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First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has called for stronger social security measures and support systems to guarantee healthy, productive and dignified lives for older Nigerians.

Mrs Tinubu made the call in her message marking the 2026 International Day of Older Persons, observed globally on October 1, with the theme, ‘The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives.’

She said the occasion should remind society of its collective responsibility to ensure senior citizens are adequately protected and have opportunities to remain active and relevant.

According to the First Lady, older persons are custodians of invaluable wisdom and experience whose contributions to families and communities should continue to be recognised and appreciated.

‘Senior citizens are custodians of invaluable wisdom and experience. They must never be abandoned, ignored, or excluded; rather, they should be supported and given meaningful opportunities to participate in family and community life’, she said.

Mrs Tinubu urged families and communities across the country to continue to value the counsel of older persons and draw lessons from their experiences.

She also stressed the need for systems that would enable senior citizens to age with dignity while retaining meaningful roles within society.

‘I call on families and communities across Nigeria to continue to value their counsel, learn from their experiences, and strengthen the systems that enable them to age with dignity and continued relevance with adequate social security measures put in place’, she said.

The First Lady said longer life expectancy should be matched by policies and social arrangements that guarantee the wellbeing, inclusion, and security of the elderly.

She congratulated senior citizens in Nigeria and across the world on the International Day of Older Persons, reaffirming the importance of giving them the respect, care and opportunities they deserve.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said sources of foreign exchange inflows into the economy has changed significantly, with autonomous sources taking the lead.

Speaking at the ongoing 38th FICAN conference held in Abuja, CBN Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, Dr. Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, disclosed that of the $10.82 billion in total inflows recorded in July 2026, $7.33 billion, or nearly 68 per cent, came from autonomous sources.

The breakdown showed that remittances through International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) reached $950 million that month while net foreign portfolio inflows totalled $6.31 billion in January to August 2026.

He explained that portfolio flows can reverse, but the broader improvement in supply has reduced the market’s reliance on direct CBN provision.

‘Our external buffers are stronger. Gross reserves stood at US$55.60 billion on 11 September 2026, while the end-August stock provided 11.3 months of import cover,’ he said.

Speaking on the theme: ‘Towards a Robust and Resilient Financial System in the Post-Banking Sector Recapitalisation’, he said Nigeria’s aspiration to build a $1 trillion economy by 2030 requires banks that are capable of mobilizing and allocating capital on a much larger scale.

Abdullahi, said stronger capital buffers should enable banks to finance local infrastructure, support industrial expansion, facilitate international trade, and compete more effectively in regional and global markets.

He said stronger banks also provide greater capacity to absorb losses during economic stress and sustain investment in innovation and digital transformation.

‘The environment in which these banks operate is increasingly interconnected. Geopolitical uncertainty, climate-related risks, cyber threats, and rapid technological change can transmit shocks across borders through financial trade and technology, affecting capital flows, exchange rates, and external governments. Resilience, therefore, requires institutions to anticipate emerging risks, absorb shocks, adapt, and recover. The lessons of past financial crises underlie the value of aggregate capital, but also the need to prepare for risks that may take unfamiliar forms,’ he said.

According to him, capital is therefore the starting point.

‘Boards and management must maintain sound controls, recognize risks early, and learn to identify viable projects. Sound corporate governance must underpin that growth. Boards and management teams must demonstrate integrity, accountability, and transparency. Strengthen internal controls and guard against excessive restating. Their decisions must protect the interests of depositors, investors, and other stakeholders,’ he said.

He directed that risk management be extended beyond credit risk to the market, utility, and operational risks, as well as cybersecurity, third-party dependencies, and private-related financial risks.

He said the environment in which these banks operate is increasingly interconnected.

‘Geopolitical uncertainty, climate-related risks, cyber threats and rapid technological change can transmit shocks across borders through financial, trade and technology channels, affecting capital flows, exchange rates and external buffers.

