First Lady Backs President: Nigeria No Longer “Corrupt Country”

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October 5, 2025

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, says Nigeria should not be branded as “the most corrupt country” in the world because the situation has changed under her husband’s administration.

According to her, the Tinubu’s administration has made serious efforts in ending corruption, effort she said, has been applauded globally.

Mrs Tinubu made the remark during her official working visit to Gombe State, where she commissioned several health facilities executed by the state government.

Global corruption watch dogs such as the Transparency International, TI, has repeatedly labeled Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

The Nigerian First Lady however said, “the era” when Nigeria was branded the most corrupt country is over appealing to Nigerians to be proud of their country, adding that people all over the world now consider Nigeria as the next tourist ‘destination.”

Gone are the days when they say Nigeria is the most corrupt country. You won’t hear that again,” she said.

“Even when I go abroad, when they hear you’re from Nigeria, everybody’s interested. They want to come to Nigeria. Nigeria is the next destination.”

Recall that President Tinubu had during his recent visit to Brazil claimed that he has ended corruption in the country.

Not a few Nigerians took the president’s remark with a pinch of salt, citing the groundswell of corruption that still exist in his government.

For instance, Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters and former presidential candidate while reacting to Tinubu’s remark described him as a ‘criminal”.

Sowore has now been dragged to court by the Department of State Services, DSS, over the comment.

APC Replies Olawepo-Hashim: South West Will Support Tinubu’s Re-election

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Tosin Olatokunbo

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October 5, 2025

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The All Progressives Congress, APC, has dismissed the suggestion, to the effect that the south west will not vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu re-election.

Seye Oladejo, Lagos State APC spokesman made the remark in a statement, on Saturday, while reacting to a remark credited to the supporters of a presidential aspirant, Dr Gbenga Olawep-Hashim.

Oladejo said those making the suggestion that President Tinubu will be abandoned by the South west where he hails from, should perish the thought, saying Tinubu will receive mass support across the country for his re- election.

The next national election is slated for 2027, and some critics of the president has mentioned the south west, as one of the regions where Tinubu will not get support in the 2027 election.

This assertion was last week reinforced by a group linked to the PDP presidential aspirant.

Reacting, Oladejo described Olawepo- Hashim as a serial presidential aspirant, who in case he secured his party’s ticket will not stand any chance against Tinubu, as he will be roundly defeated.

He said presidential elections cannot be won through “tiny rallies’ and “press statement”, saying Nigerians who have seen the progress made under the APC are not prepared to return PDP to power again.

He urged the PDP aspirant not to be deceived as “endorsements on photocopied letterheads do not translate to votes”.

“In the unlikely event that he somehow emerges as the presidential candidate of the free-falling PDP – a party apparently bankrupt of depth in both human and material resources – he will be roundly beaten at the poll,” the APC spokesman said.

“That is not bravado; it is political arithmetic. The PDP’s hollow theatrics and recycled claimants will not rescue a party that has for years relied on sentiment and nostalgia rather than competence and delivery.”

He explained that Tinubu has laid strong foundations in the critical areas of the economy such as education, health, infrastructure, among others, adding that no criticism from the opposition can rubbish the progress the country has recorded under Tinubu, noting that the country cannot afford to return to the ignoble years of the PDP.

“Those who traffic in selective statistics and currency rhetoric do so because they cannot defend the alternative: a return to the waste, arrogance, and economic mismanagement that nearly extinguished our nation’s potential.

“Nigerians will not be hoodwinked into trading present progress for recycled excuses.

“To the political jobbers behind this noise: stop insulting the intelligence of Lagos residents and Nigerians,” he said.

He said that the opposition should not convert press releases into governance competence.

“In 2027, voters will choose continuity with a president who has delivered direction and results – not the empty spectacle offered by political tourists,” he said.

Olawepo-Hashim had recently tackled the Tinubu administration for allegedly running a ‘voodoo economy, saying his return to power in 2027 will be like the proverbial camel trying to pass through the needle.

Lagos Trade Fair Demolitions: Dep. Speaker Kalu Reports Lagos To Tinubu, Says “Our Hearts Bleed”

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The Source

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October 5, 2025

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By Charles Igbo

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has reported the Lagos State Government to President Bola Tinubu over the inexplicable demolition of the business houses and all their concerns, of Traders at the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos.

