Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Oyo State Government has launched a renewed push to protect gains recorded in the fight against HIV/AIDS, as the Oyo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYSACA) called for increased domestic financing and stronger partnerships to prevent funding challenges from undermining the state’s HIV response.

OYSACA Chairman, Aare (Dr) Gbola Adetunji, made the call at the third-quarter meeting of the Oyo State HIV Resources Mobilisation Technical Working Group and Sustainability Plan Committee in Ibadan.

He said the changing global health financing environment and donor transition had made it urgent for Oyo State to develop sustainable alternatives for financing HIV prevention, testing, treatment, care, and support.

Adetunji said the state could no longer rely predominantly on external support to sustain critical HIV interventions and urged government institutions, local government areas, development partners, civil society organisations, communities, and the private sector to strengthen domestic ownership of the HIV response.

‘Resource mobilisation goes beyond funding or material resources. It includes strategies that will ensure that the HIV response continues to thrive towards ending HIV/AIDS in Oyo State and Nigeria at large,’ he said.

He called for greater involvement of the state’s 33 Local Government Areas in HIV planning, budgeting, and implementation, including integrating HIV priorities into local government development plans and budgets.

While acknowledging progress in HIV testing, treatment linkage, community outreach, advocacy, and service integration, Adetunji urged corporate organisations, foundations, professional bodies, and other non-traditional partners to support HIV prevention, treatment, community mobilisation and health-system strengthening.

Mr Babatunde Makinde, Partner Focal Person and representative of the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, said the state was adopting a coordinated approach anchored on the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint, with emphasis on ‘one voice, one conversation, one plan, and one report.’

He said partners working in similar thematic areas would be encouraged to plan jointly with government programme officers to reduce duplication, improve accountability, and strengthen reporting. Makinde added that preparations for the 2027 Annual Operational Plan had commenced, with government and partners working together to develop a coordinated HIV plan.

Dr Dickson Adetoye, State Team Approach Lead for APIN Public Health Initiatives in Oyo State, disclosed that 10 of 52 APIN-supported facilities had achieved full HIV service integration, while 21 had attained partial integration.

He said the progress followed deliberate interventions, including stronger facility leadership, greater involvement of government health workers, and efforts to ensure that people living with HIV are treated as clients of the entire health facility rather than as beneficiaries of a stand-alone programme.

Adetoye identified service integration, leadership and governance, health financing, and human resources as critical pillars for sustaining the HIV response. He said integration should go beyond relocating ART clinics to involve all health workers in HIV service delivery.

He disclosed that the programme targeted at least 80 per cent integration across all supported facilities by the end of September, although the target had not yet been achieved.

Mr Faith Olawale, Chairman of the Network of People Living with HIV in Oyo State, called for a gradual and inclusive approach to integration. He raised concerns about how integration would work in secondary facilities where HIV, TB, malaria, and other services operate separately and called for systems that would allow clients to access multiple services conveniently.

Olawale also stressed the need to address self-stigma among people living with HIV and prepare them for the changing service-delivery environment by helping them understand that integration would make HIV care part of routine healthcare.

Mr Muideen Isa, representative of the Damien Foundation, called for stronger top-level advocacy with the government to accelerate integration and sustain the HIV response.

Isa urged stakeholders to ensure that roadmaps and recommendations from technical and community-level discussions reach government decision-makers, stressing the need for a clear roadmap, timeline, and milestones for integration.

He said grassroots advocacy remained important, but high-level government engagement was equally necessary to secure policy commitment and ensure that all stakeholders worked toward a common objective.

Children living in communities where electronic waste is routinely dumped and burnt face a significantly higher risk of developing hypertension, a new study has found.

The study revealed that children exposed to e-waste pollution were about four times more likely to develop hypertension, with toxic metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) linked to changes in gut-related metabolic pathways and disruption of the body’s blood pressure regulation.

The findings, published in Environment and Health, highlight growing concerns over the health effects of exposure to pollutants released during e-waste recycling.

Researchers examined the impact of exposure to heavy metals and VOCs from e-waste recycling on children’s blood pressure and found elevated levels of VOCs and metal(loid)s among children living in e-waste recycling areas.

The study involved 426 children without a previous history of hypertension who lived in an e-waste recycling area in China. Conducted in October 2022, the research sought to assess how combined exposure to VOCs and metalloids affected children’s blood pressure and to develop a model for identifying those at risk of hypertension.

Researchers collected fasting urine samples and blood pressure measurements, while demographic and health information was obtained through questionnaires.

The urine samples were analysed for 18 metal(loid)s, including lead, nickel, cadmium and arsenic, as well as metabolites indicating exposure to VOCs such as benzene and styrene derivatives.

A hypertension prevalence of 12.7 per cent was recorded among the children-considerably higher than national estimates.

Further analysis showed significant links between some pollutants and blood pressure. Urinary cobalt and gallium, for instance, were positively associated with systolic blood pressure, while selenium and tin were linked to diastolic blood pressure.

The researchers said the findings were particularly concerning as global e-waste continues to rise, with developing countries bearing much of the burden of recycling and disposal.

During the dismantling, processing and open burning of electronic waste, hazardous substances can be released into the environment, exposing nearby communities to a cocktail of toxic pollutants.

Hypertension remains a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, yet conventional explanations do not fully account for its rising incidence, the researchers noted.

Previous studies have also linked living close to e-waste recycling sites with an increased risk of hypertension, particularly among children.

Early elevation of blood pressure is of particular concern because it can persist into adulthood and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.

Among the major pollutants released during e-waste recycling are VOCs and metalloids, both of which can damage the cardiovascular system.

