A war of words has erupted between Rufai Oseni and the Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, over the case of a Nigerian, Ekene, who is reportedly stranded in India.

Oseni, in a series of posts on X on Sunday morning, accused NiDCOM of failing to act promptly after he forwarded details of Ekene’s case to the commission.

According to Oseni, NiDCOM received his email last Monday but did not provide a response until Sunday morning, after he raised the matter publicly on Saturday.

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“After I brought the matter to the front burner again. At 7.59am, NIDCOM just gave an update on the matter and they said nothing tangible!” Oseni wrote.

He alleged that the response was sent only after he publicly criticised the commission, describing the development as “pure inefficiency” and urging Nigerians to focus on helping Ekene return home.

Oseni also said a Nigerian had offered to assist Ekene in returning to Nigeria, adding that he would continue speaking about the case until Ekene was brought home.

Responding to the controversy, Dabiri-Erewa said she had blocked Oseni on X and therefore no longer saw his messages.

“Reply ke? I have blocked him. And many others like him,” she wrote, adding that she was among the earliest government officials to use the platform to respond to and resolve issues but that it had become “a very toxic space.”

Dabiri-Erewa further stated that Arise TV journalist Ojy Okpe had previously contacted her over the matter and that she had provided a formal response which was aired on the Morning Show.

She said Oseni had also been asked to send the necessary details through NiDCOM’s official email, through which he would receive the appropriate response.

According to her, further updates would be provided through NiDCOM’s official social media handles and email.

However, Oseni rejected her explanation and accused the NiDCOM chairman of misrepresenting when the commission responded to his email.

“Madam Abike is lying,” Oseni wrote, insisting that the email response was sent at 7:59am on Sunday, after he had raised the matter publicly the previous day.

He challenged Dabiri-Erewa to publish the timestamp of the email, arguing that it would show when the response was actually sent.

Oseni said he had received no response from NiDCOM since sending the email the previous Monday and accused the commission of attempting to portray itself as proactive after he publicly raised concerns about Ekene’s situation.

He also maintained that his focus was on helping Ekene and other Nigerians facing similar difficulties in India.

African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has unveiled his party’s agenda for the 2027 general election, promising major changes in wages, electricity, education, housing, healthcare, agriculture, security and the fight against corruption.

Sowore disclosed this in an interview with Independent Newspaper on Sunday, following his emergence as the AAC presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

He said his nomination was not merely about acquiring another political title but accepting what he described as a responsibility to participate in the struggle to transform Nigeria.

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“For me, becoming the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress is not about acquiring another title. It is about accepting another assignment in the historic struggle to liberate Nigeria,” Sowore said.

He recalled his involvement in campaigns against military dictatorship, corruption and oppression, saying the AAC was created to provide what he described as a revolutionary political alternative.

“The AAC was created because we understood that the old political establishment cannot rescue Nigeria from a crisis it created,” he said.

According to him, the party is placing ordinary Nigerians, including workers, farmers, students, women, young people and the disadvantaged, at the centre of political power.

₦500,000 Monthly Living Wage

Sowore proposed a ₦500,000 monthly living minimum wage for Nigerian workers, arguing that existing wages are insufficient to meet the needs of ordinary citizens.

“We intend to change that fundamentally. We are proposing a ₦500,000 monthly living minimum wage because Nigerian workers cannot continue receiving starvation wages while senators, governors and political appointees consume millions every month,” he said.

24-Hour Electricity

The AAC candidate promised to deliver 24-hour electricity, linking reliable power supply to industrial development and economic growth.

“We will deliver 24-hour electricity because no serious industrial economy can operate permanently on generators,” he said.

Free Education

Sowore promised free and accessible education at all levels, saying no Nigerian child should be denied education because of poverty.

He said universal education would form part of his administration’s broader social and economic programme.

One Million Homes And Rent Reform

He also pledged to construct one million public mixed-income homes.
Sowore promised to reform tenancy laws so that working people would not be forced to pay one or two years’ rent in advance.

Healthcare As A Right

On healthcare, he said access to medical care should not depend on a person’s financial status.

“Healthcare must become a right, not a privilege reserved for people who can afford medical tourism,” he said.

Industrialisation, Agriculture And Jobs

Sowore promised to industrialise Nigeria, massively expand agricultural production and processing, rebuild infrastructure and create dignified employment.

He said his administration would focus on expanding production rather than policies that place the burden of economic hardship on ordinary Nigerians.

Security And Police Reform

The AAC candidate also promised to reform policing and security institutions, improve the welfare of security personnel and deploy modern technology to tackle insecurity.

He specifically mentioned drones and advanced intelligence systems as part of the proposed security strategy.

Sowore said security personnel were themselves affected by the shortcomings of the system, arguing that many were poorly paid, poorly equipped and sometimes sent into dangerous situations without adequate support.

He also demanded professionalism from security agencies during the 2027 campaigns.

“Police officers, soldiers and intelligence personnel are employees of the Nigerian people. They are not private security guards belonging to a president, governor, minister or ruling political party,” he said.

