There is no end in sight to the leadership crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly as the 35 lawmakers who removed Mudashiru Obasa as speaker insisted that the embattled lawmaker would not be reinstated.

According to the lawmakers, the new Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, remains the leader of the Assembly despite Obasa’s declaration that he had resumed his position.

Obasa had gone to the Assembly on Thursday after his security details were restored.

He also held a plenary session with four lawmakers.

“I’ve resumed, and I remain the Speaker of the Assembly. I’ve never been removed. Impeachment or removal is democratic and constitutional, but in doing that, you must follow due process. I am not against that. If I do that, then I am not democratic,” Obasa told reporters on the premises of the House.

Obasa’s action came after some notable chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress met with the lawmakers on Monday.

The chieftains, including former governors of Osun and Ogun states, Chief Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba, respectively, alongside Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and other party bigwigs, also met with members of the Governance Advisory Council at Marina, Lagos, in a bid to find a solution to the crisis.

According to sources at the meeting, the panel recommended the resignation of Obasa upon his return and that Meranda should also step down to pave the way for another lawmaker from the Lagos West Senatorial District to emerge as Speaker.

However, the arrangement appeared to have collapsed on Thursday following Obasa’s return to the Assembly with new security escorts.

President Tinubu linked to Obasa’s return

There were indications that the presidency supported Obasa’s return to the Assembly, especially with the restoration of his security team.

Saturday PUNCH gathered from an insider among Lagos APC chieftains that Obasa’s return was the outcome of a meeting he held with some party leaders loyal to President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday.

According to the source, the APC leaders met Obasa at the Lagos House, Marina, and spent hours indoors.

He said, “The meeting started late Wednesday evening and ended in the early hours of Thursday. Around 7am to 8am, you could easily tell from some of Obasa’s close aides that something in their favour was about to happen. The lawmaker’s return to the Assembly, I strongly believe, is a result of the meeting because the APC leaders are some of the right-hand men of Mr President.

“The true story of the Akande-led peace meeting is that the lawmakers rejected the proposal that Meranda should step down. It will also interest you that the lawmakers from Lagos West, whom the panel asked to produce one of their own as Meranda’s replacement, also rejected the offer. They said they were okay with her leadership.

“After persuasion, the lawmakers reluctantly agreed to have Honourable Setonji David as the new Speaker. But you could see the objection on their faces. Obasa and the President must have seen the lawmakers’ reluctance to implement the resolution, hence Thursday’s turn of events.”

Also, an APC leader, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, described Obasa’s return to the Assembly as a “massive political statement.”

“Obasa’s resumption as the Assembly Speaker is a massive political statement in the political squabble. The fact that he held a plenary session in the House suggests that the pendulum is swinging in his favour. Also, by having the full complement of security with him, your guess is as good as mine,” he said.

The APC chieftain, who is a staunch loyalist of President Tinubu, said the GAC might be disbanded, adding that there would be casualties at the end of the crisis.

He said, “The current crisis will mark the end of the influence of the so-called Governance Advisory Council. The fact that they couldn’t resolve the crisis and the President had to bring in a panel of three wise men, typically imported from outside Lagos, undermines the influence and importance of the GAC. The GAC has been found culpable; they are taking sides in this quarrel. Things will never be the same again in Lagos APC.

“With all these developments, I can assure you that the President will be focusing on paying more attention to details in Lagos politics. He has to begin to interrogate the commitment and loyalty of these so-called leaders.”

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, an aspirant in Lagos West, who asked not to be identified due to the nature of the matter, said, “Tinubu’s handwriting on the Lagos Assembly crisis is clear on the wall.”

“Mr President intervened in the crisis between Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, but he wants us to believe that he closed his eyes to what is happening in the Lagos State House of Assembly. We know Obasa has the President’s backing, and that is why he is acting the way he is. If Mr President wants us to believe he is neutral in this crisis, he should come out openly and give a direction on the matter,” he added.

However, Obasa, during an interview on Thursday, said he was acting alone, though he was a loyalist of the President.

Assembly deserted as security operatives take charge

There was heavy security presence at the Lagos Assembly complex on Friday, as operatives from the state police command, task force, and armed mobile policemen secured the premises.

Armed officers stood under the trees lining the three roads leading to the Assembly gate, while others rested inside the numerous security vehicles parked along the roads.

Within the Assembly complex, clusters of policemen sat in groups, maintaining a watchful presence.

At least 25 patrol vehicles from various police divisions were stationed on the road. The pedestrian gate remained shut, with two police officers positioned in front, while a state task force van was placed near the entrance.

Beyond the armed officers at the gate, two Assembly workers were seen inspecting approaching vehicles and redirecting individuals away from the entrance.

Movement was also restricted around the Lagos State Recreation Park, close to the Assembly gate, as a large number of policemen sat in clusters.

A female Assembly staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the heightened security presence began on Thursday but escalated on Friday when the crisis deepened.

