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Nigeria Has Stabilised, Is Moving Forward Again – Tinubu On 3rd Anniversary Of Administration (Full Speech)

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu

 

By Ayodele Oni

 

With several school children and individuals languishing in kidnappers den in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has assured that the armed forces have intensified efforts against terrorism.

 

In a statement on Friday to Mark the third anniversary of the administration, Tinubu maintained that “Security remains central to our national mission and to the creation of a virile and prosperous society.

 

“Our Armed Forces and security agencies have intensified operations against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, oil thieves, and criminal networks.

 

“While challenges remain, many communities and highways are becoming safer and more economically active.

 

“We continue investing in intelligence, surveillance, logistics, technology, and inter-agency coordination.

 

“We are improving the capabilities of our armed forces and security agencies, and reclaiming the authority of the Nigerian state wherever criminality threatens peace and order.

 

“While we continue to confront the challenges head-on, progress is being made. I want to assure you that this government will not relent until every Nigerian can live, work, travel, and dream in safety.

 

On hardship occasioned by sudden stoppage of Subsidy on petrol, the president reiterated that the nation would have drifted toward fiscal breakdown, worsening poverty, and severe economic uncertainty, had the decision not implemented.

 

“When this administration assumed office, our nation faced profound economic and structural difficulties.

 

“Mounting fiscal pressures, unsustainable fuel subsidies, declining revenues, exchange-rate distortions, rising debt-servicing costs, insecurity in several parts of the country, energy supply constraints, and declining public confidence in institutions all threatened our progress.

 

“At the height of the subsidy regime, Nigeria was spending as much as ₦18.4 billion daily to sustain petrol subsidies—over ₦4 trillion in 2022 alone—resources that could have been invested in roads, healthcare, education, housing, and critical infrastructure.

 

“Multiple exchange rate windows and forex arbitrage created massive distortions, with Nigeria losing more than ₦8 trillion over three years to rent-seeking and speculative practices.

 

“The situation demanded urgent and courageous action. Difficult but necessary decisions had to be taken to stabilise the economy and prevent a deeper national crisis.

 

“The easy choices would have been politically convenient. But leadership demands courage, especially when the right decisions are difficult.

 

“Had we refused to act, our nation would have drifted toward fiscal breakdown, worsening poverty, and severe economic uncertainty.

 

“Together, we chose reform over ruin and decisiveness over hesitation. We chose long-term national recovery over short-term comfort.

 

“These decisions came with sacrifice. The rising cost of living triggered by our measures placed enormous pressure on families, workers, and businesses.

 

“Young people searching for jobs felt discouraged. Many questioned whether these difficult decisions would lead to a better future.

 

“I remain deeply conscious of those sacrifices, and I assure you: your sacrifice has not been in vain.  And today, I can say with confidence that Nigeria has stabilised and is moving forward again. Across the country, visible progress is taking shape.”

 

STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU (GCFR) ON THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ADMINISTRATION, MAY 29, 2026.

 

My fellow compatriots,

 

Three years ago, you entrusted me with the sacred responsibility of leading our beloved nation at a defining moment in our history. I accepted that responsibility, fully aware of the magnitude of the challenges before us, but also deeply confident in the resilience and potential of the Nigerian people.

 

Today, on the occasion of the third anniversary of our administration, I speak to you not only as your President but also as a fellow citizen who understands the sacrifices many families have made in recent years and shares your hopes for a better Nigeria.

 

When this administration assumed office, our nation faced profound economic and structural difficulties. Mounting fiscal pressures, unsustainable fuel subsidies, declining revenues, exchange-rate distortions, rising debt-servicing costs, insecurity in several parts of the country, energy supply constraints, and declining public confidence in institutions all threatened our progress.

 

At the height of the subsidy regime, Nigeria was spending as much as ₦18.4 billion daily to sustain petrol subsidies—over ₦4 trillion in 2022 alone—resources that could have been invested in roads, healthcare, education, housing, and critical infrastructure. Multiple exchange rate windows and forex arbitrage created massive distortions, with Nigeria losing more than ₦8 trillion over three years to rent-seeking and speculative practices.

 

The situation demanded urgent and courageous action. Difficult but necessary decisions had to be taken to stabilise the economy and prevent a deeper national crisis. The easy choices would have been politically convenient. But leadership demands courage, especially when the right decisions are difficult.

 

Had we refused to act, our nation would have drifted toward fiscal breakdown, worsening poverty, and severe economic uncertainty. Together, we chose reform over ruin and decisiveness over hesitation. We chose long-term national recovery over short-term comfort.

 

These decisions came with sacrifice. The rising cost of living triggered by our measures placed enormous pressure on families, workers, and businesses. Young people searching for jobs felt discouraged. Many questioned whether these difficult decisions would lead to a better future.

 

I remain deeply conscious of those sacrifices, and I assure you: your sacrifice has not been in vain.  And today, I can say with confidence that Nigeria has stabilised and is moving forward again. Across the country, visible progress is taking shape.

 

VISIBLE PROGRESS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH 

 

Our economy is now more competitive and better positioned for sustainable growth than it was in 2023. Public finances are improving. States and local governments have greater resources to invest in their people. Investor confidence is growing. The stock market is booming, with the All Share Index rising from 53,000 and market capitalisation of N30 Trillion in 2023 to a record All Share Index of 250,000 and market capitalisation of N160 Trillion this year.  Companies are declaring record profits and dividends.

