News

OPINION: Eedris Teargasses Tinubu; Ali Baba Besaints Obasanjo

Published

6 months ago

April 18, 2025

Tunde Odesola

Nose – off-centre; mouth – misshapen; eyes – squinted; ears – rabbity; every Nigerian is familiar with this green face without a grin. On the green face, teary streams gutter down the sides of the nose, towards the nostrils, coursing to the chin. This is Nigeria and its map.

The tears streaming on each side of the green face typify the River Niger and River Benue, which meet at the base and confluence of the nose at Lokoja, meandering through Onitsha and the Niger Delta – the chin of the Nigerian face.

Death is the cessation of life. To die, in the Hausa language, means ‘ya mutu’. I don’t need the letter ‘d’ in the ‘death’ referenced in the preceding sentence, but I will use the letter ‘y’ in the ‘ya mutu’ phrase. After centuries of running deep, River Niger and River Benue have etched a big letter ‘Y’ on the Nigerian map.

The northern and southern protectorates of Nigeria were amalgamated in 1914. Today, an x-ray of the letter ‘Y’ engraved by the two longest rivers on the Nigeria map, more than ever before, shows the frayed thread of colonial suture, threatening to rip apart. Successive leaders chanted CHANGE, but both rivers are drying up due to climate change. The discernible warned before polls; now we can all see that they pay lip service to Nigeria and global warming.

For ‘Ya mutu’ not to be written as an epitaph for Nigeria soon, the threat to the riverine ‘Y’ on the Nigerian map should be taken as a call for national rebirth. Rivers are natural sources of rejuvenation, but the ‘Y’ of the two rivers that geographically suture Nigeria together is a yoke. Let’s break the yoke!

A grandmaster of Nigerian comedy, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, is an influential personality. Popularly called Ali Baba, the ace comedian earns a living cracking ribs. In doing his job, Ali Baba mimics and distorts reality. In distorting reality, he could change the letter ‘y’ in his name, Atunyota, to ‘r’, thus becoming Atunrota. In the Yoruba language, Atunrota means someone who fools people, and Ali Baba fools his audience with his crazy jokes.

On April 1, last year, Ali Baba came out with a viral post, saying his family had been blessed with a triplet. With the viral post emerging on April Fools’ Day, I had thought, “This Atunrota man can’t fool me.” But, lo and behold, Ali Baba wasn’t fooling, he was for real – he had truly become Baba ibeta.

Ali Baba was born on June 24, 1965, inching within a scraping distance of 60. I don’t know what fascination he has with April, but he has come out with a viral video in April 2025. In the video, Ali Baba, who spoke in a podcast, “Outside the Box,” revealed the political tactics of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: Letter To Alaafin Abimbola Owoade

Initially, I was cautious. Was Ali Baba in his prankish element? I asked myself repeatedly as I watched the video. No. Ali Baba wasn’t kidding. To show his seriousness, he asked the host if he could read from his phone, and he fished it out of his pocket and read out the private chat he had with Baba Obasanjo.

Since Ali Baba attained national prominence many years ago, trust has been the bedrock of his career. He is friends with many of Nigeria’s Who’s Who. My bosom friend, Duke Orusara, an Urhobo like Ali Baba, told me Atunyota means ‘Let us say the truth’. I believe Ali Baba was saying the truth in his podcast on OBJ.

In the interview, Atunyota recalled that Obasanjo had thought he was going to run for an elective post. So, OBJ gave Ali Baba the template needed to win a presidential election in Nigeria.

With the headline, ‘Infiltrate parties, secure governors’, Alibaba outlines Obasanjo’s political strategies for winning election, The PUNCH, on April 6, 2025, published the story of the podcast.

According to the podcast, Obasanjo told Ali Baba how to violate Nigeria’s electoral process and win fraudulently. Either as a joke or as an expression of the Nigerian reality, Obasanjo’s teaching in the podcast showed the truth of Nigerian politics. It showed the minds of those who lead the country and why Nigeria can never attain development. Obasanjo sees power as grabbable, Tinubu sees it as snatchable, Muhammadu Buhari sees it as a birthright, Goodluck Jonathan sees it as a toy, and Nigeria tumbles downhill.

To win a presidential or governorship election, Obasanjo counselled Ali Baba, “You need seven governors to win an election: Lagos, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Kano, Kaduna and the CBN governor.”

When Ali Baba reminded him Kano and Kaduna do not have money, Obasanjo said that the two states were for numbers, just as money was for numbers, too.

Reading further, Ali Baba quoted Obasanjo saying, “You need 44 of the most popular senatorial districts. You need to have awarded 10 contracts, and 15% of those contracts can give you a marginal impact at the polls. And you must award this contract in your first year of assumption of office.

