NEWS
2027: Presidency Tackles Steve Osuji Over Peter Obi’s ‘Messiah’ Narrative
The Presidency has taken a swipe at columnist Steve Osuji over his assessment of the 2027 presidential race, accusing him of presenting Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, as a “messianic” opposition figure.
Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communications/Spokesperson, Dr Sunday Dare, made the criticism in a statement disclosed via his X account on Monday titled “Steve Osuji’s 2027 Prophetic Fantasy.”
SEE ALSO: 2027: We’re Not Afraid of Peter Obi, He Can’t Beat Tinubu in Lagos Again — Sunday Dare
Dare accused Osuji of what he described as “unwarranted condescension, frantic hyperbole, and a palpable disdain for institutional reality,” arguing that his commentary on the 2027 political landscape was driven by partisan sentiment rather than objective analysis.
According to the presidential aide, Osuji had attempted to portray President Tinubu as an imperiled incumbent while elevating Obi as an “infallible, messianic” opposition figure.
Dare particularly rejected the suggestion that Obi had effectively won the 2023 presidential election before it was allegedly “glitched” away.
He described the claim as a “comforting fairy tale for the opposition,” arguing that it ignored Nigeria’s electoral geography and constitutional requirements for winning the presidency.
Dare said a candidate who failed to secure meaningful votes across critical parts of the northern and central regions could not claim a national mandate simply by winning strongly in certain areas.
“Winning pockets of hyper-mobilized angst in isolated urban enclaves does not translate to a pan-Nigerian victory,” he argued.
The presidential aide also questioned Obi’s political trajectory, referencing his movement from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Labour Party and his reported association with the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He rejected Osuji’s portrayal of Obi’s political approach as “organic consistency,” arguing that presidential politics required structured party organs, nationwide organisation, transparent debates and institutional accountability.
Dare further described Obi as “a digital-age populist riding the transient waves of economic anxiety and social media echo chambers,” while challenging the notion that an aversion to traditional campaign structures automatically represented political revolution.
Dare Accuses Osuji of Political Gatekeeping
The Presidency also criticised Osuji’s treatment of other potential presidential contenders, including Donald Duke, Omoyele Sowore and Adewole Adebayo.
Dare objected to their characterisation as “spoilers” and “clowns,” arguing that dismissing political figures who do not align with a preferred candidate amounts to intolerance towards pluralism.
He described such an approach as “partisan gatekeeping disguised as high-minded critique.”
Dare’s criticism comes as political calculations and alliances ahead of the 2027 presidential election continue to intensify, with opposition parties and political figures positioning themselves for the contest.
While Osuji’s analysis focused heavily on the prospects of opposition forces, Dare used his response to defend the Tinubu administration’s record and challenge what he described as attempts to portray the President as politically vulnerable.
He argued that the administration had confronted longstanding structural problems, including fuel subsidy and foreign exchange distortions, and maintained that the impact of its reforms would increasingly become evident.
Dare also dismissed criticism surrounding Tinubu’s working vacation, rejecting suggestions that the President was “on the run” or “incommunicado.”
According to him, modern governance requires international engagements, economic diplomacy and strategic planning beyond the confines of Abuja.
He maintained that the 2027 election would ultimately be decided by Nigerians based on governance and measurable results rather than what he described as political “demagoguery.”
Dare concluded his response with a warning to critics of the administration: “Forget your Expresso. Smell the coffee.”
Military gear has reportedly been found at the scene of a helicopter crash in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The helicopter crashed in a swampy area of the coastal community on Monday, October 5, 2026, sparking panic among residents.
The Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Maurice Oripelaye, said military personnel and equipment were seen at the crash site, raising the possibility that the aircraft could have been a military helicopter.
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However, the identity of the helicopter and its operator had not been officially established as of the time of filing this report.
Oripelaye said the aircraft crashed near the Naval Base area and was burnt to rubble following the incident.
He also said the number of people who were aboard the helicopter could not immediately be ascertained, while the fate of those on board remained unclear.
