news
APC Crisis : Oshiomhole smiles again as Buhari supports him
Aggrieved All Progressives Congress (APC) governors believed to be plotting the removal of Adams Oshiomhole, the party’s National Chairman, may have backed down.
This followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s reported disapproval of the alleged plot.
The governors, led by Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, who is the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF); Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, and Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, were said to be at daggers drawn with Oshiomhole over the outcome of the party’s primaries in their states.
Aside this, Oshiomhole was said not to have been in the good books of some APC governors who were loyal to the immediate past national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
The arrowheads of this group are believed to be Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
It was alleged that the governors, who had reportedly infiltrated the National Working Committee (NWC) leading to a sharp division in the committee, were already gathering in Abuja to perfect their move.
It was also alleged that 15 of the 21 APC governors had collected signatures for his removal and were planning to converge on Abuja today to finalise the plot to remove him.
But, according to a source in the presidency, President Buhari was strongly opposed to any move by the governors and made his opinion known to them in clear terms.
According to him, the governors had been meeting with the president to register their grievances with the outcome of the primaries.
“But while the president gives them audience to express their feelings, he will eventually ask them to go to Oshiomhole to iron out their differences,” the source said.
He added that Oshiomhole was at the villa on Sunday where he met with the president, and that the president assured him of his full support while asking him not to be distracted but be focussed on his mission of reforming the ruling party.
Our source said the president also met with Oshiomhole on Monday evening though the details of the meeting were not known.
“What they don’t know is that Oshiomhole carries the president along in his day-to-day running of the party. Everything he sends out, the president approves of it. He is just laughing at the governors saying, ‘so, the rich can also cry’.
“As we speak, few of the governors who are hell-bent on removing Oshiomhole are in Abuja, but they are afraid of doing anything.
“All of them are hiding now, including the anti-Oshiomhole NWC members. None of them has come out to counter the statement issued by the national chairman,” the source said.
Speaking with Daily Independent , Prince Tony Momoh, one of the national leaders of the ruling party, said though many of the party members were aggrieved due to the outcome of the primaries, the issue would be managed such that it won’t lead to Oshiomhole’s removal from office.
He said: “If a group of people are ganging up against someone, they must have their grievances. The chairman of APC is a creation of the law, APC constitution.
“How he got there is in the party’s constitution and how he can be removed is also there. If there is any gang-up against him, it can only bear fruit if the conditions are met. Otherwise, they can’t succeed.
“A lot of people, after the primaries, are aggrieved and one of the outcomes of that is the extreme measure of threat of removal of the chairman.
“But there are several ways of resolving issues and any of these ways can be resorted to. Removal is an extreme measure, but I don’t think it will get to that. Even if that will happen, it will be in accordance to due process.”
Also on Monday, Simon Ebegbulem, Oshiomhole’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), issued a statement withdrawing the earlier one he issued on Sunday in which he claimed that some powerful stakeholders were ganging up against his principal and plotting to pass a vote of no confidence in him.
In the statement, he also claimed that some of those not happy with the reforms being carried out in the party by members of the current National Working Committee were plotting Oshiomhole’s removal as Chairman.
According to Ebegbulem, the earlier statement was not authorised by the chairman.
Part of the statement read: “On Sunday, October 21, 2018, I issued a statement on alleged plans by some stakeholders to move against the leadership of the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole led All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I want to state categorically that the statement was not authorised by my principal, Comrade Oshiomhole, and I hereby withdraw the statement. I deeply regret the error.
“As APC Chairman, Comrade Oshiomhole is enjoying the maximum support of stakeholders of the great party as shown by the reality on the ground.
“Comrade Oshiomhole will speak on the issues affecting the party when there is the need to do so. Meanwhile, he is busy giving leadership as the party girds its loins for the 2019 elections.”
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
https://www.stanbicibtcbank.com/nigeriabank/personal/products-and-services/all-loans/stanbic-ibtc-mreif-home-loans
More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
The project ends decades search for investors, boosts Nigeria’s blue economy
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
Nigeria’s maritime sector is set for a major transformation following a landmark agreement involving the world’s largest container shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which has secured a 45-year concession to build, manage and operate a modern container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos.
The project, to be developed in partnership with Nigerdock, marks one of the most significant private sector investments in Nigeria’s port infrastructure in recent decades and is expected to strengthen the country’s role as a major maritime gateway in West and Central Africa.
For Nigeria, the agreement brings to close decades of efforts to attract large-scale investors to develop Snake Island Port, a strategically located maritime asset in Lagos.
