Politics
Tinubu govt awards N6tn contracts for roads, others to mark one year in office
President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Executive Council has awarded 51 contracts worth N6.27tn for procuring, constructing and developing various infrastructural projects across the federation in eight months.
The contracts, awarded between October 16, 2023, and May 14, 2024, totalling eight months, were allocated to facilitate the development of a wide array of infrastructural projects across critical sectors, encompassing the construction of roads, bridges, train systems, and airport infrastructure.
It awarded 43 road projects and three airport contracts, among others.
The FEC is the highest executive body in a Federal Government system. It’s composed of senior government officials including ministers and other high-ranking cabinet members and has a constitutional role to formulate policies, execute government projects, and, more broadly, aid the President in discharging his executive functions, although the president is the ultimate executive decision-maker.
The President, in his inaugural speech on May 29 last year, promised massive development of infrastructure.
He stated, “We shall continue the efforts of the Buhari administration on infrastructure. Progress toward national networks of roads, rail and ports shall get priority attention.“
At the FEC inaugural meeting last August, Tinubu charged his cabinet members to work hard and be committed to creating a buoyant economy that will serve every Nigerian.
Tinubu told FEC members including ministers to work hard, saying that the expectations of Nigerians were very high and underperformance would not be tolerated.
The President also restated his government‘s policy agenda which includes reforming the economy to deliver sustainable and inclusive growth and strengthen national security for peace and prosperity.
“You and I know that expectations are high, and these are tough times. We must work hard and move ourselves to create a buoyant economy that will serve Nigeria. We have an unacceptable employment rate, and we are facing threats from climate change.
“To turn things around, you have been selected to perform your utmost best. Our policy implementation will reform the economy, ensure inclusive growth, and strengthen security for peace and prosperity. Without security, there can be no investment,” the president said.
He also approved the conduct of the FEC weekly meeting to be held every Monday. Under the previous administration, the FEC meetings were held on Wednesdays every week.
Abuja-Lokoja route
A breakdown of the projects showed that during the FEC meeting held on May 14, the Ministry of Works secured an approval of N89bn for the reconstruction of Koton- Karfe -Abaji road (Abuja 12 bound), along the Abuja-Lokoja route in Kogi state.
The FEC also on the same date awarded a contract worth N120bn for the equalisation of Lokoja- Benin road, Okpela Section, Lokoja-Benin’ dualised Auchi section. The road will be financed by BUA Cement under the tax credit scheme.
This decision was reached during a lengthy meeting chaired by Tinubu on May 14, during which 21 significant policy initiatives were unveiled.
Section two of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway was also awarded on the same day at a cost of N1.6tn while N546bn was apportioned for roads and bridges in Kaima- Tesse, Kwara State, Benin-Agbor, Benin Byepass and Ngaski-Wara in Kebbi State and N230bn Construction of a 37-kilometre Kano Bypass road.
On February 26, the Federal Government approved N1.067tn for the first phase of the highway’s construction. The Minister of Works, David Umahi, explained that the section, a 47.47 kilometres dual carriageway of five lanes on each side and a train track on the middle, is part of the 700-kilometre road spanning nine states and with two spurs leading up north.
The Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project, designed to stretch 700 kilometres and pass through nine states, was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Limited on an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Financing arrangement, where the bulk of the risk falls on the contractor.
On March 26, Umahi said FEC approved N1.495tn contracts for 29 roads and bridges across the country.
Umahi explained, “Today, the Federal Executive Council considered and approved 29 roads and bridges totalling N1.5tn. After going through the Bureau of Public Procurement, they were all approved by FEC, and we got Certification of No Objection.
“Council also approved the Bukuru bridge across Katsina-Ala River in Benue State. It is a twin bridge matching the dualised road there, and each of the bridges is about 850 meters. Put together, it is 1.7km and costs about N83.799bn.
“FEC also approved a road from Shaki to Okerete in Oyo State. The road is 91.432km and will cost N144bn.”
Also in March, N992.23bn was awarded for the rehabilitation and construction of seven road projects.
The FEC also approved N5.5bn to fund the construction of access roads serving communities along the Abuja light rail project.
