SUNDAY 29TH JUNE 2025

One Presidential Aide Blocked Yar’Adua’s Letter to National Assembly,

APC Govs Back Tinubu’s Policies, Say Ganduje’s

Resignation in Tandem with Party’s

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have reaffirmed their commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s policies and the president’s Renewed Hope

Agenda.

The governors also stated that the resignation of the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, was in tandem with the party’s continued evolution. In a communiqué at the end of a

two-day strategic regional meeting of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) hosted by the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, in Benin City, Edo State, the governors also formally welcomed the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo

Eno into the APC fold.

The high-level meeting ended yesterday, June 28, 2025, with farreaching resolutions on Nigeria’s socio-economic trajectory, federal-state collaboration, and the future of the APC.

Evolution

Reading the communiqué, the Chairman of the PGF and Governor of Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodimma, said the gathering served as “a crucial platform to harmonise development strategies, reinforce party cohesion, and reaffirm the Forum’s dedication

to people-centered development, institutional accountability, and inter-governmental collaboration. The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Edo State Governor, Fred Itua, also

Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Folalumi Alaran in Abuja, and Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano President Bola Tinubu; former President Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President Kashim Shettima; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President, David Mark; Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf yesterday mourned an elder statesman, renowned business mogul and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, who passed away at 94 in the early hours of yesterday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF); presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi; former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ex-governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Chairperson of the National Caretaker Committee of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman; and a Coalition of Northern

James Emejo

Fubara Attends Wike’s Uncle’s Burial, Promises Not to Abandon Supporters, Insists No Sacrifice Too Big for Peace

The suspended Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, has promised not to abandon his supporters following his reconciliation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

The governor was sighted yesterday with Wike, the FCT minister’s uncle, at Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha’s funeral service in Rumuepirikom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

Shortly after the burial ceremony, Governor Fubara had a meeting with his supporters in Port Harcourt,

where he declared that there is no sacrifice too big for peace, stability, and progress of Rivers State.

Speaking with his supporters under the aegis of Simplified Movement, Fubara reassured them that every step he has taken, including the recent reconciliation with his predecessor, Wike, was done with their collective interest in mind.

Fubara acknowledged the anxiety and disappointment felt by many of his loyalists following the peace deal, but insisted that difficult times call for difficult decisions.

Fubara also acknowledged the pivotal role Wike played in his emergence as governor, saying that

the political history cannot be erased. Addressing his supporters, he said: "I called for this meeting to address you formally, for you to have first-hand information. It's not the one you are reading in the paper; it's not the one you are seeing on social media or wherever you are now hearing from me.

"We have fought. I think, in my own assessment and in the assessment of anyone here who is genuine in this struggle, you will know that we have done what we need to do. At this point, if you want to be truthful to yourself, the only solution is peace. I did say that no price is too big for peace. I meant it, and I'm still ready

to follow it to the end.

"Nobody can take away the role the FCT minister, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, played; that's the truth. Yes, we might have our differences, but nobody here will say he doesn't know the role he played. Nobody can wish away the risk he took. Yes, at one point we had our differences, and if today there's a need for us to settle, please, anyone who genuinely believes in me should understand that it's the right thing to do."

The governor admitted that the new political realities may be painful for some to accept, especially for those who have stood firmly with him through the turbulence. However,

he emphasised that the larger goal remains the peace and stability of Rivers State.

"At this point, I've met him and we have spoken. You can't take away the fact that he’s hurt; he's a human being. I also have my own share of pain.

"If we believe that we are in one family and our interest is to support the president, then what is the issue? If you say you are with us and you believe in me, this is the time for us to show it."

Fubara also lamented the impact the political crisis has had on governance, pointing out that several development projects across the state

BUHARI, SHETTIMA, ATIKU, OBI, GOVS, OTHERS MOURN BUSINESS MOGUL, DANTATA

Groups (CNG) have also expressed their condolences on the passing of the business icon.

The late Dantata was an uncle to Africa's richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

In a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the president described Dantata’s death as a monumental national loss.

“With the death of Alhaji Dantata today, we lost a prominent business mogul, patriot, and elder statesman who contributed significantly to the growth and development of our nation,” Tinubu stated.

Tinubu praised his sterling contributions to Nigeria’s economic growth and development.

The president eulogised Dantata for his public-spirited philanthropy, which touched lives, especially in education and healthcare delivery.

He recalled his relationship with the late mogul, describing his wise counsel and support as deeply encouraging and beneficial.

“Alhaji Dantata will be remembered for his industry, diligence, steadfastness, and great commitment to national unity through his many business ventures and philanthropic activities that touched countless lives of Nigerians,” the president declared.

On his part, former President, Buhari described him as a “visionary leader” whose legacy will endure for generations.

In a statement released by his media aide, Garba Shehu, Buhari said Dantata “leaves behind a monumental legacy

cited the communique in a statement he issued yesterday. According to the communique, the governors undertook a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s “economic, social, security, and political trajectory” and expressed satisfaction with “the renewed coordination between federal and state institutions, particularly the prioritization of fiscal reform, food security, energy transition, infrastructural modernization, and social sector revitalisation.”

PGF congratulated Tinubu and his team, applauding what it described as the “widespread endorsement of his policies across all states led by the Forum.”

According to the communiqué, “The Forum noted that Governor Eno’s decision, along with his supporters, reflects a growing national consensus on the transformative policies being executed by President Tinubu’s

in philanthropy and entrepreneurship that reshaped the lives of people and business settings in the country and beyond.”

Buhari extolled Dantata’s far-reaching influence in business, Islamic education, healthcare, and rural development, calling his contributions “inspirational” across national and international spheres.

Reflecting personally on their relationship, Buhari remarked, “I will always cherish my interactions with him.”

Also, in his condolence message, Vice President Shettima expressed deep grief over the passing of Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.

Shettima described him as "a living bridge that connected us to our past.

"We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution," the Vice President said, describing Dantata as "one of the greatest titans in Nigeria's philosophical history" whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country's economic and democratic evolution.

"In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past," Shettima added.

Former Vice President Atiku expressed sadness over the passing of Dantata, saying it “marks the end of an era”.

Reacting to the news via his X (formerly Twitter) account yesterday, Atiku described the death of late Dantata as a monumental loss to the nation.

Former Senate president, Mark, in a statement by his Special Adviser on

administration.

The Forum stated: “While economic indicators show signs of recovery, growth must be further democratized through expanded investments in food security, job creation, poverty eradication, MSMEs, and social safety nets.”

The communiqué noted that “sub-national governments remain engines for economic renewal,” adding that the Governors were “committing to deepen economic decentralization in line with Section 13 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates all levels of government to promote the welfare of the people.”

On governance and investor confidence, the Forum welcomed “the increase in fiscal transfers to states and the growing investor confidence in Nigeria’s economic outlook,” observing that “multiple

Media, Paul Mumeh, expressed deep sorrow over the death of Dantata.

In a condolence message to the government and people of Kano State, Mark described the late Dantata as a man of impeccable character, whose life was marked by selfless service, humility, and unwavering commitment to humanity.

Kano State Governor, Yusuf, also expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Dantata, describing his demise as an immense loss to the state and the nation.

In a heartfelt condolence message issued by his spokesperson Mr. Sanusu Dawakin Tofa, the governor extended his sympathies to the immediate family of the deceased, the people of Kano, and Nigeria at large.

The governor hailed Alhaji Dantata as a towering figure whose lifetime of dedication, philanthropy, and investments greatly shaped the economic and social landscape of Kano.

Similarly, northern governors, under the aegis of NSGF, expressed deep sorrow over the death of Dantata, describing his passing as a significant loss to Nigeria.

The Chairperson of NSGF and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Yahaya, who described the death as a national loss, said: “It is with profound sorrow and a deep sense of national loss that I, on behalf of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, mourn the passing of elder statesman and one of Africa’s most accomplished businessmen and philanthropists, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata.

“His demise marks the end of a remarkable era defined by enterprise,

APC-led states are now attracting significant domestic and foreign direct investments.

Governors also pledged to “professionalise procurement processes, digital governance systems, and enhance regulatory frameworks” as part of their commitment to deliver infrastructure that unlocks productivity and drives inter-state competitiveness.”

On the issue of security, the PGF commended “security agencies and ongoing efforts to counter criminality and safeguard national sovereignty.”

The Forum reiterated its support for “inter-agency coordination, community policing, and grassroots intelligence systems,” while calling for “greater investment in surveillance infrastructure and the welfare of frontline personnel.”

In their condolence messages to those affected by insecurity, particularly in Benue and Niger

GEORGE ELOMBI EMERGES NEXT PRESIDENT OF

and associated events held in Abuja.

Elombi immediately accepted the shareholders’ challenge as expressed by his predecessor to make the institution a $250billion bank in 10 years.

Afreximbank's total off-balance sheet assets stood at $42.7billion as at first quarter of 2025.

In his acceptance speech, Elombi expressed a deep commitment to the bank’s mission and future.

He also pledged to build on the achievements of his predecessor by "seeking to do a little more than

you did".

He committed to fund infrastructure and support export processing zones among others.

He said: “I have worked alongside remarkable colleagues and extraordinary leaders to help shape this institution’s vision, its mandate as well as its growth.

"As we look to the future, I see Afreximbank as a force for industrialising Africa and for re-gaining the dignity of Africans wherever they are. I will work to preserve this important asset.”

However, addressing journalists during the post-event briefing, Oramah said shareholders approved the $350 million dividend declarations as proposed by the board, of which $50 million would be a donation made towards the establishment of the concessional finance window they approved in 2023. They also approved an additional donation of about $700million for the concessional finance window, payable over a couple of years.

According to him, the meeting

generosity, humility, and integrity,” he said.

On his part, Obi expressed his sadness over “the exit of a business mogul who changed the face of business in Northern Nigeria”.

The former governor of Anambra State described the late Dantata as “a humble man who was outstanding in leadership."

In a separate statement by his Media office, Obi said: ''His humility, compassion, and simplicity, even in vast wealth, are virtues worth emulating. He uplifted not just Nigeria’s economy but the Nigerian people through his wisdom in commerce and his philanthropy.”

Similarly, Ganduje, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Edwin Olofu, described the late Dantata as a pillar of commerce, philanthropy, and community development, whose legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.

On her part, the acting National Chairperson of LP, Senator Usman, in a condolence message, recalled that the late Dantata believed in mentorship and investment in human capital development.

She pointed out that the late businessman's drive and foresight led to “the remarkable success of his nephew, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest man, whose story continues to reflect the enduring impact of Alhaji Dantata’s belief in building people, not just businesses.”

Also, a northern group, CNG, has expressed profound sorrow over the

states, the governors stated: “The PGF expressed condolences to families affected by insecurity, particularly in Benue and Niger states, and reaffirmed its collective resolve to support the President’s national security architecture, commending recent actions and visits to Benue State.”

The APC governors stressed the importance of grassroots engagement, affirming “the indispensable roles of local government and community structures in service delivery and democratic inclusion” and advocating for “reinvigorated grassroots governance.”

On internal affairs of the APC, the PGF acknowledged the recent wave of high-profile entrants into the ruling party, including governors and National Assembly members, describing it as “a clear affirmation of public confidence in the party’s leadership model and the Renewed

provided an opportunity for the shareholders, particularly class-A shareholders, who are signatories to the agreement establishing the bank, to reaffirm absolute commitment to meeting the obligations they willingly assumed under the treaty establishing Afreximbank.

Meanwhile, Elombi, a Cameroonian, succeeds Prof. Benedict Oramah, who has served as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2015, and who will be stepping down in September 2025.

have suffered delays. He reminded his supporters that now is the time to prove their loyalty and trust in his leadership, even when immediate political rewards seem uncertain, assuring that he would not abandon them.

"I can't abandon you people, that's one thing I need to say here. This is the time for me to prove to you that I care for you, and I make my commitment here that, whatever the outcome, I will not abandon anyone. But the sacrifice that we are going to make for us to achieve this total peace is going to be heavy, and I want everybody to prepare for it."

passing of Dantata. In a statement, the National Coordinator of CNG, Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, described the late Dantata as a pioneer whose contributions to Nigeria’s economic and social development were both foundational and transformative.

Born on May 19, 1931, Dantata was the 15th of 17 children in a family with a storied history in commerce and enterprise.

He was the son of Alhassan Dantata, a legendary merchant who laid the foundation of a business empire that would span generations.

Aminu Dantata began his education at Dala Primary School in 1938 and completed his studies in 1949 through home education at a private school established by his father.

He joined the family business, Alhassan Dantata & Sons, in 1948 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the head of the company in 1960 after the death of his brother and former managing director, Ahmadu Dantata.

Under his leadership, the Dantata business empire expanded its interests across several industries, including construction, petroleum, finance, and manufacturing.

He was the founder of Express Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd. and played a significant role in the establishment of Jaiz Bank, Nigeria’s first non-interest banking institution.

His influence extended to public service. In 1968, he was appointed Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, and Industry in Kano State under Governor Audu

Hope Agenda.”

“The Forum reaffirmed that the APC remains the most institutionally coherent political platform in Nigeria, with unmatched records of reforms, electoral success, and national unity,” the communiqué stated.

The APC governors also acknowledged Ganduje’s resignation as the National Chairman of the party, saying it was “in tandem with the party’s continued evolution.”

“The PGF reaffirmed its strong belief in a united, just, and prosperous Nigeria, committing to work collaboratively to deliver bold reforms, strengthen institutional trust, and accelerate socio-economic development across all geopolitical zones.”

It added: “Governors resolved to remain faithful to APC values, leveraging technology, innovation, and inter-governmental collaboration to

Elombi has been with Afreximbank since 1996, joining as a legal officer. He rose through the ranks to become Executive Vice President, Governance, Legal and Corporate Services.

Over his nearly three decades at the bank, he has served as Director and Executive Secretary (2010–2015); Deputy Director, Legal Services / Executive Secretary (2008–2010); Chief Legal Officer (2003–2008); and Senior Legal Officer (2001–2003).

Prior to joining Afreximbank, he taught law at the University of Hull,

Bako.

He also served on the board of the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank and was part of Nigeria’s first global economic mission after independence. During Nigeria’s indigenisation policy era in the 1970s, Dantata’s companies acquired stakes in prominent firms, including Mentholatum, SCOA, Funtua Cotton Seed Crushing Company, and Raleigh Industries.

Dantata for Burial in Saudi Arabia, Kano Holds Absentia Funeral Prayer Meanwhile, the funeral prayer in absentia (Salatul Ga’ib) was held yesterday in Kano for the late business mogul, Dantata.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the prayer, held at the Umar Bin Khattab Mosque in the Kano metropolis, was led by Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, Chairman of the Kano State Council of Ulamas. Thousands of sympathisers, including prominent personalities such as the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, attended the prayer to honour the memory of the deceased.

Speaking after the prayers, Khalil described the late Dantata as a devout Muslim, philanthropist, and community leader who lived a life of service and humility NAN also reported that “he is expected to be buried in Madina, Saudi Arabia, in accordance with family arrangements.”

drive Nigeria’s transformation from the bottom up.”

The PGF encouraged “all Nigerians, both at home and abroad, to rally behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC as the nation moves towards a more secure, inclusive, and forward-looking future.”

Governor Uzodimma called for a minute's silence in honour of Alhaji Aminu Dantata, whom he described as “a revered national leader.” Governors in attendance included Uzodimma of Imo State; Enoh of Akwa Ibom State; Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State; Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia of Benue State; Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State; Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State; Nasir Idris of Kebbi State; AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State; Bassey Otu of Cross River State; Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; and the host Governor Okpebholo of Edo State.

United Kingdom. Elombi played a pivotal role in establishing Afreximbank group’s structure, including the formation of key subsidiaries that have expanded the Bank’s capacity to deliver on its mandate.

Elombi holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the London School of Economics, University of London, and a Ph.D. in commercial arbitration from the same university. He obtained a ‘Maitrise-en-Droit’ from the University of Yaoundé in 1989.

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

THANK-YOU VISIT TO FIRST FAMILY...

One Presidential Aide Blocked Yar’Adua’s

Letter to National Assembly, Says Jonathan

Urges youths to choose leaders based on competence, not tribe or religion

Ejiofor Alike

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has disclosed that a top presidential aide deliberately withheld a handover letter written to the National Assembly by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua during his prolonged illness.

Jonathan has also asked young Nigerians to prioritise competence over religion and tribe in choosing leaders.

Yar’Adua died in May 2010 after months of illness.

Jonathan said in the letter, the ailing President Yar’Adua handed over power to him in his capacity as the vice president.

But the refusal of the unnamed presidential aide to submit the letter to the federal lawmakers had plunged Nigeria into a constitutional crisis.

Many Nigerians who were unaware that the late president actually wrote the letter had accused him of refusing to transmit a letter to the National Assembly for Jonathan to take over power in view of his failing health.

Speaking in an interview on Talking Books African, a programme by the Rainbow Book Club, which

was trending yesterday, Jonathan disclosed that Yar’Adua had written a formal letter to empower him as acting president before travelling abroad for medical treatment in 2010, but the aide entrusted with the document refused to submit it to lawmakers.

The former president said the aide’s action plunged the country into a constitutional crisis, leaving Nigeria without an acting president or commander-in-chief for months.

He explained that while he could perform executive functions as vice president, including presiding over Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings and approving ministerial memos, he lacked the constitutional authority to act as commander-in-chief without the formal letter.

He noted that the crisis forced the National Assembly to invoke the “doctrine of necessity,” empowering him to act as president without an official letter, a move he compared to the swift transition protocols in the United States of America (USA).

Jonathan said: “There’s always a balancing between North and South, Muslims and Christians. Yar'Adua was a Northern Muslim, serving

Promoters of Coalition Party, ADA, Commend INEC for Quick Response, Processing of Its Application

The promoters of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) have commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the acknowledgement of its application for registration as a political party.

INEC had in its acknowledgment letter dated June 27 and signed by the Secretary of the commission, Rose Anthony, said: ''Your letter dated ‘19 June 2025’ on the above subject is acknowledged.

''The commission is processing your application in line with the provision of Part 1, clause 2(\i) of our Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022. Accept the assurances of the commission’s high regard,” INEC said. Reacting, the secretary of the National Coalition for Opposition Group, Dr. Umar Ardo, commended INEC for the prompt response to its application seeking to be registered as a political party.

“Pointedly, it shows how INEC has displayed a positive reaction since ADA submitted its application.

''Within five days of the submission, the commission came out with clear statements indicating its impartiality and readiness to do the right thing, and published all associations that applied.

''And within a week, we got an acknowledgement letter to our application and assurance that it is being processed. With this reaction, the success or failure of our application now rests solely on the coalition group.

''All we need now to be registered in the shortest possible time are two things - comply in full with the requirements of the law and, by our membership, demonstrate to INEC and Nigerians that we are indeed capable of forming a political party that can win all elections in the country. And that can only be achieved if the coalition group remains united,'' Ardo stated.

as president. He took over from a Southern Christian, Obasanjo, who ruled for eight years.

“Definitely the Northern Muslims wanted Yar’Adua to at least do eight years before power would return to the South, likely to another Christian. But his health issues came up, and it was a problem. That’s why even allowing me to act as president became an issue.

“One year that Yar’Adua was going for a medical checkup. Actually, a letter was written. Of course, the constitution says that for the vice president to act, the president would send a letter to the Senate and the House of Representatives informing them.

“That letter was written, but the person to whom the letter was handed over, I will not mention the name

to you now, was one of the aides of Yar’Adua, and refused to submit the letter to the National Assembly. And Yar’Adua became so ill that he had no control over issues.

“So, we had a country where the president was not available, and there was no acting president. Yes, as a vice president, you can take over the responsibilities of some of the responsibilities of president. You

know the president of Nigeria has two main responsibilities.

“First, you are the chief executive of the country, so, like a prime minister of a country. That, the vice president can assume, you don’t need any transfer. And I was doing that because we were having an executive council meeting; we were approving memos from ministers, so the government was going on.

Northern Elders Condemn Killing of 20 Soldiers, Urge Tinubu to Declare State of Emergency over Insecurity

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Following the killing of 20 soldiers in Niger State last Tuesday, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) yesterday called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in northern Nigeria over the unabating insecurity. The elders also condemned the killing of over 20 soldiers in Bangi, Mariga Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.

In a statement issued by the spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, NEF expressed pain over

the brutal killing of the soldiers in an ambush by terrorists, describing the incident as a total collapse of security in Northern Nigeria.

Jiddere said the boldness demonstrated by the terrorists is an indication of declaring war against Nigeria, and added that northern Nigeria is under siege.

He said: “More than 20 uniformed men, defenders of the nation, were slaughtered like animals by a gang of well-armed terrorists who launched a brazen, coordinated ambush that completely

overwhelmed the base.

“This is not just an attack, it is a declaration of war against the Nigerian state, and the state is losing.

“This barbaric assault is only the latest chapter in the ongoing bloodbath that has turned Northern Nigeria into a war zone throughout June 2025.

“From Benue to Plateau, from Kwara to Kaduna, and from Zamfara to Sokoto, Borno, and now Niger, what we are witnessing is not mere insecurity, it is an unrelenting

campaign of terror, mass murder, and state failure.

“Entire communities are being wiped out, homes torched, lives shattered, and still, the killers roam freely, unchallenged, and unpunished.

“The truth is stark and undeniable: the Nigerian government has failed abysmally and consistently in its constitutional duty to protect lives and property.

“The North is drowning in blood, its people abandoned, while the security forces either cannot respond or are completely absent.

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The controversy over the position of the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new twist as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied reports that it advised the main opposition party that it would not honour any correspondence signed by its Acting National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo.

A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation had written to INEC requesting for the Certify True Copy (CTC) of the reported commission’s letter advising the PDP that it would not honour any correspondence signed or co-signed by Koshoedo.

The CSO had in the letter dated May 16, 2025, signed by its Executive Director, Yinka Sotade and addressed to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood and Secretary, Mrs. Rose

Omoa Oriaran-Anthony, respectively queried the alleged refusal by INEC to honour the resolution of the PDP.

The action of the CSO was prompted by a report in a section of the media that INEC had advised the PDP that it would only recognise correspondence signed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, despite the fact that the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) had officially communicated to the commission the appointment of Koshoedo as the acting National Secretary in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution.

In the letter to INEC, the CSO argued that the commission’s alleged position would amount to contempt of the judgment of the Supreme Court on the supremacy of political parties over its internal affairs.

“We hereby formally request a Certify True Copy (CTC) of the official communication from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

written to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in which the Commission communicated to the PDP its decision to not treat / give effect to letters from the PDP signed solely or co-signed by the Peoples Democratic Party Acting National Secretary, Hon Arc. Setonji Koshoedo.”

However, INEC in its reply to the CSO in a letter dated May 26, 2025 and addressed to the Executive Director, Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation with reference number: INEC/DEPM/CWO/041/111/152, denied having any such advisory in its records.

The commission’s reply signed by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, and sighted by THISDAY at the weekend reads: “RE: Request for INEC Correspondence to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the commission’s Resolve not to Honour Letters of the PDP signed by Its Acting National Secretary, Pursuant to the Provisions of Section 1(1) and (2) of

the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

“Your Letter on the above refers.

“The commission regrets to inform you that the document under reference is not in its records and draws your attention to the provisions of Section 82(1&5) to guide you in future engagement.

“Accept the assurances of the commission’s highest esteem,” the letter added.

INEC’s clarification was the commission’s endorsement of the decision of the party’s NWC directing the Deputy National Secretary, Koshoedo to act as its National Secretary.

PDP’s NWC, in an official correspondence with reference number: PDP/DOM/GF.2/ VOL. IF/25-061, dated May 05, 2025 conveyed to INEC, the resolution taken at its 600th meeting wherein it directed Koshoedo to act as National Secretary as provided under Section 36 (2) of the party’s Constitution.

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

L-R: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; President Bola Tinubu; and the First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, during the governor’s thank-you visit to the First Family for their warm and thoughtful wishes on his birthday, at the Presidential Villa … Friday.

HEALTH ON THEIR MINDS…

L-R: President, Nigerian Association of Dermatologists, Professor Da-Setima Altraide; Special Adviser on Health to Lagos State Government, Mrs.

Limited, Mr. Joseph Udeh; Consultant Dermatologist and Genitourinary Physician, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Dr.

Ogunyemi; Chief

Otrofanowei; Lagos State Commissioner for

LOC Chairman-NAD LAGOS 2025, Dr. Ayesha Akinkugbe; and Consultant, Dermatologist and Genitourinary Physician, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ehiaghe Anaba, during the association’s 19th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference held at Radisson Blu, Ikeja Lagos...recently

Saint Lucia Trip Ill-timed, Insensitive in the Face of Deepening National Crises, Peter Obi Tells Tinubu

Hails Ganduje’s resignation, urges unfit leaders to take a cue

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s trip to Saint Lucia, calling it an ill-timed and insensitive decision in the face of deepening national crises.

This came as he had commended the former governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, for resigning as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday, Obi said he was “struggling with my senses to understand what is happening to governance in this country.”

