Peter Obi Fumes As OAU Gives Reason For Last Minute Cancellation Of Lecture

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April 27, 2026

The Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has explained why it refused to approve the request of the Labour Party, LP 2023 Presidential candidate, Peter Obi to use its facility for a lecture event.

The University management said in a statement on Sunday, signed by its spokesperson, Abiodun Olanrewaju that the organisers of the lecture failed to give it an ample time to prepare. As such, the University said, the organisers denied it enough time to vet the calibre of the individuals who were billed to attend the lecture.

Recall that Obi had condemned the university’s action, saying it has become a pattern for universities in the country to deny the opposition leaders from using their premises for events, describing the development as very worrying and unacceptable.

Obi disclosed that he has been denied 10 times by ivory towers in the country to use their premises for engagement, noting that the development “should concern all well-meaning Nigerians.”

Reacting, Olanrewaju said the organisers of the programme should be blamed for what happened, saying the institution was given a very short notice about the engagement, as such security agencies, such as the DSS, police and others could not be informed to prepare for the event.

“The general public is hereby informed that a particular group within the Students’ body extended an invitation to the former presidential candidate and two-term governor of Anambra State to deliver a lecture within the University premises,” OAU said.

Adding, “It is important to note that events involving high-profile personalities of such standing require adequate prior notification to the university authorities because it will enable the institution to make necessary logistical and security arrangements, including proper liaison with relevant security agencies such as the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS), to ensure the safety of the guests, members of the university community and the general public.

“Consequently, given the short notice and the attendant inability to complete these critical arrangements, the university authorities could not approve the use of Oduduwa Hall for the event as requested by the organisers

“It is not, in any way, a reflection of disregard for the person or status of His Excellency, Peter Obi, whom the university holds in high esteem.”

The magazine had earlier reported that the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike recently failed to approve the request of the major opposition political party in the country, the ADC to use the Eagle Square, Abuja, the nation’s capital for its National Convention.

The action drew sharp condemnation from not a few well-meaning Nigerians who contend that the opposition should not be denied the use of public properties, so long they have met the requirements.

Dangote Reveals Plans To Employ 95,000 Workers In Lagos Refinery

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April 27, 2026

Africa’s Richest Man, Aliko Dangote and President of Dangote Group has revealed that his multi- billion dollar Petrochemical Refinery in Lagos, Nigeria will be able to employ close to 100, 000 skilled workers after its ongoing expansion.

The Dangote boss disclosed this at the weekend in Lagos during his induction as an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, NAE, saying the refinery is key to Nigeria’s industrial transformation.

The refinery currently processes 650,000 barrel a day will the future plan by its management to expand capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day in the immediate future.

The development is coming on the heels of reports that the refinery has ramp up the export of fuel, including jet fuel to Europe and Asia amidst the US/Isreali – Iran war.

The war has led to a sharp decline in the global fuel supply, particularly after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking last week, Obiora Okonkwo, spokesperson of the Airlines Operators of Nigeria, AON, revealed that Dangote Refinery has become a game changer when it comes to the supply of fuel in the country and globally, saying the refinery currently supplies over 95 per cent of the Jet A1 fuel consumed nationwide, while also exporting 1.1 billion litres of aviation fuel to Europe between March and April 20.

“It is a matter of fact that over 95 per cent of aviation fuel supplied across the country comes from the Dangote refinery. To airline operators in Nigeria, Dangote is not just a refinery; it is a game changer and, indeed, a lifesaver,” Okonkwo said.

According to Dangote, the ongoing expansion project will add at least 95,000 skilled workers to the nation’s labour market when finally completed, adding that the company is committed to the country’s industrial growth.

Dangote: “This award is particularly meaningful because it recognises what we are doing in the industry, especially our commitment to employing engineers and skilled professionals. At the peak of construction for this expansion, we expect to have about 95,000 skilled workers on site, and we will continue to grow.”

The magazine reports that the business mogul had last week unveiled plans to build another 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery in East Africa, as part of the Group’s quest to expand its footprints beyond Nigeria amidst ongoing plan to reduce the continent’s reliance on imported fuel.

Obasanjo To FG: Stop Wasting Public Funds On Refineries, They Can’t Work Again

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April 27, 2026

Amidst the federal government’s efforts to revamp the three state owned petroleum refineries in the country, former President Olusegung Obasanjo has urged the government to bury the thought, saying the refineries cannot work again.

The former Nigerian leader made the remark during an television interview with ace broadcaster Sony Irabor at the weekend, saying whatever the NNPC in doing to revamp the refineries will end up in futility.

