Headlines
We Met Revenue Target for 2025 in August, Says Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday declared that his government has met its revenue generation target for year 2025 through non-oil sector in August.
Addressing members of The Buhari Organisation (TBO) led by former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Almakura who were on a courtesy visit to him at the State House, Abuja, he said he had met his revenue target for the year through the non-oil sector ahead of schedule.
He added that he will remain focused on Nigeria’s progress despite external pressures, including actions from US President Donald Trump.
According to him: “Nigeria is not borrowing. We have met our revenue target for the year, and we met it in August.”
Projecting confidence against international challenges, President Tinubu dismissed concerns over United States President Donald Trump’s activities, saying, “If non-oil revenue is going well, then have no fear of whatever Trump is doing on the other side.”
Shedding more light on his government’s
economic achievements, the President emphasized the stabilisation of the Nigerian economy, with exchange rates improving from N1900 to a dollar to N1450 at present.
His words: “The economy is stabilised; nobody is trading pieces of paper for exchange rate anymore. When I took over, it was N1900 to a dollar. It’s N1,450 now. Rates have been stabilising now.”
He promised continued efforts to create jobs through export, import, and industrial growth.
On food security, the President unveiled plans for a nationwide mechanisation programme, with farm centres established in every region to boost productivity, ensure food sovereignty, and lift millions out of poverty.
“Our path to food security is clear. Every region will have a mechanised farm centre. We are committed to removing poverty from our land, and that is the work we have already started,” the President stated.
President Tinubu urged supporters not to be distracted by political noise ahead of 2027, assuring that his administration remains focused on reforms that will deliver prosperity.
“Don’t let anybody threaten you with uncertainty. We know the direction we are going, and we are certain of success. The legacy you will inherit from me is total commitment to justice, transparency and progress. At the end of this journey, it will be a house of joy and prosperity for all,” he said.
The President reflected on the early political alliance with Buhari, emphasising mutual respect and dedication to a progressive government.
“Let me first apologise for coming late. That’s the difference between Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu. If it were him, he would be here right on time,” Tinubu joked, before expressing heartfelt thanks to those in attendance, including Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abass; former Katsina State Governor and former Speaker, Hon Aminu Masari, Almakura, and others.
He recounted the challenging beginnings of their alliance, noting spirited debates on symbols, “He insisted on parliament and I insisted on broom. He’s so stubborn.”
The President reassured his supporters not to be swayed by threats but to draw strength from unity and shared belief in a progressive government building on Buhari’s legacy. “Don’t worry about the threats. When I see people like you, my determination is to work harder,” he said.
President Tinubu also gave a pledge rooted in Buhari’s principles saying “Part of what we inherited from Buhari was his honesty, transparency, justice, that’s all. “You won’t have anything less than that. You will have joy at the end of this journey, and we will definitely put something together to build a Buhari House; that house will be a house of joy and prosperity.”
The delegation assured the President that the CPC bloc within the APC remained firmly behind his administration and would mobilise nationwide to secure the party’s victory at the next polls.
Senator Al-Makura, who spoke on behalf of the group, commended Tinubu for steering the country through challenging economic times, sustaining peace and stability, and for honouring the memory of their late leader and mentor, former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We are with you in loyalty, in person, and in purpose. May Almighty God grant you the wisdom and strength to continue leading our nation,” he declared.
Recalling the CPC’s struggles before the 2013 merger that birthed the APC, Al-Makura described Tinubu and Buhari as visionaries whose political partnership laid the foundation for justice, equity, and national renewal.
“Mr. President, you and President Muhammadu Buhari shared more than a political alliance; you shared a vision of a Nigeria built on justice, economic sovereignty, and good governance. Together, you conceptualised and built a platform that remains our pride and our cause,” he said.
Al-Makura pledged that the CPC family, comprising former governors, ministers, lawmakers, women leaders, and party executives, would work tirelessly to consolidate Tinubu’s reforms and sustain the APC legacy beyond 2027.
Also speaking, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, declared that the CPC bloc remains intact and is solidly behind the President.
“Indeed, today is the very first time that former members of the CPC have gathered in such large numbers to visit our President, to show support and appreciation for what he has been doing. I want to seize this opportunity, Mr. President, to assure you of the unconditional support of all former members of the CPC,” Abbas said.
Dismissing insinuations that the bloc was fragmented, the House Speaker insisted that over 90 percent of CPC’s pioneer leaders remained active and loyal.
He also praised President Tinubu’s partnership with Buhari in 2010, which eventually paved the way for Buhari’s presidency.
Abbas further commended Tinubu for the unprecedented respect shown to Buhari during his passing, noting the state support accorded his family and the President’s personal involvement.
“CPC in every state will go back home and mobilise support for Asiwaju. That movement will cascade down to local government areas, wards, and units. Insha Allah, CPC members will be at the forefront of ensuring your re-election in 2027 so you can continue the good work you are doing,” Abbas assured.
Iran’s military, on Saturday, declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again, hours after reopening it and with more than a dozen commercial ships passing through the vital waterway.
The toing and froing over the strait cast doubt on US President Donald Trump’s optimism the day before, that a peace deal to end the US-Israeli war with Iran was “very close”.
Tehran had on Friday declared the strait, which usually carries a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, open on Friday after a ceasefire was agreed in Lebanon to halt Israel’s war with Hezbollah.
