society
Badaru’s Shameful Outing and Tinubu’s Second Term Bid
*Badaru’s Shameful Outing and Tinubu’s Second Term Bid*
By Ali Ibrahim
In Nigerian politics, a bye-election is rarely accorded the gravitas of a general poll. It is frequently dismissed as a parochial affair, yet, in the eye of a keen observer, they function as a canary in the coalmine of a ruling party’s vitality. They are the microscopic fissures that presage a larger structural failure or success, the subtle tremor that warns of a coming catastrophic event. The recent bye-election conducted in Garki/Babura Federal Constituency in Jigawa State is one of such tremor which have presented an inconvenient and politically hazardous truth which the All Progressives Congress (APC) party never forget easily. This truth was the embarrassment in the person of Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, the Minister of Defence. Shamefully, the party now openly nurtures a profound vulnerability which constitutes a clear and present danger to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid.
However, the real facts of the election are not merely disappointing for the APC, but becoming nothing short of a categorical repudiation. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured a resounding victory by amassing 308 votes in comparison to 112 votes APC struggled to get. This numerical deficit of nearly a three-to-one ratio, is politically significant and defining in itself. However, the true moment of profound symbolic rupture occurred at the very epicentre of the Minister’s supposed influence: his own polling unit. For a former two-term governor of the state, and a sitting Minister of Defence to suffer such a comprehensive and humiliating defeat on his home turf, is not just a simple political setback; it is an unequivocal verdict on his evaporated political capacity. It is the electorate’s most potent form of communication, which declares its local influence to be not merely diminished, but utterly annihilated.
Evidently, this electoral defeat clearly goes beyond one man’s personal humiliation. It exposes a much more pernicious and destructive story of the powerful, nearly indisputable proof of activity at the highest levels of the Tinubu administration. A scandal of epic proportions is presented by reports and widely shared images of people who have been identified as Minister Badaru’s own political operators, his loyal foot soldiers, publicly celebrating the PDP’s victory. This is not the behavior of disheartened partisans, but a victorious celebration of people who have just accomplished a well planned mission.
A troubling question has been imposed on all patriotic minds by this blatant political drama: is the Minister of Defence, the same man entrusted with the sacrosanct duty of safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity, so politically consumed that he is now openly working for the opposition? The rational response to this is quite disturbing to understand. How can a Minister who cannot command the loyalty of his own men in a simple bye-election be trusted to command the loyalty of the armed forces in the intricate realm of national security? The level of cognitive dissonance is astounding, and a reassessment of national security is necessary.
To put this in a better perspective, it can be said that the long-standing suspicion regarding Minister Badaru actions has brought is political allegiances to question. His purported alliance and overt sympathies with elements of the PDP in Jigawa State have long been the subject of sensitive discussion within underground political circles. This electoral result provides concrete evidence of his men’s actual allegiances, and it speaks volumes about his own stand. It portrays a character whose interests are aligned on two opposing sides, revealing a political schizophrenic whose main focus is on a self-serving agenda of personal political survival rather than the party platform he purports to openly support. This duality renders him a liability of the highest order. It projects the Tinubu-led administration as a government that is not in full control of its own apparatus.
Unfortunately, this electoral irrelevance is in fact, the direct consequence of his underwhelming performance during his eight-year tenure as Governor of Jigawa State. How? It is no rocket science that Governments are judged by the tangible improvements they make and the legacy they leave, and the verdict on Badaru’s legacy has been delivered by the best language that matters: “the ballot.” The result showed that his constituent lacked tangible transformative impact, thereby destroying any electoral leverage he might have once possessed. The people have spoken, and their message is a unified rejection: “We are disappointed in Badaru.”
It is worthy of note to state that, this profound political inadequacy wouldn’t have been concerning enough if it was just confined to party alignment. But unfortunately, it is exponentially magnified by also reflecting in his current portfolio as the Ministry of Defence. At this point, the implications has shifted from merely politically damaging to existentially threatening for the country at large. His personality is one that can be termed “Transactional Politics,” a style of governance that views every public office, no matter how sensitive, through the prism of political interest and commercial opportunity that should be explored. This is a dangerous mindset that would not think twice in sacrificing national stability on the altar of political expediency. Under his watch, the Ministry of Defence has morphed from a strategic command post into what increasingly resembles a political bazaar, a arena for the trading of influence and the settlement of cronies, tilting it into a vegetative state of bureaucratic inertia and strategic confusion.