 

Critical infrastructure projects are advancing at an unprecedented scale. Over 2,700 kilometres of highways and major roads are under construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, the East-West Road, and many rural access roads. Significant sections are already completed or nearing completion, improving transportation, reducing travel time, boosting regional trade, and creating thousands of jobs.

 

Rail modernisation projects are ongoing to improve connectivity, logistics, and economic integration across the federation.

 

In the oil and gas sector, the reforms we instituted have attracted billions of dollars in fresh investment from the international oil companies that had shunned our country. The $5 billion NLNG Train 7 project is nearing completion to boost LNG production capacity, exports, and dividends.

 

Domestic gas utilisation is expanding.  Local refining capacity has improved our energy security. With large-scale domestic and modular refineries operational, Nigeria is reducing its dependence on imported petroleum products and conserving foreign exchange.

 

For years, the power sector suffered from debt, underinvestment, and uncertainty, which weakened generation capacity and limited growth. Today, we are confronting those challenges directly.

 

Our administration is clearing legacy obligations, expanding transmission infrastructure, investing in renewable energy, and strengthening the national grid because no modern economy can grow in darkness. When power improves, businesses expand, industries grow, jobs are created, and families prosper.

 

We are determined to power Nigeria into a new era of industrial growth and economic opportunity.

 

EMPOWERING NIGERIANS: AGRICULTURE, EDUCATION, AND HOUSING 

 

Agricultural interventions have supported millions of farmers by improving seedlings, fertilisers, mechanisation, and irrigation and by expanding access to finance and markets. We are opening new agricultural corridors to create jobs, strengthen supply chains, and reduce pressure on household incomes.

 

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has provided over 1.5 million students with access to higher education, disbursing more than ₦282 billion to ensure that no willing student is denied access due to financial hardship.

 

Our Renewed Hope Housing Programme, along with that of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), is delivering over 10,000 housing units across 14 states and the FCT, creating over 300,000 jobs and expanding access to affordable housing. Major Renewed Hope Cities in Abuja, Lagos, and Kano are progressing steadily. Our consumer credit initiative, CREDICORP,  is opening up new economic opportunities for workers and families.

 

In healthcare, thousands of primary healthcare centres are being revitalised, while health insurance coverage is expanding for vulnerable Nigerians.

 

DEEPENING TELECOMS ACCESS AND INVESTMENT 

 

We also took decisive action to stabilise the telecommunications sector, which remains one of the most important drivers of modern economic growth.

After years of severe operational pressures and declining investment, confidence is gradually returning to the sector. Telecom operators are expanding networks, investing in infrastructure, recruiting Nigerian talent, and widening digital access across the country.

A connected Nigeria is a more competitive Nigeria. Digital infrastructure is now essential to commerce, education, innovation, and national productivity.

 

YOUTH, TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

 

To our young people, I want you to know this nation believes in you. You are not a problem to be managed. You are the engine of Nigeria’s future. Across technology, manufacturing, creative industries, agriculture, sports, and entrepreneurship, we are expanding opportunities for you to compete and succeed. We are investing in digital skills, technical education, innovation, student financing, and enterprise support because the future must be driven by Nigerian talent, creativity, and productivity.

 

SECURITY AND NATIONAL UNITY

 

Security remains central to our national mission and to the creation of a virile and prosperous society. Our Armed Forces and security agencies have intensified operations against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, oil thieves, and criminal networks. While challenges remain, many communities and highways are becoming safer and more economically active. We continue investing in intelligence, surveillance, logistics, technology, and inter-agency coordination. We are improving the capabilities of our armed forces and security agencies, and reclaiming the authority of the Nigerian state wherever criminality threatens peace and order. While we continue to confront the challenges head-on, progress is being made. I want to assure you that this government will not relent until every Nigerian can live, work, travel, and dream in safety.

 

My fellow Nigerians,

A nation develops when its people can see and touch progress. From highways under construction to rail modernisation and expanded energy investments, our goal remains clear: to build a Nigeria that works for Nigerians.

 

We have not solved every problem, and we are not yet where we want to be. But the foundation for recovery has been laid. The task before us now is clear: we must ensure that the benefits of reform are felt more directly in the daily lives of ordinary Nigerians.

 

We shall achieve this task by continuing to ensure that food prices, which have largely come down from their peak in 2023/2024, remain low.

We are also working to reduce transportation costs as operators of commercial trucks, buses, and taxis convert their petrol engines to CNG and switch to electric vehicles. We have also set our sights on creating more opportunities for decent work and enabling enterprise expansion.

 

A CALL TO NATIONAL PURPOSE 

 

The journey of national renewal is not completed in a single year or a single administration’s tenure. Nations rise when their people remain united in purpose, disciplined in effort, and hopeful about the future.

We must choose hope over despair, unity over division, and nation-building over narrow interests.

 

But true security and prosperity require that every Nigerian feel included and valued. Nigeria belongs to all of us—no region, faith, or group should feel marginalised or forgotten. Our diversity is a source of strength. Whether Christian or Muslim, North or South, urban or rural, we rise or fall together as one nation under God.

 

To our youth, workers, entrepreneurs, farmers, professionals, security personnel, students, and diaspora: your sacrifices sustain our nation, and they will not be in vain. To the international community and investors: Nigeria remains committed to democratic stability, economic reform, responsible governance, and mutually beneficial partnerships.

 

My fellow Nigerians,

History teaches us that great nations are not built in comfort. They are built through sacrifice, resilience, courage, and collective purpose.

Ours is a nation of extraordinary people. We survived civil war and rebuilt.

We overcame dictatorship and restored democracy. We endured hardship and remain bearers of hope. The Nigerian spirit remains strong and unbroken.

