President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Lagos on Friday for a working visit, following his attendance at the coronation ceremony of the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, in Ibadan, Oyo State.

This development was confirmed in a statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, the President’s visit is part of activities leading up to Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, which will be marked with a modest celebration.

During his stay in Lagos, President Tinubu is expected to hold strategic meetings with leading figures in the private sector, along with top government officials.

After concluding his engagements in Lagos, the President will head to Imo State on Tuesday, September 30, where he is scheduled to commission several projects completed by Governor Hope Uzodimma.

Renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has stated that President Bola Tinubu does not have the constitutional authority to place the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on terminal leave.

Falana’s remarks follow reports that surfaced earlier in the week alleging that President Tinubu had instructed Yakubu to proceed on compulsory leave, purportedly due to a perceived betrayal of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The report, which remains unconfirmed, claimed the directive was a form of retaliation and has since sparked widespread debate.

The speculation intensified after INEC suddenly cancelled its quarterly consultative meetings with political parties and civil society organisations that were scheduled to begin Wednesday.

Prof. Yakubu, who was appointed in 2015 by former President Muhammadu Buhari and reappointed in 2020 after Senate confirmation, is due to complete his second term in October 2025.

He is the first INEC chairman to serve two full terms since the agency was established.

Although the presidency has not issued any official comment, the reports have led to significant reactions across social media platforms.

While some officials appeared to support the claims, others have dismissed them.

Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, took to X (formerly Twitter) to assert that the directive was indeed genuine and tied to Yakubu’s imminent departure.

However, former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani downplayed the report, describing it as “most likely social media entertainment news.”

Despite the swirling rumours, Yakubu chaired INEC’s weekly management meeting on Thursday and reportedly approved staff promotions—suggesting that he remains in full control of the commission’s affairs.

Reacting to the controversy, INEC’s spokesperson, Rotimi Oyekanmi, urged Nigerians to refer to the 1999 Constitution before forming opinions, highlighting that the law clearly outlines how the INEC chair can be appointed or removed.

Sections 154(1) and 157(1) of the Constitution state that while the President can nominate the INEC Chairman, removal requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate and must be based on proven incapacity or misconduct.

Additionally, Section 160(1) gives INEC autonomy to regulate its own procedures without presidential interference.

In a statement to Saturday PUNCH, Falana emphasized that these constitutional safeguards make it impossible for the President to lawfully direct the INEC Chairman to go on terminal leave.

“Unlike other federal executive bodies, the Independent National Electoral Commission, its powers to make its own rules or otherwise regulate its own procedure shall not be subject to the approval or control of the President.
To that extent, President Bola Tinubu cannot direct the INEC chairman to proceed on terminal leave,” he said.

Falana also referenced a similar rumour from 2015 when it was alleged that then-INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega had been asked to embark on three months’ terminal leave.

That claim, he said, was eventually proven to be false.

“We pointed out at the material time that the INEC chairman could not be directed by any authority to embark on terminal leave. It turned out that the President did not give any such directive,” Falana added.

Malam Lawal Batagarawa, former Minister of State for Defence and one of the founding members of the PDP, now a senior figure in the ADC, shares insights on the 2027 election, party dynamics, governance, and Tinubu’s chances.

Batagarawa admits court disputes over recognized ADC leadership have been a distraction.

“You’d rather channel energy into building the party and mobilising support, but these legal battles pull you away,” he says.

Asked about allegations that the current government is behind the court cases, Batagarawa remains cautious but firm: “When a party poses a real threat, those in power may seek to destabilize it through legal or political means. It’s not surprising.”

On the government borrowing tactics he once criticized, Batagarawa warns that current policies are failing the public.

“This administration is underperforming in security, in governance: it’s obvious to all unbiased observers.”

While governors, legislators and local powerbrokers are rallying around Tinubu, Batagarawa says ADC remains undeterred.

“They can make all the loud statements they want. On election day, what counts is organisation, strategy, and connection with the people.”

With prominent former politicians in ADC, Atiku, Peter Obi, El-Rufai and more concerns arise about managing strong personalities. Batagarawa sees diversity as an advantage.

“Nigeria is diverse. If we don’t manage debates, conflicts, and ambitions properly, we can’t lead the country.”

Highlighting one of the government’s biggest failings, Batagarawa links insecurity to economic distress and failed policy direction.

He calls for a dual approach: suppress violence (kinetic) and prevent new recruits to crime (non-kinetic) through community inclusion.

