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66th Independence Anniversary: Nigeria Of Our Dream Possible – Uzodimma

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The Source
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Imo - Nigeria Independence Anniversary
L-R: Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Chike Olemgbe, husband to the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Chief Chukwuma Ekomaru, Deputy Governor of Imo State, Lady Chinyere Ekomaru, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, his wife, Chioma and Chairman Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers/ Chairman, South East Traditional Rulers Council, HRM, Eze EC Okeke cutting the 66th Independence Anniversary cake at the occasion to mark Nigeria's Independence at the Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu Square, Owerri, Thursday, October 1, 2026.

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has urged Nigerians to take greater responsibility for the development of the country, stressing that nation-building is a collective task that requires the contribution of both government and citizens.

 

The Governor also insists that Nigeria of the the collective dream of our founding fathers and the citizens is still possible if we are prepared to work for it.

 

Uzodimma spoke Thursday at the Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kalu Square, Owerri

while delivering his Independence Day address in commemoration of the

66th anniversary celebration of Nigeria’s independence in October 1, 1960.ez

 

The Governor who acknowledged that Nigeria had survived political crises, economic difficulties, insecurity and other challenges over the past 66 years, however noted that the resilience of Nigerians remained a source of hope for the country’s future.

 

He challenged citizens to reflect on their individual contributions to national development, by asking: “What have I done to make Nigeria a better nation?”

 

According to him, patriotism should go beyond emotional attachment to the country, but must be demonstrated through responsible citizenship, respect for the law, tolerance and service to communities.

 

Uzodimma also recognised the economic difficulties facing households and businesses, urging Nigerians to remain hopeful, while calling on government at all levels to ensure that policies translate into improved living conditions.

 

He said his administration would continue to prioritise infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, human capital development, economic empowerment and security in Imo State.

 

The Governor called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders and residents to support security agencies in maintaining peace across the State.

 

While commending the Armed Forces and other security personnel for their sacrifices, Uzodimma urged Nigerians to reject hate, violence and intolerance.

 

He said the country’s future could be secured when citizens and government work together, declaring: “The Nigeria of our dreams is possible if we are prepared to work for it.”

 

The event featured parade by the police and paramilitary agencies, inspection of the guard on the parade by the Governor as well as match past by pupils/students, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)of government, and various groups in a show of patriotic display.

 

Highpoint of the celebration was the presentation of trophy and cash awards to 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions among participating pupils/students and MDAs in the match past; cutting of Anniversary cake and release of pigeons for peace and unity of the nation.

 

Those present include; the wife of the Governor, Barr. Mrs. Chioma Uzodimma, the Deputy Governor, Lady Chinyere Ekomaru, and her husband, Chief Chukwuma Ekomaru (SAN); Acting Chief Judge, Justice Ijeoma Aguguo; Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chike Olemgbe, and members of the State Assembly; President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Mr. Victor Okorie.

 

Others were, the APC State Chairman, Chief Austin Onyedebelu and members of the State Working Committee; Secretary to the State Government, Chief Cosmas Iwu leading members of the State Expanded Executive Council, heads of security and paramilitary agencies; the Chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers/ Chairman of South East Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Eze Dr. Emmanuel Okeke and his colleagues, Chairman of Imo State Elders Council/Co-Chairman of Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council, HRH Eze Cletus Ilomuanya and his colleagues, Local Government  Chairmen, Councillors, captains of industry, other stakeholders and opinion leaders in the State.

APC To Atiku: You Are Unfit To Be President

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Atiku Abubakar
Atiku Abubakar

By Adesina Soyooye

 

The Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress(ADC), Atiku Abubakar has been dismissed as unfit for the office of the President of Nigeria by the All Progressives Congress, APC.

 

The APC, also, described Atiku as an accidental Vice President.

 

Felix Morka, the National Publicity of the APC, expressed these view in a statement titled; “2027: Why Nigerians Must Keep Atiku Away From the National Treasury.”

 

According to the APC,the media and public discourse has been brimming with damning reports of former Vice President Atiku’s alleged dealings in local and international bribery and corruption schemes.

