Politics

2023 presidency: We’ve been and remain kingmakers — Northern Elders

Published

4 years ago

January 16, 2022

Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

The Northern Elders Forum has said that the North will be a strong factor in determining who emerges as Nigeria’s president in 2023.

The position of the NEF was contained in a speech by its Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed.

In the speech read on Saturday during the meeting of the Northern Leaders of Thought at the Arewa House in Kaduna, Baba-Ahmed said the North had always had a say in who becomes the leader of the country.

In the speech, titled: “Rebuilding the North,” he said: “May I start by expressing my profound appreciation for the privilege of delivering this Keynote Address on a date and a venue that have major historical significance for the North and Nigeria. This honour is all the more humbling given the significance of our present surroundings as well as the current state of the North and the country as a whole. This is also a rare event. Although groups and associations have raised voices on insecurity, poverty and the damaging decline of the economy of the North and the setbacks in relations between communities that make up Nigeria, many Northern elders and leaders with personal integrity and other qualities who should stand up to be counted have largely retreated into the discomfort of silence.

“Younger Northerners are angry, frustrated and alienated, with virtually no linkages with elders and leaders, unless they are hired thugs in the service of politicians. Many others are criminals, bandits, informers or kidnappers exploiting the weaknesses of the State, or at margins of hopelessness in a country that they believe promises a lot and delivers nothing. This meeting appears to have been designed to commence the building of bridges that should link generations of Northerners around a vision which gives hope and heals a region lacking a single excuse for its many wounds.”

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“The effort of the organizers of this meeting, specifically to bring together prominent, elderly and future leaders of the North is particularly commendable. In this room, and in these surroundings, there is the history of people who took over the responsibility to steer the North through the challenging waters of decolonization and finding for it a fitting place in the new Nigeria. Most of them were in their 30s and 40s, but they understood their historic opportunities; the values they were prepared and groomed to defend, and the challenges which they were to face.

“Their team leader, Sir Ahmadu Bello, fell to bullets from cowardly murderers in these very premises. The people who killed him simultaneously launched Nigeria into a different and negative trajectory from which it has not recovered. Today, we can speak as three or four generations of Northerners who have seen the best and now live in the worst of the North. We can lament the loss of great opportunities, but we will also support each other to find the strengths and the courage to ask the right questions and find the right answers.

“We should use this day, at this venue full of history, to signal a turning – point in our circumstances as a people and bring an end to lamentations. We have wasted enough lives, blood, energy and resources drifting and blaming leaders who have reaped hugely from our misfortunes and self-inflicted injuries. It is enough.

“We have no one else to cry to; no one to look up to, to lead us out of terror and poverty and no one willing to use their positions to turn the fortunes of the North around. Our fate will only be designed and determined by us. We may be facing unprecedented challenges, but these are times to prepare to find extraordinary strengths and assets so that our children will be rid of the current nightmares which are our lives today.”

“We do have massive sources of energy and muscle to bring real change to our circumstances. We have the anger of people whose lives have been taken over by armed criminals who know we are basically undefended against them. We have limits on how much we can run away from bullets, rapists and kidnappers, and we are reaching those limits.

“We have memories of a period when life had values; when religious faith meant you tolerate, and not kill those who worship differently from you; when leaders feared God and had respect for the people they led; when being a Northerner meant honesty and hard work, and not a disposable threat; when our young where taught values that prepared them to fear God, respect authority and stand up to bullies and those who were intolerant of our basic identities and values.

“Anger is not the best fuel for change, but in our case today, it is the most potent. If used constructively and responsibly, it can create an environment that will remove its sources and its manifestations. Unfortunately for the North, it is also the only fuel source we have. We have voted people into power who have either turned their backs at us or have usurped the very sources of their power and turned them into personal assets.

“We have a democratic system that progressively benefits only a handful of leaders and politicians, and leaves millions of our people to wonder how it could be the best option available to terrorized, poor people. We have decaying value systems that breed evils such as corrupt leaders, armed criminals and drug pandemics, and encourage cheating and corruption as the only means of getting what we need. We have a huge population that is sinking into poverty and desperation in a harsh and unforgiving world.