The exercise which cost the Traders and Buiness owners, mostly of Igbo extraction, billions of Naira, has been described by many as wickedness of the worst order and triggered outrage

Kalu described it as heartbreaking and told President Tinubu in clear terms that: “Our hearts bleed”.

Recall that the Lagos State Government embarked on the demolition of the multi-million Naira houses, from where multi-billion Naira businesses are transacted daily, and spared nothing.

According to the State Government, the owners of the properties refused to perfect their documents after several appeals to them to do so. The owners, however, tell a different story.

Lamenting the unprecedented destruction, the Deputy Speaker of the House drew President Tinubu’s attention to the unprecedented loss, and said the exercise “makes our hearts bleed.

He spoke on Friday, October 3, when President Tinubu, represented by Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, visited Umuahia, Abia State, to commission some projects.

Kalu said: “Mr President, I, also, want to say that the destruction, demolition of the houses and offices of our brothers in Lagos, makes our hearts bleed.”

He appealed to the President to intervene with the Lagos State Government to allow defaulters time to regularise their documents.

Kalu: “For some of them who have not gotten the right documents, my plea is to appeal to the Governor of Lagos State to keep accommodating our brothers.

“Let them come into the room and find a way of regularising some of these documents. It bleeds out hearts that in these hard times, houses are being destroyed. But I know Mr President, who cares for the Igbo will listen to the cries of the Igbo.”

A few days ago, shocked prominent Igbo Leaders, including Peter Obi, Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and more, visited the scene of demolition and expressed outrage thereafter.

UNN Denies Tinubu’s Minister, Says Not The Institution’s Graduate

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The Source

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October 5, 2025

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Uche Nnaji - Minister of Innovation-Science and Technology

By Charles Igbo

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, is, allegedly, carrying fake graduate Certificate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, and that of the National Youth Service.

The University which the Minister claimed he attended, has denied him and disowned the Certificate he is flaunting.

In a response to the Freedom of Information (FOI) request made by Premium Times, the Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Simon Ortuanya, explained that even though Nnaji gained admission into the University to study Biological Sciences, he ended up not graduating from the University. He neither completed his studies in the University nor graduated, he said.

Wrote the Vice Chancellor in response: “We are unable to confirm that Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji graduated. There are no records of his completion of study in the University of Nigeria.”

The VC’s response reads in full: “We refer to your letter dated 29 September, 2025, in respect of the above subject matter.

“We can confirm that Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, with Matriculation Number 1981/30725, was admitted by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1981.

“From every available record and information from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, we are unable to confirm that Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the current Minister of Science and Technology, graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985, as there are no records of his completion of study in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

“Following from above, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, DID NOT, and consequently, COULD NOT have issued the purported certificate, at all, in July 1985 to Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the current Minister of Science and Technology. This conclusion is also in consonance with an earlier letter dated May 13, 2025, ref. No. RUN/SR/R/V, issued by the University to the Public Complaints Commission in respect of the same subject matter (copy attached).”

The Vice Chancellor’s response was dated October 2, 2025 and contradicts a December 2023 clarification by Celine Nnebedum, the University’s Registrar who stated, when doubts were initially raised over Nnaji’s Certificate, that he graduated in 1985. However, in May 2025, Nnebedum retracted the statement for further verification.

The two-year investigation by Premium Times which stemmed from a tip by a whistle-blower, also cast a serious doubt on the authenticity of the NYSC discharge Certificate presented by the Minister.

Investigations show that the NYSC certificate he presented bore the signature of Animashaun Braimoh who was the Corp’s Director General between 1988 and 1990 while Nnaji’s Certificate bore May 1986 as the issuance date and the title of the person who signed it as National Director instead of Director General.

There are also, allegedly, other discrepancies. For instance, his Certificate of University graduation bears July 1985, but his Service year began in April 1985, three months earlier, and was never recorded in the history of the NYSC.

Investigation from University record, also, showed that the Minister was advised to withdraw over absenteeism and “retakes” which he missed. His name did also not appear in the University’s 1985 official Convocation List.

At the time of filing this report, there has been no response from Minister Nnaji.

Recall, however, that the Federal Government had, recently, said it would come down hard on academic certificate forgers.

Uzodinma Suspends Chairman, Civil Service Commission

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The Source

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October 5, 2025

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By Charles Igbo

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has suspended, from office, the Chairman of the State Civil Service Commission, Dr. Julie Onyeukwu.

Her suspension was announced in a Press Statement issued on October 3, 2025, by Declan Emelumba, Honourable Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy.

