₦airaland Forum

Senator Bagudu Towers Above the Noise: Why This Smear Will Fail

By Muhammad Mustapha



The recent release by a self-proclaimed coalition of 88 APC support groups in Kebbi State, as reported in the Daily Nigerian, contains unfounded and misleading assertions aimed at creating unnecessary discord within our great party. We firmly disclaim these claims, which misrepresent facts and distort the historical contributions of dedicated leaders like Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the immediate past Governor of Kebbi State and current Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning.

Let the truth be laid bare; this coalition has no roots, no recognition, and no value within the APC. It is a faceless fabrication, unregistered and unknown at every level of party leadership; ward, local government, state, or national.
- No record of ever funding a single ward meeting.
- No history of mobilizing even one voter.
- No contribution not a kobo to any party activity.

Their 88 groups are nothing but ghost names on a page, conjured by political opportunists who have never lifted a finger for the APC. Their only existence is in a press release built on lies, designed to exploit Senator Bagudu’s name for fleeting relevance.

Senator Bagudu has consistently exemplified the true essence of selfless service to the people of Kebbi State and Nigeria at large. Throughout his illustrious political career, he has prioritized the welfare and aspirations of the common man over personal acclaim or fleeting gains. As a leader who remains grounded and approachable, he has never been swayed by material pursuits but has instead championed initiatives that uplift communities, foster economic growth, and promote inclusive development. His down-to-earth demeanor and unwavering commitment to the greater good have earned him the profound respect and admiration of countless Kebbi indigenes, making him a beacon of humility in public service.

It is evident that such baseless narratives stem from the unease felt by those threatened by Senator Bagudu's enduring popularity and the positive impact he continues to make. Far from being a divisive force, he has been a steadfast party loyalist whose actions have only strengthened the APC's foundations and structures across Kebbi State. Under his stewardship as Governor, the party not only consolidated its hold but also expanded its reach, ensuring a robust framework that benefits all stakeholders. Senator Bagudu has fostered a healthy and collaborative working relationship with the current administration of Governor Nasir Idris, as well as with all levels of the state party apparatus. He has always placed the collective interests of the party and the people above his own, demonstrating time and again that true leadership lies in restraint and unity.

In the face of orchestrated distractions—such as the recycled, unsubstantiated allegations peddled by opposition figures, Senator Bagudu stands tall, unyielding, and resolute. These attempts to rewrite history and incite factionalism only underscore the opposition's desperation to undermine the remarkable progress achieved under Governor Idris's people-centered leadership, which has delivered transformative results in education, infrastructure, and youth empowerment in record time.

We call on all well-meaning APC members, supporters, and Kebbi residents to reject these divisive tactics and rally behind the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Senator Bagudu remains fully committed to supporting the party's unity, the success of Governor Idris, and the shared prosperity of our dear state. Let us channel our energies into building a stronger, more cohesive APC for the brighter future Kebbi deserves.


Mustapha writes from Birnin Kebbi.

North West Citizens Commend President Tinubu’s Laudable Achievements in Oil and Gas Sector

***Task Administration to Sustain Gains, Increase Oil Production to Meet Citizens’ Needs

Stakeholders from across the seven states of Nigeria’s North-West region have poured accolades on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for its bold strides in overhauling the oil and gas sector, hailing the reforms as the right step for economic revival and national unity.

At the ongoing three-day 1st Citizens Engagement Conference in Kaduna, participants urged the federal government to double down on these gains by ramping up oil production to alleviate pressing citizen needs amid lingering transitional pains.

The conference, a groundbreaking civic forum drawing traditional rulers, academics, policymakers, civil society leaders, and entrepreneurs from Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states, kicked off on Monday under the theme: “The Positive Impacts of Oil and Gas Reforms by the Asiwaju Administration.”

Organised as part of a nationwide series spanning Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 was highlighted as a cornerstone of regulatory clarity and operational efficiency.

Co-Convener Mallam Nasir Abdulquadri spotlighted the PIA as a pivotal turning point, crediting it with injecting clarity into the sector’s regulatory framework.

Abdulquadri lauded President Tinubu’s “uncommon courage” in enforcing deregulation and subsidy removal, measures that, despite short-term hardships, are unlocking private investments, revitalising refineries, and harnessing Nigeria’s vast gas reserves for industrial leapfrogging.

“These reforms are not without temporary discomforts, but every meaningful reform carries the pain of transition,” he noted, while calling for vigilance against external manipulations that could exploit internal divisions.

Professor Usman Muhammed of Kaduna State University’s Department of Political Science and International Studies also lauded the President with the theme: “Amplifying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda Through Regulatory Excellence and Upstream Oil and Gas Performance: Catalyst for Sustainable Economic Prosperity Beyond 2027”.

Highlighting empirical data, the professor revealed a robust correlation (r=0.74) between oil output and GDP growth, with regulatory quality exerting a significant influence (β=0.517) on economic performance.

He praised Tinubu’s administration for tangible advancements, including enhanced transparency and host community empowerment via the Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs), which are fostering local inclusion and economic diversification.

Drawing from comparative analysis, the academic urged a holistic push toward digitisation, renewable energy integration, and full PIA implementation to fortify institutions.

“Regulatory excellence is central to national prosperity,” he concluded. “Sustained institutional reform, innovation, and transparency will amplify the Renewed Hope Agenda beyond 2027, ensuring that reforms translate into jobs, affordable energy, and equitable growth for all Nigerians.”

The North-West citizens, however, tasked the government to sustain these hard-won gains by prioritizing institutional accountability, combating oil theft through advanced technology, and aggressively scaling up upstream oil production to meet surging domestic energy demands, stabilize fuel prices, create millions of jobs, and ensure that the benefits of a revitalized oil and gas sector directly improve the living standards of ordinary Nigerians.

KOMOLAFE’S ENDURING LEGACIES IN GLOBAL OIL REFORMS
By Charles Matthew


The name Engineer Gbenga Komolafe keeps resonating with technical precision, depth of influence, and administrative innovation in the growing narrative of Africa’s quest for sustainable development and global relevance within the petroleum ecosystem. As the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), his emergence as a central figure in today’s global energy reforms stems from dedicated years of institutional knowledge, regulatory rectitude, and unassailable patriotism.

It is no surprise that the Nigeria of today has repositioned itself prominently on the global energy map under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.
The recognition the Pan-African Parliament bestowed upon him in a recent session was not an act of vain appraisal, but the formal acknowledgment of a man who has become an intellectual lighthouse guiding the continent through a complex energy transition era.

When AFRIPERF identified him as a competent individual sufficiently equipped both in moral stature and technical acumen to pilot Africa’s unified policy direction for sustainable energy frameworks, it was a welcoming announcement greeted by ovation in consensus across academic and diplomatic circles.

When he strode through the grand halls of the House of Lords in London, within the Palace of Westminster in the United Kingdom, to receive the Global Sustainable Leadership Award at the 2025 Global Sustainable Education and Leadership (G-SEL) Conference and a professional doctorate in Leadership (Energy Law) from the International Business School of Scandinavia, the ovation of his recognition was for Nigeria as a whole.

The world was recognizing a reform-driven and technically grounded confident Nigerian voice.
This is happening at a time when some voices in the international space attempt to distort Nigeria’s true narrative by amplifying negative perceptions while ignoring the quiet but powerful work of reformers who are reconstructing governance institutions.

While the media is flooded with President Trump’s broad and dismissive remarks about Nigeria, Komolafe’s strides and those of several distinguished Nigerians demonstrate a different reality that speaks volumes of economic recalibration, international cooperation, and building investor confidence.

This emerging truth is evident: Nigeria is not defined by how loud the voice of criticism is, but by the constructive labour of its united visionaries. In this regard, Komolafe’s leadership in NUPRC stands as the clearest manifestation of true leadership.

The appreciation of Komolafe’s legacy can be drawn from his magnanimous contributions in the broader context of Nigeria’s tumultuous history with the petroleum sector. To better understand this, it is important to note that Nigeria’s oil sector has been marred by decades of community conflicts, vandalism, rent-seeking behavior, and regulatory ambiguity.

Both local and multinational operators were handicapped by bureaucratic contradictions. Despite the bulk contributions of communities in oil-producing regions to the nation’s primary revenue, they lived in anger and deprivation, and Nigeria suffered numerous policy reversals that created an unpredictable atmosphere stunting investments for decades.

To address all these, the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021 came to the rescue, marking a legislative watershed moment. The need for a competent hand to translate such a profound law into a functioning system brought the appointment of Engineer Gbenga Komolafe, one that came at a critical inflection point.

His task was monumental and clearly defined: rebuild confidence, restore order, deepen transparency, and reinvigorate Nigeria’s upstream sector in line with global best practices. On this note, he went to work immediately with a structured strategy anchored on three priorities—transparency, competitiveness, and sustainability—with an emphasis on maximising the value of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources while advancing the energy transition.

The results: an empirical reality. Under Komolafe’s leadership, Nigeria’s active rig counts increased from 8 in 2021 to over 40 rigs, and presently stand at a total of 69 rigs as of October 2025. This shows that the petroleum sector is active, undergoing a healing phase, and now reviving investor confidence.

In addition, the revenue figures are verified. The NUPRC did not just meet government targets in revenue performance; it surpassed them consistently, with the Commission achieving surpluses of 18.3 per cent in 2022, 14.6 per cent in 2023, and an unprecedented milestone of 84.2 per cent in 2024.

The PIA introduced the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) as a framework for restoring peace to the oil-producing communities of Nigeria that have historically experienced consistent cycles of exploitation, environmental neglect, and conflict. It further served as a mechanism for structured development funding and local empowerment.

Today, it is on record that the Host Community Development Trust has risen to over ₦350 billion, part of which has been used in implementing lofty projects like funding schools, healthcare facilities, road rehabilitation, water supply systems, security patrols, and youth empowerment schemes, which have contributed to the restoration of peace in hitherto volatile communities.

The most profound legacy here is “restored dignity.” Where previously, oil-bearing communities negotiated development as charity, now they operate within a codified framework of statutory entitlement.

Right now, the world is shifting away from hydrocarbons and gradually transitioning to renewable energy sources. Even though this global movement is uneven at the moment, it calls for nations to balance environmental obligations with economic realities. Komolafe’s leadership has also proven indispensable in this aspect.

At international forums, he has emphasized a rational transition, but not abrupt abandonment. He argues for energy justice, which insists that African nations, still developing, must not be coerced into sacrificing development in the name of a transition engineered and financed by countries whose own industrialization was built on fossil fuels.

This clarity has elevated Nigeria’s voice from the periphery of global climate conversations to the negotiating table of strategic policy formulation. The philosophy of President Tinubu’s administration is often summarized in one governance phrase: “A Practical Reform for Sustainable National Revival.”

Komolafe has translated this meaningful philosophy from mere vision into real outcomes in the petroleum sector. Undoubtedly, the NUPRC under Komolafe has delivered a powerful governance success with remarkable clarity.

This is why his recent international recognition is not merely a personal milestone but a validation of the Renewed Hope Agenda as a functional governance blueprint.
It is clear that Komolafe has not only managed the upstream sector; he has reforged its professional work ethics and economic yield.

As the world continues to celebrate him for his redefined integrity, reinforced national dignity, and championed continental voice, the applause that echoed from London to Addis Ababa, from Abuja to Johannesburg, and across multilateral energy circles are results that were well deserved, sustained, and justified.

His legacy is not frozen in plaques, certificates, and award speeches. It is active, dynamic, and continually expanding. At a time when some would define Nigeria by pessimism, Komolafe stands as living testimony that Nigeria is rising structurally, methodically, and irreversibly. Engineer Gbenga Komolafe is building legacies and shaping history.

Matthew writes from Abuja

Senator Mohammed Sani Musa: A Statesman Mending the Fabric of Niger East and Beyond

By Adamu Adamu


Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, fondly called “Senator 313” in many quarters, is one of the few public servants whose names are spoken with casual familiarity and mentioned as one of the rare statesmen whose footprints on the soil of their constituency read like a map of care, competence, and custodianship. His political persona is not a mere parade of campaign rhetoric but an architecture of visible interventions: boreholes that bring water to the thirsty, vocational centres that resurrect hope for young people, rehabilitated clinics that restore dignity to the sick, and targeted empowerment programmes that seed economic agency in households.

To know Senator Sani Musa is to see how a legislator can transpose empathy into policy and philanthropy into long-term community transformation. Born on 11 May 1965 in Minna, Niger State, Musa’s formative years traversed local schools before he entered the portals of advanced management training and public-leadership programmes.

He studied Business Administration, Banking and Finance at Ahmadu Bello University and subsequently sharpened his strategic and leadership repertoire at prestigious international institutions—a trajectory that later coloured his public-sector finesse when he served as Special Adviser on Investment and Infrastructure to the Niger State Governor. That professional past is not ornamental; it explains why his interventions are invariably well-targeted and sustainable rather than performative.

From the vantage point of Niger East, and at the very heart of the senatorial district he represents, Musa’s style of governance is a deliberate service-delivery template. The architecture of that template is unmistakably woven into infrastructure for daily life, healthcare bolstering, education investments, targeted youth empowerment, and decisive legislative stewardship at the national level.

Consider the priority areas of his work: he facilitated the construction of two 50-bed hospitals—one in Sarkin Pawa, Munya LGA, and the other in Kuta, Shiroro LGA. In fulfilling his promises to his constituency, he launched an inclusive empowerment programme from which 500 women and youths benefited.

The programme provided 21 tricycles for transportation and small-scale business, 130 motorcycles for commercial use, 80 grinding machines for food processing, 80 deep freezers for preserving perishable goods, 30 generators for reliable power supply, and 95 sewing machines for tailoring and fashion design. He also distributed 4,050 bags of fertiliser—1,000 urea and 3,050 NPK—across the nine local government areas to boost agricultural productivity.

Moreover, in a remarkable show of generosity, Senator Musa disbursed ₦143 million to 2,868 constituents, with each receiving ₦50,000. Additionally, he launched a fully funded international scholarship programme, enabling 100 academically gifted students to study medicine in India and another 100 to pursue engineering, artificial intelligence, and robotics in China.

The Senator has also made multiple interventions in education: settling registration fees for undergraduate students, paying NECO and JAMB fees, and extending educational assistance to 1,000 higher-institution students across his constituency.

What distinguishes Musa’s political philanthropy is the philosophy behind it: the conviction that government ought to repair the everyday ruptures in citizens’ lives. Water, power, health, and livelihoods—these are not glamorous headlines but the quiet scaffolds of human flourishing.

In villages across the nine local government areas of Niger East, his team has installed solar-powered boreholes and rehabilitated rural roads; they have worked to electrify clinics with solar power and supplied transformers and streetlights to market centres. Children who once missed evening studies because of darkness can now read under solar streetlights; clinics that could not store vaccines because of frequent outages now maintain unbroken cold chains thanks to solar installations.

The cumulative effect of such measures is a subtle yet decisive reweaving of social normalcy. As a member of the Senate in Nigeria’s 10th National Assembly, and having at various points held leadership roles on financial and budget-oversight committees, Senator Sani Musa writes legislation with a practitioner’s sensibility.