What many Nigerians failed to understand is that, the correlation between a weak, politically compromised Defence Minister and the escalating fragility of the nation’s security architecture is not coincidental. It is causal. It is a result gotten when the leadership of a ministry is so preoccupied with political survival and internal scheming, then, the single-minded sharp focus that is required to execute asymmetric wars becomes dissipated. The morale of the troops, who witness the political jubilation of their minister’s men for the opposition, inevitably suffers. Strategy becomes subjugated to political calculation. The procurement process, becomes vulnerable to manipulations that favour political affiliates over national interest. This is not mere speculation; it is the logical outcome of placing a politician of demonstrably low credibility and conflicted loyalties in charge of the nation’s most sensitive portfolio.
Therefore, it is even a big understatement to postulate that Minister Badaru is merely worthless to Tinubu’s administration. He is not a passive non-entity, but an active liability. He is a danger, a ticking, walking, talking vulnerability that can easily and ruthlessly be exploited by opposition in the run-up to 2027. It is comically laughable that the campaign advertisements virtually write themselves ready for use:
“If the President’s own Defence Minister cannot win his polling unit, Can you trust such a government to secure your home?”
Believe me when I say that this is a devastatingly simple and potent narrative that will resonate with many Nigerians who are already aware of the present state of insecurity and political hypocrisy in the country. Minister Badaru’s presence in President Tinubu’s cabinet is a gift to opposition parties. His inability to mobilise, inspire, or deliver his immediate constituency presages a catastrophic inability to secure a wider region for the second term for President Tinubu. A general who cannot hold his own fort has no business with being entrusted with the defence of an empire.
Consequently, for the APC to be revered as a truly dominant and purposeful ruling party, and for it to be taken seriously in its ambition to secure President Tinubu’s second term, the call for Minister Abubakar Badaru’s immediate resignation or dismissal is urgent and very imperative, not one to be seen as partisan malice. It is a necessary surgery in removing a rotting limb in order to save the body politic. A continual toleration of such a monumental and publicly demonstrated failure erodes the very foundation of the party’s credibility.
As a renowned political strategist who President Tinubu is, he needs to understand the level of this threat. Compounding the monumental tasks before him ahead of 2027 election, with an internal, self-inflicted wound of this magnitude in his party is an act of political suicide. However, removing Badaru, who is a proven failure and electoral liability, is not only just a good way of positioning Nigeria well for the next election, but also the only way to avert a catastrophic erosion for himself and the party’s base. Making a mistake to retain him, is to signal that political accommodation trumps electoral viability and national security.
At this present, the embarrassing bye-election should be perceived as a deafening shout from a small constituency. It must be seen as a warning that must be heeded on the national stage. The choice before President Tinubu is clear: succumb to the pressure of political accommodation and risk everything, or jettison a minister who has become the living embodiment of his government’s vulnerabilities. The fate of the second-term bid may very well depend on this singular, decisive act.
Ibrahim writes from Gusau.
society
Grace Nation Thanksgiving and Annointing Service: You must be Consistent with God to Experience Supernatural Restoration – Dr Chris Okafor
….Grace Nation international Women Convention ends with thanksgiving and Child dedication Service
When the hand of God comes upon you, everything you need to be great in life falls in places and every lost Glory is restored therefore you come into your total accomplishment in Life.
Speaking at the special thanksgiving service for the month of August and the final lapse of the Grace Nation international Women Convention that began a week ago, while declaring Prophetically as the Convention came a close, The Senior Pastor and the Generational Prophet of God Dr Chris Okafor said the Grace Nation international Women Convention has really impacted in so many ways in the life of all woman who participated. The Clergyman said many success stories will be evidential in the life of all the women that participated in the one week long International Congress because they have learned one thing or the other that will make them a better mother, Good and Committed child of God.
The Generational Prophet also prayed that by this time next year the international Women Convention will be glorious with more participants because by then the testimony that would have been recorded in the life’s of participants of the 2025 convention will be enormous and cannot be qualified as many will come to the 2026 convention with their miracle babies and diverse kind of testimonies.
Teaching on the Topic The Power and Secret of Supernatural Restoration with subtitles Restoration by the Prophet, The Generational Prophet Dr Chris Okafor emphasised that for a Man to be restored by Elohim, God will not come uninvited, someone must intercede on someone behalf, therefore God can restore you through your Prophet.
The famous Lagos Prophet continue that you need Divine connection to connect you to your place of restoration, Only the hand of God can give you a divine connection, and with the hand of God you will come to your place of restoration. Also when the hand of God is upon you, it guarantees the secret Path to your place of connection.
