…promise to diligently work for Tinubu’s re-election
Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State have passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, praising his leadership and ongoing reforms.
The decision was taken on Sunday during a meeting at the party’s secretariat in Umuahia, where confidence votes were also extended to key party leaders, including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu; Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia North; Hon. Chris Nwonta of Ukwa East/West Federal Constituency; and Hon. Emmanuel Ndubuisi of Bende South in the State Assembly.
The leaders reaffirmed their unwavering support for President Tinubu and declared full alignment with his “transformative achievements.”
They pledged to work diligently and strategically toward securing his re-election in 2027.
They also urged party members to maintain unity, cohesion, and a shared sense of purpose in all party activities, emphasising that the Abia APC remains a united and formidable political family under the leadership of State Chairman, Chief (Dr.) Kingsley Ononogbu.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the stakeholders directed the State Working Committee to immediately commence the party’s E-Registration Exercise to strengthen mobilisation and internal organisation.
“All party leaders across the 17 LGAs and wards are mandated to mobilize fully to ensure the exercise is comprehensive, seamless, and highly successful.
“All new members are required to register strictly at their respective wards in accordance with the provisions of the APC Constitution.
“Stakeholders expressed satisfaction with the renewed sense of unity, harmony, and cooperation currently enjoyed among party leaders.
“All party stakeholders are encouraged to intensify grassroots mobilization and continue attracting new members to further strengthen and expand the party’s structure.
The Abia State APC resolves to work relentlessly to secure victory in the 2027 general elections, ensuring that the Abia Government House and all elective positions are won decisively in favour of the All Progressives Congress.
The stakeholders meeting led by the chairman of the party, Chief (Dr.) Kingsley Ononogbu) was attended by leaders of the party from the three Senatorial Districts of the state.
Tanimu Turaki elected unopposed as national chairman
INEC, Saraki, Adeleke, Kefas, Fubara, absent
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to have sunk deeper into crisis after the Damagum led faction made good its threat to proceed with the party’s National Convention in Ibadan yesterday.
The faction wielded the big stick, expelling Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose, the party’s national secretary Samuel Anyanwu and its national legal adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN).
But two state governors elected on the platform of the party-Adamu Fintiri (Adamawa) and Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau) immediately dissociated themselves from the expulsion.
They said no one discussed the move with them, wondering how the expulsion would help the party.
Fayose was at the time of his expulsion yesterday celebrating his 65th birthday in Lagos.
Also axed were the PDP National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, Acting National Chairman of the Wike faction of the party, Mohammed Abdulrahman, Chairman of the faction’s newly inaugurated Board of Trustees (BoT) Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, George Turner, Abraham Amali and Dan Orbih.
Wike’s loyalists branded the development an early Christmas show.
Former Special Duties Minister Kabiru Tanimu Turaki from Kebbi State, who had earlier been tipped for the position of National Chairman by the divided PDP Governors’ Forum, was elected unopposed.
He became the only aspirant, following the announcement that his co-aspirant, Senator Yakubu Lado from Katsina State, had stepped down.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were not at the event, apparently in obedience to two rulings of the Federal High Court, Abuja to keep off.
Several prominent members of the party were also not in attendance.
Among them were former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido.
Saraki had warned that the convention would serve no purpose and declared that he would not be there.
Lamido had also said he would not be in attendance following alleged decision of the party to block him from purchasing nomination form for the position of national chairman.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday halted the convention and ordered that Lamido be accommodated in the election process.
Also absent yesterday were Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who was said to be outside the country; Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara; Minority leader in the Senate Abba Moro and Minority leader in the House of Representatives Linda Chinda.
Besides the expulsion, the convention also dissolved the executives of the party in Rivers, Abia, Imo, Plateau and Enugu states, perceived to be in control of Wike’s supporters.
The motion for the expulsion was moved by former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, while host Governor Seyi Makinde moved for the dissolution of the state EXCOs.
George said that PDP members were bound by and must adhere to Section 40 of its Constitution as amended.
According to him, political parties are voluntary organisations and members may wish to join or not.
“These people above have committed various breaches of the constitution by holding parallel congresses, canvassing votes for other parties, and sponsoring litigations against the party, among others,” he said.
George said the actions and character of Wike and others had brought ridicule to the party.
The motion was unanimously supported by party members present at the convention.
They said the expulsion and dissolution order are in accordance with the Section 33 sub section 2 of the 2017 Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).
Why I can’t align myself with Wike’s expulsion —Fintiri
In distancing himself from the expulsion of Wike and others yesterday, Governor Fintiri said the party development might worsen its internal tensions.
The governor in a statement on his verified X account @GovernorAUF last night said: “I, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Governor of Adamawa State, wish to categorically state that I dissociate myself from the position of expelling the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Wike, from PDP.
“I believe that this decision is not in the best interest of the party, and I will not be party to any attempt that could further plunge the PDP into unending crisis.
“As a faithful party member, my position is clear: I stand for the peace and stability of the PDP, and I will not support anything that could lead to its disintegration. I believe that peace and reconciliation are the only ways forward for our great party.
“I urge all stakeholders to work towards healing the divisions within the party and to strive for unity and cohesion. As a party man, I am committed to supporting efforts that promote peace, stability, and progress within the PDP.
“Let me reiterate that my position is guided by the desire for peace and reconciliation, and I will continue to work towards achieving this goal.”
Mutfwang too
Governor Mutfwang’s position was similar to Fintiri’s.
