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Labour Party chieftain, Okupe, Makes a u-turn and applauds Tinubu for hitting the ground running, showing determination and courage in leadership

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Achieftain of the Labour Party (LP) Doyin Okupe has commended President Bola Tinubu for showing commitment, zeal and courage in directing the affairs of the nation.

Okupe, an ex-aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his piece titled: “For President Bola Tinubu: Still Many Rivers to Cross,” applauded the President for abolishing fuel subsidy and equalising foreign exchange.

He said: “President Bola Tinubu actually hit the ground sprinting; showing much determination, zeal commitment and courage. He has taken 2 extraordinarily bold steps by abolishing fuel subsidy and equalizing foreign exchange.

“This without doubt is causing very severe pain and hardship on the populace. However, in order to ground these policies properly, and reduce the pain on the populace, the President will still need to take more bolder steps.

“1. Nigeria must quit OPEC. – In about two decades from now, oil reserves may become meaningless. The present allocation of less than 2 million barrels per day for Nigeria with a population of over 200 million people and it’s prevailing strangulating economic conditions, given volumes of export to our main foreign exchange earner (90%) is inimical to our growth as a nation and to the wellbeing of the citizens.

“Outside OPEC, Nigeria can reduce it’s selling price of crude but also increase it’s exports to 3 million barells and above per day.

“This will increase accruable revenue from forex by up to 200% or more, which will allow the CBN have more supply of forex to the banks. In the face of surplus liquidity in forex supply, Naira will gain tremendous value over the Dollar.

“2. The present situation whereby the oil majors earn 60% of our accruable revenue from sales of oil leaving Nigeria with only 40% is no longer economically and financially prudent or reasonable. Saudi Arabia, using its own Aramco drills its own oil and earns 100% of the revenue from sales.

“We may not be able to achieve this instantly, but we should renegotiate with the oil majors for the ratio to shift in the favour of Nigeria to 60:40 minimum, even if we must add considerable investment in the processing for oil.

“3. The NNPC can no longer serve fully, neither can it meet the full expectations of it’s obligations to the Nigerian people. I am inclined to recommend that the President and his team should take a look and study the Atiku Abubakar model as it concerns the NNPC as a commercial entity.

“4. Most of the local refineries can still be made to be functional for the next 50 years. Part of the massive revenue inflow from the equalization of the forex regime should be used to refurbish once and for all, all our refineries, employing the best acceptable international bidding procedures to choose reputable international contractors to be engaged in the refurbishment programme.

“This should be done outside the purview of the NNPC and by a special presidential team that will abide by the best principles of honesty and transparency.

“5. Government must instantly liberalize licensing for investors who are interested in building petroleum refineries in Nigeria; especially modular refineries.

“6. The present crop of Nigerians engaged in crude petroleum refining who are scattered all over the place should no longer be hounded by task forces but rather harnessed officially into the downstream sector and licensed under supervision to produce and sell petroleum products.

“7. Government must deploy all powers and resources available to it to put a final end to crude oil theft and limit to the barest minimum, pipeline vandalization throughout the country.

“8. In spite of our leadership of ECOWAS in this period, the Nigerian government should encourage the deployment of diplomatic crises management approach and seek ways by using its influence with the organization to end the crises in Niger as quickly as possible as a precursor to urgent steps that need to be taken towards the activation of the plan to build the trans-sahara gas pipeline from Nigeria to Algeria and Europe, through Niger and Algeria.

“If this can be accomplished in the next 3 years, with Nigeria being the 9th highest deposit of gas in the world, sales of gas to Europe will bring in revenue in excess of $30b per annum.

“9. In order to ameliorate the present hardship in the country and give succor especially to the poor, government will have to revisit the 100% abolition of fuel subsidy pending the time when some of the items enumerated above can be accomplished. In the mean time, part of the excess inflow from forex equalization can be deployed to fund a supplementary budget to the National Assembly to cover for whatever percentage of the subsidy regime that government considers will suffice to grant the desired relief of the current hardship.

“10. The equalization of the foreign exchange regime instantly brings in massive revenue into the federation account from NNPC. Last month, for the first time ever, a sum if 1.5tr was available for sharing among the 3 tiers of government.

“The implication of this is that each tier of government will have the requisite financial cushioning to increase minimum wage to at least N60,000 per month.

“The rest of the excess funds can be channeled towards the repair and refurbishing of refineries as stated above and further strategic infrastructural and human development projects especially at states and local government levels.

“Furthermore, the more export trades our small and medium scale enterprises and business concerns within the country undertake will boost and improve the percentage of inflow of Dollars from non-oil exports.

