Tinubu

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu has directed security and intelligence agencies to intensify efforts to rescue Muslim worshippers abducted in Niger State.

The directive followed the abduction of an unspecified number of worshippers in communities across Borgu Local Government Area shortly after Friday’s Juma’at prayer at the central mosque in Dekara.

Tinubu ordered the armed forces, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant agencies to coordinate efforts to locate and rescue the victims.

The president also instructed the service chiefs to keep him regularly informed about the operation until all the abducted worshippers are accounted for.

Tinubu condemned the attack and described the perpetrators as “enemies of peace and enemies of humanity”, while promising that those behind the incident would face justice.

“Those who carried out this cowardly attack on defenceless Nigerians are enemies of peace and enemies of humanity, who will not go scot-free,” he said.

The president expressed sympathy to the families of those killed in the attack and assured them of the federal government’s determination to secure the safe return of their relatives.

“You are not alone. The entire nation shares your anguish. We will not rest until your sons, daughters, mothers and fathers are brought back safely to you,” he said.

Tinubu further assured the people and government of Niger State of federal support, including additional security measures and other assistance to address the situation.

“The Federal Government stands firmly with the State Government and will provide all necessary support to aid recovery, relief, and security reinforcement,” he said.

He said the incident would not deter his administration from its efforts to tackle terrorism and other forms of criminality across the country.

“Terror will not cow Nigeria. We will defend our people, protect our communities, and uphold the sanctity of human life,” Tinubu said.

The president also sympathised with the people of Niger State and offered prayers for the families affected by the attack.

“My prayers are with the people of Niger State at this difficult time,” the president added.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to disclose details of the utilisation of the $5 billion financing facility secured from First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB).

Atiku said Nigerians, including future generations, would ultimately bear the responsibility of repaying the loan and therefore deserve to know how the funds are being deployed.

The former vice-president made the demand in a statement issued on Sunday through his media office, days after Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele said the Federal Government would not release details of how funds obtained from the facility would be spent.

Oyedele had made the statement during a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday while responding to questions about the government’s borrowing plans and the FAB financing arrangement.

The minister said the facility had passed the necessary approval procedures, including consideration by the National Assembly. He also argued that there was no reason to treat the financing differently from other sources of government funding.

The $5 billion facility forms part of a broader $6 billion external borrowing package approved by the National Assembly in March. The Federal Government has so far drawn about $1.5 billion from the FAB facility as its first tranche.

Atiku, however, criticised the government’s position, accusing the administration of poor financial management and a lack of transparency in its recent borrowing arrangements.

“Since assuming office on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has contracted significant new debt,” the statement reads.

“According to the Debt Management Office, the Tinubu administration has added N72 Trillion of fresh debt stock, bringing the total indebtedness to N159.35 trillion as at early 2026.”

Atiku said the increased borrowing had not translated into better living conditions or improved security for Nigerians.

He claimed that poverty had increased from 56 percent in 2023 to between 61 percent and 63 percent under the current administration, with more than 140 million Nigerians facing multidimensional poverty.

He also faulted Oyedele for rejecting demands for greater disclosure about the Abu Dhabi facility.

“The government is obliged to explain every loan taken on behalf of Nigerians,” Atiku said.

“Every Kobo borrowed matters because citizens — both living and unborn — will bear the burden of repayment. Yet these loans have failed to improve their material wellbeing.”

The former vice-president further raised concerns about the collateral requirements attached to the facility, saying the Federal Government was expected to pledge securities worth about 133 percent of the loan value.

He argued that such an arrangement made transparency over the loan more important.

Atiku also cited concerns previously raised by the International Monetary Fund and Fitch Ratings about the structure of the financing, particularly issues related to transparency and the sustainability of Nigeria’s sovereign debt.

He urged Nigerians to demand accountability from the government, warning that borrowing without clear evidence of economic benefits could weaken public confidence and create additional challenges for the country’s financial future.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation to release any disclosable records concerning President Bola Tinubu, arguing that the agency’s invocation of “danger to lives” as justification for withholding information rings hollow amid widespread suffering in Nigeria.