The governor in a statement through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, distanced himself from “the expulsion of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Governor of Rivers State, Barr. Nyesom Wike; former governor of Ekiti State Ayodele Fayose and Samuel Anyanwu alongside other leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”
He said the matter was “neither discussed by Governors Forum nor at NEC before the motion was presented.”
He insisted that the proposal did not reflect his position on the matter.
Governor Mutfwang further noted that expelling the party leaders at this crucial time was not a strategic step towards resolving the internal challenges currently confronting the PDP. He reiterated the need for unity, dialogue, and collective effort in rebuilding and repositioning the party.
Expulsion illegal, says Bature
One of the expelled men, Umar Bature faulted it.
“It’s for their village heads! The convention they claim to be having is illegal null and void,” he said in a short statement.
He was the PDP national organising secretary and a member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Mr. Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, said: “When people decide to start their own detty December in November, one can’t but ignore whatever comes out of their mouths.
“They gathered in Ibadan to do a party, enjoy themselves and got intoxicated. They are free to say anything.”
Deputy National Youth Leader of the party and PDP NWC member, Timothy Osadolor, said: “Their claim about expelling these persons brings to mind a pertinent question: who is expelling whom? Is it the saboteurs that are now expelling those who are asking that things be done in a sane manner, in accordance with the constitution of the party?
“No matter how much you try to deodorize a foul-smelling item, it would still emit its true smell; and if you dress up a pig, it would still roll in the mud.
“It is as clear as daylight, and I will say it repeatedly, that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has ambitions that he has not disclosed to other governors and leaders of the party.
“Otherwise, he cannot claim to be unaware that what he is leading is leaning towards the doom of his presidential ambition—if he has one—and towards doom for the party as well.
“I have said it again and again that those governors and leaders being led by Governor Seyi Makinde should put on their thinking caps and face the reality that this party is splintered, bleeding, and in need of healing and reconciliation, which can only be done in a non-cantankerous atmosphere where there is sincerity.
“Let everybody acknowledge that they have erred against one another, and let everyone be truthful to ourselves.
“The issue of suspending and counter-suspending won’t help the PDP. The lifespan of the current NWC will expire on December 10, and this party will enter a stalemate where there won’t be a legitimate NWC or a legitimate Board of Trustees, or any organ to form a caretaker committee that can midwife the next national convention for the PDP.
“Therefore, I think it is not too late, and a proper convention can still be held by all stakeholders at an agreed date. Otherwise, this show of shame—where you have only seventeen states being accredited in Ibadan as against the 36 states and the FCT—represents enough embarrassment.
“Also, INEC has refused to fall for the shenanigans of those who organised the Ibadan early-Christmas party that is ongoing.
“INEC has done the needful by not being party to the early Christmas show that the Oyo State governor has put up for his friends in the PDP.
“However, I agree with the view that it is good if he can talk to those in his group so that when they come to Abuja on Monday morning, they can have the grace and clarity of mind to know what to put on the table before PDP leaders who are not party to the owambe going on in Ibadan this weekend.
“Clearly, they lack the locus, they lack the numbers, and they lack the capacity to do that which they have claimed (about suspending some party members); talk is cheap.”
A three term member of the House of Representatives and former member of PDP NEC, Hon Teejay Yusuf, however differed.
His words: “To me, there is something positive that they have achieved for the party; at least, now, everybody in Ibadan has seen banners of PDP and they know that PDP is alive and well.”
The expelled members were initially suspended for a month two weeks ago for alleged anti-party activities by the Damagum group.
The Wike group responded by suspending Damagum, Debo Ologunagba, the party’s spokesperson, Taofeek Arapaja, deputy national vice chairman (South), Daniel Woyenguikoro, national financial secretary, Sulaiman Kadade, national youth leader, and Setonji Koshoedo, deputy national secretary.
The group named the party’s National Vice Chairman (North Central), Mohammed Abdulrahman, as acting national chairman.
How Damagum was confirmed as National Chair
The motion for the confirmation of Damagum as national chairman was moved by the
Chairman of the Edo State chapter of PDP, Hon. Tony Aziegbemi and seconded by Edward Marshal.
Aziegbemi said this was in accordance with the Section 32 of the Constitution of the PDP as amended.
Addressing the convention earlier, Governor Makinde and Damagum had called for calm among the delegates.
Damagum apologised to the gathering that the event started late.
He said it was an honor for the delegates to have travelled from far places all over Nigeria to be part of the convention, saying the decision shows their commitment to the party.
In his brief remarks Makinde said the convention would be remembered as one that brought about the party’s turnaround.
He also urged the delegates to take advantage of the visit to the state to have a feel of its cuisine and hospitality.
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang moved the motion for the dissolution of the Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) to give way for the election of new officers.
Present at the convention were Governors Makinde (Oyo), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) , Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa) and Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau).
Also there were former Governor of Plateau State Jonah Jang, former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, Chief Tom Ikimi, former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Senators Ahmed Ningi, Chief .Onikepo Oshodi, Deputy National Secretary of PDP Setonji Koshoedo, Chairman of the Damagum faction BoT, Chief Adolphus Wabara, Chief Ben Obi, Chief Segun Adegoke, Chief Omolade Oluwateru, Ladi Adebutu and Senator Natasha Akpoti.
The convention was held amid legal fireworks in courts up to the eve of the exercise.
