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Controversy trails LP’s N100,000 minimum wage proposal
The unveiling of the 72-page manifesto titled, “It’s POssible: Our Pact with Nigerians,” was miffed amid speculations, internal wrangling among LP members and the sack of the Director General of his campaign, Doyin Okupe.
While the drama of accusations and counter-accusations continued to trail the sacking of Okupe, a high-ranking member of the party announced on Thursday that the former Anambra governor would elevate the minimum wage of workers from the paltry N30,000 to about N100,000 when he wins the 2023 presidential election.
LP Deputy National Chairman, Ayo Olorunfemi, who appeared on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday as a guest told the presenter that they are aiming to review the new minimum wage to between N80,000-N100,000.
He said, “The party is eyeing N80,000 to N100,000. But it also depends on the nature of the job that would be given out. For instance, when you take a cursory look at the manual labourer out there, he does not take less than N2,500 to N3,000 per day, which is still not okay as far as the reward system is concerned. If you divide N3,000 by six hours, you will be talking about N500 per hour.
“When you benchmark that against what we have now, certainly, you would be talking of something within the range of N500-N1,000 per hour depending on the nature of work, and at the end of the day, someone can effectively say that he can make up to N4,000 in a day. And when you multiply N4,000 in a day by 20 or 25, we are talking about N80,000 or N100,000 in a month.”
His position was supported by the spokesman of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, who told our correspondent that it is an insult for any serious government to be paying its workers N30,000 as salary.
While disclosing that the LP presidential candidate’s desire is to see workers living comfortably, Tanko stated that they are determined to right some wrongs including the lingering crisis with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
“It is part of our plan to jack up the issue of payment of salaries. Remember that the majority of Nigeria Labour Congress members also belong to the party. Therefore, they will help to facilitate and determine the new minimum wage in the presidential quest of Peter Obi.
“As a Labour man, these areas are positions we are considering seriously in our campaign proposal. These are some of the things that will also dovetail into the issue of ASUU when the union is supposed to be fully remunerated according to their workforce.
“I watched the issue myself and can allude to the fact that what we are trying to do is to make workers more comfortable in their duties. After all, we all go to the same markets. But you cannot justify them being paid N30,000 as salary when they cannot take care of one bag of rice. It is very insulting,” he stated.
When contacted, the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, declined to comment on the issue.
He said, “Please give me some time. I will get back.”
As of the time of filing this report, he has yet to react to the N100,000 minimum wage proposal announced on national television by his deputy.
Reacting to his statement, the LP National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, scolded Olorunfemi, saying he has no locus standi to make such pronouncement on behalf of the flag bearer.
“He is not competent to speak or make such claim. Such statement can only come from the mouth of the presidential candidate. Olorunfemi wasn’t directed to speak to that effect. Wherever he picked the information, we don’t know.
“We know Mr Peter Obi is not a frivolous person. There was no way he could just issue a random statement that he will increase minimum wage from N30,000 to N100,000.
“Don’t forget that he is also a Senatorial candidate in Ondo. Probably, he is saying that in his own capacity pending when he enters the Senate. Maybe, by then, he will able to work towards increasing it to that level.”
The United States has described a recent counterterrorism operation in Nigeria as one of its most significant successes in the fight against jihadist groups, recovering what it calls the largest cache of enemy electronic equipment since the September 11, 2001 attacks.Politics
Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the U.S. National Security Council, made the disclosure in an interview with PragerU CEO Marissa Streit.
Gorka stated that U.S. operatives, in coordination with Nigerian forces, conducted a raid approximately three weeks ago that neutralised 199 jihadists in a single operation.
“That is the biggest neutralisation of enemy killed in action since September 11. Two hundred and ninety-nine jihadists who will not harm Americans again,” Gorka said.
He added that the operation yielded an intelligence haul so substantial that an additional aircraft was required to transport the recovered electronic materials.
“We needed an extra plane to bring home all the electronic material that we captured in those camps. The haul was three times bigger than any enemy electronics haul since 9/11,” he said.
According to Gorka, the recovered materials are being analysed for intelligence on Islamic State (ISIS) and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) communication networks, financing, operational planning and international links.
