Issuu

Don’t Be Deceived, Vote for Tinubu in 2027, South East Govs Tell Igbo Mbah: Ndigbo are strategic people, relationship builders Kalu: Igbo leaders not part of one-term presidency arrangement

Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu State; Hope Uzodimma of Imo State;

Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State; and Charles Soludo of Anambra

State have called on the people of the South-East region to vote

massively for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election

and ignore every form of deception and political distractions.

Continued on page 5

After 20-month Delay, $5bn Africa Energy Bank Takes off in Abuja… Page 5 Sunday, November 1, 2026 Vol 31. No 11529

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N500

Nnaji: Why DisCos Failed to Provide Adequate, Stable Electricity Supply to Nigerians after Privatisation… Page 6

Two New Suspected Ebola Cases in North East Test Negative, Says NCDC Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Barely five days after the first imported case of Ebola

virus disease was evacuated to Switzerland, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has

confirmed that two new suspected cases of the disease tested negative in the North East state of Adamawa.

The NCDC had earlier yesterday reported that two suspected cases were identified in the North-east, and that they

were isolated, with contact identification and laboratory testing ongoing. However, in an update released

last night, NCDC DirectorGeneral, Dr. Jide Idris, said the Continued on page 5

INEC Forecloses Changing 2027 Election Timetable, Says Polls Can’t Be Shifted To release final voters’ register December 15 Warns against attacks on officials, corps members

EMPOWERING 5,000 WOMEN AHEAD OF 2027…

See story on page 5

L-R: Wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Ekaette Akpabio; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu; Wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima; First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Wife of the Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah; Governor Peter Mbah; Imo State Governor, Senator, Hope Uzodimma; and Ebonyi State Governor, Hon. Francis Nwifuru, during the flag-off of the South- east APC Women Rally and Empowerment of 5,000 vulnerable women in Enugu…yesterday

SUNday, NOVEMBER 1, 2026 • T H I S D AY

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2026 • T H I S D AY

PROUD SILVER SPONSOR

CMY

West Africa’s Leading International Art Fair Returns

April Kamunde, I Don't Want a Seat at the Table of the Oppressor. I Want a Blanket and Pillow Down By the Ocean. I Want to Rest (2025). Image Courtesy of Afriart Gallery. Used with permission.

5—8 NOV.2026

Federal Palace Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria

www.artxlagos.com

@artxlagos.com

SUNday, NOVEMBER 1, 2026 • T H I S D AY

NOVEMBER 1, 2026 • T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

NEWS

After 20-month Delay, $5bn Africa Energy Bank Takes off in Abuja

Egypt’s Helmy Ghazi picked as pioneer president of 18-member group New institution positioned to close $200bn funding gap in oil sector

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The long-awaited $5 billion Africa Energy Bank (AEB) yesterday formally took off in Abuja, following the inauguration of its institutional structures by its promoters, the African ExportImport Bank (Afreximbank) and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO). The bank announced its formal establishment at its

inaugural general meeting in Abuja, where an Egyptian, Mr Helmy Ghazi, was appointed its pioneer president and its first Board of Directors was constituted, Afreximbank said yesterday. The development marked the culmination of a process that began in 2022, when African petroleum-producing countries and Afreximbank initiated discussions on establishing a

dedicated financial institution to address the continent's growing energy financing challenges. The bank, with an authorised initial capital of $5 billion, is expected to finance projects across the energy value chain, including oil and gas exploration, production, transportation, processing, refining, and distribution. According to the bank, it was established against the

backdrop of an estimated $200 billion in energy investment requirements across Africa and the increasing reluctance of traditional international lenders to finance fossil fuel projects. The concept emerged from concerns among African oilproducing countries that the global energy transition was making it increasingly difficult to secure funding for hydrocarbon developments, despite the

continent's enormous oil and gas resources and widespread energy poverty. Under the arrangement, APPO, which represents 18 African petroleum-producing countries, and Afreximbank are the founding institutions. The APPO member countries are Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo,

Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Libya, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, and South Africa. Venezuela is an honorary member of the organisation. Nigeria had committed $100 million towards the bank's capitalisation, with President Bola Tinubu approving the investment as part of the country's contribution to the initiative.

INEC FORECLOSES CHANGING 2027 ELECTION TIMETABLE, SAYS POLLS CAN’T BE SHIFTED Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has ruled out any adjustment to the timetable for the 2027 general election without lawful justification, declaring that the polls must hold as scheduled. This comes as he warned against attacks on electoral officials, including National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, during next year’s elections, saying perpetrators would face the full weight of the law. Speaking yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, during an interactive meeting with INEC staff from the six South-south states to assess the commission’s preparedness for the forthcoming elections, Amupitan maintained that the commission would adhere strictly to its statutory obligations, stressing that the election timetable was fixed and would not be altered without lawful justification. Amupitan also said the commission was addressing submissions of claims for corrections to the voters’ register

ahead of the release of the final voters’ register scheduled for December 15. “Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must be held as scheduled,” he said. The INEC chairman also announced that Rivers State would receive particular attention in the commission’s preparations, given its position as the state with the highest number of registered voters in the South-south. According to figures released by the commission, Rivers has 3,736,434 registered voters, followed by Delta with 3,525,988; Edo, 2,865,263; Akwa Ibom, 2,566,198; Cross River, 1,928,978; and Bayelsa, 1,200,691. The six states have a combined 15,823,550 registered voters. Amupitan said Rivers' electoral significance placed additional responsibility on INEC officials to ensure no eligible voter would be denied the opportunity to exercise their franchise. “With the 3,736,434 registered voters for Rivers State, the state leads the South-south. As a result, the commission will pay closer

attention to what happens in Rivers State. It is your duty to ensure that no voter is disenfranchised because of operational failures,” he said. On the voters’ register, Amupitan disclosed that INEC had published the register online and at designated locations for public scrutiny, adding that the commission had received more than 5,000 claims for corrections, including names and dates of birth, as well as over 600 objections. He said the commission was addressing the submissions ahead of the release of the final voters’ register scheduled for December 15. The INEC chairman explained that although he had initially considered revalidating the entire voters’ register after assuming office, he abandoned the proposal because he feared the exercise would come too close to the general election. Amupitan expressed confidence in INEC’s capacity to deliver peaceful, transparent and credible elections, citing lessons from recent off-cycle governorship elections, particularly the Osun State governorship poll.

He described the Osun election as encouraging, noting that it recorded the highest voter turnout in the history of off-cycle elections in the state and earned positive assessments despite earlier security concerns. “Osun State elections gave us the confidence that we can achieve this despite the noise. It is good that we had a series of those elections before the general elections because we learn lessons from every election,” he said. He added that the commission would build on the experiences gained from the off-cycle elections to strengthen its preparations for 2027. “We will conduct elections that will move the nation forward and not an election that will bring it down,” he assured. On security, Amupitan said INEC was collaborating with relevant security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), to guarantee the safety of voters, electoral personnel, ad hoc staff and election materials. He stressed that Nigerians must be able to collect their Permanent

Voter Cards (PVCs) and exercise their franchise without fear of intimidation or violence. “We want every part of Nigeria to be calm during the elections so that people can come out to vote. We will not tell them to take their PVCs and then will not guarantee their safety,” he said. The INEC chairman also dismissed suggestions that Artificial Intelligence (AI) or computer algorithms could determine the outcome of the 2027 elections, insisting that Nigerian voters would remain in charge of electoral decisions. “It is the people of Nigeria that will decide the outcome of the elections and not AI or any algorithms,” he declared. He, however, acknowledged the growing cybersecurity threats associated with emerging technologies, saying the commission was exploring ways to deploy technology to better protect its digital infrastructure against possible attacks. Amupitan urged INEC personnel across the South-South to remain professional and committed, emphasising that the credibility of

the 2027 elections would ultimately depend on the conduct of officials at polling units and other field locations. He warned against attacks on electoral officials, including NYSC members, during next year’s elections, stressing that perpetrators will face the full weight of the law. Amupitan said the commission was strengthening its operational plans to ensure the safety of election personnel, voters and materials, particularly in areas exposed to security threats. “Anyone who threatens or harms INEC officials, including National Youth Service Corps members deployed for election duties, will face the full weight of the law,” he warned. The INEC chairman also cautioned electoral officers against partisanship, negligence, absenteeism and financial misconduct, stressing that such violations would attract disciplinary action. Amupitan said the readiness assessment was designed to identify operational weaknesses and address logistical challenges before the elections.

TWO NEW SUSPECTED EBOLA CASES IN NORTH EAST TEST NEGATIVE, SAYS NCDC cases, which were identified in Yola, Adamawa State, had returned negative after two rounds of testing. “Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing,” Idris said. He clarified that there was no laboratory-confirmed EVD case in Adamawa State, adding that the index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) remained the only confirmed case in Nigeria. While commending the Adamawa State Government for its proactive response, Idris urged

the public to remain calm, avoid sharing unverified information and continue to practise good hand hygiene and enhanced sanitation. He assured that NCDC would continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as verified information becomes available. NCDC had initially said it identified two suspected cases of the disease in the North-east geopolitical zone. The agency, which did not disclose the particular state, added that laboratory testing was being conducted to determine whether the individuals had contracted the disease.

“Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in Nigeria’s North-east region. Both individuals have been isolated, contact identification and listing are ongoing, and laboratory testing is being conducted. “Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results,” the statement read. The NCDC, however, cautioned that being classified as suspected cases did not mean the individuals had tested positive for Ebola, stressing that confirmation would depend on laboratory results.

The agency urged Nigerians to maintain good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation, and follow guidance from public health authorities. It said it would provide further updates as verified information became available. The development came less than two weeks after the federal government confirmed Nigeria’s first imported case of the virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on October 20, 2026. The patient, a woman who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain and was subsequently isolated and treated

by Nigerian health workers. Announcing the first case of the disease, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, had stated that the infected woman had travelled to Nigeria from Uganda and developed symptoms on October 7 before seeking medical attention at a private hospital in Abuja on October 11. After confirmation, health authorities initially identified 44 contacts of the patient, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers, and people who might have travelled with her. The number later rose to 53, and health authorities placed the contacts under surveillance.

The patient was subsequently evacuated to Switzerland on October 26 alongside her husband, who had remained asymptomatic. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Nigeria would need to complete a 42-day monitoring period before it could be declared free of Ebola, comprising 21 days of monitoring for identified contacts and another 21 days in line with established protocols. The federal government had announced a payment of N100,000 weekly to each contact of the confirmed case to encourage compliance with quarantine directives and prevent possible community transmission.

come out on January 16 with our PVC and ensure that the good work Mr. President is doing will continue. “Don't listen to any voice. Those voices telling us a different thing. We, the Igbos have gone to communities outside our zone to build businesses. And we also know how to build relationships. And that is being put to test. We are

not a people that are ethnic bigots. We are a people that are strategic. “And that is why we must all come out in our numbers and support Mr. President to continue the good work. Support all our APC candidates to ensure that they are returned come January

DON’T BE DECEIVED, VOTE FOR TINUBU IN 2027, SOUTH EAST GOVS TELL IGBO The governors made the call during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Mega Rally and Empowerment Programme for the South-East flagged off by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu at Okpara Square, Enugu yesterday. Speaking, the host governor, Dr. Mbah, urged the people of the region to support Tinubu’s

re-election bid to enable him to consolidate the gains of his administration’s economic reforms. He attributed ongoing development projects, including the construction of primary healthcare centres, to the federal government’s economic reforms. “If I ask what future you want for your children, I'm sure you are

seeing that future unfold gradually through the bold and courageous reforms of Mr. President. “It is through those reforms that enough money has been made available to all the states. Which is why in Enugu, when you look around you, you will see the Smart Green Schools, Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres, and numerous

other projects and initiatives we have undertaken in just three years. “This is happening because of the bold and courageous reforms of Mr. President and we know the job is not finished yet. A good sailor does not abandon his ship mid-sea because of challenges. “So, we must finish the journey we all started together. We must

Continued on page 12

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • NOVEMBER 1, 2026

NEWS

CATERING FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED IN THE SOCIETY…

L-R: Air Operation Officer, United Nations, New York, Captain Akinsete Olusina; National Director of Sickle Cell Centre Lagos, Dr Akinsete Annette; AriseWomen Convener, Dr. Siju Iluyomade; and Lead Pastor,The Family Fellowship, Idowu Iluyomade; during the 18th edition of Arise Walk For Life in Lagos…yesterday

Nnaji: Why DisCos Failed to Provide Adequate, Stable Electricity Supply to Nigerians after Privatisation

Chinedu Eze

The Chairman and Founder of Geometric Power and former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji, has identified a combination of severe infrastructure deficits, massive revenue collection losses, liquidity crises, and systemic bottlenecks across the entire power value chain as the factors responsible for the failure of the Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOS) to deliver stable electricity to meet

the expectations of Nigerians after the privatisation of the power sector in 2013. Delivering a keynote speech during the Business Forum 3.0 organised by the Club in Lagos at the weekend, Nnaji cited the government’s refusal to allow the power companies to operate cost-reflective tariffs as the main reason the companies have been unable to actualise the goal of providing adequate and stable electricity supply. He said many investors

invested in the power distribution companies during the 20122013 privatisation based on the government’s promise to allow cost-reflective tariffs, but the government reneged on this promise, leading to the current epileptic power supply 13 years after the privatisation exercise. “I can tell you because, well, during privatisation, I went to the President (then President Goodluck Jonathan) and I told him that no investor will come to Nigeria to invest unless we do

something about tariffs. Many of us may not remember that the tariff before June of 2012 was N6 per kilowatt hour,” he said. “So, a levelised cost-reflective tariff was introduced and raised the tariff from N6 to N22 for certain categories of Nigerians, while the poor retained N6 and the rural dwellers were given N4 per kilowatt-hour. “But we did one thing that helped us. We recognised that the vast majority of people who take power actually are small off-takers

of power. The urban poor and rural dwellers, and the amount of power they were taking, was small in comparison to the rest - the middle class, the upper middle class, the industries. So, we said, ‘Okay, we are going to lift for those people who can afford to pay N22 and reduce the urban poor and rural dwellers from 6N to N4.” Nnaji said that after this, the problem remained unsolved because even the new tariffs were not cost-reflective. He disclosed that many investors came from different parts of the world to bid for Nigerian power assets, but the absence of a cost-reflective tariff became a disincentive to investment. insisted. Nnaji emphasised that if the The apex Christian body government would not approve called on relevant authorities a cost-reflective tariff, it must to ensure the rights of all parties be prepared to pay for power were protected and justice was served in line with the Constitution. It said it would continue to monitor the case and engage authorities through Chuks Okocha in Abuja appropriate legal channels, while remaining committed The African Democratic Congress to peaceful coexistence of (ADC) has described the federal all religious backgrounds in government’s sudden announcement Nigeria. of a N50,000 monthly cash relief to vulnerable households as an election gimmick, driven by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s desperation rather than any genuine concern for millions of suffering Nigerians thrown into hardship by the government’s own cruel can put a leader or otherwise. economic policies. “So, in total, it depends In a statement signed by the on Allah to do it for him as National Publicity Secretary of he did it for him in 2023. By the ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, that, Allah says we should the party said the timing of the welcome and work all the announcement raised serious procedures we are doing to questions about the government's campaign, to talk to people, motives, claiming that the to convince them, to show intervention was only a panic them what we have done, reaction by Tinubu’s government what we have achieved and to the opposition party’s promise by God’s grace, people will to reduce the cost of living and be convinced to elect us.” to make life more affordable for

CAN Condemns Conviction of Christian Woman in Borno, Says No Nigerian Should Be Punished for Choosing Any Religion Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said no Nigerian should be punished for choosing, changing or practising a religion, faulting the reported conviction of a Christian woman in Borno State. The woman, identified in circulating reports as Lami Samuel Dawa, was reportedly convicted and imprisoned in a case linked to the conversion of an adult woman to Christianity.

In a press statement issued yesterday and signed by CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, the religious body said it was disturbed by the development, adding that it was still verifying the precise facts and legal basis of the conviction. CAN disclosed that an appeal had been filed against the conviction and said it would allow the judicial process to run its course. But the association said

the case was beyond one individual, raising fundamental constitutional issues. "The case raises important questions about the protection of religious freedom and the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," CAN said. "Every individual has the right to freely choose, change or practise their religion or belief without coercion, intimidation or unlawful punishment," CAN

Yari Upbeat about Tinubu’s Victory in 2027, Says APC Will Convince Nigerians to Re-elect President Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC), Senator Abdulaziz Yari, yesterday said Nigerians would be convinced to return President Bola Tinubu for a second term in next January’s presidential election. Yari spoke with journalists

in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where he joined President Tinubu and other eminent Nigerians to perform the lesser Hajj, Umrah. He noted the president’s faith in God, his record of performance and the capacity of the campaign organisation would swing votes in Tinubu’s favour. Yari noted: “I believe that Allah’s wish in His court must

prevail. And there’s no other God but Allah. Allah is the only one who can define a human being, what he will be, and what he will become. “That’s what makes a leader, because when you ask him, he first prayed for the country, prayed for every Nigerian and also he says this election is an election that God has selected the person who will be a leader and only Him that

subsidies for the DisCos to run efficiently. “As we know, payment for subsidies is a difficult journey undertaken by the government. Government power subsidies are worse than fuel subsidies—for example, a subsidy of merely N50, just N50 per kilowatt hour for just 5,000 megawatts. “Remember, we have installed a capacity of 13,000 megawatts, but we can put about 5,000MW on the grid. So, let me use that 5,000 MW. So, N50 subsidy for 5,000 megawatts in a month is about N180 billion. “In one year, it is N2.16 trillion, just N50. So, you can imagine having to subsidize 10,000 megawatts, or if we get there, 20,000 megawatts. And this is why the debt owed to Genco is over N7 trillion today,” Nnaji explained.

ADC Dismisses Tinubu’s N50,000 Cash Relief as Election Gimmick, Desperation Nigerians if it comes into power in next year’s general election. "President Tinubu is in full panic mode now. Since the ADC and our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have made affordability and reducing the cost of living the cardinal focus of our campaign, the government has been announcing one desperate intervention or another. In August, they announced a $1 billion so-called ‘Renewed Hope Social Intervention Fund’. But it was only an announcement, nothing more. Then, they announced a 30-day fuel discount, which made no sense. Then they announced the so-called cheaper transportation by October 1 across the states. "Again, nothing happened. They have also announced a N70,000 transportation allowance to workers. Now, it is N50,000 for everyone. They are just thrashing around, hoping that something will stick,” Abdullahi said.

NOVEMBER 1, 2026 • T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

NEWS

IDENTIFYING WITH THEIR ANCESTRAL ROOT…

L-R: Management Consultant, Chief Tony Okoye; General Manager, Ekulo Group of Companies, Chief Joseph Okonkwo; CEO, Jude Ringo Commercial Enterprises Limited, Chief Jude Ringo Okeke; his wife and President, Umuoji Improvement Union, Women Wing Lagos, Mrs. Nkiru Okeke; and former Commissioner for Information, Anambra State, Chief Tony Onyema, at the patron investiture and award presentation of Umuoji Improvement Union of Nigeria, Lagos Branch in FESTAC Town…weekend

Banks Prioritise Safety of Funds, Deposit N122.35 Trillion with CBN in October

Kayode Tokede

Nigerian commercial and merchant banks deposited N122.35 trillion with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in October 2026, representing a 30.1 per cent month-on-month increase from N94.04 trillion in September. According to the CBN’s financial data, the October figure was the second-highest monthly deposit recorded during the first 10 months of 2026, behind N128.92

trillion in March. Commenting on the increase, Investdata Consulting Limited Chief Research Officer, Ambrose Omordion, said financial institutions were prioritising the safety of their funds amid concerns about non-performing loans (NPLs). Omordion explained that customers’ loan repayment difficulties had made placing excess funds with the CBN a safer business decision for banks.

He noted that high interest rates increased borrowing costs and complicated loan repayment, encouraging banks to place funds with the apex bank for overnight returns. “If we see further rate cuts by CBN, that alone may force banks to lend to the real sector and reduce depositing excess liquidity with the CBN,” he said. Banks and merchant banks place excess cash with the CBN through its Standing Deposit

Facility (SDF). At the same time, they access overnight funding through the Standing Lending Facility (SLF) to meet short-term liquidity needs. At its meeting concluded on September 22, 2026, the CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) reduced the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 23 per cent and recalibrated the standing facilities corridor to +50/–300 basis points around the benchmark rate. This placed

UK Open to Formal Apology for Britain’s Slave Trade Role, Rejects Reparations Sunday Ehigiator British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham has said he is open to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the country for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. In an OP-ED published at the weekend in The Guardian, Burnham described the slave trade as a “brutal and barbaric violation” against enslaved people. “They were denied their humanity. They were separated

from their families, treated as property and worked to their deaths,” Burnham said. “I want to express my sorrow and regret for the pain and suffering of so many millions of people, and to recognise the way it still shapes our world today.” However, the prime minister said that while there have been calls for financial reparations for the slave trade, “I do not believe that is the right answer”. “I do not think that British

people today can be held liable for historical wrongs, however heinous, that happened in a different age under different laws and in which they played no personal part.” Instead, Burnham said he would launch a new drive to restructure debt for the poorest Commonwealth countries, helping them repay debt over a longer period and with better interest rates. The prime minister’s comments

came ahead of a Commonwealth leaders’ summit in the Caribbean next week where slavery and reparations are expected to dominate the agenda. Just last week, Commonwealth Secretary General, Shirley Botchwey, said a formal apology for slavery from King Charles, who will attend the heads of government summit, “wouldn’t hurt,” adding that the “time has come” for a serious conversation on reparations.

the SLF rate at 23.5 per cent and the SDF rate at 20 per cent. The CBN data showed that cumulative deposits by banks and merchant banks reached N894.75 trillion in the first 10 months of 2026, representing a 324.6 per cent year-on-year increase from N210.74 trillion in the corresponding period of 2025. A monthly breakdown showed that deposits stood at N82.99 trillion in August and N83.96 trillion in July. The July figure represented a 669.6 per cent increase from N10.91 trillion in July 2025, reflecting banks’ increased placement of excess liquidity with the apex bank for overnight returns. Deposits stood at N89.33 trillion in June, up 2.5 per cent from N87.13 trillion in May, while April recorded N92.32 trillion. March recorded the highest monthly figure of N128.92 trillion. Deposits in February stood at N61.11 trillion, representing a 16.18 per cent increase from N52.6 trillion in January. In a report following the September MPC meeting, analysts at Cordros Research said the adjustment of the asymmetric corridor to +50/–300 basis

points, from +50/–450 basis points, was intended to narrow the gap between the MPR and the lower bound. “The adjustment should strengthen the transmission of policy decisions to short-term market rates and reinforce the MPR’s signalling role. Accordingly, the Standing Lending Facility rate declined to 23.50 per cent (previous: 27.00 per cent), while the Standing Deposit Facility rate fell to 20.00 per cent (previous: 22.00 per cent),” Cordros Research explained. Looking ahead, the analysts said market performance would depend on the extent to which the policy adjustment translated into lower market yields, improved liquidity and reduced corporate financing costs. “Continued macroeconomic stability, particularly in inflation and the exchange rate, will also remain important to investor sentiment. Against this backdrop, 2026FY earnings and dividend announcements, foreign and domestic portfolio flows, corporate actions and company-specific developments are likely to be the key drivers of the market performance in Q4-26.”

