Category: Nigerian Tribune

The unfolding debate over the establishment of state police in Nigeria will take centre stage in Abuja on Tuesday, October 6, as the House of Representatives’ Press Corps brings together leading voices in politics, legislation, security and governance for its second annual Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture and Awards.

The gathering will feature Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago; Founder and Chairman of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd., High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo; former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu; and Secretary of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Mr. Nnabudum Moghalu.

The event comes at a significant point in Nigeria’s security and constitutional reform process, with the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish State Police Services now before the 36 State Houses of Assembly for consideration.

The proposed reform is aimed at strengthening security by creating a more decentralised policing system capable of responding more effectively to security threats and challenges peculiar to individual communities.

The Press Corps has therefore chosen ‘The Imperative for State Police: Securing Communities, Strengthening Federalism’ as the theme of the lecture.

Moghalu, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research, will deliver the lecture titled: State Police, Community Security and the Future of Federalism in Nigeria ‘.

His presentation is expected to examine the proposed policing framework and its implications for community security, federalism and the relationship between state and federal security institutions.

The discussion will also touch on critical implementation issues, including funding, recruitment, training, operational independence, accountability, oversight and safeguards against abuse.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, will serve as Chief Host and is expected to speak on the position of the 10th House on state police and other security-related legislation before the National Assembly.

The Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, is also expected to attend the event.

The lecture is expected to attract lawmakers, policymakers, security professionals, civil society organisations, academics, development partners, media executives and other stakeholders, providing an opportunity for a broad exchange of views on the proposed reform.

Governor Bago and Tompolo are expected to bring practical perspectives to the conversation, particularly on state-level governance, community security and the protection of critical national assets.

Other dignitaries expected to participate include: the Clerk to the National Assembly, Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana; Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Akin Rotimi; Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike; and representatives of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and development partners.

The event will also feature the presentation of the House of Representatives Press Corps Distinguished Parliamentarian Awards to two prominent Nigerians for their contributions to national development, security and public service.

Governor Bago will be honoured for his contributions to rural development and public leadership, while Tompolo will receive the Award of Excellence in National Assets Protection in recognition of his contribution to the protection of Nigeria’s critical national assets.

Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Press Corps, Mr. Gboyega Onadiran, said the annual lecture was designed to provide a platform for informed and constructive discussion on issues of national importance.

He said the choice of state police for this year’s edition was informed by the significance of the issue to Nigeria’s security and the ongoing debate over the future of policing and federalism.

Onadiran said the Press Corps also seeks to promote meaningful engagement among the legislature, security stakeholders, the media and the wider public on major national issues.

The event is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. at the National Assembly Library Auditorium, Abuja, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.

From Katsina in the North-West to Lafia in the North-Central, the presidential campaign of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and his running mate, Lawal Musa Daura, is taking shape around a simple strategy: listen before prescribing.

The candidates of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) have begun a series of town hall meetings designed to introduce their ‘Reset Nigeria’ agenda, collect citizens’ views and incorporate the concerns of the six geopolitical zones into their manifesto ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Unlike the conventional campaign rally, where politicians speak from elevated platforms and supporters respond with rehearsed chants, the Makinde-Daura campaign says its town halls are intended to be issue-based and citizen-driven. The emphasis is on direct engagement with groups whose daily experiences reflect the country’s economic and security crises.

When the programme was announced, Anthony Ehilebo, Makinde’s Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communication, said the meetings would focus on national stability, citizens’ welfare, accountable leadership and the transparent use of public resources. The original schedule placed the North-West meeting in Katsina on September 22, the South-South session in Uyo on September 25, the North-Central meeting in Lafia on September 28 and the South-East engagement in Enugu on September 30. Dates for the North-East and South-West were to be announced subsequently.

The South-South meeting was later postponed, but the campaign proceeded to Lafia after opening its zonal engagements in Katsina.

In Katsina, Makinde and Daura confronted two issues that have become defining concerns in northern Nigeria: insecurity and poverty. Daura described the two problems as intertwined. In communities where insecurity has driven farmers from their land, disrupted markets and destroyed livelihoods, poverty is not merely an economic statistic. It is a consequence of fear.

Makinde told the gathering that the campaign had listened to the concerns of the people and understood the urgency of their situation.

‘We are grateful to the people of Katsina State for the warm welcome today as we held our North-West Town Hall meeting,’ he later said.

‘We have listened and we want to assure them that their concerns about rising poverty and insecurity are part of the reason why we are calling for a reset of our dear country.’

