Lagos State governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has urged Nigerians to set aside ethnic, religious and other differences and work collectively towards building a peaceful, stronger and more prosperous country.

Sanwo-Olu made the call on Friday at the Lagos Secretariat Community Central Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja, following a special Jumat service held to mark Nigeria’s 66th National Independence Day.

The governor, who was represented at the event by his deputy, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, said Nigeria possessed the human resources, expertise and natural wealth required to achieve sustainable development and greater prosperity.

However, he identified national unity as a key factor in harnessing the country’s potential, noting that divisions among Nigerians had continued to hinder the pursuit of common goals.

“Part of the challenge is that we are not united as a people. We see ourselves differently, so there is no coincidence of purpose,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He maintained that Nigerians would be able to achieve greater progress if they worked together towards a shared national objective.

“If we unite and come together, we have the talent, ability and resources to lift this country. So, I am saying that unity is very important, and that’s the major challenge that we face,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu also attributed some of the country’s longstanding-difficulties to divisions among its people, citing the Civil War as an example of the consequences of disunity.

The governor stressed that the task of building a better Nigeria should not be left to the government alone, calling on religious and traditional leaders, the private sector and citizens to play active roles in national development.

He recalled the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when government agencies, private organisations, religious institutions and individuals collaborated to confront the crisis.

According to him, the spirit of collective action demonstrated during the pandemic should not be limited to emergencies but should also be channelled towards addressing the country’s wider development challenges.

Earlier, the Chief Imam of the mosque, Yunuss Al-Imam, urged Nigerians to take greater responsibility for the development of their communities instead of relying solely on the government.

The cleric also called for an end to tribal sentiments and religious intolerance, stressing that no ethnic group should regard itself as superior to another.

“I want to urge the congregation to shun tribalism, religious intolerance and traditional conflicts, and instead embrace peace, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence for the progress and development of society,” he said.

A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Buba Galadima, has said only God and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu know what will happen in the 2027 presidential election.

Galadima made the remark on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the opposition party’s preparations for the 2027 election and the prospects of its presidential ticket involving Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

When asked whether he expected the 2027 election to be free and fair, Galadima expressed doubts, alleging that political developments ahead of the poll had given the opposition cause for concern.

“If you are dealing with criminals and fraudsters like these ones we have, you can’t be sure of anything,” he said.

“Only God and Tinubu know what will happen to this election.”

Galadima also alleged that opposition politicians had come under coordinated attacks, citing incidents involving opposition supporters in Enugu, Peter Obi in Benue State and an ADC governorship candidate in Kaduna.

The NDC chieftain, however, expressed confidence in the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket, saying the pair would win if the election were conducted freely, fairly and transparently.

“Obi and Kwankwaso will win this election if it is free, fair and transparent, unless somebody decides to use the machinery of government and take it away from them,” he said.

Galadima also disclosed that he is currently the chairman of the coordinating strategic committee for the presidential candidate and his running mate. He said the committee was working to harmonise the political blueprints of Obi and Kwankwaso, who contested the 2023 presidential election on different platforms.

According to him, the two politicians complement each other and are being presented as a single ticket for the country.

“It is a single ticket for Nigeria. We are not going to run a divided government, one belonging to Kwankwaso and one belonging to Peter. No, we are running a Nigerian government. That is why we call this ticket a healing ticket for Nigeria,” he said.

He identified national unity, public confidence in government and security as some of the issues the ticket would focus on if elected.

“We want to create public confidence in governance, in government, and in the people running our country,” Galadima said, adding that the proposed administration would pursue security measures that would allow Nigerians to conduct their daily activities without fear.

Galadima also questioned reported political engagements involving President Tinubu and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, saying the opposition did not know what such interactions entailed.

“If they are doing the kind of politics that we see in Nigeria, he may announce himself having met the INEC chairman [and] some prominent Nigerians in France, and we don’t know what they are doing,” he said.

