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Ekiti 2018: Ojudu is the lead aspirant

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Ekiti 2018: Ojudu is the lead aspirant

 

 

There are clear indications that the Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, may emerge top in the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship primary election scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday 5 May 2018 in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

Findings show that the journalist cum pro-democracy activist-turned-politician is well ahead of other aspirants in popularity among the delegates that are to decide who clinch the APC ticket for the governorship election slated for July 14, 2018.

Ojudu who started his ambition with a peace move among fractured party members in the state in April 2017, has earned popularity for himself as a loyal party man with genuine intent to liberate the people from present economic downturn traceable to governmental ineptitudes of the past.

Impeccable sources among the delegates to elect party candidate for the July election tomorrow disclosed that many minds have been made up to ensure Ojudu gets the ticket to put stability in the party and to ensure power do not slip from the party in the state again.

In Ado Ekiti, hometown of Ojudu, where the bulk of the votes would come, sources said the delegates have resolved to vote en-mass for their bold and brilliant son, in order to break the jinx of leadership exclusion that has trailed the capital city since the return to democracy.

The delegates are more concerned that out of the three major contenders in the race for the Oke Ayaba government office; only Ojudu has a clear record of seeing the party to the desired stardom and liberate the people from the current economic mess and political strangulations by the incumbent government.

Senator Babafemi Ojudu along with the Chief Segun Oni and Dr. Kayode Fayemi are the three major contenders for the Ekiti State number one post, with other 30 aspirants in their trail.

The snag with the chances of duo of Oni and Fayemi is said to be fundamental as they were scored them low in popularity by the teeming delegates, coupled with the fact that both have only a four-year single term to go before throwing the party into another serious electoral chaos.

Fayemi, findings revealed is the least desired the aspirants for want of leadership qualities that can restore power to the party and ensure unity among all party faithful.

Between 2000 and 2014, Fayemi’s administration was said to have been fraught with highhandedness, corruption and sundry governmental ineptitudes, which warranted his ouster in 2014 by the incumbent opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by Governor Ayodele Fayose

However, Fayose’s ignoble reign since then has inflicted so much poverty on the people resulting from leadership crudities, nonchalance and a display of high level ignorance that has plunged the state into untold hardship.

Oni on the other hand is widely seen as a usurper of PDP blood, merely fraternising with the APC with the aim of revenging what he saw as his betrayal by the incumbent governor Fayose. His closeness with former president Olusegun Obasanjo is also seen as an albatross.

It will be recalled that Fayose pitched his tent with Fayemi against Oni in the legal tussle that trailed the rigging of an election that brought the present APC to over three years legal tussle between 2007 and 2010. Oni was finally found guilty of electoral misdemeanours and power was given back to Fayemi.

Oni, with his loyalty to former president Olusegun Obasanjo, is believed to have one of his legs in the Social Democratic Party, SDP, where his godfather holds sway.

Many loyalists of Oni, we learnt, are already holding crucial positions in the Ekiti SDP, and are believed to be holding forth for Oni who cross-over is much anticipated than his winning the APC Saturday ticket.

Ojudu, the lead aspirant, has been involved in developmental projects in the state since its creation in 1996. He veered into elective politics when he contested alongside incumbent governor Fayose and thrashed the latter to a distant third, with a wide margin.

 

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Ramadan: Adron Homes Felicitates Muslims, Preaches Hope and Unity

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Ramadan: Adron Homes Felicitates Muslims, Preaches Hope and Unity

Adron Homes & Properties Limited has congratulated Muslim faithful on the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan, urging Nigerians to embrace the virtues of sacrifice, discipline, and compassion that define the season.

In a statement made available to journalists, the company described Ramadan as a period of deep reflection, spiritual renewal, and strengthened devotion to faith and humanity.

According to the management, the holy month represents values that align with the organisation’s commitment to integrity, resilience, and community development.

“Ramadan is a time that teaches patience, generosity, and selflessness. As our Muslim customers and partners begin the fast, we pray that their sacrifices are accepted and that the season brings peace, joy, and renewed hope to their homes and the nation at large,” the statement read.

The firm reaffirmed its dedication to providing affordable and accessible housing solutions to Nigerians, noting that building homes goes beyond structures to creating environments where families can thrive.

Adron Homes further urged citizens to use the period to pray for national unity, economic stability, and sustainable growth.

It wished all Muslim faithful a spiritually fulfilling Ramadan.

Ramadan Mubarak.

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Underfunding National Security: Envelope Budgeting Fails Nigeria’s Defence By George Omagbemi Sylvester

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Underfunding National Security: Envelope Budgeting Fails Nigeria’s Defence

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by saharaweeklyng.com

“Fiscal Rigidity in a Time of Crisis: Lawmakers Say Fixed Budget Ceilings Are Crippling Nigeria’s Fight Against Insurgency, Banditry, and Organized Crime.”

