Category: Daily Trust

A supporter of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, Ahmad Saidu, popularly known as Abba, has explained why he held the speaker’s attire during a recent political event in Zaria.

Saidu, who spoke with journalists in Zaria, on Monday, also apologised to the Speaker over the incident which occurred during Abbas’ declaration for re-election at the Mallawa Eid Ground, Zaria.

According to him, he sustained a serious fracture on his right hand in an accident, leaving the hand broken in three different places.

He said he had earlier received treatment at the Traditional Orthopaedic Centre, Likoro, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, before he was referred to the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna.

Saidu explained that financial difficulties prevented him from continuing with the treatment after support from some individuals stopped.

‘We could not continue with the treatment because we cannot afford the medical bills after the support we received stopped,’ he said.

He added that after learning the Speaker would attend the declaration event, he decided to go there in the hope of personally appealing for assistance.

‘As one of the supporters of the Speaker, I went to the event hoping to seek his help. When I got close to him, I held his gown while trying to show him my fractured hand, but security personnel dragged me away,’ he said.

Saidu expressed regret over the development, saying he never intended to embarrass the Speaker publicly.

‘If I had known the incident would cause such national embarrassment to the Speaker, I would have preferred to continue living with the pain.

‘I am one of his supporters and I appreciate the interventions and assistance he has been rendering to people, which prompted my action,’ he added.

Also speaking, the victim’s father, Malam Sa’idu-Ibrahim Abubakar, apologised to the Speaker and alleged that political opponents had exploited the incident to spread false narratives.

He said the family had struggled for more than two years to fund treatment both at ABUTH and the 44 Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna but could no longer cope with the expenses.

The father, however, commended the Speaker for agreeing to shoulder the medical bills of his son despite the incident at the event venue.

Rotimi Amaechi’s presidential ambition has entered a defining phase with former APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, personally leading the collection of his nomination form for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential contest in Abuja. The development was more than ceremonial. It carried clear political weight, projecting Amaechi as a contender backed by experienced party operators and established national networks.

Amaechi has officially become the second aspirant to secure the ADC presidential nomination form, following Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, who had earlier obtained the expression of interest and nomination documents. The forms were formally issued to Amaechi’s representatives at the ADC national secretariat by the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Atiku Mohammed, confirming his entry into a race that is gradually shaping the opposition field.

Odigie-Oyegun’s role in the process is especially significant. A former governor of Edo State and former national chairman of the APC, he is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most strategic political organisers. His decision to personally lead the delegation to collect Amaechi’s form signals deliberate political alignment rather than symbolic attendance. It places Amaechi within a circle of actors who understand coalition building, party structuring, and national election management.

This renewed alignment carries historical weight. Odigie-Oyegun and Amaechi were key figures in the 2015 political realignment that produced the ‘change’ movement under the All Progressives Congress, APC. Amaechi, then Governor of Rivers State, defected from the PDP in 2013 and went on to serve as Director General of the Buhari Presidential Campaign in 2015, a central role in the coalition that ultimately defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.

That 2015 coalition was one of the most consequential in Nigeria’s democratic history, bringing together governors, party leaders, and political blocs across regions into a unified opposition platform that ended sixteen years of PDP rule at the federal level. Amaechi’s organisational role and Odigie-Oyegun’s party leadership position placed both men at the core of that political shift.

Their re-emergence in the same political space under the ADC therefore carries added significance. It signals a possible attempt to recreate elements of the coordination and elite alignment that defined the 2015 opposition victory. In Nigerian politics, where electoral outcomes are often shaped by elite consensus, party structure, and coalition discipline, such a reunion is politically meaningful and closely watched.

Within the current ADC configuration, the party is undergoing repositioning following broader opposition realignments and internal restructuring. In that environment, the search for a candidate with national visibility, governance experience, and proven political organisation becomes central. Amaechi fits that profile through his long record in public office, from Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, to two term Governor of Rivers State, and later Minister of Transportation for eight years.

