Headlines
How I Escaped Attacks in Ekiti — Fayose
A former Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, on Friday said he escaped attack by a whisker while leaving the House of Assembly in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Fayose, who appeared at the Assembly on Friday on the invitation of the legislative body, said, “It was on our way from the Assembly that some people trailed us in a Pick-up purposely to attack us. We managed to escape. In short, one of them nearly broke my head.”
The former governor, who said he came to honour the Assembly’s invitation because “a clear conscience fears no accusation”, said, “When I got to the Assembly, they said they were not ready and that they would inform me when they were ready. As a matter of fact, since they accused me of financial misappropriation, they were supposed to be ready.”
However, he went into a closed-door session with the Speaker, Funminiyi Afuye, and two other lawmakers.
The Assembly had summoned Fayose; a former Speaker of the Assembly, Kola Oluwawole; a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Mr Dapo Olagunju; a former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mr Kola Kolade; and the 16 local government chairmen elected during Fayose’s tenure over allegations bordering on misappropriation of funds.
The former governor in a told journalists said, “I got this by noon yesterday (Thursday) and I called the Speaker to confirm whether it was true and he confirmed it. You know my style. When the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) wanted me, I told them ‘I’m here’.
“So, I have come to the House of Assembly to tell them I’m available for their questions. I drove down from Lagos to tell them that there was no hiding place for some of us, so, I am here and ready to give an account of my stewardship.”
Fayose, who denied he had been given a soft landing by the Federal Government in the EFCC’s case against him, said he would not compromise standards.
He said, “I will not follow the multitude to sin. I want to believe that selective justice will not help our country.
“I have condemned anyone who says that in Nigeria, when you come to the All Progressives Congress, then you become a saint. I am telling you, I will never become a member of the APC, I will never defect.
“If I wanted a soft landing against my party, against my candidate, that would have happened in the past, I stood my ground during the elections. So, that is impossible.”
Meanwhile, Afuye said that Fayose’s “ambush” to the House of Assembly complex was resisted because he came unannounced.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Tai Oguntayo, the Speaker said, “After the resolution of the Assembly at the plenary on Thursday inviting the former governor to appear before the House, he called the Speaker to confirm if the report was true.
“The Speaker confirmed to Mr Fayose that it was true and that was the end of the discussion.
“When Mr Fayose announced his readiness to the Speaker, he was told to go back and await the official invitation letter from the House of Assembly.
“The former governor was accorded his due respect on arrival at the House of Assembly, being a former first citizen of the state.”
The spokesperson for Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Yinka Oyebode, did not answer his calls.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer for Ekiti State Command, Caleb Ikechukwu, said, “I have not been briefed about that.”
The Punch
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for an independent, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), beginning with President Bola Tinubu himself.
Atiku’s call comes in the wake of the recent resignation of the former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over an alleged certificate scandal.
Following the controversy surrounding the authenticity of his academic qualifications, Nnaji tendered his resignation on Tuesday. He, however, maintains that his resignation is not an admission of guilt.
Reacting to the development in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Atiku said the resignation of the former minister has “once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.”
The former Vice President also questioned Tinubu’s own credentials, alleging that they have been the subject of controversy for decades. He, therefore, called for a thorough investigation into the credentials of all FEC members, starting with the President.
“This episode is not isolated. It is a reflection of a pattern — a rot that begins from the very top. The man who occupies the office of President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has for decades been enmeshed in controversies surrounding his identity, age, and academic records.
“From the Chicago State University saga to multiple contradictory claims under oath, the world has seen ample evidence that Nigeria today is led by a man who himself has been unable to credibly defend the authenticity of his own certificates.
“When a man of questionable identity leads a country, deception becomes the standard of governance. Tinubu’s personal history of alleged forgery and perjury has effectively institutionalized falsehood in public service.
“It is, therefore, unsurprising that his ministers and aides have taken after his example — falsifying documents, inflating records, and desecrating the moral foundation of our nation.
“I, therefore, call for an independent, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, beginning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself. Nigerians deserve to know the truth about those who preside over their lives and resources.
“Tuesday’s resignation of Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
“What should ordinarily be a matter of national shame is now being disguised as a ‘voluntary resignation’ — an attempt to whitewash yet another scandal that typifies the forgery-ridden character of this government,” Atiku said.
He condemned President Tinubu’s decision to allow Nnaji an honourable resignation rather than a dismissal.
“Let the truth be told: Uche Nnaji should not have been allowed the courtesy of resignation. He should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification.
“By permitting him to quietly exit through the back door, the Tinubu administration has once again demonstrated that it is an assembly of forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants.”
Atiku also berated the Department of State Services (DSS), questioning how Nnaji’s alleged certificate scandal escaped detection during the screening process prior to his appointment.
“What makes this even more embarrassing is that the same Department of State Services (DSS), which screened out Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for alleged ‘security concerns’, is the very agency that cleared this same character, Uche Nnaji.
“The DSS truly deserves our flowers for this national disgrace. Their failure of due diligence has made Nigeria an object of ridicule before the world and raises the question: how many more such individuals are occupying sensitive positions in this government?”
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, accepted Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s departure as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the expiration of his second term in office.
Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission for an initial term of five years.
The appointment, which was renewed in 2020, has now expired due to the passage of time.
President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure.
In recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation, President Tinubu has bestowed on him the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the Commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor.
In the letter dated October 3, 2025, Professor Yakubu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve the nation as chairman of the commission since 2015.
The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has resigned his position following allegations of certificate forgery levelled against him.
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the resignation in a statement on Tuesday, saying the President has accepted the Minister’s decision to step down.
He added that “President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023. He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria.”
Onanuga further quoted the former Minister as saying he had “been a target of blackmail by political opponents.”
“President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours,” the statement added.
