The legal battle surrounding the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has taken a new turn as his case has officially been reassigned to another judge.

Naija News reports that this development was confirmed by Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, in a statement on Saturday.

Ejimakor revealed that Kanu remains fully prepared for trial and confident in his innocence.

“Yesterday, before the legal team conducted our routine visitation to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, we received two separate official letters regarding his case. The letters are momentous and somewhat pyrrhic,” Ejimakor stated.

According to him, one of the letters came from the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria in response to a request for administrative intervention, following the recusal of the previous judge handling Kanu’s case.

The second letter, from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, officially informed Kanu’s legal team of the case reassignment.

Expressing gratitude for the decision, Kanu instructed his legal team to acknowledge the efforts of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, stating, “Consequent upon these latest developments, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu instructed the legal team to publicly convey his sincere gratitudes to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her sound administrative discretions and the despatch with which she responded to our request.”

He also extended appreciation to members of the public who supported the demand for his case to be reassigned.

Reiterating his readiness for trial, Ejimakor emphasized that Kanu has always been willing to defend himself in court but faced challenges due to the judicial disruptions that began in September 2024.

“To be sure, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has always been ready to take his trial because he is firmly convinced of his innocence. But the perverse events of the past six months (from September 2024, when the recusal happened) posed portent dangers to his constitutional rights, particularly his right to fair and speedy hearing,” Ejimakor noted.

He further explained that the legal team had to take extraordinary measures to ensure the case was appropriately reassigned. Now that the authorities have taken steps to uphold due process, the focus will shift to Kanu’s defense.

“So, now that the first steps have been taken by the authorities to do the lawful thing, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his legal team shall take stock and hanker down to the zealous preparation of his defense,” he added.

Former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan made an iconic quote that has since gone into the political lexicon of the country’s history: “My political ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian”. It presupposes that Jonathan would rather not pursue his ambition if such would lead to any violence. 

In the heat of the Boko Haram terror attacks, Jonathan also came up with yet another assertion that he had not used one tenth of his power. This forced many to ask, why crave for political position if you can’t exert the power thereof? Jonathan did not last in the office as President. He was booted out. He is an Ijaw man of Niger Delta extraction.

Rivers state, Siminalayi Fubara does not need to speak out that he does not need to use one tenth of his constitutional power as governor. The world has seen it all. And it is counted for him as weakness, hence the escalation of crisis in the state.

Years before his death, former petroleum minister, Professor Tam David West had once described Jonathan as “the weakest President” Nigeria ever produced. But Rivers people have since come to acquiesce themselves with the fact that the leadership of government in Rivers state is taking shade under the tree of weakness while professing the path of peace. And the peace is pyrrhic.

Pundits have averred that since October 29, 2023 when the crisis began in the state with the threat of impeachment, Governor Fubara failed to exert his power and nib it in the bud once and for all. While he keeps hoping that there would be a political solution some day, the opposition was swinging from post to post looking for where to nail him . They appear to be succeeding from recent developments especially with the recent Supreme Court ‘5-0’ judgment.

Lack Of Consultation

Sources within government circle in the state had informed that the governor would rather choose to carry the gauntlet alone without any botheration. The source noted that the man in the Bricks House does not care about some of the elders who stick out their necks to fight for his political survival. “Even a governor of a nearby state would call him, the man would not answer. He does not relate well with the leadership of the ethnic nationalities in the region who are solidly behind him in this fight”.

Governor Fubara knows that there is a bigger masquerade behind the Minister of the federal capital territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, stoking the fire of crisis in the state. He knows the masquerade would not listen to him for obvious reasons. But there are distinguished Nigerians like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, General Ibrahim Babangida, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto among others. But “Oga will not want to consult anybody”, he said.

He went on to reveal that “even when Papa Edwin Clarke was alive, am not sure Oga visited him one day despite the late man’s stout defence of his government”. The Governor chooses to surround himself with political feather weights who cannot rise up when occasion calls. They are supporters of the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. In 2023 these men were chased out of Rivers state to Abuja by Wike. When the table turned, Wike moved to Abuja as a minister while they returned to Port Harcourt to pitch tent with Fubara. Nothing to offer.