Odigie-Oyegun’s involvement reinforces that perception of readiness. His presence at the nomination process signals confidence that Amaechi possesses both the administrative experience and political infrastructure required to run a national campaign. It also suggests that elements of the political machinery that once powered the 2015 opposition coalition may once again be aligning.

The South-South dimension further strengthens this positioning. Reports from ADC consultations in the region indicate that Odigie-Oyegun and other leaders have previously expressed support for Amaechi’s 2027 ambition, describing him as a respected figure within the zone. His engagement with regional stakeholders before formally entering the race has also been highlighted as evidence of structured political preparation.

Amaechi’s procurement of a nomination form valued at about N90 million underscores the seriousness of his entry into the contest. In Nigeria’s political system, such financial commitment reflects readiness for a large scale national campaign requiring extensive logistics, coordination, and mobilisation capacity.

Taken together, Odigie-Oyegun’s involvement, Amaechi’s institutional record, and their shared history in the 2015 opposition victory present a politically significant development. It is not simply a nomination process, but a reconvergence of two influential actors who once helped reshape Nigeria’s national leadership.

Their coming together again is therefore not incidental. It is a development that situates Amaechi within a familiar axis of political experience, organisational capacity, and elite coalition building, a combination that proved decisive in one of Nigeria’s most consequential elections and is now re emerging in the current political cycle.

Enovate Lab, a Kano-based innovation and strategy implementation firm, has entered into a strategic partnership with Dangote Business School of Bayero University Kano (BUK) to accelerate the digital transformation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across Nigeria.

The collaboration, announced at the weekend, is aimed at equipping local business owners with practical tools and operational frameworks to transition from manual processes to automated, high-growth digital operations.

Ahmed Idris, Executive Director of Enovate Lab, said the initiative is designed to move Nigerian businesses away from what he described as ‘hero dependency,’ where founders manually hinder their own growth.

Enovate Lab says it is bridging this gap by providing accessible pathways for business owners to integrate digital payments, online marketing, human resource management, inventory systems, and financial analytics into their daily workflows.

‘For Nigerian MSMEs to truly thrive in our unique economic reality, we must move away from hero dependency. By applying systems thinking and practical digital adoption, businesses can automate repetitive tasks, establish clear standard operating procedures, and build scalable operations.

‘This partnership with Dangote Business School allows us to deliver actionable strategy implementation that fundamentally transforms how our local enterprises compete and succeed,’ Idris said.

A flagship outcome of the partnership will be the publication of the MSME Digitization Handbook, currently in development.

The handbook is expected to provide step-by-step implementation guides, readiness assessments, tool setup checklists, and practical templates to help business owners automate core functions effectively.

Enovate Lab emphasized that its approach goes beyond technology adoption, focusing instead on embedding operational resilience to ensure MSMEs remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Dangote Business School, known for its focus on entrepreneurial and managerial capacity building, is expected to complement the initiative by providing academic rigor and structured training to support MSMEs in adopting digital solutions.

Through this partnership, both institutions say they are committed to driving long-term economic impact by ensuring the next generation of Nigerian enterprises are digitally fluent, operationally sound, and positioned for sustainable growth.

The South-West Development Commission (SWDC) has unveiled its rural transformation programme, TransComs, targeted at improving the welfare of dwellers in rural communities.

TransComs, short for Transformed Communities, is SWDC’s cluster-based model for converting groups of rural communities into integrated economic hubs.

Inaugurated an Action Committee tasked to turn TransComs, its rural transformation programme, from concept into delivery, executing pilot projects and laying the groundwork for regional scale-up within 180 days.

The committee was inaugurated at the close of the TransComs co-creation roundtable at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan,

Speaking at the inauguration of an Action Committee, SWDC Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Charles ‘Diji Akinola, tasked the committee to develop the framework of its rural transformation programme, from concept into delivery, executing pilot projects and laying the groundwork for regional scale-up within 180 days.

He added that the committee would serve as the Commission’s delivery engine, ensuring the project moves rapidly from stakeholder engagement to measurable impact on the ground.

