The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Professor Abubakar Gombe, has urged residents of Bwari Area Council to take charge of their democratic future by electing credible leaders in Saturday’s FCT Area Council elections.
Gombe made the call during a courtesy visit by party leaders to the palace of the Awal Musa Ijakoro II, where they sought royal blessings ahead of the polls.
Addressing community stakeholders, the SDP chairman stressed that local government remains the closest tier of government to the people and plays a decisive role in addressing grassroots concerns. He noted that area council leadership directly impacts service delivery, infrastructure development, and social stability.
According to him, those contesting are not distant figures but members of the community who understand local challenges. He urged voters to assess candidates based on competence, accessibility, and integrity, reminding them that the responsibility for shaping Bwari’s future rests with the electorate.
Highlighting the party’s agenda, Gombe said the SDP is committed to people-centered governance anchored on economic empowerment, improved security, and efficient service delivery. He reaffirmed the party’s resolve to implement its manifesto in ways that deliver tangible benefits to local communities.
He also called for peaceful and credible elections, encouraging residents to participate actively and ensure their votes reflect their aspirations for development.
In his remarks, former SDP presidential candidate, Adewale Adebayo, described area council elections as critical to national development, emphasizing that effective grassroots governance can ease pressure on the federal structure by ensuring essential services are managed locally.
Adebayo urged voters to exercise their civic rights responsibly and reject inducements, noting that voter turnout and vigilance remain vital safeguards against electoral malpractice. He also stressed the need for collaboration between elected officials and traditional institutions, saying royal fathers possess invaluable community knowledge that should complement governance efforts.
The party’s chairmanship candidate for Bwari, Abubakar Abdullahi, pledged inclusive governance and grassroots-driven development if elected. Accompanied by his running mate, Mr. Pope Ngoposha, Abdullahi said his ambition is rooted in service and collective progress.
He promised a leadership style that reflects Bwari’s diversity, assuring residents of transparency, participatory decision-making, improved infrastructure, and strengthened social cohesion.
Responding, the Sarkin of Bwari, Awal Musa Ijakoro II, called on political actors and residents to ensure peaceful participation in the elections. He emphasized unity, mutual respect, and the power of the ballot, reminding stakeholders that leadership ultimately reflects the will of the people and the grace of God.
The monarch prayed for a hitch-free exercise and urged candidates to avoid actions capable of disrupting public order.
The FCT Area Council elections are scheduled to hold across the six area councils, with stakeholders underscoring the need for transparency, security, and robust voter turnout.
Grassroots First: Social Democratic Party Rallies Bwari Voters Ahead of FCT Polls
Bwari Bombshell: PDP Candidate Bows Out, Throws Weight Behind APC Man Days to Poll
Political fireworks erupted in Bwari on Wednesday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidate, Julius Adamu, dramatically stepped down for the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer, Joshua Ishaku Musa — barely 72 hours to the FCT Area Council elections.
Adamu announced his withdrawal at a rally, revealing that his decision followed consultations with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
“I have been in deep consultation with the FCT Minister. Joshua and I are brothers. It will not be nice for two brothers to fight over one office,” he said.
“Therefore, I have relinquished my ambition and I urge all my supporters to queue behind Hon. Joshua.”
The shock move sent waves through the political camp in Bwari, with supporters cheering as the two politicians embraced publicly.
Wike, who was present at the event, did not mince words as he canvassed support for the APC candidate.
“People of Bwari, if you vote for Joshua, I will do more roads in Bwari,” the minister declared.
“On Saturday, come out en masse and make sure Joshua wins.”
The last-minute alliance is expected to significantly alter the battle for Bwari Area Council, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown at the polls.
‘Love Him or Hate Him, He Delivers!’ — Gusau Applauds Wike’s Massive FCT Makeover
Former Coordinating Director of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Prof. Aminu Gusau, has showered praise on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr.Nyesom Wike, declaring that his bold governance style and sweeping infrastructure renewal in Abuja stand out as exemplary.
Gusau spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2026 Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences, Yakubu Gowon University, where Wike delivered a lecture titled, “The Impact of Political Leadership on Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: Between Dividends of Democracy and Good Governance.”
As chairman of the occasion, Gusau described Wike as a public servant whose time in office has been marked by “visible transformation and accelerated project delivery.”
Since assuming office in August 2023, he said, Wike has launched an aggressive drive to restore the Abuja Master Plan, fix failing infrastructure and revive projects abandoned for years.
“Major road networks have been completed and rehabilitated. Key roads linking the city centre to satellite towns are now motorable and functional,” Gusau said.
