SUNDAY 27TH JULY 2025

Citing Current Economic Realities, FG Pegs Ministers’ Imprest at N700,000 With Effect

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government has pegged the imprest received by ministers at N700,000, while permanent secretaries and directors

general will now receive N500,000, beginning from August 1, citing what it termed “current economic realities”

The government has also barred officials of Ministries, Departments,

and Agencies (MDAs) from taking or operating multiple advances that run concurrently, maintaining that henceforth advances shall not be granted from capital votes and special funds which are not meant

for recurrent expenditure purposes.

In two separate circulars issued by the Accountant General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, which were cited by THISDAY, the federal government stated that these

were part of efforts to improve transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the use of public funds this year.

In the two circulars tagged: “Approval and Implementation

Wike to Nigerians: Resist Political Coalition Seeking to Destroy Our Country

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has urged Nigerians to reject the new opposition coalition, alleging that the political party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is seeking to destroy the country.

Wike’s allegation is coming as the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that the fear of intimidation by the administration of President Bola Tinubu prevented state governors from joining the coalition.

Also, the Interim National Chairman of the party, Senator David Mark, has raised the alarm that Northern Nigeria is bleeding,

Chuks Okocha and Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has fiercely criticised former Kano State governor and

Tertiary

Trust Fund (TETFund), Alhaji Bello Masari; Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umar Fintiri; representative of the First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, Mr. Wahab Alawiye-King; and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike; at their conferment of honorary Doctor of Science degree by the University of Port Harcourt…yesterday

Lokpobiri: With Just 3% Emissions Footprint, Africa is Victim, Not Culprit in Global Discharge of Carbon

NNPCL targets over 100 CNG stations amid growing queues nationwide

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has stated that rather than tag Nigeria and other African nations, which account for only three per cent of carbon emissions, as culprits in the effort to end emissions, the continent should be viewed by the global north as victims.

This is just as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)has said that it is targeting 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations by next year.

Speaking at this year's ninth Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) International Seminar, which was held in Vienna, Austria, Lokpobiri maintained that Africa will continue to exploit

its hydrocarbons to provide reliable energy sources for its many citizens without supply.

In a video, which was posted on OPEC’s X handle yesterday, the minister pointed out that while the world was talking about moving to cleaner fuels, Nigeria and other African countries did not have anything to transition from, since the continent had not been able to end its energy poverty.

“Africa demands a lot more consideration from the rest of OPEC members and non-OPEC members as we drive towards ensuring that we resolve our energy poverty problems in Africa. For Nigeria, whatever we do benefits the entire West Africa sub-region. So, whatever we produce of crude oil and gas, it goes to service the entire West Africa sub-region. So, we're making tremendous progress.

“I want to continue along that trajectory because we must ensure that we meet the energy demands of Africa, who suffer from acute energy poverty. And Nigeria is taking the lead in solving that problem. What will drive the future of energy in Africa is the gas revolution. Nigeria has officially taken gas as a transition fuel. Nigeria has more than 209 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves.

WIKE TO NIGERIANS: RESIST POLITICAL COALITION SEEKING TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY

pointing out that his party is the only platform that can address the avalanche of challenges bedeviling the region if voted into power.

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the ADC and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has said that votes will decide the winners of the next elections.

Wike spoke yesterday at the 50th anniversary and 35th convocation of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

At the convocation, the minister was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Science degree in Political Science, alongside Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; former Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, and Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintri, who were also honoured at the event.

Speaking immediately after the conferment, the former governor of Rivers State mocked the political coalition, stressing that they are aggrieved and have nothing to offer the country.

He described them as ‘mafias’ who move around political parties without a clue of what they want or can offer to the nation.

Wike recalled that on assumption of office, President Bola Tinubu's

presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 general election, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for alleging that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is neglecting the North in its infrastructure development.

In a strongly worded statement issued at the weekend, Umahi, who described the allegation as “absolutely false, misleading, and self-serving,” stressed that Kwankwaso won’t succeed in his desperation to inherit former President Muhammadu Buhari’s impeccable legacy.

The works minister insisted that out of the total length of Tinubu’s legacy projects, the North accounts for 52 per cent, while the South has 48 per cent.

Umahi said Kwankwaso’s claims were aimed at deceiving northerners and stirring unnecessary regional sentiments.

He urged the former Kano

with Current Economic Realities,” the accountant general stated that the revised imprest limits for public officials now empower them to access and manage cash advances within clearly defined boundaries. It further raised the thresholds for advances granted for administrative purposes, aligning them with the present cost structure of governance.

administration met a decaying system, assuring that the government is working tirelessly to restore the system.

"We must admit that the President met a dire socio-economic situation upon assumption of office. This challenging situation requires painful decisions if the country must survive, recover, and make progress again.

"These decisions have been taken as expected of a genuinely bold and visionary leader. The resultant consequences may not in some instances be immediately palatable, but be assured that joy is inevitably coming.”

Wike argued that “these men and women who co-live under the banner of the so-called coalition are propelling, seeking political relevance. If you interrogate their profiles, you will see that they have been in office for almost all their lives, but they have nothing concrete to show as achievements in building an enduring nation.

“In only two years of this administration, they are aggregating to destroy rather than build, rather than reconstruct our hitherto battered country, which most of them contributed to the willful destruction of our politics and our economy, which they orchestrated

State governor to apologise to the president for misleading Nigerians and retract the unfounded statement, which he described as lacking in both fact and substance.

Umahi also urged Kwankwaso to rely on the factual information he had provided in the interest of Nigerians and national unity.

He further appealed to Nigerians to disregard Kwankwaso’s claims, assuring them that President Tinubu remains firmly committed to developing every part of the country with fairness, equity, and the fear of God.

For emphasis, the minister challenged anyone with contrary facts regarding the road projects he presented, inviting them to an open debate.

“To my brother Senator Kwankwaso, you owe our dear president an apology and a duty to withdraw your statement using

in their respective tenure in office," Wike explained.

Wike, however, stated: "We know these Mafias and you are enjoined to reject them and their patriotic drumbeat of division and propaganda".

Speaking further, Wike gave reasons for supporting the University of Port Harcourt as a governor and a minister.

In his remarks, the Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas(rtd), reiterated the state government’s unwavering commitment to delivering quality education at all levels, emphasising that no child will be left behind or denied the opportunity for academic advancement.

Also speaking, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Owunari Georgewill, expressed his joy in the institution’s 50-year journey of academic excellence and service to the nation since its establishment in 1975.

He announced that, as part of the anniversary celebration, the university is conducting its 35th combined convocation ceremony, conferring a total of 13,861 degrees.

This includes 9,788 Bachelor’s degrees, 2,131 master’s degrees, 208 postgraduate diplomas, and 934 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

the information I have provided for the benefit of Nigerians and the unity of the nation.

“I request the good people of Nigeria to ignore Senator Kwankwaso’s misleading statement and know that President Tinubu is equally committed to developing every part of this country with fairness, equity, and the fear of God,” he said.

He accused Kwankwaso of political opportunism, saying: “I consider the statement as one made out of desperation and as part of his struggle, along with a few others who believe that they can inherit the impeccable legacy of our dear late President Muhammadu Buhari, and that the only way available for them towards achieving the same is to be divisive and pretentious.

“Trying to be like our late President Buhari cannot be a job of three decades and cannot be

Copied all heads of MDAs, the circulars further authorised accounting officers across all arms of government and agencies to approve disbursements to designated imprest holders, but within the given ceilings. However, the circular did not disclose what the government officials are currently receiving as imprest.

Apart from the ministers who will be entitled to N700,000 and the permanent secretaries/directors general who will have N500,000, directors and heads of departments will also be entitled to N300,000, while heads of formations in each state and other authorised officials will get N100,000 each.

ADC: Fear of Intimidation Preventing Governors from Joining Opposition Coalition

The Interim National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Abdullahi, who spoke yesterday during the third Expanded Meeting of the National Political Consultative Group (North), held in Abuja, described the alleged act of intimidation of governors as a conspiracy against the Nigerian people.

He stated, “We don’t need to particularly target any serving governor. We know that no serving governor will want to come to us now because of the kind of intimidation that they are facing.

“We know what they are doing to them. Some of them who cannot jump to their party (APC) are saying we are endorsing their presidential candidate (President Tinubu). No problem.

“But what you are seeing is a conspiracy against the Nigerian people. The ADC welcomes everybody, but we are convinced that we are a movement that has the backing of the majority of Nigerians who are not happy with

done with deceit.

“I think our younger generation has such a chance, and it must be worked for through hard work, honesty, transparency, and commitment to the unity of our country, a legacy that our late President Buhari achieved in all his life on earth. May God continue to bless his legacies and give him a peaceful rest, Amen”.

To counter the allegations, Umahi provided updates on major ongoing federal road projects across all six geopolitical zones, emphasizing the Northern region.

According to him, the four legacy projects of the Tinubu’s administration include the 750km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, with 175km under construction; the 1,068km Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, with 378km ongoing in the North; the 465km Trans-Sahara Highway,

“The frequency of reimbursement of any standing imprest shall normally be once in a quarter and shall not exceed twice in a quarter where they arise. All accounting officers and officers controlling expenditure are to ensure that all local procurement of stores and services costing above N1,000,000 shall be made only

the direction this country is going.

The ADC’s interim National Publicity Secretary stated that the party was not established to serve anyone’s ambition and emphasized that it remains free from any form of hijack.

Former president, Senator Mark, who also spoke at the event, which was attended by ADC members and supporters across the country, while delivering a keynote address on the theme, “Unity, and social cohesion as panacea to the challenges facing Northern Nigeria”, said the North was confronted with deep-seated challenges of insecurity, poverty, ethnic, religious tensions, political fragmentation, social and economic stagnation.

He said, “These challenges did not develop overnight nor will they disappear until we resolve to take deliberate, collective, and decisive action. We must first admit that we are the architects of our problems; we must stop the blame game if we truly and genuinely want to find a lasting solution.

“Division has cost us progress, while indifference and inaction have continued to deepen our division. If we are to overcome our present travails, we must return to the principles of justice, equity, mutual respect, and shared purpose

with 59km under construction in Ebonyi State; and the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Road, measuring 439km and currently undergoing redesign to rigid pavement.

“Out of the total length of these legacy projects, the North accounts for 52% while the South has 48%. Within the segments already under construction, the North has 756km ongoing, compared to 409km in the South,” he said.

He added that Kebbi State alone has 316km under construction, and Sokoto has 240km ongoing. In contrast, Lagos has just 220km, “Yet people only mention Lagos-Calabar and ignore the massive work in the North,” Umahi remarked.

Providing further details, Umahi cited the 275km dualized Sokoto-Gusau-Funtua-Zaria Road, part of a 750km corridor being handled by four contractors at

through the award of contracts, except as provided by the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

“And we're making significant investments in gas. Africa is a victim when you talk about CO (carbon dioxide) emissions. The entire continent contributes only about three per cent. But most of the effort made by climate advocates is more on Africa, telling African countries that are contributing only three per cent (to stop). We're actually victims and not culprits,” he stated.

that once made Northern Nigeria a beacon of hope, peace, unity, and development.

“The time for lamentation is over. The North is bleeding profusely, and we are the only ones who can heal it. Let us commit today to reject hate speech and divisive politics, invest in unifying projects—education, healthcare, and infrastructure, hold each other accountable for our actions and inactions, and shake hands across the divide and restore our bond of brotherhood.”

Votes Must Count in 2027, Babachir Lawal Insists

Also speaking on the sidelines of the event, the former SGF, Lawal, insisted that votes must count in the 2027 general election.

''Votes will count. And we are going to make sure that votes do count. In this election, votes will count.

''I tell you, forget about this fear that votes will not count. APC is a party of Nigerians. ADC is one. Whatever techniques, whatever malicious activity they throw at us, we'll counter them effectively. And we'll counter and defeat them at it,'' he explained.

N824 billion, while also listing the 700km Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road, valued at N764 billion.

Other key Northern projects, according to the Minister, include the 256km BUA Tax Credit Road spanning Jigawa, Katsina, and Kano states; the 156km ZariaHunkuyi Road; the 49km Kano Northern Bypass; the 110km Kano-Maiduguri Section V; and various Dangote Tax Credit roads in Borno State.

According to him, additional projects in the North include the 76km Malando road in Kebbi; the 250km Benue-to-9th Mile Road; and the 86km Lokoja-Okene dualisation project.

Turning to Southern Nigeria, Umahi highlighted several completed and ongoing projects, which include the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Oyo-OgbomosoIlorin Road, and critical repairs on the Third Mainland, Eko, and Carter bridges.

“Moreover, all imprest holders shall adhere strictly to the provisions of the Financial Regulations Nos. 1005 to 1012 in keeping the accounts of their imprest. Essentially, all self-accounting ministries, extraministerial offices and agencies and all arms of government are required to submit to the Accountant-General of the Federation, within 30 days from the date of this circular, a return showing: “The particulars of the vouchers with which the imprests in respect of year 2024 were retired; and the list of entitled imprest holders and their locations for year 2025.

UMAHI:

HONOURING LEGAL ICON...

New Tax Act Empowers FIRS to Penalise Companies over Undocumented

The newly enacted Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, has empowered the Federal Inland

Transactions, Undisclosed Office Address

Revenue Service (FIRS), renamed Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), to impose fines for individuals and companies for failing to register, file returns, use tax technology, or disclose basic information like

NiDCOM Begins Rescue Operation for Nigerians Stranded in Central African Republic

Chinese Embassy investigates incident

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has begun a rescue operation for a group of Nigerians who were stranded and allegedly maltreated in the Central African Republic (CAR).

This is because the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria said it has launched an investigation into the reports that a Chinese mining company abandoned Nigerian miners in the country.

A viral video that surfaced online earlier this week showed the Nigerian miners who were stranded after being abandoned by a Chinese mining enterprise in the CAR.

The video, which drew wide public attention, showed several distressed Nigerians narrating their ordeal.

According to the individuals, they had been trafficked under pretences, abandoned in CAR, and had been forced to work without pay for nearly a year.

They also alleged that their passports were seized, leaving them stranded and unable to return home.

Reacting to the incident, NiDCOM, in a statement at the weekend, said it has begun taking steps to ensure the release and safe relocation of the victims to the Nigerian Embassy in Bangui, the capital of CAR.

The commission said

contact had been established with the stranded Nigerians, and their confiscated passports retrieved.

It also noted that plans were underway to dispatch a bus to convey them to the embassy, despite the journey spanning at least eight hours by road.

“The attention of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has been drawn to the distress call in a viral video where some Nigerians were allegedly maltreated in the Central African Republic (CAR).

“The Commission has contacted officials of the Embassy in the CAR to look into the matter.

“It is gratifying to inform members of the public that contact has been established with them, their seized passports retrieved, while plans are on to send a bus to convey them to the embassy in Bangui, which is at least an eight-hour drive,” the statement read.

The commission also confirmed that the agent who facilitated their travel and allegedly orchestrated the exploitation has been identified.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria has said it has begun probing reports.

The embassy said it attached great importance to the matter and has initiated an immediate investigation, which continues to ascertain the facts.

a change of business address.

The Act is among the tax laws signed by President Bola Tinubu on June 26.

The tax administration law is expected to take effect from January 1, 2026, under a renamed agency — the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), currently known as the FIRS.

The Act, which is an updated version of previous fragmented tax enforcement provisions, outlines a comprehensive list of offences and corresponding penalties, with fines ranging from N10,000 to N10 million, as well as prison terms of up to 10 years for serious

breaches.

Under the general offences and penalties section of the law, a taxable person who fails to register with the relevant tax authority is liable to a N50,000 fine in the first month and N25,000 for each subsequent month of default.

The Act stressed that companies that award contracts to unregistered vendors will face a N5 million penalty.

The law also imposes a N100,000 fine for failure to file tax returns, plus N50,000 monthly for as long as the failure continues.

“A taxable person who fails

or refuses to file returns or knowingly files incomplete or inaccurate returns to the relevant tax authority in accordance with the provisions of this Act, shall be liable to pay an administrative penalty of (a) 100,000 in the first month in which the failure occurs; and (b) N50,000 for each subsequent month in which the failure continues,” the Act reads.

“A taxable person who Failure to books (a) fails to keep accounts, books and records of business transactions and income, to allow for the correct ascertainment of tax and filing of returns to the relevant tax authority; or (b)

Nigerian Army Dismisses Reports

upon request by the relevant tax authority, fails to provide any record or book prescribed in this Act shall be liable to pay an administrative penalty of- (i) in the case of a person other than a company, N10,000, and (ii) in the case of a company, N50,000.” Also, the law states that failure to notify the tax authority of a change of address within 30 days of such change, giving a wrong address, or failing to comply with the requirement for notification of permanent cessation of trade or business under the relevant tax laws shall be liable to an administrative penalty.

of Alleged Delay in Promotion, Stagnant Remuneration under Oluyede

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Nigerian Army has vehemently dismissed as false and malicious a report by an online medium, alleging complaints by personnel over delayed promotions and stagnant pay under the leadership of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Appolonia Anele, refuted the allegation in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja.

Anele said that promotions in the service were strictly guided by merit, laid-down criteria, and availability of vacancies as stipulated in the 2024 Armed Forces of Nigeria Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service (HTACOS) for Soldiers/ Ratings/Airmen.

“Paragraph 04.01 of HTACOS clearly states that promotion is granted in recognition of hard work, professionalism, and efficiency.

“No personnel bypasses these processes. Any change

in timeline is based strictly on professional standards, not personal discretion,” she clarified.

Anele also emphasised that the regulations guiding promotions were transparent, detailed, and in line with global military best practices— covering all ranks from Private to Army Warrant Officer.

On the claims of stagnant pay, the Army spokesperson clarified that remuneration adjustments fall under the constitutional mandate of appropriate federal institutions and not the discretionary control of the army leadership. She highlighted welfare reforms instituted by the COAS since his assumption of office, including the doubling of Ration Cash Allowance and the expansion of the Nigerian Army Welfare Loan Scheme to support personnel in small-scale enterprises and asset acquisition.

“These are among several welfare programmes initiated to improve the lives of personnel and their families,” she added.

Abuja Court Remands Kano TikToker Arrested by DSS for Announcing Tinubu's Obituary

Linus Aleke in Abuja

A Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of a social media influencer, Ghali Isma’il, for posting videos purporting that President Bola Tinubu had died following a critical illness.

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Isma’il days after he shared the video on

a verified TikTok account, @bola_asiwaju.

The 29-year-old suspect, a native of Jogana village in Gezawa LGA of Kano State, was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on the publication of false information and incitement of public disaffection.

In the first count, the prosecution alleged that on or about July 20, 2025, Isma’il falsely claimed in

the video that President Tinubu was critically ill and had been poisoned, asserting that he confirmed the information from official sources.

The charge is said to have contravened Section 418 of the Penal Code Act, Cap P3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The second count accused the defendant of attempting to incite public contempt

and disaffection against the president by deliberately spreading false information, an offense under Section 416 of the Penal Code.

The presiding magistrate, Ekpeyong Iyang, denied the bail application filed by Isma’il’s counsel and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Keffi Correctional Centre.

The case was adjourned to August 19.

Wale Igbintade with agency report

L-R: Chief Kenny Martins; Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Folashade Ogunsola; Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin; Mrs. Tolu Olanipekun; Honouree, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN); Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Mr. Bode Olanipekun (SAN); and Chief Medical Director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Lanre Adeyemo, at the inauguration/ presentation ceremony of the Wole Olanipekun Physiotherapy Centre in LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos...yesterday. KOLAWOLE ALLI

CONGRATULATIONS TO TRINITY HOUSE...

Oyetola Drops 2026 Governorship Ambition, Urges APC Aspirants to Eschew Politics of Bitterness

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has dropped his governorship ambition in Osun State ahead of the 2026 governorship election scheduled for August 7, 2026.

Oyetola, who served as governor between 2018 and 2022, lost his re-election bid to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),

Ademola Adeleke, and was later appointed as the minister. There had been speculations that Oyetola may contest for a second

Lagos Doctors to Begin Three-day Warning Strike Monday

Segun James

Medical doctors in the employ of the Lagos State government yesterday declared a three-day warning strike in protest against what they described as an “illegal and disrespectful” salary deduction by the state government.

The medical doctors under the aegis of the Medical Guild, said the warning strike is set to begin from 8:00 a.m. on Monday, July 28, 2025, to 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, 2025, if the government fails to meet their demands.

They said the decision to embark on the industrial action came after all avenues for dialogue and reconciliation were exhausted without positive results.

Addressing journalists during a press conference held at the Guild’s secretariat in Lagos, Chairman of the Medical Guild, Dr. Japhet Olugbogi, said the crisis stemmed from a unilateral salary deduction implemented by the state government in April 2025, which affected all medical and dental practitioners in its employ.

“The development came to us as a rude shock. Our members were visibly aggrieved and agitated. Although many clamoured for an immediate strike, the officers’ committee chose the path of civility, pursuing advocacy and diplomatic engagement with relevant government agencies,” Olugbogi stated. According to him, the funds

were eventually reversed following what he described as “spirited intervention and strategic engagement,” and a six-member conciliation committee was set up, comprising three representatives each from the government and the Guild.

“We presented all relevant documents clarifying the calculation of the CONMESS salary scale, and it was agreed that the status quo would be maintained while the government deliberated internally and returned with a final position,” Olugbogi said.

However, in what the Guild termed a breach of trust, the Lagos State Treasury Office in July again implemented a salary cut,

prompting the Guild to declare a warning strike set to begin from 8:00 a.m. on Monday, July 28, 2025, to 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, 2025, if the government fails to meet their demands.

The Guild is demanding the immediate reversal of the July salary deductions. It is also calling for the full payment of the 12-month revised CONMESS arrears owed to honorary consultants at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH. In addition, the Guild resolved to issue a 21-day ultimatum to the state government after the warning strike, and if the demands remain unmet at the end of the ultimatum, an indefinite strike will commence.

2027: Tinubu Needs Only Little Votes from North to Win, Says Fayose, Predicts Fourth, Second, Third Positions for PDP, Obi, ADC

Sunday Ehigiator

Former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has expressed strong confidence that President Bola Tinubu will emerge victorious in the 2027 presidential election, asserting that the president only needs minimal votes from the North to secure re-election.

Fayose made the comment during a television interview, where he predicted the likely outcome of the next general election.

According to him, Tinubu has already consolidated political dominance across the southern part of the country and only requires “a little” from the North to clinch another term in office.

Fayose predicted that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would perform poorly in 2027, coming in fourth place behind the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Labour Party, and the African Democratic Congress

(ADC).

“The man (Tinubu) has taken over the South; he only needs a little to turn it in the North,” Fayose stated. “Tinubu, outside the government, built the APC and led it to defeat the PDP in 2015. In 2023, without the usual strong opposition, he still won. You think he doesn’t have a brain just because he doesn't talk much?”

“Peter Obi will still have a good show. You can’t deny

that. I always tell the truth. Obi will have a better show than the PDP,” Fayose said. “The PDP will come fourth and the ADC will come third. The APC will come first. Obi will come second. Write it down. You don’t have to be fooling people.”

Speaking on the state of the PDP, the outspoken politician reiterated past criticisms, claiming that the party has become a “carcass” due to internal mismanagement and mass defections.

Family of 10, 15 Others Die in Boat Mishap in Niger

Laleye Dipo in Minna

No fewer than 25 persons, including a family of 10, were feared dead in a boat mishap in Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.

The incident reportedly happened yesterday afternoon when the victims were going to Zumba weekly market.

The Sarkin Ruwa Zumba, Umar Isah, estimated the number of casualties to be about 25.

Isah said the victims were travelling from Guni in Munya LGA to Zumba weekly market in Shiroro LGA when the boat came in contact with the tree log

and capsized.

He said though the driver did not also know the number of passengers in his boat, a family lost 10 of its members while another reported that five of its members were yet to be accounted for.

Isah stated that many of the passengers, who were

travelling from Guni to Zumba market were yet to be accounted for.

The Director, Information and Special Duties, Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) Dr. Ibrahim Audu Hussaini, confirmed the incident but said the agency was yet to get full details of the casualties

term bid against the National Secretary of APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru; the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji; Prince Dotun Babayemi, Senator Jide Omoworare, among others.

But Oyetola, in a meeting at Tinubu/Shettima Campaign office, which he co-presided with the state APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal; and the Chairman of Elders’ Caucus, Chief Sola Akinwumi, stated that returning APC to Osun State government in 2026 is not negotiable.

While addressing leaders of the party, Oyetola said he has relinquished his gubernatorial ambition and wished the APC aspirants well in the primary contest.

According to him: “We have qualified, competent and people of outstanding track records as aspirants contesting for the governorship election and this is a unique selling proposition to feast on and we will continue to complement the federal government’s efforts on all fronts.”

Oyetola tasked the governorship

aspirants to embrace peace and be their brothers’ keepers by avoiding a campaign of calumny, bitterness and politics of acrimony.

He vowed that no legitimate efforts would be spared to return the APC to power, noting that the APC is formidable, vibrant and potent to unseat Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Commenting on the moves of the coalition against President Bola Tinubu, he said the coast is clear for the re-election of Tinubu, saying the coalition is never a threat to the reelection bid of the President come 2027.

He asserted that the coalition of the opposition parties was never a threat, saying the moves were built on political conspiracy and vendetta

“It is crystal clear that the coalition is drifting to collapse. This has no iota of effect on us particularly in Osun. We knew this since it is the same TOP that metamorphosed to Omoluabi and later ADC. We are resolute to come victorious in the future elections and this is incontestable,” he explained.

Soludo: I've No Challenger in November Poll, My Co-contestants in Race for Fundraising

David-Chyddy Eleke

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has declared that he has no challenger in the November 8 governorship election in the state.

