President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid an intimate tribute to his wife, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.

He declared that if given another chance to begin life afresh, he would still choose the path that brought them together.

In a personal message marking the First Lady’s 66th birthday today, the President described his wife as his “truest friend and confidante,” recalling the difficult years, sacrifices, and private moments that have defined their journey together.

“If life returned me to the beginning, I would choose the same road that led me to you. Through every mile, my heart has always remained at home with you,” President Tinubu said.

The President, who addressed his wife affectionately as “Oluremi mi,” said she has stood beside him with patience, grace and “uncommon courage” through different seasons of their lives.

He recalled a Yoruba saying: “Ìyàwó rere ni adé oko ree”, meaning “a good wife is her husband’s crown,” stressing that the First Lady has given practical meaning to the expression in his life.

President Tinubu also drew from the biblical Book of Proverbs on the worth of a virtuous woman, saying his wife has remained a source of strength, counsel, and prayer, particularly during periods of uncertainty.

“You have stood by my side through every season. The burdens that were mine to bear often found their way onto your shoulders. The thoughts I could not put into words somehow found their way to you.

“In difficult times, when the future was uncertain, you stayed calm beside me and prayed with me. Through all these years, you have remained the one who truly understands me,” he said.

The President said the First Lady often knew when he needed advice even before he sought it, adding that there had been occasions when her presence alone provided the counsel he needed.

He described her honesty as one of the qualities he had treasured throughout their years together, saying she had never hesitated to tell him uncomfortable truths.

“I call you my truest friend and confidante because you speak the truth plainly, even on the days I would rather not hear it.

“After a demanding day, you wait until we are alone before telling me what I need to hear. I have always cherished you for that honesty,” he said.

The President also praised his wife for her devotion to their family, saying their children and grandchildren have grown under the influence of her prayers, faith and kindness.

According to him, the imprint of the First Lady’s devotion is evident in their home and in the values their children and grandchildren carry with them.

Turning to her public service and humanitarian activities, President Tinubu said Nigerians have come to know his wife for her compassion, generosity and steadfast faith.

He recalled her humanitarian interventions through the New Era Foundation during their years in Lagos and, more recently, through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), saying the programmes have reached young Nigerians, widows, senior citizens and women farmers across the country.

President Tinubu also lauded her advocacy for people affected by tuberculosis and other diseases, describing her as a compassionate advocate for the vulnerable.

“I know the prayers you offer for people whose names you may never know. I also know many whom you have helped without ever meeting them. For you, compassion has never recognised the boundaries of tribe, region or religion,” he said.

Reflecting on their years together, the President said their journey had taught him the true value of having a dependable partner.

“A long journey teaches a man the true value of a good partner. We have travelled a long road together. I think of the difficult decisions we talked through for hours and the sacrifices no one else saw. Laughter and prayer carried us through many of them,” he said.

Expressing gratitude for their life together, President Tinubu added: “I thank you for the life we have built and the love that has held it together.”

The President prayed for many more years of good health and happiness for the First Lady, wishing that the years ahead would bring her the same comfort and happiness she had given him and others.

“Happy 66th birthday, my darling Oluremi. I pray that God Almighty will grant you many more years in good health and joy.

“May the years ahead bring you the same comfort and happiness you have so freely given to me and many others,” President Tinubu said.

Hundreds of students of the Taraba State College of Nursing Sciences, Jalingo, on Monday staged a peaceful protest following an overnight attack on one of the female hostels located outside the institution’s premises.

The hoodlums allegedly raped a female student during the attack and inflicted injuries on her, including cutting one of her fingers.

The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Monday when the attackers invaded the hostel and dispossessed students of their phones and other valuables.

The victim was subsequently taken to GSCN Hospital in the Mile 6 area of Jalingo for treatment, according to sources.

A students’ union official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, said the latest incident was the second attack on the students’ hostels within two weeks.

He said the attackers had raided some hostels the previous week and stole phones and other valuables belonging to students.

“Yesterday night, the hoodlums came in their numbers and attacked one of the female students’ hostels. They raped one of the students and also carted away phones belonging to the students and other valuables.”

“They also cut one of the fingers of the student after raping her. She is now on admission at a private hospital located at Mile 6 area in Jalingo,” he said.

