Politics
Tinubu Gives Fani Kayode, Others New Appointments (See Full List)

The President Bola Tinubu is vetting potential candidates to fill diplomatic roles in its 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 global consulates.
Impeccable sources familiar with the developments revealed that a former Minister of Aviation under the Obasanjo administration, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, and a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro, are among the nominees.
It was also gathered that the vetting is not conducted centrally, as nominees are being asked to report to the DSS offices nearest to them.
Presidency officials confirmed to our correspondent that several candidates had been contacted to provide personal education and work history.
“They’re already doing security checks with DSS. When they have cleared security checks, we will release the list.
“Only those who have been cleared are announced. The process is ongoing. I know that we should have a list before the end of this month (April),” one official revealed, preferring to remain anonymous as he was not authorised to speak to the press.
A second source said, “The vetting is not done centrally. It is based on the location of the nominees. Nominees have been reached to provide personal history and information such as where they attended school, what appointments they have held, and the like. So, it is by location.”
That month, he concluded a sector-wide reassessment of Nigeria’s foreign policy, which saw over 83 career and non-career ambassadors recalled from their stations.
Last December, reliable sources close to the President confirmed that Tinubu spent part of his holiday reviewing the names of nominees with plans to transmit a consolidated list to the National Assembly before the end of the month.
However, updates in January revealed that the President changed his mind.
It was gathered that the process suffered delays due to the paucity of funds—to the tune of $1bn —required to pay arrears of foreign service officials, settle a backlog of overheads, replace ageing vehicles and renovate embassy buildings.
One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “You see, the major issue is money. Not money to pay them [ambassadors], because how much is their salaries and benefits? The main money is CAPEX [Capital Expenditure]. By the time they put the cost together to fix the issues, it is running to almost $1bn.
“Most of those embassies, almost 90 per cent, are rundown. Either the residence is not good, the embassy does not have a functional office, or their rent has expired. The embassies that are buoyant may not be up to 10 as we speak.
“I understand that some of them don’t have serviceable vehicles. The last vehicles they bought were from 10 years ago. Some of them are broken down, and ambassadors cannot use such vehicles because they carry the image of the country. Some of them don’t even have power and running water. So, if you post ambassadors there today, you’re sending them to trouble.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, also attributed the delay to financial constraints.
“It is a money problem,” Tuggar said during a ministerial briefing in Abuja last May.
He argued that appointing ambassadors without the financial resources to support their travel and the effective running of missions abroad was pointless.
“We met a situation where foreign affairs was not being funded like it should be. Some loopholes are exploited by the likes of Binance. It is a money problem.
“There is no point sending out ambassadors if you do not have the funds for them to even travel to their designated countries and to run the missions effectively, one needs funding. Mr President is working on it, and it will be done in due course,” Tuggar said.
A foreign service official explained that though provisions had been made in the 2025 budget to cover some of that cost, the funds were hardly enough.
Nominees on the list
Senior Presidency and foreign service officers say although the complete list of nominees is highly classified, some prominent and controversial figures are being screened.
One official said, “They’re going to announce the appointments soon. They are being screened as we speak. The names of the nominees are highly classified for now because not every one of the names listed will eventually make it through.
“FFK [Femi Fani-Kayode] is on the list. These are some of the controversial names that have been put forward as well. Then there is Fola Adeola [founder of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc] and Femi Pedro too. They’re moving on with the process more quickly this time.”
Giving reasons for the slow process, another official explained that the vetting was necessary to avoid complications that might hurt the country’s standing on the global scene.
“The nominees are being vetted, and background checks are being conducted on them. It is usually done so that the nominees will not have any security issues and their deployment will not have a negative impact on the country,” the official said.
There was also a claim that Reno Omokri, a former aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan, was on the list.
But a credible source in the Presidency denied it.
“Reno is not on the list. But FFK is there,” the source said.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, who earlier spoke about the delays, said nominations for ambassadorial roles must be thorough before a final list is transmitted to the National Assembly.
“Don’t forget that the ambassadorial list has two components. There are career ambassadors and political ambassadors. The foreign affairs list and the consolidated list will still go through certain processes before they are released,” he explained.
Two of the nominees, when contacted declined comment.
They also did not confirm or deny the report.
Politics
PDP: Anyanwu declares Govs’ move a ‘Coup’, illegal, insists he’s authentic National Secretary

Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu has rejected a resolution by the PDP Governors Forum appointing an Acting National Secretary, labeling it unconstitutional and a direct violation of both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Constitution and a Supreme Court judgment.
Speaking through his spokesperson, Comrade Daboikiabo Z. Warmate, Anyanwu described the governors’ move as a “draconian” attempt to usurp party structures, calling it a “coup d’état” against the PDP.
Warmate noted that the PDP Constitution, specifically in sections 45, 47, 49, 57, and 59; the appointment, election, replacement, or removal of a national officer must follow due process. He maintained that Senator Anyanwu has neither resigned nor vacated the office of National Secretary, making the appointment of an acting secretary baseless. “Only the National Convention holds the authority to appoint or remove national officers, Anyanwu remains the legitimate National Secretary until December 2025’, he said.
Warmate warned of dire consequences if the resolution is not immediately reversed, accusing the governors of acting beyond their constitutional powers and stirring internal party conflict, particularly one linked to alleged personal rifts with the FCT Minister.
He emphasized that only a national convention—not the governors’ forum—has the authority to appoint or remove national officers, slamming the move as illegal and a dangerous precedent for the party’s integrity.
Anyanwu called for calm and urged the governors to adhere to due process, warning that failure to reverse their decision could severely damage the PDP’s credibility and unity.
Politics
Igbo Youths Set To Mobilize 5 Million Man-March In Support Of Tinubu, Kalu

