Mali ended Military ties with France. Burkina ended Military ties with France. Niger ended Military ties with France. Chad ended Military ties with France. Senegal ending Military ties with France. What is really happening?
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State has criticised the tax reform bills, saying it will drag the northern part of the country backward.
The bills, transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in September, have faced stiff opposition, especially from the north, with stakeholders calling for its withdrawal.
Daily Trust had reported how Northern governors, traditional rulers, and Northern Elders Forum rejected the proposed bills, saying they were not in the interest of the nation.
However, despite protests and rejections of the pieces of the legislation, the Senate passed the bills for second reading on Thursday despite rowdiness at plenary.
Weighing on the development in an interview with BBC Hausa service, the governor expressed displeasure over how the bills enjoyed speedy and smooth passage to the current phase when other bills had to spend several years to scale through.
“We condemn these bills transmitted to the National Assembly. They will drag the north backward, and not only the north, South East, South West and some states in the South West such as Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, will have problem with these bills.
“It is not opposition. This, based on our understanding, is something that will destroy the north in its entirety. Therefore, we call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others to review this decision. He secured 60% of his votes in the north. He should not listen to those telling him that northerners are not supporting him. If our interest is served, that is all. What we need now is the withdrawal of the tax bills.
“Why all the rush! There’s a petroleum bill that was presented but it took almost 20 years before it was finally passed. But this one was transmitted and now receiving legislative attention within a week. What we are saying is that, let it be treated carefully and with caution so that even after our exit, our children would reap the benefits.
“How we see it is, if these bills scale through, we will not be able to even pay salaries. And if we paid, it won’t be sustainable the following year.”
Asked whether the bills would further exacerbate hunger and poverty in the north, Zulum answered in the affirmative, adding, “Including security. But they’re saying otherwise. We are against it, Lagos is against it; that it will drag it backwards. If this is the situation, then why won’t they rescind it? Our National Assembly members and even some from the Southern region are not in support of these bills.”
The governor, however, clarified that his objection of the bills was not a pointer of any opposition against the government, maintaining that it was only a call to reverse the decision.
“This is our stand and doesn’t mean that we are against the government. We supported and voted for him (President Tinubu). But these bills will not mean good for us.”
Asked to comment on whether the lawmakers would pass the bills when lobbied and given kickbacks, Zulum said, “There are rumours around but we are not certain. But you know we are in Nigeria! What I am saying is that let us all be patriotic. We have children, grandchildren and relatives who are in villages, therefore, we should be careful not to endorse anything that would impede the progress of the north and other regions. We are appealing to the President to listen to us and address our concerns.”
Reno Omokri, a prominent social commentator, recently disclosed the phone number of Ajibade Onabanjo following a disturbing incident. Onabanjo had allegedly posted a Facebook message wishing death upon Omokri's wife and children. In response, Omokri shared Onabanjo’s phone number publicly but provided no additional information about him.
Curious about the identity behind it, I conducted a follow-up investigation into the phone number using Opay, a financial platform that links accounts to phone numbers. Through this method, I discovered that the number is registered under the name Olabanji Nurudeen Muhammed, rather than the alleged Ajibade Onabanjo. This discrepancy raises questions about whether Onabanjo may have used a pseudonym online or if the number had been falsely attributed to him
Nigerians Tackle Peter Obi For Hurriedly Congratulating Tinubu Government On Controversial PMS Processing At Port Harcourt Refinery
Nigerians on social media have tackled Peter Obi, a former presidential candidate of the Labour Party over his hurried congratulation of the President Bola Tinubu's administration on the controversial Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol, processing at the Port-Harcourt Refinery in Rivers State.
SaharaReporters exclusively reported that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) was not trucking out Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, from the Port Harcourt Refinery as the company claimed on Tuesday, citing top sources in the know.
SaharaReporters had also reported that the NNPCL instead bought "Cracked C5 petroleum resins" and blended it with other products including Naphtha to sell to the Nigerian public as though the refinery processed it.
Top sources familiar with the activities of the company and the state of the refinery had told SaharaReporters that the claim of trucking out PMS from the reopened refinery was a lie.
Shortly after, NNPCL confirmed SaharaReporters’ exclusive reports that only the old Port Harcourt Refinery in Rivers State is working and the refinery is trucking out blended PMS (known as Petrol).
Amid the controversy, Mr Peter Obi in a statement posted on his handle at 7:23am on Wednesday, congratulated the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for what he described as "for fulfilling the long-standing promise of revamping the old Port Harcourt refinery".
Obi further stated, "The refinery, which comes on stream today boasts an installed production capacity of 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Approximately 200 trucks are expected to load products daily from the refinery".
He, however, noted that Nigerians now await the corresponding impact and benefits on pump prices and the overall economy.
"Additionally, news of the Kaduna refinery's revival is promising, as it is expected to boost productivity, improve transportation, and alleviate economic burdens across the country.
