If politicians in the opposition camps truly dream of a replay of 2015 election during which a ruling party was dislodged, developments within their ranks, lately, suggest that such aspiration may remain a tall order, SEYE OLUMIDE and ONYEDIKA AGBEDO, write.

One year, 10 months and a day to the February 20, 2027 national elections, there are strong indications that the desire of the opposition to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may end up as a mirage. Unlike the opposition parties that struck a merger deal that eventually birthed the APC on February 6, 2013 (more than two years before the March 28, 2015 presidential and National Assembly elections), and were able to organise and defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the poll, the current crop of opposition parties appears to be “full of sound and fury signifying nothing.” Their leaders, apparently narcissistic about their political ambitions, are glaringly working at cross purposes, a development that would only hand President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a second term in office on a platter if they fail to quickly retrace their steps and begin to pull ideas and resources together towards their often-mouthed ambition to send the APC parking from Aso Rock in 2027.

Addressing a press conference on March 20, this year, to condemn the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Tinubu, former vice president Atiku Abubarkar, a chieftain of the PDP, announced the formation of a coalition against Tinubu and his party ahead of the 2027 elections. Opposition figures that attended the press conference included former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal; former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, who defected from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) recently; National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Peter Ahmeh, Convener of the Alternative, Segun Showunmi; Tanko Yinusa, who represented Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, and former national vice chairman, APC, North West, Dr. Salihu Lukman, among others.

Since then, there has been no serious move known to the public towards fortifying the so-called coalition. What has come to public glare, instead, are staccato voices from the opposition camps that paint a picture of disarray and lack of unity of purpose.

For instance, governors elected on the platform of the major opposition party in the country, the PDP, after a meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, last Monday, ruled out the party’s involvement in any coalition or merger ahead of the 2027 elections.

The governors declared that any political party or individual seeking a bigger platform is free to join the PDP, insisting that a party with 12 governors and solid structure could not take itself into a merger with parties of lesser and or weaker structures.

Reading a communiqué on behalf of his colleagues at the end of the meeting, the Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, said: “Noting the nationwide speculations about a possible merger of political parties, groups and/or associations, the Forum resolved that the PDP will not join any coalition or merger.

“However, the PDP as a major opposition party welcomes any party, persons or groups that are willing to join it with a view to wrestling power and enthroning good leadership in 2027.”

A day after the meeting, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who hosted it, appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme to buttress that Atiku’s coalition motive was unknown to PDP.

The governor said: “We didn’t just wake up and say me as XYZ in the party just draw the party into any arrangements when the party organs do not have clue on what you are doing.

“They have no clue of what is in this coalition. They also have no clue whether this is personal or whether you are doing this in the best interest of the party and the people of Nigeria. Those are critical.

“There must be a process. If the managers of the party, the organs of the party are going into a merger or coalition, there’s need for the managers of the party to know.

“But, if you have individuals, it is still within their right to associate with whoever they want to associate with. However, as a party, we haven’t gotten there. Our first assignment is to put the party on a sound pedestal.
“Politics is a game of interest. You must be interested; you must have alignment with the wider organs of your party before you go out to meet other people.”

Last Tuesday, the South-South PDP Youth Amalgamation also threw its weight behind the PDP Governors’ Forum. The group condemned the reported political alliance between Atiku and el-Rufai, describing it as a desperate move by political jobbers to regain lost relevance.

In a statement by its convener, John Albert Clarkson, the group dismissed the alliance as a “last-ditch effort” by two political figures desperate to remain relevant in an evolving political landscape that increasingly rejects their brand of politics.

Clarkson accused both Atiku and el-Rufai of lacking political credibility and consistency, alleging that their careers have been defined by broken promises, opportunism, and contradictions.

He particularly criticised Atiku’s frequent defection between parties in pursuit of power, and el-Rufai’s controversial tenure as governor despite his reformist posture.

The youth group expressed full support for the stance of the PDP Governors’ Forum for rejecting what it called an “ill-conceived coalition.” Reiterating its faith in the PDP’s capacity to lead the country, the group said: “The PDP, under the stewardship of principled leaders, is better positioned to guide Nigeria towards genuine development. We urge all Nigerians to unite under the banner of the PDP and reject political opportunism in favour of purposeful leadership.”

On the same day, at the flag-off of the Akwa Ibom segment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, expressed full support for the Tinubu administration, declaring that the President would complete two terms in office.

Eno, who was elected on the platform of the PDP, while speaking at the event, said: “Let me end by assuring our president, our people-loving president, that he will complete eight years because we are going to stand by him.

“And this is the truth. He cannot start this work and abandon it. Somebody else may not finish it.
“Bible says who is this mountain that is standing before Zerubbabel? The hand that has started this work that hand shall do what? Shall complete it!

“Our prayer for Mr. President is good health to finish the work that he has started and commission this work, so that this work will not be abandoned.

“It will not be like the East-West Road. This one will be finished, and the hand that has started it will finish it in Jesus’ name.”

Meanwhile, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, whose party is being touted as the likely platform to be adopted by the coalition, recently urged Nigerians to watch the motives of defecting politicians.

Adebayo, who has become one of the strong voices against the Tinubu administration in the country, appears not to be comfortable with the gale of defections to his party.

Speaking in a recent interview, he said: “If you listen to the narrative of those who are changing parties, it suggests that they are moving for things that affect them personally, not really because of things that affect the people.

“There may be others who are moving quietly, who have not expressed the purpose and the reason they are moving. But those who have given interviews, spoken extensively and given background to why they are changing positions, all boil down to personal ambition, personal grievances, some unrealised promises and all of that. So, it’s a bit on the personal side.”

Surprisingly, Atiku does not see these developments as a setback but rather as a call to wider consultations. Reacting particularly to the stance of the PDP governors through a statement by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, on Tuesday, he noted: “This is not a setback. The project continues. It’s a Nigerian project with Nigerians at its heart. It’s difficult to derail something when the people have taken ownership of it.”

