Tinubu Hosts City Boy Movement, Praises 4.8 Million Members Ahead of 2027 Election

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has hosted leaders and members of the City Boy Movement and other pro-government youth groups at the State House, praising their support for his administration and urging them to mobilise Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general election.

Tinubu disclosed this in a statement following the meeting, which brought together the City Boy Movement, the Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria team and other youth support groups from across Nigeria and the diaspora.

The president commended the groups for defending his administration since 2022, saying they had continued to promote his policies in markets, on university campuses, in motor parks and on social media, even when the decisions attracted criticism.

He said the City Boy Movement had built a network of more than 4.8 million verifiable members across states, local governments, wards and polling units. He also highlighted the movement’s contact centre and its City Boy Care initiative, which he said supports members in their communities.

Tinubu expressed particular interest in the launch of #AskCityBoy, a platform designed to help Nigerians understand government policies and activities through everyday conversations. He encouraged Nigerians, including critics of his administration, to visit askcityboy.com and ask questions about the government’s performance.

The president also commended the Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria team for promoting his administration’s message across the country.

Addressing concerns about the impact of his administration’s policies, Tinubu said his government remained responsible for ensuring that ongoing reforms translated into better opportunities and improved security for Nigerians.

He cited initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) and the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme as part of efforts to expand access to education financing, consumer credit and digital skills.

With the 2027 general election approaching, Tinubu urged his supporters to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), encourage others to register and participate in peaceful and lawful political mobilisation.

He asked the groups to present his administration’s record to Nigerians and make their case with conviction as the country prepares for another election cycle.

Tinubu also praised his son, Seyi Tinubu, whom he credited with starting the City Boy Movement quietly and without seeking an official title. He encouraged him to continue his involvement in the initiative.

The president concluded by thanking members and supporters for their time and resources, saying their confidence in him had renewed his own hope.

SoworeNOW App Offers Voter Information, Volunteer Opportunities Ahead of 2027

The SoworeNOW app is being promoted as a digital platform designed to connect supporters, share campaign information and encourage participation in the 2027 political campaign of activist and politician Omoyele Sowore.

According to a campaign announcement, the app allows users to connect with fellow supporters, explore volunteer opportunities, locate their polling units and register as campaign coordinators. It also provides a channel for donations, which the campaign describes as transparent.

Beyond campaign activities, the platform reportedly includes everyday features such as local weather updates, allowing users to check conditions in their areas. Users can also access campaign updates, watch interviews, read manifestos and policy proposals, and discover events taking place near them.

The campaign says the app is intended to bring information and participation opportunities together in one place, making it easier for supporters in Nigeria and abroad to remain connected to its activities.

The platform is being promoted as part of efforts to build engagement ahead of the 2027 elections, with supporters encouraged to download the app and register.

SoworeNOW is available through links provided by the campaign for Android and iPhone users. Interested users can also register through a referral link shared in the announcement.

Dele Farotimi Announces Exit from Afenifere After 28 Years of Association

Dele Farotimi, a prominent lawyer and political activist, has announced his withdrawal from the Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere, formally ending an association that dates back to 1998.

Farotimi made the announcement in a statement titled “My Exit from Afenifere”, addressed to fellow Nigerians, in which he said he had decided to sever all ties with the organisation and its leadership.

He recalled that his involvement with Afenifere began in 1998 when he served as the pioneer chairman of Binukonu, describing the association as an important part of his public engagement and contribution to national development.

However, he said the time had come to bring the relationship to an end, adding that the organisation’s leadership no longer represented his views.

“Henceforth, the leadership of Afenifere does not represent my views, and I no longer speak for or identify with its positions or actions,” he stated.

Farotimi declined to provide specific reasons for his decision, saying he had chosen not to offer further explanations and asking the public to respect his position.

Despite his withdrawal, he stressed that his commitment to the social-democratic principles associated with the Action Group, from which Afenifere emerged, remained unchanged.