His parliamentary focus mirrors his ground-level priorities: appropriations that favour infrastructural renewal, oversight that insists on functionality rather than box-ticking, and sponsorship of bills that aim to institutionalise development gains for his constituency and the nation.

The cultural essence of Musa’s philanthropy is both deeply local and forward-looking. On one hand, he understands the rhythms of Nigerien communal life—how a repaired market road reverberates across livelihoods, how a vocational training centre can arrest the slide of young men and women from hope into crime.

On the other, Senator Musa’s political narrative is remarkable for its resilience. He is a man who has faced multiple electoral contestations, yet his re-election and continued public presence have positioned him as a politician whose legitimacy is grounded in visible delivery rather than mere rhetoric.

At the national level, Musa’s posture is that of a reconciler—a senator who understands the centrifugal forces pulling at Nigeria’s polity and who argues for the centripetal glue of competence-driven governance. In the Senate, where posturing can too easily eclipse policy, he is known as a lawmaker who prefers the painstaking work of committee deliberations, budget scrutiny, and legislative sponsorship. His tenure in financial-oversight roles proves his practical commitment to accountability, ensuring public resources are accounted for and budgets aligned to human needs rather than vanity projects. This posture is not merely technocratic; it is profoundly moral.

True, infrastructural deficits remain, and there is always more to be done to address the systemic causes of underdevelopment in parts of Niger and across Nigeria. Yet what distinguishes the senator from many of his peers is a demonstrable pattern: when problems are identified, he mobilises resources and follows through; when crises arrive, he responds; and when people are marginalised, he finds ways to extend assistance.

That pattern matters because politics is an ensemble of patterns, not singular events. Indeed, Musa’s blend of philanthropic disposition and institutional engagement is a template other lawmakers could emulate—not merely for Niger East but for a Nigeria hungry for leaders who can pragmatically transform the quotidian realities of millions.

To call Senator Mohammed Sani Musa a “philanthropic politician” is both accurate and insufficient. The better description is statesman-philanthropist: one who combines the soft virtues of care and proximity with the hard virtues of systems thinking and institutional stewardship. He is tender where politics demands tenderness—in healthcare corridors and market squares—and rigorous where governance demands rigour—in committee rooms and budget halls.

For the people of Niger East, he has been more than an occasional benefactor; he has been a consistent advocate of possibility. For Nigerians seeking a politics that returns to the essentials of service, Senator Musa is a voice and a record worth listening to—and learning from.

Adamu who is ateacher and writes from FUT Minna can be reached via adamudouble2000gmail.com

Jubilation as NUPRC Chief Executive Gbenga Komolafe Wins Global Sustainable Leadership Award at London Conference

Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, has been honoured with the Global Sustainable Leadership Award at the Global Sustainable Education and Leadership (G-SEL) Conference 2025, held at the House of Lords, Palace of Westminster, United Kingdom.

The two-day event, which drew senior policymakers, business leaders, and diplomats from across the world, recognised Komolafe’s exceptional leadership in steering reforms under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and positioning Nigeria as a credible, transparent, and competitive energy investment destination.

Since assuming office, Komolafe has been instrumental in deepening Nigeria’s upstream regulatory transformation. Under his watch, the country’s rig count surged from just eight in 2021 to 69 as of October 2025 — a growth of more than 760 per cent. Revenue performance has also consistently exceeded government targets, with the Commission achieving surpluses of 18.3 per cent in 2022, 14.6 per cent in 2023, and an impressive 84.2 per cent in 2024.

Beyond fiscal success, NUPRC has recorded major milestones in host community development and indigenous participation. Local operators now account for over 30 per cent of Nigeria’s oil production, while the implementation of Host Community Development Trusts has begun to channel direct benefits from oil and gas operations to local populations, aligning with global sustainability standards.

Accepting the award, Komolafe dedicated the honour to the Nigerian people, describing it as a reflection of their resilience and the government’s commitment to reform.

“This award belongs to Nigeria. It recognises the courage and faith that drive our reforms in the upstream oil and gas sector. We are building a transparent, accountable, and investment-friendly system that reflects our national values and global aspirations,” he said.

Komolafe noted that the NUPRC’s strategy is anchored on three priorities — transparency, competitiveness, and sustainability — with an emphasis on maximising the value of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources while advancing the energy transition.

We are not only regulating production. We are shaping the future of energy in Africa by ensuring that Nigeria remains a reliable supplier, a fair regulator, and a responsible global partner,” the NUPRC boss added.

The G-SEL London Conference 2025, themed ‘The intersection of innovation, sustainability and equity for energy access’, served as a major forum for global dialogue on the future of energy, education, and inclusive growth.

Komolafe’s recognition reinforces Nigeria’s growing reputation as an energy hub built on regulatory integrity, sustainable growth, and global partnership — a milestone that underscores the nation’s role in shaping the next phase of Africa’s energy future.

Other recipients of the Global Sustainable Leadership Award included Angela Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer of the World Energy Council; Jason Jackson, Mayor of Islington, London; Riad Meddeb, Director of Sustainable Energy at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and Ben Parsons, Partner at Oakin Energy Transition Strategy, United Kingdom. Others were Macenje “Che Che” Mazoka, Zambia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom; Seema Malhotra FRSA, Member of Parliament for Feltham and Heston and Minister at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; and Joel Singh, Director at General Electric Company, United Kingdom.

The award also went to Hon. Dr. Toreria Moyo, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education of Zimbabwe; Mr. Alex Wachira, CBS, Principal Secretary at Kenya’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum; and H.E. Dr. Morie K. Manyeh, Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom — rounding off a distinguished roster of leaders honoured for their commitment to sustainable growth, inclusive governance, and energy transition across Africa and beyond.

Group seeks minister’s intervention over alleged missing ₦387m at FUOYE



A group of concerned citizens in Ekiti state has called on Tunji Alausa, minister of education, to take action on a committee’s report which allegedly uncovered financial inconsistencies amounting to ₦387,231,000 at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).

The group urged the minister not to overlook the committee’s findings, which it said pointed to irregularities under the leadership of the outgoing management of the institution.

They expressed concern over what they described as recurring cases of corruption within the university since the beginning of the tenure.

In recent years, Abayomi Fasina, vice-chancellor of the institution, has faced various public allegations and criticisms. The group said the latest development — the discovery of the committee’s report — has further heightened public scrutiny of his administration.

The report, titled “Report of assessment committee on Institute of Part-Time Studies” and dated October 2024, was compiled by a four-member panel chaired by Bosede Adenigba, with Chinagorom Ugwu as secretary, and Patric Fadamiro and Muyiwa Olubo as members.

The committee, which assessed and audited the financial operations of FUOYE’s Institute of Part-Time Studies (IPTS) between 2021 and 2024, produced a 37-page document outlining the findings.

According to the report, the committee uncovered “a trend of yearly monetary channeling to unknown land” in the institute’s financial records.

The committee alleged an administrative portal maintenance fees amounting to ₦278,808,000 were not captured by the accountant.

It also claimed that screening fees from 2021 to 2024 — totalling ₦38,684,000 — were omitted from the accountant’s report.

“Payments for handbooks and orientation fees from the 2022 to 2024 academic sessions, amounting to ₦24,322,000, were also reportedly unrecorded,” the group said.

“The report further stated that medical insurance fees totalling ₦15,696,000, paid by students, were not reflected in the financial accounts.

“An additional ₦2,001,000 in school fees for the 2021/2022 academic session was said to have been underreported, while student debtors amounting to ₦27,720,000 were also unrecorded.

“In total, the committee said it discovered financial inconsistencies amounting to ₦387,231,000 within the IPTS between 2021 and 2024.”

The group asked how such discrepancies could have occurred, who was responsible, and whether any sanctions followed the committee’s discovery.

It also raised concerns about whether similar issues might exist in other institutes and centres within FUOYE.

For instance, Prof. Fasina's administration as the Vice-Chancellor of FUOYE has been heavily criticized for the ongoing selection process for a new Vice-Chancellor expected to take over from him in February 2026.

The criticism was said to be based on facts that the selection process was designed to appoint a preferred candidate of Prof. Fasina and the Chairman of FUOYE's Governing Council, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba.

Some of the allegations of corruption and outright disregard for the rule of law were also linked the the lawmaker, who according to findings, was instrumental to many cover-ups of corruption and sexual harassment allegations against Prof. Fasina and his loyalists.

The group urged Alausa to investigate the matters diligently, ensuring that those responsible are held accountable and most importantly facilitate the suspension of the ongoing Vice-Chancellorship selection process to give adequate room for a fair selection process of a new VC.

NUPRC’s Gbenga Komolafe Makes List of Continental Experts to Speak at Pan-African Parliament 2025 Session*




Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has been listed among leading continental experts invited to address the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in November 2025.

The invitation — extended to Komolafe in his capacity as both NUPRC Chief Executive and interim President of the Africa Forum for Petroleum Regulators and Frameworks (AFRIPERF) — marks a rare recognition of Nigeria’s leadership in upstream oil and gas reforms under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament, in a letter dated October 17, 2025, invited Komolafe to deliver a paper on ‘Legislative Frameworks for Sustainable Upstream Regulation in Africa’s Oil and Gas Sector’ during the upcoming session.

“This topic explores how robust legislative reforms can advance sustainability in Africa’s upstream oil and gas operations, inviting insights from your leadership at NUPRC and as Acting Chairman of AFRIPERF,” the letter reads.

According to the Bureau, the Parliament looks forward to Komolafe’s reflections on Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and how its model of transparency, community inclusion, and investment-friendly regulation can guide continental efforts toward a harmonised energy governance framework.

The invitation noted that insights from Nigeria’s recent petroleum reforms would help PAP develop model laws across member states to improve transparency, environmental standards, and revenue fairness in the extractive sector.

This is the second time in recent years that a Nigerian public official has been invited to address the PAP’s plenary session — a platform traditionally reserved for African thought leaders and reformers whose work has contributed to the continent’s development agenda.

Komolafe’s recognition, observers say, underscores how far-reaching the impact of the PIA and its subsequent implementation has become under Tinubu’s reform-driven administration.

Since assuming office as NUPRC’s Chief Executive, Komolafe has championed a new culture of transparency and performance in Nigeria’s upstream sector. His leadership has been credited with streamlining licensing procedures, enforcing environmental accountability, and restoring investor confidence in the industry.

Under his watch, Nigeria’s crude oil production has recovered to around 1.7 million barrels per day, while gas flaring has been reduced to 7.16 percent — one of the lowest levels in two decades.

The PIA’s fiscal clarity and community development provisions have also improved relations between oil companies and host communities, setting new standards for responsible resource management.

The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament said Komolafe’s address would form part of the session’s broader agenda to support the African Union’s Agenda 2063 — particularly its goals of inclusive growth, environmental protection, and energy transition across the continent.

Analysts view the invitation as a milestone not just for Komolafe but for Nigeria’s global reputation as a reform-minded energy leader. They argue that the Tinubu administration’s ongoing efforts to institutionalise transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector have repositioned the country as a credible voice in continental economic governance.

By being selected to address the plenary, Komolafe joins a distinguished circle of Africans whose work in regulatory innovation and sustainable development has shaped continental policymaking.

His participation is expected to strengthen collaboration among African energy regulators and advance the continent’s quest for a just and inclusive energy transition.

President Donald Trump of US has said it all - A respond to the CPC Against Nigeria.



A Headline on the Punch Newspaper on Monday, the 3rd of November, 2025 "CPC blacklist: 12 Nigerian governors, other officials may face US sanctions" has really captured my attention.




On Friday, Trump, in a post on Truth, lamented that thousands of Christians were being killed in Nigeria and asked Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into the matter and report back to him.

The Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, sponsored by Republican Senator Ted Cruz, designates Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious persecution.

The bill proposes direct sanctions against public officials and religious authorities accused of promoting or tolerating violence against Christians and other religious minorities

Trump is simply saying there are killings in Nigeria, which is true.
Stop it, and that ends it.

Under whatever bill it may be, Trump is right and it is long overdue.

For quite some time now, the people of Nigeria, particularly the vulnerable, have series of attacks, killings, kidnappings, raping, maiming and their cattle rustled due to negligence of our leaders, especially the governors who deceive people during their electioneering campaigns to bring an end to the massacre of their citizens, but without any tangible efforts or evidence to show the fulfillment of these campaign promises.
Rather, these governors concentrate on looting the public Treasurys purchasing mansions in various locations both within and outside our fatherland, leaving the citizens in abject poverty, hunger, diseases, illiteracy and inaccessible clean drinking water
I am so much delighted by the Trump's action in sanctioning these types of governors and officials of government perpetrating these crimes, while bandits and terrorists continue to massacre their people in their hundreds.

These Twelve northern governors, prominent traditional rulers, and senior judges are at the centre of a looming diplomatic storm as the United States Congress considers a bill that could impose far-reaching sanctions on them over alleged complicity in what American lawmakers describe as a “Christian genocide” and systemic persecution under Nigeria’s sharia and blasphemy laws.

It is against this background the I strongly call on the US President Donald Trump to focus his mission on those governors, particularly in northern Nigeria where insecurity is in its highest peak.

I will also want to draw Trump's attention to reality on ground, as it is not religious persecution, but rather neglect and carelessness of these governors, amidst high level corruption.

Zamfara state for instance, the Gov, Dauda Lawal promised the people that he would tackle insecurity bedivelling the state, immediately he assumed office if elected as governor of the state, but two years on, the situation became the worst ever.
Gov Dauda Lawal who was a brother In-laws to the US Christmas bomber now serving 4 live improvement sentences should be put under watch by the Trump administration. Several None- governmental organisations and human rights agencies had severally called on the US government to investigate Dauda Lawal, as he was accused of helping the Christmas bomber to escape legal action after he was arrested for the terrorism offence in the US.
Now that he is a Gov in one the northern Nigerian states with high magnitude of banditry, he is also being accused of hiring repentant Boko Haram terrorists and equips them with sophisticated weapons, killing innocent citizens should be sanctioned by the United States government.
How long will we continue to pretend not to see? How long will we bury our heads in the sand while innocent lives are snuffed out in broad daylight?

This conspiracy of silence is not just dangerous, also deadly. The blood of our fellow Nigerians cries out from the soil, in Zamfara, Katsina, Borno, Plateau, Benue, Ondo, Madalla, the figure and facts are on record, yet we continue to act like all is well.

Every Nigerian regardless of tribe, religion, or region deserves equal protection, equal dignity, and the fundamental right to exist. These are not privileges, but are non-negotiable rights.

Now that we have the attention of the United States government, It is time for the Nigerian government to stop the charade. No more empty speeches. No more denial. No more games.

The massacre of citizens must end. The people must not be displaced from their ancestral homes for any guise whatsoever.

Leadership is not about optics, it is about action. Rise to your responsibility. Protect your people. Silence the guns, not the truth.

The sanctions, to be implemented under Executive Order 13818, the US government’s Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability framework, could result in visa bans, asset freezes, and financial restrictions for those found culpable.

