A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso, has argued that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, lacks the political influence, stature and widespread acceptance enjoyed by former President Muhammadu Buhari, making him less capable of posing a serious challenge to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Kwankwaso made the assertion in a statement issued on Monday, maintaining that Atiku could not match the political strength Buhari commanded, particularly across northern Nigeria.

According to the APC chieftain, Atiku cannot depend solely on Hausa-Fulani support to defeat Tinubu, insisting that the political dynamics in the North have changed significantly since previous elections.

He also questioned Atiku’s performance during his eight years as vice president, challenging him to demonstrate the achievements of his time in office.

Kwankwaso said voters were increasingly interested in leadership performance, development and policies capable of improving their living conditions rather than ethnic or religious affiliations.

“Atiku is not Buhari. He does not possess the size, stature and acceptance of the late Nigerian President to pose a threat to President Tinubu.

“Atiku has yet to show Nigerians what he achieved during his eight years as vice president. Voters are now more concerned about leadership performance, development and policies that can improve their lives than ethnic or religious sentiments.

“The North has gone beyond primordial sentiment, and his penchant for relying on the ethno-religious card will certainly fail him,” he stated.

The APC chieftain further alleged that some of Atiku’s political associates were worried about his prospects of securing sufficient support among Hausa-Fulani voters ahead of the 2027 election.

Despite efforts by opposition parties to build a regional alliance against Tinubu, Kwankwaso expressed confidence that the President would remain a strong contender in northern Nigeria.

He maintained that attempts by opposition figures to unite regional interests against the incumbent would not necessarily diminish Tinubu’s electoral prospects.

“Tinubu would remain a formidable contender in the North despite attempts by opposition forces to build a regional coalition against the President,” Kwankwaso added.

Former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has expressed doubts about Nigeria’s prospects under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, warning that the country may achieve little if it continues along its current path.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Duke made the remarks on Monday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme aired on Eagle 102.5 FM in Ilese-Ijebu.

He clarified that his criticism of Tinubu’s administration was not driven by personal hostility, stressing that their longstanding friendship remained intact despite their political differences.

“President Tinubu is my friend since 1998, but I don’t like the direction he’s going. I think we will not achieve much going in this direction. But when it comes to personality, we remain friends,” Duke said.

The PRP presidential candidate was speaking against the backdrop of Nigeria’s economic challenges and ongoing efforts by opposition parties to form a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Duke criticised the hardship experienced by Nigerians, insisting that the success of government policies should be measured by their tangible impact on citizens’ lives rather than official declarations of economic progress.

He also questioned the effectiveness of measures introduced by the Tinubu administration to ease the burden of fuel subsidy removal, foreign exchange reforms and other economic policies.

When asked about government interventions such as conditional cash transfers, small business grants, student loans, minimum wage increases and the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Duke challenged the interviewer to identify any programme that had significantly improved his personal circumstances.

“Not one of these policies, would I say, has benefited me in any way,” he stated.

He further argued that temporary financial assistance could not serve as a lasting solution to the country’s economic difficulties, maintaining that sustainable development depended on improving productivity and creating opportunities for citizens to earn stable incomes.

According to Duke, the government’s priority should be to establish conditions that enable Nigerians to become economically productive instead of depending on occasional grants and financial handouts.

“I told you that the mission statement of a government ought to be the productivity of its people,” he added.

Veteran Nollywood actor Yinka Quadri has disclosed that he voluntarily abandoned his education at a young age to help his father manage the family business and address a disagreement involving a relative.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The actor explained that his decision was driven by a desire to ease the burden on his father, who had become heavily dependent on a relative working in the family’s trading business.

Quadri shared the experience during an interview on the African A-List Podcast, published on YouTube on Saturday, October 10, 2026.

According to the veteran actor, his father never pressured him to leave school. Rather, he made the decision himself after observing the challenges facing his family and the situation surrounding the business.

He explained that the issue involved his late uncle’s son, who had been sent to work with his father to learn the family’s trading business.

Quadri said their parents had agreed that the young man would spend 10 years learning the trade before returning to his own family.

However, the arrangement continued beyond the agreed period, with the relative spending 16 years working alongside his father.

The actor noted that his father had grown so attached to the relative that he treated him almost like his own son, making the situation more complicated.

Explaining his decision to leave school, Quadri said, “I decided to leave school because I wanted to help my father manage the family business. My father depended heavily on my uncle’s son to run the business because he had spent many years learning the trade.

“Our parents agreed that he would spend 10 years learning the business before returning to his family. By the time I decided to leave school, he had already spent 16 years working with my father instead of the 10 years they initially agreed on. My father had become so attached to him that he treated him almost like his own son.”