National leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has admitted that the inevitable reforms initiated by President Bola Tinubu have increased economic hardship in the country.

The APC’s national publicity secretary, Felix Morka, made the admittance in a statement yesterday, while responding to the appeal by its former national vice chairman, North West, Salihu Moh Lukman, to the opposition parties to unite and vote out the ruling party in 2027 presidential election.

While lampooning Lukman in the statement, Morka, however, argued that President Tinubu was taking bold measures to reset the country’s long broken economy, improve national security and restore the country to wholesome and sustainable development.

The APC’s spokesperson further claimed that it would have been easy and painless for President Tinubu to adopt the same measures like his predecessors and continue with business as usual, but he did not want the rot and stagnation to fester.

The ruling party, however, urged Nigerians to remain focused and undistracted by the opposition’s pettiness and disinformation, and to continue to support President Tinubu in his commitment to building greater progress and a more vibrant future for the country.

The statement read: “The same opposition parties that Lukman devoted a good number of years lampooning as inept, chronically corrupt, unpatriotic and destructive to our democracy. It takes an overdose of blinding self interest to vacillate between extremes without reason or rationality.

“In all of his painfully verbose Sisyphean letters to the Greek gods, Lukman has not explained to Nigerians why he believes in the failed opposition parties. The APC-led administration of President Tinubu is taking bold measures to reset our country’s long broken economy, improve national security and restore the country to wholesome and sustainable development.

“No doubt, these inevitable reforms have increased economic hardship for our people. In fact, the unwillingness of previous administrations to undertake these reforms and tackle the problems at their roots is the reason the economy has remained in the doldrums for a long time.

“It would be easy and painless for President Tinubu to do as his predecessors have done, continue business as usual, kick the can down the road for future administrations to deal with, while the rot and stagnation fester.

“But in keeping with the renewed hope agenda of his administration, he has chosen to tackle the country’s generational economic problems for the good of present and future generations of Nigerians.

“In the fullness of time, this President shall be vindicated for his vision and unwavering commitment to the national interest and the common good of all.

“We urge Nigerians to remain focused and undistracted by the opposition’s pettiness and disinformation, and to continue to support President Tinubu in his commitment to building greater progress and a more vibrant future for our country,” the ruling party appealed to Nigerians in the statement.

Attacking Lukman further, Morka described him as a cantankerous political rodomont, emphasising that, “Lukman’s hunger for attention is insatiable. Not even his frenzied political soliloquy in self-adulation has proved sufficient to fill his bottomless obsession for attention.

“Since his exit as a national vice chairman of the APC, Lukman has been sleepless in search of political relevance. He seems to have found for himself, for now, a new role as the chief discordant trumpeter for a cacophonous political opposition.

“In his new self-assigned role, he alleges, without substantiation, that the APC ruined the country in economic policies and corruption and called on opposition parties and Nigerians to vote out the APC in 2027. Such an empty and outlandish allegation is undeserving of any response, especially coming from a displaced political gas-lighter. 

“Lukman’s history is one of opportunistic politicking, consistently prioritising his personal ego and interests over the interest of any and all institutions he has ever served. With a highly solipsistic disposition, Lukman is always right, never wrong, wallowing in his bubble of self importance, while deprecating group and national interests.

“His latest call for the opposition leaders to unite against the APC is a calculated move to cobble political relevance, divert attention from the administration’s substantial progress, and further his own selfish agenda. He is simply a cantankerous political rodomont.

“It is ludicrous to tout opposition PDP and Labour Party (LP) that cannot even manage their own internal affairs as capable of offering responsible and visionary leadership to Nigeria,” Morka quipped in the statement.

Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, Austin Eguavoen, has denied stepping down as the interim coach of the Super Eagles after the two 2025 AFCON qualifiers against the Benin Republic and Rwanda.

Eguavoen was appointed by the NFF to take charge of the two games following the inability of the federation to secure the services of German coach, Bruno Labbadia, over what they call stringent German tax laws.

“In the event, Technical Director of Nigeria Football Federation, Coach Augustine Eguavoen, will now take charge of the Super Eagles for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic (Uyo, September 7) and Rwanda (Kigali, September 10),” the statement announcing his appointment had partly read.

