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Presidential election: Obi restates pledge for a new Nigeria, thanks ‘Obedients’, others

Published

4 years ago

February 24, 2023

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The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has reiterated his commitment to a new Nigeria if elected in Saturday’s keenly contested election.

Commemorating the end of campaigns in accordance with the electoral law, Obi penned his final message to his supporters on Thursday, promising that he and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, would “with our soul, mind, and body” be deeply committed to “A New Secured, United and Prosperous Nigeria!”

He added, “We sincerely thank all Nigerians particularly the ‘Obedients’ and all our supporters across the country for their abiding faith in us. We commit and pledge to pursue and exceed your expectations for a New Nigeria.”

The former Anambra governor also appreciated the LP members and leadership as well as “other committed Nigerians like Professor Pat Utomi” who made his nomination possible.

“On deep reflection, I am eternally grateful to God for the decision to join Labour Party and to offer myself to serve and lead a New Nigeria!”

Reminiscing on the campaign trail, he said his heart was filled with great concern but also joy and hope.

“We experienced genuine love and we felt overwhelmed by abundant and immeasurable blessings of God, on every part of our beloved country Nigeria. We felt the unparalleled zeal and energy for survival and the desire for a productive economy across the 36 states of Nigeria.

“I was equally very sad and most concerned! Sad as the above opportunities are being lost principally due to bad leadership and governance in a country of immense potential,” he stated.

The LP presidential candidate expressed his sadness over the death of several of the party’s supporters and nominees in the election, including the senatorial candidate for Enugu East, Oyibo Chukwu, who was murdered on Wednesday.

See the full statement below:

Press Statement

A New Nigeria is Possible on 25th February 2023!

Fellow Nigerians, on 27th May 2022, I took a most important decision in my life to join great and patriotic Nigerians in Labour Party to rescue our dear country Nigeria from litany of leadership and governance failures. I was later, most graciously elected as the Presidential Candidate to lead the crusade for a New Nigeria!

I sincerely thank the members and leadership of Labour Party and other committed Nigerians like Professor Pat Utomi that made it possible. On deep reflection, I am eternally grateful to God for the decision to join Labour Party and to offer myself to serve and lead a New Nigeria!

As we campaigned across states, cities, towns and villages of our dear Nation, my heart was filled with great concern but also with joy and hope. We experienced genuine love and we felt overwhelmed by abundant and immeasurable blessings of God, on every part of our beloved country Nigeria. We felt the unparalleled zeal and energy for survival and the desire for a productive economy across the 36 states of Nigeria. I was equally very sad and most concerned! Sad as the above opportunities are being lost principally due to bad leadership and governance in a country of immense potential.

We saw real and multi-dimensional poverty, undeserving unemployment and living conditions; decaying and unavailable basic infrastructure; avoidable crises, accidents, deaths and unchecked insecurity and criminality. Even with the lamentable state of our people, society and economy, we are most encouraged by the love, unity, patriotism, energy and productivity embedded in all parts of Nigeria waiting to be properly harnessed to create a secure, united and productive New Nigeria!

As we end the campaigns, Datti Baba-Ahmed and I fully reiterate our pledge and deep commitment to lead a New Nigeria where unity, peace, love and prosperity will reign. We sincerely thank all Nigerians particularly the “Obedients” and all our supporters across the country for their abiding faith in us. We commit and pledge to pursue and exceed your expectations for a New Nigeria.

We console and pray for the repose of the souls of Nigerians particularly our supporters that died or were killed in our struggle for a New Nigeria. Notable among them are Mallam Lawal Garba, our Zonal Party Chairman in Kaduna that died in ghastly motor accident in October 2022, Mrs Victoria Chimtex, the Labour Party Women Leader in Kaduna State, who was murdered in Kaura, Kaduna State in November 2022, Mr Christopher Elehu, Labour Party’s candidate for Onuimo Local Government Area constituency, Imo State House of Assembly that was killed in December 2022, Mr Isaac Dauda, our Labour Leader in Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State that died in January 2023 and Mr Oyibo Chukwu, our senatorial candidate for Enugu East that was most painfully killed yesterday night! We feel very sad and pray that God accept their souls and perpetual light shine upon them!

We have also witnessed with great concern the unwarranted and uncivilized attacks on our supporters. We sympathize and pray for their quick recovery and again totally condemn such attacks that has unfortunately led to the amputation of one of our supporters in Lagos. We strongly and unequivocally demand that security agencies work round the clock to prevent any further attacks and bring the perpetrators to book. We equally call on INEC to conduct the elections with utmost professionalism and impartiality.