Tinubu had yesterday departed Nigeria and is expected to visit Saint Lucia, attend the BRICS summit in Brazil.

“What I have seen and witnessed in the last two years has left me in shock about poor governance delivery and apparent channelling of energy into politics and satisfaction of the elites, while the masses in our midst are languishing in want,” Obi declared.

Referring to the escalating insecurity and hunger ravaging the country, he added: “In the past two years, Nigeria has lost more people to all sorts of criminality than a country that is officially at war.

“Without any twilight, Nigeria ranks among the most insecure places in the world. Nigerians are hungrier, and most people do not know where their next meal will come from.”

Obi expressed disbelief upon learning of the president’s departure to the Caribbean nation, especially coming shortly after what he described

as a holiday in Lagos.

It read, “With such a gory picture of one’s country, you can imagine my bewilderment when I saw a news release from the Presidency announcing that President Bola Tinubu is departing Nigeria today for a visit to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean.”

Citing a press briefing by Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre, Obi noted that the visit included both official engagements and personal vacation.

“According to the Prime Minister’s announcement, ‘two of these days, June 30 and July 1, will be dedicated to an official visit, with the remainder of the trip set aside as a personal vacation,” he said.

Obi said he had initially dismissed the report as unbelievable: “I told the person who drew my attention to the

Caribbean story that it cannot be true and that the President is just coming back from a holiday in Lagos.

“I didn’t want to believe that anybody in the position of authority, more so the President… would contemplate a leisure trip at this time.”

The former Anambra governor criticised the president’s failure to personally visit disaster-affected areas, including Minna in Niger State, where over 200 people were reportedly killed and 700 still missing due to flooding.

“This is a president going for leisure when he couldn’t visit Minna, Niger State where over two hundred lives were lost and over 700 persons still missing in a flood natural disaster,” Obi lamented.

He also condemned Tinubu’s recent visit to Makurdi, which he described as politicised.

Oshiomhole: Buhari’s Printing of Money Excessively Responsible for Collapse of Naira

The former governor of Edo State and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole has attributed the collapse of the naira to the “excessive printing of money” by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, citing the controversial Ways and Means policy.

Obi said, “The other state in crisis where over two hundred lives were murdered, the President yielded to public pressure and visited Makurdi… for what turned out to be a political jamboree than condolence as public holiday was declared and children made to line up to receive the President who couldn’t even reach the village, the scene of the brutal attack.”

Obi drew sharp comparisons between the size and population of Saint Lucia and the Nigerian cities neglected by the president.

“Makurdi is 937.4 Km², which is over 59% bigger than St Lucia, which is 617 km², and Minna is 6789 square kilometres, which is ten times bigger than St Lucia. St Lucia, with a population of 180,000, is less than half of Makurdi’s 489,839, and Minna, with 532,000, is almost three times the population of St Lucia,” Obi quoted his stats in the post.

Calling for leadership anchored in empathy and urgency, Obi said:

for the populace…” He accused the administration of prioritising elites over the masses.

“This very obvious indifference of the federal government to the suffering of the Nigerian poor should urgently be reversed.

“One had expected the President to be asking God for extra hours in a day for the challenges, but what we see is a concentration of efforts in the 2027 election and on satisfying the wealthy while the mass poor continues to multiply in number,” Obi’s tweet further read.

Concluding his fiery message, Obi urged national reflection and redirection.

He concluded, “Finally, I like to let our leaders know one thing: that the God-given resources of this country belong to all, not to a few.

“The time has come to put a stop to this drift before it consumes all and focus on pulling people out of poverty.”

Meanwhile, Obi has commended Ganduje for resigning as the National Chairman of the APC.

“We are coming from a country that was almost like Zimbabwe or Idi Amin’s Uganda where he asked the Central Bank governor ‘go and print more money for us to share to the people’. And the governor said, ‘if we print more money, Uganda currency will be like a sheet of paper’,” Oshiomhole said.

“This is what the immediate past CBN governor was doing. In the Senate, we have the record that they printed over ₦31 trillion which they called Ways and

Speaking at the Progressives Governors Forum’s meeting and interactive session in Benin City, Edo State, yesterday, Oshiomhole criticised the CBN’s reliance on the policy, which allows the federal government to borrow from the apex bank to cover short-term fiscal deficits.

Means,” he continued.

“You know when the government wants to deceive people they use jargon. They called it Ways and Means but I can tell you what it means: It means a situation in which the government prints banknotes, not based on what we have earned or any resources, just print banknotes to go and share to the people to meet their money illusion.”

Oshiomhole stressed the “excessive printing of banknotes” was the root cause of the naira’s steep depreciation.

“To understand the root cause of the present cost of living and the exchange

rate regime, you must trace it and locate it in terms of the excessive amount of banknotes through so-called Ways and Means, which the past government created and which this government has eliminated,” he added.

He also highlighted the burden now placed on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to repay loans incurred by the previous government, stating, “Nigeria was borrowing every day the way fish drink water,” and it has now become Tinubu’s responsibility “to pay back those loans in order to guarantee the sovereignty of Nigeria.”

Jimoh Ibrahim Faults IMF, World Bank, Insists Nigeria is World’s 42nd Biggest Economy

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South) has challenged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to present evidence contradicting the claim that Nigeria is the 42nd largest economy in the world.

Ibrahim spoke in Abuja while reacting to the IMF/World Bank statement claiming Nigeria is the 12th poorest country with a specific per capita income.

He criticised the IMF for overlooking the country’s total

GDP, which primarily influences the per capita income.

Ibrahim emphasised that President Tinubu’s administration had never stated that Nigeria faces no challenges.

He said Nigeria struggles to translate its large GDP into higher per capita income, a problem the government is addressing with the Hope Agenda.

Ibrahim said the IMF and World Bank often show data from only one standpoint on the

balance sheet. He suggested these organisations should concentrate on their internal problem of increasing consultancy fees, highlighting that the IMF and World Bank are epiphenomena without independent authority. Ibrahim stated that the skill gap in the public sector hinders the effective execution of government’s good intentions, adding the government aims to address this problem through a significant restructuring policy.

Noting that reforms are underway, and promoting the knowledge economy has become a top focus, he said per capita income is projected to increase gradually over time.

Ibrahim emphasised that eradicating or reducing poverty was a shared responsibility, adding that Nigeria’s actual GDP is $363 billion, with a per capita income of $1,597, as opposed to the $808 mentioned by the global financial institutions.

“I don’t think the situation in this country today calls for leisure for anybody in a position of authority, more so the President, on whose desk the buck stops.

“This regime has repeatedly shown its insensitivity and lack of passion

Ganduje had suddenly resigned from the party on Friday.

Reacting, Obi, a former governor of Anambra, commended Ganduje in a post on his X handle.

Peace, Security, Trade, Investment to Top Agenda as Nigeria, EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has said the Senior Officials’ Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on July 1 and 2, 2025, in Abuja to discuss peace, trade, security, and other areas of cooperation.

Tuggar disclosed this in a statement yesterday issued by Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the foreign affairs ministry.

According to the minister, the meeting is part of preparations for the forthcoming Nigeria-EU Ministerial Meeting, which aims to explore areas of cooperation.

Tuggar said, “The Senior Officials’ Meeting will be co-chaired by Amb. Janet Olisa, Director, Regions Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, and Mr. Mathieu Briens, Deputy Managing Director

for Africa Department, European External Action Service, EU.

“The agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria–EU partnership.

“This includes cooperation on multilateral and regional issues, peace, security, and governance, humanitarian situations, trade and investment, and human development: health, education, and social protection.

“Also, there are science, technology, innovation, and digital transition; migration; energy; climate change; and green economy transition, among others.

“Nigeria and the EU share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests, as well as support for multilateralism and a rule-based international order.”

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-City

Olukemi

Executive Officer, Jouf Ventures

Erere

Health, Professor Akin Abayomi;

KUNLE OGUNFUYI

IN REMEMBRANCE OF BELOVED DAD…

CIBN: Nigeria’s Economic Crisis Requires Coordinated, Comprehensive Reform on Fiscal, Monetary Discipline

Dike Onwuamaeze

President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Professor Pius Deji Olanrewaju, has disclosed that Nigeria’s current economic crisis requires a coordinated and comprehensive reform strategy anchored on fiscal and monetary discipline, structural transformation, and institution building to reposition the country on a path of sustainable and inclusive economic recovery.

Olanrewaju stated this in Lagos in a lecture he delivered with the theme “The Economic Crisis in Nigeria: The Way Forward” in honour of Emeritus Professor of Economics, Professor Akpan Hogan Ekpo’s contributions to Nigeria’s economic development through teaching, researching, writings and guiding the country’s monetary policy as a former non-executive director of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

He said, “Today's discourse carries particular urgency. Nigeria stands at a critical juncture where the decisions we make and the reforms we implement will determine whether we emerge from our current challenges stronger and more resilient, or remain trapped in cycles of economic instability that have plagued us for decades.”

According to Olanrewaju, Nigeria’s current economic crisis is marked by stagflation, rising debt, currency volatility, and widespread poverty that calls for more than incremental fixes, adding that “the situation requires

a coordinated and comprehensive reform strategy anchored in fiscal and monetary discipline, structural transformation, and institution building that will reposition Nigeria on a path of sustainable and inclusive economic recovery.”

According to him, no reform could succeed without fixing Nigeria’s weak institutions by strengthening the civil service, empowering anticorruption agencies, embracing digital transparency, and ensuring judicial independence as essential steps.

“As seen in countries like Rwanda and Indonesia, real progress demands political will and leadership committed to the national interest.

“With courage, consistency, and a focus on citizens, Nigeria can move from crisis to opportunity and achieve shared prosperity,” Olanrewaju said.

He added that “although Nigeria has developed numerous economic plans and reform agendas, implementation has been undermined by policy inconsistency, unclear regulations, and weak coordination between fiscal, monetary, and structural reforms.

“Sudden policy shifts, overlapping agency mandates, and bureaucratic red tape have created an unpredictable business environment that deters both local and foreign investors.

“Moreover, the absence of datadriven decision-making and weak monitoring frameworks has led to poor outcomes and a limited ability to respond effectively to economic

Four Confirmed Dead, 21 Injured as Two Explosions Rock Yobe

At least four persons have been confirmed dead, and 21 others injured following two separate explosions of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) suspected to have been planted by ISWAP terrorists in the Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.

The first incident occurred on Friday morning along the Goniri–Buni Yadi Road when a commercial pickup van conveying traders to the weekly Buni Yadi market ran over an IED near Bultaram village.

The explosion fatally injured several passengers, three of whom were confirmed dead upon arrival at the Yobe State Specialist Hospital in Damaturu, while 21 others who

sustained varying degrees of injuries were admitted for treatment.

It was gathered that a few hours later, another explosion occurred in the same area when an unidentified cyclist unknowingly stepped on another IED. He was rushed to Buni Yadi General Hospital but was confirmed dead on arrival.

Security and emergency response teams, including an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit and local vigilante groups, have since been deployed to the area for clearance operations and to prevent further casualties.

Surveillance and monitoring efforts were ongoing, as authorities continued to comb the surrounding area for additional threats.

challenges.

“These issues breed uncertainty, deter innovation, and complicate efforts to attract sustainable investment.

“Furthermore, a lack of data-driven policymaking and weak monitoring and evaluation frameworks has led to suboptimal outcomes and poor adaptability in times of crisis.”

He said that a closer look at Nigeria’s key macroeconomic indicators, sectoral performance, and monetary policy challenges would reveal a complex and precarious situation in the form of lagging

economic growth, inflationary trend, public debt, and fiscal pressure.

“No doubt, Nigeria faces several challenges in ensuring economic growth. However, achieving this growth is not impossible. As Nelson Mandela mentioned, ‘It always seems impossible until it’s done.’ Indeed, even grave economic challenges can be overcome with vision and perseverance.”

The president of CIBN said that crafting an effective and sustainable pathway out of Nigeria’s recurring economic crises would require moving

beyond the symptoms in order to interrogate the deeper, structural factors that have impeded economic development.

According to him, these root causes are interwoven and have evolved, compounding the country’s vulnerability to internal shocks and external disruptions.

He said: “Governance forms the foundation of national development, yet Nigeria’s progress continues to be undermined by weak institutions, widespread corruption, and inadequate accountability.

“Over time, mismanagement in the public sector, lack of transparency, and rent-seeking have eroded trust in government and weakened policy execution.

“Challenges such as poor enforcement of the rule of law, ineffective public financial management, and limited institutional capacity have discouraged investment, distorted the allocation of resources, and deepened inequality.

“As a result, even well-designed policies often suffer from poor or selective implementation.”

Pressure Mounts on Akume to Resign as North-Central Renews Clamour for APC National Chairmanship Seat

Ejiofor Alike in Lagos and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), pressure is being mounted on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume to resign his position and assume the position of the national chairman of the ruling party, THISDAY has learnt.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga last night clarified that there has been no change in Akume’s status as SGF.

Reacting to the rumour of Akume’s replacement in a brief statement, Onanuga noted that Tinubu, currently in Saint Lucia, has not made any new appointments.

“The information circulating about

NGX Group,

Kayode Tokede

The Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group) and capital market leaders have reaffirmed their readiness to support the imminent listing of Dangote Fertiliser Limited on NGX, a milestone for Nigeria’s industrial and capital market growth.

The commitment followed a high-level tour of Dangote refinery and fertiliser facilities by NGX Group’s board, management,

Akume's replacement is untrue. Agents of mischief fabricated it. The Presidency advises Nigerians to disregard the fake news,” Onanuga added.

THISDAY gathered that the pressure on the former governor of Benue State followed the renewed clamour by the stakeholders of the APC from the North-Central geopolitical zone for the position after Ganduje’s sudden departure.

Ganduje’s resignation led to the renewed agitation by the leaders of the party from the North-Central geopolitical zone to have the office of the National Chairman returned to the zone, in line with the 2022 zoning formula of the party.

The stakeholders believe that with Akume’s experience and track records, he is the best man for the job.

The North-central zone where Akume hails from lost the position to Ganduje’s North-West following

and market stakeholders.

NGX Group GMD/CEO, Mr. Temi Popoola, highlighted the capacity of the Exchange to mobilise capital for large-scale projects.

“In 2024 alone, Nigerian investors deployed over N2 trillion into the banking sector. With Dangote Fertiliser’s listing, we’re poised to replicate this success, providing the infrastructure and liquidity to drive industrial growth.”

the resignation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

His resignation paved the way for the emergence of Ganduje in August 2023 at the 12th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja.

The former governor of Kano State had on Friday announced his sudden resignation from the office, citing health issues.

Following the resignation of Ganduje who piloted the affairs of the party for 22 months, the Deputy National Chairman (North), Hon. Ali Dalori took over as the acting National Chairman of the party in line with the constitution of the party.

Dalori would hold forth pending the appointment of the substantive officer by the National Executive Committee (NEC) in December.

Recall that in spite of the opposition by some groups from the North-central zone to Ganduje’s appointment, the

CEO of Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), Mr. Jude Chiemeka, added: “This listing will showcase NGX’s ability to attract transformative deals. Our market’s depth, transparency, and investor base ensure seamless execution.”

President and Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, confirmed the fertiliser business’s robust outlook.

party's NEC meeting held in February reaffirmed the appointment and zoning of the office of the party's National Chairman to the North-West.

Expectedly, with Ganduje’s resignation, some party leaders from North-central have gone back to the trenches with a renewed agitation for the region to have the seat back.

Though Akume has not shown interest in the position of the APC national chairman, THISDAY gathered that no fewer than five names from the region are being touted to be eyeing the party's highest administrative office. They are: Former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Umar Tanko Al-Makura; former governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye; former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello; Senator Solomon Ewuga, and Senator Sani Musa, who currently represents the Niger East Senatorial district in the Senate.

He emphasized NGX Group’s role in achieving Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy goal.

NGX Group Chairman, Umaru Kwairanga, praised Dangote’s historic market contributions.

“From his leadership at the Exchange to this listing, Alhaji Dangote exemplifies the private sector’s role in market development.”

“With projected revenues of $20 million daily and $70 billion cumulative earnings potential, this listing will offer investors dollar-denominated returns and long-term value.”

L-R: Wife of the deceased, Mrs. Winifred Nwokedi; Mrs. Betty Edozien; Children of deceased, Adaiba Nwokedi; Olisa Nwokedi; and Mr. Chuba Nwokedi, during the memorial service in honour of the late Mr. Uchenna Gregory Nwokedi (SAN), at St Gregory's College in Obalende, Lagos…yesterday

STRATEGISING FOR FOOD SECURITY…

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Farm Junction, Mr. Yinka Omogoye; Director, Agric Business, Mrs. Aramide Ganzalo; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, Mr. Emmanuel Audu; Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya; Special Adviser to the governor on Agriculture, Dr. Oluwarotimi Fashola; and Navy Captain S. P. Ekiye, during a facility tour of Farm Junction at Isheri Estate Community, Ogun State…recently

Debt Service Payments Made by Developing Countries

Debt service payments by developing countries soared by $74 billion in 2024 from $847 billion to $921 billion, a new UN report has shown.

The report, ‘Confronting the Debt Crisis: 11 Actions to Unlock Sustainable Financing’, was launched over the weekend by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.

Mohammed was joined by experts - Mahmoud Mohieldin

Hit $921bn in 2024, Says UN Report

and Paolo Gentiloni - along with Rebeca Grynspan, Head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The report showed a “silent crisis” of surging debt service payments in low-income countries and charted the path out of the debt crisis threatening global development.

Mohammed regretted that a decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals

Tinubu Rejoices With Customs’ CG, Adeniyi on Election as Chairperson of World Council of Customs

Deji

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, on his unanimous election on Saturday in Brussels as the Chairperson of the Council of the World Customs Organisation (WCO).

Adeniyi made history as the first Nigerian to head the 73-year-old organisation, which has 186 member countries and is the highest decision-making body in global customs administration.

The president in a statement yesterday by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga; congratulated

Adeniyi, the Board, management and staff of the NCS on the recognition.

President Tinubu believed that the hoisting of the Nigerian flag at the WCO headquarters in Brussels marks a significant milestone.

It is the first time the flag has been raised at the organisation’s headquarters since its founding in 1952. This event demonstrates the dynamism of the leadership provided by Adeniyi, who has been the head of NCS since his appointment two years ago.

In two years, Adeniyi has increased revenue collections, consistently surpassing budgetary targets, improved relations with various stakeholders, modernised operations and digitalised processes for effectiveness.

GTBank Announces

Early Closure Nationwide June 30

Guaranty Trust Bank Limited (GTBank) has announced that all its branches across Nigeria will close earlier than usual on Monday, June 30.

The bank made this known in a customer email sent yesterday, informing clients of the temporary change in operation hours.

According to the message, the early closure is to allow for the bank’s scheduled half-year audit activities. The statement read, “Please be informed that our

branches nationwide will close to customers early on Monday, June 30, 2025, for our half-year audit.” It also specified different closure times for locations based on geographical locations in the country.

“Kindly note the early closure time below:UpcountryBranches–2.00p.m.; Lagos Branches – 3.00 p.m..,” the bank stated.

GTBank advised customers to use its digital banking channels for transactions during the period of early closure.

(SDGs), development was facing serious headwinds.

“Borrowing is critical for development,” Mohammed said, adding, “Borrowing is not working for many developing countries. “Over two-thirds of our low-income countries are either in debt distress or at a high risk of it.”

Grynspan warned that the crisis was accelerating.

The report showed more than

3.4 billion people now live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on health or education, 100 million more than the previous year.

“The nature of this crisis is mostly connected to the increase of debt servicing costs,” Gentiloni explained. “Practically, the debt services costs doubled in the last ten years.” Prepared by the UN Secretary-General’s Expert Group on Debt, the report reinforced

the commitments put forward in the Compromiso de Sevilla. Compromiso de Sevilla is the outcome document of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, taking place next week.

The report outlines 11 actions that are both technically feasible and politically viable.

Mohieldin explained that the recommendations fall under two key goals:

providing meaningful debt relief and preventing future crises. It identified three levels of action, including repurpose and replenish funds to inject liquidity into the system, with targeted support for low-income countries at the multilateral level.

The other is establishing a platform for borrowers and creditors to engage directly at the international level:

Oba of Benin Urges Governors to Support Tinubu’s Unity Efforts

Oba of Benin, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, has urged Nigerian governors to support President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to unite the country.

Ewuare made the announcement yesterday when he received governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at his palace in Benin.

He emphasised the importance of projecting peace and unity

across the federation, irrespective of political, religious, or ethnic differences. The Oba praised President Tinubu for the work he is doing to unite the country, despite facing widespread criticism.

He noted that every leader, including those in developed countries, faced opposition but should persevere and do their best.

The Oba also urged the governors to continue supporting Governor Monday Okpebholo,

whom he commended for according the traditional institution in the state the respect and recognition it deserved.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo, assured the Oba that Okpebholo will fulfill his campaign promises to the Edo people.

He noted that these promises included poverty reduction and improved infrastructure across

various sectors of the state. The meeting was concluded with Uzodimma soliciting prayers from the Oba, underscoring the importance of spiritual support and blessings in governance. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governors were accompanied by some senators elected on the APC platform and two members of the President Tinubu cabinet.

I’m Still in PDP, Says Enugu Governor, Mbah

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has said he has no plan to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), maintaining that he is still in the party.

Mbah stated this during an interactive session with the members of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) yesterday in Enugu.

“I am still in the PDP; as you can see, the flag behind me is that of the PDP,” he said.

Acknowledging the challenges facing PDP, he noted that it was not peculiar to the party, as other political parties in the country were also facing challenges.

Mbah, however, said the party would soon fix its problems.

On independent candidacy, Mbah said, “Our constitution does not recognise or have provisions for someone to run as an independent candidate. It means you have to be sponsored

by a political party.

“So you must still do the politics, as you cannot completely shield yourself from it.

“It is also clear from the people of Enugu State that we are in this to serve them.

So we have focused largely on governance.

“I believe that at the end of the day, the people would have to decide whether they want to renew our mandate or kick us out.”

The governor disclosed that his political rival in the 2023 governorship election in Enugu, Mr. Chijioke Edeoga, had returned to the party to join him in moving the state forward.

“So we’re working closely together, and that has also brought a lot of peace, as we are not spending money dealing with all sorts of political fights.

FG Lauds ABUAD over Global Recognition in 2025 Times Varsity Rankings

Kuni

Tyessi in Abuja

The federal government has congratulated the Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, and the entire academic and nonacademic staff of the institution on its recent global recognition. In the latest Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (2025), ABUAD achieved a

historic milestone by emerging as the 84th best university in the world, third in Africa, and maintaining its position as first in Nigeria for the fourth consecutive year, 2022 through 2025.

In a letter addressed to Afe Babalola, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, praised the legal luminary and philanthropist for his unwavering dedication to educational excellence and national development.

“Your achievement is not only a personal triumph but a national milestone. It is inspiring to witness your decade-long dream, once expressed to former Chief Justice Hon. Justice Tanko Mohammed, become a global reality within your lifetime,” the minister stated.

According to a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Folashade Boriowo, the minister

also lauded the collective efforts of ABUAD’s academic and non-academic workforce. According to the minister,

“This global recognition could not have been possible without the dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence by the entire staff of ABUAD. You have demonstrated that with the right vision, passion, and professionalism, Nigerian institutions can lead on the world stage.”

Elumoye in Abuja

Simpler Taxes, Stronger Economy Ahead

Nigerians expect the new tax laws to boost revenue generation while providing much-needed relief to businesses and individuals through a more transparent, simplified, and equitable tax system, writes Festus Akanbi

Last Thursday’s signing into law of four new tax legislations has sparked cautious optimism across Nigeria, as the country grapples with the urgent need to boost domestic revenue, ease the burden on the poor, and create a more predictable operating environment for businesses.

President Bola Tinubu, at the signing ceremony, described the sweeping new legislations as pivotal to the success of the administration’s reforms and the country’s prosperity.

The laws are the Nigeria Tax Act (Ease of Doing Business), which aims to consolidate Nigeria’s fragmented tax laws into a harmonised statute; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, which will establish a uniform legal and operational framework for tax administration across federal, state, and local governments.

Others are the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, which repeals the current Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and creates a more autonomous and performance-driven national revenue agency— the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS); and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment)Act, which provides for a formal governance structure to facilitate cooperation between revenue authorities at all levels of government.

Fiscal Sustainability

These reforms, aimed at expanding the tax net, improving compliance, and curbing arbitrary levies, are seen as a bold step toward fiscal sustainability. For a nation struggling with mounting debt and dwindling oil revenues, the new tax framework offers a glimmer of hope, promising not only to strengthen government finances but also to foster economic inclusiveness by protecting low-income earners and reducing the cost of doing business in the country.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) reported a record-breaking tax collection of N21.6 trillion in 2024, surpassing its initial target of N19.4 trillion by approximately 11.3%.

This milestone was largely driven by non-oil tax revenues, marking a notable improvement in domestic revenue mobilisation and indicating a shift toward a more resilient fiscal framework.

