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Properties worth millions of naira have been damaged in parts of Minna, the Niger State capital, as youths protested the deaths of 37 suspected illegal artisanal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The protest, which began on Thursday night, escalated on Friday morning and spread to several parts of the city.

Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago had planned to visit the families of the deceased to commiserate with them but could not proceed with the visit because of the unrest.

The demonstrations started in Tunga and Maitumbi before spreading to Kpakungu, Bosso, Tudun Natsira and Berger areas.

The protesters blocked roads, including the Flamingo Junction, while demanding justice. Vehicles, public property and campaign materials were also reportedly damaged in some areas.

Security personnel, including policemen and soldiers, were deployed to restore order. There were reports of the use of tear gas and, according to some unverified accounts, live ammunition as protesters confronted security operatives.

Unconfirmed reports also said some youths were shot during the protest. A video circulating online appeared to show a youth with an injury to the face at the NSTA park.

The NSTA park was reportedly invaded by protesters who vandalised buses, including vehicles preparing to depart and others that were parked at the facility. Shops and traders’ goods around the park were also damaged, forcing passengers to flee by jumping over fences.

Two banks located near the NSTA park, GTBank and Access Bank, were also reportedly attacked, while traders at Tunga Market hurriedly closed their shops as the situation deteriorated.

Along Bosso Road, protesters reportedly damaged the glass windows of a security post at the Bahago Sports Complex in an attempt to gain access to the facility.

Posters bearing the governor’s image were also destroyed, while the Chanchaga Local Government APC secretariat, opposite Bahago Secondary School, was reportedly attacked.

Vehicles, windows, a security post, televisions and other property were reportedly damaged at the secretariat, while its watchman was said to have sustained injuries from stones and shattered glass.

An AEDC Hilux vehicle and other vehicles belonging to residents and businesses were also reportedly targeted during the unrest.

Motorists have been advised to avoid affected roads as authorities work to restore normalcy.

The state government has imposed a curfew in Minna to prevent further destruction and restore order.

FCMB Capital Markets Limited has acted as Joint Issuing House and Bookrunner on the ?274.19 billion Series 1 Development Bond issued by the Bank of Industry (BOI), in one of the largest sub-sovereign bond issuances through Nigeria’s capital market.

The five-year, 17.60 per cent fixed-rate bond, due in 2031, was issued through BOI Financing SPV Plc under the bank’s $1 billion Multi-Currency Instruments Programme.

Initially priced at ?250 billion, the transaction was oversubscribed following strong demand from institutional investors.

BOI subsequently exercised its green shoe option to accommodate the additional demand, increasing the final issuance to ?274.19 billion.

FCMB Capital Markets advised on key aspects of the transaction, including distribution strategy, book-building and investor engagement.

Participating investors included pension fund administrators, banks, development finance institutions, corporates and other institutional investors.

Commenting on the transaction, Managing Director of FCMB Capital Markets Limited, Ikechukwu Omeruah, said the deal demonstrated the depth of Nigeria’s domestic debt capital market and its capacity to mobilise large-scale funding for development.

‘This transaction highlights the depth of Nigeria’s domestic debt capital market and its capacity to mobilise funding for development on a large scale,’ he said.

Omeruah added that by helping BOI access a broad pool of institutional investors, FCMB Capital Markets contributed to a transaction that would strengthen the bank’s capacity to finance businesses and projects across priority sectors.

‘The strong investor response reflects confidence in BOI and growing demand for credible instruments that connect institutional capital with Nigeria’s economic priorities. We appreciate BOI’s board and management for the opportunity to partner with the Bank and for the confidence placed in FCMB Capital Markets on its debut issuance through Nigeria’s domestic debt capital market. This financing is expected to support productive capacity, job creation, local value addition, and economic diversification.

The transaction reinforces FCMB Capital Markets’ role in supporting governments, financial institutions, and companies to structure and access funding through Nigeria’s capital market.