In the aviation sector, N4.2bn was awarded for the supply, installation and training of operators of disabled aircraft recovery systems at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos State.
On December 13, 2023, the FEC approved N6.33bn for technical support services at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and the procurement of a wide area Multilateration Air Traffic Management system at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said the technical support service, which involves maintenance of the new international wing of the Lagos Airport, would be carried out by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd. for five years, costing N4.1bn.
The Multilateration air traffic management system to be sited at the Port Harcourt International Airport would cost N2.23bn.
“It is for the first five years for a contract sum of N4.1bn, inclusive of 7.5 per cent VAT, with a completion period of five years. It is for the comfort of the travelling public, for Nigerians,” he added.
Other projects are the building of bus terminals and other transport facilities in the FCT at the cost of N51bn, the upgrade of Kwaita-Yebu 5 Road in Kuala Area Council of Abuja, N7.6bn; and the building of the Court of Appeal Abuja Division at N37.2bn.
Speaking with our correspondent in Abuja, financial experts lauded the government’s strategic decision to prioritise infrastructural projects, recognising it as a proactive and forward-thinking initiative aimed at bolstering economic growth, enhancing connectivity, and fostering sustainable development across various sectors.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, said awarded projects were worthwhile and held significant value in fostering development.
He said, “The projects are worthwhile and hold significant value, each dedicated to fostering development. They are projects that support the development of our country and you can only have as many projects as you have resources. The government must allocate ample resources to bring them to fruition. It is the number of resources that you have that will determine the number of projects but as far as the value of those projects is concerned from a development point of view, all of them are very important and the government just have to ensure that they have enough resources to see them to completion.”
Similarly, a professor of Economics at Babcock University, Segun Ajibola, said the government had been creative in procuring contracts via private and public partnerships.
Ajibola said, “This administration has been very creative in terms of awarding contracts within these few months. There are so many projects that are so desirable but the funding capacity may be limited and there are so many ways and manners projects are awarded these days. For example, the Oshodi-Apapa expressway commissioned recently was done via a partnership with Dangote which will come back to the company by way of tax rebates. Also, some of the projects are on Public-private Partnerships and will not draw funds directly from the government.
“We have uncompleted projects dotting the landscape and others are begging for attention like road projects. We can only continue to encourage the government and pray for the country as a whole to up the ante by increasing the revenue being mobilised. The environment is a serious infrastructural deficit and begging for serious attention.”
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Cowry Treasurers Limited, Charles Sanni, emphasised the importance of maximising the benefits derived from these projects, stressing the necessity of prioritizing those with longer timelines for completion over those that can be immediately concluded, especially considering the existence of other unfinished projects awaiting attention.
Sanni said, “Again, there are political issues in economic policies, so if you ask on the streets in terms of economic optimisation, I would say they may not be necessary. Still, for the president, maybe it is a reward for political patronage but it is strictly economic and finance. It behoves the government to optimise the benefit of those projects. I don’t think that it is necessary to embark on those projects for which you have a longer time to complete when you can immediately conclude on some other unfinished projects.
“Our resources are scarce like we say in economics but what is the scale of preference? for a political objective, the scale of preference may be different from that who is inclined in that direction and I think we need to watch it.”
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ten communities that make up Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State are set for a showdown with their traditional rulers following the alleged suspension of the zoning arrangement for the Anambra State House of Assembly elections.
Recall that on April 7, 2022, the traditional rulers, in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), resolved that the House of Assembly seats for Anaocha I and Anaocha II constituencies would rotate among the ten communities, with each town occupying the seat for two terms.
The traditional rulers further resolved that the rotation would subsist irrespective of the political party through which lawmakers emerge, noting that the arrangement was aimed at ensuring that all ten communities have the opportunity to produce members of the State Assembly in the interest of equity and fairness.
However, the Anaocha Equity Forum, shortly after its meeting, expressed concern over the alleged suspension of the zoning arrangement.
Speaking, the Convener of the Anaocha Equity Forum, Mr. Valentine Okoye, said the forum would not take kindly to what it described as acts capable of destabilising the council area, adding that any such move would be resisted.