He listed the Apo–Wasa Road project, rehabilitation of inner-city corridors and upgrades of strategic junctions as key interventions that have boosted movement and business activities across the capital.
According to him, satellite towns such as Gwagwalada, Kubwa, Bwari and Karu are also benefiting from new roads, improved drainage and public infrastructure upgrades.
“Several previously stalled contracts have been revived and completed. That shows a governance approach that prioritises continuity and accountability,” he added.
Beyond roads, Gusau said the Wike-led administration has tightened development control, reformed land administration and stepped up enforcement to restore order and improve transparency in the FCT.
He also credited investments in street lighting, sanitation and public space management for improved security and a cleaner city.
“Leadership is not always comfortable. It requires firmness and sometimes unpopular decisions,” Gusau said.
Drawing from his 27 years in the United States and experience as a university lecturer, he said effective leaders share one thing in common they mean well for the people and act on it.
“You may like his personality; you may not like his personality. But one thing is certain: he works and he works for the people,” Gusau declared.
He stressed that governance should be judged by results, not rhetoric.
“Infrastructure matters. Systems matter. Leadership becomes real when citizens can see completed roads, revived projects and improved order,” he said.
According to him, Wike’s tenure in the FCT offers “clear evidence of performance-driven governance” proof, he insisted, that bold leadership can turn plans into visible progress.
Teargas at NASS: Police Break Up #OccupyNASS Protest Over E-Transmission
Armed police officers on Tuesday fired teargas to disperse hundreds of Nigerians gathered at the entrance of the National Assembly of Nigeria in Abuja under the banner of the National Opposition Movement (NOM).
The protesters had converged on the complex to demand mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results in future polls. The rally, however, was abruptly cut short when security operatives moved in and released teargas canisters into the crowd.
Among prominent figures present at the demonstration were former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili; former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo; and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, among others.
The incident occurred shortly after the leaders addressed supporters, urging Nigerians to remain steadfast in their demand for electoral reforms. Eyewitnesses said the Divisional Police Officer overseeing security at the complex ordered anti-riot personnel to disperse the gathering.
Moments later, teargas was fired, triggering panic as protesters fled, coughing and gasping for breath. Some demonstrators were reportedly injured in the confusion.
Despite the initial crackdown, a section of the crowd regrouped near the National Assembly gate in defiance of the police action. Reinforcements, including several police Hilux vans loaded with armed officers, were deployed to the scene, and additional teargas canisters were discharged to disperse the protesters again.
The disruption spilled into parts of the nearby Federal Secretariat, with passersby caught in the chaos.
The protesters later reconvened at a distance from the gate, chanting anti-government slogans and condemning the police action as undemocratic and excessive.
As of press time, the police had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
No Shake-Up in Imo, CBM Insists; Cubana Chief Priest Still in Charge
The national leadership of the City Boy Movement (CBM) has dismissed reports of a leadership crisis in Imo State, describing claims of a shake-up as false and misleading.
In a statement on Tuesday, the group faulted publications by Silvernews and other online platforms alleging that Prince Francis Uzor had been removed as State Coordinator and replaced with Hon. Eric Uwakwe, Special Adviser on Youth Affairs to Governor Hope Uzodimma, before a supposed reversal.
The movement made it clear that there is no ongoing or concluded plan to review the appointment of any State Coordinator in Imo State.
According to the statement, the only duly recognised and officially appointed leader of the group in the state remains Cubana Chief Priest, whose real name is Paschal Okechukwu.
CBM stressed that no new appointment has been issued or validated beyond that, adding that reports of parallel leadership structures, withdrawal of appointments or internal wrangling do not represent its official position.
“The City Boy Movement remains a structured and disciplined organisation. Any ambiguity arising from recent correspondence is a ploy to discredit the integrity of the group,” the statement read.
The movement reaffirmed that it follows clearly defined procedures in handling appointments and coordination matters, noting that any official decision would be formally communicated through authorised channels.
CBM further declared that members nationwide remain united in mobilising grassroots support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It urged members and the public to disregard unverified reports capable of causing confusion, reiterating its commitment to unity, transparency and organisational discipline across the country.
FCT Area Council Poll: Adebayo Storms Gwagwalada, Slams Neglect, Urges Voters to Shun Money Politics
Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, on Thursday took his grassroots campaign to Gwagwalada, charging residents to use Saturday’s Area Council election to reject bad leadership and demand real development.
Addressing a crowd of supporters, Adebayo declared that the time had come for satellite towns to rise against years of neglect, insisting that meaningful national growth must start from the grassroots.
He recalled that the Federal Capital Territory was created in 1976 under former Head of State, Murtala Muhammed, to guarantee equal access to infrastructure and opportunity for all Nigerians.
