The Julius Abure-led National Working Committee of the Labour Party says it is excited with the prospect of having the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, run again on the party’s platform in 2027.

The LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday.

He spoke on the backdrop of Obi’s declaration at the weekend that he intends to pursue his 2027 presidential ambition on the LP platform.

The LP is currently factionalised, with Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, backing Nenadi Usman to oust Abure from the party’s leadership position.

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A recent Supreme Court judgment on the party’s leadership tussle did little to clarify or resolve the question of who the legitimate leader is.

However, the Independent National Electoral Commission affirmed the candidate put forward by the Abure camp for the upcoming Anambra State governorship election.

In spite of the leadership tussle, Obi declared he remained in the LP and would run for president on the party’s platform in 2027.

Asked for Abure’s reaction to Obi’s declaration, Ifoh said, “We are excited about the news. If we have waited all these while for two years with all the things that happened, we can still wait for tomorrow and the next, for the whole thing to crystallise. Then we can now begin to talk about the way forward.

“Let me start by saying politics is all about interest. The interest of every Nigerian, including the Labour Party, is to have a government that can help Nigerians come out of the doldrums and not enter into more crises, whether political, social or economic.

“I believe there are so many Nigerians who have that capacity and who can also help Nigeria come out. In 2023, we gave Peter Obi the ticket and he didn’t disappoint. Rather, the system disappointed them.”

When asked if Obi had reached out to Abure, Ifoh said the channel of communication between the duo was open.

According to him, the former Anambra governor still frequently has discussions with Abure despite the cold war between both parties.

“Well, as I said elsewhere, the line of communication is not completely blocked. There are talks, though not formal. But before the 2027 poll, don’t forget that we have Anambra elections a few months from now.

“Obi is from Anambra and we expect him to play a key role in making sure that the Labour Party wins the state. So, there has been rapprochement here and there. I think at the right time, the parties will meet and thrash all the differences. From there, we’ll move on.

“If he so wishes, as he said, that he will run the next election under the Labour Party, I think it’s a good thing for us in the party. It’s a win-win situation for everyone and we wait to see how we act the talk,” he added.

Obi’s declaration however seems to be having a ripple effect in the camp of the opposition coalition championed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

When contacted for a reaction, a key stakeholder of the coalition and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal expressed surprise at Obi’s statement.

“I don’t know what is in his mind. You need to ask Obi himself when you see him.

“I just read it today too that he will be contesting in LP,” he stated.

The development comes in the wake of Obi’s assurance to his supporters that he will contest the 2027 presidential election in the Labour Party.

Obi made this known while addressing some of his supporters in a viral video circulating on social media on Saturday.

Asked which party he intends to contest in the 2027 elections, Obi said, “I will still continue to run in the Labour Party. I’m a member of the Labour Party.”

The former governor also blamed the crisis in political parties on the Nigerian government.

He said, “What is happening in the Labour Party and the PDP is caused by the government, quote me anywhere.

“We had a problem in our party before, in the past. Yar’Adua was the President. I went to him then; he called the INEC chairman (Prof. Maurice Iwu) and told him I don’t want any problem in any party. We were forced to fix it.

“But today, in all the parties, there are problems; these are deliberate problems caused by the system. These are some of the things I want to clean up if I have the opportunity.

“Parties will function very well because you can’t have a system working without a strong opposition.”

Obi charged Nigerians to take responsibility for ensuring that their votes count because even if agents are paid by political parties to look after their interests, the ultimate decision about whether the people’s votes count rests with voters.

The former governor also appealed to Nigerian youths and the electorate not to be discouraged because positive change will also be resisted by those who are beneficiaries of the old order.

The ex-presidential candidate also stated that there should be a retirement age for politicians seeking public office.

Obi said that by the time the 2027 election holds, he would be 65 years old, adding that he would not want to be contesting for elections in his 70s.

No fewer than 200,000 more candidates crossed the 200 average mark in the Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination after the recent resit organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Examination Board, following the technical and human errors that marred the original exam.

In the resit UTME results released on Sunday, JAMB noted that the majority of candidates — 1,365,479 (70.7 per cent) out of 1.9 million candidates — scored below 200 after both the original exam and the resit.

In the original results released by JAMB on May 9, 2025, over 1.5 million candidates out of 1.9 million candidates who took the exam had scored below 200 out of the total 400 marks, raising concerns in the country.

