Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council has been turned into a ‘rehabilitation centre for persons facing unresolved corruption questions.’

In a statement, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC National Publicity Secretary, questioned the inclusion of former government officials – Betta Edu and Ngozi Olejeme – calling on the government to disclose whether outstanding corruption cases involving them ‘had been resolved or this appointment is Tinubu’s way of pardoning corrupt officials affiliated with his party.’

ADC argued that most of the individuals in the President’s campaign lack credibility, insisting that the 2027 general election is going to be a referendum on the performance of the President in the last three years.

ADC said the APC-PCC which should ordinarily be a political task team ‘ends up looking like a rehabilitation system for individuals carrying unresolved questions of corruption and public accountability.

‘We note, especially the inclusion of former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Betta Edu, who was suspended by President Tinubu following the controversy surrounding the attempted transfer of N585 million into a private account as well as Former NSITF Chairman Ngozi Olejeme, who has faced EFCC prosecution over allegations of financial malpractices, among others whose name carry pungent odour of corruption.’

The opposition party questions what happened to the cases involving the aforementioned individuals.

‘If they have been cleared, the government should show how and when and by whom they were cleared. It has become a familiar pattern under this administration for investigations into financial crimes to quietly disappear only for the accused to suddenly reappear in a different official role.’

ADC noted that the APC PCC would not be able to ‘campaign away the cost of living crisis or the endemic poverty that bad policies have created.’

ADC, however, reinstated its commitment to subidize production of fuel as a way of bringing down the pump price of fuel and the general cost of living in the country.

‘We have observed the flurry of government sponsored attacks on our proposal for a targeted, capped, budgeted and independently audited subsidy intervention on the grounds that Nigeria cannot afford it.’

However, what we understand the APC government to be saying is that Nigeria cannot afford to protect struggling families.

‘They are saying that a government that has continued to engage in monumental waste of resources cannot afford to help poor Nigerians who are merely struggling to survive.

‘Our proposal is straightforward: every naira must be traceable and every barrel accounted for. Before President Tinubu lectures Nigerians about the cost of helping them, he should account for the cost of his own government’s wrong-headed policy that has turned state governors into wastrels and federal agents into profligates.’

As Nigerians come to terms with the electoral ‘tsunami’ that manifested in the political fortunes of Osun State as incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, running on the platform of a less favoured Accord Party, defeated Bayo Oyebamiji of the ‘all-conquering’, ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a new shift may have been launched in the politics of several states.

Political pundits are back to the drawing board to re-strategise over the implications from the Osun State poll ‘David versus Goliath’ battle scenario given the proof it provided to accentuate the vulnerability of any political party in electoral circumstances, no matter its resources and size. For instance, the humongous import of Adeleke demystifying the APC, which had invaded Osun State for the poll with literally an entire armada of the federal government at its disposal, seems to have spawned a new calculus of urgent realignments in the politics of the oil-rich, South-South Rivers State.

Of note is the trending of political permutations, which includes a sudden leadership change in the Rainbow Coalition – a political structure comprising politicians loyal to Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who he had used to discomfit the administration of his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, as governor of Rivers State – all through the latter’s tenure from May 2023.

Not a few observers have noticed the recent sudden withdrawal of Wike from the group’s leadership spot and the emergence of a new leader for the body in the person of Magnus Abe, who is officially designated as its chairman. Whether the development is a mere coincidence with the Osun State situation or otherwise cannot but be strategic.

The Rainbow Coalition refers to a cross-party political alliance cobbled in Rivers State for whatever purpose that means different things for different folks. Its members who are drawn from major political parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP), claim to pursue reconciliation for aggrieved interests in the state. In demonstrating their commitment to the reconciliation agenda, members of the coalition, led by Chairman Abe, had been holding meetings recently with Fubara, who they had hitherto embattled to near emasculation, pursuant to dousing flames of resentment across the political space of the state.

Meanwhile, the new-found reconciliation agenda of the coalition notwithstanding, a wide cross section of the Rivers State populace see their mission from the prism of the long running conflict between Wike and Fubara, which translated into a costly tussle for dominance of the politics and control of the resources of the state.

Put in perspective, the long running conflict between Wike and Fubara is estimated to have imposed a significant cost to the state in both quantifiable and unquantifiable terms.

Reliable estimates have put the figures at over N2 trillion in lost investments and an avoidable N302 billion expenditure during a six-month emergency rule period. Meanwhile, the unquantifiable component includes legislative paralysis and the denial of Fubara of a second-term bid.