“If you don’t do that, then you can’t ask the people for anything because when you give them at the first year of your getting into office, when it’s time for elections, you just tell them ‘Do you want to continue this contract or…?”

According to Alibaba, Obasanjo also advised that pending cases of corrupt former governors who are ‘loaded’ should be suspended, even as Obasanjo advised him to have a hand in appointing all ruling and opposition parties’ chairmen.

Obasanjo was the man who said his kinsman and winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, wasn’t the messiah Nigeria needed, after the business mogul and politician had been killed for winning the freest election in the nation’s history. His eight-year democrazy rule laid the foundation for the sky-high corruption bedevilling the Fourth Republic today. Anytime Obasanjo speaks, I see the ostrich, its buried head and exposed rump.

Now, come with me to Bourdillon, the Tinubu family house, where I’ll drop by to see Seyi, the son of the President.

Knock, knock, knock on Bourdillon gate.
“Hello.”
“Yes, how may I help you?”
“My name is Tunde, a journalist; I’m here to see Seyi.”
“Seyi?” Which Seyi?
“Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son.”
“Ha! You call Arole by name!? Who are you?”
“Yes, Seyi is a public figure and the son of our President, but I’m older than him.”
“Older than him? OK! He’s in Aso Rock; tell your age to take you to Aso Rock, Methuselah.”
(Slams the gate!)

At 39 years of age, I had expected Seyi to be weaned off his father’s apron strings and stand on his own like the other children of the President, who don’t live in the shadow of their father.

Seyi and his elder sister, Folasade, are the most politically exposed children of Tinubu. Officially, Folasade, in her post as the Iyaloja General of Nigeria, is the head of all market women in Nigeria. But Seyi presents like a catalyst. Seyi caresses the girth of power and hugs the width of wealth, thinking his father’s mystique will protect him from political arrows. He goes to the sea yet despises the splash of water.

In chemistry, a catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without itself being consumed in the reaction. A catalyst can be likened to a baker who works in a bakery without feeling the heat. Seyi wants to be seen as a smooth operator – he goes everywhere sandpapering the atrocities of his father’s reign and feathering his own nest.

Seyi lives in Aso Rock with his father. He’s much more visible than the First Lady, Mrs Remi Tinubu, inspecting a brigade of honour here and breaking Ramadan fast there. Seyi is more visible than any minister, Tinubu’s chief of staff and advisers. Seyi seems to be operating an invisible Office of the First Son. Seyi is looking for something on Lagos beach. It is a needle. Seyi needs his father and his wisemen to find the needle and raise his hand up in 2027.

The Office of the First Son is powerful. It’s more powerful than any government ministry or agency. That’s why the lickspittles at the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission lashed out at hip-hop singer, Eedris Abdulkareem, banning his song, “Tell Your Papa,” which lampoons the Tinubu administration.

Declaring ‘Not-To-be-Broadcast’ fatwah on the viral song, the NBC quoted Section 3.1.8 of its code, saying, “This section prohibits content deemed inappropriate, offensive, or in breach of public decency from being aired on Nigerian broadcasting platforms.”

In its ban order to all broadcasting stations in the country, the NBC woefully failed to mention just one word or phrase or clause or sentence in Eedris’ song that breached the NBC Code.

Eedris’ song says nothing new. The song is a lamentation of the sufferings Nigerians daily go through amid government’s insensitivity, telling Seyi to tell his father that Nigerians are suffering, after all, “omo ina la n ran sina,” literally meaning, “It is the son of fire that is sent to fire.”

If Seyi has the right to defend his father, Eedris also has the right to protest the bad policies of the Tinubu government affecting him.

Obasanjo banned Eedris’ song, “Jagajaga”, Tinubu bans “Tell Your Papa;” hypocrisy has caught OBJ and Jagaban in the same bed.

Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com

Facebook: @Tunde Odesola

X: @Tunde_Odesola

News

Atiku Slams Tinubu Over U-turn On Pardon For Convicts

Published

1 hour ago

October 29, 2025

Editor

The former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday berated President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s reversal of the presidential pardon list, describing the move as “an act of shame, not wisdom.”

In a statement signed by his aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the administration of lacking foresight and moral consistency, following Tinubu’s decision to revoke the earlier pardon granted to Sanda and several other convicts.

“Once again, Nigerians have witnessed a government that doesn’t lead — it reacts,” Atiku said.

“President Bola Tinubu has ‘cancelled’ his own pardon for drug traffickers, kidnappers, and other hardened criminals — but only after Nigerians shouted loud enough to wake him from his moral slumber.

“Let’s be clear: this U-turn is not an act of wisdom, it’s an act of shame.”