Following sustained pressure, JAMB investigated the cause of the mass failure and discovered technical and human errors in its system.

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Consequently, it announced a resit exam for 379,000 candidates in Lagos and the South-East states.

The results of the resit UTME were released on Sunday, revealing that a good number of the candidates, who previously scored below 200, crossed the average mark this time.

JAMB indicated that after the resit UTME, the number of candidates who scored below 200 marks shrank from over 1.5 million to 1,365,479, indicating that about 200,000 more candidates crossed the average score.

According to JAMB, the new results reflect an improvement in performance compared with previous years since the adoption of the Computer-Based Test format in 2013.

According to the report, 1,931,467 results were released in 2025, representing 100 per cent of the candidates who sat the examination.

This figure surpasses the 1,842,364 results released in 2024 and indicates a steady increase in UTME participation over the years.

In comparison, 8,401 candidates (0.46 per cent) achieved similar scores in 2024, while 5,318 (0.35 per cent) did so in 2023.

Earlier figures were generally lower, with only 724 candidates (0.06 per cent) scoring 300 and above in 2021, and none in both 2014 and 2013.

In the 250 and above category, 117,373 candidates (6.08 per cent) attained this range in 2025.

This is an increase from 77,070 (4.18 per cent) in 2024 and 56,736 (3.73 per cent) in 2023.

Similarly, “565,988 candidates, accounting for 29.3 per cent, scored 200 and above, compared with 439,961 (24 per cent) in 2024 and 355,689 (23.36 per cent) in 2023,” the report said.

Despite these improvements, the majority of candidates — 1,365,479 (70.7 per cent) — scored below 200 in 2025.

This represents a slight decrease from 76 per cent in 2024 and 76.64 per cent in 2023.

A year-by-year comparison reveals significant fluctuations in performance. For example, in 2021, only 168,650 candidates (13 per cent) scored 200 and above, whereas in 2016, 568,847 (34 per cent) achieved this range.

The number of high scorers has steadily increased in recent years, suggesting a trend of academic improvement and greater familiarity with the CBT system.

Since the introduction of CBT in 2013, JAMB has continued to refine its examination processes, and the 2025 results appear to reflect the positive impact of these efforts.

JAMB is expected to issue further statements on the implications of this year’s results for the tertiary admissions process.

The PUNCH reports that JAMB released the results of the resit examination conducted for candidates affected by a technical error during the 2025 UTME.

Recall that the initial results of the 2025 UTME were released on May 9. However, on May 14, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed that the results of 379,997 candidates across 157 centres in the Lagos and South-East zones had been compromised due to a technical glitch.

The registrar confirmed that affected candidates would be required to retake the examination.

He attributed the issue to faulty server updates, which hindered the proper upload of candidates’ responses during the first three days of the examination.

The results of the over 41,000 under-16 candidates and the 379,775 candidates who sat the rescheduled Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination in the South East and some Centres in Lagos have also been released by the Board.

The Board made this known in a statement on Sunday.

“The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the results of the recently conducted 2025 UTME resit examination for candidates at centres impacted by the unfortunate incident.

“While this situation is unfortunate, it has also revealed numerous alarming practices perpetrated by candidates, certain Proprietors of Schools/Computer-Based Test centres, which have exacerbated examination irregularities,” the board said.

“As part of the healing process, the meeting resolved that the withheld results of the underage candidates (except where litigation is involved) who performed below the established standards be released. Such result does not, however, qualify them for admission, as they had previously signed an undertaking during the registration process acknowledging that only those who meet the prescribed standards would be considered for under-aged special admission.”

With the release, the number of candidates who scored less than 200 in the 2025 UTME now stands at 1.3 million from the earlier 1.5 million.

Candidates who scored 200 and above now stand at 565,988.

Ahead of the 2027 election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and other coalition leaders have met to gain the support of certain northern leaders in their effort to defeat President Bola Tinubu.

The meeting, convened by the National Political Consultative Group (North), was held behind closed doors on Sunday at the Abuja Continental Hotel.

On March 20, Atiku, Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and others in Abuja announced the formation of a coalition aimed at challenging President Boka Tinubu in the 2027 election.

The announcement sparked widespread debate about the prospects of opposition unity, with political stakeholders expressing varied opinions.

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Attendees included former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara; and former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

Also present were the National Secretary of the Coalition for United Political Parties, Peter Ahmeh; Kashim Ibrahim-Imam; and the 2023 Labour Party Vice Presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, among others.