Miserly

Governor Fubara is known to be “a nice man”. Another source put it this way: “Fubara is generous. However, this generosity does not seem to reflect or show in the politics of the state. The governor has reportedly said that the revenue of the state is to develop Rivers for the betterment of the people. This is good. We support him for that. But he is fighting a survival battle and he needs to fight. Until lately, he was not doing that. The Supreme Court judgment appears to have woken him up. But how far can he go? He has lost huge grounds.’

A member of the Elders Council in Rivers state had rebuked the governor for being “too stingy with money”. According to him, “last Christmas, not even a grain of rice from this government despite our support for him. Whatever we are doing, we are not doing it because of Fubara but for Rivers state. We like peace and not war”.

Peace Moves

A prominent retired Army officer from the north was said to have sent emissaries to the Governor to broker peace in the state. He turned it down. Though the man’s move was predicated on his interest in the oil well in Rivers, many northerners would definitely love to side with Fubara in the ongoing political quagmire just to spite Wike who is seen as Tinubu’s strongest man in the south-south region.

“Yes, the general sent some persons to come to Port Harcourt to meet with the Governor. They could not. Maybe the governor was not willing to receive them. The effort is still on. We believe that he will see the reason to meet with the team and douse tension in the state”, the source said. “The governor appears to have made the fight an Ijaw affair. This is not an Ijaw fight. It is a fight for Rivers people and all lovers of peace and uprightness. This explains why the Governor has to come out firm and establish his authority to prove to all that he is fully in charge of governance in the state”, he said.

Nevertheless, Comrade Franklin Ntekim believes that Governor Fubara’s mien disposition should not be taken for docility. “I believe that it is his own strategy. If you look at it clearly, the governor had been winning the war until the Supreme Court came out with that controversial judgment. He is not weak but a very calculative person”.

Countering Franklin’s position, a social commentator, Comrade Gregory Akpan fumed that if it was not a sign of weakness or fear “how come the Governor had five consolidated cases in the Supreme Court and he could put up any fight and he lost them all. The courts are operated by human beings. Did his men fight to present quality and sound arguments and make noise against possible injustice that is common in our system?”

Double Ultimatum

Arising from the Supreme Court judgment which reinstated them as the “valid” members of the House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule and the 26 other lawmakers on Monday ordered the Governor to present the 2025 budget before the House within 48 hours.

That ultimatum expired on Wednesday midnight only for another ultimatum to sack all Commissioners and political appointees who were not screened and confirmed by Amaewhule within another 48 hours. The House ordered the Governor to forward another list of nominees to the Assembly for proper screening to fill all vacant positions in the state executive council.

Governor Fubara had since denied ever seeing any letter asking him to present the budget. In a letter by the secretary to the state government, SSG, Dr Tammy Danagogo, the Governor said such letter was never brought to his office, hence, he could not respond to anything in social media space.

The two quick ultimatums issued out by Amaewhule are an indication that the House was in a hurry to get the Governor impeached. The battle line is now drawn. Interesting events are expected to unfold as the days go by.

Support Base

Governor Fubara has been enjoying a robust support since the political fight between him and Wike broke out in 2023. The show of solidarity has never been because of the moves by the governor but largely because of their interest in the state. Such groups as the pan Niger Delta Elders Forum, PANDEF, Ijaw national Congress, INC, Ijaw Youth Council, IYC and many more are solidly behind the Governor. President of INC, Professor Benjamin Okaba in his recent press statement warned on dire consequences if Fubara is impeached by the pro-Wike lawmakers.

The leadership of IYC from the eastern zone said “the purported 48-hour ultimatum issued to the Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, by the defected Martins Amawhule-led House of Assembly to present the 2025 budget is a clear indication of an orchestrated effort to create chaos and potentially impeach the governor. This is not only an attack on our leadership but also an affront to the will of the Rivers people who have entrusted their governance to one of our own.

“The IYC firmly warns that we will not stand by and allow detractors to steal this mandate. We are committed to defending our rights and ensuring that the voices of the Ijaw people are heard and respected”.

INC on its part recalled that “In 2003, when Marshall Harry backed Sergeant Awuse’s governorship ambition, it was not Awuse but Harry himself who was assassinated, marking a painful loss for the Ijaw people. By 2007, Ijaw leaders such as Soboma George and Farrah Dagogo played a decisive role in securing victory for Sir Celestine Omehia, while Prince Igodo, a Kalabari-Ijaw warlord, was killed during Omehia’s swearing-in to prevent security breaches”.

