The slaying of Sankara, a pan-Africanist icon, has for years cast a shadow over the poor Sahel state, fuelling its reputation for turbulence and bloodshed.
Sankara and 12 others were riddled with bullets by a hit squad on October 15, 1987 during a putsch that brought his friend and comrade-in-arms Blaise Compaore to power.
Compaore, the chief accused, announced through his lawyers last week that he would boycott the trial.
He ruled the country for 27 years before being deposed by a popular uprising in 2014 and fleeing to neighbouring Ivory Coast, which granted him citizenship.
He and his former right-hand man, General Gilbert Diendere, who once headed the elite Presidential Security Regiment, face charges of complicity in murder, harming state security and complicity in the concealment of corpses.
Diendere, 61, is already serving a 20-year sentence for masterminding a plot in 2015 against the transitional government that followed Compaore’s ouster.
He appeared in court dressed in military uniform and looked relaxed.
Another prominent figure among the accused is Hyacinthe Kafando, a former chief warrant officer in Compaore’s presidential guard, who is accused of leading the gunmen. He is on the run.
Compaore has always rejected suspicions that he orchestrated the killing.
His lawyers last week announced he would not be attending a “political trial” that they said was flawed by irregularities, and insisted he enjoyed immunity as a former head of state.
A young army captain and Marxist-Leninist, Sankara came to power in a coup in 1983 aged just 33.
He tossed out the country’s name of Upper Volta, a legacy of the French colonial era, and renamed it Burkina Faso, which means “the land of honest men”.
He pushed ahead with a socialist agenda of nationalisations and banned female genital mutilation, polygamy and forced marriages.
Like Ghana’s former leader Jerry Rawlings, he became an idol in left-wing circles in Africa, lauded for his radical policies and defiance of the big powers.
Burkina Faso has long been burdened by silence over the assassination and many are angry that the killers have gone unpunished.
During Compaore’s long rule, the question of Sankara’s bloody death was taboo.
After his ouster, the interim government in 2015 launched an investigation into the episode, and the following year issued an international arrest warrant for him.
Sankara’s widow Mariam, who lives in southern France, came to Ouagadougou for the opening of the trial.
“This is a day of truth for me, my family and all Burkinabe,” she said, referring to the name of Burkina citizens.
The family’s lawyer, Stanislas Benewende Sankara — who shares the same name but is not a relative — said Compaore’ absence was a “slap in the face” to Burkina Faso’s justice system.
The trial “may not be the end of the tunnel, but we are reaching a very important phase, judicially speaking,” he said.
One of the world’s most impoverished countries, Burkina Faso has also been battling a jihadist insurgency since 2015 that has claimed more than 1,400 lives and forced 1.3 million people from their homes.
Deputy Country Representative, United Nations Children’s Fund, Ms Rushnan Murzata, says digital inclusion of girls is crucial to ensuring equitable distribution of wealth and development in the country.
Murtaza stated this in Abuja, at a Policy Dialogue, as part of events to mark the International Day of the Girl-Child.
She said there was need to increase investment to close the exclusive gaps across geographic lines and opportunities, created by the digital divide in order to accommodate more girls in the space.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, represented by His Chief of Staff, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, urged stakeholders and development partners to identify gaps in existing laws that needed amendments.
This, according Omo-Agege, is to effectively accommodate the rights of girls to access digital technology.
On her part, Miss Mariam Samani, the President, 2021 IDGC, said increased investment in the country’s ICT sector would facilitate easy access to the digital space and increase inclusion of the girl-child in ICT.
Also, AIG Aisha Abubakar, Gender Adviser to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, explained that the digital space had security implications, and advised girls to be vigilant while using social media platforms.
Abubakar, during a session on “Safety and Insecurity in Schools; Impact on Adolescents Girls Retention and Transition in Schools”, advised girls to learn the act of self-defence and avoid divulging information on social media.
On her part, Mrs. Abiola Salihu, representative of Education In Emergency Working Group, said Nigeria recorded the highest number of abduction of learners and education personnel between 2020 and 2021.