The meeting began shortly after 3 p.m. and concluded around 7pm, with all the conveners and participants refusing to make any comments.

Our correspondent, who was able to gain access to the meeting venue, reported that delegates from various states, particularly the 19 northern states spoke on the current state of the nation.

The PUNCH exclusively learnt that the discussions mainly focused on issues such as security, national unity, and the need for competent leadership to ensure effective governance.

However, about two hours into the meeting, chaos erupted when delegates from Jigawa State disrupted the proceedings.

Tensions rose when former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, announced a delegate to speak for the state.

In protest, several Jigawa delegates stormed the stage, blocking the delegate from speaking and insisting they would not be represented by those named.

As the confrontation escalated, security personnel, including members of the Nigerian Police, DSS, and private guards, quickly formed a protective barrier around key figures such as Atiku, Amaechi and others.

Calm was restored after several minutes of appeals, as Mustapha Lamido, son of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, along with another delegate, was chosen to speak on behalf of the state.

A reliable source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation to comment publicly, told our correspondent that northern political leaders gathered to discuss what they described as the worsening issues of poverty, insecurity, and hunger across the country particularly in northern Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The source said, “Obi and Amaechi, in their brief remarks, stated that President Tinubu’s administration is driving the North deeper into poverty, which is worsening the region’s insecurity.

“Ahead of 2027, they urged northern leaders to wake up and unite to rescue the region from Tinubu’s harsh economic policies. They called for northern unity and support for an alternative government.

“In their remarks as well, Atiku and Malami also blamed the Tinubu administration for many of the challenges facing the North. They encouraged stakeholders to support the ongoing efforts to unseat Tinubu in 2027.

“During the technical session of the meeting, stakeholders from various states strongly agreed that the North must fully support the ongoing coalition of opposition parties.

“They agreed to set up four committees to look at all the issues. So, they will issue a communique tomorrow (today).”

Speaking with The PUNCH about the purpose of the meeting, the National Secretary of the CUPP, who was in attendance, said it was aimed at reviewing the current situation in the region.

Ahmeh explained that the coalition leaders took time to address the economic, security, and other pressing challenges facing northerners under the Tinubu administration.

He stated, “It is just a consultative meeting on the issues affecting the north. So, we discussed them and came up with solutions. Details will be made public tomorrow (today).”

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has pulled of all the agreements aimed at resolving the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. 

He also vowed to fight on until justice is served.

According to him, his decision is based on the failure of other parties in the PDP to abide by all the agreements reached.

Specifically, he accused the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde of working with his cohorts to jeopardise the peaceful resolution of the crisis in PDP.

Top on this list of his conditions is the supposed agreement to withdraw the PDP’s suit against the declaration of the State of Emergency in Rivers State, as well as the recognition of Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of PDP.

Below are the details of Nyesom Wike’s statement on the crisis.

PDP CRISIS: MY POSITION

 – NYESOM WIKE

..I Have Pulled Out Of All Agreements Previously Reached

..I’ll Fight On Till Justice Is Served

1. Since after the 2023 General election, the PDP has been wantonly swinging from one part of a slippery precipice to another, owing fundamentally to dishonesty and lack of trust amongst its key stakeholders. To stem this ugly trend, efforts have been made to arrest this pernicious virus of dishonesty and treachery and enthrone fidelity to agreements with a view to stabilising the party and moving it forward.

2. To this end, a meeting of the G5 was held in Lagos. In that meeting, I made it clear to the Governor of Oyo State, HE. Seyi Makinde, that he was the architect of our problems, pointing out to him that non-adherence to agreements reached was the bane of the party, and that he was the chief culprit of this anomaly. At the end of the meeting, we resolved to bury the hatchet and make progress.

3. As a follow-up to the aforementioned meeting, there was an expanded meeting in Abuja involving HE. Seyi Makinde, HE. Umaru Fintri, HE. Bala Mohammed, HE, Bukola Saraki, and I in Saraki’s guest house. In that meeting, I made it clear that I had no personal problems with HE. Bala Mohammed, except that he hides under the facade of Chairman of PDP Governors Forum to serially renege on agreements. Tensions rose mightily in the meeting and it took all concerned to calm frayed nerves. At the end of the meeting, we came to some resolutions, including:

a. That Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the National Secretary of the PDP in tandem with the Supreme Court judgement.

b. All legal matters relating to Rivers State must be withdrawn by the National Legal Adviser.

c. The suit on the State of emergency be withdrawn forthwith.

d. Nobody should deviate from the agreements so reached.

