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Greatness Meets Greatness: Mike Adenuga Holds Talks with John Mahama

Published

1 year ago

June 10, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

In what can be easily described a monumental reunion, the Chairman, Globacom Group and philanthropist par excellence, Dr. Mike Adenuga, visited the highly respected President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr. John Dramani Mahama, in his residence in Ghana.

The two distinguished African leaders, who had contributed immensely to the sociocultural and socio-economic renewal of the continent are meeting again years after Mahama honoured Adenuga with the highest award in the land.

Though the meeting was private, where the two ‘brothers’ reflected on their long standing friendship, they still found time to discuss their shared aspirations for the African continent.

According to a social media message by a mutual friend of the allies, Chief Dele Momodu, “The Spirit of Africa, DR MIKE ADENUGA JR., yesterday paid a visit to his friend and Brother, His Excellency PRESIDENT JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA, at home in Accra. They spent quality time together before The Guru of Telecoms flew back to Lagos in the evening…”

Though the statement did not disclose the nitty gritty of the meeting, it maintained that they spent quality and rewarding time together, insinuating that the discussions could centre on the business development of their two countries, Nigeria and Ghana.

Mahama, on his part, was quoted as expressing deep appreciation for Adenuga’s contributions to Africa’s economic development, noting that Glo remains one of the major networks in Ghana.

“It was great reconnecting this weekend with Mike Adenuga, a West African icon in telecommunications and oil and gas,” Mahama said via his @officialjdmahama

Observers have said that Adenuga’s visit to Mahama in Ghana is a clear indication of their mutual respect, considering that Adenuga hardly leaves the comfort of his home.

Adenuga was among the first to offer congratulations to Mahama when he won the December 7 presidential election to made a historic comeback to the Flagstaff House in Accra. He did it in style with the following words:

DR MIKE ADENUGA JR. CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT-ELECT MAHAMA

My Dearest Brother,

On behalf of my family and myself, I extend our heartfelt congratulations to you on your resounding victory in the December 7, 2024, Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Ghana.

The joy and celebration filling the streets of Ghana reflect the deep love and admiration your people hold for you, as well as the lasting impact of your remarkable legacy as a former President.

I will always cherish the unwavering support you extended to investors in Ghana, as well as the profound honor of receiving the highest Ghanaian National Honor from you in 2016.

May this second chapter of your leadership be even more successful and transformative.

God bless Ghana.
With warmest regards,

Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr.

It is a well known fact that the preoccupation of one of Africa’s richest men in Africa, Adenuga, has remained the quest to positively affect the lives of those who come in contact with him as well as the generality of the citizens of Africa.

Adenuga, born with the healthy desire to tread even where the top echelon of the society, fears to tread, especially as it involves business development, is the founder/owner of Globacom, a communications giant, solely locally owned. His business concerns are enormous, and from there he has touched numerous lives, raised unnumbered wealthy persons, sponsored, and still sponsoring meets, sports and cultural fiestas including the just concluded Ojude Oba Festival; a festival he has, with Glo, sponsored for two straight decades.

The 20 straight years sponsorship of the Ojude Oba Festival has set Mike Adenuga apart as an impressive African cultural treasure, business phenomenon and this generation’s Mr. Consistency. His ability to see that the festival gained widespread recognition across its local habitat of Ijebu-Ode, stretching through and the South West, and inculcating the tribes of the Nigerian nation, has made the man known for many appellations to stand in thick and thin. His singular intention has remained to affect humanity, project Nigerian and African culture and prove that one can do it if he is determined.

Known by so many appellations including the Spirit of Africa for his philanthropic gestures across board, and The Bull, for his resilience and ability to dare the impossible, Adenuga has proved over the years that he is not the regular billionaire. He is of the stock that is not regulated by stock market figures, but by liquid cash. And that explains why his wealth and net worth supercedes whatever figures churned out by any institution, or any position he is placed in the billionaires’ list.

Adenuga is, for all intent and purpose, in a world and class of his own. This is because his business trajectory and personal philosophy are uniquely his, and therefore worthy of emulation.

Sitting atop one of the most cherished and subscribed network, Glo, Adenuga has not only inspired lives, but practically lifted not a few to enviable heights.

Known for his diverse investments in oil, gas, telecommunications, banking, construction, and real estate, Mike Adenuga notably shook up the African telecom sector with the launch of his telecommunications network, Globacom Limited (Glo), in August 2003.

Also referred to as The Guru, Adenuga is like the proverbial Iroko tree, who is unlike any other. In terms of humility, pedigree, magnanimity, wealth and portfolio of investments, he is one of a kind.

