Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support towards the realisation of the Gateway Deep Seaport and Blue Marine Special Economic Zone in the state.

Abiodun described the deep seaport project as a long-standing vision that had been proposed and documented for nearly 30 years but remained unrealised until the intervention of the Tinubu administration.

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The governor, in a statement on Friday, acknowledged Tinubu as the “Facilitator-in-Chief” of the transformational project, crediting the President’s leadership and provision of strategic direction for helping to revive the initiative.

According to Abiodun, the vision of establishing a deep seaport along Ogun State’s coastline had been discussed and captured in official documents for decades, but had remained on the drawing board.

“Today, through the foresight, courage and determined leadership of President Tinubu, that long-standing aspiration is finally being transformed into reality,” the governor said.

Abiodun said the Gateway Deep Seaport and the Blue Marine Special Economic Zone would open a new chapter for Ogun State while strengthening Nigeria’s position in global trade, maritime commerce, industrialisation and economic development.

He added that major national projects require political will and leadership capable of turning long-standing plans into tangible development.

The governor also commended the Federal Government for what he described as its unwavering support and commitment towards making the project a reality.
“Posterity will indeed be kind to you, Mr. President,” Abiodun said.

The Gateway Deep Seaport project is expected to form part of Ogun State’s broader strategy to expand maritime infrastructure, attract investment and strengthen industrial and commercial activities along its coastline.

Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has called on the World Bank and Nigerian banks to verify records relating to the debt claims made against his administration, insisting that the figures being presented by the state government should be subjected to documentary scrutiny.

Obi made the call during an interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on Thursday, September 24, 2026, while responding to the Anambra State Government’s claims over loans allegedly incurred during his eight-year tenure.

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The former governor specifically urged the World Bank to provide records showing the actual drawdowns from the facilities linked to Anambra, rather than relying on the total amount originally approved or contracted.

“Please publish these documents. I’m urging you, please. The World Bank is in Abuja; they can give you the history of the drawdowns,” Obi said.

He also challenged the relevant Nigerian banks to verify the financial records he said were contained in his 2014 handover documents.

“The banks mentioned here are Nigerian banks; you have access to their headquarters. Ask them whether this money was there,” he added.

Obi’s comments came amid a dispute over the Anambra Government’s earlier claim that eight external loan facilities associated with his administration had an outstanding balance of about N127.4bn as of June 30, 2026.

The state had linked the loans to projects in areas including education, healthcare, erosion control and malaria prevention.

The former governor disputed the presentation, arguing that approved loan facilities should not automatically be treated as money borrowed or spent if the funds were not actually drawn down.

He maintained that some of the funding arrangements involved Federal Government-backed concessionary financing and said the World Bank records could establish when the money was accessed.

The controversy has since shifted towards the actual amount drawn from some of the facilities.

Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, reportedly acknowledged during an Arise TV appearance that the government had not properly verified the amount actually drawn from a $123m facility before citing the larger figure. He said the government would seek clarification from the relevant authorities.

The development has added another layer to the disagreement between Obi and the Anambra Government over the state’s financial position at the end of his administration.

Obi has consistently maintained that he left office in March 2014 without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or certified contractor obligations, while the state government has continued to dispute aspects of his account of the state’s inherited liabilities.

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s prolonged absence from Nigeria, saying Nigerians deserve to know the President’s whereabouts amid the country’s security challenges.

Obi made the remarks on Arise TV on Thursday while discussing the President’s absence from the country and the situation surrounding other senior government officials.

According to Obi, the issue was not simply that Tinubu was outside Nigeria, but that he had remained abroad beyond the period initially announced for his trip.

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“It’s not just that he’s out of the country. He’s out of the country beyond the days he was supposed to be. Beyond the days they even said he was going for,” Obi said.

He also noted that Vice-President Kashim Shettima was outside the country, while Senate President Godswill Akpabio was also reportedly abroad and the Senate was not in session.

“The Vice President is not in the country. And I understand the Senate President is out of the country, the Senate is not in session,” he said.

Obi expressed concern about the situation against the backdrop of insecurity and recent incidents involving the deaths of suspected illegal miners in Niger State.

“We don’t need this level of rascality at this moment in time, when Nigerians are being kidnapped, being killed, things are… we need a country where we have somebody, where we have competence, capacity, and compassion,” he said.

Referring to the deaths recorded in Niger State, Obi said the presence of the country’s chief executive was particularly important during a crisis.

“Look at Niger State now, where 10 people… where some young people have died for nothing,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor argued that while there is a chain of command within government, delegation should not replace the physical presence of the country’s leader during critical situations.

“It is… the CEO being present is critical at a time of crisis. Not delegation. Yes, you have a chain of command,” Obi said.

He subsequently asked where the President was and insisted that Nigerians should be informed.

“Where is the President? Nigerians ought to know,” he said.

Obi also said that, if elected president in 2027, he would make his whereabouts publicly known whenever he travelled.

“If I travel today, I tell people where I am. When I become President, Charles, people will know where I am 24 hours,” he said

“That is public space, public office,” Obi added.

The comments come amid continuing public debate over the absence of the President and Vice-President from Nigeria.