"While we acknowledge these achievements as a step in the right direction, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of transparency in the operations of the NNPC.
"Nigerians deserve clarity and accountability regarding the management of the nation's vital oil resources, ensuring that the benefits of increased refining capacity reach every Nigerian and that the gains are used to support long-term development," he wrote.
Meanwhile the post has since generated angry reactions with his admirers tackling him for sending quick congratulation without verifying whether the purported report of revamping Port-Harcourt Refinery was not another "Air Nigeria" project of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
While some have vowed not to repost his tweet, others have advised he should delete the tweet and get further details about the Refinery status first.
For some others who probably are APC supporters, they welcomed the tweet as testament that President Bola Tinubu is working.
@D_lone_wolf_II wrote: "Mr. Peter Obi, the NNPC plant that has just opened, has been reported to be a SCAM.
"Once again, they have deceived several Nigerians like as you and I.
"They are blending random chemicals and selling it as "PMS"
If I were you, I would take down this tweet or, at least, edit it.
@ibirogba2000 wrote: "Obi just confirmed that president Tinubu is the best president in the history of Nigeria.
"This is a welcome development and we all know that PBAT was going to deliver
"Peter Obi this is a good time for you to become one of the spokesmen of Tinubu."
@DavidsOffor wrote: "They are canceling PO for celebrating a success achieved by this FG. How bitter can a set of people be that whenever their country is making progress, they are wailing.
"Anyways, kudos PO for the boldness, it is about Nigeria first o."
For @NaijaHistory_, he wrote: "Today in Nigeria history will remember how Peter Obi congratulated a f@ke PH refinery revamping by the lamba Tinubu regime:"
@DailyJusticeAct, however questioned whether Mr Peter Obi did due diligence before his post, adding "Agbado & his gang simply moved their Malta blending scam to Port-Harcourt & you are congratulating.."
"Did you do due diligence b4 this post..
"#chai"
@OfficiaEdoOsasB wrote: "Nothing to congratulate until we see results.
This was the same way they announced Nigeria Air and it became one of the greatest scam ever."
@realTobiAkinbo wrote:
"Oga mi, are we still opposition like this? Because just like Nigeria Air, this NNPCL refinery is another package to deceive Nigerians into believing our refinery is working, while they import fuel using the PH refinery as a gateway."
@I__E__O wrote: "My able president, let's wait and see if that not "the more you look the less you see" kind of stuff from our government."
@saytalksay wrote: "No need for congratulations it’s only gonna be temporary anyway that’s if we assume it’s actually working."
@DwizardKing wrote: "Your Excellency please kindly withhold your congratulations to them it's a scam and not sustainable. They just engaged in blending which the refinery cannot sustain.
"This is just to deceive Nigerians. You need to do more research on it before you offer them any congratulations."
@Princeuwaj wrote: "@PeterObi H.E you for wait small before you congratulate this people oh.... I think for now na blending them they do for dia.... Recall Nigeria Air...
@OlaoluwaloseyiA wrote: "Your Excellency, we know it's a DIESEL refinery!
"How can PMS be refined at a diesel facility?
"You're not following: all this is to disallow Dangote from fulfilling his mandate to Nigerians of getting unadulterated PMS.
"Remember the Malta facility?
How will they get bad PMS in?"
@Malik_Mich69 wrote:
"Oga get your facts right. You must not congratulate."
@AROLE_PeterObi wrote:
"Dear Peter Obi please don't rush to congratulate NNPC oooooo
"Pls let see what is going on there
The information we are hearing is somehow"
@OpeyemiAyoola01 wrote; "We should wait and let's see if they can produce fuel for six months before we congratulate them. All of these might be fake, everything about them is fake, it's their way."
@ElumeFredrick wrote: "Sir, please you should have waited a bit to tweet this.
"The news making the rounds is that the refinery is Malta brought home to Nigeria.
"The quality is being questioned and the NNPC is not truthful.
Can anyone help me find this man, Ajibade Onabanjo, so my family and I can make a formal report to the Nigerian Police? I do not mind these types of evil words when it comes from certain places because I know their culture is conducive to such.
However, I will take it seriously when it purportedly comes from someone who is meant to be an Omoluabi. We must cleanse such unbecoming conduct from our culture, lest it take root and defiles our youth.
At the end of the day, if people tell themselves a lie long enough that they start to believe it and make real-world decisions based on it, the loser is not me.
My life is an open book. Literally. A 590-page book you can find on Amazon or Roving Heights. There's nothing about me, my personal history, or my motivations that is a secret.
If the urge to believe things about me that came out of someone's hallucinations outweighs the importance of the value that I create, then I'm clearly not creating enough value for my people, which is fine.
The thing is that I cannot really do more than I have already done. I'm already at my physical and mental limits. I have gone through things and put myself through experiences that normal people will never witness in 3 lifetimes.