Speaking on how the operation was authorised, Gorka said President Donald Trump approved the mission after being briefed on the threat posed by the targeted militants.
“We told the President, this man has killed Americans and is planning to kill Americans. He ticked the ‘go box’ on the operational orders we had in front of him.”
Gorka also said Africa has increasingly become a focus for ISIS because of vast ungoverned territories where extremist groups can regroup after defeats elsewhere.
He further disclosed that the administration’s current counterterrorism campaign has resulted in the neutralisation of more than 1,000 jihadists globally.
Details of the specific location and exact date of the raid were not publicly specified, although reports have linked it to operations in Borno State targeting ISWAP elements, including the reported elimination of a high-value target.
The announcement underscores ongoing U.S.-Nigeria security cooperation against terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin and the wider Sahel. Nigerian and U.S. forces have collaborated on intelligence sharing, training and equipment support in efforts to combat Boko Haram and ISWAP.Demographics
No independent verification of the casualty figures or the scale of the intelligence recovered had been released by Nigerian authorities as of the time of reporting.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a sweeping reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), marking the first comprehensive restructuring of the scheme since its establishment 53 years ago.
The landmark reforms, approved during Monday’s FEC meeting in Abuja, are aimed at transforming the NYSC into a skills-driven, productivity-focused institution that aligns with the Federal Government’s economic development agenda.
One of the most significant changes is the restructuring of the scheme’s leadership, with the NYSC to be headed by a civilian for the first time, while the military will continue to provide security support for corps members across the country.
To give legal effect to the reforms, the Council directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and other relevant regulations.
Announcing the development on Monday, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, described the decision as the first holistic review of the NYSC since its creation in 1973.
“We are transforming the Scheme into a platform that not only unites Nigeria but also equips our young people with the skills, experience and opportunities they need to thrive in a fast-changing world,” the minister said.
According to Olawande, the reforms are designed to reposition the NYSC as “a skills-driven, productivity-focused and youth-empowering institution” in line with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy.
The approved reforms include a technology-driven call-up process, risk-sensitive deployment to enhance the safety of corps members, a redesigned six-week orientation programme with greater emphasis on leadership, entrepreneurship, digital skills and specialised career tracks, as well as skills-based primary assignments aligned with graduates’ academic backgrounds and career aspirations.
Other changes include modern governance with civilian operational leadership, improved orientation camp standards through a national grading and certification system, a new graduation ceremony to replace the traditional Passing Out Parade, and a redesigned NYSC uniform aimed at promoting professionalism and national pride.
Olawande disclosed that the reform process began in 2025 following extensive consultations involving the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the Federal Ministry of Education, and the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination.
“This is more than a reform of an institution. It is an investment in Nigeria’s greatest asset—our young people. The future of the NYSC begins now, and it is brighter, more relevant and more impactful than ever,” he added.
Established in 1973 after the Nigerian Civil War, the NYSC was created to foster national unity by deploying graduates to states outside their regions of origin for one year of compulsory national service.
The latest reforms represent the most far-reaching changes in the history of the scheme, with the Federal Government saying they will make the NYSC more relevant to Nigeria’s evolving economic and youth development priorities.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has approved a cabinet reshuffle that affects all Special Advisers, Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, as well as the Deputy Chief of Staff and the Principal Private Secretary.
The development was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the governor’s Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mashood Agboola, who described the move as a minor cabinet shake-up.
“Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has approved a minor cabinet shake-up involving all Special Advisers, Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, and Special Assistants,” the statement read.
According to the statement, the decision was taken to create opportunities for more members of the ruling party and bring renewed energy into the administration.
The statement noted that the exercise also affects the Deputy Chief of Staff and the Principal Private Secretary to the Governor.
The reshuffle comes as part of efforts by the AbdulRazaq administration to reconstitute parts of its team while broadening participation within the government.
The United Kingdom rejected at least 1,344,595 Nigerian visa applications between 2005 and the first quarter of 2026, official Home Office data reveals.