About FCMB Capital Markets Limited

FCMB Capital Markets Limited, the investment banking subsidiary of FCMB Group Plc, is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an issuing house and financial adviser. The firm offers debt and equity capital raising, financial advisory, project and structured finance, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring services.

It has been a little over two months since Kenya hosted France’s Africa Forward Summit 2026 in Nairobi. Co-hosted by the presidents of each country, it marked the official start of France’s pivot in Africa.

This move brings France away from the francophone regions it has been associated with for so long, towards the anglophone region of East Africa. Whilst some protested the event, citing neocolonialism, the new direction France has taken in Africa was welcomed warmly by many, seeing in itpotential trading opportunities with a European powerhouse.

France came to the summit seeking around 250 deals and agreements with East African trade partners. President Macron himself committed one billion euros of investment during his keynote address at the summit. These impressive figures heralded a landmark moment in European – African relations in two key ways.

First, since 1973, the Africa Forward Summit has been held solely in francophone nations, previously colonised by France. The Africa that France finds itself dealing with now is a different place from when it began its long exit from the continent, culminating, finally, in its departure from Mali.

The fact that France is transitioning to different potential trading nations in Africa may be seen to underline the shift in relations over the last decade between some West African countries and France, which have deteriorated. This has driven the summit towards nations positively disposed to France, in this case Kenya, which stands to benefit a great deal from a reimagined partnership with a European financial giant.

There is a possibility that those junta-led West African nations which booted France out might even feel a twinge of regret. Security across Mali in particular has drastically worsened since Operation Barkhane finished. Even the capital Bamako is looking out anxiously as the various insurgent and terrorist groups rapidly gain ground and move nearer. A combination of collapsing security, together with a reduction in trade with France and the EU, is resulting in a deteriorating quality oflife for the people of Mali.

One critical difference in engaging with Africa which France will experience as it begins its recalibration with the continent will be in the matter of the terms on which African nations now trade. For example, over the last few years, increasing impetus has been placed on the sovereignty of African nations over the extraction and processing systems of their resources.

Essentially, this means African countries are taking more of a driving role in deal-making and developing terms that finallybenefiting from their own resources in a more equitable way. Something which is well overdue. If France can use its fresh start to adapt to this new reality and enter the market on the most up-to-date trading terms, it will find itself a popular trading partner.

The second update to a Franco-African reset is the fact that France chose to reimagine the summit, rather than abandon it, and chose to host it in an anglophone, East African nation, which suggests they are not giving up on Africa. It suggests that whilst it has needed to reposition itself geographically on the continent, France does not want to relinquish the strategic and commercial opportunities Africa offers. This reflects a high level of willingness to invest in the region, something East African nations should stand to benefit from.

Although there were dissenting voices about having a new Western power on the scene in East Africa, many others saw the choice of Kenya as the partner nation as a huge vote of investor confidence. In 2025, Kenya’s GDP showed an encouraging 4.6% growth rate, according to Kenya’s Business Daily. An impressive metric given some of Kenya’s and the region’s wider problems with governance and security. This performance is unlikely to have been missed by France andcould have been an important factor when France was casting around for host nations.

France’s dramatic pivot in Africa is still unproven, and Macron will find the road he is travelling bumpy. Not everyone will welcome the move. But the economic resources France could bring to bear are considerable. The French president’s huge investment promises during the summit demonstrate that this move is not a superficial power play, but a strategic push to become a core partner to East Africa.

Minns is Executive Director of Panel 54, a Pan Africa podcast

The Renewed Hope Project 2027 has inaugurated its Lagos State Students Coordination with plans to engage students across tertiary institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking at the inauguration and press conference in Lagos, the State Students Coordinator, Sanni Olamide, said the initiative would focus on education, youth participation, opportunities and national development.

Olamide described the Renewed Hope Project 2027 as a political campaign structure connected to the 2027 activities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in Lagos State.

He said the students’ coordination would provide a platform for students to access information, ask questions and engage with policymakers and political stakeholders.