‘Resilience therefore requires institutions to anticipate emerging risks, absorb shocks, adapt and recover. The lessons of past financial crises underline the value of adequate capital, but also the need to prepare for risks that may take unfamiliar forms,’ he said.

Abdullahi said the CBN will continue to pay close attention to governance, asset quality, liquidity and large exposures. ‘We will also expect banks to protect customer data, maintain reliable payment services and recover quickly from disruptions. A stronger balance sheet must be matched by stronger management of risk.

‘As more financial services move to digital channels, banks must invest continuously in cybersecurity, data protection, disaster recovery and business continuity. Innovation brings opportunities, but public trust depends on customers being able to transact securely and access their funds reliably, including when systems come under pressure,’ he said.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to void the nomination of former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

Justice Mohammed Umar, in a judgment on Wednesday, held that the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1234/2026, filed by an aggrieved presidential aspirant of the party, Engr. Yakubu Mohammed, was statute barred.

Justice Umar upheld the preliminary objections raised against the competence of the suit by the PRP and Duke.

The judge held that the suit, being a pre-election one, was filed in violation of the provision of Section 285(9) of the Constitution, having been filed on June 10, 16 days after the results of the PRP’s presidential primary election conducted on May 25 was made public.

He faulted Mohammed’s contention that the 14 days limit allowed by the Constitution for the filing of pre-election cases ought to start counting from June 6 when the party’s appeal committee wrote him to communicate its decision, rejecting his appeal.

Justice Umar proceeded to decline jurisdiction, holding that the suit, having been found to be statute barred, robbed the court of the requisite jurisdiction to hear and determine it.

The judge however, proceeded to also determine the suit on the merit and equally dismissed it on the grounds that the plaintiff failed to prove his case.

He faulted the plaintiff’s argument that Duke was validly returned as PRP’s presidential candidate in the May 25 primary election, having allegedly not been a registered member of the party when the PRP submitted its membership register to INEC on May 4.

Justice Umar held that the issue of membership of a political party is an internal affair of the political party, which is non justiciable and over which the court lacked jurisdiction.

The judge also faulted the plaintiff’s claim that Duke did not comply with the party’s guidelines, was ineligible to participate in the primary election and ought not to have been cleared to contest, having allegedly failed to physically appear for screening at the party’s national secretariat.

He noted that while Mohammed referred to the PRP’s guidelines, which he claimed Duke violated, he failed to produce the said guidelines before the court as required.

Justice Umar rejected Mohammad’s claim of over-voting during the primary election in states like Bauchi, Kwara and Gombe, holding that he failed to prove over-voting as required by law.

Mohammed had, in his originating summons, urged the court to determine whether Duke was validly returned as the party’s presidential candidate in the May 25 primary election, having allegedly not been a registered member of the PRP when the party submitted its membership register to INEC on May 4.

He prayed for a declaration that Duke was ineligible to participate in the primary election and ought not to have been cleared to contest, having allegedly failed to physically appear for screening at the party’s national secretariat.

The plaintiff also prayed the court to set aside the results from Bauchi, Gombe and Kwara states over alleged over-voting and declare him the PRP presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.

He further sought an order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise Duke as the party’s presidential flagbearer and to instead recognise him as the PRP’s candidate.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will address Nigerians on Thursday morning as the country marks its 66th Independence anniversary.

The nationwide broadcast is scheduled for 7 a.m., according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Nigeria attained independence from Britain on October 1, 1960.

The President’s address is expected to form a major part of activities commemorating the country’s 66th year as an independent nation.

The Presidency advised television and radio stations as well as other electronic media organisations wishing to transmit the address to connect to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.

‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will address the nation on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 7 a.m., to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.

‘All television and radio stations, and other electronic media outlets, are advised to join the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria for the broadcast’, Onanuga said.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said the election of any politician should not lead to the spilling of the blood of another citizen.

