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War breaks out in Ethiopia, and a faction of self-identifying Zionists, aka Beta Israel, flees grievous persecution. The United States and Europe intervene, pleading with Nigeria to temporarily harbour them.

They are relocated to key parts of Nigeria, namely: Abuja, Lagos, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Oyo, Kogi, Ogun, Niger Delta, Calabar and Akwa Ibom.

The refugees apply for citizenship, and approval is expedited – thanks to Western diplomacy and Nigeria’s overzealous Zionist divide. Predictably, the new Nigerians are affectionately called ‘God’s Chosen.’

A few months after they attain citizenship, skirmishes break out between them and their ‘non-chosen’ host communities over political privileges and economic resources. The conflicts are stoked by local and international actors into religious wars between Muslims and Christians on one hand and indigenes-settlers crisis on the other hand.

You reprise your role as devil’s advocate, defending the predatory sweep of the refugees turned God’s Chosen, across Nigeria’s fertile tracts, claiming that since they have been granted citizenship, they may call dibs on privileges, land, and resources, even over their native hosts. You argue: ‘People must welcome progress.The resources were there all along, and we did nothing good with them.’

You cite God’s Chosen’s exploits in the extractive industries, financial, agricultural and technological sectors, to rationalise their more daring sweep across the socioeconomic and political circuits.

Like an over-exuberant choirboy, you validate the ‘seizure’ by proxies, of public governance, business and politics by God’s Chosen, arguing that its in Nigeria’s best interests. ‘We must let more able hands exploit our industries and manage our affairs,’ you claim, amid the scariest forms of media and state capture.

God’s Chosen permanently displace over 30 million Nigerians from their homes in resource-rich regions. They demolish 8,000 towns and built an apartheid structure that relegated Nigerians to state-sanctioned categorisation as ‘cattle’ and imposed citizenship at a subhuman level.

Yet, you condemn revolt, justify apartheid and the cleansing of indigenous peoples by God’s Chosen as an expedient measure. In over two decades of oppression, Nigerians suffer segregation, state-sanctioned murder and incarceration of children, youths and the elderly.

Justifiably, the oppressed rise in rebellion on Nigeria’s Independence Day, October 1. Shots fired by the insurgents and friendly fire from God’s Chosen special forces kill hundreds of civilians and armed fighters on both sides of the divide.

God’s Chosen seize the opportunity to assert absolute grip on the country. Snipers, proxy militia, and AI-guided killer drones are deployed to murder children, journalists, medics and aid workers. They carpet bomb schools, hospitals, churches, mosques and capital cities, displacing 70 per cent of targeted domains and killing over 10 million.

As your reward for being unquestioning lapdogs, the God’s Chosen-led government grant you and fellow journalists residence in a less segregated section of the apartheid state, yet far from the boulevards of First Class citizenry.

Then, the final phase of the cleansing begins. Bloody insurrections erupt and escalate across the Lake Chad region, Mambilla Plateau, Lagos, Niger Delta, and other resource-rich regions. You see God’s Chosen execute false flag attacks against their own: multiple explosions rock foreign consulates on Nigerian soil, killing scores and injuring more.

Simultaneously, Western-sponsored ‘Islamist militia’ lay siege to Christian communities across the country. It’s a classic script used to justify pogroms, ‘the protection of Christians,’ and ethnic cleansing in parts of the country deemed hostile to imperialist interests.

Amid the siege, the press and intelligentsia are systemically purged: you see brilliant and defiant colleagues get murdered, and you embrace speaking doctored truths, in self-preservation. You justify your cowardice as a ‘sensible’ acceptance of what you cannot change, unlike Hamas, which poked the bear by attacking Israel on October 7.’

You soullessly applaud the occupiers’ tactics until your ancestral home gets bombed with your parents indoors. For inexplicable reasons, your neighbourhood gets invaded, on Christmas Day, by God’s Chosen forces. Your wife, daughters and sons are sodomised. You saw this happen to your Muslim compatriots during Eid celebrations and rationalised it with a slanted editorial and a shrug.

