The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • 2027: ADC rules out automatic ticket for Atiku, Obi

    2027: ADC rules out automatic ticket for Atiku, Obi

    • Obidient Movement: Obi won’t go for anything less than presidential ticket

    There is no automatic presidential ticket for any aspirant in 2027, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) clarified yesterday.

    According to the party, while the consensus option would be adopted in selecting the standard bearer, members would resort to open, competitive and transparent primary, if the option fails.

    ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, who spoke on a national television, noted the growing speculation, intrigues, coalition negotiations and the defection of prominent politicians from other parties to the ADC.

    However, he said that no decision has been taken on who will fly the presidential ticket, adding that all aspirants are eligible.

    Abdullahi stressed: “No conversation is going on at the moment about who will be the standard bearer or who will be running mate to who. Every single issue has not been resolved regarding who will fly the flag of the party in 2027.”

    Already, two chieftains, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, who joined the party last week, are believed to be eyeing the ticket.

    Although the Atiku camp has maintained silence on his ambition, members of the Obedient Movement, who are Obi’s followers, declared yesterday that he would not play the second fiddle.

    The National Coordinator, Dr Yinusa Tanko, said Obi is the leading aspirant who will never accept to be running mate to anybody in the party.

    READ ALSO: Still on Anthony Joshua’s car accident

    Consensus, primary on front burner

    The Publicity Secretary said that when the time comes, the first option would be consensus, driven by the need to build a broad-based and winning coalition.

    He added: “But when that time comes, we are going to have a position, and our first recourse will be to try to engineer a measure of consensus based on the challenges that we have ahead of us. We are building a coalition, and we are building a winning coalition.”

    Abdullahi said if consensus proves impossible, the party would not hesitate to conduct a primary that meet democratic standards.

    He said: “If that doesn’t happen, of course, we are going to have competitive primary, and it’s going to be free, it’s going to be open, and it’s going to be transparent, and every Nigerian will see that this is the direction that ADC wants to go, as a party of rules, as a party that is transparent, that obeys its own laws and regulation.”

    Bwala, Tanko clash on Obi’s chances

    Presidential Adviser on Policy Communication Daniel Bwala and Tanko expressed contrasting views on the Obi’s chances.

    While Tanko insisted that the former governor would not accept the offer of running mate, Bwala predicted that the ticket and the running mate slot will elude him.

    The presidential aide added that the former governor would eventually contest for president on another platform.

    Obi, who ran on the platform of the crisis-ridden Labour Party (LP) in 2023, defected to the ADC last week.

    Justifying the defection in Enugu, where he was received into the party by the Interim National Chairman, Senator David Mark, he explained that he was motivated by the quest for national unity.

    In its reaction, the Anambra LP said his exit would not weaken the chapter, adding that members would not also miss him.

    Obi will get ADC ticket,  says Tanko

    Tanko, who spoke on a radio programme monitored in Ibadan, Oyo State, dismissed speculations that the ADC is under the influence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, saying that “everybody that was in that particular coalition contributed their hard-earned momone”

    He added: “I am only focusing on my candidate. I’m selling my candidate to the public based on his capacity and credibility and what he has to offer Nigerians. That’s all.”

     Tanko said Obi is capable of providing a “moral solution” to the country’s leadership challenges.

    He emphasized that Obi’s alignment with the ADC followed extensive consultations, reflecting a people-driven strategy rather than personal ambition.

    Tanko stressed: “The decision to align with the ADC came from a conglomerate of diverse groups seeking to correct Nigeria’s problems and reclaim the country for its people.

     “When they came together, the ADC was chosen as the political vehicle. Ordinarily, Peter Obi would flow with the people who are calling for him.”

     The coordinator said that young Nigerians involved in the process would determine Obi’s political path.

     Defending Obi’s nomadic movement in politics, Tanko said structural challenges within the LP necessitated the shift.

     He added: “Forces in power deliberately undermined the party’s functionality. If your house is being deliberately set on fire, would you remain inside it? There was a calculated attempt to destroy what was being built.