When the Federal Government decided to give indigenous businessmen licences in the dollar-denominated but capital-intensive upstream oil sector, Adenuga was one of those who applied.

Unlike others who sold their licences for quick money, Adenuga was vision personified, and decided to go into full scale prospecting and exploration. The gamble paid off as one of the wells that was being drilled struck oil, making his company, Consolidated Oil, the first indigenous Nigerian company to discover oil in commercial quantity. The epoch making discovery on December 24, 1991, changed many narratives.

Despite his success, Adenuga believes business must have a human face, it must add value, it must have an impact and ultimately, be socially responsible. These are some of the core values that he considers before throwing his money into any investment.

That is not all, he also firmly believes that the world is a field of battle and you must prepare to win, not some time but all the time. He’s a mountain climber like the Tibetan Monk, who believes that you must survive all odds to get to the top.

Incredible tales have been told about his amazing capacity for work. He is known to sleep very little when there is work to be done, and he expects his staff to imbibe the same work ethic. Though generous, he is said to have zero tolerance for incompetence or sloppiness. With him, one must be on their toes every time.

It is therefore, no surprise that his targeted investments and the grace of God Almighty have placed him well ahead of the authentic list of billionaires. His never-give-up spirit is well known and it is this force that has driven him to achieve feats many mortals will think are impossible.

Adenuga has no rival. He is a symbol of endurance, entrepreneurship, extraordinaire and self-made business titan, who is certainly one of the wealthiest black men in the world. No wonder, he has no rival even as the sponsorship of the Ojude Oba Festival and many others across cultures, are concerned.

GLO-SPONSORED 2025 OJUDE OBA FESTIVAL: A CULTURAL FIESTA LIKE NO OTHER

As with the previous 19 years celebration of the festival, Adenuga’s Glo stood out like a colossus that it has always been, directing and redirecting strategies, creating and recreating new vistas, setting new standards, redefining the horizon and upping the bar, leaving others stretching to catch up. That’s vintage Adenuga; nothing shall be impossible, according to his rule book.

Consequently, Adenuga and his team poured everything into the hosting of the 2025 carnival, giving it added impetus such as the Evening with Glo pre-event musical show at the Conference Hotel, Ijebu-Ode, showcasing the grace and candour of musical greats such as Evangelist Ebenezer Obey and K1 the Ultimate, and the after event banquet at the Palace. Both with an array of personalities and dignitaries set the stage for the grand festival, and nurtured the gains thereafter.

THE PRE-EVENT EVENING OF CLASS

During the evening of non-stop music, dance and fun, the duo of Juju Commander Evangelist Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi and king of Fuji music, Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, held the ancient town of Ijebu Ode spellbound to set the joyous mode for the kickoff of the 2025 Ojude Oba celebrations.

Glo media team captured proceedings as follows:

This year’s Ojude Oba marks the 20th anniversary of Globacom’s sponsorship of the festival during which it has helped transform it into a cultural icon and global tourist destination.

Tagged an “Evening with Glo “, it was a night of fun, splendid music, good cuisine and riveting jokes from the trio of Gbenga Adeyinka, Bash and Kiekie.

For more than two hours, the legendary Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi sang from his repertoire of music to which the audience which filled the Conference Hall venue to the brim, vibed and mimed.

Globacom explained that the “Evening with Glo” was organised to thank the Ijebu community for their support for the brand for 20 years of its sponsorship of Ojude Oba festival.

“We decided to bring together great sons and daughters of Ijebuland to celebrate our shared heritage, and indulge in the melodious rhythms that resonate deeply throughout Yorubaland”, the company stated.

Speaking on its choice of musicians for the event, Glo added that “the ageless icon and Juju music maestro, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, has contributed decades of good, sonorous and philosophical songs to our society. His songs are still as fresh and full of inspirational messages as they were yesterday”.

On KWAM 1, the company disclosed “For decades, King of Fuji, K1 De Ultimate, the Fuji master, has been a great part of the music firmament in Nigeria, with his unique brand of Fuji that has elicited huge interest”.

Eminent sons and daughters of Ijebuland including the Olori of Oba Awujale, Chief Mrs. Olukemi Adetona; the Coordinator of Ojude Oba Festival Planning Committee, Professor Fassy Yusuff, and member of the committee and Iyalode of Ijebuland, Chief (Mrs.) Bisi Osibogun, attended the event.

OJUDE OBA: A DISPLAY OF CULTURE, COLOURS AND LAUGHTER

As early as 7am on D-day, the pavillion and the stadium, opposite the Palace, venues of the festival, were already streaming with activities as crowd of people glad in intimidating array of colours scampered to get vantage positions for a firsthand of the annual jamboree.

