Category: The Nation – Nigeria

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), a leading voice of Northern Nigeria, has condemned what it described as a ‘thinly disguised attempt to sabotage’ the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Company, cautioning that such actions pose a threat to Nigeria’s economic stability and investor confidence.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the forum expressed concern over the persistent challenges facing the refinery since its inception, including regulatory hurdles, crude oil supply constraints, pricing disputes, and labor unrest.

ACF lamented that despite the dedication of the refinery’s founder, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, powerful vested interests continue to undermine the facility in a bid to retain control over Nigeria’s oil sector.

‘The challenges confronting the refinery bear the imprint of entrenched cabals bent on sustaining their asphyxiating grip on the oil industry and the national economy,’ the statement said, describing the refinery as Nigeria’s ‘largest and most modern indigenous crude oil processing facility.’

The forum specifically criticized the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) for allegedly defying a court order restraining it from disrupting refinery operations.

‘No law-abiding organisation should disregard a valid court order,’ the ACF added.

While affirming workers’ rights to unionize, ACF stressed that such rights must be exercised responsibly and supported calls from Senators Adams Oshiomhole and Ali Ndume that the refinery should stabilise before any unionisation activities commence.

‘Workers should focus on helping the refinery become fully operational before introducing union activities,’ the forum stated, adding that the facility should be treated as a strategic national asset deserving of protection from sabotage.

The ACF also warned that any attempt to cripple the refinery would send a negative message to both domestic and international investors. It urged the Federal Government to classify the Dangote Refinery as a strategic national security asset, and take measures to shield it from external and internal threats.

The forum expressed support for ongoing Federal Government-led negotiations with labour unions, but insisted that sanctions must be imposed on any group that violates lawful directives or acts in a manner that endangers national interests.

‘Putting down the Dangote Refinery is a potent disincentive to private investment and a blow to Nigeria’s industrial future,’ ACF warned, urging labour unions to act with patriotism and resist what it called ‘international machinations aimed at sabotaging indigenous industrial development.’

Big Brother Naija housemate, Jason Jae, has been evicted from the ’10/10′ season, leaving five contestants in the race for the grand prize.

The show host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu announced Jason Jae’s exit, marking a major point in the competition as the remaining housemates – Imisi, Dede, Kola, Koyin, and Sultana – battle for the ultimate title.

The hit reality show, which premiered on July 26-27, 2025, is set to conclude today, October 5, 2025.

Jason Jae’s eviction intensifies the suspense, setting the stage for a thrilling finale among the top contenders.

Former Military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has remembered his ancestral root in Kumurya village, Bunkure local government area of Kano State, where his grandfather was born.

Babangida’s grandfather, Malam Ibrahim, was born and raised in Kumurya village under Rano emirate before he relocated to Wushishi, Niger State, as a trader.

Upon leaving office as Military Head of State in 1993, Babangida realised he did not bequeath an impressionistic tangible legacy for the Kumurya community.

He however, vowed he must build a project for them before he departs the planet earth.

The last time the issue tugged his heart, Babangida invited Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil -the Chairman, Kano State Council of Ulama, to Minna in August, where he enquired from the Sheikh the kind of project that would serve the people of his origin.

Khalil told IBB that his grandpa’s people now have schools and mosques, so an hospital would be ideal, to stop or reduce to barest minimum maternal and child mortalities and other preventable deaths in the area. Babangida approved.

The village was agog on Sunday as the hospital foundation was laid. Gidan Jefau -the family house of IBB’s late grandfather, also came alive.

At the land where the hospital foundation was laid, General Babangida, represented by General Halliru Akilu, explained that the gesture was fulfilled after 27 years.

IBB said he was proud of his roots in Kumurya, Kano, which had been legendary even before colonialism.

Gen. Akilu said: ‘The former Head of State invited Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil to Minna in August this year and after a discussion, the Sheikh told him that Kumurya lacks a health facility.

‘Babangida, being very generous, therefore supported the idea of building a hospital which he dedicates to his parents and his late wife, Maryam.’

Akilu said he would not give further details of why it took this long before Babangida remembered his roots, noting that the village head was aware of previous attempts to build an Islamiyya school and a mosque for the community.