The affected states include Zamfara, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kebbi, Yobe, Kaduna, Niger, and Gombe.

The Nigerian government should just take advantage of this opportunity and stamp its foot to correct where there is wrong; stamp its foot to speak the language of unity, stamp its foot to tell those who have been hiding under religion to torment fellow citizens that they no longer have a space in Nigeria.

“Boko Haram and ISWAP remain proscribed under the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, with thousands of arrests, prosecutions, and deradicalisation programmes underway,” it added.

The government said many attacks often framed internationally as “religious” were instead rooted in terrorism, organised crime, resource conflict, and climate stress, adding that federal and state authorities deployed joint operations without bias to faith identity.

“Nigerian authorities consistently condemn sectarian violence, open investigations, and prosecute offenders where evidence meets the legal threshold,” the document stressed.

Nigeria reaffirmed its adherence to international human rights obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, domesticated and enforceable in Nigerian courts.

The government emphasised that all domestic laws, federal or state, must conform to these superior guarantees, and Nigerian courts have consistently upheld that principle in their judgments.

The government criticised the US draft legislation proposing a CPC designation for Nigeria, describing it as “legally and factually flawed.”

In designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” Trump cited alleged severe violations of religious freedom, particularly the persecution of Christians. He claimed that Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria, with thousands of Christians being killed by radical Islamists.

Trump warned that the US would take action, including potential military intervention, if Nigeria didn’t address the issue.

The US President also threatened to halt all aid and assistance to Nigeria should the Tinubu administration fail to end the alleged persecution and killing of Christians.

Daniel Kingsley is a Public and Security Affairs Commentator, based in Lagos - Nigeria

DR. LANRE OYEGBOLA–SODIPO NAMED SOUTHWEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAIRMAN OF THE YEAR



......Honoured at the 2025 Southwest Investment Summit and Advancement Awards in Lagos



By Solanke Ayomideji Taiwo





In recognition of his exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to grassroots development, the Executive Chairman of Abeokuta North Local Government, Dr. Lanre Oyegbola–Sodipo, has been named Local Government Chairman of the Year (Southwest) at the prestigious Southwest Investment Summit and Advancement Awards 2025.

The high-profile event, which celebrates excellence in governance, entrepreneurship, and regional development, shall be taking place on Monday, November 3, 2025, at the Lagos Oriental Hotel. It attracted distinguished personalities from government, industry, academia, and the media across the Southwest region and beyond.

According to the organizers, the award recognizes Dr. Oyegbola–Sodipo’s outstanding performance in infrastructure development, human capacity building, fiscal responsibility, and community engagement within Abeokuta North. They described him as a visionary leader redefining local governance through innovation, inclusivity, and transparency.



In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Lanre Oyegbola–Sodipo dedicated the honour to the people of Abeokuta North Local Government, expressing gratitude for their trust and continuous support. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustainable development, youth empowerment, and the promotion of public–private partnerships aimed at transforming the socioeconomic landscape of the area.

“This award is a call to do more. It belongs to the hardworking men and women of Abeokuta North who believe in progress and partnership for growth. We will continue to deliver quality governance that improves lives and creates opportunities,” he said.

He also appreciated the Ogun State Governor, His Excellency, Prince Dr. Dapo Abiodun, CON, for his exemplary leadership and support for local governments, noting that his administration’s policies have provided the enabling environment for development at the grassroots level.

The Southwest Investment Summit and Advancement Awards has become a key platform for recognizing transformative leadership and promoting strategic investments in the region. The 2025 edition focused on “Sustainable Growth Through Innovation and Regional Collaboration,” highlighting leaders and institutions driving progress across the Southwest.



The recognition of Dr. Oyegbola–Sodipo as Local Government Chairman of the Year further cements his reputation as one of the most result-oriented and people-centered leaders in Ogun State and the Southwest region.

Central Coordinate Movement Slams Ogun ADC Chairman, Soluade Over Call for Governor Abiodun’s Impeachment



— Says ADC Leader’s Comment on Egba Roads “A Comedic Bid for Attention”



By Taiwo Ayomideji, Political Correspondent

Abeokuta — November 2, 2025



The Central Coordinate Movement (CCM) has strongly condemned the Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ogun State, Otunba (Dr.) Femi Soluade, over his recent call for the impeachment of the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, by the State House of Assembly.



Otunba Soluade had accused the Governor of allegedly neglecting Egbaland in terms of infrastructure development, particularly the poor condition of roads in the region — a claim that has stirred political reactions across the state.



Responding to the statement, the Chairman of the Central Coordinate Movement, Alhaji Taiwo Elewide, popularly known as Akile Big Champion, described Soluade’s remarks as “reckless, baseless, and politically motivated,” accusing the ADC chairman of seeking cheap publicity and undue relevance.



“The ADC Chairman in Ogun State is nothing more than a comedian looking for attention,” Elewide said. “His statement on Egbaland roads is full of falsehood and mischief. Governor Dapo Abiodun has demonstrated commitment to equitable development across all zones of the state, including Egbaland.”


Governor Abiodun’s Development Record Defended
The CCM leader went on to highlight what he called the Governor’s “strategic and people-centered approach” to infrastructure, noting that several projects in Abeokuta and other Egba communities are either completed or ongoing.

“From the reconstruction of major link roads to the rehabilitation of feeder routes and housing projects, Egbaland has benefited immensely from the Dapo Abiodun administration,” Elewide emphasized. “No responsible leader should downplay these achievements for political showmanship.”

Call for Constructive Opposition
Elewide urged opposition figures in the state to embrace constructive criticism rather than resorting to sensational claims that could incite division.

“Ogun State politics should not be reduced to comedy or blackmail,” he said. “If the ADC Chairman truly cares about the development of Egbaland, he should commend ongoing efforts and offer practical suggestions instead of spreading falsehood.”

Movement Reaffirms Support for the Governor
The Central Coordinate Movement reiterated its support for Governor Abiodun’s administration, commending him for maintaining peace, promoting unity, and ensuring even distribution of resources across Ogun State.

“Prince Dapo Abiodun is a visionary leader whose projects speak louder than political propaganda,” Elewide declared. “We stand firmly with his administration and urge the good people of Egbaland to disregard the ADC Chairman’s laughable outburst.”

Political observers say the exchange underscores the rising tension between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition elements ahead of future electoral contests in the state.

Energy Activists Kick Against Proposed Commission for Decommissioning Oil and Gas Installations

***Warn Agency-Creation Mongers to Allow Crystallisation of Reforms in Oil Sector

Hundreds of placard-carrying activists stormed the streets of Abuja this morning as the Energy Reforms Advocates of Nigeria (ERAN) declared total war on the National Commission for the Decommissioning of Oil and Gas Installations (NC-DOGI) Bill, 2024.

At a press conference, ERAN Executive Director, Comr. Abba Henry, tore into the proposed law, calling it “another feeding bottle for the boys” and “a poisoned dagger aimed at the heart of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).”

“Nigeria is broke. Our debt is choking us. Yet some senators want to birth a brand-new commission that will swallow billions just to watch old pipes rust,” Abba said.

“We already have the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

“They have the staff, the laws, the labs, and the muscle to decommission any platform from Bonny to Forcados.

“Why create a third referee when the field already has two?”

The activists warned that NC-DOGI will only breed confusion, scare investors, and open fresh pipelines for corruption.

“One agency will approve the plan, another will supervise the cutting, and the third will fight over who collects the contractor’s kickback. Investors hate chaos.

“They will simply take their dollars to Ghana,” Abba said.

He reminded reporters that the PIA, signed only four years ago after twenty years of labour, is still settling.

“The ink is still wet. Don’t tear the book to add a new chapter nobody asked for.”

ERAN unveiled a five-word battle cry—“KILL THIS BILL”—and promised to flood the National Assembly gates with petitions, live-stream town halls in every oil community from Eket to Yenagoa, and drag the bill to court if it smells passage.

“Nigerians are awake. We will name and shame every senator who votes for this money-guzzler. History will record their greed,” the director vowed.

Speaking directly to the Senate President and Speaker of the House, Abba issued a blunt ultimatum: “Do not keep it alive. Do not smuggle it.

“Do not rename it. Bury it today so Nigeria can breathe tomorrow.”

CSOs Laud Tinubu’s Imposition of 15% Tariff On Fuel Importation


.....Says FG’s Decision Will End Dumping of Fake Products, Scarcity in Nigeria



A broad coalition of civil-society organisations under the umbrella of the Coalition of Civil Rights Activists has showered unreserved praise on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving a 15% import duty on refined petroleum products, describing the policy as “a watershed decision in the annals of Nigeria’s history” that will finally put an end to the dumping of sub-standard fuels and the perennial scarcity that has plagued the nation for decades.

Speaking at a press conference, the Convener, Mr Agabi Emmanuel, told journalists that the tariff is not a revenue-grab but a “strategic lever” to shield Nigeria’s budding domestic refineries from predatory under-pricing by foreign importers.

“This 15% duty will stop the flood of fake, adulterated products that have destroyed engines, polluted our air and endangered lives,” Emmanuel declared.

“It will also guarantee steady supply because local refineries—Dangote, Port Harcourt, Warri, Kaduna—will now run at full throttle without fear of being undercut by smuggled or below-cost imports.”



Reading from a 23-point communiqué titled “Full Text of Speech by the Coalition of Civil Rights Activists to Laud Mr President on the 15% Petroleum Import Tax”, the coalition insisted that short-term price adjustments at the pump are a small price to pay for long-term energy sovereignty.

Emmanuel dismissed critics who label the policy “pro-monopoly,” stressing that regulatory safeguards already exist to prevent any single player from dominating the market.

“This is about structural transformation, not favoritism,” he said.

The coalition urged the National Assembly to fast-track social compensation packages, including targeted tax relief and cash transfers to cushion vulnerable households.

It also called on the Presidency to publish a transparent implementation timetable and revenue-allocation framework within 14 days.

In a direct appeal to opposition parties, Emmanuel said: “Join hands with Mr President to bury the subsidy ghost forever.

“History will judge those who choose partisan point-scoring over national rebirth.”

International partners were not left out.

The group invited the World Bank, AfDB and technical agencies to provide concessional loans and training to maximise the policy’s upside.

The Convener hailed President Tinubu as “a seer, a unifier, a master strategist and a compassionate leader who truly cares for his people.” He closed with a rallying cry: “Nigerians, remain patient, remain vigilant, remain engaged. From dependence to dignity—that is the promise of this 15% tariff.”

Abiodun Faleke and the Human Face of Politics

By Timothy Hemba Hwande


If politics were to be built up into flesh and bone, one that is fashioned into an individual who could speak, legislate, joke around, and empathise— it would be difficult not to imagine Rt. Hon. (Dr.) James Abiodun Faleke as the first thought of such personification. Different from the usual politics of personal enrichment, Faleke’s narrative reads instead as: managerial expertise brought to bear on the messy business of public life, a temperament that privileges service over spectacle, and a tangible imprint on both his immediate constituency and the broader national tableau.

Faleke’s career did not begin in the give-and-take of partisan politicking; it was forged in the precise world of logistics, procurement and management. His professional apprenticeship—from material management to senior commercial roles—translated into a technocratic poise that later marked his public service.

Faleke is a man who has served his people in multiple capacities: from the foundational level of local government in Lagos (where he was pioneer Executive Secretary and later chairman of Ojodu LCDA), to a sustained presence in the House of Representatives representing Ikeja Federal Constituency since 2011. Those biographical certainties matter because they frame Faleke’s politics as cumulative, in the sense of being a career of small, compounding interventions rather than headline-hungry theatrics.

As regards constituency projects in relation to the margins of governance, Faleke’s record, however, suggests his performances are more than just transactional favours to the people he swore to serve; for him they are instruments of empowerment and social calibration. The “Mega Empowerment” Constituency Outreaches of 2025 saw 240 young men and women from across Ikeja, Ojodu, and Onigbongbo local council areas each receive a ₦100,000 cash grant to support their small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures.

In addition to the cash support, over 400 constituents benefited from a wide range of empowerment tools including tricycles, dispatch motorcycles, freezers, generators, popcorn machines, clippers, grinding machines, and juice extractors. Also, 170 participants were selected to undergo business training sessions designed to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to sustain their ventures.

Upon completion, each trainee will also receive cash grants to launch or expand their businesses. This is undoubtedly a relentless poverty-alleviation and empowerment scheme reaching the grassroots. For Faleke, this isn’t just empowerment—it’s about economic freedom and dignity.

Beyond ephemeral gestures, Faleke has sponsored and championed legislative measures that carry direct benefits to citizens’ welfare. His sponsorship of amendments to the NYSC Act (advocating life-insurance protection for corps members) and motions to tackle security vulnerabilities via the closure of illegal border routes are examples of how constituency sensibilities (safety for families, dignity for young Nigerians) translate into national legislation. These are not merely symbolic acts; they are legislative inflections aimed at securing lives and livelihoods.
Faleke’s influence is not confined to photo-ops, which many of his colleagues are known for.

Within the legislative architecture he has occupied consequential roles, including chairmanships and committee memberships on finance, anti-corruption and public procurement, where technical competence matters. That Faleke has been entrusted with responsibilities like scrutinising budgets, policing procurement, and framing accountability frameworks therefore reflects both peer recognition and a rare confluence of subject-matter familiarity with public policy.

When a representative who understands supply chains and procurement leads oversight of public spending, the risk of waste diminishes and the prospect of more efficient, people-centred expenditure rises. Constituents in Ikeja who see roads repaired, markets supported and youths trained can therefore trace some of those gains to the steadier, often unseen, governance work Faleke performs in committee rooms. Truly, he is replicating the Renewed Hope agenda of President Tinubu well at the constituency level.

What makes Faleke especially compelling, and what has earned him plaudits even from unexpected quarters, is a demonstrated willingness to place principle above opportunism. Accounts of his political journey reveal moments where standing for institutional integrity cost political capital. The 2015 Kogi governorship episode—in which Faleke was Abubakar Audu’s running mate on a ticket that won the majority of votes before Audu’s untimely death and the subsequent legal wrangling—remains illustrative of a politician who is prepared to contest questionable internal party reassignments through judicial means rather than private compromise. That episode was more than a personal dispute; it was a public lesson about the sanctity of the popular mandate.

It is no surprise that the press and civic organisations alike have, in recent years, painted Faleke as a model of “selfless political doctrine”—not because he is immune to ambition, but because his ambition is often tethered to service.
Observers note a politician who cultivates friendships across aisles, who refuses to let parochialism overpower national interest, and who seeks to translate proximity to executive power into tangible benefits for ordinary citizens.

For the record, awards, honours and the soft currency of recognition have also accompanied Faleke’s career. They are not ends in themselves, but they matter in two ways: first, because they reward long-term investment in public service; second, because they amplify the moral narrative that a politician can be both effective and ethically consistent. Communities in Kogi (his state of origin) and Lagos (his political bedrock) have acknowledged his interventions—from infrastructural pledges to educational initiatives—which have cumulatively projected an image of representation that is distributed rather than hoarded for selfish exploits.

