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Taiwan: ‘Big Brother’ (China) is watching you!

By Olayinka Oyegbile

Republic of China otherwise known as Taiwan is interpreted and viewed differently in many quarters. Although it has very little or no official diplomatic relations with many nations (only 12 at the last count), especially the powerful ones, some of the world’s powerful countries such as the United States of America, United Kingdom, Japan, and a few others recognise it even if they don’t deal with it as a sovereign nation. It is a country of ‘concern’ not in the negative sense to them.

In an earlier part of this travelogue, I have tried to establish how this came to be. For instance, the US does lots of strategic businesses with Taiwan and has always warned Chinanot to back off. From feelers, the United States may come to the rescue of Taiwan in case of any attack. However, the experience of Ukraine with Russia has made a few analysts to doubt if America would be ready to lift a finger in its defence.

According to records, the trade volume between both countries (US and Taiwan) has been growing significantly in the last few years. For instance, in 2024, the United States imported much more from Taiwan than it exported. About $159 billion goods were exported thus making Taiwan a major US partner in trade even though there are no official diplomatic relations between the two nations. Taiwan is the eighth largest sources of imports to the States and its 10th largest export market. The major Taiwanese exports to the US are semiconductors, computers, and steel, while U.S. exports focus on machinery, military tech, and data processing gear.

Since the advent of President William Lai of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan, the quiet tension between China and Taiwan has heightened because the Communist leaders in China see the DPP president as a challenger of the dominance of China in the affairs of the island nation. China has therefore increased pressure on the island by organising military parade and exhibition perhaps as a way of showing Taiwan and others that it has the firepower.

This is a tenuous situation which many Taiwanese are opposed to. They believe their democracy is working for them and are therefore not interested in having their affairs dictated to them from Beijing. For instance, after the recall election of some KMT legislators failed in July, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) accused the ruling DPP of “political manipulation” claiming the party had lost public support. However, in replying to the criticism, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Beijing, which operates a system that is far from being democratic, has no right or experience to comment on the recall election.

According to MAC, the Beijing authorities “lack democratic experience, and therefore have no right to comment on, or misinterpret, Taiwan’s democratic system.” It went ahead to explain that the recall vote was a demonstration of Taiwan’s democratic constitutional system. Rather than see the failure of the recall as a setback, it said it was a triumph of its democratic experience that should be protected and upheld.

A daily reading of major media reports, electronic, print and online, in Taiwan shows this line of arguments and thoughts. Those who support the mainland authorities and those who are against daily express their opinions across all media in the country. It shows clearly the overarching influence of China in the affairs of Taiwan, while Taiwan in return tries to demonstrate its independence and show that its democracy works.

In July 2025, six different Taiwanese choir groups had gone for achoral competition at the Tokyo International Choir Competition in Japan. However, the Chinese authorities mounted pressure on the organisers to remove the national flag of Taiwan and replace the participants name not as Taiwanese but as “Chinese Taipei”, as part of the “One China policy”. After a long back and forth, the organisers of the event in Tokyo bowed to pressure and eventually removed the national flag of Taiwan. This did not go down well with Taiwanese authorities. The Taiwanese Deputy Representative Chou Shyue-yow, who was sent to cheer the choir to victory, condemned the act as unfair. He accused Japan of allowing another country dictate its policies to it. It was not the first time Taiwan was participating in the yearly event.

Chou described the Chinese action as an interference in a sovereign country’s internal affairs, adding that the Japanese public knows that Taiwan and China are two distinct countries. He called it China’s brutal political tactics to suppress Taiwan’s choirs, emphasising that Taiwan is known for its high-tech industry, freedom and democracy, globally. According to him, Taiwan was already gaining worldwide attention and recognition, and that China’s arrogant suppression cannot change the fact that “Taiwan is Taiwan, and China is China.”

As in George Orwell’s 1984 novel, that Taiwan is being watched by the “Big Brother” is not lost on the citizens. The awareness is being propagated on all media spaces. On August 2, 2025, a new TV series Zero Day Attack, was screened in Taipei. The premiere was watched by top a U.S. diplomat Raymond Greene, who is the director of the American Institute in Taiwan, as well as a Taiwanese tycoon Robert Tsao, a strident critic of Beijing and a host of other important personalities.

In the series, which was first shown on Japanese Amazon Prime Video, the film is about a Chinese war plane which goes missing near Taiwan. China then sends a horde of military boats and planes for a blockade. The unleashing of the military boats led to panic on the streets of Taipei.

Reuters news agency quoted a 35-year-old Blair Yeh after watching the premier as saying, “Presenting such a situation (of conflict) can lead to more discussion about what we should do if it really turns into reality one day.” The issue treated by the film is a very delicate topic which Taiwanese filmmakers and directors have been avoiding because of the fear of losing their large market in China if they treat controversial political topics that the Beijing authorities may frown at.

Many African countries have no diplomatic relations with Taiwan (perhaps) due to the domineering influence of China in Africa, which the respected American journalist and media scholar, Howard French, has written a book in which he describes Africa as “China’s Second Continent”.

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The only African country that has diplomatic relations with Taiwan is Eswatini. All the others because of the huge investments (size) and loans owed China quake in their boots when China sneezes over Taiwan! This is regrettable according to Sabella Abidde, a professor of Political Science at Alabama State University who is a leading scholar on Africa-China-Taiwan Relations. He is of the view that “Of greater regret is the fact that — except for Eswatini — no other African country has the will, the courage, the integrity, and the political sensibility to rebuff China. I am aware that the PRC wields a heavy stick; therefore, no African government is willing to confront her in favor of a Two-China Policy. Taiwan is also good for the peace and prosperity of states and societies in Africa.”

At a recent public function in Taipei, the Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao, who has been subject of attacks by Chinese authorities over his educational policy in the country, declared himself “an elegant Taiwanese,” adding that he is not afraid of being labeled by China as a “diehard Taiwan independence advocate.” He was responding to China’s Taiwan Affairs Office which had designated him, along with the Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang and High Prosecutors’Office prosecutor Chen Shu-yi, as “diehard Taiwan independence advocates.”

Cheng told a Taiwanese newspaper the label would not affect his commitment to educational professionalism, promising that he would continue to fulfill the responsibilities stipulated by the Fundamental Act of Education to cultivate “a new generation with a strong sense of national identity, love for Taiwan and appreciation for the Republic of China [ROC], while also being deeply rooted locally and globally minded.”

He went ahead to declare that “The ROC is a sovereign and independent country, different from the ROC that retreated to Taiwan under [former president] Chiang Kai-shek’s regime in 1949, and it has absolutely no relation to China.”