He went on to recall that “in 2011, when Rotimi Amaechi sought to nominate Pastor Tonye Cole as a minister, Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of then-President Goodluck Jonathan, ensured that Nyesom Wike took the slot instead”. The INC lamented that despite these consistent sacrifices by the Ijaw people, an Ikwerre political elite now seeks to frustrate the first riverine governor in decades.

The body stated that the Ijaw people will defend Governor Fubara “with every pint of blood in their veins”, emphasizing that they would not stand by and allow their long-awaited tenure to be truncated.

Prof. Okaba also cautioned that while the INC has worked tirelessly to preserve peace in the Niger Delta, leading to increased oil production and revenue for the nation, regrettably, the same resources are now being used to marginalize the Ijaw people.

Issuing a direct warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the INC insisted that the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State must not be treated as ordinary politicking. Prof. Okaba stressed that the Ijaw people, numbering over 40 million worldwide, would not tolerate any attempt to undermine their place in the Nigerian politics.

He further stated that while it enjoins Governor Fubara to, in the spirit of sportsmanship, work with all duly constituted arms of government in the State, “if Governor Fubara’s tenure is truncated by the Amaewhule-led Assembly or anybody else, the INC cannot guarantee the sustenance of the current peace in the Niger Delta, nor the continued rise in oil production.

Division Among Ijaws

Meanwhile, there appears to be a sharp division among the Ijaws following a recent call by the Rivers rescue Movement, RRM, rebuking the utterances of the IYC and INC leadership over the crisis in the state.

This is as the leadership of the group after an extensive deliberations with Ijaw leaders expressed sadness over the recent statements credited to the President of INC, Prof Benjamin Okaba, Chief Sara Igbe, Alhaji Asari Dokubo and some leaders of IYC. Speaking to a cross section of journalist the secretary of RRM said for them as a group those statements were not only reckless, thoughtless and provocative but also a grave threat to national security and peaceful coexistence.

“As a group that stand for peace, justice and a united Nigeria, we believe no individual or organization has the monopoly of violence, so we are calling on the Nigerian Security agencies to arrest these individuals or any other person or group that will threaten the Nigerian State, it’s economy or people.

“RRM is wondering if the purveyors of these message of destruction or economic sabotage are more Ijaws than the 9 grateful Rivers State House of Assembly members from the IJAW extraction that have been maltreated, humiliated and denied all their allowances by the Gov Fubara administration for over a year when no court had declared their seats vacant?

“RRM want to make it clear that we run a constitutional democracy guided by laws and the highest court of the land (The Supreme Court) has spoken and Gov Fubara is bound to obey the ruling. Furthermore, the public is hereby advised to disregard their empty, watery and old fashioned threat because the laws of Nigeria is always supreme”, the group said in a statement.

Why Fubara May Survive Impeachment

Every impeachment takes place in line with the constitution. With 27 lawmakers, it will be a very easy process to vote for all the impeachable offences committed by the Governor. But where the process will likely get stuck is when the Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi would be called upon to set up a 7-man panel to investigate those offences.

Being a very principled man who is said to be neutral and “a decent gentleman”, people doubt if the CJ could be compromised.

The National Assembly, once envisioned as the hallowed cornerstone of Nigeria’s democracy, has descended into a circus of disgrace. Allegations of sexual harassment, tear gas, and paid protesters have stripped the institution of its dignity.

This week, the streets of Abuja witnessed a spectacle that has left Nigerians questioning the integrity of their lawmakers: hired crowds clashing in a Nollywood-style drama, ignited by a bitter feud between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The chaos erupted after Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, first on national television and then in an open plenary session—an unprecedented moment in Nigeria’s democratic history since 1999. What followed was not a sober investigation or a dignified response but a shameful display of sponsored protests, tear gas canisters lobbed at demonstrators, and a legislative body more concerned with technicalities than truth.

Veteran journalist Reuben Abati, co-host of Arise TV’s The Morning Show, did not mince words when he called it ‘a pivotal moment’ that exposed the National Assembly to global ridicule.

Abati thundered on air, “It was a pivotal moment for the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, by extension, the whole of the National Assembly. For the first time since our return to democracy in 1999, we have the chairman of the National Assembly, the third-highest-ranking official in the country, being accused in open plenary of sexual harassment. What makes it even sadder is that this was done in the presence of a UK parliamentary delegation led by Kate Osamor, the MP for Edmonton.”