A chieftain of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Ralph Uwazurike, believes that it may be too early to dismiss the coalition arrangement. He, however, pointed out that the opposition parties are not showing enough courage and determination to defeat the ruling party.

On his part, the National Vice Chairman Southwest of the PDP, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, said the party is not in any disarray as some people are thinking. “Whatever the governors and or anybody, including Atiku and others are saying is still subject to what the National Executive Council of the party will come up with after its convention,” he noted.

A former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, said the opposition has been whipping up ethnic sentiments as one of the factors they plan to use to oust the incumbent in 2027.

While noting that the strategy would not work, he emphasised the need for the opposition parties to articulate their points appropriately if they really want to get the incumbent president out in 2027.

Meanwhile, a political group, Nigeria Renaissance Group (NRG), which is affiliated to the Labour Party (LP), has challenged the leadership of the opposition parties to put their houses in order. The group particularly charged the LP to put its home in order for a good showing at the polls in 2027.

In a statement signed by his Convener, Comrade Isa Yakubu and Secretary, Mr. Tunde Isaac, the group decried the high level of indiscipline within the party despite its potential.

According to the NRG, this was a major drawback for the party in the 2023 general election, as indiscipline negatively impacted its chances at the polls. The group added: “Unfortunately, there were no sanctions to nip the scenario in the bud, which created a negative image in the eyes of the voting public before the elections.

“Indeed, many started querying whether the once promising party would be able to meet the yearnings of Nigerians with the rancour within the system should the party win elections. Recall that some officials, including the former national publicity secretary, Mr. Abayomi Arabambi, endorsed candidates of other political parties.

“The same Arabambi even went to court to testify against elected members of the party including the House of Representatives member representing Amuwo Odofin, Olawande George and even our candidate in Oshodi Isolo, Oke Joe.
“If these are not anti-party activities, we do not know what to call the several attempts to kill the party. Recall that the same individuals through the Lamidu Apampa faction escalated the act to the election petition tribunal and caused the party so much pain.

“The world, including Peter Obi’s former spokesman, Kenneth Okonkwo, watched in amazement as these people did their best to bring down the party. Unfortunately, Arabambi in particular was seen with our party chairman, Julius Abure, at different occasions while the crisis was on.

“Going by the outcome of our last convention, he had ceased to be our publicity secretary as a replacement had since taken his place. Going forward, we wish to advise the party to start a fresh process of rebuilding by reaching out to LP groups with large numbers across the country, especially Lagos States towards bragging about a stronger, vibrant and formidable party.

“Machinery should be put in motion to invite select leaders of the groups to a meeting to chart a way forward for the LP. The party must also, as a matter of urgency, build a strong disciplinary machinery that would ensure sanctions on erring members to build public confidence.”

Amid the confusing drumbeats from the opposition camps, the ruling party has been harvesting from their folds. For instance, last Saturday, members of the Delta Unity Group, a socio-political organisation from the PDP officially defected to the APC. They were led by Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, who dumped the PDP on February 5, this year, “due to the deep divisions and factionalisation within the party.”

Speaking at the rally, Nwoko alleged that Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, was planning to dump the PDP for the APC, a claim the governor quickly refuted.

And last Tuesday, the National Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, hinted that the leader of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) leader and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, would join the ruling party soon. He said: “The NNPP is dead. And it will soon be buried very, very soon. I’m hoping that where we will put the dead body, the coffin, has already been constructed.

“What remains now is to dig the grave. And already they are digging the grave very, very soon. Even like that, the so-called NNPP national leader, he too says after losing everyone, he wants to come back to us, we will welcome him, because he’s coming back home.”

Ganduje, who spoke in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the Tinubu Support Group to the APC national secretariat, also declared that the so-called coalition against Tinubu ahead of 2027 would soon fall apart, with its leaders eventually returning to the APC.

This was as erstwhile members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), who are among the founding members of the APC, last Wednesday, affirmed their continued membership of APC. It could be recalled that not long after el-Rufai defected to the SDP, words started making the rounds that loyalists of former president Muhammadu Buhari were on the verge of defecting from the ruling party.

But rising from a special meeting in Abuja, the core members of the CPC bloc in APC announced that they were not part of any move to quit the ruling party or join any coalition against President Bola Tinubu and APC.

In a seven-point communiqué released to journalists, the members declared: “Recent misleading narratives suggesting a defection or disaffection among CPC stakeholders are false, mischievous and should be ignored. We remain an integral part of the APC and are fully aligned with its leadership and vision.”

They announced their support for Tinubu, assuring him that “the CPC family remains a vital pillar of the APC and will continue to play a responsible role in its growth and the progress of Nigeria.

“We wish to state categorically that we have neither left the APC nor do we intend to leave. The CPC bloc remains one of the legacy foundations of the APC, and we are resolute in our commitment to the party and its progressive ideals,” they added.

Signatories to the communiqué include Senators Umaru Al-Makura, Ibrahim Musa and Mustafa Salihu, as well as Dr Nasiru Argungu, Dr Dominic Alancha, Aminu Masari, Adamu Adamu, Farouk Aliyu, AlmajiriGeidam, Waziri Bulama and Ayuba Balami.

Others are Osita Okechukwu, Okoi Obono-Obla, Lucy Ajayi, Bala Jibrin, Uche Ufearoh, Yusuf Salihu, Abubakar Maikudi, Mutallib Badmus, Muhammed Datti, Muhammed Etsu, Jerry Johnson and Alkali Ajikolo.

These are pointers that the ruling party is not resting on its oars, but is also working round the clock to reinforce its grip on power. Time will determine whether its strategies would work or whether the opposition would have its way.

The Arewa Youth Council (AYC) has officially disclaimed statements attributed to one Adams Reuben, who allegedly claimed to be the president of the organization.

