Politics
Bayo Onanuga’s Garbage Not Good For Tinubu By:Olakunle Adelaja
Bayo Onanuga’s Garbage Not Good For Tinubu
By:Olakunle Adelaja
Before he was appointed the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga had already proven he would be a liability to President Bola Tinubu’s administration. As one of the spokespersons of his presidential campaign, Onanuga was unhinged. He had no restrain, and lacked the speech finesse of an image maker that his assignment demanded.
Onanuga effectively alienated Nigerians who did not support Tinubu during the electioneering campaign with his pugnacious and hateful statements, many thought were unbefitting of a man in his position. And because of that, supporters of President Tinubu secretly wished he would not appoint Onanuga as his presidential spokesman.
This was why the appointment of Ajuri Ngelale as the special adviser to the president on media was welcomed by many Nigerians, including Tinubu supporters. Ngelale did not have the type of moral and political baggage that Onanuga carried on his head. He looks more sober and more circumspect than the combative Onanuga.
President Tinubu also appeared to have been aware of Onanuga’s shortcoming when he eventually gave him appointment as the special adviser on Information and strategy, which many believed was an afterthought. The statement announcing his appointment gave his job description “as part of efforts to prioritise effective and efficient working synergy between the Presidency and Federal Ministries.”
In essence, he was appointed a presidential liaison officer that should be shuttling between the presidency and MDAs, and away from the media. But Onanuga likes the limelight and he found a way to insert himself into the presidential media structure. He issues statements once in a while, much to the consternation of Ngelale who understandably loathed him. He deliberately set himself in competition with Ngelale and did everything to undermine the man who eventually had to quit last week.
After scheming Ngelale’s exit from the villa, Onanuga has now found the latitude to run riot again like a dog that broke from a leash. He is now breathing fresh air in the villa now that the man who held him in check had left.
On Tuesday he issued one of his incendiary statements that must have caused even ardent supporters of the administration to shake their heads in obvious discomfort. The statement, entitled “Nigeria, a country governed by law, categorically denies any human rights abuse,” was simply meant to correct any wrong impression the Trade Union Congress of the United Kingdom may have had about the Tinubu administration due to the arrest of NLC president, Joe Ajaero, by the DSS last Monday.
But in his characteristic manner, he went beyond his brief to attack the NLC and the TUC for opposing government policies. But he found no particular policy to mention except labour’s opposition to the sale of Nigeria’s refineries to Aliko Dangote in 2007!
Onanuga wrote: “Seventeen years after the labour movement forced the successor government of Umar Yar’ Adua to cancel the sale of the two refineries, none of the four government-owned refineries worked. In the obverse, Mr. Aliko Dangote, one of the promoters of Bluestar, has built the largest single-train refinery in the world. In a twist of fate, the same Labour Movement that fiercely opposed Dangote from taking over the two refineries in 2007 hailed him on completing his 650,000-bpd refinery in Lagos.”
What was the need to bring up the opposition to the sale of NNPC refineries to Dangote in a statement meant to set the records straight on Tinubu administration’s human rights record? Or was he trying to vindicate Dangote?
Well, everyone knows his paper, PM News, has supported Dangote in his battle with the NNPCL over supply of crude to his refinery and over pricing of his products, especially petrol. It’s even believed that he’s among the media owners on the payroll of Dangote in his battle with the Tinubu administration.
Tinubu is the minister of petroleum resources and it is surprising that a man who claims to work as information and strategy adviser to the president acts without any strategic thinking! Dangote has single-handedly embarrassed the Tinubu administration by spewing half-truths and obvious lies against Nigeria’s oil and gas sector operations to gain undue public empathy.
In July, when Dangote appeared before the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (downstream and midstream), he lied to make a case for the products of his refinery. It was his response to regulatory authorities who had questioned the quality of products coming from his refinery located at the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
He had said, “Some of the terminals, some of the NNPC people and some traders have opened blending plants somewhere off Malta. We all know these areas. We know what they are doing, “adding that the NNPCL had been importing substandard fuel.