Salihu, therefore stressed the need to consider the Gender Impact while implementing the Safe School Declaration in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event also, Dr Asabe Vilita-Bashir, Director General, National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), said ICT skills would ensure personal security, better access to education and jobs, financial inclusion and access to basic healthcare information for girls.
Former Big Brother Naija Shine Ya Eye housemate, Tega Dominic, has alleged that her husband cheated on her by bringing his lover to their home.
She alleged that she got to know when she interacted with some neighbours.
She made this known in a recent interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo, on his show, WithChude, where she spoke about her marriage and BBNaija.
When asked if her husband cheated on her, Tega stated that she got to know “spiritually” before finding out from the neighbours.
Tega said, “Well, I got to know that he cheated and took someone home. I am deep – spiritually. How I go to know was that one day, I was in class and it was something like a trance. I saw him driving, and a babe was in front.
“And I’m like, ‘What’s this? What’s going on?’ I saw it like twice. So, I called my sister and I asked her what was going on and she denied it. I said, ‘Okay no problem.’
“I relate with the guys in my street a lot. So, I called one of them and I also did some FBI stuff. And then, he came up with ‘Okay, he’s always bringing this babe to the house.’
“My sister was at home, my kid was at home, your brother was at home, and you brought this girl to the house. That was the height of disrespect for me. It was not like I didn’t know he was doing stuff outside. But then, bringing this girl home was just it for me.
“Then we talked about it and he was so defensive. What really broke me was that he said, ‘You went to Lagos to be with a man, that’s why I did all of this.’
“When Big Brother came, I was like, ‘Okay, this is going to fly’. And then my mum spoke to me that I should not do it but I spoke to him and told him, this is what I wanted to do.’”
While Tega was on the BBNaija show, her husband, in a now-deleted post, had confessed to cheating on his wife, stating that the act broke his marriage.
This came even as Tega was being trolled on the internet for engaging in erotic activities with a former housemate of the show, Boma.
Officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday stormed the headquarters of Kaduna State Urban Planning Development Agency (KASUPDA), whisking away the Director General, Malam Ismail Umaru Dikko.
KASUPDA has gained the reputation of Kaduna’s most feared agency due to its demolition of properties across the state.
Its boss, Dikko, was a Special Assistant to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, before he was elevated to head the agency in 2019.
It was gathered that the DG was in a meeting with other staff members when officials of the EFCC took over the office premises a few minutes after 10am, Daily Trust reports.
Eyewitnesses said there was some commotion before the DG entered a black hilux Toyota vehicle of the EFCC.
Sources said two EFCC officials in suit, with two police officers with rifles accompanied the KASUPDA boss into the vehicle.
The source said some staff members at KASUPDA had tried to stop the EFCC from leaving with the DG and security guards at the gate had prevented the car from exiting.
However, the DG asked the security guards to open the gate.
Chairman Emeritus of DAAR Communications Plc, Raymond Dokpesi
The Chairman Emeritus of DAAR Communications Plc, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, said he was supporting a northern presidency in the 2023 elections because they had been marginalised with the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010.
According to him, it will not be fair and just should power return to the South in 2023, even though the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), would have done eight years.
Dokpesi, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, stated these in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Saturday as part of activities marking his 70th birthday.
He said his support for northern presidency was in line with PDP agreement during the party’s convention in 2006.
But ironically, Dokpesi said he was also canvassing for the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for President in 2023 because they had been childhood friends.
He said, “Let me tell you that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, before he became governor, when he was still in Mobil, you know the Headquarters of Mobil is just directly in front of my house in Lagos. As young men, we ate and drank together; we were close friends before he became governor.
“He is a philanthropist; he is kind-hearted. He is supportive of the ordinary person available, and he has brought about bringing hope to people. For 2023, I wish him the very best in whatever he puts his hands on. So, it has nothing to do with politics; it is a matter of the good relationship we have always had and I cherish it and I want to keep it.”