The rejection rate places Nigeria second globally in total visa refusals, behind only India and ahead of Pakistan and China, among others, as Nigerians alone accounted for 44.4 per cent of all UK visa rejections across Africa in the period.
Over the 21-year period, the UK also granted 2,723,558 visas to Nigerians, making it the third-highest total issued to any nationality in the world, behind only India and China.
The data showed that Nigeria was the largest single recipient of UK entry clearance visas in Africa, ahead of South Africa (1,638,538) and Egypt (695,606).
The figures are drawn from the UK Home Office’s entry clearance visa outcomes datasets, covering the first quarter of 2005 through the first quarter of 2026, obtained by The PUNCH from the UK government’s immigration system statistics data tables published in 2026.
The dataset covers all decisions across visitor, study, work, family, and other visa routes.
For Nigeria, the cumulative refusal rate over the 21-year period stood at 33.1 per cent, more than double the UK’s global average of 14.8 per cent.
Of the approximately 4.09 million Nigerian applications submitted, 4,068,153 received issued or refused decisions.
Nigeria’s 1.34 million refusals accounted for 15.2 per cent of all 8,829,638 UK visa refusals worldwide.
Over the two decades, approximately one in every seven UK visa rejections went to a Nigerian applicant, even as Nigerians submitted just 6.8 per cent of all global applications.
Visitor visas dominated both the grants and the rejections. Of the 1,344,595 refused applications for Nigerians, 1,127,088, or 83.8 per cent, fell in the visitor category, which carried a 37.1 per cent refusal rate over the full period.
Study visa rejections totalled 130,712 at a 20.5 per cent rate, work visa rejections amounted to 41,410 at 16 per cent, and family refusals were 12,217.
In 2025, visitor visa refusals alone stood at 66,143, against 105,039 issued, at a 38.6 per cent rejection rate.
By the first quarter of 2026, 13,779 visitor visa applications had already been refused at 37.5 per cent.
The period with the sharpest refusal rate was the mid-2000s, where, in 2006, the UK turned down 117,968 Nigerian applications, a rate of 49.6 per cent.
Refusals had also reached 111,058 in 2005 at a 44.4 per cent rate.
The numbers improved over the ensuing decade, with the refusal rate falling to 26.2 per cent in 2011 and eventually reaching its recent low of 21 per cent in 2023, when a post-pandemic surge drove a record 281,658 visa grants to Nigerian applicants.
It was the highest single-year total in the dataset, preceded by 249,332 grants in 2022.
However, the high acceptance rate did not last. In April 2024, the UK raised the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas from £26,200 to £38,700, a 48 per cent increase, and restricted dependent visa rights for students and care workers, which cut application volumes.
Nigeria’s work visa applications fell by about 68 per cent in 2024 after the salary threshold review rendered many previously qualifying roles ineligible, according to analysis by immigration research firm Intelpoint.
In 2024, 77,706 Nigerians were refused at a rate of 33.5 per cent, and in 2025, 77,571 were refused at 33.1 per cent.
By the first quarter of 2026, 16,692 had been refused at 35.4 per cent, higher than either of the preceding two full years.
In Africa, Nigeria topped the list of nationalities with the most UK visa rejections.
Of the 3,027,198 total UK visa refusals for all African nationalities over the period, Nigeria’s 1,344,595 constituted 44.4 per cent.
Ghana ranked second among African countries with 374,108 refusals at a 40.5 per cent rate, followed by Algeria (191,903 refusals at 41.7 per cent rate), Egypt (134,055 at 16.2 per cent rate), Zimbabwe (102,246 at 26 per cent rate), Morocco (93,722 at 22.2 per cent rate), Kenya (75,973 at 18.8 per cent rate), Uganda (64,759 at 34.9 per cent rate), South Africa (61,521 at 3.6 per cent rate), and Sudan (59,069 at 31 per cent rate).
Across all nationalities, the UK processed 60,063,475 visa applications between 2005 and Q1 2026, issuing 50,873,344 and refusing 8,829,638.
African applicants submitted 11,433,508 of those visa requests, making up nine per cent of the global total, yet received 3,027,198 refusals, representing 34.3 per cent of all UK rejections worldwide.
