Politics
Why Ayedatiwa is the best man for the job, by Ajanaku
Why Ayedatiwa is the best man for the job, by Ajanaku
Sahara Weekly Reports That IDOWU AJANAKU, former Director of media and media for Akeredolu ,former Special Adviser to Governor Akinwumi Ambode , a close ally of President Bola Tinubu is from Idogun,Ose local government areas of Ondo State. In this interview, he speaks on the forthcoming governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Ondo State and why the issue of continuity should be taken into consideration.
The National Working Committee of APC had said there won’t be any automatic ticket for all aspirants in the next gubernatorial primary schedule for April, including Governor Aiyedatiwa, does this not sound counterproductive?
There are 3 ways specified in the Constitution of the APC for choosing candidates for elective offices. The first is through Direct Primaries where every member of the party votes for the candidate of their choice; the second is through Delegates where elected delegates are the ones to vote in the primaries to choose the candidate for the office; and the third is through Consensus where there is only one candidate for the office or where all the candidates other candidates decide to step down for one of them.
The NWC of APC has not said anything to undermine anyone;they have only reiterated what is in the Constitution of the party that where there is more than one candidates there would be primaries election. This was done in Kogi recently, nothing they have said is new. You may also recollect that in 2020, the Late Arakunrin Akeredolu contested as a sitting Governor in the primaries to become the candidate of the party in that election. It cannot be counter-productive and cannot in anyway be to the disadvantage of any candidate.
Why should Aiyedatiwa be given special privilege over other contestants?
As far as I can see , no special privilege have been given to him by the National leadership but you can see that he is shoulder higher than all the other candidates in this contest.
The reasons are not farfetched. Ayedatiwa has been part and parcel of the vision of Akeredolu since 2012. He was involved in production and publicizing of the 5 point Agenda designated AKETI in the first attempt at the Governorship of Ondo State which did not succeed at that time. He never left the party. Even when he wanted to go the Senate in 2019 and the National leadership decided to return the sitting Federal Legislators he took it in good faith and did not follow the others who decided to run in the AA party against the APC. This is a testament to his consistency in the progressive fold.
In terms of experience he had served as Commissioner in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), a full-fledged Deputy Governor, an Acting Governor and now a sitting Governor. Who amongst the other contestant can parade such experience in governance, tell me?
It was reported that one of the aspirants said he wants to provide leadership for the party and the state. This is after becoming everything he wanted in the PDP! He had never been part of the progressive fold. Is it not the same person who in the full glare of the media in 2015 during the Presidential campaign for PDP,told the whole world that APC should be sweeping the country with their broom while PDP would remain in power? This is a fair weather politician who is neither here nor there but only constant in his thirst for power and cannot be trusted.
Another one who created a crisis in his party by holding parallel congresses and holding the candidate down in court until they lost the election and who has never been a part of the progressive fold is claiming to have the magic wand. The magic wand with which he had always ran anything he touches aground is not what Ondo state needs now.
This was the same man who went completely against the President and the party in the election for the Senate President. In fact he moved the motion for the nomination of the other candidate against the wish of the party leadership. How do you trust that kind of individual?
It is a fact that majority of the aspirants jostling for the APC ticket in Ondo State today are images of the PDP who used fake soldiers to drive out the progressive government under the leadership of Adefarati in 2003. They are the same people regrouping to steal the ticket of the APC to foster their conservative and reactionary ideals on the State reputed as the cradle of the progressive politics in Nigeria. APC cannot be deceived – the wind has blown and we have seen whatever they believed they were hiding!
Do you not foresee a scenario where other aspirants may work against the incumbent governor if he wins the primary?
At the end of the day when Ayedatiwa wins the ticket it will separate the wheat from the shaft. It is the shaft that would be blown away.
Do not forget that after the primaries, the candidate will become the candidate of the party and all the genuine members of the progressive stock in the State will work for his victory. Moreover, the man is already showing signs of good leadership and has demonstrated capacity for progressive ideas. He still has over seven months to further impress the people of Ondo State and deliver the dividend of democracy such that there would no reason why genuine members of the party and the people of Ondo State would not vote for him.
