Salihu Lukman, the former National Vice Chairman (North West) of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has said the party has done badly in meeting its campaign promises.

Lukman stated this in an interview with Arise TV on Monday.

This is coming after Lukman resigned from the party.

He said APC’s performance on key campaign promises like security, economic stability, and anti-corruption, has been poor.

The former APC chieftain said he hoped that the new leadership would depart from the practises of the previous administration of President Buhari.

He said: “I admit that in terms of meeting up with our campaign promises, we have done badly, no doubt about it.

“And what are those campaign promises? Issues of security, the economy, fighting corruption. We have done badly and people are free to reach the conclusion whether or not APC is worse than PDP.

“But as of 2023, before the election, I had the hope that because our leaders were not in denial of the challenges facing us, they would be humble enough to admit that we have not done what we needed to do between 2015 and 2023.

“That’s why I was practically very very confident that he would not really do business as usual the way President Buhari did.

“Unfortunately, here we are. He’s doing business as usual. And as it is, we are going to end up in a worse situation.

“So to that extent, you might be right in criticising some of us who were in APC and who supported President Asiwaju.”

Faults subsidy policy

The former national vice chairman of the APC noted that one of the most contentious decisions made by President Tinubu was the immediate declaration of the end of the petroleum subsidy with its lack of planning and preparation.

Lukman said the abrupt decision has led to a significant deterioration in the country’s living conditions.

He said, “One of the biggest mistakes that President Asiwaju made was making that declaration on his inauguration day, declaring petroleum subsidy is gone without even sitting down to put up a plan and today. No plan to respond to that challenge.

“And that is why the living condition in the country is crashing and the government is just grandstanding.

“All of us in the party have become onlookers. We are not able to even access President Asiwaju and influence decisions in terms of what needs to be done.

“From the way things are going, my prediction — which is why I had to act the way I acted — is that by the end of this year, if we don’t take time, the campaign for 2027 will start and people will be forced to just queue behind any leader.

“And out of anger, out of frustration, with the reality before us, we’ll end up even electing a worse successor to President Asiwaju and all the challenges of the country will even get worse.”

Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway…

Lukman also cristisised the government’s major spending on infrastructure projects like the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, while neglecting urgent needs in education and health.

He highlighted that the allocation for education is insufficient to address such a critical issue.

“APC was founded on the vision of being a social democratic party. A social democratic party prioritises the wellbeing and condition of living of the citizens.

“So, issues of education, issues of health, issues of social welfare should have been the priority and that should be reflected in public investment driven by government.

“Unfortunately, what are the first steps President Asiwaju took? Apart from the fact that on account of corruption, social investment has been suspended, which is why the question of responding to hardship is so weak, also look at the major decisions of President Asiwaju.

“Spending 15 trillion naira on Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. Imagine if a fraction of that amount is invested in education and in terms of education, we talk about 10 million out-of-school children in the North.

“You cannot solve that problem by business as usual, allocating a pittance in education and expect classrooms to work, teachers to be recruited, teaching material to be procured with the pittance that is going on now.

“So you need extra-budgetary activities to be able to respond to that and mop up the out-of-school children out of the street. 

“In terms of mopping up, the advantage of it is that it will also reduce the vulnerability of the nation in terms of insecurity.

“Imagine a fraction of 15 trillion naira invested in our armed forces by way of procurement of military hardware, and training.

“And talking about even responding to security challenges, we’ve been deviating as a nation for God knows how long about (whether or not to have) state police.”

Ramaphosa was re-elected as South Africa’s president after a historic coalition deal between the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and opposition parties.

After losing its controlling majority in last month’s election for the first time in 30 years since the end of apartheid, the ANC struck a merger with the Democratic Alliance (DA), the main opposition, and smaller parties.

Following two weeks of intensive talks with opposition parties, the decision to re-elect Ramaphosa was reached on Friday.

A statement issued Monday by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said Tinubu will depart Lagos, where he is observing the Eid-el-Kabir festival, for Ramaphosa’s inauguration.

Tinubu and Ramaphosa last met in New York at the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2023.

The Nigerian president asked Ramaphosa to deepen the economic relations between the two countries.