With seats decorated with the green colour, and banners of all shapes and sizes, depicting the unfiltered presence communications giant, Glo, the stage was set for a memorable 2025 festival, and it is worth mentioning that Glo has spared no expense to give publicity to the event, drawing prominent media outfits such Ovation International, The Boss Newspaper, Arise News, ThisDay among others to the Ijebu Ode venue.

It is a fiesta the world should feed its eyes on,” the management of Glo had gushed as they mobilise coverage for the event.

Consequently, many celebrities, especially none Ijebu natives, who now see the events as an avenue to make bold fashion statements and project their cultural heritages in vivid light at the cultural festival, mobilised themselves to the event ground, making deafening statements about fashion, style and undiluted culture.

Some of them were actor Lateeef Adedimeji, actor Ibrahim Chatta, singer Ololade Keshinro, LilKesh, Juju legend Ebenezer Obey, Fuji star, Sulaimon Alao and Shefiu Alao, who featured and performed at the event, showcasing the unity and diversity of the festival.

Also present were popular TikTokker Jidex, singer Mike Abdul, Femi Branch, and Fuji icon Wasiu Ayinde, who are of Ijebu descent.

GLO’S GIFTS OF CARS, TRICYCLES, GENERATORS, OTHERS REDEFINE FESTIVAL

The Glo media team wrote:

This year’s edition of the Globacom-sponsored Ojude Oba was held on Sunday in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, with the technology company marking the 20th anniversary of its support for the festival in splendid fashion by giving out cars, tricycles, power generators and other items at the event.

The Governor of Ogun State, Chief Dapo Abiodun, and the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism & Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa-Musawa, as well the Olorogun Sunny Kuku, the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, attended the event which witnessed a colourful display by the almost 100 different Regberegbe groups who were competing to outshine each other in appearance, prominence and splendour.

The Balogun families also put up a sterling show with their dexterity in maneuvering their horses as they all paraded to honour the age-long tradition of paying obeisance to the Awujale of Ijebu land after the Eid celebrations.

Dr Abiodun, in his goodwill message at the event, lauded the over six decades reign of the Awujale as that of “purposeful leadership, progressive vision and unwavering commitment to the upliftment of Ijebuland and the entire Ogun State”, while Barrister Musawa, described the festival as a shinning testament of the “richness of our cultural diversity and the resilience of our traditional institutions in preserving history for future generations.”

The event, Globacom’s 20th consecutive sponsorship, was a huge opportunity to reward various segments of the Ijebu society. It distributed the top-of-the-grade Basmati rice to all the various Regberegbes as a way of celebrating them.

Several winners carted home mouth-watering prizes, including two brand new cars, Four Tricycles and others choice items, including Power Generating sets, grinding Machines and Sewing Machines.

One winner of a brand new car was chosen by the Ijebu society through a nomination process that saw 52-year-old Opeoluwa Osisanwo receiving the keys to a brand new car at the event.

Opeoluwa, a member of Egbe Tobalase Okunrin, was adjudged the most outstanding young leader in Ijebuland who has served the community diligently for years as Secretary of the Ojude Oba Festival Planning Committee.

“I never knew people were watching me. I was just serving my land of birth to the best of my ability”, he said, while expressing appreciation to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, and all members of the Committee “for allowing me to work with them not minding the fact that I am the youngest among them”.

The other winner of a brand new car through the promo, Idowu Olabisi, a trader based in

Ijebu Igbo, was ecstatic after receiving the keys. She said that Globacom indeed gave her a spectacular gift at Eid period, as she had no inkling she would get such a car at this time.

Four brand new Tricycles (Keke) were carted home by various winners from within and around Ijebu. The winners included Hassan Toheeb, a businessman based in Ijebu Itele; Adenike Olanrewaju a Plank seller at Molipa, Ijebu Ode; Gazal Temitope, a trader who resides at Olisa, Ijebu Ode; and Lawal Tosin, a carpenter in Ijebu Ode.

As a distinguished communications giant, Glo has maintained a convention of giving Ojude Oba Festival the best of sponsorship, and 2026 edition will not experience less.

Headline

Akpabio Lashes Out at Tinubu’s Critics, Says Nigeria Safe Despite Insecurity

Published

3 days ago

June 10, 2026

Eric

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has urged Nigerians to be careful of those trying to kidnap for ransom.

Akpabio argued on Tuesday that those behind kidnapping are perpetuating the activity to create an impression that Nigeria is not safe.

