Category: Nigerian Tribune

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos on Tuesday held an interfaith prayer session for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the party’s Lagos State governorship candidate, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, and other candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The prayer session, held at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos, was attended by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Hamzat; the state APC chairman, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi; religious leaders and organisations; traditional institutions; and support groups from the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas in the state.

Representatives of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), led by Reverend Stephen Adegbite; Islamic organisations; traditional worshippers; and other party supporters also attended the event.

Sanwo-Olu emphasised the importance of prayer in all human endeavours, saying, ‘Nothing is greater than prayer.’

He said the prayer session marked the beginning of the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections, adding that the party had presented its candidates and was committing their political journey to God.

‘There is nothing greater than prayer. You can see that this is a prayer answered because all we require for all our endeavours is prayer.

‘We have made public all our candidates. We commit our journey and our candidates into the hands of God. After this, we will commence our campaign without any trouble or worries.

‘We have followed the dictates of religion, and after this, we will go out to do what is expected of us. We are not taking any stakeholders for granted, and that is why we believe we will return victorious,’ the governor said.

Hamzat expressed gratitude to God for the successful hosting of the prayer session and urged participants to continue praying for the success of the elections and victory for President Tinubu and other APC candidates.

He said the party was committing its candidates and political activities into the hands of God.

‘As we are starting, we believe we must place everything in the hands of our Creator. We believe in God as the controller of all our affairs.

‘We are placing our President and his administration in the hands of God, as well as the state governor and his administration. By the grace of God, I will emerge as the next governor of the state, alongside all our candidates.

‘May God deliver all of us because that is why we are here. We pray that God will continue to answer our prayers and grant us victory,’ Hamzat said.

In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Interfaith Prayers Planning Committee, Hon. Mohammed Bello Oyinlomo Danmole, said the gathering was organised to commence the party’s journey to the 2027 elections on a prayerful note.

Danmole urged party members and supporters to pray for the success of the APC candidates, particularly for continuity at the national and state levels.

‘This is to set the 2027 elections in motion on prayer mode. I enjoin us all to pray for our candidates. It is important to pray for continuity because, in the last three years, President Bola Tinubu has done a lot and, as such, deserves our prayers,’ he said.

He cited the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying the initiative had provided loans and grants to students and empowered more than one million beneficiaries.

Danmole also commended the Tinubu administration for its infrastructure and economic development initiatives, while praising the Sanwo-Olu administration for what he described as its transformation of Lagos State and its economy.

‘These also require continuity. So, I want everyone of us to participate in the prayer for continuity,’ he added.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the PBAT/KOH Campaign Committee, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, said the gathering provided an opportunity to commit the party’s political journey to God ahead of the 2027 elections.

Obanikoro said although strategy and organisation were important in political contests, prayers were equally necessary, particularly for those who believed in the influence of the spiritual over the physical.

‘We are gathered here today to place this political journey in the hands of God. Strategy matters. Organisation matters, but prayer is the ultimate,’ he said.

He said the party had gathered to seek divine guidance, protection and wisdom as it commenced preparations for the elections.

‘Our prayer is simple: let God go before us. Let Him grant us the process that will lead to victory for our party,’ Obanikoro said.

The former minister urged APC members to put aside internal disagreements and remain united ahead of the elections.

‘This is not about individual ambition. We all belong to one political family. Internal squabbles must not be allowed to cause divisions,’ he said.

According to him, the APC must present a united front because opposition parties were watching its activities.

‘We must be seen as one and be united to confront opposition parties in the interest of all,’ he added.

Obanikoro urged party members to combine prayers with hard work and unity, saying the APC had strong candidates at both the national and state levels.

‘Let us pray. Let us work and let us remain united to build the Nigeria and Lagos State of our dream. I make bold to say that, both at the national and state levels, we have the best candidates for the elections,’ he said.

Agricultural transformation rarely begins in a conference hall. More often, it starts quietly in a rural community, on a farm where a woman decides to try a new technology, a young person discovers that agriculture can become a business, or a group of farmers pools its resources to acquire equipment that would otherwise remain beyond their reach.