While a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Peter Lifu halted the convention, based on the relief sought by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, who claimed that he was excluded from the chairmanship context, an Oyo State High Court presided over by Justice Ladiran Akintola extended the ex parte order given to the faction till December 8.
Another Federal High Court Abuja presided over by Justice James Omotosho had previously ruled that the convention should not be monitored or its outcome be recognised by INEC following the suit instituted by the Wike/Anyanwu faction that the preparations violated the party’s guidelines and the Electoral Act.
There was tension midway into convention yesterday when the chairman of the Organising Committee, Ahmadu Fintiri, said that he was handicapped due to the absence of INEC officials.
The Adamawa governor said: “In the absence of INEC, it is not within my purview to go on with the convention. It is up to the delegates to decide.”
However, Senator Ben Obi, secretary of the convention organising committee, moved a motion that the committee be empowered to proceed with the election by the consent of the delegates, who chorused “yes.”
After that, Obi said: “I hereby declare that we should hold the convention.”
Turaki’s candidacy: Kebbi PDP boycotts Ibadan national convention
The Kebbi State chapter of the PDP said it would not be part of the Ibadan convention.
The chapter’s Publicity Secretary, Sani Dododo, said the decision was on account of the candidacy of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki.
The chapter questioned Turaki’s legitimacy as a party member, citing his alleged suspension in April 2023 for what it called gross misconduct, anti-party activities, and failure to pay party dues.
The suspension, issued by his Nasarawa 1 Ward, also affected seven other members, including former gubernatorial candidate Gen. Bello S. Yaki.
In a petition dated October 25, 2025, the Kebbi State PDP formally notified the chairman of the screening committee for the national convention of its rejection of Turaki’s nomination based on these issues.
The petition, jointly signed by Chairman Alhaji Usman Bello Suru and Secretary Abubakar Bawa Kalgo, included a list of signatures and phone numbers from both the state working committee and non-working committee members, all expressing their opposition to Turaki’s candidacy.
The Kebbi PDP chapter warned that anyone presenting themselves as a delegate from the state would be doing so without the party’s authorisation.
All delegates from Kebbi State reportedly stayed at home in protest.
BoT rejects own Reconciliation Committee report, rejects Caretaker Committee
The Board of Trustees of the Damagum faction yesterday disowned the report of the Reconciliation Committee it set up to find a lasting solution to crisis in the party
The BoT specifically rejected the committee’s recommendation that the convention be shelved .
It said the convention must proceed as planned and in line with the Supreme Court judgment that the affairs of political parties are their internet affairs.
According to him, the report of the six-man committee headed by Amb. Hassan Adamu has not been discussed and adopted by the board, and therefore cannot be taken as the official position of the BoT.
The statement: “The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hereby categorically dissociates and distances itself from the purported Report of the BoT Reconciliation Committee being circulated in some section of the media.
“The BoT states in clear terms that the content of the said Report is not and does not represent the official position of the Board. Having not been considered or adopted by the BoT, it cannot in any form or guise whatsoever be regarded as the position of the BoT.
“The BoT is unwavering in its endorsement of the conduct of the elective National Convention as scheduled on Saturday, 15th to Sunday, 16th November, 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo State capital for the purpose of electing new set of leaders to pilot the affairs of the party in the next four years.
“This position is guided by the Judgment of the Supreme Court which reaffirmed the supremacy of a political party in the conduct of its internal affairs.
“In that regard, the BoT rejects any suggestion for a Caretaker Committee for the party. Such idea cannot be contemplated as the Board and, of course the PDP, have irreversibly decided for an elective National Convention which is within the scope of the internal affairs of the party to which the courts have no jurisdiction.
“The BoT therefore urges Party members to remain committed and focused on the success of the Elective National Convention.”
The latest implosion in the PDP is the second major of such development in the party’s history; the first being that of 2014 when such prominent members as former vice president Atiku Abubakar, Dr.Bukola Saraki, Mr.Rotimi Amaechi pulled out of the party.
The group known as N-PDP and led by Alhaji Kawu Baraje teamed up with the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The APC presidential candidate, the late General Muhammadu Buhari, went on to win the 2015 presidential election, defeating Dr. Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP.
A new dataset released from the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) provides compelling evidence that the strategic investments in the Warri and Koko Port Complex are paying dramatic dividends, with surging ship traffic, improved efficiency, and growing cargo volumes signaling a fundamental shift in the nation’s maritime trade flows.
Operational statistics from the first three quarters of 2025 reveal that the Delta Ports are now handling an average of forty-five ships monthly, a figure that underscores their rapidly growing relevance to shippers seeking alternatives to the congested Lagos corridor.
Perhaps even more telling are the efficiency metrics. Vessels calling at the Delta Ports are experiencing a remarkably swift turnaround time of 2.89 days and a waiting time of just 1.99 days, numbers that are increasingly competitive with established ports and reflect a vastly improved operational environment.
In tangible economic terms,the ports have managed 293,013 metric tonnes of cargo, a volume that contributes a significant 10.7 per cent to the nation’s total trade volume. “These numbers are not dry abstractions. They are the heartbeat of a maritime ecosystem rediscovering its rhythm after years of underutilisation,” the NPA stated.
This operational resurgence is the direct result of a concerted,multi-pronged investment strategy led by the NPA’s executive management. The cornerstone of this effort was the dredging of the crucial Escravos Channel, which restored the navigational depth necessary for commercial confidence.