 

Today, the world is watching our country again, not as a nation defined by its difficulties, but as a nation determined to rise. Across agriculture, infrastructure, power, technology, manufacturing, and industry, the signs of recovery are becoming clearer. Confidence is returning. Productivity is improving. Opportunity is expanding.

 

LOOKING FORWARD 

 

The work ahead is enormous, but I remain optimistic because I believe deeply in this country and in you, the Nigerian people.

 

I ask you to keep faith with Nigeria. Let us reject cynicism and division. Let us move forward together, united in purpose, disciplined in effort, compassionate toward one another, and confident in the greatness that lies ahead.

 

My fellow Nigerians, history tests nations before it elevates them. Nigeria is passing through such a test. But I believe with all my heart that we shall emerge stronger, fairer, more united, and more prosperous than ever before.

 

Let us continue this journey together. Let us build a Nigeria that is secure, prosperous, inclusive, and respected worldwide. Let us continue to believe in the promise of our nation.

 

May God bless you all.

May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

Thank you.

Atiku On May 29: 3yrs After Tinubu Has Failed Nigerians; Hunger, Poverty, School Children Abduction On The Rise

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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0
Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu

The Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC has taken a cursory look at the three years tenure of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the country had never been so damaged, citing economic, security and political challenges confronting the country currently.

 

According to the former vice president of Nigeria, Nigerians have never witnessed poverty, hunger and kidnapping as they are currently witnessing under the Tinubu’s adminsitration.

 

The ADC presidential cadnidate spoke in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Friday saying the administration has unsuccessfully tried to change the narrative through expensive media campaign, advertisement and speeches, because Nigerians know the truth.

He said nothing will change the fact that Nigerians have already made up their minds to change the current government over non-performance, highlighting problems such as “renewed hardship, renewed insecurity, renewed poverty, and renewed hopelessness: why the Tinubu administration is scored low.

 

“Today, millions of Nigerians can no longer afford the basic necessities of life. Food prices have skyrocketed beyond the reach of ordinary families. Inflation has become a cruel tax on the poor. Small and medium-scale businesses are shutting their doors. Investors are fleeing uncertainty. The naira has been battered. Purchasing power has collapsed.

“Never in recent history have so many Nigerians worked so hard only to become poorer. Never has a government celebrated itself so loudly while its citizens suffered so deeply.

“While Nigerians endure the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, this administration continues to manufacture statistics, stage elaborate ceremonies, and engage in endless public relations exercises designed to create the illusion of progress where none exists.

“What makes this failure even more scandalous is the reckless borrowing that has accompanied it. This administration has borrowed trillions of naira in the name of infrastructure and economic development, yet Nigerians cannot see corresponding improvements in their daily lives.

“Public reports indicate that while the Federal Government borrowed approximately N11.9 trillion within a nine-month period, only N3.1 trillion was reportedly spent on capital projects. Nigerians are therefore entitled to ask a simple question: where did the rest of the money go?

“Even more troubling is that a substantial portion of the infrastructure spending that has been publicly highlighted appears concentrated on projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Badagry-Sokoto Highway, both awarded to a company owned by a businessman whom President Tinubu publicly described as his ‘partner in daring.’

“This administration has created the disturbing perception that while ordinary Nigerians are being asked to endure sacrifice, the benefits of government spending are increasingly flowing towards a privileged circle of politically connected interests.

“A government that borrows trillions but cannot transparently account for the impact of those borrowings on the lives of its citizens has no business celebrating itself. Nigerians are not interested in debt accumulation. They are interested in results.”

Atiku said perhaps the most damning indictment of the Tinubu administration’s three-year record is the resurgence of mass abductions and the growing sense that the Nigerian state is steadily losing its monopoly over security.

“While government officials celebrate themselves and distribute scorecards, terrorists and criminal gangs are distributing fear across the country.

“The recent abduction of schoolchildren in Borno State and the mass kidnapping of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State are not isolated incidents. They are the most accurate report card of this administration after three years in office.

“What greater evidence of failure can there be than parents sending their children to school only to receive news that they have been abducted? What greater symbol of governmental failure exists than classrooms becoming hunting grounds for criminals?

“Three years into this administration, Nigerian children are still being dragged into forests by terrorists and kidnappers. Three years into this administration, communities remain vulnerable. Three years into this administration, citizens continue to pay the price for a government that appears more concerned with managing headlines than securing lives.

“When governments become consumed by self-praise, they stop listening. When they stop listening, they stop learning. And when they stop learning, they begin to fail.”

Atiku said the Tinubu administration has spent three years asking Nigerians to ignore their lived experiences and instead believe carefully curated narratives from government spokespersons.

“They tell Nigerians the economy is improving, yet families skip meals. They tell Nigerians insecurity is declining, yet communities live in fear. They tell Nigerians prosperity is around the corner, yet businesses continue to collapse under unbearable pressure.

“No amount of propaganda can fill an empty stomach. No amount of spin can erase insecurity. No amount of government advertising can hide the suffering that millions experience every day.

“The true measure of governance is not what government says about itself. It is what citizens experience in their daily lives.”

The former Vice President warned that history is filled with governments that mistook the patience of the people for permanent acceptance.

“There is a difference between patience and satisfaction. There is a difference between endurance and approval.

“Nigerians have endured extraordinary hardship because they are resilient people. But resilience should never be mistaken for weakness. Patience should never be mistaken for surrender.

“The signs are everywhere. Across the country, Nigerians are asking hard questions. They are demanding accountability. They are refusing to be distracted by slogans and political theatre….”