This bifurcation in perspectives on the mission of the Rainbow Coalition between its members and the wider cross-section of Rivers State populace constitutes a major drawback with respect to widespread acceptance of the coalition in the state. This is just as it portends to stymy the reconciliation efforts of the group since reconciliation needs the sincerity of its driver to foster success. The challenge facing the Rainbow now is for the body to reconcile its new identity with the public perception of its proclivities.

As needs to be noted, whereas the Rivers State Rainbow Coalition borrowed its name from the US political and civil rights movement, the similarities between it and the US organisations end here. For instance, the first use of the term, Rainbow Coalition was by an American anti-racist and socialist political organisation under the leadership of Fred Hampton, which engaged in altruistic services for the benefit of various marginalised groups, first in Chicago in Illinois.

The core theme of their advocacy was involvement in social causes of class solidarity, uniting poor and working-class people across racial lines and against shared oppression. It also emphasized using direct action to pressure local governments into achieving tangible improvements, with objectives, including reducing unemployment, improving public education and counteracting gentrification.

Members of the Rainbow Coalition also sponsored a wide range of service programmes at reduced or no cost to their respective communities, such as breakfasts for children, health clinics, busing to prisons, daycare centres, clothing, ambulance services, among many other efforts.

Another popular use of the term, Rainbow Coalition, was by the late Reverend Jesse Jackson who used it to call his political platform during his 1984 U.S presidential campaign. It aimed at uniting a diverse, multicultural alliance of marginalised groups – including African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, workers, farmers, women and others. Just like the earlier one, the objective was altruistic, being to uplift the marginalised.

Coming back to the Wike and Abe-led Rainbow Coalition, who are aspiring to define a new political direction for Rivers State, several questions await answers to earn them legitimacy to be trusted. First: What measure of altruism can be ascribed to them to qualify for trust by the Rivers State populace? Secondly, given the fixation of Nyesom Wike – being the architect of the Rainbow Coalition, on the procurement of a second term electoral victory for Tinubu in 2027, and is literally burning up any real or imagined opposition to that dispensation – What tolerance can be guaranteed to any dissenting voice that crosses path with him and members of the coalition?

Next is: In what light will Fubara’s loyalists in Rivers State see Wike and the coalition, against the backdrop of the Wike-engineered Fubara’s forced withdrawal from a second term bid, just to massage a personal ego? To put this question in a proper context is the widely acknowledged difference in governance styles between the Wike administration and that of Fubara, with the latter rated much higher than the former in terms of sensitivity, responsiveness and closeness to the governed.

While this column appreciates the aspirations of the coalition to impose a new political direction for Rivers State, they should brace up for hard knocks as the people’s response for the past sins of some of their leading lights.

Nigerian luxury mobility company MOBILUXE has secured a major commission from transportation and logistics company NAIRAXI Transport and Logistics Limited to procure and deliver a fleet of luxury Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles for NAIRAXI’s VIP chauffeur service.

The project will involve the international procurement of fully built and finished luxury Sprinter vehicles from MOBILUXE’s network of specialist international partners. The vehicles will be sourced to meet the agreed executive specifications and delivered to Nigeria for deployment within NAIRAXI’s premium chauffeur operations.

The agreement comes as NAIRAXI continues to expand beyond technology-enabled transportation and logistics into premium chauffeur-driven mobility.

The company has increasingly focused on the complete executive travel experience, including vehicle quality, passenger comfort, privacy, presentation and service delivery.

The new Sprinter fleet is expected to support NAIRAXI’s VIP transportation operations in Abuja, Lagos and other locations as the service develops.

Under the commission, MOBILUXE will manage the procurement process through its international partner network, identifying and coordinating the supply of completed luxury Sprinter vehicles that meet the project’s requirements.

The vehicles will be supplied as finished executive configurations, incorporating features such as premium seating, bespoke upholstery, refined cabin finishes, ambient lighting, passenger amenities, privacy solutions and selected technology systems.

This approach allows NAIRAXI to access specialized international vehicle-building capabilities while deploying the finished vehicles within its Nigerian operations.

The commission reflects MOBILUXE’s broader business model, which combines global vehicle sourcing and procurement with luxury mobility design and specialist partnerships.

The company works with international automotive, design, engineering and specialist partners to source completed vehicles and specialist products for clients, while also developing bespoke mobility projects according to individual requirements.