Obasanjo spoke on the heels of recent efforts by the state-controlled Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC Limited to bring back the refinery to work, one of such efforts, the NNPCL disclosed is the ongoing search for technical partners who can operate the refineries.

While rebuffing such plans by the NNPCL, Obasanjo said it would be a waste of time and resources, citing his experience with the state owned refineries.

Recall that Obasanjo, while in office, had sold the refineries to Nigeria’s business mogul Aliko Dangote but his successor, President Umaru Yar’adua reversed the sale.

Dangote has since build his won private refinery costing over $20 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

Obasanjo said state-owned corporations are bill to fail, saying the Public-Private Partnership, PPP is the best model to run key utility bushiness such as the NNPCL.

“One of the lessons that I learnt is that PPP (public-private partnership) works. Look, one project that has not been destroyed by the government in Nigeria is the NLNG (Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas), where the private sector has 51 per cent, and the Nigerian government has 49 per cent,” he said.

“See what we did with Nigerian railways. See what we did with the national shipping company. See what we are doing now, even with the NNPC. The NNPC has refineries, and I said to people that it will never work. And a man had the audacity to say, ‘Am I a chemical engineer?”

The former Nigerian leader said all his efforts, while in the office as president to make the refinery work failed to yield result, saying at a point he had to invite a top official of Shell to explain to him why the company refused to buy the refineries. 0:00 / 1:01

Obasanjo: “Look, when I was there, I called Shell. I said, ‘Look, please, I beg you, come and take 10 per cent equity and run the refinery for us.’ They said no. I said, ‘Okay, if you don’t want to take equity, don’t take equity. Come and run the refineries. They said no,”

“So, I called him, and I said, ‘Tell me, be honest with me. Why don’t you want to handle this?’ He said first, they want to let me know that they make most of their profits on the upstream, not the downstream.

“He said they run their downstream without making a loss, but they don’t make a lot of profit from it. It’s more of a service than a major profit-making. So that’s number one.

“Number two: he said our refineries are too small. This was when I was an elected President. He said our refineries are too small. One is 60,000 barrels, and another is 100,000 barrels. He said refineries at that time were in the range of 250,000 barrels to 300,000 barrels. Number three: he said our refineries are not well-maintained. We call quacks and amateurs to come and maintain our refineries. The refineries are not in good order. He said, ‘Number four, there’s too much corruption around our refineries, and they don’t want to be part of that,” Obansanjo explained.

The former leader recounted how he convinced Dangote to pay $750 million for the acquisition of 51 percent of two of the refineries, saying it was sad that his successor reversed the deal.

He stated: “Until one day, Aliko (Dangote) came and offered $750m to take two of the refineries; that will be 51 per cent. I said, ‘Wow, God, you are really a God of miracles.’ I told Aliko to bring the money quickly. They brought the money, and they paid.

“When I left office, NNPC went to my successor and convinced him. So I got up. I went to Umar. I said, ‘Look, Umar, maybe you don’t know; this is why we did what we did.’ He said, ‘Well, NNPC came to me.’ I said, ‘But you know that NNPC cannot run this thing. He said he knew. I asked, ‘Then why did you give in? He said because of pressure. And I said, ‘Look, when you sell these refineries, you will not get 200 million (dollars) for them, because you will sell them as scrap.’

Recall that Dangote had in July last year while hosting members of the Global CEO Africa in his office expressed doubt that the refineries will ever work again.

At least, $16 billion has been spent by successive administration in the country to revamp the refineries without results, experts say.

2027: Atiku Exposes Plot To Stop Northerners From Voting Over Insecurity

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April 27, 2026

African Democratic Congress, ADC presidential hopeful, Atiku Abubakar has, described, as concerning reports of alleged plot to ensure that election did not hold in northern part of the country in 2027. He said the plot is meat to suppress votes from the northern part of the country.

The former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP presidential candidate alleged that the Senate is planning to declare the region insecure for political campaign due to the current insecurity ravaging the country.

The ADC chieftain said this will be achieved under the pretext of insecurity in the region, warning that this problem of insecurity in the northern part of the country should not be used as an excuse to stop political activity and election in the region next year, saying the government should tackle the problem head on instead of looking for an easy way out, and punishing people who want to exercise their civic right.

Abubakar made the remark in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, noting that the development will portend serious and dangerous precedent for the country.

According to him, insecurity must never be used by the government to prevent a part of the country from exercising their political and constitutional rights.

He explained that the problem of insecurity cannot be tackled by disenfranchising the people, adding that this will lead to suspicion and polarization of the country as those affected will consider such action as deliberate.