     “Politics is a game of numbers, and that larger coalition was already evident in this grouping.”

     Tanko said Obi’s chances are measured on his own viability and electability, adding: “Politics has no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. The interest here is good governance, and Peter Obi represents that.”

     On Obi’s one-term pledge, Tanko said it is a promise to Nigerians, not just a political party.

    He stressed: “If elected in 2027, Peter Obi would complete the remaining four years for the South and return power to the North. This demonstrates credibility and national unity.”

    Bwala: Tickets will elude Obi

    Bwala said Obi would be denied both the presidential ticket and running mate slot in ADC.

     Speaking in an interview on The Clarity Zone Podcast, Bwala claimed that Obi lacks the capacity to serve as director-general of any coalition movement.

    He said Obi lost control of the political structure he built after the 2023 election, including his influence in the National Assembly.

    Bwala said: “After the election, he lost everybody he was leading. He had members in the House of Representatives. How many are there in the National Assembly?

    “The only governor he had, is the governor with him or with us? In fact, I have not seen one that identifies with him at the moment. All the elections where he supported candidates, all of them failed.

    “The army of Trojans that he has on social media, they attack people. They say you are two-faced, that you change party. That’s what they do every day.

    “But when you say their master and hero has been changing party like a player in the Premier League changes clubs every season, they don’t like it.”

    The presidential aide also accused Obi of hypocrisy over party loyalty, saying that he has switched political platforms repeatedly.

    Bwala stressed: “He started with PDP, then went to APGA. In APGA, he came back to PDP. From PDP, he went to Labour.

    “Right now, when you hear people talk about being between the devil and the deep blue sea, he is between ADC and Labour.

    “He will not be the presidential candidate, he will not be the vice-presidential candidate. Peter Obi is going to run on a platform other than Labour and other than ADC.”

    Bwala further said Obi will not secure even a quarter of the votes he recorded in the 2023 presidential election.

     ‘Obi’s exit won’t weaken LP in Anambra’

     Anambra LP said the exit of Obi will not affect its future electoral fortune.

     The chairman, Comrade Peter Okoye, said in a.  statement that is solid, united and well-positioned for the 2027 general election.

    The only LP member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Murphy Osaro Omoruyi, has defected to the ADC.

     Omoruyi, who represents Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Constituency, said he obeyed the voice of his constituents to leave the LP.

    He said: “Inspite of all efforts, the intractable crises rocking Labour Party has made my continued stay in the party, practically impossible.

     “I joined the new coalition of the African Democratic Congress sequel to my resignation from the Labour Party conveyed in a letter to my ward chairman, Ward 10, Egor Local Government Area on the 30th December, 2025 which had since been accepted.”

    Obi, ADC leaders visit Nwobodo

     ADC leaders, led by Obi, visited former Anambra State Governor Jim Nwobodo at his Amaechi Awkunawnaw,  Enugu country home.

     Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Senator Ben Obi described Nwobodo as the “godfather of Southeast politics.”

    Nwobodo spoke with fondness about Obi, recalling their shared relationships.

    He reflected on the place of the Igbo in Nigeria’s political history, expressing hope that the aspiration for an Igbo presidency would one day be realised.

     He said: “We are one of the people that formed this country called Nigeria. We still pray to God that one day an Igbo man will be the president of Nigeria.”

  • Jonathan reaffirms commitment to PDP, pledges active role

    Jonathan reaffirms commitment to PDP, pledges active role

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has reaffirmed his loyalty and continued commitment to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He declared that he remains an active member and would intensify his involvement in its affairs as it prepares for elections.

    According to the PDP’s factional National Chairman, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, Jonathan gave the assurance yesterday in Abuja while receiving members of his faction’s National Working Committee (NWC), party elders and other stakeholders who paid him a visit at his residence.

    The former president used the meeting to restate his belief in the party and its capacity to remain a strong and viable platform for democratic contest in Nigeria.

    Turaki said: “President Jonathan assured us that he is still a card-carrying member and that he remains active in the party.

    “He also told us that he would even be more active in the activities and affairs of the PDP going forward.”

