Spotlights
How #EndBadGovernance protest cost DSS, NIA bosses their jobs
The reasons the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, and the DG of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar, resigned from their positions have been revealed.
Sources within the Presidency told Saturday PUNCH that President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, questioned the intelligence gathering mechanisms of the two agencies following the violent nature of the #EndBadGovernance protests in some northern states and the seizure of three presidential aircraft in France.
While Bichi was held responsible for lack of functional intelligence on the protest, Abubakar was reportedly queried for the NIA’s inability to have reports ahead of the seizure of the jets by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited.
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A French court had sanctioned the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets, including a newly purchased Airbus, amid a legal dispute between Zhongshan and the Ogun State Government.
The #EndBadGovernance protest, which began on August 1, turned violent in Kano, Gombe, Yobe, Borno and Bauchi states while demonstrations in the South-West were peaceful.
During the protests in some northern states, public and private facilities were destroyed, while hoodlums looted shops and caused mayhem. This led to the imposition of curfews in Kano, Bauchi, and Plateau states.
The protest was driven by widespread hardship resulting from the removal of fuel subsidy, electricity tariff hike and the high cost of living, among other issues.
Bichi, who hails from Kano State, where widespread destruction and looting occurred, was appointed on September 14, 2018, by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Abubakar, from Katsina State, was also appointed by Buhari on January 10, 2018.
According to credible sources, Tinubu and Ribadu were embarrassed by the turn of events on the seizure of the presidential jets and the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations.
“The seizure of the presidential jets and violent nature of the #EndBadGovernance protest embarrassed the President nationally and internationally.
“The President was displeased with the NIA and DSS bosses. This was why he requested the resignation of the two security chiefs,” said one of the sources.
Another source told Saturday PUNCH that Bichi and Ribadu had been having a running battle before the protest, with the fallout from the northern demonstrations serving as the final straw.
He stated, “The former DSS DG and the NSA boss had been on bad terms for some time. Their issues escalated to the point that Bichi was unable to meet the President for a while. The Presidency finally had a valid reason to dismiss him due to the #EndBadGovernance protest.”
Abubakar announced his resignation on Saturday, August 24, after meeting with President Tinubu.
In contrast, Bichi’s resignation was announced in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Monday, August 26.
Why we celebrated Bichi’s exit – DSS officers
Bichi’s resignation elicited reactions from DSS staff and the public.
Some DSS officers, who spoke to us on condition of anonymity, described his exit as ‘freedom from unprofessionalism’.
The DSS officers listed Bichi’s alleged misconduct to include undue interference in the service’s operations by his wife and son, Yusuf Bichi.
A video of some DSS staff members allegedly celebrating Bichi’s resignation surfaced online immediately after his departure.
However, an X user, Sanusi Jibrin, said the clip was recorded at the Kogi State DSS office, where personnel were celebrating Ajayi’s appointment, as he was a former director at the state command.
A DSS officer, however, said personnel of the agency were happy with his removal.
“We believed his regime was a punishment for us. He impeded the career advancement of many officers by extending the service years of those due to retire. Some senior officers, who were due for retirement in 2021 and 2022 were retained in the service,” he stated.
Another officer alleged that Bichi was indifferent to the welfare of workers.
“The Federal Government increased our salary by 40 per cent, but there was no implementation. We were earning more than the police before, but the police are now earning more than us because they implemented their 40 per cent increment. However, there was a proposal to increase our salary by 25 per cent this year, but it has yet to be realised,” the officer said.
Speaking on the recruitment of personnel, another secret agent described Bichi’s recruitment as nepotistic.
“Bichi’s recruitments were arbitrary and lopsided. Three different training sessions have been conducted for some people we didn’t know when they were recruited this year alone. Most of the newly recruited personnel are northerners.
“His first recruitment in 2019 brought in either 420 or 450 persons from Bichi Local Government Area in Kano alone. In the history of the service, 450 was the maximum recruitment we ever had before Bichi, but he recruited 1,000 personnel at once.
“There was no southerner among the national directors and deputy directors at the headquarters until January this year when he was directed by the Presidency following a petition. His wife is another issue; she abused her husband’s office. His son, too, was power drunk.
“Just two weeks ago, his wife slapped a DSS director in a northern state. She also slapped at least two deputy directors at airports.”
Tweeps also criticised the former DSS boss, accusing him of allowing his family to abuse power because of his position.
The publisher of Daily Nigerian, Jafaar Jafaar, while commenting on X, said Bichi turned the DSS into a “graveyard of career aspirations.”