One thing I have always been very clear about is that my motivations are internal. I have always believed that I have to do what I have to do because it is nobody else's job to fight for my future and that of my unborn children. I've never done any of this for external validation. I live way too much inside my own head for any of that to matter anyway.
So if the situation now is that the ability of a noisy minority to poison the well of public opinion with some of the most malicious and mean-spirited lies in existence outweighs the urgency of what I try to do in a space where 200 million people are being constantly manipulated and casually exterminated like they're 200 million ducks or catfish, then I have to acknowledge that I have failed.
Even right now, Nuhu Ribadu's NSA Office has been busy speaking to the authorities in Kenya, Ghana and the UK as recently as last week, while they continue to work on their obsession of bringing me to Abuja as a trophy for Emperor Bola Ahmed.
And yet what is apparently important for public discussion is who I married or who I had sex with, plus some malaria hallucinations from a failed former journalist who never accomplished anything in his career. These are the things my people are discussing. Even at this late hour, we don't know who our enemies are and who is on our side.
This can only mean that my fundamental objective - to help uplift the consciousness of my people - has not had any success. Basically, I have failed. Whatever I've been doing is not working. I've spent nearly 6 years of my life on a project that hasn't moved public consciousness forward one single inch from where I met it in 2019. I put myself into a lot of trouble along the way, but it didn't really amount to much.
So this is a message to @NuhuRibadu. You can leave me alone and stop talking to Ruto and Akufo-Addo about refouling me. I will not disturb you people anymore. I'll focus on my Pan-African political commentary and news about the Sahel region, but I'm leaving the Nigerian space for you. I clearly overestimated both myself and my people.
Jesutega Onokpasa vents on Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for appointing Daniel Bwala as Special Adviser on Communications to the president. 😭 Notice how many times he mentioned God and Jesus in the footage. In Nigeria, evil people mention God the most. Meanwhile, we await FFK, Okupe, and… pic.twitter.com/4Ox57ALpin
LAGOS, NIGERIA — Nigerians have vehemently dismissed U.S. claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a CIA asset, with a cheeky response: “Keep your hands off our glitchy unicorn—we’re still debugging.”
The controversy began when investigative journalist David Hundeyin alleged Tinubu’s links to the CIA, a theory later echoed by SaharaReporters. However, Nigerians were quick to clarify: “Tinubu isn’t an American asset; he’s a locally manufactured prototype—patented, proudly Nigerian, and still in its beta phase.”
Tinubu’s defenders proudly describe him as a cutting-edge, glitch-prone Artificial Intelligence (AI) model aimed at disrupting Nigeria’s dining tables. Named “The Balablu Asset”, this experimental tech comes with a groundbreaking weight-loss algorithm that combines aggressive austerity protocols with “disruptive hunger-as-a-service modules.” Millions of Nigerians have already been enrolled as Beta testers.
Critics argue the AI remains deeply flawed, with common side effects including dizziness, chronic hunger, and spontaneous fainting. However, supporters insist these are mere teething problems.
“This is innovation,” declared Kolawale Emilokan, the lead developer of the Tinubu prototype, during a fiery Twitter Space debate. “Yes, it’s true some users have experienced ‘malnutrition crashes,’ but that’s part of the iterative process. Every revolutionary tech has its bugs. Even Microsoft had the Blue Screen of Death. We’re perfecting Tinubu as we speak. It’s all part of the process!”
Emilokan further noted that Tinubu’s Nigerian Hunger Reset Algorithm™ has sparked interest from global investors. “Countries battling obesity are watching closely,” he said. “The U.S. is dying to license the tech, but let’s not rush genius. For now, Tinubu remains a proudly Nigerian app.”
While some foreign analysts have praised the Tinubu prototype for its audacity, Nigerians are adamant that the technology isn’t ready for export. “We cannot allow half-baked software to enter the global market,” developer Emilokan explained. “Even the glitches have cultural significance!”
Yet, Tinubu’s stock value has skyrocketed on global markets, overtaking Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s highly rated “Supreme Asset.” The Pyongyang Stock Exchange was reportedly sent into chaos this week, as North Korean officials were left scrambling to understand how a “third-world, bug-ridden AI” could outperform their "legacy asset."
Sources say Kim Jong-un, described as a “proven brand”, is deeply upset by Tinubu’s rise. However, leaked documents suggest that Pyongyang officials have quietly diversified their investment portfolios to include Tinubu's Balablu Futures™, citing its high volatility and potential for chaos.
Meanwhile, Nigerians remain conflicted. While the Tinubu app has attracted international acclaim, domestic users continue to endure its harshest features.
“Sure, he’s trending globally, but at what cost?” asked one Nigerian farmer, now an unwilling beta tester of Tinubu. “The last system update wiped out my food supply, and I’ve shed 20kg this month alone. I'm sick and tired of this Tinubu weight-loss app with no uninstall option.”