NDPHC: Federal Lawmakers Decry Encroachment, Vandalism of Power Projects Threaten removal of illegal structures on transmission routes

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Assets has threatened to demolish illegal structures erected on the federal government’s rights of way (ROW) for power transmission projects, warning that encroachment and vandalism were threatening investments in the electricity sector. The Chairman of the committee, Kuye Ademorin, gave the warning during inspection of the 132kV New Haven-Ninth Mile-Nsukka Double Circuit Transmission

Line in Enugu State and the Egbu 330/132/33kV substation in Owerri, Imo State. The committee expressed concern that churches, hotels, private residences and even state government buildings had been erected along designated transmission routes, potentially delaying the completion of projects designed to improve electricity supply. Other lawmakers on the inspection tour, according to a statement by the NDPHC spokesperson, Nazo Agim, included Mark Obetta, Lanre Okunlola, Sani Rigo and Canice

Nwachukwu. Ademorin questioned how state authorities could approve developments along corridors already designated as federal government rights of way, describing the situation as a threat to critical national infrastructure. He said the committee was impressed by the scale of the federal government’s investment in developing a sustainable electricity system but was disappointed that some communities were undermining the initiative through encroachment and vandalism. “We observed the magnitude of investment by the federal

government in building a sustainable power system for the country, particularly in our states, to help them develop their industrial base through adequate power supply. “However, to our chagrin and disappointment, we saw a people who are not totally buying into the vision of a greater country for all of us,” he said. The lawmaker warned that the National Assembly would take appropriate measures to ensure that illegal structures were removed from the affected corridors. “It is not going to be business

as usual. We are going to take drastic, appropriate steps to ensure that those structures are removed,” he said. The committee also called for stronger collaboration between federal and state governments to protect public assets and prevent further delays to electricity infrastructure projects. At the Egbu substation, the delegation acknowledged that the facility was about 85 per cent complete and, upon completion, would add approximately 250 megawatts to electricity supply in Imo State, significantly improving power delivery to the Orlu area.

The project, which was first awarded in 2006, has received renewed attention under the leadership of NDPHC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jennifer Adighije. Ademorin commended the quality of work at the substation and expressed optimism that its anticipated completion around March 2027 would stimulate industrial activities across the South-east. He, however, urged the federal government to ensure the timely completion of ongoing projects and prompt payment of contractors to avoid unnecessary delays.

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • NOVEMBER 1, 2026

NEWS

GROOMING ETHICAL FEMALE LEADERS…

L-R: Communications Leader and Anchor, The Folake Soetan Golden Circle Initiative, Oluwasola Obagbemi; Managing Director, Trunbox Fabrics, Funmi Sam-Epelle; Convener, The Folake Soetan Golden Circle Initiative and Managing Director, Arahas Global Oilfield Services (a Sahara Group Company), Folake Soetan; Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AT3 Resources, Tosin Adefeko; and Lead Consultant and CEO, Be Causative Limited, Bisi Soji-Oyawoye, at the launch of The Folake Soetan Initiative in Lagos…recently

ADC Presidential Campaign Council Demands Arrest of Attackers of Sokoto Governorship Candidate Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Presidential Campaign Council of the African Democratic Congress (ADC-PCC) has condemned the attack on its Sokoto State governorship candidate, Alhaji Munir Dan Iya, allegedly by the operatives of the state-owned security outfit known as the Sokoto Marshals. The attack reportedly occurred yesterday along Airport Road, Sokoto, as Dan Iya was returning to the city after accompanying

former Governor of Sokoto State and Senator representing Sokoto South, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, from the airport. Several vehicles in the governorship candidate's convoy were allegedly vandalised and extensively damaged by the armed operatives. In a statement by Director, Media and Publicity, ADC Presidential Campaign Council (ADCPCC), Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, the council said that ''more disturbing is

the fact that, since the incident, operatives of the same security outfit have been stationed at various historic gates into Sokoto metropolis, harassing motorists and targeting vehicles bearing ADC posters, insignia and other party symbols.'' The ADC-PCC spokesman further said that ''In an even more alarming development, two Department of State Services (DSS) personnel attached to the ADC governorship candidate were reportedly abducted by

the Sokoto Marshals''. He said Dan Iya formally reported the incident to the Sokoto State Commissioner of Police, adding that his personal SUV was also vandalised during the attack. The spokesman of the ADC campaign added that ''this reprehensible conduct is provocative, unacceptable and represents a dangerous descent into state-sponsored thuggery. “It is part of a disturbing pattern of political intimidation

and violence against ADC members and opposition figures across the country. ''Only a few weeks ago, similar incidents were reported in Kaduna and other states. Sokoto has now become the latest theatre of this growing assault on democratic freedom. ''The coordinated harassment and attacks against the ADC and other opposition voices constitute a grave violation of democratic principles and the constitutional guarantees of freedom of movement, association and peaceful political participation.'' Ologbondiyan said, ''We are particularly alarmed that a security outfit established and funded with taxpayers' money is allegedly being transformed into He declared null and void a political militia for intimidating, the assembly’s decision to harassing and attacking perceived arrest Jaja for failing to appear political opponents. before its ad hoc committee on September 25, 2026. Justice Onyiri maintained that the legislature had no constitutional authority to A former Postmaster-General indict individuals or determine of the Federation and Chief their guilt, stressing that its Executive Officer of the Nigerian investigative powers under Postal Service (NIPOST), Bisi Section 128 were limited Adegbuyi, has called for an to gathering evidence for independent technical review constitutionally recognised of Nigeria’s voters’ register. legislative purposes. Adegbuyi said the review should go beyond establishing voter identity to examine the geographic accuracy, consistency and verifiability of registration records. He made the call in a statement customer satisfaction and what against the backdrop of recent the Service calls Hostmanship. concerns over the integrity of In her speech, the Head the voters’ register and questions of Operations at the Service surrounding some voter records. According to him, credible Compact with all Nigerians (SERVICOM) unit in the elections require attention not Presidency, Mrs Ngozi only to how election results Akinbodewa, commended NIS are transmitted, but also to for evolving its SERVICOM Unit. the accuracy of the geographic She said this year’s Customer information attached to voter Service Week marked a critical registrations. Adegbuyi recalled that step towards sustaining citizenfocused service delivery in line he had proposed a technical framework on February 27, 2026, with global best practices.

Court Nullifies Rivers Assembly’s Arrest Order Against PAMO Varsity VC Bars police from arresting Jaja, awards N2m damages

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital, has nullified the arrest order issued by the Rivers State House of Assembly against the Vice-Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Prof. Smith Jaja. The court described the assembly’s investigative action as a sham.

The court, presided over by Justice Frank Onyiri, also issued a perpetual injunction restraining the assembly, the police and other security agencies from interfering with the fundamental rights of the university don. In addition, the court awarded N2 million in damages against the assembly, and in favour of Jaja. Delivering judgment on Friday in a fundamental rights enforcement suit instituted by

Jaja against the Assembly, Justice Onyiri held that the assembly acted outside its constitutional powers in its attempt to investigate the applicant’s employer. The judge faulted the assembly’s decision to constitute an ad hoc committee purportedly under Section 128 of the 1999 Constitution, noting that the 2026 Appropriation Act had already been passed and signed into law before the committee was established.

Nigeria Immigration Service Orders Officers to Eliminate Delays in Service Delivery, Report Cyber Threats

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

As part of measures to ensure stronger customer service and tighter digital security, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nanna Nandap, has directed personnel to eliminate unnecessary delays in service delivery and to promptly report suspected cyber threats. The agency’s Public Relations Officer, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi,

said in a statement yesterday that Nandap gave the charge at two separate events in Abuja – the 2026 International Customer Service Week and the Service’s 2026 Cybersecurity Awareness Seminar. Speaking at the closing of the Customer Service Week, which ran from Wednesday, October 28, to Friday, October 30, under the theme “Going the Extra Mile – Creating a Lasting Smile,” Nandap urged officers to make

excellent customer service part of the Service’s daily operations. She stressed the need for professionalism, timely service delivery, prompt complaints resolutions and respectful treatment of customers. The Comptroller General charged officers to uphold integrity, eliminate unnecessary delays and make customer satisfaction a key performance benchmark. She also reaffirmed ongoing reforms to improve

''This is not governance. It is banditry in uniform, and it must not be tolerated in a democracy. ''Let it be clearly understood that the ADC will no longer sit back and watch its members, leaders and candidates being subjected to intimidation and violence anywhere in Nigeria. The era of taking our party for granted, threatening its members and attacking its political structures with impunity is over. ''This must be the last time such an attack is allowed to happen., Abdullahi stated. Accordingly, the spokesman of the ADC PCC said, ''While the ADC remains committed to peaceful political engagement and the rule of law, we are fully prepared to defend our members and protect their constitutional rights through every legitimate means available to us.

Adegbuyi Urges Geographic Audit of Nigeria’s Voters’ Register for modernising legacy voter addresses without disrupting existing electoral arrangements. The proposal recommended the use of machine-assisted interpretation, geographic resolution and deterministic digital location referencing to improve the quality of voterlocation data. He said the approach could help electoral administrators identify inconsistencies, detect unusual geographic concentrations and strengthen the auditability of polling-unit assignments. Adegbuyi stressed that the proposed framework would not re quire replacing Permanent Voter Cards or the existing biometric verification system. Instead, he said, geographic verification would provide an additional layer of assurance alongside existing identity and biometric checks.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2026 • T H I S D AY

SUNday, NOVEMBER 1, 2026 • T H I S D AY

POSTPONEMENT The Central Planning Commi ee

THE REFORM BOLA AHMED TINUBU GCFR

wishes to

ANNOUNCE THE POSTPONEMENT of the oﬃcial unveiling of the book,

Title THE COURAGE TO

REFORM ARCHITECTURE OF PRESIDENT

BOLA AHMED TINUBU GCFR BEYOND 2027 IONAL RENEWAL

NAT STATECRAFT, VISION FOR

Architecture of President

BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR Beyond 2027

Statecraft, Vision for National Renewal The book unveiling, earlier scheduled to hold on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja is postponed due to adjustments in the schedule of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) who is the Special Guest of Honour of the occasion.

A new date for the unveiling will be oﬃcially communicated in due course. Any inconvenience caused by this postponement is highly regretted.

Principal Contact for the Event Major General AT Jibrin (Rtd) Telephone: 08036290961 ANNOUNCER: HON. IMAAN SULAIMAN-IBRAHIM Honorable Minister of Women Aﬀairs and social development and Chairperson, Central Planning Committee.

Powered by: High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), Leader PBAT DOOR-TO-DOOR MOVEMENT FOR THE RE-ELECTION OF PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU GCFR AND CHAIRMAN TANTITA SECURITY SERVICES

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2026 • T H I S D AY

JAMES HOPE COLLEGE knowledge Character Truth

FUTURE LEADERS DO NOT JUST HAPPEN...THEY ARE FORMED AT JAMES HOPE COLLEGE, LEKKI, LAGOS NOVEMBER 2025 CAMBRIDGE

MAY/JUNE 2026 WAEC

IGCSE EXAMINATION RESULT

EXAMINATION RESULT

A1 - B3 GRADES: 94%

GRADES: 67%

A* - A GRADES: 96%

A - C GRADES: 100%

A* - B GRADES: 99%

A* - C GRADES: 100% State of the art classrooms, laboratories, boarding and sporting facilities. Exceptional educators who challenge minds, nurture and bring out the best in every learner. Proud winners of prestigious international and national awards. Beautiful, serene and secure world-class campus where learning thrives. ENTRANCE EXAMINATION FOR YEAR 7 (JSS1) DAY AND BOARDING STUDENTS FOR THE 2027/2028 ACADEMIC SESSION IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE AS FOLLOWS:

LAGOS Dates:

Saturday, 30th January and 6th February, 2027

Location: Time:

James Hope College, Twin Lakes Estate, Lekki, Lagos. 10AM

ABUJA & PORT HARCOURT Date:

Saturday, 6th February, 2027

Locations: 71 Usuma Street, Opp. Transcorp Hilton, Maitama, Abuja. Time:

15 Nnamdi Azikiwe Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. 10AM

APPLICATION CLOSES: FRIDAY, 22ND JANUARY 2027 Application forms can be downloaded from www.jameshopecollege.edu.ng under the “admission” tab or can be collected from James Hope College, Twin Lakes Estate, Lekki, Lagos.

OPEN DAYS

DATE: SATURDAY 14TH NOVEMBER, 2026 & SATURDAY 9TH JANUARY, 2027

TIME: 9AM TO 12:30PM

James Hope

Tel: +2347083662229, +2347018282065, @JHCLekki

+2347085369376, +2347015349257 Email: admission@jameshope.edu.ng Web: www.jameshopecollege.edu.ng

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • NOVEMBER 1, 2026

NEWS

CELEBRATING A NEW GENERATION OF THINKERS…

L-R: Convener, Chess In Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya; Founder, Green Springs School, Mrs. Lai Koiki; CEO, Raivstream Media Limited, Ayodele Ogundipe; former Director General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, Omotayo Omotosho; Co-founder/CTO, Raivstream Media Limited, Rotimi Babalogbon: former First Lady, Lagos State, Dame Abimbola Fashola; and Chairman, Chess In Slums Africa, Pastor Tunde Onakoya, during the inaugural of R16 Academy Graduation for a new generation of thinkers, creators and changemakers who have completed the R16 Academy in Lagos...recently PHOTO: ABIODUN AJALA

Daura: Makinde is the Most Competent, Credible Presidential Candidate for 2027 Election Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The vice-presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Alhaji Lawal Daura, has described the party’s presidential candidate and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, as the most competent and credible of all the presidential candidates in the 2027 general election, given his unmatched performance as governor of Oyo State. This comes as the APM vice-presidential candidate reassured the nation, particularly the northern region, that the Makinde/Daura administration will be a four-year, all-inclusive, transitional government of national unity focused on Resetting Nigeria’s economy, education, security architecture, and socio-political space. A statement by the Director, Strategic Communications of the APM Presidential Campaign, Richard Ihediuwa, said Daura

spoke at the weekend while receiving leaders of the Northern Patriotic Front (NPF), who were at the APM Presidential Campaign Headquarters in Abuja to bestow an award on Makinde and to register their support for him and the APM at the January election. The APM vice presidential candidate particularly thanked the region for its commitment towards the campaign, stressing that Makinde ranks above other presidential candidates on performance, national vision, productivity and service delivery. He urged Nigerians to eschew ethnic sentiments and focus on candidates' antecedents and public service records, stressing that anyone seeking to lead the country must be prepared to account for their stewardship and contributions to national development. Daura stated, “I was happy when you said that you went to Oyo State, and you

have confirmed the quality of governance and unprecedented development by our Presidential candidate. So, I challenge anyone who still doubts whether our

candidate is the most competent to be elected President to examine his antecedents and performance. “Before venturing into politics and eventually becoming

electricity, health reforms as well as educational reforms in the country. A winning team must not be changed,” he said. The governor urged the electorate to sustain the current development trajectory, saying the federal government’s economic reforms had increased resources available to states for development. “We have more money to build Okigwe to Owerri, Umuahia to Owerri, Orlu to Owerri and Owerri to Port Harcourt roads,” he said. Like Mbah, Uzodimma added that the improved financial position of the state had enabled his administration to pay salaries and pensions consistently, including 13th-month salaries for workers. In his remarks, Governor Nwifuru said the number one mission for Ndigbo in 2027 elections is to re-elect President Tinubu, describing the APC as the only political party with a clear and identifiable manifesto capable of sustaining the country’s

we should also examine his record in public office. What has he achieved? Look at his performance. His transparency and accountability set him apart.

Health Workers Mobilise for Showdown with FG over 13-year Salary Adjustment Delay Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja AThe Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) have begun mobilising health workers nationwide for possible industrial action over the federal government’s failure to implement the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) adjustment. This demand has remained unresolved for about 13 years. The union, which warned that it would resist any attempt to frustrate the salary adjustment,

said it was no longer prepared to tolerate further delays in implementing the agreement. This was part of the resolutions reached at an emergency expanded National Executive Council (NEC) virtual meeting held on Thursday, October 29, 2026, attended by its affiliates and organs at federal and state levels. In a resolution jointly signed by the JOHESU National Chairman, Comrade Kabiru Minjibir, and National Secretary, Comrade Martin Egbanubi,

DON’T BE DECEIVED, VOTE FOR TINUBU IN 2027, SOUTH EAST GOVS TELL IGBO

and February,” he emphasised. Speaking on the empowerment programme targeting 5,000 women across the South-east, Mbah said the initiative followed the empowerment of more than 2,000 women, including payment of hospital bills, in Enugu by the First Lady, within 48 hours. “When you empower a woman, you strengthen the family. When you empower a woman, you build a strong community,” he said. Also speaking, Governor Uzodimma reiterated the commitment of the region to supporting Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. He explained that Igbos had experienced marginalisation for over 60 years, but were beginning to witness a new era of political inclusion and development under Tinubu. He commended the president for expanding the scope of infrastructure and economic development in the South-east region. “We are now seeing good roads,

governor of Oyo State, he had established himself as a successful businessman and a man with considerable experience in finance. “Beyond his personal integrity,

development and truly advancing the course of Ndigbo. He dismissed suggestions of his involvement in any political coalition, stressing that his loyalty remained with the APC, urging urged supporters to vote for APC candidates at all levels in the 2027 elections. Similarly, Soludo, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Gilbert Ibezim, said the South-East had a responsibility to support Tinubu’s re-election in appreciation of his administration’s achievements, adding that the region stood to benefit more from continued collaboration with the federal government. Also speaking, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, urged Igbos to embrace political inclusion by supporting Tinubu’s re-election. Kalu said the Igbo had not produced a president of Nigeria in the past 60 years, and was therefore not party to any one-term arrangement for the Presidency of

Igbo extraction by anybody. He, however, stressed that the Igbo needed to to strengthen its political alliances across the nation to actualise a full two-term Igbo presidency in the near future. He recalled that Tinubu, while serving as governor of Lagos State, maintained cordial relationships with Igbos and included them in his cabinet. The deputy speaker commended the Tinubu administration for establishing the South East Development Commission (SEDC). He described it as a major step towards addressing the region’s developmental challenges. Meanwhile, addressing the rally, the First Lady conveyed President Tinubu’s goodwill message and urged Nigerians not to be discouraged by the economic challenges associated with the President’s reforms, insisting that the country was moving towards prosperity. She likened the process to childbirth, noting that although

JOHESU said the season for uninterrupted implementation of the CONHESS adjustment was now or never, warning that it would not accept threats from what it described as meddlesome interlopers over the welfare and future of health workers. The union recalled that President Bola Tinubu had, on June 5, 2023, promised to actualise the adjustment while appealing to JOHESU to suspend its strike after assuming office.

It also recalled that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had, on the same date, forwarded the 2021 High Level Body Technical Committee Report on the adjustment to the Budget Office of the Federation, the secretariat of the Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS). However, JOHESU accused the government of allowing the process to stall because the PCS could not meet, warning that any further attempt to use the committee’s failure to act as an excuse would meet resistance.

the period of labour could be painful, it ultimately led to delivery. "Mr. President said I should greet everyone. We have done reforms and we are now in prosperity. Don't allow anyone to deceive you. The worst is over. We are stepping into prosperity," she said. The First Lady described the empowerment initiative as an indication of the APC government's commitment to translating its promises into practical interventions, noting that the party was combining political mobilisation with economic support. She urged the women to mobilise support for President Tinubu and APC candidates in the forthcoming 2027 general election, asking them to hold political aspirants accountable for their records of empowerment and development interventions. The rally by the Senator Tinubuled Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, which has kicked off in the South-east, will also be held across the remaining five

geopolitical zones. Other dignitaries at the massive rally were wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima; wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Uloma Akpabio; wives of the South-east governors; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh (SAN); and Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim. Also present were the APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr. Ben Nwoye; National Women Leader of the APC and DirectorGeneral of the Women Wing of the Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Mary Alile-Idele; South-East Zonal Woman Leader of the APC, Dr. Oby Ajih; members of the National and State Assemblies, local government chairmen and other party stakeholders. Equally present at the occasion, was business mogul, Chief Arthur Eze.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2026 • T H I S D AY

The Office of the Speaker, House of Representatives and the House Committee on Housing and Habitat Presents Stakeholder Conference on the Proposed

NATIONAL REAL ESTATE REGULATORY AUTHORITY (NRERA) Theme: One Vision, One Ecosystem, One National Housing and Real Estate Plan Monday 02 November, 2026

9:00 AM

Transcorp Centre Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja The Presidency, National Assembly members, State Governments, MDAs, real estate developers, financial and mortgage institutions, professional bodies, realtors, estate agents and brokers, regulators, development partners, consumer protection groups, home owners and tenants associations, civil society the and members of the public are cordially invited to attend and contribute to the conversation on establishing a National Real Estate Regulatory Authority for a transparent, fair and well-regulated housing and real estate sector in Nigeria.

Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, GCON

Speaker, House of Representatives

Kindly confirm your attendance via Whatsapp message or SMS: +2347052211986, +2348033108999 Memoranda can be sent via email to chimdi.neliaku@officeofthespeaker.ng and ipayeabimbola@yahoo.com

Signed: Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, PhD

Chairman, House Committee on Housing and Habitat

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R NOVEMBER 1, 2026

NEWS

ATTHE 42ND SAGAMU DAY CELEBRATION…

L-R: The Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; the Odofin of Offin, Sagamu, Odofin Adewunmi Ogunsanya; and the Ebi of Idena, Oba Lukmon Salami, during the 42nd Sagamu Day celebration at the Akarigbo’s Palace, Sagamu…yesterday.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Army Warn against US, Israeli Threats, Say Any New Attack Would Spread War Wider Sunday Ehigiator Following threats by the United States and Israel of further military action against Iran as the two countries hold crucial elections, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and the country’s army yesterday warned that any new attack by the US would only spread their war wider. Khamenei cautioned the US and Israel against returning to war, according to a written statement, following threats from the Islamic republic’s foes of a possible resumption of strikes. “If the enemies once again launch military or terrorist attacks, it is the armed forces of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation that will deter-

mine the time and conditions for ending them,” said a statement attributed to Khamenei posted on his website. The remarks came during a reported meeting between Khamenei and senior military commanders, including armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi, army chief Amir Hatami and Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi. It was the first reported meeting between them. Khamenei has not been publicly seen since he became supreme leader, following his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s killing in US-Israeli strikes at the start of the Middle East war in February. According to the statement, Khamenei ordered the com-

manders to ensure that “any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response”. It also said that Khamenei ordered the commanders to update Iran’s target list to include “all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy”. The Iranian warning comes with fresh diplomatic efforts underway to avert a resumption of fighting, with Qatari mediators in Tehran and US Vice President JD Vance reportedly sending

a letter to Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei. Iran’s army has also warned the US and Israel against new attacks. “If the US president once again embarks on more regional adventurism under pressure from, and in an attempt to appease, the Zionists, the flames of war will undoubtedly engulf a much wider geographical area,” Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said in a post on X, without elaborating. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also warned

yesterday that “Iran’s Powerful Armed Forces will deal against those who dare harm our people”. On Friday, a Qatari delegation arrived in the Iranian capital for talks with senior Iranian officials. Qatar and Pakistan have been mediating between the warring parties, but the talks have yet to produce a lasting agreement. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Vance had sent his letter to Iran’s security chief at the direction of President Donald Trump

in a bid to revive negotiations and avert further US strikes. Iran has confirmed receiving the letter but has not announced any response. The US holds midterm elections on Tuesday that could determine the direction of the war, which has proven unpopular with American voters following a spike in energy prices due to the conflict. Last Tuesday, Israel also held legislative elections, with voters given a chance to offer a verdict on right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Tinubu Lauds EFCC As FBI Thumbs Up Nigeria in Global Sextortion Crackdown

investigation targeting criminal amid growing international and strengthening international UN Ends Somalian Political Deji Elumoye inAbuja networks involved in the sexual recognition of Nigeria’s anti- law enforcement cooperation. According to Tinubu: “This President Bola Tinubu has exploitation and extortion of corruption and financial Mission After 30 Years crime reforms, including the is the kind of institutional lauded the Economic and children.

The United Nations political mission in Somalia (UNSOM) ended yesterday after a two-year transition, closing a chapter of more than three decades of UN peace-building operations in the East African nation. UNSOM was established by the UN Security Council in 2013 to support Somali authorities in the transition to democracy and the rule of law after more than two decades of conflict involving militias, Islamist groups and criminal gangs. It started as the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) in 1995. In May 2024, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud asked the UN to end the mission ahead of the expiry of its mandate in October that year. He later revised the request, proposing a two-year transition period. During the transition, UNSOM was renamed the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS).

“Today is not an end to the partnership between the United Nations and Somalia—rather, it marks the conclusion of one chapter and the beginning of another,” said Raisedon Zenenga, UNTMIS officer-in-charge and the UN secretary-general’s deputy special representative for Somalia in a statement. “While significant challenges remain, the closure of UNTMIS comes after considerable progress by Somalia since the early years of international efforts to support the country’s recovery,” he added. The mission’s mandates have been transferred to either Somali institutions or the UN country team. The transition comes as Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab, which has fought the Somali government for two decades, continues to control large swathes of central Somalia despite a major international military campaign against it.

Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following a letter from the Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, praising the commission’s role in apprehending and extraditing suspects involved in international sextortion crimes against minors. In the letter to EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, the FBI Director acknowledged the commission’s contribution to Operation Artemis, a joint

The operation led to the arrest and extradition of two Nigerian suspects, Adebola Festus Adekunle and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, in August 2026, and are now facing federal charges in the United States. “The successful outcome of these cases would not have been possible without your assistance and dedication to international law enforcement collaboration,” Patel wrote. The commendation came

country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October 2025 and the European Union’s high-risk financial jurisdictions list in January 2026. Reacting to the positive development, President Tinubu, in a statement issued yesterday by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the commendation as further recognition of Nigeria’s progress in combating financial crimes

performance we are determined to build across our country. I commend the EFCC Chairman and his team for their professionalism and dedication. “Nigeria must never become a haven for criminals who exploit innocent people, whether at home or abroad. Our law enforcement and anti-corruption institutions have my full support to pursue offenders and bring them to justice in accordance with the law.”

Most Nigerian Leaders Never Learnt Leadership Anywhere, Says Adeyemi The Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi, has said that many Nigerians occupying positions of leadership were never trained to lead, warning that the country cannot afford leaders who learn on the job at a time of deep economic and social uncertainty. Adeyemi spoke ahead of the 2026 edition of the church’s

annual Excellence in Leadership Conference (ELC), which holds on Thursday, November 5 and Friday, November 6, 2026, at Daystar Christian Centre, Oregun, Lagos. “Sometimes only God knows who’s going to be governor. Who knows who’s going to be senator tomorrow? And most people occupying leadership

positions in our country have not learned leadership anywhere,” he said. He urged Nigerians not only to attend but to bring others along, describing the conference as “a great investment in their lives.” This year’s conference is themed “Leading in Uncertainty”, a subject

the organisers said speaks directly to what Nigerian leaders in business, government, ministry and the creative industries are grappling with: volatile markets, rising living costs, policy shifts and a fast-changing world of work, all with a general election cycle on the horizon.

T H I S DAY, Th e S U N DAY N e w S PAPe r •NOvember 1, 2026

BUSINESS

Editor: Festus Akanbi 08038588469 Email: festus.akanbi@thisdaylive.com

Votes are Near, Debts Keep Rising As fresh borrowing requests stir controversy ahead of the general election, Festus Akanbi examines the administration’s infrastructure defence and whether growing repayment obligations will leave Nigeria’s next government enough room to deliver development

A campaign rally

igeria’s next President will inherit two competing demands: the promises that win an election and the repayment schedules that survive it. For citizens awaiting functioning hospitals, decent classrooms and reliable electricity, the concern is whether yesterday’s debts will consume tomorrow’s opportunities. President Bola Tinubu’s latest defence of foreign borrowing sharpens that tension. His administration argues that loans will finance productive infrastructure, create jobs and support a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Critics demand evidence that rising obligations are delivering benefits commensurate with their costs. The immediate controversy concerns the request submitted to the Senate on October 27 for approximately $20.52 billion and €1.05 billion under the 2026–2027 Supplementary External Borrowing Plan. The proposed financing covers infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education and other programmes. With the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027, its implications extend beyond the administration seeking approval.

The Administration’s Answer

In his essay, “From Reforms to Delivery: Our Infrastructure Investment and Growth Strategy,” circulated by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu argues that borrowing should be assessed against the assets and opportunities it creates. His defence identifies the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, TransSahara Superhighway, electricity upgrades and port modernisation as investments intended to strengthen productive capacity. The administration also says it is pursuing longer financing tenors aligned with infrastructure lifespans. That is a substantive response to the criticism. Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit imposes

costs on manufacturers, farmers and households. Roads that shorten journeys, ports that clear goods efficiently and electricity systems that reduce generator dependence can expand production and strengthen government revenue. However, an economically desirable project is not automatically an affordable financing proposition. Its value depends on construction costs, borrowing terms, completion time, maintenance and actual use.

Promises and Performance

The President projects that the coastal highway could reduce logistics costs along its corridor by 15–20 per cent, support trade and tourism, and generate substantial direct and indirect employment. These remain anticipated benefits rather than established outcomes. Their eventual scale will depend on delivery and connections to farms, factories, ports and markets. A completed road may stimulate commerce; an unfinished corridor can accumulate financing costs while businesses continue bearing existing transport expenses. The distinction also applies to the $1 trillion economy ambition. Borrowed money can help create productive assets, but securing financing does not establish that the resulting investment will generate sufficient economic or fiscal returns. Tinubu’s response therefore places project execution at the centre of the debate. It also creates a measurable standard against which the administration’s borrowing decisions can be assessed.

The Price of Yesterday

Existing obligations explain public unease. Debt Management Office figures

put Nigeria’s total public debt at N166.79 trillion in June 2026, against N159.35 trillion in March. Domestic obligations accounted for N91.59 trillion and external debt for N75.20 trillion. The total includes federal, state and Federal Capital Territory liabilities. These figures require careful interpretation. Exchange-rate movements can change the naira value of foreign obligations without equivalent fresh borrowing. Legislative approval also differs from disbursement: facilities may be drawn gradually over several years. The more immediate constraint is revenue. The International Monetary Fund’s June assessment estimated federal interest payments at 53.2 per cent of federal revenue in 2025 and projected 53.7 per cent for 2026. These figures cover interest, not total debt service including principal repayments. This pressure limits resources for competing priorities. A government can continue paying creditors while delaying contractors, squeezing public services or postponing capital projects.

The Citizens’ Test

In his commentary, “Borrowing Is Not a Good Governance”, Ibrahim Muhammad Sani expresses the frustration underlying the controversy: government should demonstrate repaired schools, functioning healthcare centres, paid pensions and accountable expenditure. His strongest challenge is straightforward. What did earlier borrowing deliver? Tinubu’s response acknowledges the importance of tangible results. But the administration must connect financing announcements to identifiable projects, expenditure records and completed assets. The IMF’s assessment offers a similarly qualified picture: reforms have improved macroeconomic outcomes and resilience, while conditions remain difficult for many Nigerians. Aggregate improvement and household hardship can coexist. For families struggling with food, transport

and energy costs, projected infrastructure gains will become persuasive when they translate into jobs, lower expenses and better services.

What the Senate Must Establish

The proposed shift towards longer financing tenors deserves scrutiny. Matching repayment periods to asset lifespans can reduce refinancing pressure, but longer maturity alone does not establish affordability. Lawmakers need each facility’s interest rate, fees, currency, grace period, maturity and repayment schedule. They also need project appraisals, procurement arrangements, implementation milestones and evidence of readiness. Foreign-currency loans introduce another exposure. Where revenues accrue mainly in naira, depreciation can increase the domestic cost of servicing dollar and euro obligations. Infrastructure may generate broad economic benefits without directly earning foreign exchange. Scrutiny should therefore establish how repayments will be funded under less favourable revenue and exchange-rate conditions. Publishing the performance of previously financed projects would strengthen that assessment.

Whoever Wins Will Pay

A second Tinubu administration would meet these obligations alongside renewed campaign promises. An opposition government would inherit the same contracts while seeking resources for its own programme. However, without facility-level repayment schedules, it would be misleading to suggest that all the proposed borrowing must be repaid during the next presidential term. The administration has presented an economic case for borrowing. Its credibility rests on sustainable terms, transparent expenditure and completed projects. Nigerians will choose their next government at the polls. The financing decisions taken now will help determine how much that government can deliver.

T H I S D AY SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1, 2026

SEUN AWOGBENLE argues the need to cushion the impact of oil prices on the most vulnerable in society

BETWEEN COMMON SENSE AND POPULISM

ook, make no mistake about it, we are currently in a fight for the soul of our nation. The contest is between those of us on the right of the argument who are opposed to the reversal of fuel subsidy and those on the left who are looking to take the country back to the biblical Egypt. But to reduce the argument to merely ideological would be to miss the point; it is more roundly a contestation between common sense and dangerous populism. I have always believed that in building a nation there must be issues that are outside the remit of politics, irrespective of where you belong on the political spectrum. But I am also under no illusion about the divisive nature of politics, so while it is okay to diverge on the approach to development, there are times when national interest must trump personal ambition or the visceral quest for power and put the nation first. And there is no issue that mirrors this situation more accurately than the dangerous refrain by some opposition figures to take Nigeria back to the ruinous fuel subsidy regime. The real danger is not just in them saying it as an attempt to poll better or sway voters to their side. When you consider the relentless determination with which they are defending this reckless proposal, one begins to wonder if they truly mean it or if it is only drama taken too far. But the more important points that those of us who are pro-subsidy removal have made time and again is that based on our realities in May 2023, the country could not afford to continue with fuel subsidies. The subsidies had created a major hole in our public finance that was crowding out essential investments in the sectors that could support growth, and we were only bidding our time before an economic apocalypse. Secondly, neither of the candidates that are advancing this reckless economic proposal have answered the more important question of how they intend to fund the plan. But we know that to return fuel prices to pre-reform levels would cost an estimated N20 trillion. When they are confronted with the folly and harsh realities of their plan, they are exposed as mere fantasists who are out to say just anything, even if it meant deception. One of the political parties, for example, is proposing a producer-based subsidy. But they should know if they had done enough rigour that the country does not even have

enough barrels to meet the demand of local refiners; there are legacy obligations under the previous subsidy arrangements that would make it impossible. But even if we did, are they planning to sell the barrels at less than market price, and if they did, what is going to happen to the states and local governments whose obligations have gone up with higher minimum wages and capital projects? Fuel subsidies follow the foreign exchange; to return fuel subsidies would be to also return the country to the days of pegging foreign exchange, and that would in effect undo all the gains we have made under current reforms. The investment climate would instantly become unstable; business would become unattractive, and some of the investment we have managed to attract, both in portfolio and direct investments, could begin to dry up. So, in reality, the most important gain from the reform is that it has helped to rebuild our economic foundations, which is a condition that is necessary for investment, productivity, and growth. However, with global oil prices likely to remain elevated as a result of the tensions in the Middle East, I am in no doubt that the government must intervene to ease pressures on individuals and households. I therefore support whatever effort government can muster to ensure that families are protected against the current global shock. But beyond price modulation or NNPC discount, as it has been described, the government must go further to provide targeted support and direct relief to the most vulnerable in society to cushion the impact of the oil prices. The cost of food items and transportation are the two areas that have impacted household income the most. These are the areas where the government must double its intervention to ensure that food is not priced out of the reach of the ordinary people. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we can also admit that the work has started. The next phase of growth must include how to ensure that the macro gains are able to translate into more direct benefit for the people, and that means we must stay the course on current reforms, improve productivity, and target growth at double digits. Awogbenle, a development economist and founder of Policraft, writes from the United Kingdom. He can be reached via seunawogbenle@gmail.com

Awogbenle, a development economist and founder of Policraft, writes from the United Kingdom. He can be reached via seunawogbenle@ gmail.com.

The country should create a political system that elevates competent individuals and holds them accountable, argues VICTOR IKEM

THE GEOGRAPHY OF POWER

igeria’s greatest political tragedy may not be the absence of competent leaders, but the inability of its citizens to look beyond ethnic identity, religious affiliation and regional sentiments when choosing those who govern them. For decades, our political consciousness has been shaped by the assumption that having a president or governor from our ethnic group guarantees collective prosperity. We have become so emotionally invested in the geography of political power that we often overlook the competence, character and capacity of those who exercise it. Every election season, Nigerians are mobilized around familiar narratives: it is our turn, our region has been marginalized, or our tribe must produce the next president. These arguments frequently dominate political conversations, pushing more important questions about economic management, employment, education, healthcare and national development into the background. Yet, after decades of rotating political power among regions, one fundamental question remains: How much has the ethnic identity of our leaders improved the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians? There is a psychological satisfaction that comes with seeing someone from one’s ethnic group occupy political office. It creates a feeling of inclusion, recognition and collective accomplishment. But psychological satisfaction is not economic development. The fact that a president speaks your language does not automatically provide employment for your children, electricity for your business, affordable healthcare or food for your family. A president from your village may offer a sense of political belonging while presiding over policies that impoverish your community. Conversely, a competent president from another ethnic group may implement policies that improve your livelihood and expand economic opportunities. Which would you rather have? This is the fundamental question Nigerians must begin to ask themselves. Ethnic inclusion remains important in a diverse federation like Nigeria. However, there is a significant difference between promoting equitable representation and sacrificing competence to satisfy ethnic entitlement. Representation without competence is merely symbolic. Representation without accountability is politically convenient but developmentally meaningless. Democracy is fundamentally a contest of ideas, policies, leadership capabilities and competing visions of society. Unfortunately, Nigeria’s democratic practice has increasingly become a negotiation among regional interests

and powerful political elites. Rather than prioritise the most competent candidates, political parties frequently devote considerable attention to zoning arrangements, ethnic balancing and the distribution of political offices. Consequently, the question is often not who possesses the best ideas for transforming Nigeria, but whose turn it is to occupy political office. While zoning arrangements emerged partly to address legitimate concerns about exclusion,theyshouldnotbecomepermanent substitutes for merit, accountability and democratic competition. A democracy that prioritises the distribution of offices over the delivery of public value risks becoming an expensive mechanism for managing elite interests rather than improving citizens’ lives. Another troubling feature of Nigeria’s democracy is the assumption that elected political leaders are entitled to remain in office for eight years. Although the Constitution permits eligible presidents and governors to serve two four-year terms, a second term is not an automatic entitlement. It must be earned through performance and renewed public confidence. Unfortunately, many politicians spend considerable time consolidating political structures, rewarding loyalists and positioning successors rather than delivering meaningful development. What would happen if Nigerian voters developed the courage to change their political leadership every four years whenever performance fell below expectations? Imagine politicians knowing that their continued stay in office depended strictly on measurable results rather than ethnic loyalty, political propaganda or entrenched party machinery. They would face greater pressure to deliver improvements in infrastructure, employment, education and healthcare. This is not an argument for removing every leader after four years regardless of performance. Rather, it is a call to establish a political culture in which re-election is earned, not presumed. No politician should feel entitled to eight yearsinofficesimplybecausetheConstitution permits it. Nigeria’s leadership crisis is also a crisis of political consciousness. We cannot continuously reward incompetence with ethnic loyalty and expect good governance. We cannot defend poor leadership because the president belongs to our tribe while condemning similar failures when someone from another region occupies the office.

Dr. Ikem is a public policy analyst, development communication scholar and media consultant.

T H I S D AY SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1, 2026,

EDITORIAL

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

THE RE-ELECTION OF LULA IN BRAZIL

The Brazil election holds lessons for Nigeria

resident Lula da Silva of Workers Party last Sunday defeated his challenger, Flavio Bolsonaro in the Brazilian presidential run-off election. In a dramatic political fightback, Lula secured 51.8 per cent of the votes to win, while his right-wing challenger and son of former President Jaír Bolsonaro, garnered 48.2 per cent. Although Bolsonaro, who has fled to the United States, insists the election was rigged and has refused to concede defeat, his party has acknowledged the results of the presidential election, recognising the victory of the incumbent. What makes the outcome quite remarkable is that in the first round of voting on 4 October, Lula came second with 45 per cent, behind Bolsonaro, who received 47 per cent and a 2.2 million vote advantage. But in the run-off, Lula won by a margin of 4.4 million in an election in which 124 million people voted. Between the two rounds of voting, Lula also went from second place to first place in 211 municipalities, including in two state capitals: Rio de Janeiro and Macapá. His remarkable recovery is credited to an intensive mobilisation of voters through the use of social media with one WhatsApp group dubbed as ‘Lula’s army’ recording nearly 11 million followers in the days preceding the election. The outcome of the presidential election in Brazil is important for wider reasons. The clash between a liberal politician and a Trumpian conservative populist symbolised by Lula and Bolsonaro respectively is fast becoming an increasingly global pattern. But while the tribe of extremist leaders may be growing across the world, it is also important to properly appreciate the electoral value of people-oriented social programmes in the politics of emerging market democracies. Lula’s electoral victory in Brazil for a fourth time on the basis of socially beneficial legacies speaks to this. It is noteworthy that in 2010, Lula was convicted on charges of corruption and money laundering after a controversial trial, and sentenced to nine and a half years in prison. But he fought his case to the country’s Supreme Court where

he was acquitted. Apparently because he left demonstrably beneficial social and economic legacies during his tenure as president, he remained a folk hero to millions of Brazilians and that reflected in his election four years ago and the current revalidation of that mandate. Elections in Brazil are conducted by the Electoral Court (EC) at the municipal, state, and federal level. At its apex is the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) recognised as one of the most credible election management bodies in the world with the transparency of its processes. As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general election, there are lessons to imbibe from the Brazilian election. The first lesson is that a democracy matures when the will of the people prevails no matter how thin the margins of victory. At the end, a statistical deadlock necessitated a run-off poll. The people waited and cast the second decisive ballot which returned a final outcome that may have been different from the earlier one because of an intensive campaign. Two, the outcome of the Brazil election reveals that even the most enlightened scientific poll projections can fail. Before the election, the popular prediction was that Bolsonaro would win. But he lost, and the result is generally adjudged to be credible. Three, that the electorate accepted that the man who won the first round could lose the run-off poll without resorting to violence indicates a high level of confidence in the electoral process. It also says something about what a functioning democracy is all about. Finally, democracy matures when the outcomes of elections do not lead to interminable litigations and compromised verdicts by a handful of judges who had nothing to do with the elections. That is in sharp contrast to what obtains in Nigeria where weeks before the 2027 general election, many of the parties are still waiting for the courts to decide who their real candidates are. But perhaps most importantly, while the presidential election outcome may have polarised the Brazilian society, the choice before the electorate was primarily policy-defined and not ethnic, regional or religious. Nigerians must learn from that.