Now, it’s your turn, and you are outraged. You wonder why such an attack was carried out on Christmas day, but the occupiers simply toss you a half-hearted ‘Sorry’ and scoff at you, stating that to you it was Christmas, but to them, it was December 25, just another date of statutory siege.

All pretensions cease, and the diplomatic mask comes off. You find that beneath every God’s Chosen smile is a sneer; whether Christian or Muslim, adult or minor, male or female, clergy or politician, you are all fair game to occupying forces.

They call it reclamation, a divine repossession of ancestral land. Thus, on every hilltop and billboard, they hoist legendary totems of unfamiliar messiahs. As the terror persists, you seek global support, but the international community urge you to either accept bloody domination or a two-state solution. Either way, you lose.

You learn to kowtow to external powers behind the throne at the Presidential Villa and several states of captured Nigeria. ‘We were promised Nigeria before your time. We have simply taken back what’s ours,’ says God’s Chosen. Thus, over 200 million Nigerians, comprising 250 Nigerian ethnic groups, become mere tenants overstaying a divine lease as God’s Chosen collect rent in blood and precious tracts.

The cameras roll, but you conveniently ignore the genocide and civil deaths as blind spots of your reportage, lest you suffer a grisly end as journalists in war-torn Gaza. You discover your true fate beneath the totem pole as a ‘disposable pawn’ and ‘useful idiot.’

Sadly, you experience what you call ‘justice’ and ‘not genocide’ in Gaza. The same murderousness you quoted scriptures and brazen lies to validate, now resonates to you in your native accent.

‘What’s our sin? All we did was offer you refuge?’ you cry, as you are herded into a Nigerian equivalent of Gaza’s open-air prison.

You forget that cruelty, once applauded, migrates to find new theatre, fresh flag and victims. Now, you understand why the Palestinians fought through seven decades of occupation till October 7.

E gún esin ní keke, e ló nt’àpá, baba ta ni won máa ki irin bò ní’kùn tí kò ní ju apá? (You spurred a horse and wondered why it kicked; who’d be struck with steel in the belly and not react?)

You justified massacre abroad while sneering at the carcasses of the victims. So the heavens farmed karma into your soil.

‘No, it was different,’ you claim. ‘I supported righteousness.’ But righteousness wears many uniforms. Today, it wore occupier amulets. Tomorrow, it may resurge with Nigerian charm.

Your torment persists like an unpaid debt as God’s Chosen proclaim, in the tenor of your oft misinterpreted scripture, that the Niger River must redden with sacrificial blood before peace could return.

Across Nigeria, silence becomes a currency dearer than the proverbial black gold as once fiery patriots flee to undisclosed havens abroad. You witness, in real time, the complete suppression of the press and civil society.

You, who once glorified siege in cocky and slanted editorials, have eventually savoured its flavour: the taste of ash and septic breath.

You, who once flooded your timelines with praise for Israel’s bombs, fall disconcertingly quiet under Zionist occupation.

Je kí nfi ìdí hee, lálejò fi nti onílé sóde: Let me hang in here is how a guest takes over the house from a host.

The siege you once spiritualised has arrived at your doorstep. Now, you understand that in every occupied territory, there are no chosen people, only chosen victims.

The 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has instituted a N1.5 billion defamation suit against Abuja-based rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju.

Obi instituted the suit at the High Court of Anambra State sitting in Onitsha.

The former governor had, in August, threatened to take a legal action against the lawyer over alleged defamation.

His legal threat followed Adeyanju’s legal action against one of Obi’s aides, Serah Ibrahim, who allegedly defamed the lawyer’s wife.

The lawyer had, in reaction to the demand notice, mocked the legal threat in a Facebook post.

Adeyanju, a consistent critic of Peter Obi, has long insisted that the former governor would never become Nigeria’s president.

He has also clashed repeatedly with Obi’s supporters, called Obidients, over his online commentaries.

In his suit, Obi is seeking a series of declaratory and injunctive reliefs against Adeyanju for allegedly publishing ‘false, baseless, unfounded, malicious, reckless, scandalous, and defamatory’ statements against him across multiple social media platforms.