Atiku stressed that democracy provides Nigerians with a peaceful and constitutional instrument for change.

“The ballot box remains the most powerful weapon in the hands of the people. It is stronger than propaganda. It is stronger than intimidation. It is stronger than incumbency.

“Those who believe that Nigerians will forget the hunger, insecurity, joblessness, and economic pain of the last three years are engaged in dangerous self-deception.

“Power belongs to the people. It does not belong to political parties. It does not belong to incumbents. It does not belong to governments. It belongs to Nigerians, and Nigerians reserve the right to reclaim it whenever they believe their trust has been betrayed.”

He urged citizens not to lose faith in democracy but to channel their frustrations into peaceful political action.

The former number two citizen in the country said the only way to throw Tinubu out of government is for Nigerians to mobilize and vote against it next year, stressing that the ADC has mapped out strategy on how to turn around the country if it wins the election., stressing that its solutions to the country’s problems have been captured in its Manifesto to be released soon to Nigerians.

 

“Our responsibility is not merely to complain. Our responsibility is to organise, mobilise, participate, and vote.

“The future of Nigeria will not be determined by those who shout the loudest. It will be determined by those who show up, stand up, and vote for change.

“Let no one be deceived. The era of complacency is over. The era of propaganda is ending. The era of taking Nigerians for granted is coming to a close.

“The people are awake. The people are watching. And when the time comes, they will deliver their verdict through the ballot.

 

“In the coming weeks, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will unveil a comprehensive policy blueprint that is the product of rigorous research, extensive consultations, and a painstaking review of the economic, security, institutional, and governance failures that have defined the APC administration and culminated in the present national crisis.

“This policy document will not merely diagnose the problems that have plunged millions of Nigerians into hardship; it will present bold, realistic, and actionable solutions. It will offer a clear pathway to economic recovery, job creation, security sector reform, fiscal discipline, educational revival, healthcare expansion, and the restoration of confidence in public institutions.

“Nigerians have heard enough excuses. They have listened to enough promises. They have endured enough suffering. What they seek now is leadership that is competent, compassionate, accountable, and genuinely committed to the public good.

“As the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, I make a solemn pledge to Nigerians that our campaign will be driven by ideas, not insults; by solutions, not slogans; and by competence, not propaganda.

“By the grace of Almighty God and with the mandate of the Nigerian people, the next administration under my leadership will assemble some of the finest minds, most accomplished professionals, and most experienced technocrats from across our nation. We will restore merit to governance, recruit competence into public service, and ensure that every major decision is guided by expertise, patriotism, and the national interest.

“The task ahead is daunting. The economic damage is severe. Public trust has been eroded. National cohesion has been strained. But Nigeria is greater than the failures of any government.

 

“We will rebuild our economy, restore security, strengthen our institutions, create opportunities for our young people, and return government to its primary purpose: serving the people.

“The era of excuses is ending. The era of accountability is approaching. The era of propaganda is fading. And with the support of Nigerians, a new chapter of competence, prosperity, security, and genuine hope shall begin.”

On May 29, 2023 President Tinubu mounted Nigeria’s Presidency with declaring hope and promise to Nigerians, many of who now insist that their lives have taken turn for the worse under the administration.

 

 

Sowore Unveils Plan To Eliminate, Boko Haram, ISWAP Terrorists

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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0
Omoyele Sowore

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, has promised to to eliminate terrorists in the country if he becomes president next year.

Sowore, a popular rights activist is one of the presidential candidates that recently won their parties’ nominations for the 2027 presidential election.

The AAC presidential candidate spoke on Thursday during an interview on Arise  TV.

Apart from Sowore, incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had recently won the All Progressives Congress, APC nomination while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also won the African Democratic Congress, ADC ticket to run for president next year.

They have all vowed to tackle the problem head on.

Some of the presidential candidate have outlined some of their plans to tackle the problem of insecurity currently ravaging the country, particularly the threats posed by Islamist Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa, ISWAP.

Apart from the terrorists that have taken arms against the country, the nation’s security agencies are struggling to contain the activities of bandits who are spread across the country.

Not a few Nigerians insist that the federal government must rise up to the occasion by eliminating the threats post by these none state actors waging  war of attrition against the nation.

According to Sowore, one of his broad-based security plan to eliminate the security threats is to use drone also known as Unmanned Area Vehicle, UAV to tackle the problems, describing new technological warfare as the only way of defeating the criminals.

 

“If I become Nigeria’s president tomorrow, my minister of defence will be a drone. That’s how much I believe in technology.

 

Adding that “I’m just going to have a control centre where people sit down and track terrorists and liquidate them.”

“Rivers Has Become  Conquered Territory”, Fubara Laments, Vows Reclamation, Restoration

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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0
Blessing Fubara,
Blessing Fubara

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

 

Blessing Fubara, allegedly, an elder sibling to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has formally signified  his intention to contest for the Rivers state topmost job  on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.

 

The Source reports that Governor Fubara had, last week, pulled out from the All Progressive Congress, APC, gubernatorial primaries , thereby effectively halting his ambition for a second term in office.

 

His estranged political godfather, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Nyesom Wike, has since described Fubara’s exit from the race to retain his job beyond 2027, as being in tandem with an agreement reached by parties in the botched impeachment move against the Governor a couple of months back.

 

Earlier, Wike had also vowed to explore all available pathways towards ensuring that Governor Fubara does not return to office for a second term as that will lead to his political death.

