Category: Nigerian Tribune

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2027 general elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has pledged to reduce the prices of petrol, cooking gas and aviation fuel (Jet A1) to N200 per litre within his first year in office if elected president.

Adebayo made the promise on Sunday while speaking during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Personality Interview Series in Abuja.

The SDP standard bearer said the proposed price reduction would be achieved by reviving Nigeria’s existing refineries and creating an enabling environment for modular refineries to operate.

According to him, Nigeria’s refineries, despite being decades old, remain serviceable. He cited refineries in the United States that are more than 100 years old and still operating, arguing that age should not be used as a reason to abandon the country’s local refining plants.

Adebayo also promised to restore what he described as the ‘original subsidy arrangement’, under which 450,000 barrels of crude oil were reserved for domestic consumption.

According to him, ‘all other derivatives from the 450,000 barrels like naphtha, heavy fuel oil, diesel, kerosene, etc. will be sold and the money used to maintain the regime price’.

He said proceeds from the sale of the other derivatives would be used to equalise prices and ensure that petrol, cooking gas and Jet A1 do not exceed N200 per litre under an SDP government.

‘SDP will pick cooking gas, petrol and Jet A1; those three, we will put them under a regime where the price does not go past N200,’ he further stated.

Adebayo argued that the national debate over fuel subsidy had distracted attention from what he described as the real problem – inadequate domestic refining capacity.

He said subsidy was not a government economic programme and argued that Nigerians would not need to debate the issue under his administration.

According to him, ‘the priority should be to develop adequate domestic refining capacity instead of relying on imported petroleum products sold at international prices’.

The SDP candidate linked cheaper fuel to wider reforms in transportation, housing and social welfare.

He promised to expand public transportation and rail services to reduce Nigerians’ dependence on private vehicles.

According to him, workers and students would be able to access public transport with identification cards without direct payment, while employers would contribute six per cent of workers’ salaries towards transportation.

He also proposed capping housing costs at seven per cent of workers’ salaries, alongside free education and healthcare, while placing greater emphasis on agriculture to ensure food affordability and security.

According to him, ‘the summary of it is that transportation costs cannot go more than six per cent of your salary and housing costs should not be more than seven per cent of your salary; education and healthcare should be free,’.

Adebayo said the combination of cheaper fuel, improved public transportation and expanded rail services would reduce the cost of movement and stimulate economic activities.

He maintained that Nigeria had a major advantage in its crude oil reserves and existing refining infrastructure, which he said an SDP administration would fully harness.

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, says no woman should remain in an abusive, harmful, or toxic marriage under Islamic law.

Gumi made this known in a message on Monday in Kaduna.

He said Sharia provides several lawful avenues through which women can exit harmful marriages.

He said Islamic teachings also promised relief and better provision for couples who separated righteously when reconciliation became impossible.

Gumi identified mutual consent divorce, khul’, judicial annulment, delegated divorce and arbitration as some lawful options available to women.

He explained that mutual consent divorce allowed spouses to end their marriage amicably through agreed terms on finances, custody and the waiting period.

According to him, khul’ enables a woman to initiate divorce by returning her dower or offering compensation to her husband.

He said Khul’ could be pursued when a woman disliked the marriage but could not establish specific harm or fault.

Gumi, however, noted that judicial intervention could become necessary where a husband unreasonably refused a legitimate request for Khul.

He said judicial annulment, known as faskh, allowed a woman to seek dissolution without returning her dower where valid grounds existed.

He listed physical, emotional or psychological abuse, failure to provide maintenance and prolonged abandonment among grounds that could justify faskh.

Other grounds, he said, included serious illness preventing marital relations, certain defects in the marriage contract and a husband’s apostasy.

Gumi also identified delegated divorce, or talaq al-tafwid, where a husband transfers divorce authority to his wife under specified conditions.

He explained that such conditions could include preventing a wife from lawful education or employment, or taking another wife.