The governor, while speaking during an endorsement rally organised for him in Awka by stakeholders of Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, insisted that most of those in the race were only in it to scout for funds to line their personal pockets.

The rally is the second endorsement for Soludo after the one held in Otuocha, Anambra East Local Government Area (LGA), where stakeholders of Anambra North Senatorial Zone declared support for him.

Soludo, while addressing supporters during the rally, stated expressly that Anambra State enjoys an unbroken

zoning formula and that he would hand over to a candidate from the Central Zone after eight years.

He added that anyone opposed to his second term will just be disrupting the seamless zoning in the state and delaying the turn of the Central Zone to take the governorship seat.

He said: "A few weeks ago, a rally like this happened in the North Senatorial Zone, and all the stakeholders, community leaders, traditional rulers, youths, students, all declared that our ticket is a consensus for Anambra.

"Today too, you (Anambra Central) are here to declare that this ticket is the consensus ticket for the 2025 election.

"On behalf of myself, my wife, and my running mate, we are happy and we are grateful to all the stakeholders. We have listened to your kind words, words of solidarity, and all.

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

L-R: Mrs. Miriam Olusanya; Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas; Mrs. Monilola Ajayi; Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; Senior Pastor, Trinity House, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo; and Chairman, Anniversary Committee, Pastor Debola Sofela, during the 15th year anniversary service of Trinity House in Lagos…recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

WE SHARE IN YOUR GRIEF…

L-R: Chairman/CEO, JC Jones Limited, Chief Jones Mbadugha;

Over 650 Children Died from Malnutrition in Katsina in Six Months, Says MSF

Laments 74.1% increase in admitted malnourished children in Kebbi

Michael Olugbode in Abuja International charity organisation, Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has disclosed that over 650 children have died from severe acute malnutrition in Katsina State this year.

This is as it said it recorded a 74.1 per cent increase in the admission of malnourished children into its facilities in Kebbi State from January to June 2025.

The organisation, which has been operating in Katsina State since 2021, said it recorded an alarming rise in the number of malnourished children brought to its treatment centres in increasingly critical condition.

Between January and June 2025, MSF said it treated nearly 70,000 malnourished children in the state, including almost 10,000 who required hospitalisation.

“This year alone, 652 children have already died in our facilities because they couldn’t get timely access to care,” said

MSF’s country representative in Nigeria, Ahmed Aldikhari, in a statement issued at the weekend.

The organisation said the crisis has been worsened by deep cuts to international aid, with major donors, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, reducing funding.

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced it would suspend emergency food and nutrition aid to 1.3 million people in Northeast Nigeria from the end of July, citing “critical funding shortfalls.”

The organisation said the number of children suffering from nutritional oedema — the most severe and life-threatening form of malnutrition in Katsina State — has surged by more than 200 per cent compared with the same period last year.

However, MSF noted that the impact of food insecurity is not limited to children. A screening conducted this month in MSF-run malnutrition centres found that more than half of

Armed Robbers Invade Radio Nigeria Station in Kogi, Cart Away Transmission Equipment

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

Suspected armed robbers have attacked Radio Nigeria Prime 101.5FM, located in Jimgbe, Ajaokuta Local Government Area (LGA) of Kogi State, carting away transmission equipment valued at millions of naira.

The operation occurred in the early hours of yesterday and lasted for over three hours without any response or from security operatives in the area.

While speaking to journalists yesterday the General Manager of the station, Mr. Momoh-Jimoh Adeiza, expressed deep concern over the attack, which has forced the station to go off-air.

“This is a major blow

to our operations. We are currently off air because our vital broadcast equipment has been stolen. The criminals tied up our security guard before proceeding with their operations. Where do we go from here?” he lamented.

Adeiza appealed to the security agencies to intensify efforts to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice. He also confirmed that the Zonal Director of the station had been informed of the incident.

“I’m appealing to the relevant authorities and stakeholders to come to our aid so that we can resume operations and continue serving the public,” he added.

750 mothers accompanying young patients were themselves acutely malnourished, with 13 per cent classified as severely malnourished.

“The year 2024 marked a turning point in northern Nigeria’s nutritional crisis, but the true scale of the crisis this year exceeds all predictions,” Mr Aldikhari said. “An increasing number of people can no longer afford to buy food, even though food is available in the markets.”

A recent food security survey in Kaita, Katsina State, revealed that over 90 per cent of households had reduced daily meals even before the traditional

lean season began this year.

In response to the deepening emergency, MSF said it has expanded its support, opening a new outpatient feeding centre in Mashi and an additional inpatient treatment unit in Turai, bringing the total capacity in Katsina State to around 900 beds.

MSF health workers warn that the crisis is compounded by disease outbreaks, low vaccine coverage, limited access to healthcare and widespread insecurity in northern Nigeria.

“The most urgent way to reduce the risk of immediate death from malnutrition is to ensure families have access to

food,” said Emmanuel Berbain, MSF’s nutrition referent. “This can be achieved through large-scale food distributions or nutritional supplements — or by providing cash support where feasible.”

Vice President Kashim Shettima recently described the situation as a national emergency, noting that malnutrition is depriving almost 40 per cent of Nigerian children under five of their full physical and cognitive potential.

MSF said it treated over 300,000 malnourished children across seven northern states in 2024 — a 25 per cent increase on the previous year. However,

in just the first half of 2025, the organisation has already treated almost 100,000 children in the Northwest alone, where it operates in Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states. Meanwhile, it revealed that it recorded a 74.1 per cent increase in the admission of malnourished children into its facilities in Kebbi from January to June 2025.

A senior medical doctor working with the global NGO, Hamza Bello, disclosed this on Thursday while interacting with journalists at the Maiyama Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC), Maiyama Local Government Area of Kebbi.

Garba Shehu: Buhari Rejected Diamond Wristwatch from Nigerian Designer, Personal Jet Offer

Former Senior Special Assistant to the late President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, has revealed that his principal turned down offers of luxury gifts, including a personal aircraft from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a diamond-studded wristwatch from a Nigerian designer.

Shehu also insisted that the former leader’s regular medical trips abroad were not a rejection of Nigeria’s healthcare system but a matter of personal preference.

Speaking during a television

interview at the weekend, Shehu described these moments as clear evidence of Buhari’s steadfast integrity while in office.

He recounted how a Nigerian fashion designer, impressed by Buhari’s leadership, crafted a customised diamond wristwatch bearing the president’s image, pointing out that Buhari rejected the gift.

He said: “And the guy, fascinated by President Muhammadu Buhari, crafted this wristwatch studded with diamonds; customised, with the picture of the president embossed on it. And he brought it. However, Buhari flatly rejected the gift.

“The president looked at it, and he said, ‘Diamond wristwatch? I can’t wear this. Please tell this young Nigerian that he’s doing well for himself. He’s also a good ambassador of the country. We’ll continue to encourage him; let him please continue to promote the image, the name of this country in his trade. But the wristwatch, take it back to him. I can’t use it,” Shehu disclosed.

Shehu also recalled an incident during Buhari’s official visit to Abu Dhabi in 2016 when the Emir of Abu Dhabi offered him a private aircraft as a personal gift.

He said: “When we went to the United Arab Emirates in

2016, and in Abu Dhabi, which is the capital, the Emir of Abu Dhabi asked the president, Which aircraft did he want? He offered him an aircraft.”

“The president said, If it is for my country? I will accept. But the Emir said, “No, it’s for you so that you can also use it after you leave office.”

However, according to Shehu, Buhari said, “I don’t need an aircraft when I leave office. In any case, I can’t maintain it.’ And that ended the story.”

Meanwhile, Shehu said Buhari’s regular medical trips abroad were not a rejection of Nigeria’s healthcare system but a matter of personal preference.

Tunji-Ojo Urges Nigerian Paramilitary Agencies to Disseminate Accurate Information on their Activities

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Minister of the Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has urged paramilitary agencies to consistently disseminate accurate information about

their activities to Nigerians.

Tunji-Ojo gave the advice yesterday during the ministry’s Media Masterclass 2025, themed ‘Beyond Press Statements: Media as a tool for Public Engagement,’ in Abuja.

He said that the training, organised for the public relations department of the ministry’s board and agencies, was apt as the era of hoarding information was gone.

“Information has become

oxygen and is for everyone; so it is your responsibility to tell people the truth by communicating effectively. “You can always have an opinion satisfactory to the people without lies, as leadership involves trust.

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

CEO, Full Page International Communication Limited, Chief Ingram Osigwe; CEO, Fenco Nigeria Limited, Chief Fabian Okoye; Son of the bereaved and Executive Director, Selex E/C Company Limited, Mr. Tokumbo Bamgbopa; Head of Public Affairs Unit (Information), Mosan Okunola LCDA, Rosemary Apunanwu Uneanya; Senior Vice President, The Arch Group, Mr. Paul Okwaraoha; and his wife, Judith, at the 40th day Fidau prayers for Alhaji Dauda Adegoke Bamgbopa in Abeokuta, Ogun State…yesterday.

MARITIME MATTERS…

L-R:

Maritime

and

Authority of Jamaica, Bertrand Smith; and Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, during the 30th Session of the International Seabed Authority in Kingston, Jamaica…recently

Constitution Review: Kano, Jigawa, Katsina Demand Creation of New States

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states yesterday supported the clamour for the creation of additional states in the country.

This is as the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibril, stated that the Constitution Review Committee will operate with open-mindedness and integrity, free from preconceived opinions, to ensure that the outcome of the legislative process truly reflects the views of Nigerians.

The three states made their positions known at the commencement of the North-West Zonal Public Hearing on the Constitution Review held in Kano.

The representative of Kano State government at the event, who is the Chief of Staff to Governor Abba Yusuf, Dr Wali

Sani, presented the state government’s position, supporting the creation of new states out of the present-day Kano State.

The Deputy Governor of the Jigawa State Alhaji Aminu Usman, also expressed support for creation of a new state from the state.

Similarly, the representative of Katsina State, Senator Ibrahim Idah, called for a specific role for traditional rulers in the constitution and the creation of Karaduwa and Bayajidda states from Katsina State.

“We want to say clearly and categorically that we, Katsina people, support the creation of two more states out of Katsina State,” Idah stated.

Also speaking at the event, Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibril, stated that the Constitution

150m for Grab as BBNaija

S10 Launches with All-Female Housemates on Day One

The highly anticipated Season 10 of Big Brother Naija kicked off last night with an unexpected twist: only female housemates were unveiled during the first launch show.

Fifteen female housemates made their way into the iconic Big Brother House, which has undergone a vibrant upgrade for its milestone season.

The refreshed space is now more spacious and visually striking, with bright colour palettes — particularly yellow, which drenches the newly designed Head of House (HoH) seat.

A notable new feature is a “gossip corner” in the kitchen, complete with cheeky wall messaging: Spill the Tea.

The Diary Room also

has its upgrade. Replacing the doorbell is a gong, a play on traditional ways of making announcements.

True to form, the housemates reflect a diverse mix of personalities, appearances, and professions. Think tall, curvy, short, and slim. Among them are single mothers, a DJ, a model, a therapist, a lawyer, a fashion diva, and more. The new housemates are: Imisi, Zita, Doris, Sultana, Mide, Ivatar, Dede, Isabella, Joanna, Gigi Jasmine, Sabrina, Tracy, Thelma Lawson, Ibifubara, and Big Soso.

This year’s edition, themed 10/10, celebrates the show’s entry into double digits. To mark the milestone, the organisers have raised the stakes: the winner will walk away with a cash prize of 150 million. But there’s a twist: the prize must be earned.

Review Committee would operate with open-mindedness and integrity, free from preconceived opinions, to ensure that the legislative process truly reflects the views of Nigerians.

Jibrin said: “Since Nigeria’s transition to democracy in

1999 after years of military rule, demands for constitutional amendments and reviews have continued unabated.”

He emphasised the importance of recognising that the committee’s work is a collaborative effort with their esteemed colleagues in both

the House of Representatives and the state Houses of Assembly.

“Our collaboration will not end with this public hearing; together, we will enhance our contributions to produce outcomes that resonate with a national consensus, always prioritising the interests of our citizens. “We received hundreds of memos addressing key issues that have not yet been resolved by the previous amendments, mainly due to a lack of national consensus and the evolving dynamics of modern governance.

Dabiri-Erewa Hits Back at Kemi Badenoch, Cautions UK Conservative Leader against Spreading Lies About

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has tackled the United Kingdom Conservative leader of Nigerian descent, Kemi Badenoch, over alleged false claims about Nigerian women and their citizenship status.

Badenoch, in an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, had said she was unable to transfer her

Nigerian citizenship to her children because of her gender.

Badenoch discussed immigration policies and the differences between Britain and countries like Nigeria.

“It’s virtually impossible, for example, to get Nigerian citizenship. I have that citizenship by virtue of my parents, I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman.”

During an interview on a

television programme, at the weekend, Dabiri-Erewa faulted Badenoch’s controversial statement suggesting that women could not get Nigerian citizenship simply by giving birth.

“But that is not even true. And that is the problem I have. Don’t divulge false information. You go on international media and spew a lie. That is a lie. But that is not even true. And I’m sure people have responded.

So, my problem with that is that it is not true. So, why tell us something that is not true? That is the problem I have with that,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa condemned Badenoch’s decision to air the claim publicly, saying, “When you denigrate your country, we’ll give you a reply. It’s not about me or the president or you. It’s about Nigeria. You can’t lie about your country, then we keep quiet.”

Ozekhome Explains His Opposition to States Creation, Tasks Lawyers on Prioritising Health, Embarks on 7.5km Walk

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Constitutional lawyer, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), yesterday gave reasons why he is not in support of the creation of new states in the country, stating that many of the existing states are not viable.

He has also charged lawyers to find time to engage in regular exercise, which costs little or nothing financially.

Ozekhome, who blamed the conditions of the states on the “skewed federal template” being operated in the form of a unitary system of government, called for a

complete overhaul of the 1999 Constitution.

According to him, the present constitution is not only cumbersome with the centre vested with many powers and responsibilities, but is a product of the military class that had ruled Nigeria.

He spoke at a “Walk-for-

Wellness” campaign embarked upon by the Mike Ozekhome Chambers (MOC) in Abuja yesterday.

“Some of us are now saying rather than create more states, we should collapse the present structure into about six geopolitical zones, which should serve as a regional government.

TCN Shareholders Approve Board, Demand Urgent Reforms for Profitability

Shareholders of Tourist Company of Nigeria (TCN) Plc, at the company’s 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos yesterday, unanimously approved the composition of a trimmed down board to spearhead governance reforms.

The shareholders, all voted in favour of the re-election of the Chief Executive Officer of The Guardian Newspapers Limited, Mr. Toke Alex Ibru,

who was retired on rotation as a Non-Executive Director of the company’s board.

However, the shareholders unanimously resolved that former Chairman of the Board, Chief Anthony Idigbe, should retire and not be re-elected as a non-executive director.

A similar decision was taken regarding Alhaji Abatcha Bulama, with shareholders endorsing his retirement

without re-election to the board.

The meeting was attended in person by Mrs. Erejuwa Gbadebo, Mr. Toke Alex Ibru, Mr. Kofi Joseph Duncan and Mr. Andy Akporugo. Ms. Anita Athena Ibru participated virtually.

In addition, shareholders formally ratified the appointment of Mrs. Erejuwa Marie Gbadebo as a non-executive director of the Board. They also

ratified the appointments of Ms. Anita Athena Ibru, Mr. Kofi Joseph Duncan, and Mr. Andy Akporugo as non-executive Directors of the company.

The shareholders at the meeting raised deep concerns over the company’s viability, with particular emphasis on its dwindling liquidity, weak internal control mechanisms, and underwhelming revenue performance.

Vanessa Obioha

Director,

Safety

Security, FM MBE, Babatunde Bombata; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Olufemi Oloruntola; Director General, Maritime

CSR IN ACTION…

Arewa Think Tank Carpets Kwankwaso over Alleged Infrastructure Bias against North by Tinubu

A northern group, Arewa Think Tank (ATT), yesterday chided former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of allegedly sidelining the North in national infrastructural development.

Kwankwaso had at a recent event, alleged that Tinubu was investing more national resources in the South, to the detriment of the Northern region.

However, reacting to the allegations by the former governor, the Convener of ATT, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, described Kwankwaso’s outburst against the president as an ethnic division and campaign strategy towards 2027 general elections.

He said in the view of the

ATT, Tinubu was performing well alongside his Northern vice president.

Citing data from the Federal Ministry of Works, the group noted that as of late 2024, 52.48 per cent of ongoing “legacy” road projects under Tinubu, 1,414 km out of 2,735 km were located in the North, while 48 per cent are in the South.

It added that out of the 82 Sukuk-funded road projects, 45 are located the North, adding that for “260 emergency road interventions, the breakdown is 108 in the North and 98 in the South”.

Yakubu said, “Arewa Think Tank will not support any divisive statement along ethnic, religious and regional lines.

“Why didn’t a person like Kwankwaso speak out during the previous government of infrastructural deficit in the North.

“We want to advise Kwank-

Former President Buhari lived a remarkable life by every measure, and his departure in a blaze of glory was no less extraordinary. President Tinubu accorded him a historic state burial. In the wake of Buhari’s demise on Sunday, July 13, in a London hospital, President Tinubu declared seven days of national mourning and ordered the nation’s flag flown at half-staff. The President was on hand to receive Buhari’s body as it arrived in Katsina from the United Kingdom. Just as significant, the Federal Government declared a public holiday on Tuesday, July 15, when Buhari’s remains were buried in his Daura hometown in Katsina State.

President Tinubu led dignitaries, including President Umaru Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau, Prime Minister of the Niger Republic, Ali Lamine Zeine, Vice President Kashim Shettima, former President of the Niger Republic, Issoufou Mahamadou, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, many Nigerian governors and business leaders, to escort the late President’s remains on the long drive to Daura. They witnessed as the former President was laid to rest. No honour would be too much for that late patriot, civil war hero, distinguished army general, and former President, who stood for

waso not to introduce dirty regional politicking into our national discourse because it will do nobody any good.”

According to him, “Introducing dirty regional politicking and attitude will not allow

Kwankwaso to win election at the national level. He should stop this attitude.

“We have a President that is already doing very well along with a Northern Vice President that is also doing

very well.

“We are all living witnesses to the Kano River Project (irrigation scheme) -large-scale integrated irrigation development in Kano State, commissioned in 2023 and

operational under the current administration

“There is no need for North vs South infrastructure debate because the list of infrastructures in the North by Tinubu’s administration is inexhaustible.”

South-east Group Berates Deputy Speaker for Insulting Gov Otti’s Late Father, Demands Apology

Wale Igbintade

A socio-cultural and political group, the South-East Positive Movement (SEPM), has commended Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, for exhibiting restraint and maturity by not responding to what it described as “deeply offensive” comments made by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, about his late father.

the Talakawas. Many Nigerians respected Buhari for living a Spartan life and standing for truth and justice, values that earned him the sobriquet “Mai Gaskiya.”

How will President Buhari’s death impact the politics of the 2027 election and President Tinubu’s re-election, with the opposition swirling around him, baying for blood? It is yet unclear. Indeed, in the run-up to the 2027 election, some analysts liken former President Buhari’s death to a double-edged sword that can cut both ways. They contend that the impact of his demise on the 2027 election can swing for and against President Tinubu. Those who think his passing may chip away at the President’s re-election plans contend that Buhari remained a true and consistent ally of Tinubu till death and that the partnership between the two, built on mutual trust and respect, had remained strong until Buhari’s passing. Buhari never spoke against Tinubu or his administration while alive. The former President reportedly commended Tinubu for having the courage to make bold decisions about the economy, which he had found difficult to implement.

There was nothing to suggest that Buhari would not have backed Tinubu in 2027 if he were still alive, given that he had consistently emphasised his indebtedness to the APC, which

In a strongly worded statement issued in Abakaliki and signed by its chairman, Hon. Uguru Ukandu, the group condemned Kalu’s remarks and called for an unreserved public apology to Governor Otti, the people of Abia State, and the Igbo nation at large.

“It is a taboo in Igboland for any grown man or woman to speak ill of the dead—much less someone in a position of national

leadership who should embody the Igbo values of reverence for elders and the departed.

“We were shocked when the Honourable Deputy Speaker publicly uttered unprintable words about Governor Otti’s late father. No political gain can justify such sacrilege,” SEPM said

The group continued: “We are still awaiting his full and public apology to Dr. Otti, Ndi Abia, and

provided the platform that enabled him to become President, and Tinubu, who assisted him on his presidential journey.

Perhaps realising this Tinubu-Buhari connection, opposition political figures, particularly members of the so-called coalition-African Democratic Congress, including politicians from the North who still regard themselves as Buharists or Buhari Boys, desperately sought to outdo each other in a bid to earn cheap political capital, using Buhari’s death as fodder.

Barely a day after Buhari’s death was announced, former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, arrived in Katsina to position himself as a foremost Buhari ally and the inheritor of his political dynasty. Former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi also arrived in Daura, fully draped in a turban, as a traditional chief of the town, to gain an advantage for the coalition.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar organised a grand entry into Daura on Tuesday, the day of Buhari’s burial. A motley crowd of his supporters cheered him at the airport, but it was all of no moment, rather gaudy for the sombre event. For effect, some of the opposition figures headed for Buhari’s graveside last Wednesday to pray for the repose of his soul.

Buhari’s death appears to have opened up

Ndigbo for that thoughtless and reckless statement. It is even more disappointing that such words came from a public official who was supported by an entire state, yet whose own mandate came from just one local government area.”

SEPM praised Governor Otti’s calm and dignified silence in the face of the attack, noting that he neither responded directly nor through proxies.

the leadership space in the North. And no political leader in the North today commands that extraordinary following as Buhari. With his passing, a rat race has ensued for leadership supremacy. This situation somewhat plays to President Tinubu’s advantage, despite the suggestion that it may hurt him politically. Indeed, this is by no means glossing over the huge void and the pains that the statesman’s death has left.

President Tinubu has taken the proper steps to give the former president a befitting burial. In other to further immortalize his name, he named the University of Maiduguri in Borno State after Buhari. The President did all that for a leader who served the country resolutely and a political ally who stood by the spirit and letter of their convictions.

In my view, all the President needs to do now and do strongly is seize the momentum, galvanise the rump of the Congress for Progressives Change elements that believe in him and those of other alliance partners in the North and South of the country, and assume full leadership of the Tinubu-Buhari alliance that produced the APC and produced Buhari and himself as presidents.

James Emejo in Abuja

L-R: Marketing Officer, Sundry Markets Limited, Mr. Iheanacho Okoro; Team Coordinator, Pro Health International, Susan Lawrence; Head, Marketing Sundry Markets Limited, Mr. Patrick Emmanuel; CSR Officer, Sundry Markets Limited, Mercy Okoro; and Logistics Manager, Pro Health International, Kingsley Ezikeanyi, at

INTERNATIONAL

Coups d’État as Means of Permissible Change of Government: The Myth and Reality of the ASS

The ASS is Alliance of Sahel States, the English acronym for Alliance des États du Sahel. It was done on 16 September 2023 in protest against the threats by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to use force to restore civil order in the République du Niger, the immediate northern neighbour of Nigeria. The ECOWAS of 15 Member States, which comprised Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, has a zero-tolerance for unconstitutional change of government in its region. Mali and Burkina Faso first played host to unconstitutional changes of Government. The ECOWAS made efforts to bring the military junta that came to power to their knees, but to no avail.

Consequently, when another coup took place in Niger, the ECOWAS sent a message of ‘enough is enough’ to the military junta by threatening to use force to restore President Mohammed Bazoum to power. President Bazoum was ousted by General Abdoulrahmane Tchiani, the head of the Presidential Guard. The ASS considered that the ECOWAS had not been helpful in containing terrorism, and particularly in resisting French mainmise. Nigériens condemned the French support for the elected President, Mohammed Bazoum, who reportedly was oppressing the Nigériens. Consequently, the Nigériens opted to give active support to the military junta a situation that has changed the nature of the coup from being military in origin to people’s coup in outcome.

By implication, the ECOWAS agenda of using force against the military junta now necessarily implies the use of force against the people, the civilians, and all the internationally-protected people. More importantly, this development prompted the solidarity of the peoples in Burkina Faso and Mali to also consider that any attack on the Republic of Niger is also an attack on their own people. It was in anticipation of an eventual aggression by the ECOWAS that led to the decision to withdraw their membership of the ECOWAS and to establish the ASS. In carrying out the analysis, what do we mean by a people’s coup as distinct from a coup d’état. The issue is no more about coup-making but about membership withdrawal from the ECOWAS. Coup is illegal but withdrawal of membership is not. Quo vadis?

Permissibility of People’s and Military Coups d’État

The discussion of the permissibility of a people’s coup and a military coup d’état raises many questions in the political governance of Africa: legality or illegality, extent of relevance of liberal democracy, conduct and management of democracy, future of inter-state solidarity inAfrica, and permissibility of coups. These issues are problematic and are not easy to resolve. For example, a coup can be illegal but still tolerated. In the Republic of Chad, a presidential system of government is what the Constitution provides for. The President serves as Head of State and as Head of Government, but cannot serve for more than two five-year terms. More importantly, the Chadian Constitution stipulates that, in the event of the demise of the president or in the case of a presidential vacuum, the President of the National Assembly should not only act as interim President, but must also organise a fresh presidential election within sixty days.

True enough, Idriss Déby died in the battle field while defending his country against armed groups. His death necessarily created a vacuum to be filled. Probably in consideration of how President Déby died, the military not only seized power and dissolved the National Assembly, but also appointed the son of Idriss Déby as successor in flagrant contradiction of the provisions of the Chadian Constitution. The politics of deviating from the constitutional provisions is quite interesting. The Western powers, particularly France and the United States, submitted that President Idriss Déby was the most reliable in the protection of their interests, not only in Chad but also in the region. They did not see anyone else that could fit in well as a successor. In the same vein, and for other reasons, all those countries preaching the sermon of non-acceptability of unconstitutional changes of government in Africa kept quiet.