“You can’t separate security from livelihood,” he insists.

Asked about opposition plans, Batagarawa declines full disclosure but insists there’s a strong strategy in place.

Smarter politics, he says, involve groundwork more than flashy posturing.

Batagarawa strongly disputes the administration’s economic claims.

“Subsidy removal and currency devaluation have pushed the economy into a tailspin. Everything they boast about has hurt ordinary Nigerians,” he charges.

By Johnpaul Anih, Ph.D

If you ask around in Nkanu West today, one name comes up with surprising ease and warmth “Hon. John Ogbodo”. Not because he’s making noise or buying headlines, but because he’s quietly and consistently doing the work. For a local government area that had grown used to the politics of promise and fail, what’s happening now almost feels too good to be true.
But it’s real.

Walk into his office any day and you’ll find him on seat, not hidden behind layers of protocol or personal assistants, but right there, present and ready to listen.
You’ll find no red tape, no gatekeepers, no “come tomorrow” excuses. The door is always open, the seat always warm, and the ear ever attentive. Whether you’re a farmer from Umueze, a youth from Agbani or a market woman from Amurri.
His door doesn’t recognize class or status. Go there, you’ll get a chair and you’ll be heard.
That kind of accessibility is rare. Too rare.

He isn’t just occupying space, he’s carrying the weight of the office with seriousness and humility. He understands what it means to be elected. He knows who he’s working for, the people, and he has shown that through actions, not words.

Now, I won’t compare him to his predecessors. That’s not the point.
But to be honest, Nkanu West has entered a different kind of season under his watch.

When the party under the solid leadership of Governor Peter Mbah called on him to serve, the reaction wasn’t mixed. The applause was thunderous. It was joy across board. Streets celebrated and party faithful felt confident.
A loyal party man who understands the delicate dance of political structure had arrived.

And why not? The people knew what they were getting ‘a servant’, not a “boss”, a leader with calloused hands, not manicured detachment.

Since taking office, Hon. Ogbodo has not disappointed. He hit the ground running, not with the empty fanfare of ribbon cuttings, but with the grit of real work.
Take a drive through the communities and you’ll see it. Access roads are under construction, especially those leading to the new Smart Green Schools and Type-Two Hospitals, aligning directly with Governor Mbah’s reforms in education and healthcare.

These are not cosmetic projects, they are providing access to services that were once out of reach.

Environmental sanitation has also received a major boost. Waste bins now stand tall in key locations. Roads that used to be blocked by debris like those in Umueze, Obe, and Ozalla have been cleared and beautified with flowers and landscaping. There’s a touch of pride returning to public spaces.

One project that caught the attention of many is the revamp of the long-abandoned Eke Agbani abattoir. It’s no longer the eyesore it used to be. It has been transformed into a modern facility, complete with toilets, solar-powered boreholes and water tanks. A public health intervention right?

There’s also what’s happening at Four Corner Park in Ozalla where the council is tackling the age-old problem of open defecation. That may not make flashy headlines, but for those living there, it’s a big deal. It’s about dignity.

Drainages along the Enugu – Agbani road have been cleared. Why? Because Hon. Ogbodo understands that a flood doesn’t care about politics, it just destroys.
He quickly addressed the flood threats that once kept residents awake during the rainy season.

The once-choked neighborhoods with the chaos of unplanned buildings are being reclaimed.

Other ongoing projects? The Ngene-Ukwa bridge at Achikpa in Ndegu Akpugo is awaiting commissioning.
Other internal roads? Quiet, but making steady progress.
These projects are the threads stitching together a more mobile and functional Nkanu West.

But beyond the physical projects, it’s his style of leadership that people are talking about, his openness, his respect for all and his refusal to use political power as a tool for revenge or exclusion.
He values results and believes in only one side “the people’s side”.

Gone are the days of political thuggery and strongman tactics. Ogbodo has in turn, elevated competence and credibility.

His philosophy? “Peace toward all, malice toward none.” And from what we’re seeing, it’s not just a catchy line, it’s the reality on the ground.

In today’s Nkanu West, no one is too poor, too unknown or too politically unaffiliated to be heard.
Yes, things are different now.

He has not just raised the bar, he has redrawn the entire beat.

And if this is what local governance looks like under Hon. John Ogbodo, then maybe, just maybe, Nkanu West has finally found its rhythm.

Johnpaul Anih, Ph.D
Academic, Journalist, Researcher