Tinubu

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to launch his campaign for re-election in the 2027 general elections in Kaduna on October 24, according to Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council.

Yari announced the date on Friday after briefing Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on preparations for the campaign.

He said the President had requested an update on the council’s readiness and discussions on the proposed schedule of campaign visits across the country.

Yari said the campaign council’s inaugural meeting would hold on October 14 at the State House Banquet Hall, ahead of the Kaduna rally.

He announced, “By God’s grace, his team, I, and Mr President himself, we have agreed on how it’s going to be done.

“We have put forward a proposal. The inaugural meeting [of the campaign council] is going to be done on the 14th of this month. That’s next Wednesday at the State House banquet hall, and by God’s grace, on the 24th of October, we’re going to do our flag-off campaign in Kaduna, inshallah.

“Then we outlined our state visits to each and every place where we will go, and the President has approved them. So we are going to hit the ground running by the 24th of October, inshallah.”

According to Yari, Port Harcourt in Rivers State and Maiduguri in Borno State will be among the campaign’s next destinations after Kaduna.

He said the full itinerary would be made public following the council’s inauguration.

“We have the timetable, and we are going to make it available after the inauguration. But this has all been understood and approved by the team of Mr President and I,” he said.

Defending Tinubu’s prospects against opposition challengers, Yari argued that the President’s political influence and past support for other politicians would work in his favour.

“We are talking of the President of the country, and this President, who, by God’s grace, Almighty God used him to support Atiku some time back, and at the same time to support Peter Obi.

“So if Allah uses me to support you, there is no way Allah will use you to bring me down,” he said.

Yari also maintained that a presidential candidate needed substantial support in both northern and southern Nigeria to win the election.

He questioned whether opposition candidates had enough political control across the two regions to defeat the incumbent.

“Can the ADC candidate today in the southern part of the country beat his chest and say he has control of one state in the South? And I don’t think Peter Obi, who used to be my colleague, can beat his chest. Can he say he has control of one state in northern Nigeria?

“So this calculation shows us that even if you have control of 80 per cent of the South, if you don’t have anything in the North, you cannot make it.

“If you have 80 per cent of control of the North, if you don’t have any state in the South, you can’t make it, and that’s what it is.”

Citing former President Muhammadu Buhari’s previous election campaigns, Yari argued that Tinubu had a broader geographical base of support.

He claimed that Buhari had enjoyed significant backing in the North but struggled to secure sufficient support in the South, while Tinubu had support across both regions.

“This is calculation, it is not rocket science,” he affirmed.

Yari also defended the administration’s economic record, arguing that the government had made progress since taking office.

He said Tinubu “has turned around the situation that he met on ground, and the economy is moving.

“So I think we have done enough that we can tell our opponents about what we did. We are not promising. We are doing it, and we are going to continue.”

Tinubu appointed Yari to lead the APC Presidential Campaign Council on August 22, 2026, with Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma serving as secretary. Tinubu chairs the council, while Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda serve as vice chairmen.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027. According to the timetable cited in the report, campaigns are permitted from August 19, 2026, until January 15, 2027.

The presidential contest is expected to feature candidates from several political parties, including Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, whose running mate is former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu has assured Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum that security agencies will take necessary measures to rescue children abducted from Mussa community in Askira-Uba Local Government Area.

Zulum disclosed this on Friday after meeting the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where they discussed the security situation in Borno State.

The governor said he brought the recent abductions in Askira-Uba and other communities to Tinubu’s attention during the meeting.

According to him, the President assured him that the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services and the Office of the National Security Adviser would take steps to secure the children’s release.

Gunmen reportedly abducted between 42 and 44 children from a primary and junior secondary school, as well as nearby homes, in Mussa on May 15, 2026.

The children have remained in captivity for nearly five months, leaving their families to continue appealing for urgent action to secure their freedom.

Despite the incident, Zulum said the security situation in Borno had improved over the past six months to one year.

He also stated that more than two million people had returned to their ancestral communities across the state over the past seven years.

The governor, however, identified Kareto, an area between Damasak and Gubio, as one of the locations requiring additional security measures.

The latest assurance comes amid continuing concerns over the safety of residents and the need to secure the release of the abducted children.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a three-day national mourning for Nigerian Air Force personnel who died in the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 jet on Monday.

The president also directed that flags be flown at half-mast across the country as a mark of respect for the deceased officers.

According to a State House statement, the aircraft crashed near a naval base in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State. It was carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members and was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.

Tinubu, who expressed profound sadness over the crash, sent a condolence message to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and to all officers, airmen and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force.

“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the president said.

He said the Chief of Air Staff had briefed him on the incident and that he had directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences.

Tinubu also commended the Nigerian Air Force for activating an immediate search and rescue operation following the accident.

The Air Force will release the names of the deceased personnel after contacting their families, the statement added.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a thorough investigation into Monday morning’s crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near a naval base in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State.

