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Adeleke Alleges 60 Osun Accord Leaders Were Moved to Abuja Prisons

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke claims that despite the presence of federal and state courts in Osun, more than 60 Accord Party leaders were arrested and sent to prisons in Abuja and Nasarawa.

The governor made the claim on Thursday during a peace meeting in Osogbo, ahead of the governorship election on August 15.

In a statement posted on social media, Governor Ademola Adeleke said his government and supporters have been “under siege and att@cks for the past three months,” accusing former governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of being behind the vi0lence.

He said he should have boycotted the peace meeting given the vi0lence unleashed on Osun State in recent months, which he claimed was on Oyetola’s directive, adding that while the gathering was meant to endorse peace, his government and people continue to face police-sanctioned vi0lence and intimidation.

He further accused the Osun police command of backing att@cks on his supporters.

According to him, more than 60 Accord leaders have been arrested and taken to Abuja, where they were remanded in Abuja and Nasarawa State prisons, including an Accord House of Representatives candidate, Hon Alaba.

He questioned why the suspects were taken to Abuja when both the Federal High Court and State High Courts are available in Osun State for anyone to be arraigned.

The governor also alleged that the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, was arrested on trumped-up charges after police raided his residence without a court-authorised warrant.

Adeleke said eight party members have been k!lled and more than 20 injured in recent att@cks, stressing that no suspect has been prosecuted to date.

He said there has been no single prosecution or active arrest so far, describing the perpetrators as known Osun APC thugs whose crimes were committed in the presence of the police.

He called on the Inspector-General of Police to return those currently in custody to Osun State and have them charged in courts within the state if any offence had indeed been committed, adding that those remanded in prisons elsewhere should be brought back to Osun and arraigned locally if the police can establish any wrongdoing.

He also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to caution Oyetola and the Osun State Commissioner of Police against further vi0lence against the people.

The allegations follow the arrest of Igbalaye and five others by police over alleged vote-buying. Police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi said N4.8 million and other electoral materials were recovered from a residence linked to the SSG.

Political tension has escalated in Osun State ahead of the governorship election, with supporters of the Accord party and the APC trading accusations and verbal att@cks.

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Atiku Accuses Tinubu Government of Losing Control Over Nigeria’s Finances

Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of losing control over Nigeria’s public finances.

On Wednesday after it was revealed that the Federal Government borrowed significantly more than the National Assembly had authorized for the 2024 fiscal year.

According to Atiku, the most recent data, which revealed that the Federal Government borrowed ₦4.79 trillion more than its authorized limit.

Bringing the total amount of new borrowing to ₦12.62 trillion, highlighted what he called a pattern of fiscal recklessness, waste, and opacity under the current administration.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president said Nigerians had been assured that the removal of fuel subsidy, increased taxation and other economic reforms would reduce borrowing and stabilise the country’s finances, but argued that the opposite had happened.

According to him, the latest borrowing figures show that  government‘s economic policies have failed to achieve their stated objectives.

He noted that Nigerians were promised that the painful removal of fuel subsidy, repeated tax hikes and other harsh economic measures would reduce borrowing and restore fiscal stability, yet the country was instead witnessing endless borrowing, ballooning debt and unprecedented waste.

Citing figures from the Budget Office, Atiku noted that the Federal Government had borrowed 61.2 per cent above the amount authorised by the National Assembly, while also questioning the source of an additional ₦3.19tn reportedly obtained as “budget support,” despite no provision for such borrowing existing in the approved appropriation.

He described the situation as part of a broader pattern of financial mismanagement, stating that it was not an isolated incident but fit into a disturbing pattern that had become the defining signature of the Tinubu administration, marked by duplication, opacity and reckless fiscal management.

The ADC chieftain further accused the administration of running duplicated budgets, concealing huge expenditure under the Service Wide Vote, creating what he termed “fake agencies,” and approving extravagant spending on luxury vehicles while critical sectors remained underfunded.

Questioning the real impact of the borrowings, Atiku argued that there was little evidence the funds had translated into improvements in education, healthcare, security or infrastructure, describing it as tragic that Nigerians were being forced to service debts whose benefits they could not see.