How to enjoy the power that connects you to your restoration, The Apostle of altars and the Generational Prophet said the only alternative is, you must be consistent with God in the days of your life, you must be a kingdom Sower, be a soul winner to the kingdom, be a kingdom partner with your substance, invest in the house of God, therefore with these level of commitment you will experience Supernatural Restoration The Generational Prophet Dr Chris Okafor remarked.
Earlier there were various Drama and different choreography cultural performance to round up the Grace Nation international Women Convention 2025.
Special thanksgiving celebration by the woman’s, the General August Born Thanksgiving procession, a special Child dedication and Annointing session that Climax the month of August and international women Convention Celebration.
society
“You Can’t Use Primate Ayodele To Score Points For Your Failed Political Ambitions” – Fulani Group Blasts Umar Ardo
“You Can’t Use Primate Ayodele To Score Points For Your Failed Political Ambitions” – Fulani Group Blasts Umar Ardo
A popular Fulani group, The Fulani Association for Great Leadership (FAGL), has slammed northern politician Umar Ardo over his recent attack on Nigerian prophet, Primate Elijah Ayodele.
The attack followed Ayodele’s prophetic advice to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in which he warned against appointing northern politicians to sensitive positions, stating that such appointments would not guarantee loyalty and could result in betrayal.
In a strongly worded statement signed by FAGL’s President, Abdullahi Raheem, the association condemned Ardo’s reaction, describing him as a “busybody” interfering in a message not directed at him.
“There is a popular adage that says, ‘O wiɗi ɗiɗi ɗum jogii, kono ɗum sewti; ngalan nden woni sewtaare’ — which describes a situation where someone tries to respond to a statement or question that wasn’t directed at him or her in the first place,” the statement reads.
According to Raheem, this proverb perfectly fits Umar Ardo, “a not-so-popular Adamawa local politician,” who unnecessarily responded to Primate Ayodele’s message to President Tinubu about appointing northern politicians to his cabinet as a strategy to secure their support ahead of the 2027 elections.
Raheem emphasized that Primate Ayodele has consistently issued prophetic warnings to not only President Tinubu but also to other prominent politicians such as Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. However, it appears this particular message touched a nerve with Ardo — “probably because he has been eyeing an appointment from Tinubu too — who knows?”
In his controversial response, Ardo accused Primate Ayodele of bigotry, labeling the prophecy as “unchristian and hypocritical.” He was quoted as saying:
“Betrayals and failures in leadership have never been a portion of the Fulani people. We are a people of honour and excellence! What Ayodele is preaching is simply ethnic bigotry, fulbephobia, and fulbemisia disguised as prophecy… For a man of God to single out an ethnic group and brand them as inherently untrustworthy is shameful, hypocritical, and unchristian.”
Responding to these claims, the Fulani group came to the defense of Primate Ayodele, describing him as one of the most hospitable and religiously tolerant Christian leaders in Nigeria today.
“Can Ardo point to any pastor in Nigeria who is building or has built a mosque with his own funds? No one else but Primate Ayodele is doing that at the moment.
“Can Ardo name any man of God the Sultan of Sokoto can call his friend due to his consistent support for the Muslim community? Again, only Primate Ayodele.
“Can he name any Christian leader who provides food and cash support to Muslims — including Fulani communities — during Ramadan? The only one doing so is Primate Ayodele.”
The group went on to question how such a man — who invites Muslims to his annual Thanksgiving events and ensures some are sponsored to Mecca — can now be labeled an ethnic bigot simply for issuing a national warning.
Raheem stated that Ardo’s actions were motivated not by love for the North but by personal ambition and political irrelevance.
“Ardo’s stance doesn’t represent the North. He’s just trying to get media attention. As everyone knows, Primate Ayodele is the most popular prophet in Nigeria today, making him a fertile ground for anyone looking to trend.”
The group accused Ardo of using Ayodele’s name to position himself for a political appointment.
“If he truly wants an appointment from President Tinubu, he should go about it properly. At 64, with his highest position being Special Adviser to a Vice President from 1999 to 2006, it’s unlikely any government would consider him for a new role. This is why he’s desperate to stay relevant.”
FAGL also claimed that Ardo had tried and failed to become governor of Adamawa State multiple times. They advised him to learn from successful politicians about the value of listening to wise counsel like that of Primate Ayodele.
“He needs to ask those who have succeeded in politics whether this is how they behaved. He might then understand why Primate Ayodele remains a national figure in Nigerian politics and why ignoring his prophecies has cost some politicians dearly.”