He emphasised that education is to enlighten the mind and liberate citizens to know their history, “In daily life and in the international community, we are usually referred to as Taiwanese. These distinctions should be clearly explained to children through historical and international perspectives, rather than being conflated. What we aim for is a democratic and law-governed society, and education should help children develop a clear, stable and non-contradictory understanding.”

Whichever way you look at it, Taiwan, which early Portuguese sailors called “Formosa,” meaning “Beautiful Island” (Ilha Formosa), is a beautiful bride being eyed and watched by you know who….Will the world let it be?

(Concluded)

Dr Oyegbile, journalist and media scholar just concluded a postdoctoral fellowship at Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD).

January 31, 2026
When insurance walked away: How Nigeria’s traders were financially excluded in their darkest hour

What burned at Balogun was not just GNI House, but Nigeria’s illusion of financial protection. When a Christmas Eve inferno turned prosperity into ashes, it exposed a dangerous gap in the country’s insurance safety net and the urgent need for Lagos State, regulators, insurers and market stakeholders to confront the exclusion of millions of economic participants. Omobola Tolu-Kusimo reports.

As the inferno consumed multi‑storey buildings and neighbouring shops, over 10 people lost their lives, dozens were injured, and hundreds of traders saw years of hard‑earned trillion naira investments wiped out in minutes.

But as the smoke cleared, another tragedy emerged: many of the very market traders whose livelihoods fuel Nigeria‘s economy were not insured and were actively excluded by insurers.

The blaze began on the fourth floor of the GNI House and quickly spread under dry, crowded, market conditions. Lagos State authorities would later confirm that flammable materials and stored explosive‑aided goods, including kerosene and banned electronics, accelerated the fire’s intensity.

Residents and traders watched in horror as flames devoured stock worth billions of naira. What compounded their grief was the sting of knowing that while corporate offices and corporate risks were well covered by insurers, the traders who form the backbone of both the informal and formal economy were repeatedly denied fire, burglary and even life insurance.

“They said the risk was too high, that premiums wouldn’t be profitable,” one trader lamented, tearfully recounting total loss of goods that took years to accumulate.

Financial Inclusion or Exclusion

Nigeria’s insurance penetration remains alarmingly low, with fewer than two million insured lives and businesses out of an estimated population of 230 million. Despite being Africa’s largest economy with bustling commercial hubs like Balogun Market, the vast majority of Nigerians still have no insurance protection.

Investigations show that even when traders sought coverage for fire and other basic risks, many were systematically excluded by underwriters, who cited frequent fire outbreaks and volatile informal market dynamics. What should have been a financial inclusion venture became a case study in financial exclusion.

This refusal not only denied traders protection, it also denied the insurance sector potential premiums, revenue streams, and opportunities for meaningful market expansion.

“It’s not that the risk didn’t exist,” says a risk analyst familiar with market insurance portfolios. “It’s that insurers chose risk avoidance over innovation.”

Emergency Response under Fire

The tragedy was made worse by troubling allegations against Lagos State Fire Service. Multiple witnesses claim fire crews arrived late, more than 40 minutes after first alerts and initially demanded payments before proceeding with full suppression efforts.

Social media videos captured traders pleading with fire personnel to act, suggesting that fire engines and personnel stood idle until unofficial negotiations were made.

Activist Nedu Ani tweeted: “Fire service demanded millions before quenching the fire. How can safety be monetised like this?”

Though the Lagos State government has not publicly confirmed demands for payment, the allegations have intensified frustrations with authorities whose role is to protect lives, enforce building codes, and ensure community safety.

Voices from the Ground

“Everything is gone, no insurance, no help, nothing”, said Mrs. Kemi Ade, trader affected by the fire.

Mr. Olu Fashola, market leader also said If insurers can cover big corporate assets, they can innovate products for markets like ours.

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We pay taxes and levies every month, but there’s no sprinkler system, no hydrants, not even basic enforcement of safety codes, he added.

The Financial Cost of Exclusion

Experts say the industry’s decision to shun high‑risk markets is both a social and economic failure. By excluding informal traders, insurers miss out on revenue opportunities in an economy where informal trade accounts for a significant share of GDP.

Instead of tapping into premium streams from thousands of underwriters, the industry has concentrated on low‑risk corporate and compulsory covers, leaving behind millions of potential policyholders, an actuarial consultant, Dr. Aisha Ogunleye noted.

A Nation at Risk, a Sector at Crossroads

The GNI House fire is more than a tragedy. It is a stark reminder that financial exclusion in the insurance sector has grave human and economic costs. When insurers walked away and authorities failed to enforce safety and inclusion, ordinary Nigerians pay the price.

Now, surviving traders, families of victims, and civil society are asking: Who will insure the people who make this economy thrive?

Government’s Complicity and Safety Lapses

While insurers have largely stepped back, market leaders have criticized the Lagos State Government for prioritising revenue collection over structured safety enforcement.

The market traders who do not want their names mentioned complained that their taxes, levies, and licences earn them little more than routine inspections and occasional demolitions without meaningful investment in fire mitigation infrastructure.

Despite repeated fire incidents in the Balogun area over the years, designated fire service points, hydrants, enforced building code compliance or sprinkler systems have not been systematically implemented, the traders assert.

“We cannot keep paying taxes and watching our shops burn,” one frustrated vendor said.

Insurance Regulator

The Deputy Commissioner for Insurance Technical, Dr. Usman Jankara Jimada, admitted that the reported rejection of market traders by insurers was a new discovery for the regulator, even though repeated fires in commercial hubs such as Mandilas, Balogun and the GNI House suggest a long-standing protection gap. He said the issue deserves public attention, particularly because insurance is expected to play a stabilising role after large-scale losses.

While stressing that he was not defending underwriters, Jankara explained that insurance globally operates on the principle of uncertainty, not inevitability. Where a risk is assessed as highly likely to occur, insurers are faced with two options: charge premiums so high they become unaffordable, or decline the risk altogether. “Insurance cannot sustainably cover certainty,” he said, noting that this dilemma is not unique to Nigeria.

He cited international examples, including health insurance markets in developed countries, where high-risk individuals or communities are often excluded unless government intervention alters the risk framework. According to him, if the probability of loss approaches certainty, insurance ceases to function as a risk-pooling mechanism.

However, Jankara was clear that traders are not solely responsible for the uninsurable nature of many markets. He pointed to weak housekeeping standards, lack of fire alarms, blocked access routes for fire engines, and the absence of enforced safety regulations as key contributors to elevated risk levels. These, he said, are failures of governance and enforcement rather than individual choice.

