Author: Nouman Ali

The former Acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission and member representing Ogun State, Hon. Kayode Oladele, has said that becoming the Governor of Ogun State is not a matter of mere aspiration but a process guided by party rules, popularity, and democratic legitimacy.

Oladele, who spoke on Thursday while receiving the leadership of Ogun West for Yayi Political Action Movement (OWYPAM) led by Mr. Sunday Odunaro, stressed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has a well-established internal mechanism for selecting its candidates.

According to him, the governorship race within the APC is both a process and a popularity contest, noting that the party, as a progressive platform, operates within laid-down procedures recognised by law.

He added that the courts had consistently maintained that they have no business interfering in the internal affairs of political parties, particularly in matters relating to the nomination of candidates.

‘At this stage of party primaries, the leadership of the party has the final say on how its candidates will emerge in line with the Electoral Act. From ward congresses to the national convention, it is clear that the APC prefers the consensus approach and aspirants are expected to respect this policy,’ he said.

Oladele commended the group for mobilising support for Senator Olamilekan Adeola aka Yayi, who he said is being widely projected to emerge as the consensus candidate of the party in the forthcoming governorship primaries in Ogun State.

He described Yayi as a politician whose growing popularity has extended beyond Ogun West to other parts of the state, urging the group to expand its activities across all senatorial districts.

Oladele said, ‘The support base of Senator Yayi has grown significantly across Ogun State. He may become the first candidate to enjoy massive non-partisan support and possibly record the highest votes in any governorship election in the state.’

He urged the group to transform itself into a broad coalition that accommodates supporters across party lines, stressing the need for inclusiveness in the build-up to the election.

The former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes also emphasised the need for unity among party members and adherence to party decisions, noting that discipline and collective resolve would be crucial to the success of the APC in the state.

The March 31 deadline the Federal government gave political appointees interested in elective offices to tender their resignations ended on a note of drama as some of them had a last-minute change of mind after initial plans to quit.

Sentry checks revealed, for instance, that in spite of the rebuttal issued by Bolaji Tunji, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, on deadline day dismissing media speculations about the minister’s resignation as ‘fake news’, Adelabu had actually wanted to throw in his resignation in pursuit of the governorship seat of Oyo State before he changed his mind.

The minister was said to have been swayed by speculations that Oyo South Senator Sarafadeen Alli had been anointed by some powerful forces in Oyo State and Abuja. The senator’s growing popularity in Oyo was said to have rattled even the state governor, Seyi Makinde, who yesterday named him among Ibadan indigenes that were crowned as chiefs in absentia; a move seen by many as a ploy to force the lawmaker out of the governorship race. Adelabu was indeed hoping to meet with his boss in Abuja to know whether to quit or not. It is not clear if the meeting held.

But while the minister had a change of mind about his governorship ambition without a visit to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, it was not so with a popular former member of the National Assembly whose U-turn was made after taking a resignation letter to the SGF’s office.

The very popular ex-lawmaker, whose political appointment was made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently and was well celebrated by friends, family members and acquaintances, did not betray any political ambition while the celebrations lasted. But news went round a few days to the March 31 deadline that the lawmaker had resigned only to realise after consultations that the planned resignation was a real gamble.

The former lawmaker was said to have been reminded by friends that leaving certainty for uncertainty was a big risk, especially when the job at hand is not under threat, and with the chance to remain in office till May next year and the likelihood of continuing in office if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wins his re-election bid.

The ex-lawmaker, who exuded confidence during the visit to the SGF’s office before wise counsel prevailed turned taciturn thereafter and refused to speak with the media.

To the flamboyant ex-National Assembly member from the Northeast, it is better to tread cautiously.

Loyalists of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike, have put their 2027 ambitions on hold ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Most of them warming up for governorship, state and federal legislative elections, were said to have slowed down on their consultations after attending Wike’s political family meetings in Abuja.

They were said to have decided to wait for the directives of the minister before making their ambitions public.

It was gathered that the delay by the state Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, to publicly announce his future political ambition was based on Wike’s body language.

Sources said Wike had foreclosed supporting Fubara for a second term, but was willing to return almost all members of the House of Assembly, who stood firm and supported him during the crisis between him and the governor.

Wike’s recent utterances compelled the Executive Director of Finance, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Boma Iyaye, to deny viral reports claiming that he was the minister’s favourite to replace Fubara.