The governor framed the approaching presidential contest as something larger than a competition among candidates and political parties. According to him, it would be ‘between Nigerians and the APC,’ requiring a united effort to change a system that, in his view, works for a privileged few rather than the general population.

It was also in Katsina that Makinde addressed a controversy surrounding the reconstruction and upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had claimed that President Bola Tinubu gave Oyo State N50 billion for the project.

Makinde rejected the claim, insisting that the airport upgrade was being financed entirely by the Oyo State Government.

‘The president did not give N50 billion to me or N50 billion to Oyo State to upgrade the Ibadan airport,’ he said at the North-West town hall.

The intervention showed how the town halls may serve two purposes: offering the candidates a platform to unveil their policy direction and allowing them to respond to controversies likely to shape the political contest.

Days after the North West meeting, the campaign moved to Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, for its North-Central engagement. Its arrival was preceded by a closed-door meeting with APM candidates from across the zone.

The meeting brought together the party’s national leadership, zonal officials, state chairmen and candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly. It offered Makinde and Daura an opportunity to strengthen the party structure while hearing directly from candidates expected to carry the APM message into their constituencies.

The following day, attention shifted from party organisation to public engagement.

Participants at the Lafia town hall included women in agriculture, traders, widows and women living with disabilities. Makinde promised that an administration led by him would design special programmes for vulnerable groups while pursuing broader reforms intended to improve the economy for all Nigerians.

He identified four pillars of his proposed national reset: security, education, the economy and the socio-political environment.

‘The reset agenda can be concluded in four years,’ he told the gathering.

‘We can reset Nigeria. Reset and give Nigeria a new security architecture. Reset and give Nigeria a new path for education. Reset our economy, utilising data science and logic, and reset our socio-political environment in four years. That is our agenda.’

Makinde added that, if inaugurated on May 29, 2027, he would establish what he called a transitional government of national unity, designed to bring new actors and ideas into the process of building sustainable development.

Security occupied a prominent place in his presentation. The North-Central zone has endured years of killings, kidnappings, communal conflicts and attacks on farming settlements. Makinde questioned the Federal Government’s response, arguing that insecurity remained severe midway into 2026.

He also queried the financing of newly announced army divisions, saying he could not find provisions for them in the 2026 federal budget. His criticism was intended to illustrate what he described as a wider gap between government announcements and the resources required to translate them into results.

The candidate extended that argument to the economy. Although state governments have received increased allocations from the Federation Account since the removal of petrol subsidy, he asked whether the additional revenue had reduced hunger or improved living conditions.

Drawing on his experience in Oyo State, Makinde said dependence on federal allocation stood at more than 80 per cent when he assumed office in 2019. His administration reduced it to about 65 per cent by 2022, he said, before the economic consequences of subsidy removal pushed the figure back towards 80 per cent.

He described aspects of the Federal Government’s management of the economy as ‘voodoo economics,’ arguing that larger allocations mean little if they do not produce measurable improvements in people’s lives.

For Makinde, the ability to lead Nigeria would also require stamina and accessibility. He recounted travelling from Ibadan to Abuja, holding meetings in the capital and undertaking a three-and-a-half-hour road journey to Lafia, where he met North-Central candidates until about 2:00 a.m.

The point was political but unmistakable: the presidency, he argued, demands more than ceremonial appearances. It requires the physical and intellectual energy to engage Nigerians and respond to competing national pressures.

Before the town hall, Makinde and the campaign team visited the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I, a retired Supreme Court justice. Makinde thanked the traditional ruler for his welcome, hospitality and willingness to hear the campaign’s proposals for the North-Central zone and the country.

At the political gathering, APM National Chairman Yusuf Dantalle declared that the party could no longer be dismissed as a minor participant in the 2027 contest. He cited the number of governorship hopefuls and other candidates associated with the party as evidence of its expansion and renewed national ambition.

Dantalle said the presidential election should not be reduced to party labels but regarded as a choice between continued hunger and a new approach to governance. He warned voters against surrendering their future for N5,000, cartons of noodles or seasoning cubes, describing vote-buying inducements as an invitation to another four years of suffering.

For the Makinde-Daura campaign, the road ahead remains long. A national campaign must convert warm receptions into an effective organisation, a coherent manifesto and, ultimately, votes. It must also reconcile the diverse demands gathered from different regions into policies capable of commanding broad national confidence.

But the town halls have established the framework of the campaign’s message: Nigeria is not working for enough Nigerians, the present order must be reset, and the people affected by its failures should participate in designing what comes next.

‘Our campaign belongs to the people,’ the organisation says.