As the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS) emerges from the transformation of the former Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) therefore, all eyes are on its capacity to drive the successful implementation of the new tax laws and serve as the central tax authority in the country.

Expectations are high that the NRS will bring professionalism, transparency, and efficiency to tax collection, unifying a fragmented system plagued by duplication and leakages.

However, questions persist about whether the new agency has the institutional strength, technological infrastructure, and political backing to assume the role of sole tax collector in a complex federation where states have long guarded their taxing powers.

Watchers of the unfolding development said the success of the NRS will ultimately depend on its ability to build public trust, enforce compliance fairly, and deliver measurable improvements in revenue generation without worsening the burden on businesses and citizens.

Presently, Nigeria’s tax system is mired in confusion and inefficiency, marked by rampant duplication of taxes at both federal and state levels, leaving businesses overwhelmed and frustrated. Instead of fostering productivity, the multiplicity of levies has created a chaotic environment where companies are hounded by tax contractors who often act with impunity, extorting payments under the guise of enforcement.

This disjointed structure has opened the floodgates for corrupt tax officials to exploit loopholes for personal gain, diverting revenues

that should bolster national development. The result is a suffocating burden on enterprises and individuals alike, discouraging investment and deepening the crisis of trust in the nation’s fiscal governance.

Changing the Narrative Analysts believed it was this scenario that left President Tinubu with no option but to push for the overhaul of the tax system to better the lot of the Nigerian people. This was attested to by the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, who described the newly signed tax laws as “pro-poor,” saying they will ease the burden on lowincome earners, small business owners, and everyday Nigerians.

He said, “More than 1/3 of workers in both the private and public sectors will now be exempted completely from PAYE.

“They will not have to pay personal income tax. Small businesses, over 90 per cent of small and micro, nano businesses, will no longer have to worry about paying corporate income tax or charging VAT or even deducting withholding tax or paying PAYE for their employees.”

Oyedele added that the reforms will leave “More money in the hands of the ordinary Nigerian to take care of their daily needs,” and announced a new zero-rate VAT framework on essential items.

“Any traces of VAT in food, in education, in medical and health care are now removed completely, so we should see prices of those items come down,” Oyedele explained.

He also emphasised relief for sectors where households spend most, clarifying that “Transportation, accommodation and housing are exempted from VAT… collectively account for more than 80 per cent of where Nigerians spend their

money. That’s a huge relief for them.”

Oyedele further noted that the reforms include measures to boost tax collection efficiency and transparency.

He said, “Provisions have been made to help us improve efficiency in how we collect taxes, and also efficiency in the transparency of reporting the taxes we collect, which we expect should then be linked to how those taxes are utilised for the benefit of the people.”

Crossing the Hurdle of Implemen- tation

There is growing apprehension that the entrenched interests of some state governors, who heavily rely on tax consultants for revenue collection, may pose a significant obstacle to the successful implementation of the new tax laws.

These consultants, often operating with minimal oversight, have become powerful intermediaries with vested interests in the existing chaotic system that allows for multiple, and sometimes illegal, levies.

Many fear that governors who benefit politically or financially from these arrangements may resist reforms that seek to streamline and centralize tax administration. Without strong political will and coordinated enforcement mechanisms, the new laws risk being undermined by those who stand to lose from a more transparent and accountable tax regime.

While Nigerians are still apprehensive over a possible backlash when it becomes fully operational, businesses are cautiously optimistic, believing it can only get better.

Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf, said reform is a journey and not a destination.

According to him, there are high expectations in terms of the good things the laws promise to make the business environment friendlier.

“We watch to see how they come to light,” he said, adding, “No reform is perfect. It is in the implementation that we will know which areas need to be retouched. In all, it is a good way to start.”

Also speaking on the new tax laws, which

he described as historic and audacious, Prof. Godwin Oyedokun of Lead City University said the new tax reform laws will address various economic challenges, especially improving the business environment and enhancing revenue generation.

“The new tax laws present opportunities for enhancing Nigeria’s economic landscape.

With Nigeria’s rising debt profile and mounting fiscal pressures, there is a growing belief that efficient tax collection could serve as a sustainable alternative to the country’s overreliance on loans to meet its financial needs.

By expanding the tax base, plugging leakages, and ensuring transparency and accountability in revenue administration, the government can significantly increase its internally generated revenue. This shift would not only reduce the debt burden but also enhance national sovereignty by minimising dependence on external lenders.

Analysts said that if well implemented, the new tax laws and a streamlined revenue collection system, anchored by a capable Nigerian Revenue Service, could provide a steady and predictable stream of income to fund infrastructure, social services, and economic development, thereby curbing the current appetite for borrowing.

Nigerians hold high expectations from the newly signed tax laws, seeing them as a longoverdue opportunity to bring sanity, fairness, and efficiency to the country’s tax system.

Companies are particularly hopeful that the reforms will simplify tax administration, eliminate overlapping levies, and reduce the harassment and arbitrary charges that have stifled business growth.

On the other hand, ordinary citizens, especially the poor, look forward to measures that will ease their financial burdens, shield them from exploitative tax practices, and ensure that government revenue is increased through broader compliance rather than deeper suffering. Ultimately, there is a shared hope that these laws will lay the foundation for a more equitable, transparent, and development-focused tax regime.

President Tinubu

PactaSuntServandaversus Legitimate Self-defence: US-Iranian Lessons for Nigeria’s Foreign Policy

In international politics and relations, a distinction is often made between diplomacy and force, especially in the mediation of disputes between Member States of the international community. The use of force is often equated with war. In this regard, adoption of the principles of conciliation, reconciliation, mediation, judicial settlement, negotiation, adjudication, etc., are considered as acceptable means of peaceful settlement of disputes. Anything outside of these recommended principles or requiring any forceful means is considered unacceptable. It is seen as belligerent and therefore outlawed.

Today, the use of force has become synonymous with another form of diplomacy in which case diplomacy is also forceful by intention, by attitude and by behaviour. For example, all the various principles of peaceful means of settling disputes are internationally regulated. A mediator must not have partisan interest and must be acceptable to the disputants. However, in the most recent Israelo-Iranian conflict, the US President, Donald Trump, not only aggressed Iran by bombing its nuclear sites in Fordow, Isfahan and… but directed Iran to accept US-dictated terms for diplomatic negotiations and peaceful coexistence.

This situation raises a rivalry between the principles of pacta sunt servanda and legitimate self-defence. War is an expression of diplomacy and diplomacy can also be an act of war. In other words, the US-Iranian conflict reflects the use of force or war as diplomacy as distinct from the understanding of war as an instrument of diplomacy. War as diplomacy always comes after the failure of diplomacy in which case diplomacy follows an end of war while diplomacy as war is always a first action. The threat of use of force is first manu militari in character. When this is followed with the actual use of force, it then becomes a war in which the use of diplomacy becomes a failure or far-fetched. This is the message sent to the world by the US-Israel-Iranian conflict, and particularly with the Iranian bombing of the United States flag military airbase in Ubeid in Qatar. But how do we understand the rivalry of principles?

Pacta Sunt Servanda and Israel-Iran Conflict

The discussion of the principle of pacta sunt servnada, in terms of its origin, practice, and challenges in international relations, largely arises from Donald Trump’s foreign policy of ‘Making America Great Again,’ which involves reckless foreign policy behaviours, and attraction of unnecessary and mounting antiAmericanism in global politics. As a result, American influence in global politics has been on the decline as most recently evidenced by the newly-found entente between Canada and the European Union (EU).

The meeting of Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, with the EU on Monday, June 23, 2025, provided a unique opportunity for Canada, not only to tame the United States of Donald Trump and to cut the United States to its normal size, but also to particularly and directly raise the issue of pacta sunt servanda and national sovereignty. True, Canada has bilateral agreements and understandings with the United States of President Trump but Donald Trump does not, stricto sensu, believe in sanctity of agreements.

At the 23rd June 2025 EU-Canada Summit, Canada reached an agreement with the EU on a €150 billion defence procurement programme, also called ReArm Europe. The agreement enables Canadian companies ‘access to European contracts and locks us (Canadians) into value-based alliance with democratic partners that don’t slap us (Canada) with tariffs, threaten to annex us (Canada), or drag us (Canadians) into Middle East Wars’ to borrow the words of Dean Blundell in ell.substack.com.

As noted by the Canadian leader, ‘we’re here among friends,’ and this is against the consideration that ‘Washington can’t be trusted anymore.’ This perception of non-trustworthiness cannot but be most unfortunate for the good people of the United States who actually voted for Donald Trump as President. The hostility against the United States under Donald Trump is now much and demeaning. As described by Dean Blundell again, ‘by opening procurement to European firms, Canada is building an

independent, self-reliant defence ecosystem.’ And true enough, Canada is currently promoting a pan-national energy corridor, a coast-to-coast Arctic pipeline network, as well as building ports in Hudson Bay and the Atlantic to enable shipment of oil directly to Europe and preventing no more US chokepoints.

Explained differently, Canada has flagrantly rejected the behavioural manifestations of Donald Trump’s MAGA policy: rejection of annexation of Canada; starting a war with Iran without consultation with allies; considering ‘quitting NATO;’ and demanding ‘5% GDP spending while simultaneously calling the alliance a scam. In short, the Canadian Prime Minister says Canada’s new defence strategy is ‘buy Canadian. Build with Europe. Fight for Democracy.’ Thus, the United States is set aside, no longer being a priority

When this Canadian rejection of Donald Trump’s hegemony is considered in the context of the principle of pacta sunt servanda in relationship to that of national sovereignty and legitimate selfdefence, there is no disputing the fact that national sovereignty is taking primacy over pacta sunt servanda. This is in spite of the doctrines of Monism and Dualism in international law. International law means little or nothing to the United States and Israel. The rule of legitimate self-defence is often executed within the right of national sovereignty when considering national security. It is a truism, at least, theoretically, that there is equality of sovereignty in international relations, but this does not exist in practice.

If truly there is equality, how do we explain the fact that the United

In the same vein, while Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu strongly believes that the Member States of the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS) will soon return to the ECOWAS, the same ASS is playing host to increasing RussoChinese influence, thus pointing to the difficulty in the likelihood of its return to the ECOWAS. The return can be likely in the context of a body with a special status. It can be as a Partner Member in the mania of Nigeria’s Partner Membership of the BRICS. Additionally, in the event the ASS returns as individual members, the likelihood of dissolving the ASS in order to facilitate a stronger ECOWAS is only best imagined. The ASS has the potential to co-exist with the ECOWAS. There can be an ECOWAS of 15 countries again but that may not prevent the continued existence of the ASS as a sub-region. In the event of an internationally-sponsored aggression on Nigeria, which country will be helpful to Nigeria in the neighbourhood? The time of classical warfare is increasingly belonging to the past. Modern-day warfare is fought by technology. Why should Nigeria not aspire to join a new league of nations with nuclear capability? Is it not in Nigeria’s national interest? Does Nigeria’s quest for strategic autonomy have any good meaning without a self-reliant nuclear capacity? The main lessons therefore from the conflict between pacta sunt servanda and self-defence for Nigeria is learning to behave like a big power in the making and how to secure international support for Nigeria as a nuclear power. With the status of a nuclear power, Nigeria’s eligibility for a Permanent Seat on the UNSC cannot but be completely different a debate

States’ decided to unilaterally bomb some Iranian nuclear sites and then again unilaterally asked Iran to come to table to negotiate the US aggression meted out on her? This is why the understanding of the notion of pacta sunt servanda and its conflicting status with the national interest-driven principle of legitimate self-defence is a desideratum at this juncture. In other words, what do we mean by pacta sunt servanda? How is it impacted upon by the principle of legitimate self-defence, and particularly by the conscious disregard for the respect of the principle when national interests are at stake? Without whiff of doubt, pacta sunt servanda is a general principle of law found in all nations and, therefore, it is valid everywhere in the same manner (vide 53 American Journal of International Law, 1959, page 775). Hugo Grotius underscored the factor of ‘good faith’ in his definition of pacta sunt servanda, arguing that any agreement made in good faith should always be kept (vide his De Jure Bell ac Pacis of 1625). More interestingly, pacta sunt servanda is the cornerstone of modern international law, but, most unfortunately, it is only and religiously respected by the weak nations of the world, while it is respected by the powerful nations on the basis of their whims and caprices.

On the issue of legitimate self-defence, it is a derivative of natural law which has it that there are some rights and duties inherent to human beings which exist independently of any legal systems. For example, there is the idea of self-preservation, the instinct to survive, as well as protect oneself from any harm. In this regard, natural law theories have it that an individual cannot but have the right to use force to defend himself or herself when and where necessary, against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm. Grosso modo, the inherent right to self-preservation is considered the origin of self-defence.

In spite of this right, the need to still prevent any unnecessary abuse of self-defence prompted the regulation of the right of legitimate self-defence in international law and relations. The theory of a just war (Jus ad Bellum) accepts the right of self-defence as a legitimate excuse for war. Article 51 of the United Nations similarly accepts the inherent right to self-defence. However, this inherent right does not imply legitimacy. There are some conditions that must exist before the exercise of right of self-defence can be legitimate. For instance, in international law, there is the Caroline Doctrine that says self-defence can only be justified if there is a threat that is ‘manifest, immediate, and overwhelming.’ In other words, emphasis is often placed on the imminence and reasonableness of a threat and on the proportionality of the defence response. An act of self-defence must not only be necessary but must also be proportionate to the threat. As such, to what extent is the US-Israeli war on Iran just or lawful? The war is presented as a pre-emptive one which suggests an imminent threat.

True enough, it can be posited that Iran is a threat to Israel since Iran does not recognise the State of Israel and always talks about death to Israel and to the US. However, it is not the act of non-recognition that is threatening, but the fear of what Iran is likely to do with the possession of nuclear power. It is this fear that informs the need to prevent by all means, and regardless of international law prohibitions, every effort by Iran to enrich uranium either for peaceful or war purpose. This is where the principle of pacta sunt servanda or sanctity of agreements, on the one hand, and the principle of legitimate self-defence, on the other, come into conflict. How do these conflicting principles affect Nigeria’s national interests in international relations? Are there lessons therefrom to learn?

Lessons for Nigeria’s Foreign Policy

Violations of international law by the big powers are only condemned but hardly sanctioned. When Russia launched an attack on Ukraine, the objective of war was to prevent the accession of Ukraine to the membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, but nothing concrete happened to Russia beyond taking sanctions that never brought Russia to its knees. Without doubt, many observers have considered that the Russian aggression was unprovoked. In the eyes of Russia, it was provoked because Russia was and still opposed to the extension of NATO borders to Russia’s international borders. Russia does not want Ukraine as a NATO contiguous neighbour. Russia-NATO agreement on this is not in doubt. As Ukraine began the processes of gradually moving towards the NATO, Russia simply took the bad end of the stick and opted to respond with an act of aggression. For Russia, this a NATO provocation. Consequently, it is always the violation of agreements, regardless of the type, that prompts order and counter-order and eventually disorder and outbreak of war. Russia is not the only aggressor in international relations. The same is true of Israel and the United States. They have, more often than not, violated international law. Israel is on record to have been occupying seized territories contrarily to international law obligations since the 1967 Six-day War, and particularly since the 1973 Yom Kippour War. Israel has committed war crimes, generally considered to be the most serious violations of international humanitarian law and nothing has happened to Israel. Even though South Africa is on record to have taken Israel to the International Court of Justice, the matter has been fraught with much politicisation. Additionally, the Nuclear Weapons States, that is, the P-5 of the United Nations Security Council, do not want any other country to acquire nuclear capacity and status.

•Tinubu

Heart of a Hero, Flesh of the City: Tribute to Babajide Sanwo-Olu at 60

As Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu turned 60 on June 25, 2025, Lagos paused, not out of obligation, but out of reverence. For here stands a man who has carried a city not on his shoulders, but in his chest. From Ajegunle to Victoria Island, Yaba to the heart of its struggles, he feels it all. When Lagos weeps, he trembles. When it rises, he breathes. He is Lagos pulse, not just its pilot, writes Lanre aLFred

The soul of Lagos wears many skins: grit and grandeur, thunder and tenderness, haste and history. Its pulse surges through crowded boulevards, spills into restless markets, stretches over bridges that connect not just places, but past to possibility. Within this chaos and splendour lives a rare spirit, a quiet force whose steps never echo louder than the cries of the people. That spirit is Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu—Lagos’ steward, Lagos’ son, Lagos’ calm amid the cyclone.

His life is not embroidered in flamboyance but in the fine lines of empathy, sacrifice, and unflagging devotion. He governs with a rare fidelity to truth and tenderness. Sanwo-Olu walks the tightrope between growth and grace. And even when Lagos tottered under the weight of a pandemic and the fury of civil protests, he stood, not in grandiloquence, but in grief, hope, and action. He did not watch from balconies; he walked through the smoke. He mourned with the grieving. He listened amid the fury. He gave Lagos his humanity, not merely his mandate.

What compels a man to love such a vast city so vulnerably? What fuels the soul to remain this gentle in the fire of power? These questions haunted me until they became a burden of beauty too heavy to keep inside. And so I wrote “The Man Who Carried a City,” as a literary homage, a civic love letter, and a biography that attempts to map the spirit of a man whose every decision has been a hymn to Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu does not build monuments to himself; he plants futures. His footprints are on glass towers and steel rails, yes, but more nobly, on restored faith and hope reborn. From the modernisation of healthcare to the renaissance of public transport, from the digitisation of education to the revitalisation of urban landscapes, his legacy pulses in lives changed, not just policies written. He reimagined Lagos not as a city to be controlled but as a heartbeat to be steadied.

And then there is his extraordinary generosity, so effortless, so intrinsic. He gives without theatre. He offers without waiting for applause. He sees needs not as irritants but as invitations to serve. I witnessed this firsthand. When I approached him with the vision for the Southwest Games, a regional sporting fiesta aimed at energising the youth and nurturing future champions, he did not stall behind bureaucracy. He opened his doors. He bent schedules. He leaned into the moment with rare enthusiasm.

With a calendar choked with state business, he carved out time. Protocols bowed to passion. He sat with my team, listened intently, asked questions like a coach planning strategy, and gave his full endorsement. He mobilised state machinery to support the initiative. And though duties kept him from attending the grand finale, he sent a trusted envoy who received, on his behalf, an award that testified to his commitment to youth, sport, and unity.

It was not a mere endorsement. It was an investment of faith, energy, and trust in the next generation. That is who Sanwo-Olu is. He believes in people. He believes in potential. He believes that leadership must bend, sweat, and sacrifice, if it must mean anything at all.

When COVID-19 swept through the land like a dark tide, he did not retreat into chambers of safety. He walked among his people. Masked, yes, but never masked in intention. He set

up emergency response centres, expanded healthcare infrastructure, and offered financial relief. He did not govern through edicts; he led through presence. And when the #EndSARS and #EndBadGovernance protests rocked the streets, shaking foundations and consciences alike, he chose transparency over tyranny. He spoke. He listened. He was hurt. And yet, he healed. Lagos, fragile and frayed, found an anchor in his empathy.

This was not a governor shielded in detachment. This was a man whose heart broke with his city. His was not the voice of an administrator, it was the cry of a father, a servant, and a man who felt every bruise of his people as a wound in his own soul.

Yet amid the fires, he built. Amid the doubt, he planned. Amid the noise, he dreamed. He was not distracted by populism or imprisoned by tradition. He led with clarity, compassion, and competence. And his leadership was not sterile, it was deeply human. Because Sanwo-Olu understands that Lagos is not just a city. Lagos is a story. And he has chosen to be both author and guardian of its most fragile chapters.

His approach to governance is not managerial, it is maternal. He births policies like a parent births futures, with pain, joy, and unspeakable care. The slums feel it. The business community feels it. The artist, the trader, the student, all feel it. And yet, what makes Sanwo-Olu

profoundly rare is not his intellect, though it sparkles; nor his efficiency, though it dazzles. It is his humility. That disarming calm. That refusal to exalt self above service. That willingness to descend so others may rise. His smile never fades, even in adversity. His tone never cracks, even in chaos. He has mastered the secret of influence without intimidation.

In the pages of ‘The Man Who Carried a City,’ I tried to hold a mirror to this quiet revolution of character and competence. The book’s 14 chapters trace his journey, not just the ascent to power, but the deeper descent into purpose. The Clockmaker’s Spawn explores his beginnings, shaped by discipline and vision. The Politics of Listening examines his unique style of inclusion, how he governs by hearing, not declaring. 2020: The Year Lagos Trembled captures the tempest that tested his soul and revealed his steel. Each chapter is not merely biographical, it is philosophical. Because Sanwo-Olu is not simply living his life; he is offering it.

As a writer, I have chronicled many lives. But few have stirred my soul like his. Few have modelled, with such graceful consistency, the art of governance as self-giving. Few have stayed this kind, this steady, this committed, amid the exhausting demands of power. So this tribute is not journalistic; it is personal. This book is not just literature; it is gratitude. For in an age of loud leaders and shallow promises, Sanwo-Olu remains a sacred

contradiction, silent but substantial, powerful yet humble, enduring and endearing. Now he turns 60, and the number is not just a milestone. It is a metaphor. Sixty years of living. Six decades of preparation. And more than half of that is devoted to service, in private boardrooms, in public corridors, and now, in the scorching centre of Nigeria’s most complex state. Every year has not just passed through him. He has passed through every year, gathering wisdom, wounds, and victories.

Lagos must celebrate him. Not out of ceremony, but out of sacred duty. The youth must lift his name not as a chant but as a challenge to live as he has lived: with dignity, direction, and devotion. The political class must take notes, not of his titles, but of his temperament. The business community must honour not just his support, but his strategic clarity. And Nigeria, as a whole, must look to him, not for perfection, but for possibility. He has not given us a perfect city. He has given us a promise. That where vision lives, progress follows. That where empathy leads, peace blossoms. That where stewardship guides, legacies are born.

Under his watch, infrastructure found new life. Roads once forgotten now carry commerce. Schools once ignored now carry the laughter of children. Hospitals once gasping now breathe again. He has been relentless, not loud. Strategic, not showy. Impactful, not imperious.

He believes governance is not a theatre of selfcelebration but a sacred calling. That belief lights his every decision. That belief gives rhythm to his policies and poetry to his politics.

He is not one to decorate himself with borrowed accolades. He lets his work do the talking, and his work speaks in volumes too deep for mere noise.

Think of him as the patriot with the kindest soul. Sanwo-Olu belongs to Nigeria, not just Lagos. His impact flows beyond state lines and political maps. In national conversations, his voice rings with reason. In crises, his calm offers comfort. He is a bridge between generations, a model of what quiet influence and consistent values can achieve in a country desperate for both.

There is a tenderness about him that feels almost unmodern, a trait from a lost age of grace, when leaders led with their hearts and not their hashtags. In a country overrun with performance politics, Sanwo-Olu remains an elegant exception. His patriotism is not draped in flags; it is embedded in his deeds

At sixty, he towers on a summit of past glories, but at a new beginning. The horizon still calls. The road still unfolds. The world, still weary, needs men like him, men who lead by light and live by love.

May his days ahead be long and golden. May his health never falter. May his influence expand like the morning sun across the hills. May the hands he has lifted rise to bless him. May the hearts he has healed sing his name in gratitude. And when the final tally of Nigerian patriots is taken, those who built without boasting, gave without grudging, and loved without limit, may Sanwo-Olu be found among the few, the rare, the truly great.

And here goes my coda for his noble soul: For Babajide Sanwo-Olu, I wish that the bells of Lagos ring with joy; that the corridors of selfless labour resound with applause; that all those who have known his touch, felt his favour, tasted his goodwill, rise and toast to the man whose ascension to the ripe age of commands the monument of endless applause.

I pray that every street he has paved, every school he has rebuilt, every young dream he has funded, rise in chorus to say: Happy 60th, our melody in human form.

Sanwo-Olu

inuWA yAhAyA’S SeArch For neW oDoDo

Gombe State needs a stabilising figure, competent and widely accepted, argues ABDuLrAhmAn muSA

As Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State is about to wind down his second tenure in office, conversations have already begun to heat up around who should succeed him. Among political stakeholders, media circles, and grassroots mobilisers, the question is no longer if but who will wear the crown come 2027. Governor Yahaya himself hasn’t been coy about the conversations, and indeed, his intentions with respect to who succeeds him. He has made it clear that he is already steering the process to ensure a worthy successor emerges — someone who shares his development philosophy and can continue his governance blueprint. In his words, the “car is already in motion, my hands are on the steering, my legs are on the brakes,” and I will make sure we land safely by getting the right and ideal successor. But with a growing list of aspirants, political heavyweights, and ambitious contenders lining up, the process may not be as straightforward as the governor hopes.

Now, let me say this upfront that I have never been comfortable with political godfatherism. I believe it to be a dangerous tradition that often sidelines the will of the people and imposes leaders based on loyalty to a single person rather than the needs of the wider public. However, I am also not blind to the reality of Nigerian politics. There’s a fine line between godfatherism and legacy protection. The former chokes democracy, but the latter — when done with the interest of continuity and stability in mind — can be beneficial. And this, I believe, is the lens through which we should assess Yahaya’s current political moves.