“As you can see, the whole complex is quite empty. On a normal day, people would be all over the stairs. I guess what happened on Thursday made people stay away today.

“The security situation here is unusual. It started yesterday, and when we arrived this morning, we saw that the number of officers had doubled. I believe it’s because of the ongoing issue,” she said.

Lawyers clash in court

A mild drama ensued on Friday at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, when two lawyers claimed to be the counsel for the Assembly during the hearing of a suit filed by Obasa to challenge his removal.

Obasa, in suit number ID/9047GCM/2025, filed before Justice Yetunde Pinheiro, is contesting the constitutionality of the House’s sitting and proceedings during a recess, which occurred without the Speaker reconvening the House or delegating the authority to someone else.

His lawyer, Afolabi Fashanu, filed the suit on his behalf.

When the matter was called, Fashanu appeared for Obasa, while Mr Femi Falana, SAN, appeared for the Assembly.

Mr Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, represented Meranda, and Mr Olu Daramola, SAN, represented parties seeking to be joined in the suit.

However, a mild confrontation occurred when another counsel, Abang Mkpandiok, stood up to challenge Falana’s representation of the Assembly.

Mkpandiok claimed that he had been briefed the previous night by the Assembly and had filed a motion for a change of counsel that morning.

He argued that the right to choose counsel was a fundamental human right and asked the court to address his application first.

Mkpandiok told the court that his law firm had been briefed just the day before to represent the House of Assembly in the suit, and he had filed the necessary documents, although they had not yet been served on the parties.

However, Falana objected, stating that he had not been served with the application and remained the counsel on record for the Assembly.

Falana maintained that he was still the authorised lawyer for the first defendant and had not been informed of any decision to change counsel.

Oyetibo also pointed out that he had not been served with the application.

Mkpandiok then chose to serve the application on the other counsel in court.

After reviewing the court’s records, Justice Pinheiro noted that the application for a change of counsel was not yet ready for hearing.

The court said, “As counsel himself has admitted, that application has not been served on all parties. I will defer it pending compliance with the rules of court.”

The court also ruled that the application for an expedited hearing would not be addressed.

During the proceedings, Daramola informed the court of a motion on notice filed by 33 members of the Assembly, who sought to be joined as parties in the suit.

The motion sought two main reliefs: an order to add the individuals seeking to be co-defendants and an order compelling the claimant to amend the originating and other processes to include their names as defendants.

Justice Pinheiro fixed March 7, 2025, for the hearing of all pending applications.

My security details yet to return – Meranda

Speaking after the court hearing, Meranda stated that the full complement of her security had yet to be restored.

She said, “I have my people and God with me. Three or four policemen are also with me. Whereas, in my normal convoy, my team comprises two policemen, four DSS, and two anti-bomb operatives. But I don’t have that with me this morning.”

When a reporter asked Meranda, “Can you respond to what happened yesterday when the speaker (Obasa) was at the Assembly…?” she responded by asking, “Which speaker?”

The other lawmakers behind her also joined in querying the reporter.

The reporter retracted, saying, “The removed speaker,” after which Meranda responded to her question.

She said, “I think he (Obasa) is still a member of the Lagos House of Assembly, so he has every right to come. But invasion and breaking into my office is really a big one.”

Meranda declined to comment on whether the House would institute any suit against Obasa for his actions at the Assembly on Wednesday.

She described the plenary held by Obasa on Wednesday as a show of shame.

“To me, that was just a show of shame. Because in our job, we have numbers that form a quorum. So, if you are sitting with three or four members, you’re only doing a drama,” she added.

Meranda said the lawmakers would soon hold their sitting, contrary to Obasa’s declaration that the House had gone on recess.

Also speaking after the court proceedings, the spokesperson for the Assembly, Ogundipe Olukayode, declared that a total of 35 lawmakers, including Meranda, were resolute on the ongoing crisis.

“We are 35 as we speak, including Madam Speaker. The House will reconvene. We are consulting with our leaders, and I know the party is also taking steps. The right thing will be done at the right time. But let’s assure Lagosians that we are still committed to our party, our leadership, and to serving the people of Lagos State.”

In separate interviews with Saturday PUNCH, some other lawmakers urged leaders of the party to respect their decision.

The lawmaker representing Badagry Constituency II, David Setonji, said he was fully in support of Meranda’s leadership.

Setonji, who spoke through his media aide, Posu Davies, said Obasa was rejected and would not return as speaker.

He said, “Meranda is the recognised Speaker. Obasa was rejected, and he is not coming back as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. We are fully in support of Madam Speaker.”

Another lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Obasa’s action showed that he could no longer be trusted with power, insisting that the ousted speaker was just grandstanding.

A lawmaker, who asked not to be identified for safety reasons, alleged that the President was backing Obasa.

He said, “Obasa cannot be that confident if there is no one backing him. It is President Bola Tinubu who is backing him. The GAC has divided into two; while some support Obasa, others support Meranda. But the larger number supports Meranda.”

