Headline

Ooni of Ife Announces Erelu Abiola Dosunmu As Yeye Oodua

Published

4 years ago

June 17, 2022

Eric

The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Eniitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has announced the appointment of Her Royal Highness, Erelu Abiola Dosumu, the Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos, as the new Yeye Oodua and Queen Mother of the House of Oduduwa. With her appointment, Erelu Dosumu would be stepping into the shoes of the formidable Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Iduwu Dideolu, the late Yeye Oba of Ife and wife of the first Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. However, Dosumu’s new elevation has a wider import as she would now be the Queen Mother for all Yoruba kings who claim Ile-Ife and the House of Oduduwa as their source.

In almost half-a-Century of public life, Erelu Dosumu has proven herself to be an outstanding woman of stamina, integrity and far-reaching influence. In 1974 when she was just 26, the late Kabiyesi Adeyinka Oyekan, the Oba of Lagos, installed her as the Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos. With that appointment, she becomes the right hand person of the Oba of Lagos. Since then, she has executed her charge with maturity, sagacity, courage and commitment. Indeed since then, the beautiful and ageless Queen mother, has become the Face of Lagos; its traditional allure and ageless charm.

By bringing Erelu Dosumu into the Court of Oduduwa, Oba Adeyeye is paying tribute to the age old tradition of the Yoruba people that recognizes the power and position of significant matriarchs who dominated and continue to dominate the social, political and business landscape of the Yoruba nation. Erelu Dosumu would be adding value to the Court of Oduduwa as a well connected aristocrat who for many years has been part and parcel of the influential class of Nigerian royalty. During the days of Adeyeye illustrious predecessor, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, Dosumu was a welcomed and honoured presence at the Ooni’s Palace. Now she is going to become an even more significant member of the most ancient court in Yorubaland.

Dosumu is much like the first Erelu Kuti, the 18th Century Queen Mother, who reigned in Lagos and finally started a new dynasty which is still ruling till today. Erelu Kuti was the daughter of Ado, the first Oba of Lagos who founded the Benin line of Lagos kingship. Her two brothers, Gabbaro and Akinsemoyin were to serve as rulers of Lagos. It was after the death of Akinsemoyin in 1750 that Erelu Kuti became the Queen Regent. She later installed her son, Ologun Kutere, as the 4th king of Lagos, bringing an end to the Ado dynasty from Benin and replacing it with her own. She was married to Baba Agba, an itinerant Ijesha Ifa priest and they had two sons, the first being Ologun Kutere. Since then, the descendants of her two sons have been ruling Lagos. The current Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Osuolale Akiolu, is one of the descendants of Erelu Kuti.

Since her accession in 1980 as Erelu Kuti IV, Dosumu has followed the example of her illustrious forebear, building a business empire and creating a wide-ranging network of friends and influence in Nigeria and across the globe. Though she had never held any political office, she has become well-known as a significant member of the power elite of Nigeria. She had been married twice. Her first husband was Major Elegbede, a hero of the Nigerian Civil War who was involved in the decision of the General Yakubu Gowon government to create Lagos State. He died in a motor accident shortly after the war. After his death, she later married the international business man, the late Chief Deinde Fernadez. Her social status was confirmed by Nigerian leading Juju music star, King Sunny Ade, who waxed a memorable record in her honour.

Dosumu was born in Kano on July 29, 1947, to OmoOba Adewunmi Dosumu, a Lagos prince and his wife, Adejoke. She was educated in Nigeria and in the United Kingdom. She went into business early and became the first Nigerian to open a shop on the highbrow Bond Street in London, United Kingdom. She had made a fortune dealing in the lucrative oil business and promoting the Yoruba traditional wear, Aso Oke, which she has sold all over the world. As a traditional aristocrat, she has found a conspicuous place in the traditional power structure of Lagos when her uncle, Oba Adeyinka Oyekan made her the Erelu Kuti.

With that title, she became the leader of the Lagos women and the official Queen Regent of Lagos when the oba passes on. She is a member of the Council of Kingmakers and an official principal adviser to the Oba. She is also the head of the various women organizations in Lagos as well as the leader of the powerful women market guilds. She also holds royal titles In Egbaland and other places. She has been honoured in many countries and also bagged honourary doctorate degree from the Crescent University, Abeokuta and Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State. She has a reputation as a shrewd businesswoman as well as a painstaking fashion pacesetter.