Anti-Corruption Drive

Sowore pledged an uncompromising fight against corruption and promised to recover public resources allegedly stolen by political office holders.

“We will wage an uncompromising war against corruption and recover public resources stolen by political officeholders. Nigeria’s wealth must work for Nigerians,” he said.

Criticism Of Tinubu’s Economic Policies

The AAC candidate also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, rejecting the description of policies that impoverish Nigerians as reforms.

“If your economic policy increases hunger, destroys purchasing power, closes businesses and pushes millions deeper into poverty, you cannot simply call it reform and expect people to applaud,” Sowore said.

He said an AAC government would reverse what he described as the philosophy behind such policies.

Instead of punishing ordinary Nigerians, he said his administration would expand production, invest in productive infrastructure, raise wages, stabilise electricity, reduce transportation and energy costs, support domestic manufacturing and agriculture, and use government procurement to strengthen Nigerian producers.

“Economic policy must answer one basic question. Does it improve the material condition of the Nigerian people? If it does not, it has failed,” he said.

Sowore Defends Leftist Government

Sowore also argued that Nigerians were ready for a Leftist government, saying citizens already understood the effects of inequality and exploitation through their daily experiences.

“Our socialism is practical. It means the wealth produced by society must improve the lives of the people who produce it,” he said.

He said his interpretation of socialism included universal education, healthcare, decent housing, electricity, living wages and social protection.

“It means workers deserve dignity. It means Nigeria’s natural resources belong to Nigerians rather than a handful of politically connected billionaires,” he added.

People-Funded 2027 Campaign

Sowore said AAC would rely on ordinary Nigerians rather than wealthy political patrons to fund its 2027 campaign.

He proposed a people-funded campaign where supporters could contribute ₦1,000, ₦5,000 or ₦10,000, alongside their time, skills and organising capacity.

“Our opponents may have billions of naira. They may have governors, private jets and access to state resources, but there is something money cannot manufacture, and that is conviction,” he said.

“You cannot buy a genuine movement. Our greatest war chest will be millions of Nigerians determined to end the political order that has impoverished them.”

Sowore Says AAC Can Win 2027

Sowore, who is seeking the presidency for the third time, said AAC’s chances in 2027 had never been better.

He dismissed political realignments among established parties, arguing that politicians frequently move between platforms without changing their political ideas or methods.

“In 2019, people said we could not run. We ran. In 2023, they said we would disappear. We remained,” he said.

“Our greatest strength in 2027 will be Nigerians themselves.”

He added: “Millions of people are discovering that changing the driver while keeping the same broken vehicle will never take Nigeria anywhere.”

“This election will be the establishment against the people, and we are firmly on the side of the people,” he said.

Grassroots Mobilisation

On how AAC plans to build a nationwide campaign, Sowore said the party would organise from the grassroots.

“Every ward matters. Every polling unit matters. Every village, campus, market, workplace and community matters,” he said.

He said AAC organisers must live among the people, understand their struggles and organise around those issues rather than wait in party offices for instructions.

According to him, technology would be used for volunteer coordination, fundraising, voter education, election monitoring and mobilisation, but it would not replace human organisation.

“Our objective is simple. One organiser becomes 10; 10 become 100; 100 become thousands, and thousands become millions,” Sowore said.

“That is how movements are built, and that is how we intend to win.”

Saudi Arabian shares fell in early trading on Sunday after drone strikes targeted the kingdom’s vital East-West crude oil pipeline, raising fresh concerns over regional oil supplies and infrastructure security.

Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index dropped 1%, weighed down by declines in major companies. Al Rajhi Bank fell 0.8%, while Saudi Arabian Mining Company declined 2.4%.

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Oil giant Saudi Aramco also slipped 1.1%, while Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company plunged 7.3%, making it the session’s worst performer.

The sell-off followed the precautionary shutdown of the East-West pipeline after aerial strikes on Thursday hit installations across the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing several injuries.

Saudi Arabia and Iraq both traced the attacks to Iraqi territory, where Iran-backed militias operate. The Iraqi government subsequently dismissed a senior military commander on Saturday.

Riyadh has so far held off on immediate military retaliation following an appeal from Iraq’s prime minister, while asserting its right to defend its sovereignty and critical infrastructure.

The tensions escalated further after U.S. President Donald Trump directly blamed Iran for the strikes on Saturday.

The East-West pipeline is a critical route for Saudi Arabia because it provides an alternative for crude exports that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest disruption has highlighted the vulnerability of regional oil infrastructure.

Previous attacks on Saudi energy facilities cut the kingdom’s crude production by 2.3 million barrels per day to about 6 million barrels per day, its lowest level in three decades, according to the International Energy Agency.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, Qatar’s benchmark index rose 0.2%, bucking the regional trend, helped by gains in petrochemical producer Industries Qatar.

Meanwhile, Gulf foreign ministers are planning to meet their Iranian counterpart as part of an Oman-backed effort to secure an interim agreement on managing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.