    The factional PDP chair explained that the delegation visited Jonathan to formally introduce members of the newly elected NWC and to brief him on developments within the party since the last national convention held in Ibadan in November.

    The PDP chairman noted that Jonathan expressed appreciation for the visit and reaffirmed his emotional and political ties to the party that produced him as vice president and president.

    READ ALSO: Still on Anthony Joshua’s car accident

    “He made it clear that the PDP has done everything that could be done for him as an individual and that he still feels a strong sense of obligation to the party,” Turaki said.

    Turaki said the former president also underscored the importance of unity, dialogue and internal reconciliation, while acknowledging the realities of ongoing legal challenges confronting the party.

    “As a senior statesman and lawyer, he listened carefully as we explained the issues before the courts and the steps we are taking to defend the party,” he said.

    The former president, according to Turaki, maintained that despite the current difficulties, the PDP remains a party for Nigerians and a credible platform for winning elections.

    PDP questions INEC’s independence

    The PDP questioned the independence of the current leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing the commission of blocking the party from submitting the name of its governorship candidate for the forthcoming election in Ekiti State.

    Turaki said although INEC had recognised his leadership, recent actions by the commission were raising concerns about its neutrality and operational independence.

    He insisted that INEC had duly recognised the present PDP leadership, noting that the commission’s attendance and monitoring of the party’s governorship primaries in Ekiti and Osun states amounted to clear acknowledgment.

    Turaki said: “I have said this several times: we do not have a problem of recognition with INEC.

    “We sent notice of our primaries to elect a gubernatorial flag bearer in Ekiti State to INEC. INEC followed, INEC attended, INEC monitored, and INEC wrote a report.”

    According to him, the commission also provided the party with access credentials to upload the details of its candidate and running mate on the INEC portal.

    “INEC gave us the password to access their portal. We accessed it, downloaded the forms for our candidate, and duly submitted them.

    “Somewhere along the line, and I hate to say this, but I must, INEC blocked us from accessing the platform again to upload the data,” he alleged.

    Turaki added that despite the alleged blockage, the PDP made a manual submission of the candidate’s documents, which he said INEC acknowledged and collected.

    He explained that similar procedures were followed in Osun State, where INEC also attended and monitored the PDP governorship primaries and produced an official report.

    He said: “As far as statutory obligations are concerned, political parties are required to issue notices of their primaries, which we did.

    “INEC, as a regulator, has the discretion to attend or not, but in our case, it attended, monitored and wrote reports.

    “Based on these facts, INEC has recognised our leadership. However, some developments are beginning to raise doubts in our minds, and in the minds of others, about whether the present INEC leadership is truly independent.”

  • Two women found dead in FCT

    Two women found dead in FCT

    Two women have been found dead in separate locations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)  after falling victim to   “one chance”  gangs. 

    Their names were given as Chinemerem Chuwumeziem, a nurse with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi and Princess Ochigbo. Ochigbo’s body was said to have been found by the roadside. 

     Chairman of the  National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), FCT Council. Jama Medan,  said Chuwumeziem closed from afternoon duty on January 3, and boarded a vehicle on her way home but never arrived alive.

    Medan noted that her body was   dumped in   a “most inhumane and heartbreaking manner.”

    READ ALSO: Reading Nigeria’s governance signals

    He described the killing as not only an attack on the nursing profession but “an assault on healthcare workers and humanity at large.”

    The association chairman called on security agencies in the FCT to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.

    According to an X post,  documents recovered from where  Ochigbo’s body was found suggested she might have been a staff member of the FCT High Court.

    The handler, who provided the update with an image of the deceased woman and her ID, added that her bag was seen a short distance away from her body. 

    Efforts to reach the FCT Police Command for updates on the two incidents proved abortive, as SMS and WhatsApp messages sent to its spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, were not responded to as of press time.

  • Students rally support for Tax Laws, shelve protest plan

    Students rally support for Tax Laws, shelve protest plan

    • Tax reforms won’t affect tuition in varsities

    Tax Laws have received the backing of students of higher institutions.

