News

Presidential candidate identifies Nigeria’s real problems

Published

2 weeks ago

August 26, 2026

Adewole Adebayo

Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2027 general elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has said that Nigeria’s crisis is rooted largely in bad governance, weak institutions and a political class more interested in winning elections than solving the country’s problems.

Adebayo disclosed this during the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Adebayo, who was among the presidential candidates invited to the NBA conference to present their visions for governing Nigeria, said Nigerians were less concerned about the political fortunes of individual politicians than about having a government that would improve their lives.

He said the repeated elections since 1999 had failed to produce the fundamental changes Nigerians expected, arguing that the country needed a new political direction anchored on the Constitution and its fundamental objectives.

According to him, the SDP had rejected the traditional politics of ethnic and religious rotation, money and political calculations, insisting that competence and commitment to the Nigerian people should determine who governs the country.

Adebayo said his party had previously engaged some “professional politicians” who sought to form a coalition with the SDP, but that the discussions exposed fundamental differences in political philosophy.

“We discovered three things. One, that they don’t care about ideology; they just want to win and figure it out later,” he said.

He explained that the SDP’s commitment was fundamentally tied to Chapter Two of the Nigerian Constitution, particularly its Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy.

Adebayo said anyone seeking political office under the SDP must subscribe to those principles, adding that the party would not rotate political power on the basis of ethnicity or religion.

“We do not rotate power based on ethnicity and religion. We do it based on your understanding of the needs of the country,” he said.

He also rejected the influence of money in determining political leadership, saying the SDP would rather build a coalition with ordinary Nigerians.

According to him, politicians would only be welcomed into such a coalition if they were prepared to subscribe to the Constitution and the ethical principles of the party.

On the contentious issue of fuel subsidy, Adebayo said the country should stop dwelling on whether subsidy should be removed, arguing that what Nigerians needed was a sustainable supply of petroleum products at affordable prices and a stable exchange rate.

He recalled that the SDP had warned against the removal of subsidy and predicted the hardship that would follow.

Adebayo said the current situation had validated the party’s position, arguing that the subsidy debate had become largely academic because the policy had already been dismantled.

He likened the situation to a medical patient whose appendix had already been removed, saying it would be impossible to simply reverse the procedure.

“Subsidy is like giving somebody a scholarship to a university that does not exist. The scholarship is useless,” he said.

He maintained that the real challenge was reducing energy costs through sustainable measures rather than returning to the old subsidy regime.

On insecurity, the SDP candidate launched one of his strongest attacks on the political establishment, arguing that Nigeria’s security crisis could not be solved without confronting the political and economic interests allegedly sustaining it.

He said the country’s security expenditure had failed to translate into genuine security for citizens, insisting that security allocations should be examined alongside the broader structure of governance and accountability.

“The theme of our own campaign is ‘Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity’, and they are linked,” he said.

Adebayo alleged that elements within the political establishment and their collaborators benefit from insecurity, particularly kidnapping and illegal mining, and argued that Nigerians would continue to suffer if they repeatedly returned the same politicians to power.

He said the solution required confronting the networks benefiting from violence, illegal mining and insecurity rather than merely increasing security spending.

“If you remove these politicians, who you keep re-electing, they will go away, and their terrorist partners will go away. If you keep re-electing them, the terrorists will continue because they and the terrorists are in partnership,” he alleged.

He also criticised what he described as the excessive use of security spending without adequate accountability, arguing that past administrations had left behind huge financial liabilities.

Addressing the persistent farmer-herder conflict, Adebayo rejected what he described as a simplistic portrayal of the crisis as a clash between farmers and herders.

“I am a herder myself. I have close to one million cattle, and I’ve not killed anybody before,” he said.

He argued that the government should focus on identifying the real beneficiaries of violence and illegal exploitation of Nigeria’s natural resources.

Adebayo proposed stronger regulation of the mining sector, arguing that miners should be properly identified and held responsible for criminal activities occurring within territories where they operate.

He also called for reforms to the Office of the National Security Adviser and a fundamental reorganisation of the armed forces.

According to him, Nigeria needs a “people’s army” that is structured to respond effectively to threats confronting communities across the country.

He criticised what he described as the creation of military divisions without sufficient manpower, arguing that the country needed properly equipped and adequately staffed formations rather than administrative changes that do not translate into operational strength.

On state police, Adebayo said the issue should be approached as a constitutional and governance matter rather than a political slogan.

He argued that since state governments possess legislative powers to make laws, they should also have the capacity to establish law-enforcement mechanisms capable of enforcing those laws.

