Category: The Nation – Nigeria

The National Authomative Design and Development Council (NADDC) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) are set to train 300 youth corps members on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion by equipping them with skills that can translate into employment, preparing them for the world of the new automotive economy.

NADDC’s Director General, Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, said this would expose corps members to entrepreneurial opportunities as the government builds a pool of competent youths who can support the safe and sustainable expansion of the CNG ecosystem across Nigeria.

Osanipin announced this during the official flag-off of NADDC and the NYSC CNG retrofitting training under the NYSC SAED programme in Abuja. The NADDC’s boss explained that through the partnership with NYSC, the commission was taking technical skills development directly to a generation of young Nigerians who were already contributing to national development through the NYSC.

He said: ‘The ultimate measure of this programme will not simply be the number of corps members trained. Our success will be measured by what happens after the training. For this reason, NADDC will place greater emphasis on competency, certification, practical training, safety, and industry relevance.

‘Our objective is to ensure that those who pass through this programme are not merely holders of certificates, but are genuinely competent of applying their skills and knowledge in real-world situations. This training represents a deliberate step in translating the vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the government into practical opportunities for our young people. It is also a demonstration of what can be achieved when government institutions work together with a common purpose, align their mandates and place the Nigerian youth at the centre of national development.

‘The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles is an important component of this national response. It provides Nigeria with an opportunity to take advantage of a resource in which the country is richly endowed, ranking ninth globally and first in Africa, while providing a cleaner and potentially more affordable alternative for transportation’.

The DG urged the corps members to embrace this opportunity, as the CNG ecosystem would require engineers, technicians, entrepreneurs, installers, maintenance specialists, safety professionals, trainers, and business owners, stating that some of the corps members here may become leaders of major automotive enterprises tomorrow. Some may establish CNG conversion and maintenance industries, some may become instructors and technical experts, others may go on to develop innovations that will amaze the entire world that we cannot yet imagine.

Youth Development Minister Ayodele Olawande advised the corps members not to wait for white-collar jobs as he urged them to prepare for innovation and do all they can to succeed after youth service. He said they shall be given certification after the training, which will launch them into a great future.

The Director General of the Osun West Governorship Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Omooba Dotun Babayemi, has appealed to residents of the state to come out peacefully on Saturday to elect a new governor.

Babayemi specifically urged voters to support the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), stressing that his emergence would bring transformational change to Osun.

In a statement from his Media Office, Babayemi cautioned against bloodshed and destruction of lives and property during the election.

‘The task before all of us is to choose a new governor, and this we can do peacefully through our votes without maiming, killings, or destroying property. Elections will come and go, but our state will remain,’ he said.

He warned that the cost of repairing damage caused by violence could be immeasurable, insisting that elections must not be treated as a do-or-die affair. Babayemi assured that Oyebamiji would ensure judicious use of resources and balanced development across the state, with priority on road rehabilitation, education, healthcare, and other essential services.

The APC campaign chief also accused Accord Party members of attacking APC supporters while portraying themselves as victims. He urged party members to remain united, mobilise voters, and guard against electoral malpractice.

Babayemi acknowledged endorsements for Oyebamiji from former Governor Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, and other political leaders in Odo-Otin, expressing confidence in APC’s victory.

In a related development, Babayemi concluded a three-day staggered medical outreach, tagged ‘Omooba Dotun Babayemi-AMBO Medical Outreach,’ in Gbongan, Ayedade Local Government. The programme, held in Orile-Owu, Tonkere, and Gbongan, provided free medical services to about 10,000 people, including blood pressure and sugar tests, consultations, medications, eye care, and referrals for further treatment-all funded by Babayemi.

He said the outreach demonstrated APC’s commitment to grassroots welfare. ‘Healthcare should not be a luxury. Our primary healthcare centres have been abandoned, and the suffering of our people cannot continue. This outreach shows that APC and its candidate remain connected to the people and place their welfare above politics,’ Babayemi stated.

Thirty-three chairmanship and 351 councillorship candidates of Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State have taken the party to the Federal High Court in Ibadan over reports of ‘planned primaries’ for the coming local government elections.

The suit has APM, its National Chairman, Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as first, second, third and fourth defendants.

The plaintiffs, who emerged as candidates from the APM local government and councillorship primaries conducted across the state on August 3, are seeking to stop the party from conducting another primary for the same positions.

According to the court documents, the August 3 primaries were monitored by OYSIEC, with the results of the exercise subsequently submitted to the commission.

The candidates said the suit became necessary following reports that the APM National Chairman was seeking to have the earlier primaries nullified and another set of primaries conducted.

The development came after factional candidates emerged in the party, with candidates backed by one of the party chieftains in Oyo State, Alhaji Bisi Olopoeyan, reportedly emerging in competition with candidates supported by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine whether OYSIEC can accept or recognise more than one candidate nominated by the APM for the same local government or ward, particularly after it had monitored the August 3 primaries.