“But today, you see the difference between Asokoro and Maitama, and communities like Gwagwalada. That is not the dream of the FCT,” he said.
He listed epileptic power supply, lack of clean water, bad roads, poorly equipped schools and insecurity as major headaches for residents, stressing that local government leadership must be people-focused and policy-driven.
Adebayo warned voters against selling their votes or choosing leaders based on ethnicity or religion, urging them instead to back candidates with competence and integrity.
The SDP chairmanship candidate in Gwagwalada, Khalid Bala-Gano, expressed confidence of victory, describing the rally as the climax of weeks of door-to-door engagement and issue-based campaigns.
He promised transparent leadership, improved primary healthcare, better schools, enhanced security and infrastructure development across the wards.
“Saturday is about choosing accountability over excuses,” Bala-Gano said, urging residents to turn out peacefully and vote.
The election will determine chairmen and councillors across the six Area Councils of the FCT, in what observers say is a crucial grassroots test ahead of 2027.
Tinubu’s Bold Reforms Steering Nigeria Toward Growth, Says Wike
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the purposeful and servant-oriented leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is firmly positioning Nigeria on the path of sustainable growth and inclusive development.
Wike made the statement on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2026 Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture Series organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences, Yakubu Gowon University.
Speaking on the theme, “Exemplary Leadership and Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: Between Dividends of Democracy and Good Governance,” the FCT minister said Tinubu’s democratic credentials were established long before his presidency, recalling his role in the pro-democracy struggle at significant personal risk.
According to Wike, the President’s tenure as former governor of Lagos State demonstrated his capacity to translate vision into tangible development, particularly through increased internally generated revenue, infrastructure expansion and institutional reforms.
He noted that Tinubu signalled uncommon courage from day one in office by removing the fuel subsidy — a policy widely regarded as economically harmful but avoided by successive administrations.
While acknowledging the short-term hardship that followed, Wike insisted the move has freed up resources for subnational development, reduced unsustainable borrowing and restored discipline in the energy sector.
“This is leadership prepared to endure temporary unpopularity in pursuit of long-term national interest,” he said.
Wike further stated that the administration is addressing structural imbalances through regional development commissions, enhanced security funding and systematic training of the armed forces — measures he described as deliberate efforts to rebuild state capacity and restore public confidence.
He, however, stressed that national transformation requires collective effort, urging Nigerians to move beyond cynicism and embrace shared responsibility.
“The time for belief is now. The time for action is now. Progress is forged where leadership and followership work in synergy,” he said.
In his remarks, Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, said the lecture series provides a vital platform for intellectual engagement on national issues, particularly the link between leadership and development.
Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Aminu Gusau, described Wike as a results-driven public servant whose tenure since August 2023 has witnessed accelerated infrastructure delivery in the FCT, including the completion and rehabilitation of major road networks linking the city centre to satellite towns.
“You may like his personality or not, but one thing is certain — he works, and he works for the people,” Gusau said.
Earlier, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Mutiullah Olasupo, described Wike as an icon of democracy and infrastructural development, adding that the lecture would deepen discussions on leadership, governance and the 2027 general elections.
E-Transmission Protest: Wike Knocks Amaechi, Says Opposition Playing to the Gallery
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday fired hot shots at opposition leaders, accusing them of playing to the gallery and deceiving Nigerians over their recent protest for electronic transmission of election results.
Wike, who spoke at a Distinguished Personality Lecture at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Abuja, said some politicians were merely grandstanding instead of offering credible alternatives.
In a veiled swipe at former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, the FCT minister mocked the former minister’s appearance at the protest ground with his son, reportedly a medical doctor.
Amaechi had reportedly said he brought his son along to attend to any injured protesters.
But Wike dismissed the move as political drama.
“He said he came with his son, who is a medical doctor, to treat anyone who might be injured. But where was the ambulance? Where was the medical equipment? You cannot treat people with empty hands,” Wike declared.
The minister insisted that serious national issues should not be reduced to photo opportunities, stressing that leadership requires substance, not showmanship.
His comments have further deepened the war of words between the two political heavyweights, as debates over electoral reforms continue to heat up across the country.
Democracy Must Put Food on Tables, Build Roads — Wike Blasts ‘Election-Only’ Politics
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday fired a blunt warning that democracy means nothing to Nigerians if it fails to deliver good roads, steady power, quality schools and better living conditions.
Speaking at the 2026 Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture at the University of Abuja, Wike said democracy must move beyond “just conducting elections” and start producing visible results that citizens can see and feel.