According to him, students had complained to the school authorities following the first attack, after which the Commissioner for Tertiary Education visited the college and promised improved security.

“When the first attack happened last week, we complained to the school authorities and the Commissioner of Tertiary Education visited the college and promised that security measures would be put in place in all the hostels, but nothing was done,” he said.

The students subsequently staged a protest at the college gate on Monday, demanding urgent intervention by the Taraba State Government and security agencies to protect them from further attacks.

The students also raised concerns over the continued use of hostels located outside the college premises despite the completion of hostel facilities within the institution.

The students’ union official said the college has seven hostels — one for male students and six for females — but that students were still accommodated outside the premises.

“We have seven hostels, one for male and six for female, but students are all located outside the premises of the college and there is no adequate security, which exposed us, the students, to danger,” he said.

The attack comes days after the Taraba State Ministry of Tertiary Education visited the College of Nursing Sciences following a reported robbery attack on students’ hostels.

The ministry said armed men had invaded the hostels, stolen mobile phones and assaulted students. It said 33 phones were reportedly stolen, while some students sustained injuries. Three phones and a cutlass were recovered at the scene, according to the ministry’s report.

The ministry subsequently recommended urgent security measures around the hostels, intensified investigation and the relocation of students to safer accommodation. It also called for the completion and commissioning of the college’s new hostels.

The Provost of the college, Dr Dorcas Dugule, when contacted, confirmed that she was handling the matter but declined to comment immediately.

“I am on top of the issue. I will not speak; please give me time,” she said, report mentioned.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), has gone to court to challenge a N200 million fee the Abia State Government reportedly imposes on presidential candidates who want to display campaign materials in the state.

Makinde and the APM argue that the fee, which is twenty times what the Electoral Act 2026 allows a candidate to spend on billboards in any single state, is a backdoor bid to shut out non-incumbent candidates from public view and make compliance with campaign spending limits impossible.

In suit HC/214/2026 filed at the Abia State High Court, they are challenging Governor Alex Otti, the state Attorney General, the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ASAA) and the state House of Assembly. Their lawyer is Musibau Adetunbi (SAN).

The plaintiffs say Section 92 of the Electoral Act 2026 caps total spending for a presidential campaign at N10 billion nationwide. They argue that if every state and the FCT charged a similar fee, billboard charges alone would exceed 80 per cent of that limit.

They said they learnt of the fee while preparing to begin their nationwide campaign.

The plaintiffs raised six questions for determination and are asking for eight reliefs. Key among them:

An order setting aside ASAA’s regulations on political campaigns, including the N200m fee or any other amount.

An injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from enforcing the fee and from “removing, defacing, destroying and obstructing” their campaign billboards and outdoor advertisements in Abia.

A declaration that the N200m schedule is inconsistent with federal law, unconstitutional, null and void ab initio, under Item F, Section 15(a) and (f) of the Third Schedule and Sections 1(3) and 4(5) of the Constitution, and Sections 92 and 99 of the Electoral Act 2026.

A declaration that the fee breaches Section 99(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which bars the use of state apparatus or regulatory bodies to advantage or disadvantage any party or candidate, and undermines the principle of a level playing field.

INEC’s exclusive powers: The plaintiffs contend that under the Constitution and Section 9(1) of the Electoral Act, INEC alone has the power to make rules and regulations on campaigns for the purpose of elections.

State apparatus: They say that by fixing an exorbitant fee, the defendants are using ASAA to “constructively exclude” non-incumbent candidates from public visibility, contrary to Section 99(2).

Right to campaign: Section 99 guarantees candidates an unhindered right to campaign publicly once the statutory period opens, they argue, and the fee violates it.

Limits of state power: They acknowledged that outdoor signage falls under the Residual List and is a state matter, but insisted that states cannot exercise that power in a prohibitive or discriminatory manner that frustrates or overrides an Act of the National Assembly on campaigns.

Supremacy of federal law: Under Sections 1(3) and 4(5) of the Constitution, any state law, directive or regulation inconsistent with the Electoral Act is void to the extent of that inconsistency, they said.

The plaintiffs warned that unless the court intervenes swiftly, Makinde will suffer irreparable harm to his constitutional right to seek public office, and the principle of a level playing field will be badly compromised.