President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration is committed to reviving Nigeria’s steel sector as a key driver for industrial growth, job creation, and economic development in 2026, the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, has declared.
This reaffirmation was contained in the minister’s new year’s message released to newsmen in Abuja on Friday.
Audu noted that though the new year offers an opportunity for reflection, he promised a renewed commitment and collective resolve to advance the nation’s steel development agenda.
He added that in 2026, the ministry will focus on translating reforms into measurable production outcomes, strengthening local content, creating sustainable jobs, and positioning the steel sector to support national development.
Recalling the achievements of 2025, the minister said deliberate and conscious efforts were made in the year to reposition the steel industry through policy reforms, improved institutional frameworks, and sustained engagement with critical stakeholders across the sector.
Acknowledging the fiscal challenges faced during the year, particularly the non-release of funds for the 2025 budget, the minister stressed that the ministry sustained momentum through prudent use of 2024 appropriation and policy-driven interventions.
He then highlighted some of the major milestones recorded to include the successful hosting of the inaugural National Steel Summit, which brought together stakeholders to chart a new path for the revival of Nigeria’s steel industry.
The minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to the revitalisation of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex, emphasizing the ongoing engagements with prospective investors to ensure the completion and operationalization of the facility.
Audu also cited the facilitation of significant investments by the ministry aimed at improving energy supply and boosting steel production, including plans for mini-LNG plants within the Ajaokuta Steel Territory.
The minister noted the growing confidence in the sector by local and international investors, with the springing up of new steel projects, the expansion of existing plants, and fresh commitments to rehabilitate key national metallurgical assets.
On human capital development, Audu disclosed that the ministry employed over 200 steel-sector experts and trained more than 700 youths nationwide to bridge skills gaps and support industrial growth.
The Rivers State Executive Council has approved a N1.8 trillion budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year.
The approval was made at the State Executive Council meeting held yesterday evening.
The newly sworn-in Special Adviser to Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Economic Matters and Social Development, Prof. Peter Medee, said the budget was designed to enable the state to complete and advance key projects in critical sectors.
Medee said the budget was christened the “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development.”
He said the state government remained committed to meeting its developmental targets for the people of Rivers State despite the challenges confronting the administration.
He said: ” The main thrust of the year 2026 proposed estimate has been fashioned to enable the state accomplish and conclude ongoing projects as well as clear our outstanding obligations in key critical sectors such as infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, human capacity development, youth empowerment, culture, tourism, information and communications technology.
“It is against this backdrop that the state Executive Council has respectfully approved and considered that the budget theme for 2026 is the Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development.
“This budget is so christened because the priority of the State Government for the year 2026 is for recovery, restoration, reassurance, consolidation and inclusivity.
“This is because in spite of many challenges, the State Government has remained resilient, dogged and focused, and achieving the key targets as our commitment to the people of Rivers State.
Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr Honour Sirawoo, said: “As you are aware the Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration is determined to bridge the lost grounds, upon that reason a very robust budget figure has been arrived at after a very conscious deliberation to put our State where it needs to be.”
Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and serial defector, has jumped ship again.
He has deserted the Labour Party (LP), which rescued him, gave him a refuge and offered him a platform to contest the 2023 presidential poll.
His new abode is the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Siamese half of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on which platform he paired with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as presidential running mate during the 2019 poll.
Obi has been involved in the coalition talks from the beginning. But he may have delayed his official declaration in anticipation of a concession. After the defection, the question is: what next? Will Atiku jettison his long-standing presidential ambition and step down for him during the national convention of the party?
If Atiku steps down, it means the prediction of the marabouts that he will one day rule Nigeria is false. If the Adamawa-born politician comes down from that Olympian height to now become the sponsor of a running mate – a mere spare tyre – to Obi, it is not a good crowning of an illustrious political career.
Has Obi agreed to serve as the running mate to Atiku in 2027? Will that not be contradictory to his boasting that he never travelled round the world to learn governance just to become a vice president, a footnote or an addendum?
Is Obi now ready, after a careful self-reassessment, to eat the humble pie and accept being the running mate again in 2027, when Atiku will be 81, with an intention to succeed him later, if he wins the poll?
Has the ADC made any pronouncement on zoning or rotation to either the North or South in the next general election?
Have Atiku and Obi agreed to step down to allow another person, from the North or South, to run, with the two veteran contenders joining hands to build support for the candidate, in the spirit of national sacrifice?
What is the joker?
Obi has something going for him. Although he lost the 2023 poll, it was a historic outing for him. After borrowing the LP, he threw his hat in the ring a few months before the election and scored over six million votes, trailing Atiku’s over seven million votes and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s over eight million votes.
At Enugu, capital of Enugu State and political headquarters of the Southeast, the former Anambra State governor tried to showcase the relic of his personal structure. Typical of an ethnic champion, Obi attempted to regionalise his new party, the ADC. The Enugu gathering was largely an Igbo affair, with few chieftains from other regions as spectators. But his supporters rationalised the ethnic outing, saying that charity begins at home.
Those who attended the defection were in two categories. The first category comprised the Atiku gang of Southeast origin, the same old faces of aggrieved co-travellers and former men of power now smelling the aroma of power from afar. The second category had Obi’s followers from the LP, who had hibernated in the party with him for three years.
Apart from few negligible federal legislators who defected along with him, those keeping Obi company are spent forces who have lost mobilisation prowess. Whether or not Obi, who ditched Atiku after the 2019 general election, could be trusted by associates of the former Vice President now in ADC would have to be ascertained.
Obi’s speech at the defection event was unimpressive. It was a mere rambling that lacked coherence. It was devoid of substance, focus, depth and clarity. It smacked of self-glorification. His remarks showed that the charm that endeared him to many has faded.
Expectedly, the APC government came under attack. But no alternative programme was articulated. Obi said he had read new books on Indonesia and Malaysia, and promised to implement the theories he came across in the books written by some scholars.
His departure from LP underscored his lack of leadership ability to rebuild and put the house in order. He left behind a party in tatters, factionalised, polarised, used and dumped. That Obi could not resolve the protracted crisis soiled his profile. It queries his capacity to broker effective reconciliation at a critical moment in the party’s journey. He appears to be concerned about his personal ambition and not the collective survival of the party. It is ironic that a man who could not foster unity in a small party like the LP is promising to promote the unity of Nigeria.
The is no alignment of ideas. Ideology has long been discarded in Nigerian politics. The motivation for the retracing of steps is interest. Whether or not a clash of interests will occur with the passage of time depends on Obi’s permutations, which drove him to the desperate coalition, which the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as a schism of chaos.
Obi left the LP in distress and confusion, which the Julius Abure faction attributed to his style.
