Politics
Tinubu will never resign, it’ll spell doom, worse than June 12, Abiola’s son
Alhaji Jamiu Abiola, son of the late Chief MKO Abiola and Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties, Office of the Vice-President, speaks about his job, his late father and the controversy surrounding the academic records tasks vary from time to time. But the summary is that I’m saddled with the responsibility of liaising on behalf of the Office of the Vice-President with relevant stakeholders in government or the society in general when there is an issue that needs to be resolved, monitored or sustained in the interest of the country. Apart from having the willingness to serve this transformational administration, I’m also naturally interested in a democracy, for which my parents (MKO and Kudirat) died, and I am lucky to be doing so under the leadership of a man who also sacrificed all he had for the June 12 struggle and risked his life. A key part of my functions also includes getting more Nigerians positively engaged with the policies of this government, because contrary to what many people assume, the success of any administration is largely dependent on the positive input of as many citizens as possible.
The problems have always been known, isn’t that why the President promised Renewed Hope?
A major problem with leading a country as complex as Nigeria, with over 250 tribes and 500 languages, is that when you take over government from one administration, you inherit so many assets and liabilities. In some cases, the liabilities are much more than the assets. Across different sectors, this government inherited so many liabilities from previous administrations. What keeps me optimistic is that this government knows its priorities and that is why security of lives and providing jobs for the youths are at the very top of the Renewed Hope manifesto. The Tinubu/Shettima administration is wise enough to establish a connection between catering for the youths and security because it knows that without the youths being positively engaged, given that they constitute 65 per cent of our country’s population, there is no way our country can be secure. I know things are tough but during campaigns the President had made it clear that turning things around would not be easy at all. He was honest with everyone. He even said he would remove petrol subsidy, which was bound to cost him votes, but honesty has always been his policy. He needs divine support to succeed and I believe God will give him that divine support. With that, I have no doubt that this government will deliver on its manifesto and the President’s name will be written in gold.
Many Nigerians seem to be losing hope because of hardship and such persons will question the kind of hope that seems to be plunging them into hardship. What would you say to that?
I don’t think many people are losing hope and if some people are, here are a few questions they should ask themselves: Have Nigerians had a government that proposed student loans; a government that is ready to provide so much direct financial support to the poor at the grassroots, or a sitting president who fought for them to have a democracy? Have Nigerians ever had a government in which many young people are serving as ministers? I can go on and on. These are positive signs for a government that is just four months old. Another thing many people might have missed is that our President has proven that he knows that only God is above mistakes. That is why he has amended some of his policies based on feedback. The sky is our limit with a leader like that.
Many people seem to be looking beyond optimism to assess the government based on current realities. What do you say to that?
I returned to Nigeria in 1998 and I lived in Lagos, so I have a good idea of how things were in Lagos before President Tinubu became a governor then. To cut a long story short, Lagos was messed up because it had been abandoned by the Federal Government, to a large extent. Yet, people were coming from different places to Lagos at an alarming rate and in pursuit of their dreams. Some of those who came were even criminals. Senator Tinubu had just returned from exile with fresh ideas and was determined to make a difference. He won the governorship election, and due to the paucity of funds to execute the projects Lagos needed, he needed to think outside the box. Don’t forget he faced a hostile Federal Government. I jettisoned the idea of going back to the United States and decided to face things here because of Governor Tinubu’s bold policies. My friends in New York thought I had lost my mind but here I am with no regrets 24 years later. Look at his deputy, Vice-President Kashim Shettima; even though Boko Haram has been ravaging his state of Borno and took over local governments, he remained focused and turned out to be one of the best governors in northern Nigeria to date. This is why I am so confident that Nigeria would soon find its way out of the woods. The President and his deputy have been tried and tested.
The recent controversy over Tinubu’s academic records at the Chicago State University has raised a lot of concerns among many Nigerians. The PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has described the situation as a big slap on Nigeria and its people. What do you make of the unfolding situation?