“My commitment to the birth of a nation founded on the social democratic principles of the Action Group (Afenifere) remains unchanged, and I shall remain undaunted in my pursuit of these principles and ideals,” he said.

He concluded by thanking Nigerians for their support, engagement and the opportunity to share his political convictions over the years.

Amaechi Links Mother’s Death to Rising Cost of Medicines Under Tinubu

Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has criticised the economic situation in Nigeria, saying the rising cost of medicines made it increasingly difficult for him to provide healthcare for his late mother.

Amaechi made the remarks during an interview while discussing the impact of the country’s economic difficulties on families and access to essential healthcare.

The former governor said his mother was in good health before President Bola Tinubu assumed office and rejected the suggestion that her death could simply be explained by her age.

“My mother was healthy!” Amaechi said during the interview, explaining that he had made efforts to ensure she received the care she needed.

He said the increasing price of medication became a significant challenge in providing that care, linking the difficulty to the broader rise in the cost of living under the current administration.

Amaechi’s mother, Mary Amaechi, died in July 2026 at the age of 89. Her family described her as a respected community and Christian leader. 

Using his personal experience to illustrate the wider economic situation, Amaechi argued that many Nigerian families are facing similar difficulties in paying for medicines and other basic healthcare needs.

He also questioned Nigeria’s continued dependence on imported pharmaceutical and other finished products, citing figures he attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics.

According to Amaechi, Nigeria spent about ₦200 billion importing drugs in the last quarter, while 40 per cent of finished goods were imported.

The figures could not be independently established from the NBS material located for this report, and are therefore presented as figures cited by Amaechi.

The issue of medicine affordability has remained part of Nigeria’s wider cost-of-living debate. Previous reporting has documented substantial increases in the prices of several commonly used medicines, while the Federal Government has introduced measures aimed at encouraging local pharmaceutical production and reducing dependence on imported healthcare products. 

The Federal Government has also said its healthcare reforms include efforts to expand local manufacturing and reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported medicines, diagnostics and medical devices. 

Amaechi’s comments therefore place his personal experience with his mother’s healthcare within his broader criticism of the economic direction of the Tinubu administration.

Sowore Returns to Nigeria, Resumes 2027 Presidential Campaign

African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has returned to Nigeria from the United States as he prepares to resume campaign activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Sowore’s return was announced in a statement issued on Sunday, September 27, 2026, following his visit to the United States, where he reunited with his family and held engagements with Nigerians in the diaspora, supporters, activists and other stakeholders.

According to the statement, Sowore also participated in a solidarity march for Palestine in New York and continued his advocacy for the participation of Nigerians living abroad in the country’s electoral process.

The AAC candidate has said that, if elected in 2027, his administration would pursue the implementation of diaspora voting.

Sowore is expected to proceed to Abuja after arriving at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. According to the statement, he is also expected to continue attending court proceedings relating to the cybercrime case instituted against him by the State Security Service in 2025.

His return comes as political parties and candidates intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Sowore said he plans to continue his campaign engagements across Nigeria, including meetings with workers, students, young people, women, farmers, traders, professionals and communities.

The AAC candidate said the campaign would focus on issues contained in the party’s 2027 agenda, including equal rights, justice, security, economic development and social issues.

Sowore has contested the Nigerian presidency previously and is now seeking the office again on the AAC platform in the 2027 election.

His return to Nigeria marks the resumption of his campaign activities as the election approaches.

AAC Raises Constitutional Questions Over Tinubu’s Extended Stay Abroad

The African Action Congress (AAC) has raised constitutional questions over President Bola Tinubu’s extended stay outside Nigeria, calling on the National Assembly to clarify whether the procedure provided under Section 145 of the Constitution has been followed.

The party made its position known in a press statement dated September 23, 2026, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Rex I. Elanu.

According to the AAC, Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for a three-week vacation, while the Presidency announced on September 21 that the President had extended his stay abroad by a few more days.