Of course, the claim rattled the Tinubu administration since the president is also the petroleum minister, and the smooth operation of the sector rests squarely on his shoulders. He is also responsible for what the NNPCL does and doesn’t do.
But it was the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, who appeared to understand Dangote’s game, that broke the ice for the administration. Kyari challenged Dangote to publicly declare the names of NNPC personnel who operate a blending plant in Malta.
Kyari, in a post on X, asked Dangote “To clarify the allegations regarding blending plant, I do not own or operate any business directly or by proxy anywhere in the world with the exception of a local mini Agric venture. Neither am I aware of any employee of the NNPC, that owns or operates a blending plant in Malta or anywhere else in the world…”
Kyari also made it clear that a blending plant in Malta or any part of the world has no influence over NNPC’s business operations and strategic actions. He challenged Dangote to declare in public and report to relevant security agencies if he knew anyone in NNPCL who was involved in what he alleged.
Of course, Dangote never did any of that. He simply moved on from one blackmail to the other. But it was President Tinubu that was wounded more by Dangote’s false narratives, which suggested that the president had personal stakes in refineries outside the country because his nephew, Wale Tinubu, operates in the oil and gas industry. It was an angle to which the opposition latched on to further undermine the Tinubu administration.
This is the man that Onanuga has elevated in a presidential statement! How strategic was that?
On August 22, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, latched on to Dangote’s lies to accuse Tinubu of integrating his business interests into Nigeria’s interests. A statement released by Atiku alleged that “Just as Alpha Beta, Primero, and others act as Tinubu’s proxies in Lagos, managing critical sectors and generating revenue for him and his family, he has begun to replicate this at the federal level.”
Attacking the NLC and the TUC for opposing privatisation of the refineries is also tactless, considering the role Tinubu played while in the opposition. Tinubu was one of the opposition leaders who kicked against privatising the refineries at the time. So, Onanuga was effectively condemning the role his principal played at the time which is what NLC and others are now doing.
This lack of strategic thinking had sunk Onanuga in his first public assignment as the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in 2016 under ex-president Muhammadu Buhari. But his appointment was not renewed in 2019 following dispute between him and staff of the organisation over his management style. No one heard anything about him again until 2023 when was appointed one of the spokespersons for Tinubu campaign.
But if anyone thought Onanuga would have become more cultivated and refined, that expectation has been dashed with the way he has carried on his assignment so far. There’s every reason to believe that Onanuga has become a burden that Tinubu is unwilling to shed because of past friendship. But the president would have to quickly make a decision on a suitable role for Onanuga in his administration.
It’s obvious he’s not cut for the current job that has been given to him. He is a poor researcher and had goofed several times in the past on data and facts. He regularly deleted his tweets after realising he made careless errors. Like when he claimed that Tinubu secured an $600 million investment commitment from Maersk, a global shipping firm during the World Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia in April. He later deleted the post after it generated controversy.
As a supporter of President Tinubu, I hope he doesn’t allow him to replace Ngelale as his spokesman. That would be a disaster. Onanuga should be tucked away from public view because he’s a public irritant. Tinubu needs people who can promote his administration, not those who would undermine it.
The president will not lose anything if Onanuga if fired today. Enough of his garbage.
Politics
Pro-Tinubu Group Demands Sack of Badaru, Other Ministers Who Lost Polling Units in Bye-Elections
Pro-Tinubu Group Demands Sack of Badaru, Other Ministers Who Lost Polling Units in Bye-Elections
The Asiwaju Network has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately disengage underperforming ministers who failed to deliver their polling units and wards during the just-concluded bye-elections.
The group also urged a cabinet reshuffle to inject fresh energy and ensure that only those who can add political and governance value remain in the Federal Executive Council.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja and signed by its president, Alhaji Musa Ibrahim Dandoka, the Asiwaju Network said the results of the elections were a litmus test that exposed the political weaknesses of some ministers entrusted with strategic national assignments.
At Babura Kofar Arewa Primary School in Jigawa State, where the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, cast his vote, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 308 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC), which managed only 112.
Badaru, a former governor of Jigawa and APC chieftain, left the venue without addressing journalists after casting his vote amid heavy security presence.
