The FG begins installation of 3.5 MW solar farm in Ambursa, Kebbi State

The Federal Government has begun the installation of 3.5 MW Solar Farm at Ambursa, Kebbi State.
The project will generate 3.5 million watts of power that will provide live electricity to 1,500 households.
At the flag off ceremony in Ambursa this Sunday, the Managing Director of the Federal Rural Electrification Agency, Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, said the scheme would stretch to three kilometres distribution network.
“31 transformers along the line would be refurbished, over 5,000 solar plants with battery capacity and inverter, would be installed, while solar street lights would also be provided”,
“The sum of six million dollars has been earmarked as subsidy for the project, while the developer will also bring in another six million dollars”,
“Timeframe for the completion of work is eight months unfailingly”,
“The gesture is at the behest of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in line with the mandate of the Agency to address electricity challenges of communities without electricity, and ensuring reliability of supply for communities under served”, the MD said.
In a remark, Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State, thanked President Tinubu for effectively addressing the issue of electricity to communities by providing the necessary financial support to the Rural Electrification Agency to perform its functions with efficacy.
“Solar Power is a complementary factor in ensuring regularity in electricity supply”,
“Kebbi will continue to partner with the Federal Government to enjoy the full dividends of democracy, we sincerely thank President Tinubu for bringing the project to Ambursa”,
“I want to sound a word of caution to the beneficiaries to protect the installation from tampering and vandalism after completion of the project”, Idris warned. Authority

Grand corruption reason Tinubu should resign — Obi insists

 

By Okey Muogbo

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential flagbearer in the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has said that the grand corruption being revealed daily in this regime supports why the President should resign.

 

Obi, who had earlier called on the President to resign for failing to improve the welfare of the citizens, declared at the weekend that the country should be concerned about the rising level of corruption under President Tinubu.

Writing on his X handle while responding to the barrage of corruption cases during this administration, Obi said that “grand corruption has become Nigeria’s greatest threat.”

 

According to the former Anambra State governor, “The recent report from the IMF consultation further raises concerns about the scale of grand corruption under the Tinubu government. The IMF now reveals that about N8.83 trillion in expenditure undertaken in 2025 is not reflected in the budget. This expenditure is not budgeted and is therefore outside legislative oversight or administrative scrutiny.”

Giving a breakdown of the unaccounted amount in the budget, he said, “This is horrible. N8.83 trillion is approximately 2% of our GDP and over 35% of Nigeria’s 2025 N23.96 trillion capital project budget. In fact, the amount exceeds the actual capital funding released for 2025. It is more than the total combined budget for education (N3.52 trillion) and health (N2.38 trillion).”

 

“If such an amount were properly utilised and accounted for, it could transform Nigeria’s health and education sectors. It could also foster the creation of hundreds of small industries, creating jobs for thousands of graduates and laying a solid foundation for economic development. But we cannot account for it.”

 

“This is not an isolated incident; it is part of a pattern of grand corruption that characterises this administration.”

 

We have much to worry about concerning the state of corruption under President Tinubu. The type of corruption that involves blatant disregard for fundamental rules of public finance management poses a severe threat to national security and the stability of Nigeria.

 

“The capture of the Nigerian state and the plunder of its resources undermine the foundation of state stability, deepening poverty, and risking failure.”

 

This recent revelation demonstrates that the APC government is immensely corrupt, inept, and insensitive. With increasing poverty and an urgent need for major improvements in social and physical infrastructure, a responsible and responsive government would ensure that N8.83 trillion is wisely used to address these issues. But this is not the case with the Tinubu administration.

 

A few days ago, I called on President Tinubu to resign from office due to incompetence, lack of capacity, lack of compassion, and failure to deliver on his campaign promises. Some people thought this call was excessive, but with the daily revelations of widespread corruption in this administration and its total lack of commitment to the welfare and security of Nigerian citizens, the only reasonable action is for President Tinubu to resign.