“The weakening of the naira also has a major economic advantage of making our goods and services cheap abroad. Government must seize the situation to encourage the export if anything and everything by individuals and enterprises.

“Such encouragement may include payment of special grants per tonnage of goods exported.

“11. In the same vein, a major international drive and campaign must be undertaken by the CBN to encourage Nigerians in diaspora to use the official platform for remitting money home from abroad. This may be in form of waving commissions and fees chargeable on transfers.

“With an inflow of nearly $25b per annum from the diaspora community, Dollar supply to the CBN will increase to a large extent.

“12. Power generation and distribution is a major player in our economy; creating employment and improving the living standard of people generally.

“With this in view, I will strongly recommend that government shifts the level of power generation without official licensing from 1 MW to 5 MW. The cost of generating power from various sources is about $1-1.2m per MW on the average. With this singular policy, up to 1,000 local investors can enter into the power generation market in less than 1 year thereby boosting our power generating potential by more than 5,000 MW in 1 year.

“If this policy is followed with more liberalization of the power act of 2022, the need for generating sets by millions of Nigerians will drastically reduce by more than 80%. This will also further cause a decline in the demand by the populace especially the lower class for petrol to power small generators either for business or leisure.

“In conclusion, I personally believe that President Bola Tinubu is a thinker and an achiever. I have therefore enumerated the points above just to stimulate thoughts and actions and draw attention to areas which I consider if exploited, will add value to the plans of the current administration, increase revenue inflow to the country, reduce hardship and combat poverty.”

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Update : 2027 Race: APC Pegs Presidential Form at ₦100m, Unveils Primaries Date

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The All Progressives Congress has released its timetable for the 2027 general elections, fixing its presidential primary for May 15 to 16, 2026.

According to the schedule signed by the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, on Monday, the party will begin the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms at its National Secretariat from April 25 to May 2, 2026, while submission of completed forms will close on May 4.

The APC pegged its presidential form at ₦100m, comprising ₦30m for expression of interest and ₦70m for nomination.

Governorship aspirants are to pay ₦50m, while Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly forms cost ₦20m, ₦10m and ₦6m respectively.

The timetable indicates that screening of aspirants will hold between May 6 and May 8, while screening results will be released on May 11, followed by appeals from May 12 to May 13.

Photo: X/@OfficialAPCNg

Presidential primaries are scheduled for May 15 and 16, while those for the House of Representatives, Senate, State House of Assembly and governorship will hold on May 18, May 20, May 21 and May 23, respectively.

The party also fixed May 25 for the conclusion of election appeals across all categories.

The schedule shows that all primary elections will be conducted within eight days.

The party, however, granted concessions to female aspirants, youths and persons living with disabilities, who are to pay for only the expression of interest forms and 50 per cent of the nomination fees.

The timetable stated that the schedule was in line with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the Independent National Electoral Commission guidelines

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Breaking : Tinubu Endorses ₦68.32 Trillion 2026 Budget, Prolongs 2025 Spending Timeline

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President Bola Tinubu has signed the 2026 Appropriation Bill into law, authorising an aggregate expenditure of ₦68.32 trillion for the current fiscal year.

He also signed a separate bill extending the implementation period of the 2025 budget from March 31 to June 30, 2026.

The budget allocates ₦4.799 trillion for statutory transfers and ₦15.8 trillion for debt service.

It further sets aside ₦15.4 trillion for recurrent expenditure and ₦32.2 trillion for capital expenditure through the Development Fund.

The presidency made the disclosure in a statement signed by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Friday.

The statement read, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assented to the 2026 Appropriation Bill, which provides for an aggregate expenditure of ₦68.32 trillion. He has also signed the bill extending the implementation period for the 2025 budget from March 31, 2026, to June 30, 2026.

“The N68.32 trillion budget for this year earmarks N4.799 trillion for statutory transfers and N15.8 trillion for debt service. It allocates N15.4 trillion to recurrent expenditure and N32.2 trillion to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure.

“With capital expenditure accounting for about 50 per cent, the 2026 budget underscores the administration’s continued commitment to economic stability, national security, infrastructure development, and inclusive growth.

“The allocations reflect a strategic balance between statutory obligations, debt servicing, recurrent expenditure, and capital investments critical to driving productivity and improving the quality of life for Nigerians,” it added.

The 2026 Appropriation Act took effect on April 1, with the Federal Government commencing full implementation in line with what the presidency describes as the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Tinubu also assented to the Appropriation (Repeal and Enactment) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which extends the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act by three months to June 30.