Tinubu stressed that Nigeria and South Africa are the countries with the most potential to improve Africa’s economic outlook when they partner effectively.

Ngelale said Tinubu will return to Nigeria after the inauguration ceremony.

Sevilla FC have completed the signing of Nigerian forward Chidera Ejuke.

The 26-year-old joins the Spanish club as a free agent, having successfully completed his medical examination and agreed to a three-year contract.

The announcement was made on the same day the Spanish side revealed Sergio Ramos would depart the club after a year following a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023.

Ejuke is Sevilla’s first acquisition of the summer under head coach García Pimienta.

The club, which struggled in La Liga last season, is aiming to bolster its squad with quality players to improve its performance in the upcoming season.

Primarily a left winger, Ejuke is versatile and can play on both flanks.

He will face competition for a spot in the starting lineup and is expected to make an immediate impact.

Before joining Sevilla, Ejuke made 65 appearances and recorded 18 goal involvements for his previous Russian club, CSKA Moscow.

He spent the last two seasons on loan at Hertha Berlin and Royal Antwerp.

Chidera Ejuke was part of the Nigerian national team squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, where he featured in two matches.

Ejuke’s last appearance for the Super Eagles was in 2022 during an international friendly against Algeria.

Israel Adesanya has confirmed his highly anticipated UFC comeback, with the former champion scheduled to face his arch-rival in Perth.

The 34-year-old announced a hiatus from mixed martial arts following his surprising defeat by Sean Strickland in Sydney last September.

His return to the Octagon has been widely anticipated, with Adesanya strongly considered for the headline slot at UFC 300, but his fierce rival Dricus du Plessis was unable to confirm his availability for the date.

The two fighters had exchanged taunts before, with the South African asserting that he would embody a true African champion, living, training, and breathing in Africa, unlike Adesanya, who was born in Nigeria before relocating to New Zealand.

Posting a mocked-up image of himself donning the UFC’s brand new golden glove, Adesnaya, in a post on X, on Monday,  appears to announce he will return to the ring later on August 17. 

He wrote: “The SUN of Africa is the same sun that lights up our planet.

“The SUN will set and will rise again until you walk into it. The SUN, enjoy while it shines. Darkness falls when it’s gone.”

The federal government has denied renaming the Murtala Mohammed expressway in the federal capital territory (FCT) after Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate.

On June 4, President Bola Tinubu named the just inaugurated arterial road N20 from the northern parkway to the outer northern expressway (ONEX) in the FCT, the Wole Soyinka highway.

In a statement on Monday, Rabiu Ibrahim, special assistant on media to Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, said “rumours are being circulated” that the Murtala Mohammed expressway has been renamed as Wole Soyinka Way.

Ibrahim said the renaming of the Murtala Mohammed expressway “has never been contemplated by this administration”.

“For the record, on June 4, 2024, President Bola Tinubu inaugurated a new road in the FCT codenamed Arterial Road N20 (from Katampe to Jahi), which links the existing Outer Northern Expressway (also known as Murtala Mohammed Expressway) to the Northern Parkway (also called Ahmadu Bello Way),” the statement reads.

“During the inauguration of the N20 (which is a new road), FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, proposed to the President that the road be named after Prof Wole Soyinka, and the President agreed.

“Therefore, it is the Arterial Road N20 that is named after Prof Soyinka. The Murtala Mohammed Expressway remains unchanged and continues to bear the name of our esteemed former Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Mohammed.”

Ibrahim asked Nigerians to disregard “any misinformation regarding the renaming” of the Murtala Mohammed expressway.

“The report is entirely false and only exists in the imagination of its purveyors,” he said.

Romelu Lukaku endured a frustrating night as Slovakia stunned favourites, Belgium 1-0 on Monday night in the second game of Group E.

Romania opened the group with a 3-0 win over Ukraine to go top of the table.

The first upset of the competition was recorded at the Deutsche Bank Park when the less-fancied Slovakia earned a shock win over Belgium.

It was an unforgettable evening for Chelsea striker, Romelu Lukaku who missed three big chances in the first half before his goal was ruled out for Luis Openda’s handball in the second half.