Earlier, residents reported hearing a loud sound from the direction of the crash before discovering that an aircraft had gone down in the swampy area.
The difficult terrain has also made access to the crash site challenging, with security personnel and other responders deployed to the area.
The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the aircraft crash and said investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The police urged residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information, promising to provide further details as credible information becomes available.
NEWS
JUST IN: Oluremi Tinubu Arrives BATICC for APC Women’s Pre-Inaugural Ceremony Arrives BATICC for APC Women’s Pre-Inaugural Ceremony
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has arrived at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre (BATICC) in Abuja for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Stakeholders’ Mobilisation and Empowerment Pre-Inaugural Campaign Roll-Out.
The First Lady arrived at the conference centre on Monday, October 5, for the women-focused political gathering organised by the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The event is themed “Renewed Hope Agenda 2.0: From Reforms to Prosperity,” with the mobilisation message, “One Voice, One Movement, One Choice, One Mandate 2027.”
SEE ALSO: Tinubu Gov’t Does Not Engage, Everybody Is Its Enemy — Ajaero
The gathering is expected to bring together thousands of women from across the country, including women leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, political stakeholders, community representatives and grassroots organisers.
20,000 women expected
The arrival follows a report published on Sunday, October 4, which said Oluremi Tinubu was expected to lead a major mobilisation of women stakeholders in Abuja.
According to the report, more than 20,000 women were expected to attend the Women Stakeholders’ Mobilisation and Empowerment Pre-Inaugural Campaign Roll-Out scheduled for 8am at BATICC.
The APC Women Mobilisation Directorate has also announced an ambitious target of mobilising 40 million women’s votes for President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Director of the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Betta Edu, disclosed the target ahead of the gathering and said the structure was expanding its grassroots mobilisation across the country.
Speaking ahead of the event, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council Women Mobilisation Planning Committee, Princess Gloria Akobundu, highlighted programmes including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), CREDICORP, infrastructure projects, cash-transfer programmes and youth empowerment initiatives.
Akobundu urged women in Imo State and across the South-East to strengthen their mobilisation structures and take the Renewed Hope Agenda message to communities across the region.
She said, “We are calling on our women across the South-East to strengthen their mobilisation and ensure that the message of the Renewed Hope Agenda reaches every community and locality.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government over the continued exposure of Nigerians to kidnappers, questioning the impact of savings from fuel subsidy removal on national security.
Atiku disclosed this in a statement on Monday while reacting to the abduction of 20 travellers, including prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, in Imo State.
He described the abduction as “heartbreaking,” noting that although some of the victims had been rescued, others remained in captivity.
SEE ALSO: Fuel Subsidy: Atiku Showing Symptoms of Desperation — Afegbua
Atiku urged the Federal Government, Imo State Government and security agencies to act with urgency to secure the release of all those still being held.
He also raised concern over more than 70 pupils and students abducted from Mussa and Lassa in Borno State who, according to him, have remained in captivity for months.
“These children must not be forgotten. Their families deserve clear updates, and the public deserves answers,” he said.
The former vice president questioned the government’s handling of insecurity, recalling President Bola Tinubu’s promise that savings from the removal of fuel subsidy would help fund security.
“Yet Nigerians remain exposed to kidnappers on our roads, in our communities and around our schools,” Atiku said.
He said young Nigerians were facing danger at different stages of their lives, from secondary school to university and now while travelling to NYSC camps.
“Young people face danger in secondary school, struggle with unaffordable fees at university, and are now targets on their journeys to NYSC camps. This is a generation being failed at every stage,” he said.
Atiku also criticised the award of what he described as huge pipeline security contracts to politically connected companies, while ordinary Nigerians continue to face criminals.
“The first duty of government is to protect lives,” he stated.
He called for the immediate and safe rescue of every abducted young person and the return of those still unaccounted for.
Atiku also reaffirmed his commitment to building a safer and more affordable Nigeria where young people can create, build and prosper.
“My promise to build a safer and more affordable Nigeria, where young people can create, build and prosper, remains unshakable,” he said.
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