He urged lawmakers to return to their duties with ‘steady hands’ as the chamber resumed plenary from recess.

The Senate President warned that the ongoing build-up to the 2027 general election must not compromise national unity or public safety.

Delivering his welcome address at the first sitting since July, Akpabio struck a sober tone, acknowledging the pain of families whose relatives remain in the hands of kidnappers, as well as communities devastated by floods and rising cost of living.

‘During our recess, families have waited in anguish for their loved ones taken by armed men. Communities have lived beneath the shadow of violence. Floodwaters have washed away homes and livelihoods,’ he said.

‘To those who mourn, to those who wait, and to those who have been driven from their homes, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria hereby offers our sympathies. But sympathies alone cannot discharge our duties,’ he added.

The Senate President noted that insecurity remained a collective burden that the legislature must confront through robust oversight, legislation and appropriation.

‘So long as good Nigerians remain in captivity, a part of Nigeria is held captive. This Chamber cannot call itself free of that burden,’ Akpabio said. ‘We call upon our security agencies to pursue the rescue of captives and the protection of vulnerable communities with renewed vigour.’

He called attention to the intensifying political campaigns, urging all participants to shun violence, intimidation and misinformation, including the emerging threat of artificial intelligence-manipulated content.

‘Let the contest be vigorous. Let it be open. And let every participant remember that this is a country that must live together when the elections are over,’ he said.

‘No electoral prize is worth a Nigerian’s life. No victory deserves celebration if it leaves the nation deeply wounded. We must also watch out for AI-manipulated campaigns.’

Akpabio reminded senators that their mandate runs to the end, irrespective of electioneering activities.

‘The people sent us here to serve until the end of our mandate. There is work before us, and we shall remain at our post in spite of the various campaigns across the nation,’ he said.

The Senate President linked patriotism to clear-eyed realism and steadfastness.

‘Patriotism requires clear eyes and a steadfast heart: clear eyes to see our difficulties, courage to confront them, and steadfastness to keep building Nigeria in unity,’ he said.

Looking ahead to Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, he said: ‘We shall honour those who believed that this vast and varied land could govern itself and shape its destiny.

‘We honour them most faithfully when we guard the freedom they secured and use it to enlarge the prospects of those who come after us.’

Akpabio added: ‘Let us campaign with honour, debate with conviction, and serve with humility. We have returned to this Chamber because Nigeria’s work continues.’

The address was followed by a minute’s silence in memory of Dr. Adamu Fika, a former National Assembly’s Director-General and Clerk of the Senate, who died on August 6.

The Governors of Katsina State, Dikko Radda; Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal; Cross River State, Bassey Otu; Enugu State, Peter Mbah; Anambra State, Charles Soludo; and Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, are among the distinguished individuals and organisations to be honoured at the 2026 Nigeria GovTech Public Service Awards.

The awards will take place as part of the 4th Nigeria GovTech Conference and Awards 2026, scheduled for 13th-14th October 2026 at the Banquet Hall, State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The governors will be recognised for their contributions to digital government, innovation and technology-enabled public service delivery. The awards form part of the major highlights of the two-day conference, organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) in collaboration with the Office of the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, under the theme: ‘Advancing Digital Government: Scaling Digital Public Infrastructure for Effective Governance and Service Delivery.’

In a statement announcing the event, the Director-General of BPSR, Dasuki Arabi, emphasised that the conference will focus on how digital public infrastructure, interoperability, emerging technologies and innovation can strengthen government institutions, improve public services and promote responsive governance.

He noted that the event will showcase the pivotal role of digital transformation in advancing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for a more efficient, inclusive and digitally enabled Nigeria, particularly in advancing financial inclusion, expanding the digital economy and improving access to government services.

Speaking on the awards, he said the initiative is designed to celebrate public servants and organisations that have demonstrated practical commitment to using technology to drive institutional reforms and improve service delivery to citizens.

