Governor Seyi Makinde has attributed his political success and the achievements of his administration to divine grace rather than any human patron, declaring that he has "no political godfather" but only "God the Father". Speaking on Sunday during a special Thanksgiving Service at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Aremo, the Governor reflected on his path to office, which followed an eight-year pursuit. He noted that being the state’s eighth civilian governor was biblically significant, representing a "new beginning" for Oyo State. Key Highlights from the Celebration: Makinde assured residents that while his tenure ends in 2027, the foundations for the state’s future are solid. He hinted that his team remains intact to continue his administration’s work. Meanwhile, Former Anambra Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, lauded Makinde’s leadership as a "model for good governance," noting that Nigeria’s issues stem from poor management rather than lack of resources. The service marked Day Seven of a week-long series of events for Oyo @ 50, which included health outreaches across 33 LGAs and a public lecture at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan. The golden jubilee festivities, which began on January 26, are set to conclude on Tuesday, February 3, with a Gala and Awards Night to honor past governors and distinguished indigenes. The service featured special prayers led by the Most Rev’d Williams Aladekugbe, who commended the state`s progress in infrastructure and worker welfare.8 High-profile guests included the Governor’s wife, Tamunominini Makinde, and the First Lady of Osun State, Titilola Adeleke.

OGBOMOSO – The spiritual atmosphere over Ogbomoso was charged this morning as Prophet Gabriel Oyetunji JP led a transformative session of the NIWAJU-OLUWA programme on Brave 91.1 FM. Centered on the theme "An Open Book," the broadcast served as a prophetic catalyst for listeners seeking divine intervention and the breaking of ancestral barriers. During the session, Prophet Oyetunji emphasized that many are entering a season where "books of remembrance" are being opened, ensuring that past labors and forgotten blessings are finally rewarded. The ministry focused on several key spiritual breakthroughs Prayers were offered for hidden glories to be made manifest, transitioning lives from obscurity to a state of public celebration. The Prophet interceded for the opening of spiritual "eyes," enabling believers to discern divine scripts and navigate their destinies without confusion or stagnation. A strategic call was made for the "Book of Life" and the "Book of Mercy" to speak against ancestral bondages and inherited limitations. Followers of the ministry can catch replays or stay updated on upcoming prophetic broadcasts via the Akintayo Asamu Kowinrin Facebook Page or by subscribing to the Oniroyin1 YouTube Channel

Lagos — Founder and General Overseer of Freedom Apostolic Revival International Ministry (FARIM), Prophet Samuel Adebayo Ojo, popularly called Baba Authority, has said one of his priorities as a Christian leader is economic empowerment through job creation rather than the construction of large church edifices. Speaking during a recent ministration in Lagos, Prophet Sam Ojo said the Church must go beyond spiritual exhortations and play a practical role in addressing unemployment and poverty, particularly among youths. According to him, establishing industries that can absorb thousands of job seekers would have a more lasting impact on society than investing heavily in massive church buildings where people merely gather once a month. “I would rather build industries that will provide jobs for the people than build big churches,” he said. “When people are economically empowered, they can serve God better and live with dignity, with resources to feed themselves and their families.” Baba Authority, has he his fondly called, stressed that the gospel should translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives, noting that economic hardship remains one of the biggest challenges confronting families across the country. Prophet Sam Ojo added that his ministry is exploring initiatives that align faith with productivity, entrepreneurship and sustainable development, insisting that the Church must be part of the solution to Nigeria’s socio-economic problems. Prophet Sam Ojo, who has been in God’s ministry for over 20 years, is regarded as Nigeria’s top powerful prophet, truly called by God with special anointing, as verified testimonies accompany his ministry spread across Nigeria, UK, US and Canada.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister stated this on Friday in Calabar at the maiden edition of the National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction. The minister further noted that about 60 per cent of the nation’s population lived in multidimensional poverty, and that the capacity of sub-regional governments to address this challenge should be strengthened, as they remained on the frontline. “Nigeria today faces stark realities. Over 25 million citizens require humanitarian assistance annually, while more than 60 per cent of the population lives in multidimensional poverty. “States and local government areas are at the frontline of these challenges, and their capacity must be strengthened through financing, skills development, data integration, and institutional support, enabling locally led and context-specific solutions,” he stated. Doro emphasised that the theme of the meeting: “Beyond the National: Strengthening Sub-Nationals and Multi-Stakeholder Synergy for a Unified Approach to Humanitarian Response and Poverty Reduction” was apt as it directly addressed the reality. He added that Nigeria’s humanitarian and poverty challenges could no longer be addressed in silos, by isolated actors, or through fragmented interventions. According to him, they demand coordination, coherence, and collective responsibility across all levels of government and society. He said the council is the institutional vehicle for delivering the ministry’s vision of One Humanitarian, One Poverty Reduction System. He explained that the system is designed to harmonise interventions, eliminate duplication, align humanitarian response with poverty reduction, and ensure that all actors operate within a unified national framework. Similarly, Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, said the government was open to ideas and solutions that would improve the lot of the people. CSOs, media, others demand professional handling of protests Ruthless Bandits: How Nigeria ignores early warning signs, pays dearly On his part, Dr Peter Odey, the Deputy Governor of Cross River, said the state government would continue to do its best, within available resources, to mitigate challenges associated with the humanitarian crisis. He expressed optimism that, together, humanitarian actions could be made efficient, inclusive, and sustainable in line with the council meeting’s theme.