He also referenced reports that higher international crude oil prices had generated an estimated ₦7.98tn oil revenue windfall for the Federal Government, arguing that such increased earnings should ordinarily have reduced the country’s dependence on borrowing.

Declaring that a government earning windfalls while still borrowing recklessly was not suffering from a lack of revenue but from a lack of discipline.

The former vice president also raised concern over the country’s rising debt servicing obligations, noting that the Budget Office report showed debt servicing had reached ₦12.36tn, exceeding budgetary projections by more than 52 per cent.

He warned that Nigeria was drifting toward a dangerous fiscal position where government borrowing would primarily serve to repay existing debts, describing the trend not as economic reform but as fiscal vandalism.

He maintained that Nigeria needed a government committed to fiscal discipline, transparency and prudent management of public resources rather than what he called an endless cycle of borrowing.

Adding that an ADC-led government would prioritise blocking financial leakages, eliminating waste and channelling public funds into productive investments capable of stimulating economic growth and improving citizens’ welfare.

He stressed that Nigerians could not continue paying today’s taxes to service yesterday’s loans while tomorrow’s generations inherit nothing but debt.

The statement followed an earlier report citing the Budget Office, which indicated that the Federal Government’s 2024 borrowing exceeded the amount approved by the National Assembly by ₦4.79tn, raising total fresh borrowing to ₦12.62tn.

The report also noted that debt servicing had surpassed budget estimates, reigniting debate over Nigeria’s rising debt profile and the sustainability of its fiscal strategy amid ongoing economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy and tax measures introduced by the Tinubu administration.

Opposition parties have continued to question the government’s borrowing policy, while the Federal Government has maintained that the loans are necessary to finance infrastructure, support reforms and meet critical budget obligations.

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Tinubu Celebrates End of ASUU Strikes Under His Administration

President Bola Tinubu has expressed happiness that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has not gone on strike, calling it a response to the nation’s prayers.

At the State House in Abuja on Tuesday, Tinubu gave a speech to the leaders of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

One of the quantifiable advancements under his administration, according to the president, is that there hasn’t been a protracted ASUU strike since he took office, which has helped Nigerian families.

He noted that none of the children of the clerics present, whom he described as belonging to all of them by virtue of their calling as reverend fathers, could complain that a four-year course was no longer running its normal duration.

Pointing out that ASUU was not on strike and was therefore not bringing hardship to their homes, a development he described as an answer to prayers.

Tinubu said Nigerians had endured economic hardship under his administration owing to challenges inherited from the previous government, but noted that the country was now witnessing a level of stability that was already beginning to improve the quality of life.

He explained that he had inherited both the assets and liabilities of his predecessor and had continued to manage the situation, expressing confidence that the government had stabilised the economy and that prosperity was on the horizon, with living standards improving.

The president also reassured the clerics that the country would overcome its current security challenges, stating that Nigeria remained the only country available to its citizens and that, drawing from the complexity and diversity captured in the national anthem, the nation would ultimately thrive, rejoice and prosper together.

Tinubu’s remarks come against the backdrop of longstanding challenges in Nigeria’s education sector, particularly prolonged industrial action by ASUU and other university workers’ unions, as well as persistent security challenges across the country.

Between 1999 and 2022, ASUU embarked on a series of strikes that cumulatively resulted in more than five years of lost academic time, the most recent being an eight-month strike in 2022, the longest in the union’s history.

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Ghana Mourns Death of Tallest Man Sulemana Awuche at 33

At the age of 33, Sulemana Abdul Samed, also known as Awuche and regarded as Ghana’s tallest man, passed away.

His passing has caused widespread mourning throughout Ghana, especially in the country’s north, where he was adored due to his remarkable height and kind disposition.

According to a report by an international broadcaster, Awuche died on Monday at the Tamale Teaching Hospital after being admitted for treatment of infected sores on his legs.

He had been receiving care at the facility in Tamale, about 160 kilometres from his hometown of Gambaga.

A relative, Sulemana Abdul Kudus, described the late Awuche as a generous and kind-hearted man whose death had left many in shock, noting that people were still trooping to the house to find out exactly what happened.

Awuche, who was diagnosed with gigantism in his 20s, stood at 7ft 4in (223cm) when measured by the broadcaster in late 2022, though it was believed he had continued growing before his death.