However, the exemplary life of Rt. Hon. Faleke has proven that the impact of a single conscientious legislator does not end at local boundaries; it radiates outward.
To be candid, Faleke is not the sort of politician to promise miraculous solutions. He does not traffic in utopian hyperbole; his is a methodical, iterative politics. Such pragmatic disposition is a virtue in a country that needs steady institutional repair rather than rhetorical bravado.

Evaluating his performance dispassionately yields a simple conclusion: Faleke has been effective within the scope of his mandate. He has delivered constituency projects that ease everyday burdens, sponsored laws that protect citizens, and occupied oversight roles that matter for national fiscal health. That combination of local relevance enjoined with national responsibility is the metric by which representative success ought to be judged.

After all, it is believed that politics is not only about statutes and budgets; it is equally an economy of hope. The emotional currency that Faleke pays converts into a form of legitimacy that technical accomplishments alone cannot buy. How does one downplay the effort of a man who is readily available to his constituents in town halls; a man who pushes so hard for the benefits of those even outside his constituency; a man who shows up in markets to connect with his constituency at the grassroots, listening to their needs, consistently drafting and executing plans to make his people’s lives better?


The loyalty from the tongues that shout Faleke’s name in his constituency isn’t one that was bought, but earned on merit, because constituents who feel seen and supported are likelier to trust institutions; when trust rises, social cooperation follows. In this sense, Faleke’s human face of politics is not mere optics; it is an authentic mechanism rebuilt from decades of misgovernance.

Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke should not be mythologised. He is neither infallible nor omnipotent. But he does offer a valuable template: the professionalised politician who grounds legislative activism in managerial competence, who balances constituent intimacy with national duty, and who places principle above ephemeral convenience. In a nation starved for dependable public servants, his presence—the human face of politics—is a restorative sight.

If Nigerian politics is to evolve beyond bigotry, partisanship, and cyclical disappointment, it will require more practitioners like Faleke: men and women for whom patriotism is not a headline but a daily practice, for whom constituency projects are not charity but capacity-building, and for whom committees are laboratories of accountability rather than chambers of complacency. That is the promise, and the provocation, Abiodun Faleke holds up to a nation in search of steadier custodians of the public trust.

Hwande is writing from Ilorin, Kwara State.

“Change of goal post” - FUOYE staff accuse Senator Ndoma-Egba, outgoing VC of recruitment manipulation, petition Tinubu, others




Some members of staff of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) under the aegis of "Fuoye Concerned Staff,” have accused the Chairman of FUOYE'S Governing Council, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and the Vice-Chancellor of the Institution, Prof. Adebayo Fasina of changing the goal post.

A petition titled: “Manipulation, disrespect of the rule of law and change of goal post by the Governing Council Chairman of FUOYE,” was directed to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Education, the Chief of Staff to the President, the Department of State Services, the Inspector General of Police, the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC).


According to the concerned staff members, an advertisement was released on the institution's website on August 1st, 2025 regarding the recruitment into the position of FUOYE's Vice-Chancellor which will be vacant in February 2026.


In the petition signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Concerned Staff members, Olulana Aderemi, they alleged that the Council Chairman and the Vice-Chancellor have decided to manipulate the recruitment process based on facts at their disposal.

They alleged that Senator Ndoma-Egba and Prof. Fasina “deliberately instructed the IT unit of FUOYE to disable email confirmation” for all applicants to prevent any applicant from having any proof of application submission.

They said such a decision will allow them shortly only their candidates and deny receiving applications from candidates not shortlisted, “most especially, those from the outstanding Professors with very high profiles.”

The concerned staff stated that Senator Ndoma-Egba deliberately delayed shortlisting of candidates by six weeks to allow Prof. Fasina who was serving suspension for sexual harassment allegations to resume in order to jointly “manipulate the process to appoint Prof. Joshua Ogunwole,” their preferred candidate as the new VC.

The staff members expressed displeasure on what they described as a short two weeks selection process “Kangaroo timetable designed to hedge out candidates living abroad” from the exercise.

The concerned staff were also bitter about plans to conduct interviews for selected candidates in Abuja instead of within the university campus as it is the usual practice.

Acknowledging that Ekiti State is known to have the highest number of Professors in Nigeria, the concerned staff noted that no Professor of Ekiti descent has ever been a Vice-Chancellor in FUOYE.

They appealed to President Tinubu that an indigenous Vice-Chancellor will understand the current series of challenges facing the institution better than others.

They urge the President to halt the ongoing Vice-Chancellorship selection process, and investigate all allegations against the outgoing VC and the Council Chairman.

*Corruption Allegation: NYCN petitions Tinubu, others to suspend FUOYE VC selection process among other financial, sexual harassment allegations*



The National Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ekiti State chapter, has petitioned President Bola Tinubu to order an immediate suspension of the ongoing Vice-Chancellorship process in the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).

The petition was titled: “Petition against ongoing administrative manipulation, corruption and abuse of due process in the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor at the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).”

The NYCN said to be representing the collective voice and future of Nigerian students and youth appealed to President Tinubu who is also the Visitor to FUOYE to turn his attention to “the grave irregularities, corruption, and coordinated administrative abuse” in FUOYE.

The petition which was jointly signed by the NYCN Ekiti State Chapter Chairman, Amb. James Bankole and its General Secretary, Oluwanifemi Olawale said FUOYE has “fallen into administrative darkness under the combined manipulation” of the Governing Council's Chairman, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina.

The NYCN urged the President to take a “firm, decisive and transparent actions” to save FUOYE from “total institutional collapse.”

The NYCN lamented that the new Vice-Chancellor selection process “was designed to produce a predetermined” and preferred candidate of the Council Chairman and the outgoing VC in person of Prof. Joshua Ogunwole.

They stated the Council shrunk the whole selection process to two weeks, from Thursday 23rd October to Thursday 6th November, 2025, a timeframe they said was too short the selection committee to produce a credible candidate from the over 100 applicants.

They said such selection process in other Federal institutions take between six to eight weeks to complete.

The NYCN leadership lamented that FUOYE has in recent years become the “epicentre of disturbing governance decay.”

They alleged that with their “the toxic alliance” Senator Ndoma-Egba and Prof. Fasina has turned the university into a “personal empire, weaponizing the Governing Council for self enrichment, manipulation and the cover-up of corrupt acts.

The NYCN alleged that the Council Chairman has jettisoned due process and accountability for “corruption, impunity and reckless abuse of power” at the University.

Allegation of “calculated conspiracy to loot, conceal and perpetuate illegality” were levelled against the Senator of the VC.

They frowned at the fact that the Governing Council Chairman has relocated all council and committees meetings to Abuja since assuming office as against ministerial directive that such meetings should be held within the university campus.

They described such a decision as misuse of public funds which could have been used to fund accreditation exercises.

Among the corruption allegations was the approval of ₦128 million “Research leave” by the Vice-Chancellor for himself with the approval of the Council Chairman.

The petition also alleged the acquisition of a ₦700 million property in Ilupeju-Ekiti, an acquisition they said was grossly inflated at a time when staff welfare was deteriorating, disregard for institution's accreditation need and with a crashing of FUOYE's Internally Generated Revenue from ₦2 billion to under ₦50 million.

The petition also frowned at the deliberate suppression of a sex allegation level by one Engr. Folashade Adebayo against the outgoing VC among other sexual cover-ups.

“Our comprehensive findings have exposed a long-standing culture of sexual predation, intimidation and cover-ups within the institution.

“These are not isolated incidents; they are systemic, normalised abuses of power.”

The petition calls for immediate suspension of Prof. Fasina pending investigation, constitution of independent panel to investigate all sexual harassment allegations, immediate removal of Senator Ndoma-Egba as Chairman Governing Council, suspension of all current activities of committee relating to the vice chancellor selection process, comprehensive audit of FUOYE's Finances among others.

Included on the petition list were the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, Minister of Youth Development, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) among others.

The Upgrading of S.L Akintola International Airport Ibadan, a Dream Come True

By Bagudu Abdullah, Aviation Analyst






The transformation of S.L. Akintola International Airport in Ibadan into a world-class facility marks a monumental milestone for Oyo State, fulfilling a long-held dream for residents and travelers alike. At the forefront of this visionary project is Governor Seyi Makinde, whose forward-thinking leadership has turned ambition into reality. Before embarking on the ambitious international upgrade, Governor Makinde demonstrated his commitment by supporting the efficient running of the local terminal airport operations.



Governor Makinde's vision extends far beyond the transformative advantages for Ibadan and Oyo State as a whole. The upgraded airport will boost connectivity, attracting direct international flights that open doors to global trade, tourism, and investment opportunities. Local businesses, from agriculture exporters to hospitality providers, stand to gain immensely as easier access draws visitors and fosters economic growth. Enhanced cargo handling will streamline the movement of goods, reducing costs and stimulating job creation in aviation, logistics, and related sectors. Moreover, the project aligns with broader state goals of modernization and good roads network positioning Ibadan as a key hub in Nigeria's aviation landscape and alleviating pressure on Lagos airports, ultimately elevating the quality of life for Oyo indigenes through improved infrastructure and prosperity.The Federal Government through FAAN needs to be appreciated for all their efforts at every stage of the project







No account of this airport's revival would be complete without honouring Senator Rilwan Adesoji Akanbi, whose pivotal role in its earlier resurrection of the local terminal cannot be overstated. Prior to his election as Senator in 2015, the S.L. Akintola Airport was in a state of severe decay plagued by obsolete equipment, leaking roofs, and overall neglect that even led to it being flagged as substandard for local operations. Upon entering the Senate, Senator Akanbi channeled his influence and expertise to champion its remodeling. Leveraging his deep knowledge of aviation as Chairman of Dynasty Airline, he spearheaded efforts to reconstruct the local terminal to top standard .



Senator Akanbi's connections proved instrumental in this turnaround, particularly his rapport with then-Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika. Through persistent advocacy and strategic partnerships, Akanbi facilitated the necessary interventions that halted the airport's decline and set the stage for future expansions. His hands-on approach, informed by years in the industry, ensured the remodeling was comprehensive and forward-looking. Kudus needs to be given to the minister of Aviation Sen Hadi Sirika for his support in making sure the project was completed and commissioned by 19th of May , 2019. Today, as the airport ascends to international prominence under Governor Makinde's stewardship, Akanbi's foundational contributions remain a testament to selfless service, inspiring continued progress for Oyo State's aviation sector.

Group indicts FUOYE Council Chairman on appointment of VC.

...urges EFCC, ICPC to investigate alleged corruption



A non-profit group, Campus Concern Network (CCN), has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission to investigate an alleged financial misappropriation and imposition of Vice Chancellor at Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).

The group also allegedly indicted the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, (FUOYE) Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, in the process of appointing the next Vice Chancellor of the University.

The Convener of the group, Comrade Kamal Odunjo-Saka, in a petition he addressed to the Chairman, National Universities Commission (NUC) also copied the anti-corruption bodies.

The group reiterated urgent need to put search lights on alleged escalating corruption and financial misconduct at FUOYE under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina and other principal officers.

Other principal officers that were allegedly mentioned in the petition include the University Bursar, Mrs. Adekemisola Adebolanle Debo-Ajagunna, and former Director of IPTS, Dr Adeleke Omolade, and the Head of the Procurement Unit, Mr. Vincent Ateniola.




The petition reads: "in active collaboration with the current Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, is orchestrating a manipulated and compromised process for the appointment of the next Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).

Odunjo-Saka said that their plan, as widely observed and substantiated by recent administrative actions, was to install Prof. Joshua Ogunwole as the next Vice Chancellor, not through a fair and competitive process but through a pre-determined arrangement designed to protect and perpetuate the corrupt practices and misdeeds of the current leadership.

"A clear indicator of this manipulation is founded in the schedule of Council activities toward the appointment of the next Vice Chancellor, which shows that the entire process is slated to run from Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025 to Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, a period of barely two weeks.

"Such a compressed and unrealistic timeframe is inconsistent with the established procedures and timelines governing Vice Chancellorship appointments in federal universities.

"It is inconceivable that a genuine and transparent process for appointing a Vice Chancellor, a position that determines the academic and administrative direction of a university could be meaningfully and credibly conducted within two weeks.

"The only logical explanation for this haste is that the outcome has already been predetermined and that Professor Joshua Ogunwole has been selected in advance to serve as a continuation of the current regime's influence, ensuring that the fraudulent activities, abuse of office, and financial improprieties under the present administration remain concealed and unchallenged.

"This deliberate manipulation represents a gross violation of due process, an assault on institutional integrity, and a betrayal of the trust placed on the University Governing Council to ensure transparency, merit, and fairness in such critical appointments,"he said.

He further stated that despite the strong warning and clear directive from the Honourable Minister of Education that all Governing Council activities should be conducted within the university premises, the Council Chairman, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, has continued to take the governance of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) to Abuja.

He alleged that only one meeting has been held in the university since his assumption as the council chairman, while all subsequent meetings have taken place in Abuja, resulting in the other avoidable expenses.

"The magnitude of these financial discrepancies, while shocking, is only a fraction of the pervasive corruption and illicit transactions that occur within FUOYE.

"Upon returning from forced leave on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, the Vice Chancellor took steps to replace the newly appointed director, seemingly to consolidate his control over the university's administration and finances.

"This action blatantly disregarded university regulations regarding appointment timelines and processes, further entrenching a culture of impunity.

"The former director of IPTS, Dr. Leke Omolade, overstayed his maximum tenure of two years and remained in office for over four years for corruption purposes.

"To avoid backlash from the university community, the Vice Chancellor upon resumption reappointed him as the Director of Distance Learning, a position that granted him access to the part-time institute's financial dealings, thereby perpetuating the corruption cycle.

"In light of these serious allegations and the overwhelming evidence presented, we urge anti-corruption agencies to take immediate and decisive action.

"It is crucial that the Vice Chancellor, who is set to travel out of country even before the completion of his tenure, be held accountable, and we strongly advise that every embezzled or stolen fund be retrieved.

"This petition should not be treated as submitted by other concerned individuals and groups in the past.

"Furthermore, we plead that your actions align with the mandate of President Bola Tinubu's renewed hope initiative. This alignment reinforces our commitment to transparency, accountability, and integrity within our educational institutions, "he said.

The group call on the anti-corruption bodies to advise the Minister of Education and all relevant oversight agencies to alt the ongoing Vice Chancellorship selection process pending a full-scale investigation.

"Also, the Ministry of Education and the Accountant General of the Federation to set up a joint committee involving all internal stakeholders (Unions, etc.) for a forensic audit and fact-finding mission, with the findings to be made public.

"The integrity of our educational institutions and the faith of the public in their governance depends on your actions.

"We must not allow the current corrupt culture to remain unchallenged. Justice and transparency must prevail to ensure accountability of those who abuse their positions for personal gain, "he said.

Odunjo-Saka noted that FUOYE, in recent years, has been plagued by allegations of financial improprieties that have not only impacted the university's reputation, but have also adversely affected the educational experience of students.