They are also challenging the possibility of OYSIEC monitoring another APM primary for the same positions, arguing that the electoral body had already monitored the August 3 exercise.

The candidates further wanted the court to determine whether persons whose names were not contained in the party’s membership register submitted to INEC within the period prescribed by law could participate in the party’s primaries.

The plaintiffs are asking the Federal High Court to grant the declarations and orders sought in their originating summons, as the dispute over the party’s candidates for the forthcoming local government elections continues.

The reliefs sought in the court papers as sighted by The Nation reads: ‘A declaration that, in view of the provisions of Section 197(B) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Paragraphs 1(A), 4(A), 5 and 6(D) of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission Regulation and Guidelines for the 2026 Local Government Election in Oyo State, the 3rd Defendant is not permitted to accept, recognie, or publish more than one nomination in respect of the same Local Government and ward for the same election.

‘A declaration that, having regard to the provisions of Paragraph 1(A) of the 2024 Guidelines to the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission Regulation and Guidelines for the 2026 Local Government Election in Oyo State, the 3rd Defendant, having attended and monitored the primaries election conducted by the 1st Defendant in respect of the same Local Governments and wards on the 3rd day of August 2026, cannot lawfully attend, supervise or monitor any other primary election subsequently conducted by the 1st Defendant to nomination another candidate in respect of the same ward or constituency for the same Local Government election.

‘A declaration that, having regard to the provisions of Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2026, a person or persons whose name(s) are not contained in the membership register submitted to the 4th Defendant in accordance with the said Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2026, cannot lawfully participate in the primary election of the 1st Defendant.

‘An order mandating and/or directing the 3rd Defendant not to attend, supervise or monitor any other primary election conducted to by the 1st Defendant for the purpose of nominating another candidate or candidates in respect of the same Local Governments and wards for the forthcoming Oyo State Local Government Election, having already attended and monitored the primary election conducted by the 1st Defendant on the 3rd day of August 2026.

‘An order excluding and/or disqualifying from recognition any person or persons whose name was never contained in membership register submitted 21 days to the primaries of the 1st Defendant held 3rd day of August 2026 in accordance with Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2026.

The Lagos State government has renewed its push for mandatory health insurance.

It said expanded coverage is critical to preventing families from being pushed into poverty by the cost of life-saving medical treatment.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, announced this on Tuesday while hosting beneficiaries of the state’s Free Health Initiative who underwent complex cardiac procedures with government support.

Abayomi said the recovery of the beneficiaries underscored the need for a health financing system that would ensure residents can access specialist care without having to sell homes, land or exhaust their savings.

‘For us as government, in healthcare delivery, there is one side that is the ability to treat, and then there is the other side, which is who pays for it, because there is nothing free,’ he said.

The commissioner said the recently issued executive order making health insurance compulsory in Lagos was aimed at addressing the financial barriers that prevent residents from obtaining timely treatment.

‘Your health is your greatest asset. Insure it,’ Abayomi said, adding that insurance would spread the financial burden of healthcare across the population and protect families from catastrophic expenditure.

The health commissioner said the state was simultaneously investing in specialist capacity to reduce dependence on overseas medical treatment, particularly for complex procedures.

According to him, Lagos is working to develop local capacity for advanced cardiac and paediatric procedures so that residents would no longer have to travel to other countries, such as India, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (U.S.A.), and South Africa, for treatments that could be provided locally.

Abayomi specifically hailed cardiothoracic surgeon, Prof. Bode Falase, for remaining in Nigeria and helping to build advanced cardiac surgery capacity in Lagos.

‘We’re trying to build that capacity on the ground so that when the next patient that comes, we will not be in a position to send you to India,’ he said.

The commissioner also pointed to the proposed Massey Children’s Specialist Referral Centre as part of the state’s efforts to strengthen specialised healthcare.

The state government’s renewed health insurance campaign comes as beneficiaries recounted difficult journeys through life-threatening illnesses before receiving state-supported treatment.

One of them, 19-year-old Lydia Ogungbayi, underwent a complex cardiac operation in December 2025 after living with progressive massive anasarca associated with constrictive pericarditis for five years and nine months.

The Director of Medical Administration, Training and Programmes in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Mazeedat Erinosho, said the state provided ?5 million towards Lydia’s treatment, while additional resources were mobilised to complement the operation.

She said the surgery, performed a day before Lydia’s birthday, lasted about 10 hours.

Falase, who led the surgical team, said Lydia had first presented at the cardiothoracic clinic in 2024 and returned several times before preparations for surgery began in 2025.

‘Lydia, who I’m seeing here today, is completely changed,’ he said.