 

The Party said that “ghosts of the ADC presidential candidate’s sordid past continue, restlessly, to haunt him”, and so, warned  that “he must never again be allowed anywhere close to such a commanding position of trust and responsibility as the presidency.”

 

 

Read the statement in part: “As a former public official, Atiku’s record is an executive summary of some of Nigeria’s vilest episodes of corruption and cronyism that pulverized our economy and decimated public trust.

 

“Nigeria’s upcoming presidential election presents the electorate the opportunity to deal a final blow to Atiku’s desperate quest for presidential power, and save the country from his ravenous plunder.

 

“From the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and the Siemens bribery scandal to the William Jefferson case, the PTDF funds controversy, and the US Senate investigation into suspicious financial transactions, Atiku’s name is engraved ingloriously on files and dossiers of onshore and offshore financial scandals and atrocities.

 

“These are not mere allegations. They are matters that are well documented in official records, tribunal proceedings, government investigations, national and foreign legislative reports, and international financial inquiries. Together, they raise legitimate questions about the fitness for probity and accountability of this serial presidential contender.

 

“The latest controversy surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project is particularly troubling. An International Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Tribunal in Paris examined a $500,000 payment made in January 2003 by Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power, to Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s wife at the time, through an offshore company.

 

“Reportedly, the payment occurred around the period when the Mambilla contract was awarded with Atiku as Vice President. Atiku declined an opportunity to explain and justify what clearly was an illegal bribe payment to his wife.

 

“There was the Siemens bribery scandal in which US authorities alleged that Siemens paid at least $4.5 million in bribes to secure Nigerian telecommunications contracts during the Obasanjo administration, with approximately $2.8 million reportedly passing through a bank account owned by Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s ex-wife.

 

“Siemens subsequently agreed to pay approximately $1.6 billion in penalties to US and German authorities over global bribery violations. Again, Atiku’s Vice Presidential soiled fingerprints in focus.

 

“And there was the William Jefferson bribery case with Atiku and his close associates falling under the scrutiny of American investigators. US court records indicated that former Congressman William Jefferson disclosed paying Atiku $100,000 to influence a proposed business partnership involving iGate and Netlink Digital Television. Jefferson was eventually convicted and sentenced to prison. Again, Atiku’s dark web of corrupt influence peddling and abuse of office on display.

 

“The 2010 report of the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that linked Atiku and his ex-wife, Jennifer Douglas, to more than $40 million in suspicious funds transferred into the United States through offshore companies and lodged in over 30 shadowy bank accounts associated with ex-wife, Jennifer Douglas and her family, again tells a sordid tale of a man that cannot be trusted with the nation’s treasury.

 

“Atiku’s sudden u-turn from his 2023 policy position in favour of fuel subsidy removal to his new promise to restore the fuel subsidy regime, if elected, must be understood as his latest device to lay his hands on, and squander, the country’s 18-year foreign reserve high of over $54 billion built up from $3 billion by President Bola Tinubu in less than 4 years through bold and prudent economic reforms.

 

“The National Treasury that President Tinubu has built strong is what Atiku desires to scatter and plunder under the cover of his fake and unrealistic promise to restore the ruinous fuel subsidy regime.

 

“In his book, My Watch, President Olusegun Obasanjo characterized Atiku as possessing a propensity for corruption, a tendency toward disloyalty, poor judgment, and a readiness to sacrifice the national interest for selfish gains.

 

“In August 2026, Obasanjo described his decision to select Atiku as his running mate in 1999 as the biggest mistake of his presidency. He stated, ‘the man I picked as my running mate, my number two, if I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him.’ That is an open and shut reference by the former President, Atiku’s principal, to his unfitness for public office.

 

“Atiku was an accidental Vice President, and categorically unfit for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Amaechi To ADC Leaders: “Tinubu’s Victory In 2027 Would Mean Our End Politically”

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Rotimi Amaechi
Rotimi Amaechi

By Adesina Soyooye

 

Rotimi Amaechi, the Vice-Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has  briefed his Party’s stakeholders of the implications of a President Bola Tinubu victory in the 2027 Presidential Election.

