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Kenneth Okonkwo Faults Atiku, ADC For Picking South-South VP, Says South-East Being Sidelined
Kenneth Okonkwo Faults Atiku, ADC For Picking South-South VP, Says South-East Being Sidelined
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Kenneth Okonkwo, has faulted the selection of the party’s vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, warning that it could deepen what he described as the marginalisation of the South-East in national politics.
Okonkwo, in a statement shared on his social media account on Monday, said he was reacting to reports that the party had picked a South-South candidate for the position, a move he said would further exclude the South-East from the presidency or vice presidency since 1999.
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“I heard from social media that ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South.
“If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East,” he said.
He noted that the South-East has neither produced a President nor Vice President since 1999, adding that excluding the zone again in 2027 would amount to continued political marginalisation.
“This Geo-Political Zone has neither produced a President or Vice President since 1999. To deny the South-East the opportunity to produce the President or Vice President in ADC in 2027 will amount to perpetuating the marginalisation,” he added.
Okonkwo also referenced the origin of the party, stating that it was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005, and argued that its founding history should reflect fairness in leadership distribution.
“The ADC was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005. He made the sacrifice to give up the party in 2025 for the coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. He couldn’t have made that sacrifice to marginalise his own people,” he noted.
“I did not join the coalition to assist in the further marginalisation of my own people,” he said.
Okonkwo also said he had raised concerns with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, urging him to consider a South-East candidate for the vice-presidential slot, and warned that his support would depend on such inclusion.
“The only favour I asked Atiku Abubakar, who openly declared that he is the pathway to the presidency of the South-East, is to show it by choosing someone from the South-East to be his Vice,” he said.
He added that he would not support any presidential ticket that excludes the South-East from either the presidential or vice-presidential position in 2027.

Kenneth Okonkwo
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well. I am not favourably disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as President or Vice in 2027,” he said.
The development comes as the ADC announced former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as its vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 election, pairing him with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on what the party described as a “unity and rescue ticket.”
The party said the choice was influenced by Amaechi’s performance in its presidential primary, where he emerged runner-up, as well as his experience in governance.
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Davido: I’m a Die-Hard Cristiano Ronaldo Fan, we Chat Regularly
Davido: I’m a Die-Hard Cristiano Ronaldo Fan, we Chat Regularly
Afrobeats star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has declared himself a dedicated Cristiano Ronaldo fan and claimed that he regularly communicates with the football legend.
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Davido disclosed this during a livestream with content creator and streamer, Carter Efe.
The ‘If’ singer said he supported Portugal to win the recently concluded 2026 FIFA World Cup because of his connections with players in the national team.
“Because I have a lot of friends in the Portuguese team. I want Portugal to win,” Davido said.
When Efe suggested it was because of Ronaldo, the singer replied, “I love Ronaldo, I’m a CR7 fan.”
Davido further claimed that he has ongoing conversations with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, saying in Pidgin English that he talks to the “legend back to back.”

Cristiano Ronaldo, Davido
Efe reacted with visible excitement, repeatedly exclaiming:
“God, I don mad! I don mad! I don mad! I don mad!”
The clip has since circulated widely on social media.
Davido has previously expressed his interest in football and has been seen with several international football stars.
The authenticity of the apparent chat shown during the livestream could not be independently verified.
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President Tinubu Approves Pay Rise for 250,000 Armed Forces Personnel
President Tinubu Approves Pay Rise for 250,000 Armed Forces Personnel
President Bola Tinubu has approved salary increases of between 30 and 80 per cent for Nigeria’s armed forces personnel.
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The pay package that will benefit approximately 250,000 personnel and take effect from September 1, 2026, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed in a statement signed Tuesday.
Onanuga said the graduated structure of the increase scales inversely with rank, with the highest percentage increases going to the most junior personnel.
Under the new arrangement, he said officers above the rank of colonel, Brigadier-Generals, Major-Generals, Lieutenant Generals and Generals, will receive a 30 per cent salary increase.
Personnel ranking from colonel down to warrant officer will receive a 50 per cent increase, while those from private to staff sergeant will receive an 80 per cent increase.
The pay package will raise the annual salary bill for the armed forces from N660 billion to N924 billion, an increase of N264 billion.
The President linked the pay rise directly to the sacrifices personnel continue to make in the fight against banditry, kidnapping and terrorism across parts of the country.
Tinubu said troop welfare and military modernisation would remain a standing priority of his administration.
“Our administration will continue to prioritise troop welfare and modernise the armed forces by providing the weapons and technological tools needed to discharge their duties,” he said.
Tinubu tied the salary increase to his broader philosophy on national security saying, “Our administration believes that no nation can achieve greatness without security. We therefore remain resolute in mobilising all military and law enforcement assets to eliminate security threats and protect the lives and property of all Nigerians,” he said.

President Tinubu
“I urge our servicemen to take our gesture as a sign of our deep appreciation of the services they render to our fatherland.
“Together we shall prevail over the enemies intent on destroying the fabric of our nation,” the President said.
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Awori Renaissance Forum Urges ADC to Relist Lagos Reps Candidate
Awori Renaissance Forum Urges ADC to Relist Lagos Reps Candidate
The Awori Renaissance Forum has urged the leadership of the African Democratic Congress to relist Mr. Olalekan Anjolaiya as the party’s candidate for Alimosho Federal Constituency, saying the move would address the alleged marginalisation of the indigenous Awori people.
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The call was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Coordinator of the Forum, Mr Muraina Ajala.
Ajala said the forum was making the appeal following reports that Anjolaiya, who was initially presented as the party’s candidate, had been disqualified over alleged multiple party registration.
He argued that replacing him with a non-indigene would amount to “a miscarriage of justice” when qualified Awori sons and daughters were available to represent the constituency in the National Assembly.
According to him, relisting Anjolaiya would give the indigenous Awori-speaking people of Alimosho the opportunity to produce a representative and end what he described as years of political marginalisation.
“We are using this opportunity to call on the leadership of the ADC to right the wrong being meted to our son and standard bearer, Hon. Olalekan Anjolaiya, who is the only hope of the indigenous Awori people of Alimosho.
“Our appeal is to the national leadership of the party, particularly the National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, whom we believe has the power to do the needful in this instance.
The forum alleged that Awori-speaking people had consistently been sidelined in the choice of candidates for the constituency despite having qualified sons and daughters capable of representing the area.
It also described Anjolaiya as “a son of the soil,” noting that his contributions to community development had earned him the traditional title of Bobakeye of Igandoland.
“The affected member is known to us and he has contributed so much to the development of Aworiland, particularly his native Igandoland. This has prompted the traditional ruler of Igando, Oba Lasisi Gbadamosi, to recently bestow on him the title of Bobakeye of Igandoland,” the statement said.

ADC
The group further argued that allowing a non-indigene to emerge as the constituency’s representative would amount to “double jeopardy” for the Awori people.
“We are even more concerned that the only time we have been represented by one of us is now by our incumbent representative, Hon. Ganiyu Adele Ayuba, who has been denied a return ticket by the ruling All Progressives Congress. We don’t want our son, Olalekan Anjolaiya, to suffer the same fate, and this is why we are making the clarion call,” Ajala added.
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