“He lowered the recruitment bar, removed the multi-layer screening process to recruit personnel who couldn’t even pass the Halogen Security aptitude test. Bichi arguably recruited the highest number of Cotonou ‘graduates’ into the service. He wilfully extended the tenure of some retired directors in his good book for years, killing the ambitions of the aspiring directors. He allowed his wife to lord over the service, influencing recruitment, promotion and discipline,” he stated.
Jafaar alleged that Bichi’s wife oppressed people with “a superfluity of everything at the expense of public funds,” adding that she moved around in a long motorcade, harassing motorists.
“She was a stormy petrel, who was majorly in the news for either assaulting her tailor for failing to meet a deadline or picking a fight with opposition politicians. His impudent, spoiled brat son shrugged off public criticism to gleefully display a fleet of luxury cars on social media.
“At the expense of public funds, he has a number of DSS operatives giving him cover at football arena, nightclub and political campaign rallies.”
Our correspondent, while checking Bichi’s son, Yusuf’s X page, saw a video clip of when he rode in a long convoy of security operatives, suspected to be men of the DSS.
In 2023, the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, had also claimed that Bichi’s wife threatened to prevent him from becoming the state governor.
The governor, in a viral video, also alleged that the woman abused and insulted him before preventing him from boarding a commercial plane.
The Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, stated that the alleged celebration of Bichi’s resignation by some staff members did not necessarily mean he was a good or bad leader.
According to him, workers do not like disciplined bosses who insist that everybody should do the right thing and reject corruption.
“I’m not saying the former DG is good because we could see a lot of loopholes in intelligence gathering and security issues.
“That staff and colleagues are celebrating his exit, it’s neither here nor there. It could be that he is very, very strict or it could be that he has not been taking care of their welfare and whatever.
“It could also be that he didn’t allow them to do their work the way they wanted to do it. And maybe his exit will allow them to prove their mettle, that they could work better than they were doing under him”, he added.
Illegal arrests, violation of court orders
Under the leadership of Bichi, the DSS was involved in many controversial operations, including the arrest of a former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Emefiele was arrested on June 9, 2023, and was only arraigned more than a month later.
On 25 July, despite a Federal High Court order granting him bail and ordering his transfer to a correctional centre, the DSS re-arrested him, with operatives reportedly assaulting a prison official at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, in the process.
A former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, was also a victim. He was arrested on August 3, 2019, just days before a planned protest tagged #RevolutionNow against “bad governance”.
Although released on bail on December 5, Sowore was re-arraigned on December 6.
The DSS attempted to re-arrest him inside the courtroom but were prevented by his supporters; however, they succeeded in re-arresting him outside the court.
Another case involved a citizen Anthony Okolie, who was detained by the DSS for 10 weeks for purchasing and using an MTN SIM card previously used and discarded by Hanan Buhari, the daughter of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Also, the Regional Editor of The Conversation Africa, Adejuwon Soyinka, was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos last Sunday and detained for hours before his release. However, his passport was confiscated.
Efforts to reach Bichi proved unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The likelihood of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar securing the presidential nomination of the coalition party,
African Democratic Party (ADC), appears quite low. This assessment stems from the covert maneuverings among various political figures who are actively working to undermine Atiku’s candidacy, particularly as the 2027 elections approach.
Atiku Abubakar, a seasoned political figure, seems to be playing his final card in his long-held aspiration to become the President of Nigeria—a dream that has eluded him for many years. His previous bid in 2023, where he faced off against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ended without success. In response to his electoral defeat, Atiku has joined forces with other prominent politicians in a coalition aimed at unseating Tinubu in the upcoming re-election battle.
However, within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku has encountered significant opposition. Many party members have distanced themselves from him, leading to a notable exodus of PDP members who have opted to switch their allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This shifting political landscape poses a daunting challenge for Atiku as he seeks to regain his footing.
Insider sources reveal that there is considerable frustration within Atiku’s camp regarding his chances of emerging as the ADC’s presidential candidate. Compounding this issue is the apparent preference of several influential politicians—some even from Northern Nigeria—to support a Southern candidate instead. Such dynamics only serve to deepen the challenges Atiku faces.
Additionally, the possibility of Peter Obi—the former Governor of Anambra State—being selected as the ADC’s representative could push Atiku to reconsider his affiliation with the PDP and gravitate toward alternative political options available to him. As the political landscape evolves, Atiku’s ambition for the presidency continues to hang in the balance, influenced by both external and internal factors.
“Atiku may dump ADC if Peter Obi emerge and that’s what some of Atiku’s supporters are waiting for. Atiku is the only politician who can battle Tinubu in 2027. And it will be a great mistake if some politicians who also want power pick Obi ahead Atiku,” the source said.