While insisting that ex-President Goodluck Jonathan won the 2015 election, Dokpesi said he did not believe that he (Jonathan) would join the APC as being rumoured and had not told anybody.
Delegates from the Taliban and the United States have held “candid and professional” talks in the Qatari capital, according to a US official, with the two-day discussions focusing on security and “terrorism” concerns, the rights of women and girls as well as evacuations from Afghanistan.
The weekend talks in Doha were the first face-to-face meeting between the two sides since the Taliban took over Afghanistan on August 15.
“The discussions were candid and professional with the US delegation reiterating that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words,” Ned Price, spokesman for the US Department of State, said on Sunday.
“The US delegation focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for US citizens, other foreign nationals and our Afghan partners, as well as on human rights, including the meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of Afghan society,” he said.
“The two sides also discussed the United States’ provision of robust humanitarian assistance, directly to the Afghan people.”
Al Jazeera’s Natasha Ghoneim, reporting from Doha, said that the Afghan delegation had described the two-day talks as “positive”.
“They hope it paves the way for recognition of the Afghan government – not only by the United States, but the international community,” she said.
The Afghan delegation, led by the Afghan acting foreign minister, Mullah Amir Khan Muttaqi, also came to Doha seeking financial assistance that comes with any sort of international recognition, she said.
The Afghan delegation was asking the US to end economic sanctions and to “unfreeze” some $10bn worth of assets, she added.
The Taliban announced its all-male Cabinet last month, but it has struggled to govern amid a liquidity crisis after it was cut off from the international financial institutions, such as IMF and World Bank.
The group has said it needs to pay government employees and provide services to Afghans amid a looming economic and humanitarian crisis.
Neither the US nor the Taliban have said if any agreements were reached during the talks.
“What concessions were made to get financial assistance, what deals might be made … we don’t know as of now,” said Ghoneim.
The Taliban took back power in Afghanistan in August, almost 20 years after they were ousted in a US-led invasion for refusing to hand over al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US.
Ahead of the weekend talks, US officials told the Reuters news agency that the US would press the Taliban to release kidnapped American Mark Frerichs. Another top priority would be to hold the Taliban to their commitment not to allow Afghanistan to again become a hotbed for al-Qaeda or other armed groups.
The U.S. officials said the talks were a continuation of “pragmatic engagements” with the Taliban and “not about granting recognition or conferring legitimacy” to the group.
Washington and other Western countries are grappling with difficult choices as a severe humanitarian crisis looms large in Afghanistan.
They are trying to work out how to engage with the Taliban without granting the group the legitimacy it seeks, while ensuring humanitarian aid flows into the country.
While the Taliban has signalled flexibility on evacuations, it has said there would be no cooperation with the US on containing armed groups in Afghanistan.
The US-Taliban agreement of 2020, which was negotiated by the administration of former President Donald Trump, had demanded that the Taliban break ties with “terrorist” groups and guarantee Afghanistan would not again harbour “terrorists” who could attack Washington and its allies.
In turn, the Afghan group has demanded that its senior leaders be taken off the “terror list”, accusing the US of violating the Doha agreement, which paved the way for the US withdrawal.
Since the Taliban took power, the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K), an ISIL (ISIS) affiliate, has ramped up attacks in the country, particularly targeting the Shia Hazara community.
ISKP has claimed a suicide attack on a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in which dozens of people were killed.
Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has sent a passionate appeal to members of the National Assembly to save the country the trouble that will result from the proposal to make direct primaries compulsory.
Saraki, in a statement yesterday by Head of his Media Office, Yusuph Olaniyonu, noted that the decision to include a provision in the proposed Electoral Act, which makes direct primaries compulsory for parties would only create new problem while trying to solve another.
He added that many of the political parties lack the necessary infrastructure to successfully conduct direct primaries at all levels, while the attempt would lead to litigations that might jeopardise the general election.
“I feel compelled to, once again, appeal to senators and members of the House of Representatives on the proposed Electoral Act because I realised that while the focus of the general public has been on how to get the electronic transmission of results into the proposed law, another potential problem that may clog our electoral process is included in the Electoral Act – provision on direct primaries.