“Every indicator suggests that things will get considerably worse in the near future. The cost of living will rise and compound the wretchedness of the poor. Armed criminality will continue to determine how we live and die, even if it could be defeated at some future date. Our political process will feed widespread violence as political competition pumps up every one of our demons to escort individual political ambitions. Our current leaders will continue to recede into their own world, mumbling incomprehensible fiction while they wait out their terms.

“The North faces two distinct choices: atrophy and destruction, or recovery and growth. The first is already visible and in the process; the second is a difficult, yet achievable goal. The most vital requirement that will make the difference between the two is a critical and honest self-evaluation. The North has to understand how cultured, hardworking and intelligent people cannot produce good leaders who can build a strong economy from its huge potential.

“How did corruption assume such magnitude among our communities that even the democratic system and our home-grown social and political structures and strong social values are now securely its hostage, consigning every segment of social life to insignificance unless it is linked to plundered wealth and stolen power? Why is its massive population a liability and not an asset, coming to life only during elections when it is needed to reinforce a shrinking democratic system, and relapsing into drudgery and scrapping an existence thereafter?

“Who and what was responsible for the virtual de-industrialization of the entire Northern region, creating patches of possibly the poorest of humanity within it, and destroying an economy that had shown an impressive potential to grow into the economic powerhouse of the nation and West Africa’s breadbasket?

“How did the North lose its tenuous hold on managing its cultural and religious diversity, setting into motion raptures that leave every community worse off, and creating enemies out of even unborn neighbours? What created the Boko Haram insurgency, and what explains its resilience and the ineffectiveness of our security assets to eliminate it? What turned some Fulani herders long used to hardship and frictions into the monsters that they are today?

“How did the Fulani, famous for learning and administration and living with huge assets with the most minimal demands on resources of the State, become identified by its lowest denominator, the Fulani bandit and kidnapper?

“Who can explain the dramatic deterioration of the most intimate of relations between Hausa and Fulani, and the rising demonization of Fulani among communities with which they are barely distinguishable, or have lived for decades or centuries?

“How did the Northerner become the villain of the rest of the nation, the source of all its recent ills and liabilities, in a country he helped build and sustain with lives, limbs, blood and labour? Above all, does the North have the capacity to re-engineer its reconstruction and sustained development?

“The North does not have the luxury of finding answers to these puzzles while the nation moves on and its problems worsen. Its only choice is to target the major source of its multiple challenges and attempt to deal with it. This, in my view, lies in the quality of its leaders and those that will lead the nation. The North needs a major shift in its elite selection processes, which will allow it to put into power, competent, honest and visionary leaders at all levels.

“What this means is that the overwhelming majority of politicians warming up in our major parties to take over and continue business as usual should be roundly rejected, and others who will not have to buy or steal power because they have credibility and evidence of some integrity will be voted in by voters who will resist the temptation to sell votes for less than a meal. The imperative of affecting major changes in the quality of leadership starting from the 2023 elections is beyond question. This is why the North should support major amendments of the electoral process, and improvements in the capacities of INEC to reduce rigging and vote-buying and violence.

“For most of what the North needs to do, the centre is important. The successful campaign to defeat the damaging narrative that no Northerner should aspire to contest for the Presidency of Nigeria is a credit to committed democrats and those who believe in justice, equity and fairness. It is important to emphasise, however, that this was not a campaign that sought to bestow any favours on the North and shortchange the rest of Nigeria.

“It was essentially meant to avoid restricting the political space, as well as the danger of the emergence of a President who bears all the hallmarks of limiting identities and the stamp of a victory of the part over the whole. Now that a level playing field is being taken up by politicians from all parts of the country, it is equally important to remind ourselves that democracy is essentially about the freedom to choose leaders, and all Nigerians should be free to choose any contestant from any part of the country they want.

“For the North, we cannot say it louder. A Northerner should be voted President only if he is the best. Being Northerner is not enough. All Nigerians need good leaders, but for us in the North, we will demand to see evidence that a candidate does not just want the power to fulfil a personal ambition. We want to see evidence that those who want to lead us in future understand the roots of and solutions to our insecurity and poverty and distances from each other.

“We want to know how irredentism will be handled; how and when major changes in our structures and systems will be made to address popular grievances over the way our country should operate; how our economy can be re-engineered to achieve sustainable development and work for the rich and the poor equally, and how our young will be groomed to become productive, honest and patriotic citizens. We will demand to see an inclusive and competent team that will campaign with the candidate and transit with him into governance. We want a thoroughly Nigerian President who will be as hard on the bandit as he will be on secessionists and insurgents. We want a President with vision and the energy to retrieve a country on the verge of collapse and place it securely on the path of stability, security and growth.