Meanwhile, a report has claimed that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his counterpart in the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, are yet to formally leave their respective parties because of the unresolved issue of the 2027 presidential ticket within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Sources within the party, who spoke to Punch, stated that once the ADC finalises its zoning arrangement, those favoured by the outcome, particularly presidential hopefuls, will officially join the coalition platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the next election.
A source within the coalition also revealed that the party’s leadership had begun taking action on the matter, adding that once the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the 2027 election timetable, the ADC would activate its structures to facilitate mass defection and formal membership.
Obi has not formally joined the ADC but has openly declared his commitment to the party.
Although Atiku has not made a formal declaration, many coalition leaders strongly believe the former VP will contest the 2027 presidential election.
Obi, Atiku, and several of their high-profile loyalists remain in the LP and PDP, respectively, and have yet to officially join the ADC.
The source described the situation as disturbing, adding that they needed to join the party formally so that millions of other Nigerians could do the same.
He stated, “We expected them, or at least many of their members, to resign their legacy party memberships and formally join the ADC on or before the Wednesday unveiling of ADC as the coalition platform.
“I understand that they all want to know the direction of the coalition, whether it is going to the South or to the North. But I know that many, if not all of them, will join once the party leadership makes its position on zoning known.”
Another source revealed that the coalition was progressing as planned, noting that the decision on who would get the 2027 presidential ticket would be a significant turning point.
It comes as no surprise that news headlines this week have been dominated by the formation of a coalition by opposition politicians plotting to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) was adopted as a platform to challenge Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC). Leading the ADC coalition is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi, both runners-up in the last presidential election.
They are joined by other experienced politicians, including former Senate President David Mark, who like Atiku is leaving the PDP, along with the opposition party’s former chairman Uche Secondus, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi.
At the unveiling of the coalition on Wednesday, interim chairman David Mark said it was an attempt to save the country’s democracy and to stop Nigeria from becoming a one-party state.
However, analysts said the coalition is bound to be torn apart by the ambition of some of the key political figures on the question of which part of the country should its presidential candidate come from.
Although there’s a long way to go before candidates are officially announced, political commentators are predicting that 78-year-old Atiku will have another shot at the presidency. Atiku’s supporters feel that with him being the only former vice president seeking the presidency, every other politician naturally comes second.
Aside from Atiku, Amaechi has indicated his interest in running for the country’s top job in 2027. The former minister came a distant second in the APC presidential primary in 2022, losing to Tinubu. In an interview on Channels TV on Thursday, Amaechi said he believes the power-sharing deal between northern and southern Nigeria should be respected.
He recalled how he fought for the return of power to the North in 2015, saying he believes in power sharing between the two major regions of the country. “I led the fight against the PDP government. Why? Because there was an agreement that the government at that time would spend four years. But after four years, the government reneged on it, and I said no, that would be unfair. That will be instability at its peak because the North will react.”
Amaechi added that in line with the power-sharing principle, he would be a one-term president if given the chance to lead the country in 2027. “I won’t do more than four years,” he said, adding that “the South must be allowed to complete its tenure. If the South is not allowed to complete its tenure, then I have made a mistake in supporting it.”
Amaechi’s stance is not very different from that of Obi, who came third in the last presidential election, surprising many pundits to win in 11 of Nigeria’s 36 states and Abuja.
Obi has also declared his intention to contest in the 2027 presidential election under the coalition. Obi said the platform would offer Nigerians “a competent, capable, and compassionate” leadership.
“Our commitment is to sacrifice and work together towards the 2027 general elections, ensuring that Nigeria gets a competent, capable, and compassionate leadership that will prioritise the nation’s future by putting the welfare of Nigerians first,” he said.
The former Anambra governor said he would be willing to serve for a four-year tenure if he reached an agreement with those who support his ambition. “If there is any form of agreement that will restrict me to four years in office, I will comply with the agreement and be ready to leave office by 28th May 2031,” Obi said.
Obi and Amaechi will thus hope that the ADC zones its presidential ticket to the South and that the candidate, if elected, would serve only one term before power returns to the North again. Atiku, who has tried to be Nigeria’s president since 1993, is, however, expected to challenge that belief and seek to be the ADC candidate.
“Ultimately, the success of the coalition would depend on their establishing a level playing ground for intra-party democracy to produce the best candidate,” said Jibrin Ibrahim, a professor of political science. “If they fail to do so, their success cannot be guaranteed.”
Sectional Interests
The politics of region, geography, religion, and ethnicity is one of the major fault lines in Nigerian democracy. This was a major issue in 2010, after the death in office of President Umaru Yar’Adua, also in 2011, and again in both 2015 and 2023.
It would most certainly be the case in 2027, too.