The committee will be co-led by Dr. Akinola and Prof. Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Programme Director of the Foundation for Technology Innovation and Sustainable Development (FTID), SWDC’s technical partner on the initiative.

In a statement, the committee structure was highlighted around four pillars designed to anchor credibility and de-risk execution.

It included leading development finance institutions, including the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Bank of Industry (BoI), join the South-West Agribusiness Company (SWAgCo) to anchor the finance and investment stream.

‘Policy and coordination are represented by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, the Southwest Governors’ Forum, and the commissioners for agriculture and budget from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states.

‘Private sector and technical expertise come from agribusiness leaders at Psaltery International and Niji Farms, alongside logistics and energy specialists and senior officials from the Nigeria Railway Corporation. Development partners such as the Sasakawa Africa Association and UNICEF complete the coalition, providing technical and community engagement support,’ the statement read.

It added that the committee’s immediate mandate is to coordinate partnerships across federal, state and private sector actors, mobilise technical and financial resources, and deliver pilots in Fapote, Ogbomoso, and Ara, Osun.

‘Working with state and local governments, it will also develop the governance and sustainability frameworks needed to replicate the model across all 137 local government areas in the Southwest,’ the statement added.

Passengers travelling from the United States to Lagos aboard a Delta Air Lines flight experienced an unexpected journey after the aircraft turned back mid-flight and returned to Atlanta nearly eight hours after departure.

The flight, DL54, departed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Saturday evening en route to Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Operated by an Airbus A330-200 aircraft, the plane took off at about 5:42 p.m. EDT and proceeded normally across the Atlantic Ocean.

According to flight tracking data, the aircraft cruised for several hours before the crew initiated a U-turn while over the Atlantic, roughly halfway into the journey.

Delta Air Lines later confirmed that the aircraft returned to Atlanta due to an ‘operational issue.’

The airline did not disclose the exact nature of the problem, but the decision to head back to its main hub instead of diverting to another airport suggested the issue required attention at Delta’s primary maintenance base, according to observers.

The aircraft landed safely back in Atlanta in the early hours of Sunday after spending approximately seven hours and 48 minutes in the air.

Following the return, the airline cancelled the Lagos-bound service, leaving passengers to await alternative travel arrangements.

The aircraft involved, a 21-year-old Airbus A330-200 with registration N854NW, remained grounded in Atlanta for inspection after the incident.

The incident, analysts say, reflects the intricacies of the machine which might develop a fault anytime.

Delta was said to have taken a decision to return to the base, against the standard procedure of landing at the nearest airport, in order to be able to tend to the ‘operational issue’ at its maintenance yard.

Industry analyst, Capt. Alex Nwuba, has also weighed in on some technicality in the aviation world, making reference to the recent Lagos-London flight of Air Peace which was aborted after a technical fault was discovered in the aircraft while a replacement was later provided.

Nwuba, President of Aircraft Pilots and Owners’ Association, said a minor technical finding during routine checks on aircraft is of the most ordinary events in commercial aviation.

He warned that such an event when reported out of context could be easily misinterpreted as a sign of danger.

He wrote: ‘What actually happened on the flight was the system functioning exactly as designed: a crew identified a small issue, the aircraft was withdrawn, passengers were safely disembarked, and a replacement aircraft was arranged. This is the daily rhythm of airline operations everywhere in the world.

‘Aircraft are complex mechanical systems with layers of redundancy, strict maintenance schedules, and clearly defined ‘no-go’ items. When something doesn’t meet the required standard, even if it is minor, the aircraft simply does not fly. That is not a failure; it is the safety culture working.

‘The problem arises when such routine events are treated as newsworthy ‘incidents,’ especially in regions where public confidence in aviation is more fragile and where local carriers are scrutinized more harshly than their Western counterparts.

‘The result is a distorted picture: normal safety practices are framed as signs of unreliability, while far more serious events involving major global airlines pass with little public attention outside professional circles. Aviation professionals rely on sources like The Aviation Herald, which documents operationally significant events across all airlines without sensationalism. A quick look at recent entries shows how misleading it is to elevate a simple aircraft swap into a public drama.