One doesn’t need to look far to see the dangers of a poorly managed succession. Take Rivers State as a case in point. The breakdown of the political alliance between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor and former political benefactor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has thrown the state into months of instability, leading to the declaration of a six-month state of emergency. This kind of crisis is precisely what Gombe State must avoid.

On the flip side, we also have examples of states where successors have maintained a productive and respectful relationship with their benefactors, leading to political harmony and steady development. Lagos State is perhaps the most textbook case of such a model. Since former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now Nigeria’s President, initiated a robust succession plan for Lagos, the state has experienced continuous development.

Although many governors have contributed to this modern Lagos, the enduring legacy of good leadership is often traced back to Tinubu’s foresight. Babatunde Raji Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode, and Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu have all added their touch, but the credit still flows upward — and deservedly so — to the architect of the continuity.

Beyond Lagos, similar models exist in Kogi, Kano, and Borno States. Governors like Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State, Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, and Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State are building on the legacies of their predecessors with an impressive blend of loyalty and performance.

Governor Zulum, for instance, recently came into the limelight not for policy failure or to project his own interests, but for standing firmly behind Vice President Kashim Shettima, his predecessor, in the face of party pressures that sought to isolate Shettima during an endorsement fray for President Tinubu by the NorthEast caucus of the APC. Zulum made sure to unite the North-east region to demand that any endorsement for President Tinubu

must include Kashim Shettima. It was a show of uncommon loyalty and clarity of purpose. Olden and overambitious politicians cannot go this length to protect the interests of their successors.

In Kogi State, while many disagreed with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for his unwavering loyalty to former Governor Yahaya Bello, especially during Bello’s controversial tussle with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the optics still send a clear message: Ododo understands the value of trust and allegiance in Nigerian political ecosystems.

Similarly, in Kano, when some campaigners tried to pit Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf against his political godfather, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, through the “Abba Tsaya da kafar ka” (Abba stand on your legs) movement, Yusuf did not hesitate to dismiss the campaign outrightly. He warned members of his administration to steer clear of such divisive antics, making it clear that his loyalty to Kwankwaso was not up for negotiation.

A closer look at the lives of these three loyal governors before they were elected reveals a most exemplary pattern. Zulum, Ododo, and Yusuf were not desperate to become governors when they were anointed. Their rise to power was, therefore, not based on loud political ambition or desperation. They were, in fact, dark horses — underdogs who quietly earned the respect and trust of their mentors and the public alike. And today, their respective states are the better for it.

Which brings us back home to Gombe. While Governor Inuwa Yahaya holds the key to the 2027 puzzle, the choice of who will carry the baton matters more than ever. The state needs a stabilising figure. Someone loyal, competent, widely accepted, and free of political baggage. And in that light, one name consistently rises to the top — Engr. Aliyu Muhammad Kombat.

Aliyu Kombat is not just another politician. He is a calm, cerebral, and deeply respected figure in Gombe politics. Though not flashy or loud, his record of loyalty, capacity, and people-oriented leadership has won him admirers across party lines. Even more impressive is his approach to succession politics. Unlike others who are openly jostling and lobbying for endorsements, Kombat has remained composed, distant, and humble. It is even on record that Kombat has called on his supporters to direct their loyalty and political energy towards Governor Inuwa Yahaya, describing the governor as the leader whose policies he respects and supports.

Dr. Abdulrahman writes from Abuja

Jani ibrahim pays special tribute to one of Nigeria’s most remarkable sons, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, who passed away at the age of 94

Today, we bid farewell to one of Nigeria’s most remarkable sons, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, who passed away on June 28, 2025, at the age of 94. His death marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in Nigerian business history and the conclusion of a life that spanned nearly a century of transformative change in our beloved nation.

Born into the illustrious Dantata merchant dynasty on May 19, 1931, in Kano, Aminu was destined for greatness. As the son of the legendary Alhassan Dantata, one of West Africa’s wealthiest men, he inherited not just material wealth, but a profound understanding of commerce, integrity, and service to humanity. Yet what makes his story truly remarkable is how he took this inheritance and multiplied it beyond imagination, creating a business empire that would span multiple generations and sectors.

When Aminu assumed leadership of the family business at just 29 years old following his brother’s death in 1960, few could have predicted the extraordinary transformation that would follow. Under his stewardship, what began as a traditional trading company evolved into the modern Dantata Organization—a sprawling conglomerate that touched every aspect of Nigerian economic life.

His vision extended far beyond profit margins. Through Alhassan Dantata and Sons Group, he helped build the physical infrastructure of our nation—from the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna to extensions at Ahmadu Bello University. His companies didn’t just construct buildings; they constructed the foundation of modern Nigeria.

Aminu Dantata was never content to simply keep the status quo. As a pioneer in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector through Express Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd, he demonstrated the foresight to position his business at the heart of Nigeria’s emerging petroleum economy. His role in establishing Jaiz Bank, Nigeria’s first Islamic bank, showed his commitment to creating financial institutions that reflected our cultural values while serving modern economic needs.

His international perspective, gained through extensive travels that took him to every corner of the world by the 1950s and 1960s, gave him unique insights into global business practices. Yet he never lost sight of his Nigerian roots or his responsibility to contribute to his homeland’s development.

Perhaps most remarkably, Aminu Dantata’s greatest legacy lies not in the businesses he built, but in the lives he quietly transformed through his philanthropy. Without fanfare or publicity, he funded schools, hospitals, mosques, and countless social welfare programmes across Northern Nigeria and beyond.

His N50 million donation to Girls Secondary School in Dala, complete with toilets and boreholes, exemplified his practical approach to giving—addressing real needs with tangible solutions. The Alhassan Dantata Haemodialysis Center at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital stands as a testament to his commitment to healthcare, saving countless lives for generations to come.

Even in his final years, his generosity never wavered. His N1.5 billion donation for Maiduguri flood victims in 2025 showed that his compassionate heart beat strong until the very end.

In his later years, Aminu Dantata evolved from businessman to philosopher, sharing wisdom gained from nine decades of life. His concerns about moral decline among Nigerian youth and his advocacy for combining Islamic and Western education reflected a deep understanding of the challenges facing our society.

His philosophical reflections on life, morality, and Nigeria’s development revealed a man who had not only witnessed history but had learned profound lessons from it. His observations about Western economic development using African resources showed his sophisticated understanding of global economic dynamics and his desire for

true African economic independence.

Aminu Dantata’s life represented a remarkable bridge between Nigeria’s traditional past and its modern future. He kept deep Islamic values while embracing global perspectives. He honored traditional merchant customs while pioneering modern corporate practices. He respected the wisdom of elders while nurturing the ambitions of the young. His role as uncle to Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, symbolises how his influence extended beyond his own enterprises to shape an entire generation of Nigerian business leaders. The Dantata name became synonymous not just with wealth, but with integrity, vision, and service.

Until his departure, Aminu Dantata remained focused on building a great future for Nigeria. His plans to reopen Fine Text Textile Company and cultivate thousands of hectares for agricultural production showed a man who never stopped believing in Nigeria’s potential. His optimism was infectious, inspiring all who knew him to see possibilities where others saw only challenges.

As we mourn the passing of this giant among men, we celebrate a life extraordinarily well-lived. Aminu Dantata leaves behind more than just a business empire—he leaves a blueprint for how to live with purpose, integrity, and unwavering commitment to the betterment of society.

He showed us that true wealth is not measured merely in material terms, but in the positive impact one has on others. He showed that business success and moral integrity are not contradictory but complementary. He proved that one person, guided by strong values and unlimited vision, can indeed change the world.

To his beloved family, especially his children and grandchildren who carry forward the Dantata legacy, we offer our deepest condolences. Your patriarch’s life was a masterclass in excellence, and his memory will forever inspire future generations of Nigerians to dream big, work hard, and give generously.

As Alhaji Aminu Dantata joins his ancestors, we pray that Allah grants him eternal rest in Aljannah Firdaus. His 94 years on earth were a gift to Nigeria and to humanity. Though his physical presence is no more, his spirit lives on in every school he built, every hospital he funded, every business he nurtured, and every life he touched.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un - “Truly we belong to Allah, and truly to Him we shall return.”

Rest in perfect peace, Alhaji Aminu Dantata. Your legacy is eternal, your impact immeasurable, and your memory forever blessed.

Aminu DAntAtA: merchAnt Prince Who BriDgeD trADition AnD moDernity

Jani is the President, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

NEW TAX REGIME AND MATTERS ARISING

The new tax laws are good pieces of legislation

In a bold policy initiative that may change the business landscape in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has signed into law four tax reforms bills recently passed by the National Assembly. The new laws are the Nigeria Tax Act, which is expected to guide the fiscal framework for taxation in the country by merging dozens of tax laws; the Tax Administration Act, which provides a clear and concise legal framework for all taxes by federating units in the country (federal, state, and local governments); the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, which repeals the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Act and establishes the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act, which is expected to improve co-ordination between all levels of government in the country, aside creating offices for both a tax tribunal and tax ombudsman.

The objectives of the new laws include enhancing revenue collection efficiency, ensuring transparent reporting, promoting the effective utilisation of tax to boost citizens’ tax morale, and fostering a healthy tax culture by driving voluntary compliance. In assenting to the bills, the president spoke about how his administration is showing the world that Nigeria is ready for business, but talk is cheap. It is one thing to have laws, it is another thing to implement the provisions diligently and ensure strict compliance by all stakeholders. That has always been the challenge in Nigeria.

than what previously obtained. Considering how emotive and contentious tax administration has always been in the country, we commend all the efforts that led to passing the laws. It is recalled that governors of the 19 northern states, under the platform of the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF), once rejected the proposal to alter the sharing formula for VAT. Then the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima and comprising all the 36 governors, asked the president to withdraw the bills before the National Assembly to pave the way for more comprehensive consultation with key stakeholders in the country. The political actors were able to reach an accommodation, paving the way for the eventual passage and assent of the tax laws.

Under the new tax regime, there are gains for small business owners whose annual turnover is below N100 million. They would no longer be required to pay company income tax

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Under the new tax regime, there are gains for small business owners whose annual turnover is below N100 million. They would no longer be required to pay company income tax. They will also only need to file simpler returns. Even big businesses will benefit from simplified and fairer processes. These businesses will also now be able to claim credits for the Value Added Tax (VAT) paid on expenses and assets, which means that they can get back the 7.5 per cent that would have been paid as VAT. Low-income earners will benefit from reduced tax rates and essential goods and services such as food, healthcare, rent, education, and energy will also no longer attract VAT. Of course, the rich will pay higher income taxes under the new tax regime but overall, it is better

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However, assenting the tax laws comes against the backdrop of two critical reports on the state of the nation. The first, a new 2025 Nigeria Country Focus Report by the African Development Bank (AfDB) has revealed that the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio remains among the lowest in the region, estimated at around 13 per cent. This, according to the report, reflects a large informal economy, weak tax compliance, and inefficiencies in public finance administration. “These constraints not only widen the development finance gap but also stunt the broader economic transformation process,” the report stated. “Tackling them requires a strategic overhaul — streamlining administrative processes, enforcing robust anti-corruption measures, developing digital infrastructure, and reinforcing the rule of law.”

While most of these issues will hopefully be addressed when the new tax laws take effect from January 2026, there is also a post-COVID survey by the World Bank which listed Nigeria among 39 economies classified as being in Fragile and Conflictaffected Situations (FCS). This, according to the Bank, has resulted in acute hunger and deprivations that have pushed several key development goals farther out of reach.

Combined, what the two reports signify is that beyond the issue of revenue is the deficit in good governance. They should be properly addressed.

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

TINUBU’S TAX REFORMS AND THE NORTH

On Thursday, June 26, 2025, President Bola Tinubu signed into law four landmark tax bills recently passed by the National Assembly. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Tinubu’s style of governance, the new tax bills signal a new beginning for Nigerians, businesses, and governments, both at the subnational and federal levels.

Some key highlights of the Reforms are :

Elimination of duplication in tax collection: One major reform is the establishment of the new Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), which will now collect revenues that were previously handled by numerous agencies, such as the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), NIMASA, and others.

Tax exemption for low-income earners: With the new provisions, individuals earning ₦800,000 or less per year are now fully exempt from income tax. This is a masterstroke,

especially for many people in the North. It removes a huge burden and creates space for their small and medium-sized businesses to grow and flourish.

New personal income tax rate:

Only those earning above 50 million annually will be required to pay the new 25% personal income tax rate. This is both fair and reasonable.

Another big win for the North, which has the highest concentration of poor people in Nigeria, is the removal of VAT on essential goods and services: school fees, medical services, food, pharmaceuticals, and electricity. This is a solid relief for the poor and for small and medium-sized businesses.

Corporate tax will now reduce from 30% to 25%, and small businesses are fully exempt from paying income tax.

The controversial VAT issue has now been ‘fairly’ settled, and again, it’s a big win for the North, which had previously raised concerns.

The new revenue-sharing formula is as follows: federal government, 10%; states, 55%; local governments, 35%.

Even more importantly, the VAT sharing formula has been revised in a way that favors the North, if northern states seize the opportunity to harness and develop their economies and markets, especially in agriculture.

The new sharing criteria are: 50% of VAT is shared equally among all states, 20% is based on population, 30% is based on where goods/services are consumed.

One of the most important features of these tax reforms is how they protect and uplift the poor and small businesses especially in the North, where:

About 65% of Nigeria’s poorest people live, and over 52% of the country’s states are located. And where more than 60% of the population resides, and nearly 70% of

Nigeria’s landmass is found. And almost 80% of agricultural production takes place. It’s time for northern states to tap into local knowledge and deploy homegrown experts to thoroughly study the four landmark tax laws in line with each state’s peculiarities and needs, yet with whole North as the unifying objective.

If well studied and strategically implemented, Tinubu’s new tax reforms could be the silver bullet the North has been waiting for.

They offer fiscal justice, decentralization of revenue, protection for the poor, incentives for businesses, and a practical opportunity to lift millions out of poverty. But as always, it will take visionary leadership, technical capacity, and political will to translate policy into impact. The opportunity is here. The North must not waste it.

Zayyad I. Muhammad, Abuja

EkEoma EmE EkEoma

Resolute in Faith and Purpose

Ekeoma Eme Ekeoma is a man of contrasts. He is the Chairman of Nepal Energies and a prison preacher, a successful businessman whose life is anchored in faith. At 65, he carries his years with quiet dignity, avoiding the limelight even as his work leaves a lasting mark. From arriving in Lagos with a suitcase of dreams, he now builds both roads and lives, guided not by greed, but by grace. Adedayo Adejobi traces his journey, his values, and the legacy he is shaping.

Resolute in Faith and Purpose

Light filtered through tall bay windows, casting long amber reflections across polished marble floors in his Ikoyi residence. The hush in the room was ceremonial, as if the very walls paused in reverence. At one end, an elegantly curved staircase stood silent. Crystal chandeliers didn’t shout—they shimmered quietly, as though mindful of the man about to enter.

Then, like grace slipping into a meeting, Elder Ekeoma Eme Ekeoma entered with the soft assurance of someone born to both hewn boardrooms and hushed prayer rooms.

Clad in a black dinner jacket, laced subtly with floral brocade, his face caught the chandelier’s glow just enough to whisper “refined wealth.” The burgundy bow tie, dotted delicately in white, offered a playful twist—his only concession to vanity. His crisp white shirt was immaculate. And the gentleman before me offered not flamboyance, but kind, measured authority.

At 65, he bears no burden of age, only the weight of purpose. He moved slowly, each step deliberate. I noticed how his finger lightly brushed the rail, as though seeking steady ground, even though his posture held the clarity of an unshakable foundation.

His smile—a serene blend of confidence and welcome—stirred something in the room: I was not a guest of a magnate, but a pilgrim invited into a sacred personal temple.

He paused halfway down the staircase, gazed across the room, and offered a brief nod. His presence was calm, contained, yet undeniably magnetic. “Please, come in and sit. We have time.’’ It was a command cloaked in invitation.

I took a seat facing him, heart mindful of the legacy I was preparing to witness. His handshake was firm, but fatherly. His eyes, the colour of wisdom steeped in clarity, searched not to impress—but to understand.

“Welcome,” he said, with a voice both gentle and commanding. “Shall we begin?”

He settled into a cream-leather armchair, posture intentional, an open palm resting on his knee, the other gently gesturing in the soft lamplight.

His opening words, “My name, Ekeoma, means ‘something good’ in Igbo.”

Yet, if ever a name were a prophecy, his life is the sermon. Born without a silver spoon, he now moves among Nigeria’s top tier of industrialists. But his greatest concern isn’t the stock market or diesel prices, it’s the impact.

“What matters to me,” he said with the kind of solemnity that silences a room, “is to make an impact.”

“I wasn’t born with privilege,” he continued. “Born in Igbere after the civil war. Times were hard. Faith and grit were more valuable than dollars.” He leaned forward, elbows on knees.

“At 19, I arrived in Lagos from Igbere with nothing, just me, my uncle, prayer and a suitcase. Broad Street was alive with promise. You could buy a pair of Italian shoes for N62. Today, it’s different,” he paused, and his eyes brightened.

“Today? You’d need either a time machine or a miracle. Yes. Lagos has changed. And so have I, but some truths remain.”

He outlined his early years: Central Bank of Nigeria, where discipline and diligence shaped him; then the pivot to private enterprise.

Reflecting on his anchor, he paused, then softly said, “Patience, take risks, and make an impact.”

He leaned back, eyes scanning the room, as though taking stock. “Wealth is a tool. But faith, that was not business—it was binding. It bound me to something greater than profit,” he said, with his fingers lightly tapping his chest as if to draw the conviction from within.

“I am not a full-time minister,” he said. “But I have a full-time ministry.”

Speaking almost as though recounting a secret, “Believers’ Fellowship began in 2016. It started in my heart. Just business professionals, like me, seeking purpose, the word, worship and re-learning purpose,” he said, palms open. It’s almost biblical, how a man born in post-civil war Nigeria now presides over a non-denominational Christian fellowship with members

from Victoria Island to the Mainland. His ministry, built not on spectacle but submission, has grown steadily.

He told of prison visits: “In Lagos, so much noise, so much steel, you wouldn’t know the stillness of a prison chapel. But I do. I walk in. I sit. I listen. I pray with prisoners.” “Three years ago, on my birthday, I facilitated the release of over 300 inmates. It was obedience. The Lord laid it on my heart,” he said. “So far, we’ve helped over 1,000 prisoners regain freedom, paid hospital bills for strangers and preached where hope goes to die.”

He shifted forward. I sensed the gravity in his words would rise now, that the story directiom would give way to purpose.

“Impact and not impressions are what matter,” he said deliberately.

“This year, turning 65 was markedly quieter,” he said, stating that he chose solitude over spectacle. “My birthday was dedicated to interceding for Nigeria’s healing, salvation and its leadership. Then I prayed for family, friends who came to celebrate with me.”

With fingers tracing patterns on the armchair’s leather. “I want Nigeria to be better than the way it is,” he said.

At nearly four decades of marriage, his stories of Barrister Ngozi Ekeoma, the wife of his youth, came not from plants of pride, but of gratitude. He speaks of her, as one would speak of grace—quietly, firmly. “She is more entrepreneurial than I am,” he said, laughing, hands folded.

On marriage: “It is a divine partnership. A refining fire. You need the Word, not just wedding rings.”

With no cliché, no sermon but just honest accountability, he sat forward, “Marriage is spiritual warfare.

Emotionally—and yes, Christian values. You need God’s finger—or you’ll break,” he looked down, hushed in his tone.

“We’ve come through storms, but grace has been the foundation.”

The chat dovetailed to business. “People come and go. But Ngozi stands. She built it alongside. But more than that: she reminds me to stay humble.”

Taking a detour to a tangible legacy in Igbere, he defined his hometown’s transformation with pride as soft as cotton. No press conference needed.

“Some parts of my hometown lacked roads and water. I gave it both.”

His voice brightened again. He named names: entrepreneurs who sprang up. Mothers who no longer carry water, and children whose school attendance soared. “That’s part of my legacy,” he said.

And then, with barely a breath between thoughts, he returns to God, the true axis of his existence. “I don’t feel 65,” with eyes full of youth’s spark, he smiled, leaning back.

“Grace keeps you young. And with grace, age becomes wisdom, not weight. I feel 55. Or younger. My peace comes from knowing I’m walking in His will.”

He spoke of COVID-19 as a divine pause. “It pressed the cosmic reset button,” he said quietly. “I walk more carefully, eat better and listen more to God.”

There was affection in his voice as he described Nigeria, its turmoil and promise. “Nigeria is for God,” he declared.

“And if God has his hand on us, my feet are rooted here till the final breath.”

And the future? Rising, he adjusted his jacket. He said softly. “My race isn’t finished. More souls to prepare. More prisons to visit. More water to pipe. More hearts to open.”

He paused. His hands came together on the lapel of his jacket—a simple gesture more powerful than any flourish. Then he added: “My life is powered by grace.”

He stepped toward the staircase, each step deliberate. He reached for the rail. Stood a second. And offered one more final note: ‘Nigeria is God’s. We will not fail.’

And then he was gone. But the echo remained long: a quiet thunder born of humility, purpose, and unshakable faith.

If you ever find yourself stuck in Lagos traffic, and a low-key convoy glides past— look closely. In the back seat, a man with clear eyes and a confident, calm demeanor may sit, not on his phone, but with a Bible. Don’t mistake restraint for insignificance—or paradox for pretence.

You’re likely seeing Elder Ekeoma: the oil magnate who walks with God, whose wealth is measured in lives touched, and whose legacy is written in roads paved, prisons silenced, wells sunk, marriages healed—and, above all, in a country prayed over from a quiet, resolute throne.

The ekeoma Clan

Mr. and Mrs. ekeoma

HighLife

Runsewe and the Art of Tenacity

Some retire from office. Olusegun Runsewe retires from nothing.

Since stepping away from the helm of the National Council for Arts and Culture, one might expect Nigeria’s culture czar to trade ankara for golf polos and take up the quiet rhythm of post-service life. Instead, he has leaned in, not out: still chasing the soul of the nation through clay, canvas, and choreography.

Even now, Runsewe remains the most visible ambassador of Nigeria’s cultural capital. His latest appointment to the Board of Trustees at the IBB International Golf and Country Club is less about sport and more about symbolism. In a city of shifting alliances and shallow memory, his presence signals continuity, a reminder that culture and community are not seasonal interests.

But his influence stretches far beyond the fairways. Runsewe is still championing causes that many officials with mandates have long shelved. Whether rallying governors to invest in state-branded festivals or launching cultural partnerships with embassies, he has become an institution in himself. From Abuja’s reclaimed cultural market to his brainchild project showcasing 37 wonders of Nigeria, his mission remains defiantly unbureaucratic: to protect Nigeria’s image from the inside out.

When shadowy interests tried to sell off the Abuja Arts and Crafts Village, Runsewe didn’t negotiate. He cleared them out, knowing full well it would invite retribution. It did. But so did national acclaim.

In the public square, he remains one of the last believers in culture as both shield and sword: defending national identity while wielding it as a tool for economic revival. And even in golf, where tempers recently flared and the club was shut down, he was the steadying voice, calling for calm, community, and conversation.

Runsewe may no longer be DirectorGeneral. But in the heart of Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy, he is still very much on active duty.

...Amazing

Awele Elumelu at 55: A Prescription for Purpose

At 55, Dr. Awele Elumelu doesn’t merely wear many hats; she crafts them, stitches them with purpose, and hands them to others. Physician. Entrepreneur. Philanthropist. Marathoner. Wife. Mother. Architect of access in Africa’s healthcare maze.

Born in Delta State and trained across Nigeria and the United Kingdom, Lady Awele is not simply a doctor who traded her stethoscope for a strategy deck. She remains, at heart, a healer; only now, the patient is an entire continent.

As Chair of Avon Healthcare and CEO of Avon Medical Practice, she’s spent over a decade rerouting the chronic inefficiencies of Nigeria’s health system. Insurance coverage for everyday Nigerians? Check. Modern clinics where queues are short and dignity is long? Check.

But medicine is only the opening act. There is also philanthropy—steely, strategic, continent-shaping. In 2018, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, named her Private Sector

For Deolu Adeboye, pastor, administrator, fashion entrepreneur, and son of Nigeria’s most influential Pentecostal patriarch, being in the news is nothing new. But rarely does

Champion for Immunisation in Africa. Ten million children later, the title feels earned, not bestowed.

Even her downtime seems engineered for uplift. A mother of seven and trustee of the Tony Lady Awele Foundation, she’s a relentless advocate for women, children, and entrepreneurs. Her worldview, shaped by Africapitalism, a theory she lives more than she quotes, demands that private sector leaders do more than profit. They must build.

And so, at 55, Lady Awele finds herself lionised by presidents, praised by peers, and admired by millions who’ve never met her.

President Bola Tinubu called her a “visionary leader.” Others call her “the quiet force behind the empire.” She might simply prefer “Awele.”

Because if there’s one thing Lady Awele has taught the Nigerian elite and the everyday citizen, it’s that impact doesn’t need to shout. Sometimes, it just shows up in scrubs, writes a grant proposal, and then laces up for a 10K.

