By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

Following All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries for Senatorial aspirants in which former Delta state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and the former governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, won their respective primaries, and were cleared to contest, Nigerians of all hue have condemned the development.

Okowa and Bello are currently standing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for corruption running into billions of Naira.

The anti-graft agency arrested Okowa in November 2024 over allegations of diverting ₦1.

Details of the allegations include:The N1.3 Trillion Derivation Fund: The EFCC is probing his alleged failure to account for massive sums of 13% oil derivation funds allocated to Delta State between 2015 and 2023.

He is accused of failing to account for ₦40 billion that he allegedly claimed was used to purchase an 8% equity stake in UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas.

Investigators have also stumbled on the suspected diversion of state funds to acquire major real estate estates in Asaba and Abuja.

Following his arrest, Okowa left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). This led to public speculation that the probe might be dropped.

It seems the probe has gone into political cooler, though The EFCC has maintained that the defection offers no shield or immunity.

Despite subsequent outcry over the pace of the investigation, the agency publicly stated that the corruption probe remains active.

Bello on the other hand, is facing two major corruption and money laundering trials by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC): ₦80.2 Billion Case: A 19-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja regarding funds allegedly diverted from the Kogi State treasury and used to acquire luxury properties in Nigeria and Dubai.₦110.4 Billion Case: A 16-count charge in the FCT High Court bordering on criminal breach of trust and property fraud.

The EFCC accuses Bello of extensive financial misconduct, including diverting state funds through multiple bureau-de-change operators and linked companies.

The agency also alleged he withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars directly from state coffers to pay his children’s school fees in advance.

Bello has consistently denied all allegations, maintaining that the charges brought against him are politically motivated.
He has repeatedly evaded arrest and stalled his arraignment in court, leading to highly publicized standoffs with the EFCC at his Abuja residence and the Kogi State Government Lodge.

Despite the ongoing multibillion-naira fraud trials, the All Progressives Congress (APC) cleared Bello to participate in and win the party’s senatorial primary for Kogi Central, setting the stage to challenge the incumbent senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Reacting to the development, Professor Abdullah Abubakar, a political scientist said that ” the victories of Okowa and Bello are a testament to the long held belief by many Nigerians that this administration is hub of corruption. Imagine politicians standing trial for high profile corruption cases are being given clean bill of health to run for a place at the National Assembly to represent the same people whose money they looted brazenly. Tinubu’s administration is a joke. This government will go down in history as the most tragically comic administration we have ever had.”

In his own reaction, Biodun Agunbiade, a civil servant told said that “when I heard that Okowa had defeated the amiable senator Nwoko I knew Nigeria is finished. It’s like a nightmare. Can you imagine Okowa who is under corruption trial defeating Nwoko who had done well for his people? APC as a part, at least with this development, is a comedy of error. Nigerians should reject them at the polls.”

The question that has continued to agitate many Nigerians is : why the immediate past Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa and other political office seekers facing criminal charges should be allowed to contest elections in Nigeria?

Why has the ‘people’ at the centre of these corruption cases be allowed to participate in APC Senatorial Primary or involved in the political scenario of Delta North and Kogi Central ?

Desmond Atake, an activist said “Nigeria under the current administration has lost its moral compass.”

He noted that “Presently, Okowa, Bello and others who have corruption cases hanging on their necks should be treated as a political lepers and ought to have been ostracized from politics. Yet APC is rewarding them.”

According to Wilson Okonkwo, a data analyst ” the victory of Okowa is the best example of what we can call government giving official backing to corruption.”

Ahmed Walata, a political analyst said “until corrupt politicians like Okowa, Bello and others are given public execution to serve as deterrent to others who have intentions of using public funds in enriching themselves, Nigeria will continue to move from bad to worse.”

He continues, “In country like China, if you were involved in corrupt Malpractices, you are executed. ln Japan, you commit suicide. In Europe and America, you are jail.

“Why then in Africa, especially in Nigeria, you are allowed to continue to participate in politics and hold public office, walk around freely in the society, dictate the tones and withhold your loot?

“The anti graft agency of Nigeria should tell Nigerians why Okowa is allowed to have freedom to the extent of having the impunity to contest the recent Delta North Senatorial Primary, while Nasir El Rufai , the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, who is facing same charges is still held by the anti graft?

“Why has the anti graft agency having concluded the investigations on Okowa, refused to charge him to court?”