Speaking in Abuja during the commissioning of road projects to mark President Bola Tinubu’s third year anniversary, Akpabio said some of the president’s critics have resorted to paying youths to cause mayhem.

Akpabio accused Tinubu’s critics of focusing on insecurity instead of policy and infrastructure.

“Minister you said that people claimed that nothing is happening in Nigeria under the administration of President Tinubu. If they did not say that, how will they go for election? he asked rhetorically.

“If you realize what is happening recently, when they realized that they can’t talk about projects, performance, good laws, transformation in the Petroleum industry, subsidy removal that have been promised Nigerians for decades, they can no longer talk about the high-rise buildings in Abuja such as the NRS building, they resorted to paying young people and recruiting them to cause mayhem in the country.

“Be very vigilant and be careful about people trying to kidnap for ransom. They are kidnapping in order to give the impression that Nigeria is not safe.

“Our men and women in uniform have done tremendously well but many people will not know and that is why I keep saying that the devil you see today, you will soon see them no more.

“Elections will come and go; elections will never be our end; we will see the end of elections; it will never see our end,” he said.

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The Search for Justice: ADC vs Tsoho

Published

5 days ago

June 8, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

From the first day the African Democratic Congress (ADC) took a new shape in July, 2025, in readiness to wrest power from the government of the day, crises, allegedly engineered by the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC), have remained its lot.

From the struggle for leadership positions to the fight to save itself from deregistration, the hitherto coalition and main opposition party, has remained in a battle for its life and existence. And has not relented in the search for lasting justice. This time, it has taken the law itself to court to ensure that justice is not only done, but seen to have been done.

It would be recalled that shortly after the the party ratified the election of Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as Chairman and Secretary of the party respectively, skirmishes were noticed among the rank and file of the party as a supposedly former deputy national chairman of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe, claimed chairmanship of party, saying that since the founding chairman had resigned, it is constitutionally incumbent upon him to automatically assume the chairmanship role.

Gombe’s claims came on the heels of his ‘resignation’ from office, which paved the way for a new national executive of the party to be constituted. But his claims did not deter the party from carrying on with the formation and running of the party, including holding a keenly contested presidential primary election, which produced His Excellency, the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. So Gombe went to court. Yet, Mark and Aregbesola carried on the running of the party.

As a result, Gombe had approached a court for an order restraining Mark leadership from parading themselves as leaders of the ADC pending the hearing and determination of his suit challenging their leadership.

He had also asked the court to issue another order against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), restraining it from recognizing the Mark leadership.

But in his ruling in the interlocutory application, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered Gombe to put the defendants on notice so that they appear before the court to show cause, why the application should not be granted.

Rather than appearing before the trial court to show cause, the defendant appealed to the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal, challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court to dabble into the matter they described as internal matters of the ADC.

The appellate court in dismissing the appeal for lacking in merit, ordered accelerated hearing in the suit and further ordered all parties to maintain status quo ante bellum.

Dissatisfied, Mark had approached the appellate court but, his appeal was dismissed and the matter returned to the trial court.

With the to and from nature of the cases involving the ADC leadership crisis, the party has accused judges of bias in favoring party detractors and disobedience to court rules among other malice, the party has taken a new route to obtain the much eluded justice, and that involves charging the custodians of the law to court.

Consequently, the ADC has filed a lawsuit before a High Court in Abuja involving the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, over concerns arising from the ongoing leadership dispute within the party.

Also joined in the suit is the National Judicial Council (NJC), which the party said had not addressed issues it raised regarding the handling of a case challenging the leadership of former Senate President, Senator David Mark, within the ADC.

The lawsuit, dated June 4, 2026, was filed by the National Welfare Secretary of the ADC, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who is seeking to be joined in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe against the Mark-led leadership of the party.

According to the suit, Ukandu expressed concerns about the handling of the matter and alleged that the actions of both Justice Tsoho and Justice Peter Lifu, the judge assigned to hear the case, could affect confidence in the proceedings.

The lawsuit further stated that the assignment of the case to Justice Lifu stirred concerns among some members of the party, who believe the process may not guarantee a fair hearing.

The legal action marks a fresh twist in the leadership dispute within the ADC, which has attracted significant political attention ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Aside Justice John Tsoho, other defendants are the National Judicial Council (NJC), and Justice Peter Lifu, a judge newly assigned to hear the suit challenging the Senator David Mark-led leadership of ADC.

The plaintiff, who was seeking to be joined in the Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, brought by Nafiu Bala Gombe against the Mark-led leadership, accused the chief judge and Lifu of manifest bias, and willingness to do the biddings of persons against the interest of the party.