Complementing this,the NPA commissioned the Escravos and Ramos Signal Stations, introducing a modern vessel traffic management system that provides world-class oversight and safety for the increased maritime traffic navigating the Delta’s complex waterways.
To directly address the concerns of ship owners and their insurers, the NPA acquired the marine security vessel SPB Likoro. This deployment has added a “visible, reassuring layer of protection,” a critical factor in mitigating risk perceptions and attracting international shipping lines.
Underpinning this physical transformation is the successful implementation of the Landlord Port Model.The NPA maintains its role as regulator and infrastructure leader, while concessionaires like Associated Maritime Services and Integrated Logistic Services drive terminal operations with private-sector efficiency and innovation.
This model has been essential in rebuilding institutional confidence.“Through transparency, data-driven decision making, and adherence to international best practices, the NPA has repositioned itself as both a maritime authority and a development catalyst,” a report noted.
The result is a marked change in investor sentiment.The NPA reports that investors now see the Delta Ports “not as a high-risk endeavour but as a guaranteed growth corridor,” a perceptual shift that is crucial for attracting the continued investment needed for long-term development.
The NPA emphasizes that the ultimate goal is to build resilience into the very fabric of Nigeria’s port system.“With every dredged metre, every illuminated quay, and every trained pilot, the nation is fortifying its logistics architecture against future disruptions,” the authority stated.
In this new paradigm,Warri and Koko are being repositioned. They are “no longer fallback options; they are front-runners in a diversified maritime network,” a strategic shift that enhances national economic security by providing viable alternatives to the Lagos hub.
The future roadmap promises even greater efficiency.The planned reconstruction of breakwaters will reduce siltation, while the creation of a Channel Management Company will ensure the navigability of the channels is permanently maintained, preventing a return to the previous state of disrepair.
The data now clearly shows that the Atlantic Gambit is yielding results.The rising statistics for ship calls, cargo tonnage, and operational speed at Warri and Koko are not just numbers on a page; they are the quantifiable proof of a national strategy successfully in motion, decentralizing opportunity and building a more resilient maritime nation.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS DELIVERED BY CHIEF FEMI FANI-KAYODE, THE SADAUKIN SHINKAFI, AT THE AKURE NBA CONFERENCE, 11th NOVEMBER, 2025.
R. James Barnett, a PhD candidate at Oxford University, wrote the following in an essay titled ‘Nigeria’s Crisis Runs Deeper Than Just A War On Christians’ for the Washington Post a few days ago.
He wrote, inter alia, that, “Christians absolutely are being threatened and killed in parts of Nigeria. I can personally attest to it. But to frame Nigeria’s crisis entirely in that way badly distorts the complicated and tragic reality on the ground. Shaping U.S. policy around such distortions, especially when U.S. troops may be put in harm’s way, will not yield good outcomes. For several years, I lived and worked in Nigeria, studying its conflicts and interviewing different militant groups. I would never advise anyone to downplay the suffering of Christians who have experienced horrific attacks. I have seen and heard from many victims firsthand. But I have also seen the impact of similarly horrific violence across Muslim communities. To ignore the latter is to misunderstand what is really going on. Voices ranging from former Trump officials to the Vatican have cautioned against framing Nigeria’s complex insecurity in solely religious terms. Conflict has grown rampant in Nigeria under successive governments and the country now faces various militant groups pursuing different agendas. Lumping them all together and reducing their motives to anti-Christian animus is a mistake”.
Barnett is absolutely right. I sincerely hope and pray, for all our sakes, that someone in the White House is listening before it is too late.
Permit me to begin this contribution with the following basic points.
My belief is that we must eliminate every single terrorist and those that are sponsoring them in Nigeria.
I do not believe in dialogue with them or forgiving them. I do not believe in negotiation with them. I do not believe in pampering them or managing them. I do not believe in rehabilitating them into the Nigerian Armed Forces.
I believe in crushing them and sending them to their maker and in doing so quickly and decisively.
This has been my position for the last 20 years and it will always be my position.
Demons and vampires do not have any place in the land of the living and they have no right to life.
The Bible tells us that there can be no fellowship between light and darkness and you either choose God or Belial: I choose God.
Every single one of them, whether they be Boko Haram, ISWAP, Ansaru, Al Qaeda, JNIR, Lakurawa, the killer herdsmen, the kidnapping bandits or any other must be despatched to hell where they came from and our country must be cleansed of their filth and verminous evil.
They are a cancerous plague that must be eradicated with clinical precision and by brute force.
Outside of that I believe that genocide, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, war crimes and mass murder of the most horrendous nature HAS been carried out by each of these groups in Nigeria over the last 20 years against Christians and I have been saying so for many years perhaps more than ANYONE else but today there is a difference and a caveat that makes the problem even more horrendous than it already is and which we ignore at our own peril.
The caveat and difference, and this has been so for the last ten years and is a fact that many, including yours truly, were totally oblivious and blind to is the fact that their villainous and callous butchery was not limited to Christians alone: they butcher the Muslims too and they do so in equal if not greater numbers.
That is the reality and challenge that we are faced with which is lost on many whether anyone cares to believe it or not.
We are ALL victims today and not just the Christians and this doesn’t in any way diminish the suffering that the Christian community has experienced for many years. It only means that we have not suffered it alone.
The solution to the problem is for our political leadership and Armed Forces to muster the resolve and political will to ruthlessly wipe out the Islamist terrorists and foreign militias once and for all.
