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BIG STORY

APC Convention: South-West Govs Reject Buhari’s Allies As Secretary, Vice-chair

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Adamu, Al-Makura, Musa divide N’Assembly over chairmanship race

South-West politicians from the Congress for Progressive Change bloc in the All Progressives Congress are set to lose out at the national convention following their rejection by governors in the region.

The defunct CPC bloc is made up of politicians, who joined Muhammadu Buhari to merge with the Action Congress of Nigeria to form the APC in 2013 before he won the 2015 presidential election.

It was gathered that a former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, who is running for the national secretary of the APC; and the Executive Director, Niger Delta Power Holding, Ife Oyedele, were being resisted by the APC governors in the South-West.

It was also learned that a former Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Iyiola Omisore, might be endorsed as the national secretary ahead of a former Oyo State Commissioner for Finance, Zaccheus Adedeji.

Also, Dayo Israel was tipped to emerge as the national youth leader of the APC. It was learned that the unity list of the South-West governors was expected to be released in the coming days.

A top source in the APC said, “There are attempts by some people in Abuja to impose some of the CPC elements on the South-West. Let me restate that the governors are the leaders of the party. We have met and have micro-zoned the positions given to our region.

“We will not tolerate any interference from outside. Shittu, Oyedele, and others have lost out completely.”

External forces trying to impose persons on South-West – Akeredolu
In a statement on Sunday, Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, who is also the Chairman of, the South-West Governors’ Forum, said the governors had agreed on micro-zoning, adding that those scheming from outside the region were only trying to confuse.

Akeredolu said in the statement titled, ‘External forces trying to impose persons on South-West’, that a former Chairman of the APC in the state, Isaac Kekemeke, had been endorsed as the national vice chairman for the South-West.

The statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, stated that all the governors of the South-West had endorsed Kekemeke.

It read in part, “This is to confirm that one of our own, the former APC state chairman, Duerimini Isaac Kekemeke, is in the race for the position of the National Vice-Chairman (South-West). Kekemeke has the full backing of Governor Akeredolu and his brother governors in the South-West.

“It should be noted that critical stakeholders in the South-West had earlier micro-zoned the positions that were brought to the region. Among these were the national vice-chairman, which was retained in Ondo, and the secretary, which was micro-zoned to the Oyo/Osun axis.

“For emphasis, what we are going for is national vice-chairman with Kekemeke as our candidate and not a national secretary. Those outside the South-West, who are attempting to micro-zone our offices for us in the South-West, are only creating unnecessary confusion, and any such of their permutations outside the decision of stakeholders in the South-West should be ignored.”

Meanwhile, members of the National Assembly are now divided over the emergence of three aspirants for the national chairmanship of the APC from the federal parliament.

The APC is billed to elect a new National Working Committee headed by the chairman at its national convention scheduled for Saturday.

The three aspirants, who are all members of the Senate, are Abdullahi Adamu, Sani Musa, and Tanko Al-Makura.

The senators, who are all from the North-Central geopolitical zone, are contesting against other aspirants in the ruling party, who are not members of the National Assembly.

Adamu and Al-Makura had last week met with the APC caucus in the House of Representatives, with the latter proposing automatic tickets for lawmakers when he becomes the chairman of the party. Musa has yet to meet with the caucus.

Incidentally, Al-Makura and Adamu are former governors of Nasarawa State.

While Al-Makura is representing the Nasarawa Central Senatorial District, Adamu is representing the Nasarawa West Senatorial District at the Senate.

A member of the Senate, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity, said, “The game plan is to make Abdullahi Adamu the national chairman of the party and Farouk Aliyu, a former House of Representatives member from Jigawa State as the deputy chairman.

“They are working with some people in the Presidency to ensure the emergence of Rotimi Amaechi as the APC presidential candidate. Their plan is clearly against the wishes of the majority of the party members, who believe that a man with his political structure should emerge as the candidate. They have already met with the President and they claimed that Buhari bought into their game plan.”

Adamu had on Friday unveiled a newly renovated edifice as his campaign office at Area 11, Garki area of Abuja, which was attended by lawmakers backing his chairmanship bid.

The attendees included the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege; Majority Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi; Majority Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu; Adamu Aliero and Ali Ndume, among others.

Ndume told journalists that he was supporting Adamu due to the ex-governors competence and blunt attitude to social and political issues.

“I am supporting Abdullahi Adamu because he is the most qualified and courageous among the aspirants. Adamu is somebody who cannot be influenced by money. He is not afraid to say anything in favor of whatever he believes in,” Ndume said.