He emphasised that risk mitigation is the bridge between exclusion and inclusion. Improving safety standards, enforcing building regulations, and ensuring functional firefighting infrastructure would significantly reduce loss probabilities and make such markets more attractive to insurers. “If the risk improves, insurance becomes possible,” he noted.

On compulsory insurance, Jankara clarified that the major challenge is enforcement, not legislation. Nigeria’s insurance laws already provide for compulsory covers, but weak enforcement mechanisms, overstretched law enforcement agencies, and prosecutorial bottlenecks have undermined compliance over the years.

He disclosed that NAICOM often faces frustration when cases are handed over to the police or prosecuting authorities, only for them to be deprioritised amid broader security challenges. This, he said, discourages sustained enforcement and weakens deterrence across the system.

To address this, the commission is shifting towards a preventive approach by working with agencies responsible for building approvals and compliance. The aim, according to him, is to embed insurance and safety requirements into approval processes so that risks are addressed before losses occur, rather than relying solely on post-event enforcement.

Jankara also acknowledged the limitations of the Fire Service Maintenance Fund, which is financed through a small percentage of fire insurance premiums. While the fund has been deployed in the past, he said its impact is constrained by Nigeria’s low fire insurance premium base, making it insufficient to meet nationwide needs.

Ultimately, he argued that financial exclusion in insurance must be addressed through collaboration rather than compulsion. Government, regulators, insurers, fire services and market authorities must jointly reduce risks to make insurance viable. “Public discourse like this,” he said, “is the starting point for finding sustainable solutions.”

The Director-General of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Mrs. Bola Odukale, said she did not have formal industry-wide data confirming that insurers were systematically rejecting traders in markets such as Balogun.

However, speaking from professional experience as an insurance practitioner, she acknowledged that if such rejections were occurring, they would most likely be rooted in risk assessment rather than deliberate exclusion.

She explained that insurers have a duty to assess risks before underwriting them, and where a risk is considered excessively high, companies may legitimately decline to provide cover.

According to her, the physical layout of many markets, the way shops are organised, and daily operating practices often elevate the level of risk beyond what insurers can prudently accept.

The NIA DG pointed specifically to unsafe practices commonly observed in markets, including the storage of petrol and other flammable materials inside shops, overcrowding of electrical appliances, and the indiscriminate placement of generators. These conditions, she said, create what insurers classify as near-certain loss scenarios rather than uncertain events.

She stressed that insurance is fundamentally designed to cover unexpected occurrences, not situations where loss is highly predictable.

Drawing an analogy, she noted that insurers would not cover a person with a terminal illness because the outcome is no longer uncertain. “Insurance does not cover certainty; it covers uncertainty,” she said.

While acknowledging concerns around financial inclusion, the NIA DG cautioned against treating insurance as a social service.

She emphasised that insurance remains a commercial enterprise and must operate within the bounds of sound underwriting principles. Granting cover “just anyhow,” she warned, would undermine the sustainability of the industry.

She made comparisons with other high-risk sectors, such as commercial transport, where poor driving culture, substance abuse, and lack of formal training significantly increase accident rates. In such cases, insurers also struggle to provide affordable or viable coverage unless risks are properly managed.

She agreed that collaboration with government could help address some of the underlying problems, particularly through improved regulation, safety standards, and enforcement. However, he maintained that such partnerships must still respect the fundamentals of underwriting and exposure management.

Ultimately, the NIA DG acknowledged that markets represent a significant opportunity for insurance expansion, potentially worth trillions of naira. He said the industry recognises this potential but insists that any meaningful penetration must be preceded by deliberate efforts at risk mitigation, awareness, and structured engagement to make coverage viable and sustainable.

Conclusion

Risk, Responsibility, and the Cost of Exclusion

The market fires that have devastated Nigeria’s commercial centres are more than isolated tragedies; they are a public interest failure with national economic consequences.

When entire trading communities operate without insurance, losses cascade beyond individual traders to families, supply chains, lenders, and ultimately the state. This is not a niche industry issue but a systemic vulnerability affecting millions of livelihoods and the resilience of the informal economy.

The investigation shows that exclusion did not occur in a vacuum. Insurers insist, correctly, that insurance cannot cover certainty, only uncertainty. Regulators admit that enforcement of safety standards and compulsory insurance remains weak. Market environments, shaped by years of regulatory neglect, now present risks so elevated that exclusion becomes the rational outcome. In this chain, no single actor is solely to blame, but each bears responsibility.

Accountability therefore lies not in assigning guilt after infernos, but in examining why certainty was allowed to replace uncertainty in the first place. Unsafe electrical systems, blocked access routes, fuel storage inside shops, and the absence of functional fire infrastructure are not acts of nature. They are the result of policy gaps, weak oversight, and a failure to integrate risk management into market governance.

The voices of regulators and industry leaders point to a shared truth that insurance exclusion is the consequence of unmanaged risk. Yet risk management itself has been treated as an afterthought, activated only after lives and capital have been lost. This reactive posture undermines both financial inclusion and public trust in the insurance system.

Solutions, however, are neither abstract nor unattainable. Embedding safety and insurance compliance into market approvals, strengthening enforcement of existing compulsory insurance laws, and fostering structured collaboration between insurers, regulators, fire services and market authorities can gradually convert certainty back into insurable uncertainty.

For insurers, this means investing in risk awareness and phased underwriting models rather than blanket rejection. For regulators, it requires shifting from post-disaster responses to preventive oversight. For government, it demands recognising markets as critical economic infrastructure deserving of the same risk governance applied to formal commercial assets.

Until these responsibilities align, Nigeria will continue to witness fires that are described as “uninsurable” despite being entirely foreseeable.

The real failure, therefore, is not that insurance walked away when certainty prevailed, but that the system allowed certainty to flourish unchecked. Addressing that failure is where true financial inclusion in insurance must begin.

January 31, 2026
Tinubu’s misstep: Sadists live up to character

The moment the news filtered in that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had stumbled during an excursion with President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey while on an official visit to the European country, my instincts told me that his detractors would celebrate the incident as if they had just won the jackpot in a multi-billion dollar lottery. And they did not disappoint as they lived up to expectation in extraordinary manner.

By Thursday morning, the social media space had been taken over with caricatures of the President in inflated mockery of a fleeting incident, no thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI); the latest tool of mischief foisted on us by technology. Some members of a particular tribe, whose daily preoccupation is to pray for President Tinubu’s downfall so their son could become president, took the mischief further, as they were decked in a ceremonial uniform apparently sewn in anticipation of Wednesday’s incident, dancing hysterically to the sound of Ekwe.