Deolu Adeboye and the N8.7 Billion Question

the headline read like a courtroom thriller.

The latest chapter began not on a pulpit but in a courtroom, where Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Lagos issued an unusually firm decree: no security agency, not even the ever-omnipresent EFCC, is to arrest, question, or harass Adeboye or his fellow directors at Ronchess Global Resources Plc over a disputed N8.7 billion Kaduna State contract.

At the heart of the dispute is an eightkilometre road in Zaria, a stretch that has sparked more political friction than traffic relief. The road, awarded under the ElRufai administration for N17.2 billion, saw a reported N8 billion paid out for what state officials now claim was only 30% completion. Cue accusations. Cue probes. Cue a swirl of headlines around the son of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

But here’s the twist. According to court

filings and contract records, Deolu wasn’t even on the board of Ronchess when the deal was inked in 2020. He became Chairman in April 2021, four months after the project’s supposed completion deadline. The road, meanwhile, remains a tarmac of contention.

As is often the case in Nigeria’s overlapping orbits of faith, business, and politics, facts tend to ride shotgun to innuendo. Yet the courts, for now, have offered a pause.

Financial accounts frozen in the heat of inquiry have been thawed. Oral summons from law enforcement have been ruled unconstitutional. And Deolu? Still shepherding his RCCG ministry, still managing The Wise Men fashion brand, and now, unwillingly, the protagonist of a state-level infrastructure whodunit.

For the Kaduna Assembly and the nation watching, the question remains: who really owns the mess in Zaria—and who’s just standing on the wrong part of the road?

Sanwo-Olu at 60: Hymns, High Notes, and the Harmony of Power

At 60, Lagos State Governor Babajide SanwoOlu did not toast champagne in some quiet corner office. He took to the pulpit instead—or something close to it. On June 25, the glittering Eko Convention Centre was transformed into a sanctuary of song, spirit, and statecraft as the city’s political and cultural elite gathered for Adura (themed Rhythms of Worship), a jubilant convergence to mark the governor’s diamond year.

And what a gathering it was. The guest list read like a roll call of Lagosian influence: politicians, clergy, business titans, and entertainers with enough wattage to power Victoria Island. Mercy Chinwo, Moses Bliss, Gaise Baba, and a chorus of gospel stars led the audience in praise, while Gbenga Adeyinka, in his familiar comic cadence, steered the night with humour and grace.

But the real headliner? The man they came to celebrate, Sanwo-Olu, Lagos’ “people’s

governor,” as many called him that evening.

Yet the event was less coronation than contemplation. Sanwo-Olu, a governor known for his public stoicism, offered a rare window into his private reflections. Turning 60, he admitted, was not simply about candles and applause. It was about stock-taking. The journey, he confessed earlier in the day, had been lined with lessons in humility, the weight of public trust, and the often unseen demands of leadership.

To govern Lagos is to govern a pulse, a city that hums even when it sleeps. And on this day, Sanwo-Olu’s pulse beat in tune with thousands, perhaps millions, who have seen his hand in projects, policies, and the peculiar choreography of Nigeria’s most restless state.

But above all, this was a night of gratitude: grand in tone, sincere in purpose. At 60, SanwoOlu reminded Lagos that governance can still wear a smile, bow its head, and sing.

Adaora Umeoji: Amazing World of Nigeria’s Richest Female Banker

If banking were ballet, Adaora Umeoji would be centre stage in a gilded spotlight, executing pirouettes of precision and poise—only she prefers balance sheets to pointe shoes. In what could be read as an emphatic vote of confidence—or a masterclass in corporate loyalty—Umeoji, the first female CEO of Zenith Bank, just acquired 68.8 million additional shares in the institution she leads. Price tag: roughly $2.1 million. The acquisition lifts her total stake to 160.46 million shares, a princely portfolio valued at over $5.2 million. But this is no vanity play. Umeoji’s personal investment arrives as Zenith posts its best financial performance in history, with 2024 profits cresting at $670

million. The bank’s asset base swelled to nearly $20 billion. If numbers had champagne bottles, they’d be popping.

Zenith’s dividends, too, danced upward, offering five naira per share, a gesture shareholders likely accepted with applause. With her ownership position, Umeoji isn’t just leading the boardroom; she’s sitting at the table as one of its largest private beneficiaries.

This is not beginner’s luck. Umeoji has spent more than two decades at Zenith, entering as a National Youth Service Corps member and rising steadily to its summit. Her résumé reads like a diplomat’s passport: Harvard, Columbia, MIT Sloan, Wharton; interwoven with degrees in sociology, law, accounting, and business.

In 2024 alone, she was named Banker of the

Year, won awards for security consciousness and humanitarian service, and picked up accolades from professional women’s groups, sustainability forums, and aviation associations. Even Arise News called her one of Nigeria’s most impactful women. Yet, she remains an enigma wrapped in elegance. Both a high-finance trailblazer and community champion, she seems to view banking not merely as capital movement, but as societal machinery. If wealth creation were a sport, Umeoji would already have medals for speed, style, and substance. With this latest share purchase, she signals something more enduring: belief. In Zenith. In herself. And in a future where leadership and ownership walk hand in hand.

Adeboye

Umeoji

runsewe

elumelu

Sanwo-olu

The political theater in Ondo State never disappoints. Just when you think the dust has settled after the dramatic exit of the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, his wife, Betty, stirs the pot again. This time, she’s picked a fight with no other than the Olowo of Owo

Ondo Drama: Is the Curtain Falling on Betty Akeredolu’s Reign?

himself, and it seems the townspeople are not having it.

Reports filtering in from the ancient town speak of Owo indigenes, vexed to their very core, gathered to lay curses on the former First Lady. Her crime? Disrespecting their monarch. Complete with what we hear was a sacrifice, they made their displeasure known. One has to wonder if these potent curses wouldn’t be better aimed at the bandits still hiding in their forests, but who are we to question tradition?

The whole brouhaha started when Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, apparently acting on a formal request from the Olowo’s palace, demolished the memorial park built by the late Akeredolu to honour the victims of the heinous June 5, 2022, church massacre. According to the palace, erecting a cenotaph—a symbol of death—so close to the king’s abode is a grave cultural taboo, an “abomination.”

This, of course, sent Betty into a tailspin. In a fiery statement, she condemned the demolition as an “act of profound

Atiku Abubakar… The Long Season Has Started

A title can be heavy, even when made of words. For years, Atiku Abubakar carried the honour of Waziri Adamawa like a ceremonial staff: part reverence, part reminder of his rootedness. But now, with one bureaucratic memo, it is gone.

The Adamawa State Government, citing new rules on indigeneship, has withdrawn his title. The circular, matter-of-fact and oddly clinical, states that only those hailing from certain districts may sit on the emirate council. Atiku, from Jada in the Ganye Chiefdom, does not qualify. The severance, while framed as administrative, lands with the resonance of a political drumbeat.

Of course, this is not just about geography. This is Atiku’s home turf, stripped bare of formal recognition. And it comes as the former vice president begins to cast long, familiar shadows toward 2027. His recent meetings with Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai were already stirring talk of a coalition. Losing the Waziri title now feels less like timing and more like choreography.

Relations between Atiku and Governor Ahmadu Fintiri have curdled in recent months.

Once political allies within the PDP, they now stand on opposing banks, neither blinking. Some believe this title withdrawal is less about cultural fidelity and more about a preemptive strike—politics practised with the soft cruelty of administrative reform.

The irony? The same Atiku who spent decades courting power at the national level is now being pushed to the margins in his home state. His political machinery remains formidable, but its levers may no longer be anchored in tradition.

Still, Atiku is not new to attrition. He has weathered exile, internal party purges, and a revolving door of presidential defeats. This latest move may bruise the ego, but it could also sharpen his strategy.

What’s clear is this: the political season has begun, early and loud. And in Nigerian politics, losing a title doesn’t always mean losing a fight or preparing for a new title. But it does show that the gears of machinations are starting to move less surreptitiously.

insensitivity” and a “desecration of sacred ground.” Fair enough. But whispers from the grapevine allege she went further, calling the revered Olowo a “baby.” A rookie mistake in Yoruba land. You don’t insult the crown.

Frankly, it’s high time Mrs. Akeredolu took a bow and left the Ondo stage. Her husband, a son of Owo, has played his part and is resting. Must she continue to meddle in the state’s politics and, now, its culture? The governor’s camp insists a more culturally appropriate site will be found to honour the dead. So why the grandstanding?

Betty seems to be losing supporters by the day following this affront to the very people she claims to care about. As one observer noted, it’s a “disturbing level of moral bankruptcy.” While Betty Akeredolu remembers her late husband’s legacy, she seems to forget that in Yoruba land, you tread carefully around the king. The people have spoken, and it seems her time as the unofficial queen mother might be finally up.

Abubakar

Championing a Cause Worth Fuelling: The

Sometimes, the best news is not what’s breaking. It’s what’s building. In a country often accused of oiling the wheels of dysfunction, Abdulkabir Aliu is quietly making the case that industry can, in fact, through being built properly, serve the public good.

Aliu, Group CEO of Matrix Energy, is not just another oil executive with a sharp suit and a sharper spreadsheet. At a recent meeting with Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, he led a team of downstream heavyweights in what felt less like a lobby visit and more like a pledge of allegiance to stability. Their mission is clearly to show that the private sector, when properly aligned, can actually move the needle on reforms—and do so without bleeding the treasury dry.

Matrix, under Aliu’s stewardship, supplies a significant slice of Nigeria’s daily petrol needs. Not with subsidies, not with fanfare, but with an efficiency that appears to speak louder than political talking points. In a climate still warming

Aliu Approach

to the idea of full deregulation, that counts as a quiet revolution.

Aliu’s charm lies in a combination of an engineer’s precision and a statesman’s poise. A metallurgical and materials engineering graduate, he built his reputation across oilfields and boardrooms, with Matrix evolving from a startup dream into a sectoral force. His group now spans upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors, but his reach extends further: into policy conversations, national planning, and the challenging terrain of energy transition.

In Abuja, he and his peers backed government reform, celebrated the pivot away from petrol subsidies, and pledged even more investment in compressed natural gas infrastructure. That commitment, according to those present, was not perfunctory. It was Aliu putting his voice and capital where his convictions are.

Babajimi Benson: The Politician Who Ticks All the Boxes

Who has ever wandered through Ikorodu and asked who their favourite son is? Chances are, the name “Jimi Benson” would float back to the inquirer before the question was finished. Three terms deep in the House of Representatives and still running on what appears to be renewable goodwill, Babajimi Benson has become something of a unicorn in Nigerian politics: principled, effective, and unusually well-prepared.

With a résumé that reads like a cabinet of polished credentials, a law degree from LASU, a master’s from London Guildhall, MBA from Warwick, Benson didn’t just stumble into politics. He studied it, worked adjacent to it, and stepped into the ring when the moment was right. Since 2015, he’s quietly worked his way through the National Assembly’s web of committees: Defence, Finance, Works,

Justice—you name it, he’s touched it.

But Benson’s appeal isn’t just in the marble halls of Abuja. Back home in Ikorodu, he’s built a legacy that leans less on slogans and more on service. There’s IKD 106.1FM, a community radio station that gives residents a voice. There’s iCare, a food bank that regularly delivers staples to the vulnerable. And there’s the 80-bed Mother and Child Hospital in Imota, a rare monument to practical governance in a region often starved of it.

The man is not flashy. The man does not bark on social media or spin in controversy. Yet somehow, in a political landscape thick with cynicism, Benson has managed to stay relevant, even admired. Perhaps it’s his advocacy for gender inclusion, or his persistence in pushing defense reform bills. Maybe it’s just the fact that he shows up and keeps showing up.

The Haske Hypothesis

Abdullahi Haske is not officially running for governor of Adamawa State. Not yet. But the whispers are gathering: around cafés in Yola, beneath the awnings of mosque courtyards, and in the back channels of party machinery. The man is rich, well-connected, and, as his supporters say with unfailing conviction, “blessed.”

At first glance, Haske looks like the poster child for Nigeria’s privatesector dream: self-made, deeply invested in agriculture and energy, educated in Abuja, and polished in the Lagos Business School. His companies span from rice to oil, starch to logistics. At 37 (38 by December 2025), he’s younger than most northern political veterans, but his reach already casts a national silhouette.

To his admirers, that’s exactly the appeal. They see in Haske a clean break from recycled godfathers and inherited strongmen. He is businessfirst, philanthropy-laced, and proudly indigenised. His foundation doles out grants, supports health projects, and subsidises farming. That’s not campaign material, but groundwork.

Still, sceptics raise a brow. Money can open doors, yes. But politics in Adamawa is no shopfront; it’s a backroom art, heavy with history, loyalty, and the unpredictable calculus of ethno-religious balancing. Does Haske know the terrain beyond his balance sheet? Can capital buy clout, or merely lease it?

Complicating matters further is the rumour that his younger brother, Abdulrahman, might be the actual candidate, a trial balloon for a Haske brand of governance. If true, it could signal a political dynasty in the making, albeit one built on corporate polish rather than electoral pedigree.

In Nigeria, however, politics remains the last frontier where competence is assumed, but loyalty is demanded. Haske may yet run. He may not. But the excitement around his name—equal parts admiration and curiosity—speaks to a hunger for a new kind of leadership.

For now, Adamawa watches. A tycoon stands on the brink. And the question, soft but persistent, lingers: will his gospel of prosperity translate into the math of the ballot box?

Aliu

Benson

Haske

Whatever it is, Hon. Benson has become a case study in how to do politics without losing one’s soul or constituency.

ho’s After Hadiza b ala Usman?

The clip was heart rendering. It showed an old gentleman, his back to the camera and a generator beside him and a caption that broke my heart. That was not an ordinary old man o, that was Sir Kayode Otitoju, a highly revered elder statesman, former commissioner in Ekiti State, former Lekki Resident Association Chairman and a huge Nigerian. The matter between Sir Otitoju and some agencies of the Lagos State government has been going on for years with both sides maintaining firm positions. Sir Otitoju parades a lot of documents issued by the same agencies evidencing his position while the Lagos State people are also quoting laws supporting their position.

Something had to be done because Otitoju, despite his age, had been thrown into a blackmaria, driven to the other end of town, detained and taken to court all within 24 hours. In retaliation, Sir Otitoju fired back in the best way that he could – media. You know Baba is a veteran media fighter and he unleashed his media power on the matter and before you know it, the optics were not looking too good for the Lagos people.

There are indications that certain forces want to cause a rift between the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman on one hand, and President Bola Tinubu and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, on the other hand.

The forces obviously want to incite President Tinubu and Akume against Bala Usman by sponsoring the reports that Tinubu has appointed her as the new SGF.

The reports claimed that President Tinubu had appointed Bala Usman to replace Akume, who was said to have been reassigned as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The false reports were greeted with celebrations by some women’s groups who welcomed the purported appointment, describing it as a milestone for gender representation at the highest level of governance.

However, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga has debunked the claim, labelling it “fake news” and advising the public to disregard misinformation.

“There has been no change in the status of His Excellency, Senator George Akume, as Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” Onanuga said in a statement issued late Friday.

Enter the mediator – you will never guess who the mediator was. Na me ooooo. That was how I wore my shredded jeans with a very beautiful shirt, complete with dreadlocks and earring and entered the matter.

Hon Tokunbo Wahab, the extremely brilliant Commissioner of Environment graciously accepted my request for a meeting. He now gathered all his people including my brother Adegbite who is now Perm Sec – he was just Director when the matter started, and the very beautiful GM of LASPARK – I don forget her name, and finally Mr. Gbadegesin of LAWMA.

Mbok, Sir Kay, a veteran of the Nigerian Independence struggles, came well prepared- documents in triplicates and filling one box. I opened the talks with the dexterity of a veteran arms negotiator from the UN and then I asked daddy to speak. Daddy spoke for 24 hours, mediator slept off, commissioner froze, hungry started to catch Gbadegesin, Adegbite started to count stars, and Sir Kay kept at it.

Mbok, I don’t know how they did o but by the time I woke up, they had settled. I was very happy, they hugged and laughed and I stood up with spit

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, currently in Saint Lucia, has not made any new appointments. The information circulating about Akume’s replacement is untrue. Agents of mischief fabricated it,” Onanuga’s statement added.

Those behind this dangerous rumour used Ganduje’s resignation to promote this falsehood.

With Ganduje’s resignation, the North-central geopolitical zone has renewed the clamour for the position to return to the zone and Akume who hails from the zone is believed to be the best choice for the job in view of his experience and track record.

According to APC’s zoning arrangement, the position was zoned to North-central.

However, the zone lost the seat when a former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu resigned as the National Chairman of the ruling party.

Those who are spreading the fake news about Bala Usman replacing Akume want to cause a rift between her and the president, as well as the former Benue State governor by portraying her as being desperate and over-ambitious.

Events of the next few weeks will reveal if the saying that ‘there is no smoke without fire’ is apt in this rumour.

But those who went to town with this rumour do not mean well for Bala Usman.

coming out of my mouth and joined them for photographs. Mediator work don finish, I entered my car and drove straight to the nearest canteen to help myself with a big bowl of afang. That Sir Otitoju speech can wake Chief Awolowo from his grave, kai. Well, all is well that ends well. Thank you.

ATIkU AND obI: THe perIlS of oppoSITIoN

It was Nasir El-Rufai who said Tinubu is not Jonathan. Well the salvos have begun. One has lost his highly revered title in Adamawa, the other just got his brother’s house demolished in Lagos by unknown people bandying allegedly spurious court order.

My own advice is for these people to hunker down because the journey will be very turbulent going forward. This will not be a fight for lily-livered men. This is going to be rough, really rough. Atiku and Obi should, if they have not already done that, call their respective families and have serious heart-to-heart conversations.

They should look at them very squarely in the eyes and say, “Guys, I am going into a fight that may consume me. I am prepared for the worst and if possible,

I am ready to give my life because Nigeria has to be rescued.” This meeting should not involve their wives because they will not agree, especially with this Iwuayanwu’s will still trending. They should make their plans, arrange their homes and their situations because by the time they come out of this particular battle, we may not recognise them. Shebi Obi is still wearing black traditional wear up and down, at the other side of 2027, na Tai Solarin shorts he will be begging to wear.

These are not boy scouts o. These are not flower-carrying people o, these are redeyed denizens with real power that will not hesitate to deploy. Shebi you see all these defections, you think it is ordinary eye?

Governors are taking MKO Abiola’s advice of not standing in front of a moving train. They are jumping out of the way leaving Atiku, Obi and Nasir to stand in front of the moving train and hoping for a miracle. Our prayers are with them sha, shebi nobody expected Abacha to eat apple, just maybe lightning will strike twice in this Nigeria. Na siddon look we dey o and this is so sad because I cannot even eat popcorn while all this is going on. This is just so sad a story. Kai.

TokUNbo wAHAb vS SIr kAYoDe

oTITojU: A rUmble THAT Never wAS

otitoju

barlow

obi

wahab

bala Usman

NASIr el-rUfAI: A NoSTrADAmUS IN THe mAkINg

Still on the matter of the opposition, it is looking like the arrowhead of the push, Nasir El-Rufai has turned to a prophet. He was recently declaring on national TV that the guy is gone. When pressed further, he posited “Look we have carried out surveys, the man has 98% unapproved in the South-east and North and another 78% in Lagos, so he should not be looking at it as if the elections are settled.”

If El-Rufai opens a church, he will fail o because this his prophecy cannot work. He fails to realise - that is, if this his talk is his real position - that this fight is not surface fight o. Since when did opinion polls matter? Since when did anybody vote count? Since when did we do anything above board regarding elections? The last credible elections we had was June 12 and dem scatter am. Since then, what we have been having is “kurukere” moves instead of elections and now that the masters of the game, the people who understand this thing very well are in full charge, we are bandying surveys as weapons.

The problem with the opposition is El-Rufai, Atiku and Obi. They do not have the credibility, sense of purpose and pedigree to engender the kind of massive people revolt to sweep out this thing that we are seeing.

What we need are not frustrated political players like these three but very seriousminded new age missioners who will appeal to the very core of discontent and push a kinda ‘I have a dream’ pull that will galvanise people power that will now sweep the Augean stable and we start afresh.

If na these terrible three, make we start to sweep Eagle Square for Tinubu’s second inauguration. Sad, but true. Come and really beat me.

BANANA ISlAND: A SlIpperY INITIATIve

For those of you who do not know, Banana Island is an overrated Island nestled somewhere on the Lagos Island that its residents are thinking they are living in Monaco or Bel Air. With its overgrown lawns, scattered physical planning and “jagajaga” arrangements, it has now forced itself into our consciousness as the numero uno abode of the richest and most influential of us. If you see how the residents will be carrying their big heads and be saying with pride - I live in Banana. Banana ko, tomatoes ni.

They have been in the news recently with the discriminatory entry policy that they have put in place. We have seen reports that say that artisans and other such people would now be paying a fee to gain exit. As if this was not shameful enough, we have also heard that one Lagos State agency has opened an office – selling passes to these minimum wage earners whose only desire is to go inside the concrete prison to fix their toilets, clear their smelly gutters and do other things that makes their lives easier.

I have never seen this kind of concentrated ego trip. Why would you ask people who are coming to work for you to pay to enter your enclave despite the kinds of wealth you all claim to have, both legitimate and otherwise?

Thankfully, some civil rights lawyers have petitioned the Lagos State Attorney general on the matter. That Banana Island own is too much abeg, that is why, I no dey go there for anything.

If anybody asks me to come for a meeting inside that place, I used to say they should come and meet me on the road outside because I no longer have

patience for their smelly mouth security men who will put their ugly faces inside your window and say “code?” And you will have to quickly rush and go and test for Ebola. When you even enter the place, you will be wondering why all the shakara. Rubbish.

ADeNIrAN ogUNSANYA: A mUlTIDImeNSIoNAl proBlem

Chief Ogunsanya really has my sympathy. His business is facing very turbulent times. It has just been reported that they have lost about two million subscribers and to hedge, they have reduced their subscription by 50% and now the federal government through one agency has taken them to court for

refusing to listen to them on an increase of the same rates sometime last year or was it early this year?

These thick-headed government officials who do not really understand the markets will just be doing anyhow. The man is running his own little government to stay afloat – providing his own power in a capital intensive business with dollar-denominated inputs and you say he should not increase his prices when dollars have gone up by over 600%, driving his costs through the roof.

Is he providing an essential service? His service is for only those who can afford it and not a government sanctioned service so why won’t he float with

remI TINUBU:

leT’S work SmArT

Mummy has been quoted to say that she wants her office on the budget. She was lamenting on the many things that she has to do with the “little” funds she has, and as such the National Assembly or whoever it is that is his job to make things happen should make things happen.

Mummy, you miss the point. This thing you are saying is correct because the First Lady’s office is very crucial to society. The soft power it wields is unimaginable and can be transformed into a strong platform for the betterment of the people. But going for a budget is not the right thing to do mummy, abi you sef no dey pity the budget? The way your sons are going with public expenditure, there is really nothing left there o except you too want to join the borrowing spree to fund your obviously laudable projects. The more credible way to go about it is to independently source your funding which is very easy. So, if a whole Remi Tinubu, longest serving female senator in Africa, wife of the only Jagaban, schoolmate of the great Alex, now calls for a fundraising, do you

think people will not throw money at her?

Mbok, mummy what you need is a super fund-raising champion that will coordinate, strategise and engage the markets and you will see the kind of money that even the national coffers cannot even dream of. Abi mummy, were you not in Nigeria when President Obasanjo launched his library? Didn’t you see the kind of money they threw at him?

Asking to be part of national expenditure is a lazy way to go about it. Just try this my suggestion and you will see what I am saying. Me, I am ready to send in my résumé to be the official Chief Marketing Officer in the First Lady’s office. If I don’t drop you N1 trillion per quarter, call me a bastard. Mbok, leave budget alone, employ me and let’s start work. All these female CEOs from Fidelity Bank, to that woman that her husband owns Providus Bank to the Alakijas, and the rest will just be too happy to be part of it.

My dear mummy, let’s work smart. This one you are doing is working hard and that is ancient tactics, let’s work smart. Mbok when am I resuming?

demand and supply?

Others around him like the DISCOS are having the government help them announce the price increases but this one that is not essential, the same government through a this agency is taking them to court for trying to stay afloat.

If they had allowed them, shebi market forces would have achieved it all with no stress. Today, when MultiChoice has seen where the market is headed, they have on their own without prompting, slashed the same prices by 50%.

As long as we keep putting people who do not understand the economy and marketing in public offices, we will continue to suffer from their apparent tom foolery, I tell you. Chief Ogunsanya, you have my support and pity because it can never be easy doing legitimate business in this country. The wahala is just too much.

Favour Ofili: Going, Going

The super athlete reportedly wants to japa. Reports are saying that she may have applied to change citizenship and is in the queue to become a citizen of Turkey, I hope I got it right. Mbok, the lady has suffered in the hands of our inept officials, peaking at the last Olympic where she was not registered for a top event.