According to him, despite the efforts of various bodies of oversight, it appears that the perpetrators of the corrupt acts continue to operate with a sense of impunity. Their blatant disregard for the law raises serious concerns regarding the effectiveness of the mechanisms of oversight.

"It is with a heavy heart and sense of urgency that I bring to your attention the deeply entrenched corrupt practices that undermine the integrity of our educational institutions and erode public trust in governance.

"It has come to our attention that, following investigations by your offices, the individuals implicated in these corrupt activities return to FUOYE with a sense of bravado, declaring that no matter their actions, they are beyond the reach of the law.

"This sentiment is not unfounded; they demonstrate a clear understanding of how to manipulate systems and evade accountability, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, "he said.

Odunjo-Saka added that findings from internal audits compliance on all payments in 2023 accounting year outlined series of grievous infractions committed by the individuals within the university administration.

He noted that some of the findings include unauthorised payments whereby numerous transactions have been executed without the necessary approvals, contravening established financial protocols.

"Alarmingly, payments were made before the completion of the pre-audit procedures, indicating a pattern of negligence or collusion.

"The lack of valuation certificates for various contracts signifies disregard for due diligence and financial oversight. This raises critical questions about the legitimacy of universities' expenditures and large numbers of improper payment practices.

"This includes duplicated payments vouchers, suggesting a deliberate attempt to misappropriate funds. Such actions not only constitute fraud but also undermine the university's financial integrity.

"Several payments were executed prior to the necessary pre-audit procedures, further demonstrating a lack of adherence to financial protocols. There were instances where payments were made without the required formal approval from the Vice Chancellor, compromising the integrity of the financial management process, "he alleged.

He noted that the audit highlighted that several procurement items reported were either nonexistent or not acquired by university management.

Odunjo-Saka said that the audit report allegedly revealed a procurement of laptops for some departments at the Ikole campus in 2024 that were never purchased. Instead, the funds allocated for the procurement were diverted for personal use by individuals at the university's financial management helm.

"This situation is further exacerbated by the findings of the Assessment Committee of the Institute of Part-Time Studies from 2021 to October 2024.

"Findings from April 14 to October 14, 2025 have been raising questions about the legitimacy of these fuel expenditures.

"This situation appears to be linked to a "ghost building' where diesel is supposedly utilised. The scale of diesel fraud is alarming, as the volume of diesel reported as used by the university each month is excessively high.

"Furthermore, there are numerous other items that have been claimed to be purchased but do not actually exist. This pattern of financial misconduct not only undermines the integrity of the institution but also poses significant risks to its operational sustainability, "he said.

Exclusive: Real Reasons Why APC Rejected Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal

***Why PDP Members Are Abandoning Governor’s Party,

***Other Details Inclusive
By Fatima Bello



Fresh facts have emerged on why the All Progressives Congress (APC) outrightly rejected overtures from Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State to join its ranks.

The governor, it was gathered, has been branded a “political liability” whose entry would “spell doom” for the party’s prospects in the North-West ahead of the 2027 elections.

This firm stance comes amid a torrent of defections from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with key lawmakers, ward leaders, and even a gubernatorial-backed candidate abandoning ship, citing the governor’s “woeful failures” in governance as the primary catalyst.

Sources close to the APC’s state and national leadership, speaking exclusively to Aljazirah on condition of anonymity, revealed that Governor Lawal’s repeated lobbying attempts – including a high-stakes meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa earlier this week – were met with outright dismissal.

“The governor’s administration has presided over unprecedented insecurity, infrastructural decay, and economic stagnation,” one senior APC figure confided.

“Welcoming him would not only tarnish our image but also alienate our growing youth base, who see him as the architect of Zamfara’s woes.”

The APC’s rejection is rooted in several damning indictments against Lawal’s two-year tenure.

First, his alleged ties to controversial figures from past administrations, including former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and ex-Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, have raised red flags about potential corruption probes.

Insiders claim Lawal’s defection bid is less about ideology and more about seeking a “soft landing” from federal anti-graft agencies like the EFCC and ICPC, which have reportedly been sniffing around his financial dealings.

Second, the governor’s handling of the state’s security crisis – a perennial albatross in banditry-plagued Zamfara – has been lambasted as politicized incompetence.

Despite campaign promises to eradicate banditry “within two months,” attacks have intensified, with military withdrawals from key bases attributed to Abuja’s distrust of his administration.

The governor has been accused of “hypocritically” blaming federal forces while his failures drive PDP defections, while “members are fleeing a party under a leader who lacks direction.”

Compounding these issues is Lawal’s alleged misuse of state funds on political vendettas, including a reported ₦4 billion sunk into a failed by-election bid for a PDP candidate who promptly defected to the APC afterward.

The governor has been slammed for his “reckless spending on futile pursuits,” which exemplifies the “incompetence” defining his rule.

Several groups had cautioned that Lawal’s record – marked by unpaid salaries, institutional breakdowns, and a surge in banditry – makes him “unfit for the ruling party’s fold.”

As the APC fortifies its barriers, the PDP in Zamfara is hemorrhaging members at an alarming rate, with defections accelerating over the past fortnight.

The most high-profile exit came on Tuesday when Hon. Maharazu Salisu, representing Maradun II Constituency in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, led a mass crossover to the APC at the party’s Gusau secretariat.

Flanked by five PDP ward chairmen – including Ahmad Lawal of Gidan Goga Ward, Sanusi Ahmad Liman of Tsibiri Ward, and Lawal Mohammed of Kaya Ward – Salisu lambasted Lawal for “abandoning loyalists” and failing to deliver on core pledges like security and constituency projects.

“My constituents summoned me; they’ve seen no dividends of democracy under this PDP,” Salisu declared, vowing that his move signals the “end of Lawal’s grip on the assembly.”

This follows a pattern of betrayals: Last week, former PDP by-election candidate Muhammad Lawal Kuryar Madaro – whom sources say Lawal bankrolled with billions – defected, blaming “rising insecurity and leadership drift.”

Earlier, Hon. Maharazu Faru (Maradun II) cited “neglect and unfulfilled promises” in his jump to the APC, accompanied by hundreds of supporters.

Reports now swirl of seven more PDP lawmakers poised to follow, potentially slashing Lawal’s assembly allies to just four – a precarious minority that could trigger impeachment proceedings.

APC State Chairman Hon. Tukur Danfulani Maikatako hailed the influx as proof that “Zamfara will soon be entirely APC,” crediting ex-governors Bello Matawalle and Abdulaziz Yari for “shrinking the PDP through superior vision.”

Governor Lawal, who jetted to Abuja post-defections for crisis talks with Tinubu, has downplayed the turmoil.

Yet, insiders paint a grimmer picture: Late-night huddles with wavering lawmakers reveal a governor in “panic mode,” desperate to stem the bleed before it erodes his re-election bid.

Other details emerging from our probe paint a state on the brink. The APC’s assembly dominance (now 13 seats to PDP’s 11) has stalled Lawal’s ₦545 billion 2025 budget, deemed “illegal” for procedural lapses amid suspended members.  

Groups raise alarm on Oyebanji as consensus candidate


A Coalition of Civil Society Groups (COCSG), has raised alarm on the choice of Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji as the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

The coalition raised the alarm at a news conference convened to address the disturbing and undemocratic developments within the APC in Ekiti State ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial elections.

The coalition at the conference with the theme: "State of democracy and party politics in Nigeria: the Ekiti state example" was addressed by Comrade Oladimeji Olatunji, President, Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria on behalf of 10 other society groups.

It said that if the Ekiti saga goes unaddressed, it may spell doom for our democracy and threaten the peace, unity, and democratic advancement of the nation.

"In this circumstance, we strongly bring to bear the consequences of hegemonic manipulation politics as a monster to the establishment of credible leadership and good governance in Nigeria.

"We are therefore compelled to ask: Where then lies the democratic value of the ruling party in leading the nation to a save ground of leadership purpose where democracy and rule of law takes preeminence in our internal system?

"The second issue of concern is the non-performance of the sitting Governor and the subsequent imposition of a consensus adoption of his candidacy as the party’s flag bearer.

"We are not unaware of the provision for the consensus candidate in the Constitution of All Progressives Congress as a political party, but not when such an approach deviate from the decent and the guiding rules of the Constitution.

"The kind of consensus that gave birth to Governor Biodun Oyebanji as APC 2026 gubernatorial candidate, is not only questionable, but lacks credibility and ingredients of internal democracy and its inherent democratic ingredients.

"The coalition finds it unfortunate that rather than allowing a transparent contest of ideas and competence, the APC party machinery in Ekiti state has chosen to endorse mediocrity over merit.

"Ekiti people deserve progress, not retrogression and propaganda. The Governor’s administration has failed to deliver on key sectors such as education, healthcare, job creation, and infrastructure, as such not qualify to be returned to the seat of power.

"The negative situations in Ekiti State, speaks volumes of the spineless disposition of the current government in Ekiti State in delivering democratic dividends to the people, all of which are now shadows of what they used to be. Yet, the party leadership has opted to reward failure with automatic re-nomination."

Speaking further, the coalition decried the discrimination and false allegations against other aspirants, while it condemned in strong terms, the deliberate marginalization and humiliation of other aspirants within the party.

"It is disheartening that the APC leadership in the state has gone to the extent of discrediting the nomination forms submitted by some aspirants, falsely alleging that their sponsors and signatories are not party members.

"This is unthinkable, especially when the so called non-members were aspirants in the same party some years ago.

"This baseless accusation is a direct assault on the principles of truth and fairness that should guide the operation of a political party. The political charade in the Ekiti APC only exposed the extent to which impunity has taken root within the state party structure in Nigeria."

The coalition, however, warned on the effects of the imposition on the political fortune of President Bola Tinubu, particularly in Ekiti State.

"This is a strong signal that APC is not a party replete with respect for the rule of law and democratic order within the confine of her body polity. If party members and the general electorate perceive APC as unjust, intolerant, and insensitive to fairness.

"The resultant voter apathy and protest votes could undermine the electoral prospects of the party and further reduce quality participation of the citizens of Nigeria in any process of politics, which is, but not limited to discouraging the voters in expressing their democratic wishes in the system.

"The anticipated second term bid of President Tinubu can as well be greeted with indisposition of people, who are despaired of prosperity under the regime that places value of manipulation above fairness and transparency.

"Ekiti is historically a politically conscious state of intelligentsia. Any attempt to subvert the people’s will can only yield resentment, division, and rejection at the polls."

The coalition therefore call on President Bola Tinubu, as the father of the party and a foremost advocate of democracy, to urgently intervene in the unfolding crisis in Ekiti APC.

It further urged the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to review the selection of Governor Oyebanji as consensus candidate of the party and allow internal politics to thrive, saying that an imposition can't be labeled consensus. It is a failure of leadership.

It also called on all the stakeholders in Nigeria; the media, party members, religious bodies, trade unions and traditional leaders, youths and women organizations to rise and speak up and act in defense of democracy in Nigeria by making Ekiti State a veritable testing ground for the correction of political anomalies in the Ekiti state democratic process.

"History will not forgive our silence when democracy is under threat and self-annihilation of desperate politicians whose democratic expediency is rooted in impunity.
Democracy must work for the people, not for the privileged few,"it stated.

Other civil society groups are: Comrade Oladimeji Olakunle Olatunji— President, COCSG Okpanachi Jacob — Secretary, COCSG
(Social Transparency and Youth Leadership Advancement)
Kennedy Tabuko — Public Relations Officer, COCSG
(Niger Delta Democratic Initiative)
Igwe Casmir — Centre for Education and Leadership Studies in Africa
Anuna Emeka Emmanuel — Movement for Justice and Equity in Nigeria
Bright Nwaogwugwu — Social Accountability Initiative
Mr Adamu Bakwo — Zero Tolerance Anti-Corruption Network
Andy Benedicta Tanko— Young Democratic Initiative, Nigeria
Comrade Mike Femi — Civil Society Transparency and Accountability Advocacy Centre
Emmanuel Abah — Social Accountability and Environmental Sustainability Initiative

GOVERNANCE FAILURE IN KWARA AND WHY APC MAY LOSE THE STATE

By Tope Musbau

There is heightened tension in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, resulting from the feeling of foreboding failure, frustrations and despair.

While, many other States of the federation that are at the centre of governance are busy counting their gains and beating their chest believing that they will have a landslide victory in the forthcoming 2027 general elections, and indeed any other election, party men and women of the APC family in Kwara State are hiding their faces in shame and despondency because the state governor, Gov AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has performed abysmally poor, and seems unredeemable, because he has earned for himself the unenviable reputation of a serial failure in Kwara state, even after spending seven solid years with nothing to show for it.

Lean years of total governance failure, characterized by ineptitude and inability of his government to perform its basic functions, leading to a collapse of the rule of law, economy, and social services.

Little wonder then at the level of insecurity and the widespread criminal activities, and general avoidable violence witnessed in the state.

For those seven years, the governor has failed to provide essential services such as healthcare, education, sanitation, and infrastructure, resulting in dire living conditions for citizen, choosing rather to mismanage the economy, leading to localized hyperinflation, unemployment, poverty, and a significant decline in the standard of living, occasioned basically by widespread corruption, cronyism, and nepotism, eroding public trust in government institutions.

Unfortunately, inspite all entreaties from well-meanining individuals and party men, Governor AbdulRazaq has consistently remained adamant, unfazed, and unwilling to hold public officials accountable for their actions, as he himself is culpable, leading to impunity and further governance decay.

A system of state sponsored repression pervades, limiting citizen's right, occasioning outrage, and loss of public trust and confidence in his government.

Obviously, Governor AbdulRahman, has woefully failed to deliver on campaign promises, but has instead replaced them with excuses, poor performance in office, and perceived corruption thereby eroding the trust of the electorates.

His lack of clear or convincing policy direction has led to voter disillusionment, while the lack of people based leadership is generating internal conflicts, and disconnect between party leaders and the electorate, undermining the party's appeal, leading to inadequate messaging, ineffective use of media, and poor voter engagement affecting grassroots mobilization and support.

It is becoming clearer by the day, that a strong, well-organized, and effective opposition can capitalize on the incumbent governor's weaknesses and sway voters.

Unfortunately, Governor AbdulRazaq is unlike most of the other Governors, much money has been coming into the cofers of the state government, both from the federation account and the state internally generated revenue.

For instance, in the past two years, Kwara State disbursement from the federation account has been consistently above 110 Billion Naira, which has grown from N42.87 billion in 2022 coupled with a huge about 5.7 Billion monthly IGR, giving no room for his excuses and terrible failures.

Governor AbdulRahman has been in office since 2019 and has failed to implement various initiatives aimed at improving the state's economy, infrastructure, and social services.

His failure to invest in revenue-generating infrastructure, promote efficient tourism and agriculture, and provide job opportunities for the youths has greatly undermined the security of the state, dwarfing its growth and sustainable development, making Kwara State perpetually a state historically heavily reliant on federal allocations.

An ineptitude Incarnate and corruption Connoisseur, Governor AbdulRazaq's visionless leadership of over seven has done kwara state much damage and fostered evil, erasing all past gains and driving it back to the coldroom of regression.

