News
Obi to Tinubu: Where is Nigeria’s money? *Says, citizens facing hopeless future
Nothing outside President Bola Tinubu himself coming out to tell Nigerians what he has done with the commonwealth of Nigerians, especially from the huge savings gained through the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, would satisfy Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 election.
Obi, on Tuesday night, told the President, against whom he contested for the nation’s number one job that the situation in Nigeria at the moment was not one in which his aides would be prancing about with acidic tongues against his critics, but one in which he had to come out himself and explain to citizens what he had done with their money.
Undeterred by criticisms from the Presidency, the All Progressives Congress and supporters of the President to his earlier submission a fortnight ago accusing Tinubu of demolishing democracy in Nigeria, Obi, a guest of Prime Time, a public affairs programme on ARISE NEWS Network, pushed forward with his position of impending calamity for the country with the way it was headed.
“When you talk about improvement, they are not what you say, they are what people feel. I’ve heard people say jobs are being created, where are the jobs? If you talk about job creation anywhere in the world, you’ll see the figures. If you talk about improvement in education, you’ll see it, improvement in health, improvement in democracy – if you say the government is doing the right thing, they’re democratic, you’ll see it.
“You just mentioned Rivers State. So, where is it. It is not about going about saying investors are coming in, where are they investing? Companies are closing down. They’re leaving. Local companies – manufacturing – is going south. So, where is it? Nigerians are not seeing it. I’m one politician that moves around in Nigeria and I know the feeling of Nigerians.
“(Even in fuel prices) where did we start? We started with about N200 to over N1,000 and now slightly below N1,000. You have to look at where we started. You don’t just say it is coming down. No, where did we start? What has changed? Consider the income of the average Nigerian – those who are fortunate to have a job. What happens to them if they buy?
“I believe reforms take time for people to start seeing the gains, but people have to see a clear roadmap that what they’re sacrificing for – let’s take fuel subsidy, which they say has brought huge savings, where are the savings being channelled to? It is not just about the devaluation. If you say you’re making a lot of savings to be able to invest, where are you investing?
“You have to invest in critical areas of development and those critical areas of development are education, health and pulling people out of poverty. Are we investing it? No! This country has Universal Basic Education. But we have over 20 million children out of school. That is the critical area. It is basic education that is the critical area and we’re not doing anything in it.”
Obi gave example with the parlous situation in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where he said he saw over 40,000 people in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), camps out of school because of lack of facilities both in education and health, insisting that such people were the segment savings from the subsidy removal were supposed to touch the most.
“There are over 40,000 children in IDP camps around Abuja, I’m not talking outside Abuja. The one I visited is in Abuja, with over 4,000 people. They don’t have a primary health care, they don’t have a primary school. They used to have a primary school which was established by UNICEF, now closed down for the past three years. The kids are there.
“So, if you don’t have that in Abuja, where do you have it? Where? And this is the one you say is free. So, where is the money? “Nothing is convincing. You’ve said, I’m removing this, you have to sacrifice, you have to suffer. Where are you investing it? It has to be clear, it has to be verifiable. People have to see it. People have to feel it.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed the judgement of the federal high court in Abuja nullifying the timelines issued for the conduct of party primaries and the nomination of candidates.
Alex Izinyon SAN, leading a team of lawyers of the commission in a notice of appeal dated May 25, raised nine grounds it urged the appellate court to consider and vacate the judgment the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on May 20.
Apart from raising the issue of jurisdiction, which it said the lower court did not determine, INEC also maintained that the legal action the Youth Party (YP) initiated against it was not only hypothetical but academic.
Arguing that failure of the trial court to make pronouncements on the issues, resulted in the denial of fair hearing to the Appellant, the commission also stressed the lower court misinterpreted the provisions of the electoral act.
It said: “The high court erred in law when it held that: ‘It is clear from the wordings of Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the following can be understood. Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 mandates Political Parties to submit the names of candidates in prescribed forms of the candidates who emerged from its valid primaries which such a political party intends to sponsor at the elections, not later than 120 days before the date of the General Election.
“What is required of Political Parties to do under the Electoral Act, 2026 is to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, or any conference or meeting convened for the election of its executive committees, other governing bodies for nominating candidates.
“The Defendant is not mandated to impose a timeframe for political parties to conduct their primaries provided that it will be done and submitted not later than the 120 days provided by the Electoral Act, 2026. See Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
It was another day of misery in Kwara State, when daredevil terrorists reportedly stormed Yashikira Community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, and as has been the case in many of the attacks, abducting scores of residents including women and children.
But, apparently to register their authority, the gunmen, who were said to have operated for hours without challenge from the security operatives, were said to have torched the palace of the Emir.
The attackers, which reportedly occurred late Sunday night were said to have announced their presence through heavy firing and after storming the palace of the monarch during the period, set it on fire before whisking away their victims, but a similar attempt at the police station in the community, was repelled.
While some of the residents, narrated how the spent hours without resistance, leaving behind destruction and fear in the border community, another account said the villagers were caught unawares as the gunmen invaded the town under the cover of darkness.
However operatives made up of the police and military personnel, were said to have launched a manhunt immediately for the immediate rescue of the victims, including throwing a cordon in the area as part of the mission.
“The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”
These were the exact words of Olohundare Jimoh Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), with which he detailed how operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) scoffed at a N500million bribe to turn their eyes off the importation of a huge consignment of drugs imported into the country.
This was part of the details of a major breakthrough by the operatives after bursting a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, which led to the seizure of suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin.
In the operation, reportedly carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, the operatives, were said to have stormed a house in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.
The recovered drugs consisted of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect, Jimoh, said disclosing that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.
Offering further details, he said the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.
Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.
The AIG described the development as a reflection of the renewed professionalism and operational discipline being entrenched in the Force under the current policing strategy.
He noted that the success of the operation underscored the importance of deploying specialized police units alongside conventional divisional teams in tackling organized crime.
According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid containment strategies, intelligence-led policing, and professional conduct among the operatives involved in the raid.
“Rapid containment was achieved as the Special Protection Unit worked with divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.
“The operation was intelligence-driven, following months of surveillance and technical monitoring before the raid was carried out.
“The immediate rejection and documentation of the bribe attempt also reflect the standard expected from redeployed personnel at the divisional level,” Jimoh added.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism, saying the success of the operation validated the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun states.
The IGP noted: “Policing must be close to the people, and our specialized units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.
“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust.”
Disu further assured that the Force leadership would continue to reward integrity while holding officers accountable to the highest ethical standards.
Police authorities said exhibits recovered during the operation have been properly documented and will be tendered in court. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.
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