He stressed that delegated divorce must be expressly included in the marriage contract or subsequently agreed upon by the spouses.

The cleric said Islamic law also encouraged arbitration and mediation between spouses before divorce, where reconciliation remained possible.

He cited Qur’an 4:35, which directs that arbitrators be appointed from both families when a breach between spouses is feared.

Gumi said where reconciliation failed, the arbitrators could recommend dissolution, subject to formalisation by the appropriate judicial authority.

He, however, expressed concern over challenges confronting some Sharia courts in Nigeria, including corruption, case backlogs and procedural delays.

He also cited stringent evidentiary requirements and limited legal awareness among women as factors affecting access to justice.

According to him, such challenges could leave vulnerable women trapped in abusive or untenable marriages for prolonged periods.

Gumi said women who qualified for fault-based judicial annulment sometimes resorted to khul’ simply to secure faster release from abusive marriages.

He explained that such women could forfeit their dower despite potentially having grounds to retain it under judicial annulment.

The cleric argued that the gap between Islamic legal principles and courtroom realities undermined the protective objectives of Sharia.

He, therefore, called for effective access to justice and greater awareness of lawful options available to women facing abusive marriages.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, is attending the inauguration of the presidential campaign of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) candidate, Mr Seyi Makinde.

Obi arrived at the venue of the event at about 12:31 p.m.

Oyo State Governor and presidential hopeful of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has inaugurated his campaign office in Abuja, declaring that a united opposition would defeat the ruling party in the 2027 general elections.

Makinde promised he would provide a platform for Nigerians to engage in conversations about the future of the country, what needed to change and how to build a better Nigeria.

The candidate touched on the raging debate over fuel subsidy, saying that the issue was not whether it should be removed or retained, but that Nigeria’s oil resources should be affordable to Nigerians.

‘Fuel subsidy removal or no removal, that is not my concern… Nigeria’s oil must provide a real and affordable price for Nigerians,’ Makinde said.

He also called for complete transparency across the country’s petroleum value chain, saying Nigerians deserved to know how the sector was being managed and how its resources were being utilised.

Makinde expressed confidence that opposition forces could defeat the ruling party if they worked together.

‘If we all come together, we could defeat them,’ he said, dismissing suggestions that his campaign would not make an impact.

‘Some people said that this campaign will not count. I don’t care. They said much so when I joined the governorship race,’ he added.

According to him, the voices, experiences and votes of Nigerians would be crucial to determining the outcome of the 2027 election.

‘Our voices count, our experience counts and together our votes shall count,’ the governor said.

Makinde invited Nigerians to support his campaign, saying the office would remain open to citizens who wished to contribute to the proposed national reset.

‘The doors of my campaign office are open to Nigerians to join the Reset Nigeria conversation. Ask questions, challenge our ideas, set your own ideas,’ he said.

He further argued that attempts to undermine individual opposition figures would not stop Nigerians from seeking political change.

‘They may discount Peter Obi or myself, but they can’t discount millions of Nigerians united for a new country,’ Makinde added.

The governor also pledged accountability in the management of public resources, assuring Nigerians that his administration would ensure that the country’s resources were deployed for the benefit of the people.

‘We are going to be accountable to use the resources for the good of the country,’ he said.

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has approved the appointment of Alhaji Aminu Atiku as the 21st Emir of Zurmi in the state.

The appointment of the new Emir, Sarkin Zamfaran Zurmi, was announced on Monday by the Secretary to the Zamfara State Government, Malam Abubakar Mohammad Nakwada.

According to him, the approval followed due consultation and the recommendation of the Kingmakers of the Zurmi Emirate Council, in accordance with the established traditions, customs and relevant laws of the state.

The new monarch ascends the throne as the 21st Sarkin Zamfaran Zurmi, succeeding the late Emir, Alhaji Bello Suleiman, who passed away on August 31, 2026.

