Category: The Nation – Nigeria

The President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio has charged the political support group the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement to carry the message of Renewed Hope to every nook and cranny of the country and build a consensus on nation-building and national renewal.

Akpabio gave the charge at the formal commissioning of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement campaign headquarters in Abuja on Friday.

He said the inauguration of the campaign headquarters should affirm our faith in the Nigerian dream and our conviction that Nigeria’s greatness will be determined not by the difficulties the nation has endured but by the courage to overcome them.

Addressing members of the support group Akpabio said: ‘You have recognised a fundamental truth of democracy: elections may be won at the ballot box but enduring national progress is built in the hearts and homes of the people.

‘That is the Nigeria we must build. That is the Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has summoned us to believe in. His Renewed Hope Agenda is founded on the conviction that our present difficulties must not become the permanent destiny of our children.

‘The road to national renewal may be demanding but no nation rises to greatness by surrendering to its challenges. Great nations are built by people who refuse to surrender their future to their fears.

And that is why this movement matters. When you go from door to door do not merely seek political support. Carry a message of hope. Listen to our people’s struggles.

‘Hear the concerns of the mother in the marketplace the farmer in the field the graduate seeking employment and the young entrepreneur searching for opportunity.

‘Let what you hear form the building blocks of tomorrow’s political architecture. Let every conversation remind us that leadership is not measured by the applause we receive but by the lives we improve.

Let this headquarters become more than a centre of political mobilisation. Let it become a centre of listening engagement national solidarity and service. Let its doors remain open to every Nigerian regardless of ethnicity religion region or political persuasion.

‘For the Nigeria we seek to build must be greater than the differences that sometimes divide us.’

According to Akpabio the difficulties Nigerians face must never destroy their determination and politics must never outweigh patriotism.

Akpabio affirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to legislation that strengthens the nation’s economy expands opportunity protects democracy and advances the welfare of the people.

He charged the support group to build bridges across ethnic religious and politival lines. ‘Let us move from door to door but above all from heart to heart. Let us build bridges where others see barriers inspire confidence where others spread despair and plant the seeds of tomorrow’s prosperity in the soil of today’s sacrifice’ he said.

The First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu commissioned the campaign headquarters which the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu and several state governors also attended.

The PBAT Door-to-Door Movement is the brainchild of Government Ekpemupolo also known as Tompolo.

The Ogun State Police Command has foiled a suspected cult initiation in Owode-Yewa Ogun state.

The Police arrested three secondary school students aged 12 18 and 18 following timely intelligence about a planned cult-related activity tagged ‘Kito Day’ involving students from different secondary schools in the area.

A statement by the Spokesman for the Command Oluseyi Babaseyi said the Police acting on information received on 22nd October 2026 the Divisional Police Officer Owode-Yewa swiftly deployed a team of detectives in collaboration with the Vigilante Group of Nigeria to the scene.

According to him the operation led to the arrest of the three suspects and the recovery of one English axe two knives one short cutlass one rubber toy gun and a school bag.

He however said the case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Eleweran Abeokuta today 23rd October 2026 for further investigation and possible prosecution.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed deep sorrow at the death of veteran Nollywood actor Richard Francis Duru who died at 57 describing his passing as a painful loss to Nigeria’s entertainment industry and the nation’s creative community.

The President extended his condolences to the deceased’s family colleagues admirers and the entire Nigerian film industry acknowledging his contributions to the growth and development of Nollywood.

In a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga Tinubu said Duru belonged to a generation of actors whose dedication talent and commitment helped establish Nollywood as a major platform for storytelling and cultural expression.

He noted that veteran actors such as Duru played a significant role in shaping the artistic identity of Nigeria’s film industry nurturing emerging talent and projecting the country’s rich cultural heritage to audiences within and outside Nigeria.

According to the President Nollywood’s pioneers have been instrumental in transforming the industry into a key vehicle for promoting Nigerian stories traditions and values on the global stage.