The faction, which apologised to Nigerians for giving him the 2023 ticket, said the former governor would not be missed. This may not be true because between 2023 and 2025, Obi was the main issue in the party, its leadership crisis notwithstanding.
The details of the pact that became the driving force for Obi are unknown. Atiku has been chasing the presidency, like a shadow chaser, since the 1993 Jos convention of the Social Democratic Party (PDP). In this dispensation, the former vice president has tried his luck six more times – in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023 – but without success. Is the Wazirin Adamawa now fatigued or poll weary?
The general feeling is that ADC was borrowed from the original owners for the purpose of realising Atiku’s aspiration. That is why many people believe that ADC is the Atiku Democratic Congress. Is Atiku being persuaded to step down and concede the space to Obi to fly the ticket of ADC in the next general election, while regressing into a status of a dignified onlooker or godfather?
Obi said he decided to team up with ADC in the interest of national unity. Observers were taken aback that the politician who campaigned on ethno-religious platform in 2023 has suddenly turned around to project himself as an advocate of unity.
He goes down in history as a politically unstable and electorally inconsistent actor, whose hallmark is desperation. From being an All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governor, through his struggle to occupy the number two position as a PDP chieftain, to an LP presidential candidate and now an ADC stalwart, the political roaming in circles is complete.
Obi, like Atiku, lacks the pedigree of a party builder. For a politician who miraculously got over six million votes to fail to build on that novel score and momentum speaks volumes about a deficiency in self-awareness.
That shortfall in perception and dearth of knowledge predisposed him to seeking a rented apartment in ADC when he had the chance to erect an edifice in LP, where he ultimately drew the ire of chieftains as a deserter.
The protracted leadership squabble in the LP was a major test he failed woefully. How would someone who cannot fix his party promise to fix Nigeria, a country of over 200 million heterogeneous people?
But that was also among those inadequacies, apart from the lack of political patience and sound strategy that created a hollow in the career of Atiku and other politicians who inherited the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) from their leader, the late Tafidan Katsina, Major-General Shehu Yar’Adua, only to allow it to collapse irredeemably. The PDM, a formidable platform, went with the wind because the supposedly arrowheads could not properly invest in its survival. Like Obi, Atiku’s motive is just ambition, and nothing more.
Obi is taking his ‘Obedient’ followers to the ADC. They cannot transform into core party men and women. Since he is only interested in the party’s ticket and not the party itself, the challenge of harmonisation of party structures may not arise. That may be why it is convenient for him to abandon those who actively supported him, particularly the members of the National Caretaker Committee, led by Senator Esther Nenadi-Usman, and the lone LP governor, Alex Otti of Abia State, who has refused to defect along with him.
Where does the defection leave Abure and Nenadi-Usman? Is that the end of LP? Will the factions fight on?
Neither is any cogent consideration accorded the interest of Obi’s 2023 running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, who has been his loyal envoy to both the LP and the ADC.
But has Obi been assured of the ticket? He is not known for participating in a competitive presidential primary. He only targets a political party that will hand over the ticket to him without stress. It is noteworthy that ADC’s Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said recently that there was no guarantee about an anointed candidate. He also said there was no discussion about how the candidate would be chosen. Judging by Atiku’s antecedents, the fate of the ADC presidential candidate would be determined at the primary.
What is the position of ADC on zoning? If the party zones its presidential ticket to the North, would there not be an uproar in the South because the zone deserves eight years?
If it is zoned to the South, would the North be comfortable with another eight years for the South, after President Tinubu’s first term of four years? The North is conscious of the fact that the promise of a single term is a fallacy. Would the North not show preference for another four years for President Tinubu instead of conceding eight more years?
But how intact is Obi’s support base? The argument is that if Obi’s six million and Atiku’s seven million are combined, they will surpass President Tinubu’s eight million. That was in 2023. Are the dynamics not different today as Nigeria gazes at 2027? Introspectively, in 2019, when Atiku and Obi paired in the PDP, did they defeat the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket of the APC?
The only implication, for now, of Obi’s defection is that the presidential election may strictly be a three-horse race with President Tinubu of APC and flagbearers of the ADC and PDP slugging it out on poll day.
Against all odds, President Bola Tinubu’s much heralded tax reforms have come into force.
The new acts are supposed to ensure uniformity in tax revenue administration across Nigeria, eliminate double taxation, use taxation to encourage private sector investment in critical industries and boost disposable incomes through targeted tax exemptions.
The poorest in society are expected to be winners under the new arrangement. Individuals earning below the minimum wage are exempted from the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax. Similarly, small businesses with annual turnovers of N50 million or less would be excused from paying taxes.
The new laws reduce corporate income tax rate from 30% to 25% over the next two years as a way of alleviating financial pressures on businesses and foster investment.
From the very start the legislations have been greeted with intense suspicion, especially up North.
Most people who have taken the trouble to read through the legislations or even familiarise themselves with summaries, admit that while not perfect, the bills are a massive improvement on what we currently have. Of course, they challenge states which are currently content with heading to Abuja for the monthly handout from FAAC, to do more about boosting economic activity in their domains.
But, surely, no one can quarrel with tax exemptions for the poorest of the poor, or cuts for struggling families. Fair minded persons cannot be against reducing the taxation burdens on MSMES and other companies.
What is most exhausting is that, in typical Nigerian fashion, what should be discourse about the economic wellbeing of citizens has been reduced to a political shouting match about plots to disadvantage one region or the other.
Some of the most hysterical voices have been those who don’t even know what the new laws contain, but are content to recycle ignorant posts on social media.
Others have even taken their mischief-making a notch higher. For instance, the story is told of how some months back farmers in parts of the North were misinformed that if they produced four baskets of onions or tomatoes, the government would take one of those baskets as tax! That is to say 25% of their produce.
This caused quite a flap. In no time, clerics were already preaching inflammatory anti-government sermons about the supposedly evil new tax burden in their mosques on Fridays.
Informed about the dangerous information being spread by these unknown individuals whose only goal was to torpedo the new legislation, some members of the Presidential Tax Committee quickly engaged influential clerics and stakeholders from the region in a town hall of sorts.
By the time the engagement was halfway through, they had managed to calm inflamed emotions with proper information about what the new laws were about and what they were not. The bemused clerics kept glancing at each other in confusion because what they hearing wasn’t what they were told.
Opponents of tax reforms got second wind because of the so-called alterations in the gazetted laws. But those who make these claims haven’t been able to show what was changed and for what purpose.
The deliberate injection of falsehoods and innuendoes into what should be a sober conversation just speaks to the hidden agenda of these forces.