But for the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), the challenge is to ensure that the voices and experiences from those farms are represented in the rooms, where Africa’s agricultural future is being debated.

That was the significance of WOFAN’s outing at the 2026 Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Kigali, Rwanda, where the organisation brought rural women, young people and grassroots practitioners into a continental conversation dominated by policymakers, investors, researchers and development leaders.

Held under the theme: ‘Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience’, the forum offered WOFAN an opportunity not only to showcase its work but also to demonstrate why investment in Africa’s food systems must go beyond infrastructure and financial capital to include knowledge, inclusion, technology and the empowerment of the people who produce and process food.

For WOFAN founder and Global Advocate, Dr Salamatu Garba, the organisation’s presence in Kigali was therefore more than participation in another international conference.

It was an opportunity to connect the realities of rural communities with the policies, innovations and investments shaping the continent’s agricultural future.

Taking the farmer into the conversation

Africa’s food systems are often discussed in terms of productivity, investment, climate resilience, technology and markets. Yet, at the centre of all those issues is the smallholder farmer.

In Nigeria, women constitute a significant force within agricultural production, processing and rural commerce, but many continue to face barriers to finance, technology, information, markets and decision-making.

WOFAN’s strategy has been to address those barriers by organising farmers into clusters and connecting them to knowledge, financial services, technology, markets and opportunities.

At AFSF 2026, that grassroots experience became part of the continental conversation. Garba used the platform to highlight WOFAN’s reach to more than one million rural women across nine Nigerian states and the Federal Capital Territory. The states include Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe, Nasarawa and FCT.

The figure represents more than the scale of an organisation. It illustrates an approach to agricultural development built around the belief that rural women should not remain passive beneficiaries of development interventions.

They should be active participants in shaping the future of Africa’s food systems. That philosophy was reflected in WOFAN’s decision to bring a substantial grassroots delegation to Kigali.

For the organisation, exposure is itself an input. A farmer who encounters an innovation can return home with new possibilities. A young person, who meets an agricultural entrepreneur can begin to view farming differently. A woman who gains access to a financial network can move from informal economic activity to a more structured enterprise.

The journey from exposure to transformation may not happen overnight, but it begins with access to information and opportunity.

Agriculture as business

One of the most important messages emerging from WOFAN’s presence at the forum was that agricultural transformation cannot be reduced to increasing what farmers produce.

The future of agriculture lies across the entire value chain, from production to processing, storage, transportation, finance, energy, mechanisation and markets.

That wider perspective was reinforced during the forum by Rwanda’s Prime Minister, Dr Justin Nsengiyumva, who noted that agriculture is no longer simply about what happens in the field.

Irrigation, logistics, energy, mechanisation, processing, finance and markets are all essential components of a modern food system.

WOFAN’s interventions at grassroots level mirror this understanding. The organisation has worked to connect farmers to financial inclusion programmes, technologies and markets while strengthening their capacity to participate in the wider agricultural economy.

The experience of Jigawa State provides a practical illustration.

Jigawa: Where partnership becomes practice

On the sidelines of AFSF 2026, Garba and Jigawa State Governor Umar A. Namadi used a joint media engagement to highlight the growing partnership between the state government and WOFAN.

Namadi described WOFAN’s work with women, young people and persons with disabilities as closely aligned with the state’s agricultural transformation and food-security objectives.

He said lessons from Jigawa’s participation in previous food systems forums contributed to the state’s decision to establish the Jigawa State Agricultural Transformation Agency, which he described as a vehicle for driving the state’s agricultural agenda.

The governor also expressed the state’s willingness to strengthen its partnership with WOFAN and address challenges limiting the expansion of its programmes.

Garba, in turn, described Jigawa as one of WOFAN’s frontline states. The numbers emerging from the state tell part of the story.

WOFAN works with more than 100 women clusters in Jigawa and has opened accounts for nearly 10,000 farmers through its financial inclusion programme, with particular attention to women, persons with disabilities, low-income farm labourers, loaders and processors.

But perhaps more significant is what happened when financial inclusion was combined with collective action.

Through savings after harvest, members of the farmer groups mobilised N27 million, which was matched by WOFAN to enable them to acquire a multi-crop harvester.

