Politics
From Ashes to Ascent: Two Years of Tinubu’s Transformative Leadership
By Alex Oware, Regional Director of YP4T
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second anniversary in office is at a point where Nigeria stands at a pivotal moment, reflecting on a period characterised by unprecedented challenges and a determined resolve to reshape the nation’s economic trajectory. The overarching theme, “From Ashes to Ascent,” is not merely a slogan but a profound philosophy underpinning the administration’s belief that the inherited quagmire demanded radical, albeit painful, reforms to prevent the country from “further drifting into the precipice.”
President Tinubu himself starkly described the situation as a “sinking ship,” burdened by unsustainable fuel subsidies and a corrupt multiple foreign exchange regime that had become a “chokehold on our nation’s neck, strangling our nation’s future.” These tough decisions, the administration argues, were not optional but absolutely necessary for Nigeria’s future ease and sustainable growth.
The “Renewed Hope Agenda” was a clear declaration of intent: to dismantle economic instability, enhance security, curb corruption, reform governance, and lift millions out of poverty. Two years on, the administration confidently asserts that these economic reforms are not just theoretical constructs but are actively yielding results, propelling Nigeria towards a stronger economy and positioning it for robust growth and resilience against global shocks.
Among the myriad achievements, several stand out as monumental. The courageous elimination of fuel subsidies and the decisive restructuring of the multiple foreign exchange windows were fundamental acts of economic liberation. These actions, while initially triggering economic discomfort, have significantly fostered transparency and dramatically reduced the pervasive corruption that had long bled the nation’s resources. The subsequent introduction of bold tax reforms, aimed at simplifying and streamlining the tax system, promises a fairer, more efficient, and growth-oriented environment. Plans for 0% VAT on essential goods and services, alongside exemptions for rent, public transportation, and renewable energy, underscore a clear commitment to easing the burden on households.
The economic indicators paint a compelling picture of progress. The Naira, once a subject of widespread concern, has reportedly stabilised and is now lauded as one of the world’s best-performing currencies. This remarkable turnaround is complemented by an astounding increase in foreign reserves, rocketing from a mere $4 billion in 2023 to over $23 billion by the end of 2024, culminating in a year-to-date high of $40.877 billion. Such a surge has naturally attracted significant capital inflow, increasing by 66.27%, with foreign direct investments now poised to create jobs and enhance living standards. The entry of American Express’s first business credit card into Nigeria is a clear vote of confidence from the international business community.
Nigeria’s GDP growth of 4.6% in Q4 2024 and 3.4% for the full year further represents one of the strongest performances in a decade. The sharp narrowing of the fiscal deficit from 5.4% of GDP in 2023 to 3.0% in 2024, driven by improved revenue generation and transparency, signifies a disciplined fiscal approach. This fiscal prudence has had a profound impact on state revenues, which have seen a significant increase, empowering subnational governments to manage debt, fulfill obligations, and invest in crucial infrastructure and human capital development. The 300% increase in federal allocation to states is a testament to this commitment. In the oil and gas sector, a robust recovery is underway, marked by increased rig counts and new investments. Oil production has risen to 1.5 million barrels, with an ambitious target of 2.5 million. The move to centralize oil receipt collection at the Central Bank of Nigeria has enhanced transparency, while a 70% reduction in fuel importation and over 200% increase in local refining signal a strategic reorientation towards self-sufficiency. Even international rating agencies like Fitch and S&P Global have upgraded Nigeria’s economy to a Stable B, acknowledging the positive trajectory.
Beyond economics, significant strides have been made in security and governance. The reported neutralisation of over 8,000 terrorists and bandits, alongside the arrest of 11,600 criminals and the recovery of over 10,000 weapons, underscores a determined effort to restore peace. The establishment of the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell (MAAKFC) and the claimed success in returning order to previously bandit-controlled areas have allowed farmers to return to their lands, fostering a renewed sense of security and economic activity. In governance, the zero-tolerance stance on corruption, exemplified by the suspension of a minister and decisive action against the former CBN Governor, along with the EFCC’s recovery of over 750 houses from one individual, reinforces the administration’s commitment to accountability.
Nigeria’s journey under President Tinubu mirrors the paths taken by other nations that successfully navigated periods of profound economic crisis. Countries like Japan, South Korea, and Ireland, which today stand as economic powerhouses, each faced immense challenges in their past. Their transformations were not accidental but the result of strategic policies, bold reforms, and sustained national resolve. Like Nigeria in this present day, they endured initial hardship as their economies underwent necessary recalibrations. The parallels are striking: the short-term pain endured for long-term gain, a commitment to transparency, a drive for diversification, and the prioritisation of human capital development. Nigeria, under President Tinubu, is following a similar script, demonstrating that economic success often emerges from crises driven by strategic policies and reforms.
