Today’s Headlines: Why Fubara isn’t coordinating Tinubu’s campaign–Wike: A deadly week in Zamfara

Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, has said he is coordinating President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Rivers State because the situation there is peculiar, with Rivers the only state where the campaign is not coordinated by the sitting All Progressives Congress APC governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

He said the job called for a particular kind of leadership. “Look, in an election, it takes a lot of leadership; there are a lot of things that are involved,” Wike said, adding: “You require somebody who has a buy-in.”

Speaking at his monthly media chat in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike described the situation in Rivers as “peculiar”.

Wike rejected the suggestion that the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, had been sidelined. “No, he has not been pushed aside,” he said.

Several security operatives and civilians have been killed in multiple attacks on communities in Bukkuyum, Maru and Gusau local government areas of Zamfara State in the past one week.

The incidents happened as the state battled repeated attacks by armed groups operating from forests, displacing residents, destroying livelihoods and imposing levies on communities.

The military, operating under Operation Fansan Yamma, has launched offensives against the armed groups, killing some of their members and rescuing dozens of kidnapped victims.

Recently, the Nigerian Army activated three new infantry battalions in Zamfara as part of efforts to strengthen security operations and improve rapid response to threats across the state.

A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Aisha Yesufu, has urged supporters of the party’s 2027 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to be prepared to defend themselves against attacks by suspected political thugs.

DAILY POST reports that supporters of Obi have reportedly come under attack in Delta, Benue, Enugu and other states ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Yesufu, a socio-political activist, made the call in a video shared on her official X handle, where she urged opposition supporters to stand up against those attacking them.

According to her, the security agencies have failed to protect the citizens, hence, the need for self-defense.

The Military Pensions Board (MPB) and the Veterans Association of Nigeria have agreed to engage transparently and clarify pension computations after military retirees complained about the recent consequential adjustment.

The board and the association reached the agreement on Tuesday during an interaction at the MPB headquarters in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, after some veterans blocked the entrance to protest the formula used to adjust their pensions.

The veterans had barricaded the entrance with canopies and chairs, while armed soldiers prevented them from entering the premises.

The protest followed growing dissatisfaction among military retirees over the implementation of consequential pension adjustments after salary increases for serving military personnel.

The Nigeria Police Force has interrogated former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha over allegations of criminal conspiracy and forgery.

Okorocha, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was granted bail on Monday but directed to return on Tuesday for further questioning.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, confirmed the development, saying the former governor remained under investigation.

Iniedu said Okorocha was arrested, interrogated and subsequently released on bail, with instructions to report to the police on Tuesday to assist investigators with further inquiries.