Today’s Headlines:Nigerians Don’t Want Emi Lokan-Makinde, Economy Not Improving Under Tinubu-Obasanjo

The Allied Peoples Movement, APM, presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday, criticised President Bola Tinubu’s popular “Emi Lokan” slogan ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Makinde said Nigerians did not need “turn-by-turn nepotism”, arguing that voters should be free to decide who becomes the country’s next president in 2027.The Oyo State governor spoke during the APM’s town hall meeting in Akure, Ondo State.

According to Makinde, “How can someone say, ‘Eemi lokan’, in a country like Nigeria? You were given the opportunity. If you recall the 1999 presidential election, the South-West voted massively for Baba Olu Falae, but the rest of Nigerians voted for Baba Obasanjo. So, this is not an issue that only the South-West can resolve; it is an issue we must address collectively as Nigerians.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday expressed pessimism about Nigeria’s economic outlook under President Bola Tinubu, saying he sees no indication that the country’s economic situation is improving.

Obasanjo also questioned the ratio­nale for seeking a second term for Tinu­bu to consolidate his economic policies, arguing that the reforms had impover­ished Nigerians and had not served their best interests.

The former president spoke during a keynote interview at the ongoing Fi­nancial Times Africa Summit 2026 in London, United Kingdom, where he criticised the administration’s handling of the economy, particu­larly the devaluation of the naira and the removal of petrol subsidy.

Reacting to the sharp depreciation of the naira, Obasanjo said the policy had significantly reduced the pur­chasing power of Nigerians and contributed to the coun­try’s position as the poverty capital of the world.

The remains of Ifeanyi Nwolie, a supporter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) who was killed by suspected thugs in Enugu State, have been laid to rest.

Mr Nwolie, 43, was buried on Thursday amid tears at his home town in Affa, Udi Local Government Area of the South-eastern state.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that political thugs attacked NDC supporters at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Emene, Enugu, on 10 October and carried out sporadic shootings at the party’s secretariat in Enugu State during the party’s governorship campaign flag-off.

This newspaper gathered that Mr Nwolie died days after the attack following a gunshot injury sustained during the incident.

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State on Wednesday presented a budget of N987.8 billion for 2027 to the state House of Assembly.

He earmarked N708.43 billion for capital projects.

Presenting the budget, christened “Budget of Consolidation and Renewed Hope,” Mr Otu said the proposal prioritised infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education and economic diversification.

The governor said the 2027 budget represented a 2.57 per cent increase compared with the 2026 budget.

“Capital expenditure accounts for about 72 per cent of the total budget, while recurrent expenditure stands at N279.38 billion, representing 28.28 per cent,” he said.

The governor said his administration had not obtained fresh domestic or external loans since assuming office in 2023, noting that the state’s existing debt burden was mainly inherited from previous administrations.

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