Category: Nigerian Tribune

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has explained how he worked behind the scenes to secure Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke’s continued support for President Bola Tinubu after the governor’s victory in the 2026 Osun State governorship election.

Wike said his main concern during the election was whether Adeleke, who was then a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would continue to support Tinubu if he won the election.

Speaking during a media chat, Wike said Adeleke had moved to the Accord Party during the PDP crisis to secure his ticket.

He said he was not in Nigeria during the election but was more interested in knowing whether Adeleke would keep his promise to support Tinubu.

‘There are facts. ADC is there. Accord is there. They said I supported Adeleke. Adeleke was in PDP, PDP had crisis.

‘He moved to Accord so that he would be able to get his ticket.

‘And that election, I was not in Nigeria. I was in service country, I was not in Nigeria during the election.

‘My concern, if Adeleke wins, will he still support Mr. President?’

Wike said he called Adeleke and asked him to confirm whether he would maintain his support for Tinubu if he won the election.

‘And I called him, because that’s my own interest. I called him, I said listen: ‘You have told me you support Mr. President. Are you going to keep to it?’ He said he was going to keep to it. I said okay.

‘I wish him good luck. I don’t need to go to Osun.’

According to Wike, his support for Adeleke was not aimed at opposing the Federal Government or the President.

He said if the Federal Government had been fighting Adeleke, he would have become involved, but that he was not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

‘And that was why in the last media chat I said listen: ‘If Federal Government was fighting Adeleke, Federal Government…’ There is no way I will not be involved. Federal Government!

‘But if APC is fighting Adeleke, I’m not a member of APC. I’m coming. Don’t raise your hand now, I’m coming. Don’t spoil this election now, it’s an election.’

Wike said his broader strategy was focused on ensuring Tinubu’s success, while also making sure Adeleke kept his word after winning the election.

‘Every day I sit, my strategy, my thinking: how will President win this election? Now after that election, go on record, go and ask Adeleke.’

He said he contacted Adeleke while he was in Croatia and reminded him of his promise to support Tinubu.

‘I told Adeleke, I called him when I was in Croatia. I said: ‘You told me you support Mr. President.’ He said yes. ‘Now you have won, issue a statement.

‘Issue a statement that you still will support Mr. President, and thanking him for a free and fair election.’ I!’

Wike added that he did not seek recognition from either Adeleke or Tinubu for his role.

‘I don’t need to go and tell anybody. I don’t need to go and tell Mr. President. I don’t need to.’

He also said he advised Adeleke to present his certificate of return to Tinubu after the election.

‘I don’t need to call Mr. President, ‘I want to…’ No, I don’t need that. It is my job.’

Wike explained that his strategy was also aimed at stopping politicians from using the situation to seek favours from the President.

‘Why was that strategy? To knock off these people you call politicians coming to the… to come and curry favor. When Adeleke issued that statement, ADC withdrew.’

Adeleke went on to win the Osun State governorship election, while Wike said the developments that followed the victory were part of his effort to ensure that the governor maintained his stated support for Tinubu.

Born on 24 October, 1927 at Oja’ba, Ibadan, Oyo State. He was a member of the Olupoyi chieftaincy ruling house.

Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu was an aristocratic power broker in Oyo State, Nigeria.

Adedibu entered politics in the 1950s, when he became a member of the Ibadan People’s Party, and then joined the Action Group under Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Later he was a member of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) led by Chiefs Adisa Akinloye and Richard Akinjide.

He was a formidable force in the Nigerian politics. He backed the candidature of several Nigerian politicians and earned them victories. His brand of politics was described as a blend of populism.

It was said that nobody assumed any political post in Oyo State without Adedibu’s approval, leading to him being called ‘the strong man of Ibadan politics.’

His son, Kamorudeen Adekunle Adedibu, was elected Senator for Oyo South in April 2007.

Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Akanji Adedibu died on 11 June, 2008.

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, has argued that being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) does not automatically disqualify a person from participating in political campaigns or canvassing for votes.

Wike made the assertion on Wednesday during his routine monthly media parley in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, monitored in Abuja, while defending the inclusion of individuals facing allegations or investigations in political campaign structures.