The reason behind Dr. Onyeukwu’s fate was not disclosed, but she was asked to handover, with immediate effect, all the Commission’s property in her custody to the Permanent Secretary, or the most senior staff in the Commission.

Dr. Onyeukwu was reappointed as the Chairman of the Commission in January 2025 by Governor Uzodinma.

“Tinubu Is A Leader Who Finds Pleasure Where The People Find Pain” – Atiku

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The Source

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October 5, 2025

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By Gideon Njoku

President Bola Tinubu has come under strong criticism from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for personally attending the funeral ceremonies of Mrs Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, in Plateau State.

Atiku described as sad and unfortunate that President Tinubu would attend the funeral where he frolicked with the elite of his Party rather than visit victims of bloody attacks in the region to console them.

By choosing to attend the funeral of the mother of his political ally rather than visit and sympathize with victims of violent attacks, Atiku said Tinubu has shown “a sad reflection of priorities and a mockery of leadership.”

The people, Atiku said, remain without any direct Presidential consolation. He noted that it was a shame that Tinubu chose to identify with his Party Chairman’s family instead of visiting communities across the North Central which continue to suffer mass displacement and killings.

Atiku, who noted this in a post on his official X handle said: “With large swathes of the country still under siege from unrelenting insecurity and thousands of innocent lives lost, it is deeply unfortunate that President Bola Tinubu has not, for once, found it worthy to visit any of the affected States to commiserate with the grieving citizens.

“Between the APC National Chairman and his President, what we witnessed today is a heartless exhibition of disregard for empathy, compassion, and the dignity of human life.

He pointed out that many States in the Region such as Benue, Niger, and Kwara, had suffered violent attacks, yet “the Tinubu administration showed no physical solidarity with the victims.” He also reminded, sadly, that when the President visited Benue after the horrendous massacre, he avoided a visit to Yelewata, the epicenter of the horror.

Atiku then noted that: “Now, again, he is in Plateau State, not to console the bereaved or reassure the broken, but to celebrate and make merry with his Party elite while the people mourn. The message could not be clearer: this is a President who would rather feast than feel – a leader who finds pleasure where the people find pain.

“The people are watching and they will remember.”

Imo Will See Evidence Of Your Pilgrimage, Uzodimma Tells Pilgrims

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The Source

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October 4, 2025

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Hope Uzodimma - Imo State Governor — Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State.:

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State on Saturday bid farewell to the second batch of pilgrims departing for the Holy Land of Jordan and Israel from the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri.

At a brief ceremony held at the Government House Chapel, the Governor rapped the pilgrims with words of encouragement, and also called for fervent prayers for the State.

“Imo will see the evidence of your visit to the Holy Land,” Governor Uzodimma told them, expressing confidence that the pilgrimage would yield spiritual and tangible blessings for the State and the Country.

“We need prayers. Go and pray for our State. God will not abandon His own people. There is nothing God cannot do. Believe in God,” he said.

He attributed Imo State’s progress so far to divine intervention, saying, “we have gotten to this stage because of the mercies and blessings of God.”

The Governor expressed optimism that the pilgrims’ good deeds would attract further blessings, adding, “I pray that our good deeds will only bring good deeds to us.”

Governor Uzodimma reiterated his administration’s commitment to supporting religious activities, noting that doing so helps to foster unity and spiritual growth.

He concluded his remarks with a prayer: “May God bless all of us.”

The send-off ceremony was attended by government officials, religious leaders, and families of the pilgrims.

Visibly inspired by the Governor’s words, the pilgrims expressed gratitude for the opportunity to undertake the sacred journey.

They pledged to pray for peace, progress, and prosperity for Imo State in particular and Nigeria at large while at the Holy Land.

About a fortnight ago, the first batch were sent off at a colourful flag off ceremony at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was ably represented by the Secretary to the Federal Government, Sen. George Akume.

The return of the first batch on Friday, October 3, 2025 paved the way for the departure of the second batch on Saturday, October 4, 2025.

Osun 2026: Omisore Throws Hat In Governorship Race

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Akinwale Kasali

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October 4, 2025

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By Akinwale Kasali

“Given what happened between him and the late Bola Ige and the revered former Governor, Baba Akande whose Deputy Omisore, many are waiting to see what happens”

Iyiola Omisore, former Senator and former National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has declared his intention to run for the 2026 Osun State Governorship election.

The former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chieftain stated his intention to vie for the Osun State Number One Position under the platform of APC.