The new honour coming from Ile-Ife is only a confirmation of the role she has been playing for many years as among Nigerian royalties. She is at home in many palaces across Nigeria. During the challenging days of military rule, she used her far-reaching influence to help establish the National Council of Traditional Rulers which has the Ooni and the Sultan of Sokoto as co-chairmen. She also facilitated the rapproachment between Oba Sijuwade and his estranged old friend and rival, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, the Alaafin of Oyo.

Her new pedestal as the Yeye Oodua would afford her greater field of play but also impose on her wider responsibilities across Yorubaland and the Diaspora. The thanksgiving and reception party will take place on the 29th of July 2022 in Lagos.

Headline

Why Nigerians Must Reject INEC’s Revised Timetable – ADC

Published

4 days ago

February 28, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the week, released a fresh elections timetable, with major amendments to accommodate the just passed and signed Electoral Act 2026 by the National Assembly and President Bola Tinubu respectively.

Following the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which introduced adjustments to statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities, the Commission has reviewed and realigned the Schedule to ensure full compliance with the new legal framework.

Accordingly, the Commission has resolved as follows:

Presidential and National Assembly Elections will now hold on Saturday, 16th January 2027 as against the earlier stated February 20, 2027
Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will now hold on Saturday, 6th February 2027 as against the former date of March 6, 2027

Also in accordance with the approved Schedule of Activities, the electoral bidy noted in the revised timetable that:

Conduct of Party Primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from primaries, will commence on 23rd April 2026 and end on 30th May 2026.

Presidential and National Assembly campaigns will commence on 19th August 2026.

Governorship and State Houses of Assembly campaigns will commence on 9th September 2026.

As provided by law, campaigns shall end 24 hours before Election Day. Political parties are strongly advised to adhere strictly to these timelines. The Commission will enforce compliance with the law.

But in a swift reaction, the opposition coalition, African Democratic Congress (ADC), rejected the revised 2026–2027 general election timetable, describing it as a politically biased schedule designed to favour the re-election agenda of President Bola Tinubu, and calling on all Nigerians to speak up enmasse to reject the revised timetable.

The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Friday argued that the new deadlines and compliance requirements under the Electoral Act 2026 create near-impossible hurdles for opposition parties seeking to field candidates.

On February 13, INEC initially scheduled the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were fixed for March 6, 2027.

The timetable, however, faced objections from some Muslim stakeholders who noted that the dates coincided with the 2027 Ramadan period.

Following the concerns, the National Assembly amended Clause 28 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, reducing the required election notice period from 360 to 300 days, allowing INEC to adjust the election dates.

Subsequently, INEC released a revised schedule on Thursday, signed by its Chairman, Joash Amupitan, moving the Presidential and National Assembly elections to January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections to February 6, 2027.

Reacting, the ADC said the requirement that political parties submit a comprehensive digital membership register by April 2, 2026, effectively bars opposition parties from participating.

The party stated: “The African Democratic Congress rejects the updated 2026–2027 electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission. What has been presented as a routine administrative schedule of the upcoming general elections is, in fact, a political instrument carefully structured to narrow democratic space and strengthen the incumbent administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“According to the timetable, party primaries are to be conducted between April 23 and May 30, 2026, just 55 to 92 days from today. However, more significant is that, pursuant to Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties are required to submit their digital membership registers to INEC not later than April 2, 2026.

“That is only about 34 days away. Section 77(7) further provides that any party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated time shall not be eligible to field a candidate. These are not routine administrative rules but are deliberately constructed barriers designed to exclude the opposition from participating in the election.”

The party further noted that Section 77(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires the digital register of members to contain name, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number (NIN) and photograph in both hard and soft copies, while Section 77(6) prohibits the use of any pre-existing register that does not contain the specified information. It warned that failure to meet these requirements would lead to disqualification.

The ADC questioned the fairness of the digital membership requirement, noting that the ruling All Progressives Congress began its registration process in February 2025, long before the requirement became mandatory.

