Click here to Watch full clip

Following the ongoing economic hardship being experienced by Nigerians, First Baptist Church has come out to urge President Bola Tinubu to listen to Nigerians and trust God to leave a great legacy. Rev. Tom Takpatore, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of the Nigerian Baptist Convention made this appeal while addressing newsmen during the Church’s mid-year thanksgiving service in area 11, Garki, Abuja on Sunday. Takpatore who said the essence of the Thanksgiving service was to celebrate the goodness, mercies and power of the Lord in the first half of the year, also encouraged Nigerians that despite the fact that they don’t have what they expect but once there is there hope and God will come to their aid with wonders. He said: “Today is the last day of the month of June, the last day of the first half of the year, so we taking a pause to say God we thank you, you have seen us through since the beginning of the year, January to this moment, since the day we were born up till now, we are just pausing to say ‘Lord thank you’ it’s a thanksgiving service, a celebration of the goodness of the Lord, of the mercy of the Lord, of the power of the Lord, of deliverance of the Lord, of the joy of the Lord, of the provision of the Lord, of wonders of the Lord. “My encouragement and my message to Nigerians is that despite the fact that we have challenges we have reasons to be thankful to God as a nation, if you are a Nigerian there are things that we have gone through in this past 25 years, even in our history most nations that went through them didn’t survive but God has kept us and God is keeping us, there is life there is hope, we don’t have what we are expecting but trust that with the help of God there will be wonders, God will help us as a nation. “God will come to our aid, our trust is not even in man nor the political system, our trust is in the Lord, we believe that God can use anyone, if he could use great Kings like Cyrus in the old testament to accomplish his purpose, he will use men to accomplish his purpose concerning the destiny of our country Nigeria. “The charge is to take the time one year to do some reevaluation, what have we done, what have we done right that is working, we keep on doing it and what we need to do more, what are the areas we need to work on. “I believe that for our President, Nigerians are not silent, Nigerians are speaking, and all he needs to do is take time, listen to Nigerians and trust God and God will grant him the enabling grace to write his name on the sands of time and by the grace of God he will leave a great legacy for our country Nigeria.”

Click here to Watch full clip

The former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central senatorial district, Shehu Sani, in a recent interview, spoke on ex-vice president, Atiku Abubakar working with ex-governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai in the 2027 presidential election. Sani, in an interview with Sunday Sun, said he does not know if the duo will work together, but he is sure there will be a realignment of forces. He claimed that the North would play a card that would bring northerners together and also work on getting an alliance with a section of the country. Speaking on the possibilities of the 2027 presidential election, Sani said, “Well, I don’t know whether they are working together or not, but I know that there will be a lot of realignment of forces and the ace, the card that will be played by the North is that of bringing all northerners together and then, getting an alliance with a section of the country other than the Southwest and then, see how that can garner votes to remove Tinubu out of power because in the equation of the North, out of the eight million votes which Tinubu has gotten, five million comes from Northern Nigeria. “So, they want to see how they can pull off these votes from him and there are a lot of issues which they are going to put forward in the build-up to the 2027 campaign. “And they are going to use so many issues like the shifting of the CBN offices to Lagos; like the issues of appointments of many people from the South-western part of Nigeria; like the issue of insecurity which has not been solved in Northern part of Nigeria; these are all fundamental issues which they are going to take very seriously.”

