News
Peter Obi disowns merger talks with PDP, Kwankwaso
Four days after New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso repudiated the proposed opposition alliance talks, his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, has disowned the plan.
Obi, former Anambra State governor, said there is no merger deal yet with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the NNPP or any other party.
He told reporters in Abuja that no agreement had been established with other parties on collaboration ahead of 2027.
However, Obi urged Nigerians to come together in 2027 and defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC), which he accused of mismanaging the country’s resources.
Obi described the security situation as unfortunate, saying that many Nigerians are losing their lives to banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping-for-ransom.
He said corruption and the cost of governance are high, leading to an astronomical increase in public debt under the Tinubu Administration.
Obi alleged that government officials mismanaged public funds in 2024 through incessant foreign travels.
However, the APC rejected the allegations, saying that they were unfounded.
The ruling party said the former LP presidential candidate is still nursing bitterness over his defeat in the 2023 poll.
Obi also said the country’s electoral processes are visibly flawed, lacking transparency and credibility.
He said the electoral processes fell below acceptable standards, adding that people’s votes no longer count.
Obi said the single most challenging test for the President is ensuring that future elections are credible and truly reflect the will of the people.
Obi said: “We hold periodic elections that are no longer genuine. Our electoral processes are visibly flawed, lacking transparency and credibility.
“Although Nigeria is a democratic country, the electoral processes fall far below acceptable standards, with the people’s votes often not counting.”
“All future borrowing must be tied to regenerative investments and visible, productive assets that benefit the nation.
“This will ensure both productivity and the ability to service and amortise such loans, rather than continuing the current practice of accumulating massive debt with no tangible returns, which places undue strain on future development revenue.
“Furthermore, it is time for you to visit our national hospitals. Consider, for example, that your next medical examination be conducted at one of our national hospitals or regional federal medical centres, such as the FMC in Sokoto or Birnin Kebbi or Calabar or Umuahia or Akure, among others.
“This will allow you to assess the state of healthcare facilities available to Nigerians. It will also help you understand the condition of our hospitals and clinics, enabling you to make informed decisions on how to upgrade and make them efficient.
Endeavour to travel by road to observe the condition of most highways.
“You can take short trips, for example, from Calabar in Cross River State to Uyo in Akwa Ibom State – a distance of less than 100 km, or from Benin in Edo State to Warri in Delta State.
“I recall taking President Olusegun Obasanjo on a trip from Awka to Onitsha on a federal highway when I was the governor of Anambra State.
“That journey prompted him to immediately approve the reconstruction of parts of the road by the Anambra State government, with subsequent reimbursement by the Federal Government. Such actions are immensely valuable.
“Make both impromptu and planned visits to our tertiary institutions, where our children and future leaders are being trained. It is essential to familiarise yourself with the available infrastructure, facilities, and amenities.
“These visits will provide valuable insight into whether the resources of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) are being utilised optimally and what is needed to sustain the education system.
“Mr. President, many Nigerians are ‘refugees’ and ‘exiles’ in their own country.
“Visit various IDP camps and assure these Nigerians that they will soon return to their communities and that you are working hard to restore peace and normalcy to the country. Nigeria is not a war-torn nation.
”To motivate the soldiers fighting terror, Obi said: “As Commander-in-Chief, visit our military formations and security agencies, especially during their field operations, and provide them with morale-boosting assurances and support for operational efficiency.
News
Sanusi: Critics Are Not Enemies Of The Govt
” It’s not every time people talk about poverty or talk about difficulty that they’re just enemies of the government or making an attack on the president. That is not how to respond to economic distress,” he said.
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, has advised the Federal Government against treating every comment about the administration as an attack on President Bola Tinubu.
The royal father gave the advise on the occasion of the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference, organised by the Oxford Global Think Tan.
Speaking virtually to the audience at the event, on Tuesday, Sanusi advised the government to tolerate constructive criticism.
“It’s not every time people talk about poverty or talk about difficulty that they’re just enemies of the government or making an attack on the president. That is not how to respond to economic distress,” he said.
News
Urbanisation: Lagos To Fall Behind Luanda as sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest city by 2050
The report titled ‘Sub-Saharan Africa’s Urban Awakening: Catalyzing Economic Growth and Job Creation’, also calculated that sub-Saharan Africa’s urban population will increase by 748 million between 2025 and 2050, reaching about 1.7 billion.
A report conducted by the World Bank and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, has projected that Angola’s capital, Luanda,will overtake Lagos as sub-Saharan Africa’s most populous city by 2050, rising by 78 percent from 11.4 million to 20.3 million.
The report titled ‘Sub-Saharan Africa’s Urban Awakening: Catalyzing Economic Growth and Job Creation’, also calculated that sub-Saharan Africa’s urban population will increase by 748 million between 2025 and 2050, reaching about 1.7 billion.
The report estimated that Luanda’s population would increase from 11.4 million in 2025 to 20.3 million in 2050, adding 8.9 million residents over the period.
Lagos, the region’s most populous city in 2025 with an estimated 12.8 million residents, is projected to grow to 16.2 million by 2050, an increase of more than 25 percent.
Despite the growth, Lagos is expected to fall behind Luanda, whose population is projected to exceed that of Nigeria’s commercial hub by 4.1 million.
“Over this period, the population of Angola’s capital city, Luanda, is projected to increase by 78 percent from 11.4 million to 20.3 million.
In doing so, Luanda will overtake Lagos as SSA’s most populous city,” the report said.
News
President Tinubu Performing Umrah
The President is expected to return to Nigeria next week after completing the religious exercise.
Photo: President Tinubu I Makkah
President Bola Tinubu on Friday commenced performing Umrah at Makkah in Saudi Arabia, praying for the nation and for every Nigerian to live in peace and harmony.
Tinubu on Thursday evening arrived in Saudi Arabia, landing at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
He was received by Nigeria’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Yakubu Gambo, and the Saudi head of royal protocol Ahmad bin Thafir.
Thursday’s trip marks the second time Tinubu has travelled to Makkah to perform Umrah since assuming office on May 29, 2023.
President Tinubu visited the holy city in November 2023, shortly after attending the Saudi-African Summit in Riyadh, where he also prayed for divine guidance in leading Nigeria.
The latest trip is part of a series of foreign engagements undertaken by Tinubu since becoming president. He has visited more than 30 countries in over 50 unique and recurring trips.
The President is expected to return to Nigeria next week after completing the religious exercise.
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