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Nasarawa Stands Still For PDP …Atiku Promises Youth-Driven Govt …As PDP Hails DR Congo, Vows To Beat APC
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has promised to run a youth-driven administration if given the mandate in the February 16 general election, as Nasarawa State virtually stood still the party’s presidential campaign yesterday.
Atiku gave the commitment yesterday at the PDP presidential campaign in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
According to the presidential hopeful, the essence of running the youth driven administration was to prepare them to garner experience for effective governance.
“Let me make this commitment that 40 per cent of my government will be dedicated to the youth and 30 per cent to the women.
“This is because I want the youth to garner enough experience to be able to take over from us,” Atiku said.
He urged the people to vote for the PDP in the forthcoming general election in order to end hunger, poverty and insecurity in the country.
The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki called on the people of the state, especially the youth to vote for the PDP and Atiku as president so he would create massive jobs and reduce restiveness in the country.
He noted that the standard of living of Nigerians had not improved within the last three years, hence the need for them to vote for Atiku to get the country working again.
Similarly, Mr Uche Secondus, PDP National Chairman and Mr Peter Obi, Vice Presidential candidate of the party urged the people to turnout massively to vote for Atiku and all PDP candidates during the election.
Secondus, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to exhibit high sense of neutrality and avoid compromising the electoral process in the interest of democracy in the country.
“If INEC and the security agencies love this country, they should allow free, fair and credible election,” Secondus said.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus and the party’s presidential candidate for the February 16 election, Atiku Abubakar, has vowed that the party would crush Boko Haram insurgency in the North East and guarantee employment opportunities for Nigerians if voted into power.
Speaking yesterday at a campaign ground in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Secondus said Atiku would end the Boko Haram attacks, improve on the current state of the nation’s economy by providing jobs to the unemployed Nigerians and make life better for Nigerians.
Secondus also warned security agencies against rigging the elections, saying there would be consequences if they do so.
“We warn the INEC and the security agencies not to rig this election. If they want to rig this election, they are planning for crisis in Nigeria. Will you accept any rigged election?
“Let them be warned that if they love this country, they should not attempt to rig this election; if they love this country, they should allow free, fair and credible election.
“We have come with the candidate who will provide employment for all of you, we have come with the candidate who will wipe away poverty; he has done it before, he will do it again. We have come with a candidate who is coming with digital architecture for Nigeria,” he said.
Also speaking, Atiku said, “Now, I want to ask you, do you want to continue with the poverty rate we have in this country? So, will you vote for APC? No way! Do you want to continue with the unemployment rate we have in this country? Are you going to vote for APC? Never; do you want to continue with the insecurity in this country?
“Before, they said it was only North-East, today, the insecurity has gone to North-West, it has gone to North-Central, do you what to continue like this?
“Because, they don’t know how to govern, and if you don’t want to continue with all these vices, I appeal to you to vote for PDP and defend your votes.”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, yesterday, congratulated the winner of the presidential election in Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshiekedi, while pointing out that his victory was a sign of things to come in Nigeria’s general election.
Tshiekedi was announced the winner of the election by the country’s electoral body yesterday, beating the preferred candidate of the ruling party to third place.
In a statement issued by the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, signed by the Director, Media & Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the “PPCO said the defeat of ruling party’s candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, is another pointer to the impending defeat of President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 16 presidential election, as African nations consolidate on entrenching purposeful leadership in the continent.”
The statement added, that the victory of the opposition party in DR Congo, would serve as a morale booster for Nigeria’s voting population.
“The victory of opposition candidate and particularly the relegation of the ruling party to third position in the election despite the daunting challenges is a confidence booster for Nigerians on Atiku Abubakar’s victory despite the shenanigans and rigging schemes of the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress.
“Nigerians should not also forget that in March 2018, the opposition candidate in Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio defeated the ruling party’s candidate. In December 2017, opposition George Weah defeated the sitting Vice President Joseph Boakai of Liberia while in December 2016, opposition party candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo defeated the incumbent President of Ghana, John Mahama.
“Those relying on rigging to shortchange Nigerians on February 16 should, therefore, be reminded, that as demonstrated in the DRC, the power of the people remains greater than the power of this nepotistic few,” the statement concluded.
The Airbus A330-200 carrying the president took off at 2:20 pm local time, yesterday.
Tinubu was seen off at the airport by the Governors of Kwara, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Borno, Babagana Zulum; Kaduna, Uba Sani; Sokoto, Ahmad Aliyu; Jigawa, Umar Namadi; and Yobe, Mai Mala Buni.
Also present were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Mexico, Reno Omokri, alongside other government officials.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had revealed this in a statement signed Wednesday titled ‘President Tinubu departs Abuja for Makkah to pray for the nation.’
According to the statement, the visit will afford the President an opportunity for spiritual reflection, devotion, and prayers for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability, and continued progress.
“While in Makkah, President Tinubu will perform the religious rites associated with Umrah, seeking Allah’s guidance and blessings for Nigeria and its people,” the statement said.
Before departing Abuja, Tinubu commissioned some equipment acquired by the Nigerian Air Force for its operations at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The President is expected to return to the country next week after completing the spiritual exercise.
Thursday’s visit to Makkah marks the second time Tinubu is performing Umrah since assuming office.
The President had previously visited the holy city in November 2023, shortly after the Saudi-African Summit held in Riyadh, where he also prayed for divine guidance in leading Nigeria.
The trip to Saudi Arabia is the latest in a series of foreign engagements by the President since he was sworn in on May 29, 2023.