Some others pre-occupied themselves with taunts on the social media, completely oblivious of the strategic importance of the President’s mission to a country that is not only capable of enhancing our economic fortunes but also positioned to offer a clue for an end to the security misfortune our country has been grappling with for close to two decades, having at various times been accused of aiding its purveyors.

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To be sure, it was not the first time the President would have such an experience. He had stumbled while climbing the boarding stairs of an aircraft during his campaign tour as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the build-up to the 2023 elections. And as it is customary, his detractors had made a show of the minor incident in the social media, slanting the story to give the impression that he was too weak and fragile for the office he sought. His admirers were, however, quick to counter the narrative, saying that governance is not a job for the feet but one for the head (brain).

Any fair observer would know that the misstep that caused Tinubu to stumble had nothing to do with lack of fitness. According to his spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President simply lost his balance after stepping on a metal object while walking alongside his host. “This is not a big deal except for those who want to make mischief out of a fleeting incident. It was a mere stumble, thank God, not a fall,” he said. What is more, the President continued his engagement as scheduled.

But how did we get to this point? When did we become a people that glory in the misfortune of others? Who, for crying out loud, is immune to stumbling or even falling? One of the earliest life lessons I learnt is that a man’s greatness is not determined by how many times he falls but how many times he rises after falling.

What happened to the President in Ankara can happen to even the fittest of athletes. After all, sporting history is replete with cases of agile athletes who stumbled in their tracks and even fell. Lost on Tinubu’s detractors is the fact that the moment he was sworn into office as President, he seized to represent himself, his family or friends and acquaintances alone. He is the symbol of national authority; the face and image of Nigeria and the representative of every citizen, including those who did not vote for him during the 2023 polls.

It, therefore amounts to self-ridicule on the part of those who chose to taunt him when he stumbled. Mercifully, he is not a weakling who would melt under the weight of such theatrics, much unlike a known presidential aspirant reputed for melting twice on national television, once over the criticisms directed at him by supporters of his political opponents, and once after losing the 2023 election.

On his part, Tinubu is a leader who has not only developed a thick skin to the coarse invectives often hauled at him by his detractors but has also learnt to take even destructive criticisms with equanimity. “I have stopped visiting the social media. They abuse the hell out of me,” he once declared in a light-hearted manner. Chances are, therefore, that he might not even have seen the caricatures of him in the social media after the Turkey incident. But even if he did, one can rest assured that he is not losing sleep over it. His mission in Turkey is far too serious to be distracted by such inanities.

January 31, 2026
LIRS extends deadline for filing of annual returns to February 7

The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has extended the deadline for filing of employers’ annual tax returns by one week, from February 1 to February 7, 2026.

In a statement issued on Friday, and signed by Head, Corporate Communications, LIRS Monsurat Amasa-Oyelude, on behalf of the

Executive Chairman of LIRS, Dr. Ayodele Subair, explained that the statutory deadline for filing of employers’ annual tax returns is January 31, every year.

He noted that the extension is intended to provide employers with additional time to complete and submit accurate tax returns.

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Subair stated that employers must give priority to the timely filing of their annual returns, noting that compliance should be embedded as a routine business practice.

He also reiterated that electronic filing through the LIRS eTax platform remains the only approved method for submitting annual returns, as manual filings have been completely phased out. Employers are therefore required to file their returns exclusively through the LIRS eTax portal: https://etax.lirs.net.

Describing the platform as secure, user-friendly, and accessible 24/7, Subair advised employers to ensure that the TaxID (Tax Identification Number) of all employees is correctly captured in their submissions.

January 31, 2026
‘Tribute to my dad at 65’

By Samuel Moyosore Ekundayo

If I were to describe my dad using just three words, they would be intentional, resilient, and exemplary.

My dad is one of the clearest expressions of leadership I have ever known. Not leadership by title or position, but leadership by example. The kind that is lived passionately, consistently, and convincingly. Everything about him is deliberate. You see it in the decisions he makes, the standards he keeps, the people he nurtures, and the organisations he leads. You can tell he is a man consciously building a legacy, not for applause, but for impact. He leads with depth, conviction, and care, and that example has shaped the man I am today.

My dad, Dr. JMO Ekundayo, has taught me many things, but a few stand out as truly life defining.

One of the most profound lessons he taught me was a lifestyle of giving. My dad is known for generosity, not as an occasional act, but as a way of life. From a very young age, I watched both my dad and mum give sacrificially, even in seasons when we ourselves had little. I witnessed them give away our Mercedes Benz without having a replacement. I saw them open our home to accommodate people while we were struggling to survive ourselves. I often say there is nothing my dad cannot give. Sometimes I joke that he could give away his eyes before realising he needs them to see. That is how deeply generosity is woven into his being. This lifestyle of giving has rubbed off on me, and today I find myself intentionally emulating the example he modelled long before I understood its power.

Another thing my dad imparted to me was the love of reading. He is an avid reader, deeply passionate about books. His personal library is filled with volumes that reflect curiosity, faith, and wisdom. Over the years, I have shamelessly “borrowed” many books from his shelves, and even till today, he continues to give me books and recommend what I should read. The last time he visited me in New Zealand, he still arrived bearing books.

There are two books he gave me that I will never forget.

The first was when I was eight years old. The book was titled: “I Saw Heaven” by Robert Liardon. While I may not have received a literal revelation of heaven from that book, I received something far more transformative, a revelation of who God is. That book awakened in me a deep hunger for intimacy with God, a desire that has fuelled my love for Him to this very day. That seed planted in childhood still bears fruit, and for that, I will always be grateful.

The second book was: “In Pursuit of Purpose” by Dr Myles Munroe, given to me during my teenage years. That book marked a turning point in my life. It introduced me to the truth that life is intentional, that man has purpose, and that I was not an accident or a mistake. It showed me that God was deliberate about my existence. At the time, neither my dad nor I knew that my life’s calling would be to help others discover their purpose. Today, that book has become like a second Bible to me. It laid the foundation for what I now do, helping thousands of people find purpose and maximise their God given potential.

My dad also taught me how to write. He is an avid writer and has authored several books himself. Today, by the grace of God, I am the author of fourteen books, and I trace that grace back to having an exemplary leader who modelled discipline, consistency, and devotion to words put into writing.

He also taught me how to preach. Watching him handle the Word of God shaped and sharpened my own preaching style. Even the way I mark my Bible, pen in hand like an old-fashioned preacher, I learned from my dad. These are quiet imprints that last a lifetime.

