News
2027 Election: Consensus Will Produce Right Candidates, Says Iyabo Obasanjo
Senator Iyabo Obasanjo has expressed support for the use of consensus in the selection of candidates for political offices by parties ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday monitored by the column.ng, the daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is eyeing the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, said consensus brings out the right candidates.
She dismissed fears that consensus would produce unpopular candidates, noting that it does not mean party leaders will ignore the wishes of the people.
“I do believe that consensus can bring the right candidates because consensus does not mean that leadership ignores the will of the people; consensus means that they look at what the people are saying. No party wants to lose, so the party will not choose people that open them for a loss; does that make sense?” Obasanjo said.
“So, the consensus is going to come towards people that can actually win on the ground, if that makes sense, because at the end of the day, the party wants to win. So, they do not want to put the least popular person as the consensus candidate in a way that is going to aggravate the other participants and in a way that is going to discourage people that are popular from participating. So, I have full belief that consensus is the way to go.”
She expressed strong belief that the consensus system would be an advantage to her in the race for the Ogun APC governorship ticket, citing her popularity and past performances as a commissioner and senator.
According to the former Ogun Central senator, the good salaries she received as a senator were put into working for her people, which she believes is an edge in the governorship race.
In another appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief earlier this month, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo expressed confidence in her chances ahead of the 2027 governorship race in Ogun State, saying she is a candidate to beat.
The 59-year-old politician, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections, said she is confident of receiving the votes of her parents, including her father, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“I am almost 60; I think that at this age, my friends who still have both parents alive are very few, so I consider myself lucky to have both my mother and my father alive.
“I don’t think at this age I should be consulting them for everything in my career move. What I have said is that my father, I know, and my mother will vote for me; that’s all that I can ask of them. Even if I don’t ask, they will vote for me; that I can guarantee,” she said.
The new Electoral Act made changes to the modes of candidate selection for political parties. With the new Act, only direct primary and consensus are the options for political parties to choose their candidates, while the indirect primary option has been removed.
International News
W/C: Tunisia Head Coach Sacked After Opening Game Defeat
Tunisia head coach Sabri Lamouchi has been sacked after defeat on World Cup opening game against Sweden.
Plans are under way to appoint Mondher Kebaier as the new national team coach on an interim basis, Federation confirm.
A statement released on the Tunisian FA Instagram read:
“An agreement has been officially reached to dismiss coach Sabri Lamouch.
“Plans are under way to appoint Mondher Kebaier as the national team coach [on an interim basis].”
Tunisia play Japan in their second group game on Saturday before facing the Netherlands.
News
Gov Approves ₦1.5bn For Mass Wedding Of 1,500 Couples
The Commander-General of the Kano State Hisbah Corps, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, has said preparations are in top gear for the mass wedding of 1,500 couples sponsored by the state government, with the sum of ₦1.5 billion earmarked for the programme.
Daurawa disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Kano on Monday, saying part of the preparations includes premarital medical tests such as HIV, hepatitis, pregnancy and genotype screening, among others.
He explained that about ₦1 million would be spent on each couple to provide household items including beds, mattresses, bedsheets, pillows, furniture and food items.
According to him, a dowry of ₦100,000 will be paid for each bride, while an additional ₦100,000 will be given to the bride as seed capital to support small-scale businesses after the wedding.
“Mass wedding was one of the promises made to the people of Kano by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf during his election campaign, and he has now fulfilled it,” Daurawa said.
“The governor has approved ₦1.5 billion for 1,500 couples, with each couple benefiting from about ₦1 million meant for furniture, food items and empowerment.”
The Commander-General also disclosed that the Hisbah Corps had informed intending couples of a guiding rule that discourages divorce without the prior involvement of the Hisbah Board.
He advised intending couples to ensure they undergo genotype tests before marriage because of the risks associated with giving birth to children living with sickle cell anaemia.
Daurawa added that the date for the mass wedding would be announced once it is approved by Governor Yusuf.
Business
Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Rises For 3rd Consecutive Month
Nigeria’s inflation rose for the third consecutive month to 15.93 percent in May 2026 from 15.69 percent recorded in April.
The National Bureau of Statistics disclosed this in its Consumer Price Index and inflation data released on Monday.
This means that in May, the country’s inflation rose on a month-on-month basis by 1.75 percent.
Also, the report showed that food inflation also skyrocketed to 16.96 percent in May, up from 16.06 percent recorded the previous month.
“In May 2026, the headline inflation rate on a month-on-month basis was 1.75 percent, which was 0.39 percent lower than the rate recorded in April 2026 (2.13 percent).
On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate rose to 15.93 percent, up from 15.69 percent in April 2026 and down from 26.06 percent in the same month of the preceding year (May 2025).
“The Food inflation rate in May 2026 on a month-on-month basis was 2.98 percent, down by 0.65 percentage points from April 2026 (3.63 percent). On a year-on-year basis, it was 16.96 percent and stood at 24.55 percent in the same month of the preceding year, May 2025”.
Recall that the headline inflation rate dropped in March and April, respectively even as the Central Bank of Nigeria retained the country’s interest rate 26.50 percent in its 305th Monetary Policy meeting.
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