In response, she went ahead to break the world record in one of the events after that global disgrace, etching her name in the annals of history. Well, if it is true that she wants to go, mbok very well just go o. People like us, it is old age and lack of a credible source of afang that is keeping us here. An athlete has a life span, so you cannot be using patriotism to be doing yourself bad. Once she is 30, it is over so she has a finite number of years to be at peak performance and it will be very very stupid to now carry those few years and put in the hands of “guguru and epa” eating officials who know nothing about these things.

My sister, if they don’t agree in Turkey, come and let me take you to Belarus, I know one Alex that went to school with our oga that will make it happen. My number is at the top of the page, let’s move fast abeg, no time to waste. It is what it is. Thank you.

IToHAN BArlow: A CUlTUrAllY ATTUNeD AmBASSADor

A lot of you do not know Itohan Barlow or may not ever meet her. I have and have come out of that encounter with goose pimples. Her flow and clarity when it comes to designs and spatial something is world class.

It is no wonder that the Nigerian Pavilion at the just-concluded biennial on designs which was held in London received a lot of experts’ attention. The biennial is an international event that pulls in the very best in global design curators to what can be described simply as the magic in designs.

The Nigerian Pavilion was top 5 of the 35 pavilions and was described as simply magic. It also hosted five First Ladies and the Olu of Warri and other such dignitaries and came with the theme ‘Hope and Impediments.’ It leveraged the Lejja community in Enugu State to deliver a first world experience. It used a fine mix of cartography, music and tactile experience to explore new futures engendering a strong call to bring it home.

Some of you like Mudi will not understand some of these things that I have said here and it’s ok. Even me, I did not understand before until I went asking. So, if you are interested, reach out and let me explain to you. Life is more than banga soup and starch –Mudiiiiii.

Tinubu

For Julius

New Twist in Alao Akala’s Family Catastrophe

Christopher Alao-Akala was a jolly good fellow during his lifetime. He was one of the few politicians who rose from the lower rungs of the ladder to the top, advancing from a local government chairman in Ogbomoso North Local Government to the deputy governor of Oyo State, and eventually becoming the governor of the state.

Although he couldn’t serve beyond a single term of four years as governor, he established himself as one of the politicians who held sway in the state, as well as the South-west of Nigeria.

Generous, flamboyant and colourful, he definitely enjoyed life to the hilt. He was undoubtedly fulfilled, and he left a legacy in the Oyo’s political climate.

But despite his seemingly beautiful legacy, the deceased politician would turn in his grave if he could look back and see how sharply divided his family has become over his estate.

In the past three years since his sudden departure from Mother Earth, there has reportedly been no love lost among his seven children.

It was gathered that at the beginning of the crisis, many had thought it would be resolved as early as possible. But rather than abate, the Akala family crisis has blown into a full-scale battle.

As gathered by Society Watch, the crisis that has been looming silently since his burial, became noticeable in 2022 when his wife, Kemi AlaoAkala and Olamide Alabi, one of the deceased’s

daughters, obtained a Letter of Administration from the Oyo State Probate Registry without the knowledge or consent of Mrs Oluwatoyin AlaoAderinto, the deceased’s first child.

This singular act, she claimed, was a deliberate and unlawful exclusion that contravened applicable laws guiding intestate succession in Nigeria.

Oluwatoyin then accused Kemi AlaoAkala, her step-mother and Olamide Alabi of manipulating facts to claim sole control over the estate, despite the presence of other biological children and heirs.

In a new twist to the crisis, the first daughter, Mrs Alao-Aderinto, is seeking a court order for her father’s body to be exhumed.

Through a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Oladipo Olasope, she has approached an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, seeking an order for a Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) tests on seven individuals claiming to be biological children of the deceased, as well as an application for the exhumation of the late governor’s body to carry out the DNA test.

In a suit filed before Justice Taiwo of Court 12 at the state high court, Ring Road, Ibadan, with Motion Number I/443/2024, Alao-Aderinto is praying the court to direct that the DNA tests be carried out on herself, including Olamide, Adebukola, Olamipo, Olamiju, a serving member

of the House of Representatives, Tabitha and Olamikunle, as listed in the motion on notice filed before the court and that the test be conducted at a court approved, accredited laboratory to determine their true biological relationship with the late governor.

Wednesday, June 25, 2025, wasn’t just another day in the life of the billionaire gas magnate - it was his 51st birthday. The day marked the beginning of a new chapter in Julius Rone’s life.

Many whose paths had crossed his penned sweet and heartfelt messages for him on the occasion of his special day. Unlike last year when he turned 50, the 51st birthday celebration of the Managing Director and CEO of UTM Offshore was lowkey.

A source revealed that the highlyconnected businessman also reached out to the less privileged in his usual style of giving back to society.

While the tales of his childhood, which have yet to be documented in black and white, may only be knitted by his parents, who witnessed his vagitus on June 25, 1974, he had begun to demonstrate traits of a potentially great man from early in life.

For Rone, rising to the pinnacle of his career was definitely no small feat. There was no shortcut to his success. He climbed the ladder one step at a time until he attained his well-deserved affluence.

Indeed, he has reason to jubilate. His Creator has been good to him; Providence has granted his heart’s desires; he has been blessed with money in abundance, a thriving business that competes favourably with others around the world, and a good family of whom he is proud.

The Delta State-born businessman has succeeded in rewriting the story of oil and gas in Nigeria, while also spearheading the development of the country’s floating liquefied natural gas, LNG facility.

The project unlocked a new era of LNG industry growth in Nigeria and across the region as the energy demand continues to increase.

It also marked a significant milestone in Nigeria’s quest to enhance energy infrastructure and solidify its position as a key player in the global LNG market.

Rone’s journey in the industry, far from being a linear ascent, is a testament to the power of conviction in the face of formidable odds.

GNI again? This is the question on the lips of many, especially those familiar with the political situation in the country. Why this question? Wait, we will take you down memory lane…

In 2011, the Yewa-born Gboyega Nasir Isiaka became one of the talked-about politicians in Ogun State. That was when he contested for the number one job in the state and was ably supported by the then incumbent governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, also known as OGD. Before then, the investment banker served as a Special Assistant on Investments to OGD in 2003 and later rose to become the Group Managing Director of Gateway Holdings Limited, GHL, Ogun State’s investment company.

As the 2011 election approached, it seemed like destiny had called him to higher service as OGD anointed him as his preferred successor. It was indeed a tough one for the man fondly known as GNI. That year’s governorship election was one of the toughest in the history of the gateway state.

Faced with stiff opposition within the thenruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), he defected to the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN). He campaigned tirelessly, and money was thrown around, but it was all in futility, despite his and the party’s efforts, Isiaka fell short, finishing third in an election that Senator Ibikunle Amosun (ACN) eventually won. To say it was a setback for his political career was to put it mildly. It was a shaky moment for his political trajectory, and he coiled

Is Gboyega Isiaka a p olitical Spoiler

to Senator Yayi?

back to his cocoon.

However, not too long after, he came back and this time around he contested for the House of Representatives. Today, the man who represents the Yewa North/ Imeko Afon Federal Constituency has a bigger dream.

As gathered by Society Watch, the 63-year-old is taking another shot at the plum job in the state. Just as it was in 2011, he is likely to be considered the preferred candidate of the incumbent governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, in the 2027 governorship election. This, as gathered, has generated mixed reactions among stakeholders in the state. Many believe that the lawmaker is coming to serve as a joy killer for Senator Solomon Adeola, fondly known as Yayi, who is considered the best candidate of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), considering that GNI and Yayi are from the same ethnic group in the state, Yewa.

It’s a Moment of Joy for Oil Mogul, Adewale Tinubu

Tayo Amusan has become a true icon in the entrepreneurial landscape. He aims to create lasting legacies, not only in the business world but also in the realms of art, culture, and philanthropy.

The Chairman of Persianas Group — a conglomerate with diverse subsidiaries in real estate and retail business — is always setting his sights on new horizons and pursuing opportunities for growth and expansion.

One of such was his decision to create and invest in Africa’s first purpose-built entertainment and sports arena of international standard, where major events like concerts can be held.

According to Amusan, Nigeria, with its young and rapidly growing population of

On Thursday, June 26, 2025, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Oando Group, Jubril Adewale Tinubu, joyfully demonstrated that he has been “rocking the stage of life” for 58 years.

Though the 58th birthday celebration was low-key, understandably so, due to his dislike for extravagant festivities, his elite guests unanimously agreed that Tinubu, who holds a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics, has truly been strumming the chords of happiness and dancing to life’s rhythms, especially since he began his career in 1990 as a lawyer at the family firm of K. O. Tinubu & Co., specializing in corporate and petroleum law.

Suave and upwardly mobile, Tinubu has continued to wow many with his business acumen. When he co-founded Ocean and Oil Services in 1994, only a few industry observers believed the company would survive. But 31 years on, he has successfully positioned the company as a global

over 220 million and a vibrant music scene, has never had its own dedicated arena. He decided to change the course of history with the $100 million 12,000-capacity monumental indoor centre for entertainment and sports, with a hotel and ample parking space in Lagos. The arena would be delivered by the end of 2025.

Society Watch gathered that work on the new arena has reached an advanced stage, with many elated enthusiasts anticipating that the growing ‘Detty December’ will further get ‘dettier’ this year with the coming of the massive arena that can host notable international artistes’ gigs.

With aspirations to host more than 200 events each year, the arena is positioned to emerge as Africa’s leading destination for live entertainment.

player. His staying power rests on three pillars: unwavering determination, relentless innovation, and an indomitable belief in his vision to overcome obstacles and make a lasting impact.

Under his leadership, Oando has redefined the narrative in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector—thanks to value-added services provided by subsidiaries, including Oando Marketing Limited, Oando Trading & Supply Limited, Oando Gas & Power Limited, Oando Energy Services Limited, and Oando Energy Resources.

His unprecedented achievements in oil and gas have sparked robust global industrywide conversation, earning him the sobriquet “King of African Oil.”

The Lagos State-born billionaire envisions a future where his contributions would have a lasting impact on society and inspire generations to come.

Akala

Isiaka

Tinubu

Amusan

Celebrating the Colours and Sensibilities of West Africa

a recent group exhibition on the sidelines of the recently held west african economic Summit in abuja celebrated the potential of the subregion’s creative genius. okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

Having featured a coterie of West Africa’s visionary artists, the exhibition, Unleashing West Africa’s Creative Economy, it turned out, was a roaring curatorial success, much to the delight of discerning aficionados. With its eclectic mix of innovative installations, vibrant paintings, and thought-provoking sculptures, the exhibition showcased the sub-region’s vibrant creative potential, perfectly complementing the recent two-day West African Economic Summit (WAES). What could have been a logistical and artistic challenge proved to be a masterclass in synchronising diverse ideas, earning pats on the back for curator Nduwhite Ndubuisi Ahanonu and his team, which included the innovative Lagosbased Mathew Oyedele, among others.

Owing to Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar’s high octane idea of adding art exhibitions to his soft diplomacy menu – a bold move that birthed the Atrium Gallery at the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s quadrangle – the exhibition’s venue at Abuja’s spruced-up International Conference Centre (now rechristened after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu) attracted a veritable Who’s Who of dignitaries. These included the president himself, a handful of his ministers, monarchs, parastatal heads, and diplomatic corps members, who came to pay homage to the creative genius on display.

With the curatorial team’s skillful striking of a delicate balance between the featured artists’ diverse aesthetic idiosyncrasies, the exhibition stood head and shoulders above the rest, outshining most group shows in the federal capital city and beyond. This triumph was all the more notable given its deft sidestepping of those numbingly predictable offerings that often leave viewers with the feeling of having seen it all before – a sense of déjà vu that can be as dull as a spreadsheet.

That said, it is worth noting that the dominance of Nigerian artists in the selection can be attributed more to logistical reasons, especially given the extremely short duration of the exhibition, than to a intentional bias. If, for instance, getting the artists to meet the deadline was a challenge, how much more daunting would it have been to freight works across the sub-region to Abuja for a show that opened on June 20 only to close the next day, June 21!

Among the works by Nigerian artists, the luminary Bruce Onobrakpeya’s1981 patented low relief on metal “Sahelian Masquerade” (Adjene and Kabiyesi) stood out in its staid simplicity. Talking about this nonagenarian, his creative frenzy could put even a Gen-Z artist to shame, making everyone else look like they are stuck in a creative rut. Peju Layiwola, currently based in the US, meanwhile, is making waves across the Atlantic with her 2016 low relief metal 2-D offering, titled “Abe Igi”, proving that distance is no barrier to relevance (or in this case, asserting her pedigree). Other notable artists also featured were Krydz Ikwuemesi, whose 2015 Uli motifs-suffused acrylic on board work “So Long a Letter” held court all by itself in an unobtrusive corner of the exhibition hall, and Samuel Nnorom, who flaunts his African fabric sculptures “Thinking It Through” and “Echoes of Hope” with youthful exuberance. Victor Ehikhamenor’s 2021 mixed-media work,“No Sympathy for the King” – contrived with perforations and gold leaf on

handmade paper proclaims him as consistently unpredictable, unlike a Nollywood movie plot twist, while Gerald Chukwuma’s mixed-media panels, “Heads of State” and “I Know What Lives in My Sun”, proclaim El Anatsui’s influence from the rooftops. Mufu Onifade’s 2021 acrylic on canvas paintings, “Ooya Ma Ya Wa” (Marital Bond) and “Ojo Kela” (Third Day), revisit the aesthetic canons of his ancient heritage. And then there’s Abuja-based ballpoint artist Jacqueline Suowari, who proves that even the most modest of tools can create masterpieces – and that pens, often alleged to be mightier than swords, are just pens that are really good at drawing. If these artists are deemed to have stood out in their creative brilliance, it is not just because of a contractual obligation to praise Nigerian art. Beyond Nigeria’s borders, a vibrant array of artistic voices from the sub-region added depth and complexity to the exhibition. Ghana’s Amarkine Amarteifio skewers the widening chasm between the haves and have-nots with his biting acrylic on canvas paintings, “The Interruption” (2022) and “PIECEful Co-existence” (2023), serving up a visual commentary that is both pointed and poignant. Meanwhile, Burkinabe artist Christophe Sawadogo’s blurred faces in “Aisha” and “Sisterhood” (2025) whisper secrets of collective humanity, reminding the

viewer that anonymity can be a universal language. Across the border in Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan-based Togolese artist Sadikou Oukpedjo’s ethereal figures, seemingly floating like ghosts, hint at the fragility and the animal origin of man’s physical body. And in a dexterous blend of colours, Malian artist Abdoulaye Konate’s textile collages, “Composition en vert motifs…” and “Composition en bleu au triangle rouge”, celebrate the exuberant palette of local aesthetics, proving that even in fragments, beauty can be whole.

Unleashing West Africa’s Creative Economy was a triumph of creativity and diplomacy, igniting a spark that could fuel a wave of innovation in the West African art circles for years to come. By showcasing the sub-region’s vibrant artistic talent, the exhibition proved that art can be a potent ambassador, bridging cultures and borders with ease. With its bold vision, creative genius, and masterful curation, the exhibition was a masterclass in artistic storytelling, leaving discerning aficionados and art enthusiasts alike in awe of the region’s boundless potential. As a beacon of artistic excellence, the group exhibition will continue to resonate, inspiring future generations of artists, curators, and art lovers to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

A view of the exhibition hall

Another view of the exhibition hall

A Literary Party for Guernica in Lagos

Yinka Olatunbosun

Recently, the local literary community gathered for a sumptuous celebration of words, featuring poetry readings, good-natured banter, and conversations in honour of Michael Archer, co-founder of the uS-based Guernica Magazine. The event, co-hosted by Angels and Muse, was a reunion of sorts for many awardwinning nigerian writers in diaspora, and a testament to the robust literary community in Lagos. Guernica Magazine, a leading art and politics web-based publication founded in 2004 by Joel Whitney, Michael Archer, Josh Jones, and elizabeth Onusko, has been a platform for innovative voices and perspectives.

The gathering, hosted by Tade Ipadeola as compere, kicked off with a rousing performance of poetry by evelyn D’ Poet. This was followed by Osagie, who used a call-and-response technique to pay homage to Lagos, setting a tone for the evening of light-hearted conversations. Later, Michael Archer shared his thoughts on discovering nigerian writing, which he described as an eye-opener. He expressed his desire to continue collaborating with the literary community in nigeria and recounted his initial encounter with Okey Ndibe, the first nigerian writer to be published in Guernica Magazine. ndibe’s publications include “My

a treasure trove of nigerian literary talent, and his passion to amplify their voices grew exponentially. “We came to realise that all Nigerians are writers at heart,” he said. “They all had amazing stories to tell us.”

Okey ndibe, represented by elohor egbordin, extended his goodwill message to the audience through a written statement, highlighting some of his fond memories of writing for Guernica Magazine. “His publication of my essay, titled ‘My Father’s english Friend’, had such exhilarating impact that I sought out other nigerian—and African— writers and encouraged them to submit their fiction and nonfiction,” Ndibe recalled. “Today, that exquisite and culturally stalwart publication has exploded on the literary scene, fervently read by the literati in the uS and across the globe, including Africa. Indeed, it has helped to project the talent of some of Nigeria’s writers.”

Among those present were Jahman Anikulapo, Toyin Akinosho, Kunle Ajibade, and Victor e hikhamenor, who shared his perspective on the Guernica experience.

In the wake of Archer’s visit to n igeria, ehikhamenor, an interdisciplinary artist and co-host of the event, observed: “Sometimes it’s good to see not just what has already been done but what is yet to be done.”

Archer recalled how the award-winning writer built a lasting relationship with Guernica

art journalist and writer, Molara Wood. “We started in 2004 and coincidentally we launched our first issue,” he recalled. “It was in 2005 that Okey sort of came into our orbit. Guernica published three or four of his pieces in the first year. It wasn’t just publishing but he also became a part of our family.”

a session moderated by a seasoned

As Archer’s journey unfolded, he discovered

Guernica in Lagos served as a great avenue for networking, reaffirming its commitment to world literature while amplifying marginalised voices.

A Taste of Wallace Ejoh's Solo Chocolate Treat

Yinka Olatunbosun

It was a heartwarming moment at Mydrim Gallery recently when the renowned portrait painter and art instructor, Wallace ejoh unveiled a few of his latest works at a press preview held at Mydrim Gallery, Ikoyi. ejoh, an unassuming artist, was already waiting at the gallery by the time the journalists arrived in dribs and drabs. Of course, he is no stranger to waiting; having waited for 20 years after his graduation from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos before he had his first solo show.

The show, titled Dipped in Chocolate, will be his third solo exhibition, one that subtly explores black aesthetics in his paintings. Observing that his models tend to be light-skinned in the past, ejoh deliberately chose to represent African beauty through darker skin tones. As an Accra, Ghana-born artist with a higher national diploma in painting from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, ejoh naturally explores the black skin as a subject.

After completing his industrial training under Abiodun Olaku and Alex nwokolo, he was

EXHIBITION

inspired to teach painting and probe deeper into techniques, which led to his preoccupation with depicting the black skin – a common sight in West Africa.

ejoh’s broad oeuvre encompasses several themes, including urban landscapes, traditional nigerian dancers, musicians, and the female form.

An astute observer of social life, he drew upon the ceremonial dressing of nigerian women to create a twin portrait titled “Dress Code I and II”, with soft yellow fabric draped across the model’s chocolate-toned skin. His expressive technique involves painting wet on wet, balancing virtuoso brushwork with thick, opaque strokes for highlights.

The artist prefers to paint indoors, where he can creatively control and balance the artificial light. An accomplished painter, he stands out in his unique ability to manipulate his oil medium. Although he has participated in several group exhibitions in London, Holland, and Lagos, nothing beats his return to the vibrant nigerian art scene to showcase his ingenuity once again.

“There's a saying that every artist dips his

brush in his own soul,” he explained to a handful of journalists at the preview of his 15 works.

“When I started my solo shows, I started to use a limited palette. One of the reasons for the title is that my brush has been dipped in a limited

Reviving Nigeria’s Rich Linguistic Heritage

In a bid to restore the fading glory of nigeria's three major languages - Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba - Ibadan-based Accessible Publishers Ltd has embarked on the groundbreaking nigeria Literacy Book Adaptation Project. This initiative is a collaborative effort with the Kenya-based Room to Read organisation, aimed at making translated books in these languages accessible to teachers and students, thereby igniting a love for mother tongues among youths.

The project was launched at a workshop in Ibadan, which brought together nigerian translation and linguistic scholars, educational experts, and government officials. The four-member Room to Read team, led by Regional Operations Director for Africa, Collins Munene, was present to kick-start the project. Other dignitaries in attendance included representatives from the nigerian educational Research and Development Council (neRDC), Ministry of education, universal Basic education Commission (uBeC), and State universal Basic education Boards (SuBeBs).

In his opening remarks, Accessible Publishers'

Managing Director, GbadegaAdedapo, described the initiative as a movement that would reshape nigeria's educational narrative, renew its linguistic

heritage, and rekindle the love of reading among children. He commended Room to Read for choosing to collaborate with Accessible Publishers, citing the organisation's commitment to making quality education accessible and affordable for every nigerian learner.

Adedapo highlighted the strategic importance of the collaboration, noting that it was a partnership bound by a shared vision to provide quality education to all children. He praised Room to Read for recognising the significance of local languages and indigenous cultures in learning, and for its commitment to publishing storybooks in Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. The Accessible Publishers MD also appreciated Room to Read's gender-sensitive approach to literacy, which prioritises the education of the girl-child.

The workshop brought together a team of language experts, including Professor Tyjani Shehu Almajir, Dr. nwagbo Osita Gerald, Dr. Suleey-

palette. I'm a figurative artist and while I was preparing for my shows, I often noticed that most of the models I sought for are always light-skinned. So, I decided to change the skin colour in my painting using the limited palette.”

By rejecting european beauty ideals, ejoh seeks to reclaim and redefine the narrative of black beauty, emphasising the inherent worth and elegance of the African woman. notably, his pieces “Femme Fatale I and II” showcase his mastery of artificial light, creating visual depth and colour balance. According to Dr. Bolaji Ogunwo, a professor of painting, this exhibition marks a significant departure from Ejoh’s earlier discordant palette to a deliberate “Negro chroma” that reflects his African ancestry. Through his vibrant and expressive art, ejoh inspires a renewed sense of cultural pride, self-love, and acceptance, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and diverse definition of beauty.

man Hamisu Aliyu, Mrs. Abdulazeez umma Sa'ade, Dr. Aboderin Oluwakemi Adebisi, Dr. Clement Adeniyi Akangbe, and Dr. ebele Okafor. These experts shared their views on the imperative of the exercise, noting that it should have started years ago. They, however, welcomed the initiative and pledged to work together to produce high-quality, culturally relevant storybooks for nigerian children.

Dr. Akangbe praised the collaboration between Room to Read and Accessible Publishers, describing it as a model for future literacy development initiatives in nigeria. He noted that the partnership had brought together a diverse team of language experts, educators, and publishing professionals in a structured and inclusive environment. The language experts also shared their plans to apply the knowledge and skills acquired from the workshop. Dr. Gerald, for instance, planned to launch a student writers' club focused on producing children's literature in nigerian languages. Mrs. Abdulazeez, on the other hand, intended to infuse the learnings from the workshop into her university lectures and writing practice, with a focus on creating more Hausa children's books that are pedagogically sound and culturally grounded. As the workshop came to a close, Adedapo reiterated the importance of literacy in shaping the future of nigerian children. "Literacy is not

Ejoh beside one of his paintings

Biafran Eyes”, which won a Best of the Web prize from Dzanc Books in 2008.

at

MD/CEO, Accessible Publishers Ltd, Mr. Gbadega Adedapo (left); Hon. Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Oyo State, Mr. Wasiu Adewale Olatunbosun and Regional Director; Africa, Room to Read, Collins Minene at the Nigeria Literacy Book Adaptation Project

L-R: Molara Wood, Michael Archer and Victor Ehikhamenor

IN THE ARENA

As Court Reins in Police, EFCC on Debt Recovery

The recent court ruling reaffirming that the Nigeria Police Force cannot be used by complainants to arrest, detain, or intimidate individuals for the purpose of debt recovery serves as a strong reminder of similar judgments previously issued against the EFCC, Davidson Iriekpen writes.

For the umpteenth time, a Lagos State High Court penultimate week, in very clear terms, reminded the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) that it is not a debt recovery agency, and should not be used by private complainants for the unlawful arrest, detention and intimidation of people for matters arising from a civil dispute.

Delivering judgment in a suit orchestrated by one Tessy Chiamaka Nnadi, Justice Tanimola Anjorin-Ajose condemned what he described as a gross abuse of state power by both Nnadi and the police.

The judge cited relevant constitutional provisions—Sections 34, 35, and 41—to reinforce Chukwuemeka Akachukwu Ewereaku’s right to dignity, personal liberty, and freedom of movement, noting that these had been violated.

The matter arose from a December 2024 sale of luxury human hair valued at N560,000, advertised and sold by Ewereaku through WhatsApp. Dissatisfied after receiving the product, Ms. Nnadi reportedly stormed the businessman’s shop and insisted on a refund.