    Apart from shelving their planned protest slated for January 14 against the laws, they will now be ambassadors, providing enlightenment to the public on the tax reform.

    The students announced their new position yesterday in Abuja after a meeting of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Expanded National Executive Council (ENEC), along with other student union structures.

    The meeting was briefed by the Chairman, Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform, Taiwo Oyedele.

    NANS President Olushola Oladoja told reporters in Abuja that they changed their stance against the Tax Laws after gaining a deeper understanding of the issue.

    He said: “Contrary to NANS prior belief, the student body has realised that the Laws do not target the poor.

    “Instead, they strengthen social protection while ensuring that higher-income earners contribute more equitably to national revenue, preventing lopsidedness and unnecessary tax burdens on a few.”

    Oladoja added that the students were convinced that the Laws provide for centralised revenue generation with a clear and transparent sharing formula across the Federal Government, state governments, and local governments.

    READ ALSO: Reading Nigeria’s governance signals

    He said NANS has consequently agreed to serve as ambassadors of public enlightenment, committed to educating Nigerians on the purpose, importance, and benefits of the Tax Reform Laws to boost citizens’ confidence and trust in the Federal Government during their implementation.

    Oladoja, who read the communique of the ENEC of NANS in collaboration with all structural student bodies, said the forum provided a platform for tax experts from the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to educate student leaders, clarify grey areas, and respond comprehensively to concerns expressed by the masses.

    He explained that the ENEC of NANS was convened against the backdrop of widespread public concerns and national discourse surrounding the Tax Laws.

    He recalled NANS’ earlier position on the laws, following public outcry arising from allegations of alterations by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsamad Dasuki, coupled with low public understanding.

    Oladoja added that after extensive deliberations, presentations, and engagements, the ENEC of NANS resolved that the new laws are deliberate and well-intentioned statutes aimed at improving Nigeria’s economy, strengthening institutional frameworks for revenue generation, with provisions to protect low-income earners and vulnerable citizens.

    Oyedele highlighted significant provisions that would directly benefit students and low-income earners.

    He added that the laws aim to make more money available to state governments for investment in the development of education and infrastructure.

    Oladoja announced the suspension of the proposed nationwide protest following the conclusion of the National Assembly’s investigation and clarifications made on the alleged alterations.

  • Support base swells for Tinubu in Rivers

    Support base swells for Tinubu in Rivers

    • Elders’ Council, Dokubo Asari join forces with Wike

    Support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 is gaining momentum in Rivers State.

    Prominent traditional rulers, elders and political stakeholders have openly aligned with the “Renewed Hope Family” initiative spearheaded by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

    The latest endorsements came yesterday during Wike’s ongoing “thank you” tour of local government areas in Rivers, where the Amanyanabo of Torusarama Piri in Degema Local Government Area, Asari Dokubo, and the Rivers Elders Council pledged to mobilise support for President Tinubu.

    Receiving Wike at his palace in Degema, Dokubo vowed to stand firmly behind the President, describing his support as a personal commitment rooted in gratitude and long-standing friendship.

    Dokubo recalled that President Tinubu stood by him during a difficult period in his life, stressing that it was now his turn to reciprocate.

    He said: “Everything that is going to happen, I will be with you in making sure that my friend, the President, succeeds.

    “Everything that I am capable of doing, I will do to make sure that he succeeds.

    “I was not a traditional ruler when we met in 1992. I never thought I would become what I am today. He stood by me in my most difficult period, and now it is my turn to stand by him.”

    Wike said the visit was primarily to thank the people of the area for their support in 2023 and to wish them a happy new year.

    READ ALSO: Still on Anthony Joshua’s car accident

    He noted that although traditional rulers are expected to stay above partisan politics, his relationship with Dokubo transcended politics.

    Wike said: “You are my friend, and there is no way I would come to your kingdom without greeting you and wishing you a happy new year.”

    Addressing residents and stakeholders in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, Wike was unequivocal about the political direction of Rivers ahead of 2027, declaring that the state had shut its doors to any alternative presidential option.