The Minister, while hosting a pre-convention convergence of Rivers APC members in Abuja, rebuked the claims, describing them as false.

Iyaye, who was afraid not to fall out with the minister, immediately distanced himself from the report.

It was, however, gathered that Wike kept the choice of his preferred governorship candidate to his chest as he was said to be preparing to first secure the endorsement of the elders in his camp.

It was gathered that members of Wike’s political family further became cautious after the minister hosted them in his Abuja home under the auspices of the Rainbow Coalition.

The Minister reportedly insisted that he had not endorsed anybody, adding that he would support any candidate of proven character, despite his ethnic origin.

Wike was quoted as saying: ‘We have not endorsed anybody for any position. We are only saying that we wouldn’t be here today if members of the state assembly had betrayed us . We are here with this number of supporters because the assembly stood firm. I don’t abandon people who make sacrifices.

‘I have not promised anybody anything as it concerns 2027. I have not endorsed anybody for any position, from the Senate, reps, governorship or state assembly.

‘The only person I have declared support for in 2027 is President Bola Tinubu. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you to lose the little you already have . Those promising to sponsor you will disappear when the time comes.’

The minister reiterated that decamping to the APC was not a guarantee for a second term ticket.

He said, ‘Decamping to the APC is not an automatic ticket for a second term. You must show your report card.’

The minister described his Rainbow Coalition as unique in the history of the country, saying there was never a time the ruling party and the main opposition closed ranks to work together.

Wike said: ‘The Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State is the first of its kind in the history of Nigeria. It is unprecedented to have the ruling party and the main opposition party working together in the interest of our state.

‘Some people may not be happy that the two major political parties are working together under a joint coalition in Rivers State, but they can hug the transformer .

‘I don’t know how many states can have the two major political parties working together without fighting each other.

‘I can’t fall for any temptation or trap set by anybody. Nothing is secret in politics. We know all the things that are going on, but they’re of no effect.

‘Those of you sending people to preach ethnicity, it will not work . I will work with those who are sincere, not minding where the person comes from.’

Wike flayed some persons he said had started aligning with governors of other states to make one of them a governor.

He insisted that no governor from another state would bypass him to determine the political future of Rivers.

He said: ‘Those of you aligning yourselves with governors from other states, you’re wasting your time. No governor of any state can influence what will happen in Rivers State, as far as we are concerned, not even one . They will deceive you and abandon you.

‘For those of you who think you have money to spend, you just know that I’m prepared. That you come to my house everyday or follow me doesn’t mean that you can be trusted . We know those who can be trusted.

‘Some people, once you give them the opportunity, the next moment they will tell you to go to hell because they’re making money from the position , they forget that the money will finish one day, and they begin to look for how to get back .

‘Woe unto anybody we have given an appointment that now turns around to castigate us. You carry somebody who says, ‘ Come and work here , ‘ and suddenly they forget how they got their job , now everybody is their mentor

‘Please, nobody should send me messages asking whether I have endorsed anybody. I have not . When we want to do that , the elders will know, and it won’t be done in secret.’

One of the Bible stories that fascinate me the most is the narrative in the Book of Genesis concerning an attempt by humanity to challenge the superiority of God by building a tower that would reach up to heaven. The project took off on a good note and progressed at an incredible pace until God decided to checkmate them by confusing their language. The people could no longer understand one another, progress was stalled and that became the end of the first abandoned project recorded in the book of life.

Of course, like other creation stories in Genesis, a debate lingers as to whether the Tower of Babel project was real or a mere fable. It may or may not be, but its lesson as a cautionary tale against the perils of hubris and arrogance would not be lost on any rational mind. Strangely, the motivation for the failed project appears to have found revival in some aggrieved Nigerian politicians who seem determined to build their own version of the ill-fated tower in the guise of African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Enter former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President David Mark; former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi; former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai; former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi and former governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who from different ethnic and political backgrounds are motivated by hunger for power and envy of the sitting President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to hijack an existing political party and coalesce into it to form a body that is neither a coalition nor a merger.

It was therefore clear to any perceptive mind that the party was designed for crisis, given the manner in which it was taken over and the strange bedfellows that executed the coup against the existing leadership. Every element of the Tower of Babel story is a perfect fit for the goings on in beleaguered party except that unlike the Babel experiment where the builders’ language was confused midway, the characters that came together to expropriate ADC were never from the same linguistic background.