Researchers suggested that simultaneous exposure to the pollutants could worsen their effects, as they may act through similar pathways, including oxidative stress and other chemical processes that interfere with normal body functions.

Fresh concerns have emerged over the environmental and economic impact of oil operations in Nembe Creek, Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, following a crude oil spill allegedly associated with crude-oil loading operations at a firm’s facility.

The incident has left fishing communities worried over the possible impact on their waterways, mangrove ecosystem and traditional livelihoods.

The development was documented during an on-the-spot assessment conducted by renowned environmental activist and field monitor, Comrade Morris Alagoa, on behalf of the Environmental Conservation Agriculture and Rural Development (ECARD).

Alagoa, who visited the affected area and interacted with community people reported visible crude oil contamination on waterways leading to Nembe Creek and observed crude oil around parts of the community’s waterfront.

His field report, documented testimonies from residents who alleged that the latest incident had severely disrupted fishing and other economic activities.

The overall paramount ruler of the Nembe Creek communities, His Royal Highness Agent Anthony Waya, told Alagoa that residents had suffered several oil-spill incidents since Aiteo took over operations in the area.

Waya alleged that previous spill incidents were not adequately addressed and complained about the absence of relief materials and compensation for affected residents.

He said the latest incident had worsened the economic hardship facing fishermen, who, according to him, now return from overnight fishing expeditions with little or no catch.

The monarch appealed to the government, environmental organisations and other relevant authorities to intervene.

He called for measures to support fishermen whose livelihoods have allegedly been affected by oil operations.

Waya added that the latest spill occurred while crude oil was being loaded into a barge at a manifold.

The community’s women leader, Ebi Otokolo, told Alagoa that the pollution had prevented residents from carrying out their normal fishing activities and had affected their ability to use the river.

Love Mark, vice chairlady of the Nembe Creek women, said she rushed to retrieve her fishing nets after discovering crude oil on the river.

According to her, the nets were contaminated and could no longer be used.

A former youth president of neighbouring Ewelesuo community, Daukoru Benjaka, told Alagoa that residents of the community were concerned about the effect of the spill on their ecosystem and fishing camps.

Benjaka said Ewelesuo residents wanted the community and its fishing camps included in the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) and any subsequent assessment of the environmental damage.

He alleged that fishing activities had already been affected by the pollution..

According to the field report prepared by Alagoa, residents identified numerous communities and fishing settlements as allegedly affected by the spill.

They include Mile 1, Mile 2, Mile 3, Roka, Williamkiri, Atonbarakiri, Korukiri, Madam Wanwakiri, Ewelesuo, Kpongbokiri, Victorkiri, Abuja 1, Abuja 2, Abuja 3, Pipeline 1-4, Kalakububogo, Etikiri, Kenkiamabogo, Atonyekiri, Ogono-Otokolo (Ijawkiri) and Edwinkiri, among others.

After 19 years of neglect and abandonment, the historic Tinubu Square Fountain Park on Lagos Island has been refurbished and upgraded as part of plans to transform the facility into what its managers describe as Lagos State’s first smart park.

The facility managers, Corner47 Group Limited, unveiled the redevelopment plans during a press briefing at the park on Wednesday.

Chief Executive Officer of Corner47, Gbolahan Ogundimu Odusanya, said the project was designed to restore the dignity of the historic monument while making it safer, more functional, educational and accessible to residents and visitors.

Odusanya said the initiative was also aimed at supporting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s vision of a ‘smart, safe and historic Lagos’ and delivering sustainable projects that would benefit the state beyond the current administration.

The fountain was last refurbished in 2007 during the administration of former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but subsequently suffered years of neglect, with the surrounding area increasingly exposed to dumping and street trading.

Explaining the motivation behind the redevelopment, Odusanya said the fountain remained an important legacy of the Lagos State Government and deserved to be preserved and properly maintained.

He said rehabilitation work commenced after Corner47 secured the necessary approvals from relevant state agencies.

According to him, the project followed a directive from the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Tokunbo Wahab, for the company to approach the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) for a partnership.

He said LASPARK subsequently granted provisional approval and guided the company through the process of obtaining the required clearances from other government agencies.

Odusanya said the approval process lasted about nine months because of the number of agencies involved, adding that rehabilitation work commenced immediately after the necessary approvals were obtained.

He said the transformation would include improved lighting, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, renovated walkways, seating facilities and round-the-clock security.

The park, he added, would also feature historical displays and signages designed to educate residents, particularly younger Lagosians, about the history of Lagos and the roles of commerce, culture and its people in shaping the city.

‘Tinubu Fountain Park is not just a park. It is a monument with historical significance-a place that tells the story of commerce, culture and people that shaped Lagos,’ he said.

Odusanya said the approximately 2,000-square-metre facility would also serve as an inclusive public space capable of hosting and supporting activities of the Lagos State Government.

He disclosed that Corner47 was seeking Governor Sanwo-Olu’s approval to engage Nigerian Legionnaires to provide 24-hour security at the facility under its proposed ‘Operation Dignified Service’ initiative.

According to him, the proposal would provide disciplined security personnel for the heritage site while creating dignified employment opportunities for military veterans.

He said Corner47 had initially engaged Kai Marshal for security support, but the organisation indicated that manpower constraints made it difficult to provide dedicated 24-hour coverage for a single heritage site.

On street trading around the facility, Odusanya said the company had engaged traders operating on the walkways and informed them that trading on walkways and public spaces was prohibited under Lagos State laws.

He cited provisions of the Lagos State Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law, 2003; the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Law, 2011; and the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017, as legal bases for the restriction.

He appealed to Lagos residents to support the redevelopment, protect the facility and comply with regulations governing the use of public spaces.

