General
‘Fake Buhari’ Narrative Is Foolery, Ungodly, Despicable, Mischief—APC Chieftain
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Mr Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has described those peddling the narrative of a ‘fake Buhari’ in Aso Rock, Abuja, as gullible mischief makers, who are being urged on by those who have prayed for President Muhammadu Buhari’s death.
Giving this explanation in a statement issued and circulated in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Mr Eze also revealed that the narrative had been part of the strategies of those who have plundered the nation’s wealth without conscience before President Buhari came in to end their reign of unchecked stealing.
According to the party chieftain, authors of the narrative had hoped that the president would not return alive from his prolonged sick leave abroad, but were shocked to see him back healthier and pushing the anti-corruption campaign more vigorously, adding that their ‘plan B’ was taking advantage of the gullible and hateful, selling them a story that has become the butt of jokes across the world.
“These misguided fellows, who are products of the dismantled looting system that looted our common patrimony with impunity, would have loved to see President Buhari dead so that the efforts to recover their looted lot will be impossible, but unfortunately for them through the prayers of some innocent children of God that include the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and Pastor Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, who visited him in London, and other religions leaders he survived to their uttermost shame and chagrin.
Mr Eze highlighted that those peddling this falsehood are despicable and doubters of the ability of God to heal should take consolation in the words of Archbishop of Canterbury who later personally received the Nigerian president at Lambeth Palace, London stating that he was delighted to see the rapid recovery Mr Buhari has made from his health challenges, noting that it was a testimony to the healing powers of God, and answer to prayers of millions of people round the world.
President Muhammadu Buhari who thanked Pastor Adeboye for visiting him saying on his twitter handle ‘thank Pastor Adeboye for visiting today, and for his prayers and good wishes. May God continue to bless him and his work’
According to Mr Eze, others that visited President Buhari during this period were the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara
Apart from his Media Team, the State Governors, some selected Ministers and the then Acting-President Yemi Osinbajo led the stream of visitors.
Mr Eze wonders how all these high ranking personalities couldn’t detect the ‘fake President’ and regretted that instead of us rejoicing that President Muhammadu Buhari survived their evil plot they resorted to cheap blackmail of trying to cast doubt and aspersion on the person and personality of President Buhari”, he said.
Mr Eze also described the onslaught on the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as mischievous, unpatriotic, evil, demonic and unacceptable, saying “how could a foreigner, as claimed by these mischief makers, come in to act as the President of Nigeria without either the wife of the President or his children raising alarm over such an unislamic and unholy act?
“How could he have known both the president’s home in Kastina, recognize all the political actors in Nigeria, including his ministers and governors. Proponents of this satanic game should understand that Nigerians are aware, wise people and not fools who will accept such a dubious and diversionary strategy”, he said.
Mr Eze recalled the statement of Mr Yakubu Dogara the Speaker of the House of Representatives, “Today we visited His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari. I am glad that he is doing well. His health has improved tremendously. I urge all Nigerians to continue to pray and offer thanks to God for answered prayers and for the safe return of Mr President. We must give thanks to God for this highly welcomed recovery. It is clear that Mr President’s insistence on following his doctors’ advice has yielded the desired results. Mr President exhibited remarkable recovery and was very conversant with all the political happenings back at home and across the continent”.
He therefore counselled the egg heads in PDP to come up with serious campaign issues instead of such elementary and awkward diversionary styles of blackmailing.
He also assured Nigerians that President Buhari’s survival was divine as enemies of Nigeria never expected him to survive, adding “with all the great works his administration is doing to revive our economy: revival of the power sector, agriculture, roads and rail line and many others, Nigeria should be ready to ensure that he is re-elected to avoid taking us back to the era of looting system of government associated with PDP leadership.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the collapse of five transmission towers along the Ikot Abasi–Eket 132kV Double Circuit Transmission Line.
This was attributed to severe acts of vandalism, as TCN disclosed that the structure collapsed after vandals removed critical structural bracing members.
The affected towers were N9, J4, N10, N11 and N12, the organisation said in a statement on Friday.
It explained that the extensive damage was discovered during a routine joint line patrol conducted on August 9, 2026, by TCN linesmen.
Further inspection revealed that structural members from seven additional towers along the same transmission corridor had also been removed and stolen. The towers, J3, N8, N13, N14, N15, N18 and N19, are now structurally compromised and pose a risk of further collapse.
TCN condemned this act of sabotage and reiterated its commitment to working hard to maintain a robust and reliable national grid.
The statement said that to mitigate the impact on electricity supply, the network has been reconfigured to prioritise supply to Ekim transmission station, leaving Ibom Power as the only station without supply.