A senior legal practitioner, who begged not to be named, said the Federal Government was behind the crisis in the House.

He said, “Where did Obasa get the power to control the police? In the last few days, the DSS director was changed, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos was changed, three House of assembly members were charged. All these point to Abuja.”

GAC, APC react

The Chairman of the GAC, Tajudeen Olusi, said members of the group had already advised the warring parties.

He said, “The GAC is an advisory body, and we have given our advice privately to those involved. What we told them is not meant for the public; the party is in the best position to intervene when things are getting out of hand.”

The Publicity Secretary of the APC in Lagos State, Seye Oladejo, called for peace.

He said, “It is like a quarrel between siblings of the same parents and the parents should not be seen taking sides while trying to make peace. They (lawmakers) were still at the party secretariat yesterday (Thursday) and we are trying to make everybody see reasons that we are all members of the same family.

“While trying to resolve the issue, we are trying to respect the independence of the legislature, so it remains the business of the lawmakers to find an amicable solution and let things return to normal.”

Oladejo denied the involvement of the President in the crisis.

…Says, ‘My dream is to become one of the most successful actors in Nollywood’

Nollywood actress Lydia Usang doesn’t shy away from talking about her physical appearance whenever she has the opportunity to do so.

In a recent chat with us, she admitted that she has a “banging body” that men find irresistible. She also shared her aspirations to become one of the most successful actors in Nollywood.

Usang, who joined the industry in 2022, is known for her charming physique and doesn’t hesitate to flaunt her assets on social media and in movies. When asked about seducing men with her looks, she said “The truth is that I am not in anybody’s mind to know if I am actually seducing them with my looks. Sometimes, men wouldn’t be able to resist my looks. But in real life, I really don’t know how many men I have turned  on with my looks.  It’s normal for beautiful women  to turn men on,” the actress said.

Usang also shared her idea of a romantic date, describing a scenario where she’s treated like a queen, with petals on the floor and a welcoming environment. She emphasized that Nigerian men should try something different and do better.

Usang values friendship but admitted that she’s yet to find a friend who means everything to her. She’s focused on her career and dreams, aiming to become an A-list actor who can deliver any role given to her.

“I value friendship even though I have my own bad side. I have a couple of friends, but I wouldn’t tell you, I have a friend who means everything to me. I’m yet to find that particular friend,” Usang added.

On her dreams and aspirations, the Cross River State-born actress said “As grow you older,your dreams,aspirations and desires change. It has to be big, bold and better. My dream is to become one of the most successful actors in Nollywood. I want to become an A-list actor who knows how to deliver any role given to her,” the actress stated.

[Vanguard]

In his seminal work, ‘The Republic’, the renowned Greek philosopher, Plato, introduced the idea of the Philosopher King, which makes the indisputable argument that a leader needs to be endowed with wisdom and knowledge to make an extraordinary impact. Plato’s statement on the philosopher king is exemplified by Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo CFR, and his visionary and daring leadership, which is lifting the state into prosperity and livability in an unprecedented way.

The governor, Soludo, has proved that everything rises and falls on leadership, exactly why leadership is the single most critical factor responsible for the development and happiness of the people or lack of it.

Soludo’s Peoples Manifesto is Anambra reimagined and designed to transform the State into a Dubai-Taiwan in due course. The foundation has been fully laid, and building in most aspects commenced. Soludo has added to his vision of a new Anambra as Africa’s Silicon Valley, with IT and digital infrastructure, digital literacy, and manpower. The digital infrastructure is being laid, and the 1 million digital tribe to own and power the future Anambra as one smart mega city is being trained. The first batch of 25,000 has already graduated and is empowered to be useful at home and employable abroad.

Toxic leadership and extraordinary leadership are the two extremes on a continuum. While exceptional leadership is the best that leadership can offer, toxic leadership, the opposite, leaves the organisation or state/nation in a worse state than when it met it. The former is disruptive, and it is to it that a country or organisation owes its revolutionary reforms and significant advancements in development, like those that Governor Soludo is bringing about in Anambra State.

When Plato developed the concept of the philosopher king as the ideal leader, he certainly had Soludo in mind. Plato effectually said, “The society we have described can never grow into a reality or see the light of day… until philosophers become rulers in this world, or until those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands.” Governor Soludo successfully combines political sagacity with philosophical sobriety, and he has ingrained the word “solution” into the political system.

He recognises that security is the first fulcrum of a stable society. Before he came into office, Anambra State was under the siege of daredevil criminals who had gained virtually entire control of eight local governments in Anambra State, namely Aguata, Ihiala, Ekwusigo, Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Ogbaru, Orumba North, and Orumba South.