 

However, while speaking ahead of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, primaries scheduled for Friday May 29, 2026, the older Fubara declared his readiness in restoring peace, stability and economic prosperity to the beleaguered Rivers State.

 

He expressed serious concern that Rivers State, over the past three years has suffered untold economic and political retardation, occasioned mainly by unnecessary politically-induced disagreement and tension.

 

This was as he called for what he described as a ” collective uprising” across political and ethnic lines to reclaim and reposition Rivers state.

 

“We have lost opportunities. We have lost investments. We have lost our dignity as a people. We have lost our pride as Rivers people.

 

“Today, we see a Rivers State that is distressed. Today, we see a Rivers State that is shortchanged. Today, we see a Rivers that seems almost like a conquered state . No, we are not a conquered people”, he stated.

 

For equity and fairness, the older Fubara affirmed his readiness to go for only one term in office if elected.

 

According to him, his decision to only go for one term is to preserve zoning and power rotation arrangement in the state as envisioned by their founding fathers.

 

“I have vowed to do just a four -year one-term tenure to bring the expected prosperity and development in Rivers state

 

“We have vowed to you to keep the peaceful existence of the political rotatiy of Rivers state according to our founding fathers ” he added.

 

He emphasized the urgent need for some aspirants in the Governorship race to withdraw their ambition , with a view to up-scaling ” the uprising of the people , targeted at reclaiming the state from vampires .

I Will Not Be A Sitting Duck In Politics – Omo-Agege

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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0
Senator Ovie Omo-Agege

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

 

Barely 24 hours after resigning his membership of the ruling All Progressive Congress APC, former Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege has joined forces with the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.

 

Unded the Party he will contest  for the Delta Central Senatorial District seat.

 

Senator Omo-Agege who last represented the Delta Central Senatorial District in the 9th Senate ,on Wednesday May 27, 2026, in a letter addressed to the APC ward chairman in Orogun 2 Ughelli North Local Government Area announced his formal exit from the APC.

 

He informed that the decision to quit the party on whose platform he served as Deputy Senate President was sequel to wide consultations with associates and supporters. He noted that his political future and aspiration and those of his Delta Central constituents will better be served outside the ruling party.

 

His resignation came just days after losing the APC Delta Central Senatorial ticket to the incumbent Senator Ede Dafinone.

 

“I will not remain a sitting duck in a party where I cannot advance the interests of Delta Central, Delta state and Nigeria”, he famously stated.

 

In a statement on Thursday, he noted that his decision to defect to the NDC was a product of deep reflection, wide consultations and honest conversations with political associates, supporters and stakeholders.

 

“Today, I formally announce my decision to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress NDC.

 

“The decision is the product of weeks of reflection, wide consultations, and honest conversations with the people I serve.

 

” I have consulted with my political associates nationwide, supporters, and stakeholders who are the backbone of our communities.

 

“Across all these engagements, one truth stood out: Deltans want leadership that listens first, acts with integrity, and delivers results that can be seen, and felt in daily life.

 

” I thank the leadership of the NDC for reaching out, and engaging me in this process. Senator Seriake Dickson, leader and founder, Senator Moses Cleopas,  National Chairman: former Governor Peter Obi, Presidential aspirant and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement ,and NDC chieftain.

 

“Their commitment to building a credible, people-first alternative gives confidence that the NDC is the right platform for Delta State ,and Nigeria.

 

“….After a careful consideration, I am convinced that the NDC offers the clearest path to advance the interests of Delta Central , Delta state and Nigeria.

 

” On this platform, I will contest the Delta Central Senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections” Omo-Agege affirmed.

 

He emphasized the importance of the people registering and obtaining their  permanent voters Cards, PVCs, in readiness for the change they desire in 2027.

It Is the Cosmic — What We Do Returns To Us

By
The Source
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0
Babafemi Ojudu

By Babafemi Ojudu

 

Today, I wish to write about karma. Not its deep philosophical or spiritual meaning. I leave that to theologians, mystics, and philosophers who devote their lives to probing the mysteries of existence and divine order.

 

I simply want to tell two stories. Stories that help the ordinary person understand that life has a way of returning to us the consequences of our actions — whether for good or ill.

 

Stories that remind those who wield power today that authority is temporary, but the memory of how power was used often outlives the powerful themselves.

Power passes. Consequences remain.

 

This piece is not written to ridicule anyone. Certainly not. Age and experience have taken me beyond that stage of life. I have arrived at that season when one begins to use personal experiences not to settle scores, but to teach — in the hope that others may learn from the mistakes we made and from the mistakes made against us.

 

Some years ago, a number of my colleagues and I in Ekiti State became openly critical of my brother, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who was then governor. The response was swift and unforgiving.The machinery of government and party power was allegedly deployed to force us out of the party. Pressure was mounted on ward executives to gather signatures for our expulsion.

 

I, Senator Tony Adeniyi, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, Hon. Bimbo Daramola, and many of our supporters became targets.

 

The chairman of my ward, Mr. Clement Afolabi, was hounded, threatened, arrested, and detained because he refused to be bribed into organizing my expulsion.

 

Politics in our environment has often carried the temperament of warfare.
In response, we moved to suspend the governor himself and publicized the action widely. Matters escalated dangerously until the national leadership of the party intervened and appealed to both sides to sheath their swords.

Politics.

 

Even after that intervention, the police were recruited to pursue us on claims of criminal libel. Our lawyers resisted successfully, but the harassment continued.

We were humiliated, isolated, and made to appear politically irrelevant — despite the fact that many of us had played significant roles in Fayemi’s

 political emergence.