Dandoka said it was troubling that, despite his high office, the Defence Minister could not secure victory in his polling unit.
He argued that such political setbacks undermine the strength of the APC and the credibility of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope government.
“This defeat is both embarrassing and unacceptable. A minister who cannot win his polling unit cannot claim to possess the political capital required to defend the APC or promote the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda. President Tinubu must act quickly to weed out weak links in his cabinet and replace them with men and women who have proven grassroots capacity,” Dandoka stated.
The group noted that Badaru was not alone in this failure, stressing that another minister from Jigawa and one from Enugu State also lost their wards and polling units.
According to the group, these developments point to a worrying trend of disconnect between certain ministers and their political bases.
“Ministers are not merely technocrats. They are political leaders of the party in their states and zones. If they cannot hold their homes together, then they do not deserve to hold on to strategic national offices. The bye-elections have sent a clear message, and it is that some ministers have lost relevance and electoral value,” the statement reads.
The Asiwaju Network maintained that the APC’s strength lies in grassroots mobilisation, and any minister unable to inspire loyalty within his immediate constituency is a liability.
Dandoka emphasised that President Tinubu’s success in governance must be matched with political consolidation, which requires capable and electorally grounded cabinet members.
“President Tinubu has been bold with tough decisions on subsidy reforms, the economy, and security. Nigerians are beginning to see the fruits of those reforms. But he must also be bold enough to reshuffle his cabinet. A government of results cannot afford ministers who are passengers. The President needs proven drivers of the Renewed Hope vision,” Dandoka said.
The group also commended loyal APC members and supporters who defied intimidation and attempts at rigging in Jigawa and Enugu, saying their resilience was the true strength of the ruling party.
“These members stood firm when those at the top failed to inspire confidence. They turned out in their numbers to defend the APC’s relevance even when some of their supposed leaders abandoned them. These grassroots soldiers of democracy must never be taken for granted,” Dandoka added.
The Asiwaju Network further urged President Tinubu to take the bye-election results as a warning, cautioning that retaining non-performing ministers would embolden the opposition and demoralise party loyalists.
“The message from Jigawa and Enugu is clear: the APC cannot continue to reward failure. A minister who cannot secure a few streets in his ward has no business in the Federal Executive Council. Mr President must urgently rejig his cabinet or risk carrying dead weight into future electoral contests,” the coalition warned.
Reaffirming the group’s loyalty to Tinubu’s leadership, Dandoka said Nigerians expect a government that rewards competence and accountability, not excuses and political failures.
“President Tinubu has the people’s mandate. He must not allow weak ministers to drag down his vision. A decisive cabinet reshuffle now will send a strong signal that the Renewed Hope government is serious about performance, delivery, and results,” he declared.
Customs at the Crossroads: When Lawmakers Look Away and the Executive Looks Aside
By Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi
In a democracy, legislative oversight is the scalpel that cuts through deceit, inefficiency, and corruption in public institutions. It is the people’s last institutional shield against abuse of power. But what happens when that shield becomes a shelter for the very rot it is meant to expose? And what happens when the Executive arm, whose duty is to supervise its agencies, pretends not to see?
The unfolding drama between the National Assembly and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) reveals more than a policy dispute. It exposes a dangerous triangle of confusion, complicity, and economic sabotage. At stake is not only the rule of law but the survival of an economy already gasping under inflation, a weak naira, and suffocating costs of living.
The House Talks Tough
In June 2025, Nigerians saw a glimpse of legislative courage when the House of Representatives Committee thundered at Customs:
> “Nigerian Customs Service, by June 30, must not collect CISS again. You are to collect only your 4% FOB assigned by the President. Even the 7% cost of collection you currently take is illegal—it was an executive fiat of the military, not democratic law. Any attempt to continue these illegal collections will be challenged in court. The ‘I’s have it.”
The voice was firm, the ruling decisive. Nigerians expected a turning point.
But the righteous thunder of the House was quickly muffled by the Senate’s softer tone, which suggested not the enforcement of the law but a readiness to bend it.
