Politics
MUST READ: Details of how Buhari, Saraki Peace Deal Collapsed
Interesting details emerged at the weekend on how the rapprochement between President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki penultimate Thursday collapsed, just a few days after.
The truce meeting at Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, had in the attendance Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, and Governors Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Aziz Yari of Zamfara State and the newly elected Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.
THISDAY gathered at the weekend that the presidential team had gotten wind of the defection plot by Saraki and about 32 other senators and quickly moved to stop them using new APC Chairman Adams Oshiomhole who called them one after the other, knowing full well that the mass defection could have adverse consequences for the party as it prepared for the 2019 general elections.
For Saraki, a presidential meeting was arranged. And President Buhari went on the charm offensive, when to the shock of all present, he apologised to Saraki for all the pain he may have suffered over the last few years.
And a dis-armed Saraki returned the goodwill by also apologising to the President for all the discomfort he too may have caused the Presidency.
Soon after, it was banter all over. Truce reached. Over the weekend that followed, APC Chairman began reaching out to aggrieved Senators one by one winning back some 16 of 32 Senators as of last Sunday.
But that was not to continue as another invitation last Monday by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to Saraki over his alleged involvement in a recent robbery in Offa, Kwara State scuttled the deal and gave the impression to the Senators that the presidency and its security apparatchiks could not be trusted after all.
The police invitation was despite an advice by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), which said no nexus between Saraki and the robbery had been established.
According to sources, Saraki was disarmed by the Buhari humility and apology and was “considering his options” when the police invitation arrived “like a thunderbolt”.
At the meeting with Buhari, sources said participants were pleasantly shocked at the humility of the president, who uncharacteristically apologised to Saraki for all he had gone through in the hands of the security agencies and asked that they should both move on in the collective interest of the party and the country.
According to sources, Saraki and the President agreed to work together, even though Saraki allegedly added that he would have to run the outcome of the meeting by his people since he was not alone in the matter.
Earlier, the team of Osinbajo, Aziz, Amosun, and Fayemi had taken turns to speak along the same line of truce. They appealed to Saraki to suspend the idea of defection, especially, as some of the governors of the party had met with him the night before the meeting with the president.
The meeting had also decided, as mooted by the president, that a team of governors, led by the vice president, be formed to continue with the rapprochement until they arrived at a suitable meeting point, convenient for both parties.
But all that was suddenly upturned the following Monday, when Police Chief, Idris not only wrote to re-invite Saraki to come and face questions on the Offa robbery. Following the Police invite the Saraki team swung back into action to remobilise Senators immediately calling for a discontinuation of talks with Buhari’s team, alleging that they could not be trusted, various sources told THISDAY, but only 14 of the 32 were then ready to sign on at the point on a 12 hour notice which many of the senators considered too short as they too had to consult.
And when the Police also went as far as cordoning off the residences of the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President, and preventing them from leaving for both work and the Guzape police station, they sensed real trouble, they concluded that if the police could still go ahead to invite Saraki, despite of the position of the Attorney-General that there was no evidence against him, “then, you cannot trust these people.”
Although Senator Lanre Tejuosho was originally among the initial 32 senators who had agreed to go, he was not available the night the others were being mobilised for the emergency defection and was only able to sign on the floor of the senate the next day.
Besides, following a tip-off, that he may be arrested and impeached while in custody, Saraki left his house by midnight and smartly left all his phones behind in the house to shut down the possibility of his location being tracked by his traducers, THISDAY learnt. So, while the tracker showed that he was at home, unknown to the authorities, he had left the house, only to resurface at the National Assembly the next day to announce the defection of 14 senators plus Tejuoso who later withdrew his defection.
Sources said had Saraki not played smart, the plan was to prevent him from leaving the house, effect a change in the leadership of the Senate, and subsequently arrest him. To get this done, senators believed to be loyal to the president had already been mobilised with a bus at the Transcorp Hilton, with one of them, Hope Uzodinma being tipped as likely successor to Saraki, to divide the South East and South South where Saraki had most support.
But the reason Saraki did not defect with others last week, sources said, was because he still believed he had a deal with the president, even if the element of trust had been greatly decimated.
The weeks ahead promises more drama as the presidency, the party and rebel- lawmakers perfect their war plans. There were speculations at press time that the presidency was being persuaded by hardliners to forcibly reopen the senate – who are now officially on recess, arrest Saraki and Ekweremadu, impeach them while in custody and elect a new leadership for the National Assembly. But the problem is first in the numbers. To impeach and remove Saraki and Ekweremadu from office you need a 2/3rd majority, which will mean getting half of the opposition PDP Senators to join in the plot, which will be near impossible.
