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Wike finally appears in public, says Tinubu best thing to happen to Nigeria
Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has finally put to rest speculations over the state of his health with his public appearance when he led a delegation of the people Abuja and environs to visit President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, on Sunday.
There had been immense speculations over issues of his health with some people on social media claiming that he was flown to France, after he allegedly collapsed at a function, which heightened when he was not seen in public for some days.
But Wike, whose home, Rivers State, had been on political fire since October 2023, reaching the anticlimax with imposition of a State of Emergency, ended the speculation with his visit to the President, whom he once again showered with profuse accolades.
Wike, who was at the Presidential Villa to pay Sallah homage to the President, told his host that the FCT residents were “deeply grateful” for his leadership and not only willingly donating their unwavering loyalty but would ensure the success of his “exemplary programmes and policies.”
His words: “The residents of the FCT are deeply grateful for your leadership and the initiatives that are being undertaken to enhance the well-being of all of us. We reaffirm our unwavering loyalty and support for the renewed hope agenda and pledge our continuous cooperation in ensuring the success of your exemplary programmes and policies.
“Despite our different backgrounds, we are united in our unwavering support for your administration and the renewed hope agenda. This unity demonstrates the collective commitment of the people to national progress and development under your visionary leadership.”
Tinubu, who praised the Minister for doing a good job, said his efforts had restored abandoned projects in the FCT and improved healthcare facilities, added that the feat was more remarkable considering that the former Governor of Rivers State was not from the North.
Recounting the conversation between him and the Minister, the first non-northerner since 1999, Tinubu, explained that it was because of the sterling and staller performance that convinced him to remove the FCT from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to enhance faster development.
Hear the President: “I remember the day Nyesom Wike came to me and said, ‘Please, take us out of this problem of TSA so that I can do more work and achieve more’,” Tinubu said.
“Then I said, ‘Okay, tell me what you’re about to do.’ And he presented it. I threw in my own political guide: ‘Would that give me any opportunity for my party to win the election in FCT?’
“I said, ‘I know where you are coming from, your own party or my party. If this thing goes too much in your own favour, you will lose your job.’ Then he said, ‘Okay, we settle that, Oga.’ Surprisingly, Nyesom Wike is not from the north. He’s not a Hausa man. He’s from the southern part of Nigeria.
“His ability to work in the centre of the northern part of Nigeria is yielding fruits. That is a very good reflection of our diversity that we must use for our prosperity.”
Tinubu appealed for unity among Nigerians, emphasising the need to support one another in both times of joy and need.
On his part, Wike said removing FCT administration from TSA, appointment of permanent secretaries, and creation of FCT civil service commission have enhanced governance and service delivery in the capital city.
During the visit, Wike, who invited the President to the commissioning of projects completed in the past 12 months to commemorate Tinubu’s second anniversary, presented a Sallah special greetings card to Tinubu on behalf of the people of the area.
Nafiu Bala Gombe, the man on whose behalf the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is currently in a prostrate state, has admitted to getting outside help in prosecuting his legal matters against the David Mark camp.
Recall that Mark, former Senate President and Rauf Aregbesola were, last week, derecognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and had their names struck out based on the case filed by Gombe on September 2, 2025.
The commission had relied on the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal, which ordered parties in the case to maintain status quo ante bellum, which it interpreted to mean that it should not deal with either side.
Against the backdrop of the dust the matter had raised across the country, the embattled ADC leadership, had accused the former Deputy Chairman of being sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to play the spoiler role to enable President Bola Tinubu have no challenge in the 2027 presidential election.
Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the Mark camp, had last week, stated this much when he wondered how Gombe, who on his own could not afford an ordinary lawyer, going by his financial status, would now be hiring more than three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to represent him, which would probably run into tens of millions of naira.
Reacting on Tuesday, Gombe admitted getting outside help, but added that such assistance was not coming from government quarters or the APC, but from public-spirited individuals and Nigerians averse to the injustice being meted out to him.
Abimuku Monday, spokesman to Gombe, who spoke during an appearance on Morning Briefs, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, on Tuesday, told his host: “Before now, they were saying these people are big weights and we’re light weights. Now, we’re suddenly being seen as human beings. Earlier, we were seen as nobodies – as boys who don’t have capacity to challenge this in court.
“They say Nafiu Bala does not even have money to pursue his case. You see, that’s how they reduce people by their own estimation. They don’t find out who people. They have forgotten that for you to seek legal actions, there are so many ways to go about it.
“It is either you use your own money or your personal relationship with people. Does it mean that somebody in politics cannot have his own friends or cannot have lawyers as his friend or cannot have other members of the society as his friends.
“These are not members of the APC. They don’t belong to any party. They’re citizens of this country, who mean well for Nigeria. Nobody is scuttling the coalition. The fact remains that if you have a challenge, people will rally around you knowing it’s a good cause you’re fighting. People will rally around you to give you the necessary support that you need. They even called my principal a small boy.”
Serah Luca, a Christian woman, has returned N1 million she unknowingly took along with goods purchased from a trader at Terminus market in Jos, Plateau state capital.
Luca, a petty trader, reportedly said she made the purchase on Friday and only discovered the hidden cash after getting home.
She said her decision to return the money was driven by fear of God and her belief that she could not keep what did not belong to her, especially knowing the hardship that comes with losing money in business.
“I am a petty businesswoman. I know what it means to suffer loss. If I put that kind of money into my business, I believe God would punish me,” Daily Trust quoted her as saying.
The trader, Abubakar Dola, who deals in polythene bags at Terminus market, expressed surprise at the woman’s honesty, noting that he had no idea where the money went after mistakenly placing it inside the bag she bought.
Dola said he had planned to transfer the cash through a point of sales (POS) operator but became worried when he could not see the polythene bag where the money was kept.
“I mistakenly included it in what she bought. I didn’t realise until days later, and I had already given up hope. For her to return it after three days is remarkable. I pray Allah rewards her and gives us more people like her.”
“The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” were the words with which US President Donald Trump, flashed the redlight signal over what could be the fate of Iran in the coming hours, after a month-old war, which saw leaders of the Islamic nation, all but totally obliterated.
The POTUS, who on Saturday, gave Iran 48 hours to to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic approaches, or comply or risk facing “hell,” later threatened that the US would blow up Iran’s power plants and bridges if Tehran failed to adhere to his warning.
However, in his latest threat on Monday, Trump told reporters that Iran had until Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (1 am WAT) to make a deal, adding: “We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business – burning, exploding and never to be used again, I mean complete demolition – by 12 o’clock. And it’ll happen over a period of four hours if we want it to. We don’t want that to happen.”
Nafiu Gombe: Yes, I have sponsors! *I can’t fight ADC big men alone!
Woman returns N1million discovered in purchased items to owner
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