    He said: “Here, we have shut the door. No other person other than Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Just follow our steps and the right thing will be done.”

    The minister hinted that he would “correct the mistake” he made in the 2023 governorship contest in Rivers, a comment widely interpreted as a reference to the lingering political crisis in the state.

    He urged supporters to remain focused on the larger goal of sustaining political relevance and federal support through President Tinubu’s re-election.

    Wike explained that the tour was also an opportunity to appreciate Rivers people for their loyalty since 2014, when he declared his ambition to govern the state, and for embracing the “Rainbow Coalition” – an alliance cutting across party lines to back President Tinubu.

    He said: “This is the only state where the two major political parties are working together to return Tinubu in 2027.

    “That is why we are no longer talking about party politics but about renewed hope.”

    Elders’ Council throws weight behind Wike

    In Abonnema, also in Akuku-Toru LGA, the Rivers Elders Council formally keyed into Wike’s Renewed Hope Family, describing it as the surest path for the state in 2027.

    Chairman of the council, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, said the decision of Rivers people to support Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election was already yielding dividends, adding that the same path should be followed in 2027.

    According to him, the support given to President Tinubu helped keep the state “afloat” at a critical time, and abandoning that political direction would be counterproductive.

    Alabraba decried the prevailing political tensions in Rivers, noting that Wike had made enormous sacrifices for the state and deserved continued support to consolidate development and political stability.

    He hailed the FCT minister as an icon of contemporary Nigerian politics, praising his pragmatic style, astute leadership and ability to inspire both the old and the young.

    The elder statesman also noted that Rivers is a multi-ethnic state and credited Wike with promoting ethnic harmony during his tenure as governor.

    He cited, in particular, Wike’s role in ensuring that the governorship shifted to the Ijaw ethnic group in 2023, a position he said had eluded the group for 24 years.

    Alabraba said: “Let me assure you, Rivers people know where to go, and with the renewed hope agenda, that is the way to go in 2027.”

  • Military feat in Venezuela amazing, says Trump

    Military feat in Venezuela amazing, says Trump

    U.S. President Donald Trump has revealed new details of the operation to capture Nicolas Maduro, which saw “many” killed, as supporters of the deposed Venezuelan president took to the streets.

    Describing the military operation as “brilliant tactically” and “complex” yesterday, the US president said “a lot of people were killed” but they were “mostly Cubans”.

    He clarified that no US military personnel were among the dead and the fatalities were “on the other side”.

    Venezuela’s military said on Saturday that no fewer than 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed in the U.S. operation.

    Cuba’s government had said on Sunday that 32 Cuban military and police officers working in Venezuela had died in the operation.

    Associated Press reported that its analysis had found that more civilians were killed in the strikes, but it was not immediately clear how many.

    “We had a lot of boots on the ground, but it was amazing. And think of it, nobody was killed,” Mr Trump said in an address to the Kennedy Centre on Tuesday.

    “And on the other side, a lot of people were killed. Unfortunately, I say that, soldiers, Cubans, mostly Cubans, but many, many killed.”

    READ ALSO: Reading Nigeria’s governance signals

    Trump said electricity to “almost the entire country” was cut off during the operation that involved 152 aircraft.

    He also criticised US Democrats for failing to congratulate him on the seizure of Maduro, who he described as a “bad guy”.

    “He gets up there and he tries to imitate my dance a little bit… But he’s a violent guy, and he’s killed millions of people,” he said.

    His remarks come as footage emerged of Venezuela’s interior minister Diosdado Cabello and a group of armed men shouting their support for Maduro.

    “Loyal forever, traitors never, doubting is treason,” they chanted.

    Venezuela’s attorney-general Tarek Saab said “dozens” of officials and civilians were killed, without specifying if he was talking about Venezuelans, and a team of three prosecutors would investigate the deaths.

    Saab also criticised the US’s seizure of Maduro to put him on trial for drugs and weapons charges in New York, arguing that America had no jurisdiction.