The 59-year-old led Nigeria to a convincing 3-0 win over the Benin Republic in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, last Saturday before being held to a goaless draw in the second game of the series by Rwanda on Tuesday.

After Tuesday’s goaless draw in Kigali, Eguavoen was said to have stepped down as interim coach but the gaffer has denied the reports ahead of next month’s AFCON qualifiers double header against Libya.

“It’s quite unfortunate that people just trigger something that is not correct. And the situation we are in now, we don’t need negative stories,” Eguavoen said on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja in a media chat.

“I only talked about sitting down with the hierarchy of the federation after these two games and we will see how to go about prosecuting the next games.

“But when I saw that story I was worried. Whatever people are reading out there aren’t correct. I’m still very much in charge. I’m the Technical Director of the NFF, saddled with the responsibility of taking the Super Eagles at this moment,” he said.

At least 20 aspirants seeking elective offices in the forthcoming local government elections in Kano State have tested positive for multiple drugs by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The NDLEA commander in the state, Abubakar Idris Ahmad, confirmed this to Daily Trust on Tuesday in his office.

He said some of the aspirants tested positive for drugs opioid (codeine), THC (Tetrahydro cannabis, an active ingredient for cannabis sativa), benzodiazenpines and nicotine.

“So far 20 aspirants presented to us by the ruling party (NNPP) in the state have tested positive for multiple drugs test and the exercise is ongoing.

“Many of them tested positive for Nicotine as far as our test is concerned but is left for the electoral commission to decide if tobacco is drug or not because it is something you find even in kola nut,” Ahmad said.

He however said so far no female aspirant tested positive so far.

He explained that only NNPP had so far presented its aspirants for the drug screening ahead of submission of its candidates’ list to the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) which would finally conduct verification for all candidates.

The commission has fixed October 26 to conduct local government elections into 44 chairmanship and 484 councillorship positions by the 18 registered political parties.

Daily Trust reports that the KANSIEC Chairman, Professor Sani Lawal Malumfashi and his commissioners visited the NDLEA office on Monday.

Elon Musk is on track to become the world's first trillionaire by 2027, according to a new global wealth report.

Musk, 53, is currently the world's richest person with a net worth of $251billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index. However, a new report by Informa Connect Academy has revealed Musk's wealth has been growing at a staggering average rate of 110 per cent a year.

This means that if the Tesla CEO's wealth continues to climb at the same rate, he could be crowned the world's first trillionaire within the next three years, according to the findings.

The report titled The 2024 Trillion Dollar Club, puts Musk's Tesla business at a market value of $ 669.3 billion.

The company's growth rate is also impressively high, at 173.3 per cent according to Informa Connect Academy, which means Tesla alone could exceed $1trillion by as early as next year.

The academy's analysis suggested business conglomerate founder Gautam Adani from India would be second in line to achieve trillionaire status.

That would reportedly happen the year following Musk, in 2028, if his annual growth remains at 123 per cent.

Jensen Huang, chief executive of tech firm Nvidia, and Indonesian energy and mining mogul Prajogo Pangetsu are also predicted to become trillionaires by 2028, according to the findings.

Bernard Arnault, the LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton boss and the world's third-richest person with around $ 200 billion, is on track to snap a trillion dollars in 2030, the same year as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The top two richest companies valued by the growth report were Microsoft at $ 3.4 trillion and Apple at $ 2.5 trillion.

Both of the tech giants hit the trillion-dollar mark back in 2019 and 2018 respectively.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the commencement of 2024 National Honours Award to Nigerians and friends of Nigeria who have contributed to the development of the country.

Zaphaniah Jisalo, Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, made this known at a meeting with management staff of the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Jisalo said that the Federal Government would also honour Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavours.

The minister explained that the forms and processes leading to the award of national honours were free of charge, adding that people should desist from paying for national honuours.

“By this information, the public is to watch out for calls for nominations and present individuals who have distinguished themselves by uplifting the nation and its people.