In the light of the foregoing, they pleaded with me to attend the stakeholders’ meeting at the Bauchi Government Lodge, regardless of my many engagements. I attended the meeting and clearly reiterated my earlier concerns, and to this end and in order to resolve all other lingering and pending issues, a committee was formed, headed by HE. Bukola Saraki.

4. It is disheartening to note that even before the Bukola Saraki Reconciliation Committee began its work, the gentleman’s agreement we reached at Saraki’s Guest House was already being crudely violated. To my chagrin, Seyi Makinde had connived with Peter Mba of Enugu State to orchestrate the summoning of the meeting of so-called South-East leaders to recommend that if Ude Okoye was not adopted as Secretary, they would pull out of the PDP. I have since granted an interview to the effect that, that resolution of the South-East leaders can not hold.

Again, Seyi Makinde organised some people in the National Secretariat to insist that the Deputy National Secretary should act as National Secretary, in violation of the agreement earlier reached. To attempt to give credence to this farce, a letter was written by the Deputy National Secretary, calling for a meeting of the NEC of the party. Furthermore, the letter confirming the candidacy of the Governorship candidate of the party in the forthcoming Governorship elections in Anambra State, duly signed by the National Secretary, Senator Anyanwu and the acting National Chairman, was portrayed as rejected by the party through a rebuttal letter signed by the National Publicity Secretary, acting on the orders of Seyi Makinde and Peter Mba. All these actions are in complete violation of the agreements reached and would not do the party any good whatsoever. On the 24th of May 2025, in Jos, for instance, a well publicised and properly attended zonal elective congress of the PDP was aborted because the letter inviting INEC to the congress was signed by the Deputy National Secretary of the party. INEC refused to attend because the proper signatory recognised by law, that is Senator Samuel Anyanwu was not a signatory to the invitation notice. This is undeniably distasteful, provocative and annoying, to say the least.

5. I have painstakingly put out all these facts so that PDP members and the general public would know the truth. I have been in this party since 1998 and have worked tirelessly for the survival of this party with all my strength and it is on record that none of these persons have done anything close to what I have done to sustain this party. What is more painful is that I contributed substantially to most of these governors winning their elections, yet I have not made any personal demands on any of them and I would never do so.

Most importantly, I had thought that we could keep the trust amongst us, but since it is now obvious that they would continue to play games to the detriment of the party, as is the case in the current debacle in the North-Central zonal elections, I have now firmly decided to pull out of all agreements hitherto reached. I have decided to fight on until justice is attained.

Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON

Minister, Federal Capital Territory

May 25, 2025

Pominent political economist and former presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, has clarified that the shadow government initiative he launched is not a subversive effort to topple President Bola Tinubu’s administration, but a democratic tool to promote accountability and governance reform.

Utomi, who is currently facing legal action from the Department of State Services over the move, made the clarification on Sunday during the 4th edition of the Topaz Lecture Series hosted by the University of Lagos Mass Communication Class of 1988 Alumni Association.

Speaking on the theme “Shadow Government: A Distraction or Necessity?”, Utomi said the initiative, rather than being an affront to the Federal Government, is designed to stimulate issue-based debate, provide alternative policy options, and enhance democratic engagement.

“This is not an attempt to overthrow or undermine the government, but to foster constructive criticism and accountability,” he said during the virtual lecture attended by media professionals, academics, and civil society leaders.

He explained that the concept of a shadow cabinet is a globally recognised democratic practice, particularly within parliamentary systems, where opposition figures critique government policy and offer alternatives.

According to him, Nigeria stands to benefit from similar models that encourage performance, transparency, and ideological depth.

The political economist revealed that he had presented the concept as far back as 2008 to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and had continued funding the shadow cabinet from his personal resources ever since.

His comments come amid mounting scrutiny, as a Federal High Court in Abuja last week granted an ex parte motion filed by the DSS, allowing service of court documents on Utomi.

The agency is suing him over alleged attempts to establish a parallel government.

Justice James Omotosho, who presided over the case, approved the motion brought by the DSS’s lead counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), in a suit that has sparked fresh debate over civic freedoms, dissent, and political expression in Nigeria.

Responding to questions about the legality of the term “shadow cabinet,” Utomi said, “If the court finds fault with the name, we will simply change it.

