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Jose Mourinho insists he will receive a warm welcome from the Chelsea fans who once turned on him when the former Blues boss returns to Stamford Bridge with Benfica tonight.

Mourinho is back in west London for a Champions League group stage clash that has turned into a trip down memory lane.

The 62-year-old, who famously announced his arrival in the Premier League by labelling himself a ‘special one’, led Chelsea to three English titles, three League Cups and one FA Cup across two spells that etched him in the club’s history forever.

Fuelled by the financial backing of then owner Roman Abramovich, Mourinho turned Chelsea from underachievers to serial winners.

But those triumphs did not stop Chelsea fans chanting ‘you’re not special anymore’ at Mourinho and jeering him when he returned as manager of Manchester United and then Tottenham.

Now in charge of Benfica after his recent sacking by Turkish club Fenerbahce, Mourinho started his pre-match press conference at Stamford Bridge by claiming he was ‘not a blue anymore’.

But aware that he risked more abuse from the stands on Tuesday, Mourinho quickly backtracked, saying he still loved the club and expected to be treated with affection by the fans that used to idolise him.

‘Of course I will always be a Blue. I am part of their history and they are part of mine. I helped them become a bigger Chelsea and they helped me become a bigger Jose,’ he told reporters.

‘It was a happy marriage. It was a fantastic decision I made. The reason I came the second time is of course I was so happy the first time.

‘When I say I am not a blue I am talking about the job I have to do tomorrow.

‘I don’t think Chelsea fans will boo. At least on the street Chelsea fans are the ones that disturb me for autographs and pictures.’

Photos of Mourinho celebrating some of his greatest Chelsea moments were hung on the walls of the Ted Drake Suite to make the Portuguese coach feel at home.

It was a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Mourinho, who said: ‘There are not many clubs that do this. In many clubs it looks like there is a fear of what happened in the past.

‘Sometimes it looks like they want to delete people who made history. It shows Chelsea is really a big club.’

Mourinho, who still has a family home close to Stamford Bridge, opted against piling pressure on Chelsea’s current boss Enzo Maresca, who has come under fire after successive defeats against Manchester United and Brighton this season.

Maresca led Chelsea to Champions League qualification and won the UEFA Conference League last season.

‘There was a sad period where even me from the outside, I was putting some question marks. It looked like Chelsea lost their identity but what happened in the last season has put things back on track,’ he said.

But Mourinho couldn’t resist pointing out his own achievements with Chelsea whenever the opportunity arose.

Asked if he still ranked himself as the best manager in Chelsea’s history, Mourinho said: ‘I am the biggest one until someone wins four (titles).

‘Chelsea won something before my time. Then they stopped winning, and then my team kept winning.’

And in typically waspish fashion, he played down the two trophies won by Maresca.

‘The Conference League is an easy competition for a big club to win. I did it with Roma. Champions League is much more difficult to win than the Club World Cup but Chelsea has the potential of course,’ he said.

It is a decade since he lifted a league title but even if Mourinho’s managerial star is on the wane, he remains a box-office attraction.

After answering the last question of the press conference, Mourinho made a point of embracing several familiar faces among the British media.

He even posed for a selfie before wrapping a long-serving member of Chelsea’s media team in a warm embrace.

‘You know how I am. I love it,’ he said with a smirk before leaving the stage.

TODAY’S FIXTURES

Atalanta vs. Brugge

Kairat vs. Madrid

Atletico vs.Frankfurt

Bodø / Glimt vs. Tottenham

Chelsea vs. Benfica

Inter vs. Slavia Prague

Marseille vs. Ajax kick

Pafos vs. Bayern Munich

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will today present the book ‘A Decade of Impactful Progressive Governance In Nigeria’ written by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma in Owerri.

The President is on a one-day visit to the ‘Heartland of the Southeast’.

Governors, business leaders, senior figures of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and many influential Nigerians are expected in the Imo State capital for the event.

Other assignments of the President include inauguration of key developmental projects undertaken by Governor Uzodimma, who is the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) and a major ally of the President.

Among the projects are roads, the iconic Assumpta Flyover, and the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre, venue of the book presentation.

The book is to showcase the achievements of the APC led federal government in the last 10 years – spanning the eight-year tenure of the late President Muhammadu Buhari and two years of President Tinubu.

Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Declan Emelumba told reporters that APC governors were expected to give solidarity to their chairman.

According to him, the APC national chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, will lead the National Working Committee of the party as well as the state chairmen to the event.

The Sultan of Sokoto, the Ooni of Ife and the Obi of Onitsha will lead revered Nigerian traditional leaders to Owerri while the Chairman of Imo State Council of Ndi Eze ,Eze Godwin Okeke will be on hand to receive them.

He said captains of industry, academia, labour leaders, market women, and students will also attend the ceremony as a reflection of the broad acceptance of the author by a spectrum of the Nigerian society.

He explained that security agencies are fully prepared to guarantee the security of the lives of guests before, during, and after the ceremony.

Emelumba enjoined Imo citizens to troop out in their numbers to welcome President Tinubu and accord the guests the famed hospitality of the people of the state.

Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is one of the options on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) shopping list for presidential candidate in 2027, the party said yesterday.

It also said that it was too late for the allies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in and outside the PDP to stop its convention billed for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The party spoke yesterday through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, who doubles as the secretary of the Publicity Sub-Committee of PDP’s National Convention Organising Committee.

He told reporters in Abuja that the PDP extended the deadline for submission of nomination forms so that further consultations can be conducted for states to take final decisions on micro-zoning of positions.

Saying he is neither the spokesman for Prof Jerry Gana nor Dr. Jonathan, who Gana recently described as PDP’s likely choice for presidential candidate in 2027, Ologunagba said the party boasts of performing governors and other excellent personalities, who may be considered for the party’s ticket.

He said: ‘I don’t speak for Prof Gana or former President Jonathan but our party has many worthy personalities and we shall cross the bridge when we reach there.’

On reports that a faction backed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT Minister), Nyesom Wike, has successfully conducted a state congress and re-elected PDP’s former National Publicity Secretary, Venatius Ikem as its chairman, Ologunagba dismissed such perceptions as ‘mere hallucination’.

He said the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), led by Umar Damagum, had postponed the state congress and decided that Southsouth Zonal Caretaker Committee, led by Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, will oversee affairs in the Cross River state chapter until a decision is taken to notify INEC and conduct proper state congresses in Cross River, Plateau and Kebbi states, where the exercises have been postponed.

Ologunagba said: ‘Emphatically, there was no PDP state congress in Cross River State; we are getting into the season of carnival in Calabar and those people only went there to do their carnival and it is okay because Calabar is a friendly place where people have a nice time, drink and have a jolly time.

‘This party has its due process and for those who think they can gather people to have drinks and call it a party congress, that’s mere hallucination; as for anyone who seeks to bring the party into disrepute, we will follow them up with proper and due process.’

Commenting on reports about conflicting letters sent to INEC by Damagum and the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Ologunagba said the Damagum-led NWC is the sole body that decides for the party and not any individual.

‘There are people in our fold who are working with APC; we know that but we are united as a political party and we are strongly focused,’ he added.

He also dismissed the possibilities that someone from any state or group can sabotage the party’s national convention plans, saying the PDP train has reached Ibadan while the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) office at Legacy House in Abuja (which he unveiled on Monday), will serve as a hub for all relevant party activities.

On why the party’s micro-zoning process has not been concluded, Ologunagba said talks were still on in parts of the country.

He said: ‘Out of the need to allow for more consultation and consensus-building, the NCOC few days ago approved an extension of deadline for completion of forms as well as the date for screening of aspirants because we want more people to be involved so that we can have a contention-free national convention in Ibadan.

‘The new dates are to be announced later in line with party guidelines but 15 sub-committees have been appointed for a hitch-free convention and these include the screening sub-committee, venue sub-committee, and other committees for transportation, publicity, accreditation, security and intelligence, entertainment and welfare sub-committee, protocols, medical, accommodation and the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee.

‘We also have a Constitution Amendment and Technical Committee because there is need to look into our constitution again.’

Ologunagba elaborated further on other issues: ‘We have concluded state congresses in Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Borno, Niger, Kogi, Adamawa, and in the next few days, the PDP NWC will receive a report on the conduct of those congresses but the NWC has approved the postponement of congresses in Cross River, Plateau and Kebbi states.

‘As far as we are concerned, there was no state congress authorised by this party or consistent with its processes and procedures in Cross River, Plateau and Kebbi states where the congresses have been postponed.