  • Police: cleric under probe over alleged plan to attack Wike

    Police: cleric under probe over alleged plan to attack Wike

    Port Harcourt–based cleric Tombari Gbeneol, arrested over an alleged plot to assassinate   Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister  Nyesom Wike, is undergoing investigation.

    Force Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin, who made this known yesterday, said further information on the matter would be provided after the interrogation.

    “He (Gbeneol)   is in our custody. Investigation is ongoing. I would not say more than that. When we are done with the investigation. You will know,”  Hundeyin added.

    Gbeneol,  founder of Life Forte Chapel Church in  Port Harcourt, Rivers State,  was arrested, reportedly two weeks ago, by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT).  

      Sources said his apprehension followed the interception of a phone conversation between him and the immediate past Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), Dr Tammy Danagogo.

    In the recorded conversation, said one of the sources,  the suspects, who is also a medical doctor,   discussed a plot to bring in Israeli nationals to eliminate the  FCT Minister.

    “The content of the call was considered a grave national security threat. That was what triggered the immediate action by the IRT,” said the source.

    Although a security source added that efforts were ongoing to arrest Danagogo, who, in a statement, denied involvement in the plot.

    READ ALSO: Still on Anthony Joshua’s car accident

    He said in a statement by his  Special Assistant, Obele Briggs, that he never went underground and would    ‘’readily make himself available’’ to any security agency that invites him over the issue.   Danagogo described himself as  ‘’a peace-loving, law-abiding citizen, who had  served Rivers and Nigeria with distinction and integrity.’’

    The statement reads in part: “Dr Danagogo categorically denies these allegations. They are baseless, false and fabricated.

    “The claims, which are being circulated on certain online platforms, are false, malicious, and deliberately crafted to smear his hard-earned reputation, mislead the public, and drag his name into issues he knows absolutely nothing about.

      ‘’Throughout his public and private life, he has consistently upheld the rule of law, due process, and the peaceful coexistence of all citizens.

    “He,  therefore,  calls on the general public to completely disregard these unfounded and mischievous reports, which exist only in the imagination of their peddlers.

    “He is not, cannot and has never been at large. At present,  he is freely in his house and will readily make himself available to the police or any responsible law enforcement agency for investigation, if invited.’’ 

  • Budget Office defends Repeal, Re-enactment of 2024, 2025 budgets

    Budget Office defends Repeal, Re-enactment of 2024, 2025 budgets

    The Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) has affirmed that the repeal and re-enactment of the 2024 and 2025 Appropriation Acts are valid constitutional and legislative instrument for budgetary oversight and fiscal alignment.

    They passed through the National Assembly and received presidential assent, the BOF said in a statement signed by its Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu

    Reacting to criticisms of the budgeting process, he stated that where macroeconomic conditions and implementation realities require adjustments, lawful legislative action, not informal fiscal practice, is the appropriate response under Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.

    In the press statement, the Office said claims describing the repeal and re-enactment of the two Appropriation Acts as unconstitutional, illegal, or fiscally improper were based on misunderstandings of constitutional provisions and established legislative practice.

    According to the BOF, Sections 80 to 84 of the Constitution clearly establish a sequenced framework for public expenditure, under which the President lays estimates before the legislature, the National Assembly authorises spending through appropriation laws, and the Executive implements expenditure strictly within that authority.

    “The Constitution does not prohibit the National Assembly from repealing and re-enacting an Appropriation Act where fiscal circumstances, implementation realities, or reconciliation of fiscal instruments make such legislative action necessary in the public interest,” the statement said.

    READ ALSO: Reading Nigeria’s governance signals

     It added that once a repeal and re-enactment bill is passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President, “the resulting Act becomes valid law,” stressing that it is therefore incorrect to describe the process as a “constitutional impossibility.”

    On the lifespan of appropriation laws, the BOF clarified that while budgets are typically framed around a fiscal year, the Constitution does not impose an immutable expiry rule that forbids legislative extensions to allow for orderly completion of obligations, settlement of certified claims, or alignment of overlapping fiscal instruments.

    “Where the National Assembly, in exercise of its legislative powers, extends the operational window of an Appropriation Act, such extension is an expression of legislative authority, not an illegality,” the office said.