Corner47 proposes housing scheme for abandoned buildings

Beyond the fountain park project, Corner47 has proposed the rehabilitation and conversion of abandoned buildings on Lagos Island into housing units.

Odusanya said the company was ready to pilot the initiative with about 50 identified abandoned buildings in areas including Olowogbowo, Oko-Faji, Lafiaji, Epetedo and Okepopo.

He also identified the abandoned NITEL headquarters building in the TBS area and another building on Berkeley Street, opposite Iya Eba, as potential sites for the initiative.

According to him, the proposal would involve verification, minor rehabilitation and professional facility management of the buildings.

He said the initiative could provide thousands of housing units within six to 12 months without requiring new land acquisition, thereby helping to ease pressure on rents.

Odusanya also argued that returning abandoned buildings to productive use would improve security by reducing spaces vulnerable to vandalism and criminal activities.

He proposed that data from the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASSRA) and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) could be leveraged in implementing the initiative.

He said the model would not only convert abandoned properties into productive assets but could also generate employment, rental income and tax revenue for the government.

Odusanya appealed to the state government to allow Corner47 to present a detailed implementation framework to the Ministries of Housing and Justice for consideration.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has warned that the growing sophistication of artificial intelligence-driven disinformation poses one of the most serious threats to the credibility of Nigeria’s 2027 General Election.

He also called for electoral technology and electoral communication to be treated as a single discipline ahead of the polls.

Prof. Amupitan made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, ACSPN.

The address was delivered on his behalf by National Commissioner, Sani Adam, SAN, at the National Open University Conference Centre.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruption and the New Dynamics of Electoral Communication,’ the INEC Chairman said the Commission’s credibility now rests as much on how information about its processes is understood and trusted as it does on the integrity of the ballot, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and result sheets.

He noted that the deployment of BVAS and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) was designed to close a longstanding credibility gap by allowing citizens to view polling unit results before they could be altered en route to collation.

However, he acknowledged that the 2023 general election showed that such technology could become a source of public doubt when it underperformed.

‘Legitimacy is earned only when systems perform reliably, are well understood, and are explained honestly when they fall short,’ he said.

Prof. Amupitan disclosed that INEC is undertaking a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems, covering system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery planning.

He added that the Commission is also exploring the conduct of a mock presidential election ahead of 2027 to test accreditation, transmission and results viewing under conditions similar to election day.

He confirmed that INEC has proposed a substantial budget for 2027 with significant allocations for technology and election operations, including new accreditation devices to replace those lost or damaged in the last cycle.

While awaiting full release of the funds, he said the Commission’s ICT team has already engaged manufacturers on procurement.

On synthetic and fabricated content, the INEC Chairman said generative artificial intelligence has made it increasingly cheap and difficult to detect manipulated video, audio and imagery.

He cited documented cases of doctored political content during recent electoral cycles in West and East Africa, including footage that circulated during Nigeria’s 2023 presidential contest.

‘Such content could spread to millions of social media users before verification is possible,’ he warned.

‘The danger lies not only in outright fabrication but also in algorithmic microtargeting, which allows conflicting messages to reach narrow segments of the electorate without a shared factual foundation.’

Outlining INEC’s strategy, Prof. Amupitan proposed a five-point approach: integration of technology and communication planning; a dedicated rapid-response capability for countering falsehoods within the same news cycle; pre-emptive public communication about known vulnerabilities and safeguards; deeper partnership with media scholars, fact-checkers and technology platforms; and sustained investment in public media literacy.

He said Nigeria’s 2027 electorate will be younger and more mobile-first than any before it, with the smartphone serving as the primary window through which many voters will experience the election.

‘Solutions adopted elsewhere must be adapted to Nigeria’s own realities of internet access, language diversity and institutional trust. INEC’s response to disinformation would be to provide better and faster information rather than to restrict legitimate journalism or civic dissent,’ he said.

The Chairman commended INEC’s ongoing collaboration with international partners on cybersecurity and system resilience, and invited ACSPN to partner with the Commission on media literacy research, synthetic content detection, and training for journalists and civic educators.

He expressed optimism that the conference would produce a lasting channel of collaboration and reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to strengthening both its technology and transparency as Nigeria approaches 2027.

The Federal Government has been urged to strengthen community ownership and build sustainable systems to support effective Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) interventions across Nigeria.

The call was made in Abuja at a post-SBCC Summit engagement organized by the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), where experts called for SBCC to move beyond fragmented, short-term projects towards coordinated, community-led, and sustainable interventions.

The engagement, themed ‘Collectively Inspiring SBCC in Nigeria,’ followed the recently concluded global SBCC Summit in Panama. It provided an opportunity for practitioners to examine lessons from the summit and consider their application to Nigeria’s health, social, and development needs.

Executive Director of CCSI, Babafunke Fagbemi, said stronger coordination among SBCC practitioners was needed to reduce fragmentation and improve the impact of interventions.

She urged stakeholders to move away from working as isolated organizations and recognize their roles within an interconnected system.

‘If you don’t want a fragmented system, you have to start from a plan, a plan that sees everybody as members playing part of a system,’ Fagbemi said.

Fagbemi also called for global SBCC lessons to be adapted to Nigeria’s local context, saying the country had the expertise and experience needed to develop solutions to its challenges.

‘We want to make sure that we are bringing this back home and we’re not just treating SBCC as a platform. It’s integral to who we are as Nigerians,’ she said.

She identified mindset change as an important part of behavioural transformation and urged Nigerians to take greater responsibility for addressing social challenges.

‘I think first it begins with how we think. So you want to change the way people think. You want to change their mindset,’ she said.

