News
2027: Bianca Warns Foreign Missions Against ‘Unsolicited Lectures on Nigeria’s Democracy
By Gloria Ikibah.
Foreign diplomatic missions in Nigeria have been cautioned against making unguarded comments, disparaging remarks or unsolicited lectures on democracy as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, issued the warning on Thursday during her first formal briefing with members of the Diplomatic Corps since assuming office, on Thursday in Abuja.
The Minister said Nigeria recognised the regional and international implications of developments in the country but expected foreign missions to respect its sovereignty and established diplomatic channels.
She said: “As the 2027 General Elections draw near, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would request that Mission remain guided, recognizing that as the largest democracy in Africa that developments in Nigeria have regional and international implications, we would not accept unguarded comments, disparaging remarks, or unsolicited lectures on democracy from any country or international organization, the Government of President Tinubu is committed to democracy and delivering an election that would be peaceful, free, fair and credible in all ramifications.”
The warning formed part of a broader call for stronger relations between Nigeria and the diplomatic community, with Odumegwu-Ojukwu urging foreign missions to engage the government through established diplomatic channels and on the basis of mutual respect.
She said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remained the official channel between diplomatic missions and the Nigerian Government, including the Presidency, ministries, departments and agencies.
The Minister explained that the arrangement was intended to ensure proper coordination and avoid conflicting information, duplication and misunderstandings.
“The Ministry is not an obstacle between you and the Nigerian Government; we are your bridge to the Nigerian Government”, she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also called for greater attention to economic diplomacy, saying Nigeria’s foreign policy under President Bola Tinubu was anchored on the Four Ds — Demography, Development, Democracy and Diaspora.
She said the policy was designed to place Nigerians and their interests at the centre of the country’s international engagements, while maintaining Nigeria’s commitment to Africa and constructive relations with the wider world.
The Minister also reaffirmed Nigeria’s pursuit of strategic autonomy in its international relations, stressing that the approach did not amount to isolation.
“Strategic autonomy does not mean isolation; it means preserving Nigeria’s sovereign right to determine the relationships and positions that best serve our people”, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
Nigeria seeks more tangible diplomatic gains
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the Ministry will pay renewed attention to dormant Joint Commissions and Bi-national Commissions, some of which, she said, had remained inactive because of administrative and logistical challenges.
According to her, the mechanisms will be revitalised to advance cooperation in trade, investment, security, education, technology, health, agriculture and other areas of mutual interest.
“Ultimately, the strength of our diplomatic relationships should be measured not only by the warmth of our engagements, but by the tangible benefits they produce for our respective peoples”, the Minister said.
She therefore urged diplomatic missions to work with Nigeria to deepen trade and investment, strengthen cooperation on peace and security, advance education, health and technological innovation, and create greater opportunities for citizens.
On consular matters, the Minister urged foreign missions to review visa procedures for Nigerian applicants, particularly where processing delays affect legitimate travellers, students, business people and families.
“While we fully respect the sovereign right of every country to determine its visa policy, excessively long waiting periods can create considerable difficulties for legitimate travelers, students, businesspersons and families. We therefore encourage greater efficiency, transparency and responsiveness wherever possible”, she stated.
She also assured members of the Diplomatic Corps that the safety and welfare of foreign diplomats remained a priority for the Nigerian Government.
Nigeria, she said, remained conscious of its obligations under the Vienna Conventions, including the protection of diplomatic and consular personnel, their families, premises and property.
“We want you to feel safe, enjoy your assignments and ultimately leave Nigeria with positive memories of our country and our people”, she stated.
Nigeria backs dialogue, multilateralism
The Minister said Nigeria will continue to promote dialogue, multilateralism and peaceful resolution of disputes while remaining active in ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations, the Commonwealth and other international institutions.
“Nigeria will therefore continue to champion dialogue, multilateralism and peaceful resolution of disputes, while remaining active within ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations, the Commonwealth and other international institutions. We will continue to advocate an international system in which Africa’s voice is heard and the continent participates meaningfully in shaping global decisions”, the Minister said.
She said Nigeria was open to trade, investment, tourism, technology, knowledge transfer and other meaningful partnerships, but stressed that such relationships should be based on reciprocity, sovereign equality and mutual respect.
“At a time of increasing geopolitical complexity, conflicts, terrorism, climate change, cyber insecurity, irregular migration and economic uncertainty remind us that no country can confront today’s challenges alone”, she noted.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the Ministry will also continue efforts to facilitate the accreditation of foreign diplomats and improve the processing of agréments for Nigerian ambassadors.