If the recent decamping of Peter Obi from the Labour Party to the African Democratic Congress was intended to detonate like a political bombshell, it failed spectacularly. What arrived instead was a dull thud—unremarkable, unsurprising, and terminally familiar. Nothing more. Nothing less. The script had been written long ago, recycled endlessly, and now—ironically—with this latest move, even that script has run out. All smoke. No fire. With his entry into the ADC, the plot does not evolve; it simply ends.
Mr. Obi used the occasion not for clarity or restraint, but to fling predictable broadsides against a man who dwarfs him in political reach, institutional mastery, and historical consequence—Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This is a President who does not govern by tirade, who does not rely on subterfuge, and who does not court cheap populism as a substitute for policy. Mr. Obi would have been better served by silence than by yet another performance dressed up as conviction.
What followed was entirely in character. Mr. Obi once again chose provocation over substance—an incendiary display that substitutes indignation for understanding and accusation for evidence. This is not courage; it is habit. It reflects a deeper pathology in Nigeria’s political discourse: performative outrage, permanent campaigning, and the restless hunt for relevance. Mr. Obi has made a career of all three.
His political trajectory tells the fuller story. From APGA to PDP, from Labour to ADC, Mr. Obi has drifted across parties with the ease of a man unburdened by ideology or loyalty. Political platforms, for him, are conveniences—vehicles to be boarded and abandoned at will. Causes are temporary. Commitments are elastic. There is no enduring belief system anchoring these movements, only ambition in search of the next available ladder.
This inconsistency was evident even in office. As governor, Mr. Obi perfected a style long on moral posturing and short on durable institutional legacy. He spoke the language of prudence, but left behind little that could withstand rigorous scrutiny. His public persona has always leaned on assertion rather than proof, repetition rather than record. That is not reform; it is rhetorical minimalism masquerading as depth.
On national issues, the shallowness becomes even more pronounced. Mr. Obi’s commentary on macroeconomic management, federal structure, security, and public finance routinely betrays a thin grasp of complexity. Hard problems are flattened into slogans; structural constraints are moralized into personal failings. This is not analysis—it is sophistry. Noise without knowledge. Certainty without comprehension.
The 2023 elections exposed these weaknesses brutally. Buoyed by an emotionally charged but politically unserious following, Mr. Obi misread the national climate entirely. He mistook social-media enthusiasm for nationwide structure, online applause for polling-unit presence, and moral grandstanding for electoral arithmetic. Politics, however, is not a vibes-based exercise. It is built on organization, coalition, discipline, and data.
That absence of seriousness was laid bare in court. In a withering moment, the Supreme Court of Nigeria admonished Mr. Obi for failing to even demonstrate a clear understanding of his own vote tally, while simultaneously disputing the official figures released by Independent National Electoral Commission. To challenge an election without facts, without numbers, without preparation, is not principled opposition; it is political irresponsibility elevated to litigation.
Underlying all this is an unmistakable deification of self. Mr. Obi’s rush to the presidency was not grounded in democratic credentials of sufficient weight, nor in a coalition patiently built across Nigeria’s diverse political terrain. It was propelled by an inflated sense of personal virtue—the dangerous illusion that moral self-regard alone qualifies one to govern a complex federation. History is unkind to such delusions.
Nigeria does not need saints auditioning for office. It needs leaders with gravitas, institutional memory, and a disciplined understanding of power—how it is built, negotiated, and responsibly exercised. These qualities are conspicuously absent from Mr. Obi’s record.
If a New Nigeria is indeed possible, it will not be erected on insinuation, half-knowledge, and rhetorical arson. It will be built on competence, respect for institutions, and the discipline to distinguish facts from theatrics. Sadly, these remain in short supply in Mr. Obi’s latest outing.
By contrast, President Tinubu offers focused leadership, measurable outcomes, and time-tested performance forged over decades of political engagement and executive responsibility. Governance is proceeding with intent, not noise.
In that context, the political horizon is no longer murky.
2027 just got clearer.
See you all in 2031.
• Dare is Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communication
We start with the well-known first stanza of Robert Frost’s iconic poem, ‘The Road Not Taken.’ With 2026 already upon us, Nigeria itself stands at a crossroads, contemplating which path it must take in transitioning into full nationhood and its accompanying national ethos.
Perhaps we should take the road we have avoided for the past six decades; if we do, it may finally yield the much-needed difference. The Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, by strategic design, has chosen the path less trodden and largely ignored by past governments. Many of these reforms will be validated in the coming decades as truly game-changing.
The stabilization of the foreign exchange market, in particular, is a game-changer. It sends encouraging signals regarding the restoration of fiscal stability – the vital ingredient for attracting ‘patient’ capital as opposed to fly-by-night ‘hot money’ portfolio investments. This is a significant gain!
In addition, despite the expected resistance, the reforms spearheaded by Zacch Adelabu Adedeji in the tax sector are another example of a sensible government initiative to embark on a positive path. Leaving aside partisan politics, this is precisely what should be expected of a reformist administration.
In the motto of the elite British SAS, ‘Who Dares Wins.’ On several fronts, leaving the initial pains aside, the government has dared and is winning. However, the communication of these positive gains must be recalibrated to emphasize that the benefits are real and already yielding a trickle-down effect. The communications strategy must answer the fundamental question: ‘How has this benefited me and my family?’ The answer must be succinct and convincing to the man and woman in the ‘Korope’, the markets, and the farms across the various ecosystems and focus groups within the six geopolitical zones.
In the pre-election year of 2026, this has become the decisive battleground. It is a pivotal crossroads because, as the Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci observed, the true essence of politics lies in the ‘war of position’ – the strategic effort to shift the very terrain of public debate in favour of one’s own vision. In light of this, the government must harness every instrument of influence to secure this intellectual ground, following the blueprint of arguably the most astute political theorist since Niccolò Machiavelli.
Gramsci is famously associated with pioneering the concept of ‘Cultural Hegemony.’ This theory finds profound applicability in a nation so multi-ethnic and multicultural – a landscape defined by a myriad of languages, mores, and traditions, and situated at varying levels of development where no universal consensus on the definition of “progress” exists. The communications strategy must be anchored in these lived realities. If the government can master this alignment, it will, in my considered opinion, achieve a position of unassailable political and moral authority.
Across the board, Nigeria must slay its demons. We find ourselves returning yet again to the illuminating thought of Antonio Gramsci. Observing the chaos of Italy in his time, Gramsci noted: “The crisis lies in the inability to jettison a system of social and economic relationships which have clearly failed. For this reason, a new society cannot be born; in the interregnum, all manner of morbid symptoms unleash themselves – we are in the age of monsters.”
In plain terms, the historic burden on Tinubu is to be the iconoclast who finally crushes the spirits of insecurity, mass poverty, and institutional decay. These interwoven challenges have stood as a barricade, stalling Nigeria while peers like India, Brazil and Singapore took their giant strides. Tinubu must be more than a reformer; he must be the architect and the builder of a reinvigorated Nigeria.