Indeed, the path to prosperity is rarely smooth, and Nigerians have undoubtedly experienced difficulties. However, the administration’s confidence that “the worst is behind us and the real impact of governance objectives is taking hold” resonates deeply. The tangible achievements in economic stability, security gains, and governance reforms provide a solid foundation. This is why leaders within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and key stakeholders have expressed strong support for the President’s performance and vision, unequivocally endorsing him for a second term in 2027. This endorsement reflects a widespread belief in the current trajectory and a shared commitment to realizing Nigeria’s full potential.
As Nigeria marches forward, the “From Ashes to Ascent” narrative reminds us that while the challenges were immense, the implemented reforms are not just necessary but are demonstrably steering the nation towards a brighter future. The collective endorsement for a second term is a powerful affirmation of the confidence in President Tinubu’s leadership to continue this vital work and ensure that the future of our children and unborn babies is not squandered. The promise of continued progress and collaboration remains the bedrock of realizing Nigeria’s shared national goals.
Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The announcement was made following a closed-door meeting at the Government House in Asaba on Wednesday evening.
The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, who confirmed the decision said the decision was reached after “wide consultations with political stakeholders and in the interest of Delta’s long-term development.”
Oborevwori, who emerged victorious in the 2023 gubernatorial election under the PDP platform, was received by senior APC officials in what political analysts are already describing as a strategic realignment with significant implications ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Politics
Breaking: Court Declares Obasa’s Removal As Lagos Assembly Speaker “Illegal and Unconstitutional”
In a significant judgment that has sent ripples through the Lagos political landscape, the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has declared the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly as illegal, unconstitutional, null, and void.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, Justice Yetunde Pinheiro also nullified all proceedings and resolutions of the House held on January 13, 2025, during which Obasa was controversially removed and Mojisola Meranda was installed as Speaker.
Obasa had approached the court to challenge the legality of his removal, filing a suit against the Lagos State House of Assembly and Meranda. The court, in its verdict, upheld Obasa’s claims, stating that the legislative process leading to his removal violated constitutional procedures and lacked legal foundation.
Justice Pinheiro emphasized that due process must be followed in legislative matters, especially in the removal of principal officers, noting that the Assembly’s actions on that date amounted to an abuse of power.
With the court’s decision, Obasa is now reinstated as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
This development marks a pivotal moment in the history of the Lagos Assembly and reinforces the role of the judiciary in upholding constitutional order.
Politics
ICPC Probes Kosofe LG Chairman, Moyosore Ogunlewe For Alleged Diversion Of Funds To Acquire N800million Property
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has begun investigation into an alleged multi-billion fraud petition against officials of the Kosofe Local Government Area, Lagos State, SaharaReporters has gathered.
Ganiyu Olamiji Oyebanjo, the Special Adviser, Boundary Matters in the council had petitioned the anti-graft agency.
SaharaReporters earlier reported how Oyebanjo was arrested by policemen from Zone 2 in Lagos over the petition.
He had narrated how the Chairman of Kosofe Local Government, Moyosore Adedoyin Ogunlewe bought a property worth N800 million allegedly with funds diverted from council treasury.
In the petition obtained by SaharaReporters, Oyebanji also accused Ogunlewe of buying a Black Toyota Camry with registration number, KJA 709 JD worth millions of Naira to one Ibraheem Adisa Mustapha “so that he won’t contest against his (Ogunlewe) second term bid.”
“It is against this premise that I have been encouraged to present this petition to intimate you on the reckless looting of the treasury of kosofe local government by the present administration, led by Hon. Barr. Moyosore Adedoyin Ogunlewe and his local government functionaries,” part of the petition read.
“It is not out of place to mention that the local government is not finding it easy financially as a result of the reckless way the resources of the local government were handled by the present administration. The cost of projects, were over-priced, the Exco minutes doctored and manipulated.
“Purchase and Procurement not properly followed. No Exco member, knows anything about the financial programs of the council, and many more. I will also want this Honourable Institution, to ask the Executive Chairman of Kosofe Local Government, Barrister. Moyosore Adedoyin Ogunlewe, to explain how he has been spending both Federal Allaocation and the Internally Generated Revenue of the Local Government since he assumed office as the Chairman.