In Katsina, the candidates heard the cries of communities burdened by insecurity and poverty. In Lafia, they listened to farmers, traders, widows, people living with disabilities and party candidates seeking a different political future.

As the meetings move to other zones, the test will be whether all that listening produces more than a campaign slogan-whether ‘Reset Nigeria’ becomes a detailed and credible national programme capable of turning citizens’ frustrations into a new architecture of government.

Cross River State Commissioner for Works, Mr Pius Edet, has disclosed that no fewer than 75 erosion sites have been identified across Calabar metropolis following persistent heavy rainfall.

Edet made the disclosure during an oversight visit by members of the Cross River State House of Assembly to erosion and landslide sites in the metropolis, including the Assembly Residential Quarters, Ekorinim, Calabar.

The Commissioner said the recurrent heavy downpour in the city had continued to worsen erosion and landslide challenges, resulting in extensive damage to roads, buildings and other infrastructure.

According to him, ‘The issue of erosion and landslides in Calabar has become a recurrent decimal due to heavy downpour.’

He assured residents that the state government would take swift measures to address the identified erosion sites, stressing that the extent of damage required urgent intervention.

Edet also called for the intervention of other relevant government agencies, noting that the magnitude of the erosion challenge was massive and could not be tackled by a single agency alone.

The Commissioner spoke during the Assembly’s oversight visit to the Anansa Road landslide site and the erosion site at the Assembly Residential Quarters, Ekorinim.

The oversight followed a Matter of Urgent Public Importance raised on the deplorable state of erosion control infrastructure within the Assembly Residential and Office Complex by Hon. Linus Bassey, member representing Akamkpa II State Constituency.

Presenting the motion before the House, Bassey said the Assembly Residential Quarters, constructed in 1977, had deteriorated considerably, with collapsed erosion-control infrastructure posing serious threats to the lives and property of lawmakers, their families and staff.

He said heavy rainfall, which had become frequent in Calabar, had left members and staff living in fear of flooding and erosion.

Bassey further disclosed that the perimeter fence that previously prevented floodwater from entering the quarters had recently been pulled down by flood, while a duplex behind the quarters and a nearby hospital structure had also been brought down by flooding.

He expressed concern over a ravine around the residential quarters, which he said posed a serious threat to adjoining buildings.

The lawmaker also drew attention to a gutter at the main entrance of the Assembly Office Complex, warning that the deepening channel beneath the road could eventually cause the road to collapse if urgent measures were not taken.

Reacting to the motion, the Leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Francis Asuquo, and other lawmakers expressed concern over the deteriorating situation and unanimously supported the call for urgent intervention.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, described the motion as timely, stressing that the welfare and safety of lawmakers, staff and other Cross Riverians must be prioritised.

During the oversight visit to the Anansa Road landslide site, Asuquo said that although the incident occurred while the House was on recess, its impact made it a matter of serious concern to the legislature.

He called for immediate action to address the erosion challenge, warning that further delay could result in loss of lives and property.

At the Assembly Residential Quarters, the Leader observed that what started as a small erosion channel had gradually developed into a widening gully.

‘What started as a very small narrow path has developed into a gully erosion site which keeps expanding. If nothing is urgently done, it will develop into something more devastating,’ he said.

The Assembly urged the state government and relevant agencies to urgently commence remedial works at the affected sites to prevent further destruction and avert possible loss of lives and property.

The Kano business community, comprising representatives of 25 major markets across the state, has endorsed Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for a second term in office.

According to a statement issued by Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Director General, Media and Publicity to the governor, the business community was led by elder statesman and business mogul, Alhaji Sabiu Bako.

However, the endorsement was made on Monday, September 28, 2026, during a dinner hosted at Africa House, Government House, Kano.

The group pledged its support for Governor Yusuf’s re-election bid on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Dawakin Tofa said the endorsement was facilitated by Alhaji Munzali Mazaf, who brought together representatives of the various markets across the state.

He said the business leaders gave the governor a standing ovation during the dinner before declaring their support for his re-election in the 2027 governorship election.

The business community, according to the statement, expressed confidence in the governor’s policies and programmes, particularly those aimed at strengthening economic activities and creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

The statement cited the modernisation of some markets through the construction of access roads and the provision of solar power as among the reasons for the endorsement.

The business leaders also commended the administration’s urban renewal projects, ease-of-doing-business initiatives and tax reforms.

‘They assured the Governor of their continued cooperation and support towards the development of Kano State,’ the statement said.

The endorsement comes ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with the governor’s administration seeking continued support from various sectors of the state.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has condemned the alleged arrest of members of the ‘Tinubu Must Go’ (TMG) movement in Maiduguri, Borno State, describing the development as an abuse of power.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the action amounted to intimidation and an attempt to silence citizens expressing political views.