She acknowledged the cooperation of foreign governments in processing Nigeria’s ambassadorial nominees and said Abuja was taking steps to facilitate the commencement of duties by ambassadors and high commissioners accredited to Nigeria.
The Minister described the diplomatic briefing as the beginning of closer engagement between the Ministry and foreign missions, calling for frank discussions, constructive dialogue and mutual respect.
“I want us to speak frankly, engage constructively and resolve issues through dialogue, established diplomatic channels and mutual respect.
“The true measure of our relationships will not be the number of meetings we hold or communiqués we issue. It will be the progress we achieve for our peoples, the investments we facilitate, the opportunities we create, the challenges we resolve and the friendships we strengthen.
“Let us move forward together in a spirit of constructive dialogue, reciprocal respect, mutual confidence and shared prosperity”, she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu assured that Nigeria remained ready to work with the international community while keeping its national interests at the centre of its foreign policy.
MINNA, Niger State — An engine oil seller in Minna, the Niger State capital, has reportedly sustained serious injuries after allegedly being shot during a police operation to disperse protesters.
The victim, identified as Ibrahim Mohammed Dada, was reportedly standing outside his shop at Tunga Market when he was struck by a bullet.
Ibrahim’s brother, Yakubu Dada Mohammed, said the victim was not part of the protest and was attending to customers at his engine oil stall when the incident occurred.
According to him, Ibrahim was simply trying to earn a living and support his family when a police officer allegedly fired a shot that hit him in the head and severely injured his face.
«“He was not among those protesting. He was standing in front of his shop selling engine oil when one of the police officers fired a bullet that struck his head and badly injured his face,” Yakubu said.»
Ibrahim is currently receiving treatment at Minna General Hospital, where his condition was reportedly described as critical.
The incident occurred amid protests in Minna over the reported deaths of 37 miners who were allegedly in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Reports indicate that 65 miners were arrested on September 15 and 16, with 37 subsequently reported dead while in security custody.
The protests, which began on Thursday, continued into Friday as security personnel moved to disperse demonstrators. Security forces were reportedly accused of using tear gas and live ammunition during the operation.
However, the circumstances surrounding Ibrahim’s shooting have not been independently established.
The Niger State Police Command spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, appealed for calm and said the incident would be investigated.
The case has since heightened concerns over the conduct of security personnel during the ongoing protests.
By Agaji Emmanuel
Nigeria’s political landscape is once again being reshaped by alliances that do not always fit neatly into traditional party lines. As the country moves closer to the 2027 general elections, the growing political relevance of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, presents an interesting case of how personal political networks and cross-party relationships can influence the calculations of an incumbent administration.
In this regard, Wike’s relevance to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu goes beyond his position as FCT Minister or his former status as a governor of Rivers State. His greatest political value may lie in his ability to operate across party boundaries and maintain relationships with political actors who do not necessarily belong to the same political party.
The emergence of the Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State is one example. The coalition has brought together politicians from different parties, including the PDP and APC, around support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid. Wike has consistently maintained that his support for Tinubu does not mean the PDP cannot field candidates in other elections.
That position makes the political arrangement particularly unusual.
Wike Beyond the APC-PDP Divide
Wike remains a PDP politician even while serving in an APC-led federal administration. President Tinubu appointed him FCT Minister after the 2023 presidential election, creating an uncommon relationship between a former opposition heavyweight and a president whose party was on the other side of the political divide.
Rather than viewing politics solely through the traditional APC-versus-PDP prism, Wike has increasingly presented his political engagement around what he considers strategic interests.
He has openly declared his support for Tinubu’s second-term bid, while maintaining that the PDP remains free to contest governorship and legislative elections in 2027.
That distinction is important because it suggests that Wike’s political calculation is not necessarily about abandoning his party but about creating room for political alliances that transcend conventional party boundaries.
And that, in this writer’s assessment, is where his value to Tinubu becomes significant.
An Administrative Asset in Abuja
Beyond politics, Wike’s performance as FCT Minister has also strengthened his relevance within the Tinubu administration.
Since assuming office in 2023, Wike has overseen several road and infrastructure projects across Abuja and the satellite towns. President Tinubu has repeatedly publicly commended the minister, including in June 2026, when he praised Wike for the pace of infrastructure development in the capital.