“We are, of course, some distance from next year’s elections, but it will be dangerous to ignore signs that the journey from this point until those elections could place the country in greater danger. We should warn politicians to avoid destroying a country they seek to lead. We must demand that the fight against organized, violent crimes is intensified. We need to improve elite cohesion even in the context of intensely-divisive electoral campaigns. Our leaders should avoid the temptations to roll out policies that will raise levels of desperation among the poor. Activities such as the planned population census which have enough sensitivity and potential to generate massive controversy a few months before the elections should be postponed.

“Key reforms to the constitution and the electoral process should be implemented to improve the quality of elections and signal a commitment to address limitations to our federal structures. Our leaders should raise their levels of empathy for the plight of poor and desperate citizens. To ignore the circumstances which create hundreds or even millions of internally-displaced persons and leave the next administration to handle it will be the height of irresponsibility. Huge resources must be deployed to improve the capacity of our defence and security assets and provide relief to fellow Nigerians or pauperized by criminals.

“Millions of Northerners are justifiably angry and frustrated that they are worse off today than they were before 2015 when they voted for an administration that promised to improve and secure lives. Many think voting for another set of leaders will add no value to their lives. We say turn your anger into an asset by voting in better people into office this time. There are politicians that will continue where the present administration stopped, and, while angry citizens refuse to vote, they will buy votes and get power. So, the most important thing a Northerner will do for himself and the community is to register and vote in 2023. Do not exchange your votes for another four or eight years in a country where your dignity and your life have little value.

“Distinguished participants, please look around these premises, and you will draw inspiration from strong, purposeful leadership, not just of the Sardauna, but the team he was a part of. From Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sir Kashim Ibrahim, Aliyu Makaman Nupe, Turaki Ali, Sunday Awoniyi, Ali Akilu and dozens of Northerners who reflected the true diversity of the North and shared a common vision and purpose, there was a North which knew its place in Nigeria and gave all it took to defend it.

“That North is still available to be recreated, but it needs to recognise the place of good leaders, hardworking and honest citizenry, a diversity that demands the highest standards of justice to manage, and a strong sense of destiny as a strong community for all who are part of it. In this hallowed hall, there is powerful history and a great potential to re-invent a region that will be great again. Please make that potential reality, and God in His infinite mercy will help us all.”

Eagle

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Two Logos, One Party: NDC’s Identity Crisis Deepens Ahead of Elections

Published

5 minutes ago

May 30, 2026

Trends Admin

Two Logos, One Party: NDC’s Identity Crisis Deepens Ahead of Elections

ABUJA, NIGERIA – A finding conducted by Tribune Online has revealed inconsistencies in the use of the official logo of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) , with noticeable differences between the version displayed on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) platform and those currently in circulation across media and campaign spaces . The review indicates that while one version of the NDC logo is hosted on INEC’s official platform as the recognised party symbol, a different version continues to appear widely in public-facing materials, including media publications and campaign-related visuals .

The discrepancy raises questions about standardisation of party identity , particularly in an electoral environment where visual symbols play a central role in voter recognition and ballot identification. In electoral practice, party logos often serve as key identifiers for voters, especially for individuals with limited political literacy or those encountering party materials for the first time. Any variation in such symbols, therefore, introduces the possibility of confusion during elections . One of the notable descriptions referenced in the course of the findings captured the concern succinctly: “What’s on the INEC platform is different from what is generally in use. This is where confusion will set in, especially with people who have zero idea about the popular logo in the media,” an X user with the handle @AnazaHerbert wrote . The inconsistency suggests a gap between the officially registered party symbol and its public usage, pointing to the need for closer alignment between both versions to ensure uniform recognition. At present, both versions remain in circulation ahead of future electoral activities, with the disparity yet to be formally addressed .