 

But life has an uncanny way of turning the wheel.

 

I have often struggled to convince myself that Dr. Fayemi had absolutely no hand in the later suspension of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in his ward and his eventual removal as National Chairman of the APC. The methods looked hauntingly familiar.

 

Even before attempts were made to expel me from the party, another symbolic drama had unfolded.
The local government arm of the party, led by one Mr. Akinleye, was allegedly instructed to pour five bags of rice at my gate — a theatrical gesture intended to “return” the truckloads of rice I had donated to party members during the COVID period.
I was told the governor was displeased that party members accepted relief materials from me.
Such was the bitterness of politics.

 

Ironically, that same Akinleye and many of his ilk today have switched camp and reportedly serves an anti Fayemi purpose . They are now involved in hounding many who once stood firmly with Fayemi. The way of politics passeth all understanding.

That too is the nature of power.

 

Those who persecute others often forget that political seasons change. Today’s enforcer may become tomorrow’s victim. The hunter, sooner or later, hears footsteps behind him.
It was, therefore, with some surprise that I recently listened to Dr. Fayemi lamenting the current state of our party and complaining about intolerance, exclusion, and the abuse of internal power structures. Many of his observations were not entirely untrue. Yet one could not ignore the irony.

 

Much of what he now condemns are practices many believe flourished under his watch as governor, and later as Chairman of the Governors’ Forum.

 

Mr. Ibrahim Magu, the embattled former EFCC Chairman, certainly may have his own stories to tell. Even the present President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may have tales too to tell of the cohorts of governors and aides under President Buhari.

 

Many who laboured for Fayemi’s emergence found themselves pushed into political exile, isolated from party structures, and treated as enemies.
Life sometimes forces us to drink from wells we once dug for others.
That is one of the enduring lessons of politics — and perhaps of life itself.

 

To be clear, I have since forgiven Dr. Fayemi. We occasionally speak and exchange warm conversations. I must even thank him for his presence at my son’s wedding.

Politics.

 

Age and experience teach one the futility of carrying permanent bitterness.
But forgiveness is not amnesia.
Memory remains one of the scars history leaves behind.

 

Now let me tell the second story.
After the 2007 presidential election, INEC declared Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua winner, while General Muhammadu Buhari was declared to have lost.
Incidentally, Buhari and the late Yar’Adua were not enemies. Buhari and Yar’Adua’s elder brother, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, had been friends, military colleagues, and men who understood one another beyond politics.

 

Buhari challenged the election results from the Tribunal to the Court of Appeal and eventually to the Supreme Court.
Three days before the Supreme Court was to deliver judgment, President Yar’Adua reportedly summoned PDP governors and a few influential political figures.
What he reportedly told them was remarkable.
Intelligence available to him, he said, suggested that the judges were preparing to rule against him. He told the gathering he was willing to accept the judgment. Buhari, he reportedly said, was his brother. If Buhari became President, it would neither diminish him personally nor spiritually. In fact Yar’Adua, God bless him, openly came out to say that the election that brought him to power was flawed.

 

But the governors reportedly resisted fiercely.
“No, it cannot happen,” they insisted.
What followed belongs to that dark archive of Nigerian political history that many know about, but few openly discuss.

 

The judgment, many believe, was influenced.
Yar’Adua remained President.

One of the principal

political actors widely accused at the time of helping shape that outcome and who has on occasions bragged about it is today loudly lamenting that he himself was rigged out during a party primary.
How fascinating life can be.
The very instrument once used against others eventually returned to its wielder.

Karma.
Cosmic balance.
The harvest of human actions.

 

The two judges said to have resisted pressure were later appointed ambassadors by President Buhari — one to London and the other to Washington — not minding their age, perhaps in recognition of their courage and steadfastness.

 

There is a lesson in all this.
A man who participates in the subversion of justice loses moral authority when he later becomes a victim of injustice himself.

One cannot applaud the destruction of institutions when it serves his immediate interests and suddenly become a defender of due process when the same destruction turns against him.

This is how nations decay.

 

When men destroy principles for temporary victories, they fail to realize that someday they too may need those same principles for protection.
That is the tragedy of power without restraint.

In the end, karma is not always mystical.
Sometimes it is simply history taking notes.
Sometimes it is life quietly completing a circle.
Sometimes it is the cosmic reminder that no condition is permanent, no throne eternal, and no abuse of power ever truly disappears.
The universe has a long memory.

 

*Senator Ojudu, an accomplished Journalist, was Presidential Political Adviser in the office of former Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo*

Olawepo-Hashim Laments: “Nigeria Gradually Sliding To Abacha’s Era

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0
Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim

By Akinwale Kasali

 

Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, Presidential Aspirant under the banner of Accord Party, has alleged that Nigeria is gradually sliding back into what he described as the “dark days” of the tyrannical regime of late General Sani Abacha era. He accused powerful political forces of attempting to cripple opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

In a strongly worded statement issued ahead of the Accord Party Presidential primary scheduled for May 30, 2026, Olawepo-Hashim claimed that there were deliberate efforts by influential figures to weaken opposition platforms and prevent the emergence of credible challengers to the ruling establishment.

 

He said, “Nigeria is being dragged back to the Abacha years,” he declared.

 

The former Presidential Candidate stated that it was gathered that a top Chieftain within the Accord Party of allegedly orchestrating internal manoeuvres aimed at destabilising the party and frustrating its ability to field a presidential candidate.

 

According to him, the development bears striking similarities to the political climate during the Abacha era, when all registered political parties were aligned behind a single power structure.