The writ of summons, issued on October 3 and addressed to Adeyanju of D4 Makuru Close, Wuse II, Abuja, asked him to enter an appearance within 42 days of service or risk judgment being entered in default.

According to the endorsement on the writ, Obi is seeking a declaration that Adeyanju’s various publications on his verified social media handles, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram, are defamatory and damaging to his reputation.

The ex-governor is also praying the court for an order compelling the lawyer to publish a full, unreserved apology to him on all his social media handles and in at least three national newspapers, as well as on major television and online platforms, such as Channels TV, TVC News, and Arise News.

Obi is also seeking a retraction and deletion of all defamatory posts labeling him as a ‘religious bigot,’ ‘fraud,’ ‘political prostitute,’ ‘scum,’ and other disparaging terms.

The former LP presidential candidate is also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining Adeyanju from further making or publishing any defamatory material against him.

He is also asking the court to award aggravated or exemplary damages of N500 million for what he described as ‘reckless and malicious’ defamation.

Obi is also seeking general damages of N1 billion for the reputational harm, ridicule, and emotional distress allegedly caused by Adeyanju’s posts and utterances.

The former Anambra governor also wants the cost of litigation and professional fees incurred in instituting the suit, with an additional request for 18 per cent interest per annum on the judgment sum until liquidation paid by the defendant.

Adeyanju confirmed receipt of the court summons in a Facebook post last Friday.

‘Finally, Peter Obi has sued me. I am actually happy and relieved that he didn’t chicken out in the end. Interestingly, he dragged me all the way to Anambra State, even though he is almost always in Abuja where I reside.

‘But no shaking, we move. I will prove in court that Peter Obi is corrupt, a bigot, and a fraud. You will all be entertained, I promise,’ he wrote.

The case, which has generated intense interest on social media, is expected to test the limits of online speech, defamation law, and the boundaries of political criticism in Nigeria.

The House of Representatives yesterday resolved to investigate why the government funded modular refinery in Brass, Bayelsa State has failed to commence despite an investment of about $35 million in the project.

This followed a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Billy Osawaru alleging that despite the investment, there is nothing on ground to suggest that the government has made such huge investment.

In view of the motion, the House directed its committee on Downstream and Midstream to investigate the circumstances surrounding the huge financial commitments to the tune of $35million with nothing on ground to suggest such huge investment.

Leading the debate on the motion, Osawaru argued that an increased revenue base for the nation reduces the pressure on the foreign exchange regime and lowers debt burden, especially as it relates to budget financing;

According to him, it was in the light of the above that the Buhari administration graciously embarked on the need to encourage the funding of modular refineries in the Niger Delta region.

He maintained that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, indigenous refining has been identified as a key driver of energy independence, job creation, and industrial revitalisation.

He said the key objective of the present administration is to ensure energy security through improved oil production output in order to increase the Nation’s revenue base and that every available opportunity has been geared towards this objective.

He explained that sometime in 2020,the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) invested the $35 million in Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited – a modular refinery to be located in Brass, Bayelsa State.

He expressed concern that despite this huge investment of $35 million which is more than N50 billion and enough to fund fundamental components of the national budget, the proposed modular refinery was never setup, adding that there is nothing on ground to show that such a huge financial commitments had been made.

He disclosed that despite the move by the House to unravel the mystery behind this wastage by mandating its relevant committee to investigate the monumental economic sabotage, nothing has been heard in respect of the subject matter.

He said: ‘In May 2024, a stakeholder submitted a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) urging the anti-graft organization to probe the multi-million dollar investments made by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) among which was the Atlantic Refinery project; and that despite this noble move by the said stakeholder, nothing has been heard about this profound national waste almost a year ago.’

He said the continued inactivity of this Brass modular refinery project raises significant questions about the management of public funds and the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms in Nigeria.

The Senate yesterday passed for second reading a Bill that seeks to create a legal framework enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access quicker financing by converting unpaid invoices into immediate cash.

The proposed legislation, titled: ‘Factoring Regulation Bill, 2024’ was sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, who said it is designed to tackle delayed payments, one of the most persistent challenges confronting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Nigeria.

Ekpenyong explained that many MSMEs deliver goods or services and then wait up to 90 days before receiving payment, leaving them unable to pay workers, replenish inventory, or expand operations.