Tinubu observed that accomplished entertainers’ influence transcends their lifetimes stressing that artists who devoted their careers to entertaining educating and inspiring society will continue to be remembered for their contributions to national development.

He maintained that Duru’s artistic accomplishments and contributions to Nollywood’s evolution would remain an enduring part of the industry’s history and Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

The President also reaffirmed his administration’s recognition of the arts and entertainment industry’s strategic importance to economic development cultural preservation and the promotion of Nigeria’s international image.

He assured members of the creative community that the Federal Government appreciated their invaluable contributions to the nation’s development and their role in projecting Nigeria’s identity across the world.

Tinubu prayed for Duru’s soul to rest in peace and asked God to grant his family friends professional colleagues and admirers the strength and fortitude to bear the loss.

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has extended the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Food Outreach Programme to 31 states of the federation with Osun becoming the latest beneficiary of the nationwide humanitarian intervention designed to cushion the effects of economic hardship on vulnerable Nigerians.

Mrs. Tinubu announced that Ogun and Akwa Ibom states would be the next beneficiaries of the programme which provides monthly food supplies to disadvantaged households including widows persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

Speaking yesterday at the presentation of food items in Osun State the First Lady reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring that vulnerable Nigerians continued to receive humanitarian support irrespective of their social status or circumstances.

Represented by the wife of the Vice President Hajiya Nana Shettima Mrs. Tinubu formally handed over the food supplies to the wife of the Osun State governor and RHI State Coordinator Mrs. Titilola Adeleke for distribution to identified beneficiaries across the state.

She explained that the Food Outreach Programme launched in March 2024 was conceived to provide direct nutritional assistance to vulnerable Nigerians while strengthening the welfare and resilience of families facing economic difficulties.

In a statement in Abuja by the Special Assistant to the President on Media and ICT in the Office of the Vice President Kwapchi Bata Hamman the First Lady said the intervention formed part of broader efforts to complement President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by extending support to Nigerians most affected by prevailing economic and social challenges.

‘The initiative was designed to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR by ensuring that vulnerable citizens receive the support they need irrespective of their status or circumstances’ she said.

Mrs. Tinubu also announced that the programme had remained operational through the sustained generosity of two major partners who collectively donate two truckloads of food items every month enabling the initiative to reach two states monthly.

She named the donors as the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) and another benefactor who had elected to remain anonymous.

The First Lady explained that the entire consignment presented to Osun State was provided by the anonymous donor whose contributions alongside those of ASR Africa had sustained the nationwide humanitarian outreach.

‘This particular supply we are distributing today in Osun is entirely from our anonymous donor. I thank both partners for their deep generosity and sustained commitment to supporting vulnerable populations in Nigeria’ she stated.

Mrs. Tinubu hailed Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke for the warm reception accorded her delegation acknowledging the commitment of his wife Mrs. Titilola Adeleke to the implementation of Renewed Hope Initiative programmes in the state.

She expressed satisfaction with the continued expansion of the food intervention stating that Ogun and Akwa Ibom states had been selected as the next beneficiaries.

Governor Adeleke praised the First Lady for sustaining the humanitarian programme describing food assistance as an important intervention in addressing the immediate needs of underprivileged citizens.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Teslim Igbalaye the governor said the food outreach had further expanded the range of social welfare programmes introduced by Mrs. Tinubu through the Renewed Hope Initiative since 2023.

He described the intervention as a humanitarian gesture that would provide relief to vulnerable households and complement existing efforts to improve the welfare of disadvantaged residents.

Adeleke assured the First Lady of his administration’s continued support for the implementation of RHI programmes across Osun State particularly initiatives targeting women children elderly citizens and economically disadvantaged groups.

Also Mrs. Adeleke expressed appreciation to the First Lady for extending the food intervention to Osun describing the gesture as another significant milestone in the state’s participation in the Renewed Hope Initiative.

The governor’s wife said the various programmes being implemented under the initiative had continued to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable residents particularly elderly citizens petty traders women and other disadvantaged groups.

According to her the initiative has contributed to improved welfare for elderly citizens expanded commercial opportunities through grants to petty traders and supported interventions in agriculture food security education and healthcare.