The situation was serious and necessitated an unorthodox response. For the first time in the history of Anambra State, Governor Soludo founded the Ministry of Homeland Security and also appointed a Special Adviser on Security and much later, added a Special Adviser on Community Security. The task of confronting the raging criminals head-on fell to members of the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG), which is now retooled and rechristened Agunechemba by the new Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025, which is pivotal in the new strike force, Operation Udo Ga-Achi, launched by Governor Soludo on January 18, 2025, when the Homeland Security Law was also signed into force.

The so-called “unknown gunmen,” initially thought to be Fulani herders, were found to be mostly Igbo, over 70% of whom are from outside Anambra, who have migrated to the rich state for kidnapping and robbery, as the insecurity war reveals. Full-blooded Igbo men and women are essentially responsible for the insecurity in the state. The Soludo government had to change gears to fully confront insecurity. There are now more boots on the ground (over 2000 men and over 200 trucks and SUVs to ensure statewide coverage), a Command Control Centre, a top-of-the-range tracking system, and a Call Centre for information on the criminals in an inventive way to address the nearly intractable security challenge. “If you see something, say something, earn something! Call 5111 and the call centre will process the Intel with the utmost confidentiality.” “Everything technology, technology everywhere” has become the mantra of the Soludo government.

Anambra is now too hot for robbers, fake and evil Ndi-Dibia, Ndi-Ezenwanyi, and the Okeite magic pot providers since Soludo launched Operation Udo-Ga-Achi and unleashed the Agunechemba on the criminals, resulting in calm returning to Anambra and Oso Soludo (scampering of criminals, including fake and native doctors and fake prophets). Receding insecurity has now revealed Soludo’s transformation of Anambra State with historic infrastructure improvements like the construction of stone-base roads, bridges, flyovers, and dual carriageways; the return of drinking tap water to the urban centres; the first-ever gift of a government house and lodge to the state; the creation of the state’s ultra-modern Solution Fun City; lighting up the state with streetlights everywhere; constructing general hospitals and schools; hiring thousands of teachers, doctors, and nurses; and more—all without borrowing one kobo.

Soludo is also developing three brand new cities, namely Awka 2.0, Onitsha 2.0, and Anambra Mixed Industrial City (AMIC). The railway infrastructure is also in the offing. With free education up to senior secondary school, which is breaking generational poverty transfer, and the 1Youth, 2Skills programme and digital and IT training by the Solution District (SID), the philosopher king, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, is not only physically constructing the new Anambra but also developing a digital and literate population that will live in the emerging new State.

All of Anambra State’s vital signs are under the philosopher king’s control. Soludo arrived prepared and started to work in Okpoko the next day after swearing in. Today, Okpoko, the largest slum east of the Niger, is now a new haven, a signature of Soludo’s urban regeneration. He is always grateful to Ndi Anambra for hiring him for the position. And the people are extremely grateful for the excellent work that the hard-working Mr. Governor has done. One happy citizen has nicknamed Soludo “Oluatuegwu”—He who never hesitates to take on any big project!

Soludo is probably the only governor, past and present, to reverse capital expenditure and concurrent spending parity in the state’s annual budget up to 70% in favour of capital. Anambra State’s 2025 budget is currently 77% capital and barely 23% recurrent. This explains why Soludo has accomplished so much without taking out loans in about three years he has been in office. He has won awards for having the highest fiscal discipline and transparency in the nation. He has also been awarded Governor of the Year and Man of the Year by major newspapers in a variety of categories, from tech to infrastructure to human capital development. In the recent primary health care national challenge, Anambra was ranked first in both Southeast Nigeria and Nigeria overall.

The antecedents of Soludo are indeed luminous. Let’s not forget that before he even became Governor of Anambra State, Soludo had saved the Nigerian economy from collapse through his 2004 banking consolidation project when he was the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). ‘The Power of One Man: How the Soludo-Engineered Consolidation Transformed Nigerian Banks to Global Players’, written by Dr. Ray Echebiri, was presented at Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Saturday, July 6, 2024, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the revolutionary banking reforms that, under Soludo’s supervision, resulted in the emergence of 25 banks that beefed up their capital base to a minimum of N25 billion. Before Soludo’s banking consolidation, the combined size of all Nigerian banks could not equal one South African bank. The recapitalisation initiative ultimately created 25 large banks out of the 89 struggling banks that were previously in existence in the country.

In other words, Soludo is a philosopher king who has used his deep knowledge and affective commitment to govern Anambra State. His impressive credentials, which include the coveted First Class in Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), are so obvious for everyone to see.

As Soludo has proven, the future becomes the present when a philosopher becomes king. Soludo has brought forward Anambra’s future with his master plan for the physical and human capital development of Anambra State. By cleansing traditional worship, ridding it of fake and evil native doctors, and refocusing Ndi Anambra on their traditional path—Uche, Uchu, and Egwu Chukwu (i.e. integrity, hard work, and fear of God), a renewed Ndi Anambra is emerging.

Indeed, Anambra, as one smart mega city and the Silicon Valley of Africa, is on the horizon, thanks to the philosopher king, Soludo, why Ndi Anambra say: Solution is here and call Soludo Mr Solution!

