Headlines
And Sanwo-Olu Makes His first Mistake?
By Eric Elezuo
The best footballers are always those watching from the stands or from their living rooms via cable transmission. These set of people know exactly what a particular player should do or should have done with the ball at any point in time. They know the moves that should result to goals and are quick to heap abuses and insults on the footballers for any slip, no matter how inconsequential. But give this group an opportunity to play the actual game, you will be amazed at the height of their folly. This describes the fact that there is a difference between the game outside and the actual game.
Having said that, it is imperative to recall that not long ago, the governor-elect of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, supposedly played to the gallery, as believed in some quarters, when he informed a set of audience that he would fix permanently the dreaded Apapa gridlock within the first two months of his administration – 60 days in his exact words. Yes, there is nothing wrong with making promises or setting targets for yourself as regards a particular assignment, but the seasoned technocrat should have been guided by precedence as well as the situational variables at work before making such a lofty promise.
Every Lagosian understands how hungry Sanwo-Olu is to make a difference considering the great standard his predecessors vis a vis Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, who is billed to leave office in a couple of days, have set. This is even considering the circumstance surrounding his emergence as his party’s flag bearer in spite of Ambode. The party leadership roundly rejected Ambode, paving the way for Sanwo-olu. At this point, Sanwo-Olu feels he needs to prove a point, but has he done it the right way with the 60 days target of revamping the Apapa gridlock, which has defiled all known solutions so far.
Has Sanwo-Olu consulted the likes of Fashola and his would-be immediate predecessor, Ambode, to find out the situation that assaulted their breakthrough in that regard? Has he done a thorough preliminary or feasibility study of the situation to decide the timing of action and completion?
He would not have made a mistake if by a dint of hard work or stroke of luck he succeeds – the applaud will be loud and sharp. But should he fail; the jeers will last him a lifetime and make a mess of his four years administration. He would spent the rest of his days explaining the whys and hows of the failure. Ask Fashola how he is fairing with the unguarded statement of 2014 that “any serious government will fix the power situation within six months”. No matter how hard he tries to keep a straight face or defend his statement and actions, deep down in his heart, he knows he shouldn’t have said that, and of course he has learnt his nations.
Sanwo-Olu’s zeal to serve the people Lagos State is very obvious and commendable, but common sense demands that he should have kept the timing close to his chest, face the challenge headlong and surmount it without pressure from any quarters. Of course, he is going to be under serious pressure now.
He is already the governor-in-waiting, and has no reason to play to the gallery for anyone to dance or make any political statement – the campaign seasons are over.
Now you have said it sir, it imperative you prove as many that thinks you have made a mistake wrong. Let the Apapa gridlock be the first in your priority list. In fact, whatever plans you have should hit the ground running very early on Thursday, May 30, 2019.
May this utterance not be counted as a mistake against you by July 30, 2019 when 60 days would have elapsed. Nigerians don’t forget!
Headlines
Your Presidential Ambition Dead on Arrival, Presidency Mocks Atiku As PDP Stalwarts Defect to APC
The Presidency has delivered a jab at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, declaring his 2027 presidential ambition and coalition-building efforts “dead on arrival” following the defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other top PDP figures to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In separate posts on X, Presidential aides Bayo Onanuga and Tunde Rahman mocked Atiku’s attempts to rally opposition forces, saying recent developments show his coalition is crumbling before it even takes off.
Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, wrote: “Atiku’s political future looks bleak. The coalition that he, El-Rufai, Babachir, and new member Baba-Ahmed are cobbling together has disintegrated. Potential allies, including former running mate Ifeanyi Okowa and defunct CPC members, are giving his leprous group a wide berth. Atiku is a loser again.”
Tunde Rahman, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, posted earlier in the day: “Things are really getting perilous and the future looks so bleak for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s coalition. After the PDP governors washed their hands clean of any such coalition plan, the defunct CPC wing he is also counting on has proffered support for President Tinubu.
Today (Wednesday), he got his biggest shocker ever. His 2023 election running mate, former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and Okowa’s successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, dumped the sinking PDP ship and hopped aboard the APC plane, and by inference, crossed over to the PBAT side.