    Responding to allegations of expenditure without appropriation, the BOF said such claims often conflate distinct public finance concepts, including contractual obligations, statutory transfers, debt service, cash releases, and multi-year project commitments.

    “The legal test is whether expenditure is supported by lawful appropriation or other constitutional or statutory charge, and whether any required legislative oversight is sought through recognised instruments such as supplementary appropriation, virement where permitted, or repeal and re-enactment,” it explained.

    The office emphasised that the repeal and re-enactment process actually reinforces constitutional control of public funds by consolidating and regularising fiscal authority through an Act of the National Assembly.

    On transparency, the BOF reaffirmed its obligations under the Fiscal Responsibility Act to ensure timely disclosure and wide publication of fiscal information, while noting that such transparency must respect document integrity and legislative authentication processes to avoid circulation of conflicting drafts.

    Yakubu however said the office remained committed to fiscal discipline, transparency, and constructive engagement with stakeholders.

    “Where macroeconomic conditions and implementation realities require legislative adjustment, the proper response is lawful legislative action, not informal fiscal practice,” Yakubu said.

    He added that the repeal and re-enactment process, having gone through the National Assembly and presidential assent, “remains a constitutional and legislative instrument for budgetary oversight and alignment.”

  • Gov Otu inaugurates rural development officers, urges them to be worthy ambassadors

    Gov Otu inaugurates rural development officers, urges them to be worthy ambassadors

    Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Edet Otu, has inaugurated 196 Rural Development Officers recently appointed by his administration to drive the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Ward-Based Development Programme (RHWDP) across the state.

    The inauguration ceremony, held on Tuesday at the Senate Chambers of the University of Calabar, attracted the appointees, their family members, and well-wishers.

    In his remarks, the governor urged the officers to serve as worthy ambassadors of his administration at the ward level and to justify the confidence reposed in them.

    Represented by the State Coordinator of the RHWDP, Dr Prince Michael Nku Abuo, Governor Otu noted that the appointments had generated significant public interest, adding that much was therefore expected of the appointees.

    He described the appointments as sacred, stressing that the officers were expected to ensure that development initiatives at the federal and state levels are effectively replicated at the ward level.

    Beyond monitoring the implementation of the RHWDP, the governor said the officers were also expected to collaborate with critical stakeholders to promote peace and stability within their respective wards.

    READ ALSO: Senator Kalu replies Otti, says Tinubu, APC will win Abia in 2027

    “I warmly welcome everyone to the Senate Chambers of the University of Calabar for the inauguration of the 196 Rural Development Officers, who were recently appointed by His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Otu,” Abuo said.

    “If you listened to Mr President’s New Year address, he emphasized the importance of rural development. You are therefore expected to work closely with the governor and the people of your wards to ensure that this mandate is fulfilled.

    “This initiative flows from the top to the grassroots to ensure that the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda positively impacts all political wards across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

    “You have been appointed as the eyes and ears of the governor at the ward level. Another critical responsibility is to work with key stakeholders at the local level to ensure peace in your respective wards,” he added.

    The highlight of the event, which was attended by representatives of the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), was the administration of the oath of office on the newly inaugurated officers.

  • Makinde reshuffles cabinet, appoints new SSG, others

    Makinde reshuffles cabinet, appoints new SSG, others

    Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde has announced a cabinet reshuffle.

    According to a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Makinde has relieved the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Olanike Adeyemo, of her appointment with immediate effect. 

    Professor Musibau Adetunji Babatunde has been appointed as the new Secretary to the State Government.

    The statement further said that Temilolu Seun Ashamu has been moved as Commissioner from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

    Also, Governor Makinde announced his Senior Special Assistant on Public Works, Ademola Aderinto, as a commissioner-designate. 

    He will consequently be presented to Oyo Assembly for screening.

    The statement also announced the appointment of Abiodun Adedoja as Special Adviser on Energy Security and Kolawole Elijah Akanmu as Senior Special Assistant on Budget and Economic Planning.