France that had laid the foundation for democratisation fever

: 0807-688-2846 e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

in Africa by making democratisation a conditionality for development aid to Africa at the 2000 Franco-African Summit held in La Baule, kept mute. In fact, the African Union disgraced African people by eating its own words and condoning unconstitutional change of government. By so doing, the coup in Chad was a typical case of permissible coup.

A second problematic is that Africa wants democratic rule but elected leaders that are required to promote it are not only dictatorial in attitude and behaviour, but are also wrapped up in the glory of their very corrupt regalia with which they frolic around. Many African leaders use democratic freedom to elongate their stay in power, hence prompting protests and democratic coups. They openly and consciously abuse human rights and sustain their stay in power with foreign support.

. Consequently, what do we mean really mean by a people’s coup as distinct from a coup d’état. To what extent is their permissibility in the political governance of Africa, and particularly in the West African and ECOWAS region? These questions are raised because they often prompt public protests and also prompt the military to take advantage of the situation, and launch a coup with the active support of the people against an elected government. When the people desire a change and the democratic administration in power gives little or no regard to public complaints, the military cannot but be compelled to give effect to public demands.

The ASS is not only now a major defining factor in the relationship between the ECOWAS and France, but also a major definiendum of the status of liberal democracy in the political governance of Africa. It has not only completely made a nonsense of the non-acceptability of unconstitutional change of government (UCG), but has also become the first application of Article 1 (d) and (e) of the 1991 Abuja Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community. UCG is no longer limited to change of government by use of force. Apart from military coups against an elected government, intervention by mercenaries to replace a democratic government, and replacement of a democratic government by armed and dissident groups, as well as rebel movements, there is also the refusal of incumbent presidents to accept their defeat after presidential election loss. In the eyes of the African Union, all these cases constitute UCG, and therefore impermissible. In spite of the provisions of the Lomé Declaration and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance which both prohibit UCG, there is yet to be any lasting solution to the recidivist problem of UCG. In fact, the UCG are being condoned and consciously legitimised. Consequently, there are permissible coups d’état. Coups against autocratic governments as it was the case in Sudan, the coup in Chad and the threats of coup against Laurent Gbagbo in the Côte d’Ivoire are good pointers

Without any shadow of doubt, the discipline often required of the military in the developed countries is that under no circumstance should there be any forceful change of government. Institutions are strong in the more developed countries. In Africa, there are no strong institutions. In fact, many countries are governed more by foreign powers than by the locally elected governments. As such, when discussing unconstitutional changes of government, which type of coup is unwanted in Africa? Put differently, in whose interest is the threat of use of force by the ECOWAS against Niger: military junta or the people? Does the ECOWAS want to protect a purported democratic regime to the detriment of the interest of the people of Niger who are against democratic dictatorship? To what extent can the ECOWAS prevent the ASS countries from protesting against neo-colonial exploitation of the people of Niger and their resources? Perhaps most interestingly, the ECOWAS is making spirited efforts to reconcile its differences with the ASS. The ECOWAS under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) strongly believed that the ASS countries will, sooner than later, return to the ECOWAS. We consider this more of a myth than reality. It is against this background that the exegesis of myth and reality of the ASS is carried out in this current Vie Internationale

First of all, every coup is generally a resultant from either constitutional manipulation by incumbent president, or from electoral disputations, and from lack of democratic culture and security concerns. Many observers often limitedly equate democracy with elections and coups d’état as a forceful removal of an elected leader. The African Union has already identified four categories of unconstitutional change of government in Africa: military coup d’état, intervention by the mercenaries, replacement by armed dissident groups and non-preparedness to hand over power in the face of transparent electoral defeat.

It is important to note that in the case of the first three types, there is the factor of use of force, but the fourth type, refusal to accept defeat, is more about manipulation which can eventually involve the use of force at a later stage. The example of President Laurent Gbagbo of the Côte d’Ivoire clearly illustrates our observation here. He refused to hand over power to Alassane Ouattara who was generally believed to have truly won the country’s presidential election. The ECOWAS, with international support, threatened to use force and Laurent Gbagbo had to accept. President Gbagbo first began with allegations of ethnic origin of Alassane Ouattara, arguing the case of Ivoirité, that his father was a Burkinabé and not Ivoirien. He later attempted the argument of electoral malpractices. All his arguments did not work but clearly point to the international politics of presidential succession in Africa. This brings us to the cases of presidential succession in West Africa, and particularly the ASS countries. Is the problem still that of unconstitutional change of government in the ASS countries or that of good governance? Who is interested in the issue of unconstitutional change of government as of today? Is the ASS still a myth or reality?

Myth and Reality of the ASS

First, it is quite mythical to believe that the ASS has any good intention to return to the ECOWAS. It is a myth because the ASS has pledged not to return because of its belief that the ECOWAS has become more of a threat than a development ally. When the ECOWAS extended the expiry date of membership withdrawal of the ASS members from January 2024 to July 2024, with the objective of keeping the ECOWAS doors open for possible reconciliation, the ASS rejected it with a very thought-provoking allegation.

As noted by the www.africanews.com, on 23 December 2024, the extension was ‘nothing more than yet another attempt by the French and its auxiliaries to continue planning and carrying out destabilising actions against the AES.’ Therefore the ASS made it clear that the extension of date was of no binding effect and that their withdrawal from ECOWAS was ‘irreversible.’ In fact, the ASS accused the ECOWAS of its ‘inhumane and irresponsible’ coup-related sanctions. These accusations reflect the deep extent of the bitterness of the ASS.

Secondly, and perhaps more disturbingly, the ASS is not simply conceived as a protest but as a replacement of the ECOWAS. It is designed to be an instrument of resistance to the exploitation by foreign powers. So, ECOWAS, by aligning with foreign powers, has become another foreign power that should similarly also be resisted. General Abdourahamane Tiani has made it clear that the formation of the ASS is ‘the culmination of our (AES) determined common will to reclaim our (AES) national sovereignty… Our people have irrevocably turned their backs on ECOWAS… It is up to us today to make the AES Confederation an alternative to any artificial regional group by building a … community free from the control of foreign powers.’ Thus, asking for the return of the ASS is also telling them not to reclaim their national sovereignty. In the eyes of the ASS, the ECOWAS is nothing more than an artificial regional group.

Thirdly, the ECOWAS-ASS dispute has gone beyond the regional level to becoming more internationalised. The ASS has kicked out France and welcomed Russia as a replacement. In this regard, the ASS also sees the ECOWAS as a puppet organisation of France, implying a direct confrontation between the ASS conflict with France and the friendship between France and the ECOWAS. Read

Tinubu

Editor: Festus Akanbi

08038588469 Email:festus.akanbi@thisdaylive.com

Clog in the Wheel of 5G Network Services in Nigeria

Despite the excitement that preceded the rollout of 5G network by telecom operators in Nigeria in 2022, equipment, and weak investments in the Nigerian telecoms sector as reasons why Nigerians are yet to Emma Okonji

There were lots of promises from telecoms operators when 5G was commercially launched in Nigeria in 2022.

The promises expectedly presented the rollout of 5G network as a game changer in the telecoms industry.

The hype before the launch was so high to the extent that subscribers were eager to abandon other technologies like 2G, 3G, and 4G, just to feel the impact and speed that 5G would bring to the telecoms space.

But three years after its commercial launch, more subscribers still prefer the services of 2G and 4G networks for connectivity, because 5G is not available as expected.

The latest statistics on the percentage of market share of the various generation networks currently deployed in Nigeria, which were released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator, have further revealed that more subscribers are on 3G and 4G networks, with little penetration of 5G networks in a few states of the country.

5G Rollout

Following the issuance of 5G licences to MTN Nigeria and Airtel Network, MTN, in September 2022, launched its commercial 5G network in Lagos, with a promise to carry out a 5G commercial launch in six other cities, which include: Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri.

Speaking during the commercial launch Karl Toriola, said the Lagos 5G commercial promise to begin 5G commercial launch in cities, within one month of 5G rollout.

According to him, the advanced 5G technology promises to extend the reach and capacity and enable much faster speeds and lower latency, giving customers near-instant access to the things they care about and downloads that take seconds, instead of minutes.

Also, Airtel, in June 2023, launched its 5G network in four states in Nigeria, with plans to cover the entire country by the end of the year. The four states were Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, and Abuja, and they also made lots of promises to Nigerian subscribers.

Speaking during the 5G launch in Lagos, Carl Cruz, said: “The 5G revolution opens a new vista of opportunities and it is a quantum leap from the existing 4G network.”

According to him, 5G is a completely new experience that supercharges cloud computing, telemedicine, self-driving cars, cloud gaming, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Internet of Things (IoT).

“With 5G, we can only be limited by the limits of our imagination,” Cruz further said.

5G Penetration

According to the statistics, which THISDAY

and the latest technology deployed in Nigeria, still drags at 2.81 per cent penetration level, while 2G network, which was deployed from the inception of GSM rollout in 2001, has reached 39.67 per cent penetration level as at April 2025. Also, 4G technology, which was rolled out after the 2G network, is currently leading with a 49.27 per cent penetration level as of April 2025.

From the statistics, the 4G network has

maintained the lead in penetration level since July 2024, when it attained a 44.90 penetration level to surpass the 2G penetration level, which had hitherto maintained the highest penetration level.

As of January 2024, the 2G penetration level was 57.78 per cent, 4G penetration was 31.75 per cent, 3G penetration was 9.36 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 1.11 per cent.

In February 2024, the 2G penetration level was 57.55 per cent, 4G penetration was 32.11 per cent, 3G penetration was 9.17 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 1.18 per cent.

In March 2024, the 2G penetration level was 56.97 per cent, 4G penetration was 32.74 per cent, 3G penetration was 9.04 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 1.24 per cent.

In April 2024, the 2G penetration was 56.22 per cent, 4G penetration was 33.56 per cent, 3G penetration was 8.92 per cent, while 5G penetra-

tion level was 1.31 per cent.

In May 2024, the 2G penetration was 44.86 per cent, 4G penetration was 42.63 per cent, 3G penetration was 10.78 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 1.73 per cent.

In June 2024, the 2G penetration was 44.30 per cent, 4G penetration was 43.35 per cent, 3G penetration was 10.54 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 1.81 per cent.

In July 2024, the 2G penetration was 42.72 per cent, 4G penetration was 44.90 per cent, 3G penetration was 10.43 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 1.95 per cent.

In August 2024, the 2G penetration was 41.36 per cent, 4G penetration was 46.28 per cent, 3G penetration was 10.24 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 2.12 per cent.

In September 2024, the 2G penetration was 43.53 per cent, 4G penetration was 44.96 per cent, 3G penetration was 9.32 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 2.19 per cent.

In October 2024, the 2G penetration was 42 per cent, 4G penetration was 46.27 per cent, 3G penetration was 9.40 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 2.33 per cent.

In November 2024, the 2G penetration was 41.50 per cent, 4G penetration was 47.09 per cent, 3G penetration was 9.03 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 2.39 per cent.

In December 2024, the 2G penetration was 41.59 per cent, 4G penetration was 47.20 per cent, 3G penetration was 8.75 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 2.46 per cent.

In January 2025, the 2G penetration was 41.63 per cent, 4G penetration was 47.23 per cent, 3G penetration was 8.60 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 2.54 per cent.

In February 2025, the 2G penetration was 40.93 per cent, 4G penetration was 47.98 per cent, 3G penetration was 8.48 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 2.61 per cent.

In March 2025, the 2G penetration was 40.08 per cent, 4G penetration was 48.82 per cent, 3G penetration was 8.40 per cent, while 5G penetration level was 2.70 per cent.

In April 2025, the 2G penetration was 39.67 per cent, 4G penetration was 49.27 per cent, 3G penetration was 8.25 per cent, while 5G

penetration level was 2.81 per cent. Impediment of 5G Rollout

Giving reasons for the slow rollout and adoption of 5G services, the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, said several factors contributed to the slow penetration of 5G, which according to him, include: widespread vandalism of telecoms facilities, the devaluation of Naira, high cost of purchasing telecoms equipment, and weak investments in the Nigerian telecoms sector, which he said, slowed down network expansion and 5G rollout.

In the areas of vandalism and weak investment, Adebayo in the last three years, telecoms operators were running at a loss, as a result of the harsh business environment caused by vandalism of telecoms infrastructure and the inability of telecoms operators to expand its network and purchase 5G equipment, as a result of the weak value of the Naira.

“So there was no meaningful investment in the telecoms sector in the last three years, because of the challenges in the sector, and rollout of 5G networks. It was for this reason that we asked for a 100 per cent hike in in January this year, approved by the NCC, which was reasonable.

it will bring the industry out of the woods, because really and truly, we were in a bad situation, and the sector was dying gradually. Now that we have this tariff review in place, we need to begin the recovery process that will improve telecoms services and enable 5G rollout.

“We will now start our recovery process as an industry, part of which will be to put customer satisfaction and quality of service at the forefront. Given this new development, we need to go back to rebuild, to optimise systems, and then ensure that we deliver services, including 5G services that are best-in-class to the subscribers,” Adebayo said.

Adebayo

SHEHU OSIDI:

How FMBN Recovered N18.9bn Delinquent Loans in One Year

Addeh

Loan recovery is often seen asabigchallengeinpublic thestateofplayattheFMBN?

andtheroletheFMBNisplayingtosupportit?

Anewboardhasjustbeeninauguratedforthe partnershipinensuringthatFMBNdelivers onitsmandate?

fromotherbanksormortgageinstitutionsin thecountry?

Emmanuel

Osidi

... At FMBN, We Want Every Nigerian to Have Pathway to Home Ownership...

You’veworkedcloselywiththeMinister ofHousingandUrbanDevelopment.How wouldyoudescribehisleadership? fromprevioushousingprojects?

Whatistheupdateontherecentdeployment ofthebank’smuch-talked-aboutcorebanking application?

helpNigeriansbecomehomeowners,especially forlowandmiddle-incomeearnersandothers?

Howdoestherentalassistanceproductwork?

Osidi

www.thisdaylive.com

WANTED: A REAWAKENING IN

The World Public Service Day should serve as a reminder of our collective responsibility to make excellence in governance the rule,not an exception write AMIR BEN YAHMED,HICHAM EL HABTI,AIGBOJE AIGIMOUKHUEDE,ABDULLAH ALMUSAIBEEH AND BENEDICT O. ORAMAH

REMEMBERING

DANIEL OKUMAGBA BERNARD OKUMAGBA pays tribute to his father, Chief Okumagba, a teacher and statesman

See Page 45

EDITORIAL ON THE

opinion@thisdaylive.com

AKPANDEM JAMES writes that the fight over oil wells between Akwa Ibom and Cross River States is still lingering

BROTHERS AT WAR OVER OIL WELLS

The late Pope Francis’s voice was of humaneness, in an increasingly self-obsessed world. He believed in a world of peace. A world, in which the weapons of massdestruction are not deployed against our fellow-men, but are gradually deactivated and dismantled.

The Pope travelled to various countries, including the Middle East, to build bridges between people and cultures. He believed in a borderless world, where people respect each other, irrespective of whether they are Christians, Moslems, Hindus or Buddhists. The Pope believed in the dignity of a human being, irrespective of religion or creed. We should strive towards this goal; however idealistic it is.

The Pop Something deep inside keeps telling me Nigeria would have been far better without crude oil. And I believe it! Nigeria was relatively better before independence. It was still, before crude oil became the main economic sustainer, before the 1970s. Nigeria’s economy was stronger in the global trade index.

The currency was competitive. The discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities introduced crudity into our psyche, and drew unnecessary attention locally and globally. Things began to fall apart. Foresight disappeared. Ingenuity diminished. Innovation was abandoned,

embraced, avarice cuddled, corruption celebrated, and society raped. The nation went adrift. And, is still abroad, drifting! country today have a tinge of crude oil. Either directly or as an ancillary. Nigeria had issues before independence, but these were localized.

Crude oil came and globalized them. Brothers used to live together, but crude oil came, as a hot knife in butter, and divided them. Nigerians relied on hard work for existence, crude oil came and lubricated the gears of indolence as the wetlands pumped in massive petrodollars at the strike of a well. The country went berserk. We had so much that we did not know what strategic thing to do with it. We went on a prodigal spree, spending freely and stealing some. Government work that used to be a farmland of integrity became the jungle of mindless pilfering. The forests, the grasslands and rivers, which were the sources of wealth, saw the back of enterprise; and white-collar jobs, contracts and consultancy became the new brides because of their petrodollar attractions. Senseless politicking, premised more on acquisition than on community service, tinkered with the anatomy of the country and the result of the surgical interference saw the disappearance of the groundnut pyramids, the cocoa warehouses, the palm oil mills, the rubber factories, the piles of timber, the hides and skin tanneries.

The skies, which were clothed with white smoke from factories, started dropping

wells. The country’s bright future became blurred by dark smoke from oil prospecting activities. Militants rose from the infection. Kidnappers found excuses. The aggrieved took to the creeks. The unfavoured became jealous. Antagonism found some rhythm. Communities became more renowned for restiveness than productivity. And the spectacle is today’s theatre of the absurd, our inheritance.

The fight for the perks and privileges and the entitlement mentality that swells from crude-infested regions has seen communities destroyed, lives lost and longstanding relationships shattered. Brothers are up in arms against each other. That is the current situation with Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, which have for ages shared common affinity – ancestral, historical, political, economic and social relationships. Akwa Ibom had a face-off with Rivers on a similar score, but eventually gave peace a chance.

Both Cross River and Akwa Ibom States were one people until 1987 when they were separated politically. That did not affect the other relationships until the Bakassi issue came, and then oil wells followed.

That was how the two brothers fundamentally started drifting apart be made clear that it is a government-togovernment affair for now. The people still cherish their conjugal bliss. But crude oil is threatening their indulgence. The issue surrounding the 76 oil wells between the two neighbouring states is

rooted in historical territorial changes and complex legal considerations regarding maritime boundaries and oil ownership rights. This situation arose from the 2002 ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which awarded the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, thereby affecting Cross River’s coastal status. This change rendered Cross River ineligible to claim offshore oil wells under Nigerian law due to the absence of a maritime boundary. To calm nerves and address the emerging challenges, the Olusegun Obasanjo government allocated 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom and 14 to Cross River as a political resolution. Despite this, Cross River raised concerns about its fairness and initiated a legal challenge. It asserted claims over the 76 offshore oil wells situated within the 200-meter isobath, adjacent to Akwa Ibom State and argued for ownership and revenue rights to the wells.

So far, it has launched two legal proceedings to contest the ownership and boundaries related to these oil wells, maintaining that it has legitimate rights to them. The Supreme Court has twice rejected the requests on the basis that Cross River is no longer a littoral state and lacks maritime boundaries to claim the offshore oil assets. The court’s decision also took into account the reallocation by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and clarified that the political agreement from 2006 had been influenced by the shifting geopolitical landscape following the Bakassi cession.

Despite the clarity provided by the court ruling, political discussions continued, with the current Cross River government expressing a desire to revisit the issue. Akwa Ibom, on the other hand, insisted on the finality of the court’s decision, emphasizing that it is binding and not open to further negotiation.

The resolution of ownership in favour of Akwa Ibom carries significant implications for revenue distribution and resource management. Currently, revenue from these wells is held in escrow, highlighting the importance of finding a constructive path forward that respects legal determinations while addressing any lingering concerns from both states. In recent times, there have been counter-claims by the two state governments regarding who is the antagonist in the matter, particularly as concerns litigation.

The Akwa Ibom State Attorney General, Mr Uko Udom, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, claims the Cross River State Government is guilty of incitement through renewed petitions and disinformation. He absolved his state government of any form of antagonism. Cross River, he stated, has been the perpetual litigant who has suffered two losses serially on the matter. Udom cited the case in Suit No. 124/1999, which the Cross River State Government sued Akwa Ibom State over the northern nonestuarine boundary (involving 24 villages of Oku/Itu/Ayadehe Ward in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State), as well as the southern estuarine boundary where the 76 oil wells are located.

James, a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, writes from Abuja

WANTED: A REAWAKENING IN AFRICAN PUBLIC LEADERSHIP

The World Public Service Day should serve as a reminder of our collective responsibility to make excellence in governance the rule,not an exception write AMIR BEN YAHMED, HICHAM EL HABTI,AIGBOJE AIG-IMOUKHUEDE, ABDULLAH ALMUSAIBEEH AND BENEDICT O. ORAMAH

Afew days ago, on June 23, the United Nations marked the World Public Service Day. Here in Africa, this day should stand out as far more than a ceremonial event. It is a vital opportunity for us to look ahead at the future of our public servants—women and men who, often with limited resources and in the face of significant temptations, are entrusted with safeguarding the efficiency and continuity of our states. In 2025, celebrating the African public service rings hollow unless we finally equip it with the decision-making authority, technological tools, and ethical foundations it needs to fulfill its essential role: guiding 1.4 billion citizens toward lasting prosperity. Despite nearly two decades of robust, almost uninterrupted growth since the turn of the millennium, Africa suffers more than any other continent from a chronic shortage of public services—a deficit that severely undermines economic development and quality of life for its people. Behind this sobering reality lies a technical challenge: the quality of our public policies has failed to keep pace with the rapid social and demographic changes we face. In fact, we have fallen far behind other regions in the Global South. Countries with similar GDPs have managed to achieve remarkable transformations over the same period. Why has Brazil succeeded in providing universal healthcare (SUS—Sistema Único de Saúde) to all its citizens while simultaneously digitalizing every government service and payment system across the country? How has Indonesia become the world leader in the nickel sector by insisting on local value addition and attracting $30 billion in industrial investment? And how has India, through its digital identity program, Aadhaar, accelerated

delivery of public aid—registering over 1.3 billion Indians, enabling the opening of more than 400 million bank accounts for the poorest, and saving billions in subsidy costs? These are not isolated stories. They are just a few of dozens of examples across sectors, proving that bold, welldesigned regulatory, fiscal, and logistical choices can move mountains—but only if decision-makers are properly trained, empowered, and supported. That is why we have launched a pan-African initiative with a clear mission: to place sound economic governance and the excellence of public policy at the core of Africa’s development agenda, making public leadership the continent’s most critical economic infrastructure.

Each year, about 50 young senior public servants—aged 30 to 45 and representing at least 30 countries— will participate in an annual program, including a four-day immersive retreat.

Our objectives are clear: to carve out most pressing economic challenges; to adopt and adapt the world’s best public policies by studying their success factors; to build a pan-African network of technical leaders committed to a reformist economic agenda; and to drive forward major projects like the AfCFTA and tackle the demographic, climate, and industrial challenges ahead.

We are convinced that this is not only possible—it is essential. Wherever public policy is effective and responsive, growth follows.

Yahmed, CEO of Jeune Afrique Media Group; el Habti, President of UM6P; Aig-Imoukhuede, Founder of the AigImoukhuede Foundation; Almusaibeeh, President of the BADEA; Prof. Oramah, President of Afreximbank.

BERNARD OKUMAGBA pays tribute to his father, Chief Okumagba, a teacher and statesman

REMEMBERING

Today marks the silver jubilee of the transition of my father

Chief Daniel Okumagba, a great man, trailblazer, nationalist and statesman. Father and Patriarch. Chief Daniel Okumagba departed on the 27th of July 2000 an accomplished man who had a distinguished resumè as a prominent leader of the Urhobo Nation, a retired civil servant who was well known as Mathematics tutor and Games master at Urhobo College Effurun, and politician who was a Member of the Western House of Assembly, later the Governorship candidate of the National Party of Nigeria for Bendel State (now Edo and Delta States) in the 1979 general election, and then as the first Board Chairman of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited.

Chief Daniel Okumagba was my father but it is hard to remember him alone as father because of the large footprints he left behind. His image writ large for me as a child and growing up. I was used to seeing all the heavyweights of the Second Republic come to meetings with my Dad at our home at 15, Upper Erejuwa Road in Warri, Delta State. From local party organisers to national leaders, they all came, amongst them the late former President Shehu Shagari. But while he was the NPN gubernatorial candidate for Bendel State in 1979, his relationship with political opponents was not acrimonious. His’ was a political culture that reflected the era and, while we noticed as children, I couldn’t have known this culture would become ingrained in me such that that temperate nature became the background of my outlook on life and service.

In 2012 when I started to research my father amongst his friends and from his records in the public service, including his time as the Member for Warri East Constituency in the Western House of Assembly Ibadan for a book I wrote on him titled ‘’Footprints of a Statesman’’, I was literally swamped with testimonials of his forthrightness, humility, kindheartedness, diligence and friendship, things I experienced as a child. My findings gave me extra bounce in my steps that indeed my father was who he said he was, in private as in public; at home and on the march. Professor Union Edebiri, a past president of Urhobo College Old Students Association, observed in an interview published in The Guardian newspaper of July 31, 2000, days after my dad’s passing, that he was a committed teacher who “left no one in doubt that he wanted the best for his students.” Professor David Okpako, a retired Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Ibadan and my dad’s student at Urhobo College Effurun, said of him: “Okumagba’s attitude was a lesson in sportsmanship. Honesty and integrity were his hallmarks in sports and everything else he did. I am sure it was the same when he became a national figure in Nigerian politics.” Many of his students at Urhobo College also spoke of the passion with which he delivered his Mathematics lessons as memorable.