A resolute accountability avoider, and master of evasion, Governor AbdulRahman's inability to inspire development has become a significant threat to the survival of the APC in Kwara state, especially when the state's current situation is compared with the past or with neighboring states who are not collecting such huge amount from the federation disbursement.

His inability to inspire development in the last seven years has indeed become a clear threat to the survival of the APC.

It is certain that the state may reject the APC if AbdulRahman is seen to be backing any candidate.

Here lies the urgent and crucial imperative and a patriotic call for an independent and neutral progressive minded person to step forward to lead, and as well rescue the APC and align it with the performing strides of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the centre.
A stitch in time, saves nine!


Musbau wrote this piece from Tanke, Ilorin.

2027: Fear Grips Zamfara Gov Dauda Lawal, Plans to Meet President Tinubu Amid Concerns Over Re-election Bid and Governance Failures



Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State is reportedly preparing to meet with President Bola Tinubu today, fearing the loss of his re-election bid due to a mass defection of key Peoples Democratic Party members.

On Tuesday, he lost another PDP state House of Assembly member, Hon. Maharazu Salisu (representing Maradun II, also known locally as Hon. Faru), to the All Progressives Congress.

This follows a similar defection just one week ago, when another PDP candidate – on whom Lawal had reportedly spent over ₦4 billion during a by-election – also switched to the APC, citing poor governance and growing dissatisfaction among the masses with Lawal’s leadership.

The governor now faces a hostile state assembly, where the APC already controls 13 out of 24 seats.

Sources say seven more PDP members are poised to defect, which would leave Lawal with only four loyalists – potentially paving the way for impeachment.

In a tense meeting with lawmakers on Monday, Lawal reportedly admitted his fears of losing power, claiming that even if defeated in 2027, he has “international options.”

He allegedly revealed ownership of properties in London, Dubai, the US, and Germany, suggesting he could relocate abroad if ousted.

Adding to his isolation, the Northern APC Stakeholders Forum has firmly rejected any possibility of welcoming Lawal into the party.

Forum chairman Alhaji Adamu Musa stated: “We will accept any governor who serves the people, but Dauda Lawal’s record is one of abject failure.

“His entry would spell doom for the APC, triggering a mass exodus. Insecurity is rampant, infrastructure is decaying, and public trust is shattered – we cannot associate with such woeful performance.”

Musa described Lawal’s governance as “a deliberate erosion of progress,” leaving Zamfara “economically stagnant, socially divided, and politically stifled.”

Hon. Maharazu Salisu announced his move at the APC State Secretariat in Gusau, blaming “pressure from constituents” over the PDP’s failure to deliver on campaign promises.

“My people summoned me and said the ruling PDP has neglected us,” he said.

“Despite my efforts, my constituency has seen no projects or appointments.”

Salisu brought with him PDP leaders from five wards – Faru/Magami, Gidan Goga, Kaya, Tsibiri, and Gora – plus another in Maradun town.

APC State Chairman Hon. Tukur Danfulani Maikatako welcomed them, declaring: “In the next few weeks, Zamfara will be entirely APC.”

He praised APC leaders like Senator Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar and Minister Bello Mohammed Matawalle for their empowerment programs, saying: “We assure all defectors they will be treated equally and given every opportunity to contribute to the party’s growth.”

Unity in Celebration: OMO-ADE Extends Warm Felicitations on Odun Omo Olowu Festival


By Solanke Ayomideji Taiwo




In a vibrant display of culture and tradition, Alhaji Yisa Ismaila Adebayo, widely known as OMO-ADE, has extended heartfelt congratulations to the sons and daughters of Owu land on the occasion of the annual Odun Omo Olowu festival. As the community comes together to celebrate this significant cultural event, OMO-ADE emphasizes the essential role of unity in fostering development and progress within the kingdom. His message resonates with the spirit of togetherness that the festival embodies, reinforcing the bonds that hold the community together.



During the festivities, OMO-ADE also took the opportunity to greet the Olowu of Owu, Oba Saka Adelola Matemilola, commending his leadership and commitment to the advancement of Owu land. He encouraged the people to rally behind their monarch in his developmental initiatives, which aim to elevate the kingdom to new heights. By fostering collaboration between community leaders and citizens, OMO-ADE views the festival as a perfect platform to strengthen the ties that bind Owu's diverse inhabitants.



OMO-ADE's message serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving traditions while embracing modernity. The Odun Omo Olowu festival is not only a celebration of the past but also a beacon of hope for a prosperous future. In his address, OMO-ADE highlighted the significance of cultural celebrations in maintaining the identity of the community and fostering a sense of pride among its members.



In conclusion, Alhaji Yisa Ismaila Adebayo's heartfelt felicitations at the Odun Omo Olowu festival echo the sentiments of unity and progress for Owu land. As the community revels in its rich heritage, may the spirit of togetherness inspire all to work collaboratively towards the shared goal of development and prosperity, under the esteemed leadership of Oba Saka Adelola Matemilola.

Celebrating Leadership: A Special Birthday Tribute to Engr. Taiwo Oludotun — Alhaji Yisa Ismaila Adebayo OMOADE



Solanke Ayomideji Taiwo







On Saturday, October 25, 2025, the commissioner for forestry in Ogun State, Engr. Taiwo Oludotun, received heartfelt congratulations and warm wishes on his birthday from Alhaji Yisa Ismaila Adebayo OMOADE, a prominent leader and community advocate. The celebration marked not just the passing of another year but also recognized the invaluable contributions Engr. Oludotun has made towards the sustainable development of forestry and environmental conservation in the state.





Alhaji OMOADE, in a heartfelt message, praised Engr. Oludotun for his unwavering commitment to enhancing the state’s green landscapes and promoting eco-friendly initiatives. "Your dedication to the forestry sector has not only improved our environment but has also laid the foundation for future generations to enjoy the beauty and benefits of our natural resources," he remarked. The celebration was attended by dignitaries, community leaders, and residents, all of whom expressed their gratitude for Oludotun’s tireless efforts in promoting sustainable forestry practices.





The event highlighted several of Oludotun’s key achievements, including the successful implementation of reforestation projects, public awareness campaigns on the importance of forest preservation, and strategic partnerships with local stakeholders to boost agroforestry development. Guests shared stories of Engr. Oludotun’s interventions that have positively impacted their communities, underscoring the profound influence of effective leadership on local environments and economies.





As the day came to a close, Alhaji OMOADE and other attendees raised their glasses in a toast to Engr. Taiwo Oludotun, wishing him many more years of good health, wisdom, and continued success in his noble endeavors. The celebration served as a reminder of the vital role that dedicated leaders play in fostering sustainable growth and preserving the natural heritage of Ogun State for all to enjoy.

REP. KALAMBAINA AND HIS RARE PARLIAMENTARY LEADERSHIP

By Idris Aminu

Among the very few names that resonate very loudly and command profound respect in the politics of the ancient Caliphate is Rep. Ahmad Abdullahi Kalambaina, the distinguished Honourable Member representing Kware/Wamakko Federal Constituency with unwavering dedication and exceptional prowess.

Known for his unparalleled grassroots mobilisation and far-reaching positive impact, Hon. Kalambaina is highly favoured and widely celebrated for his high-scale performance that touches directly and profoundly on the well-being, empowerment, and sustainable economic development of his constituents in every corner of the constituency.

As the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Rep. Kalambaina has demonstrated rare, exemplary, and visionary parliamentary leadership, earning him the deepest respect, admiration, and unwavering loyalty of his peers, colleagues, and constituents alike.

A true champion of constituency development and grassroots empowerment, Rep. Kalambaina’s deliberate, intentional, and consistent commitment to his constituency is vividly evident in his tireless efforts to secure critical projects, vital resources, and transformative interventions for Kware/Wamakko, re-echoing a determined, passionate, and positive dedication to improving their lives on multiple fronts, and earning him the exemplary, well-deserved reputation of a responsive, effective, and people-centered leader.

The Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Rep. Kalambaina plays a leading, critical, and highly evident role in shaping Nigeria’s defence policies with strategic insight, showcasing his deep expertise, invaluable experience, and authoritative voice in defence matters during various committee deliberations, hearings, and national security discussions. His various people-oriented projects stand out as a positive beacon of light, hope, and a pacesetter for others to emulate with enthusiasm and determination.

Hon. Kalambaina has initiated numerous remarkable, impactful, and developmental projects in his constituency, boldly building four separate road projects in Wamakko and Kware to enhance connectivity and economic activities, and constructing over twenty solar-powered water boreholes across various communities to ensure reliable access to clean water and improve public health.

To decisively ease the menace of infrastructural deficits in public schools within his constituency and promote educational excellence, Hon. Kalambaina built several modern schools and reconstructed various public schools with state-of-the-art facilities, including a fully equipped laboratory science facility at Kalambaina Secondary School in Wamakko Local Government aimed at enhancing research, providing practical science education to the citizens, and complementing the State Government’s commendable efforts toward boosting the education sector in Sokoto State.

A diligent, articulate, and passionate parliamentarian, his various insightful inputs and laudable contributions both at plenaries and as the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Defence have played a notable, influential, and pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s defence policies with clarity and foresight.

His doggedness, proactive representation, and unyielding commitment to developing his constituency, along with the renewed hope and tangible progress he has brought to his people, have earned him widespread praise, glowing accolades, and heartfelt endorsements from many, including Governor Ahmed Aliyu and Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.

An astute, dynamic, and transformational leader, Hon. Kalambaina’s outstanding leadership style is rapidly and positively transforming his constituency in profound ways, while his exceptional skill, strategic ability, and insightful congruence have secured numerous high-impact projects, timely interventions, and substantial resources for his constituency, vividly demonstrating his unmatched effectiveness as a representative

.As a dedicated member, Rep. Kalambaina always goes home to his constituency on a weekly basis without fail, ensuring that the pulse of his people's needs beats in sync with every decision he makes in Abuja. His doors are always open to everyone, from the humblest farmer in the remotest village to the bustling trader in the heart of Kware, inviting all to share their joys, burdens, and aspirations with unbridled freedom and genuine warmth.

This weekly ritual of homecoming is a profound testament to his deep-rooted humility, transforming him into a living bridge between the corridors of power and the everyday struggles of his constituents, fostering an unbreakable bond of trust and intimacy that few leaders dare to cultivate.

In almost every three months, Rep. Kalambaina conducts empowerment initiatives that have a direct bearing on the growth and self-reliance of his constituency. These quarterly programs are meticulously planned and generously funded, including skill acquisition workshops for youth, micro-credit schemes for women entrepreneurs, agricultural toolkits for farmers, and health outreach for vulnerable families, all tailored to ignite sustainable livelihoods and shatter the chains of poverty.

This is hardly done by any member from his state, let alone the nation; while others make sporadic promises, Hon. Kalambaina delivers consistent revolutions every ninety days, lifting thousands from subsistence to surplus and earning him widespread acclaim as a true pacesetter.

Little wonder then that as a powerful testament to his immense popularity, the unshakeable trust, and the absolute confidence of his constituents in his focus, intentionality, and delivery, he secured a very resounding and historic victory in the recent bye-election with a landslide 31,288 votes, convincingly defeating his closest opponent, Alhaji Aminu Bello Kware of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who managed a distant 7,205 votes.

A symbol of hope, progress, and an amplification of true, authentic representation, Rep. Ahmad’s leadership in the House of Representatives is a clear reflection of his deep dedication to public service, his unwavering commitment to the overall development of Sokoto State, and his passion for uplifting his people.

As Rep. Ahmad Abdullahi Kalambaina continues to represent his constituency with distinction and vigour, he remains a notable, influential figure in Nigerian politics, a beacon of inspiration for emerging leaders, and a shining light leading thousands out of poverty to prosperity, opportunity, and sustainable growth.

Aminu PhD is an academic writing from Federal University Dutsinma.

Dauda Lawal: Between Leadership Award and Zamfara Reality

By Silas Ajogwu



There are moments when public honours become mirrors that doesn’t reflect virtue but to magnify dissonance. Governor Dauda Lawal’s recent acclamation as “Governor of the Year” by Leadership newspapers should, in a sane political economy, invite sober celebration only if the facts on the ground corroborate the plaudits. But in Zamfara, where villages are sacked, whole communities flee in fear, educational system keep declining in the wake of violence, and mass abductions have become grim headlines, the award reads less like recognition than a rhetorical conjuring trick. The editorial board that printed the accolade owes Nigerians an apology for easily being misled: how did the red ink miss the echoes of wailings and the river of bloods that flow through Zamfara today?

Let us begin with the unassailable facts. Over the past months, and indeed years, Zamfara has been one of the epicentres of Nigeria’s northwestern security catastrophe. Evidently, reports from reputable international media and rights groups have documented catastrophic violence like brutal mass killings in mining towns, the abduction of scores of villagers in single operations, and the sacking of hundreds of communities that have produced waves of internally displaced persons. Amnesty International and Reuters, among others, have catalogued attacks that leave behind corpses, razed homes, and scarred families. These are not the figments of partisan reportage; they are verifiable tragedies with names, dates, and grieving families.

If an award is to have any moral weight, it must answer this simple ledger: have lives been preserved under your watch, or have they been squandered? Has the governor provided a credible roadmap toward safety, or has he delivered platitudes and photo-opportunities while bandits seize towns and terrorize children? The empirical answer, as chronicled by independent observers is damning. Recent attacks in Zamfara have included mass abductions. One reported incident alone saw over 100 people taken, and repeated massacres in villages where citizens were slaughtered as they laboured. An outbreak of cholera in Bukkuyum and the deaths recorded there are not incidental; they are symptomatic of collapsed access to health, water, and security which are the very public goods that should mark competent stewardship of a state. Unfortunately, the massive federal allocation are only seen in the frivolous spending and luxurious purchase made by the governor and his cabinets, but not reflective in the lives of Zamfarans.

And yet, on glossy pages and curated websites, a different narrative is being sold: that a governor whose tenure coincides with such human carnage deserves a laurel. This is not merely a question of taste; it is an ethical indictment of how awards are dispensed and of what our public culture has become. When honour is decoupled from measurable public welfare and instead telescoped into ceremony, we impoverish language itself. Words like “leadership” and “transformational” warp into euphemisms for impunity. If an editorial board is prepared to bless a record marred by abandoned communities, the public is entitled to ask whether the accolade Is commensurate with performance or contaminated by other influences. Indeed, social scepticism is not cynicism; it is a civic alarm that sounds when lived reality diverges dramatically from celebratory headlines.

It Is tempting and rhetorically effective to leap to causation: Yes! awards are being bought; editorial independence is for sale; governors are laundering reputations with chequebooks. But responsible criticism requires discipline. In the absence of a smoking gun that proves pay-for-play in this specific case, the argument must rest on demonstrable incongruity and pattern. Across Nigeria, there have been recurring controversies where awards and honours were criticized for being influenced by patronage, and commentators have warned that some prizes have become transactional. What we can say with confidence is this: where public life is ravaged by banditry and humanitarian collapse, the optics of bestowing “Governor of the Year” warrants interrogation, not because the act of awarding is per se illegitimate, but because the moral calculus of governance demands that survival and dignity must come before plaudits.

