Category: PM News

The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nantawe Yilwatda has explained why the party must win the August 15, 2026, Osun governorship election.

According to him, the election, being the last off-season election ahead of 2027, would be a litmus test for APC, as it would measure the party’s level of preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

‘This will be our practice ground; it will be our rehearsal for the political machine we are preparing for 2027 elections.

‘That is why winning the Osun election is a must for the APC. The party will mobilise resources, coordinate our people and move into Osun in large numbers after this inauguration,’

Yilwatda said on Tuesday in Abuja.

He spoke while inaugurating the 291-member Osun Governorship Election National Campaign Council, headed by Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo.

He stated that members of the council, including governors, members of the Federal Executive Council, deputy governors, past and present National Assembly members and business stakeholders, were carefully selected from all walks of life,

Yilwatda said they were selected to ensure mobilisation of human and material resources and also ensure that the election was properly coordinated for the party to win.

‘These are political heavyweights; it is like a trailer facing a keke. I do not know how the political party standing against us in Osun can withstand the strength of these people who are going there to mobilise and win the election,’ he said.

Yilwatda described APC as the only political party in Nigeria with abundant human resources and the most experienced politicians.

‘No political party can boast of the number of governors, National Assembly members, local government chairmen, councillors, former governors and former National Assembly members that we have.

‘We have them in abundance; we even have a number of former PDP leaders who are now here as well as former members of different political parties, including the Labour Party and others.

‘They have all come to add to the wealth of experience and the rich resources we have in this party,’ the APC national chairman said.

He said with the calibre of the council’s members, nothing would stop APC from taking over Osun Government House on Aug. 15.

‘With this assurance and confidence, I stand here proud and privileged to head a party that has the machinery, the will and the capacity to win elections at all levels,’ he said.

In his remarks, chairman of the council expressed gratitude to the party’s leadership for the confidence reposed in his members, saying the inauguration was another call to service, one that its members were happy, ready and willing to undertake.

Uzodimma assured that the council would return Osun to the progressive fold and secure a decisive, peaceful and credible victory for APC.

‘The work begins now; the standard is excellence, the method is peace, the destination is victory,’ he said.

The Imo governor explained that public responsibility was not a declaration but a covenant demanding sacrifice, discipline and measurable results.

‘We accept this responsibility with humility and an unshakable resolve to justify that confidence.

‘We therefore accept this assignment as a solemn obligation to our great party, to our democracy and to the good people of Osun,’ he said.

Uzodimma said every APC member and every progressive stakeholder had a vital role to play, adding that there should be no spectator in a mission of this importance.

He added that the unity of members of the council must be their first campaign message, stressing that ‘a united party is the strongest foundation for victory.

Tanzania’s long-distance runners Josephat Joshua Gisemo and Benjamin Ratsim will carry the nation’s hopes when they line up for the men’s 10,000 metres final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Tuesday evening.

The two athletes are among 22 competitors set to battle for medals in one of the most anticipated distance races of the athletics program at Scotstoun Stadium, with the event being contested as a straight final.

Gisemo heads into the race as Tanzania’s strongest medal prospect after enjoying an impressive season on the international circuit. His confidence has been boosted by a podium finish at the 2026 Daegu Marathon, a performance that underlined his growing reputation as one of Tanzania’s emerging endurance stars.

Having demonstrated consistency over both track and road events, Gisemo will be aiming to translate that form into a podium finish against a high-quality field featuring some of the Commonwealth’s leading distance runners.

Ratsim, meanwhile, will also be hoping to make his mark after earning selection through a series of solid performances. Although considered an outsider for the medals, the Tanzanian runner has shown steady progress and will be looking to produce a personal best on one of the biggest stages of his career.

The race is expected to be fiercely contested, with Australia’s Ky Robinson among the leading favourites after enjoying an outstanding season. Robinson’s tactical strength and finishing speed make him one of the athletes to beat.