‘One example involves a Turkish Airlines A321neo and a SunExpress 737 that converged at the same altitude over Skopje, requiring both aircraft to respond to urgent TCAS resolution advisories. A loss of separation at cruise altitude is a genuinely serious operational event, one that triggers formal investigation because it represents a breakdown in the separation system that keeps aircraft safely apart. This is the kind of occurrence that matters to regulators and safety analysts, not a routine technical snag discovered on the ground.

‘Another case concerns a KLM Boeing 777-200 that experienced a hydraulic leak at Amsterdam. Hydraulic systems power flight controls, landing gear, and braking systems; a leak can escalate quickly and requires careful management by the crew. Events like this are logged, analyzed, and sometimes lead to airworthiness directives or maintenance procedure changes. They are part of the real safety landscape of global aviation, and they happen to the most established carriers in the world.’

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the appointment of Major General Adeyinka A. Fadewa (Rtd) as Special Adviser on Homeland Security.

According to a circular signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, CON, which was issued by the Permanent Secretary General Services Office, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, mni, the appointment underscores the commitment of the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strengthening internal security coordination, enhancing intelligence-driven operations, and deepening inter-agency collaboration in addressing emerging security threats across the country.

‘Major General Fadewa (Rtd) is a highly decorated retired General with over three decades of distinguished military and intelligence service spanning national security strategy, intelligence fusion, counter-terrorism operations, and international security diplomacy.’

‘His career reflects a rare blend of operational excellence, strategic foresight, and institutional leadership in safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity and national interests.

‘As Principal General Staff Officer to the National Security Adviser at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) from 2015 to 2021, he played a pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s modern intelligence coordination framework. He spearheaded the establishment of the Intelligence Fusion Centre (IFC) at ONSA, creating an integrated multi-agency intelligence platform that brought together the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Armed Forces to improve national threat assessment and strategic response coordination.

‘Following his retirement from active military service, Major General Fadewa (Rtd) served as Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja, where he continued to provide strategic thought leadership on policing, civil-security cooperation, and national security reform. His scholarly contributions include the widely acclaimed monograph titled ‘Policing and National Security in Nigeria,’ which offers practical frameworks for strengthening civil-security collaboration.

‘President Tinubu expressed confidence that the appointment of Major General Fadewa (Rtd) will further enhance the administration’s efforts toward achieving a safer and more secure Nigeria through improved coordination of homeland security initiatives, intelligence integration, and proactive risk management.

‘He also urged him to deploy his wealth of experience, professionalism, and strategic insight in advancing national security objectives and supporting the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.’

Yobe State Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, CON, COMN, has assured the commitment of the state Government for a strategic partnership with Mutual Commitment Company Ltd, China, to launch a 3 million tonnes per annum of limestone-to-cement industrial complex for the economic transformation of the state.

The Governor stated this today when the Group Managing Director of the Company, Mr. Liu Long, Ied the management team of the company on a courtesy visit on the governor.

The project marks a significant milestone in the State’s industrialization agenda, reflecting the government’s commitment to harnessing the abundant natural resources in the state for economic growth, job creation, and sustainable development.

The industrial complex initiative project is to be driven by the Yobe Mining Development Company Limited (YMDCL), to strengthen local value addition, support infrastructure development, attract further investment, and to position the state as an emerging hub for cement production in Nigeria.

The Group Managing Director of MCC Ltd, Mr Liu Long, commended the proactive political will and governance environment, upon which the company will anchor its operations to partner with Yobe State in achieving the mutually beneficial, sustainable development objective.

Arsenal are on the brink of a first Premier League title in 22 years after surviving a hugely contentious finale to beat West Ham 1-0 on Sunday.

Leandro Trossard’s 83rd minute goal reestablished the Gunners’ five-point lead over Manchester City.

But West Ham had an equaliser deep into stoppage time ruled out after a VAR review for a foul on goalkeeper David Raya before Callum Wilson fired home.

