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Stop hailing presidents, tell them the truth, Sanusi urges ministers
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The Emir of Kano and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Muhammadu Sanusi II, has warned ministers and presidential aides against turning themselves into praise singers rather than giving the President honest advice that can save the nation’s economy.
Sanusi gave the charge on Monday in Abuja at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference and Book Launch, where he and Atedo Peterside dissected Nigeria’s economic policies and governance challenges.
Speaking on the need for integrity and courage in public service, Sanusi lamented that Nigeria’s leadership crisis is worsened by sycophancy, as those who tell the truth are often branded enemies of the government.
“Our leaders listen but only to those who tell them what they want to hear,” the Emir said. “Nigeria has too many sycophants in government. Those who speak the truth are seen as enemies of the state.”
He condemned the growing culture of excessive praise for political leaders during official functions, warning that it stifles honest feedback and good governance.
“You sit in a meeting, and the President is there. The first thing people say is, ‘Mr. President, I want to thank you for your great leadership. God has blessed Nigeria by making you our leader,’” Sanusi said. “By the time they finish laying that foundation, it is their advice that the President accepts.”
“But when you tell the truth and point out what is wrong, they say you are the enemy. That is why people like Atedo Peterside and myself are always seen as enemies of the state because people don’t like hearing the truth.”
Sanusi urged ministers and presidential advisers to restore integrity to public service by speaking truth to power, stressing that blind loyalty has been one of Nigeria’s greatest obstacles to progress.
“Those who work with the President must understand that it is not in their benefit to turn themselves into praise singers,” he warned. “You disgrace yourself and the office you hold when you do that.”
Turning to the economy, the Emir commended the Tinubu administration for removing fuel subsidy and unifying exchange rates, describing both as “painful but necessary steps.” However, he cautioned that these reforms will fail if not matched with institutional discipline and prudent spending.
“If you stop paying subsidies but continue borrowing more, it means you’ve filled one hole only to dig another,” he said. “The real challenge now is the quality of government spending and the management of the revenues saved.”
Sanusi, who served as CBN Governor between 2009 and 2014, said Nigeria’s current economic crisis was the consequence of years of policy inconsistency and populist politics, noting that the same politicians who opposed subsidy removal in 2012 are now implementing it.
“In 2012, we warned that the subsidy was unsustainable, but politics took over,” he recalled. “Now the same people who led protests against it have inherited the problem and had no choice but to do the right thing.”
The Emir praised the professionalism of the current economic team, including Finance Minister Wale Edun and CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso, saying they have taken commendable steps to stabilize inflation and reduce exchange rate volatility.
Nonetheless, he called for urgent action to cut waste in government, reduce the size of the cabinet, and demonstrate leadership by example.
“Why do we need 48 ministers? Why do we need long convoys of vehicles and endless travel expenses?” he queried. “We cannot preach sacrifice to the people while living in luxury at the top.”
The conference, themed “Reimagining Leadership and Governance in a Changing Africa,” brought together policymakers, development experts, and academics to discuss pathways for effective governance and institutional reform.
In his remarks, Atedo Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, echoed Sanusi’s call for fiscal responsibility, saying government must prove that savings from subsidy removal are being used to uplift ordinary Nigerians.
“It’s not true that pain automatically brings gain,” Peterside warned. “Gain only follows pain if the government spends wisely, eliminates waste, and supports the poor.”
The duo agreed that Nigeria’s recovery depends not only on bold economic reforms but on a moral reawakening among those in power.
“Good policy without good governance is like planting a tree and refusing to water it,” Sanusi said. “Nigeria’s leaders must stop surrounding themselves with praise singers and start listening to the truth even when it is uncomfortable.”
By Gloria Ikibah
A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Kolawole Akinlayo, has urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to strictly apply the provisions of the Electoral Act in resolving the controversy surrounding the party’s primary election for Ekiti North Federal Constituency II.
Akinlayo, who represents Moba/Ilejemeje/Ido Osi Federal Constituency in the House, made the appeal while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Sunday, following a petition he submitted to the APC National Chairman and the party’s National Assembly Appeal Committee over the outcome of the primary election held on 16 May.
The lawmaker argued that compliance with Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, as well as the APC Constitution, is essential to safeguarding the credibility of the party’s internal democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He maintained that the rule of law should take precedence over political considerations, warning that any departure from the Electoral Act could weaken confidence in the party’s candidate selection process and expose the APC to avoidable legal disputes.
Akinlayo also challenged the eligibility of the aspirant declared winner of the primary, Kunle Ibrahim, contending that he did not meet the legal requirements to contest the election.