Click here to Watch full clip

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), which represents the collective voice of all registered political parties and associations in Nigeria, has condemned the alleged plot to arrest Hon Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, a lawyer, politician, and lawmaker representing the Ideato Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) had raised the alarm over alleged intelligence received by the Opposition of a grand conspiracy by highly placed actors in the rivers crisis to use the police force to frame the federal opposition lawmaker and Coalition G60 legislators’ spokesperson, Hon. Ugochinyere, with fabricated charges of murder, rape, kidnapping, gun-running, and other imagined crimes over his stance on the Rivers State political crisis, defence of democracy, and principles of decent intra-party procedures. In response to the recent development, the CNPP issued a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade James Ezema, strongly warning that if carried out, the plot could result in unfathomable political instability and a breach of the peace. “The development raises serious concerns about the decline of democratic values and the suppression of free expression. “The CNPP believes that the alleged plot to arrest Hon. Ugochinyere is not only an attack on an individual but also a direct assault on democracy. We see this as an attempt to spread the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, adding a dangerous dimension to the already precarious situation in the state. “The CNPP is steadfast in its defence of democracy, founded on the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, and respect for fundamental rights. Any attempt to undermine these principles endangers the very fabric of the country and poses a direct threat to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. “Hon. Ugochinyere has consistently advocated for justice, transparency, and accountability. His arrest would send a chilling message to all citizens willing to speak truth to power. We cannot allow free speech to be silenced. “The CNPP warns that arresting Hon. Ugochinyere will exacerbate the current political crisis in Rivers State and raise general tensions in the FCT and Nigeria. We, therefore, call for restraint and adherence to due process. “We demand an immediate halt to any plot to arrest Hon. Ugochinyere. The rule of law must prevail, and no individual should be victimised for expressing their views, as guaranteed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution (as amended). “We urge all branches of government to uphold the principles of separation of powers. To ensure a healthy democracy, the legislature, judiciary, and executive branch must all function independently. “Let us prioritise national unity over excessive partisan interests. Nigeria’s strength lies in its diversity, and we must collaborate to build a stronger, more inclusive country. “The CNPP remains vigilant and determined to protect Nigeria’s democracy. We urge all stakeholders, including civil society organisations, the media, and concerned citizens, to condemn any attempt to silence dissenting or opposing voices. “We call on President Tinubu’s administration to do everything possible to avoid the ongoing Kenya experience or the Tunisia turmoil known for its pivotal role in the Arab Spring”, according to the CNPP.

