The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, has described Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), as a skit maker and comedian.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Basiru made the remarks while reacting to the AAC’s request to use the Presidential Villa in Abuja for the inauguration of its Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to grant it access to the presidential facility for the event. It also requested that the Presidency provide food, drinks and other logistical support for participants at the programme scheduled for November 11, 2026.

The requests were contained in a letter dated October 21, 2026, and signed by the party’s National Secretary, Oshiokhai Ikpeminioghena.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Basiru argued that Nigerians would take Sowore more seriously as a politician if he could secure a seat in a State House of Assembly.

He said, “Sowore is a skit maker. Let him struggle to even get a seat in the House of Assembly as a politician, and then people will begin to take him seriously.”

The APC national secretary also questioned the electoral strength of Sowore’s party, citing its performance in the 2023 general elections.

Taking a swipe at the AAC, Basiru said rejected ballot papers recorded more votes than the party during the election, using the claim to argue that the party lacked significant electoral support.

He stated, “Even rejected ballot papers had more votes than his party in the 2023 election. This shows that rejected ballot papers are more popular than his political party. So he is just making skit.”

When the television host challenged his assessment by suggesting that Sowore was a strong contender, Basiru dismissed the suggestion and maintained that the AAC leader lacked the political strength to pose a serious challenge.

“Which strong contender? He also knows that he cannot contend anything, if I see him, I will tell him, Sowore you are just a comedian,” he added.

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has expressed confidence in the ruling party’s chances in the 2027 general election, claiming that Northern Nigerians are firmly behind the APC.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

reports that Basiru made the statement during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, describing Northern Nigeria as a strong base for the ruling party.

He maintained that the APC enjoys support from influential political figures as well as ordinary citizens across the region.

To reinforce his position, the APC national secretary pointed to the involvement of prominent personalities, including former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, and the establishment of a campaign office known as Arewa for Asiwaju.

Basiru said the development demonstrated growing political support for President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.

He stated, “The strength of the APC is in the Northern part of this country and you will see it by the grace of God when election comes in 2027. On Saturday, we had the leading lights in politics, in economy, in industry gathering together to donate a campaign office they call Arewa for Asiwaju.

“Even some who are in the opposition party have changed, people like the former governor of Niger State Babangida Aliyu, now all of them are coming to join and work for the APC. The truth is that today, when you see the creme de la creme of Northern Nigeria, they are with us, you see the masses of Northern Nigeria are with us.”

Beyond the APC’s electoral prospects, Basiru also took aim at opposition parties over their reactions to electoral defeats, arguing that political actors must learn to accept both victories and losses in a democracy.

He referenced President Bola Tinubu’s position that politicians who celebrate electoral victories must also be prepared to endure defeat.

According to Basiru, the opposition should recognise that losing elections and court cases is part of the democratic process, rather than continually challenging unfavourable outcomes.

He noted that the APC had also experienced setbacks in political contests and legal proceedings but had accepted the outcomes, learnt from its experiences and moved forward.

Basiru said, “One of the things that our leader President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said is that anybody that wants that savour the joy of victory in a democracy must also be able to endure the pain when he loses. But in the case of Nigeria, it appears that the opposition only wants to win, they don’t want to lose. We have had our fair share of losses both in the court and in the political contests, and we have taken it, learn our lessons and moved on.”

The Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Viral Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats has assured Nigerians that the country is prepared to respond to the Ebola threat and work towards containing its spread.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The chairman of the task force and Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the assurance on Wednesday while addressing journalists after an emergency meeting at the State House, according to reports.

Gbajabiamila disclosed that the task force had been carrying out preparatory activities since its inauguration in June, noting that the measures put in place helped health authorities identify the index case reported a day earlier.

He explained that Nigeria had recorded approximately 44,000 flights into and out of the country since concerns about Ebola emerged in June. He attributed the country’s surveillance efforts to collaboration among the Ministry of Health, the task force and other relevant agencies.

“It’s very important to note this. Since the issue of Ebola came up in June, there have been about 44,000 flights in and out of Nigeria. So, it’s because of what the Ministry of Health, the task force and all the agencies have been doing. All hands have been on deck,” he said.

The presidential aide noted that the infected passenger initially showed no symptoms, with signs of the disease reportedly appearing four days after the woman arrived in Abuja.

According to him, the identification procedures and protocols established by health authorities enabled the case to be detected promptly, demonstrating Nigeria’s capacity to respond to the public health threat.

Gbajabiamila assured Nigerians that the task force would review and strengthen existing measures where necessary, while ensuring stricter enforcement of public health protocols.

“The Task Force is on top of it. NCDC is on top of it; everyone is on deck. We must build community trust and avoid panic, but it’s also important to state clearly that this is a collaborative effort between the government and the people,” he added.

He urged Nigerians to cooperate with health officials and comply with public health directives to support efforts to contain the virus.

Also speaking, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Mohammed Ali Pate, said Nigeria had competent health authorities and institutions capable of responding to the situation.

He listed private healthcare providers, immigration officials, aviation agencies, the Ministry of Interior and relevant authorities at the state level among those involved in the country’s surveillance and emergency response efforts.

Pate disclosed that health officials were conducting contact tracing and isolating individuals who had been in contact with the imported index case.

He explained that the Federal Government, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), had activated an incident management system to coordinate the response.

According to the minister, relevant agencies were working continuously, while hospital facilities and other emergency response capabilities had been activated to help contain the outbreak.

He urged Nigerians to adhere to public health guidelines, adding that most states had response plans in place and that the government was mobilising resources to strengthen preparedness.

Pate expressed confidence that sustained cooperation among government agencies, international health partners and the public would help contain the outbreak.

He also warned against spreading misinformation and unverified reports, noting that false claims could cause unnecessary panic.

The minister reiterated that the task force had met to coordinate the response, while the WHO and Africa CDC were working closely with Nigerian authorities to address the emerging public health threat.