The Vice Chairman of Agege Local Government  Area in Lagos State, Mr Oluwagbenga Abiola,  has withdrawn his interest to vie for the chairmanship position of the LG in the upcoming July 12, 2025 council election.

Abiola said he stepped down for Abdulganiyu Obasa, son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa.

Abiola, who is a political protégé of  the Speaker, says his decision was borne out of his loyalty to Obasa, denying that he was forced to step down.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Lagos, Abiola affirmed his loyalty to the party and to Speaker Obasa.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Lagos, Abiola reaffirmed his commitment to the party and to Speaker Obasa.

He emphasised that his withdrawal was a voluntary and conscious choice in support of Obasa’s son.

On Monday, Agege stakeholders had urged Obasa to allow his son, Abdulganiyu, to contest the council chairmanship, citing the Speaker’s significant contributions to the development of Agege and his long-standing political influence in the area.

In response to rumours that he had been pressured to withdraw, Abiola made it clear that he remained deeply appreciative of Obasa’s role in his political career.

He further pledged his full support for the Speaker’s leadership, stating that he would never act against the party’s direction or Obasa’s guidance.

“I will never go against my leader, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa. This is the man who made me,” Abiola stated. “He appointed me Special Assistant on Media when he became Speaker in 2015.

In 2016, I was appointed Sole Administrator of Agege LGA, thanks to his recommendation to the governor. That appointment made me the youngest council boss in Lagos State at the time.

“In 2017, I became Secretary to the Local Government, and in 2021, Vice Chairman — all through the party’s and Speaker’s support. So, why would I oppose a man who built me politically and helped me grow in experience and influence?”

Although Abiola admitted to having aspired to the chairmanship, he made it clear that he respected the party’s collective decision.

“Yes, I aspired. Every Vice Chairman dreams of becoming Chairman. But the party has spoken, and I fully agree. Leaders and stakeholders have united. They’ve asked the Speaker to allow his son to contest, and I respect and support that,” he stated.

Abiola also expressed his commitment to serving the people, stating that he believed greater opportunities would come in the future.

“I trust my leader. He knows what’s best and can recommend me for even greater responsibilities when the time is right,” he said. “I’m still young and full of energy. I’ll work for the party and ensure we achieve victory.”

Abiola said he had instructed members of his Obasa Youth Alliance to fully support the party’s decision.

The West African Examinations Council has revoked the licences of 574 secondary schools in Nigeria.

WAEC announced that the affected schools were found to have committed examination malpractices.

The examination body also stated that the schools will not be allowed to conduct examinations even as the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, commences from Thursday, April 24, 2025.

This was disclosed by the Head of WAEC’s National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, during a press briefing on Thursday at the headquarters of the examination body in Lagos.

Dangut said WAEC had forwarded the list of the affected schools to the Nigerian government.

“This year, we have shared with them a total of 574 schools that have had their recognition withdrawn, and that is also going to be the same for all examining bodies.

“So, these are those that have got their license revoked as far as the examination centre is concerned. So we will not conduct examinations there. We don’t know them as far as conducting examinations,” Dangut said.

For the forthcoming 2025 WASSCE, Dangut stated that 1,973,253 candidates registered for the examination from 23,554 schools.

He added that 979,228 males and 994,025 females would take part in the examination.

The Punch

Jigawa State governor, Umar Namadi, has cautioned against calls for self-defence from mauruding bandits and killer herders, warning that such a move could plunge the country into anarchy.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Governor Namadi responded to recent comments by retired General Theophilus Danjuma, who urged Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits and armed attackers, particularly in Benue and Plateau states.

General Danjuma, a former Minister of Defence, had argued that reliance on the government for protection was no longer tenable given the spate of violence and killings in the country.

“It is now very clear that the government alone cannot protect us. We must stand up and defend ourselves, our families, and our lands before these criminals overrun the entire country,” Danjuma said during a public event in Takum, Taraba State, on Saturday.

But Governor Namadi rejected that approach, describing it as a dangerous path.

“He (T.Y. Danjuma) is a very senior security person, and his words deserve respect and analysis,” Namadi said. “But I think if you say citizens should be allowed to defend themselves, you’re causing anarchy. I don’t think we’ve reached that level yet.”

He argued that rather than encourage armed self-defence, the government at all levels must continue to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.

“The government is doing its best in terms of security arrangements. If you allow the people to defend themselves, that means you are encouraging a crisis between farmers and herders,” the governor warned.

Namadi cited his administration’s approach to resolving the long-standing farmer-herder clashes in Jigawa State as a better alternative. According to him, when he assumed office, he prioritised non-violent conflict resolution strategies.

“When we came in, we decided to employ a lot of strategies and tactics, including dialogue,” he said. “We engaged traditional rulers, as well as representatives of both farmers and herders. We sat down, reached a consensus, and established standing committees to reconcile all parties.”

He added that these efforts helped halt a decades-long conflict:
“The people now understand that the 25 years spent fighting and killing each other were not worth it. Today, they are able to work, interact, and live together in peace.”

Governor Namadi further noted that Jigawa is currently not among the states facing severe threats such as insurgency or mass killings by bandits. Instead, the primary challenge had been farmer-herder clashes, which his administration has successfully curtailed.

“We thank God that Jigawa State is not affected by insurgency or insecurity for no. The major issue we are dealing with is the herders-farmers clash, and we are addressing it decisively,” he said.

Despite the worsening security in other parts of the country, Governor Namadi insisted that self-defence is not a viable solution and could deepen the crisis:
“So, I think the government is doing its best, both at the federal and state levels. The issue of asking people to defend themselves — I think we have not reached that level yet.