East African nations are also expected to dominate the race once again, with Kenya fielding a formidable team led by Daniel Ebenyo, Edwin Kurgat and Ishmael Kipkurui. Uganda’s Herbert Kibet is another athlete capable of challenging for the podium, while India’s Gulveer Singh and Scotland’s Andrew Butchart will be hoping to use home support and experience to challenge the traditional East African dominance.

For Tanzania, the event represents another opportunity to reinforce the country’s growing status in long-distance athletics.

While the nation has produced internationally recognised marathon runners over the years, success on the Commonwealth Games track has been harder to achieve.

A strong showing from Gisemo or Ratsim would not only boost Tanzania’s medal tally in Glasgow but also provide further encouragement for the country’s next generation of distance runners.

The men’s 10,000m final is scheduled to start on Tuesday evening local time in Glasgow, with all eyes on whether Tanzania’s duo can upset the favourites and deliver a memorable performance in one of the Games’ premier endurance events

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has awarded scholarships and bursaries to 5,312 indigent students across the state as part of his sustained commitment to education and human capital development.

Senator Adeola announced the awards during the third edition of the Yayi Scholarship/Bursary Programme held in Abeokuta on Sunday.

A total of 17,000 students applied for this year’s programme, out of which 1,735 students received full scholarships, while 3,577 others were awarded bursaries.

Now in its third year, the initiative targets students in tertiary institutions across Ogun State’s 20 local government areas. It is designed to reduce the financial burden on families, expand access to higher education and support academically promising students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony held at the H3 Hotel and Event Centre, Abeokuta, Senator Adeola said the programme was aimed at ensuring that no Ogun indigene abandons education because of financial hardship.

He described education as the most effective tool for sustainable development, noting that the scholarship scheme reflects his long-standing commitment to empowering young people and investing in the future of Ogun State.

‘I am facilitating this scheme with the National Productivity Centre in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the education sector. The programme is designed to provide relief to students in their pursuit of knowledge and complement support available through the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). I am doing this to give you a future without any condition attached,’ he said.

In her remarks, the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, described the scholarship and bursary programme as a timely intervention that would positively impact the future of the state.

She said she was particularly proud that Senator Adeola was continuing a legacy of educational support championed by her late father during his tenure as chairman of the state scholarship board.

‘I still meet people who received scholarships over 50 years ago to attend university. I recently met a doctor who told me it was because of my father that he was able to study medicine. These are legacies that money cannot buy,’ she said.

She congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to make prudent use of the financial support to excel in their academic pursuits.

Leaders of the APC who delivered goodwill messages commended Senator Adeola for the initiative, describing it as a practical investment in the future of Ogun youths and a significant relief for struggling families.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Imoleayo Fadunsin, a student of Ogun State Polytechnic of Health and Allied Sciences, expressed appreciation to Senator Adeola for the intervention.

‘I am deeply grateful for this support. It will help me pay for meals and purchase academic materials while easing the burden on my parents, who have struggled to fund my education,’ Fadunsin said.

Among the dignitaries at the ceremony were the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele; Ogun APC Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi; former Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Tunji Egbetokun; former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Ishola; APC deputy governorship candidate, Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun; wife of the APC governorship candidate, Chief Mrs. Temitope Adeola; the Osi of Egbaland, Chief Bode Mustapha; members of the Ogun State Executive Council; leaders from the three senatorial districts; and former members of the National and State Assemblies.

Over the years, Senator Adeola has facilitated several education-focused projects across Ogun State, including the construction of 87 blocks of 12-classroom buildings equipped with furniture, staff rooms, libraries and solar power across the five local government areas of Ogun West; the establishment of 18 fully equipped ICT centres; the provision of furniture to 35 primary and secondary schools; and the sponsorship of 10,000 UTME (JAMB) registration forms for students.

This version removes repetition, improves flow, corrects minor grammatical issues, and reads like a professional newspaper or campaign press release while preserving the original message.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo for what he described as his ‘bold and disciplined leadership’ in Anambra State.