‘The arrest of members of the Tinubu Must Go (#TMG) movement in Maiduguri by the state governor is reckless and a total abuse of power and office,’ Ologbondiyan said.

He said Nigerians had a constitutional right to express their political preferences and opinions, including calls to vote for the party and candidate of their choice in 2027.

He said expressing the slogan ‘Tinubu must go’ constituted political expression and did not amount to a criminal offence.

Ologbondiyan said arrests, harassment and intimidation would not deter Nigerians from exercising their franchise.

‘The intimidation of citizens through arrest and other unlawful means will not deter people from voting in the 2027 election,’ he said.

The ADC PCC called on Governor Babagana Zulum to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of those arrested and guarantee their safety.

It also urged the authorities to ensure that no harm came to the detainees.

Ologbondiyan recalled that when the All Progressives Congress (APC) was in opposition, its members criticised the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, but Jonathan did not order the arrest of citizens for exercising their right to free speech.

The council appealed to the international community, including the African Union, European Union, British High Commission and United States Embassy, to take note of the development and support efforts to protect the democratic space and fundamental rights.

As the world marks the International Day of Peace, a stage play titled ‘NEMESIS: A Tale of Two Soldiers’ was performed at Wole Soyinka Theatre, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan, to examine the trauma of war, the consequences of violence, and the need for individuals to find peace within themselves.

The production, a collaboration between Afemoju Creations and Phoenix Tribe Africa, brings to the fore the psychological and physical consequences of conflict through the story of two soldiers who find themselves on opposite sides of a war.

Speaking on the message behind the play, the producer, Dr Olanike Onimisi said the story became particularly relevant because September 21 is observed globally as the International Day of Peace.

According to her, the play demonstrates how people who are regarded as enemies can discover their shared humanity when they look beyond hatred, trauma, and the circumstances that place them on opposing sides.

She said the two soldiers carry the trauma of war and the losses they have suffered, but eventually find the courage to reconcile and embrace one another.

However, their attempt at reconciliation ends tragically when another soldier, unable to understand how supposed enemies could become friends, opens fire on one of them.

She said the tragic ending reflects the danger of refusing to let go of hatred and grievances.

‘The message is not only about the battles that happen on the battlefield. It also starts with the words we say, the things we say to people and how we relate with our fellow human beings.

‘The question is, where is our humanity? Terrorism, conflicts, and kidnapping, not only in Nigeria but across the globe, often begin when one heart does not find peace within itself and refuses to extend peace to another person,’ she said.

The producer also explained that the production was designed to take the message of peace to young people. She disclosed that secondary school students from different schools were invited to a matinee performance, with tickets provided for them by American Open University to attend free of charge.

According to her, the initiative was aimed at exposing young people to the power of theatre as a platform for reflection and social change; and that the students’ comments during the post-performance reflection showed that they deeply understood the message of the play.

‘Their comments featured love, compassion, understanding, trust, and unity as determinants of peaceful co-existence,’ she said.

She recalled that her production of Bode Sowande’s ‘Mammy Water’s Wedding’ to commemorate 2024 World Environment Day, in collaboration with Cinema Road Media, brought the young and elderly together into the theatre to reflect on their responsibility towards the environment.

She said NEMESIS similarly provided an opportunity for students, academics, civic leaders, military and paramilitary officers, peace advocates, and the general public to reflect on their responsibility towards humanity.

She added that the play explored both physical and psychological wars through poetry, music, and dramatic dialogue and actions, urging Nigerians and people across the world to become agents of peace.

Chris Anyanya, the playwright and actor, described NEMESIS as a global play conceived against the backdrop of conflicts, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violence in Nigeria, as well as wars and unrest in other parts of the world. He explained that the title NEMESIS reflects the consequences that eventually caught up with one of the characters.

‘The play is about the trauma that comes with war and how we can engage and improve peace talks around the world. That was what inspired the idea of writing NEMESIS.

‘At the end of the day, there is only so much we can do about some of these events, but the world is supposed to unite,’ he said.

The director, King James Dandy, described NEMESIS as a reflection of real-world situations and a warning about the evils and repercussions of war. He said the play examines how people can become enemies by proxy, even when they were not born enemies.

Dandy also called on leaders and people in positions of authority to understand the responsibility to be conscious of their actions, stressing that the kind of leadership provided would ultimately influence the nature of society.

‘First, be human. We cannot close our eyes to the evils in society. As leaders, you need to represent the people. You cannot just be passive about the things happening around you,’ he said.