Here is a man who gave the members recognition for the first time since 2016 when he gathered them in a stakeholder forum recently. The members of the party were elated and joyous. It would be a pipe dream for anyone to think he would be able to rally such people against him after he has won the party’s ticket. They will only labour in vain. Mark my words when Ayedatiwawins the ticket of the party, he will win the governorship election by landslide God’s grace.
Aiyedatiwa runs a joint ticket with the late Governor RotimiAkeredolu, so the deceased governor was said to have governed Ondo State below the expectations. What then justified him to continue?
Everyone who wants to run for governorship in Ondo state hasbeen saying they are banking on what Akeredolu has done. One of the aspirants is even laying claim to be the anointed successor to Akeredolu even though he could not point to a single eye witness to corroborate his claim . He could not even remember the date he was told by the late Akeredolu according to him.Why are they trying to use his reputation of he has done nothing?
It is a notorious fact is that Akeredolu achievements in office cannot be wished away. You cannot wish away the formation of the Amotekun security force which he championed to stem the tide of the devilish move by killers herdsmen in Ondo State and the Southwest in general even at the risk of his second term ticket. He rose in defense of his people.
The Flyover at Ore is the first of its kind in the entire state. The dangerous Oke alabojuto at oka that has led to the death of many people was conquered by Akeredolu. The construction of many roads were started and completed across the state. It was rather unfortunate that the health challenge truncated his move for many more groundbreaking achievements that could have been recorded amongst which is the seaport for Ondo State and completion of many other road projects.
These achievements by the Akeredolu/Ayedatiwa government cannot be wished away. There is no way you can also write that history without recognising the supportive role that Ayedatiwaplayed as the Deputy Governor to Late Arakunrin Akeredolu. It cannot be an albatross but rather a blessing that Ayedatiwaserved meritoriously with Akeredolu to deliver the dividend of democracy to the Ondo State people within the resources available to them. He is justified to continue, to do better and also correct any perceived wrong that anyone may think of the past. He will be running the new regime with a huge benefit of hindsight that any other person cannot have.
One of the perceptions that may work against the incumbent is that of a traitor, won’t this work against him?
The first question to ask those who are plying this narrative is whether they heard the Late Arakurin Akeredolu when he as Governor he made a public declaration and pronouncement the day they were sworn in? In the full glare of the public and the media he thanked him for his loyalty and declared him as his successor. How does this translate to betrayal?
There is no public evidence that Akeredolu ever changed his mind on his perception of the person of Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa all through his lifetime. This brouhaha started the day he pronounced him his successor. The people who thought that they should have been the one to take Ayedatiwa’s place started working overtime from that moment trying to draw a wedge between them. They were the one who were peddling this false narrative to paint him in bad light.
Unfortunately the ill-health of Akeredolu provided the room for this cabal to hijack the system and even the man to the extent that they rendered him incommunicado in his last moment. They were the only ones that could see him and publish whatever they like. There was no time and evidence all through the time that Ayedatiwa ever came out to fight his boss.
When they met with the President, they could not provide any evidence to the claim that Ayedatiwa was working against the boss when they were asked for it. This was why they were unable to impeach him. The question of being a ‘traitor’ has no basis it only existed in the figment of the imagination of the cabals who thought Ondo State was in their pocket to plunder as they wish. They underestimated God.
Do you believe that zoning will work in favour of Aiyedatiwaboth in the primary and real polls?
The reality is that this was already an agreement by stakeholders that this should be zoned to the south. It was clear that after the 8 years of Mimiko from Ondo central, and Akeredolu from the North, it is only natural and just that the Governorship seat should go to Ondo South. This was the slogan during Akeredolu’s campaign for second term and that was why for the first time in the history of the state the progressive won in the enclave of the PDP in Ondo South overwhelmingly. It is also the reason why most of the aspirants are from Ondo South this time around.
Ayedatiwa is well-placed being from Ilaje in Ondo South, the area that lays the golden egg for the state. In terms of Zoning heis favoured and as the incumbent Governor, he has an edge over others.