“If you come to Rivers State and kill somebody, it’s against the law for Rivers State to kill somebody in Rivers State. Rivers State should not need Abuja to help them apprehend you,” he argued.

Adebayo maintained that every tier of government should have the capacity to enforce laws within its constitutional jurisdiction, saying state policing would strengthen local accountability and responsiveness.

The SDP candidate also presented his “Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity” campaign theme as a broader promise to tackle Nigeria’s economic and security challenges simultaneously.

He said poverty and insecurity were interconnected and could not be effectively addressed without reforming the way government operates.

Adebayo further claimed that Nigeria had not experienced a government since 1999 that sufficiently reflected the governing principles contained in the Constitution.

“We don’t have a government. Not only the one who is there now, President Tinubu. Since 1999, we have not had a government close to what we wrote in the Constitution,” he said.

He identified three principles which, according to him, should be non-negotiable regardless of differences among political parties: democratic elections as the means of forming government, governance according to law and approved appropriations, and accountability with a firm rejection of corruption.

Addressing food insecurity, Adebayo said Nigeria must move away from excessive dependence on imports and develop its agricultural production capacity.

He described himself as a net producer and exporter of agricultural products, citing his investments in farming and cattle production as evidence of his understanding of the agricultural sector.

He argued that food security could not be achieved through rhetoric or imports alone, but through deliberate investment in agriculture and productive capacity.

Adebayo challenged political leaders to demonstrate practical commitment to agriculture rather than merely making promises about food security.

He urged Nigerians to scrutinise the programmes and records of political parties and candidates before voting in 2027, saying the country’s future depended ultimately on the quality of choices made by the electorate.
“Your choice is to vote for candidates and parties according to what they present to you,” he said.

News

Writing IRRI, Atiba University partner to boost education, youth development

Published

10 hours ago

September 6, 2026

The Exclusives

Atiba varsity

The Ibadan Red Roof Initiative (IRRI) has partnered with Atiba University Oyo (AUO) to expand access to education, promote youth development and drive sustainable community development initiatives in Oyo State and beyond.

Under the partnership, Atiba University has been selected as a destination for qualified beneficiaries of the IRRI Scholarship Award, subject to the university’s admission requirements and applicable academic and regulatory provisions.

The collaboration is expected to provide deserving young Nigerians with greater opportunities to pursue higher education while equipping them with the knowledge, skills, values and leadership capacity required to contribute meaningfully to their communities and society.
As part of the agreement, Atiba University will also serve as the principal base for IRRI’s activities in Oyo State, providing a platform for the implementation and coordination of the initiative’s educational, leadership, youth development, sporting and community engagement programmes.

The partnership reflects the shared commitment of both organisations to creating opportunities for young people, strengthening communities and deploying education and purposeful social intervention as tools for sustainable development.

Commending the partnership, IRRI expressed appreciation to the Founder/President of Atiba University Oyo, James Adesokan Ojebode, as well as the university’s management, staff and students, for embracing the collaboration and supporting its development.

The initiative said it considers education one of the most powerful instruments for transforming individuals, families and communities.
“Through the scholarship programme and other initiatives envisaged under the partnership, the organisation seeks to support deserving young people in pursuing their educational aspirations and developing the capacity to contribute positively to Nigeria’s growth and development,” IRRI said.

In another development, IRRI announced that it had received a gift of 20 acres of land to support the future development of programmes and facilities.

The proposed facilities may include a golf practice range and related sporting activities, camping and outdoor recreational activities, youth and community sporting events, educational, leadership and skills-development programmes, as well as community development and empowerment initiatives.

According to the initiative, the proposed development is envisioned as a dynamic platform where education, recreation, youth engagement, leadership development and community empowerment can converge to create lasting social impact.

The partnership, IRRI said, goes beyond providing educational opportunities, as it represents a shared vision of building people, strengthening communities and creating platforms through which young Nigerians can discover, develop and fulfil their potential both in Nigeria and through opportunities abroad.

Both organisations stressed the importance of collaboration among educational institutions, community organisations, private-sector stakeholders, philanthropists, development partners and other well-meaning individuals and organisations in achieving sustainable development

News

Tinubu, Obasanjo, Jonathan, Atiku, others make list of DTN@100 Heroes Awards

Published

6 days ago

August 31, 2026

The Exclusives

Okusaga, Chairman, DTN@100 Heroes Awards Council (left) with Feyi Smith, Secretary of the awards council

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ex-Nigerian presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and other eminent Nigerians will be honoured on Thursday in Abuja as The Daily Times of Nigeria recognises eminent Nigerians who have made their mark in different fields of endeavour.