Ivan Schranz took advantage of a terrible Jeremy Doku’s pass to stab home the opener in the seventh minute.

Belgium dominated the game with over 70 per cent possession and seven shots in the first half but they failed to find the back of the net coupled with Lukaku’s wasteful showing.

Just after the restart, Lukaku thought he had scored the equaliser but his effort was ruled out for offside.

48th placed ranked Slovakia held on for a record-breaking win over the third best team in the world according to the latest FIFA rankings.

It was the first defeat for Belgium against a team outside the top 45 of the Fifa world rankings for the first time since 2010.

The Red Devils will hope to bounce back in their second game when they take on Romania on Saturday, while Slovakia will be seeking a place in the next round with a win over Ukraine.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-South region has urged President Bola Tinubu to recontest in the 2027 presidential election.

The party praised Tinubu for his policies, projects and programs, maintaining that his policies were targeted at repositioning the country.

This was contained in a communiqué jointly signed by the APC South-South Zonal Executives after a meeting in Calabar, Cross Rivers, on Sunday.

The party reaffirmed its unwavering support for the policies and programs of the Tinubu administration in areas of good governance, economic reforms, national security and infrastructural development.

They also praised the president for his commitment to the coastal road project, and the commencement of the construction from both ends of the project.

The committee said it has resolved to set up a reconciliation committee in the South-South region, to be headed by the Coordinator of the South-South geo-political zone, Sen Bassey Otu.

They said that the move is meant to bridge any existing gap, foster collaboration and work towards a common goal of strengthening the party’s presence and influence in the region.

It also resolved to mobilise available party assets towards winning more states; particularly using the forthcoming elections in Edo State as a test case.

Nigerian-born British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua, has overtaken Tyson Fury in the latest WBC heavyweight rankings.

Anthony Joshua has now moved to number one in the WBC heavyweight rankings, while Tyson Fury has dropped from the first spot to the second spot.

The current undisputed heavyweight title holder, Oleksandr Usyk, is ranked the winner of the rankings.

Fury dropped one spot after losing his WBC heavyweight title to Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in May 2024.

While Fury suffered a massive defeat to the Ukrainian boxer, Anthony Joshua recorded successive victories against Francis Ngannou and Otto Wallin.

These two victories have qualified Joshua to contest for the vacant IBF title against Daniel Dubois in September.

Agit Kabayel who recently beat Frank Sanchez during one of the under-cards on the Fury vs Usyk bill in May, takes the third spot in the WBC rankings.

Zhilei Zhang who stunned Deontay Wilder with a knockout win earlier this year is the fourth-highest-ranked boxer in the world according to the WBC.

Nigerian heavyweight boxer, Efe Ajagba completes the top five list thanks to the WBC ‘silver’ trinket belt he is currently holding.

Jared Anderson is ranked 6th, Martin Bakole is ranked 7th, Sanchez 8th, Joe Joyce 9th, and Bakhodir Jalolov is ranked 10th in the WBC rankings.

The Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, yesterday, insisted that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State lacks the power to crown the new Olubadan of Ibadan land.

He also dismissed insinuations that Governor Makinde deliberately delayed the coronation of a new Olubadan to target him.

Recall that Makinde had announced that he would crown the new Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin when he is medically fit.

Ladoja said this while speaking with journalists at his Ibadan residence during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

The former governor maintained that there is a cordial relationship between him and Governor Makinde.

His words: “I am not the target of Governor Seyi Makinde. He is not delaying the coronation because of me. The governor sent a huge cow and many bags of rice to me for the Sallah. He had called to greet me for the festival.

“It is the people of Ibadan land who will crown the new Olubadan, and the governor’s role is only to present the staff and instrument of office to the new monarch.

“It is the Oluwo of Ibadan land who crowns a new Olubadan and not the governor. 

“The Olubadan will be crowned at lle Ose-Meji, from where he will  go to Mapo for the governor to present him the staff and instrument of office.”

On the health condition of the Olubadan-designate, Ladoja said: “To me, the new Olubadan is fit. He had been on the journey of becoming the Olubadan since 1983. The new Olubadan is fit, but only old.”