‘In the case of Cross River and Plateau states, the NWC will consider a Caretaker Committee for Cross River State chapter under the direct supervision of the Southsouth Caretaker Committee, led by Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, until the date for a congress because the tenure of the exco in that state expired on September 18.

‘The Ogidi committee will continue to oversee party affairs in Cross River until we give statutory notice to INEC for the conduct of state congresses in Cross River, Plateau and Kebbi states.’

‘In Ekiti State, we have five aspirants who have bought governorship nomination forms with three men – Olumayokun Oluwole Oluyede, Dr. Funso Ayeni and two women who did not need to pay for Nomination Forms because of our party’s effort to boost women’s participation.

‘Their screening will take place on October 2 at the NCOC Conference Hall at Legacy House, Abuja.

‘PDP’s scheduled national convention will be very significant for Nigeria’s democracy; that is why you see APC jittery and it is understandable because we have a history of 16 years’ record of prosperity that was unlike APC’s years of scarcity,’ he said.

Baytur-Rahmah Orphan Foundation has paid fees of N3.8 million to orphans for the first term of 2025/26 academic session.

Speaking at the New Session event at As-Siddiq Schools, Ketu, Chief Executive, Sherifah Yusuf-Ajibade, said N6 million was spent in 2024 on the welfare and education of orphans.

She said most of the fees were paid into the schools’ account

She said the intervention was continuous to ensure orphans are not denied quality education that will mould them into better members of society.

‘This journey is not one-off. It is a commitment to support orphans until they get the requisite education to ‘fish’ for themselves,’ she said.

She added the intervention run is for basic and tertiary.

‘We support 34 orphans from 20 families. Ten are in tertiary schools, while others are in nursery, primary, and secondary’, she said.

She said sponsoring orphans is one of the deeds that benefits Muslims after death.

‘Part of what continues to benefit a Muslim after death are benefits they brought to others. Sponsoring an orphan is one of such,” she said.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot challenged his players to give their all when they take on Turkish champions Galatasaray in Istanbul on match day 2 of the Champions League tonight.

Liverpool edged Atletico Madrid 3-2 in a fiery Champions League opening day win in the 36-team league phase, but lost 2-1 at Crystal Palace in the Premier League at the weekend.

The Premier League champions have overhauled the squad that cruised to the title last season and won their first five games with Slot’s new-look set-up.

The Dutch coach warned Galatasaray presented a major challenge, despite their opening day 5-1 drubbing at Eintracht Frankfurt.

‘If you want to compete for trophies, let alone if you wear a Liverpool shirt, (you must) give everything you have, and combine that with the best football you can play,’ Slot said.

‘They are a very, very good team and have a very good manager,’ Slot said at a Monday night press conference in Istanbul.

‘The 5-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt was either the quality of Frankfurt, or a little bit of bad luck for Galatasaray,’ he said.

‘They know what it takes to win the league and know what it takes to win a game of football, so we have to be prepared for that,’ said Slot.

Slot has the weapons to win the club’s seventh Champions League crown this season and one of those is assistant Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who coached Galatasaray’s rivals Besiktas in 2024.

‘Gio is one of my assistant coaches so he is part of the set-up if we discuss or talk about the team we face, if that is Palace or Everton or Atletico Madrid or, in this situation, Galatasaray.’

‘He has knowledge about Turkish football, he knows these players.’

Slot said that at this level set pieces were crucial.

‘We knew Galatasaray were also strong on set-pieces, but I can tell you we won our last Champions League game because of a set-piece,’ he said of Virgil Van Dijk’s late winner over Atletico.

Despite cruising to the Premier League title last season, the Reds invested nearly £450 million ($614 million) in transforming their squad during the summer transfer window.

Forwards Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike were part of the recruitment but in their opener against Atletico it was old hand Mohamed Salah who delivered by scoring one and making another with a deflected free-kick.

TODAY’S FIXTURES

Atalanta vs. Brugge

Kairat vs. Madrid

Atletico vs.Frankfurt

Bodø / Glimt vs. Tottenham

Chelsea vs. Benfica

Inter vs. Slavia Prague

Marseille vs. Ajax kick

Pafos vs. Bayern Munich

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen has said the era of envelope budgeting in the country will soon come to an end when the tax reform of the Tinubu government takes off.