Aregbesola, a known Tinubu acolyte until he decided to rebel against his benefactor in spite of his self-acclaimed Omoluabi virtue, is Yoruba. Atiku, whose origin as a Nigerian or a Cameroonian is enmeshed in controversy, is officially a Fulani. Amaechi is a mix of Igbo and the Ikwere tribe in Rivers State. El-Rufai touts himself as a Fulani man while some people contend that he is Igbira, and Mark, the bourgeoisie retired general who once declared that telephone was not for the poor and also swore that democracy would only be practised over his dead body, belongs to the Idoma tribe in Benue State.

If it was easy for God to crush the rebellion of the Tower of Babel builders by confusing their language, it would be easier for Him to crush the unholy plot of a people whose tongues, ab initio, were never the same. Little wonder some perceptive analysts predicted from day one that the ADC coalition was a project destined for the rocks; a conglomeration of innately ambitious political entrepreneurs whose motives are not driven by any patriotic zeal. Their individual profiles reveal strange bed fellows brought together not by an iota of principle or historical affinity but by sheer hunger for power and envy-impelled hatred for the President.

They have saddled themselves with the onerous task of fighting a man who won the presidential election at a time that most of them were in government while he was outside, and virtually everyone that mattered in the nation’s political sphere was opposed to his candidacy. Tinubu won the APC presidential ticket at a time there was nothing in the then President’s body language to suggest that he was favourably disposed to Tinubu picking the ruling party’s presidential ticket.

It was also at a time the sitting Vice President and number two citizen did not only oppose his candidacy but contested the ticket with him despite Tinubu being the one that facilitated his nomination and eventual emergence as Vice President. The Senate President and number three citizen, backed by the cabal in the Presidential Villa, also picked the nomination form and contested the presidential primaries against Tinubu. In the end, it was Tinubu that triumphed in circumstances that were nothing but divine. He did not only win the party’s ticket, he also won the main election.

If Tinubu could triumph with all the odds stacked against him in 2023, it should occur to Atiku and his co-travellers that they have a mountain to climb in 2027, particularly with the gale of defections from other parties into the ruling one. And if they are honest with themselves, they will admit that the fate that has befallen the party they hijacked has nothing to do with Tinubu’s astuteness but rather with their avarice, desperation and sloppiness. The victim game must stop.

Mr Wale Edun, Minister of Finance, has commended the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for raising daily oil production to 1.84 million barrels.

Edun spoke when NUPRC Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, visited the Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja.

This is contained in a statement on Friday by Mr Eniola Akinkuotu, Head of Media and Corporate Communication at the Commission.

‘It is heartening that you can tell us production is 1.84 million barrels per day. That is fantastic news.

‘That aligns fully with President Bola Tinubu’s mandate. You have started well. Please keep it up,’ he said.

Edun described the Middle East conflict as unfortunate, noting Tinubu had already directed increased oil production before the crisis.

He urged the Commission to intensify efforts toward achieving two million barrels per day output.

‘I wish you continued success. What matters is sustaining progress. We do not want any interruption along the way.

‘The trajectory must be maintained, and the target remains two million barrels per day,’ the coordinating Minister of the economy said.

Earlier, Eyesan confirmed that daily crude production had reached 1.84 million barrels.

‘We are doing 1.84 million barrels per day. It is a remarkable feat, but we are confident of further growth,’ she said.

She attributed February’s production dip to incidents at key facilities and scheduled turnaround maintenance.

‘But those issues have been resolved, and production is now increasing steadily,’ Eyesan said.

On the 2025 licensing round, she said the Commission was currently at the technical and financial evaluation stage.

Eyesan expressed optimism about sector growth, citing provisions such as the ‘drill or drop’ clause in the Petroleum Industry Act.

She noted the clause empowered the Commission to revoke licences for dormant oil blocks.

She added that some offered acreages could begin production within a year, highlighting strong capacity among indigenous firms.

Eyesan said the Commission had complied fully with Executive Order 9 of 2026.

She explained that the order suspended the 30 per cent Frontier Exploration Fund deduction from oil and gas profits.

The directive also covers other management fees and mandates direct remittance to the Federation Account, she added.