Abubakar: “Let it be clearly stated: the right to vote and participate in the electoral process is fundamental and cannot be abridged under any guise. Any attempt—whether deliberate or disguised—to suppress political activities in parts of Northern Nigeria raises legitimate concerns about disenfranchisement

“At a time when citizens are already battling hardship and insecurity, the least the government can do is to guarantee their right to be heard — not to restrict it. Any policy that creates the impression of targeted exclusion will only deepen distrust and national division.”

The former number two citizen of the country called on the federal government to come clean on the issue, by assuring Nigerians that such plan is not in the offing, warning that the implication of executing such plot would be better imagined than experience because of its “far-reaching” implication on the country.

“Nigeria must never descend into a situation where elections are shaped by exclusion, fear, or administrative manipulation. The consequences of such actions are far-reaching and better imagined than experienced,” he said.

Power Generation: Lagos Adopts “No Power, No Pay” Policy

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April 26, 2026

By Ayodele Oni

Lagos state government will henceforth pay for only consumed electricity under a new agreement signed by the state government.

The state government has signed three new power purchase agreements aimed at improving electricity supply across key public infrastructure, alongside a revised payment model that ensures the state only pays for electricity actually delivered.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, after witnessing the signing ceremony at Lagos House, Marina, describing the initiative as part of broader efforts to close existing gaps in power delivery and improve reliability across the state’s facilities.

According to him, the agreements are designed to build on existing generation and distribution capacity, while addressing inefficiencies in the current arrangement.

“Today at Lagos House, Marina, I witnessed the signing of three power purchase agreements designed to build on existing capacity and address what has not been working,” the governor said.

Under the new structure, different power providers have been assigned specific infrastructure clusters.

Fenchurch Power will supply electricity to major water facilities in Adiyan and Iju, Mainland Power will continue serving Ikeja, Oshodi, and Anthony, with provisions for future expansion.

Viathan will maintain power supply to key facilities on Lagos Island while deepening integration with the distribution network.

Sanwo-Olu explained that the agreements were updated to reflect current realities in the electricity market, with a stronger emphasis on accountability and performance-based payment.

“We have updated these agreements to reflect current market realities. We will no longer pay for power that is not delivered.

“Payments are now tied to actual, metered supply, helping us reduce waste and manage costs more effectively,” he added.

The governor emphasized that the policy is expected to improve the reliability of electricity supply to public infrastructure, ensure more efficient use of state resources, and provide a framework for future expansion of power capacity in the state.

“This means more reliable power for public infrastructure, better use of state resources, and a clear path to scale capacity over the next few years,” the governor noted.

APC Says Gov. Makinde’s Reference To Operation Wetie Is An Incitement Of The People

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April 26, 2026

By Ayodele Oni

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde’s invocation of the violent political history of “Operation Wetie” of the 1960s in the South West to caution against moves towards one-party domination in Nigeria.

“Operation Wetie” was a campaign of intense political violence that rocked Nigeria’s western region, with its epicentre in Ibadan, in the mid-1960s.

The term, derived from the Yoruba phrase meaning “wet him” or “soak it,” described the practice of dousing political opponents, their homes and vehicles with petrol before setting them ablaze.

APC in a statement on Sunday, signed by Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary,

stated that “While addressing a summit of opposition political parties in Ibadan, on Saturday, Governor Makinde invoked the bloody history of ‘Operation Wetie’ to incite Nigerians to violence over his baseless and senseless allegation of the country’s descent into a one party state.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) categorically condemns Governor Makinde’s incitement as reckless, and a clear and present threat to peace and national security.

“It is particularly disturbing for a sitting Governor who bears constitutional responsibility as the Chief Security Officer of his state to conjure up one of the darkest episodes of political violence in Nigeria’s history to threaten violence against the people and government of Nigeria.

“By his incitement to violence, Makinde has showed himself to be unworthy of the high office of Governor that he occupies.

“Makinde’s violent rhetoric cannot be dismissed as mere opposition posturing. His statement risks fueling anarchy, murderous rage and widespread lawlessness capable of undermining national stability.

“We therefore call on all relevant security and intelligence agencies to take this unfortunate development seriously and act to safeguard lives, property, and defend Nigeria’s democratic order.

“Makinde must be reminded that constitutional immunity from prosecution is not immunity from accountability for threats or acts against national security.

“No individual, however highly placed, should have the power to threaten or endanger the lives and safety of Nigerians or upend the country’s hard-won democratic governance under the guise of political commentary.

“The APC, again, vehemently rejects attempts by confused opposition leaders to frame their internal shambles in alarmist narratives about so-called one-party domination.