On misinformation and disinformation, Fagbemi advocated community-led approaches built around trusted local structures.

‘Don’t forget that local solutions solve local problems best. We can’t import solutions from outside the country to come and help us find our problems,’ Fagbemi said.

Also speaking, Temidayo Ibitoye of Dinovate said storytelling should be viewed as an intervention that can contribute directly to behavioural change rather than simply a means of packaging messages.

‘Story is not simply told. Story can be the intervention,’ Ibitoye said.

He identified trust as a key factor in behaviour change, noting that people were more likely to respond when communication reflected their realities and experiences.

‘Trust is a currency of behaviour change,’ he said.

Ibitoye urged stakeholders to shift SBCC from short-term projects to sustainable systems by sharing knowledge, tools and lessons.

‘SBCC in Nigeria needs to move from project to system,’ he said, adding, ‘We are not each other’s competition. We are each other’s foundation.’

Wame Jallow of Shuga Global said collaboration was one of the major lessons from the Panama summit, urging practitioners to work together to strengthen the sector.

She said Shuga Global’s storytelling interventions with young people were designed to build agency and support informed decision-making.

‘We started in 2013 in Nigeria and we’ve had five series ever since then and a lot of our intentional work was around building agency for young people to make informed choice,’ Jallow said.

Emmanuel Nwala, Associate Director, Research at the Policy Innovation Center (PIC), called for a systems approach to SBCC, particularly amid changes in the global funding landscape.

‘People are already moving SBCC to systems. So they are applying systems approach other than delivering SBCC as a component, or to go to deliver SBCC to communities,’ Nwala said.

He urged practitioners to make greater use of existing evidence in policy and programme decisions instead of focusing predominantly on generating new research.

‘We need now to move away from producing evidence all the time, to using the available evidence to make informed decisions,’ he said.

Nwala also called for SBCC interventions to be assessed by behavioural outcomes rather than mainly by audience reach.

‘There’s a bridge between how they are reached and how the behaviour itself is being changed and is being measured,’ he said.

On technology, he said artificial intelligence and digital SBCC could support more effective interventions but should remain human-centred.

‘AI and digital SBCC can never replace human-centred design approaches,’ Nwala said, while stressing the need for data protection and culturally appropriate digital solutions.

Roselyn Odeh of the Society for Family Health (SFH) said understanding community beliefs and perceptions should come before the design of SBCC campaigns.

‘We have to find the beliefs before we build a campaign. Quantitative data helps us to test, but it does not give us insights. Real insights can only come when we actually speak to people,’ Odeh said.

She urged practitioners to consider household and community-level influences when designing interventions.

‘If the decision runs through a household, an intervention that is aimed at the girl alone is not adequate,’ she said.

Odeh also advocated Human-Centred Design and stronger community ownership, saying communities should be involved as active participants and co-owners of interventions.

‘We must engage communities as active participants and co-owners, because they do hold valuable knowledge,’ she said.

Halima Buba of SCIDaR similarly urged practitioners to involve communities as partners rather than treating them only as beneficiaries.

‘We need to actually see the beneficiaries as people to collaborate with for whatever intervention that we’re actually committing,’ Buba said.

She cautioned against relying solely on assumptions based on past experience, noting that community realities change over time.

‘To really change behavior, you need to understand where I’m coming from, what matters to me, what are my concerns, what are my issues, from my perspective, from my lens,’ she said.

Buba also called for unconventional voices, including young people, market women and transport workers, to be included in SBCC interventions.

Samson Odukogbe of ARFH said Nigeria’s diversity meant that a single SBCC message could not resonate across all communities.

‘The challenge for Nigeria’s diversity would be the fact that you cannot use one message to resonate across all,’ Odukogbe said.

He urged stakeholders to use existing structures, including religious and community leaders, health professionals, youth groups, social media personalities and content creators, to support behaviour change.

‘We need to leverage on this existing structure just so we can make that impact on the change we want to see in our communities,’ he said.

Foyeke Oyedokun-Adebago of the Population Council called for SBCC to be institutionalised as a core government function rather than remain dependent on individual programmes and donor funding.

‘We need to move beyond programs and start thinking in systems,’ she said.

She identified stronger government structures, sustainable financing, professional capacity, and the integration of behavioural and community-level evidence into government planning as key requirements for institutionalising SBCC.

Oyedokun-Adebago said government units responsible for health education and health promotion needed adequate authority, staffing and technical resources to perform their mandates effectively.

She also called for predictable SBCC financing, saying funding should continue beyond individual projects and donor cycles.

According to her, the success of institutionalisation should be measured by whether the people, knowledge and financial systems established through interventions remain functional after projects end.

‘Whether we truly institutionalize is whether the people, the learning systems, the financial systems are remaining and sustaining that change that the project has brought,’ she said.

The experts agreed that Nigeria already had the human resources, community networks, evidence and creative capacity needed to strengthen SBCC.

They urged the Federal Government to work more closely with communities, civil society organizations, development partners, researchers, media practitioners, educational institutions, and content creators to establish a coordinated and sustainable SBCC ecosystem.

They also stressed the need for Nigeria’s SBCC strategy to combine global knowledge with local realities, build trust, use technology responsibly, and integrate successful interventions into lasting government and community systems rather than allowing them to end with individual projects or funding cycles.

THE governorship election in Osun State which was held on August 15, 2026 was an election of many colours. There were party men who were out to defend their party. But beside the political structures lie the volunteers who contributed within and outside formal structures.

One of such is the effort led by Dr. Akindele Asekunle, which, many will now agree has set the stage for what has been described as the silent story of a critical player From llutitun, Okitipupa local government in Ondo State to the political landscape of Osun State, the story of Dr. Akindele Adekunle is one of political organization, public service, and strategic leadership.