The opposition is making up something that does not exist and blowing things out of proportion. The most significant fact is that the university has acknowledged that the President graduated from there. He even scored a high grade, which is a source of pride to Nigerians and not a slap on their faces. The President applied to the university as a male and graduated as a male with excellent grades. Most Nigerians are more interested in how President Tinubu turned a gloomy Lagos to a dazzling model state with a robust master plan. They want him to achieve the same feat in Nigeria as a whole. People voted for him because of his Renewed Hope Agenda and because, unlike other politicians, he had a realistic plan. Nigerians have real problems and they need a man capable of solving these problems.
Some people have called on the President to resign because of the controversy, do you think that is extreme?
The President will never resign because that would spell doom for Nigeria. It would even be worse than June 12 because, unlike my father, he is a sitting President and has started exercising his executive powers in the interest of Nigerians. To ask him to resign would be like asking a mother to put her children back into her womb. However, I’m so disappointed with the opposition for going that far; approaching American courts when they knew they didn’t have a case. We are talking of a former Mobil treasurer and a two-term governor of the most sophisticated state in Africa’s most populous country. The whole thing is ridiculous. They (opposition) are acting as if we don’t have courts here in Nigeria, which makes me wonder why they want to rule a country they don’t believe in. I can’t believe that this is the same Vice-President Atiku who stepped down for my father and supported him during his presidential primaries. I wonder when Africans would stop embarrassing our continent abroad as if Africa has not suffered enough. The more I think of that case in the US, the more I see it as some kind of conspiracy reminiscent of when the Sani Abacha government took the State of New York to court for its decision to name a corner in New York after my mother, the late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola. May her soul rest in peace.
Do you think your parents would be happy about how democracy is faring in Nigeria today, given the circumstances of their death?
Most past leaders have failed but not all of them. When speaking of leaders, I focus on all leaders – presidents and governors alike. It is unfair to only focus on the Federal Government because what happens at the state level has a lot of impact on the overall state of the country. Nigeria is 63 and is in a very bad shape, but as an optimist I never yield to despair, I always look at a cup as half full instead of half empty. To me, the shortcut to success would be the immediate implementation of the Renewed Hope manifesto by all levels of government. In that manifesto, the President put together realistic programmes. Among them, for example, is increasing the cultivation of arable land from 35 per cent to 65 per cent. Do you know the level of progress we will make as a nation if this is achieved? Do you know that a lot of young men involved in banditry and terrorism would be gainfully engaged? There needs to be an economic angle to tackle insecurity. I think it’s time the leadership at the state and local government levels got copies of the manifesto and studied how they could team up with the Federal Government, regardless of party affiliation. Nigeria needs a rescue mission to attain a befitting infrastructure corresponding to a rapidly rising population and to overcome the negative consequences of the past leadership failure that you mentioned. All hands must be on deck.
You once said Nigeria’s problem was beyond what any man could achieve, why do you think Tinubu would solve Nigeria’s many problems?
To solve Nigeria’s problems would require divine intervention and to be a beneficiary of divine intervention you need to be honest, transparent and straightforward. Since President Tinubu began his consultations and campaigns, he has been honest with Nigerians. He has also been transparent and straightforward. Against his personal interest, he informed Nigerians during the heat of a campaign that would lead to a keenly contested election that he would remove fuel subsidy and take other harsh economic decisions. He did this at great risk because he could have lost the election for being so frank, but that did not stop him from being honest. God loves such people and that is why by His grace the President would be a beneficiary of His divine intervention.
Looking at the outcome of the 2023 elections, the issues that have emerged and how the courts are determining winners, what reforms do you think are necessary for a better electoral system before the next general elections?
When speaking of electoral reforms, there will always be room for improvement. At some point, this government will look into improving the electoral system. However, I am happy that no one has been able to substantiate the claim that the results of the last presidential elections would have been different had they been transmitted electronically. As for the courts, they will always play a role in elections since they are needed to interpret electoral laws. Even in the United States, during the last presidential election, I lost count of the number of court cases. If that can happen in such an old democracy, we should not expect miracles here.
What are your thoughts on the level of division among Nigerians vis-a-vis the agitation for Biafra, Yoruba Nation, etc.?
When times are tough, people tend to want to separate. Even husband and wife are more likely to split when facing economic hardship. I don’t believe that Nigeria was brought together by God with its rich diversity of 250 tribes and 500 languages for nothing. I don’t think separation is part of our destiny. There is a divine objective and part of it is the implementation of the vision and mission of our President as exhibited in his Renewed Hope Manifesto. By the time his plans begin to take shape in a couple of months, the clamour for division will turn to whispers and they will vanish into thin air. Just wait and see!
