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Info Minister Scores Tinubu’s Administration High, Says It’s Best Within Two Years
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has claimed that the achievements of the Tinubu administration in just two years stand as irrefutable evidence of visionary and courageous leadership.
He made this assertion at the inaugural National Dialogue on Citizen Engagement and National Security, themed “One Voice, One Vision: Uniting Perspectives for a Stronger Nigeria”, held in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to the minister, the event has come at a time when Nigeria is “at the confluence of purpose and possibility.”
He stressed that the forum, initiated by the Voice of Nigeria (VON), is not merely a policy talk shop but a deliberate platform to harmonize policy perspectives with the lived experiences of ordinary Nigerians.
“Just last week,” Idris buttressed, “we commemorated the second anniversary of the Tinubu administration with ample proof of its monumental positive impact.”
He emphasized that no administration in Nigeria’s democratic history has recorded such sweeping reforms and achievements within two years.
“No preceding government has ever achieved what the Tinubu administration has achieved in two years: first, the courage to vanquish the monster of oil subsidy and the forex racket, and then massive road infrastructure, an unprecedented students’ loans scheme, and the CreditCorp, indeed, policies that are re-stimulating confidence in our young population.”
The minister further noted that the Tinubu administration’s policies are beginning to yield tangible outcomes.
“After a stormy start, food prices are falling, even as we are stemming the tide of insecurity, while the impact of governance, for the first time in decades, is making a new headway through the local government autonomy, the creation of ministries for regional development, and the biggest boost in agriculture—the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.”
He added: “With President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the voices are audibly uniting in further support of a man of vision and courage.”
Underscoring the core objective of the national dialogue, the minister described national unity and citizen trust as the foundations of national security.
“There can be no national security without national unity. And there can be no unity without trust. In times of uncertainty and insecurity, our greatest weapon is not force. It is trust between the governed and those who govern,” he stated.
He pointed out that the Renewed Hope Agenda is grounded in citizen participation and engagement, where every Nigerian “must feel, be seen, heard, and valued.”
The minister also praised the Voice of Nigeria for its renewed mandate and evolving role as more than a broadcaster.
“VON is not just broadcasting news, but shaping narratives and forging national identity… ensuring that, whether it is in Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, or English, whether in Berlin or Birnin Kebbi, the voice of Nigeria is heard, respected, and trusted, echoing authoritatively from within a united people and secured territory,” he said.
Calling for genuine synergy among all national stakeholders, Idris said: “This forum reflects that vision. It brings together government, media, civil society, and the security community—not in silos, but in synergy. Not to talk at each other, but to listen to each other.”
The minister emphasized that Nigerians do not require uniformity to achieve unity; rather, they can embrace their diverse identities while remaining united in purpose.
“This dialogue is a symbol of that possibility as a platform where differences are not erased but embraced, as part of a collective solution. I encourage us to leave here with more than ideas. Let us leave with commitment. A renewed commitment to truth in our media, institutions, to equity in our policies, to transparency in our governance, and to compassion in our communities,” he said.
The Presidency has dismissed claims that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent comments were directed at the political situation in Rivers State or President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s constitutional decisions on the matter.
In a statement on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, the Presidency described the reports as a “gross misrepresentation.”
The statement clarified that Vice President Shettima’s remarks at the public presentation of a book by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), were misconstrued by some online platforms and individuals.
“These reports have distorted the Vice President’s comments in pursuit of a mischievous agenda,” it stated.
“They twisted his account of how the administration of former President Jonathan considered removing him as Borno Governor during the insurgency to falsely link it with current events in Rivers State.”
The Vice President, who spoke at the launch of OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block in Abuja on Thursday, was said to have referenced the past solely to commend Adoke’s professionalism while in office, and to reflect on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution regarding federal and state relations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office. The constitutional measure implemented was a suspension, not an outright removal.
“This action was taken in response to the grave political crisis in Rivers State at the time, with the governor facing a looming impeachment and the State Assembly complex under demolition,” Nkwocha clarified.
The Presidency insisted that the action taken by President Tinubu in declaring a state of emergency and suspending the Governor was fully in line with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which authorises such measures when there is a breakdown of public order requiring extraordinary intervention.
According to the statement, the President’s proclamation invoking Section 305(2) was subsequently ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the National Assembly, confirming the legitimacy and constitutional propriety of the decision.
“The action of President Tinubu in suspending Mr. Fubara and others from exercising the functions of office averted the governor’s outright removal. To conflate suspension with removal is misleading,” the statement further noted.
Nkwocha also stressed that Vice President Shettima’s comments were delivered extemporaneously and intended to underline the importance of public accountability and historical documentation.
He referenced the Vice President’s mention of past public servants, including Adoke and former Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to illustrate principled leadership.
“His remarks were not in any way a criticism of President Tinubu’s actions, which the Vice President and the entire administration fully support and stand by without reservation,” the spokesman stated.
The Vice President, the statement added, remains in “loyal concert” with President Tinubu and is committed to implementing all constitutional measures necessary to safeguard democracy and uphold order across the country.
Concluding, the Presidency called on media organisations and political actors to desist from misrepresenting public remarks for sensational or partisan purposes.
“We urge media organisations and political actors to desist from the destructive practice of wrenching statements from context in order to fabricate nonexistent conflicts,” Nkwocha said.
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Akpabio Relieves Natasha of Committee Chairmanship Position, Appoints Akwa Ibom Senator As Replacement
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has replaced suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora/Non-Governmental Organisations.
In her place, Akpabio named Senator Bassey Aniekun Etim (Akwa Ibom -East).
The Senate President, who made the announcement on the floor in Abuja on Thursday, did not give any reasons.
The committee position had remained vacant since March when the Senate suspended the Kogi-Central Senatorial District lawmaker for six months for flouting the Senate’s rule on the seating arrangement and seat allocation.
The suspended lawmaker, at a point, chaired the Senate Committee on Local Content before Akpabio reassigned her to the Committee on Diaspora/NGO, shortly before she ran into trouble with the Senate over her conduct on seat allocation.
The Supreme Court has affirmed the 2024 governorship election victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo.
In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, the apex court ruled that the appeal lacked merit. It upheld the earlier judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had both declared Okpebholo the validly elected governor.