At the House, it was observed that some lawmakers attended either of the meetings with Adamu and Al-Makura. However, some were at both meetings.

In a related development, some of the aspirants have expressed displeasure over the postponement of the screening of aspirants ahead of the convention.

Speaking with journalists on Sunday, the Director-General of the Al-Makura Campaign Troupe, Dominic Alancha, said the party had not informed the aspirants about the screening, which he said was a crucial precursor to the forthcoming convention.

He said “It’s worrisome because as I speak with you, there is no official communication as to when we are coming for screening. The earlier advert was that yesterday (Saturday) was for zonal offices, while today would be for the National Working Committee. And I went there today to confirm whether there would be screening at the screening committee’s secretariat at the NICON Luxury, and nobody was there.

“Even as of 11 am, nothing was going on there to show that the screening was going to take place. So, we had to call one or two friends to find out from them, who are now telling us that this screening may not hold until maybe tomorrow or next tomorrow. They are not sure yet.”

The screening of aspirants for zonal party offices earlier slated for Saturday failed to hold as more aspirants were still submitting nomination forms. The exercise was shifted to Sunday.

A top party source said that the Aminu Masari-led national convention subcommittee on screening was not aware of the earlier arrangement, which scheduled the exercise for Saturday and Sunday.

The source noted that to make up for a lost time, the subcommittee would be divided into six groups, each to screen aspirants from the six geopolitical zones vying for offices on three levels; National Working Committee, non-national working committee, and zonal.

The source stated, “The committee members are currently more than four. They gave the chairman a full list of those who will be on the committee. The committee members will now be divided into six to screen aspirants from each zone.

“Each six will be further divided into three units. Unit ‘A’ will handle the National Working Committee. Unit ‘B’ will handle the non-NWC aspirants and Unit ‘C’ will handle zonal officers so that they can finish their job in one day and present their report to the appeal committee.”

BIG STORY

BREAKING: President Tinubu Renames University Of Maiduguri After Buhari

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President Bola Tinubu has given approval to rename the University of Maiduguri in Borno State as Muhammadu Buhari University.

May we now adopt the University of the Maduguri as the Muhammadu Buhari University, Tinubu announced at the end of a special Federal Executive Council session held to honour Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.

Earlier, the President offered a heartfelt tribute to Buhari, portraying him as a good man, a decent man, an honourable man, whose legacy of discipline, patriotism, and strong moral values would be remembered for generations.

Tinubu acknowledged that although Buhari had imperfections, his steadfast dedication to serving the nation distinguished him.

President Buhari was not a perfect man, no leader is, but he was, in every sense of the word, a good man, a decent man, an honourable man.

His record will be debated, as all legacies are, but the character he brought to public life, the moral force he carried, the incorruptible standard he represented, will not be forgotten.

His was a life lived in full service to Nigeria, and in fidelity to God, he added.

Looking back at Buhari’s leadership and long career in both military and civil service, Tinubu highlighted his humility, modesty, and resistance to the temptations of power.

He stood, always, ramrod straight; unmoved by the temptation of power, unseduced by applause and unafraid of the loneliness that often visits those who do what is right, rather than what is popular.

His was a quiet courage, a righteousness that never announced itself. His patriotism was lived more in action than in words.

Tinubu also reflected on their political partnership, which led to the historic 2015 elections, marking Nigeria’s first peaceful transition of power between political parties.

We stood together, he and I. Alongside others drawn from across the political spectrum, regions and tongues, we formed an alliance that enabled Nigeria to experience its first true democratic transfer of power from one ruling party to another.

When he was sworn in as our party’s first elected President, he led with restraint, governed with dignity, and bore the burdens of leadership without complaint, he said.

The President admired Buhari’s life after leaving office, saying he chose to live quietly in Daura rather than influence politics from behind the scenes.

When his tenure ended, he returned to Daura; not to command from the shadows or to hold court, but to live as he always had, never seeking to impose his will but content to let others carry the nation forward.

Even in death, he maintained the serenity that defined him in life: not a sigh, not a groan, just a quiet submission to the will of God. Such was the man Nigeria has lost. Such was the man for whom our nation now mourns, he added.

Tinubu expressed gratitude to the Inter-Ministerial Committee and Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, for putting together a state funeral in less than 48 hours, calling it a profound honour to lead the burial ceremony in Daura.

He ended his tribute with a final message: Mai Gaskiya, the People’s General, the Farmer President, your duty is done. May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannah Firdaus. May his life continue to inspire generations of Nigerians to serve with courage, conviction, and selflessness. President Buhari, thank you. Nigeria will remember you.

Buhari passed away on Sunday, July 13, at the age of 82.

