Author: Olóyè Gbenga

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has inaugurated the “Sen. Oluremi Tinubu Dream Centre” at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun, to serve as a role model and case study for younger girls. Speaking at the launch on Thursday, Tinubu said her ambition was to provide young girls with the guidance and inspiration she lacked in her generation. “They talk about the girl child all the time, but nowadays people no longer have role models. We live in an age where, even when people are doing well, out of envy, many untrue things are said about them on the internet,” she…

As political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Niger State, youth and political groups have called for the emergence of a mature, credible, and widely respected leader to guide the state’s affairs. A youth group, the Kolo Magba Association in Wushishi Local Government Area, said Niger State must move away from what it described as “money-bag politics” and instead prioritise competence, experience and integrity in leadership. The group argued that the growing influence of wealthy politicians in governance has undermined democratic values and effective administration. In a statement signed by its leader, Abdullahi Maina, and made…

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, on Thursday embarked on an early morning grassroots outreach across several Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as part of efforts to promote people-centred leadership ahead of the forthcoming Area Councils’ elections. Obi disclosed this in a statement, noting that he began the exercise at about 6:30 a.m. from his office in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). According to him, the visit was driven by a deliberate mission to engage directly with ordinary citizens and reinforce a leadership philosophy rooted in accessibility, empathy and service. His first stop…

Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has dismissed claims that he held a closed-door meeting with former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, at his Abuja residence. In a statement issued on Thursday by his Media Office Head, Ahmad Sajoh, Fayemi described the circulating reports as false and urged the public to disregard them. The claims, which gained traction on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, were accompanied by an old video showing Fayemi greeting Kwankwaso at his residence. According to the statement, Fayemi has met Kwankwaso only once in the past year, and that meeting occurred at the public…

The Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, has called on Deputy Governor Aminu Gwarzo to resign following his refusal to defect alongside Governor Abba Yusuf to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking to journalists in Kano on Thursday, Waiya emphasised that effective governance relies on trust, loyalty and mutual confidence among members of the executive council. He argued that a deputy governor who no longer shares the same political alignment as the governor should not continue participating in key government meetings. “This is his personal decision, but there is no way someone who is no longer…

France has announced plans to phase out the use of American video conferencing platforms Microsoft Teams and Zoom across all government departments, replacing them with a domestically developed alternative by 2027. The decision forms part of a broader strategy to reduce reliance on foreign technology providers and strengthen national control over critical digital infrastructure. The announcement was made on Monday as France intensified its push for digital sovereignty, a priority that has gained urgency amid rising geopolitical tensions and growing concerns across Europe about dependence on US-based technology firms. Under the new policy, French public sector workers will transition to…

Europe has embarked on a large-scale revival of its defence industry to reduce its long-standing dependence on the United States and strengthen its capacity to respond to Russian aggression. The renewed push, driven by security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, marks the most significant expansion of European defence production in decades. According to estimates cited by The Wall Street Journal, it would cost Europe around $1 trillion to fully replace US military capabilities on the continent. While that goal remains long-term, Europe’s defence industry—long criticised for underinvestment and fragmentation—is now operating at full capacity. Production of drones, tanks, missiles,…

The Senate on Wednesday deferred consideration of the report on the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026, opting for further scrutiny of the proposed amendments before reaching a final decision. Lawmakers resolved to step down debate on the report to allow senators more time to study the bill in detail, with consideration expected to resume on Thursday. The decision followed deliberations during plenary on the report of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, which was presented in the absence of the committee’s chairman, Senator Simon Lalong. The absence of the committee head, combined with the far-reaching nature of…

The Presidency has strongly criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his comparison of the Bola Tinubu administration to military rule, describing the remarks as a “wilful distortion of history” and a reflection of “cognitive dissonance.” The response followed comments made by Atiku on Tuesday at the public presentation of The Loyalist, a book authored by the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, held in Abuja. At the event, Atiku described the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government as the worst administration he had witnessed in nearly four decades of political life, arguing that it had…

The Chairman of the Accord Party in Osun State, Mr Victor Akande, has claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not appear on the ballot paper for the forthcoming governorship election in the state scheduled for 8 August 2026. Akande made the assertion on Wednesday in Osogbo, the state capital, while speaking on The Frontliners, a media interactive programme organised by the Veteran Journalists Association in Osun State. According to him, the PDP logo would be absent from the ballot during the governorship poll. “To the best of my knowledge, the umbrella is not going to be on the…