You said in the past that Tinubu had things in common with your father, what are those things?
Yes, President Tinubu has some things in common with my father. A major reason why many of our leaders have failed is because they are not emotionally connected to the grass roots. They don’t feel what the average man feels and I wonder why they are like that. However, both President Tinubu and my late father seem to be more comfortable in the midst of the poor and vulnerable than they are in the midst of the high and mighty. Both men are also generous and bold enough to give all they have. This is crucial because their promises are never empty since they do more than they say, unlike most politicians.
What do you think Nigerians should hold on to in the face of daunting economic challenges facing the majority?
One of my main mentors, former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, recently said that one does not need a position to serve their country. I think we should all adopt and implement this golden counsel. We should remember it all the time and ensure that we learn to regularly go the extra mile for our country for nothing in return. It is our country, so it is our duty.
The Ebonyi State Government has effectively restricted political campaigns and gatherings in Ezza South Local Government Area, directing political parties and groups to obtain prior approval from the council chairman before holding such events.
The directive, issued by the Chairman of Ezza South Local Government Area, Hon. Chinedu Mkpuma, follows a recent security breach in Amaezekwe community amid growing concerns over political violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abakaliki, Mkpuma expressed dismay over the security situation and said the measure was necessary to protect lives and property, maintain public order and prevent further security breaches.
He acknowledged the constitutional rights of citizens to freedom of association and peaceful assembly but warned that political gatherings in the local government area must henceforth receive prior approval from his office.
The chairman added that violations of the directive would attract appropriate action in accordance with the law.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party governorship candidate, Eze Oko, has condemned the reported killings and alleged attacks on opposition parties in the state, calling on political leaders to end violence and intimidation.
Oko questioned why opposition members were allegedly being targeted and urged youths to resist attempts by politicians to use them as instruments of violence.
He called for a level playing field for all political parties and candidates, insisting that political competition should be based on ideas, manifestos and records of performance rather than violence.
The LP candidate also cautioned political leaders against inflammatory statements capable of fuelling tension during the electioneering period.
He urged candidates seeking re-election to allow their achievements to speak for them instead of allegedly engaging political thugs to intimidate opponents.
Oko further appealed to youths to reject political thuggery and violence, while extending his condolences to the families of those reportedly killed in the incident.
The development comes as political activities begin to gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, with renewed calls for security agencies to investigate reported attacks and ensure that all political parties can operate without intimidation.
The Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator David Umahi, has declared that 2027 is not the South-East’s turn to produce Nigeria’s president, insisting that former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, is not the region’s best presidential candidate.
Umahi, who made the declaration during an interview with ARISE News on Friday, defended South-East political leaders supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, maintaining that their political choices should not be interpreted as betrayal of the Igbo presidential ambition.
“Peter Obi is not the best of our finest in South East. He’s not the best, he can never be the best,” Umahi declared.
The minister faulted Obi’s approach to the 2023 presidential election, alleging that he failed to adequately consult governors and other influential political stakeholders in the South-East before pursuing his ambition.
“You cannot play politics in South East without consulting people like us,” he maintained.
According to Umahi, any presidential aspirant seeking to represent the collective aspirations of the region must first engage critical stakeholders and build the necessary political consensus.
He argued that Obi’s performance in the 2023 presidential election did not automatically make him the South-East’s most qualified presidential candidate, stressing that the region boasts several other capable political figures.
Umahi also questioned why Anambra State should be given preferential consideration whenever the opportunity arises for the South-East to produce Nigeria’s president.
Citing Nigeria’s first President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, who hailed from the area now constituting Anambra State, the minister maintained that Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia and Imo states equally deserve consideration in future presidential arrangements.
On the growing support for Tinubu among South-East political leaders ahead of 2027, Umahi dismissed allegations that those backing the president had abandoned the region’s political interests.
He insisted that the South-East’s path to the presidency lies in strategic negotiations, consensus-building and alliances with other geopolitical zones rather than presenting loyalty to Obi as the ultimate test of commitment to the Igbo cause.