“The two options on the table are to make direct primaries compulsory for all the parties or to leave it open for parties to decide. We should take the latter option. Let us leave each party to decide how it wants to source its candidates. Past experience shows that direct primary will lead to a crisis, if forced on the parties. We saw how people sent from the national headquarters to conduct primary elections stayed in hotel rooms and conjured up figures, which were announced as the result of direct primary elections,” he stated.
According to him, the direct primaries option will also put pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), whose officials must monitor all the primaries.
Saraki added: “The direct primaries provision may work for us in the future, but not now that we are not prepared for it, as the primaries may hold next June. That is just nine months from now. The time for adequate and necessary preparations towards direct primaries is even not there. There will be so many litigations arising from the process. Do we have the time to hold crisis-free primaries and not create booby-traps for the general elections?
“My appeal goes to all members of the National Assembly. Please, do not let us take a position on critical issues based on partisan and personal consideration. Let us put Nigeria first and act in the best interest of our country. During our time in the National Assembly, whenever we were confronted with issues like this, we just appealed and prevailed on members to put the nation first before any other consideration. I believe the same appeal should go to the present federal lawmakers.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has renewed the determination of his administration to uplift the quality of life of Nigerians through aggressive implementation of humane and gender responsive budget as well as security measures to check criminal activities in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president presented the 2022 Appropriation Bill for an aggregate expenditure of N16.39 trillion to the joint session of the National Assembly (NASS) on Thursday.
The president described the 2022 Appropriation which was earlier approved for presentation to NASS by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Oct. 6, as Budget of Economic Growth and Sustainability.
According to him, the 2022 budget is also the first in the nation’s history, where Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were clearly advised on gender responsive budgeting.
The President seized the opportunity of the budget presentation to provide an overview of global and domestic developments in the country.
While observing the COVID-19 protocol during his presentation, the president also gave a summary of his administration’s achievements and its plans for the next fiscal year.
President Buhari stressed that these were exceptional times for Nigeria.
He said: “The grim realities of COVID-19 and its lethal variants are still upon us. From President to pauper, the virus does not discriminate.
“This is why our country still maintains its COVID-19 guidelines and protocols in place to protect citizens and stop the spread of this disease.’’
Buhari had earlier returned to Abuja on Oct. 5 after attending the inauguration of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia for a second five-year term in office.
The Nigerian leader was in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopia capital, on Sunday where he delivered a goodwill message at the inauguration event held at the historic Meskel Square.
NAN reports that other African leaders at the event included the Presidents of Djibouti, Kenya, South Sudan, Senegal, Somalia, Uganda and the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Also while in Addis Ababa, Buhari had on Oct. 5 met with President Salva Kiir of South Sudan where he expressed Nigeria’s readiness to assist South Sudan to achieve political and economic stability.
The president assured the full support of Nigeria to all efforts to bring long-term stability and prosperity to the continent.
On Oct. 6, the Federal Government warned that it may be forced to impose State of Emergency in Anambra to ensure peaceful conduct of the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federal, Abubakar Malami, gave the warning when he fielded questions from State House correspondents at the end of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The meeting was presided over by Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday.
NAN observed that stakeholders in Anambra project including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had raised alarm over the upsurge in cases of violent attacks on individuals and government facilities in Anambra as the governorship election in the state draws closer.
The minister, however, threatened that the federal government may declare a state of emergency, if the security situation in the state did not improve.
Buhari also granted audience to a team from ExxonMobil Corporation led by Liam Mallon, its President on Upstream Oil and Gas, at State House Abuja, on Wednesday.
At the meeting, the president urged operators in the petroleum industry to take advantage of the new Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to promote their investments in the oil and gas sector.
Also on Oct. 6, Buhari met behind closed doors with former President Goodluck Jonathan, in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The agenda of the meeting was unknown to newsmen, while no official statement was issued on the outcome of the meeting.