Nigeria’s legislature has issued a stark warning: the envelope budgeting system; a fiscal model that caps spending for ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) is inadequate to meet the country’s escalating security challenges. Lawmakers and budget analysts argue that rigid fiscal ceilings are undermining the nation’s ability to confront insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence, oil theft and maritime insecurity.

The warning emerged during the 2026 budget defence session for the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) at the National Assembly in Abuja. Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC‑Kebbi North), chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, decried the envelope system, noting that security agencies “have been subject to the vagaries of the envelope system rather than to genuine needs and requirements.” The committee highlighted non-release or partial release of capital funds from previous budgets, which has hindered procurement, intelligence and operational capacity.

Nigeria faces a multi‑front security crisis: persistent insurgency in the North‑East, banditry and kidnappings across the North‑West and North‑Central, separatist tensions in the South‑East, and piracy affecting Niger Delta oil production. Despite declarations of a national security emergency by President Bola Tinubu, lawmakers point to a “disconnect” between rhetoric and the actual fiscal support for agencies tasked with enforcement.

Experts warn that security operations demand flexibility and rapid resource allocation. Dr. Amina Bello, a public finance specialist, said: “A static budget in a dynamic threat environment is like sending firefighters with water jugs to a forest fire. You need flexibility, not fixed ceilings, to adapt to unforeseen developments.”

The Permanent Secretary of Special Services at ONSA, Mohammed Sanusi, detailed operational consequences: irregular overhead releases, unfulfilled capital appropriations, and constrained foreign service funds. These fiscal constraints have weakened intelligence and covert units, hampering surveillance, cyber‑security, counter‑terrorism and intelligence sharing.

Delayed capital releases have stalled critical projects, including infrastructure upgrades and surveillance systems. Professor Kolawole Adeyemi, a governance expert, emphasized that “budgeting for security must allow for rapid reallocation in response to threats that move faster than political cycles. Envelope budgeting lacks this essential flexibility.”

While the National Assembly advocates fiscal discipline, lawmakers stress that security funding requires strategic responsiveness. Speaker Abbas Ibrahim underscored that security deserves “prominent and sustained attention” in the 2026 budget, balancing oversight with operational needs.

In response, the Senate committee plans to pursue reforms, including collaboration with the executive to restructure funding, explore supplementary budgets and ensure predictable and sufficient resources for security agencies. Experts warn that without reform, criminal networks will exploit these gaps, eroding public trust.

As one policy analyst summarized: “A nation declares a security emergency; but if its budget does not follow with real resources and oversight, the emergency remains rhetorical.” Nigeria’s debate over envelope budgeting is more than an accounting dispute; it is a contest over the nation’s security priorities and its commitment to safeguarding citizens.

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Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin) Celebrates as She Marks Her Birthday

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Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin) Celebrates as She Marks Her Birthday

 

Today, the world and the body of Christ rise in celebration of a rare vessel of honour, Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba, fondly known as Eritosin, as she marks her birthday.

Born a special child with a divine mark of grace, Rev. Mother Eritosin’s journey in God’s vineyard spans several decades of steadfast service, spiritual depth, and undeniable impact. Those who know her closely describe her as a prophetess with a heart of gold — a woman whose calling is not worn as a title, but lived daily through compassion, discipline, humility, and unwavering faith.

From her early days in ministry, she has touched lives across communities, offering spiritual guidance, prophetic insight, and motherly counsel. Many testify that through her prayers and teachings, they encountered God in a deeply personal and transformative way. Near and far, her influence continues to echo — not only within church walls, but in homes, families, and destinies reshaped through her mentorship.

A mother in every sense of the word, Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba embodies nurture and correction in equal measure. As a grandmother, she remains energetic in purpose — accommodating the wayward, embracing the rejected, and holding firmly to the belief that no soul is beyond redemption. Her life’s mission has remained consistent: to lead many to Christ and guide them into the light of a new beginning.

Deeply rooted within the C&S Unification, she stands tall as a spiritual pillar in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church globally. Her dedication to holiness, unity, and prophetic service has earned her widespread respect as a spiritual matriarch whose voice carries both authority and humility.

As she celebrates another year today, tributes continue to pour in from spiritual sons and daughters, church leaders, and admirers who see in her a living reflection of grace in action.

Prayer for Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin)

May the Almighty God, who called you from birth and anointed you for His service, continually strengthen you with divine health and renewed vigour.

May your oil never run dry, and may your prophetic mantle grow heavier with greater glory.

May the lives you have nurtured rise to call you blessed.

May your latter years be greater than the former, filled with peace, honour, and the visible rewards of your labour in God’s vineyard.

May heaven continually back your prayers, and may your light shine brighter across nations.

Happy Birthday to a true Mother in Israel — Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin).

More years.

More anointing.

More impact.

If you want this adapted for a newspaper page, church bulletin, Facebook post, or birthday flyer, just tell me the format and tone.

Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin) Celebrated as She Marks Her Birthday

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