“Democracy must go beyond electoral rituals,” Wike declared. “For the market woman, the civil servant, the artisan and the student, democracy is not theory. It must mean roads that work, hospitals that heal, water that runs and security that reassures.”
The lecture, themed ‘Exemplary Political Leadership and Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: Between Dividends of Democracy and Good Governance,’ drew academics, students and policymakers to the university’s main campus in Abuja.
In his characteristically forceful tone, the Minister described infrastructure as “the most honest test of leadership.”
“Where democracy delivers infrastructure, it earns legitimacy. Where it fails, it breeds anger and cynicism,” he said. “Infrastructure is not just concrete and steel it is the backbone of nationhood.”
Wike blamed Nigeria’s development struggles on poor leadership over the years, insisting that the country has enough resources and ideas but lacks courageous decision-making.
“Nations are not built by resources alone. They are built by leaders with vision, courage and discipline,” he said.
He, however, praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for taking what he described as bold and painful decisions, especially the removal of fuel subsidy.
“From day one, he showed courage by removing a policy everyone knew was damaging the economy but was afraid to touch,” Wike said. “Yes, it came with pain, but it also freed resources and restored discipline.”
Turning to Abuja, Wike boasted that the FCT is fast becoming a model of what purposeful leadership can achieve.
“In less than three years, Abuja has witnessed massive infrastructural renewal. Abandoned projects are back to life. Roads are being completed. Order is returning,” he said.
“Abuja is not just a city; it is Nigeria’s image. What we build here reflects who we are as a nation.”
He insisted that in the FCT, infrastructure is treated as a right, not a political favour.
“Leadership is not about pleasing everybody. It is about doing what is right and lawful for the greater good,” he said.
Chairman of the occasion and former top official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Prof. Aminu Ibrahim Gusau, threw his weight behind the Minister, saying Wike’s performance could be measured by visible projects, not mere promises.
“I am a technocrat and a scholar. What I see is measurable performance,” Gusau said, pointing to completed roads and renewed attention to satellite towns like Kubwa, Bwari and Karu.
He added that while other sectors may still be battling challenges nationwide, “Abuja tells a different story.”
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, described the lecture as timely, saying Nigerians are eager to see democracy translate into development.
He also appealed to the FCT Administration for continued support in fixing internal roads, hostels, water supply and security on campus.
Earlier, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Mutiullah Olasupo, urged students to protect Nigeria’s democracy and avoid political violence as the country moves closer to another election season.
“We must not destroy what has been built over the last three decades,” he warned.
The event ended with a clear message from Wike: democracy must be practical, visible and impactful or risk losing the trust of the people.
BILALIKOTO TRAGEDY: WiM-Africa Declares ‘Silent 15’ to Honour Women Killed in Deadly Mine Collapses
Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa) has marked the maiden edition of Silent 15 of Bilalikoto – Honoring the Fallen, a continental day of remembrance for women who have lost their lives in mining accidents across Africa, particularly in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector.
The annual observance commemorates the deaths of more than 48 artisanal miners — mostly women — who perished in a devastating mine collapse in Bilalikoto, Mali, on February 15, 2025, while working to provide for their families. The tragedy, WiM-Africa noted, reflects a disturbing pattern of preventable mining disasters across the continent.
Similar fatal incidents have been recorded in Obuasi, Ghana; Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Gwanda and Mashonaland West in Zimbabwe; Zamfara, Niger and Benue states in Nigeria; and Siaya County in Kenya — all highlighting persistent safety failures in informal mining operations.
According to WiM-Africa, Silent 15 of Bilalikoto is more than a memorial. It is a call for urgent and coordinated reforms to tackle systemic lapses in mine safety, regulation, and accountability. The group stressed that many women in ASM continue to work in hazardous, largely unregulated environments without proper training, protective equipment, emergency systems, or social protection.
The organization blamed recurring fatalities on weak enforcement of safety regulations, inadequate formalization of artisanal mining, gender-blind mining policies, and opaque mineral supply chains that shield buyers from on-site realities.
WiM-Africa is urging African Union institutions, governments at all levels, mining operators, mineral buyers, development partners, and civil society groups to prioritize safety in mining governance. Key demands include formalizing ASM operations, enforcing safety standards, ensuring compensation for bereaved families, strengthening mineral traceability, and integrating women into decision-making structures.
“As Africa positions itself as a major supplier of critical minerals driving global development and the energy transition, it must not ignore the human cost at the source,” the organization stated. “Women should not die extracting resources that power the world’s economies.”
The Silent 15 of Bilalikoto now stands as a solemn continental reminder that remembrance must go hand-in-hand with reform — and that Africa’s mining future must be anchored on safety, dignity, and justice.