According to him, the group would organise Lagos Students Policy and Development Symposiums and campus town-hall meetings to discuss education, employment, entrepreneurship, technology, leadership and governance.

Olamide also announced plans for a proposed one-million-man Lagos students and youth march as part of the project’s campaign activities to express support for Tinubu’s re-election bid and continuation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

On education, he highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), scholarships and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes as areas of government intervention aimed at reducing financial barriers to education.

The Federal Ministry of Education currently lists revised scholarship grants, including an increase in the undergraduate Nigerian Scholarship Award from N300,000 to N450,000.

Olamide said the student coordination would work with student leaders and other stakeholders to take discussions directly to campuses.

He said the structure would be guided by ‘discipline, inclusion, accountability, respect for student leadership, measurable engagement’ and the use of data and facts.

‘Students deserve information. Students deserve access. Students deserve the opportunity to ask questions. And students deserve to participate meaningfully in the democratic process,’ he said.

Olamide added that the initiative was not only about political mobilisation but also about creating opportunities for students to engage with policymakers and participate in discussions about Nigeria’s development.

Staff and supporters of Kudiwave Technologies Nigeria Limited yesterday protested at the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja over a dispute involving about N750.3 million allegedly moved from the company’s PalmPay account illegally.

The protesters, dressed in solemn attire and carrying placards, submitted a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, seeking an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the restriction and subsequent movement of funds from the account.

They urged IG to probe the role played by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi, Lagos.

PalmPay argued that it only complied with a valid court order, that the funds were thereafter in the custody of the police, and that it did no wrong.

The protesters bore placards with inscriptions, including: ‘IGP save our business,’ ‘PalmPay and PSFU return our N750m,’ ‘Kudiwave is not a fraudulent organisation,’ and ‘Stop extortion of fintech companies.’

Addressing reporters, Company Secretary of Kudiwave Technologies, Prince Oko Kalu, said the company’s account had been placed on a Post-No-Debit (PND) restriction since April, preventing it from accessing its funds.

He said the company filed a stay of execution on July 3 challenging the initial order Palmpay claimed to have relied on, and that a judge subsequently set aside the order on July 22.

Kudiwave contends that the money should be returned following the setting aside of the order, which itclaims PalmPay and PSFU were yet to comply with.

Kalu said the company traced the restriction on its account to the PSFU and approached the unit for clarification.

According to Kalu, the account remained restricted despite making a certain payment as allegedly demanded.

He said the company subsequently learnt that an order had been obtained on July 1 directing that funds in the account be moved to a police exhibit account.

He said the company encountered another problem when it approached PalmPay with the court ruling.

‘We came with the order to ask PalmPay to release our account so that we’ll resume our business, only to realise that the entire fund in our account up to N750,339,399.99 was moved,’ he said.

Kalu said the company’s records showed that the money had been transferred to another bank’s business account, rather than the police exhibit account stated in the earlier order.

He questioned the timing and narration of the transaction and urged the IG to investigate the circumstances surrounding the movement of the funds.

Kalu also rejected claims that the company did not have a verifiable business address.

He said PalmPay representatives had previously visited the company’s office and held meetings there.

‘How will you open an account to a customer that you have no KYC of the customer?’ he asked, referring to the Know Your Customer requirements for account holders.

Kalu said Kudiwave had submitted four petitions to the current IGP over the matter and appealed for an independent investigation.

‘We are here to create awareness. Let the public hear us. Let the IGP come out from his seat. Let him come and look into our matter, appoint independent investigation over this matter,’ he said.

Responding to the protesters, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal Operations, Wilson Akpan, assured them that their petition would be considered.

Akpan, who addressed the demonstrators outside the Force Headquarters, said the matter would be examined by the police authorities.

‘This matter you have brought before the head of the force will be critically looked into and solved,’ he said.

He added: ‘The IGP, Olatunji Disu, is a well-vested police investigator. Don’t panic and don’t be afraid. Whatever is due to you, you will get it. Just have that at the back of your mind.’

