Headlines
Borno Governor’s Persistent Cough Ends Inauguration Abruptly
The inauguration ceremony of Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara, a professor, was abruptly brought to an end as he coughed persistently while reading his speech.
He had earlier been sworn in and administered with the oath of office as the 7th democratically elected governor of Borno State alongside his deputy, Umar Kadafur, by the Chief Judge of Borno State, Kashim Zanna.
The new governor takes over from Kashim Shettima, after eight years on the saddle.
While delivering his inaugural speech, Mr Umara said his administration will hit the ground running with a 10-point agenda for speedy development of the state.
He thanked the former governor, Mr Shettima, for not only assisting him to become governor but also for laying a ‘solid foundation of development upon which he would build upon.’
He said his government will work with the newly established North East Development Commission (NEDC), UN system and other development partners towards the rebuilding of Borno State.
Reeling out his 10-point agenda, Mr Umara said his government will focus on security; education, job creation, and good governance.
He also said there would be the “replacement of ‘political thuggery’ with job creation.” He said this will be carried out under a proposed Entrepreneurship Development Skills centre.
“The era of political thuggery, known as ECOMOG, has constituted a nuisance in the state for over two decades.
Mr Umara said the restoration of security will be the number one cardinal agenda of his government.
He said he will support the Nigerian security agencies to ensure that Borno State is made safe again.
The governor said he would support the Nigerian security in the area of acquiring and deploying modern security technologies for more effective tackling of insecurity in the state.
The professor of irrigation engineering said his government will invest massively in the area of agriculture, especially by establishing buffer zones in locations that are secured by the military “in order to return Borno as the food production hub of northern Nigeria.
“My focus is on improving the security of the state as insecurity is the major impediment that affected people’s lives for a decade.
“I will ensure the return of our displaced people to their farmlands to ensure national food security.
“I will also fight unemployment and poverty among youths and embark on the massive reconstruction of destroyed communities.
“This will enable the people to return to their ancestral homes, while we seek more support from humanitarian donor agencies across the globe.”
He also promised to run an all-inclusive government where all policies and programmes of government shall have the support and inputs of all stakeholders.
“This administration will be devoid of personal/group interests, politics, religion or ethnicity among the various communities in Borno,” he said.
Source: Reuters
Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, has alleged that there may be attempts to prevent key opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, from appearing on the ballot for the 2027 general elections.
Oseni’s remark followed a Federal High Court judgment ordering the de-registration of some political parties.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples’ Party (APP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Action Alliance Party (AAP) over alleged constitutional breaches.
The judgment arose from a lawsuit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which argued that the affected parties failed to meet constitutional and statutory electoral performance requirements necessary for continued recognition as political parties.
Justice Lifu subsequently barred INEC from recognising the affected parties, accepting nominations from them or permitting them to participate in activities related to the 2027 general elections.
The ruling, if upheld, could affect the political ambitions of several politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is the ADC presidential flag-bearer, and Osun State governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party.
But speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Oseni described the court ruling as a “test” of public reaction, warning that more actions could follow ahead of the next general election.
According to him, opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, should be cautious, claiming that efforts could be made to stop major figures from participating in the election.
Oseni argued that the judgment was part of a broader process aimed at shaping the political landscape ahead of 2027.
He maintained that the ruling came despite some of the affected parties having recorded electoral victories in recent elections.
He warned that Nigerians must remain vigilant to safeguard the country’s democracy, stressing the need for judicial reforms alongside efforts to tackle insecurity.
Oseni said: “NDC, ADC should be careful because there will be attempt, and this is me predicting now, to ensure that Obi, Atiku and other big contenders are not on the ballot.
“This that you saw yesterday is just a test. This is not the real place where the whole thing is going. This is me predicting now.
“You know before you have a show you test the microphone. They want to see the reactions of Nigerians. More is still coming.
“You can see how they carry a judgement when ADC won two House of Representatives seats in Kogi, one Kogi House of Assembly seat, APP one chairmanship seat in Jigawa, Zenith Labour party won several seats in Abia, but they still went ahead and issued judgement for deregistration after the Court of Appeal, a higher court, said it should stay on that.
“If we want to deal with this judicial rascality, can I tell you something? The judge that gave this judgment, nothing will happen to him. Nothing on this earth. They are just coming.
“And who is leading this group? Gbajabiamila. Have you forgotten what Gbajabiamila said on Hon Ajibade’s birthday? So they are just coming. This one is just a test. The next one they will do is the NDC.
“With the way they’re going, if Nigerians don’t shine their eyes when they will finally have this election, you will not have the major contenders in the ballot. This thing they have just done is to test reactions from Nigerians.
“I saw this thing coming. You know we are going into an election in which Atiku Abubakar is the only major candidate from the North. It’s not like the last one you have Kwankwaso that can split the Kano votes. And you have Peter Obi and general consensus that a lot of people are in abject penury, insecurity is raging hard.
“This is the beginning of many things. They are just testing the microphone. It’s engineered. More is coming. Nigerians, it is you that will save your democracy. Judicial reforms have become so important as insecurity in Nigeria.”
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has picked former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
Announcing the decision, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said Amaechi’s emergence followed broad consultations within the party and reflected his strong performance as runner-up in the party’s presidential primaries as well as his track records of service to his state and the country.
According to the ADC, Amaechi’s extensive experience across both the legislative and executive arms of government, as former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, two-term Governor of Rivers State, and former Minister of Transportation, makes him uniquely qualified to complement Atiku’s leadership, strengthen the party’s national appeal, and bolster its campaign to offer Nigerians an experienced and credible alternative ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The party said the choice of Amaechi underscores its commitment to presenting a leadership team with proven governance experience and national appeal as it prepares for the 2027 presidential contest.
ThisDay