Akilu further said, even as Head of State, IBB lived and worked with illustrious sons of Rano emirate who are known for their patriotism and dedication to duty.

He listed Generals Murtala Muhammed, Sani Abacha and Babangida as former Heads of State from Kano, adding that General Abdulsalami Abubakar is also traced to Kano, even though many may not know.

The Emir of Rano, Muhammad Isa Umar, said the day was special for the emirate where parents of the former head of state hailed from.

He revealed how Kumurya town is so important to the emirate, disclosing that during the war against Ningi emirate, the late emir of Rano, Alhaji Umaru, was camped there to protect the emirate against invaders.

‘The former head of states (IBB) is very proud of Kumurya and when I was district head of Bunkure, I personally knew of his plans to bring development to the village. This hospital, when completed, will certainly cater for women and children and the general people of Kumurya,’ the emir said.

Village head of Kumurya said, in addition to the hospital, Babangida is rebuilding the mud house known as Gidan Jefau belonging to his uncles, expressing gratitude for the gesture.

Gen. Babangida (Rtd), has revealed that ‘Ibrahim’ in his combination of names is his grandfather’s. And that while joining the military, he was being mistaken for a Yoruba, so he added Babangida in the end to prove his northern ancestry.

He narrated that his great grandfather had migrated from Sokoto to Kumurya in Kano where he gave birth to his grandfather, Ibrahim, who moved to Kontagora before settling in Wushishi, Niger State, where his father, Badamasi, was born.

Badamasi then moved from Wushishi to Minna in 1941 where he gave birth to IBB in August that year.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has announced a significant rise in the country’s rig count to 69, reflecting renewed activity and investor confidence in the nation’s oil and gas sector.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its head of media and strategic communication, Eniola Akinkuotu, the Commission said the rig count had grown sharply from eight in 2021 to 69 as of October 2, 2025 – representing a 762.5 percent increase in just four years.

According to the breakdown, the current figure includes 40 active rigs, eight on standby, five on warm stack, four on cold stack, and 12 in transit. The NUPRC added that the number is expected to rise further in the coming months.

The Commission also revealed that its recent policy review led to the identification of 400 dormant oil fields across the country, a move that has spurred previously inactive operators into taking corrective action.

Describing the development as evidence of growing investor confidence, the statement noted that the achievement aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s directive that Nigeria is open for business and that the upstream environment now offers a conducive climate for investment.

The NUPRC further highlighted 16 major post-Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) achievements recorded within its four years of establishment, including surpassing revenue targets despite challenges inherited from the pre-PIA era.

The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining reforms aimed at maximizing Nigeria’s hydrocarbon potential and driving the country’s energy sector toward sustainable growth.

In 2022, 2023, and 2024, according to the statement, the Commission surpassed its revenue target by 18.3 per cent, 14.65 per cent, and 84.2 per cent, respectively, despite fluctuations in oil production and prices, thus contributing largely to our nation’s economic growth.

NUPRC said there is a record of Potential Investment of $39.98bn from FDPs

Between 2024 and 2025 and that it has approved 79 Field Development Plans (FDP) (41 in 2024 and 38 YTD 2025 with a potential investment of $39.98bn.

NUPRC added that ‘This comprises $20.55bn in 2024 and $19.43bn in YTD 2025.’

It also said that since the inception of the commission, crude oil production has increased, with the current average daily production of 1.65Mbopd expected to increase further with the Project 1 Mbopd initiative, which is aimed at achieving 2.5 Mbopd in 2027, compared to the NUPRC commencement.

On transparent bid rounds, it recalled that before the establishment of the Commission, the licensing rounds were opaque.

It further noted that they were beclouded by political influence, which made the process lack credibility. According to the statement, however, the NUPRC, with the support of President Bola Tinubu, transformed the process to be fully digital, thereby enhancing transparency and credibility.

NUPRC said in line with the PIA, 2021, and with the support of President Bola Tinubu, is implementing the ‘Drill or Drop’ policy, which prescribes that unexplored acreages are to be relinquished.