When her demands were not immediately met, she escalated the matter to the police. On December 11, 2024, armed policemen from the Lion Building Division allegedly arrested Ewereaku without any prior invitation.

He was then taken to the station, where he claimed to have been physically assaulted and forced under duress to refund the money.

In response, Ewereaku filed a fundamental rightsenforcementsuit—LD/1863MFHR/2024 — through his counsel, Chibuenyim Precious Onyemachi of Enyim Solicitors. The suit named the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Inspector Tolu of Lion Building Division, and Ms. Nnadi as respondents.

He sought declarations and injunctive relief, contending that his arrest and detention were illegal and that the entire episode constituted a breach of his fundamental rights. He also submitted evidence, including medical reports and receipts, to support his claims of assault, harassment, and psychological trauma, including symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

But the police respondents - Inspector-General, Lagos CP, and Inspector Tolu - did not enter any defence in court.

The judge, perhaps to dissuade many others from embarking or orchestrating such “gross abuse of state power,” awarded the sum of N5 million in general damages against Nnadi, who reported the issue to the police.

The court ruled that the police acted outside the scope of their constitutional mandate when they responded to Ms. Nnadi’s complaint over a strictly civil refund disagreement.

“The police cannot be used as debt recovery agents in purely commercial or civil transactions.

The invitation, arrest, and detention of the applicant at the instance of the 5th respondent were illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional.”

While the judge declined to issue a perpetual injunction restraining the police from any future investigation of the applicant, he granted several critical reliefs, including slamming N5million damages against the 5th respondent, Nnadi, for the unlawful use of state machinery to pursue a private civil claim.

Justice Anjorin-Ajose’s judgment is not the first time courts have warned the police and agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against allowing themselves to be used to harass individuals to recover debts.

It has become fashionable for some Nigerians to use law enforcement agents to harass, arrest and detain persons in order to retrieve debts

arising from civil transactions instead of approaching the court to do so, possibly in an attempt to avoid lawyers’ professional fees.

In 2019, Justice J. O. Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court in Ibadan Oyo State capital, ruled that the EFCC has no power to arrest anyone or investigate debt recovery cases arising from breach of contract.

The judge in a damning judgment in a case filed by an Ibadan-based businessman, Francis Morakinyo Afolabi, through his lawyer, Mr. Joshua Olaniyan, against the commission and five others, declared that the EFCC Act 2004 does not empower the commission to arrest and detain anyone or investigate cases of breach of contract in business transactions. It held that the commission only has the power to arrest, detain or investigate financial crimes, not civil transactions.

Citing the case of Lima versus Mohammed (1999) LPELR-1973 (Supreme Court), the judge declared that “an aggrieved party in a breach of contract is to seek for civil redress by way of insisting on actual performance of the contract or seek damages for the breach.”

In 2021, a judge of the Oyo State High Court, Justice Iyabo Yerima, while delivering judgment in a suit marked No. M/377/2020, filed by a businessman, Kolawole Oyedeji against the EFCC

p OLITICAL NOT e S when INeC put pDp to Shame

The recent closed-door meeting between the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) exposed the party’s failure to put its house in order.

The electoral umpire had rejected the party’s notification for its 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, insisting that the letter of notification failed to comply with extant rules and guidelines.

The commission also cited the internal crisis around the national secretary of the party as the reason for declining the request.

Present at the meeting were the acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagum; former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki;

governors of Bauchi, Zamfara, Plateau and Oyo states, senators and other big wigs in the party.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, used the occasion to expose the leadership crisis in the party when he alluded to the inconsistencies that the secretaryship tussle has generated.

“In the last couple of months we received letters from the party saying that one Ude Okoye was the secretary. Thereafter, the party changed its mind and said it was sent to Samuel Anyanwu. Thereafter, the party changed its mind to say that it is Arch. Setonji Koshoedo, and again the party changed its mind to say it is Anyanwu. And the last letter from the party actually has no secretary at all.

and Messrs Segun Oloruntuyi and Olubunmi Adejorin, declared that attempts by the agency to extend its powers to debt collection or recovery will be tantamount to “meddlesomeness and interloping.”

In 2022, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja Special Offences Court ordered the EFCC to stop acting as a debt recovery agency. Instead, the judge urged the complainant and all parties involved to proceed to a civil court for settlement.

On a few occasions, the Supreme Court had intervened on the unlawful use of the police, EFCC and other security agencies in the country to harass and intimidate individuals over debt collection, and warned them to desist from such conduct, but due to corruption and overzealousness, the action has persisted.

For instance, in a judgment delivered by Justice Sidi Bage in the case of EFCC vs. Diamond Bank Plc, Petro Continental Nigeria Limited and Dr. Peter Opara (2018) LPELR-44217(SC), the court emphatically held that the EFCC is not a debt recovery agency and should refrain from being used as such.

The apex court held that the powers conferred on the EFCC to receive complaints and prevent and/or fight the commission of financial crimes in Nigeria pursuant to Section 6(b) of the EFCC Act does not extend to the investigation and/ or resolution of disputes arising or resulting from simple contracts or civil transactions as in this case.

It further held that the EFCC has an inherent duty to scrutinise all complaints that it receives carefully, no matter how carefully crafted by the complaining party, and be bold enough to counsel such complainants to seek appropriate/lawful means to resolve their disputes.

Nigeria’s security agencies, particularly the police and EFCC, must know that the citizenry’s confidence in them ought to first be ensured by the agencies themselves by jealously guarding the integrity of the uniform and powers conferred on them.

Nigeria’s security agencies no longer command any respect from the citizenry because of how low they have sunk.

The courts also need to come down hard on any complainant who would use the police, EFCC and other security operatives to harass, intimidate, arrest and detain their customers, business partners and others over debt in order to serve as a deterrent to others.

It was only signed by the chairman, which we responded to,” Yakubu said.

The revelation by the INEC chairman has exonerated the commission of alleged complicity in the PDP crisis.

It also confirmed that Damagum lacked the capacity to enforce discipline in the party.

It is only under Damagum’s leadership that some PDP members are bigger than the party and are working for the All Progressives Congress (APC) without any consequences.

For some of the party leaders who thought INEC was part of their problems, it was obvious from the expressions on their faces after the meeting that they were thoroughly embarrassed by INEC ‘s revelation.

Justice Kekere-ekun

Olukoyede

Damagum

BRIEFING NOTES

The Avoidable Loss of 17 Soldiers

ejiofor

Alike writes that the recent killing of 17 soldiers in Niger State was a strong message by bandits to reassert their strong firepower and force the government to accept their demands at

recent shameful meeting between the authorities and the wanted bandit leader,

The bandits that killed 17 Nigerian soldiers in Bangi community in Mariga Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State on June 24, 2025 may have been emboldened to carry out the audacious attack due to the apparent weakness of federal government to tackle banditry as manifested by the failure to capture a notorious bandit leader, Turji Bello.

The recently reported peace meeting between security agents, local leaders and another wanted bandit leader, Ado Aliero in Katsina State, may have also given the terrorists the confidence that Nigeria is in a state of helplessness.

The Nigerian Army, in a statement signed by its Acting Director Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, had confirmed that 17 “brave and gallant” soldiers paid the supreme price during a bloody encounter with terrorists in Niger State, while 10 others sustained varying degrees of injury.

Though unofficial reports claimed that 20 soldiers were killed in the ambush by bandits at a military base around Kwanan Dutse in Mariga LGA, Aniele stated that it was a deliberate joint operation by the military, which successfully thwarted an attempted incursion by over 300 terrorists into the Bangi community, and engaged them in a fierce firefight that lasted over three hours in Kwanar Dutse Forest.

However, Anele could not confirm casualties on the side of the bandits as her statement merely stated that “multiple blood trails along their escape routes presumably indicate significant enemy losses.”

Due to the politicisation of the war against insecurity, many Nigerians have raised doubts over the military’s frequent claims of killing dozens of bandits during operations without any credible evidence to back such claims, unlike bandits who post videos of their raids on military facilities.

For armed bandits to move in large numbers and inflict such heavy casualties on Nigerian soldiers shows the failure of intelligence or lack of adequate weapons to tackle these terrorists or both.

The way and manner they spray military facilities with excess ammunition during raids as shown in viral videos is a confirmation of soldiers’ lack of sophisticated light weapons and enough ammunition to match the firepower of the invaders.

The bandits that carried out the latest attack may have been emboldened by the apparent inability of the security forces to capture a

notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji.

The reported peace meeting between security agents, local leaders and another wanted bandit leader, Ado Aliero, also known as Aliero Yankuzo, in Katsina State, may have also given the bandits the confidence that Nigeria is at their mercy.

While Israel with a population of about 10 million was sending her fighter jets and intelligence agents to Iran, a country of over 1,700 kilometers away to take out the country’s top generals, nuclear scientists and other individuals identified as her enemies with military precision, Nigeria, the Giant of Africa, with a population of over 200 million cannot capture her identified enemies within her soil.

Instead of ordering precise military strikes to take out bandits and other terrorists, the Nigerian leaders politicised security and adopted the “repentant terrorists” approach, a contraption designed to reintegrate “repentant” terrorists into the society.

Many Nigerians believe that the

gallant Nigerian soldiers, who were previously feared in the United Nations military operations, ECOMOG and other foreign military assignments, have obviously become victims of internal politics.

Under the guise of searching for peace, government officials hold meetings with wanted bandit leaders in the presence of security agents who are supposed to arrest or neutralise these criminal elements.

It was very embarrassing to the image of Nigeria and very devastating to victims of banditry to imagine that Aliero was freely exchanging pleasantries with security personnel during the recent peace meeting in Danmusa LGA of Katsina State.

Aliero, whose name sparks fear, is one of the most dreaded bandit leaders linked to mass killings, kidnappings, cattle rustling and military-styled raids across Zamfara, Katsina and other parts of the North-west. bandit kingpin, who is on the security watchlist, was said to have addressed stakeholders during the session, where he gave conditions for peace in the region.

“As long as you keep calling us terrorists, we will keep acting like terrorists,” he reportedly

Ado Aliero

told his audience.

the

Unfortunately, the government has not denounced or debunked the reported meeting.

The meeting was a sad moment for the victims of terrorism in the North and other law-abiding Nigerians who might think that it pays to indulge in crimes after seeing a heartless mass murderer being treated like a special guest, instead of a terrorist.

Aliero was first declared wanted in 2020 with a bounty placed on his head, while the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) listed him among Nigeria’s most dangerous criminals in 2024. It is such a dangerous individual, whose mother and wife were arrested during Hajj in Saudi Arabia in May this year because of their ties to his criminal network that reportedly appeared before the Nigerian security agents and was treated like a special guest.

While Saudi Arabian authorities arrested Aliero’s wife and mother, Nigeria, which is the victim of his crimes, allowed a man whose hands are soaked in blood of innocent Nigerians and military personnel to address security agents, local leaders and even demand military pullbacks.

Aliero’s presence at the meeting has raised serious questions about the sincerity in Nigeria’s counterinsurgency operations. How will Saudi Arabia and other responsible countries view Nigeria, a country where bandits are shielded by the authorities and treated like VIPs, in the comity of nations?

To demonstrate that bandits are really in control of certain territories in Nigeria, Bello Turji had reportedly ordered residents of Isa LGA in Sokoto State to drain a dam in their community or face brutal consequences. This was revealed last Monday in a post by security analyst, Bakatsine, on X. According to the post, Turji claimed that the dam was affecting his group’s movement in the area.

President Bola Tinubu had once ordered security chiefs to relocate to Sokoto State and capture Turji but he has continued to operate freely within the Nigerian territory.

With the Nigerian government’s politicisation of security and apparent lack of commitment and sincerity in the war against bandits, it is not surprising that bandits have continued to confront the Nigerian troops and inflict heavy casualties on them.

How many more Nigerian soldiers will bandits take out before the Nigerian government launches intelligence-based Israeli-like military precision strikes that will take out all her enemies or force them to relocate to the neighbouring countries?

Benue: As police wake up from Slumber

Barely one week after President Bola Tinubu ordered the service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police (IG), Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest those behind the killings in Yelewata, Benue State, the IG last Tuesday announced that 28 persons have been arrested for the dastardly act.

During his visit to Benue State, President Tinubu had ordered the arrest of those who attacked the Yelewata community in the Guma Local Government Area (LGA).

“Kayode, how come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,” Tinubu had charged the IG during his visit to Benue.

But addressing a news conference in Abuja, the IG said the police had arrest -

ed 28 suspects and were on the trails of other suspects who participated in the heinous act.

While also assuring that the police were not overwhelmed, the IG clarified that out of the 28 arrested persons, two have been cleared as they were only used as bait to arrest the 26 suspected masterminds.

The swift action of the police after President Tinubu’s order deserves commendation. It shows that the police have the capacity to discharge their constitutional duties if they are determined.

However, why did the police wait for the president’s directive before performing their constitutional roles?

Does it mean that the police knew the killers in Benue, Plateau and other parts

of the country but acted as if the killers were ghosts who vanished into the air after every attack?

Now that the police have started with Benue State, they should also extend the arrests to other parts of the country and ensure that those arrested are prosecuted.

The announcement of the arrest of the 26 suspects should not be the last thing Nigerians would hear about the killers. They deserve to be regularly updated on their prosecution to a logical conclusion.

Finally, since the killers are not ghosts, the police should unmask their powerful sponsors and also tell Nigerians whether they are foreigners or Nigerians.

General Oluyede

Ibrahim Babangida in the wake of the annulment. They narrated how he was arrested and detained. These are on record and verifiable. Olusegun Adeniyi’s latest book, ‘The Ghost of June 12’, is a robust compendium on the events around the historic election.

There were two sides to June 12: before and after the annulment. What Lamido did not say was that after the annulment, he and the late Chief Tony Anenih, the SDP chairman, met with the military government and traded away the mandate, negotiating instead for the formation of an interim national government (ING) to conduct a fresh presidential election. In fact, on the eve of Babangida’s departure (“stepping aside”) from office on August 26, 1993, leaders of the SDP, including Anenih and Lamido, and those of the NRC, including Chief Tom Ikimi (chairman) and Alhaji Usman Alhaji (secretary), issued a joint statement calling for an ING to be set up to fill the looming power vacuum.

But we should also remember that Anenih was not in Abiola’s corner: he was the pick of the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua camp for party chairmanship. Still, we must understand that SDP and NRC were military creations and were run as parastatals, funded by the government. Only brave politicians could dare the military rulers. The Anenih angle had a context, though. At the SDP convention in Jos in March 1993, Abiola needed two rounds to clinch the presidential ticket. He won the first round with 3,617 votes

GOOD NIGHT, C.O.

Chief Cornelius Olatunji (“CO”) Adebayo, the former governor of the old Kwara state, died at the age of 84 on Wednesday. I enjoyed a few weeks of UPN’s free education when he was briefly governor in 1983. I got one or two text books. I also recall attending a service at UMCA, Gaa Akanbi, Ilorin, circa 1988, where he, as guest preacher, told the story of an artist who painted Jesus and the 12 disciples and asked someone to point out Judas. The person tried to pick the worst-looking disciple. But, in fact, Judas looked like a regular guy, like you and me. And that was the message. It was the only time I saw “CO”, but his reputation as an upright Nigerian leaves indelible marks on my memory. Adieu.

while Kingibe came second with 3,225 and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (Yar’Adua’s candidate) was third with 2,066. (Delegates voted for three candidates each, in order of preference.)

The second round was a run-off between Abiola and Kingibe. Abiola did a deal with the Yar’Adua camp and secured their support, polling 2,683 votes to Kingibe’s 2,456 in the keen contest. Anenih, from the Yar’Adua camp, then got the SDP chairmanship. With Abiola failing to pick Atiku as his running mate, the Yar’Adua camp felt betrayed. It was, therefore, not surprising that the Yar’Adua camp was unhappy and reluctant to warm up to Abiola after he picked Kingibe. From what I heard, it was Gen Olusegun Obasanjo, to whom Yar’Adua was eternally loyal, who persuaded his former second-in-command to support Abiola in the presidential election. Indeed, it was like an order.

But when things began to fall apart with the annulment of the election, the Yar’Adua camp swiftly moved on and Anenih was ever ready to do a deal with the military government for an ING — which itself was said to have been the brainchild of Obasanjo who wanted “to save Nigeria from another civil war”. The annulment of a presidential election was a new experience for Nigerians — it had never happened before. Babangida had previously annulled the presidential primaries of the SDP (won by Yar’Adua) and NRC (ahead of a run-off between the late Alhaji Adamu Ciroma and

the late Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi) on allegations of widespread irregularities, as if we ever had perfect elections.

Kola Abiola said in 2019 that Tinubu lobbied for appointment under Gen Sani Abacha who overthrew the ING in November 1993. That could be true. Actually, many politicians who worked for his father’s election were made ministers by Abacha. This clearly had Abiola’s blessing. Lamido’s mentor, Rimi, as well as Kingibe, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, and Chief Ebenezer Babatope were Abacha’s ministers. Lamido himself got a plum job in a government agency. Abiola visited Abacha at Dodan Barracks in company with Tinubu after the coup. I was shocked as I watched Abiola go soft on Abacha on NTA after the meeting, but the word in town was that Abacha would restore the mandate to him in April 1994.

With Abacha consolidating power after gaining credibility with Abiola’s associates in his cabinet, Abiola began to lose out. April 1994 came and went, no dice. The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), led by Chief Anthony Enahoro, was founded in May 1994 to fight for the restoration of the mandate. The NADECO phase blasted into full swing and Abiola went on to declare himself president in June 1994, after which he was arrested. He never saw his home again until his body was brought back in a coffin in July 1998. When the NADECO era started in 1994, Abiola’s associates were asked to pull out of

And Four Other Things…

UMAR GONE-DUJE

The sudden resignation of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sent tongues wagging. Although he gave “medical grounds” as his reason, the 75-year-old former governor of Kano state has obviously been worsted by the weight of Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is expected to return to the APC which he co-founded in 2013 after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Ganduje was deputy to Kwankwaso from 1999-2003 and 20112015 before governing Kano from 20152023. Theoretically, Kwankwaso will come to the APC with roughly one million votes in his pocket. Ganduje will struggle to garner half a million. Intriguing.

TAXING REFORMS

President Bola Tinubu has finally pushed his signature tax reforms through by signing the four major bills into law: the Nigeria Tax Act, aimed at simplifying tax and eliminating duplication; the Tax Administration Act, for ease of collection; the Nigeria Revenue Service Act, to create the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) in place of FIRS; and the Joint Revenue Board Act, to improve co-ordination and create a dispute resolution mechanism for tax payers. There will be six months of public education before the laws become into effect. Some low income earners will be exempted from income tax. Luxury consumers will pay more. Let’s hope the reality will not be taxing. Observing.

PRELIMINARY COMMENTS ON THE NEW TAX LAWS

for key policy decisions.

I am equally curious about the implication of some of the tax laws for Tinubu’s clear and repeated rationale for the tax reform: to increase Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio to 18% within three years. This is not a frivolous rationale. Nigeria underperforms even its poorest neighbours in terms of tax revenue against the size of its economy. Also, we are not generating enough revenues for our number and needs. Lately, Oyedele has been saying that the main goal of the tax reform is to reduce the burden on taxpayers and improve the ease of doing business, and not revenue maximisation. I will prefer to stick with the president here, because the president is the person that should be telling us his target.

I will admit that the revenue and economic regeneration goals of the reforms need not be at odds. When individuals have more disposable incomes, when businesses do well, and when the economy grows, the government—all things being equal—should earn more tax revenues. But this suggests there will be a time-lag, and which means that though the goals are linked but that higher revenue will be the trade-off in the short term. And there is nothing wrong with government taking immediate revenue cut for future increase in tax revenue, as long as it is a conscious and considered decision, anchored on evidence and not just on vibes or someone’s say-so. I will love to see the workings of how the 18% tax-to-GDP target will be met or whether the timeline needs to be adjusted and by how many years.

My sense is that some of the good provisions of the laws will negatively impact tax revenues and not enough thought and preparation have gone into this probability. For example, exempting certain items from VAT and the first N800,000 from income tax will likely task the finances of certain states. Yes, the laws make our income tax more progressive. But I can wager that most states across the country would hardly have many people in the high-income bands with the higher rates while significant number of

those in formal employment, even with increase in minimum wage, would be covered by the exemptions. Personal income tax is mostly for states and the bulk of their internally generated revenue (IGR). Do we know how many states are likely to be worse off and the extent of the shortfall?

Also, one of the golden rules in tax administration is: have a low rate and a wide base. It is low rate, not a no-rate. I get the propoor argument. But everyone should pay taxes, proportionate to their income. It is not clear to me for now how we intend to widen the tax base with some of these exemptions. One of the lines regularly bandied around is that the rich will now pay more taxes. That’s the whole

Abacha’s cabinet, but they refused, insisting that they were serving Nigeria, not Abiola.

In truth, they were afraid of Abacha’s guns. Abacha fired Chief Olu Onagoruwa, his attorneygeneral, for publicly disowning nine decrees issued in one day by the government. Onagoruwa’s son was thereafter murdered by gunmen who reportedly escaped in the vehicle of a military officer. Many June 12 campaigners, including Tinubu, fled the country as Abacha launched a campaign of targeted assassinations and arson. As time went by, many of Abiola’s erstwhile political associates, including Rimi and Lamido, decided to participate in Abacha’s transition programme. Both were detained for criticising the programme when it became apparent it was a charade to perpetuate Abacha in power.

In the end, there were no perfect actors in the June 12 series. That is why we have to end the bitterness, draw a line and face the future. It is an integral part of our history but we must not allow it to hold us down. Nation-building is not a tea party. It could be a long, winding, hard and painful process. The most important thing is to keep making progress per time. And we cannot make progress for as long as we get stuck in the past, reopening old wounds and trying to re-write or manipulate history. I do not in any way advocate that we should forget our history. We cannot. We must not. I am advocating that we should let the wounds heal in peace. There is still a tomorrow.

NO COMMENT

Members of the Ghana Drunkards Association (GDA) will go on a nationwide demonstration any moment from now over the rising cost of alcohol. The cedi, the Ghanaian currency, recently appreciated against the dollar, so the drunkards expected alcohol prices to drop. Instead, they rose by about 15 percent. Mr Moses Drybones, president of the GDA, asked President John Mahama to engage with them within three weeks or face nationwide demonstration by “approximately 16.6 million members”. My gut feeling is that Drybones was heavily drunk when he made the threat. In that case, maybe their protest should be to boycott beer and be sober for three weeks. Hahahaha.

idea of progressive taxation: higher rates on higher income brackets. But how many states can boast of hundreds of people earning N25 million and above? Besides, the rich have the resources to hire experts that can advise them to avoid as much as they can. Expanding the tax base remains our best bet. The expected increase in tax takes from the rich may or may not materialise, and even if it does it may not compensate for the expected revenue loss to most states likely to result from widening the portion of personal income that will not be taxable.

Allowing firms to claim input VAT on fixed assets and services is no doubt a good policy but it will not be revenue-neutral. It will be good to know if the revenue likely foregone had been modelled and discussed, and whether the potential gains of more efficient tax collection can compensate for the probable revenue shortfall, and if not, what that would mean for government finances across the three tiers of government, especially the subnational governments. A back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests 30-40% possible reduction in revenue. If this is right, that is N2b to N2.7b off VAT revenue, if we use last year’s figures. The bulk of VAT goes to states and LGAs (currently 85% and to increase to 90% when the laws kick in).

I am agnostic about the transmutation of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS). Bigger may be better. It may not. The change of name may be transformational. It may just end up as mere rebranding. We have seen that with a certain entity. Some countries have single revenue agencies. Most do not. Concentration of revenue collection is neither a universal best practice not does it necessarily correlate with effectiveness in revenue collection. But I will give the benefit of the doubt on this.

My concern for now is that the harmonised versions of the bills stipulate that NRS will receive 4% of all revenues except petroleum royalties. FIRS used to get 4% of non-oil revenues as its cost of collection, which some of us have argued

against. It is nothing personal but I believe that turning government agencies into commission agents is all shades wrong. I support that critical government agencies should be well resourced, but not over-resourced. I can live with giving bonuses when targets are exceeded or even aligning collection costs to established needs. But allowing certain agencies to keep a constant portion of the money they collect on behalf of the government creates all sorts of perverse incentives and enables graft, waste and misallocation of scarce resources. We have shown this over and over.

Now, NRS will get 4% of all revenues it collects, including oil revenues (except royalties). Based on 2024 figures, allowing FIRS to charge 4% on PPT and oil and gas CIT would have added at least N230 billion to its cost of collection for last year. Now think about the mega NRS receiving 4% of all revenues it collects except royalties. This is a major shift, and worthy of serious interrogation. Oyedele once stated that his committee would seek to slash the cost of collection to 1% or below. But here we are.