According to the lawmaker, Ibrahim was still serving as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation at the time the primary was conducted and remained on the government payroll until May 2026.
He insisted that the party should carefully review the facts surrounding the matter and ensure that its final decision is consistent with both the Electoral Act and its own constitution to protect the integrity of the nomination process.
Akinlayo argued that Ibrahim’s participation violated Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides that:
“A political appointee at any level shall not be a voting delegate or be voted for during party conventions, congresses or primaries of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”
Citing the Supreme Court’s decision in Tukur v. Mustapha (2023), the federal lawmaker contended that political appointees seeking elective office must first resign their appointments before participating in party primaries.
“The purported winner is not qualified to participate in the primary election by virtue of Section 88(1) and his participation, in the eyes of the law, is a nullity ab initio,” he argued.
Beyond the issue of eligibility, Akinlayo alleged that the primary election was marred by widespread irregularities in several wards across the constituency.
Akinlayo further alleged that the primary election was marred by widespread irregularities, including the absence of voter accreditation in some polling areas, inflated vote figures in others, voter suppression and disruption of the exercise in locations where he claimed to enjoy significant support.
He also accused certain local government and party officials of compromising the integrity of the process by serving as returning officers despite having vested interests in the outcome of the election.
Citing the alleged violations, the lawmaker called on the APC leadership to apply the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act by disqualifying Kunle Ibrahim from the contest on the grounds of ineligibility and recognising him as the lawful winner, having emerged second in the primary.
As an alternative, he urged the party’s National Assembly Appeal Committee to cancel the results from the affected wards and order a fresh primary election restricted to aspirants who meet the legal requirements.
The dispute has emerged as one of the earliest major internal challenges facing the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the party expected to conclude its appeal process before forwarding the names of its candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The controversy has also renewed attention on Section 88 of the Electoral Act, 2026, which reflects provisions contained in the Electoral Act, 2022 concerning the participation of political appointees in party primaries. The issue has repeatedly come before the courts, with the Supreme Court affirming in Tukur v. Mustapha that political appointees must resign their appointments before contesting or participating in party primaries as either aspirants or delegates.
The decision of the APC’s appeal panel is expected to determine who eventually flies the party’s flag in the 2027 House of Representatives election for Ekiti North Federal Constituency II.
A helicopter crash in Saudi Arabia killed 14 Saudi citizens on Sunday, the kingdom’s official press agency reported, adding that the aircraft belonged to state oil giant Aramco.
The Saudi Press Agency, citing an official at the energy ministry, reported the helicopter crashed in Ras Tanura in the country’s east.
“The accident claimed the lives of all 14 passengers, all Saudi citizens,” the agency said, adding that an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the crash.
Aramco says it operates more than 60 aircraft, including helicopters serving more than 300 heliports in Saudi Arabia, making it one of the largest corporate fleets in the region.
The deadly accident comes as oil-rich Gulf nations seek to ramp up their output following Iranian attacks and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the export of oil and gas.
The Gulf monarchy did not indicate the incident was in any way connected to a hostile attack.
During the Middle East war, Iranian attacks had targeted energy facilities in the Gulf.
Ras Tanura is home to one of the largest refineries in the Middle East, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, and is critical to Saudi Arabia’s energy sector.
The refinery has been targeted several times, notably during an Iranian drone attack at the beginning of the conflict, which caused a fire and forced a partial shutdown.
Riyadh said in April that the weeks-long attacks had disrupted several production operations at key facilities, with refineries in Ras Tanura as well as Jubail, Yanbu and Riyadh targeted.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading crude exporter, produces a little over 10 million bpd.
AFP
An Improvised Explosive Device, IED, planted by alleged bandits along the Kurawa–Sabon Birni road in Sokoto State on Sunday hit a vehicle, killing one person and injuring many passengers.
The incident raised fresh concerns over the growing use of explosive devices by criminal groups operating in parts of the North-West.
The vehicle was said to be conveying passengers from surrounding communities to Sabon Birni when it ran over the explosive device, triggering a blast that severely damaged the vehicle and left several occupants injured.
A security analyst based in the area, Bashir Guyawa, disclosed the incident in a post on his Facebook page.
Guyawa described the incident as another reminder of the persistent security challenges confronting communities along the border axis.
He said the vehicle was on a routine passenger trip when the explosion occurred.
“The vehicle was conveying passengers early this morning on their way to Sabon Birni when the unfortunate incident happened,” he wrote.
Ekiti APC Primary: Lawmaker Urges Party to Enforce Electoral Act Over Candidate’s Eligibility
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