The Coalition Of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, the apex sociopolitical youth group in the South East geopolitical zone after a meeting of its leadership have perfected arrangements and plans to organize a 5 million man grand endorsement rally in support of our esteemed president, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Distinguish Senator representing Abia North senatorial zone in the Senate , Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, in the upcoming elections come 2027.
In an official press statement signed by Comrade Goodluck Ibem (President General) and Comrade Okey Nwaoru (Publicity Secretary) which was made public on Monday, 14th April, 2025, the group noted that Kalu has impacted the lives of people in the southeast via his leadership prowess and henceforth it was time to pay him back by mobilizing and overwhelming support on his behalf.
You will recall Kalu has won the best Performing Senator in Nigeria, an award given by Senate Press Corp. He has won this award three times consecutively.
COSEYL through the letter confirmed that they will mobilize, sensitize and deliver over 90% of votes to Kalu in Abia North and President Tinubu across the Southeast geopolitical zone.
“The rally is scheduled to take place in Abia State, and we will mobilize 5 million citizens from across the South East geopolitical zone. Our group is committed to ensuring a well-organized event that will serve as a platform to highlight the outstanding leadership of President Bola Tinubu and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu .
“We aim to mobilize the masses, showcasing the positive transformations led by Senator Kalu in Abia North constituency and reinforcing the president’s vision for our nation’s continued progress.”
This event is crucial in building momentum for the 2027 campaigns and ensuring that the South East remains a strong pillar of support for the President and Senator Kalu come 2027 general elections.” The Group opined.
The group further said that the huge and novel infrastructural developments Klau has attracted to Abia North and by extension Southeast has never been felt by the people of the zone.
“Truly, the people of South East are very pleased and very certified with the exceptional leadership and transformational contributions of Distinguish Senator Orji Uzor Kalu the Senator representing Abia North senatorial district in the Senate, which have significantly impacted the South East geopolitical zone, and will contribute immensely to securing a 90 percent electoral victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the upcoming elections come 2027.
“Senator Orji Kalu has proven to be a beacon of progress, consistently working toward the betterment of our region through building and renovations of schools, massive road construction, huge investment in agriculture for food sufficiency, youth empowerment programs and other democracy dividends too numerous to mention.
“Their unwavering commitment to the people has led to notable improvements in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and other areas, fostering a sense of unity, trust, and development that has resonated deeply with constituents.
“Given this track record of success, it is clear that the Senator Kalu’s efforts have laid a strong foundation for ensuring that our geopolitical zone will overwhelmingly support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next election come 2027.
“Their transformational performance has created a groundswell of support, positioning us to achieve a remarkable 90 percent electoral victory in favor of the President.
“We are confident that with Senator Orji Kalu leading the way, the future is bright for both our region and the nation as a whole. Together, we are poised for success in the upcoming election, and we look forward to the continued progress under President Tinubu’s leadership,” COSEYL asserted.
Politics
Bauchi gov, Atiku’s sons in war of words over 2027 electoral race

A political spat has erupted between the sons of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed over their fathers’ presidential ambitions.
Atiku’s son, Mohammed Abubakar, accused Governor Mohammed of failing to support the ex-VP in both the 2019 and 2023 elections.
Mohammed, who also chairs Atiku’s Presidential Support Organisation, alleged that Governor Mohammed’s presidential ambition is at the heart of the PDP’s internal crisis.
Atiku’s son was reacting to an earlier statement by Governor Mohammed’s son, Shamsudeen Bala, who said his father would not back Atiku’s presidential bid again.
Shamsudeen had on Friday accused Atiku of undermining Governor Mohammed’s 2023 re-election campaign by aligning with the opposition and rallying political elites in Bauchi against him.
“Honestly, it would be difficult,” Shamsudeen said. “Because even if he (Atiku) wins, there’s nothing he would do for us except settle old scores. He didn’t support us in 2023—he backed the APC candidate and used Bauchi elites to oppose us. We barely survived it. He’s made it clear he doesn’t value us enough to engage in dialogue.”
But reacting on Monday, Atiku’s son fired back, accusing Governor Mohammed of secretly working with the ruling APC and President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“Let it be known to Shamsu that never has Atiku dissipated an ounce of energy towards his father’s political travails,” Mohammed Abubakar said in a statement. “Atiku’s politics transcends such shenanigans—he has always remained above the fray.”
He added that any political tension Bala Mohammed faced in the lead-up to the 2023 election was purely local and had no link to Atiku.
“At no point has Shamsu’s father ever supported Atiku Abubakar in his political journey,” he said. “On the contrary, Nigerians still remember the ignoble role he played in 2023, when he clandestinely worked against his party’s presidential candidate.”
Atiku’s son also referenced recent comments by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who claimed that Governor Mohammed worked behind the scenes to thwart Atiku’s 2023 bid.
According to him, the Bauchi governor’s personal presidential ambition has impaired his leadership of the PDP Governors’ Forum and weakened unity among the governors.
“We are also not unaware of his secret hobnobbing with Tinubu’s government,” the statement continued.
Concluding, Atiku’s son advised Shamsudeen to focus on constructive political dialogue.
“The focus of every patriotic Nigerian should be on promoting political discourse that moves our country forward—not on needless rantings.”
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