The President has also specifically credited Wike with helping to turn government plans into completed road and infrastructure projects across the FCT.
Whether one agrees with every policy of the Tinubu administration or not, the visible infrastructure drive in Abuja has become one of the most prominent aspects of Wike’s ministerial profile.
Roads, satellite-town infrastructure, public facilities and other development projects have given the minister a strong administrative presence.
Wike himself has consistently attributed the progress in the FCT to President Tinubu’s support and the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
His Political Capital May Be More Important
But Wike’s political significance cannot be measured only by roads, buildings and infrastructure.
His experience in opposition politics, his former position as Rivers governor, his extensive political network and his relationships across party lines give him a political reach that may be useful to the Tinubu administration as 2027 approaches.
The question, therefore, is not simply what Wike delivers as a minister.
It is what his political network can potentially add to the administration’s broader coalition-building efforts.
The Rivers Rainbow Coalition is particularly significant in this regard. Wike has described it as the platform to further catapult President Tinubu’s victory in 2027.
News
Labour Party Candidate Takes Leadership Message to Deltans as 2027 Political Season Gathers Momentum
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Dr. Barry Avotu Johnson 1st, the Labour Party’s 2027 Delta State governorship candidate, has released a new campaign jingle designed to communicate his leadership vision and development agenda to the people of Delta State.
The release comes as political activities surrounding the 2027 governorship contest continue to intensify and amid attention to pending judicial developments concerning political and electoral matters.
The campaign jingle presents Dr. Avotu Johnson’s candidacy around a central message of quality leadership, accountable governance, economic opportunity and a new direction for Delta State.
Dr. Avotu Johnson was reported as the Labour Party’s Delta governorship candidate following the party’s 2026 governorship primaries.
“GOOD. BETTER. BEST.”
At the heart of the campaign is the GOOD. BETTER. BEST. vision, which Dr. Avotu Johnson has consistently presented as a framework for moving Delta State from existing achievements toward higher standards of governance and public service.
The campaign’s published priorities include economic development, job creation, education, healthcare, infrastructure, youth empowerment, technology, security and transparent governance.
The new jingle seeks to transform those policy messages into a memorable public campaign theme capable of reaching communities across the state’s 25 Local Government Areas.
A MESSAGE OF LEADERSHIP
Supporters of the Labour Party candidate describe the campaign as an attempt to place leadership quality and measurable governance at the centre of the 2027 Delta conversation.
Rather than focusing exclusively on political personalities, the campaign message emphasizes what it describes as competence, accountability, development and service to the people.
Dr. Avotu Johnson has also publicly linked his political programme to his long-standing advocacy for democratic participation and accountable government.
His campaign slogan, “A Good Delta. A Better Delta. The Best Delta,” has become one of the principal messages associated with his 2027 governorship project.
THE CONTEST AHEAD
The 2027 Delta governorship contest is expected to involve candidates from several political parties. A recent candidate tracker lists Dr. Barry Avotu Johnson for the Labour Party alongside candidates associated with APC, ADC, YP and ZLP, among others.
Against that political background, the Labour Party campaign says the new jingle is intended to introduce its candidate and his programme to a wider audience while encouraging voters to examine the competing candidates, their records, ideas and proposed programmes.
LOOKING TOWARD THE SUPREME COURT
The campaign’s reference to the Supreme Court reflects the wider legal and political environment surrounding Nigeria’s electoral process. However, the outcome of any pending judicial proceeding remains a matter for the Court and should not be presented as predetermined.
For the Avotu Johnson campaign, the immediate political message is clear: the Labour Party candidate intends to continue presenting himself to Deltans as a candidate focused on quality leadership and development-driven governance.
As the 2027 election approaches, the campaign jingle is expected to become an important part of the candidate’s communication strategy across radio, television, social media, community engagements and grassroots mobilisation.
For supporters of Dr. Barry Avotu Johnson 1st, the message behind the music is simple:
GOOD LEADERSHIP.
BETTER GOVERNANCE.
BEST DELTA.
Dr. Barry Avotu Johnson 1st
Labour Party — 2027 Delta State Governorship Candidate
GOOD. BETTER. BEST.
A NEW DELTA STATE IS POSSIBLE.
Police Allegedly Shoot Engine Oil Seller During Minna Protest
Beyond Party Lines: Why Wike Has Become a Political Asset to Tinubu
Labour Party Candidate Takes Leadership Message to Deltans as 2027 Political Season Gathers Momentum
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