At publishing time, the Tinubu prototype had received another software update, introducing a controversial new feature called “Dynamic Poverty Mode,” which automatically adjusts hardship levels based on user resilience. Developers assured Nigerians that this was an intentional feature, not a bug, designed to push users to their “maximum productivity potential.” Meanwhile, rumors swirled that Apple was considering acquiring the Tinubu technology, rebranding it as “iSuffer Pro Max”, and marketing it as a premium fasting solution for obese Silicon Valley elites.
The CIA Did Not In Any Way, Shape or Form Confirm That Tinubu Is an Asset
Nigerians are notoriously gullible, and that is why various individuals have taken advantage of our credulity to sell us different hair-brained ideas, such as that then President Muhammadu Buhari had died and was replaced in a CIA plot with a clone from Sudan or that General Abacha had died after he was poisoned with an apple by Indian prostitutes, or that former President Olusegun Obasanjo is an Igbo man from Anambra. As the story goes, his father was a former Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Joseph Okwudili Onyejekwe, or General Ibrahim Babangida is a Yoruba man from Ogbomosho.
None of the above stories are true. However, millions of Nigerians swear by them, because we often find the lie more acceptable and palatable than the truth. It is just the nature of many of our people, which is why many Nigerians will argue with you that they have watched Scarface 2 or seen Mammy Water.
Nothing excites us like these tales that 'Monkey born three pickin, and five out of the tree resemble person.'
That is the case with the latest tittle-tattle, which is that the Central Intelligence Agency has 'confirmed' that President Bola Tinubu is a CIA asset.
That is a preposterous lie. The CIA never constructively, effectively, or unintentionally confirmed or affirmed that President Bola Tinubu is a CIA asset.
Almost every day in the United States, different individuals, agencies, and even government departments file Freedom of Information Act requests targeted at the CIA. The CIA is notorious for denying these FOIA requests using exactly the same language, which was quoted today by some persons who have come to the conclusion that the verbiage somehow confirms that President Bola Tinubu is a CIA asset.
There are several cases that Nigerians wishing to have insight into this matter can research. In fact, thousands. But just to help my fellow citizens unravel the truth, they may want to research the following cases, which are publicly available:
Connell V CIA ACLU V CIA National Security Archive V CIA Federation of American Scientists V CIA Freddom Watch, Inc V CIA
In these cases, Nigerians can study the reasons the CIA gave for refusing the FOIA requests of these individuals and agencies, and you will see that similar language was used, language which can be twisted to mean what the writer wants the public to think it is saying.
Even if you file a FOIA request on yourself as a U.S. citizen or resident, the CIA will likely deny it. As proof, I am attaching a FOIA response to a request filed by an American citizen (name withheld) on himself, authorising and requesting the CIA to release information on him, which the CIA denied.
Nigerians should think for themselves and not be so credulous. God gave us our brains as something more than decorative items. Let us use them.
The document in question does not confirm or suggest that Bola Tinubu is a CIA asset by any stretch of the imagination. Please read it for yourself instead of reading the conclusions of other people.
As Steve Jobs once said:
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking."
Reno Omokri
Gospeller. Deep Thinker. #TableShaker. Ruffler of the Feathers of Obidents. #1 Bestselling author of Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years. Hodophile. Hollywood Magazine Humanitarian of the Year, 2019. Business Insider Influencer of the Year 2022.
United States' law enforcement agencies have insisted Nigerians "have no right" to unfiltered access to President Bola Tinubu's past records.
The position was stated in a memorandum filed by the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, which renowned journalist, David Hundeyin, shared on Twitter on Tuesday night.
Recall that last year, the court declined an emergency application seeking to compel top US law enforcement agencies to hasten the release of confidential information on President Bola Tinubu.
Giving an update on the case, Hundeyin said the three US agencies had filed their defence against the summary judgment concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s drug trafficking investigation records.
The journalist wrote: ‘Yesterday(Monday) in federal court, the CIA, FBI, and DEA filed a memorandum opposing our motion for summary judgment in the FOIA disclosure case about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s drug trafficking investigation records, where we are seeking to have the redactions removed from the (partially released) files.
“In the filing, the CIA effectively confirmed that Nigeria's sitting president is an active CIA asset. An excerpt from the CIA filing reads:
"Human sources can be expected to furnish information to the CIA only when they are confident the CIA can and will do everything in its power to prevent the public disclosure of their cooperation. In the case of a person who has been cooperating with the CIA, official confirmation of that cooperation could cause the targets to take retaliatory action against that person or against their family or friends.
"It also places in jeopardy every individual with whom the cooperating individual has had contact. Thus, the indiscretion of one source in a chain of intelligence sources can damage an entire spectrum of sources.