Election materials must be delivered on time and conducted strictly in line with agreed guidelines. The choice of Nigerians must be respected and allowed to prevail! The elections must be free and fair and conducted in an atmosphere of peace.

Labour Party through Datti Baba-Ahmed and I represent the New Nigeria we all want. The overwhelming support we have received from all parts of Nigeria is evident that we represent the new energy and intellect needed for a New, United, Secured and Prosperous Nigeria.

While the other candidates are free to contest, we believe that the task of engineering a new Nigeria requires a complete change in attitude, approach and style. Commitment, hard work and innovation are needed to move Nigeria to a position of relevance and power in the comity of nations. Our vision is a Nigeria that every citizen will be proud of and the one that works for all.

As we struggle just to get by each day, may we remember that government exists to serve you, that power belongs to you, and that you determinewho serves you. We therefore implore all Nigerians of good will to troop out on Saturday 25th of February to cast and protect their votes for Labour Party (LP- Mama, Papa, Pikin) to birth a New Nigeria. Our desire is a New Nigeria where our versed arable lands particularly in the North, our cocoa in the South-West, coal in South-East and oil and gas in the South-South, our regional linkage location, the entrepreneurial spirit of Obafemi in Ibadan, Abubakar in Kano and Nnamdi in Aba, the unquenchable desire for human capital development, a just and moral oriented society of Mrs Seember in Makurdi are all harnessed, developed and sustained.

It will be a New Nigeria with the environment for high quality goats and rice of Alhaji Bagudu in Kebbi, the desire of Mallam Haruna in Gilani, Yobe State to harness their abundant Kaolin and gypsum and Mr Pwajok to develop Potato and rice plantations in Shendam Plateau State and Adani, Enugu State respectively are fully supported.

With a New Nigeria, both local and foreign investors will be attracted to build a power plant using our coal, gas, water and sun. MTN and Shell Plc excited to re- locate their technical support office for North Central to Jalingo, and our commercial banks inspired and secured to host their Annual general meetings in Maiduguri, Gusau or Damaturu. Kayode Omojawa from Ondo State and Helen Bassey from Ogoja, Cross-River State will be motivated to convince their parents to allow them to school in Offa, Kwara State due to the excellent infrastructure and secured Nigeria.

We will build agricultural dams and support every state in Nigeria to plant 10, million economic trees to generate additional N300,000,000,000 (Three Hundred Billion Naira) per state every year to eradicate poverty and enhance the human capital development of our children and youths.

Our government will give utmost attention to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues starting with proper cleaning and restoration of Niger Delta areas ravaged by oil pollution and years of negligence.

Let me reiterate, securing and uniting Nigeria will be our number one priority and we will do whatever is required to achieve it. We will lead and task security agencies to locate and rescue all Nigerians still being held captive by bandits and criminals including Leah Sharibu, remaining Chibok girls and others.

Our farmers must return to their farms to feed Nigeria. We will executea national security strategy starting with three level (federal, state, local) policing anchored on accelerated human and physical development; drive our national security strategy on data, intelligence, insights, and technology in addition to enhanced physical presence of our men and women in uniform.

We will create a cultural, economic, social, political, and policy environment to ensure labour dignity, eliminate government waste, and drive out corruption. The scam called oil subsidy will be removed and cost of governance significantly reduced. Every Naira that government spends will be focused on improving lives and livelihoods to reduce poverty, create job and enhance technology driven-productivity.

That is the New Nigeria that Datti Baba-Ahmed and I offer to provide and lead. We once again implore you to come out en-masse on Saturday 25th February to cast and protect your votes for Labour Party (LP- Mama, Papa, Pikin) for a New Nigeria. With our soul, mind, and body, we pledge and deeply commit to A New Secured, United and Prosperous Nigeria! So, help us God! May God bless you all and guide, protect and bless The Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Peter Obi
Presidential Candidate, Labour Party (LP- Mama, Papa, Pikin)

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Two Oyo commissioner, special adviser resign

Published

8 hours ago

November 2, 2026

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Two senior officials in the Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have resigned their appointments from Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.

The officials are Ayobami Ojo, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, and Simeon Oyeleke, the ministry’s Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning.

In separate letters dated November 2, and addressed to Mr Makinde, both officials said their resignations would take effect immediately, while thanking the governor for the opportunity to serve but did not give specific reasons for their decisions.

In his letter, Ojo referred to his appointment letter dated 22 June 2026 and formally announced his resignation as commissioner.

“With reference to your letter dated 22nd June, 2026 (SP.S.662/2/VOL.IV/192), I respectfully write to formally resign my appointment as Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, with effect from today, 2nd November, 2026,” he wrote.

He described his time in government as an honour and said he appreciated the opportunity to serve the state.

Oyeleke also tendered his resignation with effect from 2 November.