Atiku, who ran for president under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, that millions of Nigerians are already facing severe economic hardship and insecurity.

“The FBI says disclosure could endanger lives. Which lives? Nigerians are already dying,” Atiku stated.

The former vice president pointed to the three and a half years since Tinubu assumed office, citing economic policies that have intensified hardship across the country.

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

Atiku highlighted the impact of the fuel subsidy removal, describing it as “senseless” and carried out without a credible plan to protect ordinary citizens.

“Families that once managed three meals now struggle for one. Parents cannot afford medicines for sick children. Breadwinners are buckling under debt and unbearable economic pressure. This is the human cost of Tinubu’s senseless removal of fuel subsidy,” he added.

The former vice president questioned the administration’s celebration of the policy, asking: “When Tinubu boasts that subsidy is gone, Nigerians should ask him what exactly he is celebrating: the empty cooking pots, abandoned medical prescriptions, unaffordable transport fares or businesses struggling to survive?”

While clarifying that he did not seek disclosure of sensitive information that could compromise legitimate American law-enforcement operations, Atiku maintained that the FBI should not use safety concerns as a “bulletproof vest for Tinubu.”

“Protect your agents. Protect your sources. Protect legitimate investigative methods. Redact whatever American law genuinely requires you to redact,” he said. “But do not stretch those protections until they become a bulletproof vest for Tinubu.”

Atiku framed his demand as a humanitarian and democratic appeal rather than an attempt to interfere in Nigeria’s political affairs.

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

The former vice president concluded: “Nigerians are not asking America to conduct our democracy for us. We are saying that American secrecy laws must not inadvertently become a sanctuary from accountability in Nigeria.”

Atiku reiterated his commitment to transparency, insisting that “if information can lawfully be released without endangering investigators, confidential sources or legitimate law-enforcement operations, release it.”

The FBI has not yet responded to Atiku’s latest comments.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to guarantee a peaceful, transparent, and credible governorship election in Osun State scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.

The President, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, charged the Inspector-General of Police and other security chiefs to provide maximum protection at polling units across the state.

Fifteen candidates are vying for the governorship seat, including the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, and the African Democratic Congress candidate, Hon. Najeem Salaam.

“As the people of Osun State head to the polling units to elect who will govern them in the next four years, I call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure orderly conduct of the election. The election must be transparent, free and fair,” Tinubu said.

The President emphasized that INEC must use the Osun off-cycle election as a test case to demonstrate its full preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

“No room should be allowed for troublemakers to disrupt the process. Electoral officials and voters must be protected so they can perform their civic duties without fear or intimidation,” he added.

Tinubu also called on Osun voters to turn out in large numbers to exercise their civic rights while avoiding any acts that could disrupt the peaceful conduct of the election.

“Voters should feel confident to go out in their numbers to vote for the candidate of their choice as all measures necessary to ensure a peaceful, free and fair election have been put in place,” the President stated.

“Our elections must be credible, and the outcome of the Osun Governorship election must reflect the will of the people,” Tinubu declared.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election.

In the legal action, Atiku and the ADC are questioning the authenticity of the NYSC certificate submitted by President Tinubu to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They allege that the document bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle” rather than the President’s widely recognized name, “Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” and are urging the court to scrutinize its validity.

The plaintiffs are specifically praying the court to mandate INEC to produce President Tinubu’s Form CF001, the affidavit of personal particulars submitted for the presidential election. Furthermore, they are seeking an order to disqualify both Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from partaking in the 2027 general elections if the court upholds their claims regarding the alleged discrepancy.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to release former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai if the President has operational authority over anti-corruption agencies.

Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the demand after Tinubu directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to return to court and withdraw an order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government.

El-Rufai has remained in ICPC custody since February 19 over allegations of financial impropriety linked to his eight-year tenure as Kaduna governor between 2015 and 2023.

The former governor was arraigned before the Kaduna High Court on April 13 on an amended nine-count charge that included allegations of fraud and abuse of office.