Beyond these lessons, there were decisive decisions my dad made that altered the trajectory of my life. One of such came when I turned eighteen. One day, he invited me into his room and we sat together on his bed. He looked at me and said, “You are now a grown man. From today, I want our relationship to change. I want you to be my confidant and my friend.” He told me he would begin to share things with me that he had never shared before and that he wanted my input. That moment redefined how I saw myself. It told me that my father believed in me. That affirmation marked me deeply, and it is a moment I hope to replicate with my own sons someday.

Another defining aspect of my dad’s leadership has been his spiritual sensitivity. There are moments where his prophetic insight redirected my destiny. One of those moments was around my marriage. I was already convinced I had heard from God about my wife, but I will never forget the day my dad confirmed it. He told me he had seen a dream of visiting us in New Zealand, which at the time we did not live in. In the dream, he saw my wife and I holding a baby boy. That confirmation sealed what God had already spoken to my heart. Truly, every matter is established by confirmation.

Another moment came during my PhD journey. At the time, I was considering the United States and Canada. Then my dad received a strong spiritual inclination that New Zealand was where I should go. Around that period, one of his friends called him unexpectedly from a number beginning with plus sixty-four, which we later discovered was New Zealand. God used that moment to confirm direction. I remain deeply grateful for a father with such spiritual discernment.

During one of the lowest points of my PhD, when termination was looming, I shared a troubling dream with my dad. I saw myself in a helicopter with a man of God, the helicopter crashed, but we emerged unscathed. While I could not interpret it, my dad did. He told me the PhD would crash, but I would come out unharmed and still fulfil God’s purpose in New Zealand. At the time, everything around me contradicted that word. Yet today, I stand as living proof of its fulfilment. The PhD crashed, God made another way, I completed my PhD research study in another university – Auckland University of Technology. Counting, this is now my seventeenth year in New Zealand, preaching the gospel and walking in purpose.

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The most decisive legacy shaping decision my dad ever made, however, was one that changed the destiny of our entire family. Between 2004 and 2006, life was extremely tough. We lived in Ikota, Lekki Phase 2, Lagos, in a one-bedroom flat that we had to modify just to survive. It was a seeming slum settlement tucked within the wealthy Lekki corridor of Lagos. My dad and I dug the soak away pit ourselves. We dug the well for water. Our door was broken for days. I saw sacrifice, pain, and perseverance up close.

In the midst of that hardship, my dad sought God for a way forward. He received an insight to travel to Asia, to Singapore. We partly borrowed money to make the journey possible. For months after he left, we were still sending him money. Things were not working. Until God gave him another instruction, to put mission first. He commenced the African Service at Cornerstone Community Church, Katong, Singapore.

That vision was received with favour. The service grew, lives were touched, and one day the senior leadership asked him a simple question, “John, what is one thing we can do for you?”

He could have asked for anything. But instead, he asked that they bring his family, his wife and four children. The church paid for our tickets, and in April 2006, we arrived in Singapore together. That single decision rewrote our family’s story.

Someone once said that inheritance is what you leave behind, but legacy is who you leave behind. That decision is living legacy. It is a story I have told my children and will continue to tell them, just as one generation tells the next.

As I write this today, I am seventeen years in New Zealand, and God has been faithful. I celebrated my 40th natal anniversary in 2025. I am married. The marriage produces two grandsons for Grandpa JMO Ekundayo. He loves all his children; and also his precious five grandchildren in New Zealand, United Kingdom and Nigeria.

Dad, on your 65th birthday, I honour you. I celebrate you. I am grateful for your intentionality, your faith, resilience, your generosity, and your exemplary leadership. Not in a million years would I ask for another father. We may not have had much growing up, but because I had you, I felt like we had everything.

Thank you, Daddy.

God bless you.

Happy 65th Birthday.

•Samuel Moyosore Ekundayo, PhD (Business Information Systems) (aka “Purpose Preacher”) sent in this piece from Auckland New Zealand and can be reached via: samuelekundayo.com/contact

January 31, 2026
Rivers, Wike’s Renewed Hope family clash over alleged denial of venue

• We did no such thing, stadium under construction, says the govt

Rivers State Government and the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA), led by the Minister of Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Chief Nyesom Wike, have disagreed over the group’s claim that the government refused to approve the Yakubu Gowon Stadium located in Port Harcourt for the RHA’s inauguration in the state.

The RHA, which is the main campaign movement for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term, alleged that the denial of the Governor Siminalayi Fubara-led government forced it to hold its inauguration at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic on Friday.

The Rivers State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Desmond Akawor, while addressing the mammoth crowd that attended the event, first accused the government of denying the group access to the Yakubu Gowon Stadium.

Wike reinforced the allegation and dared Fubara to lock up the stadium again and see what would happen.

The minister said the organisers had applied to use the stadium for the event, but that the governor refused to approve it.

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He threatened that they would force themselves into the facility if the governor repeated a similar action.

He said: “We had called (applied) to the state government for the General Gowon Yakubu Stadium. They refused us. Let me say next time they do this, if you don’t approve it, we will break it by force. So the coordinator of the state wrote again to the state government and chose a day to inaugurate the ward level; I want to say it for everybody to hear. Enough is enough.

“We are all from Rivers State; nobody can deny us the facilities of the state. If you don’t agree to give us, we will do the needful. And we will take it by force. Heaven will never fall. Even when heaven falls, everywhere will be at peace.”

A former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was inaugurated as the Coordinator for Rivers West; the Executive Director, Finance, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Boma Iyaye, Rivers East; While the Executive Director, Projects of the South-South Development Commission, Chief Marcus Nle-Eji, would coordinate Rivers South-East.

Wike said Rivers was the first state to inaugurate the Renewed Hope Ambassadors’ coordinators, adding that other states would follow in no distant time.

He said: “Let me thank the coordinator of the state of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors for what you and your members at the local government level have done and the senatorial districts led Boma Iyaye (Rivers East Senatorial District), Marcus Nle-Eji (Rivers South-East) and Felic Obuah (Rivers West) for thus massive mobilization that you have done today, by inaugurating the coordinators of Renewed Hope Agenda in Rivers State.

“This is the first in this country. We challenge any state to come and do the same thing we have done. I know after today, each state is coming to inaugurate their state chapters. Rivers State will always lead the way.”

Wike, “Support is not by mouth. You have shown commitment. You don’t have your governor with you, yet you said you’re supporting Mr President and you will do everything humanly possible to return Mr President by special grace in 2027.”

He referred to the N600billion left in the state coffers by the immediate past Administrator of the State, Ibok Ete-Ibas, but said the people under the Renewed Hope Family, with their little resources, would deliver President Tinubu in 2027

He said: “Look at the vehicles there, you don’t need N600billion. You don’t need it. All you need is commitment, and you have shown it. What you have done today, let me remind you, will bring a lot of envy, will bring a lot of hatred. Don’t mind that. Be committed and continue to support Mr President.”