Click here to Watch full clip

The news of the formation of a mega party in the mode of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) continues to gain traction with the visit recently of former governor Nasir el–Rufai to the secretariat of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). El- Rufai had gone to reciprocate an earlier visit made by National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Kashim Ibrahim – Imam and the National Chairman, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Shehu Musa Gabam. The trio had visited el – Rufai’s Abuja home for the breaking of their fast on invitation. Those conversant with the happenings in the country’s political terrain said that El-Rufai, one of the major actors of the formation of the APC in 2014 had gone to sound out the leaders of one of the parties to be used as the platform for that purpose. He was received by the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the SDP. It would be recalled that Sunday Telegraph reported early in the year that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party had set up a Think Tank on the formation of a mega party with the view to getting a poster boy for the party, who would be acceptable to all. Also, the newspaper reported on the PDP Young Turks, who are battling Atiku to leave the party for them. A Source, who confided in the newspaper, gave an idea of how the mega party would be formed: “People will move from APC, people will move from PDP; they will move from SDP and Labour Party. They plan to do what APC did in 2015. “Recall that El Rufai was one of the front persons who led that coalition with Tinubu and Buhari’s CPC (Congress for Progressives Change). El Rufai was one of those, in the CPC to team up with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). “That is the same template they are banking on that they can form a mega party they believe that the PDP on its own alone cannot and several young Turks in the PDP are also asking Atiku to quit the stage and allow the party to breathe. That his stranglehold on the party has not allowed the party to move in the last 10 years, and that the party also needs a breath of fresh air.” Our source continued: “Those, if they are not allowed, will team up with the promoters of the mega party and one of the things they will do is to stand as the main opposition party. “There are three plans afoot. The first plan is to merge with one of the existing parties either the PDP, the Labour Party, or with SDP and that is one of the reasons El Rufai went there to sound them out. “The people in the PDP, who are the rebels, believe that the PDP is sufficiently damaged and that it may not become a viable opposition party even if you rejuvenate it, while the diehard PDP is still saying that if Atiku is pushed out, the Young people can come in and revive the party. “However, those who have left the PDP into the APC are saying that if they return to the PDP, it will affect their political fortunes. So, they are the ones pushing for a new political platform that will accommodate the rebels and those who are disgruntled with what is happening in APC, those disgruntled with what is happening in PDP and some persons in the Labour Party also believe that no matter how hard the Labour Party tries on its own, they cannot win the coveted prize at the centre. So, they have to team up. It is the same thing with those too with the SDP. “Do not also forget that a number of those in this group are also close to Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasia Movement is also there.” Also another former member of the PDP from the South West said: “Now that our man is moving from place to place, he is networking and everybody knows that something is afoot. “The opposition is looking into the process of remaking itself. Some persona in the PDP believe that the PDP as political machinery does not have what it takes to get power again, and some people in APC believe that the APC as currently constituted does not cater for their interests. Therefore, several persons are looking to the way of el – Rufai, and some of the people who may leave. Quite several persons from the ruling party to partner or team up with like minds in the PDP, in the Labour Party, in the SDP. “There is an attempt at galvanizing an opposition, which will serve as a movement and then metamorphose into a mega party that will be in the opposition to the APC. “There are internal rebellions in the parties. If you want to leave, you do some damage to the party and el-Rufai has not forgotten how he was treated. His party was built with vigour and he did everything to make them win, before his ministerial appointment. “His party has the majority but he was not cleared. Those close to him believed that if the political leadership wanted him, there would have been a way. “He just said if what happened, they cited security reasons, they said there is more to it. Some people do not want him in the scheme of things.” Sunday Telegraph gathered that it would not be a surprise if El-Rufai becomes the leader or one of the leaders of an emerging opposition, which may metamorphose into a major opposition mega party. “As I told you earlier, people will come from APC, people will come in from PDP, and people will come from the Labour Party. They are convinced that, recently there has been a rapprochement; he is going around and those who have also come to visit him. “Peter Obi may also be reached as he may also play a major role in the emerging scene. It is not clear yet what his role may be. “What they are telling all of them is that if you want to fight the APC, one of the mistakes they made in the last election was their inability to come together as a veritable opposition like what happened in Senegal, come together to fight the incumbent government or incumbent party. “Look at the scores now. If they had combined with all the votes scored by Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso, they would have done a lot of damage to the APC. There was an attempt at that time actually, but it did not work out because nobody was ready to play second fiddle. Just before the presidential election in 2023, they asked somebody to step down for somebody. There was a disagreement on who should step down for whom. So, all of them decided, ‘let us go and fight our battle and may the best candidate win.’ They have told them not to make that mistake again. That is why there is cross-fertilization of ideas and parties. That is what is going on. Some of you would be shocked by the people who will leave the APC to team up with the movement being galvanized. They are not calling it a political party yet, but a movement, but everybody knows that is where they are going. “You know politicians; they may be short on ideas on the economy but know how to wrest political power. A lot of people know that el-Rufai is up to something. Give it to him; he was the one who was the rallying point of the new party that eventually upstaged the PDP in 2015. He was the one that was going here and there with one or two persons and people have accused the PDP of docility. You can see an opposition party so quiet and you can see a lot of people defecting to the APC, which has shown that as an opposition party, PDP will not survive. That is why those in PDP, and those in LP, know what is going on and are part of it.” Gabam gave much credence to this in his reaction to el – Rufai’s visit when he said: “ It is a welcome development that concerned Nigerians are cross-fertilizing ideas on how to salvage the nation’s present unpleasant socio-economic challenges of the times. “The prevailing circumstances call for bipartisan and robust collaborations that transcend ethnic and religious lines to address the nation’s woes and find sustainable ways to redeem the situation.” However, for el-Rufai’s media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, “People have personal histories and relationships that predate political affiliations. “It cannot be a Hallmark of civilization to have friends from within only your political party. When people visit each other or mingle across party lines, it is because human relationships exist, distinct from the political or the partisan.”

