The Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State, Mr Leye Igbabo, has resigned from his position, citing an unfriendly and hostile environment.

Igbabo’s resignation letter was addressed to the state secretariat of the party and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Akure.

He alleged that the working environment has become “hostile” to him, hence the need for him to resign.

“It is disheartening to know that the secretariat has become hostile to me, and this is affecting the effectiveness and efficiency of my duties as the Director of Media and Publicity.

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“I note with pain, utter deceit, huge compromise, and gross indiscipline that there is no more sincerity of purpose, and under such circumstances, I do not want to be labelled as an incompetent official.

“My continuously staying in such an unproductive environment amounts to a precious waste of my time and energy.

“I, therefore, resign my appointment as the Director of Media and Publicity of PDP in Ondo State with immediate effect,” he said.

(NAN)

A former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, says that although Nigeria is a diverse and complex nation, it is not a difficult country to govern.

Obasanjo made the remark on Tuesday at the inauguration of the Bakhita ICT Centre at the Catholic Secretariat in Sokoto State, where he stressed that Nigeria’s strength lies in its unity in diversity.

“There are many good things in Nigeria. These are shown in our unity in diversity, and Nigeria is what it is today because of its diversity.

“If diversity is managed with good governance and inclusiveness, then we will be respected and counted among the leading nations in the world,” he said.

The former president added that honesty and sincerity on the part of leaders remained crucial in managing the country.

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“Nigeria is not a difficult country to rule if leaders are honest with themselves, with God, and with the people.

“I am one of the greatest beneficiaries of Nigeria’s diversity. Since 1979, I have sought counsel and blessings from elders across the North, South, East and West to manage our unity in diversity,” Obasanjo said.

He emphasised the importance of education and knowledge as tools for national development.

“No matter our religion, tribe, culture or language, we cannot develop our full potential without education.

“In today’s world, we need not only general knowledge about our society but also practical skills to empower individuals, families, communities, and the nation,” he added.

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Obasanjo warned of the challenges Nigeria could face by 2050 when the population was projected to reach 400 million.

“If we fail to prepare for these challenges, the Boko Haram of today will be child’s play.

“Already, 24 million children who should be in school are out of school. That alone could become a recruiting ground for future insurgencies.

“We must not give up on educating every Nigerian child. If everyone is educated, you will have better servants, better leaders, and a better society,” he cautioned.

Obadanjo commended Gov. Ahmed Aliyu for his efforts in managing Sokoto State and praised the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, for his commitment to unity.

He also lauded Bishop Matthew Kukah for establishing the ICT centre, while acknowledging Aare Afe Babalola for supporting the initiative.

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In his remarks, Sultan Abubakar appreciated Obasanjo for gracing the occasion and urged Nigerians to emulate his dedication to promoting unity.

He emphasised the urgent need for Nigerians to unite in addressing security challenges and fostering development.

Representing Aliyu, Alhaji Aminu Dikko, the Chief of Staff to the Sokoto State Government, expressed appreciation to Obasanjo and the Catholic Diocese for the initiative.

He assured that the state government would remain committed to promoting technology education to expand opportunities for future generations.

Earlier, Kukah explained that the centre was open to all citizens without discrimination and was designed to empower the people with digital skills.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that courses at the centre will include: Computer literacy, office productivity, coding, computer engineering, software development, data science, and digital analysis, among others.

(NAN)

No fewer than 14 cases of political assassinations were recorded in Anambra State between 2022 and 2024, according to a report by the Cleen Foundation.

The report cautioned that the killings could pose serious threats to the conduct of the November 2025 governorship election in the state.

The organisation’s Director of Programmes, Salaudeen Hashim, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the presentation of the foundation’s 2025 Anambra Governorship Election Security Threat Assessment Report.

Citing the report, Hashim said Anambra witnessed no fewer than 14 cases of politically linked killings in the last two years, a trend he described as “a disturbing element that requires urgent attention.”

He noted the killings were taking place against a backdrop of widespread insecurity, proliferation of small arms, kidnappings and the activities of armed groups, all of which pose risks to the coming election.

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“Within the last two years, some really disturbing trends have emerged in Anambra, particularly political assassinations. 213+ deaths linked to violence from 2022 to 2024, nine INEC facilities attacked, and 14 political assassinations were recorded, among others.

“To have this number within such a short period is something that requires serious attention,” he said.

He added that local political structures in the state had been “deeply politicised,” while rivalries among major political parties had often turned violent.

Hashim said the report also flagged the activities of non-state armed groups, youth gangs, drug abuse, misinformation and disinformation as threats likely to escalate electoral violence.

“Existing criminal threats combined with fierce political competition will create heightened risks. One key element blinking very strongly is the issue of small arms. There are a lot of reports about possession and usage of small arms in local areas,” Hashim stated.

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Hashim urged security agencies to pay attention to local government areas such as Ihiala, Onitsha North, Ogbaru, Orumba North, Nnewi South, describing them as high-risk LGAs.

“The high-risk LGAs are Ihiala, Ogbaru, Nnewi South, Orumba North and Onitsha North.
They have recently recorded violent incidents. We urge security agencies to pay attention to these LGAs, ” he said.

He, however, said the foundation plans to open an Electoral Security Support Centre on November 7 to monitor developments before, during and after the election, while also engaging security agencies to mitigate threats.

Acting Executive Director of the foundation, Peter Maduoma, said the report was part of efforts to provide early warning signals and support election stakeholders to respond effectively.

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“We are looking forward to an election where the system will work. If security is well managed, Anambra can produce one of the best elections,” Maduoma said.

The Anambra governorship election is scheduled for November 8, 2025.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, a total of 2,802,790 voters are on the register for the State governorship election.

There have been cases of political assassinations in the state. In May 2022, a lawmaker representing Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s constituency, Okechukwu Okoye, and his aide, Cyril Chiegboka, were gruesomely murdered after being kidnapped by gunmen along Aguluzigbo Road in Anaocha Local Government Area.

Similarly, Justice Azuka, the member representing Onitsha North 1 state constituency, who was abducted on Christmas Eve, was later found dead on February 6, 2025.
(PUNCH)