The six governors are being recognised following a comparative assessment of digital government performance across the states, with consideration given to progress in areas including digital service delivery, institutional readiness, digital infrastructure, transparency and open governance, and innovation and partnership.

In addition, the 2026 Nigeria GovTech Awards will honour outstanding federal, state and other public institutions, as well as private organisations, for their achievements in digital innovation and technology-enabled public service delivery.

Now in its fourth edition, the Nigeria GovTech Conference and Awards has grown into a major national platform for bringing together senior government officials, technology executives, development partners and private-sector stakeholders to discuss practical pathways for advancing digital government in Nigeria.

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has set machinery in motion to host the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND 2026), from 5 to 8 November 2026.

The high-octane event is being hosted by Afreximbank in partnership with the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and will bring together creatives, investors, policymakers, financiers, buyers and industry leaders to connect talent with finance, markets, partnerships and commercial opportunities.

The four-day event, which will be held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, National Theatre Complex, Iganmu, Lagos, will attract participants from across Africa, the Caribbean, and the wider diaspora.

Tagged: ‘One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World: From FESTAC ’77 to CANEX’27,’ CANEX WKND 2026 will provide a platform to support the development, commercialisation and expansion of Africa’s creative and cultural industries, with a focus on improving access to finance, markets, skills, partnerships and investment opportunities.

The programme will feature activities across film, music, fashion, literature, visual arts, gastronomy and sport, combining business and investment discussions with showcases, exhibitions, masterclasses and networking opportunities.

Key programme components will include the CANEX Finance Summit and Deal Room, CANEX Shorts Film Competition, Jollof Wars Competition, CANEX Music Factory Songwriting Camp, Junior Chefs Competition, Fashion Show and Awards Night, CANEX Mega Concert and Legends Football Match.

At the heart of the business programme, the CANEX Deal Room will provide creative entrepreneurs and businesses the opportunity to present projects to financiers and investors, helping strengthen commercially viable creative enterprises and develop sustainable value chains across Africa’s creative economy.

Commenting on the preparations for CANEX WKND 2026, Mrs Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development, Afreximbank, said: ‘CANEX WKND provides an important platform for converting Africa’s creative talent into sustainable commercial opportunities. By bringing creators together with investors, financiers, buyers, and policymakers, we are helping strengthen the ecosystem required for African creative businesses to grow, access new markets, and retain greater value from their work. Hosting CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos is particularly significant given Nigeria’s influence across music, film, fashion, literature and other creative sectors. We look forward to bringing together participants from across Global Africa to deepen collaboration, mobilise investment and support the continued growth of the creative economy.’

Nigeria’s hosting of CANEX WKND 2026 reflects the country’s longstanding contribution to Africa’s cultural and creative industries and its growing role as a hub for creative enterprise.

Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Republic of Nigeria, said, ‘Hosting CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos reinforces Nigeria’s position as one of Africa’s leading creative and commercial centres. Our creative industries are an important source of enterprise, employment and exports, and strengthening the connections between talent, investment and markets is critical to unlocking their full economic potential. CANEX provides an important platform to bring African and diaspora creatives, investors and businesses together in Nigeria, while creating opportunities for stronger partnerships, greater market access and increased investment across the creative value chain. We look forward to welcoming Global Africa to Lagos and showcasing the depth and diversity of Nigeria’s creative economy.’

The Lagos edition will also build on the legacy of FESTAC ’77, which brought together artists, writers, musicians and cultural leaders from across Africa and the diaspora.

Nigeria is preparing to commemorate the 50th anniversary of FESTAC in 2027, providing an opportunity to connect this cultural legacy with the continued development of contemporary creative industries.

CANEX WKND 2026 will build on the momentum generated by previous editions.

At CANEX WKND 2024 in Algiers, Algeria, more than US$540 million in deals were facilitated and agreed, with close to 4,000 participants from 81 countries attending.