That is an obligation that falls on the shoulders of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alone and he must honor it.
From what I have seen so far it appears that he has the fortitude and courage to do that but he must go all the way and finish the job.
The world and the Nigerian people want to see concrete action and the implementation of extraordinarily ruthless, violent and aggressive methods and not just hear long talk, promises of success or long-winded and outworne platitudes from Government officials.
To be fair to the security apparatus and the current administration more terrorists have been killed in the past two years than the previous eight years put together.
This is commendable but they must go further. The Nigerian people are baying for the blood of these terrorists and they must see it flow into an ocean of divine retribution.
What certainly doesn’t help is when, instead of that, we are assaulted and provoked with pictures and video footage of Islamist terrorists having so-called “peace talks” with state Government officials in places like Katsina.
Yet as traumatising as all this may be our greatest challenge today comes not from the Islamist terrorists in the North or even from the equally barbaric savagery of separist groups in the South East like ESN but rather from the wild, puerile and infantile tantrums, psychotic delusions and sadistic disposition of the Jekyl and Hyde character, feral psycopath and malevolent narcissist who currently presides over the affairs of the United States of America and who sits in the White House.
Let me make this clear: anyone that does not fully appreciate the fact that Donald Trump’s motives for threatening our nation with war are disingenuous, self-serving, baseless, unfounded and questionable and anyone that does not recognise the fact that his mental instability, thin skin, fragile ego, incendiary emotions, pernicious deceit, avaricious appetite, obessesion with money, lust for power, low intelligence quotient and volatile disposition is capable of driving him into actually dropping bombs on Nigeria and sending in American ground troops for no just cause does not know Trump.
Make no mistake: his intention is NOT to help us fight the terrorists or to save Christians in Nigeria but rather to drive a wedge between Christians and Muslims, ignite the fire of a brutal and never-ending religious war, establish a Sudan-like arena of butchery and carnage, send in the Marines or Derek Princes’ CIA-funded private army of Blackwater mercenaries and finally carve up and occupy our land and pillage our rare earth, gold, lithium, uranium, diamonds, gems, precious metals, crude oil, aluminium, natural gas and other mineral resources.
His intention is NOT to help our country fight the terrorists and rid us of them but to subject her to the same thing they did to Yugoslavia in the 1990’s by bombing the entire country to smithereens, shattering our fragile unity and breaking us up into five or more smaller countries and vassal states each of which will be compelled to have U.S. military bases, each of which will take orders from Washington and each of which they will control, manipulate and dominate.
Total and complete oppression, subjugation and re-colonisation: that is their ultimate objective and anyone that cannot see or appreciate that knows nothing about the intrigues and deadly power-play of world politics or world history and is chronically and willfully blind.
It is true that Christians have suffered immeasurably in our country over the years and have been subjected to genocide, ethnic cleansing, mass murder, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the most vicious and pernicious forms of persecution at the hands of foreign-backed terrorists and Islamist militias but it is not true that they are the only ones that have suffered this terrible fate and horrendous ordeal.
Muslims have suffered the same fate and in equal measure at the hands of the same barbaric monsters and terrorists.
As a matter of fact if you want to talk about state-sponsored persecution and genocide in the North over the last twenty years it is not the Northern Christians that were subjected to this but rather the Shia Muslims of Kaduna who had over 1000 of their members slaughtered in one afternoon in Zaria, Kaduna state in 2016 simply for blocking a road when Gen. Tukur Burutai was Chief of Army Staff, Nasir El Rufai was Governor of Kaduna state and President Muhammadu Buhari was President.
Outside of that I am not aware that Christian communities in Northern Nigeria were targetted for elimination or mass murder by officers of the state anytime or anywhere over the last 20 years.
They have been targetted by non-state actors and terrorist militias but certainly not officers of the Nigerian military as the Americans are trying to suggest.
Trump claims that Nigerian Christians are facing an existential threat yet this is far from the truth.
It is true that many Christians and Muslims are being targetted and killed by terrorists in Nigeria but it is not true to suggest that Christianity is facing an “existential threat” and if it is true then it means that Muslims are facing an existential threat as well.
How can we be facing an existential threat when there are over 120 million Christians in our nation which represents 50% of the overall population?
How can we be facing an existential threat when every single one of the seventeen states in Southern Nigeria and three of the 19 states in the North are headed by Christian Governors and Chief Security Officers.
How can we be facing an existential threat when 62% of all Governnent appointments have been given to Christians under the Tinubu administration?
How can we be facing an existential threat when the Senate President, the Secretary to the Federal Government and the majority of Federal Ministers, including those that preside over key Ministries like the Minister of Finance and Co-Ordinating Economy, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Minister of Works, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, the Minister of State for Oil, the Minister of State for Gas, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and so many more are all Christians?
How can we be facing an existential threat when the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the DSS, the Chairman of the EFCC, the Director of Military Intelligence, the Comptroller General of Immigration, the Comptroller General of Prisons and so many more that head our nations military, para-military and security agencies are Christians?
How can we be facing an existential threat when for the previous eight years before Tinubu came to power every single operational security chief in our nation’s seventeen security organisations was a Northen Muslim yet when he assumed office he changed all that and balanced the equation by appointing and including Christians?
How can we be facing an existential threat when the Governor of Central Bank, the Chairman of the Tax Reform Commitee and the Chairman of the FIRS are all Christians?
