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You ’re Not Doing Enough, Clerics Tell Buhari
Christian leaders across the country, in swift reactions, have flayed President Buhari on the statement, stating that Nigeria had much to tackle in terms of security and that “Buhari’s best is not enough.”
Archbishop of Lagos Province and Bishop of Remo Diocese, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Reverend Michael Fape, who noted that some security challenges were not devoid of political undertones, called for more efforts on the part of the Federal Government.
“I want to believe much of what is happening has serious political undertones. If we have a head of state and governors, who, at their different levels, are regarded as chief security officers, and security is not paramount to them, then the electorate need to ask why they hold such positions. I was following the political campaigns between 2014 and 2015 before President Buhari came on board and he made so many promises. I believe he has all that it takes to do more if he wants to do more.
“As far as security is concerned, as a civilian, I don’t see any difference between both administrations on security. The killings are still ongoing, such that even after the president visited some of the states affected, hours after, there were attacks. So, for someone to have the moral courage to say that, for me, it is very disheartening. He hasn’t done so much as far as security matters are concerned. Perhaps, because he is a politician, he feels that statement was suitable to the situation. It’s probably an attempt to defend his position. As far as I am concerned, on security, we have not had what we should have as a country. Everywhere is still tense. See the activities of killer herdsmen. If it were in a sane society, I think the IGP would have been summoned and something would have been done immediately the head of state spoke on that. I still believe the security matter is still as terrible as it was in the previous administration if things were like this then.
“On the Dapchi abduction, honestly, I’m a bit reluctant to speak on the matter, but then the scenario on Dapchi and Chibok is similar. The security of this nation is very fragile. We give kudos to some of the governors for the steps they have taken, particularly, the Benue governor. Benue is an APC-controlled state. The same scenario goes for some of the states where these things are happening.
“It is unfortunate that he has seen the reality on the ground that talking is not the same thing as action. There is more to be done as it relates to security in Nigeria. Herdsmen are killing without any sense of shame or condemnation because they have sponsors. There are people who own the cattle. We should find out who these individuals are unless they’re telling us that they are sacred cows and are untouchable. Otherwise, I don’t think there is any justification for the statement that this administration has performed better than that of another administration. Let them go back and work.”
Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Benue State chapter, Reverend Akpen Leva, in his reaction, called on President Buhari to stop the senseless killings of people in the country.
The CAN boss, who was reacting to the president’s submission that his administration had tried in curtailing general insecurity, noted that his best was not yet enough when it came to herdsmen’s attacks.
“Possibly, he was talking of crushing Boko Haram, but the issue of herdsmen is spreading. It happens in Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Kogi, even in Ekiti states, and there are killings and maiming at will. Let him tighten the security and stop the senseless killings,” he stated.
Leva, who noted that over the years, more than 500 churches had been burnt by invading herdsmen across Benue and Taraba, described the situation as “unfortunate.”
He called on President Buhari to work more on the security situation in the country, stressing that lives are sacred.
Leva who said that no amount of money could bring back lives that were lost appealed to the president to compensate the churches that were burnt.
He also appealed to public-spirited individuals and organisations to assist the church in this trying time, so as to be able to rebuild churches that were torched.
While enjoining Christians to intensify prayers for the security challenges facing the country, Leva urged them to continue to be law-abiding, and not to take laws into their hands.
“What we need now is more prayer. As Christians, we do not need to arm ourselves. That is why we have been preaching peace, because if Christians rise up and arm themselves, there will be anarchy in the country,” he stated while expressing assurance that the storm would soon be over.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
The governor announced the cabinet dissolution yesterday in a statement titled ‘Government Special Announcement’, signed by his new Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.
Governor Fubara directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
He thanked the outgoing members of the State Executive Council for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.
The three-paragraph special announcement read, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
“His Excellency, the Governor, has therefore directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
“His Excellency further expresses his deepest appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.
An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.
The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.
He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.
“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”
On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”
The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.
He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.
Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.
Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.
He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.
He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.
In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.
The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.
The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.
He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.
“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday expressed grief over the death of a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities and one of Africa’s foremost literary scholars, Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo.
Jeyifo passed away on Wednesday, drawing tributes from across Nigeria and the global academic community.
In a condolence message to the family, friends, and associates of the late scholar, Tinubu in a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, described Jeyifo as a towering intellectual whose contributions to African literature, postcolonial studies, and cultural theory left an enduring legacy.
He noted that the late professor would be sorely missed for his incisive criticism and masterful interpretations of the works of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
The President also recalled Jeyifo’s leadership of ASUU, praising the temperance, foresight, and wisdom he brought to the union over the years.
Tinubu said Jeyifo played a key role in shaping negotiation frameworks with the government aimed at improving working conditions for university staff and enhancing the learning environment in Nigerian universities.
According to the President, Professor Jeyifo’s longstanding advocacy for academic freedom and social justice will continue to inspire generations.
He added that the late scholar’s influence extended beyond academia into political and cultural journalism, where he served as a mentor to numerous scholars, writers, and activists.
Tinubu condoled with ASUU, the Nigerian Academy of Letters, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Oberlin University, Cornell University, and Harvard University—institutions where Jeyifo studied, taught, or made significant scholarly contributions.
“Nigeria and the global academic community have lost a towering figure and outstanding global citizen,” the President said.
“Professor Biodun Jeyifo was an intellectual giant who dedicated his entire life to knowledge production and the promotion of human dignity. I share a strong personal relationship with him. His contributions to literary and cultural advancement and to society at large will be missed.”
Jeyifo was widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential literary critics and public intellectuals. Among several honours, he received the prestigious W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2019.