Another beneficiary, 16-year-old Moshood Muritala, was diagnosed with Transposition of the Great Arteries and underwent multiple surgeries in India. He reportedly spent more than a month on a ventilator before additional funding, including $10,000 raised through government and private support, enabled his return to Nigeria about three weeks ago.

Three-year-old Ayoife George, who was diagnosed with Ventricular Septal Defect and Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction, also received cardiac surgery at Aster MIMS Calicut Hospital in Kerala, India, with state support.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, said the cases reflected the administration’s commitment to ensuring access to quality healthcare despite limitations in available resources.

She said the Ministry receives hundreds of applications from residents seeking financial assistance for treatment, refunds or overseas medical care, making it necessary for the government to prioritise cases.

‘Choosing who to help is one of the most difficult things you can ever imagine,’ Ogunyemi said.

The governor’s aide said the state would continue to prioritise life-saving interventions while strengthening healthcare infrastructure and specialist capacity.

The Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, said the successful outcomes also reflected the extensive administrative processes involved in securing government-funded treatment.

She said the process often involved approvals, documentation, telephone calls and efforts to secure funds before patients could receive treatment.

The state government said its long-term objective was to combine stronger health insurance coverage with expanded local specialist capacity, reducing both the financial burden of illness and the need for overseas medical treatment.

Abayomi said the ultimate goal was to ensure that illness did not drive Lagos residents into poverty.

‘We don’t want anybody in Lagos to be plunged into poverty because they got sick,’ he said.

Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Osun State, Mr Adedamola Adebayo, popularly known as Fryo, has endorsed Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election bid.

The Nation recalls that a faction of the PDP conducted a primary in December 2025, in which Adebayo emerged as the candidate after polling 919 votes out of 957 cast, shortly after Adeleke left the party. However, the exercise was not recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Adebayo said his decision to endorse Adeleke followed extensive consultations, sober reflection, and an assessment of the state’s political circumstances.

‘I have arrived at this decision based on my assessment of the political circumstances in our state and my conviction that, at this particular moment, this is the direction I am prepared to take.’

The Grand Council of Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State has rejected the purported removal of its Chairman and Olori-Ebi, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, describing the meeting at which the decision was taken as ”illegal.”

Addressing reporters in Ijebu-Ode yesterday, Owoyemi said the authentic leadership of the ruling house remained intact and accused a group within the family of attempting to undermine its leadership and unity.

The chairman alleged that the group, which he said was led by Adeleke Adeyemi, Muyiwa Adeleye, Ridwan Oduneye and Olusegun Olusoga, among others, had purportedly announced the removal of him and two other senior officials – the Deputy Chairman, Otunba Oladokun Ajidagba, and Vice Chairman, Professor Fassy Adetokunboh Yusuf – at a meeting held on Sunday.

Adeyemi and others had during the said meeting removed the three leaders, saying they acted based on a fact-finding committee’s report on alleged financial inducement, document manipulation and other irregularities in the selection process for the next Awujale of Ijebuland.

However, Owoyemi, speaking in company with Prince Ajidagba, Prof. Fassy Yusuf and some key members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House yesterday, described those behind the meeting as ‘negligible and disgruntled elements’ and maintained that they lacked the authority to convene a meeting or constitute committees on behalf of the ruling house.

He said the current leadership emerged from an intervention by the Ogun State Government aimed at resolving longstanding divisions within the ruling house.

He said the delegation to the state government comprised four representatives from each of the three factions that previously existed in the family. The 12 delegates were subsequently constituted into a Management Committee, while three additional members were later co-opted, bringing the Grand Council’s membership to 15.

Owoyemi said none of the individuals involved in the purported removal belonged to the 15-member Grand Council.

He alleged that the activities of the group were part of a broader attempt to destabilise the family and jeopardise its entitlement in the process of selecting the next Awujale of Ijebuland.

‘We have investigated the activities of these charlatans,’ Owoyemi said, adding that the leadership was convinced their actions could have a ‘devastating effect’ on the family if left unchallenged.

The chairman disclosed that members of the leadership were pursuing legal action over what he described as defamatory statements and other alleged misconduct by those involved.

In resolutions reportedly reached by the Grand Council, the ruling house declared the individuals behind the purported action and members of the alleged fact-finding committee ‘enemies of Fusengbuwa Ruling House.’

The council urged Ogun State Government and the public to disregard resolutions or allegations emanating from the group.

It further passed what Owoyemi described as a ‘resounding vote of confidence’ in the leadership comprising himself, Ajidagba and Yusuf.

The chairman appealed to mainstream and social media organisations to exercise caution when reporting disputes surrounding the ruling house, urging journalists to verify claims before publication.

He said unverified reports could damage the reputation of Fusengbuwa Ruling House and expose publishers to allegations of defamation or cyber-stalking.