How can we be facing an existential threat when three out of the ten largest, richest and most powerful and influential Churches and Church leaders in the world who have broken enormous boundaries and spread the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in a remarkable and ground breaking way both in our nation and outside of it are Nigerians?
How can we be facing an existential threat when the President’s wife is not only a Pentecostal Christian but also a Pastor?
How can we be facing an existential threat when, for the first time in many years, Christians are treated with respect and accorded decorum in all spheres of human endeavour in our nation ever since Tinubu took over the reigns of power.
We may be facing a strong challenge from Islamist terrorist organisations and there may be tensions between Christians and Muslims in some parts of our country but to say that Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria is not only absurd but also betrays a sinister and malevolent motive in the hearts and minds of those who propagate and assert it.
They are crying wolf where there is none and they are setting us up for the kill.
Trump is driven by a pathological hatred for Africans, black and brown people and Muslims.
He is also driven by an overwhelming, compulsive, all-consuming and inexplicable greed and avarice for material things.
He has been afflicted with what the those of us in Pentecostal circles describe as a ‘Demastic annointing’ (named after the Apostle Paul’s loyal disciple called Demas who lost his way and fell in love with worldly things) which has resulted in his obsession with and addiction to the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, the lust for power, the lust for treasure, the lust for land and the pride of life.
He is also totally and completely irrational, unpredictable and unbalanced which makes him a very real danger to the entire world.
His words must not be taken lightly and we must prepare for the very worse.
Those that believe that he can be talked into not doing what he clearly wants to do to our nation are ignorant, undiscerning and deluded and they are oblivious of his innate and irredeemable lunacy.
I say this because there are speculations and reports in the media that President Tinubu seeks to meet with him at the White House in an attempt to “resolve” all the issues.
If true, such an initiative is as incredulous as it is baffling and it will come to nought.
As a matter of fact it may make matters worse as our President may be verbally and savagely assaulted, insulted and berated right in front of the White House Press Corps.
Surely our Jagaban is bigger and better than that and he certainly does not deserve it. And neither would he take it lying low like others have done.
Some have also said that our President may opt to meet with Trump or his Vice, JD Vance, on the sidelines at the G20 meeting which is scheduled to hold on the 20th of November in South Africa.
One wonders why some of our Government officials that say such things find it necessary to clutch at straws rather than to cultivate a firm resolve to stand up for the Government they serve and their country and act with a level of self-respect, decorum and dignity.
I say this given the fact that Trump has said that no U.S. Government official will attend the G20 meeting in South Africa because the white Afrikaans people of that country are, according to him, being subjected to “genocide” whilst their farmlands are supposedly being confiscated without compensation.
He concluded by saying that he believes that South Africa is a “disgrace” and should not even be a member of the G20.
I ask those that are indulging in wishful thinking and fantasy about this proposed “peace meeting” between Trump and Tinubu in South Africa at the G20 meeting who exactly our President is supposed to meet and discuss our problems with “on the sidelines” once there given the fact that the Americans have made it clear that they are not attending?
It is important that those that are charged with the task of telling us what is going on get their facts right otherwise it complicates the issue.
Diplomacy is one thing but shameful capitulation with our tail between our legs is quite another.
Outside of that it is trite that the open and public display of weakness and fear attracts even more aggression.
Surely we are bigger, better and stronger than that. We are not a nation of slaves and beggars. We are not a nation of cowards and peasants who bow and tremble before a school yard bully.
I do not understand the logic and cannot appreciate the wisdom in seeking to sit down with a man who has contempt for you and your people, who considers you and them as being sub-human, who has referred to your country as a “disgraced” one and who has referred to your continent as a “shithole”.
You are talking about diplomacy and a diplomatic settlement when the man and country that you are up against has thrown diplomacy out of the window, designated your country as one “of concern”, has placed your nation on a “watchlist” and has said that he intends to violate your sovereignty on a false premis, bomb your country and attack you with his military?
His Defence Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Press Secretary and other key Government officials have reiterated the threat and you are hiding under the table and saying that it will all be resolved at the G20 meeting in South Africa when you know very well that Trump has said he has no intention of attending that meeting.
When will those in high places in Nigeria learn that you do not kow tow to Nazis, racists, religious bigots, ethnic supremacists, ethnic cleansers, schoolyard bullies, genocide enablers, lawless brigands, treasure hunters, drunken sailors, shape-shifting reptilians, sons of perdition and those that threaten the very essence of our existence?
When will you accept the fact that you have no choice but to stand up to them?
When will you appreciate the fact that peace without honor, self-respect and dignity is a curse.
When will you understand that the peace of the graveyard in which we must smile as we are being insulted, ravaged and threatened, is no peace at all but rather the most refined and supreme form of servitude, bondage and torment.
I would rather die on my feet as a free man than live on my knees as a slave. We are a nation of 250 million people. We are not weak and we are not small. We are resilient and strong and our spirit cannot be broken. We are too big to take this nonsense from anyone.
We liberated Sierra Leonne, we liberated Liberia, we liberated Sao Tome and Principe, we liberated South Africa, we liberated Chad, we liberated Zimbabwe, we liberated Congo, we liberated Angola, we liberated Somalia, we liberated Mozambique, we liberated Namibia, we liberated Zambia, we liberated Uganda, we liberated Kenya, we liberated Equitorial Guinea, we liberated Burma and if it comes to it and we are attacked or occupied by the Yankees, by the grace and power of God, we shall liberate ourselves.