Sometimes, the people who make history are not always the ones standing at the centre of the celebration. Some are the people who quietly build the foundation, organize the structure, mobilize the people, and create the conditions upon which victory becomes possible.

Dr. Akindele Adekunle, originally from llutitun, Okitipupa local government in Ondo State, is one name that has become associated with the political journey and development of a political administration of ‘IMOLE’ in Osun State.

About four years ago, he was appointed as the Caretaker Chairman, at a critical period in the political process that eventually produced the victory of Ademola Adeleke the Osun State Governor.

His role during that period, as the Caretaker Chairman was so significant as he was at the center of political organization and mobilisation that accompanied the electoral victory.

The result was significant, the political structure recorded victories across several legislative constituencies, including nine seats in the House of Representatives, three Senate seats, and seats in the State House of Assembly.

Those victories did not happen in isolation.

Elections are won through people, structures, strategy, organization, communication and sustained grassroots engagement. Behind every major electoral victory are individuals whose contributions may not always receive the attention they deserve.

And that is where the story of Dr. Akindele Adekunle becomes particularly noteworthy.

On August 15, 2026, Osun State again witnessed another important electoral contest, with the incumbent Governor seeking another mandate.

According to the account provided, Dr. Adekunle once again played a significant role in the political process that contributed to the Governor’s victory.

Whether one looks at his earlier involvement or his participation in the latest electoral contest, one theme runs through the story: building and sustaining political structures.

The larger lesson is that political success is rarely created overnight. It is often the product of years of organization, relationships, experience and institutional understanding.

Perhaps the most interesting dimension of Dr. Adekunle’s story is his origin.

He is not originally from Osun State.

He is a son of Ondo State, from llutitun, Okitipupa Local Government. Yet, his political and public-service journey has taken him beyond the boundaries of his immediate community and into the political affairs of another state.

His experience in Osun therefore presents an interesting case study in how leadership experience, political organization and public-service exposure can travel beyond geographical boundaries.

For Ondo State, the story is worth examining-not as a promise of what one individual must do, but as an example of what experience gained elsewhere can potentially bring into conversations about the future of the state.

The story of Dr. Akindele Adekunle is ultimately bigger than one election.

It is a story about experience, political organization, public service and the importance of building foundations before expecting results.

The victories celebrated today are often connected to structures built yesterday.

And sometimes, when history records the people who stood at the front of a victory, it is equally important to remember the people who helped build the foundation upon which that victory stood.

Dr. Akindele Adekunle’s journey-from Ilutitun, Okitipupa local government in Ondo State to a significant role in Osun’s political story-is one that deserves attention, documentation and objective assessment.

The question for the future is not simply where an individual has served before, but what lessons, experience and capacity can be drawn from that journey and brought into the service of the people.

The foundation matters. The experience matters. And the record deserves to be examined

For Ondo State, this is where the story becomes even more important. Leadership is not only about occupying an office; it is about having the experience, capacity, discipline and understanding required to turn opportunities into results. A state like Ondo needs leaders who understand that development is built through people, institutions, planning, accountability and sustained engagement with communities.

Dr. Akindele Adekunle’s experience outside Ondo State should therefore be viewed as an asset worthy of public attention. His political journey in Osun has exposed him to political administration, grassroots mobilization, electoral organization, stakeholder management and the challenges of sustaining political structures. These experiences can provide useful lessons for the future of Ondo State.

Ondo State deserves leaders who can look beyond personal ambition and understand the wider responsibility of leadership. The people need leadership that can connect government with the grassroots, listen to communities, build trust, coordinate people and pursue results with consistency. They need individuals who understand that political structures are not merely instruments for winning elections, but platforms through which citizens can be represented.

This is why people with proven political and organizational experience should matter in the conversation about Ondo State’s future.

Dr. Akindele’s story provides an opportunity for Ondo people to ask important questions:

What has he learned? What capacity has he developed? What leadership lessons can he bring home? How can his experience be translated into better opportunities, stronger institutions and more responsive governance?

Dr. Akindele Adekunle should therefore not be judged merely by where he comes from or the positions he has occupied. His record, experience, relationships, organizational capacity and understanding of public service should be examined on their own merit.

If the experience gained in Osun can be brought back and deployed positively in Ondo State, then Ondo people have reason to pay attention to one of their own.

The time has come for Ondo State to look beyond names and examine competence, experience, character and ability. In that conversation, the story of Dr. Akindele Adekunle deserves a place.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has inaugurated a National Reconciliation and Peace Committee to heal divisions, rebuild trust and unify members ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Committee was inaugurated on Wednesday in Abuja by the National Chairman of the Party, Senator David Mark, who said the move was necessary to address grievances arising from the recently concluded primaries.

‘Today marks an important step in strengthening our Party, healing wounds, rebuilding trust and ensuring that every member of the ADC feels valued and carried along,’ he said.

Mark acknowledged that while the primaries produced winners, they also left behind disappointments.

‘Our recently concluded primaries produced winners, but they also produced disappointments and grievances. These are realities we must acknowledge and address. An election may determine who carries the flag, but it must never determine who belongs to the Party,’ he said.

He urged victorious candidates to avoid exclusion, and called on those who lost to remain committed to the party.

‘Those who did not emerge victorious remain valuable members of the ADC. Their experience, networks, structures and commitment remain important assets. Equally, those who emerged victorious must recognise that victory comes with responsibility. It is not a license to exclude, humiliate or marginalise others.’

‘Our real challenge is not the ADC member who contested against you. Our real challenge is to build a united political platform capable of winning the confidence of Nigerians in 2027.’