Popularly known as Awuche, a Hausa word meaning “Let’s Go,” he lived with complications linked to Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder affecting the body’s connective tissues, which accounted for his unusually long limbs.

The report noted that he had struggled to afford medical treatment until businessman Ibrahim Mahama, brother of Ghanaian President John Mahama, intervened to support his care at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

Mahama, who had earlier met with Awuche, had provided an update on plans for his continued treatment earlier in the month.

Kudus explained that although the infected sores on Awuche’s legs were not directly linked to Marfan syndrome, they were likely a complication of the condition.

He noted that despite reportedly responding well to treatment, Awuche died on Monday morning, leaving residents of Gambaga devastated by the news.

He added that Awuche’s fame had brought national recognition to the community, noting that wherever he went in the country, mentioning that he hailed from Gambaga was enough for people to identify it as home to the tallest man, giving the community both identity and popularity.

The broadcaster recalled that Awuche was not born exceptionally tall, as his rapid physical growth only began at age 22 while he was working at a butcher’s shop in Accra.

Recounting the onset of his condition in an earlier interview, Awuche said he had noticed his tongue expanding to the point where he could barely breathe, after which the rest of his body began growing rapidly within days, leading to his diagnosis with Marfan syndrome.

The condition forced him to abandon his ambition of becoming a driver and return to Gambaga about nine years ago.

Reflecting on how the illness altered his life, he recalled once being athletic and playing football like other young men, but said he could no longer walk even short distances.

Despite these challenges, he remained optimistic and embraced the public attention his height attracted.

His family has opted to bury him in Tamale rather than Gambaga, over concerns that the village would be overwhelmed by the large number of mourners expected at his funeral.

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APC Chieftain Predicts Tinubu Will Win All 36 States in 2027

President Bola Tinubu is expected to win all 36 states in the 2027 presidential election, according to Sen. Dayo Adeyeye, National Chairman of the South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA), a political organization that is organizing grassroots support for the president.

Adeyeye made the claim on Tuesday in Osogbo during an event called “SWAGA 2.0,” which was organized to rally support for Tinubu’s reelection and Bola Oyebamiji, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Osun governor.

He attributed his confidence to what he described as the President’s outstanding performance in office, expressing strong belief that Tinubu would secure a second term and win across all 36 states in the 2027 presidential election on account of what he described as performance beyond expectations.

Adeyeye, who also serves as Board Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, said Tinubu had fulfilled the promises made by SWAGA ahead of the 2023 general election.

He recalled that when the group began mobilising support for Tinubu, they had assured Nigerians he would transform the country, pointing to the absence of strikes in tertiary institutions for four years as evidence.

Alongside what he described as an ongoing infrastructural revolution, including the construction of concrete roads designed to last up to 100 years and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

He urged the electorate to support the APC governorship candidate in the August 15 election, maintaining that Oyebamiji remained the President’s preferred candidate.

In his remarks, Oyebamiji, represented by a former member of the Osun House of Assembly, Tunde Olatunji, said the APC was focused on governance rather than political confrontation, stressing that his interest was not in fighting anyone but in determinedly working to deliver better governance for the people of Osun.

He said his administration, if elected, would ensure the state remained on its current path of progress, adding that he would replicate key Federal Government development initiatives in Osun within six months of assuming office.

Also speaking, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, represented by the Osun State Ambassador of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Sunday Akere, appealed to residents across the state to participate actively in the election, urging voters across the 332 wards and 3,673 polling units in Osun State to turn out en masse on August 15 to vote for Oyebamiji and return the state to the progressive fold.

Earlier, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Hulayat Omidiran, described SWAGA 2.0 as a platform designed to deepen public engagement, strengthen democratic participation and ensure that the dividends of governance reach communities across the state.

Also, the Chairman of Media and Publicity of the APC Governorship Campaign Council, Remi Omowaiye, expressed confidence that the party would record a landslide victory, urging voters to turn out massively on election day.

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LAWMA Gives Fresh Update on Lagos Waste Crisis

Residents were reassured yesterday by the Lagos State rubbish Management Authority, or LAWMA, that the state’s rubbish backlog would soon be eliminated.