The controversy comes against the backdrop of the significance of ruling houses in the traditional succession process in Ijebuland, where Fusengbuwa Ruling House is one of the houses connected to the Awujale stool.

Owoyemi called for restraint and responsible reporting, while insisting that the Grand Council remained the legitimate authority of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.

Fielding questions from reporters, Prof. Yusuf, who responded on behalf of Fusengbuwa Ruling House, urged the state government to lift the embargo placed on the Awujale selection process.

He hinted that if the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led government failed to do what it ought to do on the matter, the family might be compelled to take every legitimate step to do what was necessary concerning the stalled Awujale selection.

Organised Labour in Osun State has called on anti-corruption and security agencies to intensify efforts to curb vote-buying, electoral malpractice and rigging ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

The labour unions also demanded a peaceful, free, fair and credible election, urging security agencies to maintain strict neutrality and protect voters from intimidation, harassment and victimisation.

The demands were set out in a resolution signed by the Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Christopher Arapasopo; the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Bimbo Fasasi; and the Chairman of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Comrade Lekan Adediran.

Organised Labour said the pre-election environment required urgent intervention by relevant authorities to safeguard democratic integrity and civil stability in the state.

It called on security agencies to ‘strictly curtail vote-buying, electoral malpractice, and rigging at all costs’ to preserve the sanctity of the ballot.

The unions further demanded the immediate disqualification or banning of any political party or partisan actor found guilty of instigating violence or committing electoral infractions before, during or after the election.

They also urged all eligible voters to exercise their franchise freely, without harassment, intimidation or embarrassment, and called on security agencies deployed for the election to operate without political interference or bias.

The labour leaders expressed concern about recent activities and utterances by Mr Gboyega Oyetola, nephew of President Bola Tinubu, in relation to the election.

They called on the Presidency and relevant authorities to caution him against actions that could heighten political tension in the state.

The unions also invited the international community to monitor the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and political actors throughout the electoral process.

According to the labour unions, copies of the resolution and security alert had been forwarded to relevant national and international authorities for immediate action.

Organised Labour said it remained committed to ensuring a free, fair, credible and violence-free election that would protect the interests of workers, pensioners and other residents of Osun State.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday assured oil and gas workers that Nigeria’s refineries would be restored to full and sustainable operation, saying his administration was undertaking a structural and economic reset to ensure the facilities do not merely operate but become profitable and deliver value to Nigerians.

The President gave the assurance at the State House, Abuja, when he received the newly elected leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), led by its Executive President, Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti, on a courtesy visit.

Tinubu, who was also conferred with the award of Grand Patron of NUPENG by the union, said his administration had accepted responsibility for fixing the country’s refineries and would not blame previous governments for their current condition.

‘The refineries that you mentioned is going to come back to work. We’re just building a very firm reset and structural reworking of the economy of it. Ordinary flame and smoke of refinery doesn’t mean that it’s working until it’s profitable and yield the value for which it is built.

‘I’ve accepted the asset and liability of my predecessors, no matter what has happened in the years past, it’s my responsibility now as the president to fix, make it work for the largest common value of our population. I take responsibility for that, and I’m going to do it’, the President said.

Tinubu described NUPENG as a critical stakeholder in the nation’s economy and commended the union for its partnership with successive governments as well as its cooperation with his administration’s economic reforms.

Recalling his engagement with the union ahead of the 2023 presidential election, the President said he had been forthright about his determination to remove the petrol subsidy despite the possibility of resistance and industrial action.

‘And you’ve been a very good partner of government in progress. You occupy a very critical nerve of the economy of this country, and I’m glad you recalled the Akodo Resort.

‘Akodo is now one of the greatest economic values to this country, and all the things that we contemplated and did together, that is why it was important, when I was running for this office, to serve you as a very important notice of what I will do and was very very friendly and frank discussion.

‘We had threat of possible strike and something, and I served notice; you may strike all you want, but fuel subsidy will be gone. And today, to the benefit of our great country’, Tinubu said.

The President said his administration would soon make public details of the utilisation of resources accruing from the removal of the subsidy, arguing that the policy had strengthened the capacity of the three tiers of government to meet obligations and undertake development projects.

Tinubu challenged arguments that the reform had not benefited ordinary Nigerians, pointing to the regular payment of salaries to workers at the federal, state and local government levels and the wider impact of government spending on economic activities.

‘I will soon publish the utilization of what it is. But I listen to people… they say common man and all of that. Who are the people receiving the salaries in the local government administration? Are they not common men and women receiving salary regularly at the state level, are they not common man and woman?

‘The ordinary people receiving salaries from the federal government regularly, and it affects all the market women around us, including your wives’, he said.

Tinubu acknowledged the difficulties associated with economic reforms, describing the process as a complex exercise in financial re-engineering and economic reset.

