By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Ex-Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakarhas slammed President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the prosecution of Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters.

Atiku said Sowore’s prosecution, as well as the arrest and detention of Prof Usman Yusuf, a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), amount to “systematic harassment and intimidation.”

Recall operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) arrested Yusuf on Wednesday, January 28, 2025 over alleged N4 billion fraud, amongst others.

Reacting to this via his official X handle on Thursday, January 30, 2025, Atiku described Sowore’s prosecution as baseless, adding that Tinubu’s government may soon imprison everyone who criticises his administration.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election claimed that the alleged systematic harassment of critics and opposition figures and the purported dismantling of opposition parties were ploys to establish a one-party system.

He wrote: “When I made the clarion call that Tinubu and the APC were devoting their energies to the systematic harassment, intimidation, and dismantling of the opposition, all in service of their grand design for a one-party autocracy, I became the target of vicious attacks.

“The arrest and baseless prosecution of @YeleSowore is the latest chapter in this unrelenting campaign. Now, they have seen fit to add Professor Usman Yusuf— an outspoken critic of this administration — into their grim roster. At the pace they are going, it seems they may soon find themselves contending with the incarceration of every one of us.”

Atiku’s comment corroborated his earlier claim that the APC is destroying opposition parties to achieve a one-party system.

While speaking as a panelist at a national conference held in Abuja recently, Atiku alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) bribed opposition parties with N50 million to weaken their leadership ahead of the 2027 election.

His claim has sparked reactions from opposition parties, as the Labour Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) asked the former Vice President to provide concrete evidence to support his allegation.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has strongly condemned what he described as reckless and inciting remarks made by former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, concerning the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking at a recent conference in Abuja, Amaechi allegedly declared that Nigerian politicians must “steal, maim, and kill” to remain in power—an assertion Matawalle denounced as not only insulting to Nigerians but also a dangerous attempt to radicalize the youth and destabilize national security.

Reacting to the statement, Dr. Matawalle said:“It is both reckless and dangerous for a former public office holder to make such inflammatory remarks. At a time when the government is working tirelessly to consolidate national unity and security, no responsible leader should fan the flames of violence and political unrest.”

He further warned against any attempt to mislead young Nigerians with a distorted narrative of violence and anarchy, emphasizing that “Nigeria is a sovereign nation governed by laws, not a jungle where power is seized through brute force.”

Let me make it clear: security agencies are on high alert. Any individual or group found inciting violence or attempting to destabilize this nation will face the full force of the law,” he added.

The statement, signed by Henshaw Ogubike, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Ministry of Defence, stressed that the government will not tolerate any form of subversive rhetoric aimed at undermining national unity or inciting lawlessness.

Matawalle reminded Amaechi that power is earned through democracy, not through intimidation, violence, or lawlessness. He reiterated that President Tinubu’s administration remains committed to upholding peace, democratic values, and national security.

“President Tinubu’s commitment to the unity and progress of our great nation is unwavering. Having experienced both military rule and democratic governance, he would never undermine the very democracy he has fought to uphold,” he stated.

Highlighting the administration’s achievements within a short period, Dr. Matawalle confidently asserted that President Tinubu will secure a decisive victory in the 2027 presidential election.

He urged Nigerians to place their trust in Tinubu’s leadership and disregard the remarks of Amaechi and his associates, whom he described as “politically irrelevant and out of touch with the realities of national development.”

“Amaechi and others who believe they can manipulate our youth into chaos should rethink their actions. This government will not stand idly by while individuals attempt to disrupt the peace and stability of Nigeria,” he added.

The Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with security agencies, will continue to monitor activities aimed at disrupting public peace and will ensure that anyone found culpable faces severe consequences, Matawalle concluded.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Director General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, has said corps members will start receiving monthly allowance of N77,000 in February 2025.
Ahmed, who disclosed this on Thursday while addressing the 2024 Batch ‘C’ Stream 11 corps members in Katsina, said the allowance has been captured in the 2025 Federal Government’s budget.

“This month (January) has already ended, but once the budget is passed. By next month (February), you will start receiving N77,000 instead of the usual N33,000,” the NYSC DG said.

He explained that the N77,000 monthly allowance was approved by the Federal Government and urged the corps members to reciprocate the government’s gesture during their service year.

He emphasised his commitment to the welfare and security of corps members across the country, assuring them that they will not be deployed to security threat communities for their service.

According to him, “We will not send our corps members to wherever we have challenges of security threats. Wherever we send them, they should be less assured that the place is safe and secured for them to serve.”

(THISDAY)