This clarification follows a recent article published in several national dailies on April 18, 2025, titled “Arewa Youths Blast Atiku Over Attacks on Tinubu, Say Ex-VP is Bitter, Hypocritical.”

The AYC stated categorically that Reuben has no affiliation whatsoever with the council.

In a statement jointly signed by Ambassador Dogo Shagari, president of the Arewa Youth Council, and Mallam Abdullahi Bilal, publicity secretary of the council, the group noted that “Even though we are not interested in the content of the said statement, we wish to categorically state that the individual known as Reuben Adams is not a member of our organization and has never held any position within the Arewa Youth Council.”

The council described Reuben’s actions as unauthorized and misleading, and urged the public and media outlets to disregard any statements purportedly made on behalf of the AYC by him.

The AYC called upon Nigerian security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate and prosecute Reuben for impersonation and related offenses.

They emphasized that such fraudulent representation undermines the credibility and integrity of legitimate organizations like the AYC and could potentially incite public unrest.

“Reaffirming their commitment to unity, development, and national cohesion in Northern Nigeria and beyond, the Arewa Youth Council distanced itself from any remarks that could sow discord or promote hate speech. They stressed their dedication to constructive dialogue, good governance, and youth empowerment.

“The AYC urged media organizations to verify the authenticity of individuals claiming to represent established bodies before publishing their statements. They reiterated that the alleged remarks made by Adams Reuben do not reflect the official position of the council.

“For accurate information and updates, the AYC advised the public to rely solely on communications issued by its recognized leadership,” the statement added.

After over three decades of deliberate quietude, former governor of Niger State, Col Lawan Gwadabe has decided to say something about what he knew about the Major Gideon Orkar of 1990.

After avoiding reporters’ recorders and TV cameras for decades, Gwadabe, who bears so many labels that included veteran of coup plots, IBB boy, dangerous soldier etc finally came out of his shell.

He says there’s no better time to talk than now when the 35th anniversary of the aborted coup which shook the very seat of power and almost claimed the life of the then military president, Ibrahim Babangida would be marked.

Secondly, he says the labelling of the coup as ‘Orkar coup’ is not only wrong but unfortunate because Orkar never spearheaded the plot but was only a latter day recruit who at a point even wanted to spill the beans.

Thirdly, he feels that there are people who sacrificed their lives to ensure the continuity of that regime thereby saving Nigeria from bloodshed that have not been recognised or compensated.

He believes people like Babangida’s ADC, UK Bello, deserve national honours for the sacrifice.

Again, he believes that the younger generation of Nigerians has a lot to learn from that episode that it would not be fair to perpetually keep mute over the matter.

But the whisper he had intended just to straighten the records has turned into this interview where he was literally compelled to occasionally step out of his intended area of focus to speak on other issues.

In the preamble, he took us through how things went on March 1, 1995, when he as an ebullient, vivacious and zestful young officer, arrived Jos on an invitation by the military hierarchy in what he thought was going to be a continuation of his debriefing about a report on the Bakassi Peninsula which he was working on.

On getting to Jos however, he was arrested and later charged with plotting to overthrow the government of General Sani Abacha. 

It was the same coup for which the former head of state, General Olusegun Obasanjo and his former Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters, General Shehu Musa Yar’adua were arrested.

Though most of those indicted, especially Obasanjo have consistently denied such a plot and it was later dubbed a phantom coup, some high ranking military officers in the Abacha government like General Ishaya Bamaiyi insisted there was a coup plot.

Like Obasanjo and others, Gwadabe insists he was only framed and there was no conspiracy to overthrow the Abacha government. He did not disagree, however, that he could have been arrested because of his background as one not averse to regime change.

Translation: Being a veteran of so many coups, he could have been arrested to forestall any likely repeat of what he did to Muhammadu Buhari and what he was alleged to have inspired in the Gambia.

To put it in local parlance, it was a case of not allowing the owl to cry in the night in order to save the child from dying in the morning.

Jos, the town where he was arrested holds a special place in his life as that was was where he was born and incidentally, it was in the same town he was reported to have met with Buhari in 1983 to make arrangements for the trip that would eventually launch the latter as Nigeria’s head of state when the coup that ousted President Shehu Shagari succeeded.

Gwadabe was one of those considered as a high flying officer having held choice appointments. He became a colonel at a very young age and was appointed governor of Niger State at the age of 38 and was one of the most influential of the military governors of that era.

His image used to be all over the media as he took responsibilities that were beyond his brief as governor. He was an ‘IBB boy’, which meant that he was one of those very close to the then military president.

Even after Abacha took over the reins of government, Gwadabe maintained that visibility with his coordination of the political affairs for the military ruler and is credited with breaking the ranks of NADECO by getting its chieftains like Chief Lateef Jakande, Ebenezer Babatope etc to take appointments in that administration.

The night of March 1, 1995, took all that from him. Since then, not much has been heard from him except his occasional interventions on policy and political matters. 

With this offer and his soon to be released biography, it appears the era of reticence is over and the former military officer is ready to break the ice.

[DailyTrust]

Afrobeats artiste, Davido, has revealed that he and his wife, Chioma, are taking a break from childbearing.

The father of 5 said he is not ready to have more children, stressing that Chioma deserves a break to pursue her career after three children.

The Omo Baba Olowo hitmaker disclosed this in a recent episode of Ride Along With Darryl.

He said, “I don’t want more children now. Me and my wife are taking a break. She needs to get out to work. She wants to do a lot of things like opening her restaurant and launching her spices. I feel she deserves a couple of years off after having 3 kids.”
DAILY POST recalls that the couple welcomed a set of twins, a boy and a girl, in 2023, a year after they lost their first son, Ifeanyi, in a swimming pool accident.

[DailyPost]

The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the extradition of Benjamin Best Nnayereugo, popularly known as Killaboi, from Doha, Qatar, where he will face prosecution for the alleged murder of 21-year-old Miss Augusta Onuwabhagbe, a first-class student at Lead City University, Ibadan.