Tinubu has visited more than 30 countries in over 50 unique and recurrent trips.
They include countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East, including France, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, India, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Senegal, and several others, on a combination of bilateral, multilateral, and diplomatic assignments.
Meanwhile, Tinubu has unveiled PenCare, a national healthcare initiative designed to provide free medical services to pensioners, beginning with low-income retirees.
Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, at the opening of the National Pension Week in Abuja, yesterday, said the initiative formed part of his administration’s welfare package for senior citizens.
PenCare is designed as a national retiree well-being programme aimed at improving access to essential healthcare, particularly for pensioners with limited financial resources.
In his address, themed “Pensions for All: Building a Secure Future Together,” the President said a strong pension system was both a social protection necessity and a pillar of economic transformation under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the pension system could also mobilise long-term domestic savings, deepen financial markets and support productive investments.
Tinubu described pensions as an obligation to workers who had served the country, rather than a favour from the government.
“A pension is not a favour granted by Government. It is a wage earned, deferred and held in trust. It is a promise. And this Administration has resolved that the promise will be kept,” he said.
He added that the success of the pension system should be measured by the security and dignity it provided retirees, rather than the volume of funds accumulated.
“Above all, no Nigerian who has served this nation will be forgotten in retirement. Nigeria will keep faith with those who kept faith with Nigeria,” he said.
The President said his administration had taken steps to restore dignity, security and value to the Contributory Pension Scheme.
He also said he had approved a N758 billion Federal Government Pension Bond to settle accrued pension rights and strengthen the Pension Protection Fund.
“That was not an accounting exercise. It was an act of restitution to Nigerians who served their country and were made to wait for what they had earned,” Tinubu said.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Omolola Oloworaran, has insisted that the June 30, 2027 deadline for pension fund administrators and custodians to complete their recapitalisation remains unchanged.
Oloworaran said the exercise was necessary to strengthen institutions responsible for safeguarding the retirement savings of millions of Nigerian workers.
“We are not changing our minds. The industry must move beyond the growth in pension assets to building institutions strong enough to safeguard the savings of millions of Nigerian workers.
“Size is what we have achieved. Strength is what we now demand,” she said.
The Rivers State Government has called on stakeholders, community leaders, parents and relevant education authorities to intensify efforts to identify and enrol out-of-school children across Nigeria, stressing that every child deserves access to quality and inclusive education.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara made the call, yesterday, during the regional campaign on engaging community structures to promote the enrolment of out-of-school children and the regional flag-off of the 2026/2027 enrolment drive for southern states, held in Port Harcourt.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Dagogo Wokoma, Governor Fubara reaffirmed that education remains a fundamental pillar of sustainable development and emphasised the need to ensure that no child is left behind because of economic hardship, social background or other barriers to schooling.
He noted that expanding access to education was essential to promoting sustainable development, social inclusion and equal opportunities, enabling children to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society.
The governor urged participating states and communities to translate their commitments into concrete and measurable actions by reaching vulnerable children, strengthening community engagement and encouraging parents and guardians to make their children’s education a priority.
He reiterated the state government’s commitment to initiatives aimed at expanding access to education, particularly for children excluded from formal schooling.
“Rivers State remains committed to supporting initiatives that expand access to inclusive and quality education, particularly for vulnerable children who may have missed the opportunity to attend formal schools,” Fubara stressed.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, described the growing number of out-of-school children as one of the major challenges confronting the education sector.
She called for a collective and collaborative approach among governments, communities, parents and other stakeholders to address the problem, stressing the need to ensure that no Nigerian child is denied the fundamental right to education.
The programme was organised by the Universal Basic Education Commission in collaboration with the Rivers State Government, as part of efforts to strengthen community participation and promote school enrolment across the southern states for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared the sum of N2.428 trillion among the Federal Government, 36 states government and the 774 Local Government Councils (LGCs) as revenue for the month of September.
The Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), Mr Bawa Mokwa, said this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
Mokwa said the allocation was approved by FAAC at its October meeting held in Abuja.
He said the N2.428 trillion distributable revenue comprised of statutory revenue of N1.672 trillion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N756.587 billion.
Mokwa quoted the FAAC communiqué as saying that total gross revenue of N3.913 trillion was available in the month of September 2026.
He said a total deduction for cost of collection was N131.758 billion while total transfers, refunds and savings of N1.352 trillion.
According to him, a gross statutory revenue of N3.096 trillion was received for the month of September 2026.
“This was higher than the sum of N2.850 trillion received in the preceeding month by N246.384 billion.
“Gross revenue of N816.872 billion was available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) in September 2026.
“This was lower than the N834.843 billion available in the month of August 2026 by N17.972 billion,” he said.
Mokwa explained that the Federal Government received N832.242 billion and the state governments received the sum of N799.872 billion.
He said the LGCs received N560.660 billion, while the sum of N236.049 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting state as derivation revenue.
Mokwa said in the N1.672 billion distributable statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N756.583 billion and the State Governments received N383.749 billion.
He said the LGCs received N295.855 billion and the sum of N236.049 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.
The director said from the N756.587 billion distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue, the Federal Government received N75.659 billion, the State Governments received N416.123 billion and the LGCs received N264.805 billion.
“In September 2026, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Hydrocarbon Tax (HT), Petroleum Royalties, Import Duty, CET Levies and Excise Duty increased significantly.
“Also, Companies Income Tax (CIT), CGT & SDT, Value Added Tax (VTA), Mineral Royalties, and Gas Flared Penalty, Rental Gas Flared Fee and Misc. Oil Revenue decreased considerably,” he said.
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