A democracy matures when the will of the people prevails no matter how thin the margins of victory S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN DEPUTY EDITORS FESTUS AKANBI, EJIOFOR ALIKE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

Letters to the Editor

Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief(150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer

LETTERS

THE CONTEST FOR ANAMBRA CENTRAL SENATORIAL ELECTION

he battle for seats in the 11th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has started ahead of the 2027 general elections. According to the list of candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 13 candidates are in the contest for the Anambra Central senatorial election. The contenders include the incumbent, Senator Victor Umeh of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Iyom Uche Ekwunife of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dozie Nwankwo of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), the ruling party in Anambra State. However, I strongly hold the view that Anambra Central should re-elect Umeh for the 11th Senate. My opinion is without prejudice to the right of the other 12 candidates to contest the Anambra Central Senatorial election on January 16, 2027. Frankly, very few Senators have been

as impactful in the 10th Senate as the Aguluzigbo, Anambra LGA born lawmaker. As a ranking Senator, Umeh has earned accolades from numerous quarters for his outstanding performance in legislative duties of lawmaking, oversight and representation in the current session of the National Assembly. In terms of lawmaking, Umeh has since the commencement of this Senate on June 13, 2023, displayed a mastery of the legislative rules and processes required to turn ideas into practical well-crafted laws. His understanding of lawmaking procedures and budget mechanics is undoubtedly unassailable. Concerning performance of oversight functions, he is widely seen as a ﬁscal watchdog, champion of regional equity and promoter of constitutionalism in the 10th Assembly. Unlike most of his colleagues, he is not afraid to speak truth to power when

and where necessary. Also, Senator Umeh has built a very strong reputation for consistency in demanding for proper accountability from the executive arm of government on how public ﬁnances are managed. In a recent interview with Channels TV ﬂagship programme “Politics Today,” the outspoken Senator not only questioned the President’s fresh $20.5 billion and 1.45 billion borrowing requests, but further demanded a formal accounting of past borrowings by the federal government. Very few Senators in the current Senate have such courage. Regarding representation, Umeh participates actively in committee work and plenary. It is not a coincidence that he belongs to 14 standing committees of the Senate. Currently, he chairs the Senate Committee on National Population Commission (NPC) and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). He

previously served as the Chairman of Senate Committee on Diaspora and NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs). Umeh uses every opportunity given to him by the Senate President to speak at plenary to draw the attention of the federal government to the problems facing Anambra Central, Anambra State and South-East in general. In May this year, the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), the apex political youth organisation in Eastern Nigeria, endorsed his reelection to represent Anambra Central, for remaining consistent, vocal and courageous in defending matters aﬀecting the Igbo nation and the entire South East region.

Dr. Chekwube E. Nzomiwu, MNIPR, journalist, writes via chekmma@ yahoo.com

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

1.11.2026

PETER ATUMA

Powering Payment Solutions After leaving a senior role in the UK to pursue entrepreneurship in Nigeria, Peter Atuma now chairs several companies, including Princeps Credit Systems Limited and Tango Brook Technologies. He tells Vanessa Obioha about his entrepreneurial journey, business philosophy and the technological solutions he believes can strengthen financial security in Nigeria EDITED BY: VANESSA OBIOHA/vanessa.obioha@thisdaylive.com.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R NOVEMBER 1, 2026

COVER

Peter Atuma: Powering Payment Solutions

“J

ust give me two minutes,” Peter Atuma pleads as he walks into his office in the Ikeja-Alausa business district of Lagos. Usually punctual, he has been held up by an impromptu meeting on this cloudy morning. Dressed in a blue business suit, he looks every bit the leader he has grown into. His neatly trimmed hair is flecked with grey at the sides, his strides purposeful and his composure commanding. True to his word, two minutes later, I am ushered into his spacious office, furnished with minimalist, understated elegance. Even the open shelves are uncluttered, displaying only a handful of awards. His preference for space, I discover, is not a recent development. It dates back to childhood, but it also offers a glimpse into how his mind works. “I really prefer to have a bit of space so I can think properly,” he explains. “That’s why we have people whose minds are good grounds for big thoughts. They like to clear rubbish or noisy thoughts out of their minds. You would hear people talk about signals versus noise. When you let the noise crowd your mind, you can’t really have the space to get productive thoughts out. So we like to clear that rubbish out of the way.” As he speaks, the impression of a man driven by purpose becomes more apparent. Atuma’s career spans more than 30 years in finance and IT. He began at Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB) Trustees Ltd., where he worked from 1992 to 1998, before moving on to roles at prominent UKbased firms, including Morgan Stanley, EC Harris (now Arcadis), and Telecity Group (later acquired by Equinix). From 2013 to 2020, he served as Global Head of Information Security Governance at Equinix Inc., overseeing teams across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. But after years of working in the UK, he eventually decided to take a different path. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he resigned from Equinix and returned to Nigeria to pursue entrepreneurship. The decision marked a new chapter in a career that had equipped him with considerable experience in finance, technology and organisational leadership. Equinix, he says, was particularly influential in shaping his understanding of organisational culture, lessons he would later carry into his own businesses. “I was so into the culture there that I knew that I couldn’t let it go. Even when I started my business, I still carried a lot of those cultures into my businesses, and I see the same kind of result in terms of the progress that I saw in Equinix.” Among the principles he carried with him were assuming positive intent in colleagues, bringing positive energy to the workplace, and encouraging employees to speak up and take initiative. He believes these practices foster innovation and inclusion, allowing people to contribute meaningfully to an organisation’s growth. At the first anniversary of Tango Brook Technologies, the energy technology and intelligence company he chairs, Atuma spoke about how an idea he conceived more than 30 years ago had finally become a reality. The problem was familiar to individuals and businesses that buy fuel: inconsistencies in fuel receipts and the difficulty of maintaining reliable records of purchases across filling stations. The idea first occurred to him in 1992, during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year. At the time, he had no

clear way of turning it into a workable solution. Today, the Tango Fuel app offers a way to address the problem, bringing an old ambition within reach. Seeing the idea take shape still moves him. “At the time, I didn’t know how it was going to come to fruition because of the vast limitations. Technology and connectivity were not really as we have them today. In fact, we didn’t even have cards for payments three decades ago, so it was just difficult to deal with the problem. And I thought, how could companies just live on continually with problems?” The question captures a central tenet of Atuma’s approach to life and business. He is not one to accept problems or shortcomings as inevitable. He prefers to identify them and find ways to address them. In the case of Tango Brook, the solution took decades to materialise, but the delay did not diminish his resolve. Nor does he believe that Nigeria’s pace of innovation is necessarily slow. On the contrary, he sees considerable ingenuity among Nigerians and believes that solutions are possible, even when the conditions for developing them are not yet in place. “One may say that certain solutions may require certain kinds of ecosystems to be aligned, or some connectivity or infrastructure to be in place, but then you keep your eyes open for those moments. And sometimes what we do is drive the introduction of those ecosystems, or infrastructure, or whatever it is in the ecosystem that will make that happen, to either contribute personally or at least be aware when they are coming up, so that you can take advantage of those environments to create solutions. I don’t think that we should put up with the thought that solutions will come from some planet, some other planet,” he says. For Atuma, the ability to develop homegrown solutions is no longer an aspiration. It is already happening. The Tango platform, he notes, was built by Nigerians in Nigeria. He also sees opportunities for the business to expand beyond the country. The Nigeria Atuma grew up in has changed considerably over the past three decades. During his early career, automated teller machines, payment cards and mobile devices capable of facilitating digital transactions were not part of everyday financial life. Technology has since transformed how people access money and conduct business, but some fundamental challenges remain. One is identity verification, an area in which he believes the financial system still has significant gaps. “We still have a lot of people who don’t have BVN, for example,” he says. “Millions of people in Nigeria still don’t have BVN. What that just means is that they are excluded from access to funds.” Another concern is the authorisation of financial transactions, particularly when large sums are involved. Atuma points to the continued reliance by some banks on scanned signatures as a potential vulnerability. “For example, in Nigeria today, you have this crazy situation where most of the banks will have a specimen of a signature for executives, and then they accept as authorisation, a lot of times, scanned signatures. If you have a fraudulent executive assistant, for example, who has access to your electronic signature and has studied your behaviour, knowing how you

Atuma

attach these things, maybe it is the executive who actually attaches those signatures to letters that can move huge sums of money. They just append the electronic signature to the document, and a lot of times the bank honours it, even till today. “Some will say they go the extra mile of making a phone call to that executive. Hey, we’re in the days of AI. Your voice can also be cloned. There are clever ways of doing these things. We have to start to think differently.” To address this vulnerability, Atuma says he has a patented biometric digital signature solution in Nigeria. The technology, he explains, would enable an executive to authenticate a signature through biometrics rather than relying on a scanned image, regardless of their location. “No matter where the executive is in the world, rather than accepting some scanned signature as a signature, you can then have a live signature on the back of the biometrics of the executive such that wherever he is in the world, it splashes out a particular signature in a way that can be verified that it’s from his biometrics.” The solution is already in use at Princeps Credit Systems Limited, a consumer lending company he chairs. Atuma says the company has disbursed more than N25 billion this year, attributing its high collection rates to three core principles: seamless identity verification, affordability checks and salary-source collections through the Workers Aggregated Credit Scheme (WACS) and Deduct. For all his enthusiasm for technological innovation, however,

Atuma does not believe that progress should come at the expense of the human relationships that once defined business. Having started his career in banking, he remembers a time when customer relationships were built on a deeper understanding of people’s needs and businesses. Bankers, he says, often took the time to understand how their customers operated and offered support beyond individual transactions. “Back then, the bankers got to know the customers more intimately. They had relationships where the bankers took time out to understand the businesses of their customers and help them. Today, it’s about transactions more than anything else. We don’t even know the business that they are in and how they do their business as much as we used to do back then. So sometimes we miss those fundamentals in today’s world, and I think that technology shouldn’t replace those fundamentals, but strengthen them.” It is a principle that extends to how he builds and manages his own businesses. Atuma believes that people remain the most important ingredient in entrepreneurial success. “There are certain elements that are combined to produce success in business. You have the people, process, technology, and product. A combination of all of these would produce success, but I always like to start with people. Without the people, your process would be useless,” he says with a laugh. For Atuma, entrepreneurship is all about people and possibilities, and a willingness to learn from failure. “Failures can be avoided. Once you know the art of success, you can avoid failures,” he concludes.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R NOVEMBER 1, 2026

HighLife

with KAYODE ALFRED 08116759807, E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com

...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous

Ododo’s At 91, Adebutu Deepens His Legacy of Philanthropy Misplaced Priority

Ododo

Construction of the Kogi State International Airport at Zariagi, outside Lokoja, is about 20 per cent complete, with heavy machinery working day and night. But there’s another group working night and day—the critics of Governor Usman Ododo. They are the ones now asking: why build an airport while the roads residents use every day stay in poor condition? The Federal Ministry ofAviation approved the project with the backing of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, and CCECC Nigeria Limited is building it. Based on reports, it will handle passengers and international cargo, and state officials want it to serve as a diversion airport for Abuja’s NnamdiAzikiwe InternationalAirport. Kogi is not starting from nothing. Many people don’t know that the state has five airstrips, none able to take commercial jets: Obajana, owned by Dangote; Ijumu, owned by Mangal Cement; Adogo in Ajaokuta; Egbe, built by missionaries; and the disused old Lokoja strip. To put things in perspective, two of those strips belong to cement producers. Cement leaves the state mostly by road, so even the companies with private airstrips depend on the same highways residents complain about. An international cargo airport multiplies that dependence. Freight landing at Zariagi must reach farms and markets by road, and passengers must reach Lokoja the same way. The airport can only be as useful as the roads connecting it. Kogi is situated where the Niger and Benue rivers meet and links several parts of the country. Thus, its roads carry traffic well beyond its own residents. For farmers, a bad road means produce reaching the market late; for patients, it means a longer trip to a hospital. The upside is real. An airport can bring connectivity, investment and jobs, but only if passengers and cargo materialise and the state can fund it without starving other needs. Even so, the order of spending is the issue. With federal approval and 20 per cent built, the airport will probably proceed, so a funded road programme with published priorities and deadlines would answer critics better than any defence of the airport.

Sir Kessington Adebutu, founder of Premier Lotto and known across Nigeria as Baba Ijebu, has given the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) a purpose-built headquarters in Ikeja valued at over N800 million, plus five patrol vehicles. Witnessing the donation, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu inaugurated the building, cementing the latest thread of Adebutu’s legacy at 91. LSSTF is a fund that raises private money for Lagos State’s security agencies. Previously, it worked from rented premises. Now with a building of its own, it no longer has to pay rent, and it now has a permanent base for mobilising other donors. Lagos runs on commerce, and commerce depends on security, which is why a fund backing security agencies matters to traders as much as to residents. Clearly, Adebutu had all these laid out on his table before making the big move. The fortune of Adebutu, as some readers are doubtless aware, comes from gaming, an unusual route among Nigerian billionaires, most of whom built theirs in oil, banking or cement.

He laid the foundation for the country’s lottery and pools industry in the 1960s, registered Faceto-Face Pools in 1971 and founded Premier Lotto in 2001. He has since spread that money across the economy. Through Neemtree Limited, he holds about 28 per cent of Wema Bank, making him its largest individual shareholder, and he chairs the listed engineering firm Arbico Plc. His group also has interests in real estate, oil and gas, and agriculture. Moreover, his giving runs on a schedule. The Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation, set up in 2005, spends about N150 million a month on hospital bills, education and help for poor people, and has built libraries at Lagos Baptist Academy, his old school, and Crescent University. When he clocked 90, he arrived with two large gifts: a medical research centre at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and a N4 billion commitment for infrastructure across the local governments of Remoland, the Ogun State area where he holds the title of Balogun. Few businessmen carry Adebutu’s standing

Adebutu

beyond business. The Ooni of Ife made him OdoleOodua of Ife, a title once held by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Lagos has given him the title Babalaje.

HRM Ivie Atuwatse III: The Queen of Style

Queen Ivie

Beauty and royalty often go together. Yet, in one such as Olori Ivie Atuwatse III, they cannot be in better harmony. Olori Ivie is the Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom. Her husband, Ogiame Atuwatse III, is the Olu of Warri. She is also

a lawyer trained at the London School of Economics, called to the Nigerian Bar in 2010. Her public image combines royal poise with contemporary sophistication. She wears headwraps, elegant gowns, and structured tailoring. Having worked with Nigerian couture label TUBO, including pieces for her 40th birthday celebration, her wardrobe reflects an understanding of proportion and the symbolism of dress. Other royal women across Africa have approached fashion as spectacle. Olori Ivie treats it as language, clearly aware that spectacle fades but language communicates. Unsurprisingly, she does not rely on fashion alone. She co-founded Colour Couture, a fashion label, and Breakfast in Bed, a Lagos logistics company. She sits on the boards of Wells Property Development Company, Wells Carlton, and Wells Bakehouse. Her initiatives extend into healthcare, education, and technology. The Wuwu Ore Initiative runs medical outreach in remote

riverine communities and oil-degraded areas. EstablishHER provides grants and mentorship to female micro-entrepreneurs. The Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo STEM Centre equips indigent children in the Niger Delta with technological skills. The ‘I Am Itsekiri’ digital village is a mobile application mapping the global Itsekiri diaspora with language and cultural preservation modules. In October 2024, the queen became the first African royal woman awarded the Freedom of the City of London. She was named pioneer Ambassador for Girls in Nigeria by Plan International, heading an initiative targeting safe spaces for 20 million girls by 2028. She received the US President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Her style and her work reinforce each other. Does the crown confer status? Yes, but it is her work that is earning her respect. In a space where royal visibility often settles for ceremony, Olori Ivie has built a public profile that moves between the palace, the boardroom, and the riverine clinic. She is, in every sense, a queen of style.

Adaora Umeoji: The Making of Nigeria’s Most Powerful Female Banker The title of most powerful female banker in Nigeria is not honorary. It rests on market capitalisation, asset base, compensation, equity, and workforce data. Dr Adaora Umeoji holds the top position on each measure. Umeoji became Group Managing Director and CEO of Zenith Bank on June 1, 2024. She was the first woman to hold that position since the bank was founded. She joined Zenith in 1998. She served as Deputy MD from October 2016. Her elevation followed the bank’s tradition of promoting from within, a pattern that rewards institutional knowledge over external appointments. Under her leadership, Zenith became the first commercial bank in Nigerian history to cross N5 trillion in market capitalisation on the Nigerian Exchange Group. The bank reported a total asset base of N31 trillion and customer deposits of N23 trillion. Umeoji’s compensation is the highest

Umeoji

among banking CEOs in Nigeria. She earns N874 million annually, more than any other

chief executive across the country’s Tier-1 lenders. She also holds a direct equity stake of 285,096,933 shares in Zenith Bank. At recent market values, that holding is worth approximately N35.89 billion. Her investment is larger than that of any other bank CEO in Nigeria. Her academic record spans multiple disciplines. She holds a degree in Sociology from the University of Jos, a degree in Accounting, and First-Class Honours in Law from Baze University, Abuja. She holds an MBA from the University of Calabar, a Master of Laws from the University of Salford, and a doctorate in Business Administration from Apollos University. She has attended executive programmes at Harvard Business School and Columbia Business School. Since Umeoji assumed control, women have grown to account for 56 per cent of Zenith Bank’s workforce.

Senator Ashafa Mobilises Support for Tinubu, Hamzat in Strategic Political Push

Ashafa

Senator Gbenga Ashafa has thrown his weight behind President Bola Tinubu and Obafemi Hamzat, the Lagos deputy governor and APC governorship candidate, and is mobilising party members, community leaders and other stakeholders behind both. For those who may have forgotten about his luminescence, Ashafa represented Lagos East in the Senate for two terms, from 2011 to 2019. The district includes Ikorodu, Epe and Ibeju-Lekki, so his word carries weight in communities across the East. The man was born on Lagos Island in 1955 and lost his father at seven. His mother, a textile and gold trader at Idumota Market known as Mama Bareehu, raised him. He studied biological sciences at Morgan State University, graduating cum laude in 1978, and earned a master’s in public

health administration from the University of Tennessee in 1979. He founded Beverage Specialties Limited in 1996. His reputation was built earlier in lands. As Executive Secretary and Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Lands from 2001 to 2010, he grew its revenue from N1 billion to N13.23 billion. He also introduced an electronic document system in the land registry, laying the groundwork for the electronic Certificate of Occupancy, the land title document, and revived nine dead government housing schemes while creating five new ones. In the Senate, it was Ashafa that chaired the Land Transport committee from 2015 to 2019, earned the nickname The Rail Man for pushing the legal framework to modernise Nigeria’s ageing railways, and championed the National

Transport Commission Bill. In August 2020, the presidency appointed him head of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), a post he held until 2024. His tenure delivered completed, affordable housing in all six geopolitical zones, including estates in Zuba, Bwari, Lugbe, Apo/Guzape and Kebbi. He also sponsored amendments to the NDLEA Act imposing tougher penalties on drug-trafficking syndicates. On account of all of these (and many more), the value of Ashafa to the campaign is practical. When he speaks about land titles, people listen; when he speaks about rail and housing, people listen; when he speaks about politics and candidates worthy of support, it is only natural for people to listen, especially voters in his old district who know his record.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R NOVEMBER 1, 2026

LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Chief Emeka Anyaoku: A New Star is Born How do you call a 94-year-old who has occupied almost every position, from international diplomat to a Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and even appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria at some point, a new star? He has seen it all and done it all, both locally and internationally. He is now retired, enjoying the benefits of a well-bred career and life. That is how I brought him out of his welldeserved slumber to headline the Duke’s Masterclass in Penetrative Leadership in Crisis and Reputational Management in Abuja. The moment “daddy” was announced, the room erupted. He took the microphone to make his introductory remarks and held down the hall. There was pin-drop silence as he reeled out stories and stories on international

Anyaoku

ADEDAPO OLAGUNJU: JUMPING INTO HOT OIL We just woke up one morning and heard that the CBN has approved directors and a board for the American bank, JP Morgan. I didn’t raise my head from what I was doing because, as far as I was concerned, this was another of those snooty organisations that would employ only those who can pass the aptitude test and have an office in Ikoyi. Then one “Igbo” man now wrote an essay, saying that how can only “Yoruba” people be on the board? Before you could say “Etekamba”, a fight erupted. Oh, these Yoruba people have come again o. Is it only them? Why is everyone on that board Yoruba? Then the Yoruba people now countered: it is merit o. The Americans went for merit, and as a private business, they have the right. It was at this point that I jumped into the fight. Merit? I screamed. Does that mean that merit can only be found with the Yoruba people and the rest of us are mumu? I immediately shot one of my submissions on social media, and before I knew it, pressure was on my Yoruba wife to leave our bedroom. More pressure from my many Yoruba friends. “Edgar, you of all people?” they shouted. We sent you to school in Ibadan; we gave you jobs in Lagos, and we even allowed you to give yourself Duke of Shomolu, and you are now coming out to bite the fingers that have fed you. I stood my ground and fired out some more and ended it all with my usual war cry – come and beat me. Well, the dust is over now; the Yoruba people now have 80%. CBN has given them the green light; they have paid their N50billion, and we all have gone back to our dreary lives waiting for the next wahala.

My last say is that if Buhari hadn’t institutionalised this thing and Asiwaju had not refined and customised it, we would not be so touchy about this issue. If you like put only Igbira people on any board or carry all the Ogoja people you know and put them on the Board of NNPC, we would not care, but today, we are now so touchy that even when you enter a brothel in Lekki, you even want to balance it – Igbo today, Yoruba tomorrow, Fulani on Wednesday, etc. This JP Morgan fight is a reflection of who and what we have become as a nation. Sad, very sad.