Long-standing concession history
Snake Island’s maritime facilities date back several decades. In 1992, the Federal Government granted a 99-year concession for the island’s port and industrial facilities to Nigerdock, a major maritime engineering and logistics company.
Nigerdock was later privatised and is currently operated by the Jagal Group owned by Nigerian industrialist Maher Jarmakani.
Over the years, the Island Container Terminal fell into disrepair, requiring major rehabilitation and modernization to meet modern global shipping standards.
The new partnership with MSC is expected to transform the port into a state-of-the-art container handling facility capable of attracting larger vessels and increasing Nigeria’s cargo throughput capacity.
Buhari administration approved the project.
The investment framework for the Snake Island development was approved in May 2023 by the Federal Executive Council under then President Muhammadu Buhari.
The approval authorised total private investment of approximately $974.1 million for the project under a Public-Private Partnership structure, including the 45-year concession period.
At the same time, the Federal Government also approved two other major maritime infrastructure projects:
• Development of the Ondo Multipurpose Port in Ilaje, Ondo State, with $1.48 billion in private investment and a 50-year concession.
• Expansion and development of the Burutu Sea Port in Delta State, involving $1.2 billion in private investment and a 40-year concession.
These projects form part of Nigeria’s broader effort to develop its blue economy and expand maritime trade capacity.
Construction partners
Engineering and construction of the Snake Island container terminal will be handled by:
• ITB Nigeria Limited
• DEME Group
ITB Nigeria Limited is part of the Chagoury Group and owned by the Chagoury family, while DEME Group is a globally recognised Belgian marine engineering and dredging company with extensive experience in port construction.
MSC profile
Founded in 1970 by Italian shipping entrepreneur Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, MSC has grown from a single cargo vessel into the largest container shipping company in the world.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the company operates in more than 155 countries and serves over 500 ports worldwide, with a fleet of roughly 900 container ships and over 200,000 employees globally.
The MSC Group also operates major logistics and maritime businesses including inland logistics through Medlog, cruise tourism through MSC Cruises, and port terminal operations across several continents.
According to Forbes, the estimated net worth of MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte is about $43.9 billion as of February 2026, placing him among the world’s richest shipping magnates. The company remains privately owned by the Aponte family, with both founders holding equal ownership stakes.
Management comments
Speaking on the development, MSC Group President Diego Aponte said the company is committed to strengthening its operations in Nigeria and across Africa.
“We are proud to expand our presence in Nigeria through this important infrastructure project. The Snake Island terminal will enhance service delivery and improve port efficiency for our customers and partners in the region,”
Chief Executive Officer of Nigerdock, Maher Jarmakani, described the agreement as a major milestone for the Nigerian maritime sector.
“We are delighted to partner with MSC in developing a world-class container terminal that will enhance Nigeria’s logistics capabilities and support economic growth,” he said.
Economic impact
Industry analysts say the project could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s maritime economy by expanding cargo handling capacity, reducing congestion at Lagos ports and attracting additional international shipping traffic.
The development is also expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across maritime operations, logistics, transport services and port-related commercial activities.
Infrastructure expansion
Beyond the port development, plans are also underway for Nigeria’s first underwater tunnel, linking Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island through Snake Island and connecting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway corridor through Badagry.
The tunnel project is expected to significantly improve freight movement and road connectivity between Lagos ports and national transport networks.
Strategic milestone
With the entry of MSC into the Snake Island development, industry observers say Nigeria is taking a significant step toward modernizing its maritime infrastructure and positioning itself as a regional hub for global shipping and trade.
For a project that has waited for decades for major international investors, the Snake Island concession represents a turning point in Nigeria’s port development strategy and a strong signal of global confidence in the country’s maritime future.
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
news
From Construction Sites to Community Service: Temitope Akinyemi Emerges as a Model of Leadership and Impact
-
society6 months agoReligion: Africa’s Oldest Weapon of Enslavement and the Forgotten Truth
-
news3 months agoWHO REALLY OWNS MONIEPOINT? The $290 Million Deal That Sold Nigeria’s Top Fintech to Foreign Interests
-
society6 months ago“You Are Never Without Help” – Pastor Gebhardt Berndt Inspires Hope Through Empower Church (Video)
-
society7 months agoWho is Chief Kestin Pondi? Niger Delta’s “People’s Chief” Winning Hearts With Hundreds of Millions in Generosity
You must be logged in to post a comment Login
You must log in to post a comment.