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Why we left the movement – Kabiru Kofar Ruwa

Kabiru Adamu Kofar Ruwa, a founding member of Kwankwasiyya and close associate of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for nearly 29 years, recently left the movement and joined the APC. In this interview, he speaks about the predicament of Kwankwasiyya, what changed, why many of them left, and his views on the future of the movement.

You spent almost three decades with Kwankwasiyya. People often associate the movement with a particular face. What, in your view, is the true face of Kwankwasiyya that people don’t know?

The movement started with truth and trust. That was the foundation. But later, the leader of the journey, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, deviated completely from the path. Injustice crept in, and that destroyed the entire structure. If you observe, Kwankwaso was governor, he brought Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as governor, later he brought Abba Kabir Yusuf as governor. But I assure you, Kwankwaso will never again install a governor in Kano. Anytime he signs onto a governorship candidacy, that name collapses. Look at now, he picked Aminu Abdussalam as candidate, and the same fate awaits him.

Why are you so sure about this?

If you understand politics, especially in Kano, you’ll see that the path to becoming governor was not followed at all. Kwankwasiyya has lost its way. Even NDC, which they now rely on as party, is not a true opposition. They don’t even have the guarantee to contest elections. The injustice of Kwankwaso destroyed Kwankwasiyya. Many people left like senators, federal lawmakers, chairmen, even ordinary members. Some governors too. The exodus is unprecedented.

What exactly caused this mass exit?

Injustice. Before, Kwankwaso was known for speaking once and standing by it. Now, he speaks ten different things at once. It is as if something has changed in him. That is why many left. Even those he gave candidacy in NDC wanted to resign, if not for me stopping some of them.

Some may say you left because your personal requests were not granted. How do you respond?

No. Anyone who knows me knows that requests don’t make me change my stance. Even if I won a federal assembly seat, if something came that I didn’t like, I would resign. I once resigned as North Central Manager of a big Chinese textile company, because of injustice. I have principles. If something is wrong, I leave. That is who I am.

You mentioned Gov Yusuf. What is your view of his relationship with Kwankwaso?

Abba Kabir Yusuf has no secrets hidden by Kwankwaso that the world doesn’t know. The things he covered for Kwankwaso, even Kwankwaso’s children and siblings cannot cover it more than Governor Yusuf. We are even pressing the governor to come out and tell the world. Kwankwaso betrayed him, betrayed Kano State. Abba is still carrying the burden, that is why he has not spoken much. But the truth will come out.

Looking at the political terrain, what is the future of Kwankwasiyya in elections?

If INEC conducts elections, they will come third at best. Ibrahim Little of ADC is the real opposition now in Kano who will come second. Who will they send to INEC as Kwankwasiyya’s agents in Kano now as they did in the past? Who in Dala, Kano Municipal, Doguwa LGA? Nobody. Those left with Kwankwaso only bargained in the primaries, now they will just get what they bargained for in the general election. They are not following him to succeed in forming government. Across Nigeria, no governor works like Abba Kabir Yusuf. Everyone knows this.

Even we who opposed him did so because our leader then (Kwankwaso) told us to, but we never said he was not working. Only that he betrayed those who didn’t know. Kwankwaso betrayed the governor and betrayed Kano State. We will open everything, we will not fear anyone.

Kwankwasiyya members boast that they don’t rely on office holders but on ordinary people. They say they almost won in 2019, and in 2023 they won despite not having government backing. How do you see this claim come 2027?

But let me tell you, in 2023, in all local governments and 484 wards of the state, old politicians stood firm and protected votes. In Dala, my local government for instance, we have people like Ali Madaki, Lawal Hussaini, Dayyabu Maiturare, Namadi, myself and others who stood by Kwankwasiya. Now, we are all in APC, tell me who will stand by it. We risked our lives for him. But now, nobody will let even a fingernail be removed for him.

The party doesn’t even have agents in rural areas. A party that cannot get agents to stand at ballot boxes, how can it win?

Strong fiscal position an opportunity to address long-standing issues, Fiscal Council Chairman tells CNA

Morningstar DBRS upgrade of Cyprus’ outlook was “expected”, Andreas Charalambous, Chairman of the Cyprus Fiscal Council, told CNA, noting that Cyprus’ strong fiscal position provides an opportunity to address long-standing structural problems. He nevertheless warned of potential fiscal risks arising from pension reform as well as the upcoming pre-election period since the next Cypriot presidential election is scheduled to take place in February 2028.