My father was born on January 1, 1922, the 12th child of Chief Okumagba Eboh. Leadership was thrust on him quite early in life as in 1950 he became the Secretary to our Kindred Families of Olodi, Oki and Ighogbadu of Okere-Urhobo. This was a position of responsibility that meant he had to perform this role creditably. Yet, his ability to fit into the demands of the office and lead, while dealing with his other responsibilities as Teacher (from 1947 to 1976), Parliamentarian (from 1960 he held, was widely acknowledged as

remarkable. My father was central to the planning and implementation of the Okumagba Layout in Warri, ensuring that the area is interspersed with a good network of spacious roads at the time of its initial development. Indeed, Chief Daniel Okumagba, my father, was a large-hearted man whose footprints across the Warri landscape, Delta State, the old Midwest/ Bendel Region/State, the Niger Delta and the Nigerian nation spoke of a Statesman who was a committed defender of our people’s right to our homeland, yet a very accommodating leader whose motto was akin to the maxim, live and let live.

In the tradition of the celebrated African leaders of the anti-colonial movement who started out in life as teachers such as Nnamdi Azikiwe and Kwame Nkrumah, my father carved his early niche as a teacher and added the dimension of serving as a games-master being a lover of sports. His foray into politics was kindled by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who commanded values that connected with my father. My father described Zik as a Leader who was selfless, visionary and determined. In the 1960 General Election at which my father contested and won a seat to represent Warri East, a campaign poster of my father and the National Leader of the NCNC, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, bearing the legend “Vote For NCNC And Midwest” at the top and “Azikiwe 1960 Okumagba” at the bottom still dons our family home in Warri. Of course my father went on to defeat the incumbent Chief Reece Edukugho of the Action Group and was a member of the Western Region House of Assembly up till 1963 when the Midwest Region was created. As a Midwesterner, he was one of the leading campaigners for the creation of the Midwest Region out of the Western Region, a feat which was achieved following an overwhelming ‘Yes’ vote in the plebiscite held for that purpose. My father’s legislative values were strictly focused on the issues of fiscal responsibility, respect for constitutionalism, responsible governance and citizens welfare, subjects on which he intervened in parliamentary debates and oversight. A man ahead of his time, he was a strong believer in local government autonomy. As a 38-year-old legislator in the Western House at Ibadan, he was as hard on the central government as he was on the Western Region government, whenever he saw injustice.

Olorogun Bernard Okumagba is a former Delta State Commissioner of Finance and Commissioner of Economic Planning

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

ON THE ECOWAS STANDBY FORCE

Nigeria should prioritise its domestic security challenges

In the effort to activate its long-envisaged military Standby Force, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) recently adopted a training policy for the idea. With a projected 5,000 troops, the Standby Force is considered part of a broader security strategy to curb terrorism and cross-border crimes across the sub-region. To underscore its importance, President Bola Tinubu recently reiterated that the ECOWAS Standby Force must move from concept to operational reality. He spoke at the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja where other leaders within the sub-region endorsed the idea.

The enthusiasm for the formation and operationalisation of the 5,000-strong ECOWAS standby force is understandable, given the myriads of security challenges confronting many of the countries within the sub-region. The main objective is to enhance the security of the sub-region by supporting terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes. The force is also expected to assist in the restoration of democratic governance in member states affected by military coups and when necessary, to provide places affected by natural disasters. At present, ECOWAS maintains standby force in Guinea Bissau and The Gambia.

period. For about a decade now, the military has been operating at near maximum capacity, with troops deployed in various internal security operations in almost all the states. The military’s resources, especially weapons, vehicles, equipment and logistics, are already stretched to the limit.

commitment to the ECOWAS standby force would put an unbearable strain on the military, with unpleasant consequences on its ability to respond effectively to domestic security threats.

It is also noteworthy that the ECOWAS standby and other operational support. Nigeria, as the largest contributor, would likely bear a substantial portion of these costs. With the current state of the economy, and the sordid state of infrastructure in many critical sectors including health, education and transport, it is unclear whether a country that is practically borrowing to stay

The focus should be on how to defeat the brutal insurgency and banditry that have retarded Nigeria’s growth and development for more than a decade

However, while the objective may be noble, the call for activation of military force at this time may be overreaching for Nigeria, particularly considering our current security situation. As the largest contributor of troops to the force, Nigeria would deployment. Already, the military is overstretched and within our borders. Some recent operational setbacks have been attributed to inadequate manpower to maintain a strong presence and dominate wide areas. Therefore, deploying a substantial number of troops to the ECOWAS standby force would deplete, and divert manpower resources away from our pressing domestic security challenges where they are critically needed.

This is a luxury Nigeria cannot afford at this

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Letters to the Editor

consequences. The situation has even been compounded by the exit of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from ECOWAS and their regrouping under the Alliance of Sahel States. That means there are less countries from where troops could be drawn for the Standby force, or where they would be deployed to restore order.

While the idea of a regional force is commendable, we must prioritise our domestic security demands. Nigeria’s current security situation is complex, unpredictable and volatile, and we cannot afford to divert already scarce resources away from our domestic operations. At a period when many have called for the military to be adequately equipped to meet their operational engagements, there should be no external distraction. The focus should be on how to defeat the brutal insurgency and banditry that have retarded Nigeria’s growth and development for more than a decade.

We call on the federal government to reconsider its commitment to the ECOWAS standby force for now, and give priority to our domestic security challenges. We must bear in mind that a strong and stable Nigeria is essential for achieving regional security. Our charity must begin from home.

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

WE ARE ONLY TEMPORARY CUSTODIANS

Too many of us live in quiet delusion. We measure ourselves and others by race, intelligence, wealth, appearance, gender, or age—as if any of these were earned or permanent.

But the truth is simple: we all came into this world naked and emptyhanded. And no matter how high we rise or how much we gather, we will all leave the same way—with nothing.

Just yesterday, a friend said to me, “Basil, I admire you—you’re gifted.” That word struck me. *Gifted.* What is a gift, really? It is something given, not something created or deserved. So why should I parade my talent, insight, or voice as if I forged them myself?

The answer is clear: I shouldn’t. None of us should. Because whatever we

opportunity—is only temporarily in our custody. These things are not rewards. They are responsibilities.

Yet, the illusion persists. I know of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria who recently told a friend that he had “made it”—that others in the legal profession now aspire to be like him. But who told him that? Where is the proof? For all he knows, many of those he believes admire him are, in fact, his silent critics—calling him an “arrangee” lawyer behind closed doors.

Nyesom Wike who he thinks he is—and then let us all read the answer.

This is the danger of success without self-awareness. We begin to believe our own myth. We mistake temporary

forget that the highest purpose of any gift is to give it back—to use it in service of others.

That’s why I’ll commit a portion of the proceeds from the publication and distribution of my two books on Amazon.com to a cause larger than myself. I will dedicate that share to *Nigerian Legal Pro Bono Society*. It will bring together citizens and lawyers of integrity—Ferdinand Orbih, Chinedu Igwenazor, Femi Falana, and nonlawyers like Oby Ezekwesili, Nenadi Usman, and Mustafa Chike-Obi— individuals I believe still carry within

And when Justice Kudirat KekereEkun retires, I intend to rename it *The Justice Kekere-Ekun Legal Pro Bono

Society*, in honor of a woman whose career, to me, represents the kind of justice Nigeria still deserves. This is my offering. It may not seem grand in the world’s eyes, but it is my way of returning what never truly belonged to me. Because the truth is: We own nothing. Not our titles, not our talents, not even the air we take. We are merely caretakers—passing through a world we did not create, holding gifts we did not earn, bound for a future where only our deeds will follow us.

So I urge us all—whatever our station, whatever our gift—use it to serve, not to boast. Share it. Return it. Before time demands it back.

Basil Odilim, Abuja

Made Kuti Set to Host Listening Party for New Album

Grammy-nominated Nigerian Afrobeat multi-instrumentalist Omorinmade Anikulapo Kuti, popularly known as Made Kuti, will be holding a listening party for his highly anticipated second album, ‘Chapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From?’ at New Afrika Shrine, Ikeja, today, July 27.

Released on Friday, July 25, the album contains 13 songs and is available worldwide.

It features socially conscious songs like ‘Take It All In Before The Lights Go Out,’ ‘I Won’t Run Away,’ and ‘Life As We Know It.’ Other songs are ‘Find My Way,’ ‘Pray,’ ‘Won Na Pa,’ ‘Our Own,’ ‘Wait And See,’ ‘You Can’t Hide,’ ‘Oya,’ ‘My Voice,’ ‘Story,’ and ‘After The Tears Flow.’

The album is coming three years after his debut album, ‘For(e)word, a modern Afrobeat manifesto addressing issues like corruption, inequality, and police brutality. The album, which was released in a joint album, ‘Legacy+,’ alongside his father’s ‘Stop the Hate’ in 2022, earned him his first Grammy nomination for Best Global Music Album in 2022.

The upcoming event, FK Management noted, is not just about music - it’s a celebration of culture, creativity, and the next chapter in Made’s musical journey. Attendees are billed to experience an electrifying atmosphere filled with live performances, energetic dance, and a shared love for Afrobeat music.

Foodaholic Festival Unveils Plans for 7th Edition

The acclaimed Foodaholic Festival, often dubbed the biggest food festival in Nigeria, is set to return for its 7th edition on December 13, 2025.

This year, the organisers are promising more than just a feast for the palate — they aim to deliver a truly immersive and unforgettable experience that blends great cuisine with music, fashion, and family-friendly fun.Organised by Foodies and Spice, the culinary media brand founded by renowned food content creator Gina Ehikodi Ojo, the festival has grown into one of Nigeria’s most anticipated lifestyle events. What began as a casual hangout with just 100 attendees has evolved into a cultural phenomenon, attracting thousands of guests, food brands, families, creatives, and cultural enthusiasts from across Nigeria and the diaspora.

“We are particularly proud of the festival’s growing role in driving local tourism and boosting the Lagos economy,” said the convener, Ojo. “From job creation and vendor empowerment to increased foot traffic in the hospitality and retail sectors, the Foodaholic Festival has proven to be a powerful economic engine. Many of our vendors — food brands, fashion retailers, creatives, and artisans — make some of their biggest annual sales during this event.”

The New Media Conference (NMC) is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary on September 25, 2025, with a landmark edition themed “A Decade of Disrupting New Media: Shaping Africa’s Future.” The event, which will take place at The Podium, T.F. Kuboye Road, Lekki, Lagos, is part of a wider celebration that will also see the conference extend to Nairobi, Kenya, and for the first time, Accra, Ghana. Launched in Nigeria a decade ago, the conference has become a leading platform for conversations around digital innovation, media, and technology on the continent. This year’s edition is expected to go beyond retrospection, positioning itself as a rallying call for what the next decade of new media in Africa should look like.

To mark the milestone, the organisers have announced a new initiative — The NMC 100 — a curated list

In a major boost, the seventh edition has been officially endorsed by the Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Tourism Board.

“This is not just a win for the festival — it is a recognition of the role the creative industry plays in shaping the image, economy, and future of Lagos. We are grateful for the show of support and are excited to collaborate further in positioning the festival as an official tourism highlight in the State’s cultural calendar.”

At the unveiling of the seventh edition, food bloggers and vendors praised the festival’s impact on the culinary scene, describing it as a platform that has elevated their visibility and strengthened the food community.

According to Ojo, this year’s festival will feature a rich blend of cultural expressions, family zones, fashion runways, and hands-on masterclasses. “It’s a full sensory experience — a vibrant fusion of food, culture, music, and lifestyle. From our signature food court to family zones, fashion runways, and masterclasses, there’s something for everyone.”

The festival will also retain fan-favourite elements such as seasoning battles, dance-offs, and rap competitions between teams. The Foodaholic Festival will take place at JJT Park, Alausa, Lagos.

New Media Conference Marks a Decade of Impact

celebrating 100 individuals and organisations that have significantly shaped Nigeria’s digital media landscape over the past 10 to 15 years. The list will feature a diverse group of content creators, digital marketers, media entrepreneurs, community builders, and innovators who have played pivotal roles in transforming communication, culture, and commerce in the digital space. Nominations are currently open via the official website: https://newmediaconference. africa/nominate.

According to the organisers, the 10th edition will feature keynote speeches from pioneering figures in digital media, alongside panel discussions that explore the challenges and opportunities of Africa’s evolving media ecosystem. The conference will also provide a platform for real-time learning, networking, and collaboration among participants from across sectors.

An eclectic mix of attendees is expected, including creatives, media professionals, tech innovators, investors, policymakers, students, and emerging digital talents. Organisers say the conference continues to attract individuals and organisations seeking to connect, collaborate, and influence the future of digital communication in Africa.

Face of Independence Returns with Broader Vision

After a brief hiatus, the Face of Independence Nigeria pageant is back. This time with a renewed identity and refreshed format to mark its 10th edition. Now operating under a new umbrella, Face of Independence Nigeria Reality TV, the pageant and accompanying awards are set to expand their reach and impact.

While still celebrating beauty, the pageant’s focus extends beyond aesthetics. “We are driven by a single purpose: to develop human capacity and lift our youth beyond the margins of poverty, towards national pride, productivity, and purpose,” said the convener and Executive Producer, Barr. Catherine Oloidi at a cocktail event recently. Nationwide auditions will kick off in Cross River State on August 13, with subsequent stops in Rivers (August 16), Imo (August 19), Enugu (August 23), Abuja (August 27), and Lagos (August 30). For the first time, the age eligibility has been expanded to include contestants between 18 and 27 years. Entrants must be either graduates or undergraduates. The winner will receive a Lexus SUV. Oloidi also unveiled the theme of this edition: ‘Bridging the Gap of an African Woman,’ “which means eliminating barriers, providing opportunities and creating an inclusive system that allows African women to thrive equally, lead confidently and contribute meaningfully to national and continental development.”

In addition to the pageant, the Hero Awards will again spotlight outstanding Nigerians making a tangible impact in their communities.

“We don’t just give anybody a Hero’s Award. You must have impacted Nigerians in one way or another,” Oloidi noted. “We don’t just recognise these heroes, we amplify their stories to ignite a movement of national rebirth.”

The award, she said, is about inspiring a new generation to believe in the power of service and sacrifice for the country.

The evening concluded with the unveiling of the new brand ambassador, Barr. Anastasia Ugbaka.

The grand finale of Face of Independence Nigeria will be held on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at the Grand Ballroom of Eko Hotel & Suites.

Made Kuti

New Media Conference convener, Tosin Ajibade

L-R: Project Director, Mr. Coco-Bassey Ikpeme; Assistant Director-Production, Kaka Umoh; Executive Producer, Barr. [Mrs]. Catherine Oloidi; and 2025 Pageant Ambassador, Barr. Anastasia Ugbaka.

L-R: Team Leader, Sokoyokoto, Arit Olukoya; Team Leader, Yummy Yummy, Ifeoma Okechukwu; Team Leader, Pot la Hot, Onyinye Dozie; Convener, Foodaholic Festival, Gina Ehikodi-Ojo; Team Leader, Pepper Dem, Mide Gold, and Team Leader, Bellefull, Joy Adaku, at the press conference of Road to Foodaholic Festival in Lagos.

Ayeni:

LANRE ALFRED writes that beyond the sensational tabloids that have trailed the life of Tunde Ayeni, a lawyer, businessman and oncegolden boy of Nigeria’s financial sector, there always lived a man of vision, misunderstood, yet fiercely resolute in his belief that enterprise is the most enduring expression of faith.

Tunde Ayeni: Quiet Rise to Untarnished Reputation

Like an indefatigable mariner, Tunde Ayeni rode the storms and tumult of industry till he chanced on pliant waters. His unyielding spirit certainly paid off; it has seen him through the teething and ofttumultuous phases of enterprise. He survived the ravage of false starts and defeat, keeping faith in his capacity to triumph.

“Let the record show,” said Ayeni, between the lines, “that I am not what they painted.” Once cast in a harsh, controversial silhouette, the billionaire magnate is set on the path of renaissance; one anchored in depth, greater purpose and permanence. The empire he now dreams of is not driven by noise, but by necessity: ethical, enduring institutions meant to outlive rumour and outlast those who once misread him. If the past must be acknowledged, let it be only in passing—for Ayeni has long turned the page. “I am not what they painted,” he reiterated. And this time, he is writing his own portrait.

Yes, Ayeni is building again. But this time, not just towers of profit or partnerships with fleeting shelf lives. This time, the billionaire mogul with vast stakes in banking, energy, security, telecoms and infrastructure, is intent on building permanence: structures of steel and ethos that will outlive gossip and endure beyond the news cycle. He dreams of ethical institutions, rooted in national renewal, and immune to the virus of cheap sabotage. And yes, in a fleeting detour, he spoke briefly of Adaobi Alagwu. “Meeting her,” he confessed with a shrug weighted by grace, “was one of the greatest mistakes of my life.” But he does not dwell there. That story, he insisted, has been “mercifully closed.”

Not a few people mistake him for the ghost of a fallen empire, a relic of a collapsed

The Shallowness of Tabloid Impressions

The Ayeni the tabloids captured is but a shallow sketch. Yes, he had encounters with the EFCC. Yes, he was investigated. But his version is sobering: “I’ve never held a government office. I’ve never been a political appointee. I’ve never laundered money. What I own, I can explain—line by line, deal by deal.” But perhaps his greatest frustration was the misrepresentation of his essence. “I am not what they painted,” he said. “I’m not reckless. I’m not arrogant. I’ve made mistakes, yes. But my life is not a headline, it is a book. And they read only the scandalous chapter.”

For Ayeni, the personal storm arrived wearing a smile. It is no longer a saga he wishes to relive, but he admits that his entanglement with Alagwu remains a personal nadir. “She represents a season of blindness,” he said. “And like all blindness, it cost more than I realised.”

He continued, “Let it be known, once and for all,” he declared, “that I was never married to Adaobi Alagwu in any true, legal, cultural, or moral sense. That story, that illusion, has been allowed to fester for too long, and I will no longer dignify it with silence.”

He dismissed claims that he is being pressured by his wife, business associates, or friends to publicly disown Alagwu or the child she claims he fathered. “No one is pushing me. No one has ever pushed me. This is not about external influence, it is about truth and closure,” he said, his voice a blend of steel and restraint.

“I will never accept Adaobi’s daughter, today, tomorrow, or forever. She’s not my child. I only have three children, and they are known, loved, and acknowledged by me,” Ayeni stated, unflinchingly. “It’s sad that I must address something so deeply personal in public, but I cannot continue to be shackled by rumours built on fiction. This is about safeguarding my name, my children’s legacy, and the truth that outlives noise.”

to pin the child on me goes to show the level of her classlessness. It is, therefore, clear that the episode has ended,” Ayeni revealed.

The marriage, or what the world imagined as one, is no more, he stressed. “It was never a proper marriage to begin with, and now it has been formally dissolved in the presence of our attorneys and family representatives.”

“When people refer to her as my exmistress, I hate hearing it because it’s one of the darkest moments of my life. I regret ever meeting that lady,” he said. “Initially, I was trying to manage the entire episode to protect my family, reputation, and legacy, but it quickly became obvious to me that I was dealing with a lowlife who would go to any length to take advantage of and blackmail me with the support of her family,” said Ayeni.

Reacting to conflicting narratives suggesting that despite his categorical denials, he continued to visit Alagwu and the child in question, Ayeni was blunt in his response: “No, that’s behind me. Perhaps once, when I was trying to manage her, to prevent her from going to the streets. But not anymore. I’ve truly moved on from that ill-fated relationship, and it’s important for her to understand and respect that decision.”

For Ayeni, such insinuations only serve to distract from his current focus—retrieving what is lawfully his and preserving the dignity of his legacy. “If she has any evidence that I still come around, let her publish it. I’ve made my position clear in the courts, in the media, and in every private conversation: I want no part in that chapter of my life. It would be silly of her to keep engaging me after all this.”

For someone like him, who often avoids social media drama because of the reputational fallout it raises for local and international business, he said, he did not want anything that could negatively affect his image when checks are being cleared out. “Unfortunately, characters like this lady know this and take advantage of it, believing that people like me cannot come out like them on social media platforms. However, sometimes, it gets to a point where, as a man, you have to come out and fight your battle, and that’s exactly what I had to do, and it’s what I’m still doing. Like I said earlier, it’s a regrettable episode for me, and I never wish such for even my enemy.

bank. But Ayeni is no ghost. Call him “Mr Renaissance” - a businessman whose story was never truly told, whose fall was overstated, and whose rise remains one of Nigeria’s most compelling chronicles of grace under siege.

There is no gainsaying Ayeni flowered amid a storm of intrigues; where men are swiftly mythologised and then mercilessly maligned, he stands as both legend and lesson. His name, once synonymous with the heights of banking and telecommunications, was dragged into the gutters of gossip and misrepresentation. For a season, Nigeria mistook the silhouette of a scandal for the sum of a man. But Ayeni’s real story begins long before the cameras clicked and long after the headlines faded.

Truth Stranger than Fiction...

The truth about Skye Bank’s fall is more political than procedural, he asserted.

“Very soon, I will tell the full story. But for now, let it be known: the bank did not fail because it was mismanaged. The license was withdrawn. That’s all.”

As chairman, he insisted he had no executive role in loan disbursements or operational decisions. Most failures in Nigeria’s financial institutions stem from poor governance and corporate deceit, he said. According to him, he has seen a credit that was designed for real estate investment, but was made to look like it is a credit for an oil and gas business. And they—nonexecutive directors—were none the wiser. Despite public scrutiny and regulatory harassment, Ayeni has emerged from that episode with his entrepreneurial fire intact. He can still feed his family, he said. “I’ve never held a government position. Everything I own, I earned by the grace of God and through legitimate means.”

There was no marriage. There is no child. Let that lie rest.” Ayeni clears the air with surgical clarity. No more whispers. No more spin. “My name, my legacy, and my truth will not be hijacked by noise.” “No one is pushing me—not my wife, not business partners, not my friends”. This is my decision, and mine alone.” Ayeni slams claims that he was pressured to disown Alagwu and her child. “I am protecting my truth, not performing for headlines.”

With that, Ayeni closed the door on yet another ghost from a past he insists no longer defines him. What lies ahead, he affirms, is clarity, and the undistracted pursuit of a future crafted in peace, integrity, and purpose.

Their connection—once private— exploded into public acrimony. Accusations. Legal threats. Property disputes. Paternity tests. And finally, the court ruling: there was no marriage, no child, no truth to her claims. “I regret ever meeting her,” Ayeni said plainly, not out of anger, but from the deep sadness of misjudgment.

Cutting Losses and Moving on

For a man who once helmed one of Nigeria’s most prominent banks, Ayeni is not unfamiliar with high-stakes losses. But none, he claims, have wounded his spirit as deeply as his entanglement with Alagwu. In his own words, their relationship— if it could be called that—was choreographed by deceit. The ending came not with fanfare but with legal finality. “As we speak, the Magistrate Court in Dawaki, Abuja, on March 11, 2025, ruled to the effect that there was no marital affair between the lady and me, and that I am not responsible for her child. In any case, I was never the father; the child is not mine, and her desperation

“It’s all behind me now,” Ayeni said, his voice steady, yet laced with the weary poise of a man who has walked through the fire and came out scorched but standing. Today, two properties once occupied by her and her mother are subjects of recovery proceedings. For Ayeni, it is no longer about possession but closure. “She’s a footnote in my story,” he said. “One I’ve turned the page on.”

Having closed the tumultuous chapter with Alagwu, Ayeni now finds himself confronting another unwelcome distraction steeped in the grime of alleged betrayal. In a petition dated June 13, 2025, Ayeni formally called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate a socialite, Gail Fajembola, for what he describes as a calculated and sustained fraud involving his property.

According to Ayeni, the luxury apartment located at K9-2, Ocean Parade, Banana Island, was offered to Ms. Fajembola strictly on compassionate grounds. “It is important to emphasise,” he said, “that I initially permitted Fajembola to temporarily reside in the apartment strictly on humanitarian grounds based on her pleas of homelessness at the time. This act of kindness by me was never intended to confer tenancy rights or authority to sublet on her.” Yet, without his knowledge or consent, he stressed, Fajembola, through her company, GIF Energy Resources Limited, allegedly leased out the apartment for over three years, amassing rental income estimated to exceed 100 million.

“She has continuously collected rent on the apartment for over three years, despite having no legal right, title or authority over the property. This fraudulent conversion has caused me significant financial loss and reputational damage,” said Ayeni.

For Ayeni, the pursuit is not just about restitution, but reputation. He is intent on silencing every lie, correcting every shadow, and reclaiming every inch of truth, one fact at a time.

Ayeni

HighLife

If grace had a rhythm, Senator Oluremi Tinubu might just be its melody. From the dusty corners of Daura to the restless hills of Jos, Nigeria’s First Lady seems intent on giving compassion both a face and a name.

She was among those who took out time to go to Daura on a condolence visit to the family of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari last week. It wasn’t the first time she was visiting the place, having already met the locals due to her many humanitarian efforts in the past.

Since assuming her role, Senator Tinubu has steadily redefined what it means to be First Lady. With her “Renewed Hope Initiative,” she has distributed over N9.4 billion in relief and empowerment funding to Nigerians from all walks of life. The figures are staggering, but the focus is human. Widows, displaced families, elderly citizens, and even Nigerians in Sierra Leone; no demographic is too distant for her reach.

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

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

In Keffi, she inaugurated a resettlement city, now home to 239 displaced people. Not just roofs and walls, this new community has clinics, training centres, farms, and even greenhouses. Meanwhile, in Plateau, she pledged N1 billion in privately-sourced aid to victims of violent conflict, urging an end to cycles of bloodshed. She spoke not as a politician’s wife, but as a mother aching for healing.

Her methods blend humility with muscle. One day, she’s handing out scholarships; another, quietly sending N100 million to explosion victims in Niger State. Her critics may raise constitutional questions about the First Lady’s role, but her response is unwavering: the funding comes from private donors, not government coffers.

