Television Nigerian

David Umahi, the minister of works, has called on South-East residents to band together in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, recognizing his efforts to reverse years of government neglect in the region.
The former Ebonyi State governor praised President Tinubu for selecting South-East zone residents for key government posts, such as his own as Minister of Science and Technology, Chief of Naval Staff, and Minister of Works.

In terms of reintegrating the South-East into national governance, Umahi characterized these appointments as important steps.

There were no government initiatives in many Southeast states prior to this, he noted. Across the region, the federal presence is evident today. The appearance of actual national integration is that.

“We have already lost political ground, but this government is helping us regain it. We’re not left behind, but it’s not perfect yet. Recognizing that, we must back the President.

In addition, Umahi advised zone inhabitants to embrace positive interaction with the federal government and shun divisive discourse.

To begin counting two, the South-East must first count one. Instead of seclusion, we require reintegration. He said, “We must not waste the opportunity—President Tinubu has initiated this process.”

He claimed that his national integration plan and the President’s achievements in governance would be enough to guarantee his return to Aso Rock by 2027.

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The Minister also attacked the opposition leaders who were calling for an alliance against Tinubu in 2027, calling them unreliable and anonymous.

The Peoples Democratic Party’s former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and other politicians were reportedly discussing forming a coalition movement to overthrow Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.

Salihu Lukman, a former APC National Vice Chairman (North West), and Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, are two more leaders of the coalition.

Tinubu has shown exceptional leadership for Nigerians and deserves a second term, Umahi said during the 2025 Sallah celebration with the Muslim community in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

For fostering what he called a “unprecedented level” of national unity and interfaith peace, the minister commended President Tinubu.

The president’s decision to lead a Nigerian delegation to the Vatican for the inauguration of the Pope, he added, was a “unique and historic” act that shocked many Christians and marked a new era of religious tolerance.

The G5 Governors’ activities during the 2023 presidential election, according to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, were crucial in keeping Nigeria stable and averting post-election instability.
Wike reportedly made the statement on Monday during a meeting in Abuja with representatives of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory’s “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP.”

The former governor of Rivers State claimed that the G5 Governors’ decision to abandon their party’s presidential nominee, PDP presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was founded on their moral commitment to maintaining the North-South zoning system.

Wike, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) were all members of the G5 group.

The truth is that our country would have been in catastrophe if the G5 had not made its decision, regardless of whether you like us or not, Wike said.

“The right thing had to be done, and we still stand by that decision, regardless of who the beneficiary was.”

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PDP Disregarded the Constitution, Wike Claims
Wike, who has been a harsh critic of the PDP leadership, claimed that the party’s electoral failure was caused by its disregard for its own zoning constitution.

He stated, “We have persisted in highlighting the importance of respecting both the national and party constitutions.” We would not be in our current situation if the party had paid attention to what we had to say.

He warned that the opposition party’s existence was in danger due to vanity and avarice, and he accused certain party officials of acting without consequence.

Wike issued a warning, saying, “Ours is to continue to pacify people and bring them together and desist from saying that they should go to hell.” “Let us not let our party be destroyed by ego or greed.”

Wike said that if party members band together and tackle the underlying causes of division, the PDP may yet bounce back from internal strife and the consequences of the 2023 elections.

Other well-known PDP leaders in the meeting included former governors Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Samuel Ortom. Senator Philip Aduda, the former Senate Minority Leader, and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the PDP National Secretary, were also in attendance.

The purported persecution of Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, which allegedly started under previous President Muhammadu Buhari, has been accused of being carried out by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
In an audio message sent on Monday, Olayemi Koiki, the spokesperson for Igboho, made the assertion.
Why the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu has persisted in witch-hunting Sunday Igboho is unknown. As of right now, he remains on

“The list of wanted persons,” Koiki stated.
He continued by saying, “We requested that his bank accounts be opened, but they declined; the same is true for his businesses.

“Igboho’s offense was speaking out against the injustice that was occurring in Yorubaland, and the problems he raised are still present today.”

Igboho is regarded with respect elsewhere, yet he is still considered a criminal in his own nation, claims Koiki.

Only in his native nation is he viewed as a criminal, even when traveling the world. “No one has paid him yet, even after the court ruled that he should,” he claimed.

During the contentious raid on Igboho’s home in Ibadan in July 2021 by Department of State Services (DSS) agents, Koiki charged that the Buhari-led administration was trying to eradicate him.

The raid was allegedly carried out because of intelligence that Igboho was storing weapons, according to the DSS. Despite Igboho’s escape during the raid, the DSS subsequently labeled him sought and said they had found weaponry in his house.

Igboho fled to the Republic of Benin, where he was apprehended. He was then charged with instigating unrest, smuggling weapons, and encouraging secession from Nigeria when he was arraigned at the Court d’Appel in Cotonou.

There was celebration in some sections of the Southwest when Beninese authorities freed him in March 2022.

In addition, prominent Yoruba historian and Oodua Nation supporter Banji Akintoye said that when Igboho was in custody, the Nigerian government attempted to coerce him into abandoning his cause.

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The Nigerian government has allegedly failed to take Igboho off the list of sought people, Koiki bemoaned, despite court orders and the Benin Republic authorities’ decision to free him.
As a special envoy, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), the then-Chief of Army Staff, allegedly visited Igboho in prison and gave him a document pledging billions of naira in exchange for giving up his campaign for Yoruba independence, according to Akintoye.

Buratai took the document away when he refused to sign it, according to Akintoye.

Igboho allegedly wrote to Keir Starmer, the prime minister at the time and the current leader of the UK Labour Party, in October 2022, pleading with the British government to recognize and back the Yoruba independence movement in Nigeria.

Even after being freed, Sunday Igboho has not yet returned to Nigeria, and his supporters maintain that the government continues to unfairly persecute him.

Without a solid alliance, it would be extremely difficult for any one opposition party to beat President Bola Tinubu in the general elections of 2027, according to former presidential candidate Martin Onovo.
Onovo made this claim in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday. Onovo was a presidential candidate in 2015 under the National Conscience Party, which is now closed.
“A strong coalition of opposition forces must present a united front in order to defeat the All Progressives Congress in 2027,” he said.

Calling it a positive start, Onovo extended his support behind the coalition efforts being led by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president and PDP presidential candidate.

“The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), the biggest coalition in the Fourth Republic’s history, was my idea. The only alternative is to form a coalition. “United minorities are more powerful than divided majorities,” he stated.

He was certain that the APC may suffer a crushing defeat at the polls thanks to a well-organized alliance.

According to Onovo, “if the coalition does not undermine itself, it will win the 2027 election with 99 percent of the vote.” If the ruling party does it correctly, it will be successful and beat them convincingly.

The Tinubu-led administration received negative marks from Onovo for mid-term performance, especially in the areas of security and basic welfare services.

“There hasn’t been much progress in addressing insecurity or enhancing the quality of life for average Nigerians,” he said.

He urged the President to spend the rest of his term effectively addressing the fundamental needs of Nigerians.

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Instead of political loyalists, Onovo emphasized the necessity for capable hands in governance.

Instead of loyalists, we need capable individuals in positions. As the President assumes leadership and accountability, let’s assemble the best team, the best plans, and a moral atmosphere.

For the suffering to stop, we need the right leaders with sound economic and security plans. He went on, “Loyalty must not come at the expense of performance.”

In addition, he asked the President to step up efforts to combat corruption and take significant action to lower wealth inequality, citing them as the main sources of societal unrest and insecurity in Nigeria.