 

The breakdown of basic due process under Tinubu and the continuous evidence of rampant looting of Nigerian finances highlight the urgent need for greater accountability. It is now time for Nigerian citizens to step up within the law and hold this administration responsible. A new Nigeria is possible. Sunrisereporters.

Atiku accuses Tinubu of cornering Nigeria’s money for 2027 election while citizens suffer

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar accused President Bola Ahmed of cornering public funds to prosecute the upcoming presidential election while the ordinary Nigerians suffer from hunger.
Atiku made accusation on Saturday in a statement released in Abuja in which he cited recent “deeply troubling report by the International Monetary Fund, published on July 1, 2026 by Reuters, which reveals that the Tinubu-led APC administration failed to record public expenditures amounting to approximately 2 percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product in recent official budgets.”
Below the full text of the statement:
“My attention has been drawn to a deeply troubling report by the International Monetary Fund, published on July 1, 2026 by Reuters, which reveals that the Tinubu-led APC administration failed to record public expenditures amounting to approximately 2 percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product in recent official budgets. At the current valuation of Nigeria’s economy at approximately ₦441.5 trillion, this figure translates to a staggering ₦8.8 trillion in public funds spent entirely outside the statutory framework of Nigeria’s official budget documents, unaccounted for, unaudited, and hidden from the Nigerian people.
I view this revelation with the gravest alarm and call upon all Nigerians –  the media, civil society, the National Assembly, and every democratic institution in this country – to set aside every distraction and direct their full attention to what is, by any reasonable standard, the most consequential act of fiscal impunity in Nigeria’s recent democratic history.
A pattern of conduct, not an isolated incident, the IMF’s latest Article IV consultation, articulated by its resident representative in Nigeria, Christian Ebeke, confirmed that this staggering discrepancy arises from large-scale government projects executed entirely off-budget. Let us be absolutely clear about what this means: The Tinubu administration is awarding multi-trillion naira contracts, moving massive public capital, and commissioning infrastructure projects entirely beyond the reach of the Auditor-General, the nation’s procurement laws, and the legitimate oversight of the National Assembly. It is a parallel fiscal universe, one governed by executive whim, shielded from the constitutional accountability that the Nigerian people are owed.
This conduct follows a pattern that is unmistakably familiar to anyone who has studied the fiscal governance of Lagos State under Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Governor. For years, Tinubu operated what has become widely known as the Alpha Beta arrangement, a revenue management structure under which between 10 and 30 percent of Lagos State’s internally generated revenue disappeared into private pockets before it was ever captured in the official budget. Revenues were siphoned at the point of collection, before they could be subjected to legislative appropriation, public scrutiny, or statutory accountability. The money simply vanished upstream, and what arrived in the treasury was already a fraction of what Lagosians had paid.
What the IMF has now documented at the federal level is that same Lagos playbook, replicated at national scale and with national consequences. The man who perfected the art of the off-budget economy in Lagos has brought that “Beta” form to Abuja, and the price is being paid by 220 million Nigerians.
This shadow economy does not operate only through unrecorded expenditures. It also operates through illegal extractions. We draw the attention of Nigerians to the ₦800 billion that has been illegally deducted from the statutory allocations of state governments, funds belonging to the federating units of this republic, unlawfully withheld and diverted without the authorisation of the National Assembly, without a court order, and without any constitutional basis whatsoever.
State governments across Nigeria under the aegis of the Progressives Governors Forum have had their allocations raided to fund projects and purposes that have never been disclosed to the Nigerian public. We state clearly and without equivocation that this ₦800 billion, combined with the ₦8.8 trillion in unrecorded federal expenditures, points unmistakably to the construction of a massive, multi-source political war chest being assembled ahead of the 2027 general elections.
When a government operates a secret treasury of this scale at precisely the moment it needs to purchase electoral outcomes, the conclusion is not difficult to reach. The Tinubu administration is not reforming Nigeria’s economy. It is financing its own political survival with money that belongs to the Nigerian people.
The recent public controversy over the ₦1.3 billion inserted into the 2026 Federal Budget for the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, an agency the administration itself was forced to acknowledge did not exist, is now rendered far less surprising in this broader context. When a government can move ₦8.8 trillion in public money entirely outside its own official bookkeeping, the boundary between what exists and what is a phantom, between what is appropriated and what is stolen, ceases to have any practical meaning. The ghost agency and the shadow budget are not separate scandals. They are two expressions of the same governing philosophy: that public money belongs to those in power, to be deployed as they see fit, beyond the reach of the law and the knowledge of the public.
The moral obscenity at the heart of this scandal demands to be named plainly. For three years, the Tinubu administration has subjected ordinary Nigerians to an unrelenting programme of economic austerity without precedent in our democratic era. The removal of the fuel subsidy, executed without preparation, without social safety nets, and without honest public accounting of the savings, detonated the cost of living across every stratum of Nigerian society. The Naira has been serially devalued, wiping out the purchasing power of workers, traders, small business owners, and pensioners. Interest rates have been driven to levels that have effectively shut small and medium enterprises out of the credit market, strangling the productive base of the economy and accelerating unemployment at a time when Nigeria’s youth population is growing faster than any other demographic on earth.