The second problem is in the law. Robbery is a State crime on the residual list of the constitution. To arrest and prosecute Saraki for any link to the Offa robbery, which may again look like political persecution, you have to charge him in a State Court, which will in this case be Ilorin, Kwara State where Saraki ‘rules’, and with the Kwara State Attorney General as the prosecuting authority as was done in Lagos with the Kudirat Abiola murder, with prosecutor Authur Worrey and the then Attorney General Yemi Osinbajo SAN.
Obasa Appointed to CPA African Executive Committee
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, has been appointed as a Sub-National Representative to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) African Executive Committee.
The announcement was formally conveyed through a letter from the CPA Africa Region, which was read on the floor of the Assembly by the Clerk, Mr. Olalekan Onafeko, on Tuesday, March 10. The appointment confirms Speaker Obasa’s three-year tenure, spanning 2026 to 2029.
Lawmakers took turns to congratulate Speaker Obasa, praising his devotion to parliamentary service and his consistent efforts to strengthen legislative practice. They described his appointment as a recognition of his hard work and a reflection of Lagos State’s growing influence within the Commonwealth. Members noted that his achievements continue to bring pride not only to Lagos but to Nigeria as a whole.
In his remarks, Speaker Obasa expressed gratitude to his colleagues for their support, urging them to remain steadfast in prioritizing the progress of the Assembly and to continue working collectively to advance the legislature. He further directed the Clerk to send a formal letter of appreciation to the CPA African Region for the honour bestowed upon him. “Let us always put the House of Assembly first and never relent in our efforts to move the legislature forward, ” Obasa concluded.
The CPA African Region plays a pivotal role in advancing the interests of African parliaments within the Commonwealth. It is widely recognized for promoting gender equality, women’s empowerment, respect for human rights, democracy, and good governance across member nations.
TINUBU RENEWS TENURE OF THREE PERMANENT SECRETARIES
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the renewal of tenure for three Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service, in line with existing public service regulations.
The approval was disclosed in a statement issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, indicating that the renewed appointments will take effect from April 27, 2026.
The affected officials include Kachallom Shangti Daju, Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; Beatrice Jedy‑Agba, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Justice; and Mary Ada Ogbe, Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Regional Development.
According to the statement, the renewal represents a second and final four-year tenure for the officials, in accordance with the provisions of Public Service Rule 020909, which allows Permanent Secretaries an initial four-year term with the possibility of a second term based on satisfactory performance.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson‑Jack, congratulated the Permanent Secretaries on their reappointment and urged them to see the renewed mandate as a call to greater dedication and excellence in service delivery.
She further encouraged them to deploy their experience and professional expertise toward strengthening governance and advancing national development.
The statement was signed by Eno Olotu, Director of Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and dated March 6, 2026.
Politics
Governor Dauda Lawal’s Prompt Action Against Insecurity in Zamfara State Yielding Positive Result’ – GDL Media Force Fires Back at Critics
‘Governor Dauda Lawal’s Prompt Action Against Insecurity in Zamfara State Yielding Positive Result’ – GDL Media Force Fires Back at Critics
The attention of GDL Media Force and other well-meaning supporters of the Dauda Lawal-led administration has been drawn to a recent statement syndicated on social media by influencers from a group calling itself the Zamfara Good Governance Forum, which ludicrously attempted to portray the Governor’s security efforts as a “total failure.” This characterisation is not only divorced from reality. Still, it represents a desperate attempt by political opponents to rewrite history and undermine a Governor whose growing influence and performance clearly terrify them. It should be on record that in the whole of the North West region, Governor Dauda Lawal has tackled insecurity head-on with verifiable evidence that even those in the opposition have commended him for his huge investment in equipment that will further give security and armed forces an edge over those fueling insecurity in the country.
Since his assumption as Governor of Zamfara State, Dr Lawal has vowed that as the Chief Security Officer of the state, as well as the chief rescuer, an unprecedented commitment to tackling the security challenges that have plagued Zamfara for over a decade is his top priority and he is engaging it with much gusto. Unlike previous administrations, that engaged in shadowy deals with non-state actors, this Governor has chosen the path of transparency, capacity building, and decisive action. He was one of the Governors who openly declared that His administration would not negotiate with bandit rather his administration with fight them to a standstill and ensure they are cleared out.
In a bid to address the issues of insecurity with a well-planned arrival plan, he procured heavy Security Assets that even the Federal Government commended, him for. The recently procured and unveiled 25 units of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and an 80-meter endurance surveillance drone capable of covering 50 kilometres and operating continuously for eight hours. This represents the single largest state-government investment in security hardware in the history of Zamfara State.