Indeed, the counting of PDP governors crossing over to APC has begun. Isn’t Atiku’s coalition dead on arrival?”
The coordinated remarks followed a major political realignment in Delta State, where the governor, his predecessor, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and the entire PDP state structure defected to the APC – an event seen as a significant blow to Atiku, who has been working to form a broad opposition alliance against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
Okowa was Atiku’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Atiku has yet to respond to the defection or the presidential aides’ comments, though acting national chairman Iliya Damagum earlier described the Delta exit as “unfortunate,” while insisting that the party remains focused and resilient.
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that a staggering 31,596 public school students failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), raising alarm across its education sector.
The figures, unveiled by the Lagos Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, during a ministerial press briefing on Thursday in Alausa, Ikeja, showed that 54.3% of the 58,188 students from public schools who sat for the exams failed.
The commissioner said the pass rate was 45.7%.
The failure rate comes despite the government’s significant financial backing — a whopping N1.577 billion was paid on behalf of the students to cover WAEC fees.
“Suffice to say that the sum of N1,577,794,000 (One Billion, Five Hundred and Seventy-Seven Million, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Four Thousand Naira) only was paid by the State Government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for year 2024 WASSCE,” Alli-Balogun announced.
In a bid to tighten accountability and avoid wastage, the Commissioner disclosed that biometric and image registration was carried out to accurately determine eligible students for government sponsorship for the 2025 WASSCE.
“The exercise successfully captured and registered 56,134 students as bona-fide beneficiaries of the Lagos State Government’s sponsorship for the examination,” he added.
However, the Lagos State Government rolled out a bold educational intervention – the Eko Learners’ Support Programme for WASSCE and NECO Candidates – aimed at reversing the tide of academic failure in the state’s public schools.
Launched on January 14, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader commitment by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to equip Lagos students with tools for success.
“This forward-thinking initiative was designed to support and empower young scholars in attestation of the Ministry’s commitment at advancing interest and management of the educational system in Lagos State,” Alli-Balogun stated.
He said with a vision to broadcast 320 lessons across 10 key subjects, including English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Government, History, Literature-in-English, and Yoruba, the programme aims to bring world-class tutoring directly into students’ homes.
Thw commissioner said each 30-minute episode would air on Lagos Television (LTV) and be archived across major platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), creating a digital learning library accessible to every student.
“It is a supportive eco-system that fosters academic achievement, creativity, critical thinking… every student deserves the opportunity to attain their full potential, regardless of their background or socio-economic status,” the Commissioner declared passionately.
Alli-Balogun urged students, especially those in boarding schools, to seize this opportunity.
“It is on this note that I urge and encourage students’, more importantly, students in our boarding schools, to take full advantage of this initiative, as education is a lifelong journey,” he said.
Former Governor of Delta State, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential running mate in the 2023 election, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okowa confirmed the news of his defection to ARISE NEWS on Wednesday following the announcement of the current governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, who also defected from the PDP to the APC on Wednesday.
The development was disclosed by Senator James Manager after a six-hour meeting at Government House, Asaba.
“All PDP members in the state, including the governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, all the local government chairmen and others, have agreed to move to the APC,” Manager stated. “We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat.”
Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Aniagwu Charles, officially confirmed the sweeping political shift, attributing the decision to the need for renewed direction and enhanced governance in the state.
“There is a need for us to adjust our drinking patterns. And in adjusting that drinking pattern, we needed to make a decision that would further help to cement the development in our state,” he said.
Aniagwu added that the move aimed to sustain progress in law, security, and welfare, likening the PDP to a “palm wine whose taste has changed,” necessitating a change in “drinking party”.
He further indicated that the defection was unanimously agreed upon by key PDP leaders and stakeholders in the state, with a formal public declaration expected on Monday.
“By the grace of God, on Monday next week, we will be able to make a very big statement confirming that we are moving into the APC,” he said.
The mass defection represents a dramatic realignment in Delta State’s political landscape and could significantly alter party dynamics in the broader South-South region, historically a PDP stronghold.
Okowa will be received on Monday by Vice President Kashim Shettima alongside Governor Oborevwori.
AriseNews
