina and Kaduna.

He explained that tomato ebola had underscored the fragility of the country’s horticultural systems adding that the invasive pest could decimate tomato crops within 48 hours, leading to catastrophic yield losses.

According to him, this crisis highlights the urgent need for integrated pest management strategies, investment in resilient crop varieties and enhanced support for farmers to safeguard the country’s food supply chains.

“Tomatoes and peppers essential ingredients in virtually every Nigerian kitchen serve as baseline commodities for daily cooking.

“When the prices of these staples spike, they set off a chain reaction that affects the cost of meals across homes, restaurants and food vendors.

“According to the 2024 National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) tomatoes led the food price index with a staggering 320 per cent year-on-year increase, followed by peppers and other produce.

“These spikes disproportionately affect low-income households, underlining the urgent need for more stable production, better storage and accessible finance across the horticulture value chain,” he said.

The minister said horticulture often described as the “sleeping giant” of Nigerian agriculture, held immense promise that the country must awaken.

According to him, in doing that we must ensure access to sustainable and well-structured financing.

Kyari who identified horticulture as the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, flowers, and ornamentals described it as far more than a sub-sector of agriculture.

According to him, It is a dynamic engine for rural transformation, job creation, improved nutrition and trade diversification.

”With increasing urbanisation and growing awareness of healthy diets, consumer demand for fresh and diverse produce is rising rapidly. Horticulture is well-positioned to meet this demand.”

He added that in spite of the challenges in the horticulture sector it remained one of the most promising frontiers for agricultural transformation.

He noted that unlike staple crop farming, horticulture offered higher value per hectare, ideal for smallholder commercialisation, shorter production cycles and allowing multiple harvests annually.

He further said that the sector had greater labour absorption, creating year-round employment, especially for women and youth, strong linkages to processing, packaging, retail and export markets.

“The sector also offers climate resilience through protected cultivation and irrigation systems, urban food access through peri-urban farming and logistics integration.

“Horticulture is a high-impact, high-return opportunity sitting at the intersection of agriculture, health, industry, and trade,” he emphasised.

The minister listed key contribution of the sector to the country’s agricultural transformation as diversification of agricultural production and Incomes, food and nutrition security, employment and youth engagement.

Other contributions according to him include import substitution and export potential, climate adaptation and resilience as well as urban market integration.

Kyari explained that the sector enabled smallholder farmers to diversify their production portfolios and earn steady incomes outside traditional grain cycles.

“Crops like tomatoes, pineapples, cucumbers, citrus and plantains have huge domestic demand and are increasingly becoming important commercial crops.

“On food and nutrition security, horticultural crops are rich sources of vitamins A, C, iron, zinc, and folate nutrients vital for child development, maternal health and disease prevention.

“Scaling up their production and affordability is key to ending malnutrition in all its forms,” he added.

He urged financial institutions to map and understand the horticulture value chain from seed to shelf.

He further urged them to move beyond generic lending, and develop tailored products that aligned with the specific stages of the value chain.

He also urged them to develop fit-for-purpose financial products, including seasonal credit lines, equipment leasing, invoice discounting, and trade financing.

Horticulture is not only a farming activity; it is a vibrant agribusiness ecosystem with scalable investment opportunities that can drive inclusive growth and food system transformation in Nigeria.

“Together, we can unlock the power of horticulture to nourish our people, build wealth and drive inclusive, sustainable growth.

“By building your capacity and investing wisely in the horticulture value chain, you are not just financing crops you are financing livelihoods, nutrition, resilience, and inclusive growth and sowing the seeds for a healthier, wealthier, and more resilient Nigeria,” he further said. (NAN)