Committee’s mandate

The National Chairman said the Committee was established in line with Article 9.1 of the ADC Constitution and Article 6.3 on the party’s ‘Handshake Philosophy’ of building bridges across differences.

The terms of reference include engaging aspirants, candidates and stakeholders in dialogue, discouraging inflammatory statements and litigation, and recommending measures for integrating unsuccessful aspirants into party structures.

‘The Committee shall: Engage aspirants, candidates, party leaders and stakeholders in constructive dialogue to identify grievances, address legitimate concerns and rebuild trust,’ Mark stated.

‘Promote responsible communication and discourage inflammatory statements, unnecessary litigation and actions capable of deepening divisions… Recommend practical m

easures for the integration of unsuccessful aspirants and their supporters into the Party’s structures. No

structure, relationship, experience or commitment developed during the primaries should be wasted.’

He also directed the Committee to establish Zonal Sub-Committees for continuous engagement and monitoring.

‘No internal sabotage, no politics of revenge’

Mark appealed to leaders, state chairmen, zonal coordinators and candidates to support the process and act as ‘ambassadors of reconciliation.’

‘There must be no internal sabotage. No politics of revenge. No permanent winners and no permanent losers. We are one political family,’ he said.

‘The 2027 General Elections will require a disciplined, coordinated and united ADC. We cannot afford to approach that election as a divided house.’

He urged aggrieved members to give reconciliation a chance, successful candidates to extend fellowship, and leaders to lead by example.

‘The ADC must demonstrate internally the kind of Nigeria we seek to build externally: a Nigeria where differences are managed with maturity, diversity is respected and disputes are resolved peacefully,’ Mark added.

‘Members of the Committee, I charge you to build bridges, heal wounds, restore confidence and bring our members together.’

In his acceptance speech, the newly inaugurated Chairman of the ADC National Reconciliation and Peace Committee, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, urged aggrieved members to make sacrifices for the unity of the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Ogbeha said the committee accepts the ‘enormous responsibility’ placed on it and will work to heal wounds caused by the party’s recent primaries.

‘It is with great honour and privilege that, on behalf of members of the committee, that we accept to serve as members of the reconciliation and peace committee of the African Democratic Congress,’ Ogbeha said.

‘We are aware of the enormous responsibility that has been placed on us, and we will do all that is humanly possible to achieve the objectives.’

The former senator said the committee’s mandate goes beyond resolving disputes to rebuilding trust within the party.

‘According to the chairman’s speech, we must listen to their grief, try to reconcile, try to heal the wounds and build trust amongst our members,’ he stated.

‘There is no doubt that injury have been caused in one way or the other through primaries and other working structures in our respective states, but it’s not impossible that these issues can be arrested and will work in the interest of the party.’

Ogbeha appealed to aggrieved members to prioritize the party and the country above personal ambition.

‘What we will require of our members is sacrifice… We will appeal to their grief, that they should consider the sacrifice of the party which is most supreme,’ he said.

‘Both on the members, the aggrieved and the non-aggrieved, we have a responsibility to put our party first, or let me say that we put Nigeria first, then the party and ourselves last.’

The Committee Chairman also called for tolerance, noting that political opportunities will come again.

‘We beg that our aggrieved members should please try to sacrifice to be tolerant, and note that this election is not going to be the last. It’s not going to be the first. If we don’t succeed in what we are looking for this time around, four years is not too long. There will be another opportunity to present yourself,’ Ogbeha said.

He added that the committee will be guided by honesty, transparency and justice in its work.

‘On behalf of members of this committee, I want to say that we uphold the tenets of the oath we have taken. We are going to be honest. We are going to be transparent and as much as possible, do the best we can to reconcile our party, and we ensure that this party is supreme to other individual interest,’ he said.

‘As the chairman has said, our responsibility is not just healing wounds, our responsibility is to ensure that we achieve our objective of changing the narrative in Nigeria by winning the next election.’

Ogbeha assured the party leadership that the committee will ‘do all that it takes to ensure that reconciliation and peace are achieved… with due diligence, with the fear of God, and the interest of the country and party.’

He thanked the National Chairman, and the National Working Committee (NWC) for the confidence reposed in the committee.

Also in the committee are Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor – (South-South, Deputy Chairman); Dr Ahmad Ajuji (North-East, Member); Barr Musa Elayo (North Central, Member); Senator Andrew Uchendu (South-South, Member); Dr Bon Unachukwu (South-Easth, Member); Mr. Kunle Ige (South-West, Member); Hon. Hajia Rabi Sule (North-East, Member); Hon. Abubakar Kanike; A. Peter Oyewale Esq. (Secretary); Isaac Dare Oketade (Deputy Secretary); and six Zonal Legal Advisers who will liaise in their respective zones.

NOTWITHSTANDING the upload of the particulars of the different political parties on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), internal squabbles have continued to fester in the state chapters of political parties.

Investigations by our correspondents confirmed that crises have continued to rock state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Social Democratic Party (SP), as rival claimants to the governorship seats have emerged in some states.

Aside from the crisis rocking the APC chapters in Oyo, Kwara and Ondo States over the determination of gubernatorial and National Assembly candidates, the SDP, ADC and NDC have also been experiencing crises in different state chapters.

On Sunday, the National Chairman of the NDC, Moses Zuwoghe, accused the INEC of instigating crises in some of its state chapters by replacing candidate names with ‘unknown persons.’

Though the electoral commission has since denied the allegation, further crisis on Tuesday erupted in Oyo State chapters of the SDP and the ADC.

A protest was undertaken by some members of the ADC who denied Chief Adegboyega Adegoke as the governorship candidate of the party. INEC has since uploaded Adegboyega as the authentic ADC candidate.