Nnayereugo, who was declared wanted by police in October 2023, arrived in Nigeria in the early hours of Saturday following coordinated efforts by the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Ministry of Justice, INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja, and judicial authorities in Qatar.

In a statement on via X (formerly Twitter), Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, explained that the extradition followed “a petition from the family of the deceased, submitted through their legal representatives dated 29th September 2024.” The case was assigned to INTERPOL NCB Abuja for investigation.

According to police findings, Nnayereugo allegedly murdered Onuwabhagbe at his residence at 24A Abiola Apooyi Street, Oral Estate, Ajah, Lagos on July 13, 2023 before fleeing the country. 

The victim was a promising student with a first-class academic record at Lead City University.

Authorities said the suspect later released an online video purporting to confess to the crime — a move the police described as “a deceptive strategy to derail investigative efforts.”

The police also confirmed that after the suspect was declared wanted by the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) on October 13, 2023, an INTERPOL Red Notice was issued for his global apprehension.

Nnayereugo was arrested in Freetown, Sierra Leone on October 20, 2023, under a false identity, “KANU PRINCETON SAMUEL,” but escaped from custody during a prison break on November 26, 2023.

“Further intelligence gathering revealed that the suspect continued to evade law enforcement, traversing multiple regions including West Africa, East Asia and the Middle East, under forged identities before eventually relocating to Doha, Qatar on 24th January, 2025,” the statement added.

The police said he lived in Qatar under the alias “TOURE ABDOULAYE” and used a forged Guinean passport to secure illegal employment and conceal his identity.

“Through robust international cooperation and the use of advanced biometrics, INTERPOL NCB Abuja, in collaboration with INTERPOL NCB Doha, confirmed his identity, leading to his arrest by Qatari authorities in February 2025,” the statement noted.

His extradition was secured after an official request was approved by Qatari judicial authorities, following due process coordinated through the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the international collaboration that led to the suspect’s return, describing it as a testament to global cooperation against trans-border crimes.

“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, while recognising the strength in the synergy amongst nations to curb trans-border crimes, commended the diligence of INTERPOL NCB Abuja and extended sincere appreciation to the Honorable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Government of Qatar, INTERPOL NCB Doha, and the Nigerian Embassy in Qatar for their invaluable collaboration in securing the fugitive’s return,” the statement read.

Egbetokun also assured the public that the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to ensuring justice in the case, stating, “The Inspector-General of Police further assured the general public of the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to ensuring that the suspect faces diligent prosecution, as part of the NPF’s dedication to justice and the safety of all Nigerians.”

In October 2023, the Lagos State Police Command declared Nnayereugo wanted for Onuwabhagbe’s death. 

At the time, the state police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, described him as “26 years old, approximately 5’9 ft tall and hails from Abia State. He is dark in complexion and speaks English, Igbo and pidgin English fluently.”

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has officially announced a change in the commencement date of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, now scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 24, 2025, instead of the previously slated Friday, April 25, 2025.

This development was disclosed in a statement signed by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, and shared on the Board’s official X handle on Saturday.

“The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is now set to commence on Thursday, April 24, 2025, instead of the previously scheduled date of Friday, April 25, 2025. This adjustment has been made to accommodate essential commitments by the Board and its partner agencies,” the statement partly read.

In preparation for the exam, JAMB also announced that prospective candidates can now print their Notification Slips, which contain crucial details such as the examination date, venue (centre), time, and other instructions necessary for a smooth examination experience.

“What’s included in the Notification Slip: Examination date, venue (centre), time, other essential details necessary for successfully sitting for the examination,” the statement further explained.

Candidates are encouraged to begin printing their Notification Slips starting Saturday, April 19, 2025 (Today).

“Candidates are encouraged to print their Notification Slips starting today, Saturday, April 19, 2025. This will provide ample time for logistical arrangements to access their assigned centres within the chosen examination towns,” it added.

To print the examination slip, candidates are required to: “Visit www.jamb.gov.ng, click on ‘2025 UTME Slip Printing.’ Enter your registration number and click on ‘Print Examination Slip”, the statement advised.

JAMB strongly urged candidates to visit their assigned centres ahead of time.

“It is strongly advised that candidates print their slips and familiarise themselves with their examination centres at least one or two days before the examination date. This preparation will help ensure a smooth experience on exam day,” the Board said.

The Board reiterated that no candidate would be posted outside their selected examination town.

“Examination Schedule: To reiterate, the 2025 UTME will begin on Thursday, April 24, 2025. Candidates are advised to print their Examination Notification Slips at least a day before the exam to confirm their examination dates and locations, making it easier to access their centres on the day of the examination. Please note that candidates will be assigned to centres within their chosen examination towns; no candidate will be placed in a centre outside their selected town”, the statement concluded.

[Punch]

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has voiced his strong disapproval of the rehabilitation work carried out on the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, describing it as substandard and unsafe.

In a statement posted on his official X handle on Saturday, Keyamo announced that the federal government decided to shut down the airport’s runway for two weeks starting April 22, 2025, to address critical safety concerns.

“Dear compatriots, we have been compelled to take this decision to close the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for two weeks starting from April 22nd, 2025, in order to carry out major repair works on it, he stated.

The minister noted that although the airport underwent a significant year-long rehabilitation in 2019, the core issue of waterlogging was never effectively resolved. According to him, this oversight has led to persistent cracks and potholes on the runway, which now threaten the safety of passengers.

“Unfortunately, when we came to the office, we discovered that the waterlogged part of the runway was not properly constructed to take care of the problem, leading to constant cracks and potholes on the runway. These obviously put the lives of the travelling public at great risk,” he said.

Keyamo, who visited the site personally, said he was totally displeased with the contractor’s work.