He also called on individuals who are not in positions of authority to contribute to peace building by promoting love, tolerance, and respect for human life.

Following the performance was a peace dialogue moderated by Dr Olusola Isola, the Acting Head of the Department of Peace, Security and Humanitarian Studies, University of Ibadan.

Colonel Michael Williams, Acting Director, 2 Division Education Services, drew on lessons passed down from Nigeria’s Civil War, stressing that the responsibility for preventing conflict, including the hate speech that often precedes it, is on individuals.

‘Relating to the play, I think there is a need for young people to understand what it is to be peaceful. War is never the best solution. Peace is always the way forward,’ he urged the audience.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP David Apapa, from the Oyo State Police Command, emphasised that to have peace in the nation, everyone has to be involved in building and keeping it. He cleared the air about misconceptions on the operations of security personnel, noting that they all work together to secure peace in society.

‘We work together and that’s why we’re able to achieve success. It is never the case of it’s the soldiers, it’s the amotekun, or it’s the police. We all work like brothers.’

He admonished the audience to always embrace peace: ‘Peace is always the best. So wherever we can preach peace, let’s have peace’, he concluded.

UI’s Chief Security Officer, Mr Lasisi Oyekanmi, stated that the university’s approach to security always favours dialogue over confrontation. He also cited the sacrifices of people who, in his words, ‘lay down their lives’ to secure the peace the country now enjoys – making it possible for even the audience to be gathered in the theatre that evening.

‘We cannot achieve everything with violence, and we should not be selfish,’ he told the audience.

The moderator, Dr Olusola Ishola, answering a student’s question whether peace solves everything, said: ‘Peace is what you work for continuously; the moment you stop working for peace, then you have a resurgence of violence.’

He concluded the session with a call to the youth: ‘like the drama says, love is all it takes to create peace and to sustain peace. With that, I encourage, especially our young ones, to please get prepared to work for peace. That is the future of the world.’

The Acting Head of the Department of Theatre Arts, Dr ‘Tunde Awosanmi, thanked everyone present and noted that the 140th anniversary of the Kiriji Peace Treaty was celebrated with a symposium at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan earlier in the day.

In this report, YEKINI JIMOH examines the ongoing workplace security campaign and its implications for workers’ welfare, job security and the 2027 political landscape in Kogi State.

As the nation gears up for the 2027 general elections, Kogi State is already witnessing heightened political activities, with organised labour taking a leading role in mobilising workers for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.

The sensitisation campaign, spearheaded by the Special Adviser to Governor Ododo on Labour Matters, Comrade Onuh Edoka, has traversed several local government areas across the three senatorial districts, taking its message of workplace protection, security consciousness, workers’ welfare and political awareness directly to the grassroots.

Held under the theme, ‘Workplace Security: Protection, Sensitisation and Preparedness Against Banditry and Kidnapping,’ the campaign sought to draw workers’ attention not only to the security of their workplaces but also to the need to protect their jobs and welfare by supporting policies they believe promote workers’ interests.

From Okene to Ogori-Magongo, Ankpa, Adavi, Okehi, Dekina, Omala, Bassa, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Yagba East, Yagba West and Mopamuro, workers and labour leaders expressed varying degrees of support for the continuity of the Tinubu and Ododo administrations.

Security and job protection

Speaking during the campaign, Edoka said workplace security had become increasingly important in view of the security challenges confronting society, particularly banditry and kidnapping.

He maintained that security was a collective responsibility requiring the cooperation of government, workers and other stakeholders.

According to him, workers must remain vigilant and security-conscious while also understanding that job security is an essential component of workers’ wellbeing.

‘Security is a collective responsibility, either in the workplace or beyond. Government is committed to providing the leadership and resources, but cannot do it alone.

‘The political will is the foundation of all security progress. Governor Ododo is ready for all-round protection of the people and property. The workers’ job is not an exception,’ he said.

Edoka also urged workers to make informed political choices, arguing that continuity in government was necessary where existing policies and programmes were yielding positive results.

Workers’ welfare takes centre stage

A major component of the campaign has been the presentation of the welfare initiatives of the Ododo administration as evidence of its commitment to workers.

Edoka listed the implementation of the new minimum wage, payment of full salaries to local government workers, full hazard allowances for doctors and other health workers, health insurance coverage for workers and pensioners, promotions and payment of promotion arrears, leave bonuses and the provision of buses for the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and Joint Negotiating Council.

He said the measures had helped create a more conducive working environment and strengthened the relationship between government and organised labour.