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BIG STORY

CPC Bloc And Buharists Reaffirm Commitment To APC And President Tinubu, Call For Party Chairmanship

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In a live interview earlier today on AIT, political analyst and committed Buharist Chief Okoi Obono-Obla —former member of the National Executive Committee and Secretary of the defunct CPC Merger Committee—addressed recent speculation regarding the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc and Buharists within the All Progressives Congress (APC), following the transition of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Responding to reports that certain former government officials are considering a move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) or aligning with a so-called coalition, Okoi stated firmly:

“These individuals do not represent the leadership or the collective will of the CPC bloc. As a Buharist and one who participated in the foundational merger, I can confirm that the CPC bloc remains solidly within the APC and stands fully behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

He emphasized that suggestions to defect run contrary to President Muhammadu Buhari’s legacy and enduring support for the APC:

“If those advocating a move to the ADC were genuine followers of President Buhari, they would respect his clear position. Our leader has declared he remains a member of the APC and deeply appreciates the platform the party provided for his presidency from 2015 to 2023.”

Okoi also conveyed a strong demand from the CPC bloc regarding the future leadership of the APC:

> “The CPC bloc is earnestly calling for the position of the next APC National Chairman to be conceded to our bloc. We are united in our clamour for Senator Tanko Umaru Al-Makura—our respected leader and a committed party stalwart—to assume this vital role.”

This reaffirmation not only signals loyalty to President Tinubu and the APC, but also outlines the CPC bloc’s expectations for inclusive party leadership, rooted in shared history and trust.

 

@ Okoi Obono-Obla#

PresidentialVillaUpdate

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BIG STORY

NELFUND To Launch Job Portal Linking Student Loan Beneficiaries To Employers By 2026

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The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has revealed plans to introduce a centralized job portal by 2026 aimed at helping student loan recipients secure employment opportunities both locally and abroad.

This initiative forms part of broader strategies to strengthen the effectiveness of the student loan program and guide graduates toward financial stability.

While speaking at a media briefing in Abuja to commemorate one year since the loan scheme’s inception, NELFUND’s Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, clarified that although the agency does not promise jobs, the planned job portal is intended to ease graduates’ entry into the workforce.

Sawyerr mentioned that the portal will compile job listings from government bodies, private companies, and foreign employers interested in hiring Nigerians.

We don’t just give a loan and leave students on their own. This job portal is our way of supporting their journey towards economic stability, he said

No repayment without employment

Sawyerr reaffirmed that repayment of student loans will only begin when beneficiaries secure employment and have completed their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

If you don’t have a job, you don’t pay. And when you eventually get a job, your repayment starts fresh.

Once employed, 10 per cent of the beneficiary’s monthly income is deducted automatically by the employer and remitted to NELFUND, following verification through the NELFUND employment register.

If an employee is laid off or resigns, the deductions stop. And in the event of death, the loan is written off. The family is not harassed, he said.

Institutions must refund duplicate payments

On the matter of students who made fee payments before NELFUND disbursed funds to their schools, Sawyerr urged institutions to fulfill their obligation and refund the affected students.

We’ve received multiple petitions from students who paid under duress, only to find their fees had also been paid by NELFUND.

Institutions must refund this money. It’s disappointing that some schools have ignored this responsibility, he said.

He further explained that anti-graft agencies have begun investigating: Investigative bodies like the ICPC and EFCC have stepped in to question certain institutions over delays or refusals to refund.

To ensure the right return of funds, he recommended: If an institution cannot refund directly to the student, they can pay the money back to us and we will ensure it gets to the rightful student.

Over 3.2 million student records in system

Mustapha Iyal, the Executive Director of Operations, shared that the Fund currently oversees over 3.2 million student records and anticipates receiving around one million additional applications by the end of 2025.

Basically, our projection right now, we have about 3.2 million students in our system.

What we’re looking at this year, from now to the end of the year, we’re looking at about one million applications. We’re not pushing. We’re not saying that it’s compulsory.

But we’re looking at how we can support one million applications to make sure that no one is dropping out of school, he stated.

What you should know

NELFUND has broadened its scope by launching a loan program that also funds vocational and technical education to empower Nigerian youth seeking practical trade skills. The pilot phase of this scheme will start in Enugu between late June and mid-July 2025.

According to Executive Director of Operations, Iyal Mustapha, the initiative will offer interest-free loans to cover tuition, transportation for attending full-time technical schools, stipends for living expenses, and even tools upon training completion.

Applications will be submitted via NELFUND’s portal, and once the system is active, applicants will be matched with certified vocational training centers in their region.

 

Credit: Nairametrics

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