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Stop the Praise-Singing, Atiku’s Aide Tells Keyamo

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Paul Ibe, the spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has labeled the remarks made by Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo against Atiku as an act of sycophancy.

“Where was Keyamo when Atiku Abubakar was in the frontline battling the military and eventually, with other compatriots, able to get them out? Where was he? He is just playing to the gallery. Sycophancy is the end game,” Ibe said this  on a program monitored by the column.ng on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Thursday.

Ibe faulted the claim of impersonation levelled against Atiku by Keyamo over the use of the Nigerian Coat of Arms logo in his correspondences.

“Nobody is impersonating anybody. Atiku Abubakar is a former vice president. That is known. I don’t want to dignify him (Keyamo). He can go to court if he wants to.”

On Wednesday, information filtered in that Atiku dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the African Democratic Alliance (ADC), an opposition coalition to unseat Keyamo’s principal, President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 2027 general elections.

A former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; and a former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, in Katsina for the funeral of former President Muhammadu Buhari, in Katsina State on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Credit: X@Atiku

 

Atiku, 78, the 2023 PDP presidential candidate, came second in the election won by Tinubu.

Keyamo immediately faulted Atiku’s defection from the PDP to the ADC, but Ibe said Atiku is not too old to run.

“Atiku Abubakar too old? Says who? The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, is 79, and we are modelling our democracy after that of the United States. So, what are we talking about? Is Atiku Abubakar healthy? Is he strong? Does he have any infirmity?” Ibe asked.

On whether the ADC would be the last party of the former vice president, Ibe said, “Mr Atiku Abubakar will determine that. I believe that the coalition offers a great prospect to reclaim and to rebuild Nigeria.”

 

Peter Obi
Peter Obi, Rauf Aregbesola, Atiku Abubakar, Aminu Tambuwal at the coalition meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.

‘Stop Majoring On Minor’

Ibe cautioned Keyamo not to major on minors, adding that the senior lawyer should face his duty as aviation minister.

“It is unfortunate that Minister Keyamo is majoring on minors, and this gives an indication of how he runs the Ministry of Aviation.

“I believe he has a whole lot on his plate to deal with – issues of infrastructure in our airports, runways, broken toilets in some of the toilets – and he still has time to talk about the resignation of someone in the PDP,” he stated.

He said the Tinubu administration tried to railroad all political parties into one party, and that is akin to a civilian dictatorship.

“In the last two years, we have seen a deterioration of our democratic process. Instruments of state, including and not limited even the anti-corruption agencies, are used to coerce politicians into the APC. This is not what democracy is about; democracy is about people making choices,” he said.

 

Atiku and Tinubu photo combo

‘Atiku’s Presidential Ambition Valid’

Ibe further stated that Atiku’s presidential ambition remained valid, though he has been trying to get the much-coveted spot in the last three decades.

He said, “There is nothing wrong with ambitions. All of us, as human beings, we all have ambitions. What is wrong is a faulty ambition and Atiku Abubakar does not have a faulty ambition; he has a genuine ambition to improve the lot of Nigerians.

“One thing is that he is not going to resign from politics; he has said that clearly.

“For as long as God engraces him with good health, with strength, with vitality, with the acumen and requisite skill, he will continue to be there to provide whatever he can provide in moving this country forward.”

He said Atiku has a deposit of skills and experience to make a good president.

“Yes, he aspires to be the president because all of the skills, all of the experiences he has acquired all over the years, he believes, and rightfully so, that he can make a difference.

“So, let’s not talk about how long he has run; it is about how well, if given the opportunity.

“Is he the first person who would change parties? No. It is not about Atiku Abubakar but about the situation we have found ourselves,” he said.

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Ondo Ponmo Sellers’ Association President Collapses In Court

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A business. woman, identified as the President of the Ponmo Sellers’ Association in Ondo State, reportedly collapsed in court during her arraignment in Akure on Tuesday following her arrest over the alleged discovery of human faeces at her ponmo processing centre.