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede says responsible journalism is necessary for national security.

Oluyede said this on Tuesday in his goodwill message at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT press week 2026 lecture and award ceremony.

Represented by the Director, Defence Information, Brig.

“I urge you therefore to continue to verify before your publish, prioritise national interest without sacrificing the truth, and give voice to the sacrifices of our troops who stand in harm’s way so that others may live in peace,” he said.

Oluyede noted that the theme of the press week “2027 Election: Defending Democracy in the Era of Disinformation” was both timely and significant.

He said that this was considering the complex security and information environment the nation operated today.

According to him, the media remains a critical pillar of our democracy and a vital instrument for national cohesion, public enlightenment and accountability.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remain committed to safeguarding lives and property of all citizens, in line with our constitutional mandate.

“In pursuit of this duty across various theatres of operation, we have come to recognise, more than ever, that the press is a partner to the military in the collective effort to build a safe, stable and prosperous Nigeria.

“This partnership is not of convenience, but of necessity. While the military secures the physical space, the media shapes the information space.

“The narratives you project influence public perception, troop morale, and even the strategic outcomes of operations.”

He urged journalists when reporting to be factual, balanced, and conflict-sensitive to deny oxygen to terrorism, banditry and disinformation in order to build trust between the armed forces and Nigerians they are serving.

Says Hunger, Poverty More Important Than Regional Politics

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has declared that he is not intimidated by the prospect of facing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election despite both men coming from the South-West region.

Adebayo said the SDP would not play ethnic politics ahead of the election, insisting that millions of Nigerians battling hunger, unemployment and rising living costs are more concerned about survival than regional identity.

“We don’t think like that in SDP. A hungry person in the South West is still hungry. Someone buying petrol at outrageous prices won’t care about regional identity,” he said during an interview shortly after emerging as the SDP presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.

The SDP flag bearer said the focus of his party would be on addressing the economic hardship confronting ordinary Nigerians through policies centred on education, healthcare, jobs and social welfare.

According to him, the SDP represents a different ideological direction from the ruling All Progressives Congress, which he accused of prioritising politics over governance.

“SDP is the party that has solutions to your social problems. It’s a party meant for ordinary people. When you wake up in the morning, you think about feeding your family, transport costs, education, food, healthcare, jobs and survival — those are the issues social democratic parties focus on,” he said.

He argued that unlike the APC, which he accused of focusing mainly on electoral victories, the SDP is committed to improving the living conditions of Nigerians.

“A social democrat won’t wake up and remove subsidy without thinking about the impact on transport, food, housing, jobs and people’s savings. But if you are APC, your focus is on winning elections and congratulating yourselves afterward,” he stated.

On the crisis rocking the SDP following the legal troubles involving the party’s former national chairman, Adebayo declined detailed comments, citing his professional responsibility as a lawyer.

“Once you start with something being in court, especially someone who is at the risk of losing his liberty and facing a criminal trial, it is unethical for me to comment on it,” he said.

He, however, maintained that party officials must be held accountable while due process is respected.

“If you want to discipline somebody, you have to follow the law, and if you are facing disciplinary action, you have to respect it,” he added.

The SDP candidate also condemned the destruction that occurred at the party secretariat during the crisis, accusing the police of complicity.
“It’s the police that brought them, and the police used them to pull down the gates because they didn’t want to do it themselves,” he alleged.

Adebayo further accused the ruling APC of attempting to destabilise opposition parties through infiltration.

“Yes, we are dealing with that. It is the desire of President Tinubu to be the only person in the race,” he said.

On education, the SDP flag bearer strongly criticised recent policy changes in the sector, describing them as a deliberate lowering of standards.

“These are not reforms; they are deformations. The lowest-quality people are in government, and they want standards to fall because an educated population asks questions and challenges bad governance,” he said.

He also rejected the Federal Government’s student loan scheme, describing it as unconstitutional and harmful.

“Student loans are a crime against the constitution and against the people,” Adebayo declared.

According to him, education should be free and accessible because investing in education is essential for national development and security.

“Why should students borrow money for education if education is supposed to be free, compulsory and qualitative?” he queried.

He warned that failure to properly educate young Nigerians would worsen unemployment, insecurity and social instability.

“You will turn scientists into taxi drivers. You destroy civilisation, and insecurity grows because the people who should become innovators are abandoned,” he added.