The machine now serves the WOFAN network and surrounding communities. This is the kind of agricultural transformation that is often missing from policy discussions: farmers moving from individual, low-capacity production towards collective investment and shared access to mechanisation.

The intervention has also helped improve the quality of paddy produced by the farmers and strengthened their attractiveness to off-takers.

The market connection is equally important.

Garba disclosed that WOFAN off-took 54,000 bags of processed rice from Sara Market in Jigawa during the last season at a premium price.

The development illustrates the chain of value that can emerge when farmers are supported with the right combination of knowledge, finance, equipment and market access.

The extension question

The grassroots experience showcased by WOFAN in Kigali also connected directly with one of the major agricultural policy issues raised by Nigeria at the forum.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, used the occasion to renew his call for the speedy passage of the proposed Agricultural Extension Services Revitalisation Bill.

Kyari said the legislation was critical to boosting farmers’ productivity and building a resilient agri-food system.

The bill has already passed first reading in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Minister argued that its passage would establish the legal and institutional framework required to modernise extension services and improve farmers’ access to knowledge, technology, finance and markets.

His position resonates strongly with WOFAN’s grassroots experience. Agricultural transformation requires more than distributing inputs. Farmers must understand how to use new technologies, select suitable crops, improve production practices, adapt to climate change and access markets.

Extension workers provide that bridge.

Kyari noted that issues discussed at AFSF 2026, including technology adoption, improved seed systems, climate-smart agriculture, digital transformation, data management and inclusive development, were also central to the proposed legislation.

Garba expressed support for the bill, confirming that WOFAN was among its co-sponsors and had been working with stakeholders, private-sector partners and farmers’ clusters to strengthen Nigeria’s extension system.

She urged the Minister to support efforts to fast-track the legislation through the remaining stages of the legislative process.

Women, youth and disability inclusion

Another defining feature of WOFAN’s AFSF outing was its emphasis on inclusion. The organisation’s interventions deliberately place women, young people and persons with disabilities within the agricultural development conversation.

That is significant because Africa’s food systems cannot achieve their full potential if large sections of the rural population remain excluded from productive opportunities.

WOFAN’s approach recognises that women are not simply farmers who require assistance. They are entrepreneurs, processors, traders, employers and investors whose economic activities can influence entire communities.

The same applies to young people. For years, agriculture has struggled with an image problem among Africa’s youth. Farming is frequently associated with low income, physical hardship and limited opportunity.

But exposure to mechanisation, technology, processing, digital agriculture and agribusiness can help change that perception.

WOFAN plans to expand its engagement with women processors and agro-marketers in Jigawa, while providing training and capital support to about 100 rural community youth start-ups in the coming year.

Such interventions point towards a future in which agriculture becomes increasingly attractive as an enterprise rather than merely a traditional occupation.

Knowledge as agricultural capital

Perhaps the most important lesson from WOFAN’s presence in Kigali is that knowledge should be treated as an investment in the same way as machinery, infrastructure and finance.

The farmer who knows how to improve productivity has an asset.

The processor who understands quality standards has an asset. The young entrepreneur who knows how to connect agricultural production with digital markets has an asset.

And the community that understands how to collectively mobilise resources has an asset.

This is why WOFAN’s participation at AFSF 2026 carries significance beyond the organisation itself.

Every farmer who attends such a forum becomes a potential bridge between global innovation and local practice.

Every partnership established can potentially translate into a new intervention. Every lesson learned can be adapted to the realities of Nigerian communities.

The ultimate measure of the Kigali experience, therefore, will not be the number of meetings attended or photographs taken. It will be what happens when participants return home.

Will new technologies be adopted? Will farmer organisations become stronger? Will women gain greater access to finance? Will young people launch new agricultural enterprises? Will partnerships translate into better markets and higher incomes?

Those are the questions that will determine whether Africa’s food systems ambitions become reality.

From Kigali back to the Farm

AFSF 2026 may have brought Africa’s agricultural leaders together in Kigali, but WOFAN’s contribution was to remind the continent that food systems transformation ultimately has to be measured at the grassroots.