The party argued that the development raises questions about the constitutional procedure governing a President’s absence from the country.

Section 145(1) of the 1999 Constitution provides that when the President proceeds on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, he is to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Section 145(2) further provides for action by the National Assembly where the required declaration is not transmitted within 21 days.

The AAC is asking Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen to clarify whether the required declaration was transmitted and, if not, whether the procedure contemplated under Section 145(2) should be activated.

The party said the issue was not simply about Tinubu’s vacation but about constitutional procedure, accountability and clarity regarding the exercise of presidential authority.

The Presidency, however, has maintained that Tinubu remains in contact with officials in Nigeria and continues to direct the affairs of the country while abroad. In its September 21 statement announcing the extension of his working vacation, the State House said the President had continued to direct national affairs and had taken official decisions while away.

The Presidency also said Tinubu was expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend. It stated that Vice-President Kashim Shettima had been delegated to represent the President at some official functions, including the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Presidential aide Daniel Bwala has also argued that Tinubu can govern Nigeria from outside the country, maintaining that the President’s constitutional powers are not dependent on his physical location.

The constitutional question has also attracted comments from other political figures and legal voices. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has separately questioned whether the constitutional procedure under Section 145 has been followed, while lawyer Inibehe Effiong has argued that the situation requires National Assembly intervention.

The debate comes as Tinubu remains in Europe and Shettima attends the UN General Assembly in New York.

The AAC has therefore urged the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly to publicly clarify whether the required constitutional declaration was received and what steps, if any, have been taken in response.

The party said it would continue to advocate accountability and participatory democracy, stressing that Nigerians deserve clarity on the constitutional arrangements governing the President’s absence.

We Told Them From Day One This Was an Exercise in Futility - Sowore Reacts as DSS Moves to Suspend Case

AAC presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has reacted to reports that the Department of State Services (DSS) is seeking to suspend the cyberbullying case against him until after the 2027 presidential election, declaring that the development proves he was right to dismiss the case from the beginning.

“We told them from day one that this was an exercise in futility,” Sowore said in a statement reacting to the reported move by the secret police.

Sowore described the development as a victory for resistance and accused the DSS of being forced to reconsider its position after pursuing the case for months.

He said he and his supporters had refused to be intimidated, stressing that his history of confronting government authorities had prepared him for what he described as another attempt to silence dissent.

“We have fought too many of these battles to be intimidated now and we have prevailed again and again,” he said.

Sowore also referenced his involvement in political activism over the years, saying he had remained standing and resisting from the era of military dictatorship through the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and the current government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He further called on the DSS to go beyond suspending the case and withdraw the charge entirely.

“The DSS must immediately withdraw this useless charge, apologize to our people for this abuse of power, return all my phones and electronic devices, and pay the ₦3 million in fines imposed against it by the courts,” Sowore stated.

He also demanded the immediate return of phones and a drone allegedly seized from his assistant, Zainab Sodiq.

The activist said the reported decision by the DSS to suspend the proceedings demonstrated what he described as the futility of the legal action.

The case followed social media posts made by Sowore in August 2025 in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.” The DSS subsequently approached the Federal High Court seeking a determination on whether the posts amounted to cyberbullying and whether describing an individual as a criminal without a court pronouncement constituted an offence.

Reports indicate that DSS Director-General Tosin Ajayi recently directed the agency’s private counsel, Akinolu Kehinde, SAN, to take steps toward suspending the proceedings during the 2027 presidential campaign and election period.

Sowore is expected to contest the 2027 presidential election under the African Action Congress.

According to the reports, the DSS may formally communicate its position to the Federal High Court when the court resumes normal sittings after its annual judicial vacation.

Reacting to the development, Sowore maintained that the struggle against what he described as oppression would continue.

“Our struggle remains firm. Our resolve is unbroken. We are unstoppable,” he declared.