Afreximbank has also committed US$2 billion to support Africa’s creative industries between 2024 and 2027, reflecting the Bank’s commitment to strengthening the sector’s contribution to trade, enterprise development and employment across the continent.

The Lagos edition will serve as a test run for the fifth edition of the biennial Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2027), which Nigeria will host in November 2027.

The Obidient Movement has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the 2027 general elections without first addressing unresolved issues surrounding electoral transparency, result transmission, and institutional credibility.

National Coordinator, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, spoke in response to recent disclosures by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, regarding the commission’s adoption of AI tools ahead of the 2027 polls.

Amupitan said INEC had commenced the deployment of AI tools to detect discrepancies and administrative errors in election results.

He added that the commission was fortifying its systems against AI-generated disinformation, including cloned voices of electoral officers, deepfake videos, forged official documents, and fabricated result sheets.

Rejecting the proposal, Tanko argued that the electoral umpire had failed to explain the operational framework of the technology, the specific problems it seeks to solve, and the safeguards put in place to prevent deliberate manipulation or abuse.

Tanko said: ‘The same INEC that has failed to address the most basic issues surrounding electoral transparency, result transmission, and the credibility of its processes is now announcing plans to deploy Artificial Intelligence in the 2027 elections.

‘We reject this proposal in its entirety, particularly as the commission has failed to explain how this technology will work, what problems it is intended to solve, and what safeguards will prevent its abuse.’

Citing a recent investigation by Mundx Analytics, which alleged that presidential results from over 50,000 polling units were uploaded via mobile phones, the Obidient Movement leader maintained that technological innovation cannot substitute for institutional integrity.

‘Introducing AI into a system that has yet to account for its existing failures is not electoral reform. It is an attempt to distract Nigerians from the fundamental questions of institutional independence, transparency, and accountability,’ he added.

To ensure public trust, the Movement outlined key demands, calling on INEC to publish its comprehensive roadmap for the 2027 general elections – detailing all technologies, procedures, and safety measures to be deployed.

The group further demanded an independent audit of the commission’s existing electoral technology, with full public disclosure of findings and corrective measures, alongside a fully transparent and verifiable result transmission process.

Tanko also insisted that any proposed AI tools must be subjected to rigorous independent testing and public scrutiny before implementation.

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has warned that poor access to early childhood education is worsening learning outcomes, with about 10 million Nigerian children excluded from the programme.

UBEC’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Aisha Garba, said this in Abuja at a three-day capacity-building workshop for state actors on early childhood care, development and education.

Across the country, students of Federal Unity Schools have returned to classrooms after their management suspended the industrial action.

This comes on the heels of the Federal Government’s fresh discussions with stakeholders over the controversial concession of King’s College, Lagos.

Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President and King’s College alumnus, Mr. Olumide Akpata, announced this yesterday in an interview on a national television station.

During the capacity-building workshop in Abuja, UBEC’s boss, Garba, represented by the commission’s Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Rasaq Olajuwon Akinyemi, said only 35.6 per cent of Nigerian children aged 36 to 59 months attended any form of early childhood education.

The executive secretary said the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey also showed that about 46 per cent of children aged 24 to 59 months were developmentally off track.

According to her, the consequences of inadequate early childhood education become more pronounced as children progress through the school system.

‘Only 35.6 per cent of Nigerian children aged 36 to 59 months attend any form of early childhood education. That leaves roughly 10 million of our youngest children outside ECCDE altogether,’ she said.

Garba added that about 70 per cent of Nigerian 10-year-olds could not read and understand a simple text, while only about 2.4 million of the 5.9 million children who enter primary school each year remain in the education system at the end of junior secondary school.

The executive secretary stressed that early childhood development must be treated as an integrated national priority involving education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, women’s affairs, social welfare and Local Government Education Authorities.

‘There is no cheaper place in the education system to buy results,’ she said, citing Nobel Laureate James Heckman’s estimate of about 13 per cent annual return per child on high-quality birth-to-five programmes.