“I personally visited the airport some months after assuming office and expressed my total displeasure with the work done by the contractor,” he revealed.

Keyamo said that despite ongoing palliative repairs, the condition of the runway has worsened to the point where the cracks have turned into “craters,” prompting the urgent closure.

“We have been carrying out constant palliative works on it, but the problem has not abated, and the cracks on the runway are becoming craters,” he added.

While apologising to the public for the inconvenience, Keyamo assured that flight operations would be rerouted to neighbouring airports during the repair period.

“We sincerely apologise to Nigerians over this development as the airport is our major international gateway in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.

“In the meantime, scheduled flight operations to Enugu will be diverted to other neighbouring airports. We are going to work tirelessly to meet the timeline in order to mitigate the inconvenience this closure will cause the travelling public,” he said.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) announced the temporary closure in a statement issued by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah.

[Opinion nigeria]

According to history, tradition, and Nigerian media narratives—when all else fails, when the presidency, legislature, and courts betray, when the police turn against the people, when those in power like Tinubu, Akpabio, Wike and others silence the truth—Nigerians have always turned to the gods, spirits, and ancestral forces for justice.

This pattern is not new. It is cultural. It is psychological. It is historical.

And in that spirit, this moment reflects the collective cry of a people who have been betrayed by every arm of modern governance—and are now turning, once again, to the powers beyond man.

The Phrase That Became a Curse: “Go to Court”

There was a time in Nigeria’s life when the words “go to court” reflected faith in the nation. A belief that the Constitution was not just a document, but a covenant. That the judge’s bench was a sacred altar where truth could still find a home.

But today, those words have been defiled. They are no longer said with humility. They are thrown like stones, soaked in arrogance, used as weapons of psychological domination.

When Tinubu says it, he does not mean it.

When Wike repeats it, he knows it is a trap.

When Ibas parrots it, he’s already benefitting from its emptiness.

And when the Senate says it, it is not advice—it is laughter behind power.

They say go to court not because they believe justice will be served, but because they believe they own the court.

And most tragically, they are often right.

Ibok-Ete Ibas: The Military Man Who Now Sits in a Throne Never Meant for Him

In the heart of Rivers State, the people woke up to find that their democracy had been suspended without warning, without vote, without law. The elected governor, Sim Fubara, was sidelined. Elected officials were removed. And in their place stood one man—Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired Chief of Naval Staff.

He did not campaign. He did not swear an oath to the people. He was not chosen—he was planted.

Under a cloak of “emergency rule,” he governs not like a caretaker, but like a military emperor. He installs. He dissolves. He allocates. He threatens. He mocks. And when the people resist, when the NBA relocates its entire national conference in protest, when the women march in agony, his response is chillingly consistent:

“Go to court.”

The cruelty of it is unbearable.

Yes, the People Are Going to Court—But They Know the Game Is Rigged

Now, in the face of these abuses, the PDP has gone to court. Human rights groups, constitutional lawyers, and civil society coalitions have followed. They have filed suits asking the judiciary to declare the emergency rule in Rivers unconstitutional. They are trying to hold onto the last shred of constitutionalism.

But even they—the plaintiffs themselves—know that this path is littered with obstacles, and the outcome has already been whispered among the corridors of Abuja.

It is almost theatrical now.

The court proceedings are performed for optics.

The robes are clean, but the bench is trembling.

The legal filings are submitted, but the judgments may be pre-ordered.

And the phrase “go to court” continues to echo—not as a solution, but as psychological warfare.

It is the elite saying to the people, “We dare you. Try it. Watch what happens.”

The Judiciary Is Silenced. The Media Is Bought. The People Are Alone.

In a healthy nation, the judiciary is the conscience of democracy.

But in Nigeria today, the courts have become decorative institutions, often used not to protect the oppressed, but to validate the plans of the powerful.

The media, once the loudest voice of the people, has become a soft murmur.

Brown envelopes have muted the headlines.

Political favors have re-written the editorials.

Truth has been sacrificed on the altar of access.

Even traditional media—local elders, town criers, palace voices—have either been silenced by fear or invited into the patronage network.

So now, the people look around and see:

The law does not serve us.

The police do not protect us.

The journalists do not report us.

And the soldiers do not stand behind the flag—they stand behind orders.

And So, the Women Rise in a Way That No Government Can Contain

The women of Nigeria have risen. Not with weapons, not with votes, but with ancestral vengeance.

In one protest, they wore black. Mourning not just for lives lost, but for democracy itself. For justice buried. For truth erased.

In another protest, they wore red. A spiritual color of battle. A declaration that this is no longer negotiation—this is resistance. This is war.

They marched barefoot—not out of spectacle, but out of sacred urgency. Their feet kissed the earth with each step, not in strength but in surrender, as if pleading directly to the soil to remember their pain. The hot ground beneath them bore witness. Every footprint became an imprint of unanswered prayers.

They held no placards in some moments—only grief, only portraits of children lost, only cloth soaked in tears.

And yet, **they did hold microphones—**but not for politics.

They used them to sing.

They used them to cry.

They used them to chant the names of the forgotten.

They used them to call on powers greater than the state.

Their voices cracked, but they sang.

They wailed songs of mourning.

They sang psalms, they sang laments.

They cried into the speaker not for attention—but for justice.

The microphone became not a tool of protest—but an altar of invocation.

Each amplified word was not just sound—it was sorrow with a target.

And yes, they cursed.

Not in wickedness.

Not with malice.

But with trembling hands and broken hearts.

They cursed because every formal channel had betrayed them.

They cursed because the courts were no longer courts. The police no longer protected. The media no longer listened.

So their curses took many forms:

Some spoke of death—not because they were vengeful, but because death had visited their own homes first.

Some spoke of illness—not out of spite, but as a mirror to the sickness of power.

Some whispered prayers for misfortune—asking the heavens to disrupt the comfort of those who live by injustice.