Nigerians have been told, repeatedly and firmly, that the treasury is empty, that there is no alternative to the pain being administered, and that sacrifice today is the price of prosperity tomorrow. The government has borrowed at punishing interest rates on international markets, adding to a debt burden that will constrain the fiscal choices of Nigerian governments for a generation, all the while telling the public that every kobo of expenditure is being carefully accounted for and prudently managed.
The IMF has now exposed that narrative as a big fat lie. While the poor were told to bleed, the government maintained access to a ₦8.8 trillion shadow treasury, entirely outside public view, entirely beyond legislative oversight, and entirely at the disposal of those who hold executive power. The interest rates crushing Nigerian businesses, the weak Naira destroying Nigerian savings, and the economic stagnation hollowing out Nigerian households are not the unavoidable consequences of global headwinds. They are, at least in part, the direct result of a government that has removed from the productive economy ₦8.8 trillion that should have been transparently appropriated, competitively allocated, and deployed in ways that create jobs, reduce the cost of capital, and strengthen the naira. This explains why contractors are owed and civil servants are not paid their salaries.
I wish to place this figure in concrete human terms. In the 2023 presidential election, I presented to Nigerians a comprehensive economic recovery programme anchored on a $10 billion stimulus package, an intervention designed to recapitalise the productive economy, restore exchange rate stability, reduce the cost of borrowing for Nigerian businesses, and create millions of jobs across the agricultural, manufacturing, and technology sectors. Critics and supporters of the Tinubu administration dismissed that proposal as ambitious, even unrealistic, asking where the resources would come from. The IMF has now answered that question. ₦8.8 trillion, the equivalent of approximately $5.5 billion at current exchange rates, was available. It was not unavailable. It was not non-existent. It was simply being spent in the dark, by unaccountable hands, on undisclosed purposes, beyond the reach of the Nigerian public and their elected representatives. Had that money been transparently appropriated and deployed as part of a structured economic stimulus programme, Nigerian businesses would not be drowning in 35 percent interest rates. The naira would not be trading at levels that make the importation of basic inputs prohibitively expensive for manufacturers. Unemployment would not be at the catastrophic levels that are fuelling insecurity, emigration, and social despair across every geopolitical zone of this country.
The poverty of Nigerian citizens today is not fate. It is policy, or more precisely, it is the consequence of the absence of transparent, accountable, productive economic policy, replaced by the private management of public resources for political purposes under the Tinubu-led APC administration.
I hereby demand the following immediate actions from all relevant institutions:
One, the National Assembly must convene emergency investigative hearings on the IMF’s findings without further delay. The revelation of ₦8.8 trillion in unrecorded public expenditures is a constitutional emergency, not a matter to be managed through ministerial press conferences or diplomatic qualifications.
Two, the Auditor-General of the Federation must be immediately empowered and directed to conduct a full, independent audit of all off-budget expenditures referenced in the IMF’s Article IV consultation, and those findings must be published in their entirety and placed in the public domain without redaction.
Three, the Federal Government must provide a full and transparent public account of every Naira spent outside the official budget, identifying every project, every contractor, every procurement process followed, and every individual who authorised and benefited from these transactions.
Four, the Federal Government must immediately restore to state governments the ₦800 billion unlawfully deducted from their statutory allocations and provide a complete account of how those funds were deployed.
Five, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and every relevant law enforcement and anti-corruption agency must open formal investigations into both the unrecorded expenditures and the unlawful deductions from state allocations, independent of any political direction from the Presidency.
Six, Nigeria’s civil society, the professional community, the business sector, and the international community, particularly the international financial institutions whose credibility is implicated when their findings are ignored, must respond to this disclosure with the urgency it demands.
A government that governs in secret spends in secret. A government that spends in secret does not govern, it plunders. The Tinubu administration has been exposed, not by its political opponents and not by partisan advocacy, but by the International Monetary Fund, the most authoritative multilateral financial institution in the world, whose Article IV consultations carry the full weight of international economic credibility. The evidence is on the record. The figures are not in dispute.
The only question that now confronts every Nigerian citizen, every elected representative, and every democratic institution in this republic is whether we will summon the collective will to demand accountability, or whether we will allow ₦8.8 trillion in unrecorded public expenditure, built on the same architecture of fiscal concealment that defined Lagos under Tinubu to become the accepted, unremarkable condition of governance in Nigeria.
We will not accept it. And we call on every Nigerian who believes in the integrity of the public treasury, the sovereignty of the Nigerian people over their own resources, and the future of this republic to refuse to accept it as well. Sunrisereporters.