There’s no singular template for leadership, but there are rare examples that move a nation to rethink what’s possible. If every First Lady carried herself with the same sense of purpose, empathy, and strategic elegance as Senator Oluremi, perhaps more Nigerians would begin to believe in the very thing her Initiative promises—hope, renewed.

Adedeji Adeleke Has No Interest in Being Outshone

He does not dance on global stages or govern states in flamboyant Ankara. He does not belt platinum hooks to roaring crowds or throw hats into the political ring. But somewhere between the roaring turbines of his new $2 billion power plant and the hushed boardrooms of Pacific Holdings, Adedeji Adeleke is making a quieter kind of noise; one measured not in decibels, but in megawatts.

The new 1,250-megawatt gas-fired facility in Ondo State’s Ajebamidele is ready. All that remains is a line. A connection to the national grid. A flick of the infrastructure’s fickle switch. Once lit, it will become one of the largest independent power plants in the country, employing thousands and feeding desperately needed electricity into Nigeria’s sputtering grid.

Most Nigerians know him as Davido’s

father. Some remember that his younger brother, Ademola, governs Osun State. But Adeleke, ever the measured patriarch, prefers his empire industrial, not Instagrammed. From boreholes to banking, logistics to lecture halls, he has spent four decades building out Pacific Holdings with the unhurried resolve of a man who knows that legacy isn’t what you inherit but what you outgrow.

Still, it’s in power, literal power, that his vision is now taking shape. Pacific Energy already controls nearly 641 megawatts through plants in Ogun and Ondo States. With this new plant, the company threatens to eclipse Transcorp Power at the top of the pack.

He is a university president, a logistics boss, and a financier. But above all, Adeleke is a builder of futures. Not in the boisterous way of his son, nor the populist rhythm of his brother. He does not shout to be seen. He expands.

For Olugbenga Ashafa, It’s 70 Years of Gratitude

In a country where anniversaries typically pass in a blur of forgettable tributes, the 70th birthday of Senator Olugbenga Ashafa landed like a gentle hymn of gratitude: measured, sincere, and strangely moving. At the centre of it all stood a man not drawn to noise, but to purpose.

President Bola Tinubu, himself no stranger to the trenches of public life, joined other dignitaries in celebrating Ashafa’s milestone. The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, lauded his “exemplary life of service,” reminding all that longevity matters more when it has been lived for others.

Her words echoed what many in Lagos East, and indeed across Nigeria’s policy corridors, have long believed: Ashafa is the kind of public servant who gives institutions their dignity.

Born in the alleys of Lagos Island in 1955, he climbed with quiet intensity, first through Christ Church Cathedral School, then CMS Grammar, before crossing oceans to earn degrees in Biological Sciences and Public Health from Morgan State University and the University of Tennessee, respectively.

From land reform in Lagos to legislative contributions in the Senate, his work has often been about systems. As Senator, he was the engine behind bills that reshaped urban transport.

As MD of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), he’s brought technocratic calm to a sector that has seen too little of it. And always, there is the consistent hum of his loyalty to Tinubu’s larger vision: first in campaign trenches, later in policy design.

Ashafa is not of the flamboyant political mould. But in a nation that often confuses noise for progress, his restraint is a kind of music.

At 70, he offers no grandstanding, just the steady drumbeat of continuity. The President’s celebration was more than a formality. It was a nod to endurance, to discretion, to the quiet work of nationbuilding. Gratitude, after all, is the proper anthem for such a man.

His 70th birthday celebrations and book launch at Harbour Point Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Tuesday, July 22, were very successful. The event

had in attendance the governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and former governors, Babatunde Raji Fashola and Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and many other leading politicians in Nigeria.

In Ijebu-Ode, a Gentleman Remembers

It is not every day that a corporate titan pauses to say thank you to yesterday. But when Bimbo Ashiru speaks of the late President Muhammadu Buhari and the revered Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, he does so not as a boardroom veteran or political figure, but as a man who understands the quiet weight of legacy.

To Buhari, he offered a nod to discipline, to unity, to the restless ideal of a Nigeria that could be better. Of Adetona, the monarch who shaped generations of Ijebu thought and pride, Ashiru called him mentor, moral compass, and “father figure.”

And perhaps it was in that phrase that the heart of the tribute beat loudest. For Ashiru, reverence is not a ritual. It is a lineage. He was not the only voice that rose. Others sent condolences, spoke glowingly of the monarch’s reign or Buhari’s public service. But it is the precision with which Ashiru honours the past—clean, dignified, unforced— that stands apart. In a time when gestures often serve ambition, his seems anchored in something older: grace.

It is this instinct, this cultivated blend of duty and decency, that now guides him as chairman of the Odu’a Investment Company.

There, too, his fingerprints are visible: in boardroom deliberations, in regional strategy, in a vision that weds market sense with cultural mindfulness. He does not command the room; he aligns it.

Ashiru once transformed Ogun’s industrial terrain as Commerce Commissioner. Now, he shepherds the Southwest’s economic crown jewel with the same quiet charisma. The man is not seeking to be remembered. He is simply remembering and, in doing so, making memory itself a kind of leadership.

A Master Tailor’s Golden Moment: Seyi Vodi at 50

By the time Seyi Adekunle, known to the fashion world as Seyi Vodi, stepped into his 50th birthday celebration, Abuja had already begun to shimmer in gold. It was n’t just the fabrics, though there were plenty of those, nor the lights or laughter. It was the crowd that gathered not for a politician or oil baron, but for a man who built his empire with thread, needle, and relentless drive. Vodi’s life story could stitch itself into a Nollywood plot. After failing a bank employment test in the early 2000s, he didn’t sulk. Instead, he sewed. Starting out by hemming shirts and boxers for

his NYSC mates in Akwa Ibom, he leaned into the hum of the sewing machine with monastic focus.

No shop. No staff. Just skill, a go-bag of fabric, and a determination stitched tighter than the seams he crafted. Fast forward two decades, and Vodi Group stands as one of the most respected fashion conglomerates on the continent.

That legacy was on full display as Nigeria’s finest gathered to toast the man who turned tailoring into an art of influence. Senator Dino Melaye linked up with Seyi Tinubu; Prince Isaac Fayose mingled with governors. There was George Weah, and of course, Funke Akindele, glowing as ever. Even the

usually stern-faced Chairman of the EFCC came, not to audit, but to applaud. Before the glitter, though, there was grace. In the days leading up to the festivities, Vodi paid a visit to Bishop David Abioye, seeking blessings as he often does. Those who know him well speak of his dedication, quiet prayer, and unwavering belief in divine timing. Style, for Vodi, is not just outerwear. It’s inner life.

At 50, the man who once stitched bedsheets into designer shirts now styles presidents, runs a fashion institute, and still credits his success to five values: God, resilience, hard work, consistency, and self-upgrade.

Seyi Vodi and wife

Ashiru

Tinubu

Adeleke

Ashafa

Iyiola Omisore as the New Political Bride in Osun

In a political landscape perpetually in flux, Senator Iyiola Omisore has found himself back in fashion. The former deputy governor, senator, and national secretary of the All Progressives Congress, once painted as a relic of old-school politicking, is now being courted again, whispered about in corridors of power and invoked in the calculus of Osun’s political future.

He has been here before. And then, he vanished. But now, in a moment that feels both familiar and strange, the state’s political orbit is tilting back toward him.

This resurgence didn’t come with fanfare. It crept in. One of his former critics, Kamorudeen Adabanija, a vocal loyalist of Rauf Aregbesola, recently emerged from police custody with a surprising confession: admiration for the man he once called a murderer. Adabanija’s U-turn lit up Osun’s political grapevine, casting Omisore as a man of remarkable restraint and long memory, the type who absorbs insults without returning fire, then rises—clean, composed, still relevant.

But Omisore’s allure today is not rooted

Bitter Rivers: Amaechi and Wike’s Unfinished Symphony

Some political rivalries burn fast and flicker out. Others, like the long feud between Nyesom Wike and Rotimi Amaechi, seem built to last. This latest act, composed of allegations, denials, and a forensic audit wrapped in high drama, feels less like governance and more like a Shakespearean subplot staged across Port Harcourt and Abuja.

Once allies in Rivers’ politics, the former governors have since become archfoes, each wielding public platforms as battlegrounds. Wike, now minister of the Federal Capital Territory, recently called on President Bola Tinubu to publish the long-buried forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission. According to him, that report contains explosive evidence: that Judith Amaechi, wife of the former transport minister, collected N4 billion monthly from the NDDC under the guise of training

women in the region.

That figure floated through the air like a scandalous hymn. Wike didn’t just allege. He dared. If the audit doesn’t confirm his claim, he said he’d resign.

Amaechi’s camp responded quickly, rejecting the accusations with cool fury. Judith, described by her husband as an “industrialist,” dismissed Wike’s claims as absurd fiction. Her media aide painted the allegations as political blackmail, meant to discredit her NGO, the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), which had partnered with the NDDC on training programs.

But the audit remains sealed. No one in the public has seen it. Which makes this duel one of insinuation and spectacle: loud accusations met with louder outrage, all set against the backdrop of a forensic ghost file.

Amaechi, ever the stoic, poked at Wike’s credibility. Wike, ever the performer, questioned Amaechi’s legacy. They have walked the same

in sentiment. It is arithmetic. As Governor Ademola Adeleke toys with defection to the APC and reshapes Osun’s political order, the party finds itself split between caution and ambition. Many old loyalists grumble at the thought of Adeleke’s arrival, worried he’ll crowd out those who’ve stayed since their 2022 defeat.

In this uncertainty, Omisore glows. Not as a loud contender, but as a bridge between factions, between histories, between old loyalties and new opportunities. With deep roots in Ife, technocratic credentials that still impress, and a résumé stretching from electrical engineering to national politics, he offers what many lack: structure, steadiness, and the ability to stay relevant without shouting.And so, once again, Osun’s political dance begins. But this time, the chorus is softer, and eyes, both young and old, are turning toward the man whom many once dismissed.

He is no longer a sideline story. He is the story.

paths, held the same office, ruled the same state. But the distance between them has never been wider. This is not just about receipts or resignations. It’s about power, memory, and the enduring ache of rivalry. Until that audit surfaces, or one of them blinks, the symphony plays on.

The Dame Who Dares: Adaora Umeoji and the Zenith Vision

Politics, like palm wine, usually ferments best in clay pots, and the Nigerian brand of it brews with a mischievous spirit. One can hardly sip without tasting betrayal, loyalty, and a hint of slapstick. So here we are, watching the swirl between Atiku Abubakar and Governor Ademola Adeleke, a duo once yoked by party and perhaps pounded yam, now dancing on opposite rhythms. Atiku, that veteran of ballot battles and legendary defections, has again turned his face from the PDP tent, this time finding shade beneath the sparse umbrella of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Whether this new alliance is an ark or a mirage remains anyone’s guess, but Atiku’s tone is unmistakable: the PDP, he says, is too frail to win. Again, he’s left. Again, he insists the ship is sinking.

But Adeleke, the crown prince of Osun State’s groove and governance, has chosen a different beat. He remains in the PDP, feet

There is a certain quiet drama unfolding behind the glass walls of Zenith Bank’s headquarters. Not the kind that draws headlines or hashtags, but one that whispers of legacy, precision, and deliberate reinvention.

At the centre of it all is Dame Adaora Umeoji, the woman steering one of Africa’s largest financial institutions into a future she insists must outlive all of us.

Umeoji is not new to the upper deck of banking. She spent eight years as Deputy Managing Director before becoming Group Managing Director and CEO in 2024. Now, just over 100 days into her tenure, she’s already moving with the rhythm of someone who understands the stakes and the spotlight.

Her vision? A bank that doesn’t just win awards but redefines what an African institution can be. Under her watch, Zenith has notched nearly every honour on the financial industry’s shelf: Best Bank in Nigeria by Euromoney, Most Sustainable Bank by International Banker, and even the Most Responsible Organisation in Africa at the

planted but eyes wide. He and his loyal band of party elders have pledged, somewhat curiously, to back President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, even as they insist the party remains intact and undefeated in Osun.

What does one make of a PDP governor endorsing an APC president? Is this a new rhythm in Nigerian politics or just another step in the old masquerade dance of convenience?

The question, of course, is not merely about the handshake across party lines. It is whether Adeleke’s allegiance to Atiku has expired or simply evolved. Will he still invite his old comrade to the feast, or will the kitchen wail before the soup simmers?

More pointedly: will any candidate be bold—or reckless—enough to let both men mount the same stage? Nigeria has seen collapsing podiums before, but rarely ones so weighted with contradiction.

In the end, it may not matter. Nigerian politics remains a festival of shifting tunes. Some

Taiwo

SIFAX Launches Direct UK Export Service

2024 SERAS CSR Awards. These are not decorations. They are punctuation marks in a story still being written.

Still, Umeoji seems less interested in applause than in architecture. “We are building a global financial institution that will outlive generations,” she recently said.

Backed by a résumé threaded with Harvard, Wharton, and MIT, she brings academic depth to her boardroom decisions. But it’s her consistency—valuesdriven, future-facing, detail-obsessed— that’s winning over sceptics and galvanising staff. She’s turned corporate governance into a competitive advantage and community engagement into more than just a buzzword.

If the old model was banking as power, Umeoji’s version is banking as purpose. Quietly, confidently, she is changing the script. And in a country so often distracted by noise, it is the discipline of her silence and the strength of her results that may prove the loudest of all.

If Lagos were a poem, being a businessman with a taste for motion, precision, and the fine print of possibility, Taiwo Afolabi would be one of its most lyrical lines. Now, with the stroke of strategic foresight, his SIFAX Group has unveiled something quietly revolutionary: a direct Lessthan-Container Load (LCL) export service from Nigeria to the United Kingdom.

It may not sound like poetry at first. But for thousands of Nigerian exporters, especially small and medium-sized enterprises long shackled by convoluted shipping routes and container-filling logistics, it is a sonnet to progress. Thanks to a newly minted partnership between SIFAX Shipping Company and Netcargo UK Limited, the era of third-party transshipments and unpredictable delays may finally be drawing to a close.

“This is more than just a logistics upgrade,” says Adekunle Owobamirin, General Manager of Groupage and Export Services at SIFAX. “It’s a reimagining of what trade can look like for the Nigerian entrepreneur.” In plainer terms: your goods now go straight to London without unnecessary detours.

The first trial shipments set sail in June. By July, full operations began in earnest, with cargo already moving through SIFAX’s upgraded bonded warehouses; spaces once known for bottlenecks, now retooled for speed. And it doesn’t stop there. Through strategic import partnerships with WSC Logistics and Shotto Logistics Limited, the SIFAX ecosystem now offers a two-way street: goods from China and India arrive cleaner, faster, and more efficiently than before, providing third-party logistics firms access to the group’s robust infrastructure.

Afolabi

Omisore

Umeoji

Wike

Atiku

dance in silence. Others, like Atiku and Adeleke, carry drums.

Monday Okpebholo’s Unkind Language

I watched the two reports on the Edo State governor’s clear instructions to Peter Obi. In the first, he had said, in very suspect English: “No come Edo. Any time you want to come Edo, come and take permission from me otherwise, anything wey do you, no call me o.” A clear threat.

Then as public odium rose, he attempted a clarification: na advice I dey advice am o, because people died and my police orderly died during election campaign.

My people, only the weak fear Peter Obi. Obi stormed Abeokuta the other day for Obasanjo’s birthday, nobody died. He went to Ikeja GRA to defend his brother who was fighting for land and nobody died. I have seen him in so many states and nobody has died so why are people suddenly “dying”

ROTIMI

AMAECHI: A MEANINGLESS VOW

This lord has vowed to stop Tinubu’s second term and how he will do that, me dey wait here to see. In a report filed at the Port Harcourt airport, he was said to have reported that he will do everything within his powers to stop what is looking like an inevitable coasting to victory by the incumbent.

Me, I like his optimism, his bravery and also his courage. But the question I want to ask is how? Is it with that contraption that they have called ADC that he wants to use to achieve this? A coming together of greying dragons with phallic sensitivities that he wants to leverage? Even a small eunuch knows that that ADC is doomed to fail with great grandfather Atiku sitting there l, not wanting to “gree” and other such titans all angling for the ticket. Meanwhile, the other party members are crying that their party has been hijacked by merchants from “Dubai” and its cohorts.

I wrote a piece last week on why Atiku should just go, and one Osa started abusing my children

anytime he comes to Edo. Is it because he wears only black clothes and black shoes? On that, I have mentioned several times that this his only black attire makes him look cheap o, but he doesn’t listen.

The full antidote to Obi is good governance and allowing the people’s mandate to be upheld. You know the saying of creaking bones where the old woman will be flinching? This seems to be the problem and not Obi.

When the mandate is “kurukere”, any small thing go dey fear you. That is all. Anyway, I think that the main issue is for “bros” to pull back and recalibrate. The finesse is no longer the issue as we used to think, it is the native intelligence and depth to lead a sophisticated state like Edo without turning into a comedian. Thank you.

and threatening me that he will be “worse than Bwala once his appointment” into one thing inside ADC is confirmed. Those are the words of a chicken with venereal disease, so I no bother. But what bothers me is the insistence of these men of the past blocking the road to true opposition politics especially in these times when we are staring clearly at the road to monarchical hereditary government. All these coalition builders should just leave the scene and “getat,” so that we can now know how to galvanise true people’s power and attempt a rescue of the captured Nigerian state. These ADC people should spend more time consulting with their cardiologist and erectile dysfunction experts and free up oxygen so that we can do what we need to do. Thank you.

KEMI BADENOCH: A VOW TO BE KEPT

This one just needs prayers o. This one and that Olunloyo girl are in the same boat. They are the ones pulling their father’s private parts in public o. This latest one just shows that Mummy needs serious prayers and pity. That her children cannot have

Nigerian citizenship because she is a woman or what was that she said?

Kai, if this one becomes British Prime Minister, she can attack Nigeria o. I do not understand where the bile against her birth and natural country comes from. No matter what she would have gone through, she must realise that millions more have gone through worse. And if she cannot in her powers do the right and responsible thing – which is to use her prominence to fight for those ills that may have just so scarred her – she should just ignore us.

Making Nigeria and Nigerians the platform for her politics confuses me. It’s not like Nigerians have the numbers to either defeat or help her win an election in the UK or Nigerians have the influence to affect any major policy direction in the UK, so I don’t understand the fixation. Nigerians are mostly very vulnerable in that country, they go through a harrowing experience as economic refugees, you hardly see a Nigerian in the UK smiling, they

have been mostly turned into drones who work and work and work and work to earn a decent living. They now cover their humiliations by taking advantage of the unholy exchange rate to come here and do Detty December as a relief from the wahala they face there, only to go back to work and work to pay off the credits they had amassed from the strenuous “enjoyment”.

So, the Nigerian lot in the UK, is not Eldorado and like “our thing dey always be,” we now have such a high profile “representative” that should be our own biblical Esther but instead turns the heat on her own people. Sad.

My advice is for us all to pray very solidly that something should happen o, because if this one becomes Prime Minister pere, all of una in that abroad will suffer o. Kai.

YUSUF BUHARI’S MISSED OPPORTUNITY

As I watched this young man address the Federal Executive Council, something came to my mind. You know I can be mischievous like thatso this was also a first son? Aghhh, he didn’t attend FEC

Akpabio

Buhari

Amaechi

Badenoch

Okpebholo

meetings, he did not attempt to shake the Pope, he did not get involved in these other things that we are seeing now or even stand in front of official delegations to greet international dignitaries.

Which kind first son was this one sef? He did not get the memo. I think he just went and got in a motorcycle accident and since then, went under to nurse his injuries and ego, thereby reducing the office to the level of a local government First Lady’s office.

Thankfully, the present occupier has thrown all of that away and the office now has its pride of place, complete with motorcades, national anthem singing arrivals, coat of arms and a huge retinue of officers with its own cabinet and its own National Assembly.

This Yusuf did a great disservice to the office. In fact, the office has known no such glamour since the time of Mohammed Abacha and Yusuf did everything within his powers to further denigrate it. This is why I like Nigeria, nothing like that lasts. Today we have a more vibrant office, a charismatic holder and a stronger influence in national “doings.” Yes, this is how the office of the First Son should truly be. Thank you.

GOV ADEMOLA ADELEKE DANCING IN CIRCLES

This one has backflipped into trouble. Everybody has done their “traitorship” with ease, it came to his turn, he carry big belle, do back flip and backslide and hit roadblock. He did not read the memo of his other colleagues in Delta and Akwa Ibom who moved very easily. But instead, he carry Cubana Chief Priest and Davido to Aso Rock to plead his case.

What do you expect, one that has a “baby mama” issue in Kenya and the other one with a frog voice to plead your case to be accepted into the greatest political party in Africa since Nelson Mandela’s APC? Na “obo” dem give them. They were not accepted.What could be more humiliating? A party that is very hungry for conscripts especially in a state that has been adjudged the ancestral home of the President and the governor being of another party not being accepted?

So, in shame, they forged a “little bit to the left and a little bit to the right” style, which is, I am still in PDP but will support Asiwaju’s presidential second bid - a classic Wike mantra.

Well, I wish the dancing governor well even as I state that I still really do like him, if for nothing else but for his penchant to break into dance no matter the situation. Well done Baba mi.

BISMARK REWANE: A HAIR RAISING SPECTACLE

This “eleyi” economist has come out in his jerry curl to pr that the Naira is now stable and that the economy has turned the corner. Me, I have always looked at this tele-economist with one eye since I became a failed stockbroker and amateur economist. Mr Rewane has over the years built a career on stating the obvious in a dignified and elegant manner to the admiration of some Nigerians, me not inclusive. His postulations are always just that – simple and almost pedestrian. No complexity, nothing deeper than what you would see on the pages of any newspaper you carry. But somehow, the man has won some funny kind of respect

to the point that he consults for huge corporations and hit the top when he was announced Economic Adviser or something like that to one President, and we all saw what came out of that one.

Mbok, SS 1 student of economics will tell you very clearly that the Naira has not stabilised anything.

So, they have done “wuru wuru” to the answer and we are seeing temporary results. Yet he has run quickly to proclaim hallelujah. Spending about $2billion as reported to defend the Naira cannot be hailed as messianic, even me as CBN governor with my F9 in maths and P7 in economics can do

OMOYELE SOWORE IN THE EYE OF THE STORM

I used to think that he had “apollo.” You know when you listen to his interviews, he will be drooling like someone that drank “akpeteshi.” The man speaks in confusing intonationhe would be talking with one tiny American accent and now mix it with a small Yoruba accent. He would now add Lagos pidgin and what you get is Yele English. Anyways, it was announced that his “bones” was not for covering “apollo” but that it was an “AI” Glasses. Mbok, come and see the description of the glasses. They say the glass can talk, it is bullet proof and can send emails. This is activism of the 21st century. Not that VDM who is still going to the village to stream for juju protection. Yele has gone CIA on DSS, his “bones” is now his power. It can interject secret messages from DSS to its operatives, interpret their signals, disarm them, make their handcuffs to work and very importantly, it has x-ray vision such that it can see our nakedness.

Yes, Yele sees all of our nakedness once he puts on these glasses, you see why Senator Natasha’s husband no gree for Yele to join the team because na another thing bros go dey look with that him wicked bones.

gone into serious consultations as to why Yele is so fearless. Did you see the way he accosted those policemen on the road and asked them to “common clear out?” Abi can you not see the way he is asking the IG to retire, since he is over 100 years old and was ADC to Lord Lugard? So, the police quickly put together a crack team of highly intelligent officers to look very deeply into this Yele and come back with recommendations on how to neutralise him.

The committee visited babalawos and prophets all over the nation and came back with the massive recommendations – his glasses. Take the glasses and Yele is nothing.

Immediately, an officer was given the task of ridding Yele of his glasses. So, at the next protest which incidentally was a protest for better welfare of police retirees, something happened. The man with the mandate, did his job as immediately Yele appeared, he grabbed the glasses and ran.

Now Yele is weak and vulnerable and like the biblical Sampson who got his hair cut and lost his powers, Yele can no longer fight. He is shouting, seeking help to get his power back and this is the time for his enemies to move

that na. This is like throwing water to a fire – all laymen do that and the fire will calm down small and the next minute it will burst out in uproarious anger and the real professionals will come and tackle it from the source.

This Rewane man hailing a shallow victory just goes to confirm where I have put him in the pantheons of economists. Me, I will win the Nobel Prize in Economics well before him. Where are the fundamentals, where is the boost in productive capacity? We are on the one hand screaming that the benchmark of oil price used on the budget is not being met and our daily output is about 500,000 barrels less than projected, leading to budget shortfalls and the president needing to rush back to the National Assembly to borrow another $21billion which is about 40% of budget to be able to meet its requirement, and this one is shouting eureka when there is explosion ahead.

Me, I support government borrowing if they are judiciously spent and I support some of the projects that have been reported that the funds will be used for as they will open the economy. But to say we have “stabilised”, na lie. We are very very far from stabilisation. What we are seeing now is a temporary storm that will soon abate by the time the FPI funds used to defend the Naira start flowing elsewhere.

What we need is not chorus boys like Rewane but very serious and in-depth analysts who will work with the CBN – who I must say have shown strong resolve to fight this thing, well done on the forbearance issue - to wrestle down the monsters of inflation, FX fluctuations amongst others. Guess what? The solution is not with the CBN but in the real sector and at this point, you scream for Trade and Investments, Solid Minerals, IT and Communications, Petroleum and other such huge engines of real economic growth. We need to diversify the economy now and not rebase. Rebase is wururu to the answer oooo! Someone should pull Rewane’s ears and tell him. Come and beat me.