“This is a Memorandum of Understanding signed by our traditional rulers, and it has been respected until now. We in the Anaocha Equity Forum see this as a slap on the sensibilities of the ten communities that make up the area,” he said.
“We urge members of the public, political parties, and stakeholders to disregard the alleged position of the traditional rulers, as it does not represent the views and aspirations of our people.
“Our traditional rulers should be mindful of their roles as fathers of their respective communities. They should also understand that they would be held responsible for whatever backlash or consequences may arise from this recent position.
“We call on Governor Charles Soludo to call the traditional rulers to order so that the peace currently enjoyed in Anaocha Local Government Area will not be disrupted,” he stated.
The exit of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, two prominent opposition figures, has weakened the African Democratic Congress across both chambers of the National Assembly.
The National Democratic Congress, which received Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso on Sunday, recorded its biggest gains on Tuesday with the addition of 17 House members and a senator. Weeks earlier, its ranks expanded when Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to join the party.
The development comes a few days after several opposition parties resolved to present a single presidential candidate against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
The wave of defection to the NDC occurred 48 hours after Obi and Kwankwaso, two of the ADC’s most prominent figures, formally exited the party. These moves have significantly altered the opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, setting the stage for shifting political alliances.
Additionally, the latest defectors, drawn from Kano, Anambra, Lagos, Edo, Rivers, and Kogi States, cited internal disarray within the ADC as a major factor that influenced their decision.
While reading their letters on the floor of the House, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary session, said the lawmakers blamed the party’s instability for their departure, noting that the crisis remained “unresolved starting from the ward to the national level.”
The defectors to the NDC are Yusuf Datti, Sani Adamu, Zakari Mukhtari, Kamilu Ado, Harris Okonkwo, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Peter Anekwe, Emeka Idu, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, and Afam Ogene. Others include Lagos lawmakers Thaddeus Attah, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, George Olwande, and Jese Onuakalusi, as well as Murphy Omroruyi from Edo and Umezuruike Manuchim from Rivers State.
In a separate move, Kogi lawmaker Leke Abejide defected from the ADC to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The coordinated nature of the defections is widely interpreted as a show of loyalty to Obi and Kwankwaso, whose switch to the NDC is already reshaping opposition dynamics.
Both men are influential political figures with strong regional bases—Obi in the South-East and Kwankwaso in the North-West—and their exit from the ADC appears to have triggered a ripple effect among lawmakers aligned with their political structures.
The ADC’s current troubles did not emerge overnight. In recent months, tensions within the party escalated over leadership struggles, strategy disagreements, and competing ambitions among top figures.
The situation worsened amid reports of irreconcilable differences between Obi, Kwankwaso, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was also a central figure in opposition coalition talks.
Efforts to build a united front ahead of 2027 reportedly broke down due to mistrust, zoning disagreements, and control of party structures.
Their eventual defection to the NDC marked a turning point. Seen as a more viable platform for consolidating opposition strength, the NDC quickly became a magnet for lawmakers and political actors seeking stability and clearer leadership direction.
With the departure of key figures and a steady decline in its legislative strength, the ADC now faces a daunting struggle to maintain political relevance.
The loss of national figures like Obi and Kwankwaso, combined with the defection of lawmakers across multiple states, appears to have weakened its structure and electoral prospects.
Only last week, the party boasted 24 members of the House of Representatives, but it is now left with six.
Once the dominant opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party may equally struggle to retain its status.
Though still officially the most formidable opposition in the House, the PDP currently has 29 members in the Green Chamber, down from 116 members in its ranks at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023.
Barely a year to the inauguration of the 11th National Assembly, the Senate on Tuesday moved to tighten its internal rules, effectively narrowing the path to its most powerful offices and edging out a class of incoming lawmakers, including serving governors and former senators eyeing leadership positions.
In a move widely seen as pre-emptive, the red chamber, after about three hours of a closed-door session, amended Orders 4 and 5 of its Standing Rules, restricting eligibility for both presiding and principal offices to ranking lawmakers with defined legislative experience.