TCN said it is mobilising an urgent intervention to complete the reconstruction of the affected sections of the line, with security agencies also notified to aid investigations and prevent further acts of vandalism along the line route.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, has urged all relevant government agencies to promptly initiate actions for the full implementation of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026, following its signing into law by President Bola Tinubu.
The bill, sponsored by Speaker Abbas, was aimed at repealing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act, Cap. N133, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and establish the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports while safeguarding the interests of shippers, service providers, and users of regulated port services. With the President’s assent, it has now been enacted as an Act of Parliament.
The legislation represents one of the landmark achievements of the 10th National Assembly. It reflects the Speaker’s commitment to legislative excellence, institutional reform, and sustainable economic growth, according to a press statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Mr Musa Krishi.
The bill underwent a rigorous and inclusive legislative process, including extensive stakeholder consultations and a public hearing. It was passed by both Chambers of the National Assembly and subsequently assented to by the President.
The Act provides a robust legal and institutional framework to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports by fostering transparency, competitiveness, and efficiency in port operations; protecting the rights and interests of shippers, service providers, and other port users; and aligning Nigeria’s port regulatory system with global best practices, thereby enhancing the ease and cost-effectiveness of doing business.
Despite receiving presidential assent, the Act has yet to be fully operationalised.
He warned that any further delay would undermine the legislative intent of the reform, prolong the exposure of port users to arbitrary charges and operational inefficiencies, and deny the nation the anticipated benefits of increased revenue, improved trade facilitation, and stronger investor confidence in the marine and blue economy sector.
The Speaker urged the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, in collaboration with all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government, to take the necessary administrative, institutional, and financial measures for the prompt implementation of the Act.
He said this should include the formal transition to, as well as operational empowerment of, the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to discharge its statutory mandate effectively.
The full implementation of the Act is critical to unlocking the economic potential of Nigeria’s ports, reducing the cost of doing business, strengthening trade competitiveness, and positioning Nigeria as the leading maritime and logistics hub in West and Central Africa.
The statement noted that the Speaker reaffirmed the 10th House’s commitment to exercising the necessary legislative oversight to ensure this landmark legislation, along with others assented to by the President, is fully implemented and achieves its intended goals for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD), through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), has partnered with Cascador, a Nigeria-focused platform for growth-stage founders, to provide funding and support for the next generation of Nigerian youth entrepreneurs.
The announcement coincides with International Youth Day 2026, whose global theme this year — Different Contexts, Common Aspirations — calls on institutions to close the gap between young people’s circumstances and their opportunities. The pilot is an early step toward NiYA’s broader ambition to train and empower 7 million Nigerian youth within two years.
The NiYA and Cascador Founders Programme will begin with a pilot cohort of 20 early-stage Nigerian youth founders, including entrepreneurs without formal business registration or established financial records.
Over four weeks, participants will undergo intensive training focused on business fundamentals, investment readiness and pitch preparation. At the end of the programme, the eight top-performing founders will receive non-dilutive funding of up to N5 million each from Cascador, alongside an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to help them structure, manage and scale their businesses.
The funding and support will be presented at a Pitch Day organised by NiYA and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
The Minister for Youth Development, Mr s Ayodele Olawande, said the partnership would enable NiYA to move beyond training by helping young people transform ideas into investable businesses and achieve sustainable economic participation through business preparation and access to capital.
“The pilot is deliberately designed to test a model that can go beyond one cohort. If young founders can be identified early, prepared properly, connected to credible capital and supported to build stronger business systems, then access to opportunity becomes less dependent on background or existing networks. That is the larger objective: to build a youth entrepreneurship ecosystem in which readiness, ideas and execution can increasingly determine who gets the opportunity to grow.”
The pilot will run in-person in Abuja with virtual touchpoints and 1:1 mentorship. All 20 graduates retain NiYA alumni status, with priority consideration for future opportunities.
NiYA and FMYD have already shown what real commitment to Nigeria’s youth looks like — the platforms, the reach, the ambition to train millions. What we’re building together now is the missing piece, a practical bridge from the ideation stage to real capital-readiness. When a Ministry so dedicated to its young people asked Cascador to help build that bridge, it was an easy decision,” said Trish Thomas, CEO of Cascador.
Ms Oyin Solebo, COO of Cascador and former Managing Director of the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator, highlighted the partnership’s impact, saying, “This is what innovative capital deployment looks like: a government building real investment readiness at scale, and a partner meeting that foundational work with non-dilutive funding at exactly the moment it’s needed. Partnerships like this open doors that neither of us could open alone.”
