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Budget padding controversy: ACF knocks Senate for suspending Ningi
According to him, while there is no specific instruction on what the fund should be used for, lawmakers must provide receipts to back up their expenses from the running cost.
He added that the running cost is in addition to funds earmarked for each senator for constituency project.
“But what I am saying is that the money (N13.5 million per month) must be receipted for what you do with it. But what you are given to go and spend without accountability is N750, 000”, the senator said.
“The constituency project itself is given on a zonal basis and almost every senator will go with a constituency fund of about N200 million, but it is not the cash that is given to you.
“You will be told that you have N200 million with an agency of government for which you will now submit projects equivalent to that amount. And it is that agency of government that will go and do those projects for you.
“Now, corruption comes when the projects are not done and the money is taken. But right now, it is difficult to do that because NGOs and transparency groups have come into it. They track every allocation made to you and where they are being used.
“So, it’s becoming difficult for what used to happen in the past to happen now. But I can tell you that I would love a situation where we do away with running cost, constituency projects and leave senators and members of House of Reps with salaries”.
Obasanjo, Buhari, Jonathan take positions
Obasanjo himself who started constituency project in 2023 once described it as nothing but corruption, saying, “You and I know what constituency project means, it is simply corruption.”
Former President Muhammadu Buhari echoed similar claim in 2019 when he said the impact of the trillions of Naira voted for constituency projects could hardly be seen in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan had said “don’t put the goat where yam is because the goat will eat the yam” in apparent reference to corrupt acts dogging constituency projects.
N500m vs. N75m
On Tuesday on the floor of the Senate, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe (PDP, Cross River North) alleged that senior senators got N500 million each in the 2024 Budget for constituency projects while other senators got only N75 million.
Jarigbe’s claim was made during a session on the allegation made by another senator, Abubakar Ningi, that the 2024 Budget had been padded to the tune of N3.7 trillion.
Speaking during the rowdy session, Jarigbe said, “I thought that when the Chairman of Appropriations spoke, it was as clear as crystals that there was a misunderstanding of the figures.
“When he came up with the GOEs and all the agencies on first line charge, there is no difference between the figure he reeled out and the figure purported to be padded.
“I thought with that, the allegation would have been rested by Senator Ningi saying that this N3.7 trillion was not part of the budgetary provisions printed out for us. That would have settled this matter.
“We are going forth and back on these issues and coming up with the issues of budget and individual issues concerning what came to our various constituencies.
“If we want to go into those issues, all of us are culpable. Some senators here, so-called senior senators, got N500 million each. I am a ranking senator, I didn’t get. Did I go to the press? Most of you got.”
Report
To buttress the claim that constituency projects for lawmakers were enmeshed in corruption, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, in April 2022, issued a report on how National Assembly members were diverting funds for constituency projects.
The ICPC alleged that senators diverted money meant for their senatorial districts to non-existing projects, thereby denying their constituents from reaping dividends of democracy.
The anti-graft agency said it uncovered how the National Assembly illegally added N20 billion to N100 billion annual constituency projects.
The ICPC, in its ‘interim constituency and executive projects tracking report’, revealed how the National Assembly embedded additional projects into the 2021 mandate budget of MDAs, which, in a long way, affected budget performance, as well as distorted developmental planning and implementation of the 2021 fiscal year.
In the report, the ICPC cited other areas of infractions where lawmakers allegedly awarded contracts to themselves, children or to proxy companies.
The report read: “Budget insertion remains one of the egregious, yet illegally acceptable phenomenon that has distorted the nation’s developmental planning and implementation of developmental programmes.
“In addition to the N100 billion appropriated annually for constituency projects, the National Assembly embedded additional projects into mandate budgets of MDAs. This is done to increase the project portfolios of concerned legislators and their influence on MDAs. The value of the insertion was in billions.
Duplication
“Analysing the 2021 National Budget alone across key sectors of education, water resources, health, power, science and technology, environment, works and agriculture, we found duplication to the tune of over N20 billion.”
The report pointed out that the “contract for the construction and renovation of blocks of the classroom at a University Staff School in Taraba executed by a company owned and operated directly by a lawmaker”, a project ICPC alleged was “haphazardly nominated, appropriated and executed in locations that have no need for such projects.”
In another development, ICPC alleged another contract infraction in the supplies of water rigs by a particular company to be executed in Taraba.
The commission alleged that “just two days after the award of the contract, ‘the said company’, wrote to the executing agency, Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority, informing it that it was involved in some sort of arrangements with its sister company in respect of the execution and requested that the contract sum should be paid into the bank account of the company owned by the sponsoring legislator.
“Funding was, therefore, made to the said company owned by the sponsoring legislator.”