Hunger-free Nigeria requires leaders who prioritise citizens’ welfare’ – Peter Obi 

By Okey Muogbo
The 2027 Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said that the growing hunger of Nigerian citizens will get worse unless the people enthrone leaders who have citizens’ welfare at heart.
Reacting to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) alarm that over 17 million Nigerians in the North are at risk of acute hunger, Obi said that Nigeria is a food basket and only an incompetent leadership can drag the country into such a horrible situation.
Writing on his X handle this weekend, Obi said, “The recent report from the UN about the impending food crisis in northern Nigeria is disheartening, more so because it is avoidable. Northern Nigeria is the nation’s food basket, and nothing short of incompetent and irresponsible leadership could have created this tragedy.”
“In a recent post on his X handle, he urged our national leaders to reassess their priorities and address the dire circumstances facing our citizens. He called on the Federal Government and state leaders to move beyond mere political discourse and make transparent, upfront investments to secure agricultural corridors, support smallholder farmers with accessible resources, and collaborate vigorously with organisations like the World Food Programme (WFP) to bridge funding gaps before this crisis escalates and claims more lives, especially those of children.
“A prosperous Nigeria, free from hunger, is achievable, but it requires leadership that prioritises the welfare of its citizens.
“I am deeply troubled by the latest report from the UN’s World Food Programme, indicating that northern Nigeria is experiencing its most severe hunger crisis in nearly a decade. Over 17 million people in nine northern states face crisis-level hunger, with more than 35 million Nigerians nationwide at risk during this challenging season,”, he said.
The former Governor of Anambra State went further to say: “The fact that over 10,000 residents of Borno State have entered ‘catastrophic’ hunger conditions represents not only immense human suffering but also a profound national failure. Nigeria should not rank among the world’s hungriest nations, given its abundant resources, particularly the vast stretches of fertile, uncultivated land in the North.
“This food crisis stems from two critical structural failures: insecurity and farmers’ inability to access their lands. Banditry and insurgency have turned agrarian communities into displacement zones. Until we secure our agricultural areas, we cannot secure our future.
“Our global hunger ranking continues to worsen because of our proclivity for adopting superficial measures that do little to boost agricultural productivity or transform rural infrastructure. We need to adopt policies that address the structural barriers to agricultural productivity and transform our land resources into agro-industrial output.
“We can overcome hunger and poverty if we urgently shift our focus from consumption to production,” he insisted.
On an optimistic note, Obi assured that: “A new Nigeria, devoid of hunger and mass poverty – a Nigeria where we transform our arable land into productive acreage – remains attainable, but it demands leadership that values the lives and livelihoods of the Nigerian people above grandiose road dualisation projects.” Sunrisereporters.