The President gave the commendations in a birthday message to Soludo on Tuesday.

According to the President, the former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN’s bold leadership in Anambra is evident in the improved security, economic transformation, and infrastructure expansion in the state.

The statement signed by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, partly reads: The President celebrates the exceptional economist, who, as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), led one of Nigeria’s most impactful reforms in the banking sector.

‘Recognising the sterling professional achievements of Soludo, the President describes him as an outlier who has brought the rigour, brilliance, and discipline of pedagogy into politics.

‘President Tinubu commends Governor Soludo for his bold and disciplined leadership in Anambra, evident in the improved security, economic transformation, and infrastructure expansion in the state.

‘I join family, friends, and the people of Anambra State to celebrate Governor Soludo on his birthday today.

‘Soludo has truly demonstrated that when philosophers become kings, good change happens. I encourage him to keep up the good work, and I thank him for his support.

‘I pray that God Almighty grant him many more years of good health and strength to deepen his transformative leadership in Anambra and Nigeria,’ the President says.

An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court, on Tuesday issued a bench warrant for former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Abimbola Olawumi, over alleged cyber bullying and false accusation on social media.

The court issued the bench warrant after revoking the bail it earlier granted to her.

The defendant was first arraigned before the court on July 23 for alleged cyber bullying and false accusation on social media against one Yemisi Joluwe.

She had pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge preferred against her, and the court granted her bail on self-recognition as canvassed by her defence counsel on her first arraignment.

In a resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, the counsel to the defendant, Mr Odunayo Okunade, in his submission, apologised to the court over his client absence in court.

Okunade said that his client was unable to attend the proceedings due to her health challenges and tendered a medical report to support his submission.

But the Police prosecutor, Mr Samson Osobu, opposed the defence’s argument, saying that the defendant absence was unjustifiable and that they were not aware of the medical report.

Osobu argued that in spite of claiming to be ill, the defendant was allegedly active on social media as on Monday and Tuesday where she reportedly continued to bully, threaten abuse and terrorise the complainant and other people on social media.

According to him, the defendant’s conduct amounts to a gross abuse of the bail earlier granted by the court.

He therefore urged the court to revoke the bail of the defendant and issue a bench warrant on her.

In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mr Abayomi Adeosun, expressed displeasure over the defendant’s failure to appear in court.

Adeosun said that the court was disappointed that the defendant failed to honour its proceedings in spite of being admitted to bail on self-recognition, noting that parties granted bail were expected to comply strictly with the conditions attached to it.

He consequently revoked the bail earlier granted to her and issued a bench warrant on the defendant and adjourned the case until Aug 17 for hearing.

When acts of extreme cruelty and oppression happen, most people get concerned with the side of those on the receiving end. This is a typically normal and logical human response, to focus on those who are affected before giving a thought to the perpetrators.

In the political dynamics of most African countries, cruelty has almost become next to nature, people being subjected to the extremes of oppression just to suppress and silence their opinions and cries for justice and fairness under the ideally unsurpassable rule of law.

Young people are important in the political life of any country, and in a special way in African countries, where young people (aged 30 and below) by far exceed half of the population of these countries. It is unjustifiable and unfair if such a big demographic chunk is not properly represented in the political life of the state.

For the most part, young people of today, especially the Generation Z, have evolved differently politically, demanding in their own ways, using the free digital space, a society that is fair, just and progressive. Unlike generations before, which had a do-or-die loyalty to political parties, the Gen Z young people today appear to favour a better agenda regardless of political parties; what experts call ‘Issue-based mobilization’ (Cf. The Oslo Centre, A Research Report on Youth Political Accountability in Kenya, 2025).

With recent happenings in some countries where the government machinery has responded with cruelty to the demands of these young people, over issues that were/are obvious, while the injustice is clear, the damage is beyond the bloodshed.