It stressed that this is designed to ensure the optimal use of oil assets and prevent dormant fields from tying up potential reserves. This policy successfully identified 400 dormant oil fields and has also propelled complacent oil companies to take quick action.

The statement reads in part, ‘Billions in divestments

‘The Commission approved divestments running into billions of dollars in 2024. From the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to Oando Energy Resources; Equinor to Chappal Energies; Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited to Seplat Energies; and Shell Development Company Nigeria Limited to Renaissance Africa Energy.

‘The divestment is about investor portfolio re-ordering to focus on deep-offshore development.

‘Developed regulations

To give meaning to the intent of the PIA, 2021, the Commission, in consultation with stakeholders, has developed 24 forward-thinking Regulations. So far, 19 have been gazetted while 5 await gazetting. These forward-thinking Regulations serve as tools for transparency and the creation of an enabling investment climate and benchmark best practices

‘Gas flare commercialisation

The NUPRC completed awards of flare sites to successful bidders under the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP). The programme is aimed at eliminating gas flaring and attracting at least 2.5 billion dollars in investments.

‘Overall Best Performing Parastatal – SERVICOM

In 2024, the Commission secured the 2024 Overall Best Performing Parastatal SERVICOM Unit (PSU) Award, along with the 2024 Best Performing PSU, Team B Award, a testament to the NUPRC’s commitment to customer service. The NUPRC has again won Best Regulator, 2025 by Nigerian Energy Correspondents, aside over 60 awards from various organisations.

‘HCDTs Remits N358.67bn

Host Community Development Trusts have remitted N122.34bn in naira, while dollar contributions stand at over $168.91m as of October 2025. This translates to a combined remittance of over N358.67bn based on the prevalent exchange rate, in enthroning a conducive host community environment in Nigeria.

Over 536 ongoing community projects

‘Still in the host community, the NUPRC is overseeing at least 536 projects at various stages of completion, including schools, health centres, roads, and vocational centres. These are being funded by the trust fund. The achievement has tremendously curbed crude oil theft.

‘Development Wells Hits 306 between 2022-2025

As part of its mandate to develop the country’s hydrocarbon, the Commission has recorded 306 development wells drilled and completed between 2022 to date.

‘Removing hindrances to exploration with 2D and 3D seismic data

The NUPRC issued Nigeria’s first Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) for a large offshore geophysical survey covering 56,000 km² of 3D seismic and gravity data. Furthermore, the Commission has reprocessed 17,000 line-kilometres of 2D seismic data and 28,000 square kilometres of 3D seismic data, producing sharper, higher-resolution images of our petroleum systems and reducing the uncertainties that once hindered exploration decisions.

Other data acquisition includes: 11,300 Sq.km of newly acquired 3D data, processed to PSDM, and 80,000 Sq.km of Multibeam Echo Sounding and Seafloor Geochemical Coring data.

‘Curbing crude oil theft

In 2021, the average daily crude oil losses stood at 102,900 barrels per day or 37.6 million barrels per year. However, due to the combined efforts of the General Security Forces and Private Security Contractors (TANTITA) as well as the collaborative effort of the commission, this has been reduced by 90% to specifically 9,600bpd in September 2025.

‘Furthermore, two pioneer regulations introduced by the Commission have also contributed to the success, namely: The Upstream Measurement Regulation and the Advanced Cargo Declaration Regulation, respectively, have contributed as pioneer efforts at achieving transparency in hydrocarbon accounting.

‘Leading AFRIPERF

‘Even outside the shores of Nigeria, the Engr. Gbenga Komolafe-led NUPRC has continued to show leadership as it championed the establishment of the African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF).

‘The last event of the AFRIPERF at the Africa Oil Week (AOW) was attended by sixteen African Countries, namely: Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia, Gambia, Madagascar, Sudan, Guinea, Togo, Angola, South Africa, Mozambique, Benin Republic, Kenya, Namibia, Morocco, and Mauritania. AFRIPERF provides regulators with the mechanism to harmonise oil and gas development policies to facilitate cross-border infrastructure development, benchmark fiscals, and present a strong voice for Africa in hydrocarbon advocacy globally.’