Our commitment is not to nomenclature, but to values. Nigeria urgently needs a space where policies are debated and where the government is constructively challenged to do better.”

He also warned of growing anti-intellectualism in Nigeria’s political sphere and elite complacency in the face of systemic failure.

According to him, without strong institutions and active citizen participation, the country risks deeper social instability.

Utomi emphasised that the initiative’s ultimate aim is to provide a platform that bridges the gap between leadership and the governed, and to ensure democratic governance goes beyond mere electoral cycles.

The shadow cabinet idea has drawn mixed reactions, with critics dismissing it as unnecessary political grandstanding, while supporters view it as a timely intervention amid widespread dissatisfaction with governance and the perceived absence of ideological leadership in Nigerian politics.

As part of the effort to rid Lagos of criminal elements and restore public order, the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit has arrested 277 suspects during a week-long crackdown across key areas of the state.

The sweeping operation, led by the Chairman of the Task Force, CSP Adetayo Akerele, targeted criminal enclaves and areas notorious for environmental infractions.

It commenced in the early hours of each day, starting as early as 1:30 a.m., and covered several high-risk locations including Victoria Island, Osborne Road, Chevron, Obalende, Ikoyi, Lekki Phase 1 and 2, Falomo Bridge, Law School, Oniru Beach, and railway corridors in Agege, among others.

The operation, which was prompted by security intelligence and public complaints, focused on flushing out street urchins, hooligans, pickpockets, and other individuals engaged in criminal activities.

According to Akerele, through a statement on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Public Affairs, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, the 277 suspects apprehended have all been charged to court in line with the state’s legal provisions.

“Those who choose to undermine the peace and security of our communities must desist or be prepared to face the full weight of the law. We will not relent in our efforts to ensure a safer and cleaner Lagos,” Akerele stated.

He added that the operation is part of a larger, ongoing initiative that includes routine enforcement activities aimed at dismantling black spots, illegal settlements, and criminal hideouts across the state

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has mandated telecom firms in Nigeria to inform consumers of major service outages on their networks through media channels.

The NCC said srvice providers must inform subscribers of the service interruption, and the area affected by the service interruption or outage, as well as the time that would be taken to restore service.

NCC also madated telcos and other service providers to inform consumers one week in advance where operators have planned service outages.

NCC issued the directive in a circular titled ‘Directive on Reportage of Major Network Outages by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).’

The Commision said it is part of its drive to ensure timely resolution of outages, enhance quality of experience for telecom consumers, and keep consumers informed.

NCC said, “Mobile Network Operators, Internet Service Providers and other operators that provide last mile services will also provide proportional compensation, including extension of validity, as may be applicable and in line with the provisions of the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations, where any major network outage continues for more than 24 hours.”

NCC named three types of major outages to include, “Any network operational condition such as fibre cut due to construction/access issues/theft & vandalism and force majeure that impacts five per cent or more of the affected operator’s subscriber base or five or more Local Government Areas (LGAs).

“Having an occasion of unplanned outage of, or complete isolation of network resources in 100 or more sites or five per cent of the total number of sites (whichever is less) or 1 cluster that lasts for 30 minutes or more; and lastly, any form of outage that can degrade network quality in the top 10 states based on traffic volume as specified by the Commission from time to time.”

The NCC further directed that all major outages are to be reported by operators through the Commision’s Major Outage Reporting Portal, which is accessible to the public through the Commission’s website.

It said that the portal additionally discloses the identity of the culprit responsible for the disruption.

Commenting on the Directive and the Major Outage Reporting Portal, the Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Engr. Edoyemi Ogor stated that, “The Commission has trialled the reporting process and portal with operators for some months now before issuing the directive.

“By providing consumers and stakeholders in the telecommunications industry with timely and transparent information on network outages, we are entrenching a culture of accountability and transparency. This approach also ensures that culprits are held responsible for sabotage to telecommunications infrastructure.

“This also aligns with our broader commitment to the effective implementation of the Executive Order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which designates telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII). It reinforces the need to safeguard these assets, given their centrality to national security, economic stability, and the everyday lives of Nigerians.”

A coalition being put together by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his associates has vowed to push ahead in its bid to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Others in the coalition talks are the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi; former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; former Transportation Minister, Mr Rotimi Amaechi; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr David Babachir Lawal among others.

The meeting, convened in Abuja on Saturday, under the banner of the National Political Consultative Group, was attended by other political associates from across the country.