The NDC, which officially received its certificate of registration from INEC in February 2026 , has had a tortuous journey to registration that dates back to 2017 . According to the party’s National Leader and former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson , the NDC was among 171 political organisations that initially applied for registration . However, the process stalled when INEC, under its former chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, suspended the registration of new political parties . When INEC later lifted the embargo, the NDC revived its application and was listed alongside the other associations. However, the party received a letter from INEC stating that its application was declined because its proposed logo—a two-finger sign —was similar to that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) broom . Dickson described the decision as shocking and unjust, noting that the party even offered to change the logo but was denied the opportunity.

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The NDC subsequently approached the Federal High Court to challenge INEC’s decision. According to the party’s National Legal Adviser, Reuben Egwuaba, the court not only upheld that the NDC logo was distinct from that of the APC but also noted that the second association INEC had cited as having a similar logo was not even a registered entity . The court subsequently directed INEC to register the NDC and proclaimed the party registered . Dickson emphasized that INEC did not appeal the judgment and that the period for appeal has elapsed. “No one, except INEC, has the locus standi to appeal the judgement. The judgment has been enforced by INEC and there’s nothing to appeal anymore,” he stated .

However, the controversy surrounding the NDC has refused to die down. The promoter of the Alliance for Democratic Action (ADA) , Dr. Umar Ardo , has consistently opposed the registration of the NDC, alleging that the group failed to comply with due constitutional and electoral procedures . In a recent interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Ardo explained that before registering a political party, an association must write a letter of intent to INEC . He claimed that INEC rejected the NDC’s initial request on the grounds that its logo was similar to those of existing political parties. According to Ardo, instead of challenging the decision in court within 14 days as required by law, the NDC wrote back to INEC requesting reconsideration . Ardo further alleged that the NDC eventually went to court using only its initial letter of intent, arguing that this was insufficient to establish compliance with the Electoral Act. He stated that associations seeking registration must complete Form EC15 and upload required documents, including the party constitution, manifesto, list of national executives, and evidence of fee payment, on INEC’s portal. “NDC did not pay. NDC did not fill that form. NDC did not do anything. NDC just took one letter to court,” Ardo stated . He maintained that INEC ought to have resisted and appealed the court judgment that favoured the NDC.

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In response, Senator Dickson dismissed Ardo’s claims as “misguided and sponsored propaganda” . He provided a detailed timeline, explaining that the NDC’s registration process began in 2017, long before Ardo contemplated registering a political party. Dickson accused INEC of initially declining the party’s application because its proposed two-finger logo was allegedly similar to the APC’s broom, a claim he described as shocking . “We wrote to INEC to assert our right to sue the electoral umpire. The court enforced our rights to freedom of association, deemed us registered, and directed INEC to register us,” Dickson said . He emphasized that INEC did not appeal the judgment and that the period for appeal has elapsed, arguing that no individual or group has the legal standing to challenge the party’s registration . Dickson also noted that the NDC is not the only party registered through a court order, citing the example of the NDP, which was registered under similar circumstances .

Upon receiving its certificate of registration, the NDC gave the mandatory 21-day notice to INEC, which observed the party’s first National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, confirming its officers and setting dates for congresses and primaries . The party continues to gain momentum, with Dickson noting that Nigerians from across the country and in the diaspora are registering massively . However, with two versions of the party’s logo now in circulation and the disparity yet to be formally addressed by INEC or the party leadership, questions remain about the potential for voter confusion as the country prepares for future electoral activities.

Two Logos, One Party: NDC’s Identity Crisis Deepens Ahead of Elections

Tribune

Politics

Wike-Backed PDP Tells Jonathan to Reject 2027 Convention Amid Party Crisis

Published

7 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Trends Admin

Wike-Backed PDP Tells Jonathan to Reject 2027 Convention Amid Party Crisis

The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has escalated, as the faction of the party led by Honourable Abdulrahman Mohammed has called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from attempts to link his name to a controversial 2027 presidential convention.

The development comes amid growing tensions between two rival leadership blocs within the opposition party, each laying claim to legitimacy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee (NWC), which is currently recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), described the planned ratification of Jonathan by the rival Interim National Working Committee (INWC) headed by Dr Tanimu Turaki as a “charade” designed to create confusion within the polity.

The Turaki-led faction had scheduled a special convention for Saturday in Abuja to formally ratify Goodluck Jonathan as PDP’s 2027 presidential candidate, despite no official declaration from the former president indicating interest in the race.

According to the Mohammed-led faction, there is no public record showing that Jonathan purchased nomination forms, submitted himself for screening, or participated in any official process leading to his emergence as a candidate.