Click here to Watch full clip

Prominent human rights advocate and former lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has revealed an alleged political strategy by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other northern elites to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential elections. In a detailed interview with Sunday Sun in Abuja, Sani disclosed that the strategy hinges on exploiting regional disparities and security challenges. According to him, Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023, plans to capitalize on various issues, including the relocation of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) offices to Lagos, the perceived dominance of South-western appointees in Tinubu’s administration, and ongoing security concerns in Northern Nigeria. Sani outlined that Atiku and his political allies intend to paint President Tinubu as favoring his regional base over the broader national interest. “They are trying to present him [Tinubu] as an ethnicist, a regionalist, and someone who betrayed Northern Nigeria despite receiving significant electoral support from the region,” Sani stated. He described the move as a calculated attempt to sway Northern voters against Tinubu, framing it as a necessity to reclaim power. Despite revealing these strategies, Sani advised Atiku and his cohort to exercise patience and respect the informal rotational presidency arrangement between the North and the South. He suggested that Tinubu, representing the South, should be allowed to complete an eight-year tenure, after which power would naturally shift back to the North in 2031. Sani emphasized the importance of national unity and peace, urging Atiku to consider the broader implications of his actions on the country’s stability. “Atiku has worked hard to promote peace and unity in Nigeria, and it would be prudent for him to allow the South to complete their tenure,” he added. Speaking on Atiku’s visit to Daura, Sani said, “You see, it is a tradition that each time there is a Sallah celebration, people pay homage to former leaders. You pay homage to former leaders so that you get the necessary blessings from them, but in the case of what has happened recently, the fact of the matter is that Northern political leaders are regrouping, and their focal point is Buhari. “They still want to use Buhari to whip up Northern regional sentiment as it was done in the CPC days and garner the votes they can in order to eject Tinubu from power. There is no Northern leader today that can serve as a rallying point. He was the one who was a former president and he used to have a fanatical following. So, what they are trying to do is to present Tinubu as a bad case, as an ethnicist, as a regionalist, as a person who betrayed Northern Nigeria, as a man who was voted by the North, but he is serving his own people and the need for Northerners to wake up and evict him out of power. “It is their strategy. And they want to do that by making sure that that idea is sold to the Northern masses and then, from there, they seize power. But I have to draw attention to two facts – first of all, Buhari was a colossal failure. He has led this country for eight years and he left the North worse than he met it, and the treasury of the country was looted under him; the economy was pillaged under him and the nation was plundered and terrorism and banditry was at the highest peak under Buhari administration.”

Click here to Watch full clip

Shehu Sani, a former Senator, has claimed that security challenges in northern Nigeria were worse under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari than under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Senator Sani made this statement during the 40th anniversary and reunion of the ’84 set of Kagara Old Boys Association, composed of alumni from Government Science College, Kagara, in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State. The event took place at Ahmadu Bahago Secondary School in Minna. Sani emphasized that security issues could be resolved if the government demonstrated genuine commitment. GSS Kagara has been closed since bandits invaded the school in 2021, abducting several students during the incident. Commenting on the security situation in the country, he said; “The security challenges would be over in the whole country because what we have now is better than the one we had during the Buhari administration. There is every evidence that many of the top terrorists have been eliminated by our security forces. And if you compare what we are having today to what we had yesterday, it is still the best. “Under Buhari administration, we had series of attacks on schools including attacks on Green Field University, Kaduna, Bathel Baptist school, Kaduna, Government Science College, Kagara, Federal Government Girls’ College, Yauri, Federal School of Agricultural Mechanisation, Mando, Government Secondary school, Kankara, Government Secondary school, Jangibe, all under Buhari administration. So, we are hopeful that things would be better.” Sani noted that while he supported the temporary relocation of Government Science College, Kagara, as suggested by the Niger State Government, the school should be moved back to Kagara as soon as the security situation in the area improves. He added; “It is unfortunate that the schools that produced some of the best hands in the history of this country are today the ruins of what they used to be. We must tell ourselves the fundamental truth that as long as we don’t provide education for our own young ones, we would be creating a force that we would not be able to contain in future. “Northern Nigeria must take education seriously; we lag behind in education; we have the highest number of out of school children today. The activities of bandits and terrorists have destroyed the education fabrics and basis of northern Nigeria. “The school we used to call our own has been deserted because bandits have once attacked the school and took hostage of students and some teachers.”