It is a painful reality that we must accept: Nigeria is a very poor country, holding one of the world’s largest concentrations of poverty within a single geographic border. While the government works to make the nation more investor-friendly, we must now move to the next level: a holistic, home-grown ‘Marshall Plan’ to declare total war on poverty. We must transform this anti-poverty crusade into a clear path towards sustainable growth. Until this is done, we face a grim prospect: widespread poverty acting as a brake on the very political forces needed to drive national rejuvenation.

A debilitating price tag is attached to any system where politics is driven by hunger and ‘stomach infrastructure’ rather than propelled by programmes rooted in a clear philosophy. This is precisely why we lack the contest of ideas that has historically rescued nations from underdevelopment. Instead, we are left with a clash of personalities, all scrambling to drink from a diminishing trough. This is the unambiguous reality on the street, and it is becoming increasingly unavoidable.

Politics driven by hunger is always going to be obsessed with ‘sharing’. But what we really need – what we’re actually missing – is a pivot away from a consumption economy towards one built on production. It’s a tragedy that, on the eve of these elections, there’s no real alternative vision in sight. A flawed plan would be better than this void!

In this same Nigeria, the Action Group (AG), the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), and the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) – and later, the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) – offered programmes that actually meant something. You didn’t have to agree with them, but they forced the electorate to look past their immediate needs and think about the bigger picture.

For example, the Four Cardinal Programmes of the UPN offered in 1978 still resonate today. Governments at all levels, starting from the local tier, would be well advised to revisit the UPN’s position on integrated rural development. That blueprint should be dusted off, updated and modernized, for it remains essential for transforming Nigeria’s rural economy. That this is being ignored by today’s contending forces is a stinging indictment of the entire political landscape.

The hard truth is that you can’t have real political loyalty in a system built on ‘stomach infrastructure.’ The two just don’t go together. Breaking this deadlock isn’t easy, but it’s a must; otherwise, we’re just spinning our wheels. We need a new way of doing things, something that blends old-school grassroots organizing with modern tech to get people behind a real economic plan. This requires a fresh crop of leaders to step up and lead the charge. In that sense, Seyi Tinubu’s City Boys Movement (CBM) is actually onto something. It still needs some work, but the movement shows it’s possible to break through the current mess.

I remain convinced that, in Nigeria, power is a ghost that never finds its rest. In this fated clime, our leaders don’t quit, they don’t resign, and they don’t retire. Like water reacting to heat, they merely change form: evaporating from one high office only to condense, heavier and more stubborn, in the next. They treat the seat of power not as a duty, but as an heirloom – installing their own children to occupy the spaces they once held. It is a revolving door for the elite that leaves the children of the poor outside in the cold, nursing wounds that never heal.

Still on ‘stomach infrastructure’, one might argue that it has deep cultural roots. Traditionally, people gravitated towards the compounds of ‘big men’ for sustenance. However, that practice belonged to a predominantly rural, agrarian past. Because our politics remains anchored in this hunger-driven dependency, it is clear the country has failed to make the vital transition from feudal-era relationships to a modern, productive economy.

This economic divide is the reason the ‘Ara Oko’ (villager) and the ‘Ara Eko’ (Lagosian) rarely cross paths. While the villager leaves his or her village – be it Ijebu-Jesa, my ‘Native Nazareth’ or elsewhere – simply to seek a foothold in the city, the Lagosian often departs only for a worthy sojourn abroad. Consequently, by the time the global sojourner begins sending foreign remittances back home, the rural migrant in Lagos is still struggling merely to make ends meet.

That may also be responsible for the profound distinction between being a ‘big boy’ and a ‘small man’. While the former possesses the vision and resources to make life truly worth living, the latter is often left merely to exist, adrift in a wide, wild world of struggle.

The staying power of men like Lamidi Adedibu, the late strongman of Ibadan politics, and former Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State was no accident. It was built on a gritty brand of paternalism that knows a loaf of bread today beats a blueprint for tomorrow every time. They understood that, out on the streets, politics isn’t some high-minded theory; it’s a raw, daily struggle for survival. In that world, ‘stomach infrastructure’ becomes a social contract written in bread and salt.

The people measure a leader simply by how easy he is to reach and how quickly he can put food on a neighbour’s table. By keeping their feet in the dust and meeting the people exactly where they are, Adedibu and Fayose turned political loyalty into a shared lifeline. These men grasped the hard truth that the elites conveniently ignore: you cannot sell a ‘grand vision’ to a man whose stomach is growling.