The UBEC boss urged states to include ECCDE interventions in their State Matching Grant Action Plans, warning that programmes omitted from the plans would not receive funding, procurement or monitoring attention.

‘I must be blunt: what is not in the Action Plan will not be funded, will not be procured and will not be monitored,’ she said.

Garba announced that the deadline for states to submit their ECCDE Action Plans for the next intervention year had been extended from September 30 to October 5.

The executive secretary cautioned that the extension should not be used to delay submission, adding that plans received after the new deadline would not be considered for the intervention year.

‘I expect every State to leave Abuja with a costed, integrated and inclusive draft plan, to present it to your Executive Chairman on your return, and to submit the final plan through the digital planning template within the extended period. Plans received after that date will not be considered for this intervention year,’ she said.

Garba also urged states to ensure that children with disabilities and those in hard-to-reach, nomadic, riverine and conflict-affected communities were included in ECCDE programmes.

The UBEC boss called for stronger engagement with parents, caregivers, School-Based Management Committees, traditional institutions and religious bodies, noting that communities could provide important platforms for reaching children outside conventional classrooms.

She said the 2023-24 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey put stunting among children under five at 40 per cent nationally, ranging from 12 per cent in Rivers State to 65 per cent in Katsina State.

Garba also directed ECCDE centres to comply with standards covering child safety, supervision, safeguarding, food and water safety, structural safety and emergency exits.

UBEC’s Acting Director of the Department of Special Programmes and Early Childhood, Dr. Chijioke Onwuzurike, said Nigeria has more than 45 early childhood development delivery channels across the health, nutrition, education, agriculture and social protection sectors.

She said the multiplicity of channels had created fragmentation, with some platforms duplicating one another, failing to share data and providing inconsistent services across communities.

Onwuzurike said the commission expected every state, within the next 18 months, to map and streamline existing early childhood development platforms, establish functional multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms and strengthen frontline workers’ capacity for screening and follow-up.

‘School readiness is not something that begins at the primary school gate; by the time a child reaches that gate, it is largely decided,’ she said.

The acting director urged state actors to use the National ECCDE Minimum Standard and Implementation Guidelines as working tools rather than documents to be filed away.

Also, UNICEF Nigeria Education Specialist, Yetunde Oluwatosin, said early childhood development was critical to addressing the country’s out-of-school challenge.

Oluwatosin likened early childhood development to laying the foundation of a building, stressing that getting the foundation right would help children enter school at the appropriate age, remain in school and transition through the education system.

‘So, it’s really important for us to get the foundation right, because it helps the child to continue learning,’ she said.

The education specialist said UNICEF had supported the Federal Government in developing the ECCD policy, minimum standards and curriculum, adding that the documents were benchmarked against global standards.

The three-day workshop, organised by UBEC’s Department of Special Programmes and Early Childhood, in collaboration with UNICEF, brought together state and relevant education actors, including SUBEB Directors of Special Programmes, ECCDE Desk Officers and UBEC officials.

The workshop aimed at strengthening state-level capacity for ECCDE planning, financing, implementation, monitoring, data management and community engagement, while enabling participating states to develop or strengthen state-specific ECCDE and early childhood development work plans.

In the television interview, Akpata announced that the Ministry of Education had constituted a high-powered committee to examine concerns surrounding King’s College concession.

The former NBA president said the committee started discussions with the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) yesterday, allowing the union to present its objections and concerns.

He said the development would help address what he called misconceptions arising from ‘misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and lack of communication’ surrounding the concession arrangement.

‘Students were back to school yesterday, September 28, after the industrial action. The Ministry of Education has set up a high-powered committee to look into the concession, with the Association of Senior Civil Servants Union of Nigeria in the room,’ Akpata said.

The lawyer noted that the engagement would allow all parties to understand the details of the arrangement and put their concerns on the table.