On the side of the perpetrators of such cruelty, some young people participate in the power fantasy of the oppressors by being agents for such cruelty. In philosophies of causality, human agency is a ‘instrumental cause,’ meaning they as well have responsibility for such acts of cruelty, given their nature, which is endowed with not only intelligence, but also a conscience capable of refusing cruelty and injustice.

The fact that the perpetrators may not be apprehended, given the corruption of the justice parastatal, does not mean no harm is done to society. In fact, the society will harbour the wound of living with cruel people as long as they last; it is an even bigger wound if these people are young.

Politics can cause deep wounds to society through acts of corruption, but society can survive these. There have always been corruption and mismanagement in our African countries. However, the corruption of young people, making them inherit the cruelty and heartlessness of oppressors and corruption kingmakers, is a harm beyond recovery. Cruelty in these young people become next to their nature, and a tool that metastasizes as they go on in life.

With thousands or tens of thousands of young people being involved in the cruel agendas of ruling parties across Africa, do we expect peaceful solutions to political problems anytime in the future? Cruel solutions are easier as compared to progressive dialogue that, in turn, has the power to not only heal hearts, but also heal conversations, and hold people accountable for what they do/did. Once one has tasted the ‘sweetness’ of cruel solutions, especially where lives are taken, one cannot tolerate dialogue and fairness anymore.

While young people are becoming more and more politically active, it is important to seek more meaningful solutions to existing problems and not to respond with cruelty. Cruelty affects the entire generation; massacres become part of the collective memory and, as such, part of the collective trauma of that generation. Such trauma, according to experts, can last up to 10 generations, both as a story as well as an existential reality.

It is a sad state where the majority of young people have traumatic experiences caused by politics, such as witnessing others being tortured, shot, kidnapped, disappeared, unjustly jailed, etc., and in worst cases, witnessing fellow young people being killed for political causes. It causes numbness, and in the worst case, it gives an extraordinary courage, given the loss of the sense of value for one’s life, having seen how another’s life is laid waste.

It is time we all take social responsibility to awaken the sense of value, especially among young people who have made themselves partisan to an oppressive agenda. In all our African countries, the side that oppresses can be easily pointed out. We ought to encourage young people to really be independent and make decisions by conscience, rather than desire for money, the handiest bargain in the hands of the oppressors.

Nonetheless, the struggle against injustice cannot be won by standing on the grey areas of political indifference. It adds value to stand firm on the side that serves the social good, regardless of the dangers, than to be mercenaries for the oppressive forces. The latter is a betrayal of the lives and dreams of fellow young people.

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, on Tuesday appeared for the prosecution in the trial of Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters for alleged criminal defamation

Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) for defamation before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The activist, who is also the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), was alleged to have made false claims against the person of President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as ‘a criminal’ in a post he made on his ‘X’ and Facebook accounts.

Against this development, the DSS charged him with criminal defamation, cyberstalking and incitement.

Fagbemi, on Tuesday, led a team of lawyers, including the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, and Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, among others, in the trial.

He urged the court to reject Sowore’s subpeaned letter, asking the DSS DG, Oluwatisin Ajayi, to testify in his defence.

The AGF, who said the DSS had been so responsive enough to allow the 2nd defence witness (DW-2), an official from the service, to give testimony on the last adjourned date, said the application for Ajayi to testify was to delay the proceedings.

The National Secretary of Project 774 Network, Retired DIG Mohammed Usaini Gumel, speaks to MADUABUCHI NMERIBEH, on why the organization is organising a national summit on countering terrorism and other forms of insecurity in Nigeria, scheduled to hold on Friday, July 31, 2026, at Ladi Kwali Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with the theme: ‘Our Security, Our Duty: Citizens Standing With Our Troops To End Terrorism, Banditry And Kidnapping.’ Excerpts:

Q: Why is Project 774 Network convening a National Citizens’ Stakeholders’ Engagement on countering terrorism and insecurity at this time?