Some called for accidents—not for cruelty’s sake, but because the roads of Nigeria have already been painted with the blood of the innocent, while the powerful drive on untouched.

These were not the curses of witches.

These were the tears of women with no one else to turn to.

These were the curses of mothers whose sons had been beaten, whose daughters had been silenced, whose homes had been erased by silence.

Their placards said it plainly, and their microphones carried the message across the land:

“We Cannot Go to Court—So We Go to the Spirits.”

And so, they cried—not to the Chief Justice, not to the Senate President, not to the Inspector General.

They cried to the Almighty God, the one whose justice is not delayed.

The one whose courtroom has no backdoor.

They cried to:

Amadioha – god of thunder, who hears no bribe, misses no target.

Ani – the earth herself, whose back carries every lie and every unburied injustice.

Egbesu – the divine lawgiver of the Niger Delta, who waits in silence until balance must be restored.

Esu – the spiritual messenger, the trickster who delivers truth with vengeance when arrogance rises too high.

Kuri and Jam Maraki – the northern spirits feared even in the palace, whose names are never called lightly, and never ignored when invoked in grief.

These women did not gather in anger.

They gathered in sacred protest.

They sang, they cried, they knelt, they cursed—not because they wanted destruction, but because the system had destroyed them first.

When the courtrooms are silent, and justice becomes a performance, the women of Nigeria will speak to a higher court.

And now they have.

With microphones in hand and spirits at their side.

This Psychologist Does Not Practice Religion—But the People Do

Let me say this plainly:

While this writer, a psychologist, is not into religion and does not practice African traditional religions, it must be acknowledged that Nigerians, including President Tinubu, Wike, and indeed many Nigerians, have been conditioned by their cultural and religious upbringing to fear God and the spiritual realm.

The reality is that people have been conditioned to believe that higher forces—be they deities, divine beings, or the Almighty—have the power to intervene in human affairs.

Nigerians in general, including those in positions of power, understand that their actions and decisions are never far from the gaze of a higher spiritual presence, one that has the power to shape outcomes far beyond human influence.

And the women who protest—they know this.

They are not foolish. They are not weak.

They have simply gone to the final court. The one without bail. The one without technicalities. The one that judges not with delay, but with fire and finality.

Conclusion: You Own the Courts, But You Cannot Silence the Cry of the Earth

To those in power—Tinubu, Gbaja, Wike, Akpabio, Egbetokun, Ibas, and the hidden hands behind the judiciary, the uniformed men with weapons, the shadowed voices controlling the police, and the media brokers who trade silence for coin—you may believe you own everything.

Yes, you may command the courts, but the law no longer lives there.

Yes, you may control the military, but the soldiers no longer march with justice.

Yes, you may distribute the money—but much of it carries the quiet weight of unseen sorrow, exchanged not in service, but in silence.

Yes, you may shape the narratives, but truth has a voice that no editor can delete.

You may own the buildings.

You may own the seals.

You may own the cameras.

You may even own the men in robes.

But you do not own the cries of the people.

You do not own the trembling of the earth beneath your polished shoes.

You do not own the groan of a broken nation echoing in the streets and rivers and farmlands.

You do not own the gods, whom you may pretend not to fear, but still whisper about in the dark.

You do not own the curse of a mother in black, whose child has been swallowed by your greed, your silence, your lies.

You do not own the rage behind the red wrapper, worn not for style, but for spiritual war.

You do not own the ancestors who have risen with fire in their bones and judgment in their mouths.

You do not own the women who have passed beyond complaint, beyond petition, beyond fear.

You may keep saying “go to court.”

Say it on your podiums. Say it in the Senate. Say it in your media-sponsored interviews.

But know this:

The women have gone beyond that now.

They have gone to God—the one not elected, not influenced, not corruptible.

They have gone to the gods—those whose names cannot be summoned without consequence.

They have gone to the spirits—those who judge beyond the noise, beyond the television, beyond the courts.

And they have cried out in ways that no soldier, no lawmaker, no court clerk, no police commissioner can intercept.

And when the spirits respond—they do not delay. They do not consult. They do not miss.

When they answer,

no microphone will shield you.

No robe will protect you.

No army will defend you.

No press release will erase you.

No alliance will save you.

No political godfather will stand between you and what is coming.

Because when justice is denied for too long, and the people are mocked too deeply, the cry of the earth becomes a weapon— and those who ignored it shall taste its dust.

Buba Galadima, a former political ally of former President Muhammadu Buhari, in this encounter, laments that all those who are in power in the country are only concerned about themselves rather than the people.

He says we should forget the 2027 general elections because the votes would not count unless Nigerians rise up and demand an amendment to the Electoral Act.

He also cautions President Bola Tinubu to be wary of those around him, saying they may pull down his government, even as he bares his mind on the emergency rule in Rivers State, hunger in the land, among other issues.
Excerpts:

How would you assess your party APC after almost 10 years in office?

I’m no longer in APC. When Buhari was still in power, he set up a committee under Bola Tinubu, who is now the President, to remove my name from the Board of Trustees of APC and to remove my name from the National Caucus of APC because he said I talked too much, and that I looked at him in the eye and said my mind. When I saw that it was what the president (Buhari) liked that was going to happen, I just left the party for them. But let me tell you something, there is nothing anybody can do except one thing.

It is for us to come together and ensure that we get a proper Electoral Act that will ensure that everybody’s vote counts. That’s the only thing we can do. If we can’t do that one, then let’s forget it, because if Nigerians don’t come together, some people will continue to write the results of the election.

The way we are going presently, votes are not counting in Nigeria.

If we don’t amend the Electoral Act, the courts will continue to give everything to them, like they did in Edo. Somebody won an election, they gave the result to another person and the courts affirmed it. Look at what happened in Kano. Everybody knows that it’s the responsibility of the governor to approve the appointment of an Emir. He doesn’t appoint, he approves and gives suggestions. But somebody wants to install an Emir from Abuja, and nobody is talking. So, why should I waste my time talking?