Ukandu, in the suit he personally filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, faulted the chief judge for reassigning the suit to Lifu, in alleged disregard of the orders of the Supreme Court as well as Justice Emeka Nwite of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, who initially heard the suit brought by Gombe against the party.

The plaintiff, in the suit marked FHC/ ABJ/ CS/ 1165/2026, recalled that an appeal from an interlocutory decision of Nwite rose to the Supreme Court, wherein the apex court on April 30, 2026, “made an order of remittance of Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025: Nafiu Bala Gombe VS. ADC & 4 ORS back to Justice Emeka Nwite for continuation of hearing of pending applications challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court.”

He stated that upon resumption of hearing before Nwite, the plaintiff wrote to the chief judge praying for a reassignment of the matter to another judge of the Honourable Court.

Ukandu stated, “All the defendants’ counsel, including counsel to the applicants seeking to be joined in this matter, opposed the said application by the plaintiff’s counsel and Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite thereafter adjourned the matter sine die pending the service of the said letter by the plaintiff’s on all the parties in the matter, outcome of the letter by the 2nd defendant and the furnishing of the CTC of the judgement of the Supreme Court to the court.

“Without complying with the orders of the Supreme Court and Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite, the 2nd Defendant in abuse of his judicial powers reassigned this matter,” to Lifu.

He added that the third defendant, on his part, pretending not to see the order of Nwite, went ahead and fixed the matter for hearing for June 3, 2026.

Ukandu further recalled that ADC had on May 7 informed the public through a press release that the chief judge had planned to reassign the case to another judge favourable to the plaintiff.

He said the party had “warned against such unethical practice but the 2nd Defendant despite the public outcry reassigned the suit to the 3rd Defendant who have been nick-named as ‘Wike Judges’.”

He stated that the third defendant had started presiding over the matter, despite taking judicial notice of the orders of the Supreme Court and Nwite, and that the matter came up for hearing before the third defendant.

Though neither the Federal High Court nor the National Judicial Council had publicly responded to the issues raised so far, it is imperative to to state that the ADC appears to have lost interest in both the judiciary, which it believe is kowtowing to the dictates of Gombe, and by extension the body language of the Federal Government.

The ADC appears to have managed to draw the sympathy of the public as a group known as the Grassroots Mobilization Network (GMN), has lent their voice to the supposed injustice leveled against the Mark-led ADC, raising concerns about the handling of the matter, and calling for transparency in the judicial process.

The group alleged that the judiciary was being used to target opposition parties.

The group expressed concern over what it described as growing public distrust in the judiciary and called on relevant authorities to ensure fairness and transparency in the handling of politically sensitive cases.

While Nigerians await the outcome of the litigation, and other resolution of other sundry issues arising from the ADC and the judiciary, the party is going ahead making last minute transparent efforts to nominate a suitable running mate to bear the presidential flag with the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Among the party’s shortlists are the first runner-up in the presidential primary, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Akinwumi Adesina, Emeka Ihedioha, Emeka Nwajiuba and Chief Dele Momodu.

Headline

Gunmen Abduct Ex-Power Minister Adelabu’s Sister, Her Two Sons in Ibadan

Published

1 week ago

June 3, 2026

Eric

Suspected gunmen have abducted the sister of a former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The family of former minister and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) confirmed the abduction, disclosing that Mrs. Olaide John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons were kidnapped by the gunmen on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

According to a statement issued by Adelabu’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, the victims were kidnapped at about 7:30am while Mrs. John-Paul was taking her children to school.

Mrs. John-Paul, the youngest of five children of Mrs. Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu, reportedly retired voluntarily from her career at First Bank Pension Custodian in 2025 before relocating to Ibadan with her children.

She was said to be making arrangements to join her husband, who had earlier relocated to the US.

The family expressed deep concern over the development but stated that security agencies had already commenced efforts to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible.

“We are pleased to confirm that security operatives have swung into action and preliminary investigations have commenced in earnest,” the statement partly read.

While appealing for calm, the family urged members of the public to refrain from spreading unverified information that could undermine ongoing rescue operations.

“We are deeply distressed by this unfortunate incident, but remain hopeful that the victims will be rescued safely. We appeal to the public to remain calm, avoid speculation and support ongoing efforts with prayers,” the statement added.

The family also called on anyone with useful information that could aid the rescue operation to promptly share such intelligence with security agencies through the appropriate channels.

It assured that it would continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities and provide updates as investigations and rescue efforts progress.