“This is in accordance with the National Honours Award Act 2004. The Act took retrospective effect from 1963, “he said.
NAN

Nigeria failed to defeat Rwanda in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier played in Kigali on Tuesday.

The match ended goalless between both countries.

However, the Super Eagles will feel aggrieved as they had what looked like a legitimate goal ruled out in the first half.

Victor Boniface’s header from a throw-in fell to Ademola Lookman who put the ball the net.

But the referee ruled it out.

Both sides saw their goalkeepers make fine saves to maintain the stalemate.

Nigeria lead Group D with four points, while Rwanda are in second spot with two points.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the arrest of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president, Joe Ajaero, and the invasion of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) office by men of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Atiku said President Bola Tinubu’s level of oppressive control now imposed on Nigerians, civil society organizations and the media has surpassed the time of military dictators.

In a statement on Tuesday, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused President Tinubu of intimidating opposition voices.

He said, “The escalating assault on civil society and the media by the Bola Tinubu administration is profoundly disturbing. The level of oppressive control now imposed surpasses even the harshest days of military dictatorship.

“The recent arrest of Mr. Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, en route to an official event, epitomizes this regime’s relentless campaign to intimidate and subdue organized labour.

“Just days prior, security forces detained a journalist, only to later claim it was a grievous error. What if the outcome had been fatal?

“Now, Tinubu’s regime extends its repressive grasp to encroach upon SERAP Nigeria, an action that stands as a grave affront to our democratic values. This siege is anathema to the principles of freedom and justice.”

Atiku admonished the President to channel his security agencies towards terrorists and bandits perpetrating violence across the country and stop inflicting suffering on Nigerians.

“It is imperative that Tinubu and his security apparatus redirect their fervour and intimidation towards the actual perpetrators of violence — terrorists and bandits — who are inflicting immeasurable suffering upon the Nigerian people,” Atiku added.

Nigerian musician and activist, Seun Kuti, has emphasized that mere protests are insufficient for achieving meaningful change, urging Nigerians to take more concrete steps towards transformation.

Kuti’s comments follow the recent nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests, which highlighted the growing discontent over national hardships.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Rubbin Minds, Kuti described protests as merely the initial phase of a larger movement.

“What I will say to Nigerians is that protest is not enough. I see protests as a child going to a loving parent complaining, ‘Oh, daddy, mummy, I don’t want to eat this,’ because the daddy and mummy care. But these people don’t care; that’s why I don’t preach protest only; I preach mass organisation because we the people must also organise ourselves for power,” he stated.

He stressed the importance of not only protesting but also showing readiness to replace current leaders with genuine representatives from the people’s side.

“It is not enough that we are protesting because we don’t like what they do, we must also send signals that we are ready to replace them. Not with another version of themselves like we did before, PDP to APC but with new people, representatives from our side of the divide to rule this country for our own benefit,” Kuti added.

Kuti called for a broader mobilization towards a more equitable system. “It is not enough that people want to protest. Protest is the begining of this dance. The real party starts when we begin to mass mobilise into a socialist to release this country from capitalism that we are experiencing,” he said.

The Federal High Court (FHC) in Lagos has embraced the digital world by inaugurating an online platform that enables the public to obtain affidavits directly from the court.

This initiative, spearheaded by FHC Chief Judge Justice John Tsoho, aligns the court with contemporary digital best practices on a global scale.

During a Friday visit to the Lagos division of the court, the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar, Godwin Long, facilitated a tour of the newly established ICT department, which Agwu Charles oversees.

Agwu provided an explanation of how the general public can utilize this new innovation.

“It is now a norm that the Affidavit for loss of items, age declaration, change of name, etc can now be done via portal.fhc.gov.ng and following the instructions.

“What you just need to do is to login to the site: portal.fhc.gov.ng,” Agwu explained.

DCR Longe further explained that, at the moment, the portal can only process Affidavits that are non-cases related.

“Affidavits filed to support a case are still done manually because of the peculiar disposition in such Affidavits.

He reiterated the need for people to be aware that henceforth, “they don’t necessarily have to be physically present to procure the type of Affidavits mentioned above,” he noted.