‘This cycle of weak cash flow not only traps small businesses but also slows down our economy’s overall growth,’ he said.

The lawmaker described the Bill as a major structural reform that would unlock working capital for over 40 million small businesses that form the backbone of Nigeria’s economy.

He said factoring, the practice of selling verified invoices to a licensed finance company or bank at a small discount in exchange for immediate payment, offers a tested solution to the cash-flow challenges faced by MSMEs in the country.

‘Unlike a bank loan that depends on collateral, factoring is based on the buyer’s credit worthiness and the validity of the invoice.

‘This allows businesses to access financing on the strength of their sales, not their fixed assets,’ he said.

The senator said the Bill provides a comprehensive regulatory structure under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), ensuring that only licensed entities can engage in factoring while also mandating full disclosure of costs and fees.

It also makes invoice transfers legally enforceable to prevent disputes and aligns with digital reforms such as e-invoicing and receivables registries that reduce fraud and improve verification.

Ekpenyong added that the framework would encourage large corporations and government agencies to adopt supplier-financing programmes that enable MSMEs to receive early payments at low cost.

Citing global precedents, he noted that similar policies in countries such as Mexico, India, Chile, Brazil, and South Africa, had unlocked billions of dollars in working capital for small businesses, strengthening domestic value chains.

He expressed optimism that with clear regulations, Nigeria could attract over $1 billion annually through factoring to support production, create jobs, and boost investor confidence.

‘This is not another short-term credit scheme. It is a structural reform that converts invoices MSMEs already hold into usable capital,’ he explained.

The Bill, which was first read on June 11, 2024, also mandates regular reporting on transaction volumes, delinquency trends, and MSME participation, while promoting financial literacy through plain-language contracts and standard term sheets.

The Bill was approved for second reading by voice vote and referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Financial Institutions for further legislative action and to report back in four weeks.

The senator representing Ondo South, Jimoh Ibrahim, has urged multilateral institutions to acknowledge that the Nigerian economy has turned the corner due to the several reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Ibrahim was reacting to a recent World Bank’s economic report, which estimated that 139 million Nigerians now live in poverty.

He said: ‘President Bola Tinubu will not compromise Nigeria’s sovereignty in the face of economic outlook.’

Ibrahim spoke at the Parliamentary Engagement on the sidelines of the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington D.C.

He advised the institutions to stop downplaying reforms in one of Africa’s biggest economies.

President Tinubu had, through his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, faulted the World Bank’s report, saying the poverty figures must be ‘properly contextualised’ within the limits of global poverty measurement models.

Dare had said: ‘While Nigeria values its partnership with the World Bank and appreciates its contributions to policy analysis, the figure quoted must be properly contextualised. It is unrealistic.’

The presidential aide had explained that the 139 million figure was derived from the global poverty line of $2.15 per person per day, set in 2017, using Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and should not be mistaken for an actual headcount of poor Nigerians.

He noted that when converted to nominal terms, the $2.15 benchmark equals about N100,000 per month at current exchange rates, which is well above Nigeria’s new minimum wage of N70,000.

According to him, poverty estimates under the PPP methodology rely on historical consumption data, often overlooking the vast informal and subsistence economies that sustain millions of Nigerian households.

The Presidency said it considered the World Bank’s estimate as ‘a modelled global projection, not an empirical representation of living conditions in 2025’.

In his reaction, Ibrahim, who is representing the Senate at meetings, said the World Bank should have taken into consideration interventions by the Tinubu administration in poverty alleviation, especially with the N330 billion the government had disbursed to 8.5 million poor households, some of which received at least a tranche of N25,000 as conditional cash transfer through the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO).

The Ondo South senator noted that the social safety net programme, which even the World Bank approved $800 million for the Tinubu administration, was designed for 15 million poor households at three instalments of N25,000 each.

He also drew the attention of the IMF/World Bank to Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, which aims to translate Nigeria’s macroeconomic reforms into real, grassroots benefits across all 8,809 wards nationwide.