He urged the people to support the candidates who emerged in the last APC primary elections ahead of the state constituency poll.

He said, “It has never happened in any state. No matter what we are doing, we have led the way as usual. Let me thank Mr President for supporting the Joint Coalition to produce the candidate for the February 2026 state constituency election.

“Mr President has given the Joint Coalition to make sure in Khana Constituency 2 we support Mrs Burabari Loloo. In Ahoada State Constituency 2, we support Napoleon Okadikpe.

“These are the candidates of the joint coalition. Anywhere you are, these are the candidates you will support for the February 2026 election.”

He recalled that when he visited the various local government areas on a thank-you visit, he told them politics would start in January.

“Now the time has come, and we have started the politics. Everybody go home, whether you’re in PDP, APC, or you don’t belong to any political party, but remember the Joint Coalition. Go and vote for our two candidates in the February constituency election 2026,” he said.

He added: “We are not quarrelling with anybody except those who are quarrelling themselves. We are here, we will never disappoint you, and we will tell you the truth. We have not completed this journey. We must go and make sure this is ward-by-ward, unit-by-unit, and we will take a date to make sure we inaugurate them.

“I have told the leadership of the party. Nobody should be intimidated. We are here to support you. The members of the elders’ council have agreed to make a greater commitment to ensure each ward gets a bus to make sure they campaign for the realisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Reacting to the allegations, the Rivers State Government described them as false and misleading, explaining that the Yakubu Gowon Stadium was currently undergoing reconstruction and was unsafe for public use.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr Honour Sirawoo, who inspected the facility, said the allegation had no basis.

Sirawoo, who toured the stadium alongside the Commissioner for Sports, Christopher Green, under the guidance of the site engineer, said the level of ongoing reconstruction made it impossible for any group to use the facility at this time.

He advised political leaders in the state to place the interest of Rivers State above political ambitions, noting that there is life after politics.

He added that Governor Siminalayi Fubara remained committed and was at the forefront of efforts to ensure the re-election of President Tinubu.

Also, the Commissioner for Sports, who also served as the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, Christopher Green, said his office did not receive any formal request for the use of the stadium.

Green described the allegation as baseless, noting that even the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, where the inauguration was eventually held, is a Rivers State Government–owned facility.

The site engineer, Michael Ebitenye, who led government officials on the inspection tour, said the stadium was currently in a delicate condition, warning that heavy human traffic could damage underground pipes beneath the pitch.

He also spoke of the serious safety hazards in the VIP sections and other areas under reconstruction.

He stressed that the contracting firm, Monimichelle, remained committed to the safety of lives and property and would not permit the use of facilities undergoing renovation for any event, regardless of political affiliation.

January 31, 2026
‘My transformation from OAU dropout to UNILAG First Class graduate’

Elizabeth Abisola Akano’s life story is a proof that determination pays. Advised to withdraw from Obafemi Awolowo University on account of poor grades, she eventually graduated from the University of Lagos with First Class Honours degree and a CGPA of 4.91. She tells GBENGA ADERANTI her story of trials, despondency and triumph.

What was life like at Obafemi Awolowo University?

I would say it was an experience. I enjoyed it for the most part because everything was different from what I was used to. The experience became sour when my main reason for being there was not going well. From my very first semester there, I carried over about three courses, and they were really heavy (3 and 4 units), and even the other courses were Es. What kept me at 1.0 were my practical courses, which were 1-unit courses and were As. The results went downhill from there. By the end of my 100-level, I had about five carryovers. My CGPA sank before it got a chance to rise.

I tried to make it work in my 200-level and retook the courses I carried over, but the damage had been done. I had gone below 1.0 in two consecutive semesters (100 level second semester and 200 level first semester), so I was advised to withdraw. I tried to cross into the Economics Department at that point, but I was told my CGPA was too low to cross to any department. At that time, I knew there was no point staying, so I called home and told them I was done.

Why did you initially opt to read Biochemistry at OAU?

I didn’t pick the course. It was given to me. The course I picked was Pharmacy, but I was given Biochemistry because I didn’t meet the cut-off for Pharmacy. I accepted the offer with a plan to cross to Pharmacy after my 100 level. It didn’t happen because I failed in Biochemistry.

What was your life ambition?

My life ambition was to become a Pharmacist. That had been my plan since I entered science class in SS1. I just loved the idea of being a Pharmacist. I wanted to be in the health profession, and I knew I couldn’t handle Medicine or Nursing. Pharmacy was the next best thing at that time.

At what point did you leave OAU?

I left when I saw that there was no point staying. I had gone below 1.0, and my portal status was saying withdrawal. I was tired of fighting and deceiving myself. I had heard stories of people who stayed back after being told to withdraw and coming out with nothing to show for it because they couldn’t tell anyone at home. I did not want to be one of them. It was better to face the shame of going home than to be stuck and not moving forward. My parents knew I was trying to change departments. They didn’t know it had gotten so bad until I called to say that I was done.

When you were advised to withdraw from OAU, how did you feel? What was the first thing that came to your mind?

I was so sad and pained. I had a plan for my life. I wanted to be done with school at 20/21. The first thing on my mind was how am I going to tell Daddy and Mummy? I lived comfortably in school. I had my own room, self-contained, that they rented for me because of the experiences of my elder siblings. They spent money that they could have used for other things just so that I could have an education comfortably. I was too ashamed to tell them that after everything, I was leaving school with nothing.

You started failing in the first semester, which you described as weird. What could have been responsible for that?

Looking back now, I think I overestimated my abilities, and I was overconfident. I felt it was business as usual. I never had to over-read to pass an exam. I did the minimum, and I was able to pass. I was a bright student. I was well above average in my secondary school. I didn’t know myself; I just had an idea of who I was, and I ran with it. I didn’t understand that I was in a class with a lot of above-average students who were better than me and understood concepts better.

I was a timid girl who found it difficult to ask questions because I didn’t want to be seen as not knowing. It was a very bad way of thinking, but I didn’t know better. It really affected me, and when I finally sought help, it was too late.

Would you describe your exit as an act of God? If not, how would you explain it?

It was definitely an act of God. I was fighting a lost battle from my very first semester. I had to leave that situation for me to see the bigger picture for my life. I was in the wrong course and not in the right atmosphere where I could thrive. God created a way to take me out of it, and with a lesson. I wasn’t meant to be struggling academically and barely finishing school. He knows my end from the beginning. I was meant to be on top academically. God made it happen. At that point in time, it felt like punishment. Over the years, I understood why it had to happen. I needed realignment.

What were your parents’ reactions when they discovered that you would not continue at OAU?