This was said by Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director of LAWMA, at the commissioning of the newly built disposal platforms and the renovated Road E at the Olusosun Disposal Facility in the Ojota region of the state.

Speaking to reporters during the event, Gbadegesin characterized the project as a strategic intervention intended to improve access to the disposal plant, remove operational bottlenecks, and boost the effectiveness of trash evacuation operations around Lagos.

He said the agency had earlier announced plans to wind down activities at the site within a stipulated timeframe, recalling that an 18-month deadline had been set from the time construction began on the transfer loading station.

According to him, what has now been achieved is the reclamation of a portion of the site to serve as a disposal point as operations there are phased out.

A development he said would help clear the backlog of waste currently littering the roads, noting that this was not something the agency wanted to see persist.

He explained that opening up the site had created additional disposal space, and expressed confidence that within a few days, refuse would no longer be seen littering the roads.

He stressed, however, that ridding Lagos of dirt ultimately depends on the willingness of residents to embrace collective responsibility, noting that if everyone in the state resolved to stop dumping waste indiscriminately, the problem would be solved.

He lamented that some residents still dump refuse on roads and medians instead of handing it over to their designated PSP operators or waiting for scheduled collection.

He added that residents experiencing delays in waste collection should reach out to LAWMA directly.

Reaffirming LAWMA’s commitment to continually improving its waste management services, Gbadegesin urged Lagosians to support  government efforts by patronising their assigned PSP operators, paying promptly for collection services, and desisting from indiscriminate refuse dumping.

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Tinubu Aide Challenges Peter Obi Over 2023 Election Claims

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has been urged by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, to give up hope that he will win the 2023 election after losing the elections.

Bayo Onanuga has said Peter Obi should stop living in denial, insisting that the former Anambra State governor came a distant third in the 2023 presidential election.

He was reacting to Obi’s recent television interview in which the Labour Party’s 2023 candidate claimed he had actually won the election but was rigged out.

In a signed statement, Onanuga described the interview as a public relations disaster for Obi.

He said two issues in particular stood out to him. First, when the interviewer questioned Obi over his political nomadism, Onanuga said Obi appeared dismissive of the question, likening his political journey to that of President Bola Tinubu.

Onanuga rejected the comparison, arguing that Tinubu, unlike Obi, has remained consistently within the progressive political fold since joining party politics in 1991/92, recalling that Tinubu began his political career with the Social Democratic Party, on whose platform he won a Senate seat with the highest number of votes recorded by any candidate in the country at the time.

On the second point, Onanuga said the interviewer had given Obi a clear opportunity to address the outcome of the 2023 election, but argued that Obi ultimately lost that election despite performing creditably as a politician without a formal structure in the states, relying instead on vocal support from followers on social media.

He expressed surprise that more than three years after the Supreme Court dismissed Obi’s petition, the former governor remains unwilling to accept the loss, continuing instead to hold on to the belief that he won, a sentiment Onanuga said Obi’s supporters online continue to echo.

He urged Obi to accept the reality of his defeat and stop insisting on a victory he said never happened.

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Adeleke Vows Osun Election Result Cannot Be Manipulated

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has declared that no one will be able to rig or manipulate the outcome of the August 15 governorship election in the state.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Oke-Ila, Ifedayo Local  Government Area, Adeleke assured supporters that every vote cast would count and urged residents to remain vigilant in protecting their ballots.

According to a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor said the people of the state were fully prepared to defend the integrity of their votes.

He dismissed threats by some politicians to manipulate the results, insisting that Osun’s votes remain untouchable given the state’s standing as the heart of the Yoruba nation, and maintained that no one could rig the state out of a fair outcome.

He further stated that the people’s votes would be defended and that their collective will would be reflected in the outcome of the election on August 15.

Adeleke also described Osun people as neither fearful nor cowardly, stressing that they would come out to vote and stand firm in defending those votes.

He expressed confidence that his administration’s track record would work in his favour at the polls, saying the achievements recorded so far speak for themselves.

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Oshiomhole Takes Aim at Peter Obi’s 2027 Presidential Ambition

Edo North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, has dismissed the presidential ambitions of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Peter Obi, insisting that he cannot become president of Nigeria.