To borrow from the wisdom of Frantz Fanon, every generation – and indeed every leader – has a historic mission that must either be fulfilled or betrayed. President Tinubu possesses the intellectual depth, the economic foresight, and the political grit to see this mission through. Putting it succinctly therefore, how his administration treads across the minefields of 2026 will ultimately decide whether his name is etched in the halls of greatness or lost to the footnotes of time.
These hurdles require more than raw power; they demand tactical mastery. In this arena, Tinubu stands on firm ground. The fractured opposition has yet to produce a rival capable of grasping such complexities, let alone one with the seasoned political instincts of the Jagaban of Borgu.
But beyond the cold logic of statecraft lies a deeper reality. As we welcome this new year, we turn to the Divine. Our Father and our God, hedge us about with Your protection and cover our nakedness. Strip away every garment of reproach, silence those who would devour our progress, and stand as our Champion while we still draw breath in the land of the living.
Heavenly Warrior, You are the Strong and the Mighty, You are the One who sees wars but does not flee from wars. You are the One who remained in the fire, unconsumed, because You are the Consuming Fire. Just as You stood in the path of Balaam, stand in the way of any counsel that would lead this nation towards ruin. Open our eyes to see the unseen dangers, and redirect our steps towards the path of peace and prosperity.
Lord, heal the ancient fractures that divide us and mend the seams of our national fabric where they have been frayed by distrust and hardship. Let us not be a people of separate paths, but one nation, bound by a purpose that transcends the temporary storms of the interregnum.
You who performed surgery in the Garden of Eden – removing a single bone to fashion a woman – You are still in the business of restoration! In Your mercy, bless our young shoulders with wisdom, cancel the invisible plots that seek to hollow out our achievements, and expose the whited sepulchers who attempt to crush our dignity. Where we are unable to receive, let Your authority prevail!
Jehovah El-Shaddai, who would have believed that Abram could become Abraham? Who would have believed that Sarai would be renamed Sarah? Or that Jacob would transform into Israel? If Naaman could believe and witness his own restoration, the Good Lord, turn the schemes of the destiny-perverters to naught and rescue us from the power of error.
This year, we take a stand against the long shadows cast by hypocrites, “notorious for their long prayers which they recite as a show.” Lord, let their hollow echoes die in the air. Let their ‘performance’ no longer block the path of our destiny or drown out the Spirit’s true voice. Bypass the theatre of the insincere; hear instead the raw, silent groans of the faithful. Tear down their religious masquerades, so the Mandate of Heaven can finally speak over this nation, clear and undisturbed.
El Olam, You are the Alpha and the Omega, the very Beginning and the absolute End! Condemn the accuser, trap them by their own words, and vindicate the just. In the New Year, deliver us as You delivered Jacob from Laban’s house, and grant us the speed to recover lost ground. O Stone of Israel, open every closed door, and let the conspirators against our national glory face the righteous judgment of God! And because You live, may we not be making noise while our mates are making points!
May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) increasingly looks less like a political party with a future and more like a loose gathering of yesterday’s politicians—retired, angry, bitter, expired, and visibly frustrated by their repeated rejection at the polls. It is hard to identify any clear vision, mission, or new idea driving the party. What stands out instead is desperation: a frantic search for power, not to serve Nigerians, but to satisfy long-standing personal ambitions and political greed.
Take Atiku Abubakar as a central symbol of this exhaustion. Well into his late years and having contested the presidency multiple times, his political playbook appears unchanged. No fresh strategy. No bold new ideas. Just the same recycled promises, repackaged for each election cycle. Nigeria has moved on, but Atiku’s politics seem stuck in the past.
The ADC’s conduct further exposes its emptiness. With the next general election fast approaching, the party has been reportedly busy begging Peter Obi to join them. This alone signals weakness. A party with confidence in its ideology and leadership would not be scrambling for borrowed credibility so close to an election. It would be building structures, inspiring citizens, and presenting a coherent alternative. ADC is doing none of these.
Leadership choices also raise serious questions. A party that parades figures well into their seventies as its top leadership cannot convincingly claim to represent renewal or the future. Recycling the same old political faces—many of whom Nigerians already associate with years of stagnation—shows a deep disregard for the country’s youthful population and their aspirations.
Including controversial figures like Nasir El-Rufai in its leadership mix only adds to the confusion. Rather than signalling strength, it reinforces the image of a party that is ideologically empty, clinging to any familiar name it can find. Appointing someone like Rauf Aregbesola as party secretary further underlines how disconnected ADC appears from public sentiment. It feels less like strategic leadership and more like an insult to Nigerians who are demanding competence, clarity, and accountability.
In sharp contrast stands the All Progressives Congress (APC). President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not loved because he is perfect, but because he is decisive. He takes tough, often unpopular decisions—decisions many politicians fear—but necessary ones nonetheless. Tinubu is not managing Nigeria as a career politician obsessed with optics; he is confronting national challenges as a leader focused on long-term stability and reform.
Leadership is not about telling people what they want to hear. It is about doing what must be done. While ADC looks backwards, APC—under Tinubu—pushes forward, making hard choices to reposition the country, even when the cost is political comfort.
Nigeria does not need another gathering of angry, expired politicians recycling old ambitions. It needs leadership, courage, and direction. On that score, ADC offers little more than noise, while APC continues to define itself by action.
Even the acronym ADC – borrowing a leaf from the APC- shows its lack of vision and originality. The old African saying that when one cries, one must see, encompasses the need for Nigerians to see beyond the confused, arm-twisting tactics of ADC and see the rich future the APC is taking the country to.
The ADC is often portrayed as a platform that thrives more on grievance than on ideas. Rather than presenting clear policies, solutions, or a compelling vision for the country, its public conversation is dominated by negativity—anger at opponents, blame for the past, and endless complaints about who failed Nigeria and who should be removed next. What is striking is that the party appears louder in what it opposes than in what it actually proposes.
Many of the figures around the ADC were central voices in the campaign to remove Goodluck Jonathan from office. At the time, they painted him as unfit to lead and rallied public sentiment against his administration. Today, however, those same actors are seen seeking Jonathan’s goodwill and support, a move that exposes a deep inconsistency and a politics driven more by convenience than conviction.
Within the ADC, there is also a glaring credibility vacuum. There is no single figure who commands broad public trust based on integrity, performance, or fresh ideas. The leaders themselves seem aware of this weakness, which explains the desperation to court Peter Obi. Rather than building their own identity, ideology, and grassroots strength, they appear eager to hide under Obi’s popularity—hoping his reputation can serve as a canopy to mask their lack of substance.