Asked to comment on the rating decision by Canadian credit rating agency Morningstar DBRS, he said it was ‘an expected development, which reflects Cyprus’ positive macroeconomic data and, in particular, its strong fiscal position.’

He noted that the Fiscal Council’s report, scheduled to be published in mid-September, states that the country’s strong fiscal position gives Cyprus the opportunity to address chronic structural problems related to the economy’s underlying characteristics, social inequalities and climate-change issues. ‘It gives us an opportunity to address these problems, which have persisted for years, and that is how we should view it,’ he said.

Asked whether the agency’s revision of the trend on the Republic of Cyprus’ long-term ratings to ‘positive’ from ‘stable’ anticipates a future upgrade of the country’s sovereign credit rating, he said that the revision means that ‘we are moving in the right direction, and, if we continue, such a possibility will arise.’

He stressed, however, that one issue still reflected in foreign rating agencies’ assessments of Cyprus is that historically ‘we have had fluctuations. We have not always been consistent in maintaining strong fiscal performance. There have been periods with very poor results. They are still waiting to see a long period of stability and strong performance before they can move towards even better ratings.’

According to DBRS, potential reasons for a future upgrade include a further reduction in the public-debt ratio in line with current expectations, evidence of greater economic resilience, and higher levels of labour productivity.

Asked what could lead to a further increase in labour productivity in Cyprus, the President of the Fiscal Council told CNA that productivity is linked to investment and adaptation in the fields of technology and artificial intelligence. Other factors, he said, include the continuous training of the workforce.

He added that, so far, Cyprus’ growth has relied to a large extent on migration, increasing employment. ‘This is reaching its limits. In the future, economic performance will depend on productivity. The domestic population is not growing, while migration has already reached high levels. We know from international experience that beyond certain levels, it cannot continue at the same pace,’ he said. Therefore, he noted, productivity will increasingly be the key.

Regarding DBRS’ condition for a future upgrade, concerning continued reductions in the public-debt ratio, the Council Chairman was asked whether the decision, as part of pension reform, to end government borrowing from the Social Insurance Fund and repay the amounts owed could jeopardise the downward trajectory of public debt. He replied that the decision should be implemented gradually.

‘We should start by ending additional borrowing from the Social Insurance Fund, and this should happen once we have established institutions capable of investing properly. At present, we do not have them. We need to establish these institutions during 2026-2027 and, possibly from 2028, begin channeling surpluses into this dedicated fund and investing them for the benefit of pensioners. Repayment should take place over a long period of time, precisely in order to avoid this risk,’ he stressed.

He also noted that any additional measures currently being discussed as part of the reform should be subject to actuarial assessment.

Similarly, he pointed out that one of the problems in the past was that spending overruns occurred during pre-election periods, ‘and we are paying the price for that.’ ‘Particularly during pre-election periods, we must be able to demonstrate that we can maintain sound and fiscally prudent policy,’ he said.

Invited to comment on the DBRS report’s observation that the impact of the war in the Middle East on the Cypriot economy had been smaller than expected, he said that, overall, the effects had been milder. ‘There were various reasons at the global level, mainly the investments being made in the technology sector,’ he noted.

Specifically, regarding Cyprus, he said that what has supported growth over the past couple of years is the increase in the population due to the migration of relatively well-paid individuals. ‘This translates into consumer demand and has favourable implications for the economy,’ he said, noting that this is the main reason, although not the only one.

He nevertheless noted that Cyprus is disproportionately affected by energy prices ‘because we have not made significant progress in reducing our dependence on conventional forms of energy. As a result, every energy crisis hits us disproportionately, to a much greater extent.’

Asked about the impact on the economy of Cyprus’ decline in corruption and rule-of-law indicators to below the EU average, as noted in DBRS’ report, Charalambous said that, in an open country such as Cyprus, ‘which also relies on its attractiveness to foreign investment and on attracting foreign companies to establish themselves in Cyprus, all these factors play a major role, and therefore the relevant authorities must take corruption issues seriously.’

He also referred to issues surrounding the justice system, noting that another constraint on the Cypriot economy is the delay in the administration of justice. ‘We could do much better if we had made progress in the field of justice and in combating corruption, which is also linked to the effective interaction and balance between the various branches of government,’ he said.

Truck crushes 6 to death in Adamawa

A truck loaded with sand has crushed six persons to death in an accident involving a tricycle along the Yola – Girei federal highway in Adamawa.

The spokesman of the Adamawa Police Command, SP Sulaiman Nguroje, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Yola.