‘Yes, the economy is not a child’s play. It’s a system of financial reengineering and reset that you impress, and I want to thank you for the cooperation and collaboration, the understanding’, he said.

The President said the reforms had enhanced government’s ability to fund major long-term infrastructure projects, citing the Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kaduna and Abuja-Kano roads as well as the Sokoto-Badagry highway and other road networks.

According to him, the projects are aimed at strengthening the economy, improving connectivity and enhancing the safety of Nigerians.

‘But I’m glad you have seen the effect of being able to find funding for long-term projects; Lagos-Ibadan Road, Abuja-Kaduna, Abuja-Kano, and Sokoto-Badagri and the highways and many other road network, it’s all for the good of (all of) us and the good of our economy and the safety of our people’, he said.

Tinubu also highlighted the introduction of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as part of measures to provide cheaper alternatives to petrol and reduce transportation costs.

He, however, expressed concern that the savings from CNG were not being passed quickly enough to commuters, urging transport operators and drivers to ensure that Nigerians benefit from lower operating costs.

‘Equally, the introduction of compressed natural gas. Well, I will appeal to you, we will do more. We will encourage you, but ask your drivers to let it trickle to the commuters too, because whatever benefit that is coming from CNG is going to in the pocket of truck owners. It’s not spreading as fast as I would like it, but it should spread’, the President said.

Tinubu thanked NUPENG for recognising the partnership between organised labour and government and urged its leadership and members to continue working with the administration to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and economy.

He described democracy as a system that guarantees freedom and opportunity, saying Nigerians must work collectively to preserve it despite the challenges associated with democratic governance.

‘Thank you for your inspiring and recognition of partnership and effort that you are making, and I will just still appeal to all of you to let us work diligently and passionately on this democracy.

‘You all worked together with us to bring about the democracy, democracy is about celebration of freedom and opportunity that must be cherished by all of us’, he said.

The President acknowledged that managing a democratic government was difficult, but said perseverance, endurance and determination would ultimately produce a better country.

‘It’s not easy to manage a democratic regime, full of twists and turns, hill and valleys, and all of that. But it’s through perseverance, endurance, and good determination that we can bring about a relief of a newborn baby and a pregnancy, you see the joy of life’, Tinubu said.

Earlier, Oladiti appealed to the President to intervene in what he described as the growing casualisation of workers, particularly in the upstream oil and gas industry.

He said NUPENG and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) had exercised restraint despite the practice because of the strategic importance of the sector and the potentially damaging impact of industrial action on the economy.

‘Your Excellency, our relationship with the International Oil Companies and the indigenous players in the upstream sector has been very cordial. However, we want to seize this opportunity to bring to your attention an unhealthy trend we have been trying to correct with little to no success. It is the casualisation of workers, particularly in the upstream sector.

‘For a sector that is strategic and taken as the economic jugular of the nation, NUPENG and its counterpart, the PENGASSAN have been tolerating these unwholesome practices, knowing full well the enormous disruption that any industrial actions could cause to the economy’, Oladiti said.

The NUPENG President said the union had engaged the management of some affected companies without securing the desired results, although he acknowledged the support and open-door policy of the Minister of Labour, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi.

‘We have engaged the management of some of the affected companies without results. Mr. President, we urge you to use your good offices to stop casualisation of workers in our sector’, he said.

Oladiti also commended the Tinubu administration for the rehabilitation and dualisation of federal highways, saying improved roads had made journeys safer for petroleum tanker drivers and reduced the risks of accidents, product spillages and loss of lives.

‘We’ve seen real progress in the rehabilitation of federal highways, making journeys safer for our tanker drivers.

‘Mr. President, your administration has turned federal highways into massive construction sites. We must not fail to mention the ongoing, unprecedented projects, 750-kilometer, six lane Lagos-Coastal Highway and the 1,068-kilometer Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway that will traverse seven states in the country’, he said.

According to him, the state of Nigerian roads has direct consequences for the lives and livelihoods of NUPENG members.

‘For our members, a good road is the difference between arriving home safely and never arriving at all. Every stretch of highway rehabilitated or constructed, means fewer accidents, fewer spillages, fewer lives lost, and lesser stress for the men behind the wheel. Mr. President, that is a reform our members feel in their bones, and for it we say thank you’, Oladiti said.

The union leader further commended the administration’s move to revive the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries through partnerships with Chinese firms, but urged the government to extend the effort to the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC) depots across the country.

He argued that rehabilitating the depots would complement efforts to restore the refineries and strengthen petroleum products distribution.

‘We also want to commend your administration’s move to revive the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries through partnership with Chinese firms.

‘Your Excellency, we want to humbly request that the same energy and drive to inject life back to the refineries be extended to the decaying Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC) depots of country.