Law Mefor, PhD, is the Anambra state commissioner for information

If Nigerians genuinely seek economic growth and financial stability, we must recognize that taxation is not a choice. It is a necessity. When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu introduced the Tax Reform Bills in October 2024, it signified another move toward creating a more efficient, transparent, and equal tax system (similar to removing fuel subsidies). As with every big reform or decision, there will always be people who see change as an opportunity and those who see it as a threat.

For many years, Nigeria’s tax structure was inefficient, with leakages, multiple taxes, and an overreliance on oil money. Things changed when Dr. Zacch Adedeji became the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), bringing transparency and efficiency.

The proposed bills, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service Bill, Joint Tax Board Bill, and Nigeria Tax Bill, seek to simplify tax collection, reduce tax evasion, and ensure revenue is directed toward national development. These measures will improve the ease of doing business, encourage investment, and establish a more equitable system in which big companies pay their fair share. With improved enforcement and fewer loopholes, the government can increase money without burdening citizens. However, instead of seeing the big picture, some opponents focus on minor issues, rejecting the reform rather than strengthening it.

The public hearing on these bills has been a battleground of ideas, where stakeholders have voiced their support, scepticism, and outright opposition. Over the past 5 days, lawmakers, tax professionals, industry leaders, and even religious organizations have all voiced their opinions, offering perspectives that range from practical concerns to strongly held beliefs. But amid the arguments, one thing is undeniable: Nigeria can not afford to maintain the status quo.

Some religious groups, like the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria and the Committee of FCT Imams Initiative, oppose the inheritance tax, claiming it violates religious rights. But inheritance tax is not a new idea. It exists globally to promote economic fairness. Nigeria is not religious-rule. Our laws balance secular and customary principles. If there are concerns, the bill can be adjusted to ensure fairness. However, rejecting it entirely distracts from the goal of building a tax system that benefits everyone.

The Trade Union Congress and others oppose raising VAT from 7.5% to 15 percent by 2030, fearing it will worsen the cost of living for everyday Nigerians. While their concerns are valid, the government needs revenue for infrastructure and social amenities. A gradual increase, with exemptions for basic goods, can ease the impact. Many countries fund public services this way, and Nigeria can consider this approach.

The Nigeria Customs Service also raised concerns that the new tax laws will interfere with its duties. But this is not about power. It is about making things work better. The reforms will help government agencies work together and fix long-standing problems in revenue collection.

Fighting change will only slow down progress. Now that the hearings are over, the next step is to improve the bill where needed, not abandon it. Those against it should ask themselves: Do we want a Nigeria where the rich avoid taxes while ordinary people struggle? Do we want to keep losing revenue due to loopholes? Or do we want a fair system where everyone contributes to national growth?

While the Senate and House of Representatives have promised to thoroughly review the bill, Nigerians have much to gain from its passage. This reform will enhance the economy, create a fairer tax system, and better livelihoods. If implemented effectively, it will ensure that the benefits of democracy reach everyone, not just a select few. The opportunity is here, we just need to seize it and make it work for everyone.

Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi is the technical assistant on broadcast media to the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

President Bola Tinubu says his administration will avoid reckless borrowing and expand government revenues through reforms and enhanced earnings.

Speaking after signing the 2025 budget into law at the State House on Friday, Tinubu said the government would accelerate public-private partnerships and foreign investments to finance key projects.

The president signed the N54.99 trillion 2025 appropriation bill into law, marking a 99.96 percent increase from the 2024 budget of N27.5 trillion.

The national assembly approved the bill on February 13, after revisions to Tinubu’s initial budget proposal of N49.7 trillion.

The key breakdown of the 2025 budget includes a total expenditure of N54.99 trillion, statutory transfers of N3.65 trillion, and a recurrent (non-debt) expenditure of N13.64 trillion.

The president added that the government would also hold every agency accountable for prudent spending and value-for-money initiatives.

“Today, we take another bold step in our nation’s journey of economic recovery, stability, and growth,” he said.

“With the signing of the 2025 Budget of Restoration, we reaffirm our commitment to securing our future, rebuilding prosperity, and ensuring that every Nigerian shares in the dividends of governance.

“The past year tested our resolve. But through economic discipline and strategic reforms, we achieved what many deemed impossible.

“After the initial turbulent take-off, our people can see signs of progress and the promise of a better future. Our economy is turning the corner. Our national GDP growth rebounded to 3.86% in the last quarter, the fastest in three years.

“Revenue increased to N21.6 trillion from N12.37 trillion, reflecting our drive for fiscal efficiency; the deficit reduced significantly—from 6.2% in 2023 to 4.17% in 2025.

“Forex reforms restored investor confidence, stabilising our markets. The minimum wage was raised to N70,000, strengthening the purchasing power of workers.

“Infrastructure development advanced rapidly, with transformative projects such as the 750 km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the 1,068 km Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway.”