The forum’s discussions on investment, jobs and resilience will have little meaning if farmers remain disconnected from knowledge, finance and markets.

Nigeria’s push for a revitalised extension system, Jigawa’s growing partnership with WOFAN and the organisation’s work with more than one million rural women all point towards the same lesson: agricultural transformation is ultimately about people.

Machines can increase efficiency. Seeds can improve yields. Finance can expand enterprises. Technology can open new markets.

But people must be equipped to use all of them.

That is the space WOFAN occupied in Kigali, connecting the global food systems conversation with the everyday realities of rural Nigerians.

Its message was simple but consequential: Africa cannot nourish its nations, create jobs or build resilience without investing in the women, young people and grassroots communities that keep its food systems moving.

And if the ideas generated in Kigali can travel successfully from the conference hall to Nigeria’s farms, markets and rural enterprises, then WOFAN’s outing at AFSF 2026 will have achieved something far more valuable than visibility.

It will have helped turn conversation into action, exposure into knowledge, and knowledge into agricultural transformation.

The Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Dr Nasir Idris, has approved the dissolution of the Governing Board of the Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission (KEBSIEC).

This was contained in a letter issued by the Director, Executive Council, Kabiru Hassan Wasagu, signed by the Secretary to the Kebbi State Government, Alhaji Yakubu Bala Tafida, and made available to newsmen on Tuesday, 8 September 2026.

‘I am directed to inform you that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kebbi State, Dr. Nasir Idris, has approved the dissolution of the Governing Board of the Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission following the expiration of its tenure, with effect from September 18, 2026,’ the statement read.

The statement further clarified that the two other members of the Commission whose tenure has not yet expired will remain in office until the Commission is reconstituted.

Governor Nasir Idris expressed his appreciation to the outgoing members for their meritorious service to the state, assuring them of the administration’s renewed determination to safeguard the independence and integrity of the Commission.

‘I am assuring you of the renewed determination of this administration to protect the independent status of the Commission,’ the Governor said.

Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) says its activities ahead of the 2027 general elections are funded through donations, levies, and contributions from members, stakeholders, and well-wishers.

The party said this in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, on Tuesday, while clarifying its funding and candidate selection processes.

The director said that the party, being a new political organisation without elected public office holders, had to develop mechanisms to raise resources for its operations and election-related activities.

He said that the party’s constitution provided for contributions from aspirants, members, stakeholders and members of the public to support its activities.

According to him, all contributions and levies are paid directly into the designated party account and managed by the appropriate organs of the party.

He maintained that the party’s National Leader, Sen. Seriake Dickson, did not demand or receive money from any aspirant for personal use.

‘All funds were duly received, receipted and accounted for in line with global best practices,’ he said.

The publicity secretary said the party would render a full account of its finances in accordance with the Electoral Act and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.

He explained that funding was an important aspect of election planning, particularly for an opposition party seeking to field candidates across the country within months of general elections.

The director said the party’s decision to seek donations and levies from members was intended to support its operations and national mobilisation.

He added that the party was not funded with money from government treasuries, but through contributions from members, stakeholders and supporters.

The NDC publicity secretary also said the party’s presidential and vice-presidential tickets were offered without charge, adding that the same principle applied to several other political positions and candidates.

He expressed the party leadership’s commitment to transparency, due process and justice in its operations.

The director urged members of the public and the media to rely only on verified information concerning the party’s activities and finances.

He said that NDC would remain focused on its preparations for the 2027 general elections and its objective of building a broad-based political movement.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti, Dr Wole Oluyede, has formally withdrawn the petition he filed before the Election Petition Tribunal challenging the re-election of Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Oyebanji was declared winner of the Ekiti governorship poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling a total of 319,224 votes, with Oluyede garnering 40,543 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Ambassador Dare Bejide, came distant third with 12,872 votes.

The Tribunal, at its inaugural sitting in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, struck out the petition following the motion of withdrawal filed by the PDP flag bearer before the three-member panel of judges led by Justice Abubakar Idris Kutigi. Other members of the panel are Justice Aminu Tukur and Justice Maurice Okediya.