Again, a hungry man is an angry man, and an angry man is only a heartbeat away from a harvest of violence. This is precisely why, were Adedibu alive today, he would remain the ‘Garrison Commander’ of the ‘amala’ politics of Ibadan and the wider Yorubaland. He was the undisputed master of the communal table; he understood that in our context, being physically present and sharing what you have counts for everything.

Fayose operates on that same frequency! ‘Alaafin Molete’ and ‘Oshokomole’ breathed life into ‘stomach infrastructure,’ and our political landscape has known no peace since. That’s why Fayose will be a factor in Ekiti politics for a long time because he speaks the language of the ordinary man. Bottomline, so long as the ‘street reality’ remains one of hunger, any leader who shows up in that moment of need will always hold the cards. As long as the economy remains stuck in a pre-industrial state, consumption-led ‘stomach infrastructure’ will persist, even when what the country truly requires is a pivot towards production.

Given our population growth rates, one could argue that this target is not ambitious enough. For the sake of social cohesion and sustainable growth, we must mount a defence against the politics of immediate gain. This requires a decisive, irreversible shift in how we conceive of development. We must move away from a shallow focus on ‘projects’ and towards development from the base, which is the true starting point of all national progress.

One might safely argue that issuing a single Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) – transforming a beneficiary into a functioning economic actor – is more vital than constructing a thousand flyovers. History supports this, stretching back through the centuries. The most striking example is found in the United Kingdom with the Domesday Book (1086). Originally commissioned to survey the land and formalize holdings, it laid the groundwork for secure property rights. This process eventually helped propel Great Britain into a formidable global power, fueling the Industrial Revolution and fundamentally altering the course of human existence.

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Agege Federal Constituency and other stakeholders have declared support for the aspiration of ex-Agege Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi to represent the area in House of Representatives on the party’s platform.

The move came ahead of the 2027 general elections, with party primaries expected to determine candidates for various elective positions.

The motion for the support for Egunjobi was moved on Friday at Capitol Road in Agege by Hon. Taofeek Adaranijo.

Adaranijo represented Agege Federal Constituency in the 8th National Assembly.

Speaking, the former federal lawmaker described the aspirant as a man of people who covered himself in glory during his time as Agege LG boss.

In his speech, he proposed a motion to the gathering to endorse Egunjobi’s aspiration, with the proposal gaining traction with the attendees.

‘Egunjobi has a record of performance while he was in the saddle of Agege Local Government. He improved the council infrastructure like never before. Under him our children in public primary and schools enjoyed free shuttle buses from homes to schools, and vice versa. Our maternities ceased to be mere consulting clinics while our council became the first in Nigeria to build and own a Computer-based Test centre,’ Adaranijo effused.

In reaction, the House of Representatives aspirant expressed gratitude to the party faithful for the confidence repose in him saying amidst cheers: ‘I don’t take this trust in me for granted. My promise to you, is to continue to make Agege my priority.’

He added that his aspiration was not self-motivated but a response to popular demand by his constituents.

‘This decision is not driven by personal ambition, but by consistent encouragement, widespread consultations, and the growing demand of our people-those who believe in the continuity of tested leadership and proven capacity,’ the former council chief stated.

On his legislative agenda, Egunjobi said he would prioritise consultations with constituents to ensure their needs are adequately represented.

‘I have served for eight years. I know what they want in my constituency. And before we do anything, we have to consult. We ask them what they want. We are going to do what the people want because we are going there to represent them at the Green Chamber,’ he added.

Present at the political gathering were: Immediate-past Chairman of Orile Agege LCDA, Hon. Johnson Babatunde,

Agege APC Apex leader, Chief Safari Adisa Adaranijo, Lagos House of Assembly member representing Agege 02, Hon. Jubreel Abdul Kareem, incumbent Orile-Agege Executive Chairman,

Hon. Akinola Idowu, and the first Executive chairman of Agege, Chief Owolabi Dada.

Other party leaders in attendance were:

Barrister Omofunmilewa Ade JOMBO, Elder Sunday Ajide, Alhaji Fatai Bisiru, Hon. Alaba Alase, and Lagos State Commissioner for Establishment Training, Hon. Afolabi Ayantayo.

Also at the occasion were past and present Councilors in the area, the incumbent Vice-Chairmen in Agege LG and Orile-Agege, representatives of Arewa and the Ndigbo communities, traders, artisans, and traditional leaders.