A: Thank you very much. This engagement is necessary because, despite the tremendous sacrifices and achievements of our Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, intelligence agencies, and other security institutions, insecurity remains one of Nigeria’s greatest national challenges. We believe the time has come to broaden the conversation beyond government alone and actively involve citizens, communities, traditional institutions, the private sector, civil society, and development partners. Security is everyone’s responsibility.

Your recent article argues that Nigeria’s insecurity will be defeated in the 774 Local Government Areas rather than in Abuja alone. What exactly do you mean?

The point is quite straightforward. Abuja provides national leadership, policy direction, and coordination, but criminal activities occur within our communities. Terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal elements recruit, hide, move, and operate within towns, villages, forests, border communities, and highways across the 774 Local Government Areas. If we truly want sustainable security, every Local Government Area must become an active security ecosystem where citizens, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, women, youth, and community organisations work together to identify threats early and prevent crime before it escalates.

Does this mean the current security architecture is inadequate?

I would rather say that our security architecture must continue to evolve. Today’s security threats are increasingly local, dynamic, and intelligence driven. While our national security institutions remain indispensable, they need stronger community support and locally generated intelligence. National coordination must be complemented by community ownership of security.

What practical measures should government prioritise?

First, every Local Government Area should develop a comprehensive security profile identifying its peculiar threats, vulnerable communities, criminal routes, illegal arms circulation, drug distribution networks, and emerging risks. Second, functional Local Government Security Councils should be established to bring together security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, women, youth groups, farmers, herders, transport unions, and other credible stakeholders. Third, Police Divisions must be strengthened with adequate personnel, logistics, mobility, communication equipment, and operational resources so they can respond effectively to emergencies.

You have consistently advocated decentralised policing. How does that fit into this conversation?

Nigeria’s size, diversity, and security realities require policing arrangements that are both nationally coordinated and locally responsive. A carefully regulated system in which Federal and State policing institutions operate under constitutional safeguards can improve operational effectiveness while maintaining professionalism, accountability, respect for human rights, and protection against political interference. The objective is to strengthen national security, not weaken it.

What role should communities themselves play?

Communities are the first line of defence. Neighbourhood watch groups, vigilante organisations, community development associations, and other local initiatives should operate within a clear legal and regulatory framework, with proper registration, training, vetting, and supervision. When communities trust security agencies and security agencies trust communities, intelligence improves significantly, and criminals find it much harder to operate.

Beyond security operations, what other factors must be addressed?

Security cannot be separated from development. Youth unemployment, drug abuse, poor educational opportunities, unresolved communal disputes, poverty, and inadequate public services create conditions that criminals exploit. We must therefore combine effective law enforcement with economic opportunities, education, infrastructure, and social development.

What should Nigerians expect from the National Citizens’ Stakeholders’ Engagement?

They should expect practical solutions, constructive dialogue, and actionable recommendations. The engagement will bring together government officials, security agencies, lawmakers, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, academia, the organised private sector, youth and women groups, and development partners to strengthen collaboration in addressing insecurity. Our goal is to produce an Abuja Citizens’ Declaration and a Conference Communiqué containing practical recommendations for improving national security through stronger citizen participation and institutional collaboration.

What message would you like to leave with Nigerians?

My message is simple: security is not the responsibility of government alone. Every citizen has a role to play. If we secure our communities, we secure our Local Government Areas. If we secure all 774 Local Government Areas, we secure Nigeria. The road to a safer Nigeria does not begin or end in Abuja. It begins in every ward, every village, every town, and every community. That is where trust is built, intelligence is generated, criminality is prevented, and lasting peace is sustained. Together, through responsible citizenship and collective action, we can build a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Nigeria.

What is the philosophy, mission and vision of Project 774 Network?

The Project is designed and fashioned towards supporting Nigerian troops, strengthening national unity, as well as advancing peace and development across the country.

