Reasoning Behind the Ticket: African Democratic Congress (ADC) Lagos State deputy governorship candidate Babatunde Gbadamosi explained that he accepted to run alongside governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour for the 2027 election to empower younger leaders rather than waiting for an indefinite “tomorrow” [cite: The Lagos State Deputy Governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Babatunde Gbadamosi, has explained why he accepted to serve as the running mate to the party’s governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, in the 2027 governorship election., He said his decision was driven by his conviction that younger Nigerians should be given opportunities to lead rather than being repeatedly told that they were “leaders of tomorrow.”].....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Historical Precedents: Gbadamosi highlighted past young leaders in Nigerian history—such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his cabinet in the 1950s, Anthony Enahoro moving for independence at age 23, and Mobolaji Johnson becoming Lagos military governor at 31—proving that youth-led administrations can succeed when paired with experienced advisers like Adeniran Ogunsanya, S.L. Edu, and Ganiyu Olawale Dawodu [cite: Gbadamosi cited the Action Group administration in the Western Region in the 1950s, led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was in his early 40s at the time, while several of his colleagues were in their 20s and 30s., Naija News reports that he also recalled that Anthony Enahoro was only 23 when he demanded Nigeria’s independence on the floor of Parliament., Speaking specifically about Lagos, Gbadamosi recalled that Mobolaji Johnson became the state’s first military governor at the age of 31., He said Johnson surrounded himself with older and more experienced men, including Adeniran Ogunsanya, S.L. Edu and Ganiyu Olawale Dawodu, who served in his cabinet., According to Gbadamosi, the combination of youthful leadership and experienced advisers helped produce one of the most impactful administrations in Lagos’ history.].

• Support for Rhodes-Vivour: Having previously helped Rhodes-Vivour secure a ticket in 2022, Gbadamosi expressed confidence in his early-forties running mate, calling it the ideal stage where youthful energy merges with wisdom [cite: He said he was also proud to have played a role in helping Rhodes-Vivour secure the Labour Party governorship ticket in 2022, pointing to the younger politician’s age and what he described as his unique skill set., Gbadamosi maintained that he still considers Rhodes-Vivour’s abilities the best fit for Lagos at this time., “Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is in his early forties- a perfect time when the energy of youth meets the wisdom of experience,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.].

• Call to Action for Lagos: Criticizing the political establishment for 27 years of poor governance, he urged residents to back the ADC ticket to build a better future instead of accepting recycled promises from older politicians [cite: He criticised the older generation of politicians for repeatedly telling young Nigerians that they would become leaders in the future, arguing that some of those who promoted the slogan had assumed leadership positions themselves at relatively young ages., The ADC deputy governorship candidate urged Lagos residents seeking what he described as a better state to support the Rhodes-Vivour-Gbadamosi ticket in the 2027 election., He also accused the political establishment in Lagos of decades of poor governance and called on residents to reject what he described as a system that had failed to adequately protect the future of younger generations., “If you want to Make Èkó Great Again, and build a better Lagos than the one we have all endured for the last 27 years, please join Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and I, and help us to chase away the locusts that want to feed on your children’s future, while telling you to your face that their youths will be your leaders tomorrow,” he said.].

Budget Office Indicted: The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has indicted the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) for failing to conduct proper due diligence, allowing the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), headed by Adeyemi Adeniyi, to be included in the 2026 federal budget [cite: The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has indicted the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) over lapses that allowed the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), headed by Adeyemi Adeniyi, into the 2026 federal budget.].....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Lack of Independent Verification: According to the ICPC investigation reported by Premium Times, the BOF processed the council without independently verifying its legal existence or enabling instruments, relying instead on an administrative code from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) and unverified scanned documents attributed to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) [cite: reports that the Budget Office is responsible for preparing and coordinating the annual federal budget based on submissions from ministries, departments and agencies., According to Premium Times, this was disclosed in the commission’s investigation into the activities of the organisation., The ICPC reports revealed that the Budget Office processed and onboarded the PFIPC into the 2026 budget despite visible gaps in its documentation., It accused the Budget Office (BOF) of not independently verifying the legal instrument establishing it., The investigation found that the BOF relied on an administrative code issued by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) and establishment-related documents attributed to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), without independently confirming their authenticity or establishing the council’s legal existence., Instead, the copy in its file was a scanned document.].