According to him, the concession currently under discussion is specifically for King’s College and should not be interpreted as covering other Federal Unity Schools.

‘At the moment, this is strictly about King’s College, not about other Unity Schools,’ he said.

Akpata also defended the financial arrangement behind the proposed concession, dismissing concerns that the old boys’ community stood to gain financially from the deal.

The former NBA president said there would be ‘zero pecuniary benefits’ for the old boys, insisting that the objective was to restore the 117-year-old institution to its former standard.

According to him, the proposed N100 billion investment will come from King’s College old boys’ community and will be used to develop the school.

‘The N100 billion will come from the old boys’ community. For us, that amount is not a problem,’ he said.

Akpata cited concession models adopted by some colleges in Umuahia (Abia State) and Ibadan (Oyo) as examples of arrangements he said had delivered positive results.

The lawyer maintained that the model offered an opportunity to improve infrastructure and reposition King’s College.

He described the school’s concession as ‘the best thing that can happen to King’s College at this moment’.

The latest development comes against the backdrop of disagreements between stakeholders over the proposed concession, which had contributed to the industrial action which affected Federal Unity Schools.

With students now back in school, attention is expected to shift to the outcome of the Federal Government’s stakeholder engagement and whether or not the committee would be able to address the concerns raised by the workers and other stakeholders while clarifying the scope and terms of the King’s College concession.

Elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have warned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi against any alliance to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Obi is the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).

The APC elders, under the auspices of the PBAT Mandate Elders Forum, said any political arrangement between the two opposition figures would not prevent Tinubu from securing another term, insisting that the incumbent President had consolidated his political base across the country.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday in Akure, the Chairman of the Elders Forum, Ademola Ijabiyi, said Atiku and Obi would ‘fail woefully’ if they chose to work together against President Tinubu.

Ijabiyi, flanked by prominent APC elders, described the realignment of the opposition leaders as a political strategy that would have little impact on the APC’s electoral structure, particularly in Ondo State.

According to him, the ruling APC remains focused on mobilising its members and supporters ahead of the 2027 elections, while strengthening its structures across the state’s 18 local government areas.

‘Tinubu is marching to 2021. Nothing can change that. What does Atiku have? Can he win in Ondo State? Where can Atiku win in Nigeria? APC has 12 million registered members. Atiku’s party has 3 million members. Peter Obi’s party has less than two million members.

‘And all the elections we continue to win them. They said people have rejected us in APC, but they keep voting for us. They keep voting for APC. So, where’s the rejection? Nigerians appreciate what the Tinubu-led administration is doing. In every election held, APC has won 90 per cent of the time.

‘If Atiku says ‘Tinubu should go’. The only place I know Tinubu will go is 2031. And even if they (Atiku and Obi) combined, they will fail woefully.

‘Let me tell you, Tinubu was not in power when APC won. Every force was against him then; Tinubu is now in government, and you can easily tell what will happen. He’s now in charge,’ he said.

Ijabiyi called on APC members to remain united and resist attempts by opposition politicians to create divisions within the ruling party.

The APC chieftain expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s leadership, adding that the administration’s policies and programmes would remain central to the APC’s campaign for the 2027 elections.

He advised Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to work together for the re-election of President Tinubu despite operating separate political structures.

Ijabiyi described Aiyedatiwa as the APC leader in the state, responsible for mobilising the party across the 18 local government areas, while describing Tunji-Ojo as a prominent federal government official and political leader with considerable support in the state.

The APC elder said the different structures could complement rather than undermine one another if they remained focused on Tinubu’s re-election.

‘Different structures can reach different constituencies, mobilise diverse groups and broaden the party’s electoral strength.’

He said the party elders would not participate in any contest between Aiyedatiwa and Tunji-Ojo, adding that both leaders had important roles to play in the party’s mobilisation efforts.

‘Our loyalty is to the common cause. Our candidate is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Our assignment is his overwhelming re-election,’ Ijabiyi added.