Speaking during a television interview on Monday, Oshiomhole described Obi as a trader whose thinking is limited to short-term calculations.

He argued that traders, by nature, do not engage in long-term projections and are not inclined to consider how situations might unfold over time, noting that their business cycle typically spans no more than three to six months.

According to him, the Peter Obi who once served as Governor of Anambra State is markedly different from the Peter Obi of today, recalling that Obi had previously vowed, out of respect for the memory of the late Odumegwu Ojukwu, never to abandon the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

However, he claimed that almost immediately after leaving office, Obi drifted into political realignment, aligning himself with figures he suggested Ojukwu would never have associated with a reference to his emergence as running mate to Atiku Abubakar.

Oshiomhole further argued that Obi’s lifestyle offers insight into what kind of leader he would be if he became president, which he said would not happen, adding “God willing.”

He contrasted this with what he described as the mindset of a manufacturer, investor or entrepreneur someone who understands the process of building a project from scratch, enduring years of effort to establish a factory, and importing machinery before production can begin.

He claimed that Nigeria’s productive sector had been virtually grounded, alleging that Obi remains unaware of this reality because his focus is on trading.

He said he has told people that Obi’s business, in his view, amounts to exporting jobs and importing unemployment into the country, describing him as a trader who owns a shopping mall.

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11 Killed as Fresh Bandit Attacks Force School Closures in Sokoto

At least 11 people have been k!lled in separate b@ndit att@cks on communities in Rabah and Sabon Birni local government areas of Sokoto State, further heightening concerns over the region’s worsening security situation.

The latest att@ck took place on Monday in Maikujera village, Rabah LGA, where seven people lost their lives, including two operatives of the Sokoto Community Guard Corps (SCGC).

Three women were also k!lled in a similar assault in nearby Angamba village.

The incident occurred less than 24 hours after suspected b@ndits, reportedly dressed in military uniforms, att@cked Unguwan Lalle community in Sabon Birni LGA, k!lling four residents and leaving several others injured.

Security sources said the att@ckers stormed Maikujera on more than 30 motorcycles at about 2:30 p.m., opening fire on residents and @bducting an unspecified number of people.

An SCGC operative confirmed that two members of the corps were k!lled while attempting to defend the community, explaining that the community guards were overwhelmed by the sheer number of att@ckers who arrived on over 30 motorcycles.

He further alleged that the corps was working under difficult conditions due to poor logistics, including the absence of armoured vehicles and inadequate ammunition.

A news correspondent, citing a police source, reported that the att@ckers were believed to have entered the area from Bakura in neighbouring Zamfara State.

The b@ndits reportedly attempted to r*stle livestock and opened fire when residents resisted.

Although a military base is located near the community, security personnel reportedly arrived only after the att@ckers had fled into the Bakura forest.

In the earlier att@ck on Unguwan Lalle, residents said about 200 heavily armed b@ndits dressed in military uniforms stormed the village around 8 p.m. on Sunday and remained in the area for nearly six hours, looting homes and shops, r*stling livestock and shooting at villagers who tried to flee.

One resident recalled that the attackers were initially mistaken for soldiers because of their uniforms before they surrounded the village, opened fire and made away with valuables and animals.

The victims were identified as Bilyaminu Wakkala and Danbaki Tulunawa, while the other two were said to be linked to nearby Kongurus village.

Residents also alleged that the att@ckers struck less than an hour after troops who had responded to an earlier security incident had withdrawn from the community.

The spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, confirmed the death of a farmer in the area but said details of the Unguwan Lalle att@ck were still being verified.

Sokoto  Government orders closure of schools

Meanwhile, the Sokoto State Government has ordered the closure of all public primary and secondary schools outside the state capital over the deteriorating security situation.

The directive, which took effect on Monday, exempts schools in Sokoto North and Sokoto South LGAs, as well as selected schools in Wamakko, Dange Shuni and Kware.

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Ahmed Ladan Ala, said the decision followed a directive from the Federal Government aimed at protecting students and staff amid rising insecurity, adding that all affected public schools would remain shut until further notice.

The closure comes as schools enter the final weeks of the third term and prepare for end-of-term examinations scheduled for next week.

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