My parents had similar but very unique reactions, and that was because of their personalities. My father was a softie when it came to his children. On that Sunday night, I called my immediate sister, Olamide, in tears to tell her that I was done and she should help me relay it to my parents because I was too afraid to tell them directly. My father called me barely five minutes later, begging me to stop crying. It was around the time students were committing suicide, so his initial worry was that I shouldn’t hurt myself. He was so scared that he was telling me to sleep at my neighbour’s place that night. I told him I was fine. It took a lot of convincing to get him to drop the call. I saw my father in Ife the following morning. He took me to my department. He met who he could meet and then took me to my room. We packed some clothes, and we went to Lagos.

My mum’s reaction was a mix of care, worry and disappointment. I understood because she had high hopes. She told me that I would just have to try again. In the meantime, she paid for baking school and provided everything I needed so that I wouldn’t be at home, thinking. My parents didn’t like the idea of being idle. You must be learning something at any point in time. I opened my baking business at that time, BiziCakery.

What were the initial challenges you faced when you left OAU?

The very first was shame. I didn’t know what to tell people if they asked. Everyone in my neighbourhood knew I was in school, so how would I explain being at home for close to a year? I just said I took a leave of absence to learn baking when they asked. That reduced the questions, and I was able to move from that. I spent my days indoors except when I had to go to baking school. I couldn’t tell my colleagues in school because I was too ashamed. Another challenge was proving to my parents that I wasn’t a lost cause. I could still make something out of my life.

Did you feel like committing suicide at the time of your travail?

One thing I am grateful for is that the thought of suicide never crossed my mind. I heard stories about students committing suicide, and I knew it wasn’t an option at all. No matter the emotional turmoil I was going through, I knew I wanted to live my life to the fullest, so ending it wasn’t on my mind.

How did you manage to summon enough courage to write UTME?

As I mentioned before, I have a very supportive family. My father personally took me to the library to read before I started tutorials in September, 2018. I attended Rise-up tutorials, and I learnt a lot about myself during that period. Luckily for me, I didn’t need to write another WAEC because I did Economics and Geography. I only needed to learn Government for my JAMB. My mum taught Government as she is a teacher, so it was very easy for me to read and understand the subject.

I have always been good at Maths, English and Economics, but I entered the tutorial as someone who knew nothing, just so I could learn. I did tutorials and still read at the centre till 7 pm before making my way home. I left no stone unturned and read as if my life depended on it, and it worked. I scored 290 in my UTME and went on to score 25 out of 30 in my post UTME.

How did your friends within and outside the school react when they discovered that you were asked to withdraw?

I didn’t tell them immediately because I was fighting a lot of battles internally, and I was also ashamed. When I told them, the popular opinion was “why didn’t you say anything earlier?” They were very apologetic and sad on my behalf. They were supportive and checked on me every now and then. I still talk to a number of my friends in OAU to this day, so we haven’t lost contact.

Why did you opt to study Economics Education?

I took my time to look at my strengths. I discovered that the social sciences came easily to me, and I could relate with it better. I knew I was mentally done with sciences because there is no course that I wouldn’t have to do Chemistry and Physics which were the courses I failed in OAU. I did my research and I wasn’t bad at Mathematics. I would have done Pure Economics, but I realised that I would have to do Accounting, which I have never done in my life, and learning it at that point in time was going to be a lot for me as I was learning Government too. My parents advised me to go for Education instead because of the opportunities. I can major in either Economics or the Education aspect for my Masters so I took their advice and went for Economics Education.

To what extent did your experience at the OAU help you at the University of Lagos?

I had experience with higher institutions when I entered UNILAG because of my OAU experience, so nothing shocked me. I believe I had an edge in my class because of that. OAU had a way of teaching resilience in the face of struggle, and I took that into UNILAG. When my classmates complained about how difficult a thing was, I would just smile because I had seen something similar before and I knew how to pace myself to solve it. I understood how the system worked, and I used it to my advantage.

What would you tell other students who are currently facing the same challenges you faced at OAU?

There is so much I want to say. Failure is not the end of the world. People have failed, and people will still fail. It doesn’t mean you are dumb or a dullard. You haven’t just had an understanding of who you are and your abilities. It is okay to take a step back and reassess yourself. Don’t ever give in to the thought of not being brilliant. You might just be taking the wrong course. You failed academically, but that doesn’t mean you failed in life.

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SEEK HELP. Don’t keep quiet. If you are failing, don’t wait before you ask for assistance. Never be too shy to ask your classmates for help; that’s why you are not schooling in solitude. Ask questions early and don’t be afraid to leave. You might feel terrible, but it is better than being stuck and not moving forward. It would seem like you are moving backward but you aren’t; you are just taking a step back to realign yourself, and you would be the better for it.

Most importantly, have a relationship with God. He helped me through the dark time. God doesn’t need you for anything, but you need Him for everything.

What did you do differently at the University of Lagos that you did not do while at the OAU?

The very first thing I did was to stop keeping quiet and ask questions. Part of what affected me in OAU was that I was too timid to talk to people and ask for assistance. I was just in my little bubble. I got to know myself first and the type of learner I am. I got to know that I understand things better visually and also by writing things out. I also got to know that I learn better when I start at the beginning of any topic and work my way to the complex parts. So I read better and smarter. I didn’t study daily, but I made sure that when I did, I learnt something. I also did a lot of tutoring because I realised that things stuck more when I taught my peers.

What was the culture shock you experienced at UNILAG?

The first shock was how small UNILAG premises were, compared to OAU. Another shock was that I got to see my advisers and lecturers more often than I was used to. They were always willing to listen. I had an adviser in OAU, but I wasn’t in tune enough to figure out who they were, as I didn’t see them during my orientation. I also didn’t have anything to do in my department in my first few semesters at OAU, so I couldn’t meet them.

Another shock was that UNILAG had so many programmes and opportunities for students to grow beyond academics. I got to be a part of so many trainings and student-led initiatives.

How has the change in course and varsity changed your ambition?

It has changed so much. From a Biochemist who never was to an Educator and Economist. I want to make an impact in the education space because I know my story isn’t meant for me alone. I changed my mindset, and I am the better for it. I derive joy from educating, and I know I have a calling in education. I don’t want other people to go through what I did. What happened to me would have been avoided if I had someone take a second look at me and ask me the right questions so that I could discover myself.

Tell me something you are not likely to forget in a hurry at the OAU and UNILAG.

The feeling of failure in OAU and the feeling of victory in UNILAG that I felt, and the lesson from that, is what I will not forget in a hurry. I learnt a life lesson and the role of realignment when things get bad. I also learnt that with humility, you can learn anything and from anyone.

