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Osun LG Crisis: Why President Tinubu Must Call His Nephew, Gboyega Oyetola to Order
By Rasaq Hamzat
Osun State has been in the news lately due to a crisis that erupted following a Court of Appeal judgment that reportedly reinstated the sacked local government chairmen, just a few days before the election of new council bosses.
Meanwhile, the truth of the matter is that there was no part in the judgment that instructed the sacked chairmen to return to office. The appeal court only addressed the issue of jurisdiction, not the judgment that had sacked the chairmen in 2022 under the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
Immediately after the appeal court judgment, the sacked chairmen, under the instruction and backing of the former governor, Gboyega Oyetola, planned their return to the local government councils to forcefully take over. Unfortunately, this coup-like resumption destabilized Osun State and led to the death of one of the chairmen, and injuries to several others, including PDP members in the state.
Although these sacked chairmen are not entirely to blame, there is a Yoruba saying that goes, “Ti o ba nidi, obirin o kin je kumolu,” which means “There is always a reason for everything.” The reason behind these unlawful actions by the chairmen is simply because of Oyetola. Without his interference or input, these chairmen would have remained at home and planned how to approach the court for their reinstatement. However, they were given a separate order by Oyetola, who is believed to have the ear of President Tinubu because of their relationship.
It is quite understandable that Oyetola plans to return to Osun State as governor next year and would need grassroots support, which is essentially a function of the local government chairmen. However, this approach is totally wrong and will only wreck his ambition further.
Maybe Oyetola has forgotten the reason the people of Osun State rejected him and his party completely in 2022. His administration remains one of the worst the state has experienced in decades, with low performance, no government presence, no welfare for workers, no significant infrastructure development, no connection with the people, and gross injustices, among other issues.
It was so bad that even in the government house, Oyetola lost to the now-governor, Ademola Adeleke, who had never been a governor before. The margin was just too wide for any form of rigging to have taken place, yet there were still some forms of rigging, though they couldn’t overcome the disgraceful loss Oyetola suffered in Osun State.
When he realized that by popular vote he had lost, he approached the court and managed to get a victory at the appeal court. I can remember him driving into Osun State with a broom in his hands, signaling victory, but his smile soon turned to tears when the Supreme Court affirmed Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory. It was an all-round loss for Gboyega Oyetola.
Therefore, it is not surprising that he is still behind this crisis in Osun State. He is like a wounded lion who doesn’t care about the stability of Osun State as long as his aim is achieved, no matter the consequences.
Sadly, this action, which has been met with resistance, because a local government election will be held today following a court order issued yesterday, will not only affect Oyetola’s ambition in 2026, but also President Tinubu’s second-term ambition in 2027. Oyetola has scored an own goal because when the LG election ends today and victory is recorded for the PDP candidates, the desperation of the former governor to return to power by any means necessary will become the talk of the town. When he contests in 2026, it will only take the grace of God for him not to be rejected by the people.
Governor Adeleke has performed excellently well for his people. The people of Osun State are happy, they have everything they need when due, the welfare of the people is being taken care of adequately, no one is being owed by the government, and there are several projects that have been completed while others are still ongoing. Who would come against such a government and be accepted by the people?
For someone like Governor Adeleke, who is doing absolutely well, Oyetola, Tinubu, and the likes can only try to be friends with him because the people are solely behind him. However, this approach of desperately trying to wrest power from him will only lead to hatred from the people.
Therefore, if President Tinubu doesn’t call his nephew, Gboyega Oyetola, to order, it may even be difficult for the President to campaign in Osun for his second-term ambition.
Rasaq Hamzat writes from Ife
More than ₦3 billion was targeted, but about ₦677 million reached the culprits, with recovery and prosecutions underway, reflecting how banks are responding to more sophisticated fraud risks.
Nigeria’s expanding digital banking sector is facing increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts, as financial institutions adapt to faster transactions and broader online services.
A recent case involving First City Monument Bank (FCMB), linked to fraudulent activity detected in December 2025, has drawn attention to how banks are responding to such incidents, with a focus on limiting exposure, recovering funds and working with law enforcement.