Olagunju

Hassan

ALWAN HASSAN: A LOOSE-MOUTHED SUBMISSION It’s like this oga drank expired “kunu” before he went on air the other day. He reportedly said that “ministers pay billions to get ministerial appointments and as such, Tinubu must win a second term so they can recoup,” or something to that effect. Agh!!! This one just burst calabash. You know the situation where everybody knows these things, but nobody says anything about it. This bobo just, out of “youthful exuberance”, just did basketmouth and spilled everything. APC has quickly sent out a statement that he was speaking historically. Anyway, I really do not know what he does for them, but whatever it is, he should be SACKED and exiled because he can one day tell us what he has seen in Asiwaju’s bedroom o. This one has no “sense” and is just behaving like those people in Shomolu back in the day. When they see something, they would shout, and we used to call them “elenugboro.” I am not even blaming the guy, but also saying “good for them,” when they will

crisis management, and the one that really enraptured the class was the story of Buthelezi. He told us how Buthelezi went into hiding during the last negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa. The story is long, and there is no space to rehash it here again, but just take it from me that by the time he was through, the whole hall was up in excitement; thus, the title of my piece. Chief Anyaoku is a national living legend, a repository of knowledge and a man of stern integrity. This is why those of us who have access to him do everything possible to sit at his feet to not only listen but also to learn. Whoever has the job of producing Nigerians, wherever it is that they produce human beings, no longer produces people like Anyaoku again. Na dem Area Fada type we dey get these days. I have run away ooo.

be putting “bula balu” people in strategic positions while ignoring serious and wellqualified people. Let them continue; one day, one of these people will soon release Asiwaju’s secrets. It is only a matter of time. We dey wait. SIM FUBARA: I KNOW YOUR LEADER Kai, I have even forgotten that this baba is still a serving governor. He had been beaten to a stupor by the people who sent him messages. They have suspended him, brought him back, barked at him when he attempted a second term, pushed him away and did all that to the point that he just went silent. You know the kind of silence we used to go to when you offended your mother, and she chased you with a broom? She would beat you to the point that you would end up in one corner. She would hold her own mouth, brandish the broom in your face and sternly say, “Phem!!!” In fear, you would hold your lips, struggling not to bring out another sound before you get a brace on your gorimapa. That is what has happened to our dear Sim. He had been beaten blue and black, pushed to a corner and asked to “phem!” He has shut up and has only been allowed to come out this one time to proclaim “na our leader be this o.” Kai, this is classic how not to be a man. Why this matter really pains me is that some of us had backed this horse, believing that just maybe we would have a real fighter who would demolish this loudmouthed Mike Tyson. But in the second round, he was knocked out and probably brain-damaged. This is why today, he is singing nursery rhymes all over the place.

Fubara

GOV ABBA YUSUF: A VERY DISAPPOINTING GAMBIT If you see how this one is paining me ehn, you will pity me. So, one oga says he has the nude picture of this governor and was threatening to release it. Not sure if he changed his mind or whatever it is; he sha found himself in court on the matter. I was very eager and excited at the prospect of seeing my very first gubernatorial - you know what. I started following the story very closely and forgot about even going to get my PVC. That is how the devil enters the matter. The court throws out the case. Oh my God, who is this judge? Why would he throw out the case just like that, leaving me with too many questions and no answers? Well, this guy should still be interrogated. How did this happen? Why did it happen and for what purpose? He should do us a big favour by writing his biography so we can all study. This Nigeria is a crime scene, as they say it on the streets - a whole governor’s nude? Kai, who else is safe? The governor has escaped this one, but take it from me, the next scandal is loading. These are really, really interesting times in this country and this is why all these admirers that request for my pic, I would not grant them. If I now come and send tomorrow morning, when I become the Chairman of the United Nations, one mumu will now come and threaten me because he has stumbled on my matter while repairing my phone. Let me seize this opportunity to celebrate with the governor for escaping this particular episode and advise him that if there was anything in his private life that pushed him towards this precipice, he should desist o. This is just advice o, don’t come and beat me on this one o. Thank you.

Yusuf

T H I S DAY, Th e S U N DAY N e w S PAPe r •NOvember 1, 2026

Perspective

Sanwo-Olu

Hamzat

Fromthe RoomtotheStreets:HowSanwo-Olu Set the Mood for Hamzat’s Campaign Segun Akinmade

he unveiling of a governorship manifesto is ordinarily an occasion for political promises, ceremonial endorsements and the presentation of a candidate’s vision. But the October 30, 2026, event at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Iganmu, Lagos, acquired an additional dimension through Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s address. By the time the governor concluded his speech, the occasion had moved beyond the presentation of Dr. Obafemi Hamzat’s development agenda. It had also become a statement about political succession, institutional continuity and the arguments the All Progressives Congress (APC) intends to take into the 2027 governorship contest. What made the speech particularly interesting was its structure. Sanwo-Olu did not begin by cataloguing the achievements of his administration or appealing for support for his deputy. He began with history. He revisited the 2018 APC governorship contest, recalled Hamzat’s withdrawal in his favour and proceeded to offer an account of their seven years of governing together. The recollections established the foundation for the central argument he subsequently developed: that Hamzat’s candidature should be examined in the context of his long participation in the governance of Lagos. It was an argument built around a memorable expression. “He was in the room.” Sanwo-Olu repeated the words while discussing the COVID-19 pandemic, the difficult events of October 2020, major infrastructure decisions and the responsibilities undertaken by Hamzat whenever the governor was away. The expression served as a narrative device connecting separate historical episodes. It also allowed the governor to present the candidate’s experience as something more personal than a collection of appointments in a political biography. The campaign theme, “Lagos… Forward Together,” consequently acquired a particular interpretation through the governor’s speech. For Sanwo-Olu, moving forward was not presented as a rejection of the past but as an attempt to build on existing institutions, programmes and projects while addressing outstanding problems. That was also the significance of his relay-race analogy. He traced a succession of administrations from Bola Tinubu in 1999 through Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and his own government, arguing that each transition had drawn upon varying degrees of experience accumulated in earlier administrations. The metaphor offered a historical explanation for APC’s preference for continuity in Lagos. It also gave the governor

an opportunity to introduce a more contentious argument: whether extensive familiarity with an existing system should be preferred to an alternative approach to governance. His declaration that Lagos does not hand the baton to a man standing still was the central expression of that position. But the metaphor has its limitations. Experience within government can provide institutional knowledge and familiarity with administrative processes. It can also encourage the preservation of practices that may require reform. The test is therefore not merely how long a candidate has participated in a system, but what that participation has produced and how the candidate proposes to address its deficiencies. Sanwo-Olu partly anticipated this question by distinguishing consolidation from stagnation. He explained that continuity should involve completing existing work, correcting what is not functioning properly and initiating the next phase of development. That qualification is important because it connects the political case for succession to the practical content of Hamzat’s manifesto. Titled: “The Lagos Promise,” the document contains 100 pledges organised under seven pillars represented by the acronym PROMISE: People First, Renewal, Opportunity, Machinery of Government, Inclusion, Security and Resilience, and Everyday Dignity. Among the proposals announced at the event were commitments concerning public transportation, affordable housing, healthcare facilities, child protection, environmental services and the management of government. Those pledges provide a measurable basis for assessing the campaign’s claims. Lagosians can ask what the proposals will cost, which institutions will implement them, how they will be financed and what timelines should govern delivery. It was significant that Sanwo-Olu himself encouraged residents to read the manifesto, interrogate its contents and relate the proposed policies to their streets, markets and children’s schools. In doing so, he acknowledged, at least rhetorically, that public acceptance should rest on more than the candidate’s familiarity with government. The same principle applies to the governor’s account of the past. His testimony establishes how he views his deputy’s contribution to the administration. It does not remove the electorate’s responsibility to examine that record independently.

Indeed, one consequence of making Hamzat’s participation in past decisions central to the campaign is that the candidate’s association with the outgoing administration becomes a legitimate subject of public questioning. The achievements, policy controversies and unfinished obligations of the Sanwo-Olu years are all relevant to that examination. Yet the address was not solely a statement of policy and history. Its closing passages moved decisively into campaign organisation. Sanwo-Olu reminded APC members of the support Hamzat had received during the party’s nomination process and directed their attention beyond the internal contest. The message was that securing the party’s ticket was only the beginning of the larger electoral engagement. He urged the party to take its message across Ikeja, Ikorodu, Badagry, Epe and Lagos Island, reaching communities and voters throughout the state. The shift in emphasis was unmistakable. The governor had begun by telling the audience about rooms where decisions were made. He ended by directing the party towards the streets where the public would assess those decisions and the promises that followed. That transition captures the political significance of the entire occasion. Inside the manifesto hall, Sanwo-Olu could speak with the authority of a governor describing his own experience. Outside it, the arguments he presented will have to compete with the everyday realities of Lagos residents and the alternatives offered by other candidates. The campaign, therefore, enters its next phase with a clearly articulated theme but also a considerable burden of explanation. It must connect the historical record invoked by Sanwo-Olu with the practical expectations contained in Hamzat’s manifesto. It must demonstrate that continuity can accommodate reform, that institutional experience can produce measurable improvements and that political harmony within an administration translates into public value. More importantly, the APC will have to defend its record while explaining what Hamzat proposes to do differently. That is what gave Friday’s speech its campaign-opening character. Sanwo-Olu supplied the historical narrative, identified the administrative experience on which his deputy intends to rely and connected both to the manifesto’s future commitments. He also gave the party a political message that can now be examined in the wider public arena. The governing partnership has supplied its account of the past. The manifesto has set out commitments for the future. Between those two lies the campaign itself, where the decisive questions will concern performance, credibility, delivery and the interests of the people of Lagos. •Akinmade writes from Surulere

T H I S DAY, Th e S U N DAY N e w S PAPe r •NOvember 1, 2026

FeAtUres

Echoes of Amanyanabo of Opobo’s Coronation Solomon LeggJack who witnessed the coronation of the Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, King Charles Douglas MacPepple JaJa, Jeki VI, captures the rich culture of the kingdom

pobo Kingdom in Opobo/ Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State was agog recently with live and dazzling displays of regal splendor, cultural displays and rare unity of purpose of in a 10-day – coronation activities that saw King Charles Douglas MacPepple JaJa, Jeki VI formally and publicly crowned as the ‘‘Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom’’ on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at King Jaja’s Palace Grounds in Opobo town. It was the culmination of activities heralding a milestone event which attracted a galaxy of dignitaries which included foremost traditional rulers, a former President of Nigeria and many political leaders, captains of industry and well wishes from across the length and breadth of this great country. The kingdom, known for its deep-rooted traditions and cultural practices – like her older brotherly kingdom of Grand Bonny had lined up an eight-day pre-coronation cultural and traditional activities that began on Friday, September 18, 2026 to the D’ day Saturday, September 26, 2026 and a day’s post coronation activity which was the King’s Coronation Thanksgiving Service. It is recalled that the 67-year-old monarch was proclaimed as King-designate December 13, 2025 to succeed his late elder brother, King Dandeson Douglas Jaja; Jeki V, who had passed in April, 2025. However and unexpectedly, a form of dissension and threat of a legal challenge to the process of his emergence arose but was mercifully and expertly put down in an admirable and lawful manner two and half months after on March 16, 2026. The preparations for his public coronation began with the formation of 17 planning and implementation of committees to drive the various coronation activities – spanning the 10 days period beginning from Friday, September 18, 2026 right through to Sunday, September 27, 2026 — ending with the coronation thanksgiving service and the king’s banquet for guests and the general public. Each of these days’ activities was always preceded by pre-drawn volleys of seven cannon shots except the two Sundays intervening the 10 days earmarked for the celebrations – paving the way for each war Canoe house and different socio/cultural groups within the Kingdom to showcase, Parade and exhibit their cultural, masquerade displays, traditional dances and more as social – performance tributes to the new king. It was indeed a showtime of the rich Ibani Cultural heritage, rites and aquatic displays of ceremonial gigs of the various war Canoe houses on the Opobo river including King JaJa’s war canoe itself – personally commanded by the King-designate. His appearances at the various cultural display grounds were significant moments during which he acknowledged the joyous and thunderous greetings from the participants and equally extended affectionate gestures to them, the people and to the drummers who sounded the throne’s drum name in ceaseless adulations. The crowning glory came on the coronation day proper as invited guests from far and near arrived Opobo Town and were ushered into King JaJa’s Palace ground that was lined up with colourfully and tastefully decorated canopies. Top-most VIPs were shaded in the canopies pitched directly opposite the coronation dias for obvious reasons. The dias itself dressed in red and velvet colours was a slightly elevated platform on which a gold trimmed royal throne for the King was placed. In the front row of these VIP canopies sat great personages of power and influence in our society which included former President Goodluck Jonathan and former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan. To their immediate right sat the ever adorable King Edward Ashimini William Dappa Pepple III, Perekule XI and Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, who arrived the venue escorted by a 28-man fully-clad Otobo Masquerades Squad. It is rare to see Grand Bonny’s Monarch appear in a

Governor Siminalayi Fubara (left) presenting a certificate to King Charles Douglas MacPepple JaJa public event in practical demonstration of the metaphorical symbol of his majestic and towering strength – traditionally reserved for the King to honour another royal as it was on that day. The Otobo masquerade is believed to represent the hippopotamus (that amphibious power house often called the river horse – due largely to its enormous strength and fearsomeness on land and at sea). Other notable royals who graced the occasion were the Obong of Calabar, the Obi of Onitsha, King Asari Dokubo of Elem Kalabari, King Winston Alamina-Oputebeya of Koniama in Okrika, the traditional rulers from Ahoada and other members of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers as well as a host of many other invited political big wigs and captains of industry. The crowd of visitors and locals was impressive and almost made the venue chaotic, leaving the security details of these VIPs literally cueless regarding how to keep their principals safe and far from possible harm which never happened anyway. When the time came for the king – designate to enter the Coronation ground – resplendent it was by a long procession led by a traditional conclave of the Kingdom’s Alapu (Chiefs) and members of the King JaJa Executive Authority with him in their middle and amongst whom where those bearing the two swords of authority (of the Crown and of the Kingdom), the crown, the royal staff and other paraphernalia office they laid on the Coronation dais before the King whom – two of the chiefs had already escorted to sit on the throne. The Coronation rites began and paved the way for the officiating Priest – the Rt. Reverend Emmanuel Oko-JaJa to offer the prayers by blessing the throne, the Crown and the King before placing the Crown on his head amidst public applause and cheers.

Then came the coronation address which the king read with a calm and dignified voice – acknowledging each and every important dignitary present – beginning with former President Jonathan and his dear wife and then the Amanayabo of Grand Bonny whom he addressed as ‘‘his brother and King of our ancestral home’’. A truly noble and pristine appellation intended to unmistakably strike the cord of consanguinity amongst the Ibani people of both kingdoms present at the event or elsewhere. The king in his address – acknowledged the weight of the Crown placed on his head and the enormous responsibilities of his office and the throne whose dignity and integrity he vowed to uphold. He also pledged to keep the trust bestowed upon him with a promise to invest and promote the development of his kingdom and people. In his address, he displayed a rare emotional connection with the legitimate expectations of Opobians by including the development of cultural centers that would incorporate the Ibani language into everyday domestic usages – as part of his coronation charter with his people. This is a huge and necessary project in order to reverse the unhappy but steady decline in use of Ibani language amongst our people. He promised to make his reign and Opobo Kingdom a dependable stakeholder in pursuit of peace, development and unity of Rovers State and by extension Nigeria as a whole. At the end of his speech, came a deluge of tributes offered as homage by the former president, Obi of Onitsha and other royals. King Charles Douglas MacPepple JaJa; Jeki VI is truly a monarch in whom his people rejoices for so many reasons: Born on January 27, 1959 his primary education in Opobo Town and his secondary education in Akwa Ibom State before proceeding to the University of Port Harcourt where he earned his bachelor degree. His professional and social lives were marked by steady progression through SPDC to the Nigerian Bulk Oil Company and others. He join Mina Ogbo King Cultural Society of Opobo at the age of 12 – which speaks to his avid love for cultural and traditional activities and overtime

acquired drumming skills and mastery in the rhythmical handling of local musical instruments and talking - drums to the amazement of local folks – earning him the Sobriquet of ‘‘akwa-alabo’’ (Lord of the drums). A truly home breed royal and man of the people. Furthermore, he became Chairman of Chief MacPepple War Canoe House PH branch – between 1989-1998, the Alapalibo (Deputy Chief) of that house in 2006, the Alabo-designate (Chief designate) in 2008 and finally became the Alabo (Chief) of that house in 2009 – a position he held until his proclamation and eventual coronation as King a month ago. His life trajectories and pedigree is rich and ennobling enough to have endeared him to all Strata of Opobo Society and immensely certifies him as a proverbial ‘‘square peg in a square hole’’. The closing chapter to the daily planned Coronation activities came in quick succession with the King’s Coronation Thanksgiving Service held at St Mark’s (Anglican Communion) Church in Kalaibiama Town – Opobo on Sunday, September 27, 2026. The King, the royal family, the Alapu, title citizens and well-wishers were in full attendance amidst a heavy down pour which contrasted with the fine weather of the previous-day of the Coronation proper – which many believed were showers of blessing from above upon the Monarch and Opobo Kingdom. Finally, on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, Governor Simialaiyi Fubara, who was unavoidable absent from the weekend coronation activities due to urgent national assignment was on hand to present the Certificate of recognition and staff of office to the King in the Council Chambers of the Government House in Port-Harcourt in the presence of a cross section of members of the State Executive Council and the King’s entourage. In all, it would be very apposite to say that the coronation was very successful and well organized by the event planners and the various committees who worked assiduously to produce this commendable outcome.

• Solomon LeggJack writes from Port Harcourt

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R NOVEMBER 1, 2026

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Otutochi Wigwe: The Battle for a Luxury Yacht One of the most devastating tragedies to hit Nigeria’s financial sector in recent years was the death of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe. Since the fatal helicopter crash that claimed his life, that of his wife, Doreen, and others, the Wigwe family has remained the subject of public interest, with fresh developments continuing to emerge from different corners of their lives and legacy. Society Watch recently gathered that Otutochi Wigwe, daughter of the late banking titan, has approached the High Court of Justice of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) to secure control of a company that owns her late parents’ luxury yacht, Chitochi. The proceedings have brought the complexities of offshore corporate ownership into the delicate business of preserving and administering a family inheritance. The yacht is reportedly the sole remaining asset of Grosvenor Marine Ventures Ltd., a BVI-registered company jointly owned by Herbert and Doreen Wigwe, who also served as its directors. According to the report, the company

Wigwe

was struck off the BVI Register of Companies and dissolved on November 5, 2024, following the non-payment of its annual fees. The application, brought by Otutochi alongside Uchechukwu Wigwe, described in the filings as an intended administrator and cousin-in-law of the deceased couple, seeks authority to preserve the company’s shares and pave the way for the eventual sale of the yacht. Court filings reportedly described

Chitochi as a depreciating asset requiring considerable expenditure on maintenance and insurance, with the potential for further financial losses if its sale is delayed. A 2016 Custom Line 108, the 33-metre yacht is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where American yacht brokers have reportedly listed it for sale. Its eventual fate now depends, in part, on the legal steps required to regularise the status of the company that owns it. Court documents state that both spouses were domiciled in Nigeria at the time of their deaths and jointly held all the issued shares in Grosvenor Marine Ventures Ltd., which was incorporated in the British Virgin Islands on March 7, 2012. For now, Chitochi represents an unusual chapter in the continuing story of the Wigwe family. Once a symbol of the privileges and pleasures associated with extraordinary wealth, the yacht has become entangled in the less glamorous realities of inheritance, offshore company restoration and asset preservation.

Oluwo

Oluwo’s Royal Jim Ovia’s New Empire Rises in Luxury Real Estate 74, Jim Ovia is hardly ready prices beginning at $2.8 million. Circus: When the toof Atretreat into the quiet comforts Recently, he disclosed that the retirement. Rather, the astute developments were attracting entrepreneur appears poised to trade considerable interest, with both Throne Becomes the familiar corridors of banking for the projects already recording significant high-stakes world of premium property sales. development, where towering ambitions He declared that real estate is more a Stage meet deep-pocketed investors. profitable than banking, offering a glimpse

Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo, appears unwilling to let the curtain fall on his seemingly endless royal theatrics. Just when the public thinks the monarch has exhausted his repertoire of headline-grabbing antics, another performance is reportedly in the works. This time, the flamboyant monarch is said to be contemplating a royal distinction so extraordinary that it threatens to leave even the most unconventional of Yoruba traditional rulers scratching their heads. If the reports are anything to go by, Oluwo is preparing to confer on himself a title without precedent in the annals of Yoruba kingship. One is tempted to ask whether the palace has become a theatre of the absurd, with the throne doubling as a stage and the crown serving as a prop in an unending one-man show. For a traditional institution steeped in history, hierarchy and cultural significance, such reported ambitions raise legitimate questions about the line between royal innovation and personal grandstanding. A monarch may distinguish himself through uncommon courage, service, wisdom and cultural preservation, but self-appointed grandeur is another matter entirely. For Oluwo, whose public outings and pronouncements have repeatedly attracted controversy, the latest reported ambition threatens to add another chapter to a royal narrative in which spectacle often competes with substance. The concern is not that a monarch should never be unconventional, but that tradition must not become a casualty of the relentless pursuit of publicity. Whether this latest report amounts to another publicity stunt or a serious royal undertaking remains to be seen. But if the intention is to astonish the world, the Oluwo may once again have succeeded in commanding attention. The more pertinent question, however, is whether the spectacle enhances the dignity of the throne he occupies or merely adds another act to a royal drama that has kept the public guessing. After all, a crown derives its worth not from the number of titles attached to its wearer, but from the history it embodies and the respect it commands.