His comments followed controversy over the inclusion of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, in the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign structure for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

Edu was listed as Director of Women Mobilisation in the APC Presidential Campaign Council. She was suspended by President Tinubu in January 2024 following allegations of financial impropriety and was subsequently investigated by the EFCC.

Wike questioned the basis for excluding a person from campaigning simply because the individual was being investigated, particularly where no conviction had been established.

‘You were asking the moral justification of putting someone who has an EFCC case to be in a campaign council. And I was just watching the lady. The lady doesn’t even know what to say,’ Wike said.

He added: ‘Now, somebody cannot be in a campaign to canvass for votes for a particular person, but somebody who has an EFCC case can contest an election and win an election?’

The Minister said there had been instances in which individuals facing criminal allegations or court cases contested elections and emerged victorious.

‘This person had an EFCC case in court, charged to court. He contested an election and became a governor,’ he said, without identifying the individual.

Wike also took his argument further, saying even a person serving a prison sentence could express political support for a candidate and canvass votes through others.

‘Listen. Even a prisoner, maybe they have somebody in prison. I go and visit the person. The person can tell me, ‘My brother, I want you to support so-and-so candidate.’ A prisoner has canvassed for vote,’ he said.

The Minister also referred to an unnamed individual allegedly linked to a coup plot, questioning the criticism generated when such a person was said to have supported a political candidate.

‘I was watching, when Channels, when Sunrise, who came up to say, ‘Ah, how can somebody who’s being looked for as a coup plotter is now canvassing for votes for so-and-so government?’ Somebody EFCC is looking for is now canvassing for votes for so-and-so person,’ Wike said.

He maintained that an ongoing investigation should not, by itself, prevent a political party or candidate from accepting an individual’s support during an election campaign.

‘But a party, or a candidate cannot, simply because EFCC is investigating the person, cannot be a member of the campaign council to campaign for votes,’ he said.

Imo State Government has warned owners of private schools in the state to immediately stop all forms of extortion and arbitrary charges imposed on parents and students.

Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, Prof. Bernard-Thompson O. Ikegwuoha, issued the warning after a tripartite meeting in his office to review new rules and regulations being introduced for private schools in the state.

Ikegwuoha specifically warned that private schools must not demand items such as toilet rolls, cutlasses, hoes and other materials as conditions for admission into Junior Secondary School One (JSS1) and Senior Secondary School One (SSS1).

The commissioner, who insisted that the practice had been banned, threatened to revoke or withdraw the licences and approval letters of schools that violated the directive.

He advised school proprietors to make things easier for parents as the new academic session begins on September 14, 2026.

He said, ‘This practice is banned with immediate effect. Violators will have their licence/approval letters revoked and withdrawn.’

The commissioner also directed that parents should not be compelled to purchase textbooks for now, saying a joint committee comprising proprietors of private schools, the management of the State Education Management Board (SEMB) and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had been constituted to agree on standardised textbook prices across the state.

He said the review would cover subjects including English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Agricultural Science, Computer Studies and Solar Repairs, among others.

‘The price reviews are for the following subjects, but not limited to: English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Agricultural Science, Computer, Solar Repairs, etc,’ he said.

Ikegwuoha said the approved prices would be announced to the public after the joint committee submits its recommendations to the ministry.

He insisted that, pending the conclusion of the process, no parent should pay for textbooks from any list issued by proprietors of private schools, head teachers or principals of public primary and secondary schools in the state.

On school fees and levies, the commissioner directed all schools to issue receipts for tuition fees, with every other levy separately itemised on the receipt to promote transparency and accountability.

‘Parents must demand this information from the management of the schools where your children attend. PTA levies in private primary and secondary schools must be determined by two parents and a teacher only,’ he said.

He added that accounts for Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) funds must have two parents and one teacher as signatories, stressing that proprietors should no longer control or determine how PTA funds are spent without the approval of the association.

‘It is now agreed with the proprietors of private schools and public schools that it will be the PTA, and not the proprietors, that will decide how and on what the PTA money collected will be spent. Proprietors of private schools can no longer make that determination for the parents,’ he said.