The Project 774 Network was established on the conviction that the future of Nigeria depends not only on the quality of its leadership, but equally on the character, responsibility, and active participation of its citizens. We believe that the greatness of a nation is measured not only by the strength of its institutions, the size of its economy, or the authority of its government, but also by the integrity, discipline, patriotism, and civic responsibility of its people. For this reason, Project 774 Network is built upon a philosophy of shared national responsibility-a philosophy that calls upon government to lead with accountability and citizens to serve with responsibility.

We reject the false belief that nation-building is the exclusive duty of government. Likewise, we reject the notion that citizens should remain passive observers of national affairs. Every Nigerian has a role to play in building a peaceful, secure, united, and prosperous nation. This philosophy guides every programme, partnership, publication, and initiative undertaken by Project 774 Network. Moreso, we affirm that leadership and citizenship are complementary responsibilities; rights and responsibilities are inseparable in a democratic society; national development is sustained by institutions that are strengthened through ethical leadership and responsible citizenship; peace is preserved through justice, dialogue, mutual respect, and community participation; security is most effective when citizens and institutions work together in trust; every Local Government Area is a strategic building block of national development; national unity grows when diversity is respected and the common good is placed above sectional interests; lasting progress is achieved through integrity, service, discipline, innovation, and collective action. Furthermore, the Project 774 Network believes that government must govern with integrity, transparency, accountability, and fairness; citizens must conduct themselves with honesty, discipline, respect for the law, and commitment to the common good; families must nurture character; schools must cultivate knowledge and civic values; religious and traditional institutions must promote morality, peace, and social harmony; businesses must operate responsibly and create opportunities; civil society must encourage participation and accountability; young people must become innovators, volunteers, and future leaders rather than spectators of national development. Indeed, a nation prospers when each institution fulfils its responsibility faithfully. Project 774 Network teaches that every Nigerian has a sphere of influence-however small-that can become a centre of national transformation. True nation-building begins when each person commits to excellence, honesty, and service to the country and humanity. Before we seek national transformation, we must begin with personal transformation. The future of Nigeria will not be determined solely by those who occupy public office. It will also be shaped by teachers who inspire, parents who guide, entrepreneurs who create opportunities, workers who perform their duties faithfully, community leaders who unite rather than divide, and citizens who choose honesty over convenience. Every Nigerian has the capacity to influence the nation’s future through everyday acts of responsibility and service. Project 774 Network is a non-partisan national civic movement founded on the enduring conviction that the future of Nigeria depends not only on the quality of its leadership but equally on the character, responsibility, and active participation of its citizens. We believe that the true greatness of a nation is measured not merely by the strength of its institutions, the size of its economy, or the authority of its government, but by the integrity, discipline, patriotism, compassion, and civic responsibility of its people.

Accordingly, Project 774 Network is founded upon the philosophy of Shared National Responsibility-a philosophy that calls upon government to govern with accountability and citizens to serve with responsibility. We reject the false assumption that nation-building is the exclusive responsibility of government. Equally, we reject the notion that citizens should remain passive observers of national affairs. Every Nigerian has both the privilege and the duty to contribute to the peace, security, unity, and prosperity of our nation. National transformation begins when every citizen chooses integrity, competence, discipline, and service within that personal sphere. Extraordinary nations are built through millions of ordinary acts of responsibility faithfully performed every day.

Our mission is to cultivate a civic culture in which government governs with integrity, institutions serve with excellence, communities thrive through cooperation, and citizens embrace their shared responsibility for building a peaceful, secure, united, and prosperous Nigeria.

The Oyo State APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has begun reconciling aspirants aggrieved by the outcome of the party’s recent primary election.

Alli said he had begun meeting dissatisfied aspirants and party members following the APC primary contested by 11 governorship hopefuls.

The Oyo South senator disclosed that he met a member of the aggrieved G6 group on Monday as part of efforts to reunite the party ahead of the 2027 election.

He spoke during a media briefing at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat in Ibadan.