The initiative also aims to stimulate economic activity, boost food security, generate jobs, and reduce poverty by directly supporting at least 1,000 economically active individuals per ward.

State Chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday dissociated themselves from the lawsuit currently before the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking to halt the proposed convention.

The Chairman of Edo State chapter and Co-ordinator of the Forum of PDP Chairmen, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, chided his colleagues – Austine Nwachukwu (Imo) and Amah Abraham Nnana (Abia) – for dragging the party to the court.

Aziegbemi said the Forum has decided to suspend the two chairmen and urged the NWC to take disciplinary action against those found to be directly or indirectly connected to the court case.

‘We distance ourselves completely from the suit and the plan to use it to stop the PDP from holding its national convention. This is not right. We want to state clearly that we are solidly behind the Damagum-led NWC, and we will give our full support to ensure a hitch-free convention,” he said in a statement..

Aziegbemi, who also accused the All Progressives Congress(APC) of trying to turn the country into a one-party state, vowed that the forum would work with the national leadership to strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 general election.

The statement reads in part: ‘The meeting deliberated extensively on issues affecting the unity and stability of the party, reviewed preparations for the forthcoming National Elective Convention slated for November 15-16, 2025, and assessed the state of the opposition across the federation.

‘The Forum strongly condemned the All Progressives Congress (APC) for its undemocratic, desperate, and systematic efforts to intimidate, harass, and coerce PDP leaders-including governors, senators, and members of the National and State Assemblies-into defecting.

‘The Forum described these acts as an assault on democracy, warning that the ruling party’s conduct is a dangerous step toward establishing a de facto one-party state, which Nigerians must collectively resist.

‘The Forum expressed grave concern over the activities of certain individuals within the PDP who, allegedly acting in concert with external interests linked to the APC, have been working to derail the party’s National Convention.

‘Specifically, the Forum condemned the actions of Austine Nwachukwu (Imo State) and Amah Abraham Nnana (Abia State), who recently sought a court injunction to halt the convention. Their actions were unanimously described as a betrayal of the party’s unity and collective resolve.

‘Consequently, the forum resolved to suspend both members from the body and appointed Dr Tony Aziegbemi, Chairman of the Edo State PDP, as the new Chairman of the PDP State Chairmen Forum.

‘The forum passed a vote of confidence on the National Working Committee (NWC), the PDP Governors’ Forum, and all statutory organs of the party. It reaffirmed its commitment to work harmoniously with these organs in rebuilding, revitalising, and repositioning the PDP as Nigeria’s credible alternative and leading political force.

‘The forum called on all party members, supporters, and stakeholders across the country to remain calm, united, and steadfast.

It pledged continued cooperation with the party’s national leadership as it undertakes deliberate, strategic steps to strengthen the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections’.

No fewer than 25 of 36 state chairmen and the FCT attended the meeting.

They included Mohammed Bello Aliyu Goronyo (Sokoto), Yusuf Ado Kibiya (Kano), Mohammed Nura Amadi (Katsina), Ismaila Mohd Dogara (FCT), Victor Modupe Aisido (Ondo), Tony Aziegbemi (Edo), Abubakar Bawa (Taraba), Abayomi Tella Ogun), Sen Umar El-Gash (Yobe) and Zanna Gaddama Mustapha (Borno).

Others are Alhaji Adamu Bako (Nasarawa), Pharm Samaila Adam Burga (Bauchi), Ememona Anyebe (Kogi), Comrade Chidi Chidebe (Anambra), Aliyu Mohd Halidu (Niger), Ezekiel A Adaji (Benue), Isa Bawa Adamu (Kwara), Edward Percy Masha (Kaduna).

State chairmen who joined the meeting virtually were Babandi Ibrahim Gumel (Jigawa), Dr Jamilu Jabo (Zamfara), Hassan A Chris (Plateau), Usman Bello Suru (Kebbi),

Major Gen Amin Kwaskebe (Gombe) and Shehu Gash (Adamawa).

Ben Obi replaces Mbah as Convention Secretary

The PDP National Working Committee (NWC) replaced Mbah with Ben Obi as the secretary of the Convention Committee.

Before he defected to the APC, Mbah was the secretary of the Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri-led Convention Committee.