 

Addressing the leaders of the opposition party, Amaechi told them that most of them will be retired from politics  Tinubu is re-elected in 2027.

 

Amaechi spoke while addressing ADC-National Women League Conference in Abuja, on Wednesday on why every ADC Stakeholder must leave Abuja and go home unless they have anything serious to do.

 

“If you are not from FCT, go home and campaign. Me I am going on Wednesday, I will not wear suit, I will dress like a young man. Let me tell you what will happen. We the crop of leaders you see here. If APC wins 2027 elections, we are retired from politics. So if you don’t want us to retire from politics, we must go home.

 

“If you bring two thousand votes per ward, don’t win your ward. Just bring two thousand votes we have won the election. Men are controlled by their wives. Don’t ’t let your husbands sleep, because if we win, you have won. We will not take any election lightly, you will see me in Kebbi, Yola, Rivers, Delta fighting for the governorship elections, because the Presidential candidate cannot govern without the governors.

 

“When we were in APC and we wanted to remove your government, you saw what we did. We brought out the women, in every state we went to, women were in front. We spoke to them, we met with them at night, and we made sure that we told them that if they did not come out to vote, we would not win. And they came out. We fought the war, and we won.

 

“That time, Nigeria was not as hungry as it is now. Nigeria could afford some food, right? Now, how many of you can afford the food? How many of you can pay school fees without texting, texting to Dino (Senator Dino Melaye) or somebody else to give you some money for school fees.

 

“Every week, 10 Nigerians move into poverty. If they tell you how many Nigerians have died, you’ll be shocked. By the time I left government in APC, I’m giving you figures now: 10 and 12 million out of school children. Today there are 20 million out of school. That means every day Tinubu is taking Nigerians, 20 million Nigerians, 80% from the north, into poverty.

 

“If you’re a Northerner and you’re sitting here, you shouldn’t even be singing at all. Reason Tinubu is taking you more every day into poverty. The thing you need to do is to take the battle in your hands. If all the women in the north come out to vote, Tinubu cannot announce any result.

Also speaking, Hajiya Titi Atiku Abubakar, told the gathering that the time had come to work for the betterment of Nigeria, charging the women not to be intimidated.

She urged them to go out and convince their friends, neighbours and others to vote for the ADC.

 

“If you go to the market, you cannot buy anything, even medicine. Yesterday I sent them to buy medicine for me. Medicine that we used to buy for 400. It is now a thousand. I couldn’t believe my eyes. So where is the money? And we are in a cashless society, that even all the monies are being taken away.

 

“People work, the contractors work, they refuse to give them money. Because of ADC, because they don’t want people to support us. We, ADC, don’t have money. Let me tell you, we have to get it by force. We have to get it.

 

“Most of our children are not in schools because the cost of living is so expensive. So, women, I implore you. Women, I beg you. Don’t let them come and buy you food. And we have to go to all the corners of this Nigeria, especially to the people in the villages,” he said.

2027: ADP Presidential Candidate, Aliyu, Says Party Chairman Wants To Make Him Placeholder For Atiku

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Aliyu Bin Abbas

By Akinwale Kasali

 

With less than Four months to the 2027 Elections, the Presidential Candidate of the Action Democratic Party, ADP, Aliyu Bin Abbas, has accused the Party’s National Chairman, Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani, of pressurizing him to sign a voluntary withdrawal form to become a placeholder for African Democratic Congress, ADC, Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

 

Sani is alleging that he is being forced to sign a voluntary withdrawal form to serve as a placeholder for the Presidential Candidate of another party, stressing that the arrangement is undemocratic.

 

He asked: “Why should I sign a withdrawal form for my former boss just because he was my former boss?”

 

Recall that the ADP Chairman, Abbas, is a former aide to Atiku.

 

Sani made the allegation  during a Channels TV discussion on the controversy over his candidacy.

 

He questioned why his previous relationship with Atiku should require him to abandon his presidential ambition.

 

He further alleged that Abbas also said the interest of Northern Nigeria and the country should be considered, adding that he remained committed to his campaign.

 

This development has further brought to fore the lingering internal disagreement within the ADP, as campaign by political parties takes center stage in the build up to the 2027 election.

