Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has accused President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi and other prominent politicians of prioritising the acquisition of political power over the welfare of Nigerians.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Lamido argued that many political leaders lack strong ideological convictions, adding that their actions have contributed to the instability affecting the country.

reports that the former governor made the remarks while speaking to journalists in Dutse, Jigawa State, after presiding over the inauguration of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 2027 Governorship Campaign Council.

The former Minister of Foreign Affairs also criticised the controversy surrounding the removal of the petroleum subsidy, describing the disagreement between the Presidency and Atiku’s supporters as a dispute among members of the same political establishment.

According to him, the country’s challenges, including insecurity, poverty and the management of fuel subsidy revenues, cannot be adequately addressed without effective law enforcement.

He said, “Let me start by saying that during the Jonathan era, there was a semblance of law and order and, therefore, the subsidy, whether they removed it or not, the money was coming to us directly.

“The issue now has become very controversial and contentious. To me, the issue of energy or fuel subsidy, security and poverty in the country are not properly handled by all sides because it is all about law and order.

“If there is law and order, the money being generated from the fuel subsidy could go down to the people because nobody would be allowed to steal the money.

“But because there is no law and order, the money is being cornered by a few people. Therefore, I can tell you that it is a kind of mafia thing.”

Lamido maintained that weak law enforcement had created an environment in which corruption, banditry, terrorism and other criminal activities could flourish. He accused successive administrations of failing to tackle the fundamental causes of these problems.

The former governor argued that Tinubu, Atiku and Obi were addressing only the symptoms of Nigeria’s challenges rather than confronting their underlying causes.

“In Nigeria today, people don’t obey common traffic lights, so how do you build a nation like that? Therefore, to me, Tinubu, Atiku and Peter Obi are merely scratching the issue on the surface, talking about the symptoms without addressing the causes.

“The root cause is indiscipline, lack of law and order and the courage to enforce them. If I am running for president, I would not say anything about subsidy or insecurity. I would say to Nigerians, give me your votes and I will guarantee you the enforcement of law and order.

“When you do that, the issue of those stealing your money would not be there anymore,” he said.

Lamido further alleged that some of the politicians criticising the country’s problems would be unwilling to enforce the law because their associates allegedly benefit from the existing system.

“So, I don’t think those shouting about it would have the courage to enforce law and order because their people are the main beneficiaries of the current rot.

“In a nutshell, APC, ADC and NDC are all parts of our problems because all the monies are being siphoned by their people,” he alleged.

He described Nigeria’s widespread poverty and economic hardship as avoidable, insisting that the country possesses sufficient natural and human resources to improve the living conditions of its citizens if public funds are properly managed.

Lamido also questioned the political alliances involving Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, noting that they are associated with parties other than the APC.

“You see, in a country where there is no moral radar, where anything goes, what do you expect? I mean, we have lost our self-worth, we have lost our essence as humans. We are just like people at war, and we can do anything anyhow.

“If not, how can somebody in APGA, PDP and Accord go and support APC? But then, this is Nigeria for you. What that tells you is that we are in big trouble in this country,” he said.

Commenting on the cross-party political alliance described as a rainbow coalition, Lamido said the arrangement was neither new nor surprising.

He recalled that similar political realignments preceded the PDP’s defeat in the 2015 presidential election, which brought former President Muhammadu Buhari to power under the APC.

Lamido cited Atiku, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and former Senate President Bukola Saraki among prominent politicians who broke ranks with the PDP and supported the APC ahead of the election.

“If Atiku, Kwankwaso, Saraki and others voted for APC against the PDP in 2015, is that not a rainbow coalition? It is the same rainbow coalition when people in one political party vote for another party.

“But I have been consistent. I have been myself because I am grounded in my ideological conviction, whereby we believe that politics is all about human development, human empathy, human dignity and decency. It is not a personal enterprise, looking for positions,” he declared.

Lamido maintained that politics should be driven by ideological principles, human development and concern for citizens rather than personal ambition and the pursuit of political appointments.

Alex Iwobi and Akor Adams found the back of the net for their respective clubs, while Rafiu Durosinmi continued his impressive scoring run as Nigerian footballers experienced mixed fortunes across Europe last weekend.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Tochukwu Nnadi provided an assist for Marseille, while Samuel Adeniran also scored in Austria.