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Speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Honourable Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, the faction insisted that the PDP had already concluded all valid primary elections in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC guidelines.

The party said the primaries covered governorship, state Houses of Assembly, National Assembly and presidential positions across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The faction had earlier announced former Senator Sandy Ojang Onor as its consensus presidential candidate after concluding what it described as duly conducted primaries.

In a strongly worded statement, the faction urged Jonathan to protect his political legacy by publicly rejecting the move.

It said the former president’s silence had continued to fuel speculation and deepen uncertainty over the leadership crisis within the party.

The statement read: “We respectfully call on former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from this charade in order to protect the integrity of the democratic process and preserve the credibility he earned while serving the nation.”

The dispute follows the April 30 Supreme Court judgment which invalidated the disputed Ibadan convention that produced the Turaki-led leadership structure.

Although the judgment was widely expected to settle the prolonged leadership tussle, both factions have continued to operate parallel structures while insisting they are the authentic leadership of the PDP.

The situation has been further complicated by the intervention of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who warned hotels and event centres in Abuja against hosting political activities organised by groups not officially recognised by INEC.

The warning was communicated through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, who directed facility owners to verify the legitimacy of political organisers before accepting bookings.

Despite the warning, the Turaki-led camp has vowed to proceed with the convention at the A-Class Event Centre in Wuse 2, Abuja.

Its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, described any attempt to stop the event as political intimidation and insisted all legal and contractual obligations had been fulfilled.

Political observers say the deepening PDP leadership crisis could significantly weaken the party’s chances of mounting a formidable challenge in the 2027 presidential election, especially as rival factions continue to battle for control.

The silence of Goodluck Jonathan on the matter has remained a major talking point, with many analysts insisting that a public clarification from the former president could help calm the escalating tension within the opposition party.

Wike-Backed PDP Tells Jonathan to Reject 2027 Convention Amid Party Crisis

Politics

‘Fix Oyo First’ – Presidency Tackles Makinde Over Attack on Tinubu

Published

21 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Trends Admin

'Negotiate, Don't Let Them Waste Us': Abducted Oyo Principal Begs Tinubu, Makinde

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde

‘Fix Oyo First’ – Presidency Tackles Makinde Over Attack on Tinubu

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigerian Presidency has fired back at Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde following his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration regarding the proposed implementation of state police, telling the governor to “fix Oyo first” before lecturing the federal government on security matters. The presidency’s response was contained in a statement on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, who accused Governor Makinde of using the federal government as a scapegoat to deflect from the rising insecurity and underfunding plaguing his own state. The exchange marks the latest escalation in a war of words between the Tinubu administration and the Oyo governor, who formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election just one day before his criticism of the President.

Recall that on Thursday, Governor Seyi Makinde urged the federal government to stop deceiving Nigerians over the creation of state police. He insisted that state governments already possess the power to establish their own policing structures through local legislation. Makinde made the assertions during the governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, and House of Assembly primaries of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) held at the Watershed Celebration Centre in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Addressing party members and delegates at the event, the governor reflected on the establishment of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, across the South-west, describing the outfit as a fallback option after initial efforts to establish state police failed. According to him, the regional security outfit was created by South-west states through laws passed by their respective Houses of Assembly—a legislative process he argued could also be adopted for establishing full state police.

“Some people will know insecurity was one of the major pillars of this administration when we established Omitutun phase one and phase two, and it will remain a major pillar. Before this government’s emergence, there was nothing like Amotekun in Oyo State. We wanted state police. It was because we couldn’t get the state police that we established Amotekun as a stopgap. They should stop wasting Nigerians’ time,” Governor Makinde stated. “We know how we established Amotekun. The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly is here. We passed a common law in the whole of the Southwest. The whole Houses of Assembly in all states in the Southwest passed the law, and that led to the creation of Amotekun. The only state that didn’t create Amotekun is Lagos State, and we know it is because their boss didn’t want Amotekun,” he said.

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Governor Makinde’s renewed call for state police comes in the wake of a major security crisis in Oyo State. On May 15, 2026, gunmen invaded three schools in Esiele Community, Oriire Local Government Area, abducting seven teachers and 39 students from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School. During the attack, a mathematics teacher was beheaded by the gunmen, while a motorcyclist and a security personnel also lost their lives. The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, subsequently visited the affected communities and ordered intensified rescue operations.