For Ovia, the stakes are clear. After decades of shaping fortunes in banking, he is ready to build another legacy, this time in concrete, glass and steel. Having bowed out as chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, the billionaire businessman is deepening his investments through Quantum Luxury Properties Ltd., with two upscale residential projects redefining his property ambitions in Lagos. The first, Metropolitan Towers, is a 26-floor development offering apartments starting at $1.85 million. Its sister project, Quantum Luxury Towers, comprises 44 residential units, with

into the investment philosophy driving his latest venture. Lagos, with its concentration of affluent individuals, corporate executives and international investors, remains a prime destination for luxury property development. Despite inflationary pressures and the naira’s depreciation, demand for high-end residential accommodation continues to attract investors seeking premium addresses and long-term capital appreciation. Yet, the market presents a striking contrast. While Nigeria grapples with a housing deficit estimated at more than 20 million units, luxury developments

Ovia

continue to command extraordinary prices, catering to a narrow but financially powerful clientele.

Ify Uzor-Kalu Celebrates Five Beautiful Decades

Ify Uzoh-Kalu

To former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, a good wife is royal in the heart, a crown to her husband, and pride to the home where she was raised. The highly respected business and political leader reaffirmed these certitude on Monday, October 26, when her elegant wife, Ifunanya Uzor-Kalu, popularly known as Ify, clocked 50. To honour and celebrate the golden jubilee of his beloved better half, the Senator flew his wife to Montego Bay, Jamaica, where they were joined by their children and a few close friends at a resort for a private fete. As a committed Catholic, Mrs. Uzor-Kalu, in the company of her husband, family members and friends, started the birthday celebration in the presence of her maker with a Holy Mass and a thanksgiving for the gift of life, the grace, and five beautiful decades of blessings.

As part of celebrating the remarkable milestone, Senator Kalu took to his different official social media accounts, where he showed his romantic side and also proved his poetic skills, showering strong words of affirmation on his wife. In the public heartfelt message titled “My Wife, My World,” Kalu described his wife as a priceless blessing to the family and a wonderful companion throughout their journey together. “My darling wife, Ify, celebrates her golden jubilee today! Ify, you are a priceless blessing to our family and a wonderful companion on this journey of life. As you turn 50, I pray that God blesses you with greater joy, sound health, peace, and many more beautiful years filled with love and laughter. Happy Golden Jubilee, my darling Ify.” The birthday message reflects the senator’s affection and appreciation for his wife as the family celebrates a significant milestone in her life.

1.11.2026

A Bird in Flight Worth More Than Two in a Cage… At the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art in Lagos, an exhibition of Chika Okeke-Agulu’s work turns the spotlight on his career as a studio artist, a side of the US-based scholar better known for writing about other artists. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke writes

t is, no doubt, a long way from the 1980s and 1990s. In his curatorial note, Iheanyi Onwuegbucha rates that period among the most turbulent in Nigeria’s post-civil war history. For Chika Okeke-Agulu, whose name has lately been more readily associated with art history than with the studio, those years were to leave a deep imprint on both his work and his outlook. The political turmoil of the period, along with the experience of migration, keeps bobbing to the surface in his paintings, drawings and sculptures. Ditto the question of what freedom means when the struggle to secure it never quite ends. The question finds an echo in Chika OkekeAgulu: Freedom Bird. Presented by YSMA and SMO Contemporary Art, the exhibition spans more than three decades of the artist’s work. Alongside his paintings, drawings and sculptures are poems, diary entries, photographs and archival materials. The exhibition opens to the public today, November 1, although its formal opening takes place at noon on November 8 at the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA), Pan-Atlantic University, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. It runs until January 31, 2027. Sandra Mbanefo-Obiago, who runs the Lagos-based SMO Contemporary Art, is working with Iheanyi Onwuegbucha, the associate curator, on the project. For decades, Okeke-Agulu has interpreted the work of other artists, and in the process has become one of the leading voices internationally on African modernism. Now, with Freedom Bird, aficionados can finally experience him as an artist as well. Basing his practice on the historical circumstances that are the subject of his studies, his works call out authoritarian power, highlight disillusionment, and the powerlessness of the individual in the face of the might of the state. However, it is simplistic to read them as documents of political violence. His works indeed depict the struggle for freedom, and the will to defy domination. The painting “Tyranny and Democracy”, for instance, takes up the subject of political oppression and the people’s right to self-determination. Rendered in a Cubist and Expressionist idiom, it is replete with geometric forms that fragment hands and faces, some of which convey tenderness. Against a palette of ochres, blues and reds, one discerns an ecstatic flight alongside scenes of physical struggle and lamentation. The painting culminates in a panel suggesting a vision of final sanctification. And, by the way, isn’t there something Chagall-esque about its depiction of memory and everyday rituals? The panels have their separate identities, but the diagonal movement across them draws the eye from one to the next. Together, they make a mural that invites both close inspection and a

view of the whole. As for “Freedom Bird”, the exhibition’s title, which is also that of one of the works, it hardly needs explaining. A bird escaping, or being released from captivity, is the first image that comes to mind. After “Tyranny and Democracy”, the four-panel work comes as a sigh of relief. Smoke and barbed wire sweep across the ink-and-wash composition, gathering force on the left before thinning into the white space on the right. A lone bird, patterned in intricate detail, makes its escape. Small, jewelled dots of colour punctuate the emptiness. The bird is free, but the smoke and barbed wire remain behind it. But the word “freedom” carries the unknowns of what happens after the departure, and the distance that separates people from their homes. In works made from the late 1980s to the present, Okeke-Agulu explores a number of thematic concerns including, among others, struggle, betrayal, love, longing and nostalgia. Although situated in Nigeria’s political and cultural milieu, the tenor of Okeke-Agulu’s work reverberates with the circumstances and the conditions of the world beyond and particularly with the aftermaths and legacies of man’s inhumanity to man. In light of the current situation in Nigeria, the exhibition’s contemporary resonance and implications to Nigeria can be examined as relating to the country’s continuing battle with the legacy of military rule and the frustrations of democratic governance. The phenomenon of ‘japa’ whereby younger Nigerians leave the country in search of better opportunities has become commonplace. Beyond the statistics, there are more private reckonings with aspiration and loss. These are some of the issues that Freedom Bird explores. For Onwuegbucha, Freedom Bird acknowledges an intriguing imbalance in Okeke-Agulu’s career. As an artist who has organised exhibitions and scholarly publications for other members of the Nsukka School, he has primarily been ignored for his own artistic output. Onwuegbucha said the exhibition provides an opportunity for audiences to interact with Okeke-Agulu as an artist first, and scholar second, as he has previously articulated. Showcasing his work at YSMA is important to him, Onwuegbucha noted, because of the museum’s commitment to research, public discourse and what he describes as an “artistic homecoming.” Born in Nsukka in 1967, Okeke-Agulu is the Robert Schirmer Professor of Art and Archaeology and African American Studies at Princeton University, where

Tyranny and Democracy (detail)

Freedom Bird he directs the Africa World Initiative. He is a Fellow of the British Academy, and served as Slade Professor of Fine Art at the University of Oxford in 2023. Okeke-Agulu’s books include Postcolonial Modernism and Contemporary African Art Since 1980. He has published many other scholarly studies on Obiora Udechukwu, Yusuf Grillo and El Anatsui, among others. The exhibition will feature a series of talks, sponsored by TEMPLARS, to stimulate discussions on the history of Nigeria’s politics and culture and the role of the artist in public life. A monograph will also be published. Finally, Freedom Bird returns to a question that neither independence nor democracy has settled: what does freedom look like in the face of ever changing threats? Through works defined by personal memories and collective experiences, Okeke-Agulu engages power and does not succumb to historical pessimism. His works speak to Nigeria’s complicated journey through history, and bear witness to the capacity of the people to remember, interrogate, and defy their leaders.

Chika Okeke-Agulu

EDITOR: Okechukwu Uwaezuoke/ Okechukwu.Uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

T H I S DAY, Th e S U N DAY N e w S PAPe r •NOvember 1, 2026

ARTS & REVIEW/Potpurri

When Charcoal Meets Steel, the Gèlè Takes Centre Stage Yinka Olatunbosun

lexis Galleries is bringing two distinct artistic visions of the Yoruba headtie to the fore in Gèlè, a dual exhibition featuring Arinze Stanley and Dotun Popoola, opening on October 24 at the gallery’s Akin Olugbade Street premises on Victoria Island, Lagos. Running until November 7, the exhibition explores the gèlè as more than an emblem of cultural identity: it is a statement of femininity, dignity and self-expression. Worn by women across Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, the traditional headtie can signal celebration, social standing and personal style. In the hands of Stanley and Popoola, it becomes a subject for two markedly different artistic approaches. Stanley’s hyperrealistic charcoal and graphite drawings probe the human face, while Popoola’s welded-metal sculptures give the familiar headwear a monumental, almost architectural presence. Internationally recognised for his arresting monochrome portraits, Stanley is taking a different direction with his Gèlè series. Unlike earlier bodies of work such as The Machine Man and The Bullets and Denim, which confronted harsher realities, the

EXHIBITION new works express his admiration for women. “It is very special to me because of how it is worn. You know, the women get to choose how they want to style their gèlè,” he said at the press preview. That freedom of choice appears central to Stanley’s interpretation. The elaborate folds and contours of the headtie frame his subjects, but the women’s faces remain the real centre of attention. Through minute gradations of charcoal and graphite, he captures expressions that invite a closer reading, suggesting lives and experiences that extend beyond the picture plane. “Their faces are not secondary to the gèlè; they hold our attention,” the gallery’s curatorial team observes. “There is a quietness and intensity in their expressions that suggests an interior world beyond what is immediately visible. The gèlè frames these women, but it does not define them.” If Stanley approaches the subject through the intimacy of the drawn face, Popoola takes a more muscular route. Known for transforming discarded scrap metal, automotive parts and industrial iron into sculptural forms, he turns the gèlè into an exercise

in volume, movement and material reinvention. What might once have been destined for the scrapyard acquires a second life as a sculptural crown, its sweeping contours recalling the folds and flourishes of the traditional headtie. For Popoola, who has spent decades welding scrap metal into ambitious sculptural forms, the challenge lies in coaxing grace from materials more readily associated with weight and rigidity. His works offer a striking counterpoint to Stanley’s delicately rendered portraits, translating the gèlè’s visual drama into steel and salvaged industrial fragments. Together, the artists trace the headtie’s passage from cultural adornment to a potent means of self-representation. Co-curated by Uche Obasi and Chidera Ogbu, the exhibition asks viewers to look beyond the gèlè as an item of fashion and consider how women use it to assert identity, negotiate social expectations and present themselves to the world. The contrast is immediate: charcoal against steel, the intimacy of the human face against the commanding presence of sculpture, meticulous tonal gradations against the rough textures of reclaimed metal. Yet both artists return to the same cultural object, finding in its folds and flourishes a language capable of accommodating different

A painting by Arinze Stanley ideas of womanhood. With Gèlè, Alexis Galleries continues its engagement with contemporary Nigerian art, bringing together two artists whose practices differ sharply in material and method but converge in their interest in cultural expression. The exhibition promises a meeting of portraiture and sculpture in which a familiar headtie becomes something more than an accessory: a symbol of how women choose to be seen.

Roberto Trotta’s Starborn Traces Humanity’s Debt to the Stars Yinka Olatunbosun

hat if the sky had always been hidden from view? Would humanity have discovered astronomy, developed its earliest systems of navigation or arrived at the scientific understanding of the universe that shapes modern life? These questions lay at the heart of Starborn: How the Stars Made Us Who We Are, the book by theoretical physicist and author Roberto Trotta, presented recently at the Consulate General of Italy in Lagos. The event, held at the consulate’s Victoria Island premises, brought together diplomats, academics, science enthusiasts and cultural figures for an evening exploring the enduring relationship between humanity and the cosmos. At the centre of the gathering was a fireside conversation between Trotta and Dr Olaokun Soyinka, who moderated the discussion. Together, they explored the book’s central argument: that humanity’s encounters with the night sky have helped shape civilisation, influencing everything from agriculture and navigation to philosophy, religion and the emergence of modern science. Opening the proceedings, representatives of the Italian Consulate underscored the importance of scientific and cultural diplomacy, highlighting the institution’s role in encouraging intellectual exchange between international researchers and Nigeria’s academic and creative communities. The conversation took an intriguing turn when Soyinka invited Trotta to consider a world in which

•A view of the book presentation held at Italian Consulate, Lagos

BOOKS

clouds had permanently concealed the stars from human view. Such a scenario, Trotta suggested, would have radically altered humanity’s intellectual development. Without the celestial patterns that early observers studied and interpreted, the course of scientific discovery—and perhaps civilisation itself—might have been very different.

The night sky, in this telling, was never merely a spectacle for idle contemplation. Its regular movements helped people measure time, navigate unfamiliar territories and organise agricultural life. Over centuries, the desire to understand what lay beyond the Earth also helped nurture the habits of observation and inquiry that underpin modern science. Trotta used the discussion to encourage a reconsideration of humanity’s place in the universe. He also drew attention to the growing threats to our view of the cosmos, particularly light pollution and the proliferation

of satellite constellations, which increasingly complicate astronomical observation. The concern extends beyond professional astronomy. The loss of dark skies, Trotta argued, risks severing a connection that has informed human thought and imagination for millennia. Soyinka’s questioning helped make the scientific and historical dimensions of the book accessible without losing sight of their complexity. Drawing on his experience in science communication, Trotta combined accounts of early astronomical discoveries with reflections on his own career across astrophysics, data science and public engagement. An interactive session followed, with guests raising questions about the future of space exploration, the preservation of dark skies and the place of scientific literacy in developing countries. Trotta responded with evident enthusiasm, stressing that curiosity about the universe is not the preserve of any one nation or culture. The formal programme ended with a reception in the consulate’s courtyard. Conversations continued over refreshments, while a queue formed at the signing station as guests sought signed copies of Starborn and the opportunity to meet its author. For Lagos’s literary and intellectual community, the presentation offered an invitation to look beyond the familiar boundaries of earthly experience. Trotta’s book makes a compelling case that the stars have done more than decorate the night sky: they have helped shape the questions humanity asks, the knowledge it pursues and the stories it tells about itself. In an age when artificial illumination and technological expansion are steadily changing our view of the heavens, Starborn also poses a timely question: what might we lose if future generations can no longer look up and see the stars that helped make us who we are?

Steve Obidi’s Poetic Quest for Eternal Truth Banji Ojewale

he Russian-American poet and essayist Joseph Brodsky (1940–1996), who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1987, was appointed United States Poet Laureate in 1991. Concerned about what he perceived as a decline in the quality of spoken and written English in American society, Brodsky proposed that books of American poetry be placed alongside Gideon Bibles in motel rooms. His reasoning was compelling: “Poetry is perhaps the only insurance we’ve got against the vulgarity of the human heart.” His proposal reflected a conviction that poetry could restore a measure of moral and linguistic refinement to everyday life. More than three decades later, Steve Obidi, a Nigerian intellectual, communicator and pastor, assigns poetry an even more ambitious task. In Eternal Truth, he sends the genre in pursuit of what he calls the “Most Excellent Eternal Truth”, with the intention of bringing its liberating power to Nigerians and readers everywhere. A member of the Editorial Board of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) and a PhD holder, Obidi approaches this undertaking with the

BOOKS

earnestness of a man who has immersed himself in a formidable body of knowledge. One is reminded of the familiar literary conceit of ransacking half a library to produce a single book. His collection draws, sometimes obliquely, on biblical personalities and their deeds, Greek mythology, Nigerian and international politics, environmental crises, human suffering, bereavement and the ordinary predicaments of existence. Beneath these varied subjects lies a conviction that certain fundamental truths elude superficial treatment. Poetry, in Obidi’s estimation, offers a means of bringing them into sharper focus and inviting the reader to contemplate their implications. For the poet, truth is neither relative nor negotiable. It is a singular, enduring principle to which he has pledged his allegiance. In the opening poem, which bears the collection’s title, he recalls the encounter that changed his life: You beckoned and graciously hugged me. Disarmed, convicted, I submitted Thenceforth to be your devotee… I signed up to defend the Truth…

The encounter is presented as a conversion, an acceptance of truth as both a personal discipline and a public obligation. The poems that follow are, accordingly, written with what the poet describes as a bleeding pen and a heart wracked with pain. In “The Tipping Point”, he insists: We must tell the truth, even at gunpoint For intrinsic in truth is something that sets free If only we could swallow our pride and with truth agree. The lines establish the moral urgency that drives the collection. Truth demands courage, particularly when its pursuit threatens personal comfort or exposes collective failings. Yet the strength of this conviction also presents a challenge for the poet: how does one transform a moral position, however sincerely held, into poetry that persuades through its imaginative force rather than merely through the weight of its pronouncements? Obidi is at his most interesting when he allows a human predicament to complicate his moral certainty. In “The Mad Lady”, for instance, two worlds appear to occupy the same space without understanding each other. The woman is dismissed by sympathetic bystanders who assume they understand her condition. The poet asks: She scorns at the ignorance of Sympathetic bystanders…she’s misjudged

Who can convince her that Something has gone wrong? The poem exposes the distance between appearances and reality, suggesting that even well-meaning observers can mistake their assumptions for knowledge. Its questions are particularly pertinent to a collection concerned with the difficulty of recognising truth amid the clamour of competing perceptions.

• Ojewale, a writer, is based in Ota, Ogun State

T H I S DAY, Th e S U N DAY N e w S PAPe r •NOvember 1, 2026

CICERO

Editor: Ejiofor Alike SMS: 08066066268 Email: ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com

IN THE ARENA

Taraba Killings Fields and the Crisis of Governance The recent attack on the Binnari community in Taraba State that claimed 80 lives underscores the vulnerability of rural communities and government’s increasing failure to protect lives and property, Davidson Iriekpen writes

ecent reports confirming the killing of 80 people in bandits' attacks on the Binnari community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State have continued to break hearts, raising concerns about the federal government's weakening capacity to protect the lives of Nigerians. The report recorded that the attack, which led to massive looting of shops and market stalls and setting of houses ablaze, occurred on Friday, October 23, the community’s weekly market day. The incident to place on a day when traders and buyers from surrounding settlements converged to exchange farm produce, food and other goods, just shortly after Juma’at prayers. Residents said the assailants stormed the community on motorcycles from neighbouring Plateau State, and carried out the four-hour reign of terror unchallenged. By the time the attackers withdrew, residents were searching nearby bushes and a river for their missing relatives, while burnt houses, damaged shops and abandoned belongings testified to the scale of the destruction. On the day of the deadly attack, the Taraba State Police Command said only 10 bodies were recovered, but the next day, it said the death toll had risen to 58, including 15 people who drowned while fleeing in an overloaded canoe. The police spokesperson, Victor Mshelizah, said search operations led to the recovery of additional bodies from surrounding bushes. By Tuesday, it was gathered that the death toll had further risen to 80. Beyond the loss of lives and property, the attack has renewed concerns about the ability of security agencies to protect isolated and vulnerable communities across the country. A trader identified only as Adamu said the assailants operated for hours without resistance. “We have no government in place,” he said, describing the duration of the attack and the destruction of goods during the market raid. Following the attack, the police announced the deployment of additional personnel, alongside the Nigerian Army and other security agencies. Residents were urged to remain calm, stay vigilant and provide credible information to security operatives. Condemning the killing, the global human rights organisation, Amnesty International, accused the federal government of failing to adequately protect vulnerable rural communities from repeated deadly attacks by gunmen and terrorists. The human rights organisation, in a statement, said the attack demonstrated a

Tinubu “disdain for the sanctity of life” and called for an impartial investigation, justice for the victims and adequate reparations for survivors. It said the incident reflected a wider pattern of violence against rural communities in parts of northern Nigeria, where armed groups have repeatedly attacked settlements, killed residents, destroyed property and abducted people. It further criticised the Nigerian authorities for what it described as their failure to prevent recurring atrocities and ensure that suspected perpetrators were brought to justice. The latest attack occurred despite Governor Agbu Kefas’ earlier intervention. Last January, he declared Karim-Lamido a special area of security concern through Executive Order No. 1 of 2026, citing recurring communal clashes, bandit-related attacks and violent herders' attackers. The declaration was aimed at strengthening efforts to restore peace, protect residents and create conditions for normal economic and social activities. But violence has continued to threaten communities in the area. Observers feel that the Binnari killings are part of a wider pattern of insecurity in Taraba, where communal clashes, banditry, kidnapping and attacks on rural settlements have repeatedly threatened lives and livelihoods. The entire local government has featured prominently in the

violence. Its location near the boundaries with Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states added a cross-border dimension to security operations, particularly where armed groups can move through rural settlements and difficult terrain. In general, banditry has become a growing problem in North-west and North-central, with powerful gangs battling overstretched police and military across hard-to-reach, rural locations. Driven by money rather than ideology, the bandits in Nigeria target poorly policed rural areas, kidnapping for ransom and killing residents. The terror gangs raid villages and impose “taxes” on farmers and mining operations in areas with little state presence. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), an independent, non-profit global research organisation and conflict monitor, recorded thousands of deaths (over 13,485 killed across NorthWestern states between 2010 and 2023, with a sharp surge of 2,742 casualties across 599 incidents in 2025 alone). Hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Bandits operate not as a single army, but as a loose "franchise" of over 120 armed groups led by regional commanders known as kachalas. Their tactics include mass motorcycle-borne raids, village destruction and looting, kidnap-for-ransom operations, cattle rustling, and imposing illegal "protection taxes" on farmers and

POLITICAL NOTES

miners. Originating from historical attacks on farmers and destruction of farmlands by herders, the crisis expanded due to climate change, shrinking grazing lands, poverty, gold-funded arms smuggling, and vast, unpoliced forested sanctuaries. The Nigerian military regularly launches air strikes and ground sweeps, yet they seem to be growing by the day. Local and state governments have occasionally attempted localised amnesties or peace talks, which critics and defence analysts argue fail because the gangs lack political ideology and repeatedly break truces. The primary responsibility of any government is securing the lives and property of its citizens, but the people hardly see this being demonstrated each time. As sad as the deaths were, there was not a single reaction or statement from the President Bola Tinubu and the Presidency, even as a succour to the community. Even though President Tinubu has repeatedly ordered troops to pursue suspected terrorists responsible for these mass killings of people across the country, Nigerians are yet to see any significant improvement, as people are still being killed almost daily. It was only the Senate that called for an urgent security offensive in border communities across Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi states. The lawmakers urged security agencies to establish additional security camps and intensify surveillance in the affected areas to prevent further attacks and protect vulnerable communities. The upper legislative chamber noted that the continued activities of armed bandits in rural communities undermined the government’s constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property. It warned that failure to address the recurring attacks could lead to further loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of residents and worsening humanitarian challenges, and that no community should be left at the mercy of armed criminal groups. There is no country where the leaders truly value human lives that will not be jolted by the loss of 80 lives. In normal climes, the attack is enough to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in the state until the perpetrators are fished out and dealt with appropriately. But in Nigeria where the authorities and citizens are inundated with frequent news of massive killing, nothing bothers them anymore. Until authorities demonstrate that vulnerable communities such as Binnari are adequately protected, the killings will remain a grim reminder of the gap between official security commitments and the safety residents experience on the ground.