Senate: Oversight or Escape Route?
At a Senate Customs Committee session, Senator Ade Fadahunsi admitted openly that Customs has been operating illegally since June 2023. Yet rather than demand an end to illegality, he extended a lifeline to Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi:
> “If we come back to the same source… the two houses will sit together and see to your amendment so you will not be walking on a tight rope.”
But should Adeniyi be handed a loose rope while Nigeria’s economy hangs by a thread?
Instead of accountability, the Senate Customs Committee floated adjustments that would make life easier for Customs. The nation was given hints about fraudulent insurance and freight data, but instead of sanctions, what we saw was a search for escape routes. This is not oversight—it is overlook.
Smuggling and Excuses
The Senate Committee also lamented cross-border smuggling—Nigerian goods like cement flooding Cotonou, Togo, and Ghana at cheaper prices than in Nigeria. Senator Fadahunsi blamed the Central Bank’s 2% value deposit for encouraging the practice.
But where are the Senate’s enforcement actions—compliance checks, stiffer sanctions, cross-border coordination? None. The result is predictable: smugglers prosper, reserves bleed, and ordinary Nigerians pay more for less.
A Bloated Customs Budget
The Service’s 2024 capital allocation ballooned to ₦1.1 trillion from ₦706 billion. Instead of channeling these resources into modern trade systems, Customs is expanding empires of frivolity—such as proposing a new university despite already having training facilities in Gwagwalada and Ikeja that could easily be upgraded.
Oversight is not an afterthought; it is the legislature’s constitutional duty. To see waste and illegality and yet propose amendments that would legalise them is to turn oversight into overlook.
Customs has about 16,000 staff, yet many remain poorly trained. Rather than prioritise capacity building, the Service is busy building staff estates in odd locations. How does Modakeke—an inland town with no border post—end up with massive Customs housing projects, while strategic border towns like Badagry, Idiroko, and Saki remain neglected? Is Bashir Adeniyi Comptroller-General of Customs—or Minister of Housing?
The 4% FOB Levy: A Policy Blunder
The central controversy is the Federal Government’s plan to replace existing port charges with a new 4% Free-On-Board (FOB) levy on imports.
Nigeria is an import-dependent nation. This levy will instantly hike the costs of cars, spare parts, machinery, and raw materials—crippling industries and punishing consumers.
Already, the consequences are biting:
A 2006 Toyota Corolla now costs between ₦6–9 million.
Clearing agents who once paid ₦215,000 for license renewal must now cough out ₦4 million.
New freight forwarder licenses have jumped from ₦600,000 to ₦10 million.
Customs claims the revenue is needed for its modernisation programme, anchored on a software platform called B’Odogwu. But stakeholders describe this so-called “Odogwu” as epileptic—if not comatose. Why commit trillions to a ghost programme that will be obsolete by January 2026, when the Nigerian Revenue Service is set to take over Customs collections?
Industry Raises the Alarm
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has warned that the levy will worsen inflation, disrupt supply chains, and hurt productivity.
Lucky Amiwero, President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, calls the levy “economically dangerous.” His reasoning is straightforward:
The 4% FOB levy is much higher than the 1% CISS it replaces.
Peer countries like Ghana maintain just 1%.
The new levy will fuel inflation, raise the landed costs of goods, and destabilise the naira.
He also revealed that the Customs Modernisation Act, which introduced the levy, was passed without Senate scrutiny or meaningful stakeholder consultation. He estimates that the levy could add ₦3–4 trillion annually to freight costs—burdens that will be transferred directly to consumers.
Who Is Behind the “Odogwu” Masquerade?
The haste to enforce this levy, despite its looming redundancy, raises disturbing questions. Who benefits from the “Odogwu” project draining trillions? Why the rush, when NRS will take over collections in a few months?
This masquerade must be unmasked.
The Price Nigerians Pay
For ordinary Nigerians, this policy translates into one thing: higher prices. Cars, manufactured goods, and spare parts are spiraling beyond reach. A nation struggling with inflation, unemployment, and a weak currency cannot afford such reckless experiments.