The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred, according to a State House statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Tinubu expressed profound sadness over the incident and extended his deepest condolences to the families of the 25 passengers and seven crew members involved, as well as to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and all officers, airmen and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force.

“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the President said.

He said the Chief of Air Staff had briefed him on the crash and that he had directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into its cause to prevent future occurrences.

Tinubu commended the Nigerian Air Force for activating an immediate Search and Rescue operation after the accident. He also praised the swift response of first responders and the Ondo State Government at the crash site.

The President prayed for the repose of the souls of the gallant officers and asked God to grant their families and the Nigerian Air Force the fortitude to bear the loss.

He assured the Nigerian Air Force of the continued support of his administration as it continues its vital role in securing the nation.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has alleged that the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration contributed to the death of his mother, citing the rising cost of medicines.

Mr Amaechi, a former Rivers State governor and vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, made the allegation on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.

“Because policies are killing people. I’ve lost my mother,” he said.

When reminded that his mother died at the age of 82, Mr Amaechi questioned why she could not have lived longer, arguing that her health deteriorated after the administration’s economic policies took effect.

“You want me to mention my friends who are 90 or 92 years old? Why do you think my mother couldn’t live up to 92? Tinubu was the reason. Before Tinubu, my mother was healthy,” he said.

“Suddenly, by the time Tinubu came, it was difficult to buy drugs for my mother. I know most of you won’t believe this.”

Mr Amaechi said the rising cost of medicines had affected many Nigerian families, leaving some unable to afford essential healthcare for their ageing parents.

He cited figures he attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics, claiming Nigeria spent N200 billion on drug imports in the last quarter. He added that about 40 per cent of finished goods were imported, describing the situation as a sign of dependence on imported products.

Mr Amaechi has repeatedly criticised the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, especially the removal of the petrol subsidy, which he has linked to the rising cost of living.

He also expressed confidence that an administration led by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and himself would improve living conditions for Nigerians, saying citizens could begin to feel relief within a year.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A United States-based advocacy firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has accused President Bola Tinubu of being desperate to retain power ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

The firm made the allegation in a statement published on its verified X account on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

It also alleged that the police, courts and electoral institutions could be used by the President’s administration to influence the outcome of the 2027 elections.

The statement followed reports of the arrest of five men in Borno State over their alleged use of T-shirts bearing the inscription, ‘Tinubu Must Go’.

Von Batten-Montague-York stressed what it described as the importance of the United States supporting Nigerians in their efforts to defend democracy and the rule of law.

The firm said, “Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is desperate to remain in power for many self-beneficial reasons, including something called head-of-state immunity, a doctrine that can protect sitting heads of state from the jurisdiction of foreign courts while they remain in office.

“Tinubu is now fully aware that the only thing standing in the way of a possible official re-examination of his alleged role in the trafficking of heroin from Nigeria into the United States during the 1980s and 1990s, and a possible new criminal indictment, is his current status as President of Nigeria,” the firm tweeted.

The allegations come as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to gather momentum across the country.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will address Nigerians at 7am on Thursday, October 1, as part of activities marking the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

The announcement was contained in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

Onanuga advised television and radio stations, as well as other electronic media organisations, to link up with the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) for the broadcast.

The address will be Tinubu’s fourth Independence Day broadcast since he assumed office as President on May 29, 2023.

The annual presidential broadcast has become a major part of Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations, which commemorate the country’s attainment of independence from British colonial rule on October 1, 1960.

During the nationwide address, Tinubu is expected to speak on the state of the nation and outline key policies and programmes of his administration.

The 2026 Independence Day celebration is expected to be low-key, with the government placing emphasis on reflection rather than elaborate festivities.

The Federal Government has also announced the theme of this year’s anniversary as “From Reforms to Stability: Consolidating Nigeria’s Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to Nigeria after spending four weeks in Europe on a working holiday.

The President arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Tuesday evening.

Tinubu had departed Paris, France, earlier in the day for Nigeria.

His Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the President chose to return through Lagos to honour the memory of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, widely known as MKO Abiola.

Abiola was the winner of the June 1993 presidential election, which was annulled by the military government at the time.

According to Onanuga, Tinubu is scheduled to attend the premiere of a movie celebrating Abiola’s life and role in Nigeria’s democratic struggle on Independence Day.

The event is expected to take place at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos.

Tinubu had travelled to Europe in August as part of his annual leave, with the Presidency later announcing an extension of his stay.

The President’s return brings to an end his four-week stay outside the country.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A United States-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has claimed that the US would not allow President Bola Tinubu to rig Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

The firm made the claim in a post published on its verified X account on Thursday.

Von Batten-Montague-York also alleged that there is growing agreement across Nigeria’s political divide that the Federal Government and President Tinubu represent what it described as a bastion of corruption.

The firm further alleged that Tinubu appointed as Nigeria’s budget minister an individual whom the US Department of Justice had accused of embezzling billions of dollars from Nigeria’s treasury under a previous administration.

In its post, the firm said:

“The US cannot afford to allow President Tinubu to rig the upcoming Nigerian election.

