News
2027: Northern Lecturers Endorse Tinubu
More than 600 senior academics drawn from all the public universities in Northern Nigeria have endorsed the second-term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The endorsement formed the key highlight of a meeting convened by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, for the academics to deliberate on the political future of Nigeria.
The engagement was held behind closed doors, at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Kaduna.
Newsmen were not allowed into the hall at the commencement of the meeting but were later allowed to witness the reading of the communiqué issued at the end of the deliberations.
Those at the meeting include the convener, Alhaji Masari, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal; Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni; Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum and his Gombe counterpart, Inuwa Yahaya.
Others include the Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle; Minister of Housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma and former governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari.
Report says most of the public-owned universities in the 19 northern states were represented and opportunities were given from each of the zones to speak. While the Vice Chancellor of Kaduna State University, Prof Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa, spoke on behalf of his colleagues in the higher institutions from the North West, the chief librarian of the Federal University Lafia, Prof Abdulrazaq Baba Abdulrahman, spoke on behalf of the North Central and the chairman governing council of the Federal College of Agriculture, Gwoza, spoke of behalf of the North East. Professor Mohammed Umar Sanda of the Federal University Dutsinma was also at the meeting.
It was gathered that most of the VCs from federal universities in the North attended the meeting.
Vice Chancellor of Kaduna State University, Prof Musa, who read the communiqué, said the academics critically examined the performance of the Tinubu administration since May 2023, as well as the economic, political, security and social conditions in the country, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
He said the scholars acknowledged that Tinubu inherited an economy facing fiscal, monetary and structural challenges, alongside insecurity, infrastructure deficits and human capital gaps and that some of the administration’s reforms had increased hardship for Nigerians.
“While these reforms have imposed substantial short-term hardship through higher living and transportation costs and inflationary pressures, we also acknowledge that they have altered government revenues and public finance,” they said.
However, they said the administration had recorded progress in areas including education financing, agriculture, infrastructure, business support, compressed natural gas, investment and the digital economy.
After their deliberations, the academics stated that: “We resolved to express our support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in the 2027 presidential election.”
They, however, said their support should not be interpreted as unconditional.
“Our support should not be interpreted as a blank check,” they said, urging the government to listen to citizens, respond to legitimate criticism and address high food and transportation costs, unemployment and insecurity.
The academics also called for an improved security strategy combining military operations, intelligence gathering, effective policing, community engagement and economic opportunities and urged the government to increase investment in agriculture, education, healthcare, roads, electricity, irrigation and other critical infrastructure in the North.
Tinubu’s adviser, Masari, in his address said in view of the achievements of the current administration in the education sector, it behoves on the academics to participate in determining the leadership of the country instead of staying aloof and complaining. He encouraged the academics to join in the political process and contribute.
The Ogun State Police Command has arraigned seven men before the Ilaro Magistrate Court over alleged unlawful possession of firearms, abduction of Amotekun operatives and stealing of a locally made single barrel gun valued at N150,000.
The defendants are Dosunmu Amos, 34, Abisekun Seun, 22, Ojo Olanrewaju, 32, Joseph Aremu, 33, Alao Ileyemi, 30, Akeem Ege, 45, and Elijah Eriwole, 32.
They were arraigned before Chief Magistrate I, Ilaro, presided over by Mrs F.A. Ojelade on Friday, on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful possession of firearms, abduction, stealing and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
According to the charge sheet with No M/27/2026 signed by ASP Adeboye Olayiwola, the defendants and others still at large, between October 14 and 15, 2026, at Alagbon area, Owode-Afon, in the Ilaro Magisterial District, allegedly conspired to commit felony to wit: unlawful possession of firearms.
Count two stated that on October 14, at about 4 pm, they unlawfully had in their possession one locally made single barrel gun without licence, contrary to the Firearms Act.
Counts three and four, respectively, border on conspiracy and abduction at the Ogun State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, Owode-Afon Outpost, on October 15, at about 5:30 pm.
The prosecutor alleged that the defendants abducted two Amotekun operatives, AMT Salami Yakubu, 31, and AMT Abelewa Soliudeen, 37, and prevented any person entitled to have access to them from discovering where they were imprisoned.
Count five alleged that they stole one locally made single barrel gun valued at one hundred and fifty thousand naira, property of the Amotekun Corps.
Count six stated that they conducted themselves in an unruly manner by invading the Amotekun outpost and shooting sporadically into the air, causing fear in the neighbourhood.
Prosecution counsel, ASP A.S. Abiodun moved a motion pursuant to Section 306 of ACJ Law of Ogun State 2017, praying the court to remand the defendants.
In her ruling, Ojelade held that even though offences in counts 1, 2, 5 and 6 are within its jurisdiction, it is not seized of the power to try offences in counts 3 and 4, and in the interest of justice, ordered that the defendants be remanded for a period of 60 days in the first instance.
The case was adjourned till January 15, 2027.
One person has been killed, and three others injured after gunmen allegedly attacked the convoy of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) House of Assembly candidate for Ezza South Constituency, Ebonyi State.
The police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, said the incident occurred at Amaezekwe community, Ezza South Local Government Area.
Ukandu said the command received a distress call reporting a disturbance in the community and immediately deployed operatives to the scene.
“Upon arrival, the operatives found four individuals with gunshot wounds and a burnt vehicle,” he said on Friday. “One of the victims was confirmed dead at the hospital, while the three others are receiving medical treatment.”
Meanwhile, the NDC candidate, Rollins Ovu-Unata Offia-Nwali, said suspected political thugs attacked his motorcade and set his Toyota Hilux vehicle ablaze.
In a statement, Offia-Nwali said he and members of his entourage escaped unhurt.
He expressed sympathy with those affected by the attack and urged youths across the state not to allow politicians to use them to pursue personal ambitions.
“No political ambition is worth the life of any young person,” he said.
A young man who identified himself as Emmanuel from Ebonyi State has confessed to killing his ex-girlfriend identified as Umuora Mmesoma from Uga in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State after she ended their relationship.
According to report, Mmesoma was declared missing on Friday, October 16, 2026, before her body was later discovered inside a bag in Uga on Friday, October 23.
In a video making the rounds on social media, security operatives questioned the suspect following his arrest.
In the video, the suspect confessed to killing the young woman, saying he carried out the act because she broke up with him.
“I killed her because she broke up with me. I killed her in my house in Uga, put her inside a bag and dumped her somewhere,” he said.
The killing of the young woman has sparked outrage among residents of the community and social media users, with calls for a thorough investigation and prosecution of the suspect and demands for justice for the deceased.
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