On examination fees, Ikegwuoha said registration fees for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO) and other external examinations must be uniform across public and private schools.

He said principals and head teachers would no longer be allowed to fix examination fees based on their schools’ preferred charges, profits or other financial considerations.

The commissioner maintained that there would be no further arbitrary or indiscriminate charging of examination registration fees for individual examinations across schools in Imo.

The Kano State Hisbah Board says it has arrested more than 80 youths during a morality enforcement operation conducted across several parts of Kano metropolis.

The arrests were made during coordinated raids by officers of the board attached to the Kano Municipal Area Command as part of efforts to curb behaviours considered contrary to public decency.

Area Commander of the command, Malam Hamidan Tanko Alasaka, disclosed this on Wednesday, saying the operation targeted locations where officers identified alleged cases of indecent dressing and other conduct deemed inconsistent with the moral and cultural values of the state.

According to him, the suspects were apprehended at different locations during routine patrols and enforcement exercises across the metropolis.

Alasaka said the arrested youths would undergo appropriate screening, after which further action would be taken in accordance with the board’s established procedures.

He stressed that the Hisbah Board remained committed to promoting discipline and safeguarding public morality in the state.

The commander added that the board would sustain similar enforcement operations as part of measures to discourage social vices and preserve ethical standards across Kano.

He urged residents to support efforts aimed at maintaining public decency and promoting responsible behaviour within communities.

Delta State Head of Service, Dr. Mrs. Mininim Oseji, has advised civil servants and other workers to prepare for retirement from the early stages of their careers, stressing that financial security is determined not merely by income but by effective financial management.

Speaking at the Annual General Meeting and Public Lecture of the University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association, the Head of Service urged workers to cultivate a savings culture and invest in legitimate ventures such as real estate, treasury bills, agribusiness, writing, publishing and other income-generating activities.

‘There is money everywhere. Don’t wait until you are about to retire,’ Oseji said, warning workers against delaying retirement planning until their final years in service.

She also cautioned public servants against corruption, stressing that financial pressure should never be an excuse for compromising integrity.

‘If you like, give them more money, they will still be broke,’ she said, emphasising the importance of financial counselling, discipline and responsible wealth management.

Oseji further encouraged younger professionals to acquire relevant skills and look beyond government employment, noting that entrepreneurship, professional services, agriculture, volunteer work and other productive ventures could provide sustainable opportunities.

In another presentation titled ‘How to Live Well After Retirement,’ Mr. Solomon Ehikwe observed that many people spend their working years accumulating wealth only to expend their retirement resources treating health conditions.

He stressed that retirement could be an enjoyable and productive phase of life when workers prepared adequately and adjusted their lifestyles appropriately.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Chairman of the association, Mrs. Stella Macaulay, said, ‘Retirement should not be seen as the end of productivity or relevance, but as the beginning of another meaningful chapter of life,’ linking the theme of the lecture to the need for individuals to prepare adequately for life beyond active service.

She urged members and participants to prioritise their health, make sound financial decisions and remain purposefully engaged in their families, professions and communities.

She said her administration was committed to moving the association beyond routine meetings and social gatherings to a platform capable of delivering meaningful value to members and the wider society.

She said the branch would, in the next one year, focus on strengthening member participation, improving communication and welfare programmes, promoting professional and business networking, encouraging knowledge-sharing across generations and developing initiatives that would have a tangible impact.

‘Our collective strength is our greatest asset,’ Macaulay declared, urging members to contribute ideas, resources and constructive support towards the advancement of the association.

The Chairman expressed appreciation to the keynote speaker, Delta State Head of Service, Dr. Mrs. Mininim Oseji, for sharing her experience and insights on financial stability and retirement planning.

She also acknowledged the Special Guest of Honour, Engr. Kenneth Preyor, Chairman, House Committee on Works/Special Projects, Delta State House of Assembly and Member representing Bomadi Constituency, as well as the Royal Father of the Day, HRM Jackson Angalabiri, Egbain II of Kumbowei Kingdom, Delta State.