The former Ebonyi governor had earlier challenged comparisons between himself and Obi during a political engagement in Benin City in September, declaring that he saw no area in which the former Anambra governor was superior to him.
While expressing confidence that the South-East would eventually produce Nigeria’s president, Umahi maintained that the region’s opportunity had not yet arrived, insisting that “it is not yet our turn.”
Politics
2027: APGA, APC Set for Joint Meeting in Anambra to Mobilise Support for Tinubu’s Re-election
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State have scheduled a joint meeting for November 1 to strengthen collaboration and mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The planned meeting comes amid claims that the two parties are not working together in the state to advance Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
The meeting, convened by Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, in his capacity as the state coordinator for Tinubu’s re-election campaign, is expected to bring together leaders and members of both parties, including serving and former political officeholders and members of their respective national and state working committees.
The APC State Chairman, Senator Emma Anosike, also confirmed the meeting, telling reporters that he would lead members of his party to attend the gathering.
The development is expected to counter claims of disunity between the two parties over the president’s re-election project in Anambra State.
According to an announcement dated October 22 and signed by Dr Ben Nwankwo, Chief of Staff to the Governor and Coordinator of the Secretariat for the Presidential Campaign Council in Anambra State, the meeting will take place at the International Convention Centre, Awka.
Proceedings are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., while accreditation will commence at 10 a.m. Participants have been directed to arrive early, as the doors will be closed once the meeting begins.
Attendance is restricted to duly accredited invitees drawn from designated categories of political officeholders, party officials and other stakeholders who remain members of APGA or APC.
Those invited include serving and former governors and deputy governors of Anambra State; members of the national, zonal and state working committees of both parties; and serving and former members of the National and State Assemblies from the state.
All APGA and APC candidates for the 2027 general elections who are members of either party have also been invited.
Other participants expected at the meeting include serving and former political appointees in the state and federal governments, members of the PBAT/APC Presidential Campaign Council from Anambra State, as well as serving and former elected local government chairmen, mayors and transition committee chairmen affiliated with either party.
The invitation list also covers current and former members of the boards of trustees of APGA and APC from Anambra State, coordinators of Tinubu support groups, and serving local government chairmen, secretaries, women leaders and youth leaders of the two parties.
Elected councillors, ward chairmen of APGA and APC, as well as members of the state working committees of the Accord Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are also listed among the invitees.
The announcement further stated that selected stakeholders nominated by the state chairmen of APGA and APC, alongside individuals nominated by the state coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Council, would attend the meeting.
It explained that the notice was intended to ensure that all eligible stakeholders were informed of the gathering, adding that anyone who falls within the specified categories would be deemed invited.
The joint meeting is expected to provide a platform for the two parties to coordinate their political activities in Anambra State ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Strengthen the headline and opening
Trim the lengthy invitation list
Make the report more neutral
…Unveils 17 Buses for Grassroots Mobilisation
…Expresses Confidence in Tinubu, Mbah’s Victory
Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, is set to unveil his grassroots mobilisation and political support group, As Tinubu and Mbah Move (ATM), ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The minister has also expressed confidence in the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah.
Udeh disclosed this on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, during a strategy meeting at the group’s secretariat, where he unveiled 17 branded Toyota buses to support the movement’s grassroots mobilisation ahead of the elections.
Addressing members, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria urged them to work towards securing victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly in the presidential and governorship elections.
He said the buses were provided to facilitate mobilisation and strengthen the movement’s presence across communities, wards and polling units.
Expressing confidence in the electoral prospects of Tinubu and Mbah, Udeh said the movement must distinguish itself from political groups that generate publicity without translating their activities into electoral gains.
“I want this group to be different so that it will not end in noise-making. The aim is to make APC win from top to bottom, especially the President and the Governor,” he said.
He charged members to take responsibility for delivering their respective polling units and wards, stressing that grassroots engagement remained crucial to electoral success.
“Politics is local. Everybody should work to ensure that APC wins in their respective wards and polling units,” he added.
Udeh explained that ATM was established to provide members with a platform to connect with political leaders and contribute to the activities of the party.
According to him, active participation in grassroots mobilisation could also create opportunities for members to engage government officials and seek assistance in addressing challenges facing their communities.