Yoruba nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has commended President Bola Tinubu, South-West governors and traditional rulers in Yorubaland for his freedom and return to Nigeria after nearly five years in exile. Igboho, who was declared wanted during the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari over allegations of stockpiling arms and ammunition, returned to the country on Monday. He had gone into exile following a raid on his residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on July 1, 2021, when a combined team of Department of State Services (DSS) operatives and military personnel attempted to arrest him. During the operation, two of his aides were killed, while 13 others were arrested. In a statement made available to journalists on Friday, Igboho expressed deep appreciation to President Tinubu for granting him pardon, describing the gesture as an act of mercy and statesmanship. “I deeply appreciate the mercy and magnanimity of our revered President Bola Tinubu, who graciously granted me freedom to return to Nigeria after intervention by stakeholders in the traditional institution,” he said. The statement continued: “While I would not take this opportunity and freedom for granted, I am ready to collaborate with the Federal Government in tackling the ravaging insecurity and support measures aimed at enhancing peace and socioeconomic growth in the country, mostly especially in the South West. “It is also very germane to appreciate all the South West State governors, namely Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti) and Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), for their critical support and enviable roles. “While commending the South West governors, I want to single out Governor Seyi Makinde for his giant strides in the steady development of Oyo State. “The visible impacts of his administration in virtually all the sectors and enviable infrastructural growth of this state have greatly turned around the aesthetics of Oyo to the envy of all. “Similarly, I want to congratulate him on the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Oyo State, which showcased noble roles played by statesmen and past leaders, whose significant contributions laid stronger pedestal for the healthy developments being witnessed today. “But my gratitude over the current freedom which I savour would be ineffectual without recognising the timely intervention of all Yoruba monarchs. “Special recognition goes to the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Olushola Alao, and other monarchs too numerous to mention.” “Besides, the love and support from all Yoruba indigenes are too massive and I will continue to cherish everyone while also recommitting myself to the peace, unity, growth and protection of the collective interest of our ethnic nationality,” the statement concluded.

The Bauchi State Economic Council has approved monthly stipends for imams and pastors across the state. Governor Bala Mohammed chaired the council meeting on Friday, with senior officials from the state’s finance and revenue sectors in attendance. Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Head of the Bauchi State Civil Service, Barrister Mohammed Sani Umar, said the council agreed that imams in Juma’at mosques and Christian clerics of different denominations should receive monthly allowances. He explained that the payments will cover religious leaders regardless of their sect or church affiliation. “The final step is to work out the economic and financial implications for the effective implementation of this policy,” Umar said. He also revealed that the council discussed plans to begin salary payments for newly appointed emirs and district heads in the state. According to him, the government has already made sufficient financial arrangements to support the payments. In a related development, the governor’s Chief Economic Adviser, Alhaji Yahuza Adamu Haruna, said the council reviewed how salaries are managed in the state. He explained that the government partnered with Onyx Investment Advisory Limited to clean up the payroll and remove ghost workers. The exercise, he said, uncovered more than 3,000 fictitious names on the payroll, helping the state save over N4.16 billion. “By August 2024, the state government took over salary payments from the consulting firm. Previously, the process was riddled with complaints, but since the exercise was concluded, there have been no further complaints,” Haruna said.

The governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has said there is no going back on the order to shut down the Main Market in Onitsha, a decision that has generated tension in the state since it was made on Monday, following traders’ refusal to resume business on a sit-at home day. Soludo in a press briefing on Wednesday described the continual stay at home by traders in the market as economic sabotage and would not be allowed to continue. He insisted that even if it meant revoking the ownership of shops of those who failed to comply or even taking total possession of the market and demolishing it, he would do it to ensure that things are gotten aright. He said: “I want to say that the Monday sit at home is deliberate economic sabotage and would not be allowed to continue. Throughout the yuletide the market was open from Monday down to Saturday and in most cases opened on Sundays too. “For people who say the Monday decision is because of insecurity, why were there no incidences when traders opened all through the week? Now that normal businesses have commenced, they have started their Monday sabotage. They go for meetings on Monday, go to the stadium to exercise and they do not fear insecurity. “Why is their target Nnewi and Onitsha? The majority of those doing it are not from Anambra. As I drove to Onitsha on Monday, all markets were open. In most cases there was street trading and it was even difficult for us to meander our way. Other markets were open and I drove through Ochanja, but the major target is Onitsha Main Market. When we got there, it was not open. We think this is deliberate and it has to end.” The governor traced the history of the sit at home order on Mondays to the 2021 protest over the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), but said that he visited Kanu in prison and he was unhappy about the decision and called for an end to the order. “I visited Kanu and he was unhappy about it. I confronted him with the question (sit at home order) and he told me it was wrong. We later met with the stakeholders, constituted the Justice Peace Committee which was headed by Prof. Chidi Odinkalu and they have submitted their report and we have been implementing it. “We also discovered that the people outside are the ones fueling it and we have held town hall meetings to tell them they are killing the homeland. You cannot distort the growth of people and education, the same people you said you are fighting for. “We announced amnesty programme and 15,400 youths came out and we have rehabilitated them. We are working to give young people a life and other people are there working to give them pain. “The rest of the world cannot adjust to our own calendar, we cannot operate a four-day economy and hope to compete with people operating six days of the week. So we must stop. This is not because of fear of insecurity because we have over 150 security personnel working in the main market only.” Speaking on what the government is losing in terms of revenue, Soludo said the cost is much, but not about government revenue, but about the economy of the poor people and the overall stability of the state. “The cost is much and not as a result of loss in taxes because Onitsha generates pittance. I’m talking about the larger economy, which is more on the traders themselves. Monday is the most important day of the week and if we continue, our economy will continue to come down. We can’t train our children in a school system that runs four days a week. “I’m concerned because you gave me the mandate to be your Chief Servant. If not, what do I lose? I can as well shutdown and use my Mondays to sleep too.” Soludo insisted that some politicians were behind the the efforts to sabotage the state in the hope that they will score some political points with it. “Some politicians are involved and they think it’s politics. It is not about politics, it is about security, the interest and future of our state. It is about our prosperity, it is about our security, it is about the poor people who must go out before they can feed. “For now, we will not name the politicians who are sponsoring them. At least for now, but very soon we will name them. They are doing this because they think they can score political points by sponsoring this. “This economic sabotage must not continue. In 2022 and 2023 we were busy strategizing on how we would deal with the insecurity in our land. In 2024 and 2025, we used it to launch onslaught on criminals, and today I can say that Anambra is the safest state. Even if our enemies do not agree, they will count us among the safest states in Nigeria. This 2026 is for fighting sit at home. It is either they open their shops or we revoke their ownership. “If it gets to this point, we will ask them to come and show us their documents of ownership of the shops, and I will personally scrutinize it myself. Most of those documents, we know how they came about. “For those shouting “show me the law where you can close our shops”, I want to say that they should be ready when I show it to them. I will also show them the law that empowers me to revoke that market and use it for whatever is better for the state. I can revoke that market, pay compensation to people who have private structures there and use it for even an annex of Agunechemba Security if I like. “I hope that push will not come to shove, but in the next two weeks, we will start recertification. A lot of people want shops in that market, so if you are not ready to open shops, go elsewhere. We will revoke your shops and give it to people who are willing to open,” a defiant Soludo stated.