Also in the Oyo State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SP), a battle for the governorship seat erupted after the name of the governorship candidate was uploaded by the electoral commission.

According to INEC, Chief Michael Okunlade was the authentic governorship candidate whose name had been uploaded on the portal, while another candidate, Saheed Oladele, had laid claim to the ticket.

Oyo ADC members storm INEC office, reject Adegoke as guber candidate

Some members of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Oyo State under the auspices of ADC-Nigeria Must Survive, ADC-NMS, on Tuesday stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Agodi, Ibadan, to protest the upload of the name of Chief Adegboyega Adegoke as the party’s gubernatorial candidate.

The protesters during the protest said Adegoke was not accepted by members of the party.

Recall that the name of Adegoke was uploaded on the INEC portal amid an ongoing court case instituted by Dr. Gbemileke Alagbe, popularly known as Eleniyan.

The protesters, drawn from across the 33 local government areas of the state, marched with placards bearing inscriptions such as ‘Say No To Imposition In ADC Oyo, INEC, Obey 2026 Electoral Act’, ‘Our Mandate Is Not For Sale’ and ‘We Stand With Eleniyan and Aborisade.’

The party members during the protest submitted a petition to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Oyo State.

In the petition, the protesters demanded the immediate withdrawal of Adegoke’s name from the INEC portal pending the court’s decision in three weeks.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the Oyo State Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bimpe Adelowo, said the party was protesting against what she described as ‘shenanigans in the handling of Form EC9 of the candidate.’

The ADC member said that on May 23, 2026, the party conducted primary elections across the state. According to him, the National Organising Secretary, who is constitutionally empowered to conduct the primaries, performed the duty and duly notified INEC. A copy was also sent to the REC in Oyo State.

Adelowo alleged that the list later displayed by INEC was submitted through a hard-copy letter by national officials of the party, which she said was contrary to the Electoral Act.

He noted that the protest was meant to alert the commission and the public that the uploaded name did not reflect the choice of party members.

‘Since we are the legitimate structure recognised by INEC, we interfaced with them. INEC mobilised its officials to monitor both the National Assembly and governorship primaries and turned in their reports.

‘In the course of this, Dr. Gbemileke Alagbe emerged as the winner of that primary election. Other candidates also emerged, including Festus Adewale Adegoke for Oyo Central Senatorial District, Lukman Adetunji for Oyo South and Ahmed Solomon for Oyo North. All their names were filed with INEC, and the EOs of various local governments also filed their reports.

‘We don’t have factions. We are the legitimate structure recognised by the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal. It is just for everybody to comply with what the court says.

‘What INEC has on its portal is not the name of the authentic candidate of the party. It is a name forced on us. The members have rejected him. You cannot give us a candidate we did not choose,’ Adelowo said.

Receiving the petition, the Head of Department, Legal Services, Oyo INEC, Adeniyi Lawal, assured the protesters that their grievances would be communicated to the INEC headquarters in Abuja for necessary action.

Lawal added that primary elections are party affairs that must be resolved internally.

He, however, urged the aggrieved members to be patient and await the court judgment in three weeks, when the court will have the final say on who will be the candidate of the party.

Oyo SDP disowns ‘guber candidate’

The controversy over the governorship ticket of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State deepened on Tuesday as the state chairman of the party disowned a member of the party, Saheed Oladele, declaring that he is not the governorship candidate of the party for the 2027 election.

The state chairman, Hon. Michael Okunlade, who issued the disclaimer, said that Oladele was not recognised as the party’s candidate.

Okunlade, in a brief telephone interview with the Nigerian Tribune, described Oladele’s continued claim to the ticket as unacceptable, warning that the party could take legal action against him if he persisted.

He said: ‘Saheed Oladele is not the candidate of the SDP. If he continues to parade himself as the governorship candidate of the party, we will have no choice but to make him face the law.’

The chairman urged members of the public and political observers seeking clarification on the matter to verify the candidate recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

‘Let the public go to the INEC portal and verify who the candidate of the SDP is. That is the best way to establish the truth,’ Okunlade said.

Candidates’ lists: LP blames intra-party disputes on illegal substitution of names of winners

The Labour Party (LP) has, however, blamed some political parties for the internal disputes arising from the publication of the names of governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates for the 2027 polls by INEC.

The party said on Tuesday that the crisis was caused by ‘illegal substitution of names.’

The National Publicity Secretary, Mr Ken Asogwa, who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune in an interview, said that the development seemed to stem from the illegal acts of party leaders who allegedly subverted the interest of the original winners.

He, however, said that the LP was free of such squabbles, as, according to him, the party did not engage in such practices.

He said: ‘The Labour Party has no internal dispute regarding the publication by the INEC of the lists of gubernatorial and State House of Assembly candidates.

‘Political parties that are currently embroiled in such disputes are those that engaged in the illegal substitution of candidates who emerged victorious from their respective party primaries.’

He added: ‘For the avoidance of doubt, the Labour Party has only a few issues concerning the non-publication of the names of candidates who were duly uploaded on the INEC portal.

‘The party is currently engaging the Commission with a view to resolving these issues.

‘We remain hopeful that the electoral body will give due consideration to our appeal and do justice to the affected candidates.’

SDP expresses satisfaction with INEC over list of governorship, state assembly candidates

The national secretariat of the SDP, however, said that it was satisfied with the upload of candidates for the governorship and House of Assembly on the INEC portal.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Rufus Ayenigba, who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja, declared that the Party was satisfied with the list across the States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja.

According to him, our great Party, ‘the SDP has no issues with the list of our 2027 Governorship and State Assembly candidates as released by INEC.

