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Oyo: Akintola desperate for the headlines – Makinde’s aide
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, has described the recent spate of criticisms against boss by a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 election, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), as an indication of his desperation to hug the headlines.
Adisa, in a statement made available on Saturday, declared that it was a thing of concern that a learned silk like Akintola has descended so low to join the bandwagon of opposition elements trying unsuccessfully to manipulate and distort government policies in Oyo State and pass off genuine government efforts as policy somersaults.
According to the statement issued by the governor’s mouthpiece, “Chief Niyi Akintola, who by the way, should have been among those revered for standing by facts, alleged that the government in Oyo State reverses eight out of 10 policies. That’s an unkind fabrication, a white lie that cannot stand in real sense and one that should not have come from Akintola. Can he give evidence of any such policy somersault? Surely, he can’t.
“If a lawyer would jettison facts and become a purveyor of speculations just because he is desperate to keep himself in the 2023 APC rat race, one should wonder what hope lies ahead for the country and the search for truth and justice.
“I think Chief Akintola should make up his mind on whether he wants to be a friend of Governor Makinde or a blind critic of his administration. On one hand, he professes to be a friend of the governor, in another breath, he is busy marketing unfounded allegations against the governor.
“Contrary to the unfounded allegations by Chief Akintola and his journeymen, the government of Engineer Makinde is not involved in policy reversals and has remained focused on the goal of lifting Oyo State from poverty to prosperity.
“I have had cause to address this matter before and I insist that it is the undiscerning that will allege policy flipflops against Governor Makinde. When the deep acts with the majesty of intelligence backed by science, logic and data, the fickle-minded cannot discern. So they easily misrepresent the issues and allege policy somersaults or whatever their lips can spew.
“When Governor Makinde went on an inspection tour of the Circular Road under construction, he issued a ‘stop work order,’ and asked the management of the construction company to come for a meeting in his office, a reporter mistook the stop work order for contract cancellation.
“But the directive from the governor was clear; stop the work, come for a meeting to decide the way forward. After that meeting, 24 hours after the inspection, the governor lifted the stop work order and asked the contractor to go ahead and fulfil the contractual terms.
“Since then, the leadership of the APC in Oyo State has mischievously been trying to stick to the error of the reporter who mistook the stop work order for cancellation. But that will not stand. They should make reference to the official statement from the governor’s office in case they are confused.
The statement continued, “At times, one wonders if Chief Akintola and his APC caravan really understand what policy somersault means, because the funny commentaries they run and the positions they dramatise as policy flipflops of the Makinde administration are strange and should make one ask whether they really understand the issues.
“We are, however, not surprised that the APC system in Oyo State has been struggling to pin down wrong narratives on Governor Makinde. Ever since he hit the ground running from his first day in office, he has got the opposition confused, leaving them to only strive to hold on to straws and seek to brand him in negative terms.
“But I want to state categorically that the unlikely headlines they seek to popularise against the governor will not jell. The people of Oyo State are solidly behind Governor Makinde and they have continued to commend the policies of his government, which have made life better for them in the last one year.”
The Kano State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.
The notice was presented yesterday during plenary by the Majority Leader, Lawan Hussaini Dala, who said the action follows Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dala said the allegations stem from Abdussalam’s tenure as Commissioner for Local Government (2023–2024) and his current role as deputy governor. He accused the deputy governor of diverting funds meant for the 44 local government councils.
According to the majority leader, Abdussalam allegedly received N1.5 million monthly from each council between June 2023 and January 2024, totaling N462 million. Between February and July 2024, he allegedly collected N3.255 million monthly from each council under the guise of special assignments, amounting to N726 million.
Dala also accused the deputy governor of abuse of office, claiming he facilitated payments of N10 million from each council to NovoMed Pharmaceuticals Limited, totaling N440 million, in violation of state procurement laws.
“The misuse of official capacity to confer undue advantage constitutes abuse of power and undermines public trust,” Dala told lawmakers, adding that the allegations amount to gross misconduct under the Constitution.
The impeachment notice was reportedly endorsed by 38 lawmakers, meeting the constitutional threshold to proceed. The Speaker has acknowledged receipt, and the House is expected to serve the allegations on the deputy governor.
If approved, a panel may be constituted by the state Chief Judge to investigate the claims.
As of filing, Abdussalam had yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, on Thursday announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that he had joined the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja, attributing his decision to what he described as irreconcilable differences within the PDP.
The lawmaker said the emergence of the NDC would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system by providing a credible opposition platform.
According to him, the party recently received its certificate of registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said, “Last week INEC issued a certificate of registration and we now have the newest party in Nigeria known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress and our symbol is victory, the victory sign.
“So, my dear Nigerians, you now have a credible alternative opposition party known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress.”
Dickson noted that although the party’s registration took longer than expected, its eventual approval was a welcome development for the country’s democratic landscape.
“Yes, it is coming at this time. We would have wished it started some years or months back. We don’t control INEC and their processes; they delayed. We don’t also control the judiciary, but thank God it has finally arrived,” he said.
The senator also stressed that Nigeria’s democracy must not slide into a one-party system, insisting that political diversity remained vital for national stability.
“This nation cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria is not designed to be a one-party state.
“We are a very diverse nation culturally, religiously and politically and that is the beauty of our country.
“So anyone or any party promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is mistaken. We build political parties and get involved in movements to access power for the good of the people, not for our personal benefit,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission recently announced the registration of two new political parties.
The parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, bringing the total number of registered political parties in Nigeria to 21.
The announcement was made by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with political party stakeholders for 2026.
According to him, the Democratic Leadership Alliance completed the required verification process, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress was registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 58-year-old alleged drug lord, Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, who had reportedly been on the agency’s wanted list and that of British authorities for over 15 years.
Ilomuanya was apprehended in Lagos on Monday, February 23, 2026, following what the agency described as a high-level, coordinated operation by officers of its Special Operations Unit.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said the suspect’s arrest ended a prolonged manhunt linked to his alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities across Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
According to the statement, Ilomuanya was first arrested in February 2003 in the United Kingdom and convicted for drug trafficking.
He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment but was released after serving two years following a successful appeal.
Babafemi added that the suspect was again arrested in the UK in July 2011 over drug-related offences.
He said, “He was granted administrative bail but jumped jurisdiction and fled to Nigeria.
“Typical of a recidivist, Ilomuanya was in November 2018 arrested in Nigeria by NDLEA operatives following the discovery of two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in his Obinugwu, Orlu Local Government Area country home in Imo State and at his No. 3 Barrister Declan Uzoma Close, Lagos residence where officers recovered 77.960 kilograms of methamphetamine and extensive production equipment.
“He was subsequently charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos, after which he jumped court bail and has been on the run since then.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s ongoing war against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa said the operation demonstrated the agency’s resolve to track down criminal elements regardless of how long they evade the law.
He said, “This arrest serves as a stern warning to those who think they can hide behind borders to escape justice.
“Whether you jump bail in London or set up clandestine labs in your village, the long arm of the NDLEA will eventually catch up with those who choose to undermine the health, security, and future of our nation.
“We remain committed to our international collaborations to ensure that Nigeria is not used as a sanctuary for global drug lords.”
Marwa also commended officers of the Special Operations Unit for their professionalism and persistence in tracking down the suspect.
He added that the agency would continue to strengthen intelligence-driven operations and international cooperation to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria.
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