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Afenifere To Tinubu: Go After Sponsors Of Terrorism

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THE Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Monday, urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure his administration goes after those sponsoring terrorism in the country and stop making excuses, saying it will serve as a deterrent to criminals.

Afenifere, in a statement jointly signed by its Publicity Secretary, Gboyega Adejumo, and Assistant Publicity Secretary, Justice Faloye, warned that Tinubu could not afford to fail in the critical national assignment, like his immediate predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.

In yet another indication of the worsening insecurity in the country, no fewer than seven persons were shot dead on Sunday at an evening market in Zurak, Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State, when suspected bandits invaded the market.

Reacting to the state of the nation, Afenifere said now was the time for the president to demonstrate political will and courage to annihilate the monstrous individuals killing and abducting people in their hundreds, particularly innocent school children, and giving Nigerians heartache and sleepless nights.

The group said it would be disastrous and disappointing if Tinubu would, like his predecessor, treat the blood-squealing terrorists with kid gloves, when he ought to deal with them head-on with a view to making the criminals pay for their heinous acts.

Afenifere also called on Tinubu to commence restructuring of the country to operate regional governments under a parliamentary system, while his recent pronouncement on state police should be allowed to have its foothold.

The group bemoaned the unbearable economic hardship Nigerians were currently experiencing under Tinubu, saying the naira has suffered the worst devaluation of 35 percent, the very first massive devastation of the naira in history, in just the first nine months of his administration.

On the recent killings in Plateau State as well as abduction of over 100 school children in Kaduna, Afenifere said the agents of destabilisation, who had dealt severe blows to the past administrations, had just begun to test Tinubu’s willpower.

It said the earlier the president let them know it was not going to be business as usual the better it would be for his government and Nigerians.

The statement said, “The recrudescence of this human tragedy is as clear to the Afenifere as the daylight is distinct from the eventide. Since this democracy took off, this pattern remains constant, ever present; create chaos, destabilise the government, embarrass the president, finally, disgrace the president out of office.

“No president since 1999 has escaped this scourge, coming with the political Sharia against Obasanjo, the Niger Delta violent political agitation of Obasanjo and Yar’Adua and cleverly solved by the duo.

“The Boko Haram religion-later-turned-political instrument to embarrass a sitting southern Christian president as it was with Jonathan, who was told to convert to Islam, followed by the kidnapping extraordinaire of the Chibok girls type, the final shuck that shocked Jonathan out of office.

“This ‘Àbíkús’, coming once a regime and for repeated times from as far back as the Zango Kataf crisis, come with land grabbing, human displacement and subjugation of a people over another, often planned, aided, lauded and prompted by those self-styled as owners of Nigeria.

“President Buhari openly displayed and practised the five “P”s: He prevaricated to them. He pampered them. He protected them. He paid them. He played along with them.

“They were terrorists; Buhari curiously preferred to call them bandits. Their acts as aggressors, killing farmers, destroying their produce, stealing indigenous peoples’ lands, clearly marked them as terrorists.

“Buhari’s government would rather term these acts as farmers/herders clashes. The most disturbing expository, elucidatory, explicative realities about the whole saga is that these terrorists are known to government.

“Kabiru Sokoto, the Christmas Day bomber in a church in Abuja, in 2012, was found hibernating in the guest house of the then former governor of Borno, now the Vice President of Nigeria. Hermeneutic.

“A former Director of the Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Hajia Naja’atu Mohammed, fired her former party, alleging that the then vice presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, now the vice president, is a sponsor of terrorism. The former APC chieftain said this during a television interview on Arise Television.

“Sheikh Gumi openly goes into the dense forests to meet terrorists in the company of those trained to eradicate terror, but rather than arrest them, the Sheikh openly gives the terrorists money.

“For a job well done or for the future jobs yet to be done in the name of terror, for it never takes long after the monies were openly paid that yet another terror act is carried out. It never ever served as a determent. It was always to the country’s detriment.

“Former Governor Ortom of Benue suffered the most. After hundreds of Benue indigenes were killed and their ancestral lands taken away from them, the terrorists had the nerve to drop a note, a promissory note that they will yet be back on New Year’s day to ‘finish the job’.

“The then governor did what a sensible governor would do, took the letter to Buhari. The president, after studying the said letter, told the governor to ‘go and make peace with his neighbours,’ only a complicit does that.

“Mr. President, you have to be brutally reminded of these recrudescence in history, a disease constant, an Àbíkú, real, clear and present.”

Afenifere recalled how the leaders of the Southern and MiddleBelt Leaders Forum, under the leadership of Chief Ayo Adebanjo, had in an open letter after the 2023 Christmas eve massacre in Plateau State, when over 300 people were killed, told the president that he could not afford to be “another Nero who fiddled while Rome burnt.”

The group explained, “On Christmas Eve in 2023, there was a massacre on the Plateau. Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Leader of Afenifere, led other leaders that make up the four zones from the South-west, South-east, South-south, and the Middle Belt on a condolence visit to the governor and to the Gwom Gwom Jos and to the entire people on the Plateau.

“About 300 humans were slaughtered like rams. An open letter written, jointly signed by the leaders of the SMBLF, (Southern and MiddleBelt Leaders Forum) in which you were tasked, specifically to turn yourself into a Hero and not a Nero, the one who fiddled while Rome burnt.

“That letter will always be constantly ringing in your ear, never to go away. A hero makes history, is not afraid, does not turn a blind eye. Mr. President, arrest these perpetrators now! No more excuses Mr President.”

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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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