The event featured a free medical outreach where participants received blood pressure screening and health education on preventive healthcare and healthy lifestyles.

A medical practitioner, Dr. Danny Odianose, advised adults to make regular blood pressure checks a priority, noting that early detection remained critical to preventing serious health complications. He identified family history, smoking, alcohol consumption, stressful work conditions and inadequate sleep among factors associated with hypertension.

The Vice Chairman and Executive Assistant to the Delta Governor on Health Monitoring, Dr. Christopher Otene, who led the medical team, joined health practitioners in sensitising participants on the importance of preventive healthcare.

A Professor of Agricultural Economics at Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Professor Taibat Moji Yusuf, has called for reforms to remove structural barriers limiting women’s participation in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

Professor Yusuf made the call on Wednesday while delivering the 23rd inaugural lecture of the institution, titled ‘Empowering Women Farmers in Nigeria: Closing the Gender Gap for Agricultural Transformation and Food Security.’

Drawing on more than three decades of field-based research, the inaugural lecturer said empowering women farmers was critical to improving agricultural productivity, strengthening food security, and reducing poverty across the country.

She urged the government to reform inheritance laws to guarantee women’s rights to own and inherit land regardless of their marital status, while promoting joint land ownership for married couples.

According to her, discriminatory land ownership practices remain a major obstacle to women farmers’ access to credit, agricultural inputs, and other productive resources.

She also called for expanded gender-inclusive agricultural financing through microcredit schemes that do not require land as collateral.

Professor Yusuf said financial institutions should develop agricultural loan products tailored to the needs of women farmers and expand digital financial services to reach women in remote rural communities.

The varsity don also called for reforms in agricultural extension services, including the recruitment of more female extension agents, flexible training schedules that accommodate women’s domestic responsibilities, and the use of mobile platforms to provide agricultural advisory services in local languages.

She added that investment in rural water supply, electricity, and childcare infrastructure would reduce the burden of unpaid domestic labor on women and give them more time for farming and agribusiness.

She also recommended greater access to mechanized processing equipment and other labor-saving technologies designed around the operational needs of women farmers.

Professor Yusuf stressed the importance of adult literacy, agricultural training, and cooperative organizations in improving women’s management skills, technology adoption, and bargaining power.

The inaugural lecturer called for policies to support income diversification through off-farm employment, agro-processing, and entrepreneurship. She noted that improved roads, electricity, and information and communication technology would help rural households withstand agricultural shocks.

She further urged the government and private sector to expand contract farming and credit programs through public-private partnerships, particularly schemes that provide farmers with reliable markets, inputs, and financing.

She also advocated investment in post-harvest storage, transportation, cold-chain facilities, and market information systems to reduce food losses and enable women farmers to derive greater value from their produce.

Professor Yusuf recommended the mainstreaming of eco-friendly agricultural technologies, particularly moringa-based bio-organic fertilizer, through agricultural extension services, cooperative production networks, and soil fertility programs.

She urged communities to promote moringa cultivation to ensure steady supplies of raw materials for the production of the organic fertilizer.

On policymaking, she called for mandatory gender impact assessments for agricultural development programs and policies, alongside greater representation of women on policy committees, agricultural boards, and farmers’ unions.

She also advocated dedicated budgetary provisions for gender-responsive agricultural investments and stronger monitoring mechanisms to assess their impact.

Addressing poverty and food insecurity, Professor Yusuf said agricultural policies must be integrated with national poverty reduction strategies because food security could not be achieved separately from employment, education, and healthcare.

She noted that with an estimated 140 million Nigerians living below the poverty line, coordinated action across sectors had become urgent.

She added that closing the gender gap in agriculture was not merely a question of fairness but an essential strategy for transforming Nigeria’s agricultural economy and improving national food security

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at the 51st Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN), themed, ‘Re-imagining Eye Care in the Digital Era.’

Salako said the government was leveraging digital technologies, including tele-ophthalmology, remote screening, smartphone-based cameras, digital diagnostic tools and artificial intelligence, to extend eye-care services beyond tertiary hospitals to primary healthcare centres and underserved rural communities.