Alli said disagreements were inevitable after a fiercely contested primary in which only one candidate could emerge from a field of qualified aspirants.

‘It is not out of place to see aggrieved aspirants in a strong political party like the APC, which paraded an array of well-qualified and competent individuals who had shown interest in contesting for the party’s ticket,’ he said.

The governorship candidate disclosed that the party had constituted a committee to reconcile the aggrieved aspirants and other members unhappy with the primary’s outcome.

‘In a party that has 11 aspirants, it is expected. When 11 people are aspiring and there is only one state, the party has to pick someone. All of us are qualified for the position. APC has the best aspirants,’ he said.

Alli insisted that his emergence as the party’s flagbearer had been formalised, adding that the APC had uploaded his information.

‘I want to assure you all that grievances from the fallout of the governorship primary election of the party in the state will soon be resolved. I have been meeting people. I even met one of the G6 members today,’ he added.

The briefing was attended by his running mate, Adesoji Adedeji; Oyo APC Chairman Moses Adeyemo; and other party leaders.

Alli said the reconciliation drive was necessary to bring all factions together and strengthen the APC’s campaign to reclaim Oyo State in 2027.

One Tanzanite Football Academy (OTFA) has returned home after making history in Europe, with its youth teams delivering outstanding performances in Sweden and Denmark to showcase Tanzania’s growing football talent on the international stage.

The academy’s Under-17 (U17) side emerged champions of the prestigious Gothia Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden, while the Under-19 (U19) team secured an impressive third-place finish at the Dana Cup in Hjørring, Denmark.

The achievements mark one of the biggest successes by a Tanzanian youth football academy in international competition and reinforce the country’s growing reputation for developing talented young players capable of competing against some of the world’s best.

At the Gothia Cup, regarded as the world’s largest international youth football tournament, OTFA’s U17 team overcame strong opposition from across the globe to lift the title.

This year’s tournament attracted 1,956 teams in different age categories from 78 countries, making the triumph a significant milestone for both the academy and Tanzanian football.

The academy’s U19 team also impressed at the Dana Cup, the world’s second-largest youth football tournament, where they finished third after competing against leading youth academies and clubs from around the world. The tournament featured more than 946 teams from 56 countries.

According to the academy, the results demonstrate that Tanzanian youngsters can compete successfully at the highest level when provided with quality coaching, proper preparation and the right environment to nurture their talent.

OTFA thanked its sponsors and partners whose support made the teams’ participation possible. They include Azania Bank, Mega Beverages, ASAS Group, Derick Global Trading, ALAF Tanzania, the Gaming Board of Tanzania and CRDB Bank.

The academy also expressed appreciation to the Government of Tanzania, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), the National Sports Council (NSC) and other football stakeholders for their continued cooperation and confidence in the academy’s youth development program.

Founded to identify and nurture football talent among children and young people across the country, OTFA believes sport is an important tool for promoting discipline, education and creating opportunities for the next generation.

The academy said its mission extends beyond football, revealing that more than 95 percent of its players come from disadvantaged and low-income families.

Through sponsorship, professional coaching and mentorship, the academy aims to ensure that financial hardship does not prevent talented youngsters from pursuing their dreams.

Officials described the success in Sweden and Denmark as evidence that long-term investment in youth football can produce tangible results while raising Tanzania’s profile internationally.

The academy pledged to continue working with the government, sponsors, the private sector and other stakeholders to expand opportunities for young players and strengthen talent development program across the country.

It also called on institutions, companies and individuals to invest more in youth sports, arguing that supporting young athletes is an investment in Tanzania’s future.

OTFA concluded by thanking Tanzanians for their prayers, encouragement and messages of support throughout the tournaments, saying the achievements belong not only to the academy but to the entire nation.

The historic performances in Europe are expected to inspire more young Tanzanians to pursue football while demonstrating that the country has the potential to produce players capable of succeeding on the global stage.