 

The incident comes days after the Chairman of Akure South Local Government Area, Hon. Gbenga Fasua, ordered the immediate closure of a popular ponmo supply store on Igboliki Street in Akure following an environmental sanitation inspection that reportedly uncovered two buckets containing human faeces on the premises.

The discovery was made during the October edition of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise conducted on Saturday, when Fasua led a monitoring team through Oke Aro, Iro and Igboliki streets to assess residents’ and businesses’ compliance with environmental sanitation regulations.

According to information from the inspection, the ponmo business had reportedly operated in the area for more than 21 years.

The operator, who was present during the inspection, reportedly identified herself as the President of the Ponmo Sellers’ Association in Ondo State.

Following the discovery, Fasua ordered the immediate closure of the premises and directed the disposal of all ponmo products at the shop.

He also ordered that the operator be prosecuted in accordance with applicable local and state environmental laws.

The businesswoman was subsequently arrested and brought before a court in Akure on Tuesday for arraignment.

She reportedly collapsed during the court proceedings.

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2027: Tinubu Will Defeat Opposition On Achievements – Alausa

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The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will secure a second term in 2027, insisting that his administration’s achievements will earn him another mandate.

 

Alausa, who was recently appointed Director of Education Sector Mobilisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, also accused opposition parties of lacking clear policy alternatives for Nigerians.

He made the remarks while describing the opposition’s criticism of the Tinubu administration as driven by envy rather than constructive engagement.

“Whatever nonsense these people (opposition) are talking about is out of sheer envy. They can’t deliver, they have been tested, they have no clue of what to do for Nigerians,” Alausa said.

“This president is giving Nigerians tangible benefits. Let’s be objective, that is what we have said and I am very unapologetic about this, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win his second term squarely based on his achievements.”

The minister argued that Tinubu had introduced changes across different sectors of the economy and deserved re-election based on his administration’s record.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transformed every sector of this country and he deserves to be re-elected come January 16, 2027, based on his accomplishments,” he said.

Alausa urged Nigerians not to be swayed by opposition parties, accusing them of promoting division instead of presenting a clear programme for national development.

“And please, let’s not listen to the opposition parties, they don’t have any clear agenda for this country. They are just there to cause division amongst us,” he added.

Defending the administration’s record in education, Alausa cited its engagement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), saying the Federal Government had fulfilled its agreement with the union.

He also said the government was working to ensure that students completed four-year university programmes within the stipulated period.

The minister further pointed to the absence of an ASUU strike since Tinubu assumed office as evidence of improved relations between the Federal Government and university lecturers.

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Europe On Alert After Supermarket Freezers Hit By Cyber-Attacks In 10 Countries

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A spate of cyber-attacks that hit supermarket chains across at least 10 European countries on Monday has prompted European Union officials to warn of a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food supply chain.

 

Supermarkets have reported problems in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany and Sweden, and the significant increase in freezer temperatures has forced retailers to discard food.

Temperatures in chains across Europe reportedly rose as high as 50C (122F).

No-one has yet admitted carrying out the cyber-attacks.

Supermarket chains said the temperatures of refrigerators and freezers in some of their shops soared as high as 50C
The European Union has raised concerns about the attacks, which come three weeks after a cyber-attack disrupted as many as 700 French grocery stores, causing food losses estimated at tens of millions of euros.

The security of refrigeration systems as well as other devices that can be monitored remotely has heightened concerns about government-backed hybrid attacks.

The EU’s food and agriculture commissioner, Christophe Hansen, said the bloc was taking the incidents very seriously and warned of further disruption in the future.

Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier was careful not to attribute blame, but said: “These incidents of course show once again how cyber-attacks can disrupt essential services and affect citizens’ daily lives.”

“These are not isolated incidents and of course we have to be collectively resilient and prepared for such cyber incidents.”

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