Mrs. Adeleke maintained that the intervention had added another dimension to the humanitarian support available to vulnerable residents of the state expressing gratitude to the First Lady for her continued commitment to social inclusion.

The RHI Food Outreach Programme is one of several interventions under the First Lady’s social investment platform established to promote humanitarian assistance economic empowerment and improved living conditions for vulnerable Nigerians.

The programme which began in March 2024 has progressively expanded its reach across the country with Thursday’s distribution in Osun bringing the number of beneficiary states to 31.

The Lagos State College of Health Technology (LASCOHET) has called for sustainable funding curriculum review and stronger institutional structures as it prepares for its proposed transition from a college to a polytechnic.

The Provost Prof. Raheem Akewushola made the call at the institution’s management retreat in Lekki Lagos.

The retreat themed ‘Unlocking Strategies and Structure for Actualising Sustainable Development for Lagos State College of Health Technology’.

Akewushola said the retreat provided an opportunity for the institution to assess its performance identify operational challenges and develop practical strategies for sustainable development ahead of the proposed transition.

He noted that changing healthcare demands advances in medical technology and increasing expectations from students employers and regulators required regular reviews of academic programmes and administrative systems.

‘As a college entrusted with the responsibility of training allied healthcare professionals we just recognise that our relevance and competitiveness depend not only on the quality of our academic programmes but also on the strength of our institutional structures’ he said.

The provost stressed the need to update the curriculum to reflect emerging developments in the healthcare sector maintain academic standards and equip students with entrepreneurial skills to improve their employability.

He described the proposed transition to a polytechnic as an opportunity to expand the institution’s capacity and strengthen its operations adding that adequate structures must be established to ensure financial independence and long-term sustainability.

Akewushola urged the management and staff to explore alternative revenue sources to reduce the institution’s dependence on government funding.

He also highlighted improvements in the college’s digital operations including the automation of student registration and payment processes and the establishment of an Information and Communications Technology centre.

According to him sustaining the institution’s progress requires effective leadership teamwork institutional commitment and collective responsibility across departments and units.

The provost urged participants to use the retreat to review existing structures identify areas requiring improvement and develop actionable recommendations to enhance efficiency and align the institution’s operations with its vision and mission.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education Hon. Tolani Sule reaffirmed the importance of strategic planning and institutional development in advancing the state’s tertiary education objectives.

Sule who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Adeniran Kasali said the proposed transition would create opportunities for the institution its staff and students.

He urged LASCOHET to strengthen its consultancy services partnerships and short-term professional training programmes as part of efforts to generate additional revenue.

Kasali said the college could organise specialised training programmes and conferences for healthcare practitioners to improve professional capacity while supporting its financial sustainability.

He also encouraged the institution to collaborate with government agencies healthcare institutions and development partners to broaden its revenue base beyond conventional academic programmes.

The permanent secretary emphasised the importance of staff development noting that capacity building required a combination of knowledge skills and the right professional attitude.

He acknowledged the role of institutions such as LASCOHET in training competent healthcare professionals for Lagos State and Nigeria stressing that continuous improvement in educational standards was essential to meeting the evolving needs of the healthcare sector.

In her keynote address the Chief Executive Officer of the African Business Coalition for Health Dr Moris Atoki said LASCOHET had an important role to play in shaping the future of healthcare delivery in Lagos State.

She urged the institution to align its academic programmes with the changing needs of the healthcare system to remain relevant and produce graduates capable of addressing emerging challenges in the sector.

Atoki identified governance strategy finance academics workforce development digital infrastructure facilities research and partnerships as critical areas requiring attention for sustainable institutional development.

She called on the management to strengthen its governance framework through clearly defined responsibilities effective financial controls periodic risk assessments and transparent accountability mechanisms.

On financial sustainability Atoki advised the college to evaluate the costs and revenue potential of its academic programmes while exploring consultancy services professional training grants alumni contributions and partnerships with development organisations.