The human cost of misgovernance is not an abstraction. Mothers in Zamfara and cradle children who have lost fathers to kidnappers; entire marketplaces lie empty because people fear to travel; mothers with infants cannot reach clinics because roads are controlled by armed men on motorcycles. These daily indignities corrode social trust and exact stealthy, intergenerational harm. When an editorial desk fails to look these mothers in the face and instead crowns their governor, the message sent is corrosive: that rhetoric can substitute for remedy, and that spectacle can displace sorrow. The moral outrage that follows is neither theatrical nor petty; it is a legitimate expression of popular grief and righteous indignation of personal experience.

However, it is important to consider the broader data of how human-rights organizations and investigative outlets have documented thousands killed, villages burnt down, and how hundreds of thousands were displaced across Zamfara State. These can only be a result of structural failures; failures of intelligence, of community protection, of preventive policing, and of governance allocation. If a governor’s tenure coincides with such systemic collapse, editorial boards should, at minimum, scrutinize if the state apparatus has been deployed, how it has been deployed to protect citizens. Obviously, Dauda Lawal’s administration has not strengthened local security architecture, ensured functioning clinics and safe water points, and has not exercised fiscal courage to fund durable counter-insurgency measures.

When the governor and his apologists insist on celebrating awards, they must be asked to explain, with documents and demonstrable outcomes, why the lives of their citizens were not the primary metric considered. What specific policies, funded projects, or security innovations justify a Governor of the Year title? Are there transparent records showing reductions in incidents, successful rescue operations, improved infrastructure, rehabilitated health centres, or secure corridors that allow commerce to resume? Or is the award a prophylactic meant to sanitize a political brand while the rot continues underneath? The difference between governance and marketing is precisely this: the former is accountable to the ledger of life; the latter is answerable only to visibility.

We must also confront the rhetorical posture that seeks to delegitimise popular critique by branding it as mere “political attacks.” When mothers cries for their missing children, when communities cannot till fields for fear of ambush, when clinics close because health workers cannot commute, the critiques that arise are not partisan truculence; they are the anguished responses of citizens demanding protection. To dismiss these legitimate cries as envy or opposition theatre is to perpetrate a moral inversion: those who ask for security are branded as troublemakers while those who preside over their vulnerability are lauded. If the editorial pages are to retain moral authority, they must resist becoming instruments for image laundering.

What, then, should be the civic response? First, Newspapers must demand transparency before publication. Newspapers that confer high honours must publish their criteria, and the evidentiary basis for their choices. If “Governor of the Year” is to mean anything beyond a headline, it must be backed by transparent metrics: measurable improvements in healthcare access, documented reductions in violence, convincingly audited security spending, and demonstrable community rehabilitation. Second, insist on investigative curiosity: it is important for civil society and independent media to probe the governance ledger, which are budgets, procurement processes, and security strategies. Third, let the people of Zamfara judge for themselves: community hearings, testimony from survivors, and on-the-ground reportage should be the sources that shape public memory, not paid-for adverts or celebratory galas.

Finally, there is a moral plea. Awards are supposed to confer encouragement on those who have alleviated suffering, not camouflage those who have presided over it. If Governors wish to be celebrated, let them first clear a simple threshold: make their states safer, make clinics work, make schools open, restore markets, and stop the nightly toll of abductions and killings. Let them invite independent monitors to verify progress. Let their citizens sleep without fear. Only then will a “Governor of the Year” title be more than a headline: it will be a justly earned tribute.

To the editorial board that printed the accolade, and to every Nigerian watching: do not let ceremony smother scrutiny. To the shameless governor who accepted it: Honor must be tethered to the dignity of life. In Zamfara today, that dignity is endangered; mothers weep while trumpets sound. If honour is to mean anything at all, let it begin by answering the children’s cries and the empty chairs at family tables. Let the paychecks of Civil servants bring smiles to their faces. Until then, a paper’s gold foil Is a poor balm for the blood and the silence.

Ajogwu is a security expert writing from Kaduna.

NUPRC AT 4 AND TRIBUTES TO MODEL OF EXCELLENCE

By Nnoli Okojie



Four years ago, a quiet ceremony in Abuja marked the birth of a new institution. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) was not launched with fanfare or fireworks—just a signed document, a handshake, and a promise to fix what had long been broken.

From that modest beginning, under the steady hand of Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, appointed Chief Executive in October 2021, a regulator once seen as a mere successor to legacy bodies has emerged as the architect of Nigeria’s upstream renaissance. This is not a tale of slogans, but of systems rebuilt, revenues reclaimed, and a nation’s energy future reclaimed—one bold decision at a time.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) stands as the apex regulatory agency established to oversee and supervise upstream petroleum operations in Nigeria, ensuring compliance, efficiency, and sustainable growth.

Its broad Regulatory Action Plan (RAP) is meticulously focused on enhancing regulatory certainty and predictability, advancing future licensing rounds through robust policy and seamless implementation, optimizing the unit cost of production for greater competitiveness, automating processes and improving business workflows for heightened operational efficiency, promoting ease of entry and retention of investments, vacating burdensome entry barriers such as exorbitant asset acquisition fees, deepening transparency, accountability, and the elimination of discriminatory regulatory practices, implementing a comprehensive carbon credit earnings framework for upstream operations, accelerating the execution of oil and gas development and production projects, and enforcing the Drill or Drop provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (2021).

It also emphasizes the optimization of federation revenues, decarbonization and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions management in production environments, incorporating green sustainability narratives into Field Development Plans (FDPs), diligent monitoring and implementation of the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialization Programme (NGFCP) awarded sites for optimal flare-out monetization, Host Community Trust Fund implementation and guiding trust fund activities to minimize agitations in operational areas, achieving 100% hydrocarbon accounting, implementing the new production curtailment regime and domestic crude supply obligations, conducting annual asset performance assessments and reviews, enforcing Domestic Crude Supply Obligation (DCSO) and Domestic Gas Distribution Obligation (DGDO) to bolster domestic refining capacity, maintaining zero tolerance for defaults in royalty payments, creating value through rigorous approval of annual work programmes/budgets and monitoring financial viability, addressing crude oil and gas pricing in contemporary terms, and pursuing revenue generation with a zero-default strategy on royalty payments.

These are by no means exhaustive, as the mandate of the Commission encompasses its general objectives and functions as outlined in the PIA and, by extension, all other laws governing upstream petroleum operations in Nigeria. This includes rapidly actualizing the transformative vision of the PIA (2021) and elevating the efficiency and performance of the sector, with a strategic agenda tailored for Nigeria, Africa, and other resource-rich developing economies. This agenda navigates the evolving energy dynamics, calibrated against geography, history, and politics, while advocating for energy justice, equity, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability.

Today, the commission marks its fourth anniversary, birthed as a child of necessity to reclaim and restore our nation’s lost glory in the global energy arena. Instructively, a major challenge with such special purpose vehicles is the critical question of leadership, which can make or break their effectiveness.

It is against this backdrop that Engr. Gbenga Komolafe was appointed the Commission Chief Executive in October 2021, armed with a clear vision and mandate to drive systemic change. In this role, the mission was known and clearly defined from the outset by the leadership.

Since then, he has been instrumental in shaping the direction of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) through proactive, visionary, and significant leadership, transforming Nigeria’s oil and gas industry into a model of excellence in Africa’s energy sector. This has significantly boosted revenue generation, with the commission consistently surpassing its budgeted revenue target by 84%, demonstrating its unparalleled effectiveness in managing the nation’s hydrocarbon resources.

Engr. Gbenga’s institutionalization of positive reforms that promote transparency and accountability in the industry has led to enhanced oil production, with Nigeria’s output increasing to 1.7 million barrels per day, a significant reduction in oil theft from 200,000 barrels per day to 5,000 barrels per day, and driving Nigeria’s gas development agenda through initiatives like the National Gas Policy and the Gas Flare Commercialization Program. Additionally, the development of 25 priority regulations, with 17 already gazetted, provides a clear, structured framework for the industry, earning several awards and nominations, including the SERVICOM Outstanding Leadership Award and the Africa Energy Sector Regulator of the Year award.

Indeed, Engr. Gbenga has convincingly demonstrated his commitment to excellence, transparency, and sustainability in regulating Nigeria’s oil and gas industry through various frameworks that aid the autonomization of NUPRC’s operations, allowing it to make balanced decisions that foster investor confidence while safeguarding national interests. He has showcased competence and expertise in regulating the upstream petroleum industry, with reforms that promote transparency, efficiency, and professionalism, coupled with a data transparency model that publishes clearer data on production, investment flows, and environmental performance, ensuring accountability and informed decision-making.

He has also implemented the most ambitious Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT), an innovation that grants oil-producing communities a direct voice in project planning and environmental management, and introduced automated regulatory processes which have positively reduced inefficiencies, time wastages, and improved data accuracy and reliability in monitoring upstream activities.

Engr. Gbenga’s pursuit of excellence and verifiable results has led to the promotion of sustainable value creation from Nigeria’s petroleum resources for shared prosperity. With his various intentionally driven efforts to increase transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector, he has favourably aligned the Commission with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), leading to the development of 25 priority high-impact regulations, with 17 gazetted, to provide clarity and structure to the industry. This regulatory framework is expected to boost investor confidence and promote sustainable development in the upstream petroleum sector, while the automated regulatory processes have greatly reduced inefficiencies, time wastage, and improved precision and data accuracy in monitoring upstream activities, substantially improving oil production and increasing it to over 1.6 million barrels per day, with efforts to reach 1.8 million barrels per day and beyond.

Engr. Gbenga’s enhanced positive efforts to reduce emissions and promote sustainable energy development have aligned the Commission with global best practices. The several reforms introduced by him are taking shape, increasing Nigeria’s oil production to over 1.6 million barrels per day, with efforts to reach 1.8 million barrels per day and beyond.

The commission aims to retain existing investments, encourage additional investments, and attract fresh investments by eliminating identified barriers. Presently, Engr. Gbenga is driving Nigeria’s gas development agenda through initiatives like the National Gas Policy and the Gas Flare Commercialization Program.

Through this pragmatic problem-solving approach, the commission has also approved 28 new Field Development Plans, which are expected to unlock an additional 600,000 barrels of oil per day and more than 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas daily. His prioritization of transparency and accountability in the operations of the Commission, with a focus on regulatory compliance and stakeholder engagement, has led to the implementation of measures to deepen transparency, accountability, and eliminate discriminatory regulatory practices.

These actions amplify his commitment to forging strategies aimed at reducing emissions and promoting sustainable energy development, driving efforts towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting the use of cleaner energy sources, while aggressively working to promote investment in the upstream petroleum sector by providing a conducive business environment and streamlining regulatory processes that position Nigeria as a prime destination for foreign direct investment in the sector.

Already, NUPRC has developed a comprehensive strategic plan that outlines its goals, strategies, and actions for the next decade. This plan focuses on optimizing value creation, diversifying revenue resources, enhancing stakeholder relationships, ensuring regulatory compliance, attracting investors, and improving operational efficiency in the nearest future, and is anchored on the dynamic and people-oriented leadership of Engr. Gbenga Komolafe. The plan is to implement its Regulatory Action Plan, which focuses on regulatory certainty and predictability, future licensing rounds policy and implementation, unit cost of production optimization, and automation and business process improvements for operational efficiency.

This will surely attract fresh investments in the upstream petroleum sector by providing a conducive business environment and streamlining regulatory processes, and increase revenue generation for the government through increased oil and gas production, improved regulatory compliance, and effective management of the nation’s petroleum resources, while also promoting sustainable development in the upstream petroleum sector by ensuring that operations are carried out in an environmentally friendly and socially responsible manner.

The Commission will also evolve plans for the actualization of the Project 1 Million Barrels of Oil Per Day, an initiative which aims to ramp up oil production and create solutions for production growth, coupled with driving a stronger commitment to reducing emissions and promoting sustainable energy development while holistically digitizing regulatory processes to enhance efficiency and service delivery.

Today, four candles burn bright on NUPRC’s anniversary cake—not just symbols of survival, but emblems of transformation. What began as a regulatory reset has become a national success story, powered by a leader who turned policy into progress and potential into performance.

Engr. Gbenga Komolafe didn’t just inherit a mandate; he redefined it. And in doing so, he has given Nigeria more than oil—he has given it ownership of its future.

As the next chapter unfolds, one thing is certain: with Komolafe at the helm, NUPRC is not just keeping pace with global energy shifts—it is setting the rhythm. From the Niger Delta to the world stage, the message is clear: Nigeria’s upstream sector is open, accountable, and unstoppable. The journey of excellence continues—and the best, without question, is yet to come.


Okojie is an oil and gas expert writing from Abu Dhabi, UAE.

A Heartfelt Proposal: Journalist Olayiwola Ibrahim Declares Love for Nigerian Star Tiwa Savage



In a world where love often crosses boundaries and transcends fame, a touching story unfolded recently as Olayiwola Ibrahim, a seasoned journalist and founder of an HR recruitment company, publicly declared his intention to marry the renowned Nigerian artist, Tiwa Savage. This unexpected proposal has captured the hearts of many, blending romance with a sense of humility and genuine affection.



Olayiwola, an ordinary man with a passion for storytelling and a deep admiration for Tiwa’s talent, decided to express his feelings through an open letter. In his heartfelt message, he acknowledged that he may not be a billionaire or a millionaire, but he possesses qualities that he believes are far more valuable: love, respect, and a commitment to cherish Tiwa for who she is.



In his letter, Olayiwola eloquently outlined his intentions, stating, “I am deeply in love with you and would be honored if you would consider spending the rest of your life with me.” His words resonate not only with his admiration for Tiwa's musical prowess but also with the sincerity and vulnerability that often come with love.



His proposal, while untraditional, exemplifies the belief that true love does not require wealth but rather a deep emotional connection and the willingness to support one another. Olayiwola emphasized that his love is rooted in respect and kindness, highlighting the value of emotional richness over material wealth.



Tiwa Savage, celebrated for her powerful voice and impact on the African music scene, has inspired millions with her artistry. While it remains to be seen how she will respond to this unusual proposal, Olayiwola’s bold declaration has sparked conversations about love, fame, and the bonds that unite us all.



This story serves as a reminder that love knows no boundaries and can flourish even in the most unlikely circumstances. Olayiwola’s heartfelt message may just be the beginning of an extraordinary journey that transcends celebrity status and explores the true essence of companionship.



As the world awaits Tiwa's response, fans and followers alike are left to ponder: what is love, if not a beautiful risk taken by those brave enough to express their true feelings? In a time when connections can feel fleeting, Olayiwola Ibrahim's proposal stands as a testament to the timeless power of love.

New Era Girls Secondary School Gears up for 40th Reunion Anniversary

The countdown has begun for the 40th Reunion Anniversary of New Era Girls Secondary School, a landmark celebration that promises to blend nostalgia, empowerment, and community impact in a three-day event themed “A Celebration of Legacy and Giving Back.”