He said: ‘The names of all our nominated candidates in the states were correctly listed as submitted by the Party.

‘There are no rumblings or crises in the state chapters of the SDP as a result of the list of candidates released by INEC’

NDC accuses INEC of complicity

The National Chairman of the NDC, Moses Zuwoghe, has, however, accused INEC of complicity in the substitution of names of its candidates.

He said: ‘The NDC, totally condemns the action of the INEC and its officials over the uploading and publication of unauthorised names in various constituencies, principally in the Anambra State House of Assembly, home state of our presidential candidate, Peter Obi, where 10 names unknown to the party; names not authorised by the party; names not sent by the party to INEC, in accordance with the law, have now been uploaded and published as candidates of the party.’

INEC to NDC: Your candidates’ substitution allegations are untrue

In a quick response to the NDC on Tuesday, the electoral commission, INEC, dismissed allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), insisting that it never smuggled’ nor substituted the party’s validly nominated candidates for State House of Assembly seats in Anambra and Benue States.

In a statement signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), the Commission described the claims as ‘un-founded.’

‘The Commission has noted a statement by the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) alleging that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) removed the party’s validly nominated candidates for certain State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra and Benue States and replaced them with unauthorised names. The Commission states that these allegations are unfounded,’ the statement said.

INEC said it has no legal power to select, insert or substitute candidates for any political party.

‘Candidate nomination is, by law, the exclusive responsibility of political parties. INEC has no legal authority to select, insert, or substitute a candidate for any party. Monitoring a party’s primary is a statutory oversight function only and confers no power on INEC to choose or impose a candidate,’ Haruna stated.

The Commission explained the process used for candidate nomination ahead of the 2027 elections.

‘Ahead of the 2027 election, all 22 registered parties designated two technically trained officers to handle their nomination process, following training organised by the Commission. Thereafter, the portal access codes were issued directly and in person to each party’s National Chairman, and not by proxy,’ it said

‘Lists of candidates were generated for each party as submitted by the party, jointly signed by the National Chairmen and National Secretaries of the party, submitting Form EC9 series (A-G). Therefore, any claim that the Commission independently uploaded or altered candidate information is unfounded and untrue.’

According to INEC, it has the NDCs duly signed nomination forms.

‘As a matter of fact, the Commission has in its possession Form EC9E where these candidates were listed and submitted to the Commission duly signed by the National Chairman and the National Secretary of the party,’ the statement added.

INEC reiterated its commitment to transparency and fairness ahead of the 2027 general election.

The crisis in the Allied People’s Movement (APM) has deepened as the zonal vice-chairman of the party, Musibau Olayiwola, instituted a suit at the Federal High Court, Ibadan, challenging the national convention of the party held in Bauchi.

Apart from this, 33 candidates who emerged from the primary election conducted for the local government elections scheduled to take place in Oyo State in December have also approached the same court over an alleged attempt to conduct a fresh primary in the state.

In the suit, Hon. Bisi Akande and 32 others are seeking a court order to stop the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) from monitoring any other primary by the APM for the forthcoming local government elections in Oyo State, having been duly elected as candidates in a primary election conducted by their party.

However, the suit filed by the zonal vice-chairman of the party is seeking the nullification of the APM’s national convention recently held in Bauchi and calling for a fresh convention that will give him the opportunity to participate.

The two suits, which came before Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court 1, Ibadan, on Wednesday, were adjourned for hearing on Monday, September 21, 2026.

Olayiwola, in the originating summons marked FHC/IB/CS/101/26, sued the APM, Yusuff Mamman Dantalle, the national chairman; Oyadeyi Ayodele Adebayo, the national secretary; the chairman of the planning committee for the national convention; and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Represented by Monday Mawah and Joseph Simon, the plaintiff is asking the court to determine whether ‘upon a proper and dispassionate construction of the provision of Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Article 8 and 11 of the Allied People’s Movement party Constitution, and every other relevant laws, the plaintiff who was elected as the zonal chairman from the zonal congress held on the 23 May, 2026, is not entitled to be given nomination forms in order for him to be ratified at the General/National Convention of the party slated for 12 and 13 August, 2026 in Bauchi state.

‘Whether the refusal or failure to give the plaintiff nomination forms in order for him to be ratified at the convention, does not violate his right to hold office within the party’.

Olayiwola’s grounds of application included the fact that he and other persons ’emerged from the duly conducted zonal congress of the party in accordance with the party’s constitution; that the said congresses were conducted in strict compliance with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the APM Constitution, and guidelines of the party.

‘That the lists of everyone that emerged from the said congresses including the name of the plaintiff were submitted to the national body of the party and the INEC as 5th defendant; that everyone that emerged was given nomination forms in order for their position to be ratified at the General/National Convention; and that despite all efforts to obtain his nomination form, the party has denied me the right to obtain the form; that without the form, his position as Zonal Chairman will not be ratified, and it will clearly violate his right under the party and under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigerian 1999 (As Amended)’, claimed the plaintiff.

In the suit filed by the applicants in respect of the local government election, dated August 10, 2026, the 33 applicants informed the court that a primary election was held on August 3, 2026, where candidates for the local government election emerged.

‘After the first primary of 3rd August, 2026, in which the emerged, the stakeholders felt uncomfortable and approached the OYSIEC to hold another primary against the party guidelines which says that two candidates cannot be sponsored for the same position when one had already emerged as the candidate and OYSIEC actually monitored it.

‘Thus, the APM 33 local government candidates are asking the court to stop OYSIEC from monitoring fresh primary as their names have emerged from the first primary and submitted to the OYSIEC by appropriate quarter’.