The optics were damning. As British parliamentarians watched in disbelief, the Senate floor became a battleground of egos, with Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition dismissed by the Ethics Committee as ‘Dead on Arrival’ due to procedural flaws and a parallel court case.

Outside, the streets of Abuja turned into a marketplace of loyalty, where poverty was weaponised to fuel rival protests. Women clad in coordinated outfits waved designer banners—one group chanting in support of Akpabio, another backing Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Viral videos laid bare the farce. In one clip circulating on social media, a female interviewer confronted a protester supporting Akpabio. “Why are you supporting Senator Akpabio?” the voice behind the camera asked.
The woman hesitated before replying, “Yes, I didn’t see anything wrong with what they are saying. But I don’t know much about the details.”

Pressed further by the interviewer, “You don’t know the whole story. Do you support Senator Natasha?” the Akpabio supporter admitted, “I don’t really know the whole story.”

The interviewer persisted: “So, why did you come out here today?” The response was telling: “I came out today because they said we should come and protest that Akpabio should remain as our Senate President.”
Her words, devoid of conviction, revealed the hollow core of the demonstration—she was there not out of principle, but because she was instructed to attend.

Other clips captured similar absurdity: a protester in the Akpabio camp lamented, “Akpabio, don’t disappoint us. They’ve given us only water,” while another woman confessed, “We were paid 5,000 naira to come here.”

Abati’s outrage cut through the noise. He remarked, “We watched the spectacle, the Nollywood-style engagement of sponsored protesters in Nigeria—one party carrying placards and banners supporting one side, the other side supporting the opposite. It’s very bad optics, and the fact that the National Assembly is bringing us this embarrassment should be condemned by every Nigerian.”

The allegations themselves are grave. Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, claimed Akpabio made inappropriate advances, a charge he vehemently denied, citing his upbringing by a single mother as evidence of his respect for women. Yet, the Senate’s response has been less about seeking truth and more about dodging accountability.

Senators debated arcane rules—Order 40, Sub 4, and others—arguing that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition was invalid because she signed it herself and first aired her grievances on Arise TV rather than on the Senate floor.

“Perhaps the floor of the Senate should have been the place to start the petition, rather than in the media,” Abati noted, acknowledging her tactical misstep but refusing to let the institution off the hook.

Meanwhile, the protests revealed a deeper rot: a nation where poverty has turned the masses into pawns. For as little as N5,000 — barely enough to prepare a decent pot of soup — hundreds of women flooded the streets, their placards as hollow as their motivations.

“Which one concerns them? Someone made an allegation of sexual harassment, and women are coming out to protest in support of the accused. It doesn’t make any sense,” asked Grace Ojo, a petty trader who witnessed the chaos near the National Assembly gate.

The tear-gassing of protesters only deepened the disgrace. As rival camps clashed, security forces unleashed canisters, scattering the crowds and leaving a cloud of shame hanging over the Assembly.

“What kind of nonsense is this? If any person has money, he can bring anybody to come and protest. They’ve made a mockery of protest in Nigeria,” fumed Godson Okeke, a civil servant whose office at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja is near the National Assembly gate.

Abati echoed this sentiment, urging lawmakers to focus on their duty rather than theatrics.
“This is a matter of urgent national interest to the extent that the representatives of the Nigerian people have exposed that institution to ridicule.

“Nigerians want to know what the truth is. Is Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan a witness of truth? Is Akpabio himself a witness of truth? The Senators should refrain from blackmailing one another and the kind of personal attacks that have been going on,” he said.

The irony is stark. An institution tasked with making laws has become a law unto itself, dodging accountability while the poor are bought to prop up its farce.

Amina Yusuf, a rights activist and gender advocate in Abuja, lamented, “Poverty is being weaponised in Nigeria, and the poor people are part of our problem. The masses are easily bought. You can mess up in the church, pay 5,000 naira, and they’ll line up to support you.”

As the dust settles, the National Assembly stands at a crossroads. Will it rise above this disgrace to address the substance of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims, or will it hide behind rules and hired crowds?
For now, the answer seems clear: Nigeria’s lawmakers have turned their chamber into a theatre of shame, and the world is watching.