Snippets from the meeting, however, indicated that the group was still deliberating on the modalities on the way forward and could not fanalise discussions on its potential presidential ticket.

Recall that Obi had debunked media reports indicating that he would be running with Atiku in 2027 as vice presidential candidate.

Obi had maintained that he will still be running for president in 2027 on the platform of the Labour Party.

The emerging coalition had dumped its initial plan to prosecute the 2027 election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

It is being speculated that the planned coalition may choose the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform to prosecute the election.

There are growing speculation that the Kebbi State Governor,

Nasir Idris, may be planning to align with Atiku in the pursuit of the coalition.

Govenor Idris, who is serving his second tenure, was elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), triggering speculations that all may not be well with the Kebbi State chapter of the APC.

THE WHISTLER could not immediately verify the information regarding the alleged moves by the Kebbi governor as of the time of filing this report

Dele Odule, the actor famous in the Yoruba film industry, says he prefers acting for others to producing his own films.

In an interview with Oyinmomo, the film star revealed he doesn’t enjoy producing movies because he struggles with money management.

He said production is a commercial venture that requires careful handling of finances to make a profit, which he admits is not his strength.

Odule added that although he has produced about 10 films, he cannot confirm if they made any profit or where their master copies.

“I’m not good at producing. I’ve never been a good producer. A good producer must know how to manage money, and I don’t know how to do that,” he said.

“To be a good producer, you need to understand money management because production is a commercial venture. You need to be able to make a profit from the investment, but I’m not good at that. That’s why I prefer acting because it’s where I excel.

“That said, I’ve produced about 10 movies, but I can’t say whether I made a profit.

“If you ask me about the master copies of those films today, I honestly don’t know where they are. That’s another sign that I’m not a good producer.”

He further said that although production isn’t his strong suit, he would love to produce a film for the cinema or streaming platforms if he gets the opportunity.

“Even though I’m not great at producing, if I get the opportunity, I’d love to produce a film for Netflix or the cinema. I wouldn’t do anything less than that,” he added.

Odule also recounted being “blacklisted” from acting for two years after he was perceived as “a threat”.

“I have been blacklisted from acting for two years. I feel it happened because I was becoming a threat, and they tried to deal with me by blackmailing me,” he said

Professor Pat Utomi, the renowned Nigerian economist and political activist, has disclosed that the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua once offered him a ministerial position, which he declined.

Yar’Adua served as the president of Nigeria from 2007 until his death in May 2010

Speaking during an interview with Sunday Sun, Utomi said he declined the offer because he did not want his voice suppressed.

According to him, instead of accepting the offer, he suggested seven people to work in the late president’s cabinet.

The top economist-turned politician, who recently launched a “shadow government” to serve as critique of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration, said: “I have been asked to be a minister before I turned it down. The last person who did that was President Yar’Adua and he went the extra mile. Two hours, he was talking to me to persuade me to join. And I said to him, it’s not because I have anything against being in office. I have degrees in political science and all that.

“I know that one of the biggest challenges we have in Africa is what is called the corporatist state in post-colonial Africa. And what does this mean? It means that in African politics, there’s a tendency to look for a strong voice of opposition and drag the voice into government. So, as to rubbish it or to weaken it.

“President Yar’Adua said to me that he respects my view, but that he believes that I will still make a greater impact from inside.

“It was on a Friday , he closed work that day and we went to the house, his residency in the villa. I now said to him, look, I’m a patriot. You can wake me up at anytime, at 2:00a.m, ask for my views and I will give it to you honestly. I told him that what he needed to do was to find seven good people and bring them in. You can count on my advice. Let those hustlers who are looking for jobs, they can contract awards. Let the seven good people man certain critical ministries.

“That all these hustlers who are looking for jobs can have contract awards. I emphasized that the seven people will make the government work.”

He continued: “And Yar’Adua said, okay, why don’t you find me those seven good people, come along with them and I will back you. At that point, I was ready to back off my position. And I said to him, but I can’t give you seven names just sitting here. Let me return to Lagos. I will write down the seven names and send. I went back to Lagos wrote the seven names and I gave the envelope to Steve Oronsanye. And that was the last I heard. Yar’Adua took ill shortly after. And the rest is history.

“But I was told by somebody very senior that he probably never got that envelope because he thought I snubbed him at the time he was dying, which is not correct. I didn’t snub him.”