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has been honoured with the Governor of the Year Award in recognition of his infrastructural strides and sustained commitment to good governance across the state.

The award was presented on Friday by the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, at the prestigious Face of Africa Leadership Honours, an event that drew prominent African leaders and stakeholders from across the continent and diaspora.

Governor Uzodimma, who was represented at the ceremony, received the award through the Imo State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, alongside the Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Amara Chyna Iwuanyanwu.

Both officials conveyed the governor’s appreciation for the recognition, describing it as a reflection of the administration’s deliberate focus on road infrastructure, urban renewal, and institutional reforms aimed at improving the standard of living for Imo citizens.

The event recorded a strong presence of Imo indigenes in the diaspora, who turned out in large numbers to celebrate what they described as a well-deserved honour.

Many attendees noted that the recognition further reinforces the state’s growing visibility on the national and international stage.

Organisers of the Face of Africa Leadership Honours stated that the award category acknowledges governors who have demonstrated measurable impact in governance, particularly in infrastructure development, transparency, and public service delivery.

The Face of Africa Leadership Honours remains a respected international platform dedicated to celebrating excellence in African leadership, innovation, and service.

The 2026 edition is especially significant as it marks the 10th anniversary of Triangle International Magazine, bringing together policymakers, business leaders, academics, and members of the African diaspora in a shared commitment to advancing the continent’s development.

The Gombe State Police Command has described as false reports of an attack on the ECWA Church, Kashere, in the Akko Local Government Area.

Spokesman for the command, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, dismissed the report in a statement on Sunday.

According to him, the police, upon seeing the claim, reached out to an elder of the church who dismissed the reported attack as a total falsehood.

Abdullahi said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Pindiga and the Officer in Charge of the Kashere Police Outstation were the ones who immediately reached out to one of the church elders.

‘The elder, who was physically present in the church during the second segment of the Hausa service, confirmed that no such incident occurred. He also acknowledged that police officers were at the church premises throughout the day, protecting part of the routine security coverage.

‘The command views the circulation of such false information as irresponsible and capable of creating unnecessary panic among the public. The source of this misinformation will be thoroughly investigated with a view to taking appropriate action.

‘Members of the public are advised to remain calm and law-abiding, as the Gombe State Police Command remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents across the state,’ said Abdullahi.

There is a need for unity among Yoruba groups in South Africa to foster cultural preservation, economic empowerment, social cohesion and national integration, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba, Iba Gani Adams, has said.

Adams explained that such unity would also help with economic and political empowerment, as a united Yoruba community in South Africa can better advocate for its interests, access resources, and participate effectively in socio-political and economic activities both locally and in relation to Nigeria.

Adams made the call while speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration of the Oodua Progressive Union (OPU), South African chapter.

He stressed that unity among Yoruba groups in South Africa will help safeguard and promote Yoruba cultural practices, language, festivals, and traditions in the diaspora.

Such collective effort, he noted, will ensure that Yoruba heritage remained vibrant and is passed down to future generations despite being away from the homeland.

‘Unity fosters a strong sense of community and belonging among Yoruba people in South Africa. It facilitates mutual support, cooperation, and collective action in addressing social, economic, and cultural challenges faced by the diaspora community,’ Adams said.

Speaking on the essence of teaching children of Nigerians in the diaspora their indigenous language, Adams said the importance was multifaceted and deeply significant culturally and educationally. He encouraged the Yoruba communities in South Africa not to fail in this parental responsibility.

‘Teaching Yoruba to children of Nigerians abroad helps preserve their cultural identity and heritage. It connects them to their roots, traditions, values, and history, fostering a strong sense of belonging and pride in their Nigerian and Yoruba ancestry,’ he added.

In his address, the host and National Coordinator, Oodua Progressive Union (OPU) South Africa, Chief Kayode Orenisi, said the 10th year anniversary celebration of OPU South Africa was a celebration of a decade of impact, unity, and progress.

‘This is a celebration of 10 years of carrying the torch of Yoruba heritage, 10 years of promoting our values, and 10 years of standing together as one big family in the diaspora.

‘When we began this journey, our goal was simple but powerful: to preserve our culture, uplift one another, and represent the Yoruba nation with dignity and pride anywhere we find ourselves. Today, by God’s grace, we can proudly say we have stayed true to that vision,’ he added.