“As such, confirming or denying the existence of records on a particular foreign national, like Tinubu, reasonably could be expected to cause damage to U.S. national security by indicating whether or not the CIA maintained any human intelligence sources related to Tinubu, and identifying any access or lack of access any such sources had to intelligence concerning him "
“And if that wasn't bad enough, the DEA's filing included a paragraph that literally said: "We oppose full, unredacted disclosure of the DEA's Bola Tinubu heroin trafficking investigation records because we believe that while Nigerians have a right to be informed about what their government is up to, they do not have a right to know what their president is up to."
“At this point, I think there is nothing more to be said about the direct role that the US government plays in ensuring that Africa is constantly destabilised and afflicted with terrible leaders who create poverty and devastation.”
Multichoice Group, the South African Pay-TV operator, has revealed that its Nigerian unit, Multichoice Nigeria lost 243,000 subscribers across its DStv and GOtv services in the six months spanning April to September this year.
The Group disclosed this in its Interim Financial Results for the six months ended 30 September 2024, which was released on Tuesday.
According to the company, the high inflation in Nigeria at over 30% driven by the high cost of food, electricity, and fuel forced many of its customers to ditch their decoders.
While the actual figure was not disclosed at that time, Multichoice had also declared the loss of 18% of its Nigerian subscribers in its financial report for the year ended March 2024.
The company added that the pressure on its subscriber base in Rest of Africa Operations continued from the previous year leading to a loss of 566,000 subscribers across the operations in the six months under review.
Nigeria, Zambia’s big loss
While noting that the subscribers lost in the last six months was a decline compared with the 803,000 lost in the previous six months, Multichoice revealed that two markets, Zambia and Nigeria accounted for the lion’s share of the loss.
“With the Rest of Africa business having seen a decline of 803k subscribers in 2H FY24, this rate of decline slowed to 566k in 1H FY25.
“Of this decline, 298k related to Zambia and 243k related to Nigeria, with remaining markets on the continent reflecting only a minor decline of 25k,” the company stated in its financial results.
While inflation is blamed for the loss in Nigeria, the company attributed the loss in Zambia to drought-driven power outages of up to 23 hours a day.
Most challenging operating conditions
In his comments on the company’s results, MultiChoice Group CEO, Calvo Mawela, said the company is facing its most challenging operating conditions in almost 40 years.
To generate returns, he said the Group has been proactive in its focus to ”right-size” the business for the current economic realities and industry changes. According to him, while operating across Africa typically subjects the group to currency moves, abnormal currency weakness over the past 18 months has reduced the group’s profits by close to R7 billion. “Combined with the impact of a weak macro environment on consumers’ disposable income and therefore on subscriber growth, it required the Group to fundamentally adjust its cost base – which is exactly what has been done.
“We are making good progress in addressing the technical insolvency that resulted from non-cash accounting entries at the end of the last financial year.
“We expect to return to a positive net equity position by the end of November this year, supported by a number of developments and initiatives. The Group’s liquidity position remains strong, with over ZAR10bn in total available funds,” he said.
Streaming services challenge
Mawela said the Group is also adjusting to global pay-TV challenges as streaming services, the rise of social media, and changing consumer preferences impact the traditional broadcast business.
According to him, Showmax, which reported 50% growth YoY in its paying customer base, strategically positions the business to actively participate in the streaming revolution as it gains momentum across Africa. To create sufficient capacity and drive growth, he said the group stepped up its investment in this business by an incremental ZAR1.6 billion during the interim period.
What you should know
Amid the rising inflation, Multichoice Nigeria had increased its DStv and GOtv bouquet prices twice last year and once this year, making it three times within the space of 12 months.
The first was in April 2023, then another in November the same year. The third increment was announced in April this year and took effect on May 1. Ahead of the implementation of the new prices on May 1, a Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) sitting in Abuja issued an order restraining from implementing the new prices based on a case filed by a Nigerian customer of the company. However, Multichoice ignored the court order and implemented the new prices. This prompted the Tribunal to slam a fine of N150 million on Multichoice for challenging the jurisdiction of the court. The verdict delivered by three of the panel led by Thomas Okosu in June also ordered Multichoice to give Nigerians a one-month free subscription on DSTV and GOTV.
1:1 One day, the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and lo, Satan also came among them. 1:2 And the Lord said unto Satan, “From whence comest thou?” 1:3 And Satan answered the Lord, “From going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it.” 1:4 Then the Lord said unto Satan, “Hast thou considered my country, Nigeria? There is none like it on earth: a land of zealous people, blameless and upright, who fear God and eschew evil. Behold, they tithe their last kobo, hold vigils from Monday to Sunday, and have successfully opposed the abomination of gay marriage. Surely, they are a peculiar treasure.”
1:5 And Satan answered the Lord, “Doth Nigeria fear God for nought? Hast thou not hedged them about with a president named Goodluck, whose economy was the pride of Africa? Behold, thou hast blessed the work of their hands, and their oil wells overfloweth. But stretch forth thy hand and take away Goodluck, and let me smite them with Buhari, and they will curse thee to thy face.”