Children
In the report, the ICPC revealed that it was able to track a contract for the supplies of 686 water pumping machines to Kebbi awarded to a particular company owned by the children of a lawmaker.
The report read: “Various other projects were awarded and executed in Kebbi by three other companies owned and operated by the biological children of the sponsor.”
Similarly, the ICPC said that it was able to track the project for the supplies of 19 units of 500KVA transformer to Delta State, two of which “were stolen and sold by an aide of the sponsoring lawmaker, while one was found kept in a private house since 2018.
ICPC stated: “While the culprit is on the run, the lawmaker has agreed to an undertaking to purchase and deliver to the commission the two transformers”.
The commission also cited the project valued at N149m for the training and empowerment of women and youths in Abaji allegedly awarded to a relative of the sponsoring legislator.
It was also replicated in Katsina where the sponsor single-handedly executed the contract after which the project said to have been valued at N49m was changed from its form and devalued by the lawmaker.
In another case, the supply of tricycles to Rivers State was an empowerment project where the sponsor allegedly used one of her cronies as the contractor.
ICPC alleged that “while the contract was never performed, the sum (N30m) was fully paid and shared”.
Projects cited on personal properties
The agency also revealed that some sponsoring legislators sometimes site projects on personal properties, which technically vests legal possession and ownership to them.
An example was cited of the diversion of funds for an agricultural empowerment project in Osun State to a training programme on cattle rearing and the actual supply of cattle.
The Bill of Quantities, BOQ, according to the ICPC report, indicated procurement and distribution of 250 cattle to beneficiaries.
The report said: “While the intended beneficiaries were trained, no cattle were given to them; instead the lawmaker established a private ranch using the cattle procured with government’s fund.”
In Bayelsa, the commission alleged that the investigation led it to another youth empowerment scam carried out by the sponsoring lawmaker.
It alleged that some of the beneficiaries found in the list were randomly contacted, even as none of them acknowledged ever receiving any grant.
Rumble in the Senate over ‘N3. 7 trillion budget padding’
John Alechenu takes a look at what transpired during Tuesday’s plenary following the allegation that N3 trillion was inserted into the 2024 Appropriation Act.
“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it” – George Santayana.
In the eye of the storm
The 10th Senate under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio was in the eye of the storm last week following allegation of impropriety surrounding the passage of the 2024 Appropriation Act.
The allegation was made by the erstwhile Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi South).
In an interview with the Hausa Service of the BBC, Ningi, among other things, alleged that two versions of the 2024 Budget were in operation and that a whopping N3.7 trillion could not be traced to any line item.
As is to be expected, the media and the general public feasted on the interview and fingers pointed in the direction of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Senators who felt the integrity of the Senate in particular and the National Assembly in general had been called to question plotted their revenge and prepared for a collective response.
Many Nigerians were expecting Ningi to produce evidence to pull the plug on Akpabio and his fellow principal officers when plenary resumed on Tuesday.
The Senate President and his backers equally waited for the opportunity to put Ningi in his place after establishing the previous night that he acted alone.
This is not the first time allegations of budget padding were leveled against the leadership of the National Assembly.
Recall, in 2006, during the 8thNational Assembly, then-Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, Abdulmumuni Jibrin, after falling out with then-Speaker Yakubu Dogara, accused the House leadership of padding then-budget to the tune of N40billion.
Jibrin was referred to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges; he refused to make an appearance. He was tried and convicted in absentia.
He was subsequently suspended from legislative duties for 180 days but was later pardoned and recalled before the expiration of 180 days.
Interest
Ningi’s allegation is the first of its kind in the Senate.
This, perhaps, partly explains the interest it generated.
The lawmaker, who is a ranking member as well as a leading member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), spiced his allegation with regional flavour when he also alleged that the 2024 Budget was skewed against the North.
Undeterred by a rebuttal issued by a presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Ningi addressed the Senate Press Corps and insisted he had facts and figures to back his claim, adding for effect that threats of suspension do not scare him.
The stage was thus set for what many considered a testy moment for the Akpabio Senate presidency.
Session
Despite pressures from some of his colleagues for an executive session, convinced that he had nothing to hide, the Senate President opted for an open session which was beamed live on television.
One thing was missing, Akpabio’s trademark banter with colleagues. It was no time for jibes, a lot was at stake. Tuesday’s proceedings were watched across the globe.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Solomon Olamilekan, was recognised to present his motion under matters of privilege, and the motion was duly seconded, several senators were given room to speak for and against.
The provocateur, Ningi, was given ample opportunity to defend himself, substantiate his claims, and even level more if he had.
It was an anti-climax when he stood and recanted some of the things he was quoted to have said in the contentious interview.