“This level of lawlessness in the Nigerian government puts Nigeria on a path similar to those seen in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

“Free and fair elections in Nigeria are essential to protecting US interests in Nigeria and the broader region,” the firm tweeted.

The latest comments come amid growing political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition parties and political actors intensifying their preparations for the poll.

Von Batten-Montague-York has previously made several claims about the Tinubu administration and Nigeria’s electoral process. Public filings with the US Department of Justice show that the firm entered into a government-affairs and strategic-advisory agreement with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in February 2026.

The firm’s latest statement represents its own position and should not be taken as an official statement from the United States government.

The allegations concerning the proposed conduct of the 2027 election and the claims about corruption were not independently established in the statement.

The 2027 general elections are expected to be a major political contest, with President Tinubu and opposition figures preparing for the race.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that the opposition of some All Progressives Congress governors to the proposed Rainbow Coalition is linked to their political calculations over the leadership of the National Assembly after the 2027 elections.

Wike made the allegation on Monday during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout, where he defended the coalition and rejected concerns that it could weaken the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The FCT minister said the coalition was primarily intended to mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election. He argued that politicians could support Tinubu for president while backing candidates of their preferred parties in governorship and legislative elections.

He cited the 2023 elections as an example, recalling that members of the G5 group supported Tinubu’s presidential bid while their parties contested other positions.

“In 2023, core leadership G5, we said we are going to support Mr President. But we never said that all our candidates in other elections will fail. We never said so,” Wike said.

He added, “Particularly in Rivers State, we supported Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; he won the presidential election. But in National Assembly election and the state election, PDP won.”

Wike dismissed the argument that such a voting pattern would confuse Nigerians. He said voters had already demonstrated that they could support different parties in different elections.

“Who will be more confused? Is it not my own candidates that will even be more confused when I’ve told them to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and then again, they now go back to support other candidates?”

According to Wike, some APC governors are concerned that politicians who fail to secure tickets under the ruling party could contest on other platforms and win their elections. He alleged that such lawmakers might then refuse to support candidates favoured by the governors for leadership positions in the National Assembly.

“APC in their ongoing party primaries, the governors, in their own wisdom, believe that they should be able now to put senators or House of Reps members who they will dictate to who will become the next Senate President or the Speaker,” he alleged.

He continued, “The fear now is that, if they run and they win, it means that they’re not going to support him to be the Senate President,” he said.

Wike specifically linked the issue to Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma. He alleged that Uzodimma was interested in becoming Senate President after leaving office.

“Mr. President will be inaugurated by May 29. This man’s office will expire by January, February 2028.

“Now, he wants to leave his office to run for Senate. Now, what does that mean? He wants to run for Senate President. Now, what he does is to say to his colleagues, ‘Look, let us, the governors, be the ones that will produce the senators that will produce members of the House of Representatives.

“And of course, some of the governors are not experienced. They buy in, thinking it’s going to make them powerful, not knowing that he has his own interests, his own agenda, to become Senate President,” Wike said.

The FCT minister also made his position on Uzodimma’s alleged ambition clear.

“Life or death, I will never support a character of Hope Uzodimma to be the Senate President of Nigeria. Everybody knows that,” the minister stated.

Wike said his position should not be interpreted as a personal dispute. He maintained that the political interests behind the disagreement should be considered within the wider contest ahead of 2027.

The disagreement comes after the APC Governors Forum declared that it would not support any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election, weakening the APC or affecting the party’s candidates. Uzodimma announced the position after a meeting of the governors in Abuja.

Wike also rejected reports that President Tinubu had agreed to concede nine states to the PDP or the Rainbow Coalition as part of a political arrangement.

“The nine states, did they tell you the nine states?”

He added, “Let us help Nigerians. Let’s get the facts. Who are… which are those states? Tell us. That they said the President agreed with me that he has conceded nine states.”

The minister said his political focus remained on supporting Tinubu’s re-election and promoting what he described as the achievements of the administration.

“Mr. President is showing his postcard. We are selling Mr. President what he’s been doing, why he should be re-elected,” he said.

Wike also said Tinubu was aware of the Rainbow Coalition and his activities around the proposed arrangement.

“As I speak to you here, Mr. President knows about my concept, of the rainbow coalition…. Mr. President understands me very well,” Wike said.

He maintained that the coalition was not intended to take over the APC or prevent other parties from presenting candidates for governorship and legislative contests.

The FCT minister has previously said the coalition has no formal connection with the APC and that his stated objective is to support Tinubu’s second-term bid.

The disagreement has continued to generate reactions within the APC. The party’s South-East caucus previously called on Wike to apologise to APC governors over his comments about their opposition to the coalition.

Wike, however, has maintained his position that support for Tinubu in the presidential election can coexist with support for candidates from other parties in governorship and legislative elections.

The minister’s latest comments further highlight the growing disagreement between his Rainbow Coalition initiative and APC governors over how political support should be organised ahead of the 2027 elections.