Alhaji Aminu Atiku, who holds the traditional title of Dangaladiman Zurmi, is the eldest son of the 19th Emir of Zurmi, the late Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Governor Lawal congratulated the new Emir and urged him to uphold the proud legacy of his predecessors by providing leadership anchored on peace, justice, unity and the welfare of his people.

The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, has said Nigeria’s crude oil must provide measurable benefits to Nigerians.

Makinde stated this on Monday in Abuja while speaking at the commissioning of the APM National Campaign Office for the 2027 presidential election.

He called for greater transparency across the petroleum value chain, particularly in the production, allocation of crude oil to domestic refineries, refining, transportation, distribution, taxation and retailing of petroleum products.

The governor questioned the rationale behind pricing crude supplied to Nigerian refineries as though the country did not produce the commodity.

He said, ‘If a community grows food, the people of that community should not have to buy that food as though it travelled halfway around the world before reaching them.

‘So, why should crude oil supplied to Nigerian refineries be priced as though Nigeria does not produce crude oil?’

According to him, Nigerians should derive direct benefits from the country’s natural resources through a transparent system rather than through interventions at the petrol pump after costs and inefficiencies had accumulated.

‘That benefit should be built into the system from the beginning, through the price at which crude oil is supplied for domestic refining – not through an opaque intervention at the petrol pump after all the costs, inefficiencies and distortions have been added,’ he said.

Makinde said his proposed ‘Reset Nigeria’ agenda was aimed at addressing opaque systems and rebuilding public confidence in government.

He added, ‘Government must show its workings. Nigerians must be able to see how decisions are made and how national resources are managed.’

The governor also urged Nigerians to participate in discussions on the country’s future, saying the proposed agenda should not be restricted to politicians.

‘Reset Nigeria cannot be a conversation among politicians alone. It must become a conversation in our homes, markets, schools, offices, farms, factories and communities,’ he said.

Makinde said the campaign office would be open to Nigerians willing to contribute to discussions on how to improve the country.

Earlier, the APM National Leader and Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, endorsed Makinde’s candidacy, describing him as a capable administrator with a record of managing resources effectively.

Mohammed said, ‘Whoever disregards us is at his own peril. We are here to Reset Nigeria and we are bringing in one of the best human capitals this country has produced – that is Makinde.’

He described Makinde as ‘a mobilizer, a manager of resources, an engineer par excellence’ who had achieved significant results with limited resources in Oyo State.

The APM National Chairman, Dr Yusuf Dantalle, said the party’s ‘Reset Nigeria’ agenda was designed to promote competence in governance rather than ethnic or religious considerations.

Dantalle described the campaign office as the ‘engine room’ of the party’s 2027 presidential campaign and said the APM would focus on issues and practical solutions.

He said the Makinde-Lawal Daura ticket would prioritise governance, national security, economic development and national unity.

‘Rest assured that Makinde will be President to all Nigerians as he has ably demonstrated as Governor of Oyo State,’ Dantalle said.

He added that the experience of the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Alhaji Lawal Daura, in the security sector would be brought to bear in tackling insecurity.

Dantalle promised that the party would run an issue-based campaign devoid of bitterness and divisive politics.

Also speaking, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Mr Peter Obi, described Makinde as qualified to serve as President of Nigeria.

Obi said his presence at the event demonstrated that political differences should not make politicians enemies, adding that opposition parties could work together towards producing a new Nigeria.

Similarly, the Secretary of the PDP Board of Trustees and former Governor of Niger State, Dr Aliyu Babangida, urged opposition parties to collaborate in the interest of the country.

Babangida said discussions were ongoing among opposition parties towards supporting a single presidential candidate, adding that attention would be given to a candidate from Southern Nigeria after eight years of northern presidency.

The event was attended by the APM vice-presidential candidate, Alhaji Lawal Daura; former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; legislators; members of the party’s Board of Trustees and National Working Committee, as well as other party supporters.