In the end, the ADC comes across not as a movement powered by vision and renewal, but as a gathering of political actors united mainly by bitterness, recycled ambitions, and the fear of irrelevance—talking endlessly about negativity because they have little else to offer.
The ADC can be described as a group that appears unwilling to wish Nigeria well, a political camp that seems more comfortable with perpetual pessimism than honest national progress. They rarely, if ever, acknowledge reforms or positive steps taken by the current administration. Instead of engaging constructively, they choose selective blindness—ignoring policies, initiatives, and difficult but necessary decisions aimed at stabilizing the country.
President Tinubu’s courage to take politically risky reforms, his determination to confront long-standing insecurity, and his willingness to make tough calls in the interest of long-term national recovery are met not with fair critique but with outright silence or dismissal. To the ADC, nothing is ever improving, nothing is ever commendable, and no effort is ever worthy of recognition.
Their politics thrives on doom-saying. Every development is framed as failure, every reform as disaster, and every challenge as proof that Nigeria is beyond repair. Rather than offering alternative ideas, practical solutions, or balanced criticism, they recycle negativity as a strategy. In doing so, they project an image of a party more invested in seeing Nigeria struggle—so they can say “we told you so”—than in seeing the nation succeed.
Such an approach does not inspire hope, unity, or progress. It reflects a mindset that feeds on despair, not patriotism, and opposition for its own sake, not for the good of Nigeria.
Let it also be stated plainly: Peter Obi joining the ADC will make absolutely no difference whatsoever. Nigerians are not fools. They know who the ADC people are—career political failures that have moved from party to party, election to election, without ideas, integrity, or credibility. Slapping Peter Obi’s name on their decayed structure will not suddenly give them relevance. You cannot perfume political rot and expect the stench to disappear.
This is also the time to tell Peter Obi the hard truth his supporters are too emotional to say: he should not contest the 2027 presidential election. Nigerian politics is not Twitter politics. It is about power balance, structure, and regional agreement. The North will never allow another southerner to take over immediately after Tinubu’s four years, because that would mean potentially eight uninterrupted years of southern presidency. That door is firmly shut.
Running in 2027 under these realities will not make Peter Obi a hero; it will make him a political instrument for confused coalitions and desperate politicians looking for cover. It will only weaken the opposition further and make victory easier for those who actually understand the political terrain. Wisdom is knowing when the battle is unwinnable—and walking away before your political capital is wasted on an already dead arrangement.
The ADC appears to have no real political structure or strategy for a few clear, interconnected reasons:
It was not built as a grassroots party
ADC was never patiently constructed from the ward–local government–state level upward. Strong parties in Nigeria grow structures over time: loyal ward executives, polling-unit agents, youth and women wings, funding pipelines, and dispute-resolution mechanisms. ADC skipped this hard work and instead operates like a meeting point for elite politicians, not a mass party.
It is personality-driven, not institution-driven
Rather than ideas and ideology, ADC revolves around who is angry with the ruling party at any given time. When a party depends on personalities instead of institutions, it collapses once those personalities lose relevance or disagree among themselves. That is why ADC keeps looking for a “saviour” instead of producing leaders internally.
No clear ideology or policy direction
ADC does not stand for anything concrete—no consistent economic philosophy, no social agenda, no governance blueprint. Without ideology, you cannot design a strategy. All that remains is reactionary politics: attacking whoever is in power and hoping public anger does the rest.
Electoral opportunism instead of long-term planning
Serious parties plan the election cycle years. ADC wakes up close to elections and starts shopping for popular candidates instead of grooming them. Begging Peter Obi to join them late in the game exposes the absence of succession planning and political foresight.
Internal contradictions and credibility problems
Many of its loudest voices once supported policies and leaders they now condemn. That inconsistency makes it impossible to sell a coherent message to Nigerians. Strategy requires trust; ADC lacks it—even among its own members.
No discipline or command structureA functional party has hierarchy and discipline. ADC members speak anyhow, attack one another, and contradict party positions publicly. Without internal order, external strategy is impossible.
Power-seeking, not nation-building
At its core, ADC behaves like a coalition of politicians desperate to remain relevant, not a movement committed to solving Nigeria’s problems. When power is the goal, but vision is absent, structure and strategy become afterthoughts.
ADC has no political structure or strategy because it was never designed to be a serious political institution. It is a convenient platform for frustrated politicians, held together by negativity, bitterness and ambition—not by ideas, discipline, or grassroots strength.
• Allison Abanum writes from Orogun, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The year 2025 will probably not be remembered as a dramatic breaking point for democracy.
No sudden collapses. No single moment where everything fell apart. And that is exactly what makes it important.
Institutions continued to function. Elections took place. Courts remained open. From the outside, democratic systems appeared intact. Yet something shifted underneath. Not abruptly, but steadily. Democratic erosion did not accelerate through shock. It deepened through repetition.
This was not the year new threats appeared. It was the year familiar ones began to reinforce each other.
Uncertainty as the starting point
Europe entered 2025 already uneasy. The war in Ukraine not only tested military capacity. It exposed how dependent European security still is on the United States. Support from Washington continued, but it no longer felt automatic. Domestic polarization in the US and shifting global priorities made commitments appear conditional.
In his government address on December 17, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated openly that Europe was losing significance in the eyes of the United States and described the moment as an epochal rupture. The language was striking not because it was alarmist, but because it acknowledged what had long been avoided: The transatlantic relationship could no longer be taken for granted. This shift was reinforced by the new US security strategy. Washington signaled a clear departure from its traditional commitment to Europe and from a rules-based international order. The symbolic breaking point for many came earlier that year, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was received in the Oval Office and treated in a manner widely perceived as humiliating. When Donald Trump publicly accused him of “playing with World War Three,” the moment left observers across Europe stunned, not because of diplomatic disagreement, but because of the tone. It marked a visible collapse of mutual respect. As Stephen M. Walt has long argued, deterrence weakens not only when power declines, but when intentions become uncertain. In 2025 that uncertainty was no longer theoretical. It was visible, audible and politically consequential. Uncertainty did not stay in foreign policy. It seeped into public perception.
When truth stops convincing
Where uncertainty grows, disinformation finds room to operate. Cyberattacks and digital interference were no longer abstract scenarios discussed in security briefings. They became tangible disruptions. As security experts noted at the time, these operations no longer took place solely along distant front lines but across civilian, digital and psychological spaces. Intelligence agencies across Europe and the transatlantic community confirmed what many had already sensed: Contemporary disinformation is not designed to persuade. It is designed to exhaust. The goal is not to replace one narrative with another but to undermine the idea that a shared reality is even possible.