The protesters later proceeded to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), where they submitted a copy of the petition and sought the regulator’s intervention in the dispute.

In a response signed by its Legal Counsel, Caleb Aluya, Palmpay said the transfer was made solely in obedience to the Federal High Court’s June 29 order, which it said remained valid, binding and enforceable on July 15.

PalmPay also disputed Kudiwave’s reliance on an earlier letter in which it had indicated that it considered it appropriate to await the determination of the pending motion before taking further steps.

According to Palmpay, that communication was intended to mitigate the consequences of non-compliance with the court order and to give Kudiwave an opportunity to obtain a valid order staying or varying the substantive order.

PalmPay said its position was not an admission that its obligation to comply with the existing order had been suspended.

It further stated that Kudiwave was covered by an earlier ex-parte order and that PalmPay was expressly listed as a respondent in that order.

‘PalmPay therefore acted strictly in compliance with the express terms of the Court’s Order and not on its own initiative,’ the company said.

On the N750.36 million debit, PalmPay said it had ‘consistently’ complied with valid court orders served on it and would continue to do so.

The company added that following the ruling delivered on July 22, it had formally engaged the Nigeria Police Force and requested compliance with the court’s decision.

PalmPay maintained that because the funds were transferred to the designated Police Recovery Account pursuant to the June 29 order, any further steps towards implementing the July 22 ruling should be directed to the police, which it described as the current custodian of the funds.

The dispute took another turn on July 22, when, according to documents supplied by Kudiwave, the Federal High Court set aside, vacated and discharged the June 29 order.

The ruling also directed the removal of restrictions placed on Kudiwave’s account number 8889232516.

PalmPay subsequently acknowledged the court’s decision in a July 22 letter to Kudiwave’s solicitors, stating that the restriction on the account had been lifted.

However, the company did not immediately regain access to the N750.36 million transferred seven days earlier.

This has become the central point of the current dispute.

Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday clarified that his recent allusion to six governors’ support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu only related to pre-presidential primary consultation in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The primary that threw up President Tinubu as candidate was conducted at the Eagle Square, Abuja, in June 2022.

The vice president said his remark was not intended to diminish the role of other northern governors in the president’s victory during the 2023 election.

Shettima said all APC governors in the North rallied behind Tinubu after his emergence as the presidential candidate, adding that they played important roles in the campaign that culminated in his victory.

The clarification followed media interpretations (The Nation not included), of the Vice President’s remarks in Ilorin on Wednesday during the turbaning of KwaraState Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq suggesting that only six northern governors supported President Tinubu’s presidential ambition.

Shettima said in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the Office of the Vice President, that the remarks had been taken outside the specific political context in which they were made.

‘The Vice President’s reference to six northern governors who believed in and supported President Tinubu was specifically about political consultations and alignments preceding the APC presidential primary in June 2022.

‘It was not a comment on the position of northern APC governors, following President Tinubu’s emergence as the party’s candidate, nor was it intended to question their support during the 2023 presidential election’, the statement said.

According to the Vice President’s office, the political situation changed after President Tinubu became the candidate, with northern governors subsequently closing ranks behind the party’s flagbearer.

‘Following the presidential primary, APC governors in the North rallied around the party’s candidate and played important roles in the campaign and electoral efforts that culminated in President Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 general election,’ it added.

Shettima explained that President Tinubu’s emergence as the candidate became an important point of alignment within the party, with other governors subsequently rallying behind him.

He said the northern governors’ support for power shift ultimately became ‘the aligning moment across all political divides’ in the campaign for the presidency to move to the South.

Shettima stressed that he continued to hold northern governors and other APC leaders in high regard in recognition of their individual and collective contributions to President Tinubu’s victory.

‘VP Shettima holds the northern governors and other leaders of the APC in high regard and recognises their individual and collective contributions to the success of the party and the emergence of President Tinubu’, the statement added.