Increasingly, Nigerian dramatists, playwrights and writers are turning stories of some important personalities, dead and alive, into stage plays. Some of these stories have become epics already. Some have been staged several times on stage. Some are still in the works. But what is important is that, through these stories, history is being made; some people key into them to learn new lessons about how to live outstanding life that benefit the society.

Recently, Makinde Adeniran, the president of National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) was commissioned to produce a play on Moses Orimolade. Orimolade is the founder of Cherubim and Seraphim Christian Movement in Nigeria. Adeniran, a thorough-bred theatre art practitioner spared no time to set out to the core of the story. At the moment, the story is being cooked, the play is on for rehearsals and will be staged soon enough. He speaks to The Nation on the perspectives of the life and times of this wonderful servant of God that has so inspired and energized him the most.

He says: ‘The story, even though it is the story of Moses Orimolade but the title is going to be Baba Aladura. The reason for this title is not far to seek. The story is an important one, chronicling the stories of religion, the movement of this type of Christian religion in Nigeria. They came before Pentecostalism in Nigeria. Pentecostalism is not the beginning of firebrand Christian movement in Nigeria. No, it is not. Orimolade actually came out before all this religious movements to form C and S. Even before then, there was Ayo Babalola which is CAC. Even the Redeemed Christian Church of God came after these ones. So the Orimolade we are talking about here can be said to be one of the earliest pioneers of this Christian movement. His stories strike us so much. The history is relevant. Therefore, what is happening now is that the sponsors, all members of Cherubim and Seraphim are celebrating the one hundred years of the foundation of this church movement and what Orimolade passed through and was able to achieve so much as a prophet and servant of God’.

He goes on: ‘He called it movement, the C and S movement. Yes, they refer to it as one of the biggest in Nigeria. So, they approached me to first and foremost put the story together. They gave me the research materials and what they felt were the main issues I had to consider in the process of the research. With my own bits of research here and there, I have been able to pick some salient information necessary to make the story quite exciting on stage. And I am quite fascinated about the dossier on him. He lived a remarkable, indeed, powerful spiritual life as a prophet of God.’

According to Adeniran who is also the director of the play, Moses Orimolade’s story was a common story. ‘I refer to it as a common story. You have to see it from that common view to be able to evaluate and appreciate what he did and passed through to be a huge success in his mission. It is by this way, you can see the uniqueness of his calling and how he went about it. He is someone who came from one of the greatest Babalawo families in Ikare, Ekiti State. According to his story, when they gave birth to him, in fact before he was born, he was already talking in his mother’s womb. It was strange but this is the story. In fact, he later became disabled. He was not born with any deformity. No. As soon as he was born, he began to walk’.

Adeniran says further, ‘This infuriated his father who ensured something was done to slow him down. The father felt this abnormal tendency was a total disgrace to the family and he needed to protect the family name.` As he grew up, so many things happened that took him out of Ikare. At a point, the journey also led him into evangelism in parts of South west. In his journey he was known to have been to Benin and so many other places. Thereafter, he ended on Lagos Island where he joined the Baptist Church or so. He was there and all sorts of politics began to take place. You know church is where you play the highest level of politics’.

The story, henceforth, became more intriguing, more engaging. In the words of Adeniran ‘All kinds of politics set in from this moment. Orimolade was just a member of a church who liked to pray, he prayed all the time. He loved consistent, fervent and powerful prayers. Leaders of the church at that time then felt he was taking over their position and power and authority. He could turn evil to good easily through his prayers. Others were not comfortable with this. For me, and from a bit of research there have been only two people who have such power. Two powerful men of God who were able to stop the surging of Lagos beach along Victoria Island. The beach almost took over Lagos. These are Celestial and Cherubim. And recently I did that of Cele’.

Moses Orimolade stopped the beach from overrunning the whole of Lagos. He did it in a very miraculous way through prayer. ‘The Governor-General then who incidentally was a white man and all the chiefs in Lagos did not know what to do. As the ocean surged on and on, fear held everyone. Every day more houses, more roads and more lives were lost to the ocean surge. And then came Orimolade with his prophetic power. They had heard about him. So, they went to him to intercede. And Moses Orimolade came and the beach receded. It happened so fast and sudden that even the white man was shocked, surprised. He called on God to stop it. And God heard him and answered his prayer’.