As campaigns for the 2027 general elections intensify across the country, former Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere, has urged the people of Imo East Senatorial District (Owerri Zone) to support his senatorial ambition with their votes.

In a statement issued in Owerri on Sunday, Madumere called on the people to stand firm and make the right choice, saying the time had come for them to shape their destiny.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Imo East Senatorial District urged the people to rise and rekindle hope, saying his blueprint, tagged ‘Journey of Grace,’ was anchored on a paradigm shift aimed at transformation and rejuvenation.

He emphasised that the season represented renewed hope, fresh opportunities, greater possibilities and a new beginning, urging the people to remain steadfast in their pursuit of an egalitarian and prosperous society.

The senatorial candidate urged the people of Imo East to believe in their collective strength and embrace the responsibility of determining the direction of their political and socio-economic future.

He stressed that leadership must be about service, accountability and creating opportunities for the people, particularly youths, women, entrepreneurs, professionals and vulnerable members of society.

He said, ‘I seek your support. Give me your votes. You know my antecedents and pedigree. I, Prince Eze Madumere, represent the real deal.’

According to him, the development marked a new dawn and a paradigm shift towards greater heights and meeting the needs and aspirations of the people.

He said, ‘I salute your courage, resilience, focus and tenacity of purpose. Together, we shall champion the interests of Owerri Zone, our collective dreams, vision and mission in the National Assembly by the Special Group of God.’

Madumere stressed that the development marked a new beginning and provided an opportunity to reflect on the journey so far, appreciate God for His faithfulness and look forward with renewed commitment and determination.

He said, ‘To the good people of Imo State and, most especially, my brothers and sisters across Imo East Senatorial District (Owerri Zone), I welcome you to this season of great expectations. Be rest assured, this season will bring renewed hope, peace, divine favour, prosperity and good health to every family.

‘The time has come for the people of Imo East to take the lead in writing a new chapter for our Senatorial District. It is time to lead you to your promised land, a land of hope, opportunity, dignity and meaningful representation.’

The former Deputy Governor expressed optimism that the collective aspirations of the people of Imo East could be achieved through unity, purposeful leadership and a shared commitment to progress.

He encouraged the people not to lose hope in the face of challenges, assuring them that better days were possible when they united around a common vision.

He said, ‘This is another opportunity to believe again, to work together and to build the Imo East we desire. Let us continue to stand together for progress, justice, development and a brighter future for our people.’

Madumere prayed that God would continue to bless every household across Imo State, protect the people, prosper their endeavours and grant the state peaceful and purposeful leadership.

The University of Oxford has named the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Professor Fatima Kyari, as the 2026 Aig-Imoukhuede Visiting Fellow.

Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying Kyari will undertake the six-month fellowship at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, beginning in September 2026.

The fellowship, delivered in partnership with Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, supports exceptional public sector leaders to deepen their understanding of critical policy challenges and develop practical solutions for strengthening public institutions.

In the statement, the Foundation said Kyari would join a distinguished group of public sector leaders who have previously held the fellowship, including former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega; former Chief Justice of Ghana, Justice Georgina Wood; former Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru; and Director-General of the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, Funke Adepoju.

According to the statement, fellows spend six months engaging with leading scholars and practitioners while developing policy insights that can be applied in their home institutions.

It said Kyari’s fellowship research would focus on how Nigeria could expand medical education as a strategic public-sector reform while improving quality, strengthening health workforce capacity and responding to changes in the healthcare labour market.

The Foundation said the research would also produce practical policy recommendations aimed at improving governance, regulatory stewardship and the implementation of large-scale reforms in health and medical education.

Kyari, a clinician and academic, has worked across healthcare delivery, medical research, health policy, medical education, professional regulation and institutional reform.

Aig-Imoukhuede said Kyari’s work at the MDCN placed her at the centre of important questions concerning the future of Nigeria’s healthcare workforce.