So, while the Senate looks away, the Executive cannot look aside.
The Executive Cannot Escape Blame.
It is easy to focus on the failings of the legislature. But we must not forget: the Customs Service is an agency of the Federal Ministry of Finance, under the direct supervision of the Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun.
If Customs is breaking the law, wasting resources, or implementing anti-people policies, the buck stops at the Executive’s table. The Minister of Finance is Chairman of the Customs Board. To fold his hands while the Service operates in illegality is to abdicate responsibility.
History gives us a model. In 1999, the Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, was specifically assigned to supervise Customs and report directly to the President. Meanwhile, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala focused on broader fiscal and economic policies. That division of responsibility improved accountability. Today, the absence of such an arrangement is feeding impunity.
President Tinubu and his Finance Minister must act decisively. Oversight without executive will is a dead letter.
A Call to Accountability
The truth is stark:
Customs has been operating illegally since June 2023 to the Senate’s own confession.
The 4% FOB levy will deepen inflation and worsen economic hardship.
The Ministry of Finance bears ultimate responsibility for Customs’ conduct.
Until importing and consuming, Nigerians demand accountability—of the Comptroller-General, the Senate, and above all, the Finance Ministry—this bleeding will continue.
Nigerians deserve better. They deserve a Customs Service that serves the nation, not a privileged few. They deserve a House that enforces its resolutions, not one that grandstands. They deserve a Senate that upholds the law, not one that bends it. And above all, they deserve an Executive that does not look aside while illegality thrives under its ministry.
Only public pressure can end this indulgence. If Nigerians keep silent, we will keep paying the price—in higher costs, weaker currency, and a sabotaged economy.
Citizens’ Charge: Silence is Not an Option
Fellow Nigerians, the Customs crisis is not a drama for the pages of newspapers—it is a burden on our pockets, our businesses, and our children’s future. Every illegal levy is a tax on the poor. Every abandoned oversight is an open invitation to corruption. Every silence from the Executive is an approval of impunity.
We cannot afford to fold our arms. Democracy gives us the power of voice, the duty of vigilance, and the right to demand accountability. Let us demand that:
The Senate and House of Representatives stop playing good cop, bad cop, and enforce the law without compromise.
The Ministry of Finance takes full responsibility for the Customs Service, supervising it in the interest of Nigerians, not vested interests.
The President intervenes now, before the Service crosses the dangerous line of turning illegality into policy.
History will not forgive a people who suffered in silence when their economy was bled by recklessness. Silence is complicity. The time to speak, to write, to petition, to protest, and to demand is now.
Customs must serve Nigeria—not sabotage it.
Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also the President of Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener 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]
Facebook:Bolaji Akinyemi.
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Instagram:bolajioakinyem
Aare Adetola Emmanuel King Congratulates Hon. Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji on Election Victory
The Chairman/CEO of Adron Group, Sir Aare Adetola Emmanuel King KOF, has congratulated Hon. Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji on her resounding victory in the just-concluded by-election for the Remo Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.
In a goodwill message issued by him, he described the victory as “a historic moment for the Remo people, coming at a time when the constituency yearns for a leader with vision, courage, and genuine commitment to service.”
He noted that the outcome of the election was an attestation to the trust and confidence reposed in Hon. Ayoola-Elegbeji by the people, adding that her sterling qualities, integrity, accessibility, and compassion for the grassroots had endeared her to the electorate.
“The overwhelming support you garnered at the polls is proof that you are the right voice at the right time to carry the aspirations of Remo to the national stage,” he stated.
While acknowledging that the by-election followed the painful demise of the late Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga (Ijaya), Aare Adetola Emmanuel King said Hon. Ayoola-Elegbeji’s emergence symbolizes the continuity of purposeful representation. He expressed confidence that she would not only sustain the legacy of her predecessor but also surpass it with new energy, innovative ideas, and progressive leadership.
The Adron Group Chairman further prayed for divine wisdom, strength, and compassion for the Member-Elect as she assumes office, expressing confidence that her tenure will usher in meaningful development, economic empowerment, and greater opportunities for the people of Remo Federal Constituency.
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