Obi, who represented Anambra Central in the Senate, was running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar during the 2007 presidential election on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

The National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said in a statement after the NWC meeting that the party will conduct a peaceful convention.

The statement reads: ‘The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC), has approved the appointment of Senator Ben Ndi Obi as Secretary of the National Convention Organizing Committee (NCOC) for the conduct of the 2025 PDP Elective National Convention scheduled to hold on Saturday, 15th to Sunday, 16th November, 2025 in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital.’

‘The NWC commends the NCOC under the Chairmanship of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State for its tireless efforts towards the success of the 2025 National Convention.

‘The NWC calls on all leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming members of the PDP to remain united, steadfast and focused on the successful conduct of the National Convention and the overall progress of our great party’.

For the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the once self-styled largest party in Africa, it does not rain, it pours. In the past few months, it has been swinging from one crisis to the other. What is more? These crises are self inflicted. The party has lost direction. It has leaders, but they are not in control.The National Working Committee (NWC) is only so in name.The National Executive Committee (NEC) is worse. It is suffering from a bent NEC(k)!

So, it cannot turn its nec(k) and see the magnitude of the crisis which is about to consume the party. PDP has lost steam.It is no longer a party, but a collective of people struggling to keep the boat from capsizing. As its few remaining governors are straining to keep the party going, the more headwinds it runs into. Do not be fooled. The PDP governor you see talking and thumping his chest today about dying in and for the ‘great PDP’ may well be on his way out the next day.

Things are that bad for the party. Its much-vaunted structures from the ward to local government and state levels which were its pride in many parts of the country between 2003 and 2015 have slipped off its hands. It is left with the shells of those structures. Its governors who controlled those structures have left in droves and more may still leave for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Hardly a day passes that the party does not lose a member or two in the National Assembly to the APC.

Yet, it keeps deceiving itself that all is well. Its three governors – Bala Muhammed (Bauchi), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa) – whose lot it has become to rebuild the party which from all intent and purpose is in tatters are papering the crack with sweet talks. These are sweet nothings in the face of what is happening to their beloved PDP. How can all be well with a party which lost three governors in quick succession to another party?

And these are not governors of just any state. They are the governors of Delta, Akwa Ibom and Enugu, Sheriff Oborevwori, Umo Eno and Peter Mbah. Mbah left PDP for APC on Tuesday, with all his commissioners, members of the House of Assembly, councillors and their chairmen. Thus, APC now has a strong foothold in the Southeast with three of the five states there in its kitty. APC is not in charge only in Abia and Anambra. At the rate it is going, it is a matter of time before those two also fall. Besides, it is the dominant party in Southsouth where it is in charge of four of the six states there except Rivers and Bayelsa,

Unofficially, some say Rivers is APC because of recent developments. The governor, Siminalayi Fubara, just returned from a six-month suspension following the state of emergency imposed on Rivers. His counterpart in Bayelsa, Douye Diri, is said to be warming up to join APC. In the Northeast, a governor in a state there is also said to be on his way to the ruling party. So, what is Muhammed and Makinde blabbing about the party being intact when in fact its umbrella, the PDP symbol, is already torn?

What is the use of a torn umbrella when it is raining? Even then, it is more than raining with what is happening in PDP. It is pouring. How can a torn umbrella contain such a downpour? To Muhammed and Makinde, PDP temains the party to beat in 2027! I laugh in Fulfude and Yoruba!! How delusional can one be? Can they not see the handwriting on the wall? The party should consider itself lucky if its convention billed for Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, next month holds. The issue is in court as some members are alleging that the NWC did not follow due process before fixing.the convention.

Then, there are the problems in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kebbi and Plateau where the national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, are squabbling. They issued conflicting statements on the status of the state working committees (SWCs). Ologunagba said the SWCs had been dissolved, Anyanwu countered that NWC never took such a decision. He added that if it did, he must know as the party scribe. His statement makes sense. Muhammed and Makinde can say whatever they like to make it look as if there is nothing, but the truth is that PDP is on its way to extinction.