He explained that the envelope system of budgeting was being practiced in the country because the government does not have enough resources to meet the needs of all agencies in the country.

Speaking at an informal engagement with Nigerian youths, organised by the Office of the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he said President Bola Tinubu was working in collaboration with the National Assembly to tackle insecurity and engender economic prosperity in the country.

While emphasising the inadequacy of Nigeria’s annual budgets, he expressed optimism that the tax reform initiatives of Tinubu will substantially raise the revenue profile of the country.

He said: ‘I want to assure you that this present administration is doing its best. If you look at the historical figures in budgetary provisions particularly for education and for health, you will see that there has been a reasonable appreciation of the figures that we have recorded in the last two budgets.

‘One thing I want you to go home with is that Mr President and the National Assembly have been able to cross a major hurdle that has been bedeviling our budgets. And what is that? Paucity of revenue. If you remember the 2025 budget was increased significantly. But even with that, we are not where we ought to be.

‘But the good news today is that both the National Assembly and Mr President have come up with a revolutionary initiative that within the next one to two years, we will substantially increase the revenue profile of Nigeria several-fold. That is the tax reform initiative brought by Mr President.

‘Once it comes into effect, I sincerely believe that Nigeria’s budget will improve at a minimum by five times what we have today. And that will be the time when we will say we can look at sector by sector, agency by agency, to give them what they require.

‘But as of now, the revenue we have is simply inadequate to satisfy any agency. And that’s why we have what is called the Envelope System. ‘just make do with whatever that’s given to you.’ But I assure you that, with Mr President in the driver’s seat, that era will soon come to pass. That will be the time we can provide for each agency what they actually require, and that will be the time we can start talking about what the international standard is, what they are supposed to get as against what they are getting today?’

He said the president is his role model due to his ability to network across the country and maintain relationships for over four decades.

The Speaker was accompanied by his wife, Hajia Fatima Tajudeen, and his children who watched as the APC Youth Wing honoured him with the ‘Legislator of the Year (National Category)’ award.

The event, which was organised to commemorate Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, saw the Speaker inspiring the youth with his life as a teacher, accountant, and politician.

He stated that the Tinubu-led administration is working hard towards ensuring the security of lives and property, as well as creating an enabling environment that will make crimes and criminality unattractive to the youth.

He said: ‘There’s no country in the world that can achieve any meaningful progress without adequate security. The President and the National Assembly, I’m sure if you observe, have worked very hard to put non-kinetic measures in place to ensure that security around the country is improved.

‘Like my own state, (Kaduna) just two weeks ago, the UK Ambassador to Nigeria gave my Governor (Senator Uba Sani) an award for the improved security within the state.

‘I believe within the next two years, and certainly the next four years of this administration – God willing, we will no longer be talking about insecurity, because the government will do whatever is necessary to ensure that we create more than any other thing the enabling environment that will mitigate and prevent insecurity.’

He also attributed the unity and peace in the House to the overwhelming support from members, noting that they are according their due rights and benefits irrespective of political, religious, and ethnic differences.

Speaking on the lessons he had learned on his journey, which he will pass to his children, the Speaker advised youths to be honest and transparent in their dealings, saying these virtues attract public trust and success.

He said: ‘Be open and honest in whatever you do. Once you are open and honest, you can never get it wrong. Even when you make mistakes, people will understand that it is a mistake.

‘I believe that the youth of Nigeria need to really learn this little – little – that when they imbibe this in whatever they do in their life, not necessarily politics or leadership in any way, even in their daily life, they will see tremendous results, they will get the support of the people. That is my message to the youth.’

Abbas also explained why President Tinubu is first among his mentors.

He said: ‘I have so many role models. Asiwaju is one of them, definitely because of his antecedents in being able to support people right from the time he was a senator to governor. I have seen him with a set of people over a journey of 40 years, and he is still with them. Not too many Nigerians – not too many – will be able to sustain relationships for such a very long time. So, he is my role model as far as that is concerned.’

He noted that his proudest moment as a legislator was when President Muhammadu Buhari assented to a record 22 of his bills under the last Assembly (out of the record 74 sponsored by him).

Abbas stated that it was an ‘unprecedented achievement’ for a lawmaker to have 22 of his bills signed into law, as law-making is the core responsibility of a legislator. ‘I was very proud and happy,’ he said.

