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Sanwo-Olu Officially Recieves Flag For Re-election

Published

3 years ago

December 4, 2022

Editor

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu gas officially been presented the All Progressives Congress ( APC) party flag to begin campaigns for a second term.

The event which unfolded at Onikan – a cultured neighbourhood in the heart of Lagos Island was attended by thousands of enthusiastic supporters, admirers and party faithfuls.

Clad in branded yellow shirts and Ankara brocade, the crowd dominated the city centre with pockets of political carnival. Thousands of ordinary citizens and party stalwarts trooped to Mobolaji Johnson Pavilion, the venue of the inaugural rally flagging off the party’s governorship campaign in Lagos.

The 10,000-capacity stadium brimmed with APC supporters. They carried banners and chanted slogans to receive the party chieftains and members of the Governorship Campaign Council.

APC standard bearer, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, made a grand entry into the venue, animating the crowd, which chorused: “Greater Lagos Rising” – the Governor’s re-election campaign slogan.

Reacting to the massive turnout, Sanwo-Olu said the vast attendance further confirmed the strength of APC as the only party of choice in Lagos.

The Governor mounted the rostrum to seek the mandate of Lagosians for another term in office, saying the “Greater Lagos” he promised at the inception of his government could now be visualised, given the achievements recorded during his first term.

Sanwo-Olu said the last three and half years had been challenging for his administration, pointing out that his Government traversed difficult terrains to deliver on its development objectives.

He said: “It has been an interesting and challenging journey for us in the last three and half years. Our administration has traversed difficult terrains and witnessed major disruption occasioned by global pandemic. Lagos had its fair share in the attendant socio-economic meltdown, but we provided strong leadership that protected the people and made the State come out better and stronger.

“Now, we can say ‘Greater Lagos Rising’ because our State is rising on all of our modest achievements through the THEMES agenda. In Transportation and Traffic Management, Lagosians are now living with the reality of the delivery of two intracity Rail Mass Transit projects that are on the verge of completion. These projects will be handed over in the coming weeks.

“We have also scaled up infrastructure in public transportation services by improving BRT services, injecting new taxi scheme and energizing traffic management agency for efficiency. People have seen the construction and commission of Lekki Deep Seaport, and massive road construction projects in the Eti Osa and Epe corridors. We have delivered and are still constructing more new roads in Ikorodu, Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Alimosho, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Somolu and other areas.”

Sanwo-Olu said activities of his administration, since inception, had been about purposeful governance. He added that his Government had delivered new hospitals in Badagry, Epe, and Eti-Osa, pointing out that construction of new hospitals were currently being undertaken in Ikorodu, Ojo and Lagos Island.

In the environment, the Governor said the State was currently constructing 210 new drainage channels to address the issue of flooding in vulnerable communities. He said his Government had also raised the level of infrastructure in emergency response agencies, mentioning the recently completed four fire stations, recruitment of new fire fighters and provision of fire fighting equipment.

The Governor said: “Lagosians can testify to our feats in education. Over 1,000 new classrooms have been added to public schools and we completed over 1,097 projects in schools. We trained our teachers in modern teaching techniques through Eko EXCEL and handed over tablets to them for teaching. Overall performance of Lagos students in WAEC has improved from 42 per cent to over 83 per cent.”

Sanwo-Olu said there had been laudable progress recorded across his Government’s development blueprint, noting that the State had become a model for good governance and development.

The Governor thanked residents for standing by his administration, pledging that he would not take their support for granted.

He urged party members to take back the Government’s achievements back to their communities and engage in door-to-door campaign to ensure APC candidates are elected in the general elections.

Director General of Lagos APC Campaign Council, Sen. Ganiyu Solomon, said the party would have no problem taking its campaign to the electorate, given the “exceptional” performance of the party’s governorship candidate.

Solomon said the second coming of Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat would bring the State to new heights of development and prosperity.

Leader of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Prince Tajudeen Olusi, said: “The combination of Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat are the best a democratic society can get in delivering results of good governance. Anyone who wants the development of Lagos to continue, Sanwo-Olu must be allowed to continue the good work he started.”

Sanwo-Olu, assisted by APC chairman, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi, presented flags to party candidates running for legislative seats in the House of Assembly and National Assembly.

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2027: Obi Warns Against Rigging, Urges Voters to Be Vigilant

Published

5 days ago

February 17, 2026

Eric

A former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has issued a stern warning to election officials and stakeholders, urging Nigerians to ensure that every vote counts in the 2027 general election.

Obi stressed that anyone who attempts to manipulate or obstruct the counting of votes will be held accountable for undermining the country’s democracy.

“Unlike in the past, in 2027 our votes MUST count, and all those who are there not to count the votes will be counted among those destroying Nigeria,” he wrote on X on Monday, February 16, 2026.