This development reinforced a broader realization: The boundaries between war and peace, external threat and internal stability, had blurred. What was at stake was no longer only territorial integrity but societal resilience.
Hannah Arendt warned that politics becomes dangerous when people lose trust not only in facts but in the possibility of truth itself. In 2025 this warning felt uncomfortably accurate.
Truth did not vanish. It simply lost its authority.
People grew tired of defending it.
Platforms don’t just host debate, they shape it
This fatigue cannot be separated from the architecture of the digital public sphere. Platforms are no longer neutral spaces where debate happens. They actively shape what is seen, amplified or ignored. Not through bans but through ranking. Through design choices that reward speed, emotional intensity and constant engagement.
Shoshana Zuboff describes this as a system built to predict and influence behavior, not to foster deliberation. Engagement becomes the measure of relevance, and relevance quietly replaces judgment. European efforts under the Digital Services Act reflect a growing awareness of this imbalance. The question is no longer whether speech is allowed, but who controls visibility in practice.
Exhaustion as a political condition
There is also a psychological layer to this story. An attention economy built on dopamine does not encourage reflection. It keeps users in a state of anticipation, always reacting, rarely settling. Gabor Maté has emphasized that addiction is less about pleasure than about escaping discomfort, a mechanism the attention economy exploits at scale. Young people feel this most directly. Attention shortens. Emotional overload becomes normal. Complexity feels heavy. Byung-Chul Han describes contemporary societies as exhausted rather than oppressed: overstimulated, yet increasingly passive. Exhausted societies do not disappear. They simplify. They don’t have any patience for complexity. But democracy is complex.
Why populism starts to feel reasonable
This is the moment where populism becomes dangerous: not because it shouts, but because it fits.
What mattered most in 2025 was not the success of authoritarian actors themselves, but how mainstream politics reacted to them. Under pressure, established parties increasingly adopted populist framing, especially on migration and security, presenting it as pragmatism.
Political theorist Jan-Werner Müller warns that populism is not neutralized by imitation. It is legitimized by it. Austrian political scientist Natascha Strobl describes this process as the normalization of authoritarianism: not through open rupture, but through shifting thresholds of what is considered acceptable. Authoritarian politics, she argues, does not need to abolish democracy. It only needs to redefine what democracy is expected to tolerate.
This is why 2025 felt different.
Exceptional measures no longer shocked.
Oversight felt inconvenient.
Complexity appeared inefficient.
Authoritarian logic did not announce itself. It blended in.
Not a moral failure, a structural one
What 2025 revealed was not a collapse of democratic values. Most societies still claim them. It revealed a structural problem.
Strategic uncertainty weakened confidence.
Disinformation exploited that weakness.
Platform design amplified distortion.
Attention fatigue reduced resistance.
Simplification filled the gap.
Each element reinforced the next. Democracy today is not lost at once. It erodes across systems: in how information circulates, how attention is managed and how “normal” quietly shifts.
There was no single moment in 2025 when democracy failed. There were many moments when it was simply adjusted. And that may be the more dangerous story.
As Nigeria and the global community step into 2026, the familiar spiritual ritual that accompanies every New Year once again took centre stage: prophetic declarations. From cathedral pulpits to prayer camps and global livestreams, some of Africa’s most influential Christian leaders released words they believe God has placed on their hearts concerning the year ahead.
These prophecies—delivered at crossover services, special watch nights and press conferences—span the breadth of human concern: national destiny, economic survival, global conflict, spiritual warfare, personal preservation and divine advancement. To critics, they raise questions of theology, scriptural balance and commercialization. To millions of believers, however, they offer hope, direction, caution and a framework for prayer in an increasingly uncertain world.
A careful examination of the 2026 prophecies reveals not a single narrative, but a convergence of spiritual lenses—winds of change, wonders of grace and warnings of warfare.
Adeboye: winds of change, hope for Nigeria
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, struck a largely optimistic tone, describing 2026 as “more remarkable than 2025.” Speaking during the church’s crossover service at the Redemption Camp along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Adeboye said the “wind that has been blowing since 2024” would continue — and even blow stronger.
According to him, the year holds increased opportunities, breakthroughs, successes and victories, with fewer failures. He foretold that many testimonies in 2026 would begin with the phrase, “God remembered me at last.”
On the Nigerian front, Adeboye’s prophecy stood out sharply against prevailing socio-economic anxieties. He declared that hunger would reduce, small and medium enterprises would begin to blossom, and remarkably, that the much-discussed “japa” trend would reverse, as many Nigerians who travelled abroad would return home.
Internationally, the cleric said the likelihood of a major global war in 2026 is lower than in the previous year, though he warned of possible major hurricanes, with weather patterns largely mirroring 2025.
Adeboye also addressed critics who mock prayer and fasting, stressing that God remains sovereign over the affairs of men. In a subtle but firm statement, he hinted that RCCG’s fasting programme would not follow predictable patterns, adding pointedly: “They are waiting for us to start fasting on January 11; we will disappoint them.”
Oyedepo: covenant assurance and all-round preservation
For Bishop David Oyedepo, Founder and Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel), 2026 is a year of divine alignment rooted in love for God and commitment to His integrity.
Preaching at the church’s headquarters in Ota, Ogun State, Oyedepo declared that “from January to December, all things will keep working together for your good.” His prophecy focused strongly on personal and family well-being, health, and longevity.
He assured worshippers that there would be no physical or emotional breakdown, no gathering for mourning, and that anyone appointed to death would be divinely set free. Medical verdicts of death, he said, are cancelled, while those currently on sick beds would experience liberation.
Oyedepo’s message leaned heavily on covenant confidence — that walking genuinely in love with God secures divine backing in every area of life. Unlike some others, his outlook carried fewer warnings and more declarations of preservation and continuity.
Olukoya: A year of speed, strangeness and spiritual warfare
In sharp contrast to the soothing assurances of hope, the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr. Daniel Olukoya, described 2026 as a fast, strange and troublesome year.”
Addressing worshippers at the Prayer City along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Olukoya warned that 2025 is spiritually “dovetailing” into 2026, suggesting unresolved battles spilling over into the New Year.
He declared that the tables of “evil traders in churches” would be turned upside down and warned of renewed strategies by the kingdom of darkness, particularly targeted at children. According to him, much damage has already been done, necessitating intensified prayer.
Olukoya urged believers to pray against strange occurrences, including fire outbreaks and unexplained disasters, while also warning that traitors, disloyal individuals and unfaithful spouses would face divine judgment. Yet, amid the warnings, he assured the faithful that 2026 would also be a year of great deliverance and fresh glory for those who remain prayerful.