“In recent days, due to intimidation,coercion, force, threats, suspension and total sack by the Executive Chairman, Hon. Barrister, Moyosore Adedoyin Ogunlewe, some of the Excomembers yielded to him and decided to play along with him. For these reasons, I have attached all WhatsApp chats and voice notes from the platform I created on my phone, for the Supervisors and Special Advisers. There you will hear and read the comments of each and everyone of us. In case any one of them wants to deny due to financial inducements or bowing to threats.
“Everything is in a flashdrive here attached. For your speedy operation and investigation, I have added their full details and phone contacts to this petition. Also attached, is the signature we all signed to this petition, before they broke apart. No Executive member of the local government, knows anything about all the EXTRACTS and payments made in these documents
“I will also want to inform this Honourable Institution that the Civil Servants, that gets this documents to me was arrested by the Executive Chairman of the Council and handed over to the Police authority in Area “H” Ojota/Ogudu, directly opposite the local government Secretariat. He was detained on the 8th, June, (Saturday) till 10th June (Monday), 2024. He was beaten and seriously tortured, that he had to confess to the Police before the Chairman, some documents which he had given to me.
“Ever since this incident happened, the Chairman,told the Civil Servant in the Police Stattion that he was going to kill the two of us. I had to take cover and ran to my inlaw in Delta State. I left Lagos on the 10th, June 2024, when some Police officers from Area ‘H’ in Ogudu, came to look for me at home. Several threats made to me on phone from unknown and unidentified callers. Strange faces seen in the mosque where I usually pray my daily prayers. I came back to Lagos on the 5th of July 2024.
“Some of the documents, especially the EXTRACTS, were quickly doctored and written again. All the EXTRACTS, presently here, and the approval they claimed was made by the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, was all lies. There was never a time, when projects were ever discussed in the Exco meeting. There was never a time where the Chairman, ever made mentioned of the Allocation or the Internal Generated Revenue.
“No Exco Member knows the financial situation of the local government. To make the work of this highly respected Institution quicker, faster and efficient, I have added here the names of some of the council staff that should be invited for questioning. I have also included the name of the Exco Minutes Recorder, who was used to write a new Exco Minutes after the original minutes from the Exco Sitting. Attached are the signatures of the other Exco Members.”
It read further, “Some of the fictitious contracts awarded without due consultation and the knowledge of the Executive members include the following:
“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 16TH, OCTOBER 2023 AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL KOSOFE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXAPPROVAL MADE BY THE COMMITTEE. Where it was written that the Executive Committee Resolved to spend the sum of Nine Million, Five Hundred and Twenty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twenty Seven Naira- Two Kobo. (21,839,560:00). Nothing of this was ever discussed in the Exco meeting, talkless of resolving to spend the money.
“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 15TH, MARCH, 2024 AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL, KOSOFE. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX That the sum of Eleven Million, Nine Hundred and Ten Thousand, Three Hundred and Sixty Seven Naira Thirty- Five Kobo (11,910,367:35 only. There was no time anything like was deliberated at the Exco Meeting. Neither is it in our Excominutes.
“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 16TH, OCTOBER 2023 AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL KOSOFE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.
The sum of Twenty-Six Million, Three Hundred and Seventy- Three Thousand, Six Hundred and Eight Naira. (26,373, 608:00. This never existed. There was no time the Exco deliberated on this.
“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 15TH, MARCH, 2024 AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL, KOSOFE
. The sum of Twelve Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Six Hundred and Sixty- Three Naira Fifty- Six Kobo (12,250, 663:56. This was also never deliberated or discussed in the Exco Meeting.
“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 24TH JANUARY, 2024 AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL KOSOFE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. The sum of Thirty Million Naira be approved for the Award of Contract for supply of Two (2) Transformers. This was never brought to the knowledge of the Executive Committee.
“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 15TH, MARCH 2024, AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL, KOSOFE
The sum of Thirty Million Naira (30,000,000) only was approved for the Award of Contract for the supply of Two (2) Transformers to Sosanya Street Ifako.
It was never brought to the knowledge of any Exco Member.
“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 13TH, FEBRUARY, 2024 AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL KOSOFE
The sum of Thirty Million (30,000,000: 00) was said to be resolved to be spent on the supply of Two Transformers. It was a total lie. The Executive members were not aware.