Adeniran is not done yet. ‘It is true. This happened and God is always at work in the lives of His chosen ones. The Queen of England was sick at a time, very sick. They thought she could die of the sickness. So they sent for him. He told them not to worry that the Queen would recover. As he said it and he prayed and not quite an hour later, they sent a telegram that the Queen had recovered. These are the stages of his life as a man of God. But you know, it is drama now. It is a stage thing and we have to bring them all into acting. The stages of his life would be made believable. Thespians would have to see how the stage characterization would add life to all these deeds and events in the history of one man whose prayers did the impossible’.

In other words, the play would be situated to touch on what common life Orimolade lived for the sake of the kingdom of God on earth and through which he also lived a common life for humanity, for the sake of evangelism and evangelization. The ones he did were so strange that even as of today many doubters still find it difficult to believe that those deeds were possible. Yet some of those more difficult spiritual exploits were performed by Elisha, Elijah and some more prophets. Even Peter did one at the gate of Solomon’s temple, when he made the lame to work by the name of Jesus.

The director is still a bit aloof from it all. He said ‘the one at the beach still shocks me. I held on to only that of Tinubu. It was the only one I saw in my generation. You know what I am saying. I am a spiritual person myself and I believe truly that God can give power for us to move the earth. We have the power to command the beach, yes. It is only God that can give you that power. You can not acquire it. Any time however you see someone with such power, well, he has another strong power. So it is part of his CV. He kept telling people that I stopped the bar beach in Lagos. That means there is hand of God on that person. And we have to be more careful with that sort of person.’

So the play would espouse all these and more. The espousal will become a thriller on stage. The characters are ready to give the scenes their best shots ever to allow for more revelations to subsist on stage. The story is an interesting one because the producers do not want it to be a religious piece. But it has to be a play anchored on the general things of life revolving around one man and what he did to effect the desired changes in the society. People have to have learn from it. What happened before can still happen today. So, we all can go back to the days of these old guys to learn to live cleaner, saner and more positive life that changes things from bad to good. They want the story as simple as that so that irrespective of your denomination you learn from it.

Chinaza Eziaghighala’s novella Chimera follows Yetunde, Amaka, Inyene, and others on the campus of a college of medicine that is unmistakably MedLag. We watch as they grapple with various challenges and display their flaws in all their messy glory and grandeur.

It is narrated in the first person by Amaka, Inyene, and Inspector Babajide, whose voices are presented with unflinching artistry.

At the beginning of the book, we meet Amaka at a Lagos market, amid all the chaos and confusion. Through her, we are introduced to Mama, her grandmother, who raises her after her parents’ death; Yetunde, her friend; and Inyene, her boyfriend, who soon reveals that his eyes are on Amaka. He makes flirtatious moves whenever his girlfriend is not around, moves that stir strange feelings in Amaka, feelings she dares not express for fear of shattering Yetunde’s happiness.

Inyene’s advances towards Amaka make some sense when he says: ‘I had not fully understood what happened, because what I last remembered was booze, weed, colours, and a blasted headache. When I saw Yetunde instead of Amaka, I knew it had happened again, even though I didn’t intend for it to happen this way. I had only skipped about a week’s dose, which wasn’t that much in my opinion; therefore, I didn’t expect this to happen, not so soon anyway.’

Still, we are left with questions, especially about what makes him confuse one friend for the other. The suspense deepens when Yetunde, whose parents live abroad, turns up in the hospital after an attempted suicide. But it doesn’t end there. Upon leaving the hospital, she disappears, and the search for her gives the plot new wings, forcing us to journey through the nooks and crannies in pursuit of this young woman whose life brims with mysteries waiting to be unraveled.

The police soon step in. Inspector Babajide is given the mandate to unravel the circumstances surrounding Yetunde’s disappearance. His daughter, Rita, attends the same school and he feels led to find the missing girl because she could have been his daughter. He goes after Amaka, Inyene, and Ahmed and makes life ‘unbearable’ for them. His discovery breaks hearts and engenders disappointment. Fingers of guilt point at Inyene, but he insists the fingers are pointing in the wrong direction.