He made the declaration in a post on his X handle on Saturday, and said the formal announcement would take place on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at the Osun APC Secretariat in Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo.

The declaration, themed “Fix the Broken, Restore Our Dreams,” is scheduled for 10 a.m.

“My beloved people of Osun State, after deep reflection and wide consultations, I have decided to formally declare my intention to contest for the Governor of Osun State in 2026 under our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC),” Omisore wrote.

Speaking on what his manifesto contains, Omisore added that his campaign would focus on restoring hope, strengthening governance, and delivering a brighter future for the people of the state.

“This is not just my mission, it is a collective one. I humbly invite you to join me as we take this bold step towards the Osun Rescue Mission 2026,” he said.

Before now, Omisore had served in various capacity, and was the former deputy Governor of Osun between 1999 and 2003 under the Alliance for Democracy.

His tenure as Deputy Governor to Chief Bisi Akande was turbulent. The two had a very untidy relationship which also spread to the murdered Chief Bola Ige, the then Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice. After the murder of Ige, Omisore who had an open confrontation with him a couple of days before his murder was arrested and charged to Court. He was, however, discharged and acquitted. He was in prison custody when he won the Senate seat of his District – Osun East which he represented between 2003 and 2011.

At the Senate, he was the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

He contested the 2014 Osun Governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party but lost to the then-incumbent governor, Rauf Aregbesola.

He also had a stint with Social Democratic Party, under which he contested the 2018 election as Governor and, again failed to make it.

“Stop These Malicious Lies Against Nigeria” Presidency Replies US Senator

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Adesina Soyooye

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October 4, 2025

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By Adesina Soyooye

Taken aback by the allegation by Ted Cruz, a United States of America’s Senator representing the State of Texas that Christians are being targeted in Nigeria, the Presidency has told the Senator to stop the spread of malicious lies against Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, refuted Senator Cruz’s claim that Christians are being targeted in Nigeria in a viral post Cruz shared on his official X page.

Senator Cruz had boldly alleged on the same social media platform that Islamist jihadists are carrying out “mass murder of Christians” in Nigeria and accused state officials of complicity.

Cruz added that his “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act would target these officials with powerful sanctions and other tools.” And threatened: “It’s time to hold those responsible accountable.”

But reacting to Cruz’s allegation and threat, Onanuga warned the Texas Senator against propagating malicious lies against Nigeria.

He disagreed with Cruz, and emphasized that there is no “religious war” in the West African country.

Onanuga noted that Boko Haram terrorists operating in the Northern part of the country targets everyone.

Onanuga wrote, “Senator, stop these malicious, contrived lies against my country. We do not have a religious war in my country.

“The degraded Boko Haram terrorists operating on the fringes of Nigeria’s North east target everyone. They attack farmers, our soldiers. The bandits in the North west kill worshippers in their mosques.

“Christians are not targeted. We have religious harmony in our country. Stop these malicious lies.”

“Give Us Right To Bear Arms In Self Defence Against Bandits”, Sokoto Community Demands

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Akinwale Kasali

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October 4, 2025

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By Akinwale Kasali

Following the spate of insecurity bedeviling the Kebbe Local Government of Sokoto State, the people have demanded from the Federal Government the right to bear sophisticated weapons to wage war against the dreaded and deadly Lakurawa bandits.

They lamented

their pains and anguish at a press conference held on Saturday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat, Sokoto. They stated that they can no longer endure the incessant killings of people and destruction of property by the marauding bandits.

They said the bearing of arms is for self defense against the terrorists.

The residents led by Alhaji Adamu Kebbe, accused both the State and Local authorities of abandoning them to their fate and lamented that the government’s response to their plight has been slow and inadequate.

“We can’t sleep with our two eyes closed anymore. Our communities are being wiped out, and the government is doing little to protect us,” Haruna said emotionally.

They further urged the Federal Government to grant direct funding to Local Governments to enable them equip local security outfits and respond swiftly to attacks.

In recent times, Sokoto State has been one of the worst-hit by banditry with emerging terror groups such as the Lakurawas and the notorious gang led by Bello Turji unleashing deadly violence across Isa, Sabon Birni, and Kebbe LGAs.

Though the State Government has acknowledged the growing threat, residents say its measures have fallen far short of what is needed to guarantee safety.

Insecurity has been a major worry for Sokoto residents and the State Government have been working to combat the bandits since the time of former Governor Aminu Tambuwal.