Atiku, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, questioned the claim that the EFCC acted independently in the Osun case.

Tinubu had on Thursday ordered the anti-graft agency to seek the withdrawal of the freezing order. The President said the EFCC had acted within its legal powers but considered the timing of the action inappropriate because it came shortly before the August 15 governorship election.

Atiku argued that the presidential intervention had raised doubts about repeated claims that the EFCC operates independently.

He also questioned the President’s reference to a court order, saying the EFCC did not mention such an order in its explanation for freezing the accounts.

“President Tinubu’s statement has raised more questions than it has answered,” Atiku said.

“While the EFCC’s official statement painstakingly explained why it froze the Osun State Government’s account, it made no mention whatsoever of obtaining a court order.

“Yet the President’s intervention is predicated entirely on the existence of such a court order, which he claims to have directed the EFCC to vacate.

“If indeed there was a court order, why did the EFCC omit such a fundamental fact from its official account? If there was none, then the President has introduced into the public discourse a legal process that exists nowhere in the EFCC’s own narrative.”

‘TINUBU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS’

Atiku said the President could not maintain that he does not interfere in the EFCC’s activities while also issuing a directive that affects an ongoing action by the commission.

“He cannot claim that he neither knew of nor interferes in the operations of the EFCC and, in the very next breath, announce that he has directed the commission to discontinue its action and return to court,” he said.

“If the EFCC promptly complies with that directive, then Nigerians have before them undeniable proof that the commission is not as operationally independent as the President wants the country to believe.”

Atiku Demands Same Intervention For El-Rufai

The ADC presidential candidate said Tinubu’s intervention in the Osun matter should apply equally to the case involving El-Rufai.

“Having now demonstrated that he can issue direct operational directives to anti-corruption agencies whenever he considers it expedient, President Tinubu owes Nigerians an explanation as to why he cannot exercise the same authority in the case of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai,” he said.

“If he can direct the EFCC to discontinue its action today, then he cannot pretend to be powerless over the actions of the ICPC tomorrow.

“Executive power cannot be invoked selectively for political convenience while institutional independence is cited only when it suits the Presidency.”

Atiku said the controversy had implications for public confidence in Nigeria’s anti-corruption bodies and the rule of law.

He acknowledged that reversing the freezing of the Osun government’s accounts could ease political tension ahead of the governorship election but said the decision did not resolve questions surrounding the original action.

“The unanswered questions remain: who authorised the freezing of the account of an opposition-controlled state just days before a governorship election, and why was such an extraordinary action taken at such a politically sensitive moment?” he said.

By Sabiu Abdulahi

African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has urged President Bola Tinubu to enrol in adult education. He said the president should return to primary and secondary school despite his age.

Sowore spoke on Monday after proceedings in his defamation case involving President Tinubu at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The activist criticised Tinubu over the educational information submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He argued that the president did not include details of his primary and secondary education in the documents filed for the 2027 presidential election.

Records submitted to INEC for the election reportedly contained Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate. However, they did not list his primary and secondary school qualifications in the section for educational history.

Speaking after the court session, Sowore said, “President Tinubu didn’t go to primary and secondary school. He only presented a paper from Chicago State University, which was different from the paper he presented in 1999.

“I’m advising him that it’s not too late to take advantage of adult education. Let him go back to primary school online,” Sowore said.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Presidency has fired back at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, dismissing his recent criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies as “pedestrianism” and arguing that the opposition leader’s concerns are rooted in outdated data from 2024 rather than Nigeria’s current economic reality.

In a detailed statement issued Saturday by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the administration provided a point-by-point rebuttal to Atiku’s allegations of “fiscal recklessness,” defending its record on borrowing, subsidy removal, tax reforms, and overall economic management.

The statement took particular issue with Atiku’s reliance on 2024 data, arguing that Nigeria’s economy has evolved considerably since the painful adjustments of that year.

“Judging a reform programme solely by its earliest and most painful phase is like judging chemotherapy by the nausea it induces while ignoring the remission it seeks to achieve,” Onanuga wrote.