He went on to say only he had details of the findings of the consultants hired by the Northern Senators Forum to review the budget.
After dramatizing and displaying a horde of files and documents, Ningi could not substantiate his allegation of padding or infraction in the budget; instead, he digressed and started talking about the number of aides appointed by the Senate President and his take-home pay. However, another matter stirred public debate.
Senator Agom Jaribe (PDP, Cross River), while contributing during the debate, alleged that some ranking senators received N500 million each for constituency projects while others were discriminated against.
The Senate descended into near chaos for almost 30 minutes before calm was restored.
Sentiments
One thing was however clear: Different sentiments were whipped into the debate on the allegations but the Senate was united in doing what it felt was the right thing in accordance with its Standing Order.
Hence, the prayers of Olamilekan’s motion were amended and subsequently passed.
Ningi was suspended for three months.
The emptiness of Ningi’s allegations and the prompt response of the Senate to tame the misinformation have spared Akpabio from public ridicule because, since the National Assembly is becoming synonymous with budget padding, many people were expecting the Senate President’s political career to be nailed based on his colleague’s allegations.
But Akpabio scaled the hurdle and this has once more amplified the confidence of his colleagues in his ability to paddle the canoe of leadership in the Red Chamber.The submission by the Senate that Ningi had no case and was clearly on another mission was enunciated by the Senate Leader, Senator Michael Bamidele, who was blunt in his presentation.
Coup
Bamidele likened Ningi’s allegations to a failed civilian equivalent of a military coup.
He expressed the view that some senators were yet to put behind their electoral defeat in the race for top leadership positions hence the scheming to truncate Akpabio’s tenure.
To his credit, the Senate President didn’t betray emotions as he allowed his colleagues express themselves during the session. Even when the session temporarily became rowdy, a practice which is common with democracies across the globe especially in the developing world, Akpabio stood up, cited Order 6. 3 of ‘The Senate Standing Orders 2015 (As Amended)’, which reads: “Whenever the President of the Senate or the Chairman rises during a debate, any Senator then speaking or offering to speak shall sit down, and the Senate or the Committee shall be silent so that the President of the Senate or the Chairman may be heard without interruption.”
The rule also empowers the Senate President to order the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort a senator out of the chamber if he/she chooses to be disruptive after this intervention.
It is worthy of note that Senator David Mark, as Senate President, invoked this rule only once in his eight years on the exalted chair.
Akpabio’s handling of the allegations of budget padding sent a message to watchers of the Senate that the era of using trumped-up charges to commence impeachment proceedings against presiding officers better known as the era of the infamous “banana peels” has been confined to the dustbin of history.
As a trained lawyer and firm believer in the rule of law, Akpabio allowed the Senate Rules to take their course in attending to Ningi’s allegations, which were ab initio dead on arrival.
A former senator who represented Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, recalled how he was almost suspended during the 8th Senate for revealing his earnings and that of his fellow senators.
While reacting to Ningi’s suspension, he said all senators are equal in the eyes of the law but that this was not the case in reality. He told Sunday Vanguard there are written and unwritten laws and conventions senators are expected to abide by. He described suspension as a not too pleasant experience because it literally means “being shut out of the National Assembly and your legislative functions and denied your emoluments, rights and privileges for the period of the suspension”. He noted that, as a nation, we need to set out priorities right in order to move forward.
Akpabio as presiding officer of the 10th Senate didn’t mince words when he described the incalculable damage being done to the National Assembly as an institution each time allegations, which lack basis in fact, are made especially by fellow lawmakers whom he believes ought to know better. Nigerians are hoping that the 10thNational Assembly will grow beyond petty politics and settle down to making laws that will improve the security and welfare of citizens.
It is clear that the United States’ frustration with the Nigerian government goes beyond reports of genocide.
The American President, Donald Trump, and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu have been engaged in a silent conflict for some time.
Trump has often been described as a “bully,” even by prominent politicians in the U.S. and around the world, due to his lawless and reckless leadership style, as noted by Barack Obama.
Trump has expressed discomfort with President Tinubu’s body language and has been critical of certain policies.
In turn, President Tinubu retaliated against some of Trump’s decisions regarding Nigeria.
The beginning of Trump’s anger – BRICS Partnership
President Donald Trump’s anger began when Nigeria was formally admitted as a BRICS partner country in January 2025 under Brazil’s presidency.
At the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the grouping, which also includes powerhouses like Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and newer members such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Indonesia.
This comes after Brazilian president and the current chairman of BRICS, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, condemned the Trump administration’s worldwide tariff increase imposed on almost all countries around the world.
Trump was quick to respond to his Brazilian counterpart’s comments, imposing additional 10 per cent tariffs on BRICS and its partners, which he has repeatedly warned against engaging in anti-American policies.