Omo-Agege’s Unguarded ‘Rig and Die’ Comment

Omo-Agege

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, sparked widespread outrage recently after issuing a stern warning that anyone caught manipulating the 2027 elections would be killed. Speaking at a political event in his constituency, Omo-Agege warned that anyone who attempted to rig or manipulate votes in the upcoming polls would face severe consequences. “It’s rig and die,” he reportedly said. Addressing supporters and party faithful in Delta Central, Omo-Agege declared that the era of political actors subverting the popular mandate was over. Omo-Agege, who is seeking election to the

Delta Central senatorial seat under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), emphasised that voters were prepared to defend their votes at polling units nationwide. “I want to make the news again. Anybody who rigs the election on that day, we will kill him! If you don’t value your life, come and rig the election. They’re rigging your future. They’re rigging the future of your children. We’re waiting for them. Let them try it. It is rig-and- die. We’re going to give them aura for aura. There’s no court this time. We’re going to ﬁght,” he was quoted as saying. Omo-Agege declared his intention to contest for the Delta Central senatorial seat in the 2027 elections in May. He resigned his membership of

the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a letter dated May and addressed to the chairman of the party’s Orogun Ward 2 in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State. Omo-Agege's comment was not only unfortunate but unguarded and totally condemnable. He should know that it is inappropriate for a man of his calibre to advocate for jungle justice. As a lawyer and a former lawmaker, he should know that the best way to treat anybody arrested for a crime, is to be handed over to the police for prosecution. The police should invite him for questioning, and if possible, to write an undertaking that he will not encourage the killing of anyone during the 2027 general election.

T H I S DAY, Th e S U N DAY N e w S PAPe r •NOvember 1, 2026

BRIEFINGNOTES

Need to Probe Soldiers, Police Clash in Plateau

Following the recent allegations on social media that some individual operatives of one of Nigeria's security forces were allegedly collaborating with bandits in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, which led to a clash between soldiers and police personnel in the area, Ejiofor Alike writes that the federal government should unravel the real cause of the clash

ith the unending allegations by victims of insecurity, especially in Benue and Plateau states that some individual security operatives aid the bandits terrorising several communities, it has become imperative for the federal government to set up a high-powered investigative panel to unravel the real cause of the recent clash between the troops of the Nigerian Army and police personnel in Plateau State. Despite the payment of the supreme price by their gallant colleagues at the theater of operations, some individual security operatives have been caught collaborating with the agents of terror. Some operatives sold arms and ammunition to bandits, while others aided the attackers and shielded them from arrests and prosecution. In several other cases, security operatives served as informants to terrorists by giving them information on movement of troops thereby exposing the troops to ambush. According to the various social media accounts of the October 20, 2026 clash between the troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Enduring Peace, and police personnel, one of the security forces was said to have accused the operatives of an unnamed agency of collaborating with bandits in Bassa Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State. However, neither the police authorities nor the military authorities confirmed any alleged collaboration between bandits and security personnel from any agency, and there has been no independent confirmation. But the allegation followed the same pattern of previous allegations by communities affected by armed herdsmen, who accused unscrupulous security personnel of aiding the perpetrators of insecurity. An earlier revelation by the indigenous youth groups in Plateau State that 151 villages were forcibly occupied by armed foreign herdsmen without the security agencies going after them had raised questions on the sincerity of the operatives in the fight against the bandits. Plateau Youth Associations from Atakar, Berom, Irigwe, Mwaghavwul, and Ron ethnic groups in the state had earlier released the names of some of the 151 occupied villages. Similarly, the people of Tiv resident in the United States of America under the aegis of the Mutual Union of Tiv in America (MUTA) had written a petition to the House of Representatives, alleging that herdsmen were taking over and renaming the ancestral lands abandoned by Tiv people sacked in parts of Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states. With these allegations, security analysts

(R-L): The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tunji Disu say the security agencies should not feign ignorance of the identities and locations of the attackers. At a press conference held on October 21, 2026 at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, Christian leaders representing indigenous youth organisations in Plateau State under the aegis of the Coalition of Plateau Indigenous Youth Nationalities (CPIYN) had called for an investigation into allegations of possible collaboration between individual security personnel and armed bandits terrorising their communities. The President of the Irigwe Youths Movement, Ezekiel Peter Bini, is the Chairman of the coalition. Other signatories include: President of the Berom Youths MoulderAssociation, Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri; President of the Tarok Progressive Youths Association, Ambassador Miri Timnan Nyantau; and President of the Mwagavwul Youths, Jonathan Kyesmang Yusuf. The coalition accused security authorities of failing to adequately protect vulnerable communities from armed attacks. The group insisted on the continuation of joint security operations against armed groups. The reaction of the group was

in response to a petition dated October 5, 2026, by Fulani organisations which claimed that joint security operations conducted by the Department of State Services (DSS), the Mobile Police Force, and Operation Rainbow were biased against Fulani communities. The Coalition of Plateau Indigenous Youth Nationalities condemned the petition, arguing that it could undermine security operations in communities that have experienced repeated attacks. There has been a sustained pattern of deadly violence in the state, where predominantly Christian farming communities have suffered attacks by armed militants and other unidentified gunmen. The statement by the coalition described a pattern in which armed men allegedly move cattle into farming communities, destroy crops, and attack settlements without any commensurate response by security operatives. The coalition said it had documented at least 152 hamlets, villages, and communities affected by such incidents. It condemned the demands of the Fulani leaders that joint operations should be discontinued. While insisting that security operations should not be discontinued, the coalition credited joint operations involving the DSS, Mobile Police, Operation Rainbow, and local security volunteers with arrests and a reduction in mass attacks and crop destruction. Several communities seeking justice believe that those responsible for killings have not

been arrested and prosecuted due to alleged collaboration between some individual security operatives and the rampaging killers. According to various social media accounts, the recent clash between soldiers and policemen in Plateau State occurred after operatives of one of the security forces were allegedly found in the midst of the attackers. In the statement issued by the Joint Task Force, Operation Enduring Peace, the military cited a viral video showing an encounter between its troops and personnel of the Nigeria Police Force in Bassa LGA. According to the statement issued by its Media Information Officer, Captain Chinonso Oteh, the troops were responding to a distress call over sporadic gunfire and the killing of a resident when the encounter with the police personnel occurred. According to the statement, on October 20, 2026, troops of Sector 3, Operation Enduring Peace, received a distress call reporting sporadic gunfire in Mai Farin Moto, Maraban Dere and adjoining communities in Bassa, alongside reports of the killing of one Adamu Suleiman. The task force said the troops were deployed to assess the security situation, establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, prevent escalation and protect lives and property. “On arrival, the troops sought to engage the police personnel operating in the area to clarify the situation and facilitate a coordinated security response. “Regrettably, the interaction was characterised by a lack of cooperation from some personnel, despite efforts to de-escalate tensions and maintain operational discipline”, the statement said. While urging the members of the public and media practitioners to refrain from disseminating unsubstantiated accounts capable of undermining public confidence or disrupting relations among security agencies, the statement was however silent on the allegations that individual operatives of an agency were collaborating with the bandits. The explanation that some personnel failed to cooperate without giving details of the affected agency and personnel raised further speculations. Victims of insecurity have always alleged collaboration between bandits and some individual security operatives, who are profiting from insecurity that have claimed the lives of gallant members of the security agencies. The federal government should investigate and find out if the recent clash between the two forces had any link with such alleged collaboration. The clash should not be allowed to be swept under the carpet.

NOTES FOR FILE

How Yerima, Yari and Matawalle Underdeveloped Zamfara

Yari

The Zamfara State Police Command recently announced the arrest of a 22-year-old member of the Jama'atu Izalatil Bid'ah Wa'iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), Umar Ibrahim Gandi Maradun for chanting incitements to religious violence in Nigeria. In a viral video, the accused was seen leading the chant: "Give Us Riﬂes to Kill Arna (inﬁdels/Christians)...." in places like Enugu and Jos. According to the police, the suspect was located in Maradun. However, the police said the road from Gusau to Maradun was so bad that they had to contact JIBWIS in Maradun to bring the suspect to Gusau, in a motorcycle, popularly known as Okada. The matter became more disturbing considering the fact that the three former governors of the state since the enthronement of democracy almost came from nearly the

affected area. For instance, Maradun is the home of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, who is also the immediate past governor of Zamfara State. The distance from Gusau to Maradun is ofﬁcially between 91 to 100 kilometres. That should ordinarily take about 70 minutes on a modestly bad road. Now it takes over 180 minutes due mostly to the unmotorable nature of the road, and worsened by insecurity. Zamfara is also the home of Senator Abdulaziz Yari, the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council mandated to oversee the re-election campaign of President Bola Tinubu. He is from Talata Mafara, which is separated from Maradun by less than 25 kilometres.

Both communities are in the same Zamfara West Senatorial District currently represented in the Senate by Senate Yari, who was also governor of the state. According to media reports, the bad road continues to the village of Senator Yari, through to Talata Mafara Central Primary School where he graduated. Also from Zamfara West is Senator Sani Yerima, who comes from Anka, about 110 kilometres from Gusau. He was also Governor of the state for eight years until 2007 and senator thereafter for 12 years from 2007-2019. Reports claim there is also no road to his place. The state also witnessed the worst form of insecurity when the three were governors. These are the three men leading the charge to bring Renewed Hope to Nigerians.

T H I S DAY, Th e S U N DAY N e w S PAPe r •NOvember 1, 2026

International

Traditional Culture and Diplomacy:The Case of Ìwàlérè at the 16th Convocation of the Achievers University

raditional diplomacy and cultural diplomacy are two important domains of international relations. Traditional culture and diplomacy do intersect through cultural diplomacy, which involves arts, traditions, and people-to-people connections as soft power instruments to impact international relations without the use of force. Traditional diplomacy has a political focus and involves political negotiations, ensuring security, signing treaties and formal alliances. Traditional diplomacy is the business of government, state ministries, diplomats, and functionaries, especially since 1648. It is essentially government-to-government and, therefore, necessarily formal. Comparatively, cultural diplomacy involves shared values, arts, heritage, and mutual understanding. Unlike government ministries and diplomatic agents involved in traditional diplomacy, it is the artists, cultural institutions, civil society organisations and educational programmes that are essentially involved in cultural diplomacy. The importance of cultural diplomacy is often shown to the glare of the whole world by diplomatic missions in their host countries when celebrating their National Days. Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary often dress in their best cultural attires with the ultimate objective of projecting their sending states’ cultural heritage. Diplomatic agents want to build goodwill and foster a positive international image for their countries. And true, many countries open cultural centres in foreign countries and engage in academic and cultural exchanges. They give student grants, promote language dissemination programmes, and grant institutional fellowships. Cultural diplomacy uses musical recitals, theatre tours, dance troupes and art exhibitions as potent tools. At the 16th Convocation week (October 23rd–30th) of the Achievers University, Owo, many notable events took place: professional inductions, lectures, cultural dance, etc.

Achievers University Convocation Week

Traditional diplomacy can be ambiguous a concept. The word tradition, not in the context of classical diplomacy of government-to-government dealings, but in terms of belief, custom, ritual or behavior passed down from one generation to another within a group or society. The convocation week witnessed induction lectures and a display of toga of traditional diplomacy. The Olowo of Owo, Oba (Dr) Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III was the main instrument of the display. In order to appreciate the beauty of culture and diplomacy, it is useful to provide a chronological analysis of the colourful week. The 2026/2027 academic session commenced on Saturday, 18th October, 2026 while the 2026 Convocation Ceremony, which is the 16th since the founding of the University in 2007, commenced on Friday, 23rd of October with two major activities: press interview, which took the form of a dialogue between the Vice Chancellor (VC), Professor Omolola Oladunni Irinoye’s and media professionals. Leading newspapers, like ThisDay, the Guardian, The Punch, etc. were represented. The other major activity of the day was the research exhibitions, organized by Professor O.A. Olabisi Oduwole, the Dean of Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science. The exhibition showcased the outstanding research findings of some members of staff and students of the Faculty of Engineering. As regards the VC-media dialogue, Professor Irinoye drew attention to four important developments in the university: living up to the university vision of providing ‘quality university education that combines intellectual development with character formation, practical competence, and a strong sense of social responsibility, on the one hand, and providing a well oxygenated environment in which students can discover and develop their potential, on the other. Secondly, The VC pointed out that the student population of the university had increased to 5,082 as of Thursday, 22nd October, 2026. This, she said, was a demonstration of the confidence that students, parents, guardians, and other stakeholders continue to place in the academic programmes of the university, and particularly in the university’s commitment to a stable academic calendar. Thirdly, Professor Irinoye noted another significant development, which was the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria’s ‘grant of pre-clinical accreditation to the University’s Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), together with approval to increase the annual admission quota from 50 to 120.’ And perhaps, more notably, the medical students of the Achievers University ‘recorded an 86% pass rate in the Part 1 MBBS examination. Fourthly, She drew attention to the scholarship opportunities given by the university: 100% tuition scholarship in different courses, such as Banking and Finance, Industrial Chemistry, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sociology, Remote Sensing and Geoscience Information Science, Economics, etc. Tuition scholarship in Accounting, Business Administration, International Rela-

Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III

Oba Kiladejo, Osemawe of Ondo tions, Political Science and Biochemistry is 80%. The tuition scholarship for criminology and Security Studies, Mass Communication, Human Physiology, Human Anatomy and Public Health is 70% while it is 65% for Biomedical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering. In the evaluation of the VC, ‘the 16th Convocation Ceremony of Achievers University was more than an academic event. It is a celebration of achievement, resilience, institutional progress, and transformative power of education. It is an occasion to honour the hard work of our graduands, recognize the sacrifices of their families, celebrate the contributions of our staff, and reaffirm our determination to deliver quality university education.’ As noted earlier, the week-long Convocation Ceremony was largely characterized by induction and graduate lectures Monday, the 26th October was the day set aside for the 5th Graduate Induction and Oath-Taking Ceremony for the Class of 2026 Graduate Engineers. The induction lecture was entitled ‘Leveraging the Symbiotic Relationship between NSE and COREN towards Professional Growth and Development,’ and was delivered by Professor Kazeem Adekunle Adebiyi.

The way Professor Bode Ayorinde sees this is more than the case of a grateful heart. The basic lesson learnt by him is his redefinition of the notion and concept of a family. For him, á family is more than a collection of people connected by blood, marriage or ancestry. It is a community of shared responsibilities, mutual affection, collective memories and reciprocal obligations. Family is where we first learn love, discipline, cooperation, respect and sacrifice. It is where our identities are formed and where, ideally, we find support when the world becomes difficult.’ More important, ‘in our African society, and particularly within our Yoruba culture, the extended family has traditionally played a significant role in the upbringing of children, the care of elderly relatives, the resolution of disputes and the support of members facing adversity…’The Olowo of Owo was most touched by this narratives that he, on the spot, decided to confer the traditional chieftaincy titles of Ìwàlérè and Yeye Ìwàlérè of Owo Kingdom on Mr. and Mrs. Olajide. In Lagos, there is Surulere, that is, there is much gain in patience. As for Ìwàlérè, it simply means that kind-heartedness and good behavior has its own gain. Thus, it is good to be patient and kind to one another. A good turn deserves another. In international relations, there is nothing like patience and kind-heartedness. There is reciprocity which can take the form of retorsion or reprisal. This is why all things are falling apart and there is no longer at ease in the mania of Chinua Achebe with the emerging new global order

The 3rd Induction and Oath-taking Ceremony of the Public Health Graduates Class of 2026 was quite interesting. It took place on Tuesday, 27th October. The induction lecture was “Pioneering Precision Public Health: Bridging Innovation, Equity, and Global Resilience. It was delivered by Professor Olufemi Oludare Aluko. He explained Public Health as the protection of ‘the conditions in which people can live, learn, work, and pursue their aspirations. When illness repeatedly disrupts school work, or family life, opportunities shrink. Prevention helps people preserve the futures they are trying to build.’ More important, Professor Alukos underscored the point that innovation begins with a useful question and that graduates need to develop and strengthen their questioning skills and learn to ask questions that can transform an entire programme. In essence, he advised all the inductees to learn how to judge, evaluate objectively, how to remain teachable, and how to develop competence. The 15th Induction and Oath-taking Ceremony of the Graduating Class of 2026 of the Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science took place on Wednesday, 28th October. The induction Lecture was ‘The Multiple Career Choices Available to a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Nigeria.’ It was delivered by Dr. Chimere O. Agomo. Dr. Agomo underscored the importance of Medical Laboratory Science. In the words of Dr. Agomo, ‘when people think of a Medical Laboratory Scientist, they picture a figure is a white coat, hidden behind machines and specimen racks. Yet 70% of rational clinical decisions (diagnosis, treatment, admission, and discharge) depend on laboratory results. More notably, Dr. Agomo had it that ‘for those considering practicing overseas, professional certification is the key that opens the door. The IBMS and HCPC in the United Kingdom, ASCP in the United States, CSMLS in Canada, AIMS in Australia recognize B.MLS degree in Nigeria… Medical Laboratory Science Training in Nigeria is rigorous.’ It is therefore not surprising that MLS trained in Nigeria ‘under MLSCN regulation and holding a valid license has genuine international mobility.’ Thursday, 29th October, 2026 was the 7th Induction and Oath-taking Ceremony of the Faculty of Nursing Science. “Emotional Intelligence and Nursing Care among Young Graduate Nurses in the 21st Century,” was the topic of the induction lecture. It was delivered by Dr. Oluwaseyi Isaiah Olabisi. In his eyes, ‘emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions in oneself and to perceive and respond appropriately to emotions in others. He provided five practical ways that can be used by nurses to develop capability: recognizing self-awareness, self-regulation, purpose-guided motivation, empathy, and relationship management. He expatiated on the point that emotional intelligence is not about suppressing every emotion or agreeing with everyone, or tolerating abuse, or replacing clinical knowledge. He explicated the application of emotional intelligence in nursing care, the practical self-regulation tool, as well as the linkages between emotional intelligence, ethics, and nursing oath. Friday, 30th October was the day of Convocation Lecture, entitled From Grants to Growth: Financing Nigeria’s Universities through the Capital Market. It was delivered by Dr. Emomotimi Agama, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria. Dr. Agama identified a four-sided box that Nigeria’s private universities have built for themselves and which largely explains their poor funding. He called it ‘the tuition trap,’ that is, relying heavily on tuition to survive. The four walls of the tuition trap are the market, affordability, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, and maturity. The thrust of his lecture is that government-funded universities have ‘become excellent at applying and poor at earning. They organize their planning around a letter that arrives late or does not arrive. They cannot distinguish themselves, because the formula that funds them is designed not to distinguish. And when the fiscal weather turns – and in Nigeria it turns – they have no other leg to stand on.’ By implication, he advised the Achievers University to invest in the capital market because ‘everything required to fund this university already exist inside the Nigerian financial system.’ But beyond this is the question of Ìwàlérè

The Case of Ìwàlérè at the 16th Convocation

One point of emphasis deductible from the foregoing induction lectures and convocation lecture is attitudinal disposition: how should the graduates behave on leaving the university? How should they always remember that their university training is more about service to the people? How do we underscore the sanctity of professional ethics? All put differently, the essence of the sermons preached in the various induction lectures, as well as in the convocation lecture is how people should behave professionally in such a way as to promote altruism, in the mania of the biblical story of the Good Samaritan. In today’s globalizing world that condones selfishness and wickedness and that is increasingly promoting disregard for the Law of Nations, inter-personal relationships should be guided by love and kindness to one another. This is the background to the case of Ìwàlérè that we are talking about now. The Achievers University appears to be placing greater emphasis than ever before on love and kindness, on the need for a life of gratitude to God, on the need for appreciation for whatever help one receives from anyone, and particularly on what we should understand by the concept of a family beyond sociological considerations. Put differently, gratitude should be expressed for every act of kindness experienced no matter for how long the act of kindness might have taken place. This is precisely the reminiscences of Professor Bode Ayorinde who strongly believed he had been spiritually lifted up by his aunt more than four decades ago and, therefore, that there must always be time to say thank you. And true enough, it was for this same reason that His Imperial Majesty, Oba Gbadegesin Ajibade Ogunoye III, the Olowo of Owo’s conferment of a traditional chieftaincy title, Ìwàlérè, cannot but be a lesson for the conduct and management of international relations. Read full article online on www. thisdaylive.com