In a practical move, he outlined 20 survival keys for the year, ranging from regular fasting, violent faith and disciplined living to holiness, diligence, honesty, and constant praise. His message framed 2026 as a spiritual battlefield where preparedness determines outcome.
One Year, Different Lenses
When viewed together, the prophecies of Adeboye, Oyedepo and Olukoya present a multifaceted spiritual forecast. Adeboye highlights national healing and economic hope, Oyedepo emphasizes personal covenant benefits and preservation while Olukoya underscores spiritual vigilance and warfare.
Rather than contradicting one another, the messages seem to complement — suggesting that while divine opportunities and relief may emerge, they will not come without challenges that require prayer, discipline and moral uprightness.
David Ibiyeomie: “My year of continuous advancement”
Founder and Presiding Pastor of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, framed 2026 as a year of progressive glory and unstoppable advancement
Drawing from Proverbs 4:18, he declared that the path of the righteous would shine brighter, insisting that believers would experience advancement in **every area of life—spiritually, materially and socially.
“I got a word for your life: you will advance in every area of your life. The glory of God will be revealed over your life,” he affirmed.
Referencing biblical protection in Goshen during Egypt’s plagues, Ibiyeomie assured worshippers that despite chaos, losses and calamities around, God’s people would be exempt.
“There shall be no loss,” he declared, urging believers to speak it boldly and confidently.
Johnson Suleman: “A year of no limits, public vindication”
Declaring 2026 as a year of unusual access and favour, The President, Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Suleman assured members—popularly called Omega Children—that the coming months would usher them into spheres previously considered unreachable.
,”The year 2026, you shall be sitting with kings and eating with the greats. It shall be favoured without asking,” he proclaimed.
According to him, 2026 will demand absolute consecration and purity of heart, stressing that spiritual alignment would be key to maximising divine opportunities. He described the year as one of precision and divine efficiency:“No target missed, no time wasted.”
Among the highlights of his prophecies were strong declarations of preservation and security,as he assured worshippers that they would not die prematurely nor bury their children. He further stated that nations would serve God’s people as they served God, with no limits, no boundary, no barrier.”
Suleman also spoke of accelerated progress, overflowing anointing, multiplied grace, and empowered talents. He declared that deception would not thrive around believers and that they would be heavily defended and heavily secured.”
In a global prophetic sweep, the cleric extended the blessings across continents, naming countries from Armenia to Australia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, declaring prosperity, peace and open doors for Omega Fire members worldwide.
Apostle Joshua Selman: “You Will Not Die”
Founder of Eternity Network International (Koinonia Global), Apostle Joshua Selman, focused his prophetic charge on life, preservation and victory over fear, particularly amid crises.
Speaking directly to Nigerians and believers worldwide, Selman urged them not to be overwhelmed by negative occurrences or looming dangers.
“I don’t care what crisis finds you around—death or otherwise… As one sent of God and sent by God, this year you will not die,” he declared emphatically.
In a moment charged with emotion and authority, he repeated the proclamation, saying he had “shut the mouth of the grave” concerning God’s people, reinforcing a central theme of divine protection and triumph over mortality in 2026.
Prophet Joshua Iginla: national drama, political consolidation
Turning attention to Nigeria’s socio-political landscape, Prophet Joshua Iginla offered a prophetic outlook marked by symbolism, intrigue and power tussles.
According to him, 2026 would be a year in which the nation would be “high,” but not without increased drama. He predicted that the ruling party would consolidate its position, yet face intense internal and external battles.
Describing the struggle as “a fight between an elephant and a lion,” Iginla said power would swing between forces, with confidence—not size—determining dominance.
He also alluded to political betrayals and subtly referenced Labour Party leader Peter Obi, stating:
“The star is on his head. When he will become president, I don’t know. But if I were him, I would not try to be a deputy to anybody. It would be like selling your birthright.”
The prophet further warned of widespread betrayal within political circles and urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritise his health over politics. “It is only the living that can rule a country,” he said, offering similar advice to Senate President Godswill Akpabio to take personal health seriously.
Commenting on Rivers State, Iginla again spoke in parables, warning that prolonged dominance without restraint could expose hidden weaknesses. He also expressed concern that winning elections alone would not be enough for the ruling party, stressing the need to win the hearts of Nigerians amid economic hardship and dissatisfaction, particularly around new tax policies.
Beyond politics, the cleric warned that persecution of the Church would intensify in 2026, while the errors of some pastors would be exposed. He urged believers to develop personal faith in God rather than idolising religious leaders.
Iginla disclosed that he had documented extensive prophecies for the world but said God instructed him to keep them sealed for now. He maintained that the few revelations shared were divinely inspired, adding that his prophetic journey over the past decades has consistently aligned with fulfilled revelations.
He concluded by assuring worshippers that although many currently appear ordinary, divine elevation awaits some before the end of the year, declaring that “some of you will be billionaires,” not as a prayer, but as a prophetic insight.
Ayodele releases prophecies, warns of political, economic, global tensions
The Servant of the Most High God, Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele, has released his 2025/2026 prophecies, warning of political betrayals, economic volatility, security challenges and global crises. He delivered the message on recently at World Press Conference on 2025/2026 Prophecies for Nigeria and Beyond.
Ayodele said the period ahead would be marked by intense political manoeuvring, heightened insecurity and economic uncertainty. He warned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could face resistance from some Northern elders, internal betrayals and opposition blackmail, while political parties may engage in vote-buying ahead of 2027. He also predicted cabinet changes and political setbacks for some ministers.
On security, the cleric foresaw disunity within the security architecture, increased kidnappings, attacks on public institutions and threats to political office holders. Economically, he predicted fluctuations despite efforts to curb inflation, warning that Treasury Bills could destabilise some banks, while electricity, telecoms and oil sectors may face further disruptions.
Globally, Ayodele warned of rising tensions among major powers, prolonged conflicts in the Middle East, and crises involving Europe, Asia and the Americas, alongside possible natural disasters and accidents. He concluded that the prophecies were not meant to instil fear but to inspire prayer, vigilance and wise action as 2026 unfolds.
Yearly prophecies under scrutiny: Clerics call for discernment, faith, scriptural balance
Reacting to the torrent of prophecies that traditionally trail New Year crossover services across Nigeria, respected theologians have raised fundamental concerns about the biblical basis, motives and growing commercialization of annual prophetic pronouncements.
A theologian and Setman of Grace Missions International Pastor Evans Adetokunbo Emmanuel questioned the scriptural origin of what has now become an entrenched religious culture.
“I honestly do not know where we got this culture from,” he said. “It is not the culture we inherited from the Bible. There is no precedent in Scripture where prophets of God gathered every year to announce what would happen in that particular year.”
While acknowledging that God can reveal future events, Pastor Emmanuel stressed that such revelations were never institutionalised as yearly rituals in the Bible.