Trump had imposed a 14 per cent reciprocity tariff on Nigeria in April 2025, which became the ninth BRICS partner country in January 2025 and additional 10 per cent over its alliance with the developing nations’ bloc. Nigeria’s affiliation with the BRICS nations further anger the American leader.
President Tinubu responded with calm, saying that his administration will remain resilient and has no fear of the trade policy direction of U.S. President Donald Trump, particularly tariffs targeting Nigerian exports.
Tinubu said, “If non-oil revenue is growing, then we have no fear of whatever Trump is doing on the other side.”
This response clearly provoked more anger from Trump.
The anger lingered more as President Donald Trump ignored Nigeria, only to invite five other African nations to discuss ” Commercial Opportunities”.
Trump hosted five African leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal at the White House to discuss “commercial opportunities” on July 9, 2025.
Nigeria was not among the nations invited, even though, the criteria for the invitation were not clear.
After hitting Nigeria with a 14% tariff, the U.S. faced similar backlash as President Tinubu retaliated with a ban on 25 American goods, leaving Trump to complain about the response.
Following the ban on 25 imported items from the United States of America to Nigeria, there were strong indications that Donald Trump’s government may retaliate by blacklisting more Nigerian products.
The development comes as the country imported about $643.1 million worth of goods from Nigeria between January and February 2025 before the implementation of the new tariffs by the Trump government.
Trump’s administration quickly criticised Nigeria’s longstanding import ban on 25 product categories, warning that the policy undermines American exporters and blocks access to one of Africa’s largest consumer markets.
Nigeria refuses to accept Venezuelan deportees from the US
Tinubu’s government again rejected Trump’s proposal of accepting deportees from the United States, distancing itself from decisions by countries like Rwanda, Eswatini and South Sudan that have agreed to receive foreign nationals expelled from the United States of America.
Trump reacted again with another policy to target Nigerian citizens
After Nigeria had rejected being the country of deportees from the United States, the US tightens visa rules for Nigerians, scrutinises applicants’ social media accounts.
The latest rule by the US as the Trump administration intensifies immigration crackdown, mainly targeting African countries like Nigeria.
The US has announced a new visa rule for Nigerians, requiring all applicants to disclose their social media usernames and handles from the past five years for vetting.
‘‘Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas,’’ the US Embassy in Nigeria said in a statement on X on Monday, adding that visa applicants are ‘‘required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form.’’
Meanwhile, Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has warned Nigerians that the threat by the administration of United States President Donald Trump to invade Nigeria militarily should not be regarded as a welcome development.
Trump had warned that if the Nigerian government fails to tackle the alleged massacre of Christians, the US military would intervene to target those allegedly persecuting Christians.
The development has generated mixed reactions, with some stakeholders, particularly Christians, celebrating Trump’s move.
However, Sowore, in a statement on Sunday, cautioned that the threat should not be celebrated, explaining that a military intervention could cause more harm to the nation.
According to him, the US President “does not care about Nigerians, not Christians, Muslims, or anyone else.”
Sowore stressed that the nation’s deliverance will “never come from abroad; it must come from within, through real leadership, not the Tinubus of this world, and national renewal.”
The statement reads: “The latest threat by US President Donald Trump @POTUS to launch military action in Nigeria, allegedly to protect Christians, may sound appealing to some. Still, history has shown this to be perilous.
Whether you are Christian, Muslim, animist, or non-religious, no one should celebrate such rhetoric. The United States and its allies have a long record of military interventions that leave nations more unstable than before.
They failed to secure peace in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, or Syria, and they will not bring salvation to Nigeria through bombs or boots on the ground.
What Nigeria truly needs is not a foreign savior, but legitimate accountable leadership, one that protects all citizens, upholds justice, and ends the cycles of corruption and violence that have left the nation broken.”
Various considerations must be taken into account regarding the ongoing legal proceedings of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who is currently facing terrorism charges in the Federal High Court in Abuja.
On Monday, Kanu stated that he would not present a defense in his terrorism trial, asserting that the charges brought against him lack validity.
The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) told the judge, James Omotosho, that he had reviewed the case of the prosecution and found it was not worth defending.
Kanu, who is being tried for his violence-inciting campaigns for the independence of Nigeria’s South-east and parts of neighbouring states as Biafra, said there was no valid charge against him in the first place, rendering his defence unnecessary.
Considering that Kanu was not represented by a lawyer, the judge advised him to consult with legal experts. Although the prosecution insisted that the IPOB leader already made his choice not to enter a defence, the judge postponed proceedings till 4 November to enable the IPOB leader to take his final decision.