Nguroje said the accident involved the truck and a tricycle, popularly known as Keke NAPEP.

He said the victims, comprising the tricycle driver and five passengers, were rushed to the Yola Specialist Hospital, where they were confirmed dead.

‘The driver of the tricycle and five other passengers were killed instantly in the incident.

‘The State Command is appealing to members of the public to remain calm. Anyone found to have violated the law will face the full wrath of the law,’ Nguroje said.

He appealed to motorists and other road users to remain calm and allow traffic to flow while efforts are made to address the situation.

NAN reports that following the accident, angry Keke NAPEP riders blocked the highway in protest, causing disruption to vehicular movement along the busy highway.

The incident was the third in less than two weeks involving loss of lives. (NAN)

White Couture Royalty: All the unforgettable fashion from the Mama Deola Wedding Story Premiere

Lagos became the epicenter of high-fashion bridal drama when creator and filmmaker Tobi Abiri Folagade (popularly known as Folagade Banks) premiered his debut feature original, A Mama Deola Wedding Story.

Directed by Nollywood veteran Femi Adebayo, the film, which holds the record for the largest wedding sequence in Nigerian cinema with over 600 cast members; called for a fittingly lavish dress code: ‘White Wedding Couture.’

From full-blown bridal silhouettes and pearl-encrusted corsetry to dramatic trains, Nollywood’s top stars took the theme and turned the carpet into an altar of high fashion.

Toyin Abraham set the tone for the night in a white bridal gown that leaned heavily into classic high-fashion glamour. Embracing clean lines with subtle lace overlays and structured shoulders, her look earned her instant acclaim as one of the evening’s standout fashion moments.

Kate Henshaw

Ageless as ever, Kate Henshaw brought pure elegance to the red carpet. Stepping out in an angelic white silhouette featuring flowing drapery and soft romantic lines, she kept her styling minimal with clean silver accessories; proving that true star power doesn’t need to shout to be heard.

Shaffy Bello

Never one to play it safe, Shaffy Bello served queenly authority in a structured, chapel-white dress. With sharp architectural tailoring, high necklines, and a regal composure, she delivered one of the most sophisticated interpretations of the wedding couture brief.

Content queen and fashion innovator Kie Kie went bold with an ultra-textured, pearl-heavy creation. Her structured gown was practically dipped in pearls-from the corset down to the hem-paired with playful, theatrical accessories that made her look one of the most shared images across social feeds.

Osas Ighodaro

Breaking away from pure white, Osas Ighodaro made a grand entrance in a brown-and-white floral-detailed masterpiece. The gown featured a corseted bodice and a dramatic, sweeping train that glided across the carpet, blending bridal aesthetics with runway drama.

Omowunmi Dada

Serving as one of the lead stars of the film, Omowunmi Dada went the vintage-chic route. Her look featured an intricately beaded white gown paired with a retro birdcage veil and glowing makeup, balancing modern Nollywood luxury with classic 1950s bridal nostalgia.

The MUAs leaned into fresh, glowing ‘bride-to-be’ skin, muted nude glosses, soft wing eyeliners, and crisp up-dos framed by tiaras, pearls, or birdcage netting.

The Men’s Club: Lead actors and celebrity guests including Femi Adebayo, Lateef Adedimeji, and Rotimi Salami showed up in crisp white tuxedos, tailored brocade jackets, and modern ivory native sets, holding down the groom/groomsmen aesthetic in style.

Legit News

The premiere for A Mama Deola Wedding Story proved that when Nollywood is given a clear, imaginative dress code, the red carpet becomes as much of an event as the movie itself. Folagade Banks didn’t just launch a streaming original; he created one of the most stylish pop-culture moments of the year.

FashionEVO, 360Creative Hub graduate fully funded Fashion Accelerator Cohort

The Fashion Advancement and Startup Training (F.A.S.T) Accelerator, a joint initiative by FashionEVO Programs and 360Creative Innovation Hub, has officially concluded its inaugural cohort with a Pitch and Graduation Ceremony at the British Council, Lagos.

Delivered as a 100 percent fully funded, zero-cost program for selected founders, the accelerator provided emerging fashion entrepreneurs with high-impact training, strategic business tools, and core operational skills to build competitive, sustainable brands.

Throughout the program, participants completed intensive physical and virtual sessions covering brand positioning, financial literacy, storytelling, marketing, business pitching, and strategic expansion.