According to findings referenced in proceedings before the Lagos State Special Offences Court, the incident involved unauthorised transactions tied to a digital product. Early reports erroneously suggested more than ₦3 billion was lost. Subsequent clarification shows that over ₦3 billion was targeted, ₦2.4 billion was blocked and recovered, while ₦677 million got into the possession of the culprits. This outcome reflects the bank’s cyber security and monitoring capabilities, as well as improved collaboration among regulated financial institutions and with law enforcement agencies. Several suspects and beneficiaries have been apprehended, while recovery and prosecution efforts are ongoing, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Proceedings at the Lagos State Special Offences Court have resulted in convictions, including that of a repeat offender, with restitution orders issued. Related matters are also being handled at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where additional suspects are being tried in connection with the scheme. This process is aimed at ensuring that bad actors are identified and permanently blacklisted from the financial system.
Authorities say recovery efforts are continuing as additional funds are traced.
Analysts note that the pace of legal action reflects closer coordination between financial institutions and enforcement agencies in addressing cyber-related financial crime.
The case comes as banks contend with more complex fraud methods, including social engineering and automated exploitation of system processes.
As digital products and platforms expand, so too does the risk associated with cyber-crime and related fraud.
“The scale of digital banking means risks are evolving alongside the systems,” said a Lagos-based financial analyst. “Institutions are now judged by how they manage these events.”
Observers say the sector is moving toward a stronger focus on response and recovery, rather than prevention alone.
This includes improving monitoring capabilities, strengthening transaction controls and enhancing collaboration with regulators and law enforcement. The FCMB case, with limited exposure relative to the amount targeted and ongoing recovery, reflects that shift.
For customers, the primary concern is the safety of their funds. In this case, there has been no indication of losses affecting customer deposits. Maintaining that level of protection remains central to sustaining trust in the financial system.
Nigeria’s financial sector continues to grow, supported by digital innovation and expanding access to banking services.
However, analysts say fraud attempts are likely to persist as systems become more complex and interconnected.
They say institutions will increasingly be judged not only on their ability to prevent incidents, but on how effectively they respond and recover when they occur.
news
Ex-APC Deputy Guber flag bearer, Joshua MacIver backs Tinubu, express fears over implosion in Bayelsa APC
….congratulates new State Party Chairman, Warman Ogoriba
APC Deputy Governorship Candidate in the 2023 general elections in Bayelsa State, Great Joshua MacIver has declared his total commitment to the re-election of President Bola Tinubu come 2027, declaring that the Tinubu re-election project is non-negotiable.
Great Joshua MacIver, in his statement titled ” BAYELSA APC CONGRESSES: GOING FORWARD, A CALL TO LOOK INWARDS” and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, warned APC leaders in the state to look Inward and take note of certain factors which may hinder or cut short our victory.
According to Great Joshua MacIver, such noticeable pitfalls include the imbalance in the united front being put up by the State Governor,Senator Douye Diri among various political blocs in the state.
In the statement issued at the weekend. Great Joshua MacIver stated that “First, before His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, joined the APC in the state, there were clearly two political blocs that made up the party, with the approximate population ratios of the blocs standing at 95% to 5%.”
“After the entrance of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, ONLY THE SMALLER BLOC IS BEING CARRIED ALONG IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE PARTY, leaving the greater percentage to their fate, and this situation has the potential to build anger and dissatisfaction in our dear party.”
” The consequence of this has been the high level defection we have witnessed in the party recently and we believe more may likely follow, if we do not put our house in order.”
” If we do not pull together as a party, we may witness a situation where we will lose key stakeholders, especially after the State and National Assembly Primaries as well the Gubernatorial Primaries.”
“Finally, while it is very clear that we are the party to beat in the 2027 elections and that our loyalty to Mr. President IS NON-NEGOTIABLE, we must make haste to say that we cannot afford to create situations or loopholes in our unity which will be exploited by other political interests in the state. We cannot afford to under-rate anyone.”
“Our core interest remains the re-election of Mr. President, a project to which we have committed our all. We also pledge our total loyalty to the party as we have no alternative to the APC. However, our concern is that we must, as a party, look inwards and ensure that we do not create loopholes that can impede our common goal.”
Great Joshua MacIver, however congratulated the newly elected State Executives of the APC in Bayelsà State led by Hon. Warman Ogoriba, saying their emergence is welcomed at this critical time in our national history.
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.
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