CONSEQUENCES
If Kanu is found guilty, he risks spending a lifetime jail sentence or worse of, death!
For the offence of terrorism, Section 4 of the Terrorism Prevention Act states that: (1) A person who knowingly, in any manner, solicits or renders support for (a) an act of terrorism; or (b) a proscribed organisation or an internationally suspected terrorist group. an offence under this Act and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for a maximum term of 20 years.
(2) without prejudice to subsection (2) of this section, where death results from any terrorist act the penalty shall be death sentence.
For the offence of treason/treasonable felony, Section 37 and Section 41 of the Criminal Code Act prescribes either life imprisonment or a death sentence.
It is no longer news that things have fallen apart between the distinguished 64-year-old Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ned Nwoko, and his heartthrob, Regina Daniels, due to allegations of domestic violence and drug abuse.
Regina had accused her husband, Senator Nwoko, of domestic violence in a video making the rounds, an allegation he already countered.
In 2021, there were allegations that Regina Daniels was using Jaruma’s product, ‘Kayamata’, on her husband, Ned Nwoko, and his former wife, Laila Charani. Rumors circulated online suggesting that Regina expressed her affection solely for Ned and not for his co-wives. Some claims even suggested that Regina had enchanted Laila, who had recently divorced Ned.
Following the recent marital scandal involving the couple, Regina has faced a wave of criticism regarding her association with the Kayamata product, which has brought attention back to this incident.
Meanwhile, on November 3, 2021, as reported by Daily Post, an online publication, the popular Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels has denied allegations that she used Jaruma’s Kayamata product to secure her marriage to billionaire, Ned Nwoko.
Regina in a post on her Instagram page said she has never used Kayamata and was only told by Jaruma to influence the product.
In a statement on her Instagram, the mother of one called out Jaruma for trying to mislead the public.
Sharing a post where someone said she used Kayamata to secure her husband, Ned Nwoko, Regina said she was only contracted to raise awareness for the Jaruma Brand and she has and will never use Kayanmata products.
Her post reads, “This is for clarity sake here, I have and will never use any kayamata product. Jaruma paid me to help make random posts for her. I personally gave my terms concerning the kind of posts to be made, I was very mindful with my choice of words so as not to mislead the public, I was simply creating awareness for her brand and along the line, we became friends.
“I was warned severally to keep her at arms length and mind my association with her but it is not in my nature to judge a person from another’s perspective but in her case I should have known better. She constantly uses every opportunity to create contents to profit off my person and my brand even after our payment deal expired.
“I tolerated this because I believed I understood her person and felt I should give her the benefit of doubt and maintain a cordial friendship. But this time, I will not tolerate Jaruma using this issue that practically portrays me as a bad person for her selfish desires knowing fully well, that I have NEVER AND WILL NEVER USE whatever she sells as I have no reason to.
“And this is a notice to my fans and the general public, I and my brand As Regina Daniels has no business/association with Jaruma and her products, Thank you.”
It is no longer a matter of speculation that former President Goodluck Jonathan is contemplating a bid for the presidency in the 2027 election, as evidenced by his numerous consultations with prominent political figures in Nigeria.
Jonathan seems to remain uncomfortable with the manner in which he lost the 2025 presidential election to the late Muhammadu Buhari, who notably became the first opposition candidate in Nigeria’s history to successfully unseat a sitting president.
Several months ago, high-ranking stakeholders from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) reportedly traveled to The Gambia to engage with Jonathan and persuade him to accept the party’s nomination for the upcoming election.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, has recently positioned himself as a facilitator in both national and continental matters, particularly concerning conflict resolution and the enhancement of democratic practices throughout Africa and beyond.
Political expetrs assert that the recent decision by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP to designate the 2027 presidential ticket for candidates from the Southern region was a strategic move intended to create favorable conditions for Jonathan’s candidacy.
During a speech in Benin City, at the 70th birthday celebration of his longtime ally and former Chief of Staff, Mike Aiyegbeni Oghiadomhe, Jonathan expressed sentiments of betrayal by individuals he had previously placed his trust in during his re-election campaign.
Most recently, a significant meeting took place in Abuja between former President Jonathan and Senator David Mark, the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
However, Jonathan’s aspiration to secure a nomination from the coalition party may face challenges, as Senator Mark clearly indicated that the only pathway to attaining the party’s nomination would require Jonathan to formally join the ADC and actively participate in a transparent presidential primary process.
On September 12, 2025, Jonathan extended his consultations to Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate from the Labour Party (LP), engaging in discussions in Abuja concerning potential strategies for forming a unified opposition front in anticipation of the 2027 presidential election.
In recent months, the prospect of Jonathan and Obi as potential challengers to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has garnered considerable attention.