The Vice President lamented that his remarks had been interpreted as questioning the commitment of some northern APC governors to Tinubu’s presidential project.

‘The Vice President regrets any interpretation of his remarks that may have suggested otherwise and hopes this clarification places the comments in their proper context’, his office said.

Shettima acknowledged the role of the media in reporting activities of his office, urging them to give greater attention to context and accuracy as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election.

He expressed appreciation to the media for its longstanding professionalism and constructive engagement with his office, while calling for continued accuracy in reporting public remarks as the country enters another political season.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has dispatched a high-powered team of ministerial experts to Niger State following the tragic deaths of 33 suspected illegal artisanal miners while in custody in Minna, the state capital.

The victims were reportedly arrested during a joint security sweep targeting illegal mining operations across local communities in Niger State and were being held in detention facilities pending formal prosecution before the fatal incident occurred.

In a statement on Friday in Abuja, the Minister expressed profound grief over the loss of lives, describing the event as a monumental tragedy that demands a thorough and transparent investigation.

‘It is with profound shock and deep sorrow that I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umaru Bago, and the entire people of the state over the tragic loss of lives among detained citizens in Minna,’ Alake stated.

‘The loss of any life is a deeply painful occurrence, and a tragedy of this magnitude affects us all. During this solemn period of state mourning, my thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and the communities bearing the weight of this grief.’

Commending Governor Umaru Bago for declaring a state period of mourning and initiating an official inquiry into the tragedy, the Minister underscored the necessity of determining the precise facts surrounding the custody deaths.

‘I commend Governor Bago’s swift administrative response in declaring a period of mourning and establishing an investigative framework to uncover the full circumstances of this unfortunate incident,’ Alake noted.

‘A thorough, transparent, and independent inquiry is vital to ensure accountability and prevent any recurrence of such distress in our detention and correctional facilities.’

Clarifying the Ministry’s immediate intervention due to the operational background of the deceased, Alake revealed that the federal expert team would work closely with state authorities and security agencies to establish full accountability.

‘Given the allegation that the detained persons were arrested on suspicion of carrying out illegal mining, I have deployed a high-powered team of officials to Niger State to investigate the circumstances and ascertain the facts of the matter,’ the Minister declared.

‘The team will collaborate with other investigators to provide a comprehensive report on the incident.’

Alake then offered prayers for the deceased and their surviving kin: ‘May the Almighty comfort the families affected and grant the souls of the departed eternal rest.’

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday hailed Nigeria’s victory over Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited at an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris, declaring that the ruling has cleared the ‘single biggest legal hurdle’ that paralysed the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project for years.

Tinubu was reacting to an award in favour of Nigeria in the long-running arbitration arising from disputes surrounding the development of the 3,960-megawatt Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State.

Sunrise had demanded $680 million as a settlement sum and interest in relation to another arbitration in which it claimed more than $2.7 billion in compensation and interest over the project.

The President described the outcome as an affirmation of Nigeria’s resolve not to succumb to what he called ‘predatory and exploitative claims’ against the country’s resources.

‘Today’s ICC ruling clears the single biggest legal hurdle that has paralysed the Mambilla hydro power project for years,’ Tinubu said in a statement he personally issued.

‘This latest decision affirms the Nigerian State’s determination not to succumb to predatory and exploitative claims by corrupt local and international entities and their enablers and funders’, he added.

The dispute has its roots in events dating back more than two decades.

In May 2003, then Minister of Power and Steel, Dr Olu Agunloye, issued Sunrise a preliminary letter of award relating to the development of the Mambilla hydropower project under a Build, Operate and Transfer arrangement.

The Federal Government’s position, subsequently maintained in the arbitration and related proceedings, was that neither then President Olusegun Obasanjo nor the Federal Executive Council approved the purported award.

Evidence subsequently presented in the ongoing criminal proceedings involving Agunloye also indicated that the Federal Executive Council did not approve the contract at its May 21, 2003 meeting. Agunloye has denied wrongdoing in relation to the contract.