The amendments come amid growing interest by outgoing governors and political heavyweights, many of whom are positioning to enter the Senate in 2027 to contest for top leadership roles such as Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
Under the Revised Order 4, the Senate reinforced a strict hierarchy for the emergence of presiding officers, stating that “Nomination of senators to serve as Presiding Officers shall be in accordance with the ranking of senators and shall be strictly adhered to.
“The order of ranking are (i) Former President of the Senate, (ii) Former Deputy President of the Senate, (iii) Former Principal Officers of the Senate, (iv) Senators who had served at least one term of four years, (v) Senators who had been members of the House of Representatives, (vi) In the absence of i to v, senators elected into the Senate for the first time,” it stated.
Beyond this ranking structure, the Senate introduced a more stringent provision in Order 5, effectively excluding first-time and non-consecutive lawmakers from contesting principal offices.
The amended rule states: “Any senator shall not be eligible to contest for any principal office of the Senate unless he has served as a senator for at least two consecutive terms immediately preceding nomination.”
The implication is far-reaching: senators-elect who were not members of both the 9th and 10th National Assembly would be ineligible to vie for key leadership roles in the 11th Assembly.
Presiding offices in the Senate include the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, while principal offices comprise Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Whip, Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip.
The rule changes come against the backdrop of an intensifying scramble for Senate seats ahead of the 2027 general elections, driven largely by governors completing their constitutionally allowed two terms.
No fewer than 10 state governors and several former governors are already angling to secure senatorial tickets, leveraging their influence over party structures to emerge as consensus candidates in their respective states.
At least 12 of the 36 state governors are in their second and final terms, with 10 set to complete their tenure by May 29, 2027.
The looming transition has triggered a wave of political realignments, with many seeking to maintain relevance and influence by moving to the National Assembly.
Eight of the affected governors are from the ruling All Progressives Congress, while Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party, and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed is aligned with the Allied Peoples Movement.
Those expected to exit office in 2027 include AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), alongside Makinde and Bala Mohammed.
Although Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma will complete their tenures in early 2028 due to off-cycle elections, both have been drawn into early permutations for Senate seats.
In Imo State, the political temperature has risen sharply following moves by the All Progressives Congress to position Uzodimma for the Imo West senatorial seat.
Party leaders in the state have already named him as the consensus candidate, even as the incumbent senator, Osita Izunaso, is reportedly seeking a return to the red chamber.
Last Saturday, APC leaders from the Orlu Zone (Imo West), led by the state chairman, Chief Austin Onyedebelu, purchased the 2027 senatorial nomination form for the governor, urging him to accept the ticket.
Onyedebelu, who presented the forms to Uzodimma’s Chief of Staff, Chief Nnamdi Anyaehie, called for pressure on the governor to “accept the plea of Orlu people by filling the forms so that it can be submitted before the deadline of 5th May, 2026.”
The state APC has also warned other aspirants against contesting the seat, insisting that Uzodimma remains the consensus choice.
Complicating the contest, former Governor Rochas Okorocha equally purchased nomination forms in a bid to return to the Senate, a move confirmed by one of his aides, Darlington Ibekwe.
The Orlu Political Consultative Assembly further reinforced Uzodimma’s candidacy, declaring him the sole candidate for the district in what it described as a “total, unanimous, and irrevocable decision.”
The unfolding contest is also shaped by internal power dynamics within the ruling party.
Last month, President Bola Tinubu reportedly rebuffed attempts by National Assembly leaders to secure automatic return tickets for lawmakers, instead reaffirming the authority of state governors over candidate selection.
The stance has strengthened governors’ grip on party structures, enabling many of them to influence senatorial nominations as they prepare for life after office.
Against this backdrop, the Senate’s rule amendments appear designed to preserve institutional hierarchy and prevent an influx of first-time lawmakers, many of them politically powerful, from immediately taking control of the chamber’s leadership.
For ambitious entrants like Uzodimma and others plotting a return or debut in the Senate, the message from the red chamber is clear: experience within its ranks, not political clout outside it, will determine who leads in the 11th National Assembly.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state has finally submitted the first batch of the list of Commissioners made up of 18 nominees to the Anambra State House of Assembly.
