Wadoye Congratulates Yayi on Emergence as APC Consensus Governorship Candidate in Ogun

BY ABU-SATAR HAMED 

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – A prominent Yewaland leader and business mogul of international repute – Alhaji (Chief) Waidi Haruna )Wadoye), the Bobagunwa of Ilaro-Yewa, Ogun State, has congratulated Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola following his unanimous emergence as the consensus governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 election in Ogun State.

In a congratulatory message he personally e-signed and made available to StarTrend Int’l Magazine and online platform, Wadoye as he is fondly called described Senator Adeola Yayi’s emergence as well-deserved, noting that it reflected the confidence and trust reposed in him by party leaders and stakeholders across the state.

The Bobagunwa of Ilaro-Yewa commended the senator’s track record, particularly his representation of Ogun West at the National Assembly, which he said has been marked by impactful service and commitment to the welfare of the people.

He stated that Adeola’s candidacy has rekindled hope among the people of Yewaland, expressing optimism that his emergence would pave the way for inclusive governance and balanced development across all regions of Ogun State.

Wadoye further expressed confidence in the APC flagbearer’s leadership capacity, describing him as a seasoned politician with the experience, vision, and grassroots connection required to lead the state to greater heights.

He also offered prayers for divine guidance, wisdom, and good health for the candidate as he prepared for the 2027 gubernatorial contest, while wishing him victory at the polls.

It would be recalled that the historic moment unfolded at the APC Strategic Caucus Meeting held on Monday, April 13, 2026, in Abeokuta, where the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun made the emotional declaration formally presenting Senator Adeola – representing Ogun West at the National Assembly – as the party’s governorship flagbearer for the 2027 election – marking a decisive step ahead of the party’s next electoral contest.

Announcing the decision, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, revealed that the consensus was reached to break the long-standing 50-year barrier affecting Ogun West, while ensuring fairness and equity across all senatorial districts.

Abiodun urged party members to remain united in the interest of Ogun State, emphasizing the need for collective effort toward electoral victory.

The Governor said, “Nothing will give me more joy than to fulfill the dreams of my predecessors – especially ensuring that Ogun West produces the next governor.

“I look forward to a time when I will sit proudly with my successor and my fellow former governors at the swearing-in of a new APC governor.”

Amid heightened anticipation, Governor Abiodun formally unveiled the consensus candidate, declaring, “On that note, I will now unveil the person we have all agreed is truly deserving to be the next flag bearer of our dear state…

“He is Distinguished Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola Yayi.”

The announcement was met with thunderous applause, chants, and jubilation, as party faithful and stakeholders echoed Yayi’s name in unison.

The announcement has set the tone for the political future of Ogun State, marking a significant milestone that reflected party unity, strong confidence in Adeola Yayi’s leadership, and a clear direction for the 2027 gubernatorial race.

Governor Dauda Lawal Approves 120-Day Rapid Intervention Plan to Revamp Zamfara’s Educational Sector

Governor Dauda Lawal has approved a 120-day Rapid Intervention Action Plan aimed at addressing systemic failures in Zamfara State’s education sector.

The Governor presided over the State Executive Council meeting on Monday at the Government House in Gusau, where key decisions were taken.

During deliberations at the 65th Council meeting, issues related to education, health, works, and other sectors were discussed and approved.

The Council endorsed a 120-day rapid intervention plan built on prior diagnostic activities conducted by the Ministry of Education and the Education Quality Assurance Agency (EQAA). The plan, presented by the overseeing Commissioner for Education, Abdulmalik Abubakar Gajam, includes payroll audits, school mapping exercises, and infrastructure assessments. It proposes targeted, time-bound interventions across governance, infrastructure, digital transformation, teacher development, and student welfare.

The Council also approved the formation of a joint committee to immediately assess all illegal or unapproved structures built around schools in the state, with a view to relocating them and securing school environments. The committee will be led by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST).

Additionally, the Council approved a single, unified Education Sector Bill (covering Early Childhood Care Development Education to Tertiary level), to be developed in consultation with stakeholders including agencies, institutions, civil society, traditional rulers, and development partners. A draft bill will be presented to the State House of Assembly for enactment within the emergency timeframe.

The Governor further approved the transfer of non-teaching staff—such as messengers, labourers, gardeners, cooks, guards, drivers, health workers, and artisans—from the Ministry’s payroll to appropriate MDAs (CPG, MoH, Establishment) or private firms.

Among other important issues, the Council approved the composition of the Zamfara State Steering Committee on the State of Emergency on Education and authorised the Committee to constitute a Technical Working Group (TWG) and co-opt stakeholders including the NUT, UNICEF, UBEC, traditional and religious leaders, private school proprietors, and CSOs.

You Cannot Fight Terrorism with Naivety: A Response to Senator Lawan

By Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi.

I have read with deep concern—and frankly, disappointment—the statement issued by Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan regarding the military airstrike in Jilli Futchimiram, Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State.

At a time when Nigeria is fighting for its very survival against a ruthless insurgency, it is alarming that senior political figures would rush to amplify a one-sided narrative that risks undermining the morale, credibility, and operational effectiveness of our armed forces.

Let us be clear: this is not a conventional war. This is a brutal, asymmetric conflict against Boko Haram—an enemy that has no respect for human life, no regard for international law, and no hesitation in embedding itself within civilian populations and economic structures.

The Jilli axis, spanning parts of Yobe State and Borno State, is not some unknown, innocent marketplace operating in isolation. It has long been identified—by locals, security observers, and intelligence—as a corridor where stolen livestock and critical supplies are traded, feeding the very insurgency that has devastated our nation.

To ignore this reality is not compassion—it is willful blindness.

Statements that paint such environments purely as civilian spaces, without acknowledging their exploitation by terrorists, distort the truth and dangerously oversimplify a deeply complex security challenge. They create the false impression that our military is acting recklessly, when in fact they are navigating one of the most difficult combat environments in modern warfare.

How many soldiers must die before we begin to speak honestly?

Our troops have been ambushed, slaughtered, and buried in silence while defending communities from terror. These are human beings with families, with lives, with futures that are cut short in the line of duty. Yet, too often, their sacrifices are met not with unwavering support, but with premature accusations and politically convenient outrage.

This must stop.

No serious nation at war allows ambiguity about where it stands. Terrorism does not survive on ideology alone—it survives on networks: supply chains, informants, collaborators, and economic enablers. Any location that becomes part of that ecosystem—knowingly or otherwise—enters a dangerous space within the conflict.

This is the hard truth many are unwilling to say.

Nigeria cannot afford a narrative that shields the mechanisms of terrorism while scrutinizing only the actions of those fighting it. That imbalance is not neutrality—it is complicity by omission.

This is not a call for recklessness. It is a call for clarity, courage, and national resolve.

Yes, the military must remain professional. Yes, accountability matters. But accountability must not become a weapon used to weaken our defenses while terrorists adapt, regroup, and exploit our divisions.

The question before us is simple:
Are we truly committed to ending this insurgency, or are we going to continue sanitizing the uncomfortable realities that sustain it?

History will not judge us by the statements we release, but by whether we had the courage to confront the truth and stand firmly behind those risking their lives to defend this country.

Nigeria must choose strength over sentiment, clarity over convenience, and victory over denial.

Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi.

Convener: Coalition of Civil Society Groups Against Terrorism in Nigeria.