Tinubu added that his administration has laid the foundation for the stability of the country’s economy, saying, “Now, we must build on it.”

“With an unprecedented N54.99 trillion budget, we are making the largest-ever investments in critical sectors: national security—N6.11 trillion, the highest defence allocation in Nigeria’s history to secure our nation from threats,” he said.

” Infrastructure—N5.99 trillion: major rail, road, and energy projects to connect our cities and drive economic expansion. Human capital development—N5.70 trillion: unprecedented funding for healthcare, education, and skills development.

“Agriculture and food security—N3.73 trillion: This will boost local food production and ensure no Nigerian goes hungry. Social welfare N723.68 billion: will support our youth, women, and vulnerable citizens.

“This budget is bold, ambitious, and necessary. However, let me be clear: We cannot spend what we do not have.”

Tinubu said the government has “significantly reduced the deficit,” adding that efforts would be made to ensure that every naira spent is backed with actual revenue.

“We will not burden future generations with reckless borrowing,” he said.

“To ensure smooth budget implementation, we will work with the national assembly to redefine corrigenda within the appropriations act.

“The redefinition will establish clear triggers for amendments, balancing executive needs with legislative oversight. A budget is not just numbers—it is a promise, and we must honour it with discipline.

“Fellow Nigerians, this budget is more than figures—it is a statement of purpose. It is a commitment to security, prosperity, and opportunity for all.

“With hard work, discipline, and faith, we will restore our economy, rebuild our nation, and secure a brighter future for every Nigerian.”

[TheCable]

The autobiography of former self-styled “President” Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has already been parsed for its self-serving mendacity, moral spinelessness, maddening insensitivity, self-glorification, and cowardly posthumous smears of dead colleagues.

 I won’t revisit those points here. As someone who has a scholarly interest in—and is actually working on a book on—the rhetoric of collective identity construction in Nigeria, I was drawn to IBB’s self-definition of his identity in his autobiography.

It was Gimba Kakanda, SA to the Vice President and former newspaper columnist, who first quickened my appetite about this in his February 19 Facebook update.

 Kakanda had read an advance copy of IBB’s autobiography and wrote this intriguing summation of it: “It’s a journey that begins with his origins, as the son of a Gbagyi woman, and leads up to the June 12 questions—the answers to which you’ll have to read to discover for yourself.”

In a February 15, 2020, column titled "True Ethnic Origins of Nigeria’s Past Presidents and Heads of State,” I had observed that “IBB’s ethnic identity is surprisingly a magnet for controversy and speculation. He has been called Gbagyi (whom Hausa people call Gwari), Nupe, and even Yoruba from Ogbomoso or Osogbo. But he told journalists and his biographers at different times that his immediate ancestors were Hausas from Kano who migrated to what is now Niger State.”

I was curious if IBB admitted that his maternal filiation was Gbagyi (or Gwari). He actually did. But while he is very specific about his maternal line of descent, he was vague about the ethnic identity of his paternal ancestry.

This is how he describes his paternal ancestry, beginning from his grandfather: “Snippets of details I heard suggested that earlier on, he was a bit of a wanderer, migrating from Sokoto to Kano and Kontagora and settling in Wushishi.”

Contrast this with the specificity with which he describes his maternal heritage: “Apparently, [my grandfather] met his future wife, a young Gwari girl called Halima, in Wushishi, and since his future parents-in-law would only allow him to marry daughter if he agreed to make his home in Wushishi, he readily complied with their condition before settling down in Wushishi and marrying his pretty wife, Halima.”

In yet another description of his Gwari maternal descent, he is informatively direct and specific: “But before he left, my father met and married a beautiful light-skinned Gwari girl, Inna Aishatu, who would become my mother.”

His paternal grandmother was a pretty Gwari woman, and his own mother was a “beautiful light-skinned Gwari girl.” Why did he have a need to call attention to their pulchritude and complexion?

Why did he withhold such details about his grandfather and his father? Sokoto, which he says is the apparent root of his paternal ancestry, was populated by both the Fulani and the Hausa in the “later part of the 19th century” when his grandfather left it for Kano and later Wushishi.

 Although interethnic marriage between the Hausa and the Fulani began to intensify at this time, people still identified their heritage through their fathers. Ethnic identities or labels weren’t hyphenated. Was his father Hausa or Fulani?

Did he, perhaps, obliquely answer that question by gratuitously calling attention to the light skin of his Gwari mother in order to let it be known that his own light complexion is inherited from his mother since the Fulani are stereotypically light-skinned?

Well, IBB told a biographer that his great grandfather hailed from the village of Kumuria [Kumurya?] in Kano State from where he went to Sokoto. But in his autobiography, he only mentions his grandfather migrating from Sokoto to Kano and later to Wushishi. Is this intentional, strategic paternal ancestral ambiguity?