The presidency said the extension would ensure the full utilisation of appropriated funds, particularly for critical infrastructure projects at advanced stages of implementation.

“The extension will ensure the full and effective utilisation of appropriated funds, particularly for critical infrastructure and development projects that are at advanced stages of implementation across the country.

“It will enable Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to consolidate ongoing works, enhance project completion rates, and maximise value for public expenditure,” the statement read.

Tinubu directed MDAs to ensure disciplined, transparent, and efficient utilisation of allocated resources, with strong emphasis on value for money and timely project delivery.

He commended the leadership and members of the National Assembly for what the presidency described as their “diligence, cooperation, and patriotism in expeditiously considering and passing the budget.”

“The President reaffirmed the importance of sustained collaboration between the Executive and Legislative arms of government in advancing national development objectives,” the statement noted.

Tinubu also assured Nigerians of his administration’s resolve to deepen fiscal reforms and boost revenue generation.

“He further assured Nigerians of his administration’s resolve to deepen fiscal reforms, enhance revenue generation, and prioritise investments that will stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen social protection mechanisms,” the statement read.

The budget, titled “The Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity,” was originally presented to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 19, 2025, at a proposed sum of ₦58.47 trillion.

It passed second reading in the House of Representatives on January 29, 2026, before going through further legislative scrutiny and emerging at ₦68.32 trillion at the point of assent.

During the second reading debate in January, House Leader Julius Ihonvbere had urged lawmakers to support the proposal, pointing to a projected 3.98 per cent economic growth rate for 2026, a projected drop in inflation to 14.45 per cent, improved revenues, and foreign direct investment growth.

He also cited a stabilisation of the naira at around ₦1,400 to the dollar and a rise in Nigeria’s external reserves to a seven-year high of approximately $47 billion.

When Tinubu presented the bill to lawmakers in December, he described it as a defining moment in Nigeria’s reform journey, acknowledging the pressures the process had placed on households and businesses while insisting the sacrifices were necessary.

“The path of reform is seldom smooth, but it is the surest route to lasting stability and shared prosperity,” he told the joint session.

He vowed that 2026 would mark a decisive shift to stronger budget execution discipline, announcing an end to the long-standing practice of running overlapping budgets and perpetual rollovers.

The budget’s four stated objectives are consolidating macroeconomic stability, improving the business and investment environment, promoting job-rich growth, and strengthening human capital development while protecting the vulnerable.

Key sectoral allocations include ₦5.41 trillion for defence and security, ₦3.56 trillion for infrastructure, ₦3.52 trillion for education, and ₦2.48 trillion for health.

Minister of Information Mohammed Idris, writing in a January op-ed, described the budget as a commitment to consolidate what was working in the administration’s reform programme and ensure that shared prosperity became “a lived reality for more Nigerians, faster.”

He pointed to expanding business activity, improving investor confidence, easing inflation, and stronger external reserves as early indicators of progress, and highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects including the Coastal Highway, Sokoto–Badagry Expressway, and Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline as evidence of the administration’s delivery record.

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Northern Muslim and Christian Youths Warn U.S. Lawmaker Against Fueling Division in Nigeria

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The Coalition of Northern Muslims and Christians Youth For Religious Tolerance in Nigeria has called for the Florida State representative and Chairwoman of the UN-WCD, Kimberly Daniels to not pretend under Christianity faith to create division between Christians and Muslims in Northern region of Nigeria for her Call on the Nigeria authority to redeploy the Honourable Minister of State for Defence Dr.Bello Mohammed Matawalle.

During the Coalition joint emergency press conference which was held in Kaduna Northwest Nigeria, the Coalition Statement which was jointly signed by Secretary General Mr. Bitrus Bahago along with his counterpart the Public relation officer Ustaz Abdullahi Abubakar,
Read: “The statements credited to Florida State representative Kimberly Daniels calling for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to redeploy the Honourable Minister of State for Defence Bello Mohammed Matawalle is not necessary and terrible motive aimed at targeting Norther Muslim public office holder”

“Mrs Kimberly Daniels Should note that Nigeria is not owned by only one faith, therefore we are collectively demanding her unreserved apology for her bigotry which could affect the peaceful Coexistence and religious tolerance between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria”

The Coalition Statement further remind Mrs. Kimberly Daniels that, “even though Matawalle is only overseeing the Nigeria Navy enjoyed a Cordial working relationship with his friend a devoted Northern Christian leader General Christopher Gwabin Musa who in charge of Nigeria army and Nigeria Air force combined.

The Coalition concludes by advising Mrs. Kimberly Daniels to desist from making unnecessary bigotry demand targeting or pointing finger at a particular faith.

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