PFIPC: NDC demands Gbajabiamila’s suspension over Alleged fake agency, appointment scandal

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for the immediate removal of the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, over allegations linking him to an alleged corruption scandal involving a purported non-existent government agency and the alleged sale of public appointments.
Recall that one Prince Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), an agency the Presidency has reported accused the Chief of Staff of financial malfeasance and abuse of office.
He claimed that he secured the appointment through the Chief of Staff after allegedly paying N600 million, of which N400 million was reportedly paid through intermediaries, while an outstanding balance of N200 million allegedly remained unpaid.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director on Friday, the opposition party urged President Tinubu to suspend the Chief of Staff to allow for what it described as a full, transparent and impartial investigation into the allegations.
According to the party, the allegations raise serious concerns over accountability within the Federal Government, particularly claims that the purported agency allegedly received budgetary allocations in the 2026 budget and opened several accounts, including a Treasury Single Account (TSA), a domiciliary account and a Pounds Sterling account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The NDC questioned how an agency allegedly not recognised by the Presidency could have completed such financial processes, saying the development requires urgent public clarification.
The party also expressed concern over claims that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation allegedly approved 314 staff positions for the purported agency, describing the allegation as one that raises questions about administrative oversight within government.
The party also cited allegations that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the agency’s take-off grant, an allegation it said was rejected by Adeyemi and which allegedly triggered the dispute between both parties.
Describing the claims as serious, the NDC said they point to what it termed “institutionalised corruption” and alleged abuse of public office.
The opposition party also called for an investigation into the death of Babatunde Tanimola, described as an intermediary between Adeyemi and the Chief of Staff, who reportedly died in a hotel fire in Abuja in October 2025. It further urged security agencies to probe Adeyemi’s claims of multiple assassination attempts.
Among its demands, the NDC called on President Tinubu to constitute an independent investigative panel to examine all aspects of the allegations, including the operations of the alleged PFIPC, budgetary allocations, financial transactions, staff approvals and account openings.
It also urged the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigeria Police Force, officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to investigate the allegations.
The party maintained that Nigerians deserve a transparent investigation into the claims and insisted that anyone found culpable, regardless of status, should face prosecution in accordance with the law.

TCN, AfDB sensitize project-affected-persons, provide livelihood support in Kano

 

By Okey Muogbo

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Kano Region, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB), has conducted a two-day sensitization programme for Project Affected Persons (PAPs) under the ongoing Mando–Rimin Zakara 330kV Quad Transmission Line Project.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by Ndidi Mbah, TCN General Manager in charge of Public Affairs, the programme, held on June 25 and 26, 2026, at the Bayero University Kano (BUK) New Campus, engaged PAPs from Kiru, Rimin Gado, Kabo, and Tofa Local Government Areas of Kano State.

As part of efforts to support livelihood restoration, the exercise featured the distribution of agricultural support packages to beneficiaries, including improved maize and bean seedlings as well as fertilizers, to enhance productivity and support economic recovery among affected communities.

Speaking during the event, the Assistant General Manager, Transmission Services, TCN Kano Region, Engr. Ibrahim Aliyu, highlighted the strategic importance of the Mando–Rimin Zakara 330kV Quad Transmission Line Project in strengthening grid stability and improving electricity supply across the region.