“Lawmakers should know they have to make laws, not engage in all this nonsense,” Abati summarised. For a nation desperate for leadership, his words are both a plea and a warning.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed a new rule requiring applicants for green cards and visas to disclose their social media handles.

This initiative, aimed at strengthening security screening, has sparked concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of data.

The rule would apply to various immigration forms, including applications for U.S. citizenship, asylum, and adjustments of status from an H-1B visa to a green card, according to TravelBiz

The USCIS has published the proposal in the Federal Register and has invited the public to submit comments during a 60-day period.

The new requirement will extend to several immigration forms, including the N-400 for naturalization, the I-131 for advance parole, the I-485 for green card applications, and the I-589 for asylum.

Applications for refugee status and petitions for conditional residency removal will also be affected.

Reports indicate that this move by the US Immigration to request social media handles of visa applicants is part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) effort to enhance security vetting through more comprehensive background checks.

However, immigration experts have raised concerns about how social media information will be interpreted and used.

Immigration attorney Jonathan Wasden voiced concerns over how USCIS will interpret social media activity. “It remains unclear how USCIS will interpret posts, how long they will store data, or what guidelines they will use to flag concerns,” he said.

He also warned of the potential for applicants to face denials based on online activity that may be taken out of context.

“There is also a risk that applicants could face denials based on online activity that is taken out of context,” Wasden added.

The USCIS has opened a 60-day public comment period for individuals and organizations to provide feedback on the proposed rule.

This allows the public to express concerns about its necessity, effectiveness, and impact before it is finalized.

Reports indicate that while the USCIS has assured there will be no additional costs for applicants beyond standard filing fees, the requirement for social media disclosure introduces an extra layer of scrutiny.

This could potentially complicate applications, causing delays as social media activity undergoes review.

Some employees of Ikeja Electric have opened up on how they were brutalised by Nigerian Air Force officers from the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base in Ikeja.

Naija News reports that the soldiers had stormed the IE headquarters in the Alausa area of the state capital, Ikeja, in a military truck, two OP-MESA vehicles, and others at about 7:40am.

According to Punch, some newsmen had gathered at the facility in preparation for a trip to Adiyan to unveil a solar project.

However, the soldiers caught them unawares, dragged them out of a bus and beat them thoroughly, even forcing them to sit on the ground.

The Air Force operatives, led by a woman and some men in mufti, occupied the office of Ikeja Electric for over one and a half hours, beating the workers and other people sighted on the premises.

They blocked the roads leading to the office, which gave them a field day to molest those within the premises of the electricity company.

The invasion reportedly followed the expiration of an ultimatum given to the Disco to reconnect the power supply of the air force base, which was disconnected because of a debt of ₦4bn, according to the Ikeja Electric spokesman, Kingsley Okotie.

Okotie said that the men vandalised doors, CCTV cameras, and other gadgets in the office.

In separate interviews with the aforementioned publication on Friday, some IE workers brutalised by the military officers described the invasion as a “broad daylight robbery and terror attack”, saying they were still struggling to recover from the shock.

A female security staff member of IE, Funmilayo Adeniyi, described the experience as one she would never forget.

“The military stormed in with guns and beat the hell out of me. Two of them carried me and threw me inside their van. I thought they were taking me to their barracks, but minutes later, they dragged me out and ordered all of us to lie on the ground. They poured water on us and beat us with plastic rods. They beat us so badly that we couldn’t even stand up,” she recalled.

Another IE security staff member, Olajide Kolawole, stationed at the main gate when the military men forced their way into the premises, also shared a similar account.

“Some of them even jumped over the fence. It was a terrible experience; they beat the hell out of me. The other guy working with me at the gate, Samuel, was also thoroughly beaten. After that, they took both of us and some other members of staff to the fuel dump within the premises. They ordered us to lie on the ground and started beating us. They even attacked the workers in the canteen,” he said.

Gabriel Fatoye, a worker in the facility department of the company, also recounted how the officers took his phone during the invasion.

“It was a very brutal experience. I was on my way back to the office from an outside engagement when the men broke in and stole my phone. They ransacked our office, broke the door, and took my phone, which I had left on the table. Since yesterday, I’ve tried calling my phone, but the line has been switched off,” he narrated.

With 715 days to the February 20, 2027, presidential election, political maneuvering and realignments are already in motion as aspirants and their supporters begin strategizing for the race.

