By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

A Frontline 2027 Presidential hopeful, Peter Obi, on Thursday reminded President Bola Tinubu that he is not a tourist but leader of a bleeding nation.President Tinubu left Nigeria on Thursday, August 14 according to a statement by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.

Tinubu will stop over in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before proceeding to Japan. According to the statement, in Japan, President Tinubu will attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in the City of Yokohama from August 20 to 22. At the end of the TICAD9, President Tinubu will leave for Brasilia, the capital of the Federative Republic of Brazil, on a two-day state visit from Sunday, August 24, to Monday, August 25.Reacting to another round of foreign trips by President Tinubu, Obi said in his X (formerly Twitter), Obi condemned the frequent foreign Visits of the President despite the fact that he found it difficult to visit troubled states in the country.Obi also lampooned President Tinubu for traveling abroad several days ahead of whatever engagement that took him outside the country when leaders of other nations arrive for such meetings less than 48 hours to the meetings.In his post captioned “Again our President moves as the Nation bleeds,” Obi wrote: “Amid the deplorable state of our nation in all ramifications, we have a virtually indifferent President who has continued to display insensitivity to our situation.”How can anyone explain that a President who came from Brazil recently and met with the President is returning to the same country, leaving the various degrees of challenges at home unresolved?”The latest itinerary of the President shows he will depart Abuja on Thursday, August 14, for a two-nation trip to Japan and Brazil. “The President will stop over in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before proceeding to Japan. In Japan, President Tinubu will attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in the City of Yokohama from August 20 to 22. The itinerary is silent on the President’s return date to his visibly troubled nation.”The situation we find ourselves in is deeply worrisome. Our President, who has not found it worthy to visit any of our troubled states, takes joy in travelling to foreign countries at the slightest invitation or excuse. Often departing several days even before the events he’s invited to. “In his last trip, for instance, he had a one-week State visit to St lucia before attending the BRICS Summit, where Nigeria was merely invited as an observer, though the role was dressed up as ‘partner’ to the invitation, which was more significant. “The leaders of actual member countries who attended only arrived a day or two at most for the event.”Nigeria’s insecurity situation, economic hardship, and human suffering have reached their peak. “We are now counted among the most insecure nations, the most fragile economies, and the hungriest countries in the world. “This dire reality demands the full attention of Mr. President, and his travels should be more within our troubled states and communities, spending time on the ground, and taking decisive action to alleviate the people’s suffering rather than these overseas conferences that contribute little or no tangible value to our nation’s woes. “And where the trip is necessary at all, it could be attended in just a few days rather than indulging in prolonged, unnecessary absences from a country that requires 24/7 attention. “What our nation needs now is security of lives and properties, economic stability and ensuring that our people have food on their table.”Our President’s planned trip of 12 days departing today, if necessary, should have been at most a 5-day trip as the event he was invited to in Japan commences on the 20th.”Nigeria today demands competent leadership with capacity and compassion to start dealing with the problems besetting it with the presence and sacrifice required.”Mr. President must, as a matter of urgency, commence tours of our states with the same enthusiasm he shows for jetting out of the country every month. “These visits will enable him to see, listen and learn more about what Nigerians are going through.”Though Nigerians know that our huge problems cannot be solved overnight, they want to see 100% effort and tireless commitment to solving them.”Most importantly, our President must know that he’s not a tourist, but the Chief Executive of a troubled nation, so he must have consciousness, strict work schedules and a strict travelling schedule to show that he has a troubled country to quickly return to.

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

As Political realignments continue ahead of 2027 general election, the National Youth Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Dayo Israel has raised the alarm that opposition political parties are poaching the party’s youths.To checkmate the tide, Comrade Israel said that the APC has started a process of restructuring and rebranding the party to halt and frustrate plans and efforts by other parties to sway Nigerian youths and divert their votes away from the party.

The national youth leader made these remarks while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday while unveiling the newly constructed Youth Directorate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a resource center for party youths, located at 8 Ajesa Street, Wuse 2, Abuja.Comrade Israel stated that poor funding from the national secretariat of the party, lack of enlightenment and engagement programmes directed at the youth abd women population have started to have some toll and negative effect on the confidence of the target groups and may affect supporting the party and the president in the future.”We are hoping that when the APC gets a permanent site like the president directed, the youth wing of the party might even be given a whole structure as its office but before that, we have to do a lot to begin to support the youth of our nation.”The Labour Party and others are trying and doing everything possible to hijack the youths for their votes as we head to 2027 general elections. We need to be proactive and start engaging our youths now so that we can deliver their votes in the election to Mr. President. “We have developed a three-year development plan on how we want to engage the youths but we felt that it is only proper to setup this resource centre first where youths can meet and rub minds with policy makers.”Israel outlined several skills and other empowerment programmes that would be offered by the resource centre, and stated categorically that when APC youths are properly equipped and empowered, other parties will not pose any serious threat to the ruling party either before, during or after the general elections. Apart from taking proper inventory of APC youths across the country, he said, the resource centre hopes to immediately commence radical public engagement and enlightenment programmes targeting all sectors of youths including the students in higher institutions to ensure massive votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection in 2027.

By David Torough, Abuja

A university scholar, Prof. Uji Wilfred of the Department of History and International Studies, Federal University of Lafia, has called on the Federal Government to establish a National Bureau for Ethnic Relations to strengthen inter-group unity and address the deep-seated ethnic tensions in Nigeria, particularly in the North Central region.

Prof.

Wilfred, in a paper drawing from years of research, argued that the six states of the North Central—Kwara, Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa share long-standing historical, cultural, and economic ties that have been eroded by arbitrary state boundaries and ethnic politics.

According to him, pre-colonial North Central Nigeria was home to a rich mix of ethnic groups—including Nupe, Gwari, Gbagi, Eggon, Igala, Idoma, Jukun, Alago, Tiv, Birom, Tarok, Angas, among others, who coexisted through indigenous peace mechanisms.

These communities, he noted, were amalgamated by British colonial authorities under the Northern Region, first headquartered in Lokoja before being moved to Kaduna.

He stressed that state creation, which was intended to promote minority inclusion, has in some cases fueled exclusionary politics and ethnic tensions. “It is historically misleading,” Wilfred stated, “to regard certain ethnic nationalities as mere tenant settlers in states where they have deep indigenous roots.”

The don warned that such narratives have been exploited by political elites for land grabbing, ethnic cleansing, and violent conflicts, undermining security in the sub-region.

He likened Nigeria’s ethnic question to America’s historic “race question” and urged the adoption of structures similar to the Freedmen’s Bureau, which addressed racial inequality in post-emancipation America through affirmative action and equitable representation.

Wilfred acknowledged the recent creation of the North Central Development Commission by President Bola Tinubu as a step in the right direction, but said its mandate may not be sufficient to address ethnic relations.

He urged the federal government to either expand the commission’s role or create a dedicated Bureau for Ethnic Relations in all six geo-political zones to foster reconciliation, equality, and sustainable development.

Quoting African-American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, Prof. Wilfred concluded that the challenge of Nigeria in the 21st century is fundamentally one of ethnic relations, which must be addressed with deliberate policies for unity and integration.