The campaign has consequently become not only a security sensitisation exercise but also a platform through which workers are being encouraged to examine the policies and programmes of the present administrations before making their electoral choices in 2027.

Labour backs continuity

The Kogi State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Gabriel Amari, said organised labour’s participation in the campaign was informed by what he described as the verifiable achievements of the Ododo administration.

Amari noted that the governor had taken steps to improve workers’ welfare without necessarily waiting for pressure from labour unions.

He urged workers to sustain the cordial relationship between government and organised labour, saying the existing partnership should be protected.

Similarly, the State Chairman of the Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, Comrade Olusegun Alemeru, said workplace security was directly connected to the wellbeing of workers.

He urged workers to see the 2027 election as an opportunity to make decisions that would protect their jobs and welfare.

The Senior Technical Adviser to the Governor on Urban Development, Chief Godwin Edime, also canvassed continuity, saying the policies of the Tinubu and Ododo administrations should be sustained for the benefit of workers and the wider societyorsements across the councils

The campaign has received strong endorsements from workers and labour leaders in several local government areas. From the western senatorial district to the east and the central, labour leaders including chairmen of Nigeria Union of Teachers, Medical and Health Workers Union, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) among others passed a votes of confidence in Governor Ododo and described the governor’s interventions as a departure from what workers experienced in the past and assured the campaign team of massive support for the governor’s re-election.

The Kogi State President of NULGE, Comrade Muhammad Sanusi Inyanya, described the situation as a moment of celebration for workers, commending Governor Ododo for placing workers’ welfare on the front burner.

A campaign beyond politics

Although the campaign has a clear political undertone, its organisers have continued to present workplace security as its central theme.

Edoka has repeatedly urged workers to remain vigilant against threats such as kidnapping and banditry while encouraging labour unions to speak with one voice.

In Ofu and Ajaokuta, workers pledged their support for Tinubu and Ododo, while the Director of Local Government in Ofu, Mrs Joy Audu, described the engagement as timely.

Across the councils, cultural displays and large gatherings of workers added colour to the engagements, underscoring the campaign’s growing visibility at the grassroots.

The road to 2027

With the campaign now moving across the three senatorial districts, its organisers appear determined to turn workplace engagement into a broader grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.

For the labour unions and workers who have publicly endorsed the administrations, the argument is straightforward: policies affecting salaries, minimum wage, promotions, healthcare, hazard allowances, pensions and general working conditions should be considered alongside broader political issues when deciding who should govern.

For Edoka and his team, therefore, workplace security goes beyond protecting government offices from physical threats. It also encompasses the protection of workers’ livelihoods and the continuity of policies they believe have improved their conditions.

As the 2027 political season gradually gathers momentum, the campaign has provided the Ododo administration with another platform for direct engagement with one of its most important constituencies-the organised workforce.

Whether the endorsements recorded across the local government areas will ultimately translate into electoral strength remains a question for the 2027 polls. But one message has emerged consistently from the campaign trail: Kogi workers want their welfare, job security and relationship with government to remain central to the political conversation.

Mallam Shehu Bankole Hameed is the chairman and coordinator of Team Prosper, an organisation comprising core professionals mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s reelection. In this interaction with KUNLE ODEREMI, speaks on issues surrounding Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, ongoing campaign for the general election, fuel subsidy removal, face-off between Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, and APC governors, among others. Excerpts:

At the threshold of its 66th Independence Day, Nigeria is still battling challenges in many fronts? What do you consider as the encumbrances in the quest by the country to attain nationhood?

It has not been rosy at all. On the economic space, what has been the bane of our past economic managers – military or civilian – has largely been poor understanding of what makes for growth, the utilisation of resources, gross inefficiency in the workforce and the proclivity to mismanagement, including the absence of accountability. Poor judicial process even when we seek to hold the very few ‘unlucky’ ones accountable. On the political side, our experience is intriguing, especially when you study the emergence of three major regions in the First Republic, and how they failed to address the political unity and stability of the country. The incursion of the military into the political space, in the guise of ‘correcting the malaise of corruption’ of the civilian politicians, and the attendant fallouts have continued to affect the quality of political space and [participation in Nigeria.

The quest by the Biafrans for autonomy might have been easily dealt with, but for the covetousness of the seceding polity. When any group of people demand from others what isn’t legally, culturally theirs, there’s bound to be mutual distrust for a long time. As it stands, things haven’t changed, only getting worse for unity. At the recent Abuja discourse, the Igbos made claims to a land that clearly its owners rejected. Which way forward after that, if not distrust and suspicion? This sort of insistence, distrust and unreliability of the geopolitical zones go a long way to affect every policy designed for success. Much energy is dedicated to countering sectional demands, prejudices and stereotypes.