The ceremony opened with remarks from Yetty Ogunnubi, Founder and CEO of FashionEVO and YD Company and Mrs Blessing Ebere Achu, Founder and MD of 360Creative Innovation Hub,

‘F.A.S.T was created from the understanding that talent alone is not enough to build a sustainable fashion business,’ stated Dr Yetty Ogunnubi.

‘We wanted to create a platform where emerging fashion entrepreneurs could strengthen their business knowledge, understand their markets, develop practical strategies, and gain the confidence to take their businesses to the next level. This first cohort is the beginning of a long journey of growth and impact.’

Blessing Ebere Achu also highlighted the importance of creativity and collaboration in driving the success of the F.A.S.T cohort, while expressing appreciation to the facilitators, judges, British Council and participants for their contributions and encouraging the graduates to make the most of the opportunity ahead.

Chilufya Besa, Deputy Country Director at the British Council, commended the graduates and reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to the creative economy: ‘Today is about recognising your commitment, creativity, and hard work, but more importantly, it is about celebrating what comes next.’

A central highlight was the F.A.S.T Pitch Competition, where 10 finalists presented their business models, market opportunities, and growth plans.

The competition entries were evaluated by a distinguished panel of creative economy leaders and business experts: Amabelle Nwakanma – Director of Programmes and Partnerships, LEAP Africa; Remi Ademiju – Founder, Grow Enterprise Africa; Sola Babatunde – Managing Director, OSC Group; and Onodugo Ikechukwu – Arts Project Officer, British Council

Pitch Competition Winners: 1st Place: Moses Agosu (MAK) – Awarded a N500,000 cash prize from FashionEVO, strategic business consultation, brand visibility, and a showcase slot at the upcoming FashionEVO Lagos; 2nd Place: Elizabeth Funmilayo Aweda (Fúmi) – Awarded business consultation, brand visibility, and inclusion in future FashionEVO retail and showcase initiatives; and in 3rd Place: Kusoro Samson (Kush Atelier) – Awarded business consultation, brand visibility, and showcasing opportunities. All top three winners additionally received British Council gift packages and a three-month onboarding opportunity with the Idozi Collective Retail Store.

The event concluded with a certification ceremony for the entire cohort and a Business Showcase, enabling founders to present their collections directly to facilitators, industry leaders, and ecosystem partners.

LightHope debunks claims of deaths from fumes at Okrika jetty

… Described reports as ‘fake’

LightHope Succour Worldwide Initiative has debunked reports that 37 persons died, allegedly from inhaling suspected toxic fumes at the Okrika jetty mainland

The oil and gas services firm, while describing the reports as ‘ fake’, challenged originators of the report to provide proofs

Debunking the widely circulated reports in Abuja, Evelyn Williams said the reports from security agencies operating within the jetty have confirmed that no such incident occurred in the area.

In a statement made available to BusinessDay in Abuja, the organisation urged members of the public to disregard the report, as it is without foundation

‘Following the circulation of the report, the organisation undertook preliminary enquiries and sought direct clarification from senior authorities of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Army responsible for the area.

‘The three security authorities confirmed that no such incident occurred at Okari Jetty on the date in question’

The organisation said preliminary investigation has been unable to establish the veracity of the reported 37 fatalities.

‘The information obtained from the relevant security authorities instead indicates that the report is fake news and without credible factual basis’

The organisation also challenged the originators of the report to provide verifiable evidence supporting the claim, even as it also urged ‘media organisations to apply appropriate editorial checks before reproducing the allegation.’

It stressed that this position should not be misconstrued as a denial of the serious environmental and security challenges associated with oil theft, pipeline vandalism and related activities in the Niger Delta.

According to them, ‘ Rather, it is a call for accuracy, responsible advocacy and evidence-based reporting, especially when claims involve the alleged loss of dozens of human lives’

LightHope Succour Worldwide Initiative assured of its commitments ‘to the promotion of community welfare, environmental responsibility, public safety and credible advocacy in the Niger Delta’

Isak fires Liverpool to first Premier League win

Alexander Isak scored twice as Liverpool secured their first Premier League victory under new manager Andoni Iraola with a 2-0 win over Ipswich at Portman Road on Friday.

Isak, who joined Liverpool from Newcastle in a Premier League-record £125 million move, continued his impressive start to the campaign with two goals to take his tally to three in three league games.

The Swedish striker opened the scoring after Liverpool made a fast start, before adding his second to put the visitors firmly in control.