As mentioned earlier, I have not seen or read the final versions of the laws. I look forward to reading, digesting and dissecting them. Even if the laws are perfect—there is no perfect law—the real test will be when the rubber meets the road. Changing the laws is an important first step. But that is not all there is to reforms. Implementation is where the real work is. But beyond this, the ultimate test of tax reforms will not be just how fairer and more efficient the system has become or how much more money the government is able to rake in but more importantly it will how the reformed system and extra revenues are able to benefit the generality of citizens. We don’t know enough to make a call on this yet. A few things could have been done differently in the process of passing the law, especially in terms of political management and in not lumping tax reforms with revenue sharing in a federal system. These notwithstanding, Tinubu deserves his flowers for seeing the laws through in record time and with such tenacity.

ENGAGEMENTS

The Myth of Igbo Prosperity

Apopularfictionhasbeennormalized and consecrated into a national myth. Everybody believes it. No one questions a myth. It is often said that when a lie gets repeated ever so often, it assumes the status of a truth. Everyone mouths it, repeats it endlessly to a point where it becomes a creed, a truism that is beyond questioning. People parrot myths. They hardly question them. Worse still, myths condition and shape reality and how people relate to it.

You hear the same thing in garbled versions everywhere.TheIgbosareaprosperouslot.Inbeer parlors, barbers’ corner shops, in markets, in the mediaandsocialmedia.TheIgbosareaprosperous tribeofNigerians.JustbybeingIgbo,peoplebecome automatically well off, are conferred with wealth over and above their fellow Nigerians that happen not to be of Igbo stock. Somehow according to this myth, these Igbos seem to have a midas touch which transforms their individual strivings into instantprosperityintheformofretailchainstores, real estate, hotels, shops, whole markets, plush mansions, endless apartment blocks etc. Tenant today, landlord tomorrow, so the catechism goes.

Above all, the Igbos have a way of transforming every part of the federation where they live or do business into islands of prosperity over time.They takehomesurplusesoftheirprofittotheirEastern countryside. Luxury mansions and castles spring up in most of the Igbo homeland even if most of that land mass remains in primitive neglect and dereliction.

Favourite Igbo business undertakings range from retail trade to inter state transportation, massiveimportationofsundrygoodsfromaround the world- China, Hong Kong, Dubai, Turkey etc , Omenukoisabornwanderer,acompulsivetraveler in quest of wares and opportunities.

Other Igbos simply migrate to nearly every corner of the globe where they expand into the professions,establishretailbusinessesandattract fellow Igbos from all over the place to join them. There is hardly any part of the world where you do not find Igbo enclaves and habitations doing the things they are known for at home: business and hard work in a diversity of endeavours. You do not need to teach an Igbo child to be entrepreneurial. It is in his or her DNA.

Igbosusedtobefamedforfrugalityandmodesty inspending.Theyusedtosaveaggressively,practicing delayed gratification and not displaying overt prosperity.Notanymore.Inrecenttimes,successful IgbobusinesspersonsathomeinNigeriahavelearnt new habits from their Nigerian neighbours. SuccessfulIgbotradersnowstageelaboratepartiesto markbirthdays,namingceremonies,weddingsand burials.Attheselavishoccasions,Igboshavepushed the excrescence of ‘spraying’ cash to ridiculous extents. Wads, bundles and boxes of mint cash notes are literally pasted or thrown all over the celebrants in assorted currencies.

This has often attracted law enforcement agencies like the EFCC, the police and ICPC in a bid to arrest‘abusers’oftheNaira.Somelawenforcement agents have embarrassingly found themselves policing ‘abusers’ of US dollars and UK Pound Sterling denominations. These are currencies not covered by the local legislation against the abuse of the Naira!

I cannot think of Mr. Dangote asking his bankers to send him $10 million in cash which he goes to “spray” at loafers and lazy urchins at a birthday party! I recall a recent social media clip in which Mr. Dangote announced that he prefers hotel accommodation in places like Abuja, London and Atlanta instead of buying and owning houses all over the world with the attendant maintenance and taxation costs.

Belief in automatic Igbo prosperity has led to other sad practices. During festive seasons, the knowledge that Igbos will migrate home by road or air has skewed the nation’s transportation industry. Air fares sky rocket on Easter routes. Demand and supply you may call it. Fares on land routes equally head for the roof. Police and other security checkpoints increase on routes leading to Igbo homeland. Between Sagamu and Onitsha Bridge head on the Lagos eastern route, people havecountedupwardsof60checkpointsandeven more,sometimesanaverageofacheckpointevery 100 meters literally.

These are ‘toll collection centres’, not security checkpoints.Nopolicestatisticshasbeenpublished

to show that this increased traffic flow is synonymouswithanupsurgeincriminality ontheseroutes.Inallofthis,Igboprosperity remains a myth not backed by any known statisticsorinformedstudies.Justspeculations based on a widely held perception of the cultural practices of a people. TraditionalIgbobusinesspracticeshave nothelpedindousingthisunfortunatedrift. Igbos are mostly traders. Trading takes place in open shops. Shops cannot be hidden; they have signage to guide and direct customers. So, the Igbos can hardly hide their sources of money.This exposed business practice means that the Igbos hardly have covert economic powers. Their businesses are exposed, easy to target by arsonists and envious ‘others’. ThisisthemainreasonwhyIgbosandtheir businesses have been the prime targets of arsonists and looters in upheavals all over the country.

This Igbo visible business culture remainsaweakness.Capitalaccumulation and wealth creation often defy open market trading.Visible shop keeping belongs to a primitive stage in the dev elopement of a market economy.The real process of capital accumulation and wealth consolidation is mostly in the form of “ invisible” trade. Investment in the stock market, insurance,themedia,telecommunications, the digital economy, fintech, technology, high end manufacturing etc, and all forms of invisible businesses that control other businesses are the engine room of wealth creation and consolidation. Igbo investment in ‘invisible’ sectors of the Nigerian economy remain low. It was in fact only during the Obasanjo presidency that Igbo tradersinmarketscrossthecountrybegan to invest in shares and stocks.

Prior to that, the Igbo trader had remained a very conservative, innocuous and traditional holder of wealth in cash. This cash is often hidden in safes at home, mattresses, real estate or cash balances in bank deposits. Part of this traditional business culture includes troves of cash at home, in lockers, septic tanks and overhead empty water tanks and other

primitive locations. It is part of this cash trove that is periodically off loaded to ‘spray’ at these lavish new breed parties. Worse still, these parties provide excuses for illiterate traders to over -eat, over -indulge in alcoholic beverages including choice expensive champagnes that would make the average Western party goer green with envy.

For a people reputed for wisdom and prudence in economic matters, the Igbos newfound love for conspicuous consumption has reached a new height. Of all ethnic elites, the Igbos now top the scale in the lavishness of their country homes. Some country yards boast of upwards of 5 to 7 independent mansions –main house, madam quarters, guest wings, family quarters, servants quarters etc. All these for a man who lives in far away Lagos, Abuja, Johannesburg or Houston and only comes home once a year to attend a festivity.

As part of the décor for the new breed Igbo country homes, a $750,000 -$1m latest edition Rolls Royce Phantom is parked in the car lot and covered year long with a silk car cover. The car remains unused for upwards of one year or more. The cover is only taken off to show off the prize (asset?) liability only when the proud owner comes home. At best, this car is driven to the village church for a brief Sunday worship or a wedding as the case may be. These practices have become commonplace among a people who other ethnicities envy for their economic wisdom and prudence in economic matters.

Unproductiveconspicuousconsumptionofthis magnitude has never been known to aid capital accumulation or assist any group to ascend to economic pre eminence.

An exploration of the new Igbo pattern of lavish consumptionrevealsadeep-seatedachievement complex in the Nigerian ecosystem.The new Igbo successful traders seem eager to show other Nigerians that they are doing well in spite of their marginalization and open exclusion from public offices and fair opportunities.There seems to be anunstateddesiretowanttoshowoffthesignsof material prosperity in spite of the obstacles that the Nigerian state has placed on their way in the post civil war era.The silent anthem seems to be : “Nigeria, you blocked us from the commonwealth but see how well we are doing”.This new culture of obsceneexhibitionismandobsessionwithmaterial glamour and glitz is however alien to original Igbo economic thinking. A people with an inherently

conservative Catholic economic orientation and Puritanworkethiccannot,inallrationality,embracea cultureofobscenematerialismandopenexhibition. In contrast, the economic elite of the competing nationalities in Nigeria are engaged in much more strategic forms of investment. Mr. Dangote has cornered large scale manufacturing of essential goodsfortheentireNigerianandsignificantAfrican market.Mr.Otedolahasacquiredthemajorityequity inNigeria’smostsignificantbanks.Mr.TonyElumelu is perhaps the only oligarch of Igbo extraction that has ventured into banking, power, hospitality and entrepreneurship mentoring.

Mr. Adenuga is the owner of a major telecom firm that is in direct competition with South Africa’s MTN. Other more clandestine investors in strategic industries and sectors abound but are mostly non-Igbo. I recall a recent social media clip in which Mr. Dangote announced that he prefers hotel accommodation in places like Abuja, London and Atlanta instead of buying and owning houses all over the world with the attendant maintenance and taxation costs.

ThemythofIgboprosperityisnotnaïveandvalue free.There is political mischief in it. I suspect that it is deliberately formulated and sponsored by Igbo politicaladversariesintheNigerianfederation.You can hear it loud and clear in major political voices from outside Igboland : The Igbos as a people are already so prosperous and powerful without apex political power. What would happen if you add political power to their economic and financial prowess? Unfortunately, some Igbos subscribe to this toxic myth.

The truth lies in a different place. The Igbos are citizens with inborn attributes and should be accorded their full citizen rights as “they are”. They are born strugglers.The Igbos are not inert wealth carriers.Theyarebeastsofburden.IfNigeriadesires goods, the Igbos will supply them. If Nigeria wants errand runners, the Igbos are at their beck and call. If a task seems too far-fetched, requiring unusual grit and grind, send in an Igbo person. If there is a demand for unusual creativity, courage and daring risk, Igboyouthwillcrackthecode.Theyarein every field.Hardworkandadventurebringsthemreturns which they are now showing off to other Nigerians in foolish exhibitionism.

However, Igbos may be embracing hard work becauseNigeriahasleftthemnootherchoiceafter 1970 than to grind and toil.They are not expecting much from a commonwealth that has condemned them to exclusion and marginalization.

In their current psychology of “otherness” in Nigeria, the Igbo political leadership have continued to subvert and betray their own people. Successive generations of political scavengers and incompetents have assumed power in all Igbo states and further underdeveloped and degraded the zone. If the Igbos are indeed prosperous and enterprising as a people, why has the South East remained an area of darkness and sadness since afterthewar.Theinfrastructureremainsmedieval. The social services remain primitive. In security terms, the area is a hell hole, reminding you of Hobbes’ State of Nature, a bloody and brutish heart of darkness?

The answer lies in the internal exclusion of the best Igbos from the governance of the states in the zone.We have a recurrence of fraudulent scam artist in the name of politicians. Only earlier in the emergenceofJimNwobodoandSamMbakweand recently in the emergence of Alex Otti and Charles Soludo are we able to see that combination of enterprise, development oriented governance and creativity required to transform the Igbo states into a befitting landscape.

Illustrious and hard working patriots do not necessarily have to be compensated with the highest political office in the land. They are only entitled to the full gamut of rights and privileges due every other citizen including of course the right to vie for and assume the highest office in the land. On the contrary, a political atmosphere in which a myth has been deployed to selectively exclude a group from national leadership does not show an honest commitment to democracy and fairness.

For those who are troubled by the concerns expressed in this piece, there are two certainties that will remain inalienable and inextricable. First, I am a Nigerian of Igbo extraction patriot. Second, I am an unrepentant Nigerian patriot. I will never apologize to anyone about either of these truths which I hold to be sacrosanct, inextricable and inalienable.

• Mbata

PersPective

Of El-Rufai, Revisionism, and Delusion of Grandeur

shamshudeen Abdulmumin

In the grand and often turbulent theatre of Nigerian politics, there strides a figure both familiar and infamous — whose silver tongue weaves intricate tapestries of audacity and artifice, crafting illusions so deftly entwined with half-truths that even the most discerning can be momentarily beguiled. This is the personage of Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, erstwhile Governor of Kaduna State, once hailed as a visionary technocrat, now unmasked as a weary architect of revisionism, ensnared in the thickets of his own delusions, desperately clutching at the fraying strands of a relevance long slipping into oblivion.

El-Rufai’s latest outburst, in which he arrogantly claims authorship of all the projects recently inaugurated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his triumphant visit to Kaduna, is not only false — it is a masterclass in self-deception and historical distortion. To suggest that the state-of-the-art Vocational Institutes, the fully equipped Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital, and the innovative Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Buses initiative were either conceived or completed under his administration is a lie so bold, so brazen, and so contemptuous of documented fact, that it demands a rebuttal not just for record’s sake, but as an act of civic duty.

The truth is immutable: all three Vocational Institutes — the Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa Institute in Rigachikun, Col. Dangiwa Umar Institute in Soba, and Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Institute in Samaru Kataf — were fully conceived, funded, executed, and completed under the administration of Governor Uba Sani. These institutes are not cosmetic projects for ribbon-cutting ceremonies; they are strategic instruments of human capital development, designed to turn out 36,000 technically skilled youths annually. They stand today not merely as structures, but as functional institutions certified by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) as the best-equipped skills centres in Nigeria.

In fact, the NBTE’s Executive Secretary, Professor Idris Bugaje, publicly declared that no polytechnic or university in Nigeria rivals the equipment and setup of these institutes — a rare and glowing endorsement that El-Rufai never once received during his tenure, despite his penchant for self-applause.

Similarly, the much-acclaimed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital, which President Tinubu himself described as a “model of modern healthcare infrastructure,” was only 53% completed—and completely unequipped—when Governor Uba Sani assumed office. It had become a metaphor for neglect, waste, and bureaucratic lethargy. Governor Uba Sani did not just complete it; he revitalised and transformed it. He equipped the hospital with cutting-edge medical technology and integrated it into his broader healthcare reform plan that includes the renovation of general hospitals across all senatorial zones.

As for the fleet of 100 CNG buses, this was a direct response by the Uba Sani administration to the fuel subsidy removal—a policy for which El-Rufai had no blueprint, no foresight, and certainly no provision. These buses now serve the masses with subsidized or free transportation, particularly benefiting students, civil servants, and retirees. Their conception and rollout required not only fiscal innovation but bold political will—both of which El-Rufai conspicuously lacked when he presided over Kaduna.

To attempt to lay claim to these legacy projects is not only fraudulent—it is grotesque. It is the intellectual equivalent

of a man trying to steal the sunrise because he once owned a candle.

El-Rufai’s lies are not occasional lapses — they are habitual, pathological, and compulsive. As former President Olusegun Obasanjo emphatically noted in his memoir My Watch, El-Rufai is a “malicious liar” with “a penchant for unfair embellishment of stories,” someone who “lied brazenly…against his colleagues and so-called friends.” Obasanjo did not offer this assessment in bitterness or in passing; he detailed his disillusionment with El-Rufai with precision, painting a picture of a man driven not by conviction, but by ego; not by service, but by self-glorification.

The former president’s description is striking: El-Rufai, he wrote, suffers from “small man syndrome” and lacks the capacity for loyalty or integrity. Even his familial relationships, Obasanjo recounted, were marred by betrayal and character assassination. This is no ordinary indictment; it is a solemn warning from a man who once trusted El-Rufai with power and position.

And now, in the twilight of his political relevance, El-Rufai is once again deploying his signature weapons: sophistry, subterfuge, and calculated distortion. This time, his target is not merely Governor Sani, but by extension, the Tinubu administration, which he once pretended to support.

Let us not forget the Kaduna that El-Rufai left behind: a fractured society, riddled with ethno-religious suspicion and soaked in debt. He departed office bequeathing a hor-

El-Rufai was once known as a defender of his party and its leaders. He sang the praises of Obasanjo, then of Buhari. Today, he throws tantrums at Tinubu, calling his government “illiterate,” accusing it of bribing opposition politicians, and declaring the APC a party he “no longer recognises.” That he makes such statements barely two years after leaving office—without irony or introspection—is a sad testament to how quickly ambition can curdle into delusion.

El Rufa’i is deeply vexed by Governor Uba Sani’s principled support for President Tinubu. He once, very laughably described the very good working relationship Governor Uba Sani has with President Tinubu as transactional – That the President is ‘bribing’ Governor Uba Sani! In the past, the legendarily hypocritical El-Rufai defended then sitting Obasanjo to the hilt, even when it was politically costly. He was one of the loudest voices behind President Buhari, while he held sway at Aso Villa. No one accused El Rufa’i then of being “bribed” to be loyal. So why is Governor Uba Sani’s principled support for President Tinubu now interpreted by El-Rufai as transactional?

Perhaps because El-Rufai cannot comprehend genuine loyalty. He sees everything —alliances, friendships, even public service — through the prism of utility and self-interest. He has no concept of principled consistency because he has never practiced it. His only enduring loyalty is to himself.

The truth is this: Governor Sani supports President Tinubu because the President has earned it — through inclusive governance, respect for federalism, and sound economic policy. The synergy between Kaduna and the Federal Government is yielding real dividends: infrastructural development, fiscal reforms, and better revenue allocation. El-Rufai’s bitterness is the shrill cry of a man who expected political patronage and was instead met with polite indifference.

rifying $587 million in external debt, ₦85 billion in domestic debt, and ₦115 billion in contractual liabilities—a financial noose around the neck of the very state he now claims to have “developed.” Many of the contracts he awarded were paid for but never executed — ghost projects by ghost contractors, some of whom are now being pursued by anti-graft agencies.

More damning is the social cost of his tenure. His policies were polarising and vindictive. He pitted ethnic and religious communities against each other, weaponised governance for personal vendettas, and treated dissent like treason. The peace and progress now being enjoyed in Kaduna under Governor Uba Sani were hard-won, not inherited. He united what El-Rufai fragmented, empowered where El-Rufai disenfranchised, and built where ElRufai only branded.

El-Rufai’s latest tantrums are born not of principle but of envy — pure and undiluted. He is bitter that his successor, Uba Sani, a man of calm disposition and developmental focus, is receiving national acclaim, including the prestigious Governor of the Year 2024 award, National Honours Award of Commander of the Order of Niger, CON (for his heroic efforts during the quest for democratic rule in the country); on the contrary, El Rufai’s legacy is increasingly regarded with suspicion, regret, and investigation.

This bitterness has morphed into a personal vendetta. He now appears to believe that bringing down Uba Sani is his only remaining political currency. His recent attempts to foment dissent through a faux “national coalition” of disgruntled power-hunters—many of whom were themselves expelled by the people via the ballot or by their own irrelevance—smacks of desperation.

It is time for Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to take a long, unflinching look into the mirror. He is no longer the political wunderkind of Abuja nor the reformist Governor of lore. He is a man whose legacy is rapidly disintegrating under the weight of lies, debts, and division. His brand of politics — of suspicion, grandstanding, and intellectual bullying — has passed its expiry date.

If Karl Marx was right that “shame is a revolutionary sentiment,” then El-Rufai may indeed be beyond redemption. For shame requires introspection; it demands humility. These are not traits El-Rufai has ever shown. But perhaps it is not too late. Perhaps he can still salvage dignity by stepping away from the podium of deceit and embracing the quiet redemption of truth.

Until then, let no one be deceived. The accomplishments of Governor Uba Sani are his and his alone. They are not borrowed. They are not inherited. They are not stolen. And no amount of revisionism or social media cynicism can alter this fundamental reality.

In the final analysis, history will remember Kaduna’s renaissance as the product of Uba Sani’s vision, integrity, and steadfastness. El-Rufai’s name will linger only as a cautionary tale — a reminder of how ego and falsehoods can erode even the brightest political prospects. Mallam El-Rufai should cease his divisive antics, embrace humility, and allow Kaduna — and indeed Nigeria — to move forward. The people deserve leaders who build, not destroy; who unify, not divide; who tell the truth, not lies. Grow up, Mallam. The era of deception is over.

•Abdulmumin resides in Barnawa, Kaduna.

• el-rufai

Drawing a Line under the June 12 Saga

And it came to pass that since the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election, more presidential elections have been conducted, winners inaugurated, Bashorun MKO Abiola officially recognised as an elected president with a post-humous national honour to boot, monuments named after him, national holiday declared, frontline activists elected into office or rewarded with appointments, and national honours conferred on pro-democracy campaigners… that is quite some progression, isn’t it? When then are we going to draw a line under the bitter memories of June 12 and progress with our nation-building project? Or should we spend the next 100 years trading blame and revising history?

I am saying this because I was puzzled with what Alhaji Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa state, said recently about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. By the way, Lamido was the national secretary of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), the platform on which Abiola contested and

mentor, the late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, ex-governor of Kano state, were instrumental in Abiola’s victory in Kano and Jigawa. It is important to note that the late Alhaji Bashir Tofa, the presidential candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC), was from Kano state.

Speaking to Arise recently, Lamido said: “Luckily, we were all there and participants in that affair of political history. I was in the middle of it. Tinubu became relevant and noticeable after Abacha took over the government. With all respect to him, he was part of those people who supported Babangida’s annulment of June 12. He was part of them. His own mother, Hajia Mogaji from Lagos, organised the Lagos market women to Abuja to support Babangida. I’m saying this because it is history. I mean no harm or disrespect. I feel highly entertained by Tinubu’s rhetoric, the way he is dramatising his own role in Nigerian democracy. He was actively hand-in-glove with Babangida.”

There are some things I know about June 12, either directly or from what I heard from the key actors. There are things I do not know. I

will comment on what I know. As for Tinubu being hand-in-glove with Babangida over the annulment, I do not know. I never heard such a story. As for what Tinubu’s mother told Babangida in private when she met with the military president after the annulment, I do not know either, so I cannot comment on it. But as per Tinubu’s mother mobilising market women to Abuja to support the annulment, that must have happened on the moon. I was old enough then, having done national service in 1992/93 and started by journalism career in the middle of the crisis.

Tinubu’s aides have responded to Lamido’s allegations and denied his disingenuous claim that Tinubu did not play any role in the June 12 election. They also quoted what Tinubu, then a senator, said on the floor of the senate concerning the annulment, which he condemned in strong words. They recalled how he worked with other senators in trying to reconvene the senate after the National Assembly was shut down by Gen

Preliminary Comments on the New Tax Laws

irst, credit where it is due. President Bola Tinubu has approached tax reforms with admirable tenacity. He set up a presidential committee on tax policy and fiscal reforms on 7th July 2023, exactly his 40th day in office; and he inaugurated the committee led by Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, a tax expert, about a month later. Tinubu signalled very early on that overhauling Nigeria’s creaky and leaky tax system would be a major item on his agenda.

On 3rd October 2024, he sent four bills to the National Assembly, and he signed the bills passed by the parliament on 26th June 2025. Despite the needless storm and political heat that followed some controversial and over-reaching aspects of the mostly sensible bills, Tinubu succeeded in passing the consequential legislations under nine months. This is commendable. He and Nigeria would be better served if he applies the same energy to other pressing matters of state. Tinubu and his tax experts have attracted

effusive praises for some of the landmark, and potentially transformative, provisions of the laws. These praises may well be justified. They may be hasty too. Experience has shown, especially with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA)—a supposedly transformative law that took two decades to bring to fruition—that passing major laws is one thing and achieving the desired impact is another. In fact, the expected gains may fail to materialise, certain things may deteriorate and unintended consequences may pop up, as some of us have learnt from the PIA that we once wildly celebrated.

Affected government officials need to enjoy the euphoria but quickly get over it. They should take a magnifying lens to the signed laws and undertake careful and comprehensive reviews. They should evaluate the individual and combined provisions of the laws against the stated objectives of the reforms. They should assess the implications of the proposals that didn’t scale through. They also need to pore over the wordings of the laws and take a holistic

view of the provisions.

Laws, by design or default, sometimes contain ambiguous, contradictory and counter-productive provisions. They should look out for the probability that some vested interests could have sneaked certain things into the small prints of the laws while the major actors were distracted by the contention over the big-ticket items. It will also be necessary to have clarity on how success will be measured, to anticipate different ways in which things could go wrong at the implementation stage, and to emplace robust risk-mitigation strategies.

I have not seen or read the final versions of the laws so I can’t comment on specific details. But with the bits and pieces that I have read from official communication and reports of the conference committee set up to harmonise the bills, I am curious about the likely impact of some of the provisions of the tax laws on the revenues of the three tiers of government. And I am wondering if anyone had modelled the revenue impact. We need to query and test

assumptions, especially on key policy decisions. We don’t do that enough.

For example, the PIA transferred the federation equity in joint venture assets to the national oil company in exchange for quarterly dividends. Federation equity in JVs used to yield the bulk of the barrels available to the federation for export and domestic use. The sale of federation crude, especially federation exports, was the biggest revenue source from the oil and gas sector, and the major foreign exchange earner for the country. Someone must have sold the line that the federation would be better served with allowing NNPCL to take ownership of the JV assets, charge management fees, and pay dividends to the federation, possibly by point at ‘best practices’ from other countries. We all know how that has panned out. One of the enduring lessons from that episode should be that claims should not be taken on face value. More rigour and more evidence are needed

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