The Senate on Wednesday, shifted the consideration of the report on Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill to Thursday, January 29 but one of the major recommendations is electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Result Viewing Portal, IREV after counting of votes. Recommendation was also made for more stringent measures against buying and selling voters’ cards by any agent of political parties by increasing the penalty from N500, 000 to N5, 000,000 million. The report of its Committee on Electoral Matters, chaired by Senator Simon Lalong (APC Plateau South), earlier scheduled to be presented and debated clause by clause on Wednesday, was stepped down. The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central), who suggested the postponement, however, said copies of the report should be circulated to all the Senators for scrutiny ahead of clause by clause consideration on Thursday. Approving the suggestion, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio also informed the Senators that a brief closed door session would be held on the report before general consideration at the Committee of the Whole. A copy of the report obtained by our correspondent, shows that on page 45, a new subsection (3) was introduced into the 2022 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025 to check manipulation of results and ballot box snatching. The section pointedly states that “INEC shall electronically transmit election results from each polling unit to IREV portal in real time and such transmission shall be done simultaneously with physical collation of results.” In the report, a new subsection 2 was also introduced to section 77 to make the offense of failure of Presiding Officers to sign and stamp ballot papers and results announced by them, punishable. Section 47(2) and (3) were also amended by substituting the words “smart card reader” with the words “Bimodal Voter Accreditation System” The Committee on Electoral Matters in the report, also amended section 54(1) to check abuse of electoral process by those who take advantage of visually impaired and incapacitated voters by barring any political party agent , candidate or official from accompanying such voters into voting compartment. In his remarks, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio appealed to all Senators to study copies of the report given to them ahead of final consideration on Thursday during plenary. “Distinguished colleagues, as suggested by the Leader, please let’s look into the report very well ahead of final consideration tomorrow first from closed door session and at Committee of the Whole,” he said.

The Lead Pastor of Champions Faith Assembly, Prophet Joshua Iginla, has shared his views on the controversy surrounding a recent statement attributed to Korede Komaiya, in which he said he would never follow a poor pastor. His comment has sparked widespread debate across religious and social circles. Iginla, while addressing the controversy in a video message titled “The Poor Versus the Rich,” said Komaiya’s remark was widely misunderstood and taken out of context, stressing that it reflected a personal conviction shaped by exposure, experience, and individual values rather than an attack on poor people or pastors. “What is wrong with the statement? It is his personal opinion,” Iginla said. “If you want to follow a poor pastor, follow one. If you want to follow a rich pastor, follow one.” He argued that perspectives on leadership often evolve with time and exposure, noting that what may have been unacceptable years ago could become understandable in light of changing realities. The pastor questioned why poverty is frequently spiritualized in the church while prosperity is treated with suspicion. “If I say today the topic of our message is poverty, will you sit down?” he asked. “Do we teach people how to be poor?” He clarified that material wealth should not be confused with spirituality, stressing that a person’s spiritual depth is not determined by financial status. According to him, prosperity operates on principles that anyone who applies them, regardless of religious affiliation, can benefit from. “You can be poor and make heaven like Lazarus. You can be rich and make heaven like Abraham, David, or Solomon,” he said. Iginla also warned against what he described as the intimidation of people who openly embrace prosperity, insisting that both poverty and wealth are choices influenced by decisions, systems, and knowledge.

The presidency has said that President Bola Tinubu is hale and hearty, stressing that he does not have any health condition. This is coming after an incident of President Tinubu, stumbling and falling briefly in Türkiye during a state visit. The President had fallen briefly during a ceremonial parade organised for his reception in Türkiye on Tuesday. Reacting, the presidency said the incident was caused by the not well-laid blue carpet. “President Tinubu has since resumed his official assignment. “He is currently in a bilateral meeting with Turkish authorities after which they will address a press conference,” the presidency said.