Your regrets?

My regrets are not knowing myself before entering OAU, and I wish I had finished school younger. But with the outcome I have, the regrets have been overshadowed. I learnt during this journey, and I can’t buy it anywhere.

Do you still want to pursue a career in education?

And yes, I definitely want to pursue a career in education. As I said before, my story is not meant for me alone. There are lessons to draw from it. I want to build a career around making sure that other students don’t have to go through what I went through, and discover themselves early.

January 31, 2026
Kano Deputy gov under pressure to resign after refusing to join APC

A stalemate is brewing in the Kano State Government following the refusal of Deputy Governor Aminu Gwarzo to quit in the aftermath of the defection of Governor Abba Yusuf from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Gwarzo opted to remain in the NNPP and loyal to the party’s national leader, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The expectation in the APC was that the deputy governor would join some other loyalists of Kwankwaso in government in throwing in the towel as soon as the governor switched camps on Monday.

He has so far declined to quit.

He has even received the backing of the Kano State chapter of the NNPP to stay put in government.

The NNPP insisted on the deputy governor’s right to occupy his position and his critical role in governance, “underscoring the imperative of adherence to constitutional responsibilities.”

It said Gwarzo’s “continuity in office is essential for the stability and progress of the state’s governance.”

Spokesman for the NNPP in the state, Engr Ibrahim Karaye condemned call for the resignation of the deputy governor, and said he remains a bona fide member of the party and a key figure in the state’s governance.

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He pointed out that the Deputy Governor was elected on a joint ticket with Governor Yusuf.

Besides, he said Gwarzo is constitutionally entitled to continue discharging his duties, and argued that the State Executive Council is a constitutional body that should not be dragged into partisan disputes.

Kwankwaso’s son – Mustapha- who held the portfolio of Youth and Sports Development in the government has already left.

Karaye was responding to a statement by Information and Internal Affairs Commissioner Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya who had said it was only honourable for the deputy governor to resign if he could no longer align politically with his principal.

“What we are hoping for, just as we saw with some commissioners who felt uncomfortable and resigned, is that the deputy governor should also take an honourable step if he is no longer on the same political path with the governor,” Waiya said.

He added: “If you sit in an Executive Council meeting where people are discussing how to build Kano and there is suspicion about where such discussions may end up, then there is a problem. Governance is about trust.

“Many people have aspirations, including the ambition to become governor. There is nothing wrong with that. But if personal interests begin to conflict with the direction of government, the most honourable option is to step aside and pursue those goals independently.”

It was gathered that the government, with a comfortable two thirds majority of the members of the State House of Assembly on its side, may get the deputy governor impeached if he continues to resist resignation dodge functions presided over by the governor.

However, the challenge in doing that may be finding offenses that amount to “gross misconduct” against him.

January 31, 2026
APC e-registration hits seven million, rescheduled congresses

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has registered over 7 million members in its ongoing nationwide electronic membership registration exercise.

The party has also extended the exercise earlier scheduled to round off on Saturday, January 31, 2026, to February 8, 2026, to accommodate the high demand and enthusiastic response from potential and existing members.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, disclosed this to newsmen after the 183rd meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on Friday in Abuja

He said the extension of the registration exercise was a direct response to widespread clamor from party stakeholders.

According to Morka, “With respect to e-registration, there’s no complicated explanation. We just want more members to register,” adding that, “the extension was in response to the clamour by enthusiastic members who are hoping to register, to afford them more time.

“As of now, we have crossed the mark of 7 million… By the grace of God, by the time we are closing on the 8th of February, we should have crossed the mark of 12.5 million.”

Reaffirming that the primary aim of the e-registration was part of the party’s push to digitize its records, ensure data integrity, promote financial inclusion, and align with national legal standards.

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He proudly noted that the party has become the first major political party in Nigeria to fully digitize its membership register, setting a precedent for internal democracy and modernization.

Applauding the registration exercise as “tremendously successful”, APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, maintained that the requests for extension of the exercise came from various stakeholders, including state-level leaders and the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF).

Basiru said, “The e-registration has been tremendously successful. We have received requests from many states that there are so many members that are still eager to register… Based on that request, particularly by the body of the Governors Forum at the meeting we held with them the day before yesterday, that was why the National Working Committee decided to extend.”

Morka also announced that Ward Congresses will hold on Wednesday, 18th February 2026, while the National Convention is now scheduled to be held on 27th–28th March 2026.

He added that Osun and Ekiti States as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are excluded from scheduled Congresses due to upcoming elections, while Rivers State is excluded due to the subsisting tenure of the current executive committees of the Party in the State.

The party spokesman further said that details on the adjusted Congress and National Convention timetable and schedule of activities and composition of the National Convention Planning Committee will be announced on Monday

January 31, 2026
Chop alone, die alone

These are the tales of two state chairmen of a popular party.

They are predecessor and successor; the former a lawyer-diplomat, and the other a businessman.

Both were eminently qualified, but one was definitely wiser.

The challenge was money, or put succinctly, the management of corruption or financial inducement.

The diplomat believed in a collegiate approach, collective effort and team spirit. Thus, when bribes were offered to him during local government nominations, he would declare the amount to the members of executive during meetings. The money was shared by all of them.

But the businessman had a way of secretly collecting bribes from aspirants without disclosing to members of his team.

No matter how it was concealed, the bribery always leaked. Exco members always got to know because the mouths of bribe givers were not closed. The exco members would grumble, but they often lacked the temerity to challenge the chairman.

Even at that, the diplomat who carried his team along ran into turbulence during his tenure. An aspirant who offered some money as gift ahead of nominations cried foul when he did not emerge as candidate. He alleged that the chairman took bribe from him and failed to deliver. A petition was forwarded to the party leader. Copies were sent to the governor and the executive committee.

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Swiftly, the exco rose in defense of the chairman, absolving him of the charge. They unanimously told the leader that it was one of those unsolicited unofficial donations to the party and that no member of exco was in the dark. The chairman survived. He completed his tenure successfully.

But it was the other way round for his successor; the stingy businessman-chairman. When he ran into crisis over a dollarised bribe, his exco abandoned him – after all they never partook in it.

He appeared alone before the leader. His defense was turned down. There was no support from exco. The leader remembered how his predecessor was fiercely defended by other party officers. His tenure ended on that note.

The former promoted the idea of “we chop together and survive.” The latter, the idea of “chop alone, die alone.”

Neither of the two approaches is clean. But since politics is always in conflict with morality, wise politicians tend to lean towards the second approach as a strategy for survival in the murky waters of corrupted politics.

January 31, 2026