Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured northern political leaders that the region has nothing to fear if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wins re-election in the 2027 presidential election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Shettima maintained that the North had benefited from the Tinubu administration through political appointments, infrastructure development and economic programmes, adding that the region stood to gain even more if the President secured a second term.

The Vice President made the remarks on Monday while receiving a delegation from Arewa for Tinubu (A4T), a northern political support group campaigning for Tinubu’s re-election.

He called on northern political leaders to unite behind the administration, arguing that another term for Tinubu would create more opportunities for prosperity, stability and development across the region.

According to Shettima, cooperation among political stakeholders would accelerate development and improve the welfare of people living in northern states.

He said, “Let’s unite as a people and work for the development of our region and the progress of our people through the re-election of this administration. We are benefiting and we stand to benefit more from this government in many ways.”

The Vice President also highlighted the administration’s agricultural interventions, disclosing that the Bank of Agriculture had disbursed ₦450 billion to 700,000 smallholder farmers across the country, with approximately 70 per cent of the beneficiaries coming from the North.

Shettima further noted that the Federal Government was working to complete major projects in different parts of the country. He assured the delegation that Tinubu remained committed to the development of the North.

“The present administration is working towards completing landmark and ground-breaking projects in parts of the country. I can assure you that the President loves the North and the President will work for the North,” he stated.

Earlier, the Director-General of Arewa for Asiwaju and former Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, pledged that the group would continue its mobilisation efforts to secure Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

Badaru explained that the organisation had held several engagements with influential political figures and that its Board of Trustees was preparing for further discussions to strengthen support for the President’s second-term ambition.

He said the group was also working with the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), particularly on grassroots mobilisation across local government areas and wards.

According to him, while the campaign council was handling broader political arrangements, Arewa for Asiwaju intended to concentrate on building support at the grassroots level.

The former governor said the organisation remained committed to engaging communities and political stakeholders to consolidate its support base ahead of the 2027 election.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the group’s Board of Trustees and former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, expressed confidence that the organisation would replicate its efforts in the 2023 general election to help Tinubu secure victory in 2027.

Shekarau also formally invited the Vice President to commission the organisation’s office complex.

Other prominent figures at the meeting included former Plateau State governors Joshua Dariye and Simon Lalong; former Taraba State Governor Jolly Nyame; former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello; former Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema; former Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda; the President’s Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman; and the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Buba Marwa.

Several government officials and members of the organisation’s Board of Trustees and secretariat were also in attendance.

Dangote Group is reportedly considering extending the subscription period for the initial public offering (IPO) of its refinery by two weeks to give more investors across Africa the opportunity to participate.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The proposed extension would shift the closing date from October 13 to October 27, 2026, according to sources familiar with the development.

Sources at the refinery disclosed the plan to TheCable on Monday, explaining that several African stock exchanges were still developing platforms to enable investors in their respective countries to subscribe to the offer.

“The major reason is because most exchanges in Africa are just creating platforms for participation,” one of the sources said.

The Dangote refinery officially launched its IPO on September 14, offering 4.1 billion ordinary shares at ₦525 per share. Investors are required to purchase a minimum of 10 shares.

Upon completion of the offering, the shares are expected to be listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

If fully subscribed, the IPO is projected to raise ₦2.15 trillion to support the refinery’s expansion plans.

Dangote Describes Offer As ‘People’s IPO’

The Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has described the share offer as the “People’s IPO”, saying it is designed to give members of the public an opportunity to own a stake in the refinery.

Dangote said the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to sharing its prosperity with the public and allowing more people to participate in its growth.

“We fully share all our prosperity with the people. That’s why we call this ‘People’s IPO’. We know the journey has actually just started. It’s not only about the refinery,” he said.

The proposed extension, if implemented, would give prospective investors additional time to participate in the share offer while African exchanges continue preparing the necessary subscription platforms.

Former Imo State Governor and ex-Senator, Rochas Okorocha, has reportedly been arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to a report by The Sun, Okorocha was apprehended on Monday night at the REIZ Continental Hotel in central Abuja over allegations of criminal conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.

The reported arrest followed claims that the former governor had repeatedly failed to honour police invitations in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation, prompting the authorities to obtain a bench warrant for his arrest.

Okorocha was initially invited to the Force Headquarters in Abuja on September 2, 2026. However, the meeting was rescheduled to September 8 at the request of his lawyers, but he reportedly failed to appear on the new date.

Okorocha Previously Denied Arrest Warrant Reports

Before the reported arrest, Okorocha had denied claims that a court had issued a warrant for his arrest over allegations of criminal conspiracy, forgery and the use of false documents.

The former governor made the denial in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo.

He accused the Imo State Government of being behind what he described as fake news and threatened legal action against those responsible for circulating the reports.

Okorocha demanded that those behind the claims produce the purported court order within 48 hours or retract the reports.

Court Had Reportedly Issued Bench Warrants

Earlier reports indicated that a Senior Magistrate Court sitting in Abuja had issued bench warrants for the arrest of Okorocha and former Senator Ifeanyi Araraume.

Two other individuals, Timothy Ama Chuks and Amen Okorocha, were also named in the warrants over their alleged involvement in disputed All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election documents.

The warrants, reportedly dated September 9, 2026, were issued by Senior Magistrate Court 3 in Jiwa, Abuja, in cases numbered CR/M/JW/084/2026 and CR/M/JW/085/2026.

According to the reported court documents, the proceedings were instituted in the name of the Inspector-General of Police against the four individuals.

The warrants authorised police officers across the country to arrest the defendants and bring them before the court.

Despite the reports, Okorocha had previously described the claims as false and misleading.

He also alleged that Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, a media aide to Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, was among the first to circulate the story before other government aides and media organisations picked it up.

The allegations against Okorocha and the other individuals remain allegations and have not, in themselves, established guilt.