“The fictitious school debate in 2023, where the Chairman spent Five Hundred Thousand Naira (500,000). The Quiz Competition where the Chairman said he spent Five Hundred Thousand Naira (500,000). The three day Seminar and workshop where the Chairman also spent Five Hundred Thousand (500,000). All these were not true. He only collected the money without any of the mentioned events. The Chairman claimed to have spent the total sum of Eleven Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Two Thousand and Five Hundred Naira (11,562, 500). This he said he spent on palliative. The ministry in charge should be invited to confirm. The Chairman, claimed he sponsored the Chairman Football Competition for Fifteen Million Naira (15,000,000), where the winner of the competition was given One Million Naira (1,000,000). He also claimed he organised a 5 Day Workshop on Curbing Covetousness for Twenty Four Million, Seven Hundred Thousand (24.7 Million). This workshop, was a false and lies from the pit of Hell. Nothing of such happened in the council. He spent N8.9 Million Naira to partition the Council Manager’s office. In all these, none of Exco members were aware, neither was it deliberated or discussed at the Exco Meeting.
“Local Government Guidelines of Lagos State, page 11 section 15.2, states that: Subject to the policies laid down by the local government/ local council development Area, the Executive Committee shall be responsible for: (a) Regulation and control of the finances of the local government/ local council development Area. There was no time the Exco Members was involved or informed of the finances of the local government.
“Page 12, section 16.0 states that: The forum of the Executive Committee shall be used among other things to regulate expenditure and relate contract award to liquidity reflected through cash flow situation compiled by the Treasurer who must be in attendance to advise in financial regulations. Contracts shall be awarded to competent contractors after all due process for procurement and a certified professional submission of the Local Government Engineer in all areas related engineering works have carried out in accordance with the procurement law. None of this ever happened.
“(c) All contracts awarded not supported by any Executive Committee Resolution must not be honoured for payment. No contract was brought to the awareness or notice of the Excomembers. Page 12 (f) states that: Communication of the decision of the Executive Council to the concerned agencies, organizations and persons, including the decisions on the award of contract. There was no time we had a decision to award any contract.
“Page 12 section 17.1 states that: The Local Government/ Local Council Area shall establish a Departmental Standing Committee in each department which shall meet at least twice a month and as exigency demands to recommend departmental projects for Executive Committee consideration and approval. We don’t have a Departmental Standing Committee in the local government, talkless of consideration and approval.
“Page 14 (viii): No funds shall be released except through payment vouchers certified by the Internal Auditor and Extract from the Executive Council decisions. This also was not in place.
“Page 9 section (4) states that: The Supervisors/ Special Advisers shall be closely involved in the management of their respective Departments/ Units and shall-
“Page 10 (i) Serve as the political heads of their respective Departments/ Units. Page 10(iv) states that: The Supervisors and Special Advisers, shall assist the Chairman to Supervise the execution of Local Government/ Local Council Development Area within their respective Departments and Units.
“Page 12 (f) States that: it is the statutory duty of all officers of the Local Government to raise audit alarm in this regard. That is, if the stipulated rules and regulations are not strictly adhered and followed by any Executive Chairman.
“19.2 Subsection (viii) No funds shall be released except through payment vouchers certified by the Internal Auditor and Extract from the Executive Council decisions. This has never happened before.
“(V) All payments made due to exigencies in between conveyance of Committee meeting, must be brought for consideration and approval of the Committee by the Treasurer. This has never happened for once under the watch of Honourable Moyosore Adedoyin Ogunlewe, the Executive Chairman of Kosofe Local Government.
“The sum of Twenty Six Million Five Hundred and Eighty- Nine Thousand Five Hundred and Ninety- Six Naira (26, 589, 596.00). He should be asked when this was discussed or deliberated in the Exco meeting. He said he used this to supply Security Equipment.
“The sum of Twenty- Three Million One Hundred and Twenty- One Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty Eight Naira (N23, 121, 388.00) only. This was never brought to the awareness or knowledge of the Executive members for deliberation.
“The football competition he organised for Fifteen Million, Twenty Eight Thousand Nine Hundred and One Naira. The winner of the competition, collected one Million Naira. Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand collected by the second team and Five Hundred Thousand Naira collected by the team that came third. The field was given for free, he should be asked how the remaining money was spent. No Exco member knows or heard about the competition until few days to the competition, talkless of deliberation and approval of the Committee.
“He bought a Toyota Camry black colour to IBRAHEEM ADISA MUSTAPHA, from the council funds. He did this, so that he won’t contest against his second term bid. The registration number is KJA 709 JD. He has a property bought with over N800,000,000.00.”
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