‘We are pleased to support her Fellowship at Oxford and look forward to the practical ideas that will emerge from her work,’ she added.

On her part, Kyari said the fellowship would allow her to examine Nigeria’s medical education and health workforce systems from a broader perspective.

‘I am honoured to be selected as the 2026 Aig-Imoukhuede Visiting Fellow. The Fellowship gives me the opportunity to step back from the day-to-day demands of regulation and take a broader look at how Nigeria can build the medical education and health workforce systems needed for the future,’ she said.

The Foundation’s fellowship is designed for exceptional Nigerian public-sector executives and is delivered in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford.

Every recession arrives with a familiar, thunderous soundtrack: widespread panic in financial markets, fear echoing through public conversations, and a chorus of voices declaring economic collapse. Yet, throughout history, downturns have never signaled the death of wealth; they have only marked the end of specific types of wealth. Money does not simply vanish into thin air-it shifts, reorganises, and migrates toward the places where value is most concentrated at any given moment.

As we have seen in an earlier edition, a recession is not a disappearance of money or resources, but a redistribution of them.

Those who grasp this fundamental economic truth about how value moves do not retreat during a downturn. They step forward. They reframe, adapt, reposition, and, above all, take ownership and responsibility for outcomes. The path through an economic storm requires a decisive shift in mindset: a call to own land, own a business, own a skill, own a clear value proposition, and own your future. Ownership remains the single most powerful tool for thriving instead of merely surviving when the financial climate turns harsh.

The belief that wealth completely diminishes or becomes scarce during a recession is one of the most enduring economic myths. Capital does not evaporate into thin air; it simply changes hands. It moves steadily toward those who make themselves indispensable, resourceful, and focused on solving real-world problems. A recession is not defined by an absence of money, but by its reallocation. This explains why one individual can lose everything in a market slump while another acquires lasting assets. The difference between those outcomes is rarely a matter of luck. Rather, it is a matter of value alignment. And meaningful value alignment always begins with ownership.

Ownership is the foundation of economic stability. In his book, ‘The Mystery of Capital’, Hernando De Soto opines that poverty in the developing world is not because there are no resources but because of a lack of capacity to convert assets to capital. This is largely so because many homes and lands have no title deeds that assign ownership.

In many faith-based and philosophical communities, the concept of ownership is often misunderstood. People are frequently taught that we came into this world with nothing and we own nothing but are merely stewards. While well-intentioned, this view remains incomplete. True stewardship cannot exist without a prior foundation of ownership. Stewardship is the act of management, but ownership is the acceptance of ultimate responsibility.

A recession punishes passivity while rewarding active responsibility. This makes ownership essential during tough times. What you truly own, you have the power to grow, leverage, and multiply. Ownership grants you a seat at the table when resources and opportunities are being redistributed.

Ancient wisdom and historical patterns repeatedly reinforce the fact that ownership comes before stewardship. Like Adam in Eden, when a person is entrusted with a garden or a domain, the mandate is clear: cultivate, guard, shape, and develop it. Effective stewardship flows naturally after one embraces full responsibility for and owns an assigned task.

Consider the classic parable of talents. The unfaithful manager failed not because he lacked raw ability, but because he lacked a sense of ownership. He buried his resource in the dirt and blamed his master for his own fear-driven inaction. His response to his boss betrayed his heart: ‘I knew you were a hard man…’ Blame is always the language of those who refuse personal responsibility.

Conversely, faithful managers embrace ownership entirely. They take full accountability for what has been entrusted to their care. Multiplication is the natural harvest of accepted responsibility, and an economic downturn quickly exposes the difference between those who bury their potential and those who expand it.

To give meaningfully to others, one must first possess something of value. Just like you cannot give what you do not have, you cannot steward what you have not first owned, nor can you multiply what you refuse to embrace. An economic downturn presents a crucial moment to build, acquire, and take charge of a tangible asset or take responsibility for solving a problem. When the economic tide eventually turns-as it always does-those who hold true ownership are best positioned to lead, influence, and uplift those around them.