She said such initiatives would help the institution diversify its income sources and strengthen its capacity to sustain operations in the long term.

The chief executive also emphasised the need for investment in digital infrastructure skills laboratories reliable power supply and internet connectivity to equip students with competencies relevant to contemporary healthcare practice.

She added that strategic leadership organisational effectiveness innovation and forward-looking planning were essential to strengthening institutions and improving their ability to fulfil their mandates.

‘The finances and governance structures must support the long-term operations of the college and sustain performance regardless of changes in political leadership or policy priorities’ she said.

Atoki noted that the institution’s success should be measured not only by its activities but also by the quality of its graduates and their contributions to the healthcare sector.

The retreat provided a platform for management and staff to deliberate on institutional priorities improve administrative processes and develop strategies for strengthening academic delivery financial management and organisational effectiveness.

Governor Ademola Adeleke yesrterday inaugurated a 350-member Rainbow Committee comprising leaders and chieftains of the Accord Party the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.

The coalition also promised to deliver two million votes for the APC presidential candidate in the forthcoming election scheduled for January 2027.

Adeleke was accompanied by members of his cabinet and National and State Assembly candidates of the Accord Party alongside the party’s state chairman Pastor Victor Akande and other members.

The PDP State Chairman Sunday Bisi led the party’s 2027 candidates and structures in mobilising support for Tinubu.

Among the APC leaders present were the party’s National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru; Chief Bisi Akande; Chief Shuaib Oyedokun; Senator Iyiola Omisore; and former lawmakers among others.

Speaking at the event Adeleke said: ‘We assemble here to mobilise and deliver even more than the 1.5 million votes we earlier promised Mr President.’

He noted that the committee brought together political leaders across party lines saying: ‘We have all the strikers the defenders and the midfielders. This rainbow coalition of Accord APC and PDP structures is superbly potent to deliver Osun overwhelmingly to Mr President come next year January.’

He tasked the coalition with mobilising support in a spirit of unity stressing: ‘From the pain of the past we must unite for the prosperity of the future. From unity in diversity we must forge a new brotherhood behind our leader Asiwaju Tinubu.’

Earlier Basiru urged political stakeholders in Osun State to set aside personal ambitions and party interests to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.

He called on all stakeholders to work with Governor Adeleke to ensure the success of the campaign for Tinubu.

Basiru attributed the financial and developmental progress recorded in the country to reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration citing ongoing road construction projects declining inflation and interventions in education financing.

He said about 5500 kilometres of roads were under construction nationwide adding that he had observed progress on the concrete road project from Asejire towards Gbongan and another section extending towards Ilesa.

The APC National Secretary dismissed opposition criticisms of the economy arguing that international rating agencies and economic organisations had acknowledged Nigeria’s progress and stability.

He called on Osun residents to reject what he described as attempts to mislead them and avoid a return to the period when governments struggled to pay workers’ salaries.

Similarly the pioneer interim National Chairman of the APC Chief Akande hailed Adeleke for leading the people of Osun to support Tinubu’s re-election.

He described Adeleke as a pathfinder saying: ‘I salute Governor Adeleke for having the courage and the capacity to bring us to this hall to march towards the noble course of the Yoruba race.’

Akande called for unity across political divides to secure a landslide victory for Tinubu.

‘We have one of our sons in Yorubaland as the President of Nigeria and he is entitled to two terms in office. We are all praying that he should have his second term in office and I learnt that in Osun State Governor Adeleke has been asked to lead the people of Osun State to achieve two million votes on January 16 2027’ he said.

Omisore also called for support across party lines.

‘We need everybody irrespective of political affiliation including ADC Accord and others to vote for President Bola Tinubu. We are not talking about governorship NASS and State Assembly elections but the re-election of our leader’ he said.

‘We should work hard to deliver two million votes for President Tinubu; it is possible and we must play our role effectively. I commend Governor Adeleke for the role he is playing in ensuring the success of our party in the forthcoming presidential election’ Omisore added.