Despite the picture you have painted about Nigeria, the era of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo raised a bright and promising hope and future of a prosperous Nigeria. He was able to lay the foundation for greater heights soon. How come the lofty dreams of the new vista and dawn of the Awo era soon fizzled out?

Chief Awolowo is revered particularly in the South-West (which, in the beginning, was ‘Western’ Nigeria before Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe ensured the breakaway of the now Edo/Delta as Midwest region. The Western region included most of what we now know largely as Lagos State. The federal Capital was mostly Lagos Island, Ikoyi and Victoria Island. The economic and social sustainability of Awolowo’s policies and programmes were anchored on the unfettered access to Education – free Education. I see a pattern with PBAT here with his focus on education anchored by the Minister of Education, Chief (Dr) Tunji Moruf Alausa, CON.

Succeeding generations of our rulers neglected the education sector and the acquisition of skills, which greatly diminished our country’s economic space and limited our capacity for growth. I see a ray of light in the approach of this Education minister and his team; TVET, NELFUND, and the recognition of ASUU as partners in progress. Maybe if this administration’s response is sustained, then Awolowo and his dreams of a decent and developed, well-educated populace may be met soon.

A lot of Nigerians believe the country should have made a more positive effect on the average Nigerian following the return to civil rule in 1999 after a long interregnum of military dictatorship. Indices of mass poverty, severe economic hardship, rural neglect, and other core issues subsist? Why do you think this trend has continued, despite Nigeria’s enormous human and natural endowments?

Let me disagree with your general accusation that the country hasn’t really progressed in almost three decades. I think we have had some noticeable progress in infrastructural development – roads, education sector (number of schools, scholarship and rankings) , financial services industry, and indeed stability in civilian governance, which we like to call democracy. I acknowledge that there are lots of gaps in what ought to be as against what is obtained. This progress must also be measured region by region. The Northern Region, which I belong to, has been battered largely by poor leadership, religious strife, cattle rustling, terrorism and a huge number of out-of-school children. The destruction of the manufacturing base by the Abuja contract-seeking elite, extremely poor access to working capital, insane foreign exchange policy and more. Despite all these shortcomings and stark realities, , there’s real opportunity for growth, if the various divisive rhetoric and politics are curtailed. The constant struggle to find balance among the different interests is a great challenge. Until most of our people decide to forge ahead ignoring the annoying divisive tendencies of a minority group, we may find our path to success strung with pullbacks.

Your party had promised to restore smiles to the faces of the citizens after what many of its leaders termed the era of locusts and misrule of PDP for 16 years? Why has APC reneged on the promise since 2015 when it formed the government at the centre?

This is a good one. First, the major failure of the initial outing with ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, was the stubborn romance with the twin issues of petroleum subsidy and FX subsidy. By skirting around these problematic giveaways, the administration had very little left for development. Another impediment was the way his aides and cronies disregarded his authority; they set up a parallel Aso rock office of the President – if I may call it that. Consequently, the nation suffered from lack of feedback from appointees and the mismanagement of authority and access to the President. However, many of these issues are now being addressed by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. Although gaps still exist in feedback and abuse of access to power, there’s renewed hope.

How do you see ongoing campaigns by the presidential candidates and their political parties as some observers claim are devoid of most of the core issues that have direct impact on the majority of the citizens and the future of Nigeria?

I don’t see any of the parties, including the party in power, truly reflecting what the campaign issues ought to be. The real issues affecting the citizens are poor purchasing power, loss of trust in those governing the country, insecurity, and general distrust of politicians. Notice how the main opposition isn’t different from what was obtained in the last general election. A former ally of (Asiwaju) President Bola Tinubu Asiwaju and a man who has made the pulpit and his tribe is a case study. The former obviously shares many similarities in delivery with his former ally. They both want the subsidy gone, until he now finds convenience in rebuttal with no clear roadmap to success of returning subsidy. Seeking power but not sure if you can truly offer a lasting solution to the gaps that have now clearly exist by the removal of fuel subsidy and that of FX. We need to know how they will tackle the nonchalance of the other subnational levels. The local governments have more financial independence and larger allocations than before, yet little to show for it. The governors now only satisfy themselves by paying wages and salaries on time. Why aren’t we concluded with elections at the gubernatorial and local governments levels?