Int. Cyber Fraud: Two Nigerians Jailed By US Court For 15 Years

By
Ayodele Oni
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Harafat Mogaji

By Ayodele Oni

 

After about two years of international cyber fraud scheme, during which more than $2.4 million in business wire transfers, were diverted, two Nigerians who were serving in the United States Air Force have been sentenced to a combined 189 months in federal prison.

 

The convicts, Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu, 25, and Harafat Mogaji, 26, both residents of Delaware, were sentenced after being convicted for their involvement in a nearly two-year cyber intrusion operation targeting businesses across the United States.

 

The United States Department of Justice disclosed this in a statement, saying both men were members of the US Air Force at the time of the offences.

 

According to prosecutors, Odimegwu and Mogaji worked with co-conspirators in the United States and abroad to obtain usernames and passwords of employees through email-spamming and phishing campaigns.

 

The stolen credentials were subsequently used alongside spoofed email addresses designed to resemble those of victims or their business partners.

 

Prosecutors revealed that the technique enabled the conspiracy to deceive businesses and redirect legitimate payments into bank accounts controlled by members of the group.

 

Court evidence showed that the defendants helped divert more than $1.68 million in a wire transfer from a victim in Iowa City to a Chicago bank account controlled by the conspiracy.

 

They also helped divert more than $720,000 from another victim in Ohio to an account controlled by the group.

 

The Justice Department said the transactions were among numerous attempts by the conspirators to redirect legitimate business wire transfers from companies in Iowa and other parts of the United States.

 

Beyond business email compromise, prosecutors said the defendants harvested sensitive financial information through their phishing campaigns, including bank account details, personal identification numbers, as well as credit and debit card information.

 

One of the victims was a nonprofit organisation in Pella, Iowa, whose credit card information was obtained by members of the conspiracy.

 

The stolen financial information was subsequently exchanged among the conspirators and used, or attempts were made to use it, for unauthorised purchases and other financial transactions.

 

Odimegwu was sentenced to 111 months, equivalent to nine years and three months, in federal prison and ordered to pay $366,617.59 in restitution.

 

Mogaji, on the other hand, was sentenced to 78 months, or six years and six months, in federal prison and ordered to pay $995,680.45 in restitution.

 

Following their sentencing, both men were taken into custody and will each serve three years of supervised release after completing their prison terms.

 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

 

 

 

The convictions underscore the growing use of phishing and business email compromise techniques to infiltrate corporate communications and divert legitimate payments.

 

Such cyber-enabled fraud schemes can target businesses, nonprofit organisations and other entities across jurisdictions, often relying on stolen credentials and deceptive email communications to manipulate legitimate financial transactions.

Ekiti To Become Tech Hub In Nigeria – Gov Oyebanji

By
Ayodele Oni
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Biodun Oyebanji - Ekiti State Governor

By Ayodele Oni

 

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has promised that the state will soon transform from a civil service to a tech hub one in Nigeria.

 

“It is our dream that in another three decades, the tag of Ekiti as a ‘civil service’ state will have yielded to Ekiti as a Tech Hub in Nigeria’ and a major commercial centre for international trade and commerce.

 

“This is our promise, and we are resolutely committed to it.  The Special Agric Processing Zone (SAPZ) will also take off soon.

 

“These two projects, upon completion, will transform the economic outlook of the State and drive our government’s Shared Prosperity Agenda.”

 

Oyebanji in a statewide broadcast to commemorate  the 30th anniversary of the State, hailed the remarkable strides and progress the State has made 30 years after it was created by the administration of the late former military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.

 

He pointed out that although the state encountered many challenges and unpleasant experiences within the period, people have reasons to celebrate the three-decade milestone because of the  remarkable progress recorded in all indices of development.

 

The Governor noted that despite being among the last set of states to be created in the country  and receiving one of the lowest allocations from the Federation Account, “Ekiti leads its contemporary and many before it, including far richer states, in critical matrices of human development.”

 

Ekiti State was created on October 1, 1996 by the late Gen. Abacha, during a broadcast to mark the nation’s 36th independence anniversary alongside Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Zamfara States which took the number of states in Nigeria from 30 to 36.