We see evidence of identitarian anxieties in IBB’s life after he left his Niger cultural cocoon. Up until age 23 when he returned from India as a Second Lieutenant, his name was Ibrahim Badamasi, Badamasi being his father’s first name.

“However,” he writes, “before I settled down to work at the First Brigade, a particular incident led me to add ‘Babangida’ to my name. During official engagements that led to my deployment to Kaduna, officers who confused the Yoruba name, Gbadamosi, with my last name, ‘Badamasi,’ repeatedly asked me whether I was Yoruba. That question had come up a few times during my enlisting interview for the military. Since that question persisted (and since I knew I wasn’t Yoruba!), I decided to take on my father’s other name as my last name.”

Three things jumped out at me after reading this part of the book. First, I find it intriguing that he had no hesitation telling us about his mother’s and paternal grandmother’s ethnic identity and even disclaiming a Yoruba identity that he knew would constrain him but chose to conceal his paternal ethnic identity.

Second, IBB didn’t mention Babangida as his father’s other name when the reader first encounters him in the book. He identifies his father as Muhammad Badamasi, not Babangida Badamasi. Maybe this oversight is attributable to sloppy (ghost) writing.

Third, Gbadamosi is not, strictly speaking, a Yoruba name. It’s the Yoruba domestication of Badamasi, which is understood to be a Muslim name in Nigeria. Many people in northwest Nigeria, where he says his paternal roots sprouted from, bear the name.

When I wrote about unusual Muslim names in Nigeria that don’t seem to have any links with the rest of the Muslim world, among which is “Badamasi,” readers who are familiar with the etymology of Badamasi told me that the name (which was probably originally some variant of Badmasi) belongs to an Arabic poet whose book advanced students in traditional Arabic schools,  called makarantun soro in Hausa land, study.

The book, a Sufi poem, is used as a resource for Arabic vocabulary lessons. Over time, it became popularly known as Badamasi, named after its author.

I haven’t found any scholarly corroboration for the claim that Badamasi is the name of an Arab poet, but there is a late nineteenth-century Ilorin Muslim scholar and poet by the name of Badamasi whose poems are often utilized to enhance Arabic vocabulary and are a staple in the curriculum of traditional Islamic schools. But it’s not clear if he is the original bearer of the name.

Badamasi was Yorubized to Gbadamosi and later anglicized to Badmus in Yoruba land.

Curiously, Muslim names, which should transcend, even neutralize, ethnicity, at least on the surface, can become the carriers of the weight of ethnicity in Nigeria. There are notions of “Yoruba Muslim names” not just because of their peculiar Yoruba domestication but because of their higher than usual frequency among Yoruba Muslims.

For example, many northern Muslims and Yoruba Muslims have concluded, without a shred of evidence, that House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas is a Zaria man of Yoruba ancestry because “Tajudeen” occurs more frequently among Yoruba Muslims than it does among Hausa-speaking Muslims.

But Tajudeen Abbas is a Zaria prince. A Yoruba editor friend of mine pushed back when I said the Speaker was at least paternally Fulani by asking which Fulani or Hausa man I knew who bore the name Tajudeen.

 I mentioned Tajudeen Dantata. I then asked if he thought the Dantata family was Yoruba because they named one of their progenies Tajudeen. That ended the conversation.

Dr. Raji Bello, a Fulani man from Yola, also talks about how he is often mistaken for a Yoruba man because people assume that Raji is an exclusively Yoruba Muslim name even though it’s a Muslim name commonly born by South Asian and West African Muslims.

Dr. Bello resisted the type of urge that IBB succumbed to. He once said he was advised by an elder in Zaria to change his name to Rabiu. But he was named after one of his ancestors, a prominent nineteenth-century Muslim scholar in what is now Adamawa by the name of Modibbo Raji.

Finally, IBB described his father as a “messenger/interpreter” in the colonial district office but didn’t say what he interpreted. Since he had no Western education and didn’t speak English, did he translate Gbagyi, his mother’s language, to Hausa or vice versa?

Well, I am not done reading the book. 

Awards come in various shapes and hues in Nigeria. Some are rightly earned, some are bargained, while others are thrust on recipients as appreciative gestures. This Saturday, Lagos will thunder with applause as the SUN Publishing Limited crowns Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, “Governor of the Year”, a well-earned laurel carved from his meritorious performance. The SUN editors, sleuths with sharp eyes, scoured Anambra and found undeniable evidence: over 420 km of roads paved, flyovers like the one in Ekwulobia hugging the sky, 68 km of federal highways dualised, all without a borrowed penny. Awka’s Government House, a 34-year mirage, now becomes a reality; water gushes in Onitsha, Nnewi, and Awka, a lifeline reborn.

The SUN’s hawk eyes caught more: Okpoko, once Nigeria’s grimmest slum, now dubbed “New Haven” with 15 km of roads, lights, a hospital, is a gem rising from decadence. Urban regeneration electrifies Onitsha and Awka, while fiscal discipline, Anambra’s top-five BudgIT ranking, pairs with ambition.