Click here to Watch full clip

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the federal government to be aware of its responsibilities and ensure no region in the country is overrun by acts of terrorism and insecurity. Atiku called on the federal government led by President Bola Tinubu to wake up from its slumber and protect the citizens of the country from all acts of insecurity and terrorism. The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the call in a statement on Sunday in which he reacted to the suicide bombing which occurred at a wedding in Borno State on Saturday and resulted in the death of several guests. Naija News earlier reported that the Borno State Police Command has confirmed that no fewer than six people were killed, with 15 others injured in a suicide attack in Gwoza, Borno State. Many people lost their lives in Gwoza, a town in Borno State, after a female suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) at a wedding venue, killing several wedding guests and injuring many others. According to sources, the bomber was carrying a baby on her back when she stormed the venue and detonated the IED at the wedding held on Saturday, in Tashan Mararaba near the Fire Service in Gwoza town. Reacting to the unfortunate incident, Atiku commiserated with those affected by the bombing and called out the government for allowing much of the pushback that has been achieved against Boko Haram to be re-surfacing due to a lacklustre posture on security issues. He urged action to be taken to ensure the Northeast region does not slide back into terrorism and extreme violence. “It is a sad development that the ugly incidents of terrorism are resurfacing and, indeed, metastasising in the North-East. “The reported attack by suicide bombers at a wedding reception, funeral procession, and a hospital on Saturday stands condemned. “It is unfortunate that much of the pushback that had been achieved against the Boko Haram terror sect are being cancelled, owing mainly to the government’s lacklustre posture to hold firmly on the frontline. “It is thus important to call on the federal authorities to wake up to their responsibility and to make sure that the North-East does not slide back into a theatre of terrorism and extreme violence. “My condolences go to the families of victims of these attacks, and it is my prayer that God grants a peaceful repose to the souls of the departed,” Atiku posted on X.

Click here to Watch full clip

The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has criticized the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the move to implement four budgets simultaneously. Recalls that the Senate resumed plenary on Thursday to extend the capital section of the 2023 supplementary budget. The lawmakers said the budget will run concurrently with the 2024 national budget. The implication is the country is currently running three budgets: the 2023 budget of N21.83 trillion signed by former president Muhammadu Buhari, the N2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary budget by President Tinubu, the N28.7 trillion 2024 budget, and an anticipated 2024 supplementary budget, thereby resulting in the simultaneous implementation of four budgets. In a statement on Friday, BudgIT’s Country Director, Gabriel Okeowo, condemned the development and described the situation as worrisome and will amount to severe budget credibility issues. In a statement via X on Saturday, Peter Obi described the move as a blatant disregard for fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability. According to the former Governor of Anambra state, the action of Tinubu’s government will lead to frivolous items in the approved budgets competing with essential projects for limited resources, further exacerbating the suffering of the Nigerian people. The statement reads,“All available evidence has confirmed that the Nigerian government is implementing four national budgets concurrently. This is in blatant disregard for fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability. It is also a recipe for chaos, confusion, and catastrophe. This intentionally reckless action will lead to frivolous items in the approved budgets competing with essential projects for limited resources, further exacerbating the suffering of the Nigerian people. “It indicates that the Leaders are out of touch with reality and lack the competence to manage our nation’s finances effectively. Unfortunately, this deliberate act of fiscal recklessness is being undertaken by elected representatives of the people, thereby betraying one of the cardinal pillars of democracy. “Leaders are elected to responsibly manage public resources in an organized way. I respectfully appeal and in fact, demand that this situation be reversed immediately in preference for a more responsible and transparent approach to budgeting. We must prioritize the needs of the Nigerian people, not the selfish interests of a few. This is a call to action for all Leaders to desist from actions that will further drive the country into economic chaos. “Neither the National Assembly nor the executive has any excuse to promote or condone such unconscionable behaviour. We seek and insist on a nation governed by leaders who are frugal and responsible in their handling of public resources. This is the only way we can build a great nation.”