New Chairman of the Military Pensions Board (MPB) Maj.- Gen. Julius Osifo has pledged to ensure prompt seamless and less bureaucratic payment of pensions gratuities arrears and death benefits to retired and discharged military personnel and families of deceased service members.

Osifo made the promises during his assumption of duty at the board’s handing-over yesterday.

He assured military retirees and families of fallen personnel that their welfare would remain a priority under his leadership promising to reposition the board to improve service delivery and eliminate unnecessary delays in the payment of entitlements.

The chairman said he would focus on ensuring that benefits were processed promptly with minimal bureaucracy while maintaining safeguards to ensure that only legitimate beneficiaries received payments.

‘My mission statement will be anchored on leading a Board that will prioritise all ways and means to ensure payments are prompt accessed with seamless ease less cumbersome less bureaucratic but with an overriding commitment to ensuring only the rightful recipients get their due entitlements’ Osifo said.

He added that veterans and families of deceased military personnel would have cause to smile under his leadership.

To achieve the objective Osifo identified the deployment of modern technology proactive identification of beneficiaries in collaboration with the military services prompt processing of benefits and stronger engagement with relevant stakeholders as key strategies.

He also pledged to strengthen the capacity of Board personnel through practical results-oriented training and uphold high ethical and professional standards.

‘My desired end state is to reposition the MPB to be technically proficient towards the optimisation of my vision of prompt and seamless payments to veterans and families of fallen heroes’ he said.

The chairman also underscored the importance of staff welfare promising to provide a fair and supportive working environment for military and civilian personnel to develop their skills and contribute to the Board’s objectives.

‘While I demand your commitment and dedication to duty I assure you that as your commander I will be fair and equitable to all. I will provide a level playing field and strive to create an environment for all to enhance their capacity and fully develop their potential’ he said.

The new chairman acknowledged the foundations laid by his predecessors and called on officers soldiers and civilian staff members to work collectively towards achieving the board’s mandate.

‘All hands must be on deck for the actualisation of my vision’ he said.

Osifo thanked the Minister of Defence Christopher Musa Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Olufemi Oluyede and Chief of Army Staff Lt.Gen. Waidi Shaibu for the confidence reposed in him

The Military Pensions Board is responsible for administering pension benefits and related entitlements for eligible military retirees and the families of deceased personnel.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) plans to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen result management in the 2027 general election, using automated systems to prevent incorrect documents from appearing on its result-viewing portal and flag inconsistencies in accreditation figures, it emerged on Thursday.

The commission is also developing a framework for responsible AI use, while technology company Meta says it will work with INEC to promote reliable election information and combat misinformation, including AI-generated deepfakes.

The plans emerged at the unveiling of the AI for Elections Hackathon and Election Development Hub, organised by Rise Networks in Abuja to develop practical technology solutions to Nigeria’s electoral challenges.

INEC’s ICT Director, Dr Lawrence Bayode, said the commission had established an Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department and was developing guidelines for responsible deployment.

He said INEC was exploring AI applications in voter information, electoral data management, operational efficiency, and the detection of misinformation and disinformation.

‘The question before us is no longer whether AI has a role to play in an election, but how we can harness its potential without compromising the integrity, transparency and credibility of the electoral process,’ Bayode said.

He cited the commission’s policy on election technology acquisition and deployment, adopted in September 2025, as part of efforts to guide the use of electoral technology.

At a roundtable moderated by broadcast journalist Seun Okinbaloye, an INEC election technology expert explained that the commission was using AI to address weaknesses identified in result management after the 2023 election.

He said photographs of presiding officers and buildings, rather than polling unit result sheets, had been uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

To prevent a recurrence, INEC trained its AI system on Form EC8A polling unit result sheets so it could identify and reject incorrect documents.

The system also checks whether accreditation figures entered electronically match those recorded by the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and shown on scanned result sheets.

‘If there are 200 accreditations on the physical result sheet that has been scanned, and you are entering 250, that is inconsistency,’ he said, explaining that the system would flag the discrepancy and block the upload until it was corrected.