He said the expansion was being undertaken through the DigiBola 2.0 programme under the Renew Hope HealthConnect initiative.

According to him, nearly two million Nigerians have already been screened under the initiative, while more than 1.3 million people have received free reading glasses.

‘Digital transformation is no longer a futuristic vision. It is now an active and indispensable tool for expanding access, improving clinical outcomes, and eliminating avoidable blindness across our nation,’ the minister said.

He urged ophthalmologists, technology developers and other stakeholders to develop affordable digital solutions capable of functioning in low-resource and off-grid communities, warning that technology must not deepen existing inequalities in access to healthcare.

Salako also called for increased research and policy collaboration to strengthen national eye-health data and develop appropriate ethical frameworks for the use of artificial intelligence in clinical practice.

The President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Afekhide Ernest Omoti, said emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, telemedicine, advanced diagnostics and data-driven clinical practice could transform eye care by making services more accessible, efficient and patient-centred.

He, however, cautioned that technological advancement must be accompanied by strong professional ethics, patient safety and equity.

‘As we embrace innovation, we must remain firmly anchored on professional ethics, patient safety, equity, human dignity and higher standards of clinical practice,’ Omoti said.

He urged stakeholders to deploy technology to bridge gaps in eye-care access, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Health, Dr. Amos Magaji, who represented the Speaker of the House of Representatives, called for the integration of eye care into primary healthcare to enable Nigerians to access basic services closer to their homes.

Magaji said the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund should be deployed to strengthen primary healthcare centres for basic eye screening, early detection, treatment of common eye conditions, health education and referral.

He also expressed concern over the growing effects of prolonged exposure to digital screens, particularly among children, young people and professionals.

‘The increasing use of smartphones, computers, tablets, and other display screen equipment is contributing to digital eye strain, dry eyes, blurred vision, headache, and visual discomfort,’ he said.

The lawmaker also advocated stronger regulation of ophthalmic technologies and digital health platforms, stressing that technological innovation must remain subject to ethical standards and patient-safety considerations.

‘The future of eye care is not technology alone. It is technology guided by ethics, regulated in the public interest, delivered by health professionals, and centred on the dignity of our patients,’ Magaji said.

The President of the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria, Dr. Gloria Patrick-Ferife, said the country must adopt technology that is affordable, sustainable and equitable, particularly for people who remain underserved.

Patrick-Ferife disclosed that more than 24 million Nigerians were living with sight loss, with 84 per cent of the burden attributed to preventable and avoidable causes.

‘Our job as Ophthalmologists and leaders of the Eye Care Team is to address the over 24 million Nigerians currently living with sight loss, 84 per cent of which is due to preventable and avoidable causes,’ she said.

She called for stronger collaboration among ophthalmologists, optometrists, ophthalmic nurses, opticians and other members of the eye-care team to confront the country’s growing eye-health burden.

The conference planning committee chairperson, Prof. Regina Morgan, said digital tools should be deployed to expand access to eye care while preserving the human element of medical practice.

Morgan identified cataract backlogs, glaucoma-related blindness, childhood visual impairment and inadequate manpower as persistent challenges confronting eye care in Nigeria and across Africa.

‘How do we leverage digital tools not to replace the human touch, but rather to expand our reach, improve accuracy, and make eye care more accessible, affordable, and excellent?’ she asked.

She also raised concerns over burnout and brain drain among healthcare workers, stressing that the wellbeing of medical professionals remained critical to quality healthcare delivery.

‘If we are to deliver digital, modern, excellent care, we must first protect our own mental health, our skills, our families, and our joy in the profession. A tired, broken carer cannot give excellent care,’ Morgan said.

Meanwhile, the Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, FCT Administration, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, disclosed that the Federal Capital Territory had increased the number of eye surgeries performed annually from 745 in 2021 to more than 1,200 in 2025.

She said ophthalmology services were currently available in four FCT hospitals, while approval had been secured to establish a comprehensive and subspecialty eye-training centre at Bwari General Hospital.

‘Our ophthalmology residency programme has received full accreditation from both the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Surgeons,’ Fasawe said.