The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Kutigi, subsequently struck out Oluyede’s petition in line with the wish of the petitioner, whose motion to withdraw the petition had earlier been moved by his counsel, who also represented the PDP, Mr Paul Komolafe.

Counsel to Governor Oyebanji and APC, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, and Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Sulaiman Ibrahim, did not oppose the motion of the petitioners (Oluyede and PDP) to withdraw their petition from the Tribunal.

Speaking with reporters after the petition he filed was struck out by the Tribunal consequent upon his request, Oluyede said his action was predicated on the appeal made to him by individuals he described as ‘important people’ and out of respect for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Oluyede also explained that Oyebanji, following his victory at the polls, extended a hand of fellowship to him, declaring his readiness to join hands with the Governor to ensure a resounding victory for Tinubu in Ekiti at the forthcoming presidential election.

According to him, ‘My decision (to withdraw the petition) was based on the fact that what Ekiti and Nigeria need now is to seek the way forward. It’s not easy to withdraw your petition when you know you have a case, but I took the action at the request of people who are important to me, I mean the President and several advisers.

‘They have all asked me to withdraw the matter and advised that everybody should come together and let the President win the next election and bring Ekiti forward. We have a lot of things to do in Ekiti, and it will take the efforts of everybody. It shouldn’t be a partisan thing.

‘I am a member of PDP and still remains a member of PDP and we have an election in January for President Tinubu. The Governor too has extended a hand of friendship across to me and we will work together when the election comes and see how things go. It’s just for the betterment of Ekiti and Nigeria.’

However, the Tribunal has adjourned its sitting to Thursday, September 10, for ruling on the pre-hearing report by the parties in the case, and Monday, September 14, for the hearing of the substantive petitions filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Mr Isaac Adebayo Alade, and Action Alliance (AA) and its candidate, Mr Matthew Olu Omotoso.

The two parties and their candidates, who were represented by their counsel, Dr Nnamdi Ikpeazu, are challenging the return of Oyebanji as the winner of the governorship election by INEC.

The SDP candidate, Alade, polled 179 votes while the AA candidate, Omotoso, obtained 126 votes at the governorship election.

Justice Kutigi advised the petitioners’ counsel to ensure that the respondents are served in good time and also bring the witnesses to court on Monday for the commencement of hearing of the petition.

The Tribunal subsequently adjourned till Thursday (September 10) for ruling on the direction (pre-hearing report) and Monday (September 14) for the substantive petitions in the two cases filed by the SDP, AA and their candidates.

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has assured Nigerians that recovered assets will not be mismanaged under his leadership.

Olukoyede gave the assurance on Tuesday amid an ongoing debate over whether Nigeria should establish a central agency to take charge of assets recovered by government institutions.

The EFCC chairman opposed the proposal, arguing that the country’s asset recovery system is too broad for all recovered properties and funds to be placed under the control of a single agency.

He said more than 20 statutory government agencies have powers to recover assets under their respective mandates, making a centralised management structure difficult to operate effectively.

Olukoyede used the Nigeria Police Force as an example, noting that the organisation has divisions in almost every local government and police stations in most wards. He argued that it would be impractical for one agency to take over the management of assets recovered by the police and other institutions across the country.

The EFCC chairman also pointed to experiences in other countries to support his position. According to him, an attempt by the United Kingdom to establish a central agency for recovered assets cost more than £34 million before the arrangement was abandoned within a year.

He added that a similar system in South Africa lasted only 16 months.

Olukoyede further referenced the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), which was established to manage recovered assets, and claimed that the government lost more than N5 trillion under the arrangement.

Rather than creating another central agency, he said the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) offers a more effective framework by requiring individual agencies to account for assets recovered under their legal mandates.

He said the framework, alongside Section 31 of the EFCC Act, provides a workable basis for transparency and accountability in the handling of recovered assets.

Olukoyede, who previously served as Secretary of the EFCC and managed recovered assets for several years, said his position was informed by his practical experience within the commission.

He also challenged government agencies involved in asset recovery to provide proper accounts of assets recovered under their mandates.

According to the EFCC chairman, the commission publishes details of its recovered assets on its website within 24 hours. He added that the EFCC has also submitted its annual report to the National Assembly on time throughout his tenure.