 

The feat was achieved after years of epic struggle by eminent citizens of the state among whom were traditional rulers, legal luminaries, politicians, senior bureaucrats, captains of industry and community leaders under the aegis of a body known as Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State.

 

Oyebanji pointed out that many people did not give Ekiti a chance of being created as a state as it stood against “more formidable contenders from the Southwest geopolitical zone”, but the Governor ascribed glory to God for making the creation of the state possible against all odds.

 

According to him, the creation of the State 30 years ago and 120 years after the Kiriji War completed an epic struggle of independence started by Ekiti forbears in the liberation war of 1877 to 1893.

 

He congratulated all Ekiti sons and daughters and all peoples from other parts of the world who have made Ekiti their home on the occasion of the 30th anniversary.

 

The Governor paid tributes to members of the Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State led by their Chairman, Chief Oladeji Fasuan; legal icon, Aare Afe Babalola; Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe; other monarchs whom he described as “incubators of the state creation struggle” and lauded the patriotic sacrifices of heroes and heroines of the struggle who had joined their ancestors.

 

Oyebanji said it was heartwarming that as the then Secretary of the Committee for Ekiti State Creation, through the grace of God and the benevolence of Ekiti people, he is now in the saddle as Governor of the State, as the state turns thirty.  describing the experience as “very humbling.”

 

He equally paid glowing tributes to all his predecessors in office: Col. Inua Bawa, Navy Capt. Atanda Yusuf, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Chief Ayo Fayose, Chief Segun Oni, Dr Kayode Fayemi and leaders who served during interregnums like Chief Friday Aderemi, Brig.-Gen. Tunji Olurin, Hon Tope Ademiluyi, Hon Tunji Odeyemi, all former Deputy Governors and all former heads of legislature and judiciary.

 

Oyebanji restated the commitment of his administration to the ideals of the founding fathers that inspired the creation of the state stressing that “the vision of the founding fathers was to have a State where Ekiti people can utilize their God given natural and human resources in the most efficient, effective and inclusive manner, for the prosperity of our people.”

 

He pointed out that the state’s founding fathers envisioned “an industrialized Ekiti, where private sector capital is at the centre of the economic nervous system  of the state and where enterprise and productivity are the pillars of prosperity.”

 

While unveiling the theme of the anniversary ‘Ekiti at 30; Celebrating the Past and Creating the Future,’ the governor disclosed that his administration has decided to use the 30th anniversary as the Launchpad for a 30-year Transformation Agenda.

 

The agenda, according to him, will make Ekiti a leading Centre of Agricultural Production and Agro-Processing, Innovation and Tech Development, Quality and functional Education, Research and Skills Development, Tourism, Culture and Creative Economy and Youth Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development.

 

To achieve the vision, the Governor said a conversation with Ekiti Youths on  October 7, 2026 at the Obafemi Awolowo Civic  and Convention Centre, Ado Ekiti, will be staged with the intent to achieve three important things: to remember with gratitude, to assess the present with honesty, and to approach the future with confidence and determination.

 

“Our agenda is therefore to work aggressively to ensure that the socio-economic infrastructures we have built in these thirty years lead to real economic growth that produces quality employment, crystallize productivity, support enterprise and enhance quality of life.

 

“For example, the ongoing  multi-billion naira Ekiti Knowledge Zone (EKZ) project is a technological park and economic ecosystem to support the innovative and creative ingenuity of our young population.”

AIG Ajani Warns Police Personnel Against Corruption, Advocate Penalty For Offenders

By
Ayodele Oni
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Musbau Omolabi Ajani

By Ayodele Oni

 

Retiring of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, (AIG) in charge of Zone 17, Akure, Musbau  Omolabi Ajani has counselled serving police officers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and integrity

 

He particularly warned against corruption and other acts of misconduct, emphasising that any officer found culpable of corrupt practices should be made to face the full weight of the law.

 

Ajani, spoke at his passing out parade, after 35 years of dedicated and meritorious service to the Nigeria Police Force and the nation.