Jonathan, who is ECOWAS Special Envoy to the Republic of Mali, had been updating Buhari on efforts by West African leaders to restore stability to the country.
The president on Oct. 7 also met behind closed door with Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
NAN observed that the meeting came barely 24 hours after the Federal Government had threatened to invoke emergency rule as part of measures to address security challenges and safeguard electoral process in the state.
Obiano, who spoke to State House correspondents at the end of the closed door meeting, said he updated the President on security challenges facing the state, saying bandits from neigbouring states are responsible for the killings and disruption of public peace in the state.
The governor, however, described the call for the declaration of State of Emergency in Anambra to address security challenges in the state as “very unfortunate’’.
On Oct. 8, the president, who also doubles as Ministry of Petroleum Resources, received the certificate of incorporation of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
He noted that with the certification of the company the country expected nothing less from the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, and the Chief Finance Officer, “than the realisation of a global national oil company that this nation desires and deserves”.
Under the recently signed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), was expected to transform to a limited liability company, a fact that has now been accomplished.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was also in London, the United Kingdom, where he participated at different meetings including the High-Level United Nations event on the Energy Transition plan in Africa with special focus on Nigeria.
The meetings included first, a closed-door session with COP26 President-Designate, Mr Alok Sharma, a cabinet rank British Minister and the Chair of the UK Government’s COP26 Energy Transition Council (ETC) at Whitehall.
He was also at an interaction with the academic community at Imperial College followed by meetings of the Global Energy Alliance and presentations on the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan and Nigeria’s Integrated Energy Plan.
Osinbajo observed at Imperial College that Africa as a continent was home to the world’s youngest fastest growing population and in order to create jobs and enable climate-smart industrialisation, “the scale and quality of electricity services must increase significantly”.
Also on Friday, Buhari assented to the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (Amendment) Bill 2021 to boost agricultural activities in the country.
The president, who assented to the bill before his recent visit to Ethiopia, said the bill was in consonance with the commitment of his administration to diversify the economy with agriculture playing a critical role.
”With the amendment, the Council is expected to play a crucial part in coordinating research efforts in the agricultural sector towards achieving food sufficiency and security in the nation,” he added.
Buhari also approved the establishment of the Federal College of Agriculture, Kirikasamma, and the Federal College of Education (Special), Birnin Kudu, both in Jigawa.
NAN reports that a 55-minute documentary, titled: ”The Buhari Effect: Undeniable Achievements”, was aired on Channels Television on Oct. 9 at 7p.m.
The documentary, which is in view of some milestone of the administration of Buhari, would also be aired on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on Sunday at 7 p.m.
Buhari ended the week at the Passing Out Parade for Cadets of 68 Regular Course (Army, Navy and Air Force) in Kaduna, Kaduna State, where he pledged that the Federal Government would do everything within the ambit of the law to protect Nigerians from the activities of criminals.
The criminal activities, according to the President, include insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and politically motivated killings.
The president said that more equipment had been received from some friendly countries to improve the security operations in Nigeria.
According to him, the government remains focused on its priority of improving security, bolstering the economy and fighting corruption.
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has written a letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), threatening to sue the AGF if he fails to recover $62bn from international oil companies as ordered by the Supreme Court.
Falana said this in a letter on Sunday titled, ‘Request for Compliance with Judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in suit No SC. 964/2016 between Akwa Ibom & Two Others v Attorney-General of the Federation’.
The letter was written on behalf of Prof. Omotoye Olorode and Jaye Gaskia of the People’s Alternative Political Movement.
It reads in part, “Our clients have instructed us to remind you that the Federal Government has not enforced the above mentioned judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered on October 20, 2018.
“In the said judgment, the apex court had directed the Federal Government to immediately take steps to recover all revenues lost to oil-exploring and exploiting companies due to wrong profit-sharing formula since August 2003.
“Based on the aforesaid judgment, you did request for the immediate payment of the sum of $62bn owed by the six international oil companies with joint operating agreements with the NNPC, namely Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Nigeria Agip Oil Company, TotalElf Nigeria and Pan Ocean Oil Company.”