‘We strongly recommend they can be handed over to private investors to manage under an equity arrangement’, he said.

Oladiti also urged the President to promote grassroots development by ensuring that state governments comply with the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments.

The NUPENG leadership subsequently conferred on Tinubu the award of Grand Patron of the union in recognition of what it described as his relationship and partnership with petroleum and natural gas workers.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who attended the meeting, welcomed the growing partnership between the Federal Government and labour unions, saying dialogue was increasingly replacing confrontation in government-labour relations.

‘We know that in the future more and more of unions like this, the period of the altercation we used to have between unions and government is gradually being closed and we thank them for this recognition of the efforts of Mr President,’ the Minister added.

The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) will, in the coming weeks, launch a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and Obligations designed to give Nigerians a clearer understanding of their rights and responsibilities when dealing with tax and revenue authorities.

The Tax Ombud and Chief Executive of the OTO, Dr John Nwabueze, disclosed this on Thursday at a stakeholder engagement in Abuja, where he also called on revenue-generating agencies to appoint liaison officers to handle complaints referred to the office.

Nwabueze said the proposed charter would set out the standards of fairness, transparency and accountability that taxpayers should expect from revenue authorities, while also explaining the responsibilities taxpayers must fulfil.

He said the document would be distributed through the OTO’s digital platforms and other public channels, urging tax and revenue agencies to make it available to taxpayers through their offices and online platforms.

According to him, the objective is to ensure that Nigerians are not only aware of their obligation to pay taxes but also understand the protections available to them when they encounter problems in the administration of those taxes.

‘We believe this will strengthen taxpayer awareness, encourage voluntary compliance, prevent disputes and build greater trust across the tax ecosystem,’ Nwabueze said.

The planned charter comes as the Tax Ombud moves to expand its presence across the country and create easier channels for individuals and businesses to challenge administrative problems they encounter with tax and other revenue authorities.

Nwabueze said the OTO was working with state governments to establish zonal offices across Nigeria, with at least three expected to begin operations within the next few weeks.

He said the expansion was necessary because access to taxpayer protection should not depend on where a person lives or on where a person operates a business.

The zonal offices are expected to make it easier for taxpayers outside Abuja to seek assistance, lodge complaints and obtain information without having to travel to the Federal Capital Territory.

The move follows the office’s broader plan to establish a presence across the country’s six geopolitical zones. The South-East, for instance, has already been designated as the location of a zonal headquarters in Enugu.

Nwabueze also called on revenue-generating agencies to appoint dedicated liaison officers who would serve as the main points of contact between their institutions and the Tax Ombud.

He said such officers would help ensure that complaints are properly referred and communicated, while making it easier to resolve disputes early and prevent them from becoming prolonged conflicts.

The proposed liaison arrangement would also allow agencies and the Tax Ombud to share information within the law, identify recurring administrative problems and follow up on recommendations made after the office intervenes in taxpayer complaints.

Nwabueze said the arrangement would create a more organised system in which taxpayer problems could be identified and addressed before they become larger disputes.

He said, ‘I propose that revenue-generating agencies designate a Liaison Officer who will serve as the institutional interface with the Office of the Tax Ombud.’

The Tax Ombud’s intervention is particularly significant because Nigeria’s traditional tax dispute system has largely revolved around objections to tax assessments, administrative reviews, the Tax Appeal Tribunal and the courts.

While those mechanisms remain necessary for determining whether taxpayers actually owe particular amounts of tax, Nwabueze said there had been a gap for people who experienced administrative or procedural difficulties in their dealings with revenue authorities.

The Tax Ombud was created to help fill that gap by receiving, investigating and resolving complaints involving taxes, levies, regulatory fees and charges, customs duties and excise matters.

The office was established under Part VI of the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025, as part of the wider restructuring of Nigeria’s tax administration system.

Nwabueze said the creation of the office represented a shift in how government and taxpayers should relate, with revenue collection expected to go hand in hand with fairness and access to redress.

He said the modern tax system should not be built solely on the government’s power to collect revenue but should also give taxpayers confidence that they will receive fair treatment.

The Tax Ombud is also strengthening its digital operations as part of the effort to make taxpayer services easier to access.

The office has launched a website, an interactive contact centre, and a case management portal through which taxpayers can submit complaints, obtain information, monitor their cases, and receive assistance.

The digital system is being supported by the gradual movement of the OTO’s internal processes away from manual procedures. Nwabueze said the purpose of the digitalisation was to improve speed, transparency and accountability rather than simply introduce new technology.

The office has also launched a public awareness programme to educate Nigerians about its mandate and the rights available to taxpayers.

Nwabueze said this was important because taxpayer protection would have limited impact if citizens did not know their rights or where to go when those rights were affected.