Reiterating his commitment to accountability, Olukoyede concluded with a pledge to Nigerians: ‘Not a pin nor a penny of recovered assets will be mismanaged under my watch.’

Troops of 27 Task Force Brigade, operating under Sector 2, Operation HADIN KAI, on Tuesday successfully foiled an ambush by suspected Boko Haram terrorists along the Buni Gari-Buratai axis in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni.

It explained that the troops, while conducting a routine patrol along the axis, encountered the terrorists and responded decisively, forcing the terrorists to withdraw from the area in disarray.

According to it, reinforcement was subsequently deployed, enabling the troops to clear the ambush site and conduct further exploitation of the surrounding area.

The statement further added that during the operation, troops discovered and dismantled several makeshift camps assessed to have been used by the terrorists as temporary staging and hideout locations.

It added that the items recovered from the criminal elements included one motorcycle, bicycles, one magazine, ammunition and rocket-propelled grenade bombs, and that there were no casualties among own troops during the encounter.

It, however, pointed out that some military vehicles sustained damage as a result of the engagement, adding that ‘notwithstanding the damage, the troops remained operational and successfully completed the mission’.

The statement further explained that the operation underscored the resolve and fighting spirit of troops of Operation HADIN KAI to deny terrorist elements freedom of action, disrupt their activities and protect communities across the theatre, adding that the general security situation within the area of responsibility remains calm but unpredictable, as troops continue to maintain aggressive patrols and other coordinated security operations to safeguard lives and property.

It urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious movements, persons or activities to the appropriate security agencies, saying that such timely information remained critical to ongoing efforts to detect, disrupt and neutralise terrorist activities within the theatre.

The lawmaker representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Folajimi Oyekunle, popularly known as DON, has expressed confidence in the ability of Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, to provide a new direction for Nigeria if elected president in 2027.

Oyekunle spoke in Abuja during the commissioning of the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Office, saying his support for Makinde was largely based on the governor’s record in Oyo State.

According to the lawmaker, Makinde’s experience in governing Oyo State had demonstrated that purposeful leadership could translate into development, adding that Nigerians could expect similar results at the national level.

‘I am optimistic that Governor Seyi Makinde will correct many of the wrongs that previous leaders have inflicted on this country. We have seen what he has been able to achieve in Oyo State, and that gives us confidence in what he can do for Nigeria,’ Oyekunle said.

He urged Nigerians to look beyond political rhetoric and unrealistic promises when deciding who to support in the 2027 presidential election, stressing the need to consider competence, character, experience, and verifiable performance.

ALSO RAED: Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State- a review

Oyekunle said the country required leaders capable of confronting its challenges with practical solutions rather than making promises that would not translate into improved living conditions.

The lawmaker noted that Nigerians had experienced significant economic hardship and deserved a government that understood their challenges and had the capacity to address them.

He said Makinde possessed the experience and temperament needed to provide such leadership, describing his record in Oyo State as a reference point.

‘From my experience and what we have witnessed in Oyo State, I believe Nigerians will experience fresh waters under an APM government. We must choose quality leadership over unrealistic promises. Nigerians deserve better than the hardship they are currently experiencing,’ he added.

Oyekunle also called on Nigerians, particularly young people, to participate actively in the 2027 electoral process and ensure that their votes count.

He described the commissioning of the campaign office as an indication of growing political activities around the Makinde/Daura presidential bid.

The event attracted political stakeholders from different backgrounds, including members of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and opposition political parties.

Oyekunle urged supporters of the presidential ambition to remain focused on issues affecting ordinary Nigerians, particularly the economy, security, employment opportunities, and national unity.

He said the ultimate objective should be the emergence of a government capable of improving the living conditions of Nigerians, urging voters to assess political candidates based on their records and capacity rather than propaganda.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State on Tuesday reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening grassroots administration through capacity building, professionalism and improved work ethics among local government personnel.

The Special Adviser to Governor Aiyedatiwa on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Igbekele Akinrinwa, stated this on Tuesday during the graduation ceremony of 178 local government officers.

Akinrinwa said the training was in line with the administration’s policy of developing a more efficient and responsive local government service capable of delivering quality services to residents at the grassroots.

