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Obaseki’s Refusal To Back Shaibu As Successor: A Move To Safeguard Edo, Says Governor
Obaseki’s Refusal To Back Shaibu As Successor: A Move To Safeguard Edo, Says Governor
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has explained his decision not to support his former deputy, Philip Shaibu, in his bid to succeed him, citing the protection of the state’s interests as his primary concern.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Obaseki clarified that his reluctance to endorse Shaibu’s candidacy stemmed from political calculations within the state that were not in favor of Shaibu’s aspirations.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Obaseki addressed the rift between him and his former deputy during the lead-up to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election.
The disagreement culminated in Shaibu organizing a parallel primary election, declaring himself a candidate, but his candidacy was rejected by the party. Subsequently, due to the rift with Obaseki, the state House of Assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against Shaibu.
Obaseki, reflecting on the situation, stated, “I couldn’t understand the source of the ambition because it was evident that the odds were against him in terms of succeeding me, and I made that clear.”
“I couldn’t take the risk on his ambition because I have a duty to protect the people of Edo. So, I couldn’t gamble with their future.”
In response to his impeachment, Shaibu characterized the move as an assault on democracy in the country.
In a social media video, Shaibu asserted, “This isn’t just an attack on me as an individual but on the democracy we cherish.”
“It’s a perilous slide into dictatorship and a threat to the bedrock of our democracy. Let it be known that this impeachment was motivated by my ambition to contest the 2024 Edo State governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. An ambition that is a lawful right for all citizens of Nigeria.”
Here is a rephrased version of the article, stripping out the advertisements and extra navigational text, and cleaning up the formatting:....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami has declared that the country is experiencing the “worst time” in its football history. The damning assessment comes as the Super Eagles prepare to begin their qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
According to reports, Nigeria is scheduled to face Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, September 25, with kick-off at 5 pm Nigerian time. They will then travel to face Guinea-Bissau for their second Group L fixture on September 29.
Odegbami, a key member of the squad that helped Nigeria win its first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980, emphasized that the current crisis extends far beyond the senior men’s national team.
He pointed to the fact that both the Super Eagles and the Super Falcons failed to qualify for their respective recent FIFA World Cups. Furthermore, the country’s age-grade teams and domestic clubs have struggled significantly in recent competitions.
“It has never been this bad in our entire history that we didn’t qualify for the World Cup,” the 74-year-old told BBC Sport Africa.
“Our girls (the Super Falcons), who were African champions, failed to win a competition (the 2025 Women’s Afcon) that was just there for their taking. All our junior teams are not doing well. Our local league is not bringing in money. Something is definitely wrong.”
The dire situation has already triggered major upheaval within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). President Ibrahim Gusau, general secretary Mohammed Sanusi, and several executive committee members resigned from their posts in August.
Currently, a joint delegation from FIFA and CAF is collaborating with the National Sports Commission (NSC) to develop a roadmap for necessary reforms. Consequently, the NFF elections that were originally scheduled for September 27 have been suspended.
Beyond administrative issues, concerns regarding deteriorating infrastructure and a lack of investment have dominated the discourse surrounding Nigerian football. Odegbami noted that several stadiums that were once iconic venues have fallen into a state of disrepair after years of neglect.
He specifically cited the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos—which hosted matches during the 1980 and 2000 AFCON tournaments—alongside the Liberty Stadium (now Obafemi Awolowo Stadium) in Ibadan, Kaduna’s Ahmadu Bello Stadium, and the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar.
“I weep when I think of the amount of damage they have done to Nigerian football – the infrastructure that we had in the country, some of the historic monuments that were facilities for football in this country,” Odegbami said.
“Whether it was wilful, whether it was ignorance, they did irreparable damage to what was Nigeria’s heritage. Uyo is the best we have in Nigeria, but it is not half as good as what we had from the 1960s to the 90s.”
Odegbami concluded by contrasting Nigeria’s decline with major sporting investments happening elsewhere across the continent. He noted that Senegal is set to host the Youth Olympic Games; South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will stage the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup; Kenya will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships; and Morocco will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
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‘WE ARE NOT SCARED!’ Furious APC Governors Open Direct Lines With Atiku As Party Crisis Deepens
Some disgruntled governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are reportedly initiating contact with Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as tensions rise over the political maneuvering of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The friction stems from Wike’s leadership of the emerging Rainbow Coalition backing President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. Wike has maintained that the coalition’s support for the President does not extend to backing APC candidates in upcoming governorship and legislative races.
Key Factors Driving the Political Shift
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Threat to State Structures: Multiple sources revealed that Wike’s stance has deeply unsettled APC governors, who fear the coalition could destabilize their local political structures during the 2027 elections.
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Concerns Over Concessions: Insiders from northern political groups noted that the governors’ primary anxiety is Wike’s claim that President Tinubu has supposedly ceded specific states to the coalition for governorship contests.
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Alternative Alliances: With the political dynamics shifting, some dissatisfied governors are viewing Atiku and the ADC as a strategic network to protect their political survival and counter the influence of Wike’s coalition.
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The Staggered Timetable: Politicians are also recalculating their strategies based on the election schedule, which sets the presidential and National Assembly votes weeks ahead of the governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
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‘BEST PRESIDENT EVER!’ Masari Drops Massive Bombshell: No Past Leader Compares To Tinubu’s Masterplan.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and former Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, has declared his strong support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that he has not encountered any Nigerian leader with a better vision for the country.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Masari made this statement in a video published by the Hausa-language media platform HM Arewa while addressing a gathering of women in Kaduna. Drawing from his nearly 40 years of political experience across various administrations, Masari asserted that Tinubu’s roadmap for Nigeria stands out above the rest.
Key Highlights from Masari’s Address
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Unmatched Vision: Masari stated that he can confidently vouch, based on his decades in politics, that no past president has had a better plan to make Nigeria great than President Tinubu.
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Dismissing Critics: He dismissed critics claiming Tinubu has achieved nothing, characterizing them as individuals who refuse to recognize genuine progress.
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Rejecting Divisive Narratives: Addressing public discussions, he questioned whether religion belongs exclusively to any single ethnic group, such as the Hausa, Yoruba, or Igbo.
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Call for Family Influence: He encouraged the women present to use their voices at home to counsel their husbands and children, warning that divisive rhetoric is driven entirely by selfish interests.
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