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu needs to speak to these glaring gaps. He is most likely to win the 2027 election. And to imagine that former Vice President Atiku may win might not be far-fetched, but if he wins, what are his ideas about the performance of the subnationals in his administration? He is not talking about that issue. No one is talking about the levels of poverty occasioned by the fall of naira and the consequent increase in every price of items imaginable. The most important issue is the price of food items.

What is your disposition to the raging brickbat between APC governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the latter’s formation of a rainbow coalition to rally support for Mr President.

The scenario that the President faces in the coming presidential election is bringing back some memories that preceded the 2023 election. Recall that in that election, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari was seen as anti-Asiwaju due to the several moves to create real and artificial hardships: the scarcity of fuel, the ill-advised currency change, the deep-seated hatred by many in the past government of the man, and problem of religion, where majority of the Christians sided with a ‘chosen’ anointed candidate, the issue of Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who showed no qualms in disrespecting the silent but observable understanding of power shift from the North to the South; health challenges whether real or imagined. So, many negatives were lined up against the person of Candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a ray of hope was offered by the group of PDP-(G5) governors, led by His Excellency Nyesom Wike, and the rest is history.

Now, Minister Nyesom Wike has been honest with his intention from the moment he loudly declared that he is a PDP member, who supports the presidency of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Period! Whatever he is doing at this time isn’t different from whatever he did in the past. I will even argue that he single handedly may be responsible for a huge number of positive votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT)more than the entire APC governors. Many of the APC governors aren’t bothered about the reelection of PBAT. This is because they aren’t sure of their own chances. There are a few northern governors, who have openly campaigned for ADC presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; how do you explain that? I support the Honourable Minister Wike and his moves. I hope Allah will guide the PBAT in wisdom to make the best decision.

Why is it difficult for the APC to move against those governors that you claim are working for the opposition candidate?

These governors are known to have performed very poorly, despite all the overly generous revenue from FAAC, so their diabolical move away from the candidacy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is in response to the cry of their people about hardships occasioned by the subsidy removal in petroleum products and in FX, throwing the President under the bus, to save their own chances. APC governors are responding by blaming Minister Wike, rather than facing their poor performance. The party appears held hostage by the governors.

Content creator Hilary Tochukwu has apologized to business mogul Sir Linus Williams, popularly known as B’Lord, over alleged impersonation.

In a statement issued to newsmen in Owerri on Wednesday, Tochukwu said he sincerely apologized to Sir Linus Williams and the entire B’Lord Group team.

He said, ‘I sincerely apologize to him. Sir, Linus Williams popularly known as B’Lord and the entire B’Lord group team.’

Tochukwu also expressed regret over his actions, saying they may have caused confusion, inconvenience, and damage.

He said impersonating another person was wrong and disrespectful, particularly when it involved an individual and a brand.

According to him, he took full responsibility for his actions and regretted misusing Sir Linus Williams’ name and identity.

He said, ‘I know that words cannot undo what happened. But I hope you will accept this apology as a genuine expression of my remorse’.

Tochukwu said he had learned an important lesson from the experience and reiterated that he was sorry for his actions.

He said, ‘Once again, I sincerely apologize to you. Mr. B’ Lord and everyone at the Belord group.’

Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Benin Branch, has called for a faster and more efficient criminal justice system, urging the judiciary to replicate the speedy trial model adopted by the Edo State Special Criminal Court in other serious criminal cases.

The branch chairman, Mr Omorodion Omoigui, made the call in Benin while reacting to the judgment delivered by the Special Court in the kidnapping case arising from the abduction of a woman at the Benin Vegetable Market on June 14, 2026.

Omoigui said the relatively swift determination of the case had demonstrated that criminal trials could be concluded within a reasonable time without compromising due process, fair hearing or the fundamental rights of accused persons.

The Edo State Government established the Special Criminal Court to prosecute kidnapping and cult-related offences, with the court commencing operations on July 1, 2026.

Speaking alongside other executives and members of the Benin NBA, Omoigui stressed that the association was not advocating rushed justice, but a system in which criminal cases were handled efficiently and without avoidable delays.

According to him, the case provided an important lesson that when the judiciary, security agencies, executive authorities and legal practitioners effectively discharge their constitutional and professional responsibilities, the justice system can respond decisively to serious security challenges.

He commended the coordinated efforts of the stakeholders, particularly the security agencies, for their prompt response and investigative work, and urged them to sustain the collaboration to ensure that justice was delivered promptly, fairly and lawfully.

Omoigui reaffirmed the Benin NBA’s commitment to the rule of law, judicial independence and protection of fundamental rights, saying an efficient justice system remained critical to strengthening public confidence and addressing the country’s growing security challenges.