Okpebholo Mocks Adeleke, Says Osun Governor Knows Only How to Dance

Governor Monday Okpebholo criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke while campaigning for the APC ahead of the Osun governorship election.

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has mocked Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, claiming the governor’s absence from meetings of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) is because he “doesn’t know what to say except to dance.”

Okpebholo made the remarks while campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the August 15 Osun governorship election, where the party is seeking to unseat the incumbent governor.

Addressing supporters at the rally, the Edo governor ridiculed Adeleke’s well-known dancing style, suggesting it has become a distraction from governance.

“Demola Adeleke doesn’t attend governors’ forum meetings in Abuja because he doesn’t know what to say except to dance,” Okpebholo said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

He continued by joking that Adeleke dances before virtually every activity.

“For four years, this man has been dancing. Before he eats breakfast, he dances. Before he drinks tea, he dances. Before he enters the plane, he dances. By the time he gets to Abuja, our meeting has already ended. He doesn’t even know what we discuss there,” he said.

The Edo governor argued that Osun deserves a new administration, insisting that the APC candidate should be elected to replace Adeleke.

According to him, the current Osun government has failed to meet the expectations of the people.

“If a government is not working, the best gift you can give that government is to send it out,” he told supporters.

Okpebholo also urged voters to collect any money allegedly offered during the campaign but vote according to their conscience.

“They say they have money to spend. Collect the money and keep it in your pocket, but don’t vote for them,” he said.

The governor further linked Adeleke politically to former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, claiming the Osun governor shares the same political approach.

“That man is Obaseki’s friend. We removed Obaseki, so we have to remove his friend too,” he added.

The comments come as political campaigns intensify ahead of the Osun governorship election, with both the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC stepping up efforts to win over voters.

Governor Adeleke has repeatedly defended his administration’s performance, citing projects in infrastructure, education, healthcare and workers’ welfare as evidence that his government deserves another mandate.

The APC, however, maintains that the state requires new leadership, making the August 15 election one of the most closely watched off-cycle governorship contests in Nigeria.

 

Deji Adeyanju Opens Up on Rift With Sowore, Says “I Speak the Truth, Not Politics”

Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has spoken publicly about his strained relationship with Omoyele Sowore, saying months of online attacks from some of Sowore’s supporters forced him to finally respond.

In a lengthy statement shared on social media, Adeyanju said he deliberately ignored the criticism for over two months but decided to break his silence so those attacking him would know he was aware of their actions.

According to him, the disagreement began after he appeared on the Honest Bunch Podcast, where he was asked whether Sowore could win the 2027 presidential election.

Adeyanju said he answered “No,” arguing that Nigerian elections are driven by factors beyond ideology.

“They started attacking me from the day I said Sowore cannot win the 2027 election because he does not share rice. Did I lie?” he wrote.

The activist also addressed criticism over his relationship with social media personality VeryDarkMan (VDM), insisting he repeatedly advised him to stop disrespecting Sowore.

Adeyanju claimed he personally warned VDM several times in the presence of witnesses and even arranged a phone call in an attempt to resolve the disagreement between both men.

He further maintained that he consistently defended Sowore whenever he believed the activist was unfairly attacked online.

“I posted that even if they showed a picture of Sowore stealing money from the CBN vault, his integrity would remain intact,” he said, referring to a previous post he made in defence of the AAC presidential candidate.

Despite that, Adeyanju alleged that some of Sowore’s supporters continued to target him, accusing them of expecting him to publicly align with every political position taken by the activist.

He also questioned why Sowore had not publicly condemned supporters whom he accused of attacking him on social media, while recalling that their last conversation centred on an appeal by Sowore regarding another online dispute.

Adeyanju concluded by saying he has always respected Sowore but believes activism should not excuse personal attacks or what he described as “childish online behaviour.”

The comments add another chapter to the growing public disagreement between two prominent activists who have often found themselves on the same side of major national issues but now appear divided over political strategy and recent events.