The APC has a protocol and laid down procedure for choosing their candidates. They will not give their ticket to outsiders. I am talking as an insider with benefit of insight that there are certain prerequisite the APC has in choosing their candidates.
By April 17th, you will see the reality of all that I have said.
Again on loyalty, this Governor Ayedatiwa gave Akeredolu the first bullet proof vehicle when he was nominated as the Candidate of the Party in 2012.
Above all, I believe that there is a finger of God in Ayedatiwa’sascension to the office of Governor and this will also show in his subsequently getting the ticket of the party and winning the gubernatorial election in November this year.
Politics
A Nation Betrayed: How NASS Budget Padding Exposes Tinubu’s Complicity and the Rot in Nigeria’s Leadership. By George Omagbemi Sylvester
A Nation Betrayed: How NASS Budget Padding Exposes Tinubu’s Complicity and the Rot in Nigeria’s Leadership.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
In a disturbing revelation that should outrage every patriotic Nigerian, civic-tech organization BudgIT has uncovered a monumental financial scandal in the 2025 budget, one that shatters every illusion of fiscal responsibility under the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. According to BudgIT’s damning analysis, the National Assembly padded the 2025 Appropriation Act by inserting 11,122 projects worth a staggering ₦6.93 trillion, projects not proposed by any Ministries, Departments or Agencies (MDAs), but smuggled in by lawmakers.
This is not a clerical oversight, but a calculated and treacherous move. More importantly, this raises one inescapable question: Why did President Bola Tinubu sign this fraudulent budget into law if he was genuinely against it? The answer is simple, brutal and damning: because he is part of the collaboration. This is not just corruption, it is institutional betrayal. It is the final confirmation that the war in Nigeria is not between political parties but between the corrupt elite and the suffering Nigerian masses.
The Anatomy of Budget Padding
Let us first understand the scale of this treachery. The 2025 national budget, totalling ₦28.7 trillion, now has nearly 25% padded content, courtesy of lawmakers’ “constituency projects.” These are not national priorities or economically strategic programs. These are politically motivated insertions designed to enrich contractors linked to lawmakers, reward political loyalty and in some cases, simply launder money.
BudgIT revealed that several of these projects are duplicated, vague, inflated or outrightly useless, such as the procurement of hundreds of boreholes and solar streetlights in areas that do not even have roads, schools or hospitals. These are not investments; they are tools of financial cannibalism.
A similar trend happened in previous years, but never on this scale. In 2021, former President Buhari complained that the National Assembly inserted over 1,000 projects worth ₦150 billion. Now, under Tinubu, that figure has ballooned to ₦6.93 trillion; which is nearly forty-six times higher. This is not reform. This is regression at gunpoint.
Tinubu’s Silence is Complicity
To sign such a budget, fully aware of its fraudulent padding, is not a mistake, this is an endorsement. President Tinubu, known for his political astuteness and Machiavellian tactics, cannot claim ignorance. BudgIT’s report was based on public records. If civic groups could uncover this, then surely the Office of the President, with all its resources, was also aware.
Yet, Tinubu raised no alarm. He signed it into law. Why?
Because the padding was politically convenient. This budget is not just a fiscal document, it is a loyalty purchase agreement. As the APC seeks to consolidate power ahead of 2027, especially in light of its underwhelming performance, it is using state resources to bribe lawmakers across party lines. These padded projects are political IOUs for securing second-term endorsements and collapsing opposition platforms.
This is not democratic governance. This is budgetary banditry, orchestrated under the guise of legislative “oversight.”
The Cost to the People
While the so-called leaders gorge themselves on fake projects and fraudulent allocations, ordinary Nigerians are gasping for breath. Inflation is above 33%, food inflation is at 40%, unemployment remains sky-high and naira continues to hemorrhage value, trading at nearly ₦1,500 to the dollar. Meanwhile, the masses are told to “tighten their belts” while the political elite expands theirs.
Public infrastructure is collapsing. Schools remain underfunded, hospitals are glorified mortuaries and insecurity has become a permanent fixture. Yet ₦6.93 trillion enough to build 20 world-class universities or electrify entire regions has been carved out as a political slush fund.
Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education and former Vice President of the World Bank for Africa, once noted, “The problem with Nigeria is not lack of resources. It is the deliberate theft of the commonwealth by a few.” That is exactly what this budget represents: a theft of historic proportions, blessed by the presidency, executed by lawmakers and paid for by the blood and sweat of ordinary Nigerians.
A Nation Held Hostage
The fundamental betrayal here is not just the money. It is the normalization of impunity. Nigeria has become a hostage state where lawmakers legislate for themselves, the executive protects the corrupt and the judiciary often dances to the tune of power. The 2025 budget saga is not just another scandal, it is a window into how deeply broken the Nigerian state has become.
Even worse is the sheer arrogance with which this fraud is being executed. No lawmaker has denied BudgIT’s report. No investigation has been ordered. The Presidency has remained silent and the APC, whose manifesto once promised “fiscal discipline,” has said nothing.
Silence is not just death anymore, it is endorsement. Every day this padded budget stands unchallenged, democracy dies a little more.
Calls for Action
This cannot be allowed to stand. Civil society must rise. Journalists must demand answers. Every Nigerian must understand that this is not politics this is plunder. The 2025 budget must be reviewed, the padded projects must be removed and those responsible must face prosecution.
Section 81(1) of the Nigerian Constitution empowers the President to prepare and lay before the National Assembly an annual budget. However, it also states in Section 80(4) that “no moneys shall be withdrawn from any public fund other than in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly.” This legal ambiguity has been weaponized by both the legislature and the executive to enrich themselves while the nation bleeds.
This is where the people must draw the line. Budget padding is not just bad governance, it is treason against the Nigerian people. Those who participate in it, approve it or benefit from it must be named, shamed and prosecuted.
Final Thoughts: Time for a Revolution of Accountability
The time for timid reform is over. Nigeria needs a revolution not of guns, but of accountability, transparency and civic outrage. If the President will not fight corruption, then the people must. If lawmakers will not serve the people, they must be voted out even if it means starting from scratch.
History will not be kind to the collaborators of this budget. And neither should we.
As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” The 2025 budget scandal matters. It is a defining moment in the fight for Nigeria’s soul. And we must not remain silent.
One Voice, One Future: Youth Power for a New Nigeria
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
In the history of nations, there always comes a defining moment when the youth must rise to rescue their future from the grip of complacency, corruption and systemic decay. That moment, for Nigeria, is now. The clarion call is no longer a whisper in the dark, it is a deafening roar echoing across the cities and villages, the streets and campuses and the diaspora. 2027 is not just another election year; it is a generation’s opportunity to reclaim its destiny.
Nigeria, once hailed as the Giant of Africa, is now crawling under the weight of failed leadership, nepotism, economic collapse and insecurity. Over 70% of Nigeria’s population is under the age of 35, this is not a mere statistic; it is a superpower waiting to be activated. Yet, for decades, the same recycled leadership has ruled the country like a private estate, while the youth are sidelined, patronized or pacified with empty slogans.
The Reality: A Nation Betrayed
The facts are brutal and undeniable. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), as of the fourth quarter of 2024, youth unemployment stood at 42.5%, one of the highest rates globally. Thousands of graduates are turned out yearly into a job market that has nothing to offer them. Our educational institutions are underfunded, with lecturers going on endless strikes, while billions of naira are siphoned into the offshore accounts of corrupt politicians.
The World Bank states that over 40% of Nigerians live below the poverty line, with youth bearing the brunt of the economic despair. The same youth are used during elections as pawns, thugs, online propagandists and cheerleaders for politicians who have never and will never fight for their future.
We must say: “Enough is Enough.”
The Power of Youth: A Sleeping Giant
Across Africa, the story is changing. Youth-led movements are challenging old orders and shaking the foundations of outdated governance systems.
In Uganda, Bobi Wine, a musician turned politician, galvanized millions of youth to challenge President Museveni’s long-standing dictatorship. While he didn’t win the election, he ignited a flame of hope. In Sudan, youth were at the center of the 2019 revolution that ousted the 30-year regime of Omar al-Bashir.