Look at what is happening in Rivers. An unelected person will uproot an elected person. Look at what is happening in the Senate. An elected Senator will uproot an elected senator.

I say, whose fault is it now? It’s our fault. Nigerians allow them to have their way and if you are talking, and they catch you, they put you underground, like the one I tasted. Does poverty or hunger know a Yoruba man or an Igbo man or Hausa man? We are all in it. So, we have to remove certain sentiments and work for the good of the system, not for an individual.

We have to do that, we have to come together and fight for a better society, fight for a better system, where justice would prevail, irrespective of whatever.

If it affects the Igbo man, we all should shout that it’s not good. If it affects the Hausa man, we all should come around to say this. The point is that what happened to an Igbo man can happen to a Hausa man and a Yoruba man.

So, you are talking about our unity as a people…

That’s what I’m saying. Do we believe in that? Unless we believe that it’s okay. Some people were killed in Edo.

We must find out who did that. It doesn’t matter where they are. Human lives were wasted. Human lives are sacred and you can’t just waste lives like that. We should all talk about it and find the culprits and punish them, whether it affects you, whether it doesn’t affect you, you need to handle it. Look at Plateau State, people are being butchered. If we keep quiet or keep playing politics with human lives, it will keep spreading.

What do you think of what happened in Edo?

I wasn’t in the country, so I didn’t even know the details. I just saw the video while I was outside the country. But my point is that it doesn’t matter to whom it happened. When something bad is done to anybody, it is our responsibility to condemn it and seek justice. But when these people in power all over know that they can divide us by religion, by tribe, by section, by where you come from, by state, then, we are out. They will do what they want. Democracy was not built based on religion or tribe. It was built on certain principles which are sacrosanct.

But the opposition is not strong enough to tackle these issues…

How can the opposition be strong when they don’t have money to face the government? When all the money is in the control of those in power and not the people, not the country, how can they be strong? I went to the hospital outside the country and I almost shed tears. I went for treatment, for the evaluation of an operation done on me in October 2023. Hospitals in Nigeria are just graveyards; when you go there, you are waiting to be buried. You talked about the opposition; many are decamping to the APC.

Do you think that they are decamping because the APC is doing well? You and I don’t have money, but they have and it doesn’t satisfy them. They want to win and get more money. Have you seen what we are seeing? That they are strengthening the oppressors?

If they are in the office, even what they get is more than what your whole community can get. But they are still not satisfied.

They want to rush there to steal more. I just got back from a trip. I landed in Kano and drove to Abuja and I learned that during the Sallah, there was a fight between the Emir’s bodyguards and some people. And somebody died.

Now the Police are inviting the Emir. Do you think it is right to invite the Emir who was riding on a horseback, one kilometre away, to ask him what happened, and why somebody was killed during his procession? Nobody is talking. Can the IGP invite the Oba of Lagos when somebody is killed during an event where the Oba is present? But it is okay, it is Kano, let them go and kill themselves.

It may happen to me one day, or it may happen to my Emirate. The police planned to cause commotion in Kano so that they could declare a state of emergency.

That was what they wanted to do by banning the Durbar. They invited the Emir on a Tuesday before Sallah and if the Emir reported on Tuesday, they would have brought the other one from Mecca who went for the Lesser Hajj to come and plant him so that the commotion would start. That was what they planned to do.

Does the Federal Government have powers over the choice of traditional rulers?

Some people have powers over the Chief Justice of the Federation. Ganduje removed an Emir because he was the governor of Kano; if another person becomes the governor of Kano, doesn’t he have the right to remove the person that Ganduje also put there? He didn’t remove him because he committed any offence. He removed him because of politics. Now they want to force people to be killed.

They want to invite the Emir and enthrone another one by force. That is why they came to the Court of Appeal for the court to swallow its vomit. Even when they thought that what the Governor did was right, they said the implementation should wait until the Supreme Court makes a pronouncement.

Is that correct? Supreme Court? How many people? Is it not a decision of a few men under the influence of the government? I’m over 70; I speak the truth at all times. Inviting the Emir of Kano to a police station is wrong.

How can the government right the wrongs?

All these things are based on one issue, justice. Because if there is justice and there is a human feeling, everything will fall in place. Our leaders must be compassionate about the sufferings of the people.

Some people cannot afford to eat one meal per day. That should be their concern. But it looks like those who claimed we voted for them are only concerned about what they will get from governance rather than how much sacrifice they can make on behalf of the people. Governance in multi-ethnic and religious societies, communities like Nigeria, need 24-hour surveillance.

You have to make a real sacrifice for you to speak to all shades of opinion to find out exactly how things go and how they can work out. This is not obtainable now because all those in power are only concerned about themselves rather than about the people. That’s our problem.

Are we going to endure this till 2027?

Our issue is that we, as a nation, must sit down and define a minimum code of behaviour for all our leaders. Unless we do that, it will continue for eternity. That is why people like me, who are above 70, are almost giving up. There is this adage in Hausa that says when you are talking about the thief, also talk about those who try to catch the thief. We are all the same. Once somebody gets his minimum requirement for one day, he can forsake you.

So, they don’t even care about those who fight for them as long as they can get a stipend from those who oppress them. The people have not decided what they want from the leaders. If they decide to bring a change for the better, they could do that.

And the change for the better does not mean that you will support somebody from your religion, somebody from your tribe or somebody from where you come from. No! You make a universal minimum good for all the people. And you fight for it. Nobody, no military, no police, no judiciary can overturn the will of the people when we stand together. If we say that this is wrong and it must stop, it should stop.

We have two other arms of government apart from the executive, like the legislature and the judiciary. Those seem to be failing too..