The event, tagged: DTN@100 Heroes Award, is part of the activities to mark the Centenary of the Daily Times of Nigeria.

The final announcement was made yesterday in Lagos during a press briefing.

Mr Bolaji Okusaga, Chairman, DTN@100 Heroes Awards Council, said Thursday’s event forms a major component of the centenary celebrations of The Daily Times, Nigeria’s iconic newspaper of record, which began publication in 1926 and has chronicled the country’s political, economic, social and cultural evolution across a century. The centenary programme has been framed around the newspaper’s enduring contribution to journalism, national discourse and nation-building.

According to Okusaga, the awards are conceived not merely as a ceremony of recognition, but as a deliberate effort to preserve national memory and celebrate the individuals and institutions whose leadership, courage, enterprise, public service and innovation have contributed meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.

“The Daily Times has spent 100 years documenting the Nigerian story. Through the DTN@100 Heroes Awards, we are taking that responsibility a step further by documenting and celebrating the people and institutions that have helped to write that story through their service, leadership, enterprise and impact,” Okusaga said.

He added that the final list reflects the breadth and diversity of contributions that have shaped the Nigerian experience, spanning governance, politics, business, public administration, technology, energy, development, climate action, community leadership, diplomacy, social impact and enterprise.

“These are not simply awards for prominence. They are recognitions of impact. They speak to what individuals and institutions have contributed to the growth, resilience and transformation of Nigeria and, in several cases, to Africa and the wider global community,” he said.

A defining feature of the DTN@100 celebration will be the presentation of Prestige Honours to a distinguished group of Nigerians whose lives, careers and contributions occupy an important place in the nation’s history.

Also receiving Prestige Honours are Ambassador Dele Cole, former Managing Director of The Daily Times and Nigerian Ambassador; Aremo Segun Osoba, former Managing Director of The Daily Times and former Governor of Ogun State; Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, former Managing Director of The Daily Times and Director, Tanus Communications Limited; Chief Tola Adeniyi, former Chairman/Chief Executive of The Daily Times and author; Mr. Onyema Ugochukwu, former Editor of The Daily Times and pioneer Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission; Mr. Sam Amuka-Pemu, former Editor of The Daily Times and founder of The Vanguard Newspaper; and Chief Mrs. Grace Oyelude, the first Miss Nigeria, crowned in 1957.

Other eminent Nigerians are in the list.

News

Lagos demolishes structures under high-tension power line

Published

1 week ago

August 29, 2026

The Exclusives

LASEMA at the scene of the demolition

Following a clash in Ikola, a Lagos community which claimed four lives in Lagos on Thursday, the Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, (LASEMA), in close coordination with the Lagos State Police Command and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), has intensified ongoing safety operations in the community to protect residents.

The community is an informal settlement beneath high-tension electricity power lines.

According to an e-statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, such informal settlements contravene national and international safety standards and expose thousands of citizens to the unacceptable risks of electrocution, fire outbreak, and structural collapse.

“In line with the administration’s commitment to the preservation of life and property as the highest duty of the government, relevant agencies were immediately deployed to the area.

“Communities were granted ample time to safely evacuate and recover personal belongings prior to the commencement of any demolition activity.

“This approach reflects the State’s policy of enforcing the law with empathy, ensuring that enforcement does not become an instrument of hardship,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

He disclosed that controlled demolition exercises were ongoing and it is being executed with the highest standards of professionalism and safety.

It was gathered that LASEMA’s heavy recovery equipment has been activated to clear structures within the statutory right-of-way of the power line, thereby eliminating a long-standing hazard and restoring the corridor to its intended purpose.

LASEMA boss disclosed further that the Lagos State Government recognises the right of every citizen to shelter and livelihood; however, “ that right must be balanced against the collective responsibility to prevent avoidable loss of life. No development is sustainable where it is built on avoidable risk.

“This intervention is therefore not targeted at any ethnic group or community, but at a dangerous structural reality that threatens everyone living in its path.

“The government will continue to engage community leaders, traditional rulers, and relevant stakeholders in Ikola and across the State to promote peaceful coexistence, enforce urban planning regulations, and provide information on safe and approved areas for settlement.”

Oke-Osanyintolu urged residents to desist from building under power lines, gas pipelines, and other restricted corridors, and to always seek guidance from appropriate authorities before erecting structures.

“Lagos State remains committed to building a resilient, safe, and orderly megacity where the rule of law is upheld, and the lives of all residents are protected. We appreciate the cooperation of Ikola residents, community leaders, and security agencies for their understanding and support during this critical exercise,” Oke-Osanyintolu concluded.