Grand Patron of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, High Chief Oweizidei Government Ekpemupolo, has donated 50 vehicles for President Bola Tinubu’s reelection campaign in Enugu and Cross River states.

The vehicles were donated at separate campaign rallies in the two states, on Monday, during the inauguration of the state chapters of the Movement and distribution of campaign materials to the state coordinators.

In Cross River State, the government pledged that it will mobilise voters in the state to deliver no less than 1.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu’s reelection in 2027.

According to latest data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Cross River state has 1,928,978 registered voters.

Governor Bassey Otu who was represented the deputy governor, Peter Odey, said the entire Cross River state was for Tinubu as a mark of appreciation for the developments he had brought to the state, including the Lagos-Calabar Super Highway, increased federal allocation which had ensured prompt salary payment and infrastructure development, among others.

He said it was also important to reelect the president so that the state can regain its status as an oil producing state and the actualisation of the Bakassi Deep Sea Port which the president will commission on November 13, 2026.

“If we don’t support Tinubu to be reelected, we will miss a lot, so a support for Tinubu is a support for ourselves.

“If we were to give the president 1 million votes, the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement has made it 1.5 million because of the logistics support which will enable us to go deep into the corners of the state to campaign at every door,” the governor stated.

In Enugu, the State Governor, Peter Mbah, represented by his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai, commended the Movement for its investment in grassroots mobilisation, particularly its recruitment of members across electoral wards and provision of platforms to communicate the party’s message.

He said the Tinubu administration is working to address the challenges facing Nigerians, adding that the achievements recorded in the last three and a half years provided a basis for continuity.

Earlier, leader of the Movement, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, called on the people of Cross River to come out en masse and vote for Tinubu and all other APC candidates in the 2027 election.

Tompolo, who was represented by Kestin Pondi, Managing director of Tantita Security Services, likened ongoing reforms to plant and harvest season and human gestation, saying it takes time but is sure to yield positive results provided the right steps are taken.

“Today, we no longer have fuel queues. We like to compare Nigeria with Asian countries that are doing well, like Malaysia and Indonesia, but one thing we forget to remember is that in those countries, reforms took over 25 or 35 years in some cases.

“Given the same conditions as we have in Nigeria, under which President Tinubu is operating, they may not have achieved what he has achieved in four years.

“If you want reforms like NELFUND which is guaranteeing tertiary education for your children, more federal allocation to your state for projects and so on, you must reelect Tinubu to continue,” he said.

Continuing, Tompolo added: “We cannot start development and truncate it. We want you to vote for APC candidates in all elections,” he added.

Tompolo, who emphasised that the vehicle’s donation was to support the state in its campaign, said: “we’ll stand by you in this campaign. If the plan was to deliver 80%, this should help you take it to 99%.”

He described President Tinubu as a courageous leader who has taken difficult decisions from the beginning of his administration to reposition the Nigerian economy, expressing confidence that the ongoing reforms would deliver a brighter future for the country.

Tompolo said the campaign will cover wards, polling units, churches, mosques, markets and other public places, ensuring that the achievements and policies of the present administration are properly communicated to people across the country.

He also commended Governor Mbah for projects and initiatives in the state, including road infrastructure, bus terminals, the command and control centre, international conference centre, smart schools, airport and Enugu Air.

National Coordinator of the Movement, Sunday Asuku, while calling on the people to get ready to make a loud statement with their PVCs in the 2027 election, pointed out that “Rome was not built in a day and here in Nigeria too, President Tinubu is doing it one step at a time and doing it well.”

He said what Nigeria needs now is continuity and consolidation of ongoing reforms, and so people should tell the opposition that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock.

Asuku urged Nigerians to consider the antecedents of the presidential candidates, insisting that Tinubu remains the best choice for the country.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Monday, rallies supports for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, second term in office and Senator Philips Aduda for 2027 election

Wike made the appeal during a Town Hall Interactive Meeting with political stakeholders, traditional leaders, and residents in Kwali Area Council, Abuja.

The FCT Minister also addressed some key issues surrounding political alignment, good governance, and party loyalty in the FCT.

He assured FCT women that it would improve on the number of women in elective and appointed posts.

“What I want to build, in FCT generally, is to improve on the number of women, so that they can move on the inclusivity of women. I’m not denying the men their job. I am only saying that our wives, our daughters, should be part of the system”, he said.

Wike responding to the court judgment sacking Senator Mark-led exco, in African Democratic Congress (ADC), he said political parties are means of getting to where you are going and when you get there you deliver good governance and development to the people.

“Isn’t it that a party is a vehicle that you enter intentionally to go where you are going? When you get there, you talk about development, you talk about good governance, and how you can bring welfare to your people,” he stated,

He therefore appealed to Abuja residents to reject politicians who only appear during election cycles with empty promises and instead support leadership that delivers verifiable infrastructure and structural empowerment.

Earlier in his address Chairman Kwali Area Council, Hon. Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the various projects being executed through FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in the area council.

He therefore assured Mr. President of their unwavering support during the 2027 election.

He said, “And I want to assure you, Kwali Area Council is ever ready. They are ever ready to support you, to deliver the coming election.

“I want to sincerely appreciate you for the numerous projects which you have done for the history of Kwali Area Council”.