Following various reports regarding his prospective return to Aso Villa in 2027, Jonathan privately visited notable former military leaders, Generals Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, in Minna, Niger State, on September 15, 2022.
During separate meetings with the two leaders, Jonathan characterized his visits as routine engagements with esteemed elder statesmen, emphasizing, “The visit is simply a regular occurrence, particularly as I am the youngest of all former leaders. It also provided an opportunity to check in on General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who has recently returned from medical treatment, and to visit General Babangida.”
Moreover, former Minister of Information and Orientation, Professor Jerry Gana, has publicly stated that Jonathan will indeed contest in the 2027 presidential election, positioning him as the flagbearer for the PDP.
Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has further expressed his belief that Jonathan represents the PDP’s strongest candidate for the 2027 presidential election, urging concerted efforts from the party to facilitate his return as a viable contender.
As the sitting president and a significant political figure, it is improbable that Goodluck Jonathan, despite extensive consultations, would be able to defeat Bola Tinubu. In the 2023 elections, regardless of the challenges he faced with his political party, he emerged victorious and continues to serve as president, commanding respect from both his supporters and opponents alike.
Spotlights
‘NO MORE YES DADDY’: Fresh Attack on Peter Obi after Snubbing Bishop Oyedepo On 71st Birthday
Tensions appear to have escalated between the 2023 Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the influential General Overseer of Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo.
This schism became evident when Obi declined to extend a congratulatory birthday message to the Bishop, a decision interpreted as a significant slight within certain Christian communities. Click link to continue reading.
The backdrop to this rift is a controversial leaked audio recording in which both Obi and Oyedepo discussed the 2023 elections, characterizing them as akin to a religious battle.
This conversation has further fueled divisions among their respective supporters, heightening the stakes in a politically charged atmosphere. As both figures represent substantial constituencies—one rooted in political ambition and the other in religious leadership—this fallout could have far-reaching implications for their followers and the broader socio-political landscape.
In the viral leaked audio published by People’s Gazette, Peter Obi was heard begging David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church for support.
Obi asked Mr Oyedepo to help spread the message to his followers in the southwest and northcentral states.
The leaked audio had since generated heated conversations and controversies on social media with many Nigerians condemning Peter Obi for championing religious-driven campaign in a multi-dimensional country like Nigeria.
Read the conversation word for word below:
Peter Obi: Good morning Daddy.
Bishop Oyedepo: Praise the Lord, how are you Sir?
Peter Obi: Fine Daddy, good morning Sir.
Bishop Oyedepo: Amen, in Jesus name we are going to get bright results.
Peter Obi: Thank you Daddy, when I hear these your calls and prayers, Daddy it’s very dear to me. Like I keep saying if this works, you people will never regret the support.
Bishop Oyedepo: Amen! Amen! We look forward to God’s intervention.
Peter Obi: Thank you, Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in South West and Kwara, the Christians in South West and Kwara, this is a religious war.
Bishop Oyedepo: I believe that… I believe that… I believe that… You know I did a release ‘Nigeria Going Forward’ and I am coming with the second one today. I wanted it out when they won’t have any time to do damage control. But in the name of Jesus this would be a success. You know what I said in today’s own? A sickling nation like Nigeria will require a strong and healthy personality. I said anyone whose source of wealth could not be verified should not have access to governance. So all we are doing is appealing to the conscience of people to know where to go. But I want to assure you, in the name of Jesus, that the result will be favourable.
Peter Obi: Thank you Daddy.
Bishop Oyedepo: So relax yourself don’t be apprehensive. Are you in Lagos or Abuja?
Peter Obi: I am in Onitsha now
Bishop Oyedepo: So you will be there for the election?
Notable figures in Nigeria, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have extended their warm congratulations to the esteemed and Africa’s wealthiest pastor, Bishop David Oyedepo, as he celebrates his 71st birthday.
This event has stirred various reactions, particularly from former presidential aide Reno Omokri, who criticized former presidential candidate Peter Obi for failing to acknowledge the influential pastor with a congratulatory message.
Omokri’s remarks, shared on his X account, sparked a wave of mixed responses from users, highlighting the complexities of public sentiment surrounding such high-profile interactions.
He said: “He did not congratulate Prof Wole Soyinka on his birthday.
He ignored the Ooni of Ife on his 50th birthday and only posted about it a week later.
He refused to send birthday greetings to his ‘Daddy’ Bishop David Oyedepo on his birthday, which is today, but found time to celebrate his ‘brother’, the Olubadan of Ibadan.
And he totally sidelined Pastor Poju Oyemade on his birthday.
All of these men have assisted Peter Obi at one point or another.
Does Nigeria need such a petty President? God forbid!”