Click here to Watch full clip

A Kano based businessman, Abdullahi Yahaya has given insight into why some politicians in the north have been visiting Nigeria’s former president, General Muhammadu Buhari. Last Saturday, Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, visited Buhari in Daura ostensibly to pay salah homage. Less than 24 hours later, ex-governor of Kaduna State, Nasiru El-rufai, who has been accused by the Kaduna State House of Assembly of embezzling N432bn during his eight years as governor of the state, also visited the ex-president. Yahaya, who is the CEO of Megawatts Publishing and Printing Company, told THE WHISTLER in an interview that the politicians visiting Buhari are targeting his friends and relatives who served under him as ministers. He said Buhari has no political relevance in the north anymore and those seeking his support are doing so to get the support of his friends who are now billionaires. “To be honest with you, Buhari has no political relevance again in the north, and those visiting him are going to him because of his friends and relatives who served in his government as ministers because they’re billionaires now,” he said, adding that Buhari pauperised the north as president. Speaking further, he said any politician Buhari endorses in 2027 will be rejected by the people, stressing that Buhari won in 2015 because he was marketable at the time. “Buhari has never been politically relevant in the north; he won election in 2015 because he was marketable and they marketed him and they’re all billionaires now,” he said. Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, in a post on his X handle on Sunday, said the visit of the northern politicians to Daura was part of the plot to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 by using him as a rallying point. The former Kaduna Central senator said they’re planning “to resurrect Buhari’s political charm and fanaticism and mobilize the gullible to another hollow and bewildering end.” Among those who served as minister under Buhari, only Hadi Sirika, the former Aviation minister, is facing corruption charges along with his daughter and son-in-law.

Click here to Watch full clip

Peter Obi, a prominent Nigerian political figure and former Vice Presidential candidate, has raised serious concerns about the country’s fiscal management. In a tweet from his verified account, Obi criticized the Nigerian government for implementing four national budgets simultaneously, a move he describes as chaotic and detrimental to the country’s financial stability. “All available evidence has confirmed that the Nigerian government is implementing four national budgets concurrently. This is in blatant disregard for fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability,” Obi tweeted. He further warned that such actions are “a recipe for chaos, confusion, and catastrophe.” Obi’s remarks highlight a significant issue in Nigeria’s budgetary process. Running multiple budgets at once can lead to a lack of focus and priority in public spending. According to Obi, this could result in frivolous expenditures crowding out critical projects, ultimately exacerbating the hardships faced by ordinary Nigerians. The lack of clear budgetary prioritization means essential services and infrastructure projects could struggle for funding against less important allocations. Obi’s critique also underscores a broader concern about the competence of Nigerian leadership in managing the nation’s finances. “It indicates that the Leaders are out of touch with reality and lack the competence to manage our nation’s finances effectively,” he asserted. His statement reflects a growing frustration among many Nigerians who see their leaders as disconnected from the everyday struggles of the populace. This criticism comes at a time when Nigeria is grappling with significant economic challenges, including rising inflation, high unemployment, and widespread poverty. Obi’s comments suggest a need for greater accountability and transparency in government financial operations. The call for fiscal responsibility is not just about prudent spending but about ensuring that every naira spent serves the people effectively and efficiently