He therefore assured the President Tinubu, that, “FCT is going to put up another remarkable history that no government has come as a sitting government to win election in FCT” .

Etsu of Kwali, His Royal Highness, Luka Ayedoo Nizassan III, in his goodwill message thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through Minister of FCT, for all the various reforms, which include creation of FCT Civil Service Commission, tax reforms, road, infrastructural projects, promotion of traditional rulers etc

He said, “For 50 years, we’ve been recognized as the categories of persons the United Nations call “the non-existent people.” That is, you live in a country where you don’t have a state. But the p+President, using the instrumentalities of the Constitution, recognized the fact that we need to be included and we were included”.

The traditional ruler therefore assured President Bola Tinubu of the support and vote for his re-election in 2027.

He said, “Your Excellency, be reassured that we are making the commitment this afternoon that by the grace of God, we are behind the president, and we will throw our weight behind him like we’ve never done for any p+Oresident. The reason is because he has done his lot, and it’s our turn to do our lot”.

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has raised concerns over the failure of some borrowers of defunct banks to repay outstanding loans.

The regulator, alleged that they are obstructing recovery efforts by hiding assets, exploiting court processes and intimidating officials.

The corporation warned that the actions are hampering its efforts to retrieve funds owed to failed financial institutions, thereby delaying the settlement of outstanding claims belonging to depositors.

The Director of the Asset Management Department of the NDIC, Ogungbemi Theophilus, disclosed this on Monday at the Stakeholders’ Seminar and Public Relations Workshop in Abuja.

Speaking on the difficulties associated with recovering assets from failed banks, Theophilus said some borrowers wrongly assume that the revocation of a bank’s operating licence automatically frees them from their repayment obligations.

He explained that some debtors deliberately conceal their properties, frustrate recovery proceedings, resort to prolonged court cases and sometimes use intimidation to discourage the corporation from pursuing outstanding debts.

According to him, the NDIC remains committed to carrying out its recovery responsibilities professionally despite the obstacles.

He described loan recovery as one of the most challenging aspects of liquidating failed banks, noting that borrowers who defaulted while the institutions were operational often become even more difficult to pursue after their closure.

The director also warned that prolonged recovery processes and delays in selling physical assets could erode their market value, reducing the funds available to compensate affected depositors.

He explained that properties left unused for long periods lose value, while equipment deteriorates and unpaid loans become increasingly difficult to recover.

Theophilus stressed that delays in retrieving these assets directly affect the corporation’s ability to pay depositors awaiting their outstanding funds.

He explained that the Asset Management Department oversees loans, properties and investments belonging to failed deposit money banks, primary mortgage banks and microfinance banks.

Its responsibilities, he further explained, include recovering unpaid loans, selling physical properties and investments, and converting the proceeds into cash for the settlement of uninsured depositors.

He noted that the amount the corporation can pay customers whose deposits exceed the insured limits largely depends on how effectively these assets and outstanding debts are recovered.

Theophilus explained that depositors of deposit money banks, non-interest banks and mobile money operators are covered by insurance of up to N5m per depositor per bank, while customers of microfinance banks, primary mortgage banks and payment service banks have coverage of up to N2m.

According to him, the existing insurance limits provide full protection for about 99 per cent of depositors. However, customers with balances above the stipulated coverage must rely on liquidation dividends to recover the uninsured portion of their deposits.

He explained that payments beyond the insured amounts would depend on proceeds generated from the sale of recovered assets and the collection of outstanding loans.

The NDIC director also revealed that the corporation held public auctions on November 3 and 4, 2026, to sell physical assets belonging to three financial institutions undergoing liquidation.

The banks involved were Union Homes Savings and Loans, Heritage Bank and Resort Savings and Loans, with the auction exercises conducted across Lagos, Taraba and Adamawa states.

He said the sales were organised by the Asset Management Department through appointed auctioneers, using a competitive sealed-bidding process.

Theophilus further emphasised the need to control the expenses associated with debt recovery, warning that the cost of retrieving outstanding loans must not exceed the value of the assets being recovered.

He said excessive recovery expenses would ultimately reduce the funds available to depositors, making it necessary for the corporation to maintain strict control over costs, timelines and reporting.

He also warned professionals involved in the recovery and disposal of failed banks’ assets against unethical practices, including insider dealings, deliberate undervaluation of properties, collusion with prospective buyers and diversion of sale proceeds.

The director maintained that the corporation would not tolerate any activities capable of depriving depositors of funds due to them.

He disclosed that the NDIC was working on a comprehensive Asset Management Policy to improve the identification, documentation, valuation and disposal of assets, while strengthening accountability throughout the recovery process.

He added that the corporation planned to strengthen its partnerships with auctioneers, valuers, sales agents, surveyors and other professionals to improve debt recovery and speed up the payment of depositors’ claims.

Theophilus explained that the Abuja workshop was one of three stakeholder engagements scheduled to take place in Abuja, Enugu and Lagos to address operational difficulties, improve professional collaboration and strengthen asset recovery efforts.

He expressed confidence that stronger cooperation among the relevant stakeholders would improve recovery outcomes and help the corporation settle outstanding claims owed to depositors of failed banks.