Governor Soludo’s 50-Year Plan and the People's manifesto are beyond a whisper; it is a roar, turning lean resources into lavish triumphs. His refusal to borrow, despite a N100 billion green light, is a gauntlet thrown at waste. The editors saw a state reborn, and they nodded: this man deserves the crown.

But Governor Soludo is no stranger to recognition. As CBN Governor, he stacked $63 billion in reserves and earned triple “Best Central Bank Governor” titles from Financial Times and Euromoney. Six Nigerian papers sang “Man of the Year” in 2006; a CFR honour followed. With 152 awards trailing him, he is a comet of acclaim. Now, Anambra chants “The Solution Is Here,” and Saturday's award ceremony proves it: a tribute to a leader who has made infrastructure a war cry.

This weekend, as Lagos lifts Governor Soludo high in the limelight of rousing applause, Nigeria will see what Anambra already knows: the Solution mantra is a master sculptor’s tool chiseling Anambra into a masterpiece. The SUN garland is neither charity nor flattery; it is a merited recognition of good governance delivered excellently.

The wife of the Senate President of Nigeria, Mrs. Unoma Godswill Akpabio, has filed multiple lawsuits at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The suits allege a breach of fundamental rights and defamation stemming from statements made by the senator on the Senate floor and during a televised interview on Arise News.

In the fundamental rights suit (Suit No: CV/814/25), brought under Section 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 4 & 5 of The African Charter on Human And Peoples Rights (Ratification And Enforcement Act) Cap. A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, Mrs. Akpabio seeks:

1. A DECLARATIONthat the allegations made by the Respondent on the floor of the Senate on the 20th of February 2025 and subsequent scandalous and salacious allegations Arise News TV by the Respondent, constitute a flagrant violation of the fundamental rights of the Applicant guaranteed under Section 34(1) (A) of The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), Article 4 & 5 of The African Charter on Human And Peoples Rights (Ratification And Enforcement Act) Cap. A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and Section 14 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
2. AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTIONrestraining the Respondent from making further inciteful, scandalous, and spiteful statements that have caused the Applicant and her children emotional and psychological abuse and living under constant threat and fear of their lives.
3. AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTIONrestraining the Respondent, whether by themselves, their agents, privies, or howsoever from further inciteful, scandalous, and spiteful statements that have caused the Applicant and her children emotional and psychological abuse and living under constant threat and fear of their lives or in any other manner infringing on their fundamental rights.
4. AN ORDERawarding the sum of N250,000,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Billion Naira only) as exemplary, punitive, aggravated and general damages against the Respondent for her infringement of the fundamental rights of the Applicant alongside.
5. Such further or other Orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.

Additionally, in a separate defamation lawsuit (Suit No: CV/816/25), Mrs. Akpabio seeks:

1. A DECLARATION that the Defendant’s act of claiming on national television, that the Claimant’s husband, who is the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria made sexual advances at her, without any proof of same, has damaged the reputation of the Claimant and indeed her entire family, bringing them into disrepute and opprobrium.
2. AN ORDER OF THIS HONOURABLE COURTmandating the Defendant to issue a formal written retraction of the defamatory words and tender an unconditional apology to the Claimant and her family, to be published in 2 (two) nationally-read newspapers to wit: The Guardian and This Day Newspapers.
3. AN ORDER OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT compelling the Defendant to pay to the Claimant the sum of ₦1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira only) as punitive and exemplary damages for the ruinous effect of the Defendant’s defamatory words on the Claimant’s family’s reputation.
4. AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the Defendant from further uttering any defamatory words or causing to be uttered or spread, any defamatory words against the reputation of the Claimant’s family.
5. ANY FURTHER OR ANCILLARY ORDER or other Orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.

The Katsina State Government under Governor Dikko Umar Radda has announced the closure of all schools in the state for the Ramadan fast.

Naija News reports that all primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state were affected by the announcement.

In a statement, the Katsina Hisbah Board, on Thursday, warned private schools in the state against contravening the government’s order.

Hisbah’s Commander-General said that private lessons are not allowed to be held during the Ramadan fast.

“In accordance with Katsina State Government’s directive, all private schools are required to close for the Ramadan period to allow pupils to fully observe the holy month. The directives include extra lesson please.

“The Hisbah Board urges all school proprietors to strictly comply with this directive. Non-compliance will not be tolerated.

“May Allah accept our fast and grant us His blessings,” it read.

Naija News reported that Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State also closed all schools in the state for the Ramadan fast.

According to the State’s Ministry of Education Information Officer, Jalaludeen Maina, the school closure was to allow students to focus on the Ramadan fast.

“Yes, we are closing all our schools and this is included in our 2024-2025 approved calendar for the academic session that our students are not going to do the Ramadan fasting while in school.

“The five-week holiday is for Ramadan fasting and immediately after the fasting, they will resume and continue with their academics.”

[NaijaNews]