Mid-last month, the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, declared that the North would support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election and reclaim power in 2031, following the North-South power rotation principle.

Echoing similar sentiments, Minister of State for Defence and former Zamfara State Governor, Dr. Bello Matawalle, affirmed that the North would rally behind Tinubu to ensure the continuity of his developmental projects across the country until 2031.

However, their comments have drawn mixed reactions from Northern leaders, especially as sources indicate that Tinubu is courting South-East and South-South leaders to boost his 2027 re-election prospects.

With the APC ticket likely Tinubu’s to claim unless he opts out, his success will hinge on securing a majority of votes while meeting the constitutional requirement of gaining at least 25% of votes in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

In the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu’s victory came largely from the North-West, North-Central, and South-West. However, he faced stiff opposition in the South-East and South-South, and even failed to secure 25% of votes in Abuja.

2023 Presidential Election Results Breakdown

South-West (Tinubu’s Stronghold)

Tinubu: 2,542,979 votes (58.4%)

Atiku: 941,941 votes (21.6%)

Obi: 849,423 votes (9.5%)

Kwankwaso: 16,644 votes (0.38%)

Total Votes: 4,350,987

South-South (Obi’s Dominance)

Obi: 1,210,675 votes (44.1%)

Tinubu: 799,957 votes (29.1%)

Atiku: 717,908 votes (26.1%)

Kwankwaso: 17,167 votes (0.63%)

Total Votes: 2,745,707

South-East (Obi’s Stronghold)

Obi: 1,960,569 votes (89.6%)

Tinubu: 127,605 votes (5.8%)

Atiku: 91,198 votes (4.2%)

Kwankwaso: 8,227 votes (0.38%)

Total Votes: 2,187,599

North-Central (Tinubu’s Victory)

Tinubu: 1,760,993 votes (41.3%)

Obi: 1,415,557 votes (33.2%)

Atiku: 1,025,178 votes (24.1%)

Kwankwaso: 60,056 votes (1.4%)

Total Votes: 4,261,784

North-East (Atiku’s Stronghold)

Atiku: 1,741,846 votes (55.9%)

Tinubu: 933,176 votes (29.9%)

Obi: 315,107 votes (10.1%)

Kwankwaso: 126,343 votes (4.05%)

Total Votes: 3,116,472

North-West (Tinubu’s Highest Vote Zone)

Tinubu: 2,652,235 votes (41%)

Atiku: 2,197,824 votes (33.9%)

Kwankwaso: 1,268,250 votes (19.6%)

Obi: 350,183 votes (5.4%)

Total Votes: 6,468,492

Total Votes in the North

Tinubu: 5,346,404 votes (38.9%)

Atiku: 4,834,767 votes (35.2%)

Obi: 2,080,847 votes (15.2%)

Kwankwaso: 1,454,649 votes (10.6%)

Total Votes: 13,716,667

Total Votes in the South

Obi: 4,020,687 votes (44.5%)

Tinubu: 3,206,969 votes (35.5%)

Atiku: 1,751,047 votes (19.4%)

Kwankwaso: 42,038 votes (0.46%)

Total Votes: 9,020,741

Tinubu’s 2027 Strategy: Wooing the South-East and South-South

To improve his standing in the South-East and South-South, Tinubu is reportedly reaching out to governors and political leaders in these regions.

Sources indicate to Vanguard that apart from implementing key projects in these zones, Tinubu is exploring a political arrangement that would allow opposition governors to retain their seats in exchange for electoral support in 2027.

If successful, this strategy could see Professor Charles Soludo (Anambra, APGA), Dr. Peter Mbah (Enugu, PDP), Pastor Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom, PDP), the PDP government in Bayelsa, and Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta, PDP) retaining their positions, while Tinubu secures the required votes in these states.

Additionally, governors interested in defecting to APC would be welcomed without resistance.

However, not everyone in the APC supports this strategy. The Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines and an APC governorship aspirant in Anambra State argues that securing an APC governor in Anambra through the upcoming election would be more beneficial for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid than relying on an opposition governor.

...proposes use of corpers

President Bola Tinubu has turned down a N942bn proposal by the National Population Commission for the conduct of the national housing and population census, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

Impeccable sources privy to the discussions between Tinubu and the commission’s top officials on Monday, February 24, 2025, at the State House, revealed that the President insisted on cost-cutting measures.