After the government subsequently retendered the project and awarded it to another contractor in 2007, Sunrise commenced litigation against Nigeria, seeking to stop the development of the project without its involvement or, alternatively, obtain damages.

In 2012, the Federal Ministry of Power entered into a General Project Execution Agreement with Sunrise and Sinohydro as efforts were made to resolve the dispute and facilitate the project.

Another contract for the project was awarded in 2017 to a consortium of Chinese companies, excluding Sunrise, prompting the company to institute arbitration proceedings at the ICC.

The dispute subsequently became one of Nigeria’s most consequential international commercial arbitration cases and contributed to prolonged uncertainty around the execution of the hydropower project.

Attempts were made to resolve the matter through settlement, culminating in Terms of Settlement in January 2020 and an addendum in March of that year.

The Federal Government subsequently maintained that the agreements did not receive the approvals required to become binding.

Against that background, Tinubu said Thursday’s ruling represented a major breakthrough in the government’s efforts to disentangle the Mambilla project from years of legal complications.

The President, however, assured genuine investors that Nigeria remained committed to honouring its legitimate legal obligations and partnering with credible local and foreign businesses.

‘I want to assure you that while our country remains committed to partnering with genuine investors and honouring its legal obligations, it will continue to defend all opportunistic claims instituted against our commonwealth strongly’, he said.

Tinubu commended the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, and the Federal Ministry of Justice team for their handling of the arbitration.

He also praised Nigeria’s defence team, led by Elizabeth Oger-Gross and Tolu Obamuroh of Paul Hastings LLP, for what he described as their professional and excellent defence of the country.

The President particularly acknowledged former President Obasanjo and the late former President Muhammadu Buhari for testifying in the arbitration.

‘I commend the patriotism and support of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, and late President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, who testified in the case, which dated back to an illegal 2003 contract to build a 3,050-megawatt hydroelectric plant in Taraba State under a build-operate-transfer model. The Federal Executive Council never authorised the contract,’ Tinubu said.

Obasanjo had publicly maintained that he never approved the award of the Mambilla contract to Sunrise, saying he only directed that the proposal be presented to the Federal Executive Council for consideration. His position subsequently formed part of the Federal Government’s defence in the arbitration.

Sunrise and parties associated with the original contract have previously disputed the government’s account of events surrounding the project.

Tinubu also thanked former Ministers Babatunde Raji Fashola and Suleiman Adamu, as well as other witnesses and experts who participated in defending Nigeria’s interests during the proceedings.

He further commended the National Security Adviser for supporting the government’s efforts and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the dispute.

The EFCC has separately prosecuted Agunloye over allegations relating to the award of the Mambilla contract. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the criminal proceedings are separate from the international arbitration.

The Mambilla project, conceived as one of Nigeria’s biggest power projects, has remained incomplete despite successive attempts by different administrations to revive it.

Its legal complications became sufficiently significant that the Federal Government cited the disputes in explaining why the project received no allocation in the Federal Ministry of Power’s proposed 2024 budget.

Tinubu said the latest arbitration victory should now remove a major impediment that had prevented the project from moving forward.

‘God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’ Tinubu concluded.

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun yesterday inaugurated the state Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 general election.

He urged members to begin consultations, grassroots mobilisation and sustained engagement with voters across the state.

Prince Abiodun, who is chairman of the Campaign Council, said the inauguration marked the beginning of a new phase in the party’s preparations for the elections, directing members to translate the council’s organisational structure into effective action across the state’s 20 local governments, 236 wards and polling units.

The governor advised the council to work for the success of APC candidates, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, his running mate, Alhaja Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun, as well as the party’s candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly.

Speaking at the inauguration in Abeokuta, Abiodun directed members to hold their inaugural meeting immediately and begin consultations and campaign activities without delay.

‘Let consultations and campaign now begin,’ he declared.

The governor said elections were not won merely through political reputation or the size of rallies, but through ‘scientific, deliberate and intentional preparation, organisation, vigilance and sustained engagement with the electorate.’