According to him, the local government officials completed the eight-week in-service training programme at the Local Government Staff Training School, Itaogbolu, in Akure North Local Government Area.

He urged the beneficiaries, who were promoted from Grade Level 14 to Grade Level 15, to reciprocate the government’s investment in their professional development by demonstrating discipline, punctuality, commitment and accountability in the discharge of their duties.

The governor’s aide said the administration would expect the newly promoted officers to translate the knowledge acquired into improved performance across the 18 local government areas.

He stressed that poor work attitude and indiscipline must give way to professionalism in the local government service.

He said the officers should see their new positions not merely as career advancement but as an opportunity to provide leadership and contribute to the effectiveness of governance at the grassroots.

The 178 officers received training in leadership, administrative communication, general studies, entrepreneurship, agribusiness, skills acquisition and other professional courses designed to broaden their capacity for effective public administration.

Akinrinwa expressed confidence that the programme would enhance efficiency within the local government service and support the administration’s efforts to deepen development at the grassroots.

Earlier, the pioneer Permanent Secretary of the Local Government Staff Training School, Prince Ayodeji Ayeku, described the programme as part of the state government’s sustained investment in human capital development.

Ayeku commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for prioritising capacity building, saying a better-trained workforce remained critical to improving public service delivery at the local government level.

Also, the Permanent Secretary of the Local Government Service Commission, Dr Bayo Ilawole, reminded the officers that their elevation to Grade Level 15 came with greater responsibilities, higher expectations and increased accountability.

He urged them to use their new positions to provide exemplary leadership and contribute meaningfully to the development of the local government service.

The Ogbolu of Itaogbolu, Oba Idowu Faborode, also commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for upgrading the training school and investing in its infrastructure.

The monarch said the granting of self-accounting status to the institution had revived activities at the school, adding that the community’s vision of hosting the first full-fledged Local Government University in Nigeria was gradually taking shape.

The ceremony featured the presentation of leadership and professional awards to outstanding participants, while some of the beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the state government for providing them with opportunities to improve their knowledge and professional skills.

The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has said it is monitoring the digital space, effectively, to ensure advertising materials posted there conform with the rules and regulations guiding the practice.

The Director General of the agency, Dr. Lekan Fadolapo, disclosed this, in Lagos, on Tuesday, at a media briefing on this year’s National Advertising Conference (NAC), scheduled for Abuja, between November 11 and 13, this year.

Fadolapo, who was represented at the event by the Director, Regulation, Dr. Lemme Akande, stated that while the agency does not regulate the digital space, its primary focus remains ensuring digital advertisements get the nod of the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), before exposure.

According to him, the digital space comprises entertainment, information and advertising, adding that the concern of the agency remains the advertising contents, which it regulates.

He argued that contrary to claims in some quarters that the agency had not wielded the big stick, regarding erring online advertisers , the ARCON boss stated that, over the years, the agency had succeeded in the bringing some of such violators to book.

‘We have a monitoring team and when there are acts that violate the code, what we do is to sanction. At the end of the day, they are taken to the AOT (Advertising Offences Tribunal) and we’ve taken some of these content creators there. Sometimes some of them may want to settle out of court. So it’s not as if ARCON has not been regulating the space. It’s just that we’ve not been making the noise you wanted,’ he stated.

Speaking on the conference, Fadolapo stated that one of the priorities of the organisers is to ensure they raise the attendance figure from 500 recorded last year, to over 700 this year.

He added that the Conference’s theme: ‘Repositioning The Marketing Communication Industry for the Next Frontier’, stemmed from the urgent need for repositioning in all sectors of the practices.

The Chairman of the Event Planning Committee, Mr. Tunji Adeyinka, stated that the annual conference had evolved into a platform for having important industry conversations, updating industry norms, debating critical issues and meeting and networking.

He said one of the strategies adopted by the committee at ensuring that the annual event does not become another ‘ talkshop’, is to also make it an advocacy platform, where industry agenda are pushed.

Adeyinka explained that the conference theme is aimed at tackling some of the challenges standing in the way of making critical progress in the industry.