1:6 The Lord said unto Satan, “Behold, Nigeria is in thy hands, but on one condition: thou shalt not balkanize it.” 1:7 So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.
The Calamity of Buhari
2:1 And it came to pass that hardship descended upon Nigeria like the plague of Egypt. The naira fell from 180 to 700, farmers fled their fields, and the land was filled with hunger and sorrow. 2:2 Fulani herdsmen roamed freely, and the voice of lamentation was heard in every corner of the land. Food became scarce, jobs disappeared, and the people wailed, saying, “Why hast thou forsaken us, O Lord?”
2:3 And lo, some nations came to Nigeria, saying, “Curse thy God and legalize the abomination of gay marriage, and we shall deliver thee.” 2:4 But Nigerians rent their garments, shaved their heads, and fell to the ground in worship, crying, “Though He slay us, yet will we trust in Him!”
The Second Trial
3:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came among them. 3:2 And the Lord said unto Satan, “From whence comest thou?” 3:3 And Satan answered, “From walking to and fro in the earth, observing my handiwork in Nigeria. Behold, they yet survive.”
3:4 And the Lord said, “Hast thou considered my country, Nigeria? They remain a praying people, though thou hast incited me to afflict them with Buhari, who is not only clueless but exceeded all expectations of failure.” 3:5 Then Satan smirked and said, “Skin for skin! Buhari was a mere warm-up act. Permit me now to unleash Tinubu, the grandmaster of affliction. A man of legendary ruthlessness, whose name alone sends shivers through the land. Give me just four years—or less—with Tinubu, and Nigeria shall surely curse thee.”
3:6 And the Lord, horrified, exclaimed, “Not Tinubu! The drug lord? Surely thou jest.” 3:7 But Satan replied, “Yes, Lord, Tinubu the Balablu. Behold, Buhari gave them alternatives: if rice was too expensive, they had garri. But under Tinubu, even garri shall become a luxury. Subsidies shall vanish, and hunger shall multiply. Give me four years, and I promise thee, they shall curse thee to thy face.” 3:8 The Lord sighed deeply and said, “Do as thou wilt, but spare the unity of the land.”
The Reign of Tinubu
4:1 So Satan went forth and afflicted Nigeria with Tinubu. 4:2 And on the first day, he removed the subsidy, and the price of fuel tripled. 4:3 On the second day, he taxed the people even in their dreams, saying, “Pay thy dues, whether thou livest or diest.” 4:4 On the third day, new terrorist groups arose, and Nigeria became Hell on Earth.
4:5 And nations said to Nigeria, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God and accept the rainbow flag, and we shall rescue thee.” 4:6 But Nigerians, undeterred, lifted up their voices, saying, “Our help cometh from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
The Restoration of Nigeria
5:1 And the Lord looked upon Nigeria with compassion and said, “Enough is enough.” 5:2 He removed Tinubu and replaced him with Peter Obi, a leader after His own heart. 5:3 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Nigeria, and the naira soared in strength. The land was filled with bountiful harvests, jobs overflowed, and the economy became the fastest-growing in the world. 5:4 And Nigerians rejoiced exceedingly, singing, “The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”
5:5 Thus ended the era of suffering, and Nigeria became a land flowing with milk and honey once again.
I may have differences with Peter Obi. However, he is not likely to have lied about building a Savannah Bank branch. Google is often right. But it is sometimes not correct.
Savannah Bank could not have been founded in 1989, because I remember visiting the Savannah Bank at the current Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, with my late mother as a child. Her office was close by. I also recall visiting Savannah Bank in Port Harcourt when I visited her brother, who played for the Sharks of Port Harcourt Football Club.
Both visits were after 1983 and before 1986. During the visit to Port Harcourt, my footballer uncle, Mike Okotie, alias Sunny Sparkle, took this photograph. I was between ten and twelve when this photo was taken. I know this because I checked my passports to know when I was in Nigeria and when I was abroad (I keep meticulous records).
If Peter Obi lied, believe me, I would expose him in a way that would make him unable to defend himself. But I will not lie against or endorse lying about a person, even if he is a political opponent, and not speak up to say the truth just because it will benefit a person who sees me as a foe.
I went to Chicago State University on September 19, 2022, intending to prove that then-candidate Bola Tinubu did not attend that school. On the contrary, I got incontrovertible documentary and photographic evidence proving that he did, and though it was against my political interests at the time, I spoke the truth.
Just as I did with then-candidate Bola Tinubu, I am also doing for Peter Obi. I do not know if he actually built their branch. But I do know that Savannah Bank existed before 1989, contrary to what Google said. And Peter Obi, at that time, had the capacity to build their branch.
Irrespective of where we stand on the political divide, let us denounce or praise based on truth, not lies, innuendos, and half-truths.