For MOBILUXE, the NAIRAXI project provides an opportunity to demonstrate this international procurement model within Nigeria’s growing executive mobility market.

Kingsley Eze, Founder and CEO of MOBILUXE, said the project reflects the company’s approach to connecting clients with established international vehicle specialists.

‘This project reflects the direction we are taking with MOBILUXE – connecting clients with exceptional vehicle solutions through a trusted international network. For NAIRAXI, the priority is to have a fleet that meets the standards expected by its VIP clientele, and our role is to facilitate access to the right vehicles and partners to achieve that.’

Elizabeth Eze, Vice President of MOBILUXE, said the project also demonstrates the importance of understanding the passenger experience when selecting and procuring executive vehicles.

‘For us, the objective is not simply to source a luxury vehicle. It is about understanding how the vehicle will be used, who will use it, and what the experience should feel like from the moment a passenger enters the cabin. Working with an established international partner network allows us to identify solutions that are appropriate for the client while maintaining the level of detail and refinement expected from a premium executive service.’

She added that the international procurement model gives MOBILUXE greater flexibility in responding to specific client requirements, particularly where specialized finished vehicles may not be readily available in the local market.

‘We want our clients to have access to a wider range of possibilities. Whether the requirement is a completed executive vehicle, a bespoke conversion, or a particular specification sourced internationally, our role is to make that process as seamless and considered as possible.’

The completed Sprinter vehicles are scheduled for delivery on 26 January 2027.

The vehicles will subsequently enter NAIRAXI’s VIP chauffeur service, providing a dedicated fleet for executive and premium passenger transportation.

The project will also form part of MOBILUXE’s growing portfolio as the company develops its position within the luxury mobility and executive vehicle sector.

MOBILUXE operates from Nigeria while developing relationships with international automotive, design, engineering and specialist partners.

Its activities span bespoke executive vehicles, luxury vehicle sourcing and procurement, interior design, upholstery, technology integration and private aviation interiors.

The company intends to use its international sourcing network not only to serve clients in Nigeria, but also to facilitate vehicle procurement and delivery for buyers in international markets.

The NAIRAXI commission is therefore part of a broader model connecting global specialist partners with clients in Nigeria and, increasingly, buyers abroad.

MOBILUXE is a luxury mobility design and procurement company specializing in bespoke executive vehicles, private aviation interiors, vehicle sourcing and global procurement.

Through its in-house capabilities and network of specialist international partners, MOBILUXE provides access to luxury vehicles and mobility solutions for private, corporate and executive clients.

Many families caring for people with mental health conditions are travelling hundreds of kilometers across the North-East to the Gombe State Specialist Hospital in search of treatment. Many of them attribute their decision to quality of care, experienced specialists and improved medical facilities.

While many of the patients and their families said the facility had restored hope, health care workers warn that the growing influx is stretching the hospital’s limited manpower and infrastructure.

The long search

For Zulaihat Sa’ad, the journey from Taraba State was driven by desperation after her husband, Yakubu Adamu, developed severe mental health condition.

She said Adamu’s condition became severe after he disappeared and the family had to search for him for three days. When he was eventually found, he was brought to Gombe.

Nine days after his admission, Zulaihat said her husband had shown remarkable improvement. ‘When we arrived, his condition was frightening and we didn’t know what to expect. But by the grace of God and the commitment of the doctors and nurses, he has improved tremendously,’ she said.

According to her, the family travelled from Taraba to Gombe despite the fact that they do not have any relative or acquaintance in the state.

‘We spent about N300,000 for feeding, medication and other expenses; and we still expect to spend more before we return home.

‘Even with the financial burden, we have no regret because we have seen real improvement,’ she said.

Zulaihat said the family chose Gombe after hearing repeated testimonies about the quality of mental health care provided at the specialist hospital.

She said the professionalism of the medical personnel and the available facilities encouraged them to make the long journey.

Similarly, Khadija Muhammad travelled from Yola, Adamawa State, with her 25-year-old son, Ibrahim Muhammad, after hearing positive accounts from former patients.

She said the dedication of the hospital’s medical team renewed her hope of seeing her son recover.

‘The doctors and nurses take their work seriously. They don’t joke with administering medication or monitoring patients. That is why we have continued to see improvement in my son’s condition,’ she said.

Khadija said the family had been staying within the hospital premises because they had nowhere to stay in Gombe.

‘We came straight to the hospital because we have nowhere else to stay. Once my son is discharged, we will return to Yola,’ she added.