Falana stated that rather than ensure that the judgment was enforced, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, claimed that government would not be able to recover the money.
Sylva was quoted as saying, “Well, we have started discussions. Let us consider that as a lost opportunity, the money was not in a cupboard, they have taken it. Nobody can bring out that kind of money. I mean we can’t get $62bn.
“We can, maybe, get something from them, but not $62bn. It’s an opportunity we have lost. We have already started discussions with them, but what is clear is that it is a lost opportunity, really.”
The activist asked the AGF to ensure that the said sum of $62bn is recovered from the oil companies and paid into the Federation Account without any further delay.
He said that if Malami refused to take action, a suit would be instituted in court forcing him to do so.
The letter further reads, “However, if you fail or refuse to accede to the request of our client, we shall not hesitate to approach the Federal High Court to seek an order to compel you to comply with the judgment of the Supreme Court in accordance with Section 287(1) of the Constitution, which provides that “the decisions of the Supreme court shall be enforced in any part of the federation by all authorities and persons, and by courts with subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Supreme Court.”
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has gone on his first outing since his return from the United Kingdom (UK) last Friday night.
The former Lagos State governor, on Sunday, reunited with his political associates and protégés at a welcome-back event and prayer hosted by the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the State House in Marina.
Tinubu was received at 2:45 pm by Sanwo-Olu in company with his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and Chief of Staff, Mr. Tayo Ayinde.
A statement from the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Gboyega Akosile, said the event was attended by all elected office holders and political appointees in Lagos.
The attendees included the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa.
Members of the State Executive Council, Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) and council chairmen were also in attendance.
Tinubu’s quiet return to Nigeria had been reported on Friday after spending months overseas for medical care.
This medium had earlier reported his planned return to a “grand welcome” organised by his political associates on Sunday.
However, due to his inability to stand the rigours of a physical rally, the ex-Lagos governor quietly entered into the country on Friday instead of Sunday (today), shunning any pre-arranged fanfare.
It had been reported that a grand welcome was being arranged at the Nigeria Police College in Ikeja, Lagos for the politician.
However, top sources confirmed his ‘early’ return to SaharaReporters on Friday.
“Tinubu has quietly returned tonight. He returned quietly but can’t stand the rigours of a physical rally.
“He arrived on a Falcon jet with registration number VP-CBT. The tracking for the jet is blocked on aviation tracking platforms,” a source had disclosed.
Tinubu, clad in a dark grey kaftan and a blue cap on Sunday, said he was highly elated to return to the country after his three-month medical tourism.
He said the prayer event was an emotional one for him, adding that he was overwhelmed by good wishes from Nigerians while he was away.
Tinubu said: “I’m a little emotional now but I’m happy. God is the giver of life and the only one who can take life. And he (God) says if I grant you power and the privilege in this life; I am the only one who can take it from you if you don’t use it in the way and manner that promotes humanity. God can give power to anyone he wills.
“It is the same God that has spared us till today and has given us the privilege. I give glory to God, because I’m standing before you hale, hearty and well. Today is a day of joy for me, having fixed today for this great event. We are here giving praises to God. May God bless all of you in attendance. I am grateful. I cannot say more than that today. Thank you all.”
Sanwo-Olu described Tinubu’s return as good news for his supporters across the country, noting that the APC leader had been rejuvenated with renewed vigour for his next political move.
He said: “We have countless reasons to be grateful to God for bringing Asiwaju back home, fully rejuvenated. Since Friday when our leader and father came back, it has been a joyful moment for the teeming residents of Lagos, his supporters and Nigerians across the country. We give glory to God who brought you (Tinubu) back with sound health and stronger vigour.
“On behalf of all political office holders, party leaders and faithful, we welcome our leader back and we give praises to God on his behalf that the intention of evil-minded people who spread malicious rumour against our leader did not materialise. This event shows Asiwaju is healthy and possesses more energy to embark on his next move in politics.”