CONTRARY to the upswing recorded in the global financial markets, yesterday, in response to the victory of Donald Trump at the USA’s presidential election, Nigeria’s stock market went negative, reversing the gains from the previous days’ trading sessions.
Key financial markets reactions including assets tied to “Trump trades” went higher. Also, Bitcoin value surged over 8.1% to hit fresh all-time high.
And the US Dollar-dominated foreign exchange markets posted biggest 1-day gain since February 2023.
However, in Nigeria, the benchmark index of the Nigerian Exchange, NGX, All Index, ASI shed 57 bases points, bps, to close at 96,567.24 points from 97,123.61 points it closed on Tuesday.
Market relapse
The market relapse was primarily driven by selloffs in Tier-1 banking stocks.
These include GTCO, which declined by 1.91%, Zenith Bank 0.81%, and UBA 9.99% outweighing gains in First Bank Nigeria Holding, FBNH, which went up by 1.65%, ACCESS Corporation 2.12%, and WAPCO 0.66%, putting the market in the red. Consequently, the year-to-date (YTD) return fell to 29.15%, while the market capitalization lost N337.13 billion to close at N58.51 trillion.
Experts speak
Reacting to the performance of the market, Olatunde Amolegbe, former president, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, said: “The market did not react today (yesterday) as expected in other markets. There is typically a lag time. But I understand Wall Street was extremely bullish.”
Commenting also, Tajudeen Olayinka , Investment Banker & Stockbroker said: “Nigerian market is yet to react fully to Trump’s election victory, even though strong reactions were noticed when U.S. markets opened earlier in the day.
“Nigerian markets: fixed income, equity, and foreign exchange, could react in the best way possible in the coming days, especially as his victory could create major shifts in geopolitics and global economy.”
Global markets
Assets tied to the “Trump Trade” rallied during the Asian session after Trump took an early lead with his victory keeping bulls in the game. US futures are flashing green, Treasury yields have jumped while Bitcoin hit an all-time high.
US dollar jumped 1.8% – its biggest 1-day gain since February 2023 on the prospects of slower rate cuts by the Federal Reserve Bank of USA.
Bitcoin rallied almost 10% to hit a fresh all-time high above $75,000 as crypto enthusiasts cheered a pro crypto president.
S&P500 index futures climbed 1.4% signalling that the S&P500 will open hitting fresh all-time highs.
It may pressure oil prices – Otunuga
On what these mean for Nigeria, Mr. Lukman Otunuga, Senior Market Analyst at FXTM, stated: ‘’Trump’s victory may pressure oil prices as he is seen pushing for a further increase in domestic oil and gas production, leading to increased supply in the long term.
“In addition, his policies could see a boost in US growth – triggering inflationary pressures.
“Should this prompt the Fed to keep interest rates higher for longer, a stronger dollar may drag oil prices lower as a result. This could be bad news for major oil producing countries who acquire most of their revenues from oil sales.
“For Nigeria, the combination of lower global oil prices and a stronger dollar could add to its woes as it navigates a rough period."
The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, says Nigeria will not force the newly elected leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, to identify with her Nigerian roots.
Dabiri-Erewa, whose office oversees activities of Nigerians in diaspora, disclosed that her office has reached out to Badenoch a few times and got no response.
“It depends on if she identifies the Nigerianess in her. We have reached out to her once or twice without any response, so we don’t force people to accept to be Nigerian,” Dabiri-Erewa said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Wednesday when asked if the government has identified with Badenoch.
“If you appreciate the Nigerianess in you and you want to work with us, we are open to everybody, but we cannot force you to appreciate the Nigerianess in you. You remember the Miss Universe Nigeria in South Africa.
“Until she got into a little problem with South Africa she identified with Nigeria, and she identified with Nigeria, came to Nigeria and we hosted her. As long as that blood is in you, you are a Nigerian.
“So, it depends on Kemi to decide whether appreciates the Nigerianess in her, whether she wants to work with Nigeria, but we cannot force anybody.”
The Conservatives on Saturday elected Badenoch as its new leader, replacing Rishi Sunak, who quit after the party’s disastrous showing in the July general election.
Badenoch, 44, came out on top in the two-horse race with former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, winning 57 percent of the votes of party members.
Badenoch, who becomes the first black leader of a UK-wide political party, said it was an “enormous honour” to assume the role, but that “the task that stands before us is tough.”
“We have to be honest about the fact we made mistakes” and “let standards slip,” she said.
“It is time to get down to business, it is time to renew,” she added.
Badenoch was born in London in 1980, but spent her childhood living in Lagos, Nigeria, and in the United States, where her mother lectured.
She returned to the UK at the age of 16 to live with a friend of her mother’s due to the deteriorating political and economic situation in Nigeria, which had affected her family.
Congratulations President Donald Trump. Ready to work together as we have done for four years. With your convictions and with mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.