Obi, who has declared that he will contest the 2027 presidential election, advised voters to stay at polling units after casting their ballots to observe the counting and transmission of results, emphasising that preventing the proper tallying of votes would attract legal consequences.

The former Labour Party presidential candidate said: “I encourage everyone to remain at the polling units after voting to count and witness the counting and transmission of results. Those who refuse to allow the votes count will be made to count the full weight of the law against rigging.

“Let me reiterate: if you do not count our votes, we will count you among those who destroy our democracy, thereby destroying our future, and you must answer to the law.”

Headline

APC National Secretary Basiru Demands Wike’s Resignation As FCT Minister

Published

5 days ago

February 17, 2026

Eric

The National Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to resign from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, accusing him of undue interference in the ruling party’s internal affairs.

Basiru’s demand followed Wike’s warning earlier on Monday, in which the former Rivers State governor cautioned the APC scribe to “leave Rivers State alone” and refrain from meddling in its politics. Wike, while addressing supporters during a thank-you visit to Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, described Rivers as a “no-go area,” warning that those who interfere “may burn their hands.”

But, responding to the FCT Minister’s warning in a statement issued from Osogbo, Osun State, Senator Basiru fired back, describing Wike’s remarks as a “tirade” and “uncouth.”

“My attention has been drawn to the tirade of the Minister of the FCT against my person and my office as National Secretary of the APC,” Basiru said. “It is shocking that such an innocuous statement could elicit such uncouth responses from no less than a member of the Federal Executive Council.”

The APC National Secretary defended his earlier remarks, insisting he merely reaffirmed that governors, regardless of political differences, deserve respect as leaders of the party in their respective states.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our records indicate that Minister Nyesom Wike is not a member of our party, the APC. He therefore lacks the locus to dabble into the affairs of our party,” he declared.

“As National Secretary of the APC, I am imbued with the responsibility to protect the interests of the party and all its members. My activities cannot be confined to my home state, Osun State.”

Basiru also dismissed Wike’s allegation that he and other APC leaders were scrambling for a N600 billion “largesse” in Rivers State’s coffers, describing it as “cheap blackmail.”

“My background and track record are of unquestionable integrity,” Basiru stated. “I challenge him to prove his allegations or we may meet in court.”

The APC chieftain further warned Wike against issuing threats, saying he would not be intimidated.

“Wike is not God and may be overplaying his political card,” Basiru cautioned. “My faith is in God, and I will not succumb to cheap threats such as the one from him.”

He maintained that Wike’s support for President Tinubu does not make him an APC member.

“Millions of non-APC Nigerians also support the President, and Wike’s case is no different,” Basiru said. “He cannot bring the spirit of the PDP into the APC or destabilize our structures in Rivers State.”

Concluding his statement, Basiru said Wike must make a choice between serving as a non-party technocrat or interfering in APC matters.

“He cannot be in the Federal Executive Council of an APC government and be causing confusion within our party. The honourable thing to do is to resign his appointment as Minister,” he declared.

Headline

Alleged N432bn Fraud: El-Rufai Spends Monday Night in EFCC Custody

Published

5 days ago

February 17, 2026

Eric

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, spent Monday night in the custody of the EFCC following hours of interrogation over alleged financial misappropriation amounting to N432 billion.

El-Rufai arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, around 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026, in response to an invitation reportedly issued in December.

Although he presented himself voluntarily, sources within the anti-graft agency disclosed late Monday that he would remain in custody until investigators reached what they described as “advanced stages” of their questioning.

The probe is said to stem from a 2024 report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, which accused El-Rufai’s administration between 2015 and 2023 of diverting public funds through multiple state channels.

A senior EFCC official confirmed that investigators are reviewing contracts and financial transactions executed during his eight-year tenure.

Tension flared at the EFCC premises as hundreds of supporters and critics gathered shortly after news of his appearance broke.

Supporters accused the Federal Government of political persecution, chanting solidarity slogans, while a group identified as the Mega National Movement for Good Governance demanded accountability, insisting that no public official is above the law.

Security operatives deployed teargas to disperse the crowd after clashes reportedly broke out between the opposing groups.

In a related development, the Department of State Services (DSS) filed a three-count charge against El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The charges, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, reportedly concern the alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications belonging to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The filing followed a recent interview in which the former governor claimed he had listened to conversations in which Ribadu allegedly directed security operatives to arrest him upon his return from Egypt last week.

El-Rufai’s legal team, led by Ubong Akpan, has described the investigations as arbitrary and a violation of his constitutional rights.

Meanwhile, indications emerged that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) has also scheduled him for questioning on Wednesday, February 18.

As of Tuesday morning, it remained unclear whether the EFCC would seek a court order to extend his detention or proceed with formal charges. Several of his former aides are reportedly already in custody as investigations continue.