He questioned the process that led to the initial inclusion of many convicts on the list, demanding transparency from the presidency.

“Who compiled the list of beneficiaries? What criteria justified freeing kidnappers and drug offenders? Where was the Attorney-General when this absurdity was cooked up? And why does this government only ‘discover its conscience’ after Nigerians express outrage?” Atiku asked.

Describing the pardon saga as “a national embarrassment,” he added that the presidency’s frequent reversals on policy decisions showed Nigeria was being “governed without foresight, without empathy, and without shame.”

“If the President truly means well, let him publish the list of all those who were meant to benefit from this scandal. Until then, this cancellation is nothing but damage control — too little, too late,” he said.

The remarks came amid widespread reactions trailing Tinubu’s revocation of the earlier pardon granted to Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for murdering her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.

While the Labour Party commended the president for bowing to public pressure, the New Nigerian Peoples Party faulted the administration’s inconsistency.

NNPP spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson, said, “It is disgraceful that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will announce pardons and then the presidency will say they want to vet and go over the things again.

“Given public opinion, it’s not a surprise that they have reversed it, but it just shows that the presidency needs to get its act together.”

However, Labour Party interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, commended Tinubu’s decision to listen to public sentiment, saying, “What Tinubu has demonstrated is that he listened to the people of Nigeria. We commend him for that.”

He urged the president to extend such responsiveness to “issues that affect Nigerians,” including the nation’s debt profile and policies that “promote hunger and hardship.”

Tinubu’s reversal, announced through an official gazette by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, commuted Sanda’s death sentence to 12 years imprisonment, factoring in the six years and eight months already served.

The U-turn followed a wave of public outrage that trailed the initial pardon.

News

Edo Deputy Gov Raises Concern Over Documentation On Radisson Hotel

Published

3 hours ago

October 29, 2025

Editor

Edo State deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, on Wednesday expressed worry over the clarity of documentation surrounding Radisson Hotel, Benin City,
project’s acquisition and the roles of previous vendors and consultants.

In a statement, his Chief Press Secretary, Chief Press Secretary, Mr Friday Aghedo said the deputy governor spoke when he led a government delegation on an inspection tour of the five-storey luxury hotel.

Idahosa, who expressed dismay over certain lapses observed during the visit, however, appealed for calm among stakeholders and residents, urging patience as the state awaits the outcome of the legislative probe.

The governor said that Governor Monday Okpebholo had forwarded relevant documents to the Edo State House of Assembly for investigation into the acquisition process.

“Once the House concludes its findings, we will act accordingly to ensure transparency and accountability,” he assured.

Frustrated by what he described as “vague answers” from contractors about the project’s completion timeline, Idahosa pressed for clarity on when the hotel would finally be
opened to the public.

“Edo people deserve to know when this investment will start yielding value,” he stated.

He, nonetheless, tasked workers at the construction site to ensure strict adherence to safety and environmental standards.

He said the warning became necessary in order to avoid casualties at the site of the flagship hospitality project expected to redefine the state’s tourism and entertainment landscape.

He also challenged the contractors to ensure the best standard and quality materials are used for the project.

He emphasized that the state government’s intention was not to witch-hunt the contractors but to ensure the project meets both Radisson’s global benchmarks and the Edo State Government’s quality standards.

He reaffirmed that government agencies would maintain close oversight to ensure full compliance with building, safety, and environmental regulations.

“We will not compromise on standards. Radisson Benin must meet the expectations of the brand and the people of Edo State.

“Our goal is simple, Edo State deserves the best,” Idahosa declared. “We want a facility that will attract visitors from around the world and make our state the hospitality hub of Nigeria,” he stated.

During the visit, the deputy governor conducted an on-the-spot SWOT analysis of the project, examining facilities such as the water reservoir, power plant, and sample rooms.

Also speaking during the inspection, Mr. Igabali Darlington Imoesili, Managing Director of the Edo State Development and Building Control Agency, flagged inconsistencies in the facility’s documentation, including conflicting figures on the number of rooms and deviations from approved plans.

“We have records indicating 170 rooms, the site engineer says 169, and the project manager says 178. These discrepancies raise serious concerns,” Imoesili noted.

He added that his office would demand all approved documents for verification.

The hotel’s resident architect, Olumide Taiwo, who conducted the team around the site, assured the delegation that the firm was working closely with the Radisson brand to maintain its global quality and safety standards.

News

Reviewed List Of Presidential Pardon Recipients

Published

4 hours ago

October 29, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved a revised list of convicts granted clemency under the Instrument of Presidential Prerogative of Mercy, 2025.

This is as the Presidency announced a review of the pardon list following widespread criticism.