As Nelson Mandela once said, “Youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.” But as things stand in Nigeria, tomorrow never seems to come, unless we seize it.
In 2020, during the #EndSARS movement, we saw a glimpse of what a united, tech savvy and courageous Nigerian youth can achieve. For once, the world stood still as Nigerian youth organized without a central leadership structure, crowd funded, coordinated logistics, engaged in civic education and peacefully demanded justice. Despite the violent crackdown at Lekki Tollgate, the spirit of resistance lives on.
2027: The Youth Mandate
If we are serious about change, then 2027 must be our electoral revolution. Not through violence, but through strategic mobilization, political education, voter registration and active participation in the democratic process.
Let us be clear: the days of apathy are over. As the African proverb goes, “He who is not part of the solution is part of the problem.”
Youth must no longer be mere spectators or online critics; we must become candidates, campaigners, policy drafters, party leaders, election monitors and political donors. Our demographic power must translate into voting power and our voting power must produce accountable leadership.
According to INEC, less than 35% of youth eligible to vote actually did so in the 2023 elections. This is a travesty. With over 90 million Nigerians under 40, if even 50% of us vote smartly and strategically in 2027, we can turn the tide.
Towards a National Youth Alliance
What we need now is not another party, we need a movement, a coalition, a National Youth Alliance that transcends ethnicity, religion and class.
A youth amalgamation that brings together student unions, tech entrepreneurs, young professionals, artisans, artists, athletes, activists and influencers. A youth vanguard that builds structures, fields candidates, protects votes and holds leaders accountable.
We must engage in issue based politics, not stomach infrastructure or tribal loyalties. The youth must demand answers to the questions that matter:
“Why are over 10 million Nigerian children out of school?”
“Why does Nigeria remain the poverty capital of the world, according to the Brookings Institution?”
“Why is our minimum wage ₦70,000 when a bag of rice is over ₦70,000?”
“Why are lawmakers earning ₦30 million monthly while civil servants are owed arrears?”
The late Thomas Sankara, Burkina Faso’s revolutionary leader, once said, “You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness.” We need a bit of that madness, the madness to challenge the status quo, to think differently and to act boldly.
From Hashtags to Ballot Boxes
It is not enough to trend on Twitter or rant on TikTok, social media is powerful, yes I agree, but it is not a substitute for civic engagement; we need to bridge the gap between online activism and offline results.
Youths must start at the grassroots to win local government seats, state assemblies and build a pipeline of leadership that is tested and accountable. The #NotTooYoungToRun Act must not be a symbolic victory; it must be a political weapon in our hands.
Let us support credible youth candidates with our time, resources and platforms. Let us organize town hall meetings, debates and policy hackathons. Let us raise funds, build apps to track campaign promises and expose corrupt leaders.
As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said, “When we refuse to engage in politics, we end up being governed by our inferiors.”
Time for Tangible Action
It is time for each Nigerian youth to ask themselves: What am I doing today to secure my tomorrow? Are we registering to vote? Are we sensitizing our peers? Are we demanding better governance at the community level?
We must begin to think long term, beyond 2027. The goal is not just to elect a few fresh faces. The goal is to build a sustainable youth-driven democratic culture where excellence not ethnicity, becomes the metric of leadership.
Let us stop romanticizing suffering. Nigeria has the talent, the resources and the manpower to be great. What we lack is visionary leadership and that is what we must now provide.
Final Words: A Movement, not a Moment
This is a movement, not a moment. It will require sacrifice, unity and strategy. There will be obstacles, betrayals and frustrations. But we must remain focused.
As the Pan-Africanist Kwame Nkrumah declared: “The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa.” Likewise, any victory in 2027 will be meaningless unless it sets off a chain reaction of liberation, innovation and transformation across all levels of Nigerian society.
So, dear patriotic Nigerian youth; RISE! This is your time… Your country needs you more than ever.
Don’t wait for change, be the change.
Together, we can make a difference.
#YouthFor2027 #NationalAllianceNow #SecureTheFuture #NigeriaDeservesBetter
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