• Budget Recalculation and Control Failures: Although a N3.85 billion personnel cost was initially proposed via a flash drive, the BOF recalculated it to N1.3 billion using the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure due to a lack of approved salary schedules, and proceeded despite incomplete submissions and a lack of adherence to internal Standard Operating Procedures [cite: On 20 August 2025, a budget proposal submitted on behalf of the PFIPC contained a proposed personnel cost of N3.85 billion. The submission was accompanied by a flash drive containing details of the proposed personnel expenditure., However, the Budget Office did not adopt the proposed figure because there was no approved salary structure from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission. The ICPC said the office recalculated the personnel expenditure using the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure., It arrived at a total allocation of N1.3 billion, comprising N802 million for personnel, N200 million for overhead and N300 million for capital expenditure., The investigation found that the Budget Office proceeded with the onboarding despite the incomplete submission., The investigation also examined the Budget Office’s Standard Operating Procedure for the Expenditure Department, which sets out how budget proposals from government institutions are to be received, reviewed and uploaded into the annual federal budget., The ICPC found that these safeguards were not effectively applied in the PFIPC case.].

• Findings and Recommendations: While investigators found no evidence that the allocated funds were ever cash-backed or spent, the ICPC highlighted broad internal control weaknesses and recommended that the BOF tighten onboarding requirements for new agencies, while Adeyemi maintains his innocence and plans to prove his case in court [cite: The commission said available evidence established that a budgetary provision was made for the purported agency, but did not establish that the money was released, cash-backed, paid or spent., The Commission identified broader weaknesses in the Budget Office’s internal controls., The commission recommended that the Budget Office strengthen its onboarding requirements for newly established ministries, departments and agencies by making the submission of all mandatory establishment instruments and budget documents a prerequisite for inclusion in the federal budget., The purported chairman of the ‘fake’ agency, Adeyemi has maintained his innocence, insisting that he would prove his case in court.].

End of Boycott Threat: European football nations are poised to withdraw their threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving key assurances from the global governing body, averting a standoff between UEFA and FIFA President Gianni Infantino [cite: European football nations are set to back down from their threat to boycott FIFA competitions after reportedly receiving assurances from the world football governing body., The development is expected to end an immediate standoff between UEFA and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, following a controversial proposal that had sparked strong opposition from European football officials.].....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Origins of the Crisis: The tension began last month when UEFA threatened to pull European teams from FIFA events over Infantino’s controversial plan to sell private investor shares in a commercial venture tied to the World Cup. Although Infantino dropped the proposal, UEFA sought guarantees against future structural changes.

• Upcoming Tournaments: Following assurances reported by Sky News to be discussed in Monaco, England and other European nations are set to participate in the upcoming FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland as scheduled, resolving the immediate crisis [cite: According to Sky News, those assurances have now been provided and are expected to be discussed during meetings in Monaco on Thursday., The development means England and other European countries are expected to take part in the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland next week as scheduled., Their participation will bring an end, at least for now, to the threat of a European boycott of FIFA competitions.].

• Leadership and Elections: While UEFA and various global vice presidents have challenged Infantino’s leadership, the Under-20 tournament offers him a public platform ahead of the Women’s World Cup in June 2027 [cite: UEFA has remained at the forefront of efforts to challenge Infantino’s leadership, with reports suggesting that some FIFA vice presidents from Asia, Europe and North America have also backed the push., The Under-20 Women’s World Cup is also expected to give Infantino a chance to make a public appearance as FIFA president despite the ongoing divisions within the organization., reports that the next senior FIFA tournament will be the Women’s World Cup in June 2027.]. Meanwhile, Infantino has yet to declare his stance for the presidential election slated for March, with prospective candidates facing a November deadline to secure backing from at least five football associations [cite: However, the tournament will come after the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March next year., Infantino has not yet publicly declared his position regarding the election, while potential candidates have until November to secure the backing of at least five football associations required to enter the race.].