Rights activist and political commentator Deji Adeyanju has responded emphatically to a defamation threat from former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.

Lawyers for Peter Obi, Ejesimen & Co. (Madiba Chambers), accused Adeyanju of making “false, malicious, and grossly defamatory statements” on social media, specifically X and Facebook.

The firm demanded a retraction and public apology in three national newspapers within seven days or face a lawsuit, including claims for aggravated damages and legal costs.

The allegations cited claims that Obi diverted state funds into family-owned companies, a past anecdote in which Obi supposedly tried to bribe Adeyanju and accusations that Obi used religion for political manipulation

Adeyanju dismissed the legal threat as absurd and posted on social media.

“Just got this letter from Peter Obi, the religious bigot demanding a retraction from me. I laughed so hard. I can’t wait to meet him in court finally. A fraud parading himself as a messiah.”

He further accused Obi of hypocrisy, referencing earlier derogatory remarks Obi made about pro-democracy campaigner Omoyele Sowore:

“This same guy called the great Sowore a blackmailer‑in‑chief. We served his little errand girl Serah a letter to retract all her defamatory publications on Monday against my wife & she ran to the leader of the mob for help. Can’t wait to meet him in court.”

The Ebonyi State Government has approved an upward review of the minimum wage for civil and public servants in the state, raising it from ₦70,000 to ₦90,000. According to the government, the new wage takes immediate effect.

This decision was reached during the State Executive Council meeting held on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the New Government House in Abakaliki.

The announcement was made in an official statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Ikeuwa Collins-Omebeh, and made available to Channels Television on Thursday.

The Commissioner explained that the wage increase is part of Governor Francis Nwifuru’s commitment under his People’s Charter of Needs Agenda, which places emphasis on the welfare and well-being of workers in the state.

“The approval of the ₦90,000 minimum wage reflects the governor’s unwavering commitment to improving the standard of living of workers in Ebonyi,” the statement read.

In addition to the wage hike, the state government also approved the creation of the Ebonyi State Virology Research and Innovative Centre.

The facility is expected to boost the state’s ability in areas such as disease research, diagnosis, surveillance, and training, in line with public health demands and global scientific advancements.

Meