Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh and former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, have credited the late media mogul, Raymond Dokpesi, with playing a decisive role in thwarting former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third-term agenda.

The duo spoke in Abuja at the 2nd Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi Diamond Lecture, jointly organised by DAAR Communications and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), themed “Communication and Development.”

Momoh recalled that during the controversial bid to amend the Constitution to allow Obasanjo a third term, Dokpesi used a mix of personal persuasion and media influence to mobilise opposition and defend democracy.

“Many have taken credit for stopping the third term, but Dokpesi deserves special recognition,” Momoh said.

“As a lawmaker then, I remember him calling me personally, saying, ‘You are my brother. Work with your people to make sure it doesn’t succeed.’”

He explained that the AIT and Raypower FM founder quietly reached out to legislators, warning them of the dangers of constitutional manipulation and urging resistance against the plan.

Oshiomhole, who now represents Edo North in the Senate, recounted that Dokpesi made his media platforms freely available for open debate, enabling lawmakers and citizens to discuss the issue transparently.

“Dokpesi used his station to promote national dialogue, not to attack the country,” Oshiomhole said.

“AIT broadcast National Assembly sessions live, allowing Nigerians to hold their representatives accountable. That transparency helped stop the third-term bid.”

He noted that Dokpesi’s approach demonstrated how media could serve national interest, not partisanship.

“My only complaint, which I told him before his passing, was that he gave his station to a political party that didn’t reciprocate his loyalty,” Oshiomhole added.

Also speaking, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule praised Dokpesi’s integrity and lamented what he described as rising sycophancy in Nigerian politics, where leaders face flattery in public but criticism in private.

President of the NIPR, Dr. Ike Neliaku, described Dokpesi as a visionary and pathfinder who democratized access to information and gave voice to ordinary Nigerians.

“For Dr. Dokpesi, communication was not just about media; it was about meaning, connecting truth to people, citizens to leaders, and nations to the world,” Neliaku said.

Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the North-West zone have distanced themselves from the reported endorsement of former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as the region’s consensus candidate for the party’s national chairmanship ahead of the November convention.

At a press briefing in Abuja, the PDP’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, speaking on behalf of stakeholders from the zone, dismissed the endorsement as unilateral and illegitimate.

Earlier in the week, the Chairman of the PDP National Convention Organising Committee and Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, had announced that Turaki was adopted as the consensus choice of northern leaders and governors.

However, he noted that any aspirant dissatisfied with the decision was still free to contest.

Bature, however, stated that the North-West had not held any meeting to arrive at such a decision, stressing that the region would soon present its own preferred candidate.

“The North-West has not met to agree on that position. We are the zone to which the national chairmanship has been zoned, and it is unfair for others to decide for us,” Umar Bature, PDP National Organising Secretary.

He emphasized that consensus decisions must arise from consultation and inclusion, not unilateral declarations.

“Consensus is made through consultation. We were neither consulted nor carried along before the announcement,” he said.

Bature also accused certain party leaders of sidelining key stakeholders from the North-West, warning that the region would resist any attempt at imposition.

“We believe we are the strongest zone in the PDP. The attitude of our leaders made us take this position. We disagree with the governors’ endorsement, and we will nominate our own candidate,” he added.

Among those present at the briefing were former National Secretary Ibrahim Tsauri, Mustapha Lamido (son of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido), Isah Ashiru Kudan (the PDP’s 2023 Kaduna governorship candidate), and several other zonal leaders.

At its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in August, the PDP had zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South and the national chairmanship to the North, which was later micro-zoned to the North-West.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed that he declined to endorse former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai as his successor when leaving office in 2007.

El-Rufai served under Obasanjo first as Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and later as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 2003 to 2007. At the end of Obasanjo’s tenure, he instead backed the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

Speaking in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during the second edition of the Ajibosin Platform symposium themed “Importance of Leadership in Governance,” Obasanjo revealed that former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, had pushed for El-Rufai as his successor.

“He was pushing when I was leaving government that his friend, El-Rufai, should be brought in as my successor,” Obasanjo said, addressing Chidoka directly.

Obasanjo explained his decision to decline the recommendation: “I did not yield to the pressure. Later, he [Chidoka] said, ‘I suggested this person, why didn’t you agree?’ I said El-Rufai needs to mature. You remember?”

He added that years later, Chidoka acknowledged Obasanjo was right.

Despite rejecting the recommendation, Obasanjo praised Chidoka, El-Rufai, and other officials for their “special attributes,” which he credited as driving forces of his administration.

On the symposium’s theme, Obasanjo stressed that character, exposure, experience, and proper training define effective leadership.

“It’s only in politics that there is no training in leadership. Even among armed robbers, I was told there is apprenticeship. That’s not good enough,” he noted.

Delivering the keynote address, Chidoka criticized the culture of excuses in Nigerian politics.

“Leadership finds its true measure not in speeches or charisma but in the systems it leaves behind. Moral conviction must translate into the everyday machinery of governance, rules, routines, and institutions that make competence predictable and corruption difficult,” he said.

He urged accountability through national dashboards, strong institutions, and regular performance tracking.

The convener of the symposium, Aare Olanrewaju Bakinson, emphasized the importance of ethical leadership and governance in shaping society.

Among the attendees were Senator Shuaibu Salis (Ogun Central), the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Saka Matemilola; the Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Obalanlege; and former Ogun First Lady, Mrs. Olufunsho Amosun.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to provide a clear explanation for the sudden dismissal of the country’s Service Chiefs, saying the move has fueled speculation and unease within the security sector.

In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party noted that although the President has the constitutional authority to appoint and remove service chiefs, the timing of the reshuffle, coming amid rumours of an attempted coup, demands transparency.

“While we acknowledge that the President, as Commander-in-Chief, reserves the power to make such changes as he deems fit, we are concerned that this decision comes in the wake of widespread rumours of an attempted coup,” the statement read.

The ADC expressed dismay that most of the officers affected by the changes were appointed less than two years ago.

“Nearly all the Service Chiefs who have been removed were appointed only about 28 months ago, and the current Chief of Defence Staff himself was elevated just a year ago from Chief of Army Staff,” the party noted.

“Such sweeping changes carry serious implications for military stability and therefore must have strong justification.”

The ADC said the Federal Government owes Nigerians a “categorical and transparent explanation” to dispel rumours and protect democratic confidence.

“The government’s reaction to the coup rumours has been inconsistent and confusing, when clarity was most needed,” the statement said.

The opposition party further warned that the shake-up could deepen public anxiety rather than calm it.

“This kind of near wholesale change in the leadership of the armed forces, if not well explained, will only encourage more speculation and conspiracy theories,” it added.

Citing worsening insecurity across the country, the ADC accused the Tinubu administration of losing focus on national security priorities.

“Insecurity continues to spread, terrorists are regrouping in some regions, while bandits dominate others. Yet, this change in military leadership does not appear to be about improving security. Instead, it seems driven by regime politics,” the statement said.