USORO AKPABIO: WELL DONE, CALM DOWN, START WORK

When the appointment of my sister as the new and pioneer head honcho at the newly established Sou th South Development Commission was announced, the whole country gasped in admiration. Usoro has paid her dues. A veteran within the corridors of power, an adept follower of power and a surreal attendant to the welfare of people, her appointment is one round peg in a round hole that the harshest of critics cannot do but celebrate.

During the week, she and her management team received their official mandates from the Secretary to the Federal Government, signposting the blowing of the whistle. Her job in the South South is clearly marked out as the older NDDC have not really lived up to its expectations as an interventionist platform. Usoro and her team must as a matter of priority move very succinctly towards tackling the many problems in the region.

I remain very confident, and I must say that from feelers across the region, that Usoro with her credentials and firm reputation, is the woman for the job. Well done sis and go for it. God bless you.

Good Tidings for Mohammed Babangida

In 2015, Mohammed Babangida, the eldest son of Nigeria’s exmilitary ruler, Ibrahim Babangida, signified his interest in contesting for Governor of Niger State under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), even before many others in the state.

While many claimed that he wanted to ride on the crest of his father’s popularity, his loyal fans denied the allegation.

It was gathered that the pololoving dude consulted far and wide over his political ambition and sent emissaries to his father to support him. But, according to a source, his father neither supported him nor kic ked against the idea.

This, therefore, made him jettison the ambition, even when it was obvious that he had many supporters who were ready to do his bidding.

Interestingly, Mohammed, apart from being his father’s split image, also shares almost similar idiosyncrasies with the retired General. He obviously understood his father’s body language and quickly let go of his ambition.

It was alleged that he later used his earlier political structure to support the other PDP candidate, Umar Nasko, who eventually lost the election to the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate.

Against this backdrop, many speculated that he might have finally bid farewell to politics, especially as he su bsequently involved himself only in managing his father’s vast Estate, while also promoting his passion, polo.

It, therefore, came as a surprise to many when his name was announced by the Presidency as Chairman of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) last week.

Shortly after the announcement, it was rumoured that he turned down the offer. This turned out to be another work of his traducers.

Moha, as fondly called by admirers, has since assumed work at the headquarters of the bank.

Of Femi Fani-Kayode and Retinue of Women

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi FaniKayode, appears to relish media attention. Whether it’s for his political views or his romantic escapades, he often finds a way into the spotlight.

Though acting may not yet be part of his intimidating résumé, the former minister has a knack for injecting comic relief into some of the country’s most tense moments. He is never in short supply of theatrical flair.

At a time when the average Nigerian is grappling with a biting economy, the Osun Stateborn smooth-talking politician hit the streets with the news of his picking a new love, a native of Abia State

According to reports, the bride, identified as Adaugo, is a 29-year-old interior designer, devout Pentecostal Christian and graduate of a top private university in Nigeria.

Many will recall that Fani-Kayode recently had a showdown with one of his wives, Precious Chikwendu, a former beauty queen and the mother of his four sons. They married in 2014 and

divorced in 2020.

Reports suggest the relationship between them has remained cordial, with Precious having unrestricted access to their children.

Fani-Kayode, who is seen in many quarters as a handsome dude and ‘playboy’, has been romantically linked with several women in the past, most of whom would make a full-blooded man drool.

His previous unions include his first wife, Saratu “Baby” Atta, whom he married in 1987 and divorced three years later- the union was blessed with one child, Oluwafolake.

He married his second wife, Yemisi Adeniji, in 1991. They had two girls together before the marriage crashed in 1995. Yemisi, who is also a niece to a former Minister of Trade, Olusegun Aganga, left him for Kano State-born Dahiru Wada, son of the late Inua Wada.

Fani-Kayode, also a former Special Adviser to former Olusegun Obasanjo, once married a Ghanaian, Regina Hanson Amonoo, a

From Palace to Prison: Oba Oloyode’s ‘Majestic’ Glide to Gaol

Following the passing of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba James Adegoke, in 2017, the kingmakers of the ancient town faced a long and tortuous search for a successor. For two years, the palace seat of the Ife North Local Government Council in Osun State remained without a monarch.

At the time, a prince, Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede, a US-based businessman, was reportedly the most popular among the long list of princes seeking to ascend the throne of their

Successful people, they say, have two things on their lips: Silence and Smile. A smile to solve problems, and silence to avoid problems. These two vital moods are what this great achiever, Abas Alhassan, has imbibed, not just as watchwords but as scoring points in business fronts.

He’s the type that believes in working hard in silence and allowing success to make the noise. Very quiet and dynamic, the high-flier, who stops at nothing to fulfill his dreams, is an accomplished chartered accountant. The passion to fill what he considers a great vacuum informed his choice of technology in Nigeria.

The former banker with StanbicIBTC recently launched a new mobile application in Nigeria, known as Safety Watch, to empower citizens with tools for real-time crime alerts, GPS tracking, and instant reporting of security threats.

The app is designed to improve personal and community safety by giving users access to live security updates, location-sharing features, and a

forebears. He was influential and wealthy.

Like someone desperate for the stool, he was said to have promised the town so many things, among which was a new palace. In fairness to him, the old palace had become derelict, an eyesore and unbefitting of someone from the US. He carried out the demolition after he received the crown, though.

When his name was submitted by the kingmakers as the successor to the throne, a dissenting voice suddenly echoed, calling to task the selection process. This group of people went to court in objection to the selection.The aggrieved accused the kingmakers of having turned the head of the traditional procedure upside down in selecting a new Apetumodu, alleging further that Oloyede was a product of a compromised process.

They also accused the Ooni of Ife of turning a deaf ear to an Ile-Ife High Court injunction by giving his expressive nod to the decision of the kingmakers. Perhaps, if the kingmakers had listened to this group of people, they would have saved the town from the monumental embarrassment they are facing today.

A few years after his installation, Oba Oloyede travelled to his former base in the US. Of course, that was not the first time of embarking on such trips since he ascended the throne,

direct line for reporting incidents.

“It is also a proactive response to the need for a citizen-led security awareness,” the development team stated.

The team added: “With one platform, users can stay alert, stay connected, and stay safe.”

Alhassan is the former Chairman of the Committee of Chief Internal Auditors of Banks in Nigeria. He holds a B.Sc. degree in Banking and Finance; a M.Sc. degree in Finance, Post Graduate Diploma in Coaching and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

He was a member of the Audit Committee of Standard IBTC Bank Ltd and a former Executive Officer of the International Coaching Federation, South Africa chapter.

His work experiences include the Executive Head of Internal Audit for Corporate and Investment Banking for Standard Bank of South Africa, and he previously held the position of Executive Head of Internal Audit for Standard

but what made this frightening was that the journey was unreasonably long.

The town was gripped by anxiety over the prolonged vacancy of the throne. The monarch’s absence became a source of deep concern, not only for his family but also for his subjects.

The call for investigation became more strident with the claims in some quarters that a Nigerian who bears the same name as the monarch was facing charges in the US for complicity in a multi-million-dollar fraud. But some of his family members, as well as friends, denied this until it was finally confirmed that the monarch’s major source of wealth was fraud. He is accused of defrauding the US government of about $4.2 million. He was said to have presented fake documents for his businesses and those of others in order to benefit from the US government loan support to struggling businesses in the aftermath of COVID-19. He has since pleaded guilty and is awaiting a sentence. While the people of the ancient town wait with uncertainty about how long their king will be away in an American jail, one thing is certain: Oba Oloyede’s promise to give his people a befitting modern palace may never happen, just as the possibility of his return to the throne is zero.

Bank Africa. He has over 35 years’ experience in risk management, internal and external audit, forensic examination, finance, bank operations and branch management. His experience spans Nigeria, West Africa and the African continent.

One Year after, Family, Friends Remember Ifeanyi Ubah

The late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah made an impact in whatever he was involved in. As a businessman, he made a lasting impression; as an oil guru, his presence was felt; as a leader, he touched many lives; and as a philanthropist, he was like sunshine to many whose lives he brightened during dark moments. He was unapologetically committed to the uplift of his community while also helping humanity.

The man, who was also the Chairman of Capital Oil, was a force to be reckoned with in Nigeria’s economic sector. His entrepreneurial exploits qualified him as one of the most audacious business moguls Nigeria can boast of. This exceptional achiever grabbed life by the lapel and got transformed into an enviable status filled with accomplishments.

Though his style and approach to some issues

may be distasteful to many, he held his passion with absolute conviction, fighting many battles that would easily cower the faint-hearted, he dared the mighty, ventured into the unknown, and took the trophies everywhere he went.

His death on July 27, 2024, was a blow, not only to his family and friends, but to the whole country because he was a detribalised Nigerian who welcomed everyone. Little wonder tributes were showered on him during his burial in his hometown in Nnewi.

Today, as gathered by Society Watch, his immediate family, friends and close associates will remember the man whose lifetime was dedicated to the service of humanity.

Fani-Kayode

Oloyode

Alhassan

Ubah

Babangida

businesswoman and pastor, who lives in Ghana- they have a daughter together.

ARTS & REVIEW ARTS &

Charbel Coffi Unfurls Ecological Art with Vintage Charm

Beninese artist Charbel Coffi’s unique blend of natural earth pigments and synthetic materials brings attention to the paradoxes of our time. His distinct craquelure technique adds a vintage charm to his artworks, which explore the fractured relationship between nature and human identity.

Yinka Olatunbosun writes

Cracks, long a subject of interest in earth science, have often indicated tectonic activity, earthquakes, or volcanic activity. In the ground, cracks can also suggest soil erosion, drought, and other environmental stressors. For the Beninese paintings is rooted in his environmental consciousness, humanity’s impact on nature.

ago. Before becoming an artist, he had a diverse career modeled for prominent African fashion brands. Although early 2000s that he began painting more consistently, eventually leading to his current artistic pursuits. At the moment, the artist’s visual philosophy leans visual beauty.

To articulate his ideas, he often uses organic pigments to the intangible.

the craquelure technique create a sense of fragility to add depth and sustain visual interest.

laterite, sand, and pigments, alongside industrial elements like acrylic, to translate the messages I receive. These becomes visible. The marks of time and the imprint ofDutch, or invented scripts, serve as cryptic inscriptions

“They speak of loss and fragmentation, but also of hidden are never planned. They emerge spontaneously, inspired disconnection from the Earth, our forgotten inheritances, across forms, rooted in a spirit of continuity rather than rupture.

Beyond creating a hub to facilitate his creative output,

time: nature damaged by human hands, and the

illustrate the onslaught of life’s vicissitudes.

Coffi at work

One of the artist's paintings

kaolin, laterite, and salvaged objects, he produces contemplative. One of his distinctive techniques -

illusion of cracks on his paintings created by

Engaging Victor Ecoma’s Threads of Innovation

Stories by Yinka Olatunbosun

Before the curtains closed on the exhibition Twining the Boundaries in Lagos, art historian, scholar, and artist Victor Ecoma had been

To celebrate his 63rd birthday, he decided to share his thoughts and varied perspectives through a retrospective exhibition of paintings and drawings at the Nationalness over the past 25 years as a painter and technique for this artist, characterized by his

“Twining the Boundaries highlights thetwine in an aesthetic manner to create decorative shapes and forms, creating boundaries between

EXHIBITION

been a crucial material, contributing to various rich history, Ecoma has developed a unique style of painting that incorporates twine to engage

paintings such as “Rhythms of Hope”, “Gill Child Education”, “Scroll”, “Spirit Dancers”, -

munal living, some of his paintings and etchings culture and celebrating self-expression through

combined with his love of anthropology, has Committed to using his art to address societal -

highlights the agony and trauma of people forced to leave their homes, carrying belongings or -

conveys the emotional toll of displacement, strength and solidarity of displaced communities, depicting people coming together and

For Ecoma, this exhibition serves as a reminder contemporary art scene, not only as a means of creative expression but also as a way to diversify

Empowering the Next Generation of Thespians Pushing New Frontiers for Future Masters

The search for the next generation of young crein Lagos with an audition organised by the National Theatre in collaboration

where children with talents in singing, acting, or dancing can be nurtured for a for children with a passion for performing judges, comprising Charity Omaghomi Konwea (Choreographer), and Bola Edwards (Producer and Director), tested the Prior to the audition, it was advertised on social media, inviting c hildren aged 8 to 16 to record a 1 minute 30 seconds video of acting monologue and 30 seconds children attended the audition, held at the

satisfaction with the selection process for the new breed of performers who will undergo training at the summer camp, which opens on July 28 and runs until

lenges, we are able to push through and we are starting the summer camp with a National Theatre, we are always about

WORKSHOP

Featuring emerging artistic talents selected from a pool of painters and sculptors, the seventh edition of the annual exhibition titled -

perspectives, and particulars of under the guidance of art educators and drawn inspiration from their individual experiences and

EXHIBITION

is a way to engage our children during

tion, revealed why the foundation is this summer camp because it aligns with our core values, which are about appreciate what the National Theatre is doing to empower young people by providing them a stage to develop and be a sustainable career, and we believe

Bola Edwards, CEO

and

Founder of

10-year journey of Story Theatre with Grandma Wura and the underlying the family right, everything else falls Theatre in 2015 – to create a platform for families to come together and enjoy incredibly rewarding to see how the theatre has built and structured children, equipping them with foundational

charcoal and water colour,” she revealed during

experience and her environment, is laden with

a timid child who was hardly allowed to express herself especially being the youngest child in her for a variety of emotions which is evident in her

pushing his art practice at the Universal Studio

templating life ahead of him in order to brace

with sand, wood, marble chips and any medium

the fact that in our society, we all believe that there is a particular person that will change everything

he contemplates the future of an heir apparent: his a multidisciplinary artist, specialises in sculpture shows my concern for my environment, and how

“The Fragments of Hope” underscores environ-

meaning “Best of Sales” to illustrate the spirit of which wealth is built from an unsavory environment at Yaba College of Technology, puts a spotlight on relationship with the natural world, highlighting social commentary on environmental degradationlective consciousness towards protecting natural

Internal Displacement

Grandma Wura

One of the paintings at the exhibition

IN THE ARENA

Governors’ Growing Threats to Democratic Values

With the 2027 elections approaching, many believe only President Bola Tinubu can caution some governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress against anti-democratic rhetoric that could endanger the country’s democracy, especially with the increasing threats against opposition leaders, Davidson Iriekpen writes

One week after Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, warned the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, against entering the state without security clearance, reactions have continued to trail the governor’s outburst.

In a viral video, Okpebholo had, at a political rally in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of the state, alleged that Obi’s recent visit to the state triggered unrest and warned that such a visit must not be repeated without his approval.

The governor claimed that after Obi donated N15 million during a previous visit to Benin City, three people were killed and threatened that the Labour Party (LP) chieftain’s security would not be guaranteed any time he entered the state again without clearance.

He further declared that all traces of the opposition would be completely erased by the 2027 general election.

“Last week, we finally buried the PDP in Edo State. I saw someone crying at Ring Road, talking about having 65 per cent. That is what we call social media winning. When I said I would become the Governor, I meant it. Today, we are turning Edo into a construction site, and they can see it,” he said.

As part of his humanitarian works, Obi, on July 7, visited St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences, Benin City, where he was warmly received, and he donated ₦15 million to support the completion of ongoing projects in the institution.

Despite the backlash that greeted his threats, the governor, at the official inauguration of the newly revived Edo Line last Tuesday, defended his threats, saying he had no regrets issuing the warning.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who was at the event, defended the governor’s remarks, saying it was legitimate advice for Obi’s safety, rather than a threat.

Though the scenarios were different, Wike said as governor of Rivers State, he provided logistics and vehicles for Obi when he visited the state because he informed him of the visit.

Okpebholo’s outburst was not an isolated case. It was the second time an All Progressives Congress (APC) governor would issue such a warning to Obi, who has increasingly drawn attention as political activities in the lead-up to the 2027 general election intensify.

In April, Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, also warned the former Anambra governor, an indication of what would be expected during the

campaigns for the 2027 elections.

Obi had planned visits to internally displaced persons camps and health facilities in the state.

But in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, Governor Alia declared that the government could not guarantee his safety.

Though Obi later cancelled the trip, the Principal Special Assistant to the governor on National Programmes, Civil Society, Voter Education, and Strategic Interventions, Solomon Semaka, in a statement, accused Obi of attempting to use the state as a platform for political relevance.

He described Obi’s planned visit to the IDP camps as “political charity,” alleging that the former Anambra State governor was disguising political manoeuvres as humanitarian concern.

Semaka uncharitably claimed that Obi has a history of “emotional blackmail and mind games” targeted at exploiting the plight of vulnerable Nigerians for personal political survival.

However, Obi’s supporters insisted that his humanitarian activities predated his entry into politics.

He had successfully visited Nasarawa and Plateau states where he delivered humanitarian services to the needy and was warmly received by the governors. Recently, he went to Morkwa, Niger State, when floods ravaged the community.

Many in Obi’s camp said it was curious that Alia

could threaten and stop him from visiting the state, but could not threaten or stop the killers on a rampage in the state since he came to power in 2023.

Meanwhile, Okpebholo’s comments have continued to spark outrage across the country with various civil society organisations (CSOs), senior lawyers, opposition politicians and human rights activists condemning and describing them as reckless.

They stated that the governor’s action is a direct assault and violation of fundamental rights enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and freedom of movement to all citizens, as well as Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Also, under Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, the security and welfare of citizens remain the primary responsibility of the government.

This is why they urged President Bola Tinubu to call members of his party to order, stating that statements like those of the governors only serve to “overheat the polity and undermine the principles of political pluralism.”

They described the threat and restriction of movement as a direct challenge to Nigeria’s unity and a brazen attack on the constitution, adding that the governor lacks the constitutional powers to abridge any citizen’s right.

POLITICAL NOTES

FG’s Endless Borrowing

The Senate last Tuesday approved President Bola Tinubu’s external borrowing plan of over $21 billion for the 2025–2026 fiscal cycle.

The comprehensive borrowing package includes $21.19billionindirectforeignloans,€4billion,¥15billion, a $65million grant and domestic borrowing through governmentbondstotallingapproximately₦757billion.

Also included was a provision to raise up to $2billion through a foreign-currency-denominated instrument in the domestic market.

The approval followed the presentation of a report by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and ForeignDebt,SenatorAliyuWamako,whonotedthatthe plan was first submitted to the National Assembly on May27,2025butwasdelayedduetolegislativerecess anddocumentationissuesfromtheDebtManagement

Office (DMO).

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, defended the borrowing,sayingitalignswithglobaleconomicpractices.

The fresh approval comes amid Nigeria’s expanding borrowing profile under the Tinubu’s administration and the huge revenue being raked in by the federal government.

Forinstance,inNovember2023,thepresidentsought legislative approval for a $7.8 billion and €100 million borrowing plan to fund key infrastructure and social development projects over the 2022–2024 period.

In March 2025, Tinubu sought legislative approval for a new external borrowing plan of over $21.5 billion, andadomesticbondissuanceof₦757.9billiontosettle outstanding national pension liabilities.

They also wondered where the governor derives his powers to bar a Nigerian citizen from visiting his state unless such a person obtains permission from him otherwise the person’s security will not be guaranteed, saying that it is a dangerous threat to life that the authorities should not gloss over.

Those who spoke to THISDAY do not want a repeat of what happened in 2023 when every obstacle was put in place to prevent the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, from campaigning in Rivers State Rivers was the only state where Atiku did not campaign and nobody could dare caution then Governor Wike, who also withdrew the approval given to Atiku to use Adoki Amasiaemeka Stadium in Ikwerre Local Government Area for the presidential campaign.

Before then, the governor had sealed Atiku’s campaign office in Port Harcourt, citing a court order. Prior to the closure of the office, some supporters of Atiku had cried out that they and their interests had become targets of the governor.

The safety and security of the opposition leaders in the state deteriorated to the extent that there was an attack on the house of Lee Maeba, Atiku’s key supporter in the state, who accused the state government, even though it vehemently denied it. Atiku’s photographs also disappeared from all campaign materials of the PDP in the state and anybody found with any material promoting Atiku was considered an enemy of the state.

The growing culture of intolerance being exhibited by some governors, if left unchecked, could fracture Nigeria’s democracy.

Politicians destroyed the first and second republics.

Democracies do not die in one fell swoop. They die slowly, through unchecked rhetoric, through the corrosion of norms and the silence of good men. Unfortunately, those who never fought for Nigeria’s return to civilian rule are the ones destroying the current democracy.

The philosophical underpinning of a constitutional democracy is the limitation of power. When such power is unchecked, the state becomes a tool of tyranny rather than a shield for the weak.

Governor Okpebholo’s remarks, whether cloaked in the language of security or the bravado of political ascendancy, reduce the democratic space to a fiefdom, where governors’ words supersede the constitution.

Aware of the dangers in Okpebholo’s threats, human rights lawyer and democracy activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) had asked the Edo State governor to withdraw his statement and apologise to Obi.

Meanwhile,asofMarch2025,thecountry’stotalpublic debt stock stood at over ₦121 trillion (approximately $91 billion), according to figures released by the DMO.

Despite frequently raised concerns over the sustainabilityofthecountry’sborrowingspree,warningoffuture repaymentburdensandfiscalvulnerabilities,thefederal governmenthas,however,maintainedthatconcessional loans are essential to bridging Nigeria’s infrastructure gap and stimulating growth.

Each request comes amid clamour by opposition politicalparties,civilsocietyorganisationsandothersfor thefederalgovernmenttostopborrowingforrecurrent expenditure.They also urged agents and officials of the federal government, including the Presidency to curtail their extravagant and excessive lifestyles, and tackle corruptioninthesystem,whichtheyfeelisstillveryhigh.

Tinubu

Edun

BRIEFING NOTES

Will ADC Survive Internal Crisis?

With the court actions against the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress by some members of the party, Ejiofor Alike writes that the ADC may suffer the same internal crisis and protracted litigation that weakened the other major opposition parties

Barely one month after the opposition coalition seeking to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election adopted the African Democratic Party (ADC) following the leadership crises in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), there is evidence of widening crack in the wall of the coalition.

Protracted litigations over the leadership tussles in the PDP and the LP had forced the chieftains of the two parties to join forces with the aggrieved members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to adopt the ADC as the alternative platform to challenge Tinubu in 2027.

But early signs of crack in the wall of the ADC emerged when the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 general election and Chief Executive Officer of Roots TV, Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, kicked against the ‘hijack’ of the leadership of the party by defectors from other parties.

Kachikwu also criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President, David Mark, and other members of the alliance for allegedly taking over the leadership of the party through a “back door.”

He claimed that the tenure of Ralph Nwosu, who handed over the leadership of the party to Mark, had expired on August 21, 2022.

Though many analysts had dismissed Kachikwu’s position, saying that being a former presidential candidate of the party does not confer any right to him to speak for the party, he shocked his critics with the announcement that five state chairmen of the party had filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to stop what they described as the unlawful takeover of the party by Mark and others.

The suit also questions the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in recognising the interim leadership of the ADC.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Kachikwu, while confirming the legal action, accused the coalition of trying to undermine the ADC’s constitution through inducement and coercion.

“Some of the state chairmen are being offered as much as ₦20 million to step down. But even if they succeed, our constitution does not allow such an illegal assumption of office,” Kachikwu said.

He emphasised that the ADC was not, in his words, established as “a political retirement home for failed elites.”

Before the court action by the five state chairmen, three aggrieved members of the party had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking it to sack the Mark-led

interim leadership of the party.

The plaintiffs in the suit - Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu and Haruna Ismaila - further challenged the membership of Senator Mark and others who were appointed as interim leaders of the party.

They prayed the court to, among other things, determine whether the purported handover of the party’s leadership structure to individuals involved in a merger was not a direct violation of a subsisting judgment.

The plaintiffs in the suit marked: FHC/ ABJ/CS/1328, posed legal questions for the court to determine, among which included:

“Whether the current Executive Committee of the 1st Defendant ought not to have been dissolved or replaced only through a properly convened National Convention or a valid decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC).”

Upon the determination of the questions, the plaintiffs urged the court to hold that the appointment and nomination of interim leadership for the party “is unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void.”

However, the camp of the ADC promoters swelled up when the chairman of the party

The Abia State Government recently raised the alarm that some politicians in some parts of the state have deployed their agents to rural communities to “fraudulently” collect from the residents, information contained in their Permanent Voter Card (PVC).

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Alex Otti, Ferdinand Ekeoma, who raised the alarm, said the agents to politicians were handing out N10,000 to each of the rural dwellers “under a deceptive guise that it is to create a non-existent e-wallet for empowerment”.

He said the intention of the sponsors and perpetrators of the criminal act is to compromise the authenticity of such PVCs and render the owners unfit to vote during the 2027 election. However, the state government did not reveal the

in Niger State, Musa Hassan, announced his withdrawal of intent to prosecute the Mark-led coalition, in a letter addressed to the party.

He urged the ADC lawyers to file a motion of discontinuance at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.

“I do not intend to continue the prosecution of the case against my great party, Africa Democratic Congress,” wrote the Niger State ADC chairman.

“I sincerely plead that the notice of discontinuance be filed to tomorrow morning, as the case was adjourned to 23/7/2025 for hearing and a copy of the application sent to me,” Hassan wrote.

In response to the court action by the three aggrieved members of the ADC, the party announced that at least 97 lawyers were ready to represent it in the court case.

In a statement issued by its media unit, the ADC accused the APC of sponsoring a lawsuit using the names of individuals who are not members of the ADC to challenge the party and its interim leadership.

ADC claimed that the individuals whose names were used by the APC to file the

PVC for Sale in Abia

identities of politicians or political parties involved.

Some opposition politicians who are already jittery over the chances of their reelection in 2027 are moblising ahead of the election.

Elections in the state in 2027 is really going to be interesting.

Last August, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who is from Abia State, had boasted that he would ensure that the next governor of Abia State in 2027 would come from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He argued that he cannot be number six political figure in the country, and another party will govern his state.