Replying via a post on his X handle, presidential aide Dada Olusegun accused Governor Makinde of playing politics with the challenges of insecurity, describing his outburst as “a masterclass in deflection.” Olusegun wrote: “Gov. Seyi Makinde’s recent outburst accusing President Tinubu of ‘wasting time’ on State Police and claiming Lagos boycotted Amotekun for political points is just a masterclass in deflection. When a Governor is grappling with rising insecurity in his own state, the instinct to scapegoat the center is predictable.” He denied Makinde’s claim that Lagos boycotted Amotekun due to Tinubu’s influence, stating it is “entirely false,” adding that President Tinubu was himself “one of the voices that clamoured for a local security network to aid the federal efforts on Security.”

The presidential aide then turned his attention to the operational challenges facing Amotekun in Oyo State. “Makinde praises Amotekun as his glorious ‘stop-gap,’ yet the reality in Oyo is tragic underfunding. While Lagos mobilizes billions for the welfare and resources of all security apparatus in Lagos state, Oyo sends brave Amotekun operatives into forests with pump-action rifles to fight AK-47-wielding syndicates. Press conferences don’t buy ballistic vests.” Historical records show that in August 2020, the Oyo State Government approved N59.78 million as a takeoff grant for Amotekun. However, critics argue this initial funding has proven inadequate for sustained operations against heavily armed criminal gangs. In contrast, Lagos State has consistently allocated billions of naira annually to security infrastructure across various agencies.

Olusegun questioned Makinde’s capacity to manage a full-fledged state police given his perceived inability to adequately fund the regional security outfit. “If Gov. Makinde cannot adequately finance, equip, and manage his own regional vigilante group, how does he plan to shoulder the colossal financial burden of a full-fledged State Police? State policing requires forensic labs, armories, pensions, and unassailable funding, not just loud rhetoric.” He further emphasized that President Tinubu understands that constitutional security reform “requires meticulous legality and rigid economic frameworks, not rushed politics to distract from local failures.”

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Olusegun concluded his statement by directly challenging the Oyo governor: “Before lecturing the architect of Nigeria’s most successful security funding model, Gov. Makinde owes the people of Oyo State a duty of care. Elevate Amotekun from a poorly funded political prop into a tactically superior force. Until then, the lectures remain hollow. Fix Oyo first!!! “

The exchange comes against the backdrop of a major security crisis in Oyo State. The abducted principal of Community Grammar School, Alamu Folawe, made a fresh appeal from captivity, urging President Tinubu and Governor Makinde to pursue dialogue over force to secure the release of herself and other abductees. “We are in the cold, we are under the sun, we are under the rain, the children and the adults as well. Please, we are begging you, don’t let them waste our lives,” she said in a video that has since gone viral. President Tinubu had earlier condemned the attack and renewed his call for the establishment of state police, with security agencies stepping up efforts to rescue the victims. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President said security agencies were stepping up efforts to rescue the victims and that the Inspector-General of Police was personally coordinating a technology-driven operation aimed at securing their release.

The latest verbal confrontation between the Presidency and Governor Makinde also carries significant political undertones. On May 14, 2026, just one day before the school abduction and two days before his APM primaries address, Makinde formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election under an alliance involving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM). At his declaration rally held at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, he launched the “Reset Nigeria Movement,” describing it as a platform for policy engagement, volunteer registration, grassroots coordination, and diaspora participation. Speaking at the rally, Makinde warned that Nigeria was drifting dangerously towards a one-party state, insisting that democracy itself was under threat if opposition forces failed to unite against what he described as systematic attempts to weaken alternative political voices. He declared, “Today, I, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, FNSE, announce my candidacy for the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the PDP/APM alliance.”

The Oyo governor has been actively building opposition alliances, hosting a major opposition summit in Ibadan in April 2026 that brought together former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and several other opposition figures. With his declaration, Makinde joined Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, and Adewole Adebayo among those expected to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. This political context adds another layer to the ongoing war of words, as Makinde positions himself as a leading opposition figure while the Presidency seeks to portray him as a governor failing to address security challenges in his own state. The battle lines are increasingly drawn ahead of 2027, with security governance emerging as a central theme of the emerging political contest.