As this paper reported on Saturday, its fall in Enugu, following the defection of Mbah to APC, is a clear indication that PDP is gone for good, at least for now, and there seems to be no hope for it in 2027, no matter what Muhammed and Makinde say to the contrary. Indeed, to paraphrase Makinde, the electorate and not politicians would determine the outcome of the 2027 elections. We all know that. PDP will be shocked by the outcome. Mark my words. Look at the party that wanted to rule for 60 years!

Interswitch, integrated payments and digital commerce firm, has brought key stakeholders together for the Abuja edition of its TechConnect 5.0 series.

With the theme: ‘United Frontiers: Growth Powered by Innovation, Collaboration and Compliance,’ the event convened financial institutions, regulators, fintech innovators, and ecosystem players.

Managing Director of Payment Processing and Switching (Interswitch Purepay), Akeem Lawal, reaffirmed Interswitch’s commitment to fostering inclusive and technology-driven financial ecosystem.

‘At Interswitch, we believe collaboration and compliance are essential catalysts for growth,’ Lawal said.

‘Through TechConnect, we engage stakeholders to exchange ideas, strengthen partnerships, and unlock possibilities for our digital economy. The energy and turnout reaffirm that the future of financial innovation in Africa is not just promising, it’s taking shape.’

Executive Secretary of National Association of Microfinance Banks, Dr. Eddy Orok, noted importance of aligning innovation with regulation to achieve a sustainable and inclusive financial ecosystem.

‘Innovation and regulation are not opposing forces; they are twin engines driving our financial evolution,’ he said.

‘No single player can transform Africa’s digital future. True progress comes when innovation, regulation, and partnership move in harmony, creating a financial ecosystem that is resilient, inclusive, and built on trust.’

The event featured a panel session on ‘Policy, Innovation, and Partnerships: Aligning for Scalable Growth,’ moderated by Obiora Ezika, Business Development manager. Discussions focused on how partnerships, forward-thinking regulation, and technological innovation can speed financial inclusion and strengthen trust in digital payments ecosystem.

A fireside chat on ‘Role of Innovation and Regulation in Shaping Future Payment Ecosystem’ further noted importance of collaboration between policymakers and innovators in expanding fiscal access and scaling our digital economy.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has lauded Dakuku Peterside’s contribution to leadership thought and national development through his two books, Leading in a Storm and Beneath the Surface.

Speaking at the presentation, Eno, represented by Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, said true development begins with leadership that serves, listens, and inspires hope.

He noted that the Arise Agenda of his administration is rooted in the same philosophy of servant leadership.

The governor described Dr. Peterside’s works as timely reflections on challenges and responsibilities of leadership, urging leaders to embrace knowledge, humility, and service as pathways to progress.

The event, chaired by elder statesman Alhaji Isa Hayatu, attracted eminent Nigerians, including governors of Katsina, Kano, and Taraba, as well as Minister of State for Industry, John Eno, among others.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that Nigeria has no reason to remain a poor nation, given its vast natural and human resources.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the opening of the 10th Mining Week in Abuja, the President said his administration is determined to turn the country’s mineral wealth into engines of economic growth and shared prosperity.

‘Nigeria has no reason to be poor, not when God has blessed our land with abundant resources and talented people,’ he said.

President Tinubu noted that ongoing reforms in the solid minerals sector are already yielding results.

He said revenue generation rose from N6 billion in 2023 to N38 billion in 2024, reflecting improved policy direction and accountability.

‘Our challenge is to harness these God-given potentials to bring prosperity to all. Let us turn our minerals into miracles of development,’ he added.

The President announced the creation of the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, a special-purpose vehicle to attract investment, structure joint ventures, and promote local mineral processing.

He assured that his administration would not repeat the mistakes of the past that caused environmental degradation and inequity in mineral-rich communities.

President Tinubu also pledged enhanced security across mining corridors and equitable benefits for host communities through jobs, compensation, and infrastructure.

‘The wealth from mining must heal and build, not hurt or divide,’ he said.

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, said the sector now contributes 4.6 percent to the GDP.

He added that Nigeria’s mining reforms are attracting continental recognition under the newly formed African Mineral Plantation Group, where Nigeria plays a leading role.