The minister, who described himself as not being a career politician, said integrity and the fulfilment of commitments were central to his dealings with people.
He also pledged to spend more time in the South-East during the campaign period to coordinate the movement’s activities.
Earlier, the ATM Coordinator, Igboke Onyebuchi, said the meeting was convened to establish and ratify the movement’s structures ahead of the planned commencement of local government-level mobilisation in November.
Onyebuchi described ATM as a political movement rather than an ordinary group, explaining that some members were motivated by their desire to support Governor Mbah and acknowledge his role in Udeh’s ministerial appointment.
“We are doing this to support the governor for giving such a smart young person the opportunity to be a minister. This has not happened in recent times,” he said.
He explained that the movement comprised community mobilisers, union leaders and individuals from the civic space, many of whom were not career politicians but were willing to contribute to the political process.
According to him, ATM plans to adopt an innovative, community-based approach to mobilisation, focusing on reaching rural residents and strengthening the APC’s existing grassroots structures.
He added that a community map had been developed to guide the movement’s engagement with residents.
Onyebuchi thanked Udeh for providing members with a platform to participate in the political process, expressing hope that the movement would encourage greater political opportunities for young people with strong professional and intellectual backgrounds.
Politics
One Feared Dead, Several Injured as Thugs Attack Ebonyi NDC Assembly Candidate, Burn Campaign Vehicle
…Ebonyi Democratic Movement Blames Police Commissioner, Demands Immediate Redeployment
The campaign convoy of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Ezza South State Constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Barr. Rollins Offia Nwali, has reportedly come under armed attack at two separate locations in Amaezekwe Community, Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, leaving one person feared dead and several others injured.
The attackers, suspected to be political thugs, also reportedly set ablaze a 2024 Toyota Hilux vehicle belonging to the campaign convoy.
According to preliminary accounts, trouble began when Nwali, who was scheduled to meet with his polling unit canvassers, received information that some government officials allegedly accompanied by armed hoodlums had stormed the meeting venue.
The officials reportedly warned that they had received orders from above to prevent opposition candidates from holding campaign activities during the swearing-in ceremonies of local government chairmen in the state.
Sensing danger, Nwali reportedly directed his convoy to turn back a few metres from the venue.
However, suspected political thugs riding motorcycles and tricycles allegedly opened fire on the convoy, resulting in an exchange of gunfire involving security personnel, including operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) attached to the candidate.
About five persons reportedly sustained gunshot injuries, while one person was feared killed during the confrontation.
The casualty figures could not be independently verified.
In another attack a few metres away, a separate group of suspected hoodlums, reportedly operating in a Mercedes-Benz vehicle and tricycles, allegedly intercepted the retreating convoy, opened fire and set one of its Toyota Hilux vehicles ablaze.
A state government appointee was accused of leading the second group of attackers.
Reacting to the development, Chairman of the Ebonyi Democratic Movement, Chief Emmanuel Igwe Chidi, condemned the incident and accused the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police of failing to address what he described as recurring political violence against opposition figures in the state.
Igwe alleged that the failure of the police to prosecute individuals previously implicated in electoral violence, despite several petitions submitted to the state command and the Inspector-General of Police, had emboldened suspected political thugs.
He recalled that the movement had earlier organised a nationwide protest over alleged persecution of opposition members and the deteriorating security situation in Ebonyi State.
The EBM chairman consequently called on the Inspector-General of Police to immediately redeploy the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, arguing that the measure had become necessary to restore public confidence in the neutrality of the police ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He also demanded a comprehensive investigation into the Amaezekwe attacks, insisting that all those found culpable must be identified and prosecuted irrespective of their political affiliations or positions in government.
Igwe further urged security agencies to guarantee adequate protection for opposition candidates and their supporters, stressing that no government official or political interest has the authority to prevent citizens from exercising their constitutional rights to political participation.
He warned that democracy would be endangered if political competition was allowed to degenerate into intimidation, gunfire and destruction of property rather than being determined through the ballot box.
The allegations against government officials and the police, as well as the circumstances surrounding the reported death, remain unverified. The accounts provided did not include responses from the Ebonyi State Government or the Police Command.
Separate reported facts from allegations
Tighten the casualty and attack sequence
Use a more legally cautious headline
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