In his letter, he thanked Mr Makinde for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.

He also expressed appreciation for the governor’s leadership, support and encouragement during his time in office.

“I remain grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this administration and to have contributed to its laudable achievements. I also remain committed to the peace, progress and development of Oyo State,” he wrote.

The latest resignations come amid a series of exits of political appointees and other officials from the Makinde administration in recent months.

It would be recalled that Segun Ogunwuyi resigned as the governor’s chief of staff on 12 October, a position he had held since July 2021. His resignation took immediate effect, although he did not state a reason for his departure.

A few hours after Ogunwuyi’s departure, Makinde appointed Bashorun Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, as his replacement.

On the same day, Tara Adefope, the Director-General of the Oyo State Due Process Office, also resigned from her position, while in late October, Kabiru Salami, the governor’s Executive Assistant on Security Coordination, also tendered his resignation.

Other officials who have left the administration include Funmi Arulogun, a Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, who resigned in August, citing personal and political considerations.

Babatunde Oduyoye, a member of the Oyo State Advisory Council, also resigned in July, while Fatai Owoseni, a former Commissioner of Police who served as the governor’s Special Adviser on Security resigned in May.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Campaigns: OK Movement insists on independence

Published

15 hours ago

November 2, 2026

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1. The OK (Obi/Kwankwaso) Movement has declared that it will maintain its independent identity while mobilising support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.

Movement’s leader John Ughulu said the group remained committed to its original mission of securing the election of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and erstwhile Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Speaking in an interview, Ughulu dismissed suggestions that the movement’s decision to campaign independently would undermine its support for the NDC, insisting that the focus should be on achieving a common political objective.

2. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid got a big boost at the weekend with endorsements from across the country. His achievement, the need for consolidation, national cohesion, and other reasons were adduced for the show of solidarity. The presidential election is billed for January 16, 2027

3. The Federal Government has vowed to crack down on inflated public contracts and procurement violations, warning heads of government-owned agencies, corporations, councils, authorities and commissions that they risk sanctions for breaching procurement regulations. The government raised the alarm over contract awards that exceed approved price benchmarks.

4. The African Democratic Congress has rescheduled its presidential campaign kick-off in Sokoto State to Wednesday, November 4, despite alleging threats, attacks on its members and attempts by the state government to frustrate the event. The party said its decision to proceed with the campaign was a demonstration of its determination to exercise its constitutional rights despite what it described as growing political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

5. Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised four leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province, including two Arabs, a commander and several of their foot soldiers in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Army said they were neutralised on October 31, 2026, by combined troops of the Joint Task Force deployed to Kukawa following a massive ISWAP terrorists attack on their locations.

6. United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy shot dead in New York, following a request by the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani announced the development on Saturday after speaking with Trump, saying the visa would allow the teenager’s mother to travel to the United States and attend her son’s funeral.

7. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two Nigerians based in Europe after they allegedly ingested 200 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.46kg while attempting to travel from Abuja to Paris, France. The suspects, identified as Aliocus Odife and Sam Blackborn, were arrested on Wednesday during the outward clearance of an Air France flight, AF 832, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

8. Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 100-level female student of Plateau State University, Bokkos, while another person sustained injuries during an attack on off-campus student residential areas in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was learnt that the incidents, which occurred on Saturday evening at about 8:40pm, had heightened concerns over the safety of students residing outside the university campus.

9. An early-morning fire outbreak at the weekend destroyed no fewer than 110 buildings and structures at Kofar Ruwa Timber Market in the Kano metropolis. The Kano State Fire Service, while confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the inferno razed 75 permanent buildings and 35 temporary structures across different sections of the market.

10. The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has declared his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while ruling out support for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi.

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Relief as suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa tested negative

Published

1 day ago

November 1, 2026

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that there are currently no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola in Adamawa.

The NCDC had on Saturday said that there were two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-east state, adding that the individuals had been isolated while contact identification was ongoing.

But in a statement on Sunday, the director-general of NCDC, Jide Idris,
said samples collected from the two individuals, who had symptoms suggestive of Ebola, tested negative after two rounds of testing.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation,” the statement reads.

“Hence the alert that was released early this evening. The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing.”

Idris commended the Adamawa health commissioner and his team for their “proactive approach”, adding that the NCDC was working closely with the state government to investigate the report of suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.”

He urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculating about the situation.

“The public is encouraged to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels,” he said.

Idris described Ebola as a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

“Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history,” he said.

“Individuals should avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.”

Nigeriaconfirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja.

The patient, who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers.

On Monday, the federal governmentevacuated the patient to Switzerland aboard a medical plane.

Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated to Switzerland.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.