According to the insiders, the President suggested the deployment of members of the National Youth Service Corps for the exercise.

After being briefed by officials of the NPC led by its Chairman, Nasir Kwarra, Tinubu promised to set up a committee to align the census budget to the government’s present financial realities.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement titled, ‘Nigeria moves closer to fresh census, President Tinubu to set up committee,’ quoted Tinubu as saying “This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me. So, we better have a definite path.

Tinubu was quoted to have said further, “I will set up a committee for you to look at the issues critically and do a source and application of resources. Where can we get help, and what can we lift before we embark on proclamation?”

Revealing more details on the development one of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondent that while the President wanted the census to be conducted, he insisted that the cost must be reduced.

The government official said, “The main issue from that meeting was that the money they were proposing was quite much. It is around N942bn. That is almost N1tn. And the President felt that it was too much. That is why he said there would be a committee to look at the issues altogether because that cost must come down.

“He wants to do it. He wants the census to happen. But the cost is too high. His goal is that they should do it for less.”

Another insider at the meeting further revealed that Tinubu suggested a massive deployment of NYSC members nationwide to cut personnel costs.

“He was even suggesting that they recruit youth corps members to make it cheaper,” the official revealed.

However, a third source told Saturday PUNCH that the constituents and activities of Tinubu’s new committee were still unclear.

“We have heard nothing about that committee for now. It is still being put together as we speak. But the agencies concerned will be on it,” the source explained.

At the meeting, Tinubu had affirmed that the National Identity Management Commission must be part of the review.

“We must ascertain who we are, how many we are, and how to manage our data. Without an accurate census, we can’t successfully plan for employment, agriculture, and food sovereignty.

“So many problems come up without accurate data,” President Tinubu noted.

The President added that government incentives, such as the sale and distribution of fertilisers, could be easily improved with more reliable data and demographics.

He told the NPC delegation that biometric capturing should be central to the process, with multiple identification features, including facial and voice recognition.

According to him, “We should work on our financial muscle well in place to lift our burden before we go and meet development partners for the census. We should work out the figures before discussing the role of development partners.”

Since it last occurred in November 2006, Nigeria’s housing and population census has faced repeated delays and logistical hurdles since the twilight of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Although the NPC invested in new technology—such as digital mapping and biometric capture—to enhance accuracy and transparency, issues including inadequate funding, insecurity in certain regions, and the onset of COVID-19 contributed to a series of postponements.

The 2023 census, in particular, was deferred due to overlapping concerns, ranging from budget constraints to political transitions, making it difficult for stakeholders to finalise preparations before Buhari left office.

Under the Tinubu administration, plans to reschedule the census have equally faced difficulties, as the Federal Government remains uncertain over timing, methodology, and questions regarding how best to capture data on large, mobile populations, including internally displaced persons.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said the census data would be central to future planning and resource distribution.

The Minister said the commission and everyone on the team needed to agree on the minimum amount that could be sourced to support the President in making the final decision.

“Mr President, we have been having ecosystem meetings to link the identity agencies, even the geo-spatial chaired by the ministry, because of our mandate as the supervising ministry of the National Bureau of Statistics.

“So, the NPC, NBS, NIMC, Ministry Of Digital Economy, passport, social register, voters register, and even telecoms data have been meeting with the National Space Research and Development Agency to see how much is available to the government regarding data and how much optimisation can take place.”

In his presentation, NPC chairman noted that 760,000 tablets had been acquired and stored with the Central Bank of Nigeria, assuring the commission would engage with development partners to seek support whenever President Tinubu proclaimed the new census.

The Osun State Government has formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the immediate past governor and current Minister of Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, over the alleged misappropriation of a $20m World Bank health grant.

The government also accused Oyetola of money laundering, financial misconduct and violations of the Public Procurement Act in the disbursement of the grant meant for health sector improvements in the state.

According to an acknowledged copy of the petition dated March 7, 2025, and obtained by our correspondent on Friday, Oyetola, during his tenure as governor, chaired a special Health Intervention Committee tasked with allocating and applying the grant funds.

The committee, whose members included former government officials such as Remi Omowaye, Dr. Rafiu Isamatu, and Bola Oyebamiji, decided to use the entire $20m for renovating 320 primary health care centres across the state.