According to the Presidency, Nigeria’s dollar-denominated GDP has recovered from approximately $253 billion following the 2024 exchange-rate reset to about $377 billion – a 49 per cent increase. Naira GDP has expanded from about ₦314 trillion in 2024 to around ₦530 trillion, a 69 per cent increase.

On the question of Nigeria’s borrowing, the administration argued that the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio remains modest at barely 40 per cent compared to peer economies, including South Africa (85 per cent), Egypt (80 per cent), and Kenya (75 per cent).

The statement highlighted what it called a “remarkable achievement” in reducing the debt service-to-revenue ratio from nearly 100 per cent in December 2022 to less than 60 per cent today.

“Nigerians suffered over the years as a vast proportion of our resources were deployed to pay fuel-subsidy merchants,” the statement said, noting that the Obasanjo-Atiku administration “never did the needful” on the subsidy issue.

The Presidency defended the removal of fuel subsidies, pointing to improved revenues accruing to states and local governments through the Federation Account.

“President Tinubu has tactically placed more responsibility for socioeconomic development on states and local governments, while providing requisite funding. This is true federalism,” Onanuga stated.

The administration rejected Atiku’s suggestion that the government has chosen to tax Nigerians more, describing the claim as “blatantly false.”

The statement explained that the tax reforms aim to reduce burdens on low-income earners earning N1 million and below annually, and small businesses with turnover of N100 million and below, while strengthening compliance among higher-income individuals and profitable enterprises.

The statement outlined several achievements in health, education, and infrastructure over the past three years:

· Over 100 facilities providing free caesarean operations for indigent mothers
· Three world-class cancer centres operational in Kubwa, Enugu, and Katsina
· Over 3,000 Primary Healthcare Centres revitalised
· More than 11,000 projects through the Universal Basic Education Commission
· Over 1.64 million students benefiting from NELFUND loans totalling N303 billion
· End to university lecturers’ strikes

The Presidency dismissed Atiku’s claim of an N7.98 trillion oil windfall, arguing that such calculations ignore production costs, crude sharing arrangements, and forward contracts.

“Incremental revenue from higher oil prices is reflected in monthly FAAC figures,” the statement noted, adding that average daily production of 1.6 million barrels per day has fallen short of the 1.84 million bpd forecast.

The statement concluded on an optimistic note, projecting that inflation, which fell to 14.4 per cent in November 2025 before rising to 15.91 per cent due to Middle East conflicts, will trend towards 12 per cent by year-end.

“Nigeria’s economy is not yet where it aspires to be. But neither is it where it stood at the height of its structural distortions or in the bygone years of fiscal waste and slackness,” Onanuga wrote. “The worst is over.”

The administration also highlighted new ward-centric programmes worth more than $3 billion aimed at strengthening primary healthcare, basic education, and supporting vulnerable communities, in addition to cash transfers to 15 million vulnerable households.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has urged President Bola Tinubu to stop attributing Nigeria’s current challenges to previous administrations. He said Nigerians now expect practical solutions after more than 3 years of the Tinubu administration.

Atiku made the remarks in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu. The former vice-president, who is also the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, criticised Tinubu’s recent comments that prosperity is approaching and that the quality of life is improving across the country.

According to Atiku, those claims do not reflect the realities many Nigerians face.

“Mr. President says prosperity is on the horizon. Nigerians are asking: whose horizon? Certainly not that of the market woman whose capital has been wiped out by inflation.

“Not that of the civil servant whose salary now expires before the month begins. Not that of the manufacturer struggling under crushing energy costs. Not that of the unemployed graduate who sees no future.

“Certainly not that of farming communities forced off their ancestral lands by terrorists and bandits, families mourning loved ones slaughtered in senseless attacks, or countless Nigerians who now live in daily fear of kidnappers who have turned human lives into commodities.

“And certainly not that of millions of households that have quietly reduced the number of meals they eat each day simply to survive.”

Atiku argued that although every government inherits challenges, leaders are elected to solve them rather than explain how they originated.