The OTO’s expanding activities are set against the backdrop of wider efforts by the Federal Government to reform Nigeria’s tax system, simplify administration, and improve domestic revenue collection.

Nwabueze said the reforms initiated under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were intended to address weaknesses in the existing system, including fragmentation, complexity and the burden created by multiple taxes.

The Tax Ombud therefore sees taxpayer protection as part of the revenue reform process rather than as a separate government activity.

In his view, Nigerians are more likely to comply voluntarily with their tax obligations when they have confidence that the system is fair, transparent and accountable and that they have access to an effective avenue for resolving complaints.

The Tax Ombud’s position is also consistent with its recent efforts to provide free and accessible mechanisms for resolving tax disputes. The office recently said it had received more than 20 genuine complaints in its first three months, with eight already resolved, including cases settled within the statutory 14-day period.

Nwabueze said the broader objective was to reduce friction between taxpayers and government agencies and to create a system in which problems could be resolved without unnecessarily pushing taxpayers into lengthy and costly legal battles.

He also called for stronger cooperation among federal, state and local government revenue authorities because some tax-related complaints involve more than one level of government.

The issue is particularly important in the context of multiple taxation, which the Tax Ombud has previously described as a long-standing problem requiring cooperation among the Joint Revenue Board, state governments and local government authorities.

For the Tax Ombud, the new Bill of Rights and Obligations, the proposed zonal offices, the liaison officer system and the digital complaints infrastructure are parts of the same objective: creating a tax administration in which Nigerians can understand their obligations, demand lawful treatment and obtain timely redress when problems arise.

Nwabueze said the ultimate goal was not to weaken the government’s ability to collect revenue but to build a tax system that Nigerians could trust.

‘Taxpayer protection and revenue mobilisation are not competing objectives, but complementary pillars of an effective, trusted and sustainable tax system,’ he said.

He urged stakeholders to treat the Abuja engagement as the beginning of stronger cooperation between taxpayers and revenue authorities.

According to him, a more coordinated tax administration would protect taxpayers, improve accountability within government institutions and, in the long run, support the Federal Government’s efforts to raise more domestic revenue.

The governorship election in Osun State is just 48 hours away. It is a critical process that presents the state’s 2.339 million registered voters another defining moment to painstakingly reflect before casting their ballots for the candidate who will best serve their collective interests. The registered voters, as shown in the INEC records, spread across 30 local government areas, 332 wards and 3,763 polling units that cut across the state.

Perhaps, like never before, the process is indeed a defining moment that freely offers the people the power to choose their next governor. The moment is not just significant because the state is at a point of inflection.. It is obviously so because of the promises the next poll holds for the future of Osun State or how it will shape its public governance in the next four years, even for the unborn generation that the policies and performance of the next government will either guarantee their futures or disappoint their aspirations outright.

This perspective has undoubtedly reignited the enthusiasm, energy, and commitment that the people of Osun State have demonstrated since political parties began rolling out their campaign manifestos. This is the beauty of democracy across the universe. On the one hand, it allows office seekers to present themselves to the people, indeed the electorate, who occupy the exalted seat of the ultimate judge in every democracy. On the other hand, it gives the people the power to determine who governs or leads them based on their public records.

This thesis is now more rapidly than any time in the past shaping and reshaping the perception and thinking of Osun’s teeming voters now that they are presented with a credible alternative, whom the power of propaganda and the force of incumbency could not just suppress or shove down to the wastebin of history. What is now left at this crucial time is for all party candidates to brace up for the contest; walk into the ring of the ultimate judges and patiently wait for the outcome of their decisions.

This should be a hard lesson for all political actors that the power to decide still lies in the hands of the people and not in the incumbent. If actually the candidates are in the race to serve their people, they should submit themselves to the electoral regime and be guided by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). That is why the people of Osun State must collectively vote for peace and not shun any form of violence in the next guber context.

As witnessed in the last 9-12 months that the electioneering has effectively commenced in the state, the contest is between the incumbent governor, Senator Ademola and the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Bola Oyebamiji. Different projections have been made about the outlooks of each of the governorship candidates, the outcome of the process for the state and its implications for both indigenes and residents at large.

Unlike the 2022 election that we lost purely to lack of internal cohesion, the APC is now better positioned to reclaim the state’s seat of political power. The reasons are pure and simple, and they are not connected to the claims of Governor Adeleke that Osun APC is using federal might to defeat the incumbent. This claim is unfounded and even untrue. Unlike 2022, Osun APC is now more cohesive and prepared not just to regain the political control of the state, but also to reposition it posterity. But this cannot be said about Adeleke’s political structure, which ran into turbulence midway into his first administration. What Governor Adeleke has lost due to his poor relationship management skill has now been the gain of Osun APC.

