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Atiku Defeats President Buhari As Most Engaging Political Leader In Nigeria

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…As Olawepo Hashim tops APC presidential hopeful

In build up to 2023 general election in Nigeria, politicians across the country are engaging the populace on various social media platforms especially tech giant, Facebook, to sell their candidature to the people and Grand Plan Communication, a new media, baseline research and communication outfit, that has been monitoring their online engagements and the issues they are discussing has published a new report for the month of August.

In the latest report by Grand Plan, former Vice President, Alh Atiku Abubakar emerged most engaging political leader in Nigeria. The former Vice President overtook President Muhammed Buhari and Mr Gbenga Olawepo Hashim in online engagement, both of whom were most engaging political leaders in Nigeria for the month of July, 2021.

This was contained in a report released on Friday by Grand Plan in Abuja, Nigeria.

In a statement by the Executive Director of Grand Plan, Mr Abdulrazaq Hamzat, the monthly social media engagement rating is to keep tab on the online activities of political leaders in Nigeria, especially those identified as potential presidential hopeful for 2023 that may seek to succeed the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari.

In the month of August, Atiku Abubakar recorded 317,500 engagements on his Facebook page, followed by former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki who recorded 198,300 engagements and Gbenga Olawepo Hashim, who recorded 160,800 engagements.

Olawepo Hashim came second, after President Muhammed Buhari in the month of July and in August, he slipped to third position in the overall rating.

However, despite slipping to third position in the overall rating for August, Olawepo Hashim still remains most engaging political leader in the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), while Alhaji Atiku Abubakar remain most engaging political leader in the country aswell as in the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

According to Grand Plan, following ban on popular micro blogging platform, Twitter few months ago, Nigerian politicians have become more active on Facebook and most of them have made the platform their preferred medium of communication with the people.

Facebook is the most popular social media platform in the world with over 2.8billion users. It is also by far, the most popular social media platform in Nigeria with over 65% control.

While their are over 104 million internet users in Nigeria, only 33 million of them are on social media, with Facebook having over 30% of the total internet users and more than 95% of social media users, with its over 31 million Facebook users in Nigeria, some of whom also uses other social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat Tiktalk etc.

Data by Grand Plan showed that, President Muhammed Buhari, who emerged most engaging political leader for the month of July, slipped to 4th position, going three steps back, while Atiku Abubakar who was in third position in July, went two steps up to clinch top position for August.

According to data released by Grand Plan, Atiku Abubakar overtook President Buhari and Olawepo Hashim, both of whom were ahead of him in the July edition of the report.

“Other political figures, including Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Chairman of Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Elrufai and others are still behind in social media engagements”

Grand Plan explained that, “President Muhammadu Buhari, who was on top in July with over 296,000 engagements saw his engagements go down to 96,700 in August and on the other hand, Olawepo Hashim who came second in July saw his engagements rose more than double, from 98,000 in July to 160,800 engagements in August, but still couldn’t stop Atiku Abubakar and Bukola Saraki from overtaking them both.

While opposition figure, Atiku Abubakar’s july engagement rose by more than 600% in August, Bukola Saraki’s rose by more than 400%, that of Olawepo Hashim also rose by more 100%, being the best from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

“Atiku Abubakar’s last 8 posts recorded the 317,500 engagements, Olawepo Hashim’s last 6 posts recorded the 160,800 engagements, while Bukola Saraki’s last 19 posts recorded the 198,300 engagements”

” On the other hand, the engagement of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State went down by more than 100% in August”

Executive Director of Grand Plan, Abdulrazaq Hamzat said that, increasing engagement imply growing interest in the candidate while decreasing engagement signify disenchantment.

Hamzat also explained that, contrary to popular belief that claimed suspended micro blogging platform,tweeter is the platform for youths, available record shows that Facebook still remains the dominant social media platform for youths.

According to him, 65% of Facebook users are under the age of 35, which means that they fall under the age demographic of millennials and generation z. It is also important to note that between 25-34 years old accounted for 32.5% of Facebook users, whereas just 2.9% of users were aged between 55 and 65 years.

Grand Plan observed that, while most of the 2023 presidential hopeful were discussing general social issues that is not connected to governance, Olawepo Hashim maintained his policy based discuss, while Bukola Saraki focused on party politics.

“Olawepo Hashim focused on issues of anti corruption beyond 2023, nation building and making the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) a party of ideology”.

Grand Plan monthly social media rating of political leaders in Nigeria is released last week of every month.

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Oyo 2027: Adelabu Quits As Power Minister To Focus On Guber Race

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The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has formally resigned from his position in the Federal Government to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State.

In a resignation letter dated April 22, 2026, and addressed to the President, Adelabu stated that his resignation will take effect on April 30, 2026, to enable him to focus on his governorship ambition in Oyo State.

The letter, routed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, stated that he was stepping down with “a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude.”

He wrote, “I write with a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude to formally tender my resignation as the Honourable Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This resignation is to take effect on 30th April 2026, in order to allow sufficient time for a smooth and orderly handover of responsibilities.”