In conclusion, the group insisted that Primate Ayodele will not dignify Umar Ardo with a response.
“But as northerners who follow the prophet regularly, we say it loud and clear: Umar Ardo is wrong and should be the one apologizing for being an ungrateful Fulani.”
Interior Ministry: From Applause to Nationhood
By Citizen Bolaji O. Akinyemi
The strength of every relationship is communication. Fragile as it may appear, it is the strand that holds people together and binds society. Much of the progress envisaged in policy implementation in the developing world is lost—not only to insincerity in policy conceptualisation but more critically to the failure of effective communication of policy.
The Ministry of Interior is arguably the most important ministry to Nigerians. It regulates migration and residency, oversees internal security architecture, manages citizenship and naturalisation, supervises correctional services, coordinates civil defence, and issues travel and identity documents that shape our global perception as a people. In essence, it is the guardian of Nigeria’s internal sovereignty and the custodian of the rights and mobility of its citizens.
By popular perception, the young minister in charge, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, is performing wonders. Yet perception is not a mandate. The key questions remain: what is the core mandate of the ministry? What does it want to achieve for Nigeria and Nigerians? What policy frameworks have been designed to deliver on this mandate? Most importantly, how are these policies being communicated to Nigerians for ownership, interrogation, and partnership in implementation?
A ministry as sensitive as the Interior cannot thrive on glamour or applause. It must instead ground its work in clarity, accountability, and a shared national vision. One of its foremost assignments should be the carving of a homeland philosophy—developing it into a national ideology that inspires Nigerian youth to value the motherland above any other place on earth.
This cannot be achieved by raising the cost of obtaining a Nigerian passport to one million naira; as long as one dollar exchanges for over ₦1,500 and the naira cannot buy a candy while a dollar can buy a meal, such pricing will not stop the “Japa” wave. Economic disempowerment, not cheap passports, fuels migration.
Lessons from Ideological Citizenship Worldwide
1. United States – The American Dream unified immigrants and natives under a common story of opportunity.
2. Singapore – Multicultural Meritocracy turned diversity into stability through merit and discipline.
3. Israel – Homeland Security Citizenship tied to belonging to service and sacrifice for the nation.
4. Rwanda – Ndi Umunyarwanda healed ethnic divides after genocide, making citizenship primary over tribe.
5. South Africa – Rainbow Nation recast painful diversity as a strength for reconciliation and nationhood.
These examples show that citizenship ideology is not abstract—it is the foundation for unity, stability, and progress in diverse societies.
Towards a Nigerian Citizenship Philosophy
Nigeria must articulate its own philosophy of citizenship, one that binds our many ethnicities into a shared nationhood. Such a philosophy could stand on these pillars:
Equality of Citizenship: No Nigerian is more Nigerian than the other, regardless of tribe, religion, or place of residence.
Service and Responsibility: Rights must be matched with duties—to serve, protect, and contribute to the nation.
Pride in Motherland: Cultivating values that make Nigerians see their destiny tied to the homeland, not merely to foreign lands.
Unity in Diversity: Making diversity a deliberate strength for innovation, resilience, and nation-building.
Rule of Law: Ensuring that the state protects rights without discrimination, so that faith in the system grows stronger than tribal bias.
The Ministry of Interior should be the midwife of this philosophy. Through policy, communication, and civic education, it must teach Nigerians what it means to believe, belong, and build.
The Dangerous Silence of the Ministry
But here lies the present failure: the silence of the Interior Ministry when rights of citizenship are openly trampled.
When in Lagos, the Igbo community—law-abiding citizens by law and birth—were told their votes and candidacy were inconsequential, where was the Ministry of Interior?
If in a city as “civilised” as Lagos, Nigerians can be profiled and excluded from full citizenship on account of tribe, what moral ground does the Ministry have to intervene when settler tribes wipe out indigenous villages in the Middle Belt or elsewhere?
A Ministry that cannot raise its voice when the essence of citizenship is attacked in peacetime cannot hope to secure its mandate in crisis. Silence in such matters is complicity; worse still, it makes a mockery of the very institution tasked with protecting Nigerians at home.
Beyond Applause
Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo’s heroism must therefore go beyond administrative efficiency or momentary reforms. His enduring legacy should be the laying of institutional foundations, the rebranding of the ministry’s mandate, and the communication of policies that give Nigerians a shared sense of belonging.
The Interior Ministry must step out of silence into vision. It must move from applause to nationhood.
Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also the President of Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener of the Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the CEO, Masterbuilder Communications.
Email:[email protected]
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