Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, has opened up on his decision to part ways with former ally Peter Obi, insisting that his political future cannot be tied to any individual.

 
While speaking amid ongoing opposition realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, Baba-Ahmed said he chose not to follow Obi’s latest political move because he believed the challenges within the Labour Party should have been confronted and resolved rather than abandoned.

The former senator argued that political parties are bound to face internal disagreements and leadership disputes, maintaining that moving from one platform to another does not automatically eliminate such problems.

According to him, leaders should demonstrate the capacity to fix challenges within their parties instead of walking away when difficulties arise.

Datti revealed that many expected him to align with Obi’s new political direction because of their partnership during the 2023 presidential election. However, he said he reached a different conclusion after carefully assessing the situation and deciding to chart his own course.

 
Emphasising his independence, the former vice-presidential candidate stated that while he respects Obi, he remains free to make political decisions based on his convictions and principles. He stressed that no politician owns another’s political career and that his decision was informed by what he believes is best for the country’s democratic development.

The remarks highlight growing differences among key opposition figures as preparations for the 2027 general election gather momentum. Datti’s position also underscores the broader debate within opposition circles over whether political actors should reform existing structures or seek alternative platforms in pursuit of their ambitions.

His comments come at a time of intense political consultations and shifting alliances, with several prominent politicians reassessing their strategies ahead of what is expected to be a highly competitive presidential race in 2027.

A federal high court in Abuja has sentenced four terrorists to death over their involvement in the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo state.

Four out of the five suspected terrorists initially arraigned were convicted on all nine counts preferred against them by the federal government.

The suspects — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — were arraigned on August 11, 2022, on a nine-count terrorism charge.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Emeka Nwite, presiding judge, held that he was satisfied that the prosecution proved its case against four defendants, beyond a reasonable doubt.

Those convicted are Omeiza, Idris, Abdulmalik, and Idris. Abubakar was discharged for lack of evidence linking him to the attack.

Nwite held that evidence before the court established that the four defendants belonged to and actively participated in the activities of the terrorist group, which included the church attack.

He convicted the four defendants and sentenced them to death by hanging.

The Federal Government alleged that the suspects joined the Al-Shabaab terrorist group in 2021 and operated a cell in Kogi state.

According to the prosecution, the defendants held meetings in Kogi and Ondo in 2022, where they planned the church attack.

They were accused of detonating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and carrying out the assault with AK-47 rifles, resulting in the deaths of over 40 people and injuries to more than 100 others.

The government said the attack was carried out to further the group’s religious ideology, offences punishable under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

To prove the case, the prosecution called 11 witnesses that testified before the court and tendered 23 exhibits in evidence.

Among the items the court admitted in evidence were confessional statements and a digital forensic examination report, tendered alongside a Techno phone alleged to contain communications exchanged by the defendants before and after the terror attack.

Testifying as the first prosecution witness, a Catholic priest, who presided over the Pentecost Sunday mass, testified that the church service was about to end when gunshots suddenly rang out, causing panic among worshippers.

The priest said he heard explosions and continuous gunfire, describing the scene as chaotic and terrifying.

He said many worshippers were killed and injured, and likened the experience to the ground opening beneath them.

The second prosecution witness had identified the second and fourth defendants as part of those who attacked worshipers.

The third defendant, a church member and a student had told the court how explosives detonated during the attack damaged her left leg, which made her undergo four surgeries on the leg and skin grafting.

She also said her two-year-old cousin died from a gunshot wound to the head.

The fourth witness had lost her two legs above the knees, and her left eye during the attack.

Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen have abducted Olaide John-Paul, the younger sister of Adebayo Adelabu, immediate-past minister of power, alongside her twin sons, in Ibadan, Oyo state. 

In a statement on Wednesday, Femi Awogboro, one of Adelabu’s media aides, confirmed that John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, were kidnapped by armed men on Wednesday morning.

According to the statement, the 43-year-old was abducted at about 7:30am while on her way to drop the children at school in Ibadan.

“The abductors also forcefully took away her 12-year-old twin sons who were with her at the time of the incident,” the statement reads.

Awogboro described John-Paul as the youngest of Olufunmilayo Adelabu’s five children.

He said she had worked at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and First Bank Pension Custodian before voluntarily retiring last year.

“Following her retirement, she relocated to Ibadan with her children while making preparations to eventually join her husband, John Paul, who had earlier relocated to the United States of America,” he added.

Awogboro said security and law enforcement agencies were immediately alerted after the incident and had commenced investigations.

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

“Efforts are currently ongoing to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the apprehension of those responsible for this heinous crime.”

The spokesperson said Adelabu and members of the family are deeply distressed by the development but remain hopeful that security agencies would secure the victims’ safe release.

Awogboro appealed to the public to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information that could undermine ongoing rescue efforts.

“The family respectfully appeals to members of the public to remain calm, avoid speculation, and refrain from circulating unverified information that may jeopardize ongoing security operations,” he said.

He also urged anyone with useful information to assist security agencies by reporting same through appropriate channels, adding that the family would continue to cooperate with authorities and provide updates as events unfold.