 

The ceremony, held at the Police Arcade, Akure, attracted an array of dignitaries, including senior police officers both serving and retired, Government functionaries, heads of sister security agencies, traditional leaders, members of the Police Community Relations and well wishers.

 

According to him, the importance of accountability in building public confidence and preserving the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force cannot be underestimated.

 

The retiring AIG also called on members of the media to maintain objectivity, fairness and balance in their reportage of police activities. He noted the critical role of the media in informing the public, promoting mutual understanding and strengthening the relationship between the Police and the communities they serve.

 

AIG Ajani, who until his retirement, was the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 17, comprising Ondo and Ekiti States, formally bowed out of active service after an illustrious career spanning three and a half decades.

 

The colourful parade featured a series of ceremonial activities, including the inspection of the parade by the retiring AIG, a spectacular march past by officers and men of the Force and the symbolic pulling-out ceremony.

 

In his valedictory address, AIG Ajani Musibau Omolabi psc (+) expressed profound gratitude to Almighty God for granting him the grace to complete his 35 years of service and retire in good health.

 

He described his successful retirement as a blessing and a privilege, particularly for being able to bow out honourably without being incapacitated by illness or cut down by death.

 

In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, Felix Ohagwu, congratulated AIG Ajani on the successful completion of his 35 years of service to the nation.

 

He commended the retiring senior officer for his dedication and contributions to the Nigeria Police Force and wished him a peaceful and fulfilling retirement.

 

The Commissioner further reaffirmed the Command’s unwavering commitment to sustaining the fight against crime and criminality through proactive policing, intelligence-led operations, professionalism and strengthened collaboration with other security agencies and members of the public.

 

He assured residents of Ondo State that the Command would continue to consolidate on existing security strategies to ensure the protection of lives and property.

”My Plan For A Better Nigeria- Tinubu

By
James Orji
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Bola Ahmed Tinubu

As part of the celebrations to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has delivered a nationwide broadcast, where he detailed his plans for a prosperous Nigeria.
In his statewide broadcast on Thursday morning, the president said his administration has laid a solid foundation for the nation’s future prosperity, saying all his government has done in three years was to put the country on the right “course.”
“My fellow Nigerians, we have reached a turning point. The emergency treatment is over,” he said.
The president also outlined his administration’s plans for a better Nigeria, to include economic, social and political development, which he said is more than merely “a larger economy, abstract numbers or better statistics.”
“I mean a Nigeria in which the farmer can cultivate his land safely, produce more at lower cost, and earn a decent return for his labour. A Nigeria in which factories have reliable power, businesses can obtain credit, and young people can find productive work. A Nigeria in which food and transportation are affordable, education is within reach, and hard-working families can look towards the future with confidence,” Tinubu said.
He stressed that things are already looking good for the country, saying the focus now is to bring down the cost of living and ensure that the nation is self-sufficient in the production of goods for the consumption of Nigerians, adding that there are abundant human and natural resources to transform the plans to reality.
Tinubu: “We have the land and people to feed ourselves. My government is therefore focused on expanding mechanised irrigation and dry-season farming, improving access to seeds and fertiliser, holistically increasing mechanisation, and investing in storage and transportation. We are building and completing the roads, railways and ports that connect farms and factories to markets.
“Our logic is simple. When a farmer produces more cheaply, when fewer crops are lost between the farm and the market, when a manufacturer spends less on electricity, when a truck reaches its destination faster, and when the business environment fosters fair competition, all those savings will ultimately find their way into the price of goods in the market.
“But prosperity requires more than cheaper goods. It requires productive work.
“Nigeria is a young country. Millions of young Nigerians enter adulthood every year with talent, energy and ambition. Our responsibility is to ensure that this great demographic strength becomes an engine of production rather than a source of despair.
“We are therefore placing jobs, enterprise, and industrial growth at the heart of our government’s policies,” he said.

Ahead 2027: Opposition Parties Regroup To Defeat Of APC

By
Ayodele Oni
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Opposition Parties Meeting in Ibadan
File Photo: Opposition Parties Meeting in Ibadan.