The Bible says “the Lord shall trouble those that trouble us” and that “He shall contend against those that contend against us”.
Pharaoh, Herod, Nebuchadnezzar, Jezebel and Sennacherub fell and so will the bestial creature that sits in the White House who issues brazen threats against us and refuses to let my people go.
You call my country a “disgraced country” as if yours were any better.
You say you will come in “guns blazing” as if you are in the old “wild west” and that you are dealing with a small tribe of defenceless Native Indians and Aborigines.
You say it will be “fast, vicious and sweet” as if you are a rapist.
Who the hell are you and who do you think you are talking to?
Are you God?
Not all of us are intimidated by you in this country.
Not all of us are cowards and cheerleaders.
Not all of us fear death or are too timid to speak up in defence of our nation.
Not all of us have lost our sense of self-worth, self-respect and dignity.
Let me assure you that those turncoats and blacklegs that are on their knees begging you not to attack us and calling for dialogue and understanding are a minority.
The majority of us cannot bear your insolence, arrogance and corrosive disposition and will stand up to you like men despite the odds.
We reject any form of dialogue or understanding with you as long as you keep threatening us with violence and tormenting us with insults.
How can there be dialogue and talks with a bully and a thug who believes we are sub-human and who has contempt for us?
How can there be dialogue with a man who defies the Living God and who openly oppresses and supports the genocide of both Christians and Muslims all over the world?
How can there be dialogue with a man who supports the barbarity of the State of Israel and the evil of Zionism and who sees Arabs, Muslims, people of colour and those that do not share his morbid world view of American supremacy and domination as nothing better than lap dogs and rodents?
If you honsestly believe that it will be easy for you to take on a nation of 250 million people like ours then please try your luck and go ahead.
I advise you not to be fooled by the treasonous, ignorant and cowardly malcontents, neverdowells, vultures, whores, secessionists, traitors and cheerleaders in our country who have chosen to be your accomplices and co-conspirators and that are telling you to come in to conquer and kill us all.
They are a misguided, confused and deluded bunch of servile minions and perfidious quislings who do not know the implications of what they are saying and who have sold their souls and lost their minds.
Satan is using them to justify your lust for the shedding of Nigerian blood and your desire to destroy God’s plan and purpose for our great country.
They do not represent us because the overwhelming majority of our people are loyal, united and fiercly patriotic souls who refuse to be intimidated by you and who will never accept to be your vassals.
If you do come in “guns blazing” as you have threatened, know this: you will suffer the consequences in a dramatic way as American soldiers will be forced to pay a heavy price and many will not survive it.
Worse of all you will ignite a war in our sub region that will result in all your strategic interests being burnt to ashes.
You may destroy our country and spark off a religious war (which is what you want) but ultimately you will get tired, you will lose and you will run away with your tail between your legs as you have done everywhere else that you go and indulge in your vile and fruitless military adventures.
You lost in Somalia and ran away. You lost in Afghanistan and ran away. You lost in Korea and ran away. You lost in Viet Nam and ran away. You lost in Iraq and ran away. You lost in Cuba and ran away. You lost in Nicaragua and ran away. You tested Iran and got a bloody nose.
The only reason you won in the 1st and 2nd World War and defeated the Germans is because of the help and support you received from Russia and the Soviet Union respectively.
Actually it was the Soviets that defeated the Germans in World War 11 and took Berlin and not you after 20 million Russians lost their lives!
What a great and noble sacrifice that great country made to free the world and to stop the Nazis!
The question is what was yours outside of dropping two nuclear bombs on innocent and defenceless Japanese citizens in the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima killing hundreds of thousands in a matter of seconds.
Where is your invincibility? You have none and neither are you infallible.
Today you threaten, intimidate and insult Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, Nicaragua, Greenland, Gaza, Yemen, Cuba, Syria, China, Russia, North Korea, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Denmark, Ukraine, Burkina Faso, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Chad, Sudan and much of Europe and the Middle East and you treat their respective leaders with disdain and contempt.
Truth is you have emasculated and castrated most of them and turned them into a bunch of quivering quislings that are little better than your house help.
Yet you will soon find out that we in Nigeria are very different to others when faced with intimidation and we do not easily bend the knee.
Do not mistake the apparent timidity and low self-esteem of many of our leaders for weakness on the part of our people.
We are polite, patient, humble, kind, compassionate, accomodating and long-suffering but at the same time we are strong-willed, proud, stubborn, confident, courageous, adventurous and extreemly tough.
Our strength lies in our spiritual foundation and faith and belief in God which makes us slow to anger but irresistible in battle.
The Lord will finally humble you if you try any nonsense with us and He will take the battle right back to your own doorsteps in America.
Like David said to Goliath before their historic battle I say to you Donald Trump that “who is this uncircumcised Phillistine that has chosen to defy the Armies of the Living God?”.
Like David, I say our defence lies not in sophisticated arms and nuclear weapons but rather in the power and might of the Living God who is irresistible in battle.
I say “thy servant slew the lion and the bear and so it shall be for this uncircumcised Phillistine who has chosen to defy the Armies of the Living God”.
We are the anointed of the Lord and He has a special purpose for our nation at this end-time: touch us and see your end.
Strike us and know that we are not the cowardly weaklings that you perceive us to be.