“The constitution did not swear President Tinubu into office to explain history. It swore him into office to change it. Every administration inherits problems. Great leaders are remembered for solving them, not for endlessly rehearsing them,” he stated.

He also said the current administration should no longer shift responsibility to its predecessors.

“The Nigerian people are not interested in who created the problem. They want to know who will solve it. A government that still blames its predecessors after years in office is, by its own conduct, admitting that it has run out of ideas,” he said.

The former vice-president further criticised the administration’s economic record.

“President Tinubu may find comfort in blaming those before him, but history will remember his administration as the one under which Nigerians endured unprecedented hardship, institutionalised fiscal recklessness, and one of the greatest appropriation scandals in the annals of our nation.

“The suffering of Nigerians today is driven not by the past, but by an administration that has elevated opacity over transparency, rewarded a privileged circle of cronies, and condemned millions to deepening economic pain, insecurity, and despair.”

Atiku also rejected Tinubu’s suggestion that Nigeria’s population contributes to the country’s difficulties. He pointed to China as an example of how a large population can become an economic advantage.

“It is even more astonishing that a President who constantly invokes China now blames Nigeria’s population for the country’s difficulties,” he said.

“China did not become an economic superpower by complaining about the size of its population. It became prosperous because visionary leadership transformed that population into its greatest economic asset through sustained investment in manufacturing, infrastructure, education, technology, and export-led industrialisation.

“Great leaders convert challenges into opportunities. They do not convert opportunities into excuses.”

He said an administration under his leadership would focus on investments in manufacturing, infrastructure, education, agriculture, and export-driven industries to unlock the potential of Nigeria’s youthful population.

Atiku also described it as insensitive for the president to suggest that Nigerians should accept present hardship because hunger existed before his birth.

“Nobody ‘elected’ Tinubu to eliminate the hunger of 1940. Nigerians ‘elected’ him to confront the hunger of today. The fact that previous generations endured hardship is not a licence to deepen the suffering of the present generation,” he said.

He maintained that hope must be supported by visible improvements in the welfare of citizens.

“Hope cannot be preached to a hungry stomach. It cannot be legislated into existence.

“It cannot substitute for affordable food, stable electricity, productive jobs, quality education, accessible healthcare, or security for families to sleep with both eyes closed. Government inspires hope through performance, not rhetoric.”

Atiku concluded by urging Tinubu to reconnect with the daily realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.

“If the President truly believes that the quality of life is improving, then one must respectfully remind him that the Nigeria he is talking about exists only in his head,” he said.

“It is certainly not the Nigeria where families are choosing between food and medicine, where communities are fleeing armed violence, where kidnappers dictate the rhythm of daily life, and where hope is becoming more expensive than bread.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu has urged state governors to focus on projects that directly improve the lives of citizens instead of constructing flyovers in areas with little traffic.

The president made the remarks on Thursday at the State House in Abuja when he received a delegation of traditional rulers from Oyo State, led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja.

Addressing Ladoja, Tinubu noted that state governments now receive significantly higher allocations than they did when both men served as governors. Tinubu governed Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, while Ladoja was governor of Oyo State from 2003 to 2007.

He said the increase in allocations has eased the financial burden on states, adding that many no longer need to borrow to pay workers’ salaries or pensions.

“You have governed before as a governor. You need to help us communicate to these governors,” Tinubu said.


“Today, the economy of operation is high. But the money that I’m pushing to the states, if you had had it during your own time or during my time, it would have been different.


“They are taking four to five times their money. Nobody is borrowing money to pay salaries now. Pensioners are receiving their pay.


“They should do more instead of building flying over where there is no numeric traffic; build roads and artery networks to really enhance the quality of life and the accessibility of the security agencies to penetrate those areas.”


Tinubu also said his administration is working to strengthen security at the grassroots through the planned establishment of state police.

He appealed to traditional rulers to support efforts to tackle insecurity. He added that the federal government is improving the capacity of forest guards to help combat criminal activities across the country.