Scheduled to run from Wednesday, October 22nd to Friday, October 24th, 2025, the reunion is being spearheaded by the 40th Reunion Anniversary Committee under the leadership of Olubukola Ogunleye, whose vision is to create a meaningful experience that honors the school’s legacy while inspiring future generations.

Speaking ahead of the event, Ogunleye shared her heartfelt reflections on the significance of the reunion.

“This reunion is not just about looking back,” she said. “It’s about reconnecting with our roots, celebrating our shared journey, and giving back to the school that shaped us.

“We want every girl who walks through those gates to know she belongs to a legacy of strength, excellence, and sisterhood.”

Day one will feature a vibrant display of unity and cultural pride as attendees wear Adire uniforms. The morning kicks off with a Girls’ Empowerment Seminar tailored to secondary school girls aged 10 to 17.

Alumni facilitators will lead age-specific sessions focused on safety, self-worth, and confidence, aiming to equip the students with tools for personal growth and resilience.

Following the seminar, the spotlight will shift to the official dedication and handover of the newly refurbished Physics Laboratory a generous donation from the alumni to bolster academic excellence.

Roselyn Akpene, Principal of the Junior Secondary School and president of the ’85 set, will receive the facility on behalf of the school.

Lagos State Commissioner of Education, Mr Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, is scheduled to speak at the event on Wednesday.

The day will continue with a Community Impact and Recognition segment, where students will receive stationery and outstanding staff members will be honored for their dedication and service.

The afternoon will culminate in a lively celebration at the School Hall, featuring music, dance, and shared meals with top staff, offering alumni a chance to reconnect and relive cherished memories.

Thursday, October 23rd, has been designated a Free Day, allowing attendees to relax, bond informally, and enjoy the company of old friends in a more personal setting.

The reunion will reach its grand finale on Friday, October 24th, with a glamorous Gala Night set to begin at 3:00pm. While the venue is yet to be announced, the dress code Glam in All White promises an elegant and nostalgic atmosphere. The evening will feature a red carpet and photo session, cultural performances, comedy, music, and dance. Attendees will also reflect on their shared journey, witness the presentation of reunion awards, and partake in the ceremonial cutting of the 40th reunion cake. Dinner and networking will round off the night, reinforcing the bonds that have stood the test of time.

With alumni from various graduating sets, current students, staff, and school management expected to attend, the 40th Reunion Anniversary stands as a powerful testament to the enduring spirit of New Era Girls Secondary School and the transformative power of education, community, and shared purpose. As Ogunleye aptly put it, “We are not just celebrating a milestone we are reigniting a legacy.”

New Era Girls Secondary School Gears up for 40th Reunion Anniversary

The countdown has begun for the 40th Reunion Anniversary of New Era Girls Secondary School, a landmark celebration that promises to blend nostalgia, empowerment, and community impact in a three-day event themed “A Celebration of Legacy and Giving Back.”

Scheduled to run from Wednesday, October 22nd to Friday, October 24th, 2025, the reunion is being spearheaded by the 40th Reunion Anniversary Committee under the leadership of Olubukola Ogunleye, whose vision is to create a meaningful experience that honors the school’s legacy while inspiring future generations.

Speaking ahead of the event, Ogunleye shared her heartfelt reflections on the significance of the reunion.

“This reunion is not just about looking back,” she said. “It’s about reconnecting with our roots, celebrating our shared journey, and giving back to the school that shaped us.

“We want every girl who walks through those gates to know she belongs to a legacy of strength, excellence, and sisterhood.”

Day one will feature a vibrant display of unity and cultural pride as attendees wear Adire uniforms. The morning kicks off with a Girls’ Empowerment Seminar tailored to secondary school girls aged 10 to 17.

Alumni facilitators will lead age-specific sessions focused on safety, self-worth, and confidence, aiming to equip the students with tools for personal growth and resilience.

Following the seminar, the spotlight will shift to the official dedication and handover of the newly refurbished Physics Laboratory a generous donation from the alumni to bolster academic excellence.

Roselyn Akpene, Principal of the Junior Secondary School and president of the ’85 set, will receive the facility on behalf of the school.

Lagos State Commissioner of Education, Mr Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, is scheduled to speak at the event on Wednesday.

The day will continue with a Community Impact and Recognition segment, where students will receive stationery and outstanding staff members will be honored for their dedication and service.

The afternoon will culminate in a lively celebration at the School Hall, featuring music, dance, and shared meals with top staff, offering alumni a chance to reconnect and relive cherished memories.

Thursday, October 23rd, has been designated a Free Day, allowing attendees to relax, bond informally, and enjoy the company of old friends in a more personal setting.

The reunion will reach its grand finale on Friday, October 24th, with a glamorous Gala Night set to begin at 3:00pm. While the venue is yet to be announced, the dress code Glam in All White promises an elegant and nostalgic atmosphere. The evening will feature a red carpet and photo session, cultural performances, comedy, music, and dance. Attendees will also reflect on their shared journey, witness the presentation of reunion awards, and partake in the ceremonial cutting of the 40th reunion cake. Dinner and networking will round off the night, reinforcing the bonds that have stood the test of time.

With alumni from various graduating sets, current students, staff, and school management expected to attend, the 40th Reunion Anniversary stands as a powerful testament to the enduring spirit of New Era Girls Secondary School and the transformative power of education, community, and shared purpose. As Ogunleye aptly put it, “We are not just celebrating a milestone we are reigniting a legacy.”

Lagos APC 2025 Chairmanship Aspirants Seek Refund of Nomination Fees, Pledge Support for Tinubu’s Re-election

The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) 2025 Chairmanship Aspirants Conference has appealed to Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and the State Party Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, to fulfil the party’s earlier promise to refund nomination fees paid by aspirants during the July local government chairmanship primaries.

The group made the appeal in two separate letters addressed to Governor Sanwo-Olu and Pastor Ojelabi, dated September 8, 2025.

The letters, titled “Consideration and Solidarity for the 2027 Re-election Bid of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR,” were jointly signed by the Convener of the Conference, Hon. Sola Opeyemi Taiwo, and the General Secretary, Prince Wale Oluwa.

In the letters, the aspirants expressed their continued loyalty to the party and pledged to mobilise massive grassroots support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“We humbly seek your indulgence with our conference to present our structures and readiness to deliver massive grassroots mobilisation for the 2027 mandate,” the letter read in part.

“We want to urge the party to revisit the promise of refunding the Chairmanship Nomination Form fees for all aspirants who submitted their bank drafts as directed by the party.

“We are convinced that political consideration for our members will energise our structures and deepen our capacity to deliver results,” the letters read.

The aspirants emphasised that they had remained steadfast in their loyalty to the APC despite the outcome of the primaries, noting that their political networks across the wards and local governments in Lagos State remain active and ready to mobilise in support of the President’s 2027 re-election bid.

“As aspirants who heeded the party’s call and made sacrifices during the last chairmanship contest, we have continued to stand firm in our loyalty to the party. Our grassroots machinery is well established, and we are ready to mobilise effectively in support of Mr. President’s re-election,” they said.

YAZID DANFULANI: THE NEW SHERIFF AT NAIC

By Joseph Onwe

A seasoned corporate administrator and banker, with high proficiency in computing and banking operations, Yazid Danfulani came fully to the limelight of public service as the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in Zamfara State, under Governor Bello Matawalle, but not before serving in 2013 at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), therefrom gaining profound experiences in banking operations.

Born on 15th April 1986, in Gusau, Zamfara State, Danfulani attended Dan Turai Primary School and Therbow Secondary School, from where he later obtained a degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Arts and Management from the University of Hertfordshire, UK.

On May 21, 2025, Danfulani was appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) for an initial term of four years by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Before this prestigious and well-deserved appointment, Danfulani founded and served as president of the Arewa Development and Empowerment Foundation (ADEF), an organization that caters to and supports orphans and less privileged individuals in society.

Over the years, the expectations of Nigerians have been very high for the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Company (NAIC), deriving benefits from the development of robust insurance products that will cater to the needs of Nigerian farmers, particularly smallholder farmers, women-led agribusinesses, and youth cooperatives on a sustainable basis.

Nigerians also expect an agricultural insurance agency that is efficient and that will make prompt payments of claims to farmers affected by natural disasters, pests, and diseases, and that can expand coverage to deserving but neglected farming communities.

However, part of the identified constraints that had affected the agency and limited its operational efficiency are: irregular interactions with stakeholders, associations, and other farmers so as to understand their needs and develop tailored solutions, and sustained efforts at collaborating with the Federal Government to develop policies and allocate resources that support the growth and development of the agricultural sector.

Others include a sustained developmental innovative framework that will enhance the growth of various insurance products and services aimed at addressing the unique challenges faced by Nigerian farmers, such as climate change and pest infestations, and strategically designed insurance packages that are affordable and accessible to smallholder and medium-scale farmers, while effectively embarking on grassroots mobilization of farmers and communities for enhanced awareness and uptake of agricultural insurance.

Upon assumption of office, Danfulani did not fail Nigerians, as he geared towards ensuring he delivers on their expectations, prioritizing the digitization and streamlining of NAIC’s services, including policy enrolment, claims processing, and farmer outreach, through digital platforms aimed at improving efficiency and transparency, and the strengthening of effective and efficient governance structures, and human capacity development through enhanced institutional reforms, accountability measures, and targeted staff training, which has brought about effective systematic positivity and positive changes into the internal workings of the agency.

Danfulani’s fresh perspective, strong leadership, and absolute commitment to driving positive change in the organization, enhanced by his diverse experiences, has brought new vigor and strategic direction to NAIC, focusing on strengthening agricultural insurance frameworks, expanding access to insurance for farmers, and ensuring the agency plays a key role in Nigeria’s food security strategy.

An objective administrator with immense track records of established metrics and benchmarks of measured progressive and regular assessment, Danfulani adopted strategies of formidable and time-proven results.

His intentional willingness to pivot and adjust course when circumstances change or new opportunities arise has also led to the prioritization of workers’ welfare, taking a holistic view of the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of employees, and recognizing that a happy and healthy workforce is more productive and engaged.
By implementing these strategies, Danfulani has been able to bring in fresh perspectives, strong leadership, and a commitment to driving positive change, ultimately achieving the goals of the renewed hope agenda and making a meaningful impact.

Danfulani’s turnkey multidisciplinary approach to the development of NAIC includes the reengineering of access to agricultural insurance, particularly in rural and underserved communities, to protect farmers against natural disasters, pests, and diseases, and the introduction of up-to-date insurance products and services tailored to the needs of Nigerian farmers, promoting agricultural growth and food security.

Within a very short time of assumption, he has fostered partnerships with government agencies, private entities, and international development bodies to enhance NAIC’s impact and effectiveness, enabling reforms to improve NAIC’s efficiency and customer satisfaction, ensuring the agency plays critical roles in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation agenda, focused on rural development and agricultural growth, and aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda and the nation’s food security strategy.

Indeed, Danfulani’s appointment has been widely applauded, with stakeholders, such as the Nigeria Youth for Good Governance Forum and other bodies, expressing confidence in his leadership qualities, technical expertise, and commitment to national development and describing it as timely and strategic.

An administrator with demonstrable insight into the workings of the agency, Danfulani brought in individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to foster innovation and creativity, making up a multidisciplinary workforce of employees with the autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work, promoting a sense of accountability and motivation, and fostering a consistent culture of continuous training, mentorship, and knowledge-sharing to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to changing circumstances, with a clear vision, mission, and set of objectives, ensuring everyone is aligned and working towards the same outcomes in an ambience of shared value.

As part of the prompt reforms, Danfulani has established strong collaboration and partnerships with government agencies, private entities, and international development bodies to enhance NAIC’s impact and effectiveness, driving and establishing reforms aimed at improving NAIC’s efficiency and customer satisfaction, thereby fostering stronger national cohesion and alignment with the national policy framework for a synergistic effect.

Indeed, his deliberate focus on rural development and agricultural growth, aligning with the various reforms of the federal government, has started yielding results, positively affecting food production, food security, and national security.
Indeed, as Danfulani embarks on this critical mission and crucial national assignment, we wish him success in his endeavors to transform NAIC and contribute to the growth and development of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

We are confident that with his tested and proven transformational leadership style, we can expect rapid change, a brighter future for farmers in Nigeria, and more specifically a more innovative and digitally driven agricultural industry with a holistic positive impact.
Danfulani is the new sheriff in town and has come with assurance and compelling track records of performance, engineering radical reforms.

Yazid Danfulani is the undertaker who has refused to take the agency to the grave, proving rather that Lazarus is having a date with destiny; coming back alive with a positive Midas touch, and certainly the agency is coming back to life again.

*Onwe is an investment banker writing from Abuja

Concerned Ondo Citizens Petition Assembly, ICPC, and CCB Over Alleged Certificate Forgery and Mismanagement of Funds by Governor Aiyedatiwa





A civic group under the banner of the Concerned Sons and Daughters of Ondo State Initiative has petitioned the Ondo State House of Assembly, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), calling for a full investigation into the academic credentials and financial management practices of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.

In a petition dated October 17, 2025, and signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Akinrinsola Adetokunbo, the organisation accused the governor of alleged discrepancies in his declared educational qualifications and raised concerns over the handling of public funds and allocations to local governments in the state.

According to the petition, the group claimed that Governor Aiyedatiwa’s publicly stated academic background includes an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Ibadan (2001), studies at Lagos Business School, a Postgraduate Certification in Business Management, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, obtained in 2013.

However, the petitioners alleged that preliminary findings and independent checks revealed no verifiable record of an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration at the University of Ibadan in 2001, no official confirmation from Lagos Business School regarding attendance, and no confirmation from the University of Liverpool about the issuance of the said MBA degree.

“These inconsistencies raise serious concerns about possible misrepresentation in the governor’s public declarations,” the group stated, adding that such could amount to a violation of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act as well as relevant sections of the Criminal Code Act dealing with forgery and false statements.

On financial management, the group alleged irregularities in the disbursement of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds to local governments between January and September 2025. They claimed that despite the state receiving over N109 billion during the period, local governments reportedly receive as little as N4 million monthly, despite FAAC records showing monthly inflows averaging between N10 and N12 billion.

“This wide disparity calls for a forensic audit to ensure compliance with constitutional provisions mandating direct remittance to local governments,” the petition stated.

The group urged the Ondo State House of Assembly to convene a public oversight hearing to compel the governor, the commissioner for finance, and the accountant-general to provide FAAC receipts, bank statements, and reconciliation reports for the period under review. They also requested that the assembly’s public accounts committee investigate the utilisation of allocations and confirm the authenticity of the governor’s academic records.

Similarly, they asked the ICPC to conduct a forensic audit of the state’s financial records and investigate potential diversion or misuse of public funds. The Code of Conduct Bureau was also urged to review the governor’s asset declaration forms and verify the submitted educational credentials with the relevant institutions.

Concluding, the group called for urgent and transparent action by all concerned agencies to protect the integrity of public service in Ondo State.

“Failure to address these matters transparently risks further erosion of public trust and continued hardship for citizens whose taxes and allocations fund the state,” the petition read.