Politics
Fashola: I Won’t Criticise Tinubu On TV
Former Lagos State Governor and immediate past Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said he would rather offer advice to President Bola Tinubu privately than publicly critique his administration, stressing that he enjoys direct access to the President and prefers to keep that line of communication open.
Fashola made the remarks during an interview on TVC News on Wednesday when he was asked why he had largely refrained from commenting publicly on the performance of the Tinubu administration.
According to him, President Tinubu regularly seeks his views on governance and areas that require improvement as the administration prepares for the 2027 general elections.
Explaining why he avoids discussing such matters on television, Fashola said he considered it more appropriate to communicate his views directly to the President.
“He calls me today, and he says, ‘Today, identify one area where my administration must improve as we count down to 2027. What would you advise me?’ So, I will speak to the President on TV? I’ve told myself I would not do that,” Fashola said.
The former minister said he had already offered advice to the President on several issues, adding that preserving that private channel of engagement was more valuable than making public pronouncements.
“I have his ears, and when I need to see him, I’ve advised on a few things. I think that we must keep that channel open. It’s not my intention to advise him on television,” he said.
When asked whether the administration had developed any blind spots after about three years in office, Fashola rejected the suggestion, saying his direct access to the President made public criticism unnecessary.
“There are no blind spots in this administration. You can’t be shouting at somebody whose ear you have,” he said.
The interviewer noted that many Nigerians had expected Fashola to become more outspoken on national issues after leaving public office, but the former Lagos governor maintained that his approach had not changed.
Fashola also dismissed suggestions that he might contest the presidency in the future, saying he had no such ambition.
Responding to a question on whether he would run for president, he replied, “No.”
When the interviewer pressed further, Fashola responded with a smile, “President of what? I’m president at home.”
Reflecting on his public service career spanning more than two decades, Fashola described the opportunity to serve as an honour and expressed hope that his journey would inspire younger Nigerians to pursue public service.
He also declined to comment on long-standing speculation over whether he had preferred Obafemi Hamzat or Olasupo Sasore as his successor ahead of the 2015 Lagos State governorship election.
Fashola, who confirmed that he remains a member of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council (GAC), said the council’s role was advisory, stressing that there was a clear distinction between providing guidance and interfering in the affairs of government.
“There is a thin line between intervention and interference,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu will attend All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rallies in 12 states ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to the party’s campaign timetable released on Thursday, Tinubu is expected to flag-off the campaign in Kaduna on October 24, before attending rallies in 11 other states.
After the Kaduna rally, the president is scheduled to attend rallies in Rivers on November 7, Plateau on November 14 and Oyo on November 21.
He is also expected at rallies in Borno, Enugu and Bauchi on November 25, 28 and 29, respectively.
Tinubu is not scheduled to attend rallies in 13 other states in November. The states are Cross River (November 2), Gombe (November 3), Nasarawa (November 4), Ekiti (November 5), Ebonyi (November 9), Jigawa (November 10), Ondo (November 11), Edo (November 12), Yobe (November 16), Kebbi (November 17), Akwa Ibom (November 18), Anambra (November 19) and Benue (November 30).
Tinubu is expected to continue his campaign tour in December, with rallies scheduled for Sokoto on December 5, Delta on December 12 and Kano on December 17.
His final two appearances are scheduled for Adamawa on January 4 and Lagos on January 9, while party leaders will represent him at rallies in the remaining 12 states scheduled for December.
Overall, the president is scheduled to attend rallies in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Three of the states Tinubu is scheduled to visit — Oyo, Bauchi and Adamawa — have prominent opposition figures linked to the 2027 presidential race.
Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), which is also the ruling party in Bauchi.
Adamawa is the home state of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate.
At the inauguration of the APC presidential campaign council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, Tinubu said he would not attend every campaign rally, saying governance remained a priority.
He, however, said he would make time to address Nigerians directly as party leaders criss-cross the states and local governments to campaign for his re-election.
On Tuesday, the APC announced an expanded list of its presidential campaign council, with Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister; Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun; and Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, among the notable additions.
A former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Arc Aminu Dabo, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with immediate effect.
Dabo, who served as the APC caucus chairman in Dambatta Local Government Area of Kano State, announced his resignation in a letter dated October 7, 2026, addressed to the party chairman of Dambatta Gabas Ward.
In the letter, Dabo said his decision followed careful consideration of personal reasons and his future endeavours.
He confirmed that he had formally submitted his resignation to the appropriate party officials in Dambatta for necessary action.
The former NPA managing director expressed appreciation to the APC leadership for the opportunity to serve, as well as the support and confidence reposed in him.
“I remain grateful for the cordial relationship I enjoyed and appreciative of the experience gained during my time of service,” he said.
He also thanked the party leadership for allowing him to contribute to its development and progress.
Dabo was a governorship aspirant in Kano State and previously served as the state’s Commissioner for Land.
He is also the proprietor and chief executive officer of Aminu Dabo College of Health Sciences and Technology and Aminu Dabo College of Nursing Sciences, both located in Kano.
Unknown thugs have reportedly attacked the secretariat of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
The attack, which was reported on Wednesday, comes barely one week after NDC supporters were attacked in Enugu, resulting in the death of one person.
No casualties was reported in the Edo attack, but footage of the incident showed that properties at the secretariat were damaged.
Report says the incident marks the latest in a series of violent disruptions targeting opposition political infrastructure across the state.
There are growing concerns over political intolerance and targeted intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Civil society groups and political analysts have expressed alarm over the recurring attacks on party secretariats, warning that unchecked political violence threatens the credibility of the democratic process.
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