Today’s Headlines: Campaign Flag Off: Tinubu Shuts Down Kaduna; NSCDC Arrests 22-Year-Old Over Theft

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged Nigerians to support his re-election in 2027, promising to sustain efforts towards economic recovery, prosperity and a better future for young people. Speaking at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna, Tinubu thanked residents for supporting him in 2023, dismissed criticism over hunger and poverty, and called on party supporters to mobilise voters for APC candidates across all levels of government.

The campaign attracted APC governors, ministers, lawmakers and thousands of supporters who gathered at Kaduna Township Stadium. Governor Uba Sani highlighted federal interventions, including road reconstruction, the reopening of more than 300 schools and over 150 primary healthcare centres, as well as plans for a metropolitan light rail project. Vice President Kashim Shettima and campaign Director-General AbdulAzeez Yari also defended the administration’s economic policies and urged Nigerians, particularly those in the North, to support Tinubu’s second-term bid.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested a 22-year-old man, Abdulrahman Ali, for allegedly vandalising an armoured electricity cable supplying the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited depot in Gombe State. The state commandant, Mohammed Usman, said Ali allegedly conspired with another suspect, who is still at large, to steal the cable along Bauchi Road on October 16 and sold it for ₦100,000, which they shared for personal use.

The NSCDC also recovered 968.4 metres of allegedly vandalised aluminium power transmission cables abandoned by suspected vandals in Lubo-Zambuk, Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area, with efforts ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects. Separately, the corps arrested 21-year-old Idris Mohammed over the alleged killing of Usman Jibrin Isah following a disagreement at a park in Kwami Local Government Area. The commandant said investigations into both cases were ongoing and the suspects would be charged to court after their conclusion.

Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over claims of rising foreign reserves, arguing that the figures do not reflect the economic realities facing Nigerians. Speaking at the launch of the Makinde and Daura for Better Nigeria (MAD) Resetter Movement in Lagos, Makinde said economic progress should be measured by improved living standards rather than macroeconomic statistics, pointing to widespread hunger and hardship.

Makinde called for a national reset covering the economy, security, education and political system, advocating genuine federalism and multiparty democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections. Campaign officials also questioned the government’s economic recovery claims, citing unemployment, insecurity and rising living costs. Meanwhile, APM’s Lagos governorship candidate, Adelaja Adeoye, pledged inclusive governance and urged voters to reject vote-buying.

Former Benue State House of Assembly Speaker and ex-Ambassador to Namibia, Terhemen Tarzoor, has criticised former Governor Samuel Ortom over his reported remarks against Governor Hyacinth Alia, urging him to exercise restraint and use respectful language when discussing the incumbent administration. Tarzoor faulted Ortom’s alleged description of Alia as a “419” and a “fake Reverend Father”, while defending the Catholic Church’s financial accountability system and condemning comments he considered disrespectful to the institution and the people of Benue State.

Tarzoor also questioned the comparison between Ortom’s eight-year administration and Alia’s government, which has been in office for just over three years, arguing that both should be assessed using comparable timeframes and objectives. On claims concerning former governors’ entitlements, he said he was unaware of any law guaranteeing the benefits Ortom reportedly alleged were denied him. He maintained that Alia’s administration was open to scrutiny and encouraged the media and public to use the Freedom of Information framework to obtain government revenue and expenditure records.

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