T H I S DAY, Th e S U N DAY N e w S PAPe r •NOvember 1, 2026

POLitY

SenatorYari,TinubuCampaigns and the Emerging Issues

Kassim Afegbua

n the complex web of high-stakes theatre of contemporary Nigerian politics—where personal allegiance is frequently traded for temporary convenience and electoral fortunes shift like quicksand—a few towering figures stand as solid assurances. Among this elite cadre of political heavy weights is Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, the Marafan Sokoto and Senator representing Zamfara West in the 10th National Assembly, emerging as an extraordinary force of stature in the political landscape. Widely recognized across the federation as the “White Lion,” Yari’s political trajectory represents an re-assuring commitment to national cohesion and integration, strategic grassroots engineering, and absolute fidelity to party governance. W hen President Bola Tinubu formally inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) and reaffirmed his confidence in the capacity of Senator Yari as Director-General, it was far more than a routine political appointment. It was a statement of conviction driven by Yari’s previous political engagements, both as a former Governor of Zamfara state and now as serving Senator of the 10th Assembly. Speaking directly to party stalwarts, governors, and international observers, President Tinubu made it abundantly clear that he entertained no doubts whatsoever regarding Yari’s capacity to deliver. And the commitment he brings to the assignment makes the huge difference. And since the appointment, Senator Yari has hit the ground running, criss-crossing the political divides, meeting with stakeholders, opinion moulders and preaching the language of peace, solidarity and political balance to weave the country together. Earlier, President Tinubu had emphasised that Yari possesses the uncommon resolve, organizational drive, and cross-regional influence required to build an impregnable coalition to navigate the political landscape to lead APC to a resounding victory. While APC has been campaigning, lending strength to its vast political networks, visiting states and reaching out to the demographics, the opposition is busy with social media campaigns. While APC is on ground, others are inside social media platforms, trying to make the loudest of noise about their preparedness to upstage a surprise. W hat truly separates Senator Yari from a pack of unsteady, transactional politicians is his steadfastness and structural discipline. Born on January 28, 1968, in Talata Mafara, Zamfara State, Yari’s rise through the political ranks was not engineered overnight. It was a process that was nuanced with grit, gravitas and leadership commitment. It was a process that was nestled with a rich dose of grassroots party organization skill, and executive governance. From his early tenure as the State Secretary of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 1999, to his election as State Chairman, National Financial Secretary, and subsequently Member of the House of Representatives for the Anka/ Talata Mafara Federal Constituency between 2007 and 2011, Yari has consistently displayed a mastery of political mobilization and institutional administration. When the All Progressives Congress was formed from a historic coalition of opposition movements, Yari stood firmly at the center of that consolidation. As a two-term Governor of Zamfara State from 2011 to 2019, he led an era characterized by vast infrastructural expansion, public utility development, and human capital investment. A very simplistic leader with vast experience in interactional politics, constructive engagement and collective bargaining, Yari is an idea’s man. His extraordinary leadership acumen was further recognized on the national stage when his colleagues across all political divides unanimously elected him Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) from 2015 to 2019. In that highly sensitive role, Yari served as a vital bridge between the federal executive and state administration, managing delicate intergovernmental relations and unifying 36 state leaders during periods of national economic calibration. E ven when political developments posed formidable trials—such as the fiercely contested 2023 Senate Presidency election where he secured a formidable 46 votes against intense party zoning arrangements—Senator Yari proved his mettle as a supreme party loyalist. Rather than retreating into political opposition or fostering factional rancor, he immediately aligned his extensive national networks to support the incoming administration’s legislative agenda and economic reforms. His support for the Tinubu presidency also helped to chat a roadmap for navigating the north. A philanthropist par excellence, Yari’s interpersonal relationship and ability to coordinate factors and actors is a peculiar credential that has driven his politics thus far. By stepping forward to lead the Senate Committee on Water Resources and expanding public infrastructure, Yari demonstrated that his commitment to national service transcends personal ambition. To sharpen his administrative skills for global leadership emanation, Yari undertook executive programs, acquiring a Leadership and Change Certificate from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), alongside a Master of Science degree in Finance and Investment Management from the University of Salford in Manchester, United Kingdom. His executive proficiency extends directly into the private sector, where he serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Geregu Power Plc, demonstrating a firm command of corporate management, energy infrastructure, and fiscal governance. President Tinubu’s selection of Senator Yari as Director-General of

Yari with the Emir of Zaria, HRH Umar Bamali

Yari with APC leaders at the Emir’s palace the Presidential Campaign Council represents a masterstroke in political alignment. To lead a presidential campaign machine across Nigeria’s diverse electorate requires a director-general who understands the cultural, economic, and political geography of the country. Since his emergence to this all important position, his drive has been exceptional and his message to Nigerians from across the divide has been that of political inclusion, national integration and balancing of the political algorithms between North and South. It is Yari’s belief that power should rotate between the North and South to promote equity, peace, stability and sustain a sense of inclusion across the country. In Yari, the President selected a figure who commands immense respect across Northern Nigeria while maintaining deep-rooted strategic alliances across the Southern political belt. The strategy deployed by Senator Yari as Director-General is built upon high-impact, high-octane operational pillars. He had started leveraging on that with his earlier visits to several traditional rulers across the country long before the inauguration. First, Yari has instituted a comprehensive grassroots mobilization framework that engages traditional institutions, faith-based leaders, trade unions, youth networks, and women’s organizations across all 19 Northern states and the Southern geopolitical zones. By engaging directly with religious clerics, community influencers, and local leaders, Yari is effectively communicating the tangible achievements, structural economic reforms, and

long-term developmental vision of President Tinubu’s administration. S econd, Yari brings unprecedented institutional synergy to the campaign council. Drawing upon his relationships as a former NGF Chairman and active senior Senator, he seamlessly harmonizes the efforts of serving governors, federal lawmakers, party executives, and grassroots leaders into a unified electoral force. His leadership style prioritizes measurable output, data-driven voters mobilization, and unyielding party discipline, ensuring that every organ of the Presidential Campaign Council functions at maximum efficiency. As the national electoral horizon takes shape, Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari stands out as a symbol of political fortitude, structural capability, and relentless drive. His endorsement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is both an acknowledgement of past service and a mandate to engineer future success. As the White Lion leads the campaign machine forward, the political landscape witnesses a clear demonstration of dedicated leadership, organizational excellence, and unwavering commitment to the Nigerian state. The issues factorising this campaign centre around the geopolitics between the North and the South, economic stability, inclusion and national integration as well as security. As a leader who understands this dynamics, it is expected that Yari will lead APC to another electoral victory that will usher in another term for Mr. President. •Afegbua is the Honourable Commissioner of Information, Edo State and a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC)

T H I S DAY, Th e S U N DAY N e w S PAPe r •NOvember 1, 2026

Perspective

GloCelebratesOfalaWithCoffeeTable Book, Preserves Cultural Heritage

Kayode Akinyemi

ifteen years of unwavering commitment, memorable experiences and legacy-defining moments in Globacom’s sponsorship of the Ofala Festival of the Onitsha Kingdom constitute a rich heritage that deserves to be preserved for posterity. Recognising that memories fade with time, Globacom Nigeria was inspired to document the full spectrum of its involvement in the festival with a colouful coffee table book titled “Ofala - A Royal Heritag” - “A Glo Cultural Legacy Beyond Borders”. From the origins and evolution of the sponsorship partnership to the stories, landmark events, personalities and institutions that have shaped this remarkable journey. This book is therefore a celebration of fifteen years of a cherished partnership, published to commemorate Globacom’s 15th year of association with the Ofala Festival and the 2026 edition of this iconic cultural celebration. The 2026 Ofala Festival, which came to a successful close last week, was not merely a celebration of culture, festivities and historymaking moments; it was also an occasion to preserve and document history for posterity through both print and digital archives. In a bid to transform fleeting moments into an enduring legacy, Globacom Nigeria published a commemorative book titled “Ofala, A Royal Heritage, A Glo’s Cultural Legacy Beyond Borders.” The beautifully curated compendium chronicles Globacom’s remarkable journey with the Ofala Festival, capturing the milestones, defining timelines, landmark events and memorable moments that have shaped its longstanding partnership with the Onitsha Kingdom. Through this publication, Globacom ensures that the rich stories and enduring significance of this cultural heritage remain accessible to present and future generations. The book contains a Goodwill Message from the Chairman of Globacom, Otunba (Dr.) Michael Adenuga Jr., who expressed delight that through Globacom’s association with the Ofala Festival, the company was privileged to make its modest contributions to the preservation, celebration and wider projection of the priceless cultural heritage. He expressed his satisfaction and joy to join the people of Onitsha and the Igwe each year in showcasing to Nigeria, Africa and the wider world, the beauty, dignity and enduring values represented by Ofala. Dr. Adenuga Jr. commended the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, for his wisdom, dignity and exemplary leadership with which he had presided over the affairs of his people over the years. In particular, he extolled Igwe Achebe’s remarkable ability to preserve the cherished traditions of the past while embracing the aspirations and opportunities of the modern age, noting that such leadership style had continued to enhance the prestige of the Onitsha Kingdom and earn it deserved recognition far beyond its borders. As Igwe Achebe presided over the weeklong event, the Globacom Chairman prayed for abundant wisdom, strength and excellent health for him, and wished him many more fulfilling years of distinguished service to his people and Nigeria, Above all, he prayed for continued peace, progress and prosperity throughout the Onitsha Kingdom under His Majesty’s revered leadership. In a foreword to the book, Igwe Achebe commended Globacom for keeping their heritage alive through the sponsorship deal. Specifically, he said the transformation of the Ofala Festival from a palace ritual to a worldrenowned cultural festival owed a great deal to purposeful partnership with Globacom, pointing out that since 2011, the telecom company had stood with his kingdom as its principal partner, a period of 15 long years of unwavering commitment. The monarch noted that what began as a deeply sacred royal obligation had, under the people’s collective custodianship, grown into a festival of national and global significance, without losing its spiritual core, as a heritage asset–for

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, has praised Globacom for its role in raising the profile of Ofala Festival and taking the cultural celebration to a global audience

Onitsha is celebrating royalty, heritage and tradition in grand style as the 2026 Ofala Festival identity, unity, tourism, youth enterprise, and community rituals. He said instead, what has evolved is the festival’s power to speak to contemporary Nigeria wellbeing. “Ofala, A Royal Heritage: Glo’s Cultural Legacy Beyond Borders” is divided into six parts, each exploring a defining element of the festival and highlighting the rich cultural traditions, historical significance, royal heritage, key personalities, landmark events and enduring partnerships that make the Ofala Festival a truly remarkable celebration. Part one looks at Ofala as a living heritage, explaining its origin, associated institutions, as well as the cultural, spiritual, and community layers that give it its profound nature and importance Part two x-rays the city of Onitsha, tracing its history to over five centuries. This part examined the role played by the River Nigeria in the cultural and commercial importance of the city. Onitsha is described as a city of resilience, entrepreneurship and a confluence of the old and new the world. A city steeped in culture and a vibrant centre of commerce and trade. Part three examines Ofala Onitsha as symbolizing spirituality, tradition, and continuity, while part four is a spotlight on the Agbogidi - the personality of the Obi, the throne,

custodianship and his influence on the development and prosperity of the city of Onitsha. Part Five explores the enduring partnership between Globacom and the Ofala Festival, highlighting how strategic sponsorship has elevated the festival beyond the shores of Nigeria and positioned it on the global cultural stage. It chronicles a journey of shared vision, cultural promotion and transformation, demonstrating how a purposeful corporate partnership can amplify the visibility of a traditional festival, expand its reach and preserve its heritage while connecting it to audiences across the world. It is a compelling lesson in the power of sponsorship to transform cultural heritage into a globally celebrated legacy. Finally, the book examines Onitsha youth as custodians of the Ofala and the future of culture. In particular, part six looks at the evolving role and importance in the culture of Onitsha through the colourful youth carnival which has become a key component of the cultural fiesta.

From the perspective of the author/publisher, the partnership between Globacom and Ofala Festival is a marriage of the drum beat and the digital signal, with the drum beat carrying memory through sound, while the digital signal carries memory across distance. Still using the metaphor of the drum beat and the digital signal, the book summises that one summons the community to the palace while the signal summons the world to Onitsha. Indeed the strategic partnership between the Onitsha Traditional Council and Nigeria’s Frontline indigenous telecom service provider represents more than sponsor and festival; it embodirs a partnership in which corporate citizenship becomes cultural custodianship, with technology becoming an ally of tradition. The partners’ journey together demonstrates that heritage need not choose between preservation and progress, but it can preserve its soul and enlarge its horizon. As rightly pointed out by the author/publisher, the company has helped translate an interesting local cultural experience into a national conversation and, increasingly, an international proposition, while its communication reach and digital capabilities have helped bridge the palace courtyard and the wider world. Profoundly resonating with this cultural partnership of over 15 years is that while some sponsorships are basically transactions, targeting numbers and margins, this one is not of that genre but a pillar of support for continuity, community development, peace, unity, and cultural renewal. This partnership had become the heart-beat of a Kingdom’s major cultural event. Globacom’s legacy of supporting and preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage is remarkable. Over the past 21 years, its sponsorship of the Ojude Oba Festival in Ijebu-Ode and 15 years of partnership with the Ofala Festival in Onitsha have infused these iconic cultural celebrations with renewed vibrancy, expanded their reach and elevated their profiles on the global stage. Through these enduring partnerships, Globacom has demonstrated how strategic corporate sponsorship can preserve cultural traditions, amplify their significance and showcase Nigeria’s rich heritage to audiences around the world. • Akinyemi, a Fellow of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, writes from Lagos

Price: N500

NOVEMBER 1, 2026 • T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

BACK PAGE LEAD PHOTOGRAPH

PROMOTING TINUBU’S RE-ELECTION BID…

L-R: Chief of Staff to Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Oyeniyi Adebayo; Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye; Deputy Governor, Mrs. Monisade Afuye; Governor Biodun Oyebanji; Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; former Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Segun Oni; and State Chairman, All Progressives Congress, Sola Elesin, during the inauguration of Ekiti APC Presidential Campaign Council in Ado-Ekiti...Friday

SIMONKOLAWOLE And Four The Leadership Nigeria Badly Needs Other Things… SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

et’s just say I have not been in the best of spirits for a while. Many things about our dearly beloved country have been weighing on my mind. This was compounded on Monday evening at the photography exhibition by ‘Fisayo Soyombo, whom I call “Nigeria’s No. 1 Daredevil Journalist”. He had gone undercover, posing as an aspiring migrant who desired to reach Italy via the Libya route. He spent 47 days on the road, from the take-off point in Kano, Nigeria, onward to Tripoli, Libya, where the traffickers usually dump their “clients”. He told the agonising story of dehumanisation, rape and death. He terminated his trip at Tripoli, having taken a trove of images that vividly tell the sad story. Soyombo made a number of profound points. One, the migrants themselves are victims. Many are melting under the economic heat in Nigeria. We cannot blame them for seeking greener pastures. They are promised heaven and earth by the traffickers. Even internally, many Nigerians daily leave their villages for Lagos and Abuja because of the promise of a better life. You can, therefore, hardly blame Nigerians for looking to Europe for a better life. Migration, if done properly, is not an iniquity. From creation, humans have always relocated from their homelands for economic reasons. The problem is not the desire to leave; it is the deadly, illegal route and the traffickers who profit from it. Two, Soyombo said would-be irregular migrants are not unaware of the dangers, but they always hope their own stories will be different. To them, staying back in Nigeria is not an option. Their resolve is akin to that of the four men with leprosy who sat outside the gates of Samaria after the city was besieged by Syrian soldiers, as told in the Bible. Facing certain death from starvation, they asked themselves, “Why should we sit here waiting to die? If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die.” They decided to surrender to the Syrians, saying: “If they kill us, then we die.” It was also similar to Esther’s “if I perish, I perish”. Really, it would be easy for me to sit here and castigate those running abroad by any means in search of pastures new, but I am not in their shoes. I am relatively comfortable. I am an employer. I can feed myself and my family. I can travel abroad for vacation. But there are millions of Nigerians living from hand to mouth. Their own realities are markedly different. They wake up every day hoping that life will be better, but many go to bed hungry and hopeless. They are very vulnerable to the promise of El Dorado and would do anything possible to get there. We may question the judgment of these irregular migrants, but we cannot minimise their despair and desperation. Who feels it knows it. After we had viewed 47 images from his 47-day clandestine voyage, Soyombo took questions from guests. He said since the publication of his three-part report on his experience, no government agency had got in touch with him, not even to seek his assistance with information that could help track the human traffickers. The take-off point was in Kano. There is a physical address. There are human agents and facilitators. There are bank account details involved. There are at least five government agencies whose responsibilities include

Fisayo Soyombo

tackling human trafficking, one way or another. Maybe they are investigating on their own, but what does it hurt to talk to a “participant-observer”? I went to bed feeling disheartened that a journalistic work of this significance did not get the needed attention of the authorities concerned. Apart from helping to track the traffickers, it would be potent material to warn those who are hell-bent on the trans-Saharan route to Europe. Soyombo revealed that many of those who embark on the journey end up with regrets. I instantly thought that this would be useful for enlightenment and orientation purposes. Could it be that the authorities are tired of chasing leads? Could it be that they did not see anything of value in Soyombo’s report? Or maybe they missed the report, although they all have public comms units that do media monitoring? So many things trouble me about the quality of leadership in Nigeria, and this did not help matters. I have been downcast over the reported circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, the gospel singer better known as Toluwanisings. He had a medical emergency but was rejected by “seven or eight hospitals”, according to his aide. In Nigeria, many emergency patients are callously denied life-saving care and die in dire circumstances. It happens all the time. Mind you, we have a law that forbids rejecting emergency patients, not to mention medical ethics and the spirit of the Hippocratic Oath. But this is what Nigeria has become. This is one reason many have lost hope. I have also been downcast about the power situation, which has been pathetic in many places, despite the outlandish claim by Mr Joseph Tegbe, minister of power, that some electricity consumers asked him to “slow down” with the “remarkable improvement in power supply” because items in their freezers were freezing. If that was meant to be a joke, it was in exceptionally bad taste. Utterly insensitive. Businesses are burning billions on petrol and diesel and this is a joke to a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? I wouldn’t recommend kidding with something that is ruining the livelihoods of Nigerians. It further exposes the character of leadership in Nigeria. We can do better. There is something about leadership in Nigeria that

displays a lack of focus and empathy. We are used to it. Look at the power situation again since 1999, when we transitioned to democracy. With serious leadership, the whole country could be enjoying uninterrupted power supply by now — even if we had started from zero, with no cables or transformers whatsoever. It is all about singleness of mind and tenacity of purpose. Nothing and no-one in this world can convince me that it is impossible to resolve the power crisis in 27 years. We can give all the excuses the world has to offer, but the bleeding truth is that we are just not a bunch of serious people. There is no nicer way of putting it. When you view everything together — the shocking situation of power supply, the inhospitable state of health care, the economic situation of the people in the same country where a jobless youth leader brazenly gives brand-new SUVs as gifts — you cannot but marvel at the level of leadership sensitivity in Nigeria. What does leadership actually mean to us? Seeing thousands of Nigerians leaving the country out of despondency and not doing much to give them hope? Seeing poor people being turned back at hospitals and forced to go home and die because “there is no bed space”? Seeing refuse heaps everywhere and flying to Dubai to celebrate the 60th birthday of a politician? Leadership is about responsiveness, but there is too much indifference in the land. Sometimes, I wonder how our leaders sleep at night in a society where health care centres do not function optimally, where emergency services hardly exist, where thousands of students are being taught chemistry without chemicals, and where many schools do not have libraries or laboratories. How can you be a council chair or a governor and not be touched by the sight of potholes and bad roads? How can you not be moved by the sight of communities without water? All these leadership failures are stripping ordinary citizens of hope and driving many of them into seeking trans-Saharan solutions. My conclusion has always been that we badly need a new kind of leadership — at every tier of government and in every agency. We need a new culture. We need a leadership culture that is focussed, responsible, sensitive and responsive. We discuss leadership issues all the time, but we often focus on competence. That is fundamental. But competence must come with compassion and concentration. We have to keep appealing to the collective consciences of our leaders at every opportunity. We have to keep reminding them of their responsibilities to the citizens. Making the lives of the people better must be the central focus of leadership, no matter who is in power. In truth, Nigerians are not asking for too much. All they want are leaders who truly care about them. The connection is just not there. The emotional gap between the leaders and the citizens is too wide. The president bears an enormous responsibility, but so do governors, council chairs, ministers and the heads of public agencies. Each must answer for the duties of their office. Our appeals to their consciences must be backed by a determination to hold them accountable. Nigerians deserve leaders who care enough to get things done. No Nigerian should feel so hopeless as to see the Sahara as the only way out. Giving people a reason to believe in their own country is the first duty of leadership.

PAYING TO SERVE LMr Alwan Hassan, a spokesperson for the APC presidential campaign council, has claimed in an interview with ARISE that ministers paid billions of naira to secure appointments. I would be lying if I said I was hearing this allegation for the first time. I was still amazed, though, that this allegation was coming from a top member of the ruling party. Mr Felix Morka, the APC national publicity secretary, quickly moved to do some damage control. He said Hassan was talking about ministers in past administrations, not the ones serving under President Tinubu. Hmmm. Wouldn’t it be nice for ministers who served under Presidents Buhari, Jonathan and Obasanjo to speak up? Damning. AI VOTERS The voter registration conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has run into a storm with the discovery of suspected AI-generated images. I am not a tech expert, so I may be limited in the comment I can make in this regard. But if a voter comes for physical capture, how could the image be AI-generated unless something funny is going on? I had thought some of those who registered online uploaded AI-generated images, but INEC said it had identified the officers behind it. INEC has a big job on its hands cleaning up the register. The commission usually displays the register for comments. It is now our duty to watch closely when the final register is made public. Vigilance . CAMPAIGN CO-ORDINATOR Does the opposition have a bigger campaign manager than “Professor” Taiwo Oyedele, the minister of finance? Almost every day, the tax expert provides campaign materials against President Tinubu for the opposition. He recently said fuel tax would be introduced “when the economy stabilises”, then tried to be too clever by half, tagging the reports “fake news” — yet the video he himself posted confirmed he said it. He has struck again, saying some households spend 120 percent of their income on food. He always puts his foot in his mouth but I had thought being a minister would help him. He sure enjoys the sound of his own voice. It is hard to save such people from themselves. Incurable. NO COMMENT In what I consider a counter to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s economic hardship-focussed campaign strategy, the Tinubu administration has approved a N70,000 monthly transport allowance for civil servants for six months. But the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has described the relief package as inadequate and instead demanded an immediate baseline salary increase to N300,000 for the lowest-paid workers. In fact, the union has rejected the N70,000 relief package. I was wondering why TUC would reject a bonus it did not negotiate for. In any case, if I were earning N70,000 and were offered an extra N70,000 as transport support, why should I reject it? Wonderful.

Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja . All Correspondence to P.O. Box 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3085, 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com. (ISSN: 1117-871X).