.“I am not saying God cannot speak about the future—He does. But once it becomes a culture, we must look for a scriptural precedent, and we don’t have one. You don’t see Isaiah or Jeremiah declaring yearly forecasts for Israel.”
Anxiety-Driven Prophecies
According to him, the growing obsession with knowing what the future holds stems largely from human anxiety rather than faith.
“There is something carnal in man that does not want to live by faith. We want to live by sight. We want to know what will happen tomorrow, and that anxiety is exactly what Jesus warned against when He said, ‘Do not worry about tomorrow.’”
He observed that many prophecies circulating yearly are products of psychological calculations, not divine revelation.
“When people say a king will die or a celebrity will die, the probability is already high. Nobody prophesies that an unknown person in a neighbourhood will die. These prophecies are usually about influential people or sensational events. That is psychology, not prophecy.”
From Prophecy to Divination
Pastor Emmanuel warned that some modern prophetic practices have crossed the line into divination, particularly when predictions are churned out in large numbers and tied to money or popularity.
“When someone sits down and writes 200 or 250 prophecies for a year, you must ask: where did these come from? Many of these things are not from God.”
He cited the biblical example of the damsel with the spirit of divination, noting that the Spirit of God does not operate as a commercial enterprise.
“The Spirit of God does not function by trade. When prophecy becomes a tool for making money or gaining relevance, it is no longer the Spirit of Christ at work.”
The Believer and the Holy Spirit
Central to his argument is the belief that every believer already has the Holy Spirit, making excessive dependence on prophets unhealthy.
“Every child of God has the Spirit of God living in them. We don’t need constant external validation. If God wants you to know something, His Spirit will reveal it to you.”
While affirming the place of the prophetic ministry, he emphasized that it is not exclusive nor meant to replace personal communion with God.“
“The prophetic ministry exists to equip believers, not to make them dependent. There is nothing in the New Testament that says God cannot speak to you unless you see a prophet.”
Referencing Agabus, a New Testament prophet, Pastor Emmanuel noted that biblical prophecy served as information, not instruction.“
“Agabus foretold a famine and later warned Paul of what awaited him in Jerusalem, but he never told Paul what to do. Paul already knew by the Holy Spirit.”
Cultural Practice, Not Christian Doctrine-Olagunju
Similarly, Pastor Jummy Adetoyese-Olagunju of Kingdom Light Christian Center, also known as Praise Arena described most crossover prophecies in Nigeria as products of religious tradition and denominational doctrines, rather than Christian theology.
“There is a difference between prophetic declaration and prophetic revelation,” he explained. “Declarations of blessings are biblical and inspirational, but they should not be confused with revelations claiming foreknowledge of future events.”
He questioned why such prophecies are far more prevalent in Nigeria than elsewhere
“Is it only in this part of the world that people cross into a New Year? The predictable flood of prophecies suggests these practices are rooted more in culture than Christianity.”
According to him, low biblical literacy and ignorance of Scripture have fueled the popularity of presumptuous prophecies.
“Many misleading predictions are accepted as prophecy simply because of who said them. People are indoctrinated to believe the source rather than examine the message.”
Commercialisation and Confusion
Pastor Adetoyese-Olagunju warned that many believers confuse desire-driven outcomes with divine fulfillment.
“People defend prophecies that align with their desires and call them fulfilled, even when they are not God’s will. This has led to the commercialization of prophecy.”
He lamented the rise of what he described as fake prophets, who exploit people’s fears, economic hardship and festive expectations.
“Some see visions according to the size of people’s pockets, committed only to making people feel good.”
The Fasting Controversy
Both clerics expressed concern over the practice of attaching prolonged fasting to the fulfillment of prophecies.
Pastor Adetoyese-Olagunju described the trend as dangerous, citing documented cases of organ failure linked to extreme fasting.
“Fasting does not commend or condemn a believer before God. It increases spiritual sensitivity but has no role in forcing prophecy or blessings.”
He emphasized that God responds to faith grounded in Christ’s finished work, not self-inflicted suffering.
A Call for Discernment
The clerics warned that fulfillment alone does not validate a prophet, citing biblical examples.
“Balaam made accurate prophecies but remained a false prophet,” Pastor Adetoyese-Olagunju noted, adding that even Samuel once spoke presumptuously before God corrected him.
They urged believers to return to Scripture, faith and obedience, rather than living by predictions.“
“No prophecy can override disobedience,” Pastor Emmanuel stressed. “Live by God’s Word, follow the Spirit’s leading, and walk in faith.”
In an era of prophetic noise and spiritual sensationalism, both leaders agree that the Church must refocus on biblical truth, spiritual maturity and confidence in the indwelling Holy Spirit, rather than fear-driven forecasts of the future.
A Year of Faith, Tension and Expectation
From winds of national hope to warnings of warfare, from declarations of life to calls for discernment, the 2026 prophecies paint a complex spiritual landscape.
For believers, they offer reassurance and responsibility. For critics, they invite deeper theological reflection. And for the nation, they underscore a year that will demand faith, wisdom and preparedness.
As 2026 unfolds, many will watch closely—measuring prophecy against reality—while holding firmly to the words spoken over them: no loss, no limits, and no premature death.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, Grace Ike, has called on journalists in the FCT to recommit to ethical journalism, unity and professionalism as they enter the 2026 media year.
In a New Year message to members of the union, Ike commended journalists for their resilience and commitment in the past year, noting that despite challenges, members of the council continued to uphold the ideals of the profession.
She said the new year presents an opportunity for journalists to reset and refocus, stressing that the role of the media in shaping narratives, strengthening democracy and promoting national cohesion has become increasingly critical.
According to her, the NUJ FCT Council in 2026 will intensify efforts aimed at improving members’ welfare, professional development and unity.
She added that the council would continue to advocate better working conditions, capacity-building opportunities and stronger institutional support to enable journalists operate effectively in a rapidly evolving media environment.
Ike also emphasised the importance of ethical journalism, particularly at a time when misinformation and disinformation pose serious threats to public trust. She urged journalists to remain guided by the NUJ Code of Ethics, anchored on accuracy, fairness, balance and integrity.
The NUJ FCT chairman further called for solidarity among members, describing unity as the strength of the council. She said mutual respect and shared purpose were essential to building a council that listens to, supports and protects its members while promoting excellence and professionalism.
She encouraged journalists to approach 2026 with optimism, responsibility and a renewed sense of mission, urging them to embrace innovation without compromising core values.
Ike, on behalf of the NUJ FCT Council leadership, wished members and their families a peaceful, fulfilling and prosperous New Year, expressing hope that 2026 would bring good health, professional fulfilment and collective success.