Attack us and discover that we are made of steel and that even though you may level our cities and spill our blood you will never break our firm resolve or shatter our irrepressible spirit and neither will you ever make us forget who we are and the proud and noble stock from which we come.
Whether you like it or not Nigeria is great and Nigeria shall remain great.
We are not a “disgraced nation” but rather a strong and proud nation that has achieved far more than you care to know and shall achieve even more well into the distant future after you are dead and buried.
May the Lord defend our borders and seal them with His precious blood and may He deliver us from the evil hand and wicked intentions of our detractors and enemies.
He surely will because He is faithful, just and true. He is the defender of the weak, the champion of the poor and the liberator of the oppressed.
We shall not go the way of Sudan, Darfur, Gaza, Palestine, Congo, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Yugoslavia, Somalia, Afghanistan or any of the other nations that they have shattered, destroyed, broken, brought to ruin and blighted with their wickedness and vile intrigues and neither shall our nation be subjected to war or a violent and unconstitutional regime change.
We are Nigerians: we serve and worship a mighty God and by His power we shall survive all these threats and intrigues and we shall overcome.
The Lord will see to that.
Glory be to His holy name!
(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is the Sadaukin Shinkafi, the Wakilin Doka Potiskum, the Otunba Joga Orile, the Aare Ajagunla Otun Ekiti, a former Minister of Aviation, a former Minister of Culture and Tourism and a former Special Advisor on Public Affairs to President Olusegun Obasanjo)
Pending the official announcement, a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dr. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, may be elected unopposed as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Another leading aspirant for the position, Senator Yakubu Lado, announced withdrawal from the race.
Also a former Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja will emerge as the party’s national Secretary.
No fewer than 3,000 delegates are attending the ongoing elective convention at the main bowl of the Lekan Salami stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
The election proper began shortly as Senator Ben Obi announced the processes to guide the conduct of the delegates for the elections around 7:10pm.
The delegates are drawn from the across the States of the Federation and the FCT Abuja.
Until Lado’s announcement, many had thought Turaki was the only candidate vying for the chairmanship position of the party
With this development, the delegates through their votes may unanimously adopt Turaki as the Chairman of the party.
Turaki was adopted as the consensus candidate by Northern PDP stakeholders for the chairmanship position ahead of the national convention.
Lado, a former Senator representing Katsina South, it was gathered, also obtained a nomination form to contest for the position of PDP National Chairman.
However, he told the delegates on Saturday that he was withdrawing from the race for zoning purpose.
Senator Obi also announced that the position of the office of the National Youth Leader will be stepped down during the convention.
According to the announcement, only the position of the Deputy National Organising Secretary has three contestants, the other position he announced are non-contesting.
As of the time of this report, six States including: Abia, Zamfara, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom and Taraba have voted.
The official announcement of the winners are expected as soon as the ongoing elections are concluded.
The Umar Damagun-led Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) has expelled FCT Minister Nyesom Wike; former Ekiti Governor Ayodele Fayose and eight others over alleged anti-party activities.
Others expelled include: the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Bature, Adeyemi Ajibade, SAN, Mohammed Abdulrahman, Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, George Turner, Abraham Amali and Dan Orbi
Also, the party has dissolved the executives of the party in Rivers, Abia, Imo, Plateau and Enugu States.
The motions to this effect were moved by.member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) Chief Bode George and Oyo Governor, Seyi Makinde at the ongoing PDP Elective National Convention in Ibadan.
While George moved for the sack of the party chieftains, Makinde moved for the dissolution of the affected state excos.
They said the expulsion and dissolution order are in accordance with the Section 33 sub section 2 of the 2017 Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In what would be described as a sudden twist, Ambassador Umar Damagum has been unanimously confirmed as the substantive National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).
The motion to the effect was moved by the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Edo chapter, who doubles as Chairman, Forum of State Chairmen, Hon. Tony Abineri on behalf of the 3,000 delegates at the 2025 Elective PDP Convention ongoing at the mainbowl of the Lekan Salami stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
The motion, which was seconded by Edward Marshal, is said to be in accordance with section 32 of the PDP Constitution as amended.
Moving the motion, Abineri said: “I move the motion for the ratification of Ambassador Umaru Damagum as the substantive National Chairman of the party.
“This is in accordance with the Section 32 of the Constitution of the PDP as amended.”
Governors Ademola Adeleke (Osun); Agbu Kefas (Taraba) and Sim Fubara (Rivers) are yet to arrive the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) holding at Lekan Salami Stadium in Adamasingba, Lagos.
They are among high profile members of the party not participating in the convention, which was preceded with conflicting court orders amid the crisis affecting the party.
The factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ambassador Umar Damagum, host Governor Seyi Makinde have led other three other Governors to the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, venue of the Elective National Convention of the party.
They were accompanied by Chairman, National Convention Organising Committee, and Governor of Adamawa State, Umar Fintiri, Governor Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Governor Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) and former Governor Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom).
With the arrival of the Governors, the Convention is billed to start officially.
Some notable party leaders at the convention include: member of Board of Trustees (BoT) Chief Bode; former Osun Governor Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola; PDP Nationall Deputy Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo, Chief Bisi Ilaka and Segun Ogunwuyi, Chief of staff to the governor.
Others are: former Acting National Secretary, Onikepo Oshodi and Dr. Akitoye, Senator ABBA Moro, Minority Leader and Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan among others.
As of the time.of filing this report, the leadership is receiving the party flags from various arms of the government to indicate participation at the convention.