Adelabu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve, describing his appointment as a privilege.

He said, “Your Excellency, I remain sincerely grateful for the privilege and confidence you reposed in me by appointing me to serve our great nation in this capacity.

“It has been a rare honour to contribute to national development under your leadership and to play a role in advancing reforms in the power sector—one of the most critical foundations of Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic transformation.”

The former minister said his resignation was to enable him focus fully on his governorship ambition in Oyo State, citing provisions of the amended electoral law.

He added, “My decision to step down is informed by my intention to focus fully on my gubernatorial ambition in Oyo State. This aspiration, which dates back to 2016 during my service as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, ultimately led to my voluntary resignation from the Central Bank in 2018 in order to pursue the same goal.”

“In line with the provisions of the Amended Electoral Act 2026, which preclude political office holders from contesting elections, I consider it both appropriate and necessary to resign at this time.”

Adelabu’s exit marks a major political development ahead of the next electoral cycle, particularly in Oyo State, where he is expected to contest the governorship election.

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Wale Edun, Musa Dangiwa Resigned Voluntarily, Not Sacked – Presidency

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The Presidency has clarified that Wale Edun (former Finance Minister) and Ahmed Musa Dangiwa (former Housing Minister) voluntarily resigned from their positions and were not sacked by President Tinubu.

In a statement released this evening April 22, presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga, said that contrary to public opinions, Wale Edun resigned on health grounds while Dangiwa also tendered his resignation and thanked the President for the opportunity given him to serve in the Federal Executive Council.

Onanuga stated that Edun, who clocked 70 on Monday and has battled recent ill health, fittingly submitted his resignation letter on his birthday, thanking the President for the opportunity to serve Nigeria.

“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve your administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda, Under your leadership, Nigeria has emerged stronger, more resilient and more internationally respected. I wish you and the administration every success in the future” he wrote

Onanuga stated that on Tuesday, before the Office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation announced his departure from the Cabinet, Edun paid a valedictory visit to the President at the Villa and held an hour-long discussion with the president and then left to focus on his private businesses.

The presidential aide stated that President Tinubu has expressed deep appreciation to Edun and Dangiwa for their dedicated service and significant contributions to the administration’s economic reform programme and wished them continued success in their future endeavours.

‘’In the same vein, the President has urged the new Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, to consolidate ongoing reforms and advance the administration’s fiscal and economic objectives with renewed focus, discipline, and innovation.

President Tinubu will shortly send the ministerial nominee for housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, also from Katsina, like Dangiwa, to the Senate for confirmation” the statement concluded

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Unity Bank, Experts Advocate Green Investment, Climate Innovation To Drive Economic Resilience

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Nigeria’s retail lender, Unity Bank Plc, alongside leading climate innovation experts, has called for increased investment in the green economy and the adoption of frontier technologies as critical pathways to driving economic resilience and reducing the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations across Africa.

The call was made during a thought-provoking webinar hosted by the Bank to commemorate this year’s Earth Day, themed “The True Cost of Climate Change and Who Pays?”. Climate experts and stakeholders convened to examine the human, economic, and institutional costs of climate change, while spotlighting practical solutions to address its growing impact.

In his opening remarks, Unity Bank’s Head of Strategy and Innovation, Ibukun Coker, emphasised the urgency of addressing climate risks from both a societal and business perspective.

He said: “Climate change is no longer a distant or abstract challenge. It is an existential threat with direct consequences for individuals, businesses, and economies. At Unity Bank, we recognise the role institutions must play in incorporating sustainability in project financing, supporting businesses and promoting solutions that build resilience in communities where we operate.”

The webinar featured Chinwe Udo-Davis, Founder and CEO of Instollar, and Oluwatosin Ajide, Programme Manager at the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre, both of whom provided insights into the drivers of climate change and the pathways to mitigation and adaptation.

Speaking during the session, Udo-Davis highlighted the disproportionate burden which climate change places on underserved communities and the need for inclusive solutions.

“The true cost of climate change is not evenly distributed. Communities with the least resources are often the most affected, whether through energy poverty, environmental degradation, or limited access to sustainable alternatives. Addressing this imbalance requires intentional investment in clean energy solutions that are both accessible and scalable.”

Ajide underscored the importance of coordinated, system-wide approaches in tackling climate challenges, particularly through innovation and policy alignment.

“Climate change is fundamentally a structural problem, and its solution requires a paradigm shift: from innovation and policy to financing and implementation. Stakeholders must work collaboratively to drive solutions that are sustainable and inclusive.”

The session also explored emerging opportunities in climate technology, renewable energy, and ecosystem financing, reinforcing the role of innovation and cross-sector collaboration in building long-term resilience.

By hosting the webinar, Unity Bank continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing sustainability-focused dialogue and supporting initiatives that promote responsible growth and environmental stewardship.

The initiative underscores the Bank’s broader strategic focus on environmental sustainability as well as its commitment to financial inclusion.

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