One of the significant outcomes of marriage is procreation. The ability to have children not only demonstrates the fertility of the couple but also ensures the continuity of the family lineage.
The narrative of Mrs. Chinyere Onyebuchi Elendu exemplifies this experience. It recounts the journey of a woman whose prayer for a child was realized in the sixteenth year of her marriage, a time when her hopes for conception and childbirth had seemingly diminished. Click link to continue reading.
Sunny Nwankwo of The Nation spoke with the indigene of Amaeke Alayi, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State at their family house in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state.
How did you meet your husband?
I didn’t know my husband. until a friend who was close to the family told me that their son was looking for a woman. I was not the only person that was introduced to the family. However, it pleased the Lord that at the end of everything, I was the one whom he decided to settle down with.
When did you get married?
I got married on December 19, 2006.
How is your marriage with your husband?
We have been living in peace since we got married.
Was there any kind of hindrance in terms of conception after your marriage?
After our wedding, we stayed for a year without conception, and it called for concerns. From that moment, we started seeking medical help. About two years after our marriage, I conceived a baby boy in 2009 and gave birth in 2010. Sadly, after two months, the baby died. We thought that since I was able to conceive, the door to conception had opened. But our hope and expectations diminished as years passed without any positive outcome.
It was not as if we kept quiet; we were doing all that we could do to seek a solution, and we were taking the drugs that were recommended for us. Why we didn’t go seeking medical help outside Nigeria is because we didn’t have the money to cater for such trips. We went to Abuja, Cotonou, Asaba, Lagos, and Port Harcourt, among others. I personally was willing to go wherever people suggested that we should go for medical attention, and I thank my husband ,who was supportive all the way. However, 14 years after the death of our first baby and 16 years after our marriage came these miracle babies.
What was life like for you in those 14 years of waiting?
It was not easy. I went through hell and pain because in every visit to the hospital, the man would only undergo one test. But when it comes to the woman, a lot of things are usually involved. Sometimes, after going through tests, I would not be able to move my body. I would not be able to sit or lie down. My entire body would be in pain because of what I went through. Sometimes I would be unconscious after going through some rigorous tests. But at the end of the day, God would help me to get better and stronger.
I told myself that as long as this life is concerned, as long as I am still breathing, I must bear children for my husband. I had that determination even when people were saying that I had tried and that I should take a break. But the more you take a break as a woman, the more you are ageing, so you have to do fast while asking for the mercy of God.
My situation made me very close to God. It made me realise that it is only God who gives children. I went to several “best” gynecologists on fertility matters, and after spending all that I spent, there was no result. You would go there, spend money and be disappointed because the purpose for spending such an amount of money was not achieved.
When it appeared that the efforts of men had failed, I started asking God for mercy. I reminded Him that He is the only one who gives children, using related scriptural chapters and verses. In 2024, God showed up for me.
Was there a time you contemplated giving up or quitting your marriage?
There were occasions when the going was very tough, but I never considered leaving my husband or my marriage, because he was not the cause of my problem. However, I would tell him at times that I was getting tired, because I was the one going through the pains. Like I told you, the process of examination in women is always rigorous, stressful and painful.
When other people were sleeping, I would be crying. Sometimes I cried from night till morning. No one would know what you are passing through. Sometimes, people will tag you as a wicked or unhappy person, not knowing what you are going through..
It is only when people go through the same pain that you are going through that they will understand what you are going through. You would only know how someone feels if you have gone through what that person is going through. So, it was a tough journey for me, and it takes someone who is wearing the same shoes with you to know exactly how you feel. So, it was a tough journey.
What month in 2024 did you notice that things had changed?
It was in April 2024 when I went to the hospital for a medical test to check for my menstrual period, because I wasn’t seeing it. Then they said that they would test for pregnancy. That wasn’t what I was expecting at that time. I was a little bit hesitant about it, but they insisted that we should do a pregnancy test.
At that point, I became nervous because it was the last thing on my mind. After they took my blood sample, I couldn’t stay within the vicinity. I had to leave the place in my state of nervousness as my body suddenly became hot. Suddenly, a feverish condition gripped me. About five minutes later, a nurse from the hospital who had gone to look for me but couldn’t see me, called me on the phone and started congratulating me.
She told me that I was pregnant. She said that the pregnancy test showed thick red, meaning that it was not going to be one baby. I couldn’t believe it. I pinched myself and asked if I was in a dream. At a time, I held back my joy, waiting for the time I would go to scan to confirm the pregnancy and to be sure that the babies were breathing and growing. I started asking God for mercy. I started praying that the affliction would not happen a second time. It was not that I was not getting pregnant; what happened was that most times, I would lose the pregnancy.