By Ayodele Oni 

 

Opposition parties are intensifying consultations ahead of the 2027 presidential election, on how to forge common front with a view to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

To this end, a fresh round of consultations are still ongoing after a closed-door meeting between African Democratic Congress,( ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and coalition leaders at his Abuja residence on Tuesday night.

 

The meeting was attended by National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, as well as other political figures involved in efforts to bring opposition parties together.

 

 Members of Atiku’s campaign council were also said to have attended.

 

PRP National Publicity Secretary, Muhammed Ishaq, confirmed the meeting in a statement and said the engagement was part of broader consultations among opposition parties and political leaders.

 

“Leaders of coalition parties, as well as others interested in joining, recognise the need to broaden and strengthen the coalition’s capacity to defeat the APC in 2027 and give Nigeria a new lease on life,” Ishaq said.

 

Other opposition figures and groups have also been discussing ways to reduce the number of presidential candidates who may contest the 2027 election separately.

 

The Movement for Credible Elections, MCE, led by Prof Pat Utomi’s Political Commission, has commenced consultations with opposition presidential candidates and political parties as part of efforts to facilitate the emergence of a common opposition presidential candidate.

 

Among those identified for consultations are Atiku, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party, Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement, Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party, Sandy Onor of the PDP, Peter Agada of the Young Progressive Party and African Action Congress candidate Omoyele Sowore.

 

Another initiative, known as G100, has also been consulting with opposition parties and political leaders over possible cooperation ahead of the election.

 

G100 released what it called the “Doctrine of a Necessary Democratic Opposition” and urged opposition parties to consider working around a single presidential candidate, a common programme and a coordinated strategy.

 

The consultations involving the ADC, APM, NDC, PDP, PRP and SDP are taking place as opposition politicians weigh different approaches to the 2027 contest.

Tinubu: Nigeria Was ‘Like A Sick Patient’ When I Took Over

By
James Orji
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0
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has recalled that Nigeria was in state of hopelessness when he took over government in 2023, saying the country, was at the time ”like a sick patient who receives terrible news that he has cancer.”

The president said there were two choices before him when he became president; to immediately tackle the problem, which can lead to discomfort for many Nigerians, or gloss over it and allow it to continue, like his predecessors  in government who he accused of failing to take the bullby the horns.

‘Nigeria was like a sick patient who receives the terrible news that he has cancer. His doctor explains that the treatment will be difficult and painful, but that it offers a strong prospect of recovery. The patient has a choice. He can begin treatment, endure its discomfort and fight the disease. Or he can ask only for morphine, dull the pain and leave the cancer to spread,” he said.

Tinubu made the remark on Thursday in his nationwide broadcast to Nigerians in commemoration of the nation’s 66th independence day celebration.

Nigeria gained independence from the British Colonial government on October 1, 1960, and successive adminstrations have ruled the country since then, trying to find solutions to the nation’s many problems.

According to the president, past leaders in the country, from the time of independnce refused to deal with the nation’s many challenges, waiting ”for the miracle that never came” saying their wrong choices made the country to go from bad to worse instead of getting better, by refusing to tell Nigerians the ”truth” he said, they allowed the problems to fester from one generation to to another.

He said he chose to do things differently when he assumed office over three years ago by implementing reforms which he said were necessary to deal with the ”disease” affecting the country.

Part oft he reforms he implemented, according to him,is the fuel subsidy removal, which has been strongly condemned by his critics who are demanding the policy to be reverse. He,however,stated that three years down the line the economicoutlook in the country has proven that he made the right decision by dealing with the problemhead on.

Tinubu: ”’When this Administration assumed office, we resolved to do things differently. We chose to excise the cancer. The reforms that followed were difficult. The side effects were real. Yet, we must never confuse the medicine with the disease.

”Our reforms did not create the weaknesses in our economy. They confronted them. Now, as certain influential but regressive voices would have us abandon the treatment and return ourselves to the abuse of addictive subsidies, we must resist their siren song. We must remember why we began this journey and how far we have already come.

”Three and a half years later, the evidence that Nigeria’s economic outlook has improved is undeniable. Our economy has grown by over 4 per cent this year. Both oil and non-oil sectors have contributed to the renewed period of stable growth,” the president noted.

 

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