When Kalu made the comments, many indigenes of the state took him on, saying that he was not reading the mood of the people who are enjoying the

suit are not listed in the party’s physical or digital membership records in either Kogi or Nasarawa State.

“It smacks of desperation that a party elected in charge of the lives of no fewer than 200 million people can engage in shopping for the names of its citizens in pursuit of Machiavellian politics,” the party said.

The National Legal Support Group for ADC had also expressed its readiness to represent the ADC in the courts over the matter filed against the party and its interim officers.

Speaking in Abuja, the leader of the group, Mohammed Sheriff, said no fewer than 97 lawyers had indicated their preparedness to stand for the party.

Similar litigations over leadership tussles believed to have been instigated by the agents of the APC in the PDP and the LP had weakened the two main opposition parties.

Kachikwu’s critics alleged that he is working secretly for the APC and was also rumoured to have instigated the court action to also destablise the ADC, at the instance of the ruling APC.

ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi had accused the agents of the Tinubu’s administration of orchestrating a covert plan to weaken and destabilise the opposition coalition.

The party raised concerns over an alleged secret meeting convened by some federal government officials with former state chairmen and key members of the ADC’s executive committees in the North-east and North-west regions of the country.

Abdullahi, in a statement, said the meeting’s purpose was not related to national security or peacebuilding but aimed at intimidating and coercing opposition figures.

Abdullahi described the move as sabotage rather than politics.

He claimed the plot seeks to create confusion within the party, undermine its new leadership, and halt its growing influence as a credible opposition force in Nigeria.

He noted that such tactics are threats to democracy and capable of turning the country into a one-party state through intimidation.

“The July 1st coalition declaration and the July 2nd unveiling of the ADC have clearly unsettled the ruling party,” the statement said.

With the PDP yet to recover from protracted litiga tions over leadership tussle and the LP split into two factions following controversial court judgments, can ADC survive similar internal crisis with the ongoing leadership dispute in court?

dividends of democracy under the Labour Party’s administration for the first time since 1999.

Among the five states in the South-east, Abia State was the most backward for 24 years due to mismanagement of the state’s resources before Governor Alex Otti assumed office in 2023. It was when he became governor that the people of the state started having a breath of fresh air.

Unfortunately, some politicians who are opposed to Otti’s good works are jittery that they might not win reelection in 2027, and are already plotting to manipulate the will of the people.

This is why state government and the security agencies should ensure that this is thoroughly investigated and anyone caught indulging in the act, directly or through agents, should be made to face severe consequences.

Mark

Yakubu

Prevalence of Open-ended Court Judgments

The Senate’s refusal to recall the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha AkpotiUduaghan, because the order of the Federal High Court did not compel it to do so has again exposed the controversial nature of the judgment, which is unbecoming of courts in the country, Wale Igbintade writes

Senator Natasha AkpotiUduaghan’s plan to return to the Senate on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, met stiff resistance as the red chamber cautioned her against returning until her suspension is formally lifted.

The resistance stem from a statement issued last Sunday by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, where he argued there is no valid court order compelling the red chamber to lift the lawmaker’s suspension ahead of schedule.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 following a confrontation with the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio over the lawmakers’ new seating arrangements.

She later accused Akpabio of sexual misconduct, an allegation the Senate President has denied.

However, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, ruled on July 4, 2025, that the six-month suspension imposed on Akpoti-Uduaghan in March was “excessive.”

But Daramola insisted that there is no standing court order compelling the upper chamber to recall the senator, and that the judgment was misinterpreted by the senator.

He warned that any attempt by the senator to return under a false pretext would be deemed premature, disruptive, and a violation of legislative order.

“The Senate as a law-abiding institution is committed to upholding the rule of law and the integrity of its proceedings. It will not tolerate the disruption of its proceedings,” the statement read.

“The Senate will, at the appropriate time, consider the advisory opinion of the court on both amending the Standing Orders of the Senate, her recall, and communicate the same thereof to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. Until then, she is respectfully advised to stay away from the Senate chambers and allow due process to run its full course.”

Justice Nyako, in her judgment, had described the suspension as

“excessive.” She faulted the provision of Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules, as well as Section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers and Privileges Act, which the upper legislative chamber relied on to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan, declaring both as overreaching.

The judge stressed that the two legislations failed to specify the maximum period that a serving lawmaker could be suspended from office.

According to her, since lawmakers have a total of 181 days to sit in every legislative cycle, the six-month suspension handed to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was akin to pushing her away from her responsibilities to her constituents for about 180 days.

The judge held that though the Senate has the power to punish any of its members who breaches the rules, such sanction must not be excessive to deprive the constituents of their right to be represented.

She proceeded to award a fine of N5million against AkpotiUduaghan for her “satirical apology” post on her Facebook page on April 27, saying that the social media post was made in disobedience of a valid court order prohibiting parties in the suit from making comments to the press or on social media regarding the subject matter in the suit.

While Akpoti-Uduaghan has since appealed the award of N5million fine, Akpabio has also approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the judgment declaring Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules, as well as Section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers and Privileges Act upon which the senator was suspended as overreaching.

However, it was not until a week after the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment

was released that Nigerians knew how controversial the verdict was.

One of the few talking points from the judgment is how the judge arrived at all the above assertions and still failed to make a declarative order for Akpoti-Uduaghan’s immediate recall. Not a few expressed shock that she did not follow precedents in the plethora of cases involving suspended lawmakers, including Senators Ali Ndume, Ovie Omo-Agege, as well as Dino Melaye, and others in the House of Representatives and state assemblies, where the courts expressly nullified the suspensions, ordered their reinstatement, and payment of withheld salaries and allowances.

They wondered how the courts have suddenly become advisers that Justice Nyako would offer an advisory opinion urging the Senate to reconsider the suspension instead of issuing a binding directive enforcing Natasha’s reinstatement, after concluding that suspending an elected lawmaker for six months effectively denies a constituency its right to representation.

Undoubtedly, the judgment has joined the growing list of incongruous, incoherent and controversial court judgments, fuelling the current loss of confidence in the judiciary.

It was the same path taken by the Supreme Court when it delivered vague and controversial judgments that failed to address the leadership crises in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP).

The judgments of these courts exacerbated the disputes in the parties.

Many analysts have stated that the judgment of Justice Nyako was not about Akpoti-Uduaghan, but the rule of law.

They reasoned that in view of the fact that Akpoti-Uduaghan is an opposition lawmaker with the propensity for impunity by the senators very high, the court should have made a declarative order that would not have allowed the red chamber to stop an immediate recall.

By Tuesday when the suspended senator attempted to resume plenary,

she was prevented from gaining entry to the chamber.

To make matters worse, the red chamber has proceeded on a twomonth recess, meaning that by the time they resume, the six-month suspension would have elapsed.

However, many analysts have accused the suspended senator of attempting to enforce a judgement she had appealed.

In recent times, the Nigerian judiciary has faced criticisms regarding controversial judgments and perceived inconsistencies, particularly in political and electoral matters. This has led to concerns about the judiciary’s independence, impartiality and integrity, and its role in upholding democratic principles.

Once regarded as the last hope of the common man, the judiciary is now seen by many as a nightmare, reduced to serving the whims and caprices of politicians through a string of shambolic judgments.

If it is not accused of issuing conflicting orders and decisions, it is accused of reversing previous rulings and creating confusion. Some argue that these inconsistencies undermine public trust and confidence in the third arm of government.

The judiciary plays a vital role in upholding democratic principles, protecting fundamental rights, and ensuring the rule of law. An independent and impartial judiciary is crucial for a functioning democracy, especially in resolving electoral disputes and holding the executive accountable.

Many fear that if the vague and controversial judgments from the courts these days are not checked, they could throw the country into serious danger and undermine the fourth republic.

A strong, independent, and responsible judiciary is vital for the delivery of justice. As the most crucial arm of government in Nigeria, it must protect all who seek justice and lead in ensuring access to it. Without this, the judiciary risks losing both its relevance and the public’s trust.

Justice Kekere-Ekun

Akpabio

Akpoti-Uduaghan

With the Qatar Sanabil Project, Uba Sani Deepens Peace and Healing in Kaduna

When history pens the renaissance of Kaduna State, it will not overlook the significance of July 21, 2025 — a date now etched in gold across the annals of restitution, leadership, and recovery. It was on this day that Governor Uba Sani, with solemn resolve and visible compassion, led the commissioning of Phase One of the Qatar Sanabil Project, distributing dignified homes to families who had endured the searing wrath of banditry. This event was not simply ceremonial. It was redemptive. It was, in its truest form, an act of healing — a moment when the distance between governance and humanity collapsed, and the powerful hand of leadership became a tender balm for wounded souls.

Governor Uba Sani did not just unveil infrastructure; he unveiled justice with concrete, handed over compassion in the form of keys, and offered the gift of belonging to those whose lives had been defined by loss. Where once there was silence, sorrow, and displacement, now stand homes, symbols of resilience and monuments to the State’s refusal to forget its people. Under his administration, peace is no longer an elusive prayer whispered through tears; it is a living reality crafted through vision, strategy, and sacrifice.

For more than a decade, Kaduna bore the brunt of violence that threatened to eviscerate its soul. Banditry, kidnappings, arson, and wanton killings stripped entire communities of their identity. Farms lay fallow. Markets were shuttered. Schools fell silent, and dreams lay scattered among ashes. The Kaduna–Abuja expressway, once a vital artery of commerce and connectivity, became synonymous with dread and death. Investors took flight, families scattered, and governance itself trembled under the weight of chaos.

It was into this crucible of despair that Senator Uba Sani stepped on May 29, 2023. The task before him was Herculean. But he approached it not with fear or fanfare, but with the quiet, firm resolve of a man intimately acquainted with the pains and promise of his people. He understood that to restore Kaduna, he would need to be more than Governor. He would need to be a listener, a builder, a reconciler, and above all, a servant of justice.

Governor Sani adopted a dual philosophy: a kinetic response to dismantle the architecture of violence, and a non-kinetic, people-centered model to rebuild the social fabric. His blueprint, shaped by consultations with traditional rulers, community leaders, security operatives, and victims, culminated in what is now known as the Kaduna Peace Model — an inclusive framework that understands that peace is not imposed from above, but nurtured from within. He took his security masterplan directly to the top: the National Security Adviser, the Chiefs of Defence, and the Service Chiefs. He argued not just with facts, but with heart — for more Forward Operating Bases, better troop coordination, and a grassroots-informed approach. And they listened. Under his stewardship, the Kaduna–Abuja highway was reopened. The infamous rail corridor resumed operations. Farmers returned to their land. Markets, long closed, came back to life. And fear began to loosen its decades-old grip.

But Governor Uba Sani knew that physical security was only half the battle. Restoration required not just the absence of violence, but the presence of dignity. Thus emerged his signature collaboration with Qatar Charity, resulting in the Qatar Sanabil Project. With two transformational arms — mass housing for the underserved and the creation of an economic city — the initiative is set to directly impact more than half a million vulnerable citizens. The symbolism could not be clearer: where bandits once sowed destruction, a new city of hope is being born. The partnership between Qatar Charity

Foundation and the Kaduna State Government under Governor Uba Sani on the Qatar Sanabil Project reflects a shared vision for sustainable development, rooted in transparency, accountability, and impact. Governor Uba Sani’s leadership has been marked by integrity, inclusiveness, and a firm commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable. His administration’s focus on infrastructure, social investment, and economic empowerment has earned wide recognition, making Kaduna a reliable destination for international development partnerships.

Qatar Charity, known for its global humanitarian footprint and dedication to transformative community projects, finds in Kaduna a partner equally committed to responsible governance and measurable outcomes. The Qatar Sanabil initiative, which aims to deliver 500,000 housing units and develop a model economic city, is a bold step towards alleviating poverty and restoring dignity through integrated housing, healthcare, education, and livelihoods.

This collaboration is underpinned by mutual trust and a shared commitment to excellence. The Kaduna State Government offers a stable, transparent, and enabling environment — hallmarks of Governor Sani’s administration — while Qatar Charity brings expertise, resources, and a proven track record in large-scale humanitarian interventions. Together, they are setting a new benchmark for development partnerships in Africa.

In essence, the Qatar Sanabil Project is more than a housing scheme — it is a symbol of visionary leadership and global solidarity. It embodies what can be achieved when integrity meets innovation, and when a government’s commitment to its people aligns with an international organisation’s mission to serve humanity.

The commissioning of Phase One of the project was particularly

poignant. The beneficiaries were families who had lost husbands, fathers, mothers, and children to the cruel arithmetic of banditry. But they were no longer just statistics. That day, they were seen, honoured, and uplifted. Governor Sani’s words rang with gravity: “Shelter is not merely physical. It is emotional, psychological, and spiritual. It is the bedrock of human dignity.”

This vision extends beyond housing. Alongside the homes, his administration distributed empowerment tools — cargo bikes, tricycles, grinding machines, salon kits, and welding equipment — so that widows, youth, and the unemployed could stand with renewed self-worth. A school, a health clinic, and a skills acquisition center were inaugurated — all pillars of a future that refuses to be haunted by its past.

This wasn’t a showcase; it was a statement. A declaration that under Uba Sani, Kaduna would never again be a theatre of forgotten tragedies. It would be a place of restored faith, reclaimed purpose, and relentless progress.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, represented by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, echoed this sentiment.

“Under your stewardship,” he said to the Governor, “Kaduna is transforming from an epicenter of violent attacks to a model of stability and peace. You are wiping the tears of victims, reconciling communities, and giving everyone a sense of belonging.”

These were not platitudes. They were earned affirmations: testimonies to a leadership that has not only confronted pain, but transformed it.

The success of Kaduna’s peace strategy lies in its nuance. It recognises that justice must be served, but also that healing must be offered. Through a carefully crafted Disarmament, Demobilisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) programme, bandits who laid down their arms were given a chance to choose peace. In the difficult terrain of Giwa, Chikun, Kajuru, Birnin Gwari and Kagarko, some of the most notorious insurgents surrendered and embraced reintegration. Their surrender was not a capitulation to government power, but a recognition that peace, when honestly brokered, is more powerful than violence.

This initiative was never about appeasement, nor about turning a blind eye to past crimes. It was, in its finest form, about giving peace a face, a home, and a future. Dr. James Kanyip, Kaduna’s Commissioner for Internal Security, rightly defended this strategy: “The peace process itself is within the confines of the rule of law. The entire constitution is about guaranteeing peace and welfare. If that peace is attained through a constitutionally sound peace process, why not?”

Governor Uba Sani understood that peace must be durable. To that end, he signed the Kaduna State Security Trust Fund Bill, repealing the older 2018 version, and allowing private sector involvement in financing security. This wasn’t just legal housekeeping; it was a strategic stroke to anchor progress in sustainable funding and multi-sectoral collaboration.

Beyond very close collaborations with the nation’s Armed Forces, the Police and other security agencies, Governor Uba Sani revitalised the Kaduna Vigilante Service, recruiting and training thousands of new personnel and arming them with equipment and purpose. And perhaps most importantly, he restored confidence among citizens, allowing security to become a shared civic responsibility. His regular security briefings with community leaders helped decentralise the security conversation, making every citizen a stakeholder in peace.

Governor Sani’s leadership is not merely institutional; it is deeply human. His voice trembled with emotion as he addressed victims and survivors, not as a politician speaking to constituents, but as a brother speaking to his own. “You are not forgotten. You are our heroes,” he told them. “We do not merely give you homes; we return dreams to the dreamers.”

Such sentiments are not common in politics. But neither is Governor Uba Sani. He has chosen a path not of convenience, but of conscience — one that trades applause for action, popularity for purpose, and power for service.

His approach to governance carries the weight of empathy and the urgency of justice. It reminds us that governance, at its noblest, is not about control or ccontroversies. It is about love — love made visible in policies, buildings, laws, and lives transformed. His is a government with a soul. A leadership that listens, learns, and lifts.

This is why Kaduna under Uba Sani is not merely recovering; it is rising. Rising from the ashes of war. From the trauma of displacement. From the silence of mourning. It is rising with dignity, innovation, and unshakable faith in the possibility of peace. Governor Uba Sani has declared that the Phase One of the Qatar Sanabil Project is only the beginning. More homes will be built. More lives will be uplifted. More peace will be brokered, not through the barrel of a gun, but through the patient, firm, and principled hand of leadership. The Qatar Sanabil Project will continue, as will multiple other social housing and investment initiatives aimed at economic inclusion and human development.

And in all of it, his guiding star remains constant: the welfare, safety, and dignity of the people of Kaduna State. So when the future looks back upon this time, let it not speak only of the violence that once reigned. Let it tell of a people who refused to surrender their humanity to hatred. Let it tell of leaders who chose integrity over indifference. Let it tell of Uba Sani — a Governor who met crisis not with cold calculations, but with warm resolve. Let it say of him: “He did not govern from above. He stood with his people, heart to heart, hand-in-hand.”

Let it be remembered that in Kaduna’s hour of need, love found form in policy, healing found shape in homes, and peace was built not merely with mortar, but with moral clarity. Through powerful acts of restitution, Governor Uba Sani is not just rebuilding Kaduna — he is redeeming its soul.

Ahmed Ibrahim Yusuf

Governor Sani

constitution”.

First, the context. When Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar became head of state in June 1998 after the death of Gen Sani Abacha, transition to democracy was topmost on national agenda but there was no constitution to guide the process. What system of government would we choose? Would it be presidential, parliamentary or a hybrid? That is a key question that only a constitution can answer. Abacha was yet to enact the 1995 Constitution which was written by the conference he set up in 1994/95. The conference, made up of a mix of appointed and elected Nigerians, was boycotted by the Yoruba mainstream politicians who were still fighting for June 12 and Bashorun MKO Abiola.

The first thing the military does after taking power is to suspend aspects of the constitution that may impede their dictatorship. They rule by decrees. Whenever they embark on a transition programme, they kickstart the process of producing a new constitution that will become fully operational when they hand over to a democratically elected government. The Murtala/ Obasanjo regime left us with the 1979 Constitution. Gen Ibrahim Babangida used the 1989 Constitution to conduct his ill-fated transition programme. Abacha never allowed us to see the 1995 Constitution. He rolled out decrees to do his own transition and had done only council and legislative elections by the time he died. That was the situation the Abdulsalami found himself in 1998. He had options. One was to set up another constitutional conference and spend a much longer time in office to produce a new constitution. You start the process usually by conducting elections to elect some members into a constitutional conference. The conference will usually sit for more than one year. Their report will be subjected to further public debate and fine-tuning. It could take two years to complete the process. Abdulsalami’s second option was to adopt the 1995 Constitution, derided as “Abacha Constitution” by June 12 activists. Nigeria had already been crippled for five years because of the June 12 crisis.

Guess what would have happened if Abdulsalami had adopted the “Abacha Constitution”? You guessed right. To avoid the awkward situation and the inevitable

BUHARI’S SHOES

The shocking death of former President Muhammadu Buhari (I still can’t come to terms with it) has opened up an intense struggle to inherit his followers ahead of the 2027 elections. He had an utterly devout fan base (agreed, mainly in the Muslim part of the north), regularly commanding 12 million votes without having to share rice and naira. Not many Nigerian politicians, living or dead, enjoyed this love. But Buhari did not groom any successor. Perhaps, the love of the talakawas was customised for him and could neither be transferred nor inherited. Nonetheless, I expect politicians to use his name hoping that it will do magic among his fanbase. My guess is that it won’t work. Observing…

Afenifere/NADECO backlash, Abdulsalami set up a 25-member Constitution Debate Co-ordinating Committee (CDCC). It was chaired by the late Justice Niki Tobi, then a Court of Appeal judge. Read it again. I didn’t say Maj-General Niki Tobi. His deputy was the late Dr Suleiman Kumo, a law teacher at the Ahmadu Bello University. Not Brig-General Suleiman Kumo. The committee was inaugurated by Abdulsalami on November 11, 1998. It was mandated to co-ordinate national debate on the 1995 Draft Constitution.

I recall that the CDCC held hearings across the country. Tobi supervised the zonal debates in Benin, Enugu, Jos, Port Harcourt and Maiduguri, while Kumo co-ordinated Kaduna, Kano, Ibadan, Lagos and Sokoto. In Enugu, the late Prof Ben Nwabueze, a constitutional expert, sent a memo as secretary-general of Mkpoko Igbo. He proposed that Nigeria should be a federation of six regions instead of 36 states, suggesting the names and capitals as Eastern (Enugu); Western (Ibadan); Central (Jos); North-Eastern (Maiduguri); and North-Western (Kaduna). He said the capital of the Southern Region should be mutually agreed upon, obviously as he had somehow moved Port Harcourt to the Eastern Region.

Nwabueze, who later co-founded The Patriots, supported the creation of the National Judicial Council (NJC), which was not in the 1979 Constitution but provided for in the 1995 draft. It must be noted that the highly respected professor of law served as secretary-general of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo between 1978 and 2004. In Port Harcourt, individuals who spoke or submitted memos included Dr Clement Isong, former governor of the CBN, who led the Ibibio Elders Council; the Movement for the Survival of Eastern Nigeria and Niger Delta Indigenes (MOSENNDI); the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers; Prof Chitoro Achinenwu; Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye; and Dr Gesiye S. Angaye.

In Ibadan, the Modakeke community, represented by Mr Abiodun Sowande, a lawyer, wanted the Land Use Act retained. In Sokoto, Prof Ibrahim Mukoshy of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, opposed power rotation. He said he was speaking on behalf of the people of Sokoto state. In Lagos, the Group for True Federalism (GTF) demanded a return to

regionalism and “true federalism”. Mallam Garba Shehu (yes, you know him) made submissions on freedom of the press, saying the constitution needed to be stronger on the issue. He was once president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. Nigerians in the US met in Washington, DC to make their own input. These are facts!

In all, the CDCC received over 400 memoranda. Submitting its final report to the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC), Nigeria’s highest ruling body, in December 1998, Tobi said: “In the light of the memoranda and the oral presentations on the 1995 Draft Constitution, it is clear that Nigerians basically opt for the 1979 Constitution with relevant amendments. The common denominator in the mouths of Nigerians is the 1979 Constitution with relevant amendments. They have copiously given their reasons for their choice... So, we have recommended to the Provisional Ruling Council the adoption of the 1979 Constitution, with relevant amendments from the 1995 Draft Constitution.”

Thereafter, the text of the draft 1999 Constitution was published in a dozen national newspapers for Nigerians to read. In my estimation, the 1999 Constitution consists of more than 95 percent of the 1979 Constitution. The variations were minimal, mostly to reflect the prevailing realities — such as the number of states, local governments, change in name of some executive bodies, and addition of those that did not exist as at 1979. Most importantly, the 13 percent derivation payable to oil-producing states was adapted from the “Abacha Constitution” written by the 1994/95 constitutional conference. All things considered, the 1999 Constitution is a duplication of the 1979 Constitution.

And so what? Was the 1979 Constitution itself not also written by the military? This is also another falsehood and propaganda being desperately sold to the public just to win an argument. The 1979 Constitution was produced by an elected Constituent Assembly which sat in 1977/78 to debate, clause by clause, the document drafted by distinguished Nigerians, led by Chief FRA Williams. In Nigeria’s history, no draft has been more robustly debated than the 1979 Constitution. The military was later

And Four Other Things…

PETER NON GRATA

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo state caused quite a stir recently when he asked Mr Peter Obi not to come to the state without first informing him — “for security reasons”. Obi had visited the state and donated N15 million to a project, after which there was a reported violence that claimed three lives. Okpebholo said: “This message is for the man who claims he has no shishi. Obi must not come to Edo without security clearance.” Despite widespread criticism, he stuck to his guns, repeating his proclamation that Obi must get authorisation. Even if he means well for Obi (assuming he truly wants to protect him), I find his choice of words obnoxious and provocative. Reckless.

OUT OF ORDER

Is it me or do many court judgments these days increasingly — and maybe deliberately — sound ambiguous? The Supreme Court pronouncements on the leadership crises in the PDP and LP left me wondering what exactly the justices meant by “internal party affair”. The parties could not resolve their disputes internally and asked for judicial interpretation of their constitutions. The justices instead threw things back at them. How does that deliver justice? The same thing has repeated itself in the Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan case. Instead of issuing an outright, consequential order, Justice Binta Nyako said she “believes” the senate “should” recall her from suspension. Believe?

KEEPING LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM IN FOCUS

LGAs and to generate actionable recommendations on how to make the country’s local councils more impactful, responsive and accountable.

The discussion was frank and nuanced. This was not surprising given the calibre of the speakers, which included the following: Mr. Edun, who delivered the keynote address; Dr. Kole Shettima, the Country Director of MacArthur Foundation; Prof. Diana Mitlin, the CEO of the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC); Prof. Remi Aiyede of the University of Ibadan; Prof. Tunji Olaopa, Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission; Mr. Victor Muruako, Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission; Ms. Cynthia Rowe, Head of International Cooperation/Development Director at the British High Commission; Ms. Deborah Isser, Lead Governance Specialist at the World Bank; Mr. Bello Bakori of the Local Government Division of ICPC; and Ms. Ojobo Atuluku, Chair of Agora Policy.

At the heart of the policy conversation was the panel session, which offered robust and insightful dissection of the different aspects of the issue. The panellists included: Mr. Akintunde Oyebode, Ekiti State’s Commissioner of Finance and Chair of the Forum of State Commissioners for Finance of Nigeria; Hajia Saudatu Mahdi, the Secretary General of Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA); Hon. Akala Gajere, Technical Assistant at the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and former chairman of Karu LGA, Nasarawa State; Mr. Samson Itodo, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa; and Dr. Umar Yakubu, founder of the Centre of Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CFTPI).

