Today’s Headlines: 2027: God has Granted my Request to Continue–Tinubu;I Would Beat UFC Greats–Usman

President Bola Tinubu has said God has answered his prayer to continue serving Nigeria, following his recent Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Speaking after being granted the rare privilege of praying inside the Holy Ka’abah in Makkah, Tinubu thanked Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the honour. He said he prayed for wisdom and resilience to continue leading the country, adding that the experience strengthened his commitment to national service.

Tinubu described his emergence as president as a divine blessing, pledging to pursue policies that would promote prosperity, national development and a better future for young Nigerians. He expressed optimism about Nigeria’s economic progress, saying the country had emerged from a difficult period and that its economic foundation was solid.

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has claimed he had the ability to defeat legendary fighters, including Georges St-Pierre, while arguing that mixed martial arts has no single greatest fighter of all time. Speaking on his Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman explained that fighters from different generations possess different skills, making comparisons across eras difficult. He said St-Pierre was the best of his generation but believed he was equally capable of defeating him during his own fighting era.

Usman, popularly known as the Nigerian Nightmare, acknowledged St-Pierre’s achievements but maintained that his confidence as a competitor made him believe he could beat any opponent. The Nigerian-born fighter won the UFC welterweight title in March 2019 after defeating Tyron Woodley and successfully defended it five times before losing to Leon Edwards in August 2022.

The Chairman of Zaki Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Masud Aliyu Umar, has died in a road accident while returning from an Allied Peoples Movement (APM) stakeholders’ meeting in Bauchi. The accident occurred on Sunday night at Konkiyal Village in Darazo Local Government Area, about 100 kilometres from Bauchi metropolis. Umar was elected chairman on August 17, 2026, after previously serving as Director-General of the Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

Governor Bala Mohammed expressed shock over his death, describing him as a dedicated public servant and grassroots politician who contributed to humanitarian services and community development. He also praised Umar’s efforts to empower youths and women during his tenure as local government chairman. His funeral prayer is scheduled for Monday, November 2, at 2pm at the Palace of the District Head in Mur Mur, Zaki Local Government Area.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Sokoto State University chapter, has shut down services at the institution as it began a five-working-day warning strike over unpaid allowances and other outstanding staff entitlements. The strike, which started on Monday, November 2, followed the expiration of a 14-working-day ultimatum issued to the Sokoto State Government on October 14. The union is demanding payment of arrears from a 25 per cent salary increment, implementation of a 35 per cent Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance, annual salary increments and outstanding check-off dues.

SSANU said negotiations with government officials had failed to produce concrete results, accusing the state government of refusing to pay the salary arrears and postponing implementation of the allowance until January 2027. The union appealed to Governor Ahmed Aliyu to intervene and resolve the dispute, warning that failure to meet its demands before the end of the warning strike would result in an indefinite shutdown of services at the university.

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