Some indicators attest to the increasingly improving public perception of Osun APC and its governorship candidate. One of the indicators is evident in the disintegration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the political establishment that helped Governor Adeleke to win the 2022 governorship contest. This tendency has now become more complicated when the faction of the PDP to which Adeleke his allegiance lost the legal battle to control the party and secure the recognition of the electoral umpire. The tendency compelled Governor Adeleke to opt for the Accord Party (ACCORD), a largely unknown political party, to pursue his re-election.

In practice as much as it is in principle, the viability of political structure is a time-tested determinant of victory in any electoral contest. Structure, in this sense, does not directly translate to incumbency. Rather, it is about the political capital a political party has been able to build over time. It is also about confidence or deep-seated trust the people have sustainably invested in their preferred political parties. It is about enduring influence political parties convincingly commands across all the strata of a republic. It is the viability of the political capital that wins elections and not the power of incumbency. This is one formidable factor that now places the APC at a vantage position to win the next governorship poll in Osun State.

Can ACCORD pull such a formidable political capital to its advantage in the next Osun race? The outcome of the 2026 poll will answer this question more empirically. But from what we can see, the profile of ACCORD is little known in Osun’s political environment until Governor Adeleke recently pitched his tent with the party. In terms of performance, the party has not won any governorship election in our recent history. Before now, it won some state and federal legislative seats in Oyo State between 2011 and 2019 because of the influence of former Oyo State Governor and now Olubandan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja. Even then, his influence alone could not secure him victory in the 2011 guber contest.

It can be argued that some remnants of the PDP are still with Governor Adeleke. But what is the political strength of these remnants? Can they defeat Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola in his areas of political influence? Can they override the influence of the Turaki-led PDP faction that has already pledged their support to the APC in the next guber election? Apparently, the ACCORD lacks a formidable political structure that can mobilise much-needed support for its governorship candidate and guarantee his re-election next Saturday. This pattern reinforces the view that the APC remains the foremost contender in the next Osun poll.

Another indicator that glaringly favours the APC lies in the shrinking support base of the incumbent governor within his political circle. The real question is: how did Governor Adeleke manage the political capital that supported him to win the 2022 governorship contest? Evidence in the public space revealed that he mismanaged his relationship with key political actors and figures that generously supported him in 2022. His poor relationship management has forced former political allies to re-evaluate their ties with him and make decisive moves to protect their political interests.

Adeleke’s strained political alliances, however, have worked strictly to the APC’s advantage. Most of these political actors have completely withdrawn their support from him because he could not deftly manage the people. In the Senate, for instance, two out of the three senators from Osun State regretfully parted ways with Governor Adeleke because they were almost utterly excluded from the state’s governance process. Today, Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East) has found a new vibrant political family in the APC. They have also been integrated into the structure of the APC, where their views are always respected and their concerns are treated fairly and justly.

Likewise, three of the nine members of the House of Representatives have painfully parted ways with Governor Adeleke. The members include Hon. Omirin Olusanya (Ijesa South), Hon. Wole Oke (Ijesa North) and Taofeek Ajilesoro (Ife Central). These are time-tested political actors, who have built formidable grassroots support bases in their constituencies that they deployed in support of the incumbent in 2022. They had to quit the government they tirelessly worked for and embrace the APC. Defecting to the APC was, for them, a hard political choice that they had to make not really because of their personal interests. Rather, they made that crucial choice because the Adeleke administration could not guarantee the aspirations of their constituents any longer.

With all these tendencies, is it right for Governor Adeleke to accuse Osun APC of leveraging federal might to win the next governorship election? He might point at the decision of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to restrict the statutory allocation account of the Osun State Government domiciled in First Bank Plc. But the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, demonstrated the neutrality of the federal government in Osun State.

Similarly, the President has cautioned all security agencies against any form of professional misconduct before, during, and after the upcoming governorship election. This directive further underscores the President’s commitment to ensuring a credible, peaceful, and transparent election in Osun State, notwithstanding the participation of the APC in the contest. From all indications, the President has been fair to all parties in the interest of peace and stability.

In response, all parties are under obligation to play by the rules and avoid all practices that can endanger the peace and stability of Osun State. In the end, it is the people, not the federal government, that will determine who will govern them. For this reason, all parties and their candidates should concentrate on marketing their manifestoes to the people and embrace only practices that encourage peace and deepen stability in all parts of the state.

Obviously, APC is in good stead to win the Osun race. In 2022, interestingly, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola lost his re-election to Adeleke as an incumbent governor due to lack of internal cohesion that now unsettled the Adeleke political hegemony. Then, it did not matter that APC was the ruling party at the federal level. It should not, and indeed, would not matter if Governor Adeleke loses to a more organised, better structured, and united APC in the 2026 guber contest given the prevailing political circumstances. It is all about political institutions and strength, not about individuals or sentiments.