There were a few points of disagreement but the consensus was that the ruling by the country’s

apex court is yet to be fully implemented and that other things, beyond full implementation of the landmark judgement, need to happen for the LGAs to become the envisaged vehicles for improved and impactful governance. On the status of the ruling, it was confirmed that only LGAs run by democratically-elected officials now receive federation allocations and that the number of states with elected LGA officials dramatically increased from 14 before the ruling to 36. However, the LGAs have not started receiving federation allocations directly and the quality of local elections is still suspect.

The guest speakers, panellists and other contributors offered many ideas that should complement the implementation of the ruling and form part of the building blocks of the LGA reform agenda. The recommendations include the need to: enhance the capacity of local officials in strategic planning, budgeting, and execution; ensure the financial and operational autonomy of state independent electoral commissions; emplace and enforce transparency and accountability mechanisms and other fiscal safeguards; review the revenue-allocation formula to ensure that LGAs can meet their critical obligations without the states; mobilise and empower citizens and civic groups to be more involved in local elections and to hold local leaders to account; facilitate the inclusion of women, youths and other marginalised groups in local administration; and build coalitions for reforms.

One thing that came out clearly for me is that while the two elements of the Supreme Court ruling (direct allocation to LGAs and LGAs run by democratically-elected officials) are steps in the right direction, they are not enough if the goal is improved performance by the LGAs. The assumption

accused of smuggling the Land Use Act and the NYSC into it, but I wouldn’t know if that is what caused “insecurity, youth unemployment, poor public services, and weak institutions”.

If I may, the same 1979 Constitution was what the late Alhaji Lateef Jakande “used” to turn the fortune of Lagos state around in just a little over four years. If you have never heard or read about the indelible strides of Jakande, you are free to believe the story that it is constitution that develops a society. In truth, the 1979 Constitution did not provide for “true” federalism and “fiscal” federalism (as defined by the agitators of today). There was no 13 percent oil derivation. There was no resource control. There was no regionalism. But Lagos state had the most important driver of development: a competent and patriotic governor whose sole motivation and desire was the progress of the citizens.

My second point on the renewed debate is that there is nothing wrong with seeking a better constitution. As I have already noted, the US has amended its constitution 27 times. No constitution is perfect. Even Americans are still trying to deal with the grey lines after President Donald Trump rolled out a series of executive orders to deal with contemporary issues. The Nigerian constitution has been amended four times since 1999 and there are ongoing moves at further changes. There is, therefore, nothing unheard of in amending a constitution. But even then, no constitution is drafted by citizens. All constitutions are drafted by a few individuals and thereafter debated clause by clause.

But this begs the question: does a perfect “true federalism constitution” automatically deliver good governance? China and Singapore conquered poverty without adopting federalism. They run a centralised system. The Federation of Malaysia is safe without state police. The Federation of Mexico does not have resource control but is still not our mate in development indices. I know the constitution is a critical document that spells out the rules of engagement and can engender the progress of a society, but the UK and Israel developed strong institutions and strong economies without a written constitution. That means we are still missing the real import of good leadership.

NO COMMENT

Nigeria used to rebase its GDP regularly until 1990. We resumed in 2014, accounting for new entries such as Nollywood and telecoms. The rebased GDP shot Nigeria’s economy to Africa’s No 1 and the newly formed APC described it as a “public relations gimmick” by the PDP-led government. Eleven years on, the GDP has been rebased under the APC-led government. The ADC — made up mostly of former APC members — has described it as “economic cosmetics”. History always repeats itself. I, therefore, predict that if ADC wins in 2027 and the economy is rebased in 2035, its former members, who may have formed ABC by 2034, will describe it as “economic crinkum-crankum”. Hahahaha…

that the local councils will automatically perform better if these two conditions are met needs more interrogation. At best, the two elements are a good starting point. They are necessary conditions, but they are not sufficient. Other things need to be layered unto them.

As stated above, we need to look at this as a reform package that is designed to improve the quality of service delivery and democracy at the local level and intended to reposition the local councils as a critical tier of government, not just a mere appendage. A judgement, even when fully implemented, is not a reform. It can be one of the elements of the reform package, but not the entire package. There are different dimensions of the collapse of governance at the local level in the country and it is important to understand these different strands and devise practical ways for addressing them.

The problem is definitely not just an issue of the directness or the adequacy of funding. Nigeria allocates dedicated funding from the federation pool to its local councils: 20.60% of Statutory Revenue and 35% of Value Added Tax (VAT). This is clearly substantial. Calculations by Agora Policy show that a total of N35.22 trillion was allocated to the LGAs between June 1999 and June 2025, which converts to $145 billion at the official exchange rate for each year. This is a tidy sum by any measure. Analysis also shows that Nigeria’s local councils received 22% of total tax revenues in 2022, the second highest among comparator countries.

It is difficult argue about inadequate provisioning. It is event more difficult to link this quantum of resourcing to the quality of governance or the supply of basic services at the local level across the country.

It is possible that this is partly because some states are cornering the allocations for the LGAs. But the issue is deeper than that. State capacity is weakest at the local level. Graft, misapplication of resources and misalignment of priorities are widespread and well-documented. The citizens are mostly disengaged or have exited from their local administration, but are more interested in higher tiers of government. This is despite the fact that LGAs should serve as laboratories for participatory governance and as schools of democracy. Accountability mechanisms are thinnest where they are needed the most, and will not suddenly become robust simply because of direct allocations to the LGAs. These and others are the things that are broken at the local level and that constrain good governance. A judgement cannot fix them. We need to adopt a more holistic, reform-minded approach.

Incidentally, Nigeria is not new to local government reforms. In the last 50 years or so, we have tried to tinker with how we structure and run our local councils a number of times. At the policy conversation on Tuesday, Prof Aiyede rightly tagged local government reforms as Nigeria’s unfinished business. In 1976, we undertook a major local government reform. This remains our most comprehensive till date. It defined local councils as we know them today. Subsequent reform efforts, such as the one by the Dasuki Committee in1984, have been attempts at modifying the 1976 reform.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the 1976 reform, we need to undertake a thorough review of our third tier of government, and align its conception and operations with our current realities as well as with lessons and trends in effective local governance across the world.

ENGAGEMENTS

Who is Scared of Peter Obi?

There is a novelty in today’s political landscape in Nigeria. Real hard power is in the hands of President BolaTinubu,anelectedleader.Onthe other hand, soft populist power is in the hands of an unelected aspirant to the throne, Mr. Peter Obi. For good or for ill, President Bola Tinubu is ruling Nigeria. But Peter Obi is reigning all over the country. The name on nearly every lip on the Nigerian urban street or village bush path is that of Mr. Peter Obi, a man who has come to personify the dreams and longings of most ordinary Nigerians for the ideal leadership model for a nation tormented for so long by an embarrassing lack of purposeful and sincere leadership. As it were, we have a ruler put in place by the mechanics of the democratic process and his antithesis erected by popular acclaim in the minds of the urban street and village people. The elected leader lives, rent -free, in the stifling opulence of the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The other man lives everywhere in the hearts and minds of the people who call this land their home. To a large extent, the whole drama of the 2027 presidential election will play out as a vicious referendum to choose between the two men as the future president of the country after 2027.

Over two years ahead of 2027, the political landscape has donned the garb of active electioneering and festive campaigning. Wherever Mr. Peter Obi goes in the country, a certain celebratory air follows him. The crowds gather in nearly uncontrollable throngs. People scramble to catch a glimpse of the man dressed mostly in black. Even if he does nothing, the people are happy that the man visits their area and reaches out to touch their points of pain wherever they may be. At IDP camps, in villages newly razed by the fire of misguided anger, in poor homes newly bereaved by irate violence and in markets razed and looted by the anger of frustration. In prayer on Fridays or supplication on Sundays, Mr. Peter Obi joins us.

He was only a presidential candidate back in 2023. Today, he is not anybody’s presidential candidate. In a nation fiercely divided between those empowered to rule and the majority condemned to sigh everyday, Peter Obi is merely aligned with the emergent undigested opposition alliance, uncertain where to finally pitch his political tent. But for now in every way, Peter Obi is the happening thing in our national politics. His presence makes the people happy but makes fellow politicians uneasy.

Rightly or wrongly, Peter Obi has touched a vital node among ordinary Nigerians. He addresses their worries; promises to reduce their burdens and reconnects them with their national heritage. Though a comfortable and successful entrepreneur, Obi eschews the arrogance of the moneyed oligarchy. His tastes are modest just as he supports good causes all over the country with his hard earned resources.

On the other hand, his fellow politicians and rich elite are uncomfortable with Obi. They fear that he will upturn their gravy train. Huge imported SUVs will go out of fashion to be replaced by ordinary people movers.. Palaces and mansions paid for with public money will go out of vogue. Free endless nightly champagne orgies will not be a benefit for those who rule us. Obi has promised to reverse these privileges and reduce their excessive perquisites. He will end the entitlement state and put Nigerians back to work for the prosperity we desire. No more white elephants. No further phantom projects. No AlaskanhighwaysrunningfromSokototoBadagry to be completed centuries after we have all died. An end to endless borrowing to fund government as showmanship.The prosperity of the nation will no longer be measured in statistical publications and Power Point projections but in health clinics where people go to seek life and cure, schools where learning takes place and real lives of real people that inch away from poverty with each passing day. Peter Obi’s vision of development and the future of Nigeria is frightening to the business and political elite.

Something even more curious has now happened. By the logic of the present state of our political discourse, Peter Obi can as well be said to havehiredPresidentTinubuashis2027campaign manager.Eachstep,eachstatementTinubumakes reinforces an Obi argument. Every misfortune that befalls the nation under Tinubu’s watch is weaponized by the Peter Obi squad. Every

policy that punishes the people is debited from Tinubu’s account and its opposite credited to Obi’s looming paradise. Every bandit attack, every armed robbery, each kidnappingandabduction,everycompany that shuts down because power is too costly underTinubu’s watch is yet another reason why Tinubu is no good for the job he got and why Peter Obi should come and assume the office in 2027.

In everyday real life, in the legacy media and overwhelmingly in the social media, we now seem to be living in the Age of Peter Obi. Fear has gripped the political space. Some incumbents can hardly hide their fear. That is why some governors are fretting and shaking. And politicians too are frightened that something in the horizon is a threat to their good life. Edo state’s semi illiterate governor cannot stand the Obi frenzy anymore. He has issued a decree that Obi can only visit the state after due ‘security’ clearance.

An earlier decree had been issued by the Benue governor along the same lines. It does not matter if the man is coming to commiserate either the bereaved or donate money to the many displaced. Just don’t come! Keep your money and compassion! And these are duly elected governors who claim overwhelming INEC fabricated mandates. And yet they are afraid of a lone citizen with no INEC result sheet, no armed goons, no authorized state funded hooligans. Just an ordinary man not surrounded by government goons or masked hooligans; merely an ordinary man wearing cheap clothes and throw- away shoes armed with an alternative truth.

Voices of sensible Nigerians have entered the fray. The basic freedom of a Nigerian to move around freely, to visit the people in their places of joy or pain is being abridged and threatened by elected or appointed officialdom . Femi Falana had threatened to press charges of human rights violations. Ohanaeze has warned against profiling Obi. The Obidients have threatened reprisals if

any harm should come to Obi.

Earlier in the week, it was Obi’s 64th birthday. A coalition of Kaduna State youth had organized a rally and street march to celebrate the man. But the Kaduna State police command will not hear of it. It proscribed a rally it knew nothing about, citing the usual fear of hijack by hoodlums and criminals. Obi’s name in the streets will cause insecurity in a state that has been a hotbed of real insecurity for more than a decade! Ordinary innocent Nigerians just joining a birthday street procession will cause an insecurity that has become a permanent feature of our national reality. Ordinary innocent Nigerians intent on celebrating another citizen’s birthday were brandedbythepolicebeforetheylefttheirhomes!

For the first time in our national politics, a fear factor has been activated in our political unconscious. Prefects and captains of the criminal state are frightened. I am not sure whether frighteningthegangsterstateisgoodpolitics.But Obi is not a usual politician. He shoots straight. He is not in the business of doublespeak. The people love him for the truth he tells and stands for. But political truth is different from religious truth. Reality is more complex than Peter Obi’s utopian vision.The crises that have humbled and shredded our nation come from diverse sources and have taken time to entrench.They need time and rigor to address and surmount. Obi says he is ready to work so that Nigeria can be made to work for us all. That is the difference I see him bringing to the table. Populism is helped when it is armed with realism.

ThoseafraidoftheObifactorlikethegovernors in Edo and Benue are wide off the mark. Their utterances and actions are in fact treasonous. How can a democratically elected governor of the federal republic of Nigeria threaten to prevent a fellow Nigerian from moving freely into and out of any part of the country. The man is not a criminal. He is not coming to your state to kidnap, abduct, steal or incite. He may be coming to donate money or food items to the distressed or show solidarity with those afflicted by our present myriad of adversity. Persons who lack a basic understanding of basic freedoms and liberties have no business assuming the lofty office and fancy titles of governor let alone presiding over the life and death of entire states.

But Nigerians are not detracted or distracted. Institutions and organizations are latching on to the Peter Obi brand magic and pull. A little known Dominion University in Ibadan has just appointed Obi its pro-Chancellor. Within 24 hours, its Instagram followers grew from 530 to over 4,000! If Obi attends your event, your public rating skyrockets and your political rating also shoots up.

Peter is my friend and brother. Two years ago when I turned 70, my children organised a dinner at the Ikeja Marriott . I asked them to invite my friends including Peter to join us at dinner. I didn’t hear from him. But midway in the dinner, all hell was let loose. Peter emerged.The music changed. My private dinner became a political jamboree. But he enjoyed the food and the atmosphere of light hearted recollections and jokes. The crowd saw a messiah in making. Peter saw companionship and a chance to be among friends to honour me! Obis presence is now a requirement. He was vastly blamed for not being at Buhari’s burial. His presence at the Awujale’s condolences was hailed. Obis presence at nearly every event all over Nigeria is as important as his absence. Hardly any other political figure other than the President commands such significance in today’s Nigeria. While the major political parties may yet await their ritual conventions to decide their flag bearers, the public mind seems to have settled the matter. Incumbent president Tinubu is digging in, using incumbency power to expand his political reach and using patronage to widen electoral possibilities for his party. His ruling APC has rejigged its structure. It has chosen a party man from Plateau with a Vietnamese sounding name as replacement Chairman after chasing away the dollar loving Ganduje who has been appointed to collect tolls at all airports.

On its part, the new ADC coalition is gearing up as an opposition fountain head. It is on a nationwide shopping spree for credible and politically influential members who are sufficiently hungry to frighten off the sitting APC people. It is a scramble for the keys of the rent free presidential accommodation at Aso Rock as well as the combination for the vault of the Central Bank and the money safes of the NNPCL. The stakes to snatch apex power from a Nigerian incumbent are as high as the pile of cash in either the CBN or the NNPCL.They are even more grave and dangerous. But democratic change demands that those who seek to topple the pinnacle of power cannot afford to be afraid of even the most deadly of Machiavelli’s rough tools and tactics. Those same very tools are available in the open market for all power seekers.

Hidden beneath the national excitement about the prospect of an Obi presidency is that Obi has touched Nigeria in sensitive places. Obi is an Igbo man. There is a contradiction here. Peter Obi has come to Nigeria seeking an opportunity to rule the nation differently not because he is Igbo. Many Nigerians see him for what he is; a sincere advocate of good governance. But many insist on seeing him as an Igbo politician. Peter is many things rolled into one. He is an exemplary Nigerian. He is a politician. He is a business man. He is of Igbo extraction. Understanding him requires a mixture of these understandings. There is none of these attributes that should make Peter any less qualified to seek Nigeria’s presidency. And there is nothing in the Nigerian air, land or sea that shouldexcludeMr.Obioranyoneelsewhohonestly seeks to posit an alternative to Mr. Tinubu’s rule. Democracy permits that imperative.

The imperative that has created the Peter Obi populist movement is available to any other member of the budding opposition. But in order for another voice of opposition to arise and gain competing dominance with the incumbent to the extent of threatening it as widely as the Peter Obi movement, it must find its own original voice and find the consistency of messaging that has produced Mr. Obi.

Unlike in 2023, Peter has found his solid ground. He should accord to fellow Nigerian citizens their due respect. But he must stand up never to be intimidated by anyone or group. His Igbo identity should be only an added benefit. Nigeria owes the Igbos arrears of justice. That added advantage should embolden his quest but he must come to Nigeria with courage and boldness, not a beggarly meekness. He must have at the back of his mind the wisdom that a lion never gives birth to a coward.

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe

email:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

Tinubu, First Lady, Sanwo-Olu, Mbah Hail Super Falcons for Winning 10th WAFCON Cup

Ajibade, Nnadozie Player, Goalkeeper of Tournament *Okoronkwo is Final’s MVP

Deji Elumoye in Abuja, Duro Ikhazuagbe andSunday Ehigiator

resident Bola Tinubu andtor Oluremi Tinubu, last night congratulated their victory at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Rabat, Morocco, securing their record 10th continental title.ment issued by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, thrashed Morrocco 3 - 2 in performance tonight in Rabat, coming from behind to beat a spirited Moroccan side playing in front of a passionate -

tion, and tenacity, you have achieved the mission the nation dreamed of and prayed celebrates you.” -

cialABAT, last night said the senior female team delivered again for the 10th time as African champions.

this mission. They understood

again! 10-time champions of Africa,” Tinubu added.

In a separate statement, the Oluremi Tinubu, also rejoiced title for a record 10th time.

“I celebrate you, our beautifor the landmark victory of your 10th Women’s Africaship.

“Your resounding 3-2 victory is indeed remarkable and commendable.

“It is not just another trophy; it is a testament to your hard victory.

“You have once again lifted the pride of our dear nation, place as Queens of African football.

I thank you for making us your names in gold and inspired millions across the continent. Congratulations,

“I celebrate you,” the statement added.

MISSION X FULFILLED...

Nigeria’s Super Falcons defeated Morocco 3-2 last night to win the country’s 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat

ernor described the victory performance,” noting that again made the nation proud. “Congratulations to our

triumph,praising the team’s

In an Instagram post after

D’Tigress Open 2025 Afrobasket Cup Defence in Flying Start

Duro Ikhazuagbe

igeria’s D’Tigress their FIFA Africa Afrobasket

handing out a massive 92-45terparts at the championship Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

But after returning from the D’Tigress raced to a 26 points advantage to put the East Afin the continental basketball

Victoria Macaulay for regis13 points, 3 rebounds plus 5 by Elizabeth Balogun in a game the paint.

D’Tigress made it 5 players, in Musa on 12, Ifunaya Okoro on Rena Wakama proved crucial in their continued turnovers, points.

maker at the 3,500 capacity

discipline, and belief come together.”

He also extended his appreciation to the coaching

edging their critical role in

edly,” he added.

Falcons, stressing that they demonstrated the resilience

2025 triumph.

to the trophy underscores the resilience and invincibility of

of mind.

“We are super proud of you. Again, congratulations, girls, extending 10th Women’s

3-2 inside the 21,000-capacity$1million prize money and the Jennifer Echegini scurried from outside the box into the

Chebbak in the 13th minute 24th minute.

from the penalty spot in the Ijamilusi leveled scores in the 71st minute.

gained momentum, dominating the game.

against the host nation of 40,000 capacity partisan

have long been the dominant football, have not been shy in expressing their intentions of reclaiming the title they

The country’s football

emerged best goalkeeper of the tournament. Rasheedat of the tournament. Ajibade scooped three

joined English club Brighton, kept four clean sheets in the competition.of the Final.

Earlier on Friday night, bronze medal defeating reign4-3 on penalties after a tense Casablanca.

a bronze medal at stake. spot-kicks. Black Queens’ the hero once again, saving vital penalties from Hildah

FIFA Opens Major Africa Office in Rabat

orld soccer governing body, FIFA. has opened its major Moroccan capital, Rabat, further

as the hub of its operation on the continent.med VI Complex aims to strengthen support for African federations in their FIFA’s desire to establish a lasting presence

on the continent.

of a Host Agreement last December in FIFA, the Kingdom of Morocco and Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). Rabat becomes the latest city to host a developing football across the globe.

special day, a glorious day, a joyful day. We history of FIFA, of football in Africa, of football in Morocco, of football in the

“It’s an incredible and beautiful comMorocco, thanking His Majesty King Mohammed VI, for making this possiblejected into the future, to a continent that is that all of us do for this incredible sport.”

CELEBRATING WITH A GOOD FRIEND...

SIMON KOLAWOLE

Back to the 1999 Constitution Again

After what seems to be a long lull, the hydra-headed campaign for “true federalism” via a brand-new constitution is back in full swing. It’s been a while, really. The Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerians, says it is working on a draft constitution for the country. The group criticised the 1999 Constitution, saying it was “written by the military” without consultation with “the people” and that it “entrenches an overly centralised system of governance, stifles federalism, and fails to reflect Nigeria’s ethnic and regional diversity”. The Patriots attributed “systemic issues like insecurity, youth unemployment, poor public

There are two matters of interest to me here. The first is the falsehood that has been perpetrated for decades that the military wrote the 1999 Constitution. This has been so repeated that it is now taken as the fact and not the fiction — or the brazen exaggeration — that it is. I was a full-grown adult in 1999. I will never buy the lie. To keep repeating the fiction that the military wrote the constitution and did not consult Nigerians is pure desperation to win an argument. Two, I remain of the opinion that although there is nothing wrong with seeking to improve the constitution — Americans have amended theirs 27 times since 1798 — there is still absolutely no substitute for good governance. I have said again and again and again — and will

To meaningfully transform Nigeria, we need to alter how governance and critical services are delivered at the local level, the tier of government closest to the people. We need to reimagine the local councils as the pivot for human development in our country. This is not just because of the need for grassroots development that our officials and citizens mouth often. It is because, constitutionally and conventionally, our Local Government Areas (LGAs) have been assigned responsibilities—and

continue to say this until I draw my last breath — that the military did not write the 1999 Constitution. While people can be telling me stories and fables about political developments in Nigeria before I was born, I was old enough to be a father when the 1999 Constitution was produced and I will continue to counter the false narratives around it. Anyone who is genuinely interested in history should take the pains of comparing the 1979 and 1999 constitutions. They are available on the internet. They can also google the history of the drafting processes before joining the bandwagon of those singing “military wrote the services, weak institutions, and resource control disputes” to constitutional deficiencies.

Continued on page 61

Keeping Local Government Reform in Focus WAZIRI ADIO

resources—that should impact all citizens.

The LGAs should be the first line for basic services, and even for security and democratic participation. This is the level where the presence and essence of government should be felt the most, and where the people should be involved the most in decision-making. Evidence abounds, however, that this most critical tier of government is the most suboptimal, the least capacitated, the least trusted, the most despised—and, ironically, it can be the most distant.

All these need to change if we want to truly

alter the development trajectory of our country. But the change will not happen by itself or through isolated or episodic actions. It will only come from carefully structured and thoughtfully implemented reforms. Nigeria is long overdue for a reform of its local administration, a thoroughgoing reform that is anchored on a proper understanding of what is broken with the status quo and why, and one that is aligned with best practices in the field. Such a reform should not just be a federal affair. It should be developed and executed in consultation and collaboration with critical stakeholders. This should

TUNDE RAHMAN

be an all-of-society project. On Tuesday, Agora Policy, with the support of MacArthur Foundation, convened a high-level meeting to focus and sustain policy attention on this important issue. Headlined by Mr. Olawale Edun, the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the meeting was designed to achieve a dual purpose: stimulate an informed review of one year of the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774

Continued on page 61

President Tinubu, 2027 and Buhari’s Sad Death

As if blessed with clairvoyance or possibly having a premonition of President Muhammadu Buhari’s imminent death, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, seemed to have stirred up the debate around the former President’s political strength and likely impact on the 2027 election, even in death.

On Wednesday, July 9, 2025, just four days before Buhari’s death, the former SGF claimed President Bola Tinubu did not make Buhari

president in 2015. He was speaking at the public presentation of a book, titled “According to the President: Lessons From A Presidential Spokesman’s Experience,” written by Mallam Garba Shehu, Spokesman to the late Buhari. In his keynote address at the book launch, Mustapha argued that the former President’s fame was never in doubt and that he had already had over 12 million votes in his kitty before the 2015 election. “The merger of the legacy parties merely contributed three million votes to his victory at the 2015 presidential election,” he noted.

To speak of the true motive behind such a claim or whether the 12 million votes endured would only be conjectural. Yet, it begs the question: If Buhari had always had a guaranteed bloc of 12 million votes, and the alliance partners contributed only three million votes, many would wonder why those massive votes didn’t make him President in 2003, 2007, and 2011 until President Tinubu and others teamed up with him to form an alliance that produced the all–conquering All Progressives Congress.

This might have been akin to dissipating energy on a matter that would have been merely

academic if the late President himself had not often acknowledged President Tinubu’s help in his ascent to the exalted office. Last March 29, in a telephone call to the President on his 73rd birthday, Buhari rejoiced with him and thanked Tinubu effusively for his contributions to his emergence as President in 2015. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the former SGF’s assertion provides a valuable insight into assessing the potential influence the former President’s death may have on the 2027 election.

Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar

L-R: Managing Director Oceansands Prospecting Nigeria Limited, Chief Henry Uranta; former Director, Centre for Logistics and Transport Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Prof Osi S. Akpoghomeh; Ogbueshi Isichei Osamgbi; District Governor. Rotary District 9112, Mr. Lanre Adedoyin; Managing Director, Andoc Global Services Ltd, Chief Charles Okonkwo; and Director, Institute of Niger Delta Studies UNIPORT, Dr. Gift Chukwu Okeah, at the 50th anniversary and 35th Convocation of the university where Osamgbi bagged a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Logistics and Transport Management in Port Harcourt ….yesterday