Engr. Aliyu encouraged beneficiaries to make effective use of the agricultural inputs provided and urged all PAPs who have received full compensation to immediately vacate the transmission line Right-of-Way (RoW). He cautioned that continued occupation or construction of structures within high-voltage transmission corridors poses significant risks to lives and property.

The sensitization programme reflects the commitment of TCN and AfDB to meaningful stakeholder engagement, responsible project implementation, fair compensation, and sustainable livelihood restoration in the delivery of critical power infrastructure projects.

 

2027: PDP counters Akpabio, says party stronger than ever

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed claims by Senate President Godswill Akpabio that the party is “dead,” insisting that it remains vibrant, united and increasingly attractive to politicians across the country.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, the PDP said its history over the past 27 years demonstrates its resilience and ability to overcome political challenges.
According to the party, it is undergoing a period of renewal and rebuilding, stressing that it remains “alive, healthy and growing stronger.”
The PDP cited what it described as growing national momentum, pointing to the decision of Iyabo Obasanjo to identify with the party, the defection of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, its victory in the Adamawa State local government elections, its win in the Rivers State Senate bye-election, and the influx of political leaders from Katsina, Jigawa, Imo, Oyo and other states.
The party said these developments contradict recent remarks by Senate President Akpabio, who reportedly described the PDP as “dead” while urging the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to “allow what is dead to remain dead.”
While expressing respect for the Senate President and his office, the PDP described the comments as “political wishful thinking” that do not reflect the realities on the ground.
The opposition party also argued that the project at whose inauguration Akpabio made the remarks was conceived and executed under the supervision of the FCT Minister, whom it described as a distinguished PDP member currently serving in the APC-led administration.
According to the statement, the minister’s performance is evidence of the competence and leadership tradition associated with the PDP.
“One cannot commission the achievements of a PDP man in the morning and suggest that the PDP is dead and no longer relevant in the afternoon,” the statement said.
The party further stated that the ruling party’s comments reflected growing anxiety over the PDP’s resurgence as it continues to consolidate internally and expand its support base nationwide.
It expressed confidence that Nigerians would once again entrust it with the responsibility of governing the country, promising purposeful, inclusive and people-oriented leadership.
The PDP also commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory for his efforts in delivering infrastructure and public services in Abuja, describing his performance as a reflection of the party’s enduring culture of competence and excellence in governance.
Reaffirming its position, the party declared that it remains politically relevant and well positioned to contest and win future elections.
“The PDP is not dead. The PDP is alive. The PDP is healthy. Above all, the PDP remains a beautiful bride on hot demand,” the statement added. Authority.

My Presidency will unite Nigeria for robust human capital development -Obi

 

The presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, on Wednesday placed uniting Nigeria as his top priority for robust human capital development.
Writing on his X handle to unveil his vision for a “productive and prosperous Nigeria.”
Titled ” My Vision for a Productive and Prosperous Nigeria”, Obi said, “When I decided to contest for the office of President of Nigeria, I pledged to place Nigeria on the path of unity and national transformation. Now, as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, I will, in the coming weeks and months, provide insights into the roadmap that I am confident will help curb abuse in government, halt the decline in the quality of life of Nigerians at all levels, and usher in an era of unity, peace, sustained progress, and prosperity.

“This vision is anchored on a commitment to unity, inclusion, social justice, equity, and the freedom of every citizen to pursue lawful dreams.
Central to this proposed roadmap are significant reforms in education and healthcare, which are at the core of human capital development.
“A robust human capital is indispensable infrastructure for national progress. It serves as the fundamental capital upon which daily life, economic expansion, and the delivery of essential public services depend.
“They are foundational areas that we must reform with energy and determination if we are to reap the demographic dividend of our youthful population.

“From the outset of my presidency, we will establish a task force dedicated to drastically reducing the menace of out-of-school children. We will place greater emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to support our drive for massive industrialisation, anchored on our agricultural endowments and value addition across value chains organised around industrial parks to be located in development zones across the geopolitical regions of the country.