As we get closer to the last pages, we are left with no choice but to praise the author for treating themes so heavy with ingenuity. We confront a chimera, that phenomenon of seeing things that exist in the imagination but are impossible in reality.

But Chimera is more than a story of individual breakdowns; it is a magical tale. It also holds a mirror up to a society that refuses to acknowledge the fragility of the mind.

The college setting, with its intense academic competition, substance use, and unspoken emotional burdens, echoes the wider realities faced by young Nigerians striving to ‘succeed’ in a system that rarely allows them to falter.

The market and street scenes also give the author the latitude to run veiled commentaries about the state of infrastructure, especially roads, in Lagos. The persistent darkness also provides the opportunity to comment on what a disappointment the power supplier has become.

The role of religion in our society doesn’t escape the author’s attention. When the pastor visits Inyene in a cell complete with oil and claims of ‘casting out demons’, it seems to reflect a deeply ingrained social reality in Nigeria (and across much of Africa): spiritual interpretations of mental illness often take precedence over medical ones.

This is not just a critique of religion but also an acknowledgment of the power dynamics at play: elders, family members, and spiritual leaders exert pressure, often overriding the agency of the person in crisis.

Meanwhile, Inspector Babajide embodies an older generation’s attempt to restore order without fully grasping the psychological chaos beneath it.

In Chimera, Eziaghighala combines medical insight and fantasy with literary craft to produce a haunting narrative that blurs the line between the real and the unreal.

In smooth prose, she serves us a delicious dish about the human mind and age-old culture.

One of the leading governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Omooba Dotun Babayemi, has appealed to Nigerians not to lose hope in the country as it is already on the path of recovery.

According to him, the various reforms, programmes and policy direction of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, were already paving the nation’s path to recovery speedily and steadily.

In his congratulatory message to the people of the nation on the 65th independence celebration, Babayemi said the efforts of Tinubu’s administration had shown that the country’s problems were not irredeemable

‘With our trajectory as a nation and given our resilience and contributions at different times and levels as a people, we have continued to move on. Though we are not where we should be, however, we are no longer where we used to be. All these go to show that our seemingly chaotic situation is not insurmountable’, the notable aspirant said.

According to him, it was gladdening that Nigeria was beginning to wear a new transformative face due to the drive of President Tinubu anchored on the Renewed Hope Agenda.

‘We must commend President Tinubu for painstakingly taking Nigeria through a new phase of developmental rebirth in different sectors in the country. The result of this will no doubt endure in the long run,’ he maintained.

Babayemi expressed the optimism that with sustained efforts by the Tinubu s administration at ensuring a better life for the populace, the dreary situation would soon give way.

Babayemi then pleaded with the people to continue to support the government advising that they must always give peace a chance in order to ensure the achievement of the desired tranquility and development.

‘Please, let’s always strive to seek peace; for that’s when anything meaningful can be achieved. In this strand, we must equally be law-abiding so as not to put people’s lives and property in jeopardy’ added the Prince of Gbongan.

Babayemi, while applauding the country’s founding fathers for their vision and efforts, praised past and present leaders at all levels for their contributions to the nation. He wished citizens, both at home and in Diaspora, happy and memorable celebrations.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State has announced plans by his administration to construct new Islamiyya schools and renovate existing ones across the state beginning next year, as part of efforts to strengthen Islamic education and moral upbringing among children.

The Governor made the disclosure during the commissioning of the remodelled Kirare Jumu’at Mosque and a block of classrooms in Goronyo Local Government Area.

Aliyu said the initiative is aimed at deepening access to quality Islamic education and instilling sound moral values that would help young people become responsible members of society.

‘For us to correct the wrong perceptions some non-Muslims have about Islam, we must educate our people on the true teachings of the religion. Islamiyya schools are critical in raising a morally sound society,’ the Governor stated.

Governor Aliyu also announced that graveyard attendants across the state would soon be placed on the government payroll in recognition of their service to society.

On mosque renovation, he revealed that his administration has awarded contracts for the remodeling of 65 mosques, noting that the Kirare Jumu’at Mosque is the 16th to be commissioned under the ongoing programme.

