Kano: Kwankwaso Receives APC Defectors into NDC

The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Sunday welcomed a group of defectors from the All Progressives Congress in Madobi Local Government Area of Kano State into NDC.
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In a statement shared on his official X account, the former Kano State governor expressed delight over the development.

“I was elated to receive a group of defectors from Madobi Local Government who have left the APC to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

“I warmly welcomed them into our fold and assured them of fair and comfortable positions within our party.

“We continue to grow stronger, free from major distractions,” he said.

Kwankwaso

Other images show large gatherings of supporters, many wearing the red caps associated with the Kwankwasiyya movement, cheering and raising their hands.

The reception underscores the NDC’s efforts to expand its support base in Kano State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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NAF Enhances Frontline Surveillance with Combat Life Saver Training

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has enhanced its frontline survivability and operational readiness with the successful conduct of a Combat Life Saver Course for instructors of the Regiment Training Centre (RTC). Conducted by the Air Mobile First Aid Unit (AMFAU) of the Nigerian Air Force School of Medical Sciences and Aviation Medicine (NAFSMSAM), the training equipped participants with critical battlefield casualty management skills that will be replicated across Regiment units.
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Inaugurating the course, the Commandant of NAFSMSAM, Air Vice Marshal AC Ekpe, underscored the vital role of combat life-saving skills in improving operational effectiveness and increasing battlefield survivability.

Participants underwent intensive theoretical and practical instruction in the core principles of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), equipping them to deliver immediate life-saving interventions during operations. The training also underscored the value of AMFAU’s recent accreditation by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), reaffirming its capacity to deliver internationally recognised pre-hospital emergency medical training and further strengthening the NAF’s operational medical capabilities.

At the graduation ceremony, the Commandant RTC, Air Vice Marshal I Subi, commended the participants for their dedication and urged them to sustain continuous learning and proficiency as an essential element of saving lives and building resilience during operations.

The initiative reflects the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke’s commitment to building a highly motivated, professional and mission-ready force capable of delivering decisive air power in synergy with surface forces.

NAF

By empowering Regiment instructors to cascade life-saving skills across the Service, the NAF is strengthening force protection, enhancing battlefield survivability and reinforcing the operational effectiveness of its personnel in the defence of Nigeria.
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Atiku Condemns Tinubu Government’s Attack on Catholic Bishops, Demands Apology

Ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the presidency’s criticism of the Catholic Church and John Cardinal Onaiyekan, describing it as an attack on one of Nigeria’s most respected moral institutions and a sign of the Tinubu administration’s growing intolerance of dissent.
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Atiku also demanded an immediate and unreserved apology to the former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal Onaiyekan, and the Catholic faithful, insisting that the presidency’s response to the cleric’s comments was “arrogant, disrespectful and unbecoming of a democratic government.”

In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president accused the presidency of choosing political attacks over introspection following recent remarks by members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria on the state of the nation.

According to Atiku, rather than addressing the concerns raised by the bishops, the presidency resorted to intimidation and attempts to discredit respected religious leaders.

“It was both unfortunate and dangerous that, instead of reflecting on the substance of the cleric’s message, the presidency chose the familiar path of intimidation, ridicule and political attacks,” he said.

Atiku described the Catholic Church as one of Nigeria’s enduring moral voices, noting that its leaders have consistently spoken in defence of the poor, vulnerable and oppressed, regardless of the government in power.

“The Catholic Church has, for generations, stood as one of the moral voices of our nation. Its bishops and priests have consistently spoken for the poor, the oppressed and the vulnerable, irrespective of who occupies Aso Rock. Their duty is not to flatter those in power but to speak truth to power,” he stated.

Commending the Catholic clerics for what he called their courage, Atiku said they had fulfilled their moral responsibility by openly expressing concerns about the country’s economic and political situation.

“The Catholic bishops demonstrated rare courage by looking the president in the face and telling him the bitter truth about the state of the nation. That is precisely what patriotic religious leaders are called to do—not to decorate power with praise, but to confront it with truth.

“We urge other religious leaders, regardless of denomination or faith, to emulate this example by speaking truth to power whenever the nation’s interest demands it,” he added.

The African Democratic Congress presidential candidate also defended Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to grant an interview after the meeting, arguing that the cleric merely sought to place the facts before Nigerians following what he described as the presidency’s attempt to control the narrative.

“Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to speak to the press after the presidency sought to dominate and distort the public conversation was nothing more than an effort to place the facts on record. Such a responsible act cannot justify the vile, uncouth and disrespectful reaction that followed from Tinubu’s media handlers,” he said.

He accused the presidency of attempting to undermine the credibility of the Catholic bishops by selectively presenting their engagement with President Bola Tinubu.

He further criticised what he described as the government’s intolerance of independent voices, warning that democracy cannot flourish where citizens, religious leaders and civil society organisations are attacked for expressing contrary views.

“The presidency is not a secret cult where only approved voices are permitted to speak. In a constitutional democracy, no one needs the permission of Aso Rock to tell the truth about the state of the nation,” he noted.

In a pointed reference to the controversy surrounding clerics who attended President Tinubu’s inauguration in 2023, Atiku said the administration appeared to believe that all religious leaders could be enlisted for political purposes.

“Perhaps the presidency has become so accustomed to inviting ‘fake bishops’ that it now assumes every cleric can be recruited into political propaganda. But Catholic bishops are different. They are not political props, rented cheerleaders or praise singers. They are shepherds with a moral obligation to speak truth to power, regardless of whose interests are bruised. They cannot be used,” he declared.

According to Atiku, attacking respected clerics would neither erase the economic challenges facing Nigerians nor absolve the government of responsibility for the hardship experienced across the country.

“The cleric merely gave voice to what millions of Nigerians discuss daily in their homes, markets, churches and workplaces. Silencing or attacking him will not erase the harsh realities of hunger, insecurity, rising poverty, unemployment and the unprecedented cost-of-living crisis confronting ordinary citizens,” he said.

The ADC presidential candidate maintained that governments secure greater public confidence by responding constructively to criticism rather than attacking those who express it.

Atiku

“A government confident in its record welcomes criticism because it provides an opportunity for reflection and improvement. Only an insecure government wages war against honest voices while rewarding those who tell it only what it wants to hear,” he added.

The Wazirin Adamawa called on the presidency to apologise to Onaiyekan, the Catholic Church and millions of Catholic faithful across the country.

“The presidency owes the Catholic Church, Cardinal John Onaiyekan and the entire Catholic faithful an immediate and unreserved apology. The reckless assault on respected men of God was not merely an attack on individuals; it was an affront to one of Nigeria’s most credible moral institutions and an insult to millions of faithful Catholics.

“Until that apology is offered, the Tinubu administration will continue to stand accused of arrogance, intolerance and contempt for every independent voice that refuses to sing its praises,” he stated.
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