She added that FCT residents had emerged as the best candidates in Part One and Part Two examinations conducted by the two postgraduate medical colleges.

In Nasarawa State, the Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Audu Sule, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, pledged continued support for OSN activities and eye-care interventions in the state.

Akabe said the state was upgrading the former specialist hospital in Akwanga into a specialist hospital and trauma centre, with billions of naira committed to the project.

He said the government was also working to align the salaries of doctors in its specialist hospitals with those of their federal counterparts as part of efforts to attract and retain medical specialists.

‘All the medical students and students of health, including nurses, are also going to be placed on salary from their clinical classes,’ he said, adding that the state also planned to establish a medical school.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Prof. Fatima Kyari, urged medical specialists to register their additional qualifications with the council as it updates its master register.

‘We are updating our master register, which is the backbone of ethical medical practice, and it’s going to be published,’ Kyari said.

She explained that proper documentation of additional qualifications was necessary for specialists to receive formal recognition of their areas of specialisation.

Representing the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, the Corps Commandant, Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Brigadier General Innocent Omachola, disclosed that the Nigerian Army had upgraded eye departments in 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospitals.

He said the military was also sponsoring advanced training, residency programmes and subspecialty exposure for its medical personnel in ophthalmology.

‘The military has actively prioritised and sponsored the advanced training and specialisation of military personnel in the field of ophthalmology by building internal capacity, sponsoring residency training programmes, and encouraging subspecialty exposure,’ Omachola said.

He added that specialised eye-care services provided by the military were available not only to personnel and their families but also to neighbouring civilian communities.

The Oyo State chapter of the Tinubu Torch Bearers (TTB) has expressed confidence that women across the state and the South-West will play a decisive role in securing the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

The organisation said it would intensify grassroots mobilisation and political engagement with women across Oyo State as part of efforts to consolidate support for the President ahead of the election.

The Oyo State Media Coordinator of TTB, Princess Yetunde-Ajetunmobi Wuraola, stated this in an interview with journalists in Ibadan on Wednesday.

She said women remained a critical force in Nigeria’s electoral process, noting that their numerical strength and influence within families and communities made them important stakeholders in the 2027 election.

According to her, the emergence of TTB in Oyo had provided an additional platform for women to participate actively in political discussions while taking information about the policies and programmes of the Federal Government to the grassroots.

She said, ‘The establishment of TTB in Oyo State is about taking political engagement closer to the people. We want to build a structure that will not only mobilise women but also ensure that they are properly informed and actively involved in the democratic process.

‘Women are critical stakeholders in Nigeria’s political development. They are present in virtually every community and are often at the centre of decisions that affect families and communities. We therefore believe that their voices must be heard and their participation in governance strengthened.’

Yetunde-Ajetunmobi said the group’s mobilisation strategy would focus on community-level engagement, information sharing and political participation, stressing that preparations for the 2027 election had already commenced.

‘Our mobilisation will be grassroots-based. We are going to engage women in different communities, listen to them, communicate with them and make sure they understand the issues surrounding governance and the direction of the country.

‘We are not waiting until 2027 before beginning this work. The preparation has started, and our responsibility is to sustain the engagement, strengthen our structures and ensure that our members are ready for the political activities ahead,’ she said.

The media coordinator also said the group would use its communication structures to explain the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration to people at the grassroots and highlight what it described as the achievements of the Federal Government.

She said the organisation would encourage women to participate in governance beyond merely voting during elections.

‘Women should not be treated merely as election-day voters or political mobilisers. Women are stakeholders in governance, and they must be encouraged to participate meaningfully at every level.

‘Political participation should give women an opportunity to contribute ideas, ask questions, understand policies and make their voices count. That is the kind of participation we want to encourage through TTB,’ Yetunde-Ajetunmobi said.

She added that the Oyo chapter would build structures across the state, particularly beyond Ibadan and other major urban centres, to reach women in different communities.

‘We do not want our activities to be concentrated only in Ibadan or major political gatherings. Our focus is the grassroots. We want to reach the women in the communities and create a continuous channel of engagement with them,’ she said.