He said the technology had been piloted in the Federal Capital Territory, Ekiti and Osun states and was expected to be deployed for the 2027 election.

On extending AI to election security and other sensitive areas, he said INEC would proceed gradually, starting with lower-risk applications before considering more complex uses.

Bayode challenged innovators to develop tools that solve practical electoral problems rather than merely demonstrate technical sophistication.

‘Can we develop AI solutions that do not merely demonstrate technological sophistication, but genuinely solve problems confronting our electoral process?

‘Democracy should never become subservient to technology.’

Okinbaloye also called attention to the need to align electoral laws with technological developments, noting that the declaration of winners remained subject to statutory procedures even as AI could improve result collation and analysis.

He urged lawmakers to understand emerging technologies and consider how electoral legislation could accommodate their appropriate use.

Explaining the scope of the initiative, Rise Networks Chief Executive Officer, Dr Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, said the hackathon and development hub would bring together technology developers, election experts, journalists, public policy specialists and other stakeholders to create locally relevant solutions.

The programme has three components: a nationwide hackathon, a physical hub for developing and testing solutions, and a monthly Community of Practice to sustain collaboration among innovators, electoral institutions and other stakeholders.

The hackathon runs until November 12 and is open to Nigerians aged 18 and above who live in the country.

Participants will use synthetic datasets and technical resources to build solutions with tools including Python, R, MySQL and PHP.

The hub will provide graphics processing units, microcontrollers, Arduinos, potentiometers and ultrasonic sensors for hardware and software development, usability testing and penetration testing without interfering with INEC’s existing infrastructure.

The hackathon’s focus areas include trustworthy electoral information, electoral data analysis, inclusive and multilingual civic technology, cybersecurity and resilience, and election observation and citizen accountability.

Climate resilience and environmental innovation will cut across the themes.

Akerele-Ogunsiji said the initiative was intended to strengthen cooperation between Nigeria’s technology ecosystem and electoral institutions while encouraging solutions that could be safely tested and applied to real electoral needs.

The winner will receive N4 million, while the first and second runners-up will get N2.5 million and N1.5 million, respectively, with other participants receiving various consolation prizes.

Meta’s Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Sade Dada, said the company would work with INEC to circulate authoritative election information, including official links to voter information and updates.

She said Meta would use its election operations teams, local partnerships and technology to counter misinformation ahead of the 2027 elections.

Its approach, she explained, was to ‘Remove, Reduce and Inform’: remove content that violates its rules, reduce the spread of harmful falsehoods and direct users to reliable information.

Dada said Meta had invested more than $30 billion in safety and security over the past decade and operated a global election integrity operation involving about 40,000 people. She added that its fact-checking partnerships and digital literacy initiatives would also support efforts to identify misleading information.

Warning that generative AI had made fake audio and manipulated videos easier to produce, she said detection tools could examine watermarks and video metadata.

She urged Nigerians to report suspicious posts rather than share them without verification.

Dada also cited GovGuide Nigeria, a chatbot powered by Meta’s Llama AI model, which provides government information through text and voice in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

She said AI-based election tools must remain non-partisan, subject to human oversight and protected by strong privacy and security safeguards.

Developers, she added, should use public, synthetic or properly authorised data when building and testing electoral solutions.

Other participants, including Lagos Business School Dean, Prof. Olayinka David-West, and legal practitioner Tsema Ede, highlighted AI’s potential to improve result management and access to reliable information, while stressing the need for transparency, legal safeguards and public trust ahead of the 2027 general election.

Support groups backing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday staged a solidarity road march in Kaduna ahead of Saturday’s flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign declaring their readiness to mobilise Nigerians for his re-election in 2027.

The march organised by the Support Groups Mobilisation Directorate of the Presidential Campaign Council drew members of various pro-Tinubu groups who marched through major streets in Kaduna to show their support for the President.

Speaking during the exercise Director of the Support Groups Mobilisation Directorate Silas Ali Agara said the march was organised to welcome President Tinubu to Kaduna and show support groups’ commitment to his second-term ambition.