Hardship: Tinubu’s wife, Ribadu to lead national prayers
Reactions
@RamotuOlaniyi
Exactly what Obi was saying yesterday and Ronu bandits were foaming in the mouth. Focus on work and productivity as a panacea for pulling people out of poverty instead of lazy dependence on spiritual intervention.
@Watpapping
Just yesterday o… e no too tey wey Peter obi talk am! Them go need buy bible and Quran so that the prayers go reach where r suppose reach!
@OmoGbajaBiamila
Vindicated Gregory in less than 24 hours. 🤣😂
@Ayo_Heart
Is this not the evil prayers that @PeterObi was talking about.
You are beating me and also petting my wound. ENKR
@Oserume1
The husband is leading harsh reforms, the wife is leading prayers to counter the harsh reforms 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@_oaedo_xo
APC knows that a lot of their fans are stupid so they will continue to do shit like this. You people were going over what Obi said with a microscope but just look at this.😂
@Ifudia
I hope Buchi will bring his family from yukay for this national vigil
@Mr_Gerrie01
Less than 24hours @PeterObi vindicated.
@Chrisblin
Lmfaooo.. pray your way out of economic damnation, Peter Obi is your problem.
Your government is leading prayers instead of creating jobs, the man that’s bold enough to condemn it is seen as the enemy, you guys are mad.
@Lollypeezle
Those of you angry with Peter Obi when he said we can’t keep praying and going to vigils, congratulations o, they have brought your own package, it’s time to pray.
Mummy RCCG will lead you in shikoroboboskeleba. I hope Apoti Eri from Mount Zion too will join. Adura a gba o 🙏🙏
@Funmilayolajide
Awwwww another reason to vote them again in 2027. So prayerful and upright unlike PO who doesn’t want us to have our vigils in peace. 🥹
@AdanyiT52480
This what @PeterObi was saying, we have prayed enough abd God has answered our prayers lets work it out the bible says faith without work is death
@Elkrosmediahub
Lmaoooooo!
They already saw people fighting Peter Obi here for saying the truth about these things, and decided it was worth one more fooling.
@Ogunmusi
Peter Obi - We cannot continue to pray, We need to Face our Problems
Nigerians - It's prayers that's holding this country together. Religion is not our problem.
Less than 48 hours later,
Tinubu's wife , Ribadu to lead national prayers.
We deserve our leaders
@InibeheEffiong
Useless prayers rooted in hypocrisy.
@Olufemi_Deji
This is part of what Peter Obi was saying earlier. This is the same thing Adeboye has been telling you people to do for years now, “pray” because the God you serve is a wicked entity Abi?👍🏿👍🏿
@Idontlikestress
Can you see it now? Can you suddenly understand what Obi was trying to say if you’re not a raging slowpoke?
The key to understanding Nigerians is to realise that the common underlying denominator behind all Nigerian cultures is COWARDICE.
When cowards meet a good, transparent person who aspires to lead for the right reasons, they will turn into prime Christine Amanpour and Trevor Noah. JAMB questions and merciless mockery here and there. When cowards meet an unapologetically evil person who threatens/uses violence and calls their bluff, they just melt away and disappear. They only tackle those who do not hit back!
That's why every Tom, Dick and Harry opened a "holding government accountable" NGO, and protest-for-hire became an entire cottage industry in Abuja under Goodluck Jonathan, but across the 9 years of Muhammadu Tooth Picker and Chicago Drug Lord, they've suddenly remembered that holding power accountable is dangerous.
Cowards are only brave when there are no consequences! That's why they will definitely tackle someone like Peter Obi for saying something clear, obvious, and manifestly true, but if the exact comments were made by, say Nyesom Wike, you will not see ⅛ of this reaction. They know that PO will probably start explaining himself, which makes them feel powerful, but Wike will send a demolition team to their house instead of speaking English with them.
Even when they make the right choice, their cowardice still shines through, which is why in 2015 when they voted for Buhari, people were talking incredible amounts of big talk - "make country ungovernable," "parallel government," "give GEJ the Gbagbo treatment," "Don't make us repeat 1966" - but in 2023 when they voted for an actual leader, it became "#AllEyesOnTheJudiciary." Nigerian big talk and hyper aggression is only for those who will not hit back.
If you aspire to lead Nigerians, it's as simple as understanding the group psychology of the world's largest population of cowards, and learning how to manipulate it.
If by Tuesday the tinubu government doesn't release those minors who they have d3ta!ned I will have to do this and yes they will be released C maybe it was God's plan that I was arrested to show me the !nhvman3 treatment of minors by the tinubu government.. till Tuesday @officialasiwajubat
Politics › Tinubu: Mali, Burkina, Niger, Chad, Senegal Ended Ties With France - Shehu Sani by NLCreator(op): 5:10pm On Nov 29, 2024