 

“We are seeing a replay of history, when political parties became tools for a self-succession agenda,” he said.

 

He also linked the alleged plot to powerful figures within the administration of President Bola Tinubu, insisting that the attempt to dominate the political space would ultimately fail.

 

“This coordinated plot by top officials will fail, just as the Abacha agenda failed,” Hashim stated.

 

He further accused the political establishment of systematically weakening opposition parties through what he described as manipulative legal and political strategies.

 

According to him, the process included the destabilisation of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the enactment of a “self-serving and obnoxious” Electoral Act, and the failure of some of its promoters to comply with the same provisions before aspects of the law were challenged in court.

 

“They weakened the opposition, wrote the rules to favour themselves, and still refused to play by those rules,” he alleged.

 

Despite the internal crisis within the Accord Party, he  maintained that the party’s presidential primary would proceed as scheduled.

 

“The presidential primary of the Accord Party is scheduled for Saturday, May 30. We are prepared to participate, and by the Grace of God, it will hold,” he said.

 

In a defiant tone, Hashim vowed that pro-democracy forces in the country would resist any attempt to undermine democratic values and political plurality.

 

“We shall not be discouraged. We shall not be intimidated. We fought for democracy, and by the Grace of God, we will defend it,” he declared.

Why Nigeria Must Find Its David Amongst Goliaths In Our Polity – Peter Obi

By
The Source
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0
Peter Obi
Mr Peter Obi

Peter Obi, a front-runner for the 2027 Presidential election in Nigeria, has explicitly identified politicians as the Goliath obstructing progress. He emphasised that Nigeria needs a David to rescue the nation.

 

At a Youth Conference in Abuja, organised by Rev Fr John Chinenye Oluoma of the Abuja Archdiocese, Obi clearly stated that Nigeria must raise a David capable of defeating the Goliath within its polity to forge ahead.

 

“Today, at the David and Goliath conference in Abuja, aimed at empowering Nigerian youths to confront their challenges, I made it clear that the Goliaths in Nigeria’s political landscape are the politicians who divert public funds for personal gain. I told the youths that these politicians are the primary Goliaths because they refuse to prioritise the country’s interests.

 

All critical sectors—security, power, healthcare, and education—are suffering because of the leaders’ corrupt tendencies.

 

The youth delegates at the conference posed tough questions about overcoming the Goliath in their lives as Nigerians.

 

From their questions, I identified the key areas where Nigeria is failing: security, education, health, and unemployment.

 

I challenged the youth to be realistic in their pursuits—live within their means and reject artificial lifestyles—as a way to conquer the Goliath in their lives.

MRA Announces Winners of Goodluck Jonathan Freedom of Information Awards

By
The Source
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0
Goodluck Jonathan
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan:

Media Rights Agenda (MRA), on Thursday, May 28, announced Ms. Blessing Oladunjoye, a journalist and publisher of BONews Service, and Mr. Remmy Nweke, Group Executive Editor of ITREALMS Media Group, as winners in the two categories of the maiden edition of the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan Freedom of Information Awards, established to recognize and celebrate journalistic excellence in advancing the right of access to information under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.

According to MRA, Ms. Oladunjoye emerged winner in the first category of the Awards, having made the highest number of information requests under the FOI Act between May 28, 2011 and December 31, 2025, while Mr. Nweke won in the second category for making the most outstanding contributions in promoting the Act by raising awareness among citizens, government officials and the media about the Act, and advocating for its effective implementation.

In a statement issued in Lagos, MRA’s Executive Director, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, commended the two journalists for their entries and participation in the Awards programme, saying on the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Act into Law, it was fitting to recognize their efforts and contributions, particularly as they have demonstrated professionalism and commitment to public-interest journalism through their work.

He noted that many journalists and media organizations across the country are using the FOI Act for investigative and accountability journalism by requesting official records and other information, monitoring public spending, exposing corruption, verifying government claims, and producing evidence-based reporting, despite continuing challenges of secrecy, non-compliance, and weak transparency systems among many public institutions.

Mr. Ojo said although many of such journalists did not submit entries for the Awards, he would encourage them and their media organizations to continue utilizing the Act to advance accountability, expose corruption, and promote good governance.

He remarked that, in addition to at least 50 requests for information that she has submitted to public institutions in different parts of the country for her journalistic activities, Ms Oladunjoye has also made significant contributions to the effective implementation of the Act through her relentless litigation aimed at getting various courts to compel defaulting public institutions to comply with their obligations under the Act. He congratulated her for such cases that she has already won in court and wished her luck with the pending cases.

Mr. Ojo praised Mr. Nweke for his FOI Act-related reporting as well as his promotion and defence of the Act through at least 42 media outputs, including 24 news and institutional accountability stories, 11 feature articles touching on tech-governance investigations, in which he has used the Act to probe high-stakes digital issues, including spectrum licensing transparency and cybersecurity funding; and seven commentaries advocating reforms.

 

He explained that the Awards seek to encourage journalists and other media practitioners to utilize the Act as a tool for investigative reporting, public accountability, anti-corruption efforts, and the promotion of democratic governance, emphasizing that “access to information remains a cornerstone of democratic governance and sustainable development.”

Mr. Ojo stressed that journalists play a critical role in ensuring that citizens are informed about government activities, public expenditure, policies and their implementation, as well as other issues touching upon the security and welfare of citizens, which the Constitution has designated in Section 14 as the primary purpose of Government.