Not that they seem to be failing. They have buckled to the executive. When these very arms of government work, everybody does their little bit. Our problem is multifaceted, and we have a division. I saw, just now, one foreigner berating the Middle Belt Forum on the position they released on the killings in Edo. The foreigner was damn right that what is wrong is wrong even if it was done against your enemy.

The Middle Belt Forum was happy that they did that to these people because they should remember that Deborah was killed in Sokoto. Was it these people who were killed in Edo that killed Deborah? We should have condemned Deborah’s issue as well as condemned this one in Edo. So, what kind of country or what kind of people do we have in Nigeria? And they said they are a regional bloc fighting for justice.

Justice means that even if an injustice is committed against your enemy, you fight for him. When you finish and obtain justice for him, you can continue your quarrel. So, we are the architects of our problems. I am getting fed up. I can’t see the Nigeria I dreamt of.

What is your take on what is happening in Rivers and the declaration of an emergency rule?

Is there any one single person except Nyesom Wike who supported what is happening in Rivers? No, I’m asking whether you know anybody.

There’s this video released by the Emir of Muri berating politicians in Taraba.

Yes, Abbas Tafida, the Emir of Muri. You need to listen to that one. When you listen to him, you now find out whether the politicians are okay. He said you sit down, all of you, and say you promulgate a law called your constitution to guide your conduct. And you had come together to form a political party because you all believe in one thing. Then, as idiots, when we quarrel, you go to another person who was not a participant in the formulation of the constitution to interpret the constitution for you.

Are you well? That’s what the Emir of Muri said. Look, there is something wrong with us, but you, the mass media, you carry the greatest burden. You are divisive; you should sit down and agree never to mention religion, never to mention tribe and never to mention where somebody comes from. Talk of Nigeria and talk of justice for all and Nigeria will be different. But you are promoting these things by reminding people that they belong to a certain tribe, they belong to a certain religion, they belong to a certain section, they belong to this or belong to that. We can’t run a country like that. If we keep having emergency rule because of the way it is now, if they extend the emergency rule to Kano, that means Nigeria is finished. But I believe common sense may prevail because they should know that there are certain things they ought not to do. It’s not everything that suits you that can in the end benefit you.

Look at what is happening in the Senate. The Senate is not deliberating on what will benefit the people anymore. We left that issue several years ago. Everybody knows Godswill Akpabio. If you don’t know him, go and ask Victor Attah, who was his Governor when he was a Commissioner. I don’t need to tell you anything. You should know better.

Are you saying nobody knows where Nigeria is headed?

No, we are going somewhere. I may not be around when we get there but we are going somewhere. Something has got to reach its elastic limit before it breaks. It happened in Ghana one day. They became a saner society. It happened in Iran during Reza Pahlavi. They are sane people now. It happened in the Soviet Union. So, things must reach their elastic limit. All this useless power that you see, just wait one day. It’s just that we don’t have patience.

What happened in those places was a revolution…

I don’t want to mention the word revolution. Leave that word to Omoyele Sowore. He can educate you better on that.

Sowore?

Yes. He is my role model. He is a courageous young man just like Malema of South Africa. I wish there would be a free and fair election. If there is a free and fair election, Sowore can win the election and come to the National Assembly. Then he becomes a Malema, a conscience of the nation. But how can he, now under these circumstances? When he doesn’t have what to give, or maybe he has, but he doesn’t give.

There is this belief in many quarters that the North is not happy with Buhari, Tinubu or the APC. How true is it?

Well, you read them in the newspapers. You read them on social media. You will get their mood. Have you gone to see the social media on this invitation to Emir Sanusi to come and see the Inspector General of Police? Have you seen what people are doing in Kano now? The Nigeria of today is not the Nigeria of yesterday. People are becoming conscious and we are only appealing to them and educating them more about their rights. But at the appropriate time, when hardship brings them together, they can react in a manner that you cannot control. This is a prophecy that I am giving.

The people have only one way out, they must stand up for their rights. For the government, my advice is that they should not joke with the feelings of the people because they are in control; they feel nothing can happen to them and that could be foolishness.

If all of us come out, they will all run away including the IGP and the defence corps. They will run, tell them I said so. They have nothing, they have only one life. The gun which the police and military are carrying is something anyone can buy in the market now.

Can the IGP invite the Oba of Lagos on something that the Oba doesn’t know about? How can he? We know what happened. We know who did that. We know who met who to make that decision. The IGP was given an instruction and he was following an unlawful instruction. You should go and find out from General Theophilus Danjuma after the Gideon Orkar coup when he said the military is not obliged to carry out illegal orders. He should be reminded.

Why is the IGP so interested in Kano that some idiots would give him instructions to cause problems for Tinubu?

The IGP is being teleguided by the people that we know. It’s not Tinubu himself. They are working for a state of emergency in Kano. It will consume all of them, including himself. Let him remember Tafa Balogun. There is nothing in Nigeria that doesn’t have a history. I’ve never seen an IGP like this.

Could it be Ganduje who is doing this?

The IGP knows those who give him instructions. I don’t need to say it publicly, everybody should know.

How do we get out of this now, because it’s creating another problem?

My parents told me something, that anybody who is in power should be working for peace. No rich man wants a fire to break out. No peaceful man wants violence. That’s what my parents educated me on. And I think they are right. How can a rich man set fire to his house? If it’s not controlled, it can explode.

Look at what is happening in Rivers, the explosion of gas pipelines, and oil pipelines. If such a thing starts happening, Nigeria is finished. And who caused it? You know that those that the gods want to destroy, they first make mad. They don’t know that when they do what they did in Rivers, this will happen. And who is the loser? But I have only one thing to tell the President: he should be very careful with certain people around him. They are trying to destroy him and destroy his government.

Anybody who is his friend will pray for a peaceful Nigeria. It is only a loyal person to him that wants a peaceful Nigeria. The person causing the commotion in Rivers does not like Tinubu and his

[OPinion Nigeria]