On the 2027 election, Yetunde-Ajetunmobi said TTB would promote peaceful political participation and responsible communication among its members.

‘We want our engagement to be positive and constructive. Politics should not destroy relationships or communities. We will encourage our members to communicate respectfully, avoid inflammatory rhetoric and focus on issues that are important to the people,’ she said.

The TTB media coordinator said the organisation was determined to sustain its mobilisation across the state, adding that its members had a responsibility to remain organised and committed to peaceful political engagement.

The Oyo chapter of TTB was formally inaugurated on Monday at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado, Ibadan, by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.

The inauguration formed part of efforts by the group to establish a grassroots mobilisation structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In her message delivered by the minister, the First Lady urged Nigerians to support the Tinubu administration, saying continuity was necessary to consolidate its policies and programmes and sustain the gains of ongoing economic reforms.

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has donated luxury buses to the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and Kaduna State University (KASU) to strengthen their operations and ease mobility challenges.

Presenting the vehicles to the beneficiaries in Kaduna, Sani said the intervention was in recognition of the important roles played by the organisations and institutions in the development of the state.

The governor described the beneficiaries as critical institutions whose contributions cut across democracy, justice, healthcare, education, security and public service delivery, assuring that the government would continue to support them where necessary.

Sani said the bus presented to the Nigerian Correctional Service would help address transportation challenges, particularly the movement of inmates to courts, healthcare facilities and other official engagements.

He said his administration had visited the Kaduna Correctional Centre twice within the year and observed the level of infrastructure decay and other challenges confronting the service, adding that government had commenced interventions to address some of the identified problems.

According to him, providing the vehicle was part of efforts to improve the operational capacity of the Correctional Service and enable its personnel to discharge their responsibilities more effectively.

The governor also commended the NMA for its collaboration with his administration in improving healthcare delivery, describing healthcare as a fundamental right of every citizen and promising continued support for the sector.

He said the vehicle donated to the medical association would enhance the mobility of doctors and other healthcare professionals and facilitate the association’s activities across the state.

On the NBA, Sani described the Kaduna Branch as ‘one of the most vibrant branches in the whole of Nigeria’, commending its contributions to justice, the rule of law and protection of the rights of underserved and underrepresented citizens.

He said the intervention at KASU was also part of his administration’s commitment to strengthening the institution.

Sani recalled that the government had worked with the university management and the National Universities Commission to address accreditation challenges, while the 50 per cent reduction in tuition fees had contributed to increased enrolment.

The governor described the NUJ as a critical institution in the sustenance of democracy, noting that journalists had historically played significant roles in the struggle for the return to civil rule, with some losing their lives during military dictatorship.

Receiving the bus on behalf of doctors and healthcare professionals in Kaduna, NMA Chairman, Dr. Hassan Bala Salihu, thanked the governor for the gesture, saying it reflected his administration’s commitment to advancing the healthcare system in the state.

NBA Kaduna Branch Chairman, Barrister Baba Lawal, also expressed appreciation to the governor, saying the vehicle would strengthen the branch’s operational capacity and enable it to serve its members and the public more effectively.

KASU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdullahi Musa, described the donation as historic, expressing appreciation to the governor for what he called his generosity and commitment to the development of the university.

Receiving the bus on behalf of the NUJ, Kaduna State Council Chairman, Comrade AbdulGafar Alabelewe, said journalists had requested the vehicle about six months ago during a Ramadan Iftar with the governor.

He said its delivery marked a major milestone for the union, noting that the last similar gesture from the state government was about two decades ago.

Alabelewe assured the governor that the bus would be put to good use in facilitating journalists’ movement to assignments across the state, while the media would continue to hold government accountable and set agenda for development.

He further conveyed the appreciation of NUJ President, Alhassan Yahya Abdullahi, and disclosed that the union would, at the governor’s convenience, confer on him the position of Grand Patron of the NUJ in Kaduna State.

The representative of the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, also expressed appreciation for the donation, saying the bus would address a major operational challenge facing the Kaduna Command.

He assured the governor that the vehicle would be properly maintained and deployed strictly for the purposes for which it was donated.