He further criticised the reported gathering of academics who publicly expressed support for Tinubu and argued that those individuals should not subsequently be recruited to serve in the election.

“We are saying, as a political party, that none of those 600 professors … should be recruited to serve in the elections, because they have already taken sides by declaring their support for a candidate in this election,” he said.

He also maintained that the NDC’s strategy would not necessarily depend on producing a single opposition candidate against Tinubu, arguing that the opposition had moved beyond the stage where legally distinct parties could field one joint candidate.

Former Ondo State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, has formally joined the African Democratic Congress, ADC, alongside other political figures from the PDP and All Progressives Congress, APC.

The development was announced by former Osun State Governor and ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, in a post on his X account on Thursday.

Aregbesola said he joined the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and other leaders of the party at a reception held in Akure, Ondo State, to welcome Jegede and other new members.

According to him, Jegede led the group of defectors, which included political figures from both the APC and PDP.

The reception was held at NEPA Park in Akure, where the new members were formally received into the ADC.

“Today, I joined the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alh. Atiku Abubakar, GCON, and other party leaders to receive decampees led by Balogun Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, alongside other political figures from the APC and PDP, into our great party,” Aregbesola wrote.

He added, “The grand reception took place at NEPA Park, Akure, Ondo State.”

Jegede, who previously contested the Ondo governorship election on the PDP platform, was formally received into the ADC along with his supporters and political associates.

The event was attended by Atiku, Aregbesola and other ADC leaders as the party continues its political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said heavy debt servicing is limiting the ability of developing countries, including Nigeria, to invest adequately in education, healthcare and infrastructure.

Shettima spoke on Thursday while delivering President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s statement at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

He identified inadequate financing as one of the major obstacles to sustainable development, saying many developing countries spend a significant part of their resources servicing debts instead of funding critical sectors.

“Many developing countries devote substantial resources to debt servicing at the expense of education, healthcare and infrastructure,” he said.

The Vice President called for reforms to the international financial system to make financing more accessible to developing countries and ensure that debt sustainability assessments take their development needs into account.

The statement also called for wider access to concessional financing and supported alternative funding models involving private capital, blended finance, South-South cooperation and strategic partnerships.

According to Shettima, such financing should help countries pursue sustainable development, adapt to climate change and build infrastructure that can withstand future challenges.

He said the international financial architecture should be reformed to provide developing countries with greater opportunities to finance their development priorities.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, says Nigerian workers can no longer survive on the N70,000 national minimum wage with the current economic pressures.

Keyamo said this at the 2026 National Pre-Retirement Summit organised by XEM Consultants Limited.

Speaking at the event, Keyamo stated that the rising cost of living had eroded workers’ purchasing power and made an upward review of wages necessary.

He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to meet organised labour halfway in the ongoing wage discussions.

According to him, unions were demanding as much as N500,000, recalling the negotiations that preceded the increase in the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 in 2024.

The minister, however, noted that the current minimum wage was still insufficient to absorb the economic shocks confronting workers.

He equally criticised the treatment of workers by some government agencies, particularly situations where employees are denied basic allowances while senior officials allegedly approve large sums for international trips.

“I will have none of it. Without these workers, we will not have a country.

“It’s not the machines or everything that you have; it’s the human factor. Without that, no machine will move,” he said.

The Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, Cross River State chapter, has urged the state’s representatives in the National Assembly to protect the state’s interests in ongoing discussions over its oil wells.

IPAC, in a statement signed by its State Chairman, Effiom Edet Okon on Thursday said issues concerning the ownership and status of the state’s oil wells were of significant economic importance to Cross River.

The council called on the senators and members of the House of Representatives from the state to work together on matters relating to Cross River’s economic interests.

It said decisions, legislative engagements and public statements on the oil wells should be guided by constitutional provisions, equity and the interests of Cross River residents.

IPAC also urged the National Assembly members to demonstrate what it described as “unity of purpose” in addressing issues affecting the state’s economic future.

The council further appealed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and other public officials to exercise caution in their public comments on matters relating to Cross River’s territorial and economic interests.