After eight years of the Buhari/Northern Presidency, the Southern partners in the emerging coalition would naturally insist that to replace Mr Tinubu, who would have spent four years in 2027, the remaining four years must naturally go to a presidential candidate of Southern extraction.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi has said that the Federal Government is ready to negotiate the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
Umahi said Kanu’s release should not be used as a condition for any form of political support.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos on Friday, the Minister said the release of Kanu should not be used as a bait for the support of President Bola Tinubu by the people of the Southeast region.
“Somebody asked me about Nnamdi Kanu, and I said his matter is not a condition for the South East to support the President.
“We are willing to negotiate his release, but no one should make it a condition because the President did not put him there,” Umahi said.
According to Umahi, the IPOB leader’s release would come through divine intervention and dialogue with the appropriate authorities.
“President Tinubu may not be perfect, but he is doing most things right. Look at where he picked up the economy from.
“The international community has confidence in his reforms. That is why we are getting support for our projects,” Umahi said.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a blistering verbal attack on veteran journalist, Dele Momodu, questioning his credibility and recounting personal anecdotes meant to discredit the Ovation Magazine publisher.
Wike, who is known for his no-holds-barred style of political engagement, made the scathing remarks in response to Dele Momodu’s recent criticisms of his political maneuverings and conduct in national discourse. Momodu had taken to various platforms to question Wike’s style of governance and political allegiances, accusing him of playing double standards in the evolving dynamics of the opposition landscape.
In a fiery rebuttal, Wike declared: “Dele Momodu does not have any credibility. He came to my house and stayed for some weeks. When he’s eating, food will be falling down from one side of his mouth.”
Wike’s comments, laced with mockery and disdain, appeared designed to publicly humiliate the respected journalist and undermine his moral standing. The minister’s comments are already making waves across the political and media circles, sparking fresh controversy around the FCT Minister’s confrontational rhetoric.
This outburst adds to the growing list of public figures Wike has confronted head-on, further cementing his image as a political strongman who spares no words when responding to dissent.
Observers have described Wike’s attack as both personal and unnecessary, noting that the dispute could have been addressed through more civil and policy-focused dialogue rather than character assassination.
Meanwhile, Dele Momodu is yet to issue a formal response to Wike’s statement, but insiders suggest that he may address the issue in his next column or media appearance.
As the drama unfolds, Nigerians are once again reminded of the widening gulf between political actors and public commentators, where personal relationships often give way to brutal political vendettas.
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has denied joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to Naija News, Adeleke reaffirmed his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recall that rumours had emerged on Friday after claiming that the Osun state governor has concluded plans to dump the PDP and contest for his re-election in the APC.
But in a statement to Naija News on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke noted with concern the widespread rumour.
He reassured his supporters and admirers that he remains a member of the PDP and the leader of the party in the state.
Governor Adeleke, who restated his preoccupation with the implementation of the administration’s five point agenda, urged Osun people to ignore fake news, promising more delivery of good governance and democratic dividends.
“I assure the good people of Osun that I remain part and parcel of the PDP family. I am not defecting to any party”, the governor was quoted as clarifying.
Governor Adeleke, alongside his elder brother Deji Adeleke and Afrobeats star David Adeleke, also known as Davido, had recently met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at his Lagos State residence some weeks back.
Former Interior Minister and Interim National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, has appealed to party supporters to refrain from engaging in any form of altercation with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a post shared on his X account on Friday, the former Osun State Governor urged supporters of the coalition-backed party not to fight, attack, or insult anyone, but to challenge them with facts about the state of the country.
”I sincerely thank our supporters and members of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, who came out to receive me on my arrival in Lagos.
”The task before us is immense, and I reminded everyone that we do not need to fight, insult, or attack anyone. When others resort to abuse or name-calling, we must rise above it. Instead, ask them one simple question: Are Nigerians better off today than they were before?
”Challenge them with facts – on food inflation, the economy, the rising cost of living, and the deepening poverty affecting millions. Let our debates remain focused on the issues that matter.
”Articulate our position clearly and confidently. Explain why our new political home, the ADC, represents a credible and necessary alternative for Nigeria’s progress and long-term sustainability,” he said
Aregbesola was once a political ally of President Bola Tinubu, a relationship that dates back to 1999 when Tinubu was governor of Lagos State. They fell apart in 2022 when Tinubu’s nephew, Gboyega Oyetola, who succeeded Aregbesola, was running for a second term in Osun State on the platform of the APC.
Aregbesola’s political group, ‘Omoluabi’, failed to support Oyetola’s candidacy, but rallied behind Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Consequently, Oyetola lost his re-election bid to Adeleke.
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