Arsenal also did north London rivals Tottenham a favour in the battle to beat the drop as they can move four points clear of West Ham with victory over Leeds on Monday.

Victories over already-relegated Burnley and Crystal Palace, just days before they play in the Conference League final, will end Arsenal’s long wait to be champions of England.

Fresh from sealing their place in the Champions League final with victory over Atletico Madrid in midweek, Mikel Arteta’s men burst out of the blocks.

Mads Hermansen made a brilliant save to deny Trossard from a corner before the Belgian’s follow-up header came back off the crossbar.

But the nerves that have accompanied Arsenal’s quest to finally get over the line, after finishing second for the past three years, took hold after halftime.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State has raked in over N504 million from aspirants seeking to contest the 2027 State House of Assembly election on the party’s platform.

Daily Trust reports that the money was realized from the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms sold to 84 aspirants contesting for the 24 seats in the State Assembly.

The party screened the aspirants from the 18 Local Government Areas of the state on Saturday at its secretariat along Ikpokpan Road in Benin City.

Addressing the aspirants, the Chairman of the Screening Committee, Emmanuel Okoebor, explained that the exercise was to ensure that only qualified and credible candidates participate in the party’s primaries.

While assuring the aspirants of transparency and fairness, he noted that the exercise would be conducted in line with the party’s constitution and electoral guidelines.

The Forum of Nigerian Professionals in Politics (FNPP) has raised an alarm over a calculated plot to destabilize the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the impasse.

FNPP in a statement in Abuja on Monday said the crisis among the Governors coming at a critical stage ahead of the 2027 elections, is ‘dangerous and capable of weakening the political coordination presently driving the Renewed Hope Agenda.’

The statement jointly signed by Amb. Sani Magaji, National Chairman and Engr. Ike Chidolue, National Secretary of FNPP, called on President Tinubu to intervene in the crisis, to stop further escalation.

The statement said the APC must not repeat the mistake made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when they were the ruling party, adding that ‘any attempt to destabilize, weaken, undermine, or fracture the current leadership structure of the Progressive Governors Forum at this critical hour is politically immature, strategically dangerous, and potentially capable of undermining the 2027 reelection project of Mr President.’

The professionals said any governor with an ambition to lead the PGF can legitimately pursue such ambition after 2027, saying ‘this is not the time for ego-driven calculations. This is not the time for internal political warfare and this is certainly not the time to destabilize one of the strongest political coordination structures presently consolidating the Renewed Hope Agenda nationwide.

‘We therefore respectfully urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently wade into this matter and call all leaders within the progressive family to order.

‘No personal ambition must become greater than the collective objective of sustaining the Renewed Hope Agenda and securing victory for the APC in 2027. The President must protect the structures that are working.’ They said.

The Professionals said they remained firmly committed to the stability, continuity, and consolidation of the Renewed Hope Agenda under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, charging the President to resist every attempt by fifth columnists and internal destabilizers seeking to weaken the political coordination presently driving the APC nationally.

The statement further said the Progressive Governors Forum under Senator Hope Uzodimma Governor Uba Sani as Deputy has evolved into one of the strongest stabilizing political structures within the APC and the broader Renewed Hope political architecture nationally.

FNPP said since assumption of office, the PGF has witnessed unprecedented expansion, stronger coordination amongst governors, broader coalition-building, deeper inclusiveness, and remarkable strategic alignment around the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.

‘Under his leadership, the PGF has become more disciplined, more cohesive, more strategic, and more effective in galvanizing support for President Tinubu across the federation.

‘This did not happen accidentally. It happened because Senator Hope Uzodimma and his team invested heavily in bridge-building, coalition management, political inclusion, strategic patience, and progressive coordination in line with Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

‘Political migration increasingly favors the progressive family. Confidence within the APC coalition has grown significantly under the PGF led by Governor Hope Uzodimma. It is precisely this effectiveness that has now made the PGF a target.’

The statement said the opposition understands clearly that a stable, united, coordinated, and expanding PGF heading into 2027 represents a major political advantage for President Tinubu and the APC.