The Defence Minister, during the inauguration ceremony, praised what he described as a clear demonstration of the Governor’s commitment to protecting lives and property, making the striking projection that “if we continue like this in the second term, Zamfara will look like Dubai”. This is not praise from a partisan source it is professional acknowledgement from the highest level of Nigeria’s defence establishment that Governor Lawal is doing something right.
Beyond heavy military hardware, the Governor has operationalised the Community Protection Guards in accordance with the law, providing them with 60 brand-new, well-equipped Hilux operational vehicles and specialised motorcycles to ensure swift response and effective first-responder services in difficult terrains. This is complemented by the distribution of 150 Hilux vehicles to mainstream security agencies including the Nigeria Police, DSS, and NSCDC, plus 20 Toyota Buffalo vehicles (both armoured and soft-body).
Perhaps most significantly, Governor Lawal established the Zamfara State Security Trust Fund, which provides a predictable, structured framework for logistical support to security forces. This moves the state away from the era of fragmented, reactive responses to a professional, sustainable security architecture.
When recent attacks occurred including the unfortunate February 19 incident in Anka LGA, Governor Lawal did not go into hiding or issue condolence statements from his office in Gusau. He immediately convened and personally presided over an emergency security meeting with all heads of security agencies at the Government House in Gusau, tasking them to urgently review the current security framework and implement coordinated countermeasures.
The Governor charged security chiefs to maintain “heightened vigilance, strengthened intelligence, and immediate, coordinated countermeasures” to ensure that criminal elements do not gain further ground. He also commiserated with affected communities and assured them of his administration’s full support both logistical and institutional. This is not the behaviour of a detached leader. This is the conduct of a Governor who understands that his primary constitutional responsibility is the protection of lives and property.
The public needs to understand the pedigree of those behind these allegations. The so-called “Zamfara Good Governance Forum” has a well-documented history of partisan attacks against Governor Lawal. A simple review of their previous statements reveals a pattern they have consistently attacked the Governor while remaining conspicuously silent during the administrations that presided over the worst years of banditry in the state. Interestingly, these attacks often coincide with political manoeuvres by the immediate past governor, Bello Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence. The Zamfara State Government has previously accused Matawalle of using federal security apparatus to intimidate opposition figures in the state. The current criticism fits a familiar pattern, when you cannot defeat a Governor politically or at the ballot box, you attempt to undermine him through sponsored propaganda spreading sheer falsehood to ensure the public turns their back on a performing Governor who is rebuilding the rot the Matawale-led administration caused.
These same critics who now demand a “security roadmap” conveniently ignore that Governor Lawal inherited a state that was virtually a failed entity where farmers could not access their lands, where markets were paralysed, and where government had lost all credibility through failed negotiations and ransom payments to bandits.
Critics also conveniently ignore a fundamental reality Governor Lawal is the only opposition governor in the entire North-West geopolitical zone. Since taking office in 2023, his administration has received no federal intervention funds beyond statutory allocations no special palliatives, and no enhanced security support that flows to states with ruling-party governors. Yet despite this political isolation, he has managed to fund security without resorting to new borrowing, while monthly servicing N1.2 billion in inherited debts from the Bello Matawalle-led administration. This is governance under siege fiscally constrained, politically isolated, yet still delivering.
Governor Dauda Lawal has never claimed that the battle against banditry is easy or that success will come overnight. What he has demonstrated is sincerity of purpose, strategic vision, and relentless commitment. From the Security Trust Fund to community protection guards, from armoured personnel carriers to surveillance drones, these are not the actions of a leader who has failed. The growing influence of Governor Lawal across the North-West clearly frightens those who benefited from the old order of insecurity. When banditry thrives, politicians who negotiate with criminals remain relevant. But when peace is restored through genuine security architecture, such elements become obsolete.
Zamfara State is on the path to lasting peace. The detractors may continue their campaign of falsehood, but the facts on the ground speak louder than their sponsored propaganda. Governor Dauda Lawal remains focused, undeterred, and absolutely committed to restoring full normalcy to every inch of Zamfara State. The people of Zamfara see the progress. The Federal Government acknowledges the investment. And history will remember who truly fought for the state’s liberation.
Signed: GDL Media Force Support Group
March 4, 2026
Abuja, Nigeria
-
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)
-
Business7 months agoGTCO increases GTBank’s Paid-Up Capital to ₦504 Billion
You must be logged in to post a comment Login