Four weeks into my pregnancy, we went for a scan and they noticed that there was a heartbeat (apart from the first time that I gave birth to the first one that died, I had never crossed this line before. I couldn’t believe it; it was like a dream. As the pregnancy progressed, we did another scan and they saw that there were babies. From that moment till the day they were brought out, God kept all of us in good health.
How did you break the news of your pregnancy to your husband and loved ones, as some people might choose to keep It secret until they were delivered of their babies?
You know that this is our 18th year of marriage. Our case is well known in the hospital. The hospital knows my husband, so before I could call him to share the good news, they had already called to break the news to him. So, when I called my husband, he was singing to me. When I asked why he was singing, he told me that the hospital had already informed him of the cheering news.
There was so much joy between the two of us. We, however, decided to keep the news to ourselves until the pregnancy got to the fourth month. Within this period, I was in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in a friend’s house until the fifth month, when I returned to Aba. While we were planning to come back to Aba, we felt that it was good that we should break the news to our families before others got to know about it.
When I came back to Aba, my house turned into a Mecca of sorts as many people who heard the news came either to confirm what they heard or to celebrate with our family. I was answering calls from people whom I had gotten tired of answering calls from. My mother-in-law, who was in the US when we broke the news to her, started shedding tears of joy. Before now, we had done nine IVFs (In Vitro Fertilization) and they all failed. I want to commend my in-laws from the Elendu family for their support to us financially during the trying period.
In the eighth month of the pregnancy, the devil came again, but God didn’t allow the desires of the enemy to come to fruition. I had what they called placenta previa. I started bleeding, but I laid my hands on my stomach and prayed. As God would have it, the bleeding stopped before we got to the hospital. We got to the hospital at about 9:30am. By that time, both the Director and his assistant had gone home to rest. We tried their number,s but they were not connecting. As God would have it, we met a doctor on duty, who called for my file. This was happening on Saturday after I had gone for a scan on Wednesday.
According to the doctor, when the Wednesday scan was brought to him, they discovered that all the children had turned and were struggling for space, leading to the placenta previa. The doctor checked the heartbeat of the babies and confirmed that they were okay. He, however, said that I would no longer go home. He said that my cesarean section would only be done by a surgeon, as the case, if not well handled, would lead to complications. I was in the hospital from that Saturday till the next Thursday when the doctors who were needed to assist in the operation were available.
So, how did you feel having being delivered of your babies?
The truth is that I was in pain, but my husband was on hand. You know that the babies didn’t stay up to nine months. So, they were moved into the incubator. After delivery, all I wanted was to rest as I was battling with the pains of the surgery. However, after days, a pediatrician came and urged me to start going to the incubator to see them so that they could come out of the incubator soon.
According to him, there is a bond that mothers share with their children. He said that, if they heard my voice, they would come out quickly. Two weeks after my regular visit to the incubator, they were brought into my room. Looking at their faces, I was filled with so much joy.
How do you cope with feeding the five babies in these austere times?
There is nobody who does not know how tough the country is now. It has not been easy for me. You have seen five children at a time. People who have just one are not finding it easy, not to talk of someone who has five at a stretch. It is not easy, but with God, all things are possible. Family, friends, and well-wishers have been trying their best to rally around us. But it has not been an easy moment for us.
My mother has been here since December. She has been helping out in her little way. I have been getting assistance from my husband’s younger sister and other concerned loved ones, including some women who were around to help me feed the babies. My children, though they sleep well at night, are usually fed every four hours. I breastfed them, but it is not usually enough for the five of them. I sit for two and a half hours to breastfeed five of them (30mins each). Sometimes, one or two of them might stay longer than the 30 minutes the doctor says I should be breastfeeding them. Today, three of them have stopped breastfeeding on their own. So I sleep around 12 am now.
Before the birth of your children, what were you doing?
I was a trader. My husband is a contractor. He drills a borehole and does plumbing work. Since their arrival, I have been at home. My customers know that I gave birth and they want me to stay at home to take care of my children.
What would you say to women who are still in your former condition?
Since I gave birth, a lot of people have been coming here to tap into this blessing. Some people who come here would ask me to pray for them. There have been testimonies from people who have come here to tap from the blessing as they have taken in since they came to the house, including a woman who had stayed for eight years in marriage without the fruit of the womb. God has been using these children to bless a lot of families. Barrenness is not something that someone should wish even their enemies.
Was there anything special you did to impel the coming of these babies?
They came when God wanted them to come, because there was nothing special that I did. In fact, they came when all hope was lost. I just told God that I was done. If it were before, I would be praying and having sleepless nights. But I just handed over everything to God.
Mrs. Chinyere Elendu can be reached on 07035371131
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