African nations accounted for nearly double the share of applications, yet generated only about half the volume of refusals.
Nigeria alone submitted 35.7 per cent of all African applications and claimed 32.7 per cent of all UK visas issued to Africans.
The UK entry clearance visa system requires citizens of non-exempt countries, including Nigeria, to obtain formal permission before arrival.
Under the points-based immigration framework introduced in 2008 and expanded after Brexit, applicants must demonstrate financial solvency, genuine intent to visit, and sponsorship for work and study routes.
Visitor visa decisions, which remain the most contested category, depend on entry clearance officers’ assessment of financial evidence and the applicant’s ties to their home country.
These criteria, reports say, have historically led to higher refusal rates among applicants from economies classified as high-emigration risk.
In the year ending September 2025, Nigerians ranked among the top five nationalities submitting asylum claims after entering the UK on a valid visa.
The Home Office said this pattern has led it to tighten controls on its visa and asylum grants to Nigerians.
Speaking to our correspondent, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, said the inclination to leave the country largely stems from Nigeria’s struggling economy, with many citizens taking the Japa route.
He argued that the japa trend may only be reduced by significant economic improvement in the nation.
“The urge to travel out of the country is, in itself, primarily a function of the performance of our national economy. The economic doldrums have pushed compatriots into Japa mode.
“The trend may, unfortunately, increase until there’s a turnaround in the performance of the national economy,” the ex-diplomat noted.
He said while the number of visa rejections is worrisome, the sheer volume of approvals balances it out.
Amedu-Ode added, “Even then, the simultaneous increase in approvals and rejection is a function of the spike in the number of our compatriots applying to travel to that zone of the world.”
According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the reshuffle is part of efforts to strengthen national security and improve operational effectiveness across the country.
The statement added that the postings affected field commanders, school commandants and principal staff officers at the Army Headquarters.
It noted that the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, approved the strategic redeployment of senior officers, saying the move was aimed at enhancing the Army’s capacity to address emerging security challenges.
Under the new appointments, Major General WM Dangana has been named the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division Nigerian Army and Commander of Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE, replacing Major General EF Oyinlola.
Similarly, Major General EI Okoro has been appointed GOC 6 Division Nigerian Army and Land Component Commander of Joint Task Force South-South Operation DELTA SAFE, succeeding Major General EE Emeka.
The statement also announced the appointment of Major General JR Lar as Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison, while Brigadier General OM Oyekola will serve as Acting Military Secretary (Army). Brigadier General I Waziri retains his position as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chief of Army Staff.
As part of efforts to strengthen operational leadership and combat readiness, Brigadier General IB Buhari was appointed Commander of Headquarters 63 Brigade, while Brigadier General K Rabiu was named Commander of Headquarters 31 Artillery Brigade.
In a move reflecting the Army’s growing emphasis on technology and emerging security threats, Major General SA Emmanuel was appointed Commander of the Nigerian Army Space Command.
Major General O Adegbe was also appointed Director of Intelligence and Security at Defence Headquarters.
In the area of military education and institutional development, Major General KE Chigbu was appointed Deputy Commandant of the National Defence College, while Major General SD Makolo became Commandant of the Nigerian Army Armour School.
Other appointments include Major General SO Adejimi as Commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport and Major General FS Etim as Chief of Training at the Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command, Nigerian Army (TRADOC).
Brigadier General U Ahmad has also been appointed Commandant of Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria.
The reshuffle further saw Major General KO Ukandu appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Post Housing Development Limited, while Major General AI Allison was named Managing Director of Defence Properties Limited.
The statement added, “The COAS charged the newly appointed senior officers to justify the confidence reposed in them by demonstrating exemplary leadership, professionalism, innovation and unwavering commitment to the Nigerian Army’s constitutional mandate of defending Nigeria’s sovereignty, protecting its territorial integrity and supporting civil authority in maintaining peace and security across the nation.
“The Nigerian Army remains resolute in its transformation drive and commitment to building a highly professional, combat-ready and people-oriented force capable of effectively addressing contemporary and future security challenges in pursuit of Nigeria’s national security objectives.”
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