On the gender bills under consideration by the National Assembly in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution, Abbas recalled how the youth successfully pushed for the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ bill, which led to the reduction in the age qualification for elective public offices.

‘If we achieve that, we are further pushing the agenda of inclusivity to all Nigerians. So many things need to be done but we need to do them one at a time. I am very optimistic that the 10th Assembly provides a golden opportunity for the women of Nigeria to actualize their dreams in the democratic and electoral processes of this country.

‘I will be there to ensure that those aspirations succeed for the benefit of mankind.’

Tributes have continued to pour in for 29-year-old ARISE TV anchor and Lawyer Somtochukwu Maduagwu who died in a robbery attack in Abuja on Monday.

In a fresh statement by ARISE News, Maduagwu had joined the media firm in September 2024 as a news anchor, producer, and reporter, where she made significant contributions.

‘In September 2024, she joined the ARISE NEWS team, where she has made her voice count as a News Anchor, News Producer, and a Reporter,’ the statement reads.

The deceased fondly called ‘Sommie’, was known for her advocacy work, particularly in promoting the rights of out-of-school children and campaigning against s3xual and gender-based violence.

In a video shared on Tuesday, one notable example of her advocacy was her involvement in submitting a memorandum for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill at the National Assembly.

‘There, Sommie, alongside millions of other Nigerian women, advocated for a stronger representation for Nigerian women at the National Assembly,’ the station said.

Maduagwu’s background includes winning the Miss Tourism Nigeria pageant, which led to her appearance on ARISE TV, and representing Nigeria at the Miss Tourism World pageant in Quanzhou, China, in 2023.

‘Through a blend of her legal dexterity and reportorial vigour, Sommie advocated for out-of-school children and campaigned energetically against sexual and gender-based violence.

‘Sommie’s voice is now silent, but her spirit, passion, and legacy will endure as part of our collective memory’, the station added.

The FCT Police have confirmed that an investigation into the incident has begun.

Maduagwu’s untimely death has sparked widespread grief and renewed calls for action against insecurity in Nigeria.

Her colleagues at ARISE Television described her as ‘delectable, intelligent, and bold,’ noting that her contributions to the station and the nation will not be forgotten.

Sir: Picture a crocodile by the riverbank: powerful, fierce, and built to rule the waters. Yet this creature, chained with heavy bonds, is unable to move, hunt, or lead its territory. Its strength is wasted, its potential wasted. This is the tragic image of governance in Nigeria today.

Governors, who ought to be the engines of development and the closest link to the people, have become like that bound crocodile. They carry mandates meant to transform society, but invisible chains of godfatherism, party politics, and vested interests hold them down. Instead of bold leadership, we see hesitation, compromise, and stagnation.

The tragedy runs deeper when governors who genuinely wish to serve find themselves trapped. One ‘godfather’ or party leader can summon them to heel, threaten them with political extinction, or strip them of support. They are forced to choose between serving the people and preserving their careers. Inevitably, the people lose. Projects stall, policies are abandoned, and elections become hollow rituals. Leaders take oaths, but the spirit of democracy is nowhere to be found.

Good governance must begin at the state level. This is where education policies can be tailored to local needs, where hospitals and clinics can be strengthened to save lives, and where infrastructure can unlock economic opportunities. States should be the laboratories of progress. Yet when governors are more loyal to political patrons than to citizens, priorities shift. Instead of innovation, we get inertia. A bound crocodile cannot hunt, and a politically captured governor cannot deliver.

This crisis is not uniquely Nigerian. Across Africa, the same story unfolds. In most countries on the continent, domestic chains are reinforced by foreign ones. Neo-colonialism, though less visible than in the past, continues to shape politics and policy. International institutions, foreign governments, and multinational corporations subtly dictate directions. Loans and aid arrive tied to conditions that often undermine local priorities. Instead of resisting, many African leaders comply, turning themselves into administrators of external agendas.

The result is a continent rich in resources but poor in outcomes. Africa’s wealth benefits others more than its own citizens. Its leaders, caught between local godfathers and foreign benefactors, fail to assert the sovereignty needed for genuine development.

If Nigeria and Africa are to move forward, these chains must be broken. The first step is political liberation. Godfatherism must be dismantled, and systems must be built to make governors accountable primarily to the people. Internal party democracy must be strengthened so that candidates emerge based on merit, not loyalty to a benefactor. Anti-corruption institutions must be insulated from political interference so they cannot be wielded as weapons of blackmail.