Agara who said about 10000 support groups had been mobilised nationwide said the exercise marked the start of a series of solidarity marches planned across the country as the presidential campaign gained momentum.

‘We want to show Mr President that Nigerians love him the people of Kaduna State love him and the youth of this country love him’ he declared.

He said the directorate has put structures in place across the country to ensure effective mobilisation of supporters at the grassroots ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He explained that the party would organise similar solidarity marches in every state the President visits during the campaign with local support groups expected to demonstrate their strength and readiness to mobilise voters.

Agara commended members of the various support groups particularly the Northwest zonal coordinators for their commitment and impressive turnout despite the short notice.

He also acknowledged the contributions of the Minister of State for Works and other stakeholders towards the successful organisation of the exercise.

The director assured that the mobilisation would not be restricted to campaign rallies stressing that the groups would maintain a strong presence in communities across the country to sustain support for Tinubu’s re-election.

Also speaking the Minister of State for Works Barrister Bello Muhammad Goronyo described the solidarity march as a demonstration of the growing support for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Goronyo who also serves as Secretary of the Northwest support group structure said supporters were determined to ensure his re-election so he can consolidate his administration’s achievements.

He cited ongoing interventions in road infrastructure water supply education healthcare and other critical sectors as reasons Nigerians should support the President for another term.

‘We thank Mr President for his unwavering commitment to the welfare and well-being of Nigerians’ the minister said.

He urged the support groups to remain united and intensify grassroots mobilisation assuring them that the campaign structures would continue working together to deliver victory for the APC in 2027.

Goronyo also called for sustained support for Kaduna State Governor Senator Uba Sani other APC governors senators members of the House of Representatives and state lawmakers saying the party needed collective effort to consolidate its electoral fortunes.

The minister expressed confidence that the solidarity march would further strengthen coordination among political leaders campaign officials and grassroots support groups as the presidential campaign moved to other parts of the country.

Similarly Dr Baffa Babba Dan’Agundi Director-General of the National Productivity Centre and Northwest Coordinator of the Tinubu Support Group under the Presidential Campaign Council commended the organisers and participants for their commitment to the President’s re-election project.

Dan’Agundi said the road march was designed to demonstrate support groups’ preparedness ahead of the campaign flag-off and subsequent presidential campaign engagements across the federation.

He explained that the mobilisation strategy would enable the campaign leadership to assess the strength presence and readiness of support groups in states scheduled to host the President.

The coordinator particularly acknowledged the contributions of Hon. James Abiodun Faleke and other campaign stakeholders towards the coordination and success of the exercise.

He assured that the groups would continue to work together to strengthen grassroots participation and sustain mobilisation for Tinubu throughout the electioneering period.

Another campaign official commended participants for responding to the mobilisation at short notice describing the march as a rallying point for supporters ahead of Saturday’s presidential campaign flag-off.

He also expressed optimism that the groups’ solidarity would continue throughout the campaign.

The APC presidential campaign flag-off is scheduled to hold on Saturday October 24 at the Kaduna Township Stadium with party leaders governors campaign officials and thousands of supporters expected to attend.

The event is expected to formally kick-start the party’s nationwide campaign activities ahead of the 2027 general elections with Kaduna serving as the take-off point for Tinubu’s re-election campaign.

Three men have been rescued alive and another was recovered dead after a two-storey building under construction collapsed on Akinola Street off Ikorodu Road Fadeyi Lagos early on Friday.

Emergency responders were still searching for possible survivors trapped beneath the rubble as of 3:33am using an excavator to clear debris from the collapsed structure.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) which coordinated the rescue operation said it had yet to establish the cause of the collapse.

The building was reportedly under construction when it collapsed prompting a coordinated response involving LASEMA the Lagos State Building Control Agency the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service emergency medical personnel and the police.

Other agencies involved included the Lagos Response Unit and the Lagos State Ambulance Service.

Responders searched the scene while managing the area and coordinating the different agencies’ activities to support rescue efforts.

The search and rescue operation continued as emergency officials worked to establish whether other workers were trapped beneath the debris.