She said they had spent 13 days at the hospital and incurred N113,000 on drugs, injections and feeding.

While thanking the hospital staff for their commitment, Khadija appealed to governments, philanthropists and humanitarian organisations to support families caring for people with mental health conditions.

‘The cost of treatment is becoming unbearable for many families. Without assistance, some patients may not be able to continue their treatment,’ she said.

It is, however, said that the influx of patients from neighbouring states is putting pressure on the hospital’s manpower and infrastructure.

A nursing staff member at the hospital, Asheer Zakayo, said the mental health unit received more than 100 patients daily, including new cases and those returning for follow-up treatment. He said the growing number of patients was placing a heavy workload on the available health care workers.

‘Our biggest challenge is inadequate manpower. The number of patients continues to rise, but the available personnel are not enough to meet the demand,’ Asheer said.

He called for the recruitment of more doctors, psychiatric nurses and other specialists, as well as the expansion of the hospital’s wards to accommodate the increasing number of patients.

Asheer also urged the government to sponsor health care workers for specialist training to help address the shortage of skilled personnel in mental health care.

He said the workload often left health care workers with little time to rest, stressing the need for additional personnel to cope with the increasing demand.

Speaking on the situation, the only consultant psychiatrist serving the entire Gombe State, Dr Shittu Amaya Pisahgi, said the facility had become an important referral centre for patients from Gombe and neighbouring states.

According to him, patients come from Bauchi, Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe and parts of Borno for psychiatric treatment, adding that the department attends to 100 patients daily.

He said: ‘I am the only consultant psychiatrist in the whole of Gombe State. We need at least five additional consultant psychiatrists, nurses, clinical psychologists and social workers to reduce the enormous workload,’ he said.

He also disclosed that the department had only 20 beds – 10 each for male and female patients.

‘Once a patient stabilises, we discharge them for follow-up care so that other patients who need admission can have access to the limited bed spaces,’ he explained.

The department’s outpatient clinic holds every Monday and Tuesday, while Wednesdays to Fridays are devoted to ward rounds, case reviews and professional meetings.

Speaking on the cause of increased mental health case, Dr Pishagi identified epilepsy and substance abuse as major contributors to psychiatric disorders, particularly among youths.

He called on the federal and state governments to recruit more specialised personnel, provide regular professional training and equip the department with modern facilities.

The consultant psychiatrist also urged the federal government to establish a federal neuropsychiatric hospital in Gombe, saying the move would attract more specialists and strengthen mental health care delivery in the North-East.

He further appealed for psychiatric medicines to be provided free of charge or at subsidised rates and included in the Gombe State Health Insurance Scheme to reduce the financial burden on patients and their families.

For relatives such as Zulaihat and Khadija, the long journey to Gombe has, however, been worth the cost, as improvements in their loved ones’ conditions have given them hope.

The governor of Yobe State and chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum, Mai Mala Buni, has assured of the commitment of the forum to sustainable security and economic growth in the region.

He gave this assurance yesterday when he visited the headquarters of the Lake Chad Basin Commission in Njadmena, Chad.

In a statement by Mamman Mohammed, the Director General, Press and Media Affairs to the Governor, Buni congratulated the new executive secretary of the commission, Ambassador Ibrahim Babani, assuring him of a cordial working relationship between the forum and the commission.

‘You have no doubt taken this responsibility at a consequential moment for the Lake Chad Basin; one in which our shared security, stabilisation and development challenges demand stronger political coordination, deeper institutional partnership and a renewed sense of common purpose.

‘As chairman of the governors’ forum, I assure you of our readiness to work closely with you in advancing this common agenda and to achieve our set targets,’ the governor said.

Buni appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to regional peace, security and cooperation among the member states.

‘His administration’s support for multilateral cooperation, the Multinational Joint Task Force and regional stabilisation efforts remains vital to our collective pursuit of lasting peace and shared prosperity,’ he stressed.

Gov Buni explained that insecurity, displacement, climate pressures, economic vulnerability and violent extremism do not respect administrative boundaries.

‘Our response must, therefore, be rooted in solidarity, coordination and collective action,’ he added.

The governor charged the commission to deepen engagement with the African Union, UNDP, international financial institutions, bilateral partners and other stakeholders to achieve its targets.

Similarly, Buni was at the headquarters of the Multi National Joint Task Force, where he shared their experiences and challenges in the fight against terrorism in the Lake Chad region.