“Funding and improved equipment of TVET institutions, through partnerships among government, the private sector, and social entrepreneurs such as faith-based educators, will facilitate apprenticeship opportunities in the private sector, similar to the German dual education system.

“The situation in which unemployment remains high while Nigerian entrepreneurs establish businesses elsewhere because skilled labour is scarce must be confronted decisively. Doing so is essential for the common good and for facilitating our transition from a consumption-driven economy to a production-driven one.

“Character and civic education, emphasising the values that foster trust—an essential ingredient for enterprise and leadership—as well as shared national values, will receive significant attention within the tripartite approach to governance that we propose.
A New Nigeria is Possible.

 

‘What should be our priority? ‘, Obi queries political leaders as he fills INEC form?

 

The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, on Monday in Abuja filled the inquiry form of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as his name is upheld on the Commission’s server, but has a poser for the nation’s political leaders.

 

Writing on his X handle on Tuesday, Obi asked a very pertinent question to the nation’s political leaders: “What truly should be our priority now as leaders of a Nation?”

 

The former Anambra State Governor explained that “this question has become necessary given where we are today as a nation and where we are supposed to be.”

 

While completing my INEC nomination form yesterday, Section E, Question 1 caught my attention. It asks: “Have you ever been adjudged a lunatic or been declared a person of unsound mind?” The answer is either Yes or No. That question got me thinking: Can we, as the political leaders of today’s Nigeria, truly say we are exhibiting characteristics of a sound mind? When our children are being abducted into the bushes, when citizens cannot travel safely on our highways, and when several million Nigerians are uncertain where their next meal will come from; when several billions are being siphoned frivolously through non-existent agencies and projects. In such adverse circumstances as we are, should politics really be our primary preoccupation?

 

A leadership exercising a sound mind would have convened an emergency meeting of political leaders across various parties and other critical stakeholders to confront these existential challenges facing our nation today. The survival of Nigeria should have been prioritised over the pursuit of political advantage.

 

“Further, in the same Section E, Question 6, was “Have you ever presented a forged certificate to INEC?” Again, the answer is either Yes or No.

“This raises another important question: Why shouldn’t INEC, in the interest of ensuring that our leaders are exemplary in following the rules and for public confidence in our process, publish the academic certificates and credentials submitted by every candidate seeking elective office?

“Transparency strengthens democracy and builds public trust.

 

“Nigeria’s problems are too serious for politics as usual. It is time for leadership defined by competence, character, capacity, compassion, and commitment to service. A new Nigeria is possible.”

Alleged Gbajabiamila bribery scandal: Indifference is not an option

Former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar has advised President Bola Tinubu to lead by example by holding his own appointees accountable for their actions.
Reacting to the N400 million bribery allegations against Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Atiku explained that Gbajabiamila’s claim that the agency didn’t exist has only created more credibility gaps for the Chief of Staff.
According to Atiku, “how can you allocate N27.4 billion in the budget to a government agency that doesn’t exist without leaving more questions than answers.”
The ADC presidential candidate explained that the Chief of Staff’s claim only created more problems for the government.
According to him, allocating N27.4 billion to an agency that doesn’t exist puts questions marks on credibility of the entire 2026 national budget.
The Waziri Adamawa said this alleged colossal budgetary fraud cannot be swept under the carpet by weak and unconvincing explanations by the Chief of Staff.
The former Vice President recommended that the Chief of Staff should be suspended, and an independent investigation be carried out to establish the whole truth about this national scandal.
“Good governance is based on transparency and accountability and you can’t achieve that by protecting your family and friends. President Tinubu must lead by example by holding his Chief of Staff to the same standards of accountability as other public officials. N27 billion is not a joke. The rule of law must prevail in this issue. Let President Tinubu prove to Nigerians that he is sincerely committed to accountability in his administration,” he advised.