It said statements by senior public officials could influence public perception and relations between neighbouring states and communities.

IPAC noted that Cross River had maintained cordial relations with people from other parts of the country, but said such relations should not come at the expense of the state’s legitimate economic interests.

The council said it remained committed to dialogue and peaceful advocacy in addressing issues affecting the state.

The statement comes amid renewed attention to Cross River’s longstanding dispute over oil wells, following the decision by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to reopen the verification of disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Enugu State has criticised Governor Peter Mbah over the appointment of one of its House of Representatives candidates, Hon. Chinedu Onyeagba, as an aide.

Onyeagba, the ADC candidate for Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, was among 101 aides recently appointed by Mbah.

The appointments were contained in a public service announcement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia.

According to Onyia, the appointments comprised seven Special Advisers, six Senior Special Assistants and 88 Special Assistants, all of which took immediate effect.

However, in a statement on Wednesday, the ADC Caretaker Secretary in Enugu State, Comrade Adolphus Ude, commended Onyeagba for rejecting the appointment.

Ude also questioned the timing of the appointments and expressed concern over their potential financial implications for the state.

“Someone does not ask somebody returning from the market to help him buy something, but the person going to the market.

“Governor Mbah is returning from the market. His reign is coming to an end. He knows that the people of Enugu State no longer want him. Who are those going to vote for him in 2027? Is it those that he demolished their properties at Ogige Market Nsukka or Old Park Enugu, Holy Ghost Enugu or Gariki?

“He knows that people in Enugu can no longer bear his policies, particularly his ruthless and inhuman taxation policies. Even if he appoints all the Nollywood actors and actresses, and other celebrities in Nigeria as aides, he will still lose re-election,” Ude said.

He alleged that the latest appointments were linked to what he described as Mbah’s concern over the 2027 governorship election and his declining political support in the state.

Ude also argued that the appointments would increase the state’s recurrent expenditure and reduce funds available for infrastructure development.

“Enugu ADC condemns the recent appointment of 101 aides by Governor Peter Mbah at the twilight of his current administration. The latest appointments were announced three weeks after the appointment of 23 aides by the Governor.

“It means that in less than one month, the Governor of Enugu State has appointed 124 aides. This appointment bazaar going on in Enugu State calls for concern.

“The appointment of 124 aides with multiple communication and media portfolios and vague advisory roles when the current Peter Mbah administration is winding-up is sheer executive recklessness.

“Beyond political strategy, there is no rationale whatsoever for this quantum of appointments. The Governor is only interested in regaining his dwindling political influence and mobilising grassroots support across sectors for his re-election and nothing more,” he said.

The ADC official further claimed that salaries and allowances for the aides could place additional pressure on the state treasury.

He warned that increased recurrent expenditure could make the state more vulnerable to a decline in allocations from the Federation Account and potentially force the government to borrow to meet its overhead obligations.

“Already, under Mbah, the debt of Enugu State surged by over 128 percent, climbing from N82.5 billion he inherited in May 2023 to N188.42 billion by early 2026. One could imagine what will happen in the near future when the state borrows to pay the newly appointed aides of the Governor,” Ude said.

A United States-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has said that the United States will not allow Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu to rig the 2027 general elections.

Von Batten-Montague-York made the assertion in a post on its verified X handle on Thursday.

The firm also alleged that, regardless of political leaning, there is a growing consensus that the Nigerian government and its leader, President Bola Tinubu, represent a bastion of corruption.

According to the firm, Tinubu appointed an individual whom the US Department of Justice said had embezzled billions from Nigeria’s treasury during a previous administration to serve as Nigeria’s current minister in charge of the nation’s budget.

“The US cannot afford to allow President Tinubu to rig the upcoming Nigerian election.

“This level of lawlessness in the Nigerian government puts Nigeria on a path similar to those seen in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

“Free and fair elections in Nigeria are essential to protecting US interests in Nigeria and the broader region,” the firm tweeted.