He urged members of the campaign council to take the APC message to markets, farms, workplaces, religious communities, professional associations, neighbourhoods and homes, noting that effective mobilisation must involve listening to the people and understanding their concerns.

‘Our campaign must be based on ideas, achievements and a credible vision. We must reach every local government area, ward, polling unit and community,’ he said.

He called for unity and discipline within the party, saying the ability of the APC to manage competing interests during the processes that produced its candidates demonstrated the importance of putting the collective interest above individual considerations.

‘Unity is not the absence of differences. It is the wisdom to ensure our differences do not become greater than our common cause,’ he said.

Abiodun says the campaign council brings together party leaders, strategists, professionals and grassroots organisers from across the three senatorial districts, with committees responsible for strategy, mobilisation, reconciliation, finance, security, media, youth and women engagement, welfare, transportation, digital communication, protocol, as well as traditional and religious affairs.

He cautioned members against treating their appointments as mere titles, saying membership of the council carried a responsibility requiring discipline, strategic thinking and humility.

‘These appointments are not decorative titles. They are instruments of service and responsibility,’ he said.

The governor charged the campaign organisation to communicate the achievements of his administration in infrastructure, education, agriculture, health care, security, investment promotion and social intervention.

He noted that the Gateway International Airport remained central to the state’s vision of developing an integrated aviation, agriculture, industrial and logistics hub, while other interventions had contributed to improving the business environment and positioning Ogun as a leading industrial and investment destination.

‘These are not abstract promises. They are visible on our roads, in our schools and hospitals, in our agricultural communities and in businesses expanding across our state,’ Abiodun said.

He warned that achievements could be misunderstood if they were not properly communicated, urging the campaign council to counter misinformation with facts, humility and clarity.

‘Good work that is not effectively explained may be misunderstood, while falsehood repeated without challenge may begin to appear credible,’ he said.

The governor directed the campaign organisation to operate as one coordinated political machinery, with leaders providing direction, committees translating strategy into action and grassroots structures sustaining engagement with voters.

He warned against factionalism, indiscipline and sabotage, stressing the need for proper reporting, early identification of challenges and prompt resolution of emerging issues.

Abiodun also charged APC members to maintain issue-based and civil communication throughout the campaign, rejecting insults, violence and intimidation.

‘Political victory loses its value when purchased at the expense of peace, because leadership cannot build upon the ruins of a divided society,’ he said.

The governor expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his leadership and partnership with Ogun State through the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He also acknowledged the contributions of former governors Olusegun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun; former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola; Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele; APC State Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi; Adeola; Adegunwa-Balogun; Director-General of the Campaign Council, Senator Lekan Mustapha; and other party leaders.

The governorship candidate, Adeola, in keeping with the governor’s call for an inclusive grassroots campaign, urged party members across the state to regard the 2027 election as a collective responsibility and assured those whose names were not included in the campaign council that they remained part of the party’s mobilisation structure.

He stressed that the campaign council was established to provide coordination and direction, rather than to exclude other members of the party, urging all APC members to remain active in their wards and local government areas.

Adeola called for sustained consultations and grassroots engagement, urging party members to take the party’s message to communities and work collectively for all APC candidates, from the presidential election to the governorship and legislative contests.

He said the party would provide the necessary coordination and support to strengthen mobilisation across the state, urging members to remain united and focused on the common objective.

Chief Osoba urged members of the party to close ranks, present a united front and work collectively for the success of the APC in the 2027 elections.

He appealed to aggrieved members to ‘sheathe their swords’ and work for the party, assuring them that their contributions would not be in vain.

He urged party members to put the interests of the APC above personal grievances and ensure that the campaign council remained focused on its mandate.

Abiodun thereafter formally declared the campaign council inaugurated and urged members to commence work immediately towards the party’s objectives in the 2027 general election.

‘Let us speak with one voice, work with one purpose and march in one direction,’ he said.