History demonstrates that economic downturns open rare doors of opportunity that rarely exist during periods of stability. Real estate becomes more accessible, existing enterprises seek new leadership or partners, specialised skills command higher premiums, and market barriers fall as established competitors thin out. A recession is not a closed door; it is an open gate. The real question is never whether opportunities exist, but whether you are positioned to seize them. As a traditional Yoruba proverb reminds us, a shared feast offers little joy if no one brings a dish to the table. A downturn is the ultimate moment to bring something valuable of your own.

The origin of the word ‘salary’ traces back to the Latin salarium-referring to the salt paid to Roman soldiers based on their rank, which they would later exchange for currency. Sweat, fittingly, tastes like salt. In modern terms, a salary represents what an asset owner has decided your sweat and time are worth.

During a recession, business owners often adjust compensation downward or cut overhead to protect their core assets, even while increasing prices, leaving traditional employees to absorb the financial shock. Because of this, relying solely on standard employment is rarely a complete, recession-proof strategy. Employment works best as a training ground for future ownership, rather than a permanent substitute for it.

To increase your return, you must elevate your baseline value. Upskill, expand your knowledge, and deepen your capabilities. Ultimately, economic resilience favours those who own an asset, a brand, or a solution.

In a recession, there are five areas in which you should seek to exercise ownership. The first is land. Real estate remains one of the most reliable forms of long-term stability and future appreciation, because God is not creating more.

Own a business and be willing to start small. Nimble, adaptable small enterprises can thrive during downturns by staying close to customer needs and pivoting quickly.

Third, own a skill. High-value skills travel across industries, scale easily, and compound in worth over time.

Own a Value Proposition. Conversations sometimes reveal needs. Listen to the environment to identify pressing problems and create reliable solutions. Genuine value attracts capital, even in lean economic times.

Finally, own your niche. Focus on your specific expertise, voice, and unique contribution.

Ownership is not strictly physical; it can be intellectual, creative, or relational. Resourcefulness is key and will always outperform resources.

Even in employment, have the mindset of an owner. Employees often focus on assigned tasks; owners focus on overall outcomes. Employees measure hours spent; owners measure value delivered. Employees look for instructions; owners search for possibilities.

Adopting the mindset of an owner-even before you acquire physical assets-provides an immediate advantage. Ownership is ultimately a framework of thought. It is the foundation upon which effective management, sustainable growth, and genuine generosity are built.

A recession is not an insurmountable threat. It is an economic transfer, an open window, and a clear invitation to take charge, build strategically, and multiply your efforts. You cannot manage or deploy what you do not own, nor can you thrive in challenging times without accepting responsibility for your path.

Obi, a 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate and former governor of Anambra State, made a solidarity appearance at the event, assuring that while the campaigns were already in motion, opposition candidates were also prepared to support any of them who eventually became the president next year.

APM’s national leader and 2027 Bauchi-South senatorial candidate, Senator Bala Mohammed; Oyo state Deputy Governor, Adebayo Adeleke Lawal; the party’s vice presidential candidate, Mr Lawal Daura; the National Secretary, Chief Ayodele Adebayo; a former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Zainab Maina; and former governor of Niger state, Dr Babangida Aliyu, were among the dignitaries as the Oyo governor made his speech.

Makinde told the gathering that he was on a mission to reset Nigeria and engage Nigerians in a ‘conversation about the future’ of the country.

According to him, the campaign, tagged, ‘Reset Nigeria’, was designed to give Nigerians a voice in shaping the country’s future.

‘Today, we are not just opening a campaign office. We are opening another door for Nigerians to join the conversation about the future of our country,’ he told his supporters.