‘I pledge to share your successes and challenges with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, especially the withdrawal of Niger Republic from the task force, the inadequacy of resources, equipment and manpower, among others,’ the governor assured.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has told the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that Nigerians cannot be expected to accept a blanket invocation of ‘danger to lives’ as justification for keeping potentially disclosable records concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu away from public scrutiny.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the irony would be laughable if the reality in Nigeria were not so tragic.

‘The FBI says disclosure could endanger lives. Which lives? Nigerians are already dying.

‘In the past three and a half years since Tinubu became Nigeria’s President, he has pursued economic policies that have made his government a threat to the daily survival of ordinary Nigerians.

‘Many have been killed by terrorists and bandits. Many more have died amid hunger, inability to pay medical bills and the crushing emotional and economic pressure of being unable to provide food, shelter and basic necessities for their families.

‘Families that once managed three meals now struggle for one. Parents cannot afford medicines for sick children. Breadwinners are buckling under debt and unbearable economic pressure. This is the human cost of Tinubu’s senseless removal of fuel subsidy without a credible plan to protect ordinary Nigerians.

‘Danger to life is therefore not a legal abstraction to Nigerians. It is a daily reality in our homes, hospitals, farms, highways and communities.

‘And this is precisely why the return of fuel subsidy under my watch is not negotiable.

‘I will not apologise for choosing the survival of Nigerians over economic dogma. The subsidy I propose will be targeted, transparently financed, capped and independently audited, with safeguards against corruption, diversion and criminal arbitrage.

‘Fuel affects transportation. Transportation affects food prices. Energy affects production. Production affects jobs. All of them determine whether an ordinary Nigerian family can survive until the end of the month.

‘So when Tinubu boasts that subsidy is gone, Nigerians should ask him what exactly he is celebrating: the empty cooking pots, abandoned medical prescriptions, unaffordable transport fares or businesses struggling to survive?

‘Atiku’s Nigeria will not measure economic success by how much suffering citizens can endure.’

Turning specifically to the FBI, Atiku said nobody was demanding the exposure of undercover agents, confidential sources or sensitive investigative techniques.

‘Protect your agents. Protect your sources. Protect legitimate investigative methods. Redact whatever American law genuinely requires you to redact.

‘But do not stretch those protections until they become a bulletproof vest for Tinubu.

‘Our demand of American law enforcement is not a call to interfere in Nigeria’s politics. It is a humanitarian and democratic appeal rooted in the principle that people have a right to information legitimately available about those who exercise enormous power over their lives.

‘Nigerians have a democratic right to know the history and character of the man who occupies their country’s highest office. Where information relevant to that legitimate public interest rests with American law enforcement and can lawfully be disclosed, the principles of openness and democratic accountability demand that it should not be unnecessarily hidden.

‘If information can lawfully be released without endangering investigators, confidential sources or legitimate law-enforcement operations, release it.

‘Nigerians are not asking America to conduct our democracy for us. We are saying that American secrecy laws must not inadvertently become a sanctuary from accountability in Nigeria.

‘So, to the FBI, our message is simple: Protect your investigators. Protect your sources. Protect your methods. But do not protect the truth from Nigerians. Our people are already paying for bad governance with their lives.’

Real Madrid begin the new La Liga season with a 2-1 win over Espanyol at the RCDE stadium on Saturday night.

Young striker Carlos Espi scored the winner in the 90th minute to ensure Real Madrid got all three points in Jose Mourinho’s first match as coach after 13 years.

Both sides had traded first half goals with Jude Bellingham netting for the visitors while Alex Calatrava equalized for the hosts.

Real Madrid took the lead just nine minutes into the match when Bellingham nodded home Arda Guler’s set-piece delivery.

The visitors did not capitalize on their early lead to add to the advantage, allowing Espanyol back into the match and they equalized on 30 minutes.

Calatrava found his way into the centre of the penalty area to slot home Javi Hernandez’s cross.

Both sides went close both a lethargic Real Madrid came back into the encounter late on with multiple substitutions including Yan DIomande, the club’s new record signing, and Espi, bought for pound 25 million from Levante.

The youngster made the difference when he nudged a loose ball away from the goalkeeper following good work by Kylian Mbappe and slotted into an empty net to hand Madrid maximum points with his 13th La Liga goal since January.

Real Madrid continued its run of not losing on the opening for the 18th consecutive season, and marked only the second time in club history Real will win on the opening day with a 90th minute goal.

They face Real Sociedad on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu in their next league match.