He said: “The FOI Act is a most potent weapon in a journalist’s arsenal, but it will only be effective if we constantly wield it. The Act provides media practitioners with an indispensable tool to perform their key constitutional duty of holding the Government accountable to the people.  Let us use it relentlessly. While there are many public institutions and officials that continue to undermine the effectiveness of the Act, it is our firm view that the media also has a critical role to play in ensuring that all persons and authorities to which the Act applies fully implement it and comply with its provisions.”

Mr. Ojo noted that the Awards were instituted in honour of former President Goodluck Jonathan in recognition of his courageous act of assenting to the Act on May 28, 2011, by which his Administration established a legal framework guaranteeing the public’s right to access information held by public institutions in Nigeria.

He reaffirmed MRA’s commitment to promoting the effective implementation of the Act and supporting initiatives that strengthen investigative journalism, media freedom, transparency, and democratic accountability in Nigeria.

Mr. Ojo said the winning journalists would be formally honoured at an Awards ceremony to be held later, at which each of them will receive a plaque, a certificate, and a prize.

OPINION: A Panegyric to a General Who was my Teacher

By
The Source
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0
Isaac Obiakor

By Valentine Obienyem

 

When men die, orations are delivered and elegies are written, as though words, marshalled in solemn procession, could sufficiently answer the ancient tyranny of death. Yet for a general who was also my teacher, I shall write not merely an elegy, but a panegyric – for there are lives whose dignity demands not lamentation alone, but grateful celebration. Such men do not merely pass through the corridors of time; they leave upon the age the imprint of character, discipline, and honour. This is about General Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor.

 

I speak of him as Mark Antony spoke of Caesar: he was our teacher and friend – resourceful, steadfast, and faithful to us. He brought added brilliance to an already luminous constellation of minds at the UNIZIK Business School, enriching it with depth, character, and distinction.

 

UNIZIK Business School is unique in everything it does, fiercely determined to be the finest in the country. To achieve this, the institution purposefully brings in giants from diverse fields to handle specialised, practical disciplines. During my master’s and doctoral programmes, our classrooms were graced by a veritable cornucopia of knowledge, including Professor Okey Ikechukwu, a polymath of rare distinction. His teaching does not merely convey information; it offers perspective. He takes our fragmented knowledge and weaves it into a coherent philosophy.

 

Dr. Ikem Odumodu, who believes  that a student is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited, embodied that pedagogical ideal in practice. When he observed my reflections on Toga fashion through business plan I had written as an assignment, he assumed the role of a midwife  through whose painful midwifery, Toga Fashion was born. Prof. Chinedu Onyeizugbe knows the complete story.

 

Chief Frank Nweke, former Minister, brought a different kind of presence. Seeing me in his class, he exclaimed, “Oh, Val, you are here,” with a warmth that was contagious. In him, experience counted as part of tools for quality teaching.

 

Professor Ellis Idemobi always instructs through the quiet eloquence of his own behaviour, demonstrating discipline, punctuality, and integrity in his conduct as, (apologies to my elder brother , Fr. Cosmas Ebebe),  “ a teacher of values.” When we misbehaved, he would often condone it on the understanding that we were adults; yet his disappointment revealed itself in the blushes that spread across his rubicund face, a silent rebuke more powerful than words.

 

We have many others whose presence together forms that rare intellectual ecosystem in which ideas are not merely taught, but lived, tested, and refined.

 

To understand the ethos of the school, courses bordering on politics and statecraft were assigned to figures like Chief Nweke, while those bordering on philosophy found a natural home in Professor Ikechukwu. It is this same commitment to excellence that guided the choice of teachers for courses in strategic and security studies. This is where the General came in.

 

Through the foresight of the then Director-General, Professor A.U. Nonyelu, the school engaged a retired Lieutenant General of the Nigerian Army to handle security-related courses. I still remember the very first day he walked into our classroom. A highly elated Professor Nonyelu, conscious of having secured a great catch and speaking with cheeks bursting with pride, introduced him, presenting his arrival as proof that the school would never relent in its pursuit of excellence in selecting those who instruct us.

Valentine Obienyem
Valentine Obienyem

Like a true soldier, discipline was his forte. He was always punctual, stepping into the lecture hall with a precision that commanded immediate respect. While teaching, he gently observed the reactions of his students with the calm detachment of a scientist observing a laboratory experiment.

 

It was with a heavy, unmoored heart that I recently learned from my brother, Mr. Isaac Umunna, that his namesake, this great general and teacher, had passed away.

 

Lieutenant General Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor was of the old breed, one who believed in the virtues of duty, honour, and discipline. He understood that civilisation survives not merely by intellect or wealth, but by character, by men willing to subordinate personal comfort to collective peace. Whether during peacekeeping mission under the ECOMOG banner in Liberia, commanding troops within the global chambers of the United Nations, or teaching us at UNIZIK Business School, he embodied the same quiet strength, professionalism, and devotion to service.

 

He belonged to a diminishing generation that believed duty was sacred, that leadership demanded restraint, and that public service was a profound moral undertaking. In an era increasingly crowded by emptiness, he remained a man of pure substance.

 

Death has now drawn its inevitable curtain, as it eventually does over emperors and peasants alike. Yet there are lives that death cannot truly impoverish because they have entered our collective memory with honour. General Obiakor, the highest ranking Igbo military personnel so far,  leaves behind not merely medals and titles, but the  respect of those who encountered his humanity, his sharp intellect, and his patriotism. His memory shall linger wherever integrity is cherished, and wherever young Nigerians still dare to believe that true greatness is attained through service.

 

Good bye my great teacher!!!!!!!!

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