The Governor urged benefiting communities to take ownership of the projects, maintain the facilities, and keep them clean at all times.

In his goodwill message, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, commended Governor Aliyu for his continued investment in religious and moral infrastructure. He also called on residents to maintain the mosques and pray for lasting peace and security in Sokoto State and across the country.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Works, Barrister Bello Goronyo, praised the Governor’s focus on people-oriented projects, noting that the state is witnessing remarkable progress in key sectors such as infrastructure, water supply, agriculture, and security.

The commissioning ceremony drew several dignitaries, including Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, former Governor Malam Yahaya, Deputy Governor Idris Muhammed Gobir, Minister of Labour and Employment Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, Speaker of the State House of Assembly Tukur Bala Bodinga, members of the National and State Assemblies, commissioners, and other senior government officials.

He prayed for divine wisdom and strength for Yilwatda to navigate the challenges ahead and lead the party to new heights.

Two Saturdays ago, while exulting over the successful election of new officials for the Niger State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jerry Gana, a party chieftain and former Information minister, issued the categorical imperative that Nigerians were disillusioned with the APC and wanted ex-president Goodluck Jonathan back. He didn’t make it a hypothetical imperative. He simply announced to the whole world and his party that the former president would be contesting the 2027 presidential poll on the PDP platform.

Prof. Gana put it elegantly but provocatively: ‘I can confirm that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will contest the presidential election in 2027 as PDP candidate and you will vote for him to return as President again.PDP has tremendous opportunity in 2027 because it is truly a grassroots party. The people of Nigeria love the PDP because it came with programmes that were people-oriented. That is why they remember PDP immensely, and they are urging us to come back.’

Not only did his party issue a rebuttal the following day through its publicity secretary Debo Ologunagba, they also confirmed that Dr Jonathan was nothing more than one of the options they were contemplating. They may, however, be chasing a chimera, since the footloose Dr Jonathan may in fact be exploring other options. It is unclear that party chieftains who have spent so much to keep the party afloat would casually surrender the nomination to Dr Jonathan who had for years detached himself from the party. To reap where he did not sow would not only violate natural law, it would also fly in the face of Kant’s categorical imperative.

Team Brazil by Claure Group surged to pole position in a thrilling qualifying session ahead of the E1 Lagos GP presented by FirstBank, as the world’s first all-electric raceboat Championship makes history this weekend with its debut on the African continent.

The tropical waters of the Lagos Lagoon are hosting the pioneering race series, marking a major milestone for Nigeria as it continues to build its reputation as a global destination for world-class sporting events.

The dramatic qualifying session ended with Team Brazil by Claure Group securing the top spot, ahead of Team Rafa and Aoki Racing Team, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown tomorrow.

The two points awarded to Team Rafa for second place in qualifying sees Rafael Nadal’s E1 team reclaim the Championship lead from Team Brady by a single point. The NFL legend’s team suffered technical difficulties which ended their hopes of challenging for pole position.

The Championship battle hangs in the balance and a win tomorrow could prove decisive as Team Brady fights to defend its crown.

Rodi Basso, founder and Chief Executive Officer of E1 said: ‘The warm welcome we have received in Lagos has been incredible. The people and passion of Nigeria has made this historic E1 Lagos GP presented by FirstBank possible, and I feel a great sense of pride that we have made racing here a reality.

‘Our ambition is to build a motorsport legacy in Africa. This weekend’s race is just the beginning and today’s qualifying sessions have provided a thrilling taste of what’s to come on race day tomorrow.’

Sunday’s race is expected to draw thousands of spectators to the waterfront as excitement builds across Lagos. African football icon Didier Drogba and his partner Gabrielle Lemaire, instrumental in bringing E1 to the continent, will attend to support his team, Team Drogba Global Africa, as the Championship continues its groundbreaking journey.

Championship Standings: Team Rafa – 136 pts, Team Brady – 135 pts, Aoki Racing Team – 125 pts, Team Blue Rising – 114 pts, Westbrook Racing – 82 pts, Team AlUla Championed by LeBron James – 79 pts, Team Drogba – 66 pts, Team Brazil by Claure Group – 51 pts and Team Miami – 32 pts.