Recall that this reporter had predicted that the Governor would announce the list of his Cabinet members on or before the end of this week.
According to the Special Assistant to the Speaker of the Assembly on New Media Mr Franklin Osankwa , the Speaker Hon Somtochukwu Udeze has already sent the list to the Screening Committee of the legislature.
A breakdown of the list indicates that only four former Commissioners who worked with him during his first term in office were returned .
They include the Commissioner for Health Dr Afam Obidike , Professor Offonze Amucheazi Ministry of Lands , Mr Patrick Agba , Youth Development and Commissioner for Information Dr Law Mefor .
Similarly the list of Special Assistants and Senor Special Assistants and Advisers is being awaited .
No fewer than 10 state governors and former governors are actively working to replace incumbent senators ahead of the 2027 general elections, in what appears to be a sweeping political realignment reshaping Nigeria’s legislative landscape.
The sitting governors, whose tenure will expire by May 2027, are leveraging their control of party structures in their states to secure Senate tickets—largely through “consensus” arrangements.
At least 12 of Nigeria’s 36 incumbent governors are currently serving their second and final terms. Of that number, 10 will complete their constitutionally mandated eight years on May 29, 2027, setting the stage for a high-stakes political transition that is already unsettling party structures nationwide.
Eight of the affected governors are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Seyi Makinde of Oyo State belongs to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State is affiliated with the Peoples Democratic Party, contrary to earlier claims linking him to the Allied Peoples Movement.
Governors expected to complete their tenure in 2027 include AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Muhammadu Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), alongside Makinde and Bala Mohammed.
Although Governors Douye Diri of Bayelsa and Hope Uzodimma of Imo will also finish their second terms, their exit dates fall in January and February 2028, respectively, due to off-cycle elections. However, their extended timelines have not excluded them from early succession and Senate calculations.
Last month, President Bola Tinubu, during a meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly, rebuffed lobbying efforts by lawmakers seeking automatic return tickets ahead of the 2027 elections. Instead, he reaffirmed the authority of state governors over candidate selection in their respective states.
Sources familiar with the meeting revealed that senators had approached the President to seek assurances for automatic tickets.
“The meeting was to plead for automatic tickets, but the President insisted that governors, as party leaders in their states, must have a decisive say on who gets the ticket,” a source disclosed.
Less than 24 hours later, Tinubu convened another meeting with APC governors, where he reportedly gave them a free hand to conduct party primaries in accordance with the Electoral Act—either through consensus or direct primaries.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago confirmed this, stating that the President had effectively empowered governors to drive the primaries process.
Investigations across several states—including Yobe, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Ogun, Gombe, Bauchi, Kwara, and Imo—indicate a growing pattern in which party stakeholders endorse governors or their preferred candidates as sole contenders. In many cases, rivals are pressured to step aside, while primaries are either avoided or reduced to mere formalities.
In Yobe State, Senator Musa Mustapha (Yobe East) stepped aside to support Governor Mai Mala Buni after a stakeholders’ meeting in Damaturu. He also withdrew from the governorship race, pledging full loyalty to party leadership decisions.
Similarly, in Gombe State, former governor and Senator Danjuma Goje lost his bid for a fifth term following a zoning arrangement favouring a candidate aligned with Governor Yahaya.
In Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodimma has been endorsed as the consensus candidate for Imo West, despite the interest of incumbent Senator Osita Izunaso. The move has triggered tension, with former governor Rochas Okorocha also entering the race.
In Ogun State, the consensus model has broken down into open conflict, as Governor Dapo Abiodun’s Senate ambition has put him at odds with incumbent Senator Gbenga Daniel.
In Adamawa, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has emerged as the consensus candidate for Adamawa North, with the incumbent senator stepping aside in his favour.
Similar developments have been recorded in Nasarawa, Kwara, Delta, and Kogi states, where governors and former governors are positioning themselves to take over Senate seats—often displacing incumbents.
Meanwhile, in Cross River State, former governor Ben Ayade revealed he had been asked to drop his Senate ambition following high-level consultations, a decision he described as painful and unjust.
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