Secondly, citizens must reclaim their power. Democracy is not a four-year ritual; it is a daily responsibility. Civil society, the media, and grassroots movements must hold leaders accountable long after the campaigns end. Promises must be tracked, performance must be measured, and failure must be exposed. Leaders will only fear the people when they are united and can no longer be ignored.

Finally, Africa must rethink its relationship with the outside world. Cooperation and partnership are necessary, but submission is not. Trade is essential, but must be fair and equitable. Aid should not come with strings that compromise sovereignty. African leaders must learn that independence is hollow if policies are subject to foreign influence.

Nigeria stands at a crossroads. We can either continue as the bound crocodile-powerful yet paralyzed-or we can break the chains that hold us down. The choice is stark. The cost of bondage is not abstract: it is visible in underfunded schools, collapsing hospitals, potholed roads, and unemployed youth. It is measured in lost lives, wasted potentials and eroded hope.

The metaphor of the crocodile is not accidental. Like the reptile, Nigeria has the raw strength to dominate its waters. Our natural resources, our human capital, and our cultural wealth give us all we need to thrive. But without political liberation, strength turns into frustration. Without sovereignty, potential turns into dependency.

To break free, governors must rediscover their courage, parties must rediscover internal democracy, and citizens must rediscover their voices. The crocodile must remember its nature: not to be bound, but to rule the waters with confidence and independence.

Nigeria’s story does not have to remain a tragedy. Africa’s story does not have to be one of wasted potential. But change will not come by accident. It requires deliberate choices: to resist godfatherism, to challenge corruption, to reject external control, and to place the people at the centre of governance.

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has thrown his weight behind the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the forthcoming Abuja Area Council elections, Christopher Maikalangu.

The election is scheduled for next February.

Maikalangu is the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). He defected recently from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and is seeking re-election for a second term in office.

Wike urged residents of Tunga Madaki and neighbouring communities to reciprocate the Federal Government’s gesture by voting for the ruling party.

The minister spoke during the kick-off of the construction of a seven-kilometre road with four-span bridges linking Tunga Madaki and eight other settlements.

He said the project was in fulfillment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and a response to the community’s long-standing demand for infrastructure.

Wike recalled that the road project stemmed from earlier negotiations during the acquisition of land for the construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

The minister said that though the land belongs to the FCT, the Aviation Ministry had to pay compensation, during which the affected communities demanded road access as a condition.

He said: ‘It was quite unfair that a people would surrender their ancestral land for a national project like a second runway, yet they had no access road, even to the airport they gave up the land for.

‘So, I took the matter to Mr. President and he said: ‘Whatever they ask for, give it to them.’ Today, we are here to fulfill that promise.”

Wike promised that the road would be completed next June to coincide with the third anniversary of President Tinubu’s administration.

The minister hailed the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the project contractor, for committing to the timeline.

‘This is a government that listens, a government that keeps its promises. For the first time in your lives, you asked for one thing, and the government responded. That is what the Renewed Hope Agenda is all about.’

Wike lauded Maikalangu’s role in the project, describing him as an advocate for the community.

‘Maikalangu has never stopped reminding me about the promise made to you during the land compensation process.

‘He kept pressing, and here we are today. I am handing him over to you. Support him in the February 2026 elections so that by June, when the road is inaugurated, we’ll all dance together in celebration.’

There will be no anniversary parade to mark the 65th Independence celebration tomorrow in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Federal Government said yesterday.

However, other programmes already slated for the anniversary will take place, according to a statement by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Senator George Akume.

The Director of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the SGF, Segun Imohiosen, explained that the decision does not diminish the significance of the milestone celebration.

The director stressed that other programmes lined up for the anniversary will proceed as planned.

He said: ‘The cancellation is in no way a diminishment of the significance of this milestone anniversary, and the government remains committed to celebrating Nigeria’s 65th year of independence with dignity and enthusiasm.’

Imohiosen said the government regretted any inconvenience caused by the cancellation and assured that activities marking the anniversary would reflect the spirit of national pride.

The director added that the Federal Government was appreciative of the understanding, support, and cooperation of Nigerians, the diplomatic community, and guests.

He urged Nigerians to always support the reform initiatives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing them as essential to the collective goal of building a greater Nigeria.