On petroleum pricing and the raging debate on fuel subsidy, Makinde clarified that his position on the pricing of crude oil for domestic refining should not be interpreted as a call for the return of fuel subsidy.

‘That is not my position (return of fuel subsidy),’ the Oyo governor stressed, arguing that crude produced in Nigeria should not be priced for Nigerian refineries as though it had been imported from outside its shores.

The presidential candidate noted that Nigeria’s crude oil must provide ‘a real and measurable benefit to Nigerians’, adding that such benefit should be built into the system through the price at which crude is supplied for domestic refining, rather than through ‘opaque interventions’ after costs and inefficiencies had accumulated.

The governor also demanded greater transparency across the petroleum value chain, covering crude production and allocation, refining, transportation, distribution, taxes and retail margins.

‘Nigerians should know what they are paying for, who receives what and where inefficiencies are increasing the final price,’ he told the session, highlighting the policy focus of his administration should he win the election next year.

The governor said resetting Nigeria also meant ending corruption and making government accountable for its decisions and use of public resources.

‘It means that government must show its workings,’ he said, stressing that improvements in the country’s wealth must translate into better living conditions for Nigerians.

Makinde dismissed suggestions that his campaign was insignificant, recalling that he faced similar doubts when he first sought to become governor of Oyo years back.

‘When they say today that this campaign does not count, I do not take it personally,’ he stated, arguing that dismissing the campaign amounted to dismissing the hopes of millions of Nigerians struggling with rising prices, unemployment, high business costs and other economic difficulties.

‘But we count. Our voices count. Our experiences count. Our ideas count. And, together, our votes will count,’ he said.

The governor commended and acknowledged the presence of Peter Obi and other opposition personalities from the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), explaining that it reinforced the unity among the opposition to bring change to Nigeria in 2027.

Opposition not desperate, we want Nigerians to make their choices, says Obi

In his goodwill message, Obi told the session that the opposition was not desperate for power ahead of the 2027 presidential election, stressing that Nigerians should be allowed to freely choose their preferred candidate.

Obi, who declared that Makinde was qualified to contest the presidency, said the opposition was more interested in giving Nigerians the opportunity to make their choice than in pursuing power at all costs.

‘What we are doing today is to show you that, for us, we don’t have desperation. We want the people of Nigeria to make their choice,’ the former Anambra governor stated.

He added that whoever emerged winner in a free, fair and credible election would receive the support of other political actors to rebuild the country, saying, ‘Whoever they choose, all of us will come together to build a new Nigeria.’

‘We can’t all continue the way we are going today. Our people are hungry. Our people are poor. Our people are insecure. Whoever wins, genuinely, from a free, fair and credible election, we all want to work together to save this country from collapse.’

The NDC presidential candidate further stated that the opposition was seeking to introduce a new political culture centred on addressing the challenges confronting Nigerians rather than engaging in political quarrels and disagreements.

‘Let our quarrel be to feed our people. Let our quarrel be to pull our people out of poverty. We want a Nigeria where a child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody…

‘I assure you that we remain united in our rescue for our dear country, Nigeria.’

Makinde/Daura will tackle insecurity, poverty – Dantalle

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of APM, Mr Yusuf Dantalle, said the Makinde/Daura ticket would address insecurity, poverty and other challenges confronting the country if elected into office next year.

He pointed out that the turnout at the inauguration reflected growing demand for leadership anchored on competence, accountability and concern for the welfare of citizens, the type only the APM could guarantee in the present circumstances of the country.

Dantalle said Makinde’s record as governor of Oyo state demonstrated his capacity to lead at the federal level, noting, ‘Be rest assured that Makinde will be President to all Nigerians as he has ably demonstrated as Governor of Oyo state.’

On the choice of Daura as running mate, the chairman explained that he was chosen partly because of his security background as a former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

‘With a competent vice presidential candidate, Daura, who once headed a critical security service in the country, insecurity will be tackled head-on’, Dantalle added.