Ipswich struggled to recover as Liverpool dominated proceedings and kept a clean sheet to maintain Iraola’s unbeaten start in charge.

The victory lifts Liverpool to fifth in the Premier League table after consecutive 2-2 draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest in Iraola’s opening two matches.

‘We needed it. Definitely needed this one. Also the way it has been, I think, with a clean sheet,’ Iraola said.

Liverpool handed a debut to £100 million signing Bradley Barcola, who came on as a second-half substitute as Iraola continued to reshape his expensively assembled attack.

The Reds invested heavily in Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike after a disappointing campaign last season saw them finish fifth and cost Arne Slot his job, just a year after he led the club to the Premier League title.

Isak endured a difficult first season at Anfield due to fitness problems, but the 27-year-old is now showing the form that made him one of the Premier League’s most sought-after forwards at Newcastle.

His brace against Ipswich underlined his growing influence and gave Liverpool a much-needed first league win of the new era.

Russia and Ukraine agree to short-term ceasefire during US delegation visit

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a short-term ceasefire that includes a commitment to refrain from striking the capitals of the two countries during the visit of a US delegation to the region led by US President Donald Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed the agreement in comments to Interfax.

Peskov said the ceasefire would remain in effect from September 5 through September 8.

‘Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed that Kyiv not be targeted for three days starting at midnight tonight,’ Peskov said.

Earlier, it was reported that Witkoff and Kushner had traveled to Moscow to hold consultations with the Russian leadership on efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. The US delegation is also expected to hold talks with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv tomorrow.

US President Donald Trump has said that Washington has developed a new idea concerning a possible peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

Audit Office grapples with staff retention, weak controls and modernisation challenges

The Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has flagged staff retention, weak internal controls in state institutions and the need for greater use of technology as key challenges facing the National Audit Office ahead of the 2027 Budget.

At a review of the Office’s 2027 estimates, members raised concerns that trained audit officers were being lost to other sectors and discussed a suitable allowance mechanism to retain experienced personnel.

The Committee also stressed the need to expand data analytics and modern audit tools, while preparing a clear outcome-based modernisation plan.

Weaknesses in internal controls across state institutions and delays in implementing the Auditor General’s recommendations were also highlighted. Members further discussed practical and legal difficulties in auditing the Samurdhi Bank.

In the absence of CoPF Chairman MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, the meeting was chaired by MP Ravi Karunanayake as temporary

chairman.

GUYANA-POLITICS-Guyana to receive limited number of migrants under new US cooperation framework

Guyana and the United States have finalised a migration cooperation framework under which Guyana will receive a limited, vetted number of skilled and non-criminal individuals through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Assisted Voluntary Return Programme.

The Government said in a statement on Saturday that it retains full discretion to review and reject any individual proposed for relocation, while the United States will bear the full cost of the relocation process. It said it intends to accept only individuals who have chosen to relocate to Guyana voluntarily.

Under the framework, the IOM will be responsible for the operational implementation of the programme, including the costs of receiving, housing and supporting individuals relocated to Guyana.

The IOM will also provide services to support their integration, including access to communication with legal representatives and family members.

The government said it will not bear the financial cost of the programme. It also stressed that the IOM will not assume, and the arrangement will not transfer to it, any of the Guyanese Government’s responsibilities relating to admission, legal stay, protection or removal.

The government said the arrangement reflects Guyana’s longstanding commitment to human rights and international cooperation.

It said individuals relocated to Guyana must retain the right to seek international protection where applicable, with the IOM supporting referrals to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in coordination with the relevant Guyanese authorities.

The framework also provides for regular, effective and sufficiently private access to communication with legal representatives and family members.

The government said the arrangement is temporary and does not constitute permanent resettlement.

Individuals relocated to Guyana under the programme will await the outcome of their immigration status determination while in the country.

Depending on the outcome, they will either return to their country of origin or relocate elsewhere of their choosing, the government said.

‘Their presence in Guyana is governed by a set of pre-defined terms rather than open-ended residency,’ it added.

The government described the framework as the latest expression of the partnership between Guyana and the United States, which it said has expanded across energy, trade, investment, security and diplomatic cooperation under President Irfaan Ali’s administration.

It said the arrangement reflects the strength of the bilateral relationship and Guyana’s standing as a ‘trusted and constructive partner’ to the United States in the region.

The Guyanese Government said it will continue working with the IOM, UNHCR and relevant domestic stakeholders to ensure the framework is implemented in accordance with Guyana’s laws, its human rights obligations and national development priorities.