However, Victor Osimhen failed to register a goal or assist for the first time in 19 consecutive league appearances for Galatasaray, while Nigerian goalkeepers Maduka Okoye and Chiamaka Nnadozie each conceded three goals.

Iwobi Scores Fulham’s Winner

Iwobi scored the decisive goal as Fulham secured a 1-0 victory over Hull City at Craven Cottage on Saturday, earning their first Premier League win of the season.

The midfielder struck in the 33rd minute after receiving a pass from Sander Berge on the edge of the penalty area. His low effort took a deflection off Lucas Herrington before beating goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis.

The goal was Iwobi’s first in the league this season and took his Premier League tally to 36, drawing him level with former Nigerian international Peter Odemwingie in joint-sixth place among Nigerian scorers in the competition.

Fulham captain Calvin Bassey played the entire match, while compatriot Semi Ajayi also completed 90 minutes for Hull City.

Adams Ends Scoring Drought

Adams ended a four-game goal drought by scoring the winner in Venezia’s 1-0 Serie A victory over Napoli.

The Nigerian forward scored four minutes into the second half after receiving a long pass from Simon Sohm. He held off Amir Rrahmani before his effort took a deflection and beat Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret.

The result gave Venezia their first league victory of the season and marked a winning start for Davide Nicola, who took charge following Giovanni Stroppa’s dismissal.

Adams, who joined the club from Sevilla during the summer, has now scored four goals in nine appearances across all competitions.

Durosinmi Continues Impressive Form

In Belgium, Durosinmi scored as Genk defeated Virton 2-0 in the Belgian Cup on Saturday, taking his season tally to seven goals.

After Daan Heymans opened the scoring, the Nigerian forward doubled Genk’s advantage in the 28th minute, finishing Junya Ito’s through-ball by sliding the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs.

Nnadi Registers First Assist For Marseille

Nnadi recorded his first assist of the season as Marseille defeated Angers 5-2 in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Making his first start of the campaign, the midfielder won possession in the middle of the park before threading a pass through to Amine Harit, who curled the ball into the net to score Marseille’s fourth goal in the 83rd minute.

Adeniran Scores In Austria

Adeniran also made his mark in Austria, scoring LASK’s second goal in their 4-0 away victory over Austria Lustenau.

The forward converted a pass from Saša Kalajdžić in the 64th minute to extend his side’s lead.

Okoye, Nnadozie Concede Three Goals

Despite making eight saves, Okoye could not prevent Udinese from suffering a 3-0 defeat to Lecce in Serie A.

The goalkeeper earned a FotMob rating of 7.0, the highest among Udinese players, even as his team recorded a fifth consecutive league defeat.

Nnadozie also endured a difficult outing as Brighton Women lost 3-2 away to Manchester City in the Women’s Super League.

Khadija Shaw scored twice for City before Niamh Charles added a third. Olivia Garcia and Caitlin Hayes scored for Brighton, but their efforts were not enough to secure a point.

Osimhen’s Goal Contribution Run Ends

In Turkey, Osimhen played the full 90 minutes as Galatasaray defeated Gençlerbirliği 1-0, with the winning goal coming through a late own goal.

Despite registering seven shots, the Nigerian striker failed to score or provide an assist, bringing an end to his run of goal contributions in consecutive league appearances. He had recorded 18 goals and eight assists during the streak.

Other Nigerian Players Abroad

Elsewhere, Alex Baena scored Atlético Madrid’s late winner in a 1-0 victory over Espanyol after replacing Ademola Lookman at half-time.

Tolu Arokodare helped create a goal for Ajax in their Eredivisie encounter against Groningen, while Samuel Chukwueze started in AC Milan’s 3-2 win over Atalanta.

Moses Simon featured as Paris FC edged Rennes 4-3, while Josh Maja came off the bench in Le Havre’s 3-1 defeat to Auxerre.

In Germany, Nathan Tella featured as Bayer Leverkusen defeated Freiburg 2-1, while Victor Boniface remained an unused substitute.

Gift Orban failed to add to his seven league goals as Amedspor defeated Chidozie Awaziem’s Konyaspor 1-0 in Turkey.

Emmanuel Fernandez featured for Rangers in their 2-2 draw against Dundee, while Nwachukwu was part of the Sabah squad that recorded a convincing 4-0 victory over Gabala in Azerbaijan.