“The opposition parties are victims of self-inflicted injuries arising from anti-democratic practices, miserably poor leadership, internal contradictions, utter disregard for due process and the rule of law, persistent factionalization, and the desperate and dissonant presidential ambitions of their leaders.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was destroyed by Atiku Abubakar’s ruthless confiscation of the PDP’s 2023 presidential ticket in violation of the party’s constitutionally entrenched rotational zoning formula.

“The Labour Party (LP) was effectively subverted by the restless nomadic disposition of its 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, permanently swinging from one party to another in search of free and uncontested presidential ticket.

“The African Democratic Congress (ADC), so-called coalition platform, was basically stillborn, strangled by the reckless robbery of that party’s leadership by the same band of marauding opposition figures, never willing to remain and build their parties but always quick to use the revolving door on to the next available party.

“They have left nothing but desolation in opposition trail.

“At the APC, we are confident that Nigerians are discerning and recognize that a party so grossly unable to manage its own internal affairs cannot be entrusted with the governance of Africa’s most populous and important country.

“These opposition leaders and their coalition of confusion have not put anything forward by way of an alternative vision for Nigeria’s development. All they have in their arsenal is fear mongering built on false narratives about the APC.

“Our great Party rejects the veiled expectation of opposition leaders that the APC would help them manage their internal affairs. We bear no such duty and will not provide any such leadership consulting services to them.

“And we will not yield to blackmail to abdicate our duty to our Party to plan, organize and mobilize to compete effectively in the upcoming 2027 general elections.

“Our democracy is founded on the idea of competing visions of governance and development.

“Their failure to articulate any alternative vision or policy framework to the visionary and transformative policies of the APC-led administration is on them, and Nigerians are justified in rejecting their gangster antics designed to threaten their way to electoral victory.

“Nigeria’s democratic space remains as robust as can be. With nearly two dozen parties registered and participating freely in the country’s electoral process, the opposition’s unjustifiable attacks on our great Party, and their threats of violence is nothing but primitive capitulation, an admission of incompetence, and a peremptory alibi for what is looking to be a fantastic rebuke at the hands of the Nigerian electorate come 2027.”

“I Am Not Part Of Recycled Failed Political Actors Under The Guise Of Opposition” – Sowore

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April 26, 2026

By Ayodele Oni

Leader of #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore, has said that he turned down invitation for the Ibadan Summit because his party, the African Action Congress, (@aacparty ), “will not be part of any charade designed to recycle failed political actors under the guise of opposition.”

Representatives of 14 political parties has converged on the Oyo state capital on Saturday, where they agreed to present a joint presidential candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu.

Sowore maintained that “I declined the Ibadan ‘Opposition Summit.’ Nigerians deserve a genuine alternative, not recycled failure.

“I was invited to attend the so-called ‘Opposition Summit’ in Ibadan, but I declined.

“There is no need to pretend that the same men (and a few women) who held Nigeria to ransom for years, presiding over stagnation, corruption, and systemic decay, can suddenly reinvent themselves as champions of progress or defenders of the people.

“Not all Nigerians are suffering from amnesia.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our revolutionary party, the African Action Congress (@aacparty ), will not be part of any charade designed to recycle failed political actors under the guise of ‘opposition.’

“Instead, we are committed to presenting a formidable, people-driven alternative, one rooted in integrity, accountability, and genuine transformation.

“We will mobilize Nigerians across the country to rally behind a credible vision that rejects the decadence and deception represented by both the @OfficialAPCNg and their opportunistic counterparts in ADC, PDP, Labour Party and elsewhere.

“Nigeria does not need a rearrangement of the same broken pieces, it needs a complete break from the past.”

Atiku’s Main Demarketers Are In ADC – Shehu Sani

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April 26, 2026

By Ayodele Oni

Kaduna Senator Shehu Sani has claimed that there are moves to demarket former vice president Atiku Abubakar before the primary election of his coalition party, African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Sani, in a post on his X, pointed out that the greatest challenge facing Atiku in realizing his presidential ambition, is not from the opposition or the ruling party, but from within.

According to him, party members talk with such bitterness and hatred about him in the course of promoting their favored candidates.

Sani maintained that “When you check most of the toxic comments against the candidature of the Waziri, it’s not from the ruling party supporters, but from the supporters of his opponents within his own party.

“They talk with such bitterness and hatred towards him, and promoting their own aspirant as if they are not on the same platform.

“That’s like a fight between a pilot and a co-pilot midair. The whole objective is to de market him and harass him out of the primaries.

“What they are accusing the ruling party of doing in the market, they are doing it at home.The coalition members are shaking each other’s hands with their thick gloves on.

“They blame the ruling party for their headache, while creating a heartache for themselves.That was not how a Coalition was built in 2014.”

Senate President Akpabio Insists Nigeria Has No Choice Than To Borrow

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April 26, 2026