That prompted elation in global markets and sent oil prices plunging, but with Trump insisting that a US naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a deal was concluded, Tehran threatened to shutter the strait once more.
Then, late on Saturday morning, citing a statement from military central command, Iranian state TV reported that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous status” and “is under strict management and control of the armed forces”, blaming the continued US blockade.
The announcement came as maritime tracking sites showed several ships making a dash through the narrow waterway, hugging close to Iranian territorial waters as instructed by Tehran and, for some, broadcasting their identity as Indian or Chinese in an apparent attempt to show their neutrality.
The same sites showed that late on Friday, a number of ships began heading for the strait before suddenly turning back amid the uncertainty.
By 0900 GMT on Saturday, several ships had fully transited the strait in both directions, but at least two tankers headed eastwards from the Gulf towards India after loading in UAE ports appeared to have turned around and aborted their journeys.
There are just four days remaining before the end of the two-week ceasefire in the US-Israeli war with Iran, launched by Washington and its ally on February 28.
Nevertheless, President Trump appeared convinced that a deal could be finished shortly.
He declared Friday “GREAT AND BRILLIANT,” and made a series of social media posts praising talks mediator Pakistan.
Islamabad’s powerful military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on Saturday finished a three-day visit to Iran aimed at securing the peace deal, during which he met Iran’s top leadership.
While Munir was in Iran, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey to push the peace process.
Islamabad has emerged as the lead mediator during the conflict, hosting a marathon round of direct peace talks last weekend attended by US Vice President JD Vance.
A second round of talks is expected in the Pakistani capital this coming week, with envoys hoping to end the war that was started by the US and Israel on February 28.
The allies launched a massive wave of surprise attacks on Iran, despite Washington and Tehran being engaged in diplomatic talks, that killed Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei and numerous senior leaders.
The war rapidly spread across the region, with Iran targeting US interests in the Gulf and Hezbollah dragging Lebanon into the conflict by launching rockets at Israel.
In a sign that the two-week ceasefire remained stable, Iran’s civil aviation agency declared its airspace was open again, with international flights able to transit Iran via the east of the country.
Nevertheless, two major sticking points in the peace talks — Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium and the future of the Strait of Hormuz — appeared up in the air.
Speaking by phone with AFP on Friday, Trump said “we’re very close to having a deal,” adding that there were “no sticking points at all” left with Tehran.
Later the same day, at an event in Arizona, the president declared that Iran had agreed to hand over its 440 or so kilogrammes of uranium enriched to 60 percent — close to that needed for a bomb.
“We’re going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators,” he said.
But hours before, Iran’s foreign ministry had said its stockpile, thought to be buried deep under rubble by US bombing in last June’s 12-day war, was not going anywhere.
“Iran’s enriched uranium is not going to be transferred anywhere,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state TV.
“Transfer of Iran’s enriched uranium to the US has never been raised in negotiations.”
Ordinary Iranians, meanwhile, remained cut off from the international internet, with monitor netblocks announcing on Saturday that the blackout implemented at the start of the war had reached its 50th day.
AFP
Veteran journalist and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Dele Momodu, has declared that a joint presidential ticket between Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi represents the strongest strategy for the opposition to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Momodu said the emerging ADC coalition is gaining momentum as a credible alternative to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which he accused of promoting “one-man rule” and weakening democratic institutions.
Momodu argued that an Atiku–Obi ticket offers both experience and electoral appeal, noting that both politicians already command significant national followings from previous elections. He recalled their collaboration in 2019, adding that Obi’s performance in the 2023 presidential election provides a ready base of supporters that can be consolidated.
According to him, the coalition is further strengthened by the involvement of political heavyweights such as Rabiu Kwankwaso and Rotimi Amaechi, making it a formidable opposition alliance.
“The candidates who placed second, third, and even fourth are aligning. That naturally builds a strong challenge,” Momodu said, suggesting that this development could unsettle the APC ahead of 2027.
He also accused the Tinubu administration of centralising power and undermining democratic processes, claiming that key institutions—including the legislature and electoral system—are increasingly influenced by the executive arm of government. He warned that such a trend poses risks to Nigeria’s democracy.
Momodu further alleged that opposition parties face systemic obstacles, including difficulties in accessing venues, legal pressures, and institutional interference. He argued that these challenges have made opposition unity not just strategic, but necessary.
Dismissing concerns about possible cracks within the ADC coalition, Momodu described such fears as speculative, insisting that current political realities have effectively forced major opposition figures to work together.
The Supreme Court has scheduled hearing for April 22 in the appeal filed by the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, in relation to the leadership dispute in the party.
Mark’s appeal is against the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which dismissed his appeal against the September 4, 2025 ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja refusing to grant some injunctive reliefs contained in an ex-parte application filed by a chieftain of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe.
A five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba chose the date on Tuesday after granting accelerated hearing in the appeal marked: SC/CV/180/2026.
The court ordered Mark’s lawyer, Jibril Okutepa (SAN) to file the appellant’s brief and serve on Wednesday.
It ordered the respondents to each file and serve on the appellant, a respondent’s brief within three days of being served with the appellant’s brief.
The appellant, according to the court, is to file a reply brief, if needs be, within one day of being served with the respondents’ briefs.
