News
Why Atiku’s Subsidy Removal Promise Is Popular- Fayemi.
Former Ekiti State Governor and ex-Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kayode Fayemi, has described the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar’s proposal on fuel subsidy as a political strategy similar to the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election.
Fayemi made the remarks while discussing the ongoing debate over fuel subsidy and Atiku’s position on the issue.
“My take on that is that Atiku’s proposal of subsidy is politically equivalent to our own Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023. It’s a political strategy. It’s not an economic construct,” Fayemi said.
He, however, acknowledged that the proposal could resonate with Nigerians who have been adversely affected by the removal of petrol subsidy, saying vulnerable citizens were more concerned about their economic wellbeing than the technical arguments surrounding subsidy policy.
“But understandably, it’s a political strategy that will sell with those who are hard done by the impact of fuel subsidy removal,” he said.
Fayemi reiterated his support for the removal of fuel subsidy, saying he had advocated the policy for years, including during his tenure as chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
“I was and I remain an advocate of fuel subsidy removal. As chairman of the governors’ forum, I spent four years in this battle,” he said.
He also said President Bola Tinubu inherited work that had already been substantially completed by the previous administration regarding subsidy removal, although he criticised the manner in which the policy was implemented.
“What President Tinubu inherited, in fairness to him, was the work that had already been completed by that administration. The only challenge I had with it was the way it was done,” Fayemi said.
According to him, state governors had previously worked with the Federal Government and the World Bank to develop a safety-net strategy aimed at cushioning the impact of subsidy removal on vulnerable Nigerians.
“However, as I have also consistently said, because at the Nigerian Governors Forum, we actually had a committee work with the federal government and the World Bank, by the way, to develop a safety net strategy that would address what would happen to the most vulnerable segment of our population,” he said.
Fayemi said the hardship being experienced by vulnerable Nigerians was what he believed Atiku was seeking to leverage politically with his subsidy proposal.
“I believe that’s what Vice President Atiku is taking advantage of. The vulnerable segment of the population is still hard done by,” he said.
He added that many Nigerians were less concerned about the technical details of subsidy removal than their ability to afford basic necessities.
“They just want to live reasonably well, eke out a living, have one or two meals a day, be able to send their kids to school, not be taken in by sickness or anything that might create further problems for them,” Fayemi said.
He further linked poverty and inequality to insecurity, saying they were “also at the root of the insurgency and the banditry that we’re dealing with.”
Fayemi concluded that, just as the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket was a political strategy aimed at maximising electoral support in 2023, Atiku was similarly seeking to benefit from public dissatisfaction over the effects of subsidy removal ahead of the 2027 election.
News
One Killed, 3 Injured As Gunmen Attack Ebonyi NDC Candidate’s Convoy
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.
News
Man Confesses To Killing Ex-Girlfriend For Breaking Up With Him, Dumps Body In Bag
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.
News
NAFDAC Uncovers Lagos Building Stockpiling Over 100 Sacks Of Empty Alcohol Bottles
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered a residential building in Lagos where more than 100 sacks of empty alcoholic beverage bottles were allegedly stockpiled for suspected use in the production of counterfeit drinks.
The bottles were discovered at a property located at 322B Meiran Road, Agbado Oke-Odo, Lagos, during an operation by the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate.
NAFDAC said the bottles were destroyed to prevent them from being reused in the production of counterfeit alcoholic beverages.
An Assistant Director in the directorate, Kunle Ojo, disclosed the development in a video released by the agency on Friday, explaining that the operation followed credible intelligence about activities at the location.
According to Ojo, the building was situated in a secluded residential area where different materials, including empty alcoholic beverage bottles covered with tarpaulins, were being stored.
The recovered bottles reportedly came in different sizes and included containers bearing labels associated with several alcoholic beverage brands, including Action Bitter and Royal Circle Premium Whiskey.
Ojo said investigators suspected that the bottles were being accumulated for onward distribution to individuals involved in the production of counterfeit alcoholic drinks.
He explained that the suspected practice involved supplying empty branded bottles to counterfeiters for reuse in packaging other products presented as genuine alcoholic beverages.
The discovery has raised concerns about the potential public health risks associated with counterfeit alcohol, which may be packaged in containers bearing the names and labels of established brands, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish genuine products from fake ones.
NAFDAC condemned the use of a residential property for the suspected activity, stressing that the operation was part of its efforts to protect public health and curb the production and distribution of counterfeit products.
The agency urged Nigerians to report suspicious activities in their neighbourhoods to the nearest NAFDAC office, noting that information from residents could help enforcement officers identify and disrupt suspected counterfeiting operations.
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