According to the petition written by the government’s lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, “This so-called renovation of primary health care centres involved building, renovation and adjustments/restructuring of some of these centres in order to attain the position of modern health centres. Having made these decisions, the Oyetola-led committee decided to award the contracts for the renovation.

“In flagrant violations of the above clear provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, Oyetola did not call for bidding as mandatorily required under the PPA, let alone allowing competition which would have afforded the state the best qualified contractors to handle the projects.

“Rather, the former governor in observing the provisions of the Act in breach, awarded the contracts to individuals who were either his cabinet members, head of one agency of government or the other, his proxies and cronies who claimed to have incorporated business names/inactive companies.”

The government noted that the beneficiaries of the contract allegedly included businesses with no construction experience, such as food vendors, salon operators, supermarket owners, and web designers.

Among the companies named in the petition are Poshpreneurs Nig., owned by the children of the former Head of Service, Olowogboyega Oyebade; Dotfam Multiventures Ltd, linked to the siblings of the former APC State Chairman; The Ice Firms Nig. Ltd, allegedly owned by Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Adebayo Adeleke; and Afamoks Web International, linked to former Amotekun Field Commander, Amitolu Shittu.

The state government alleges that the companies, lacking the expertise for construction, executed substandard renovation works while receiving full contract payments, thereby leading to the misappropriation of the $20n grant.

On the allegations of money laundering, the state government alleged that over ₦1.5 bn, was funneled through the Osun chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria between January and October 2022.

The petition named former ALGON Chairman, Abiodun Idowu, Secretary, Olubisi Oladosu; 28 former local government caretaker chairmen; and the former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Yekeen Adebayo Adeleke, as key actors in the alleged scheme.

“In a similar vein, the government equally laid its hands on some financial records which clearly show a clear case of money laundering of huge magnitude by the past administration of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.

Financial records cited in the petition indicate that funds “were repeatedly transferred from the ALGON account at Zenith Bank (Account Number: 1016607858)  into the private account of one Akeem Ibitoye, a local government employee and Director of Finance at Ejigbo Local Government.”

The state government alleged that withdrawals ranging from N30m to over N10m per day were made in cash, with no records of the funds being used for any official projects.

However, Adebayo dismissed the allegations, describing them as frivolous.

The former commissioner who requested for more details on the petition, said, “EFCC has not invited me and I have not seen a copy of the petition for me to know what it is all about.

“If there is no proof, then the allegations are frivolous and of no stance.

“I have bec6ome a torn in the flesh of Gov adeleke and PDP and I won’t be surprised if some baseless allegations are levied against me.

“Anyway, they think trying to dirty my white garment will make me keep mute about their fraudulent ways of governance.”

The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has explained that there were no shortfalls in salaries paid to federal workers in January and February 2025.

The OAGF said the salaries that workers received in January and February 2025 were their normal salaries after the various arrears that were paid from October to December 2024 were exhausted.

The OAGF said it was imperative to make clarifications on the purported shortfall in January and February 2025 salaries in order to ease any anxiety in the minds of workers.

According to the OAGF, “Various salary arrears were paid in the last quarter of 2024, namely: minimum wage arrears, 25%/35% increase in salary arrears and wage award arrears. All these arrears were paid from the month of October 2024 to December 2024. This made salaries increase abnormally over the last quarter of 2024”.

The Office said, “payment of normal salaries after exhausting the various arrears began in January 2025, which made some workers think that they were shortchanged, when in actual sense, it was their real salaries. A glance at the current salary table will substantiate this further”.

The OAGF noted that barring any other salary arrears in the future, what was paid in January and February 2025 shall continue to be the salaries, until such a time that the federal government reviews the salaries.

The OAGF revealed that there were cases of overpayments in the month of December 2024 due to system error, adding that the error has been corrected and deductions in respect of the overpayments from the salaries of affected workers was on-going and shall continue until such overpayments were fully recovered.

On the payment of promotion arrears, the OAGF said the exercise is handled by a Standing Committee on Promotion and Salary Arrears in the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) which compiles and vets all salary and promotion arrears from various MDAs before such is channeled in batches to IPPIS for payment.

The OAGF said IPPIS has fully paid batches 1 to 6 and is awaiting more batches from the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) for payment.

The Office reiterated its determination to efficiently manage the IPPIS in view of its importance to workers and advised workers with genuine complaints about their salaries to follow the formal processes to get such resolved as quickly as possible.