The list, dated October 21, 2025 and personally signed by the President, contains 86 names of inmates across various correctional facilities nationwide, whose sentences were reduced or commuted under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The document, sighted by PUNCH Online, titled “Reduced Terms of Imprisonment and Sentence, 2025,” shows that several inmates convicted for offences ranging from manslaughter, culpable homicide, drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms, conspiracy, and unlawful mining were granted reduced sentences.

They include:

Homicide and Manslaughter Cases

•Yusuf Owolabi (36) – Convicted of manslaughter in 2015 and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri. Now to serve 15 years based on “educational improvement, remorsefulness and acquisition of vocational skills.”
•Ifeanyi Eze (33) – Life sentence for manslaughter (2021), now to serve 15 years.
•Maryam Sanda (37) – Convicted for culpable homicide (2020) and sentenced to death by hanging. Her sentence commuted to 12 years based on “compassionate grounds, the best interest of her children, good conduct and remorsefulness.”
•Markus Yusuf (41) – Culpable homicide (2023), 13-year sentence reduced to 8 years due to ill health.
•Alhaji Abubakar Tanko (61) – Culpable homicide (2018), 30-year term reduced to 20 years.

Drug and Narcotics Offences

•Patrick Mensah (40) – Drugs (2015), 17 years reduced to 13 years.
•Obi Edwin Chukwu (43), Tunde Balogun (32), Lima Pereira Erick Diego (27), Uchegbu Emeka Michael (37), Salawu Adebayo Samsudeen (46), and Napolo (61) were all convicted for drug trafficking between 2015–2017.

“Sentences of 15 years reduced to 12 years each based on “remorsefulness and vocational skill acquisition.”

Financial and Fraud-related Offences

•Mustapha Ahmed (46) – Criminal breach of trust; 7-year sentence cut to 5 years.
•Innocent Brown Idiong (60) – Possession of Indian hemp; 10-year term reduced to 6 years.
•Inibong Imayen Nuikidem (46) – Obtaining money by false pretence; 7 years cut to 5 years.
•Buka Adamu (40) – Advance fee fraud; 20 years reduced to 9 years.
•Ada Audu (72) – Fraud; 7-year mandatory imprisonment cut to 4 years.
•Chief Jonathan Alatoru (66), Umannah Ekatte (70), Utom Thompson Udoaka (60) – Granted reduced terms for age, remorsefulness and good conduct.

Firearms and Related Offences

•Abubakar Mamman (38) – Possession of AK-47 rifle (2020); 10-year sentence cut to 7 years.
•Muhammed Bello Musa (35) – Possession of firearms; 10 years reduced to 7 years.
•Nnamdi Anene (67) – Illegal dealing in firearms; life sentence commuted to 20 years.
•Alhaji Ibrahim Hameed (71) – Illegal property possession; 7 years reduced to 5 years.

Maritime and Conspiracy Offences

•Bright Agbedeyi (46), Babangida Saliu (35), Jude Saka Ebaragha (44), Frank Insort Abaka (46), Sluna Alolo (42), David Akinseye (39), Ahmed Toyin (46), Shobajo Saheed (57), Adamole Philip (52), and Mathew Masi (39) were all convicted for conspiracy to hijack fishing vessels in 2020. Their 12-year sentences were reduced to eight years with N1m fines waived “based on remorsefulness and impecuniosity.”

Unlawful Mining Offenders

A total of at least 45 inmates across the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Agodi, Oyo State, were convicted in January 2024 for unlawful mining.

Each was sentenced to three years, now reduced to two years, “based on remorsefulness, good conduct and a letter of undertaking dated April 22, 2025,” reportedly facilitated by Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis for their rehabilitation and empowerment after release.

The list includes:
Yusuf Alhassan, Abdullahi Isah, Zayanu Bello, Habeeb Suleman, Jubria Sahabi, Shefiu Umar, Seidu Abubakar, Haruna Abubakar, Rabiu Seidu, Macha Kuru, Zahradeen Aminu, Nazipi Musa, Abdullahi Musa, Habibu Safiu, Husseni Sani, Musa Lawali, Suleiman Lawale, Yusuf Iliyasu, Sabiyu Aliyu, Halliru Sani, Shittu Aliyu, Sanusi Aminu, Isaaka Adamu, Mamman Ibrahim, Shaibu Abdullahi, Sanusi Adamu, Sadi Musa, and Haruna Isah, among others.

Presidential Approval and Legal Backing

The document cites Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the President to “grant any person concerned with or convicted of any offence in Nigeria a pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions.”

It was formally titled: “S.I. No. 79 of 2025: Instrument of Presidential Prerogative of Mercy (Reduced Terms of Imprisonment and Sentence).”
(PUNCH)