“It is not a product of foresight but insider advantage. They knew what was coming. They therefore had one full year to carry out an exercise that other political parties are expected to complete in one month, during which they must collect, process, collate and transmit large volumes of digital data to INEC under the threat of exclusion. This is practically impossible.

“Democratic competition is based on a level playing field that does not give any contestant an undue advantage. A system where one party exploits incumbency to gain a one-year head start on a requirement that other parties only became aware of when it was nearly too late is a rigged system.”

The ADC said it has joined other opposition parties in rejecting the Electoral Act 2026, adding that the INEC timetable is equally rejected as it appears designed to serve what it described as a self-succession agenda.

“Let it be clear that ADC will not take any action that appears to confer legitimacy on a fraudulent system. We are reviewing our options and will make our position known in the coming days,” the party said.

The party also called on civil society organisations, democratic stakeholders and Nigerians to scrutinise the timetable and demand fairness, stressing that democracy cannot survive when electoral rules are structured to produce predetermined outcomes.

The party has consistently accused the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) of scheming to silence the opposition as the 2027 General Elections draw closer, citing his manipulation of state governors and Assembly members from jumping ship, and settling with the ruling party.

Presently, the president’s party has a total of 31 out of 36 states governors, more than majority of the national and states Houses of Assembly.

A frontline publisher and chieftain of the ADC, Chief Dele Momodu, has warned that Tinubu is gradually transforming into full-blown dictatorship, stressing that his second term in office would turn state governors into ‘total slaves’.

Headline

Second Term for Tinubu Will Turn Governors into Total Slaves, Dele Momodu Warns

Published

4 days ago

February 28, 2026

Eric

Chairman, Ovation Media Group, and former presidential aspirant, Aare Dele Momodu, has expressed strong concern over what he described as growing political support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu among state governors across the country.

Speaking during an interview on News Central TV, Momodu said he was shocked by the level of backing the president is reportedly receiving, warning that Nigeria’s democracy could face serious risks if the current political trend continues.

The media entrepreneur cautioned that allowing Tinubu to secure a second term in 2027 could, in his view, lead to excessive concentration of power. He particularly criticized what he described as a growing wave of opposition figures aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress> (APC).

Momodu referenced reports of opposition governors, including Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, allegedly moving closer to the ruling party, describing the development as politically troubling.

According to him, some governors are allegedly competing to demonstrate loyalty to the president ahead of future elections.

“The governors are fighting to ensure Tinubu wins a second term, fighting to be the biggest thug for him. If a man in his first term can capture the bodies and souls of Nigerians this way, imagine what he would do with a second term. It will be a full-blown dictatorship, and the governors will regret it as they become total slaves to him,” Momodu said.

He concluded by urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and actively protect democratic institutions, warning that unchecked consolidation of political power could threaten the nation’s democracy and future stability.

Gistmania

Headline

Court Validates PDP 2025 Convention in Ibadan, Affirms Turaki-led NWC

Published

5 days ago

February 27, 2026

Eric

The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has affirmed the validity of the 2025 Elective Convention of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), which produced Dr. Kabiru Turaki as the substantive National Chairman of the party.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Ladiran Akintola upheld the convention in its entirety, ruling that it was conducted in full compliance with the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions governing party elections in Nigeria.

The decision marked a significant legal victory for the party’s leadership and brought clarity to the dispute surrounding the convention’s legitimacy.

The ruling followed an amended originating summons filed by Misibau Adetunmbi (SAN) on behalf of the claimant, Folahan Malomo Adelabi, in Suit No. I/1336/2025.

In a comprehensive judgment, the court granted all 13 reliefs sought by the claimant, effectively endorsing the processes and outcomes of the Ibadan convention.

Justice Akintola held that the convention, organised by the recognised leadership of the party, satisfied all laid-down legal requirements as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The court found no breach of due process or statutory non-compliance in the conduct of the exercise.

In the same proceedings, the court dismissed the Motion on Notice seeking a stay of proceedings and suspension of the ruling, filed by Sunday Ibrahim (SAN) on behalf of Austin Nwachukwu and two others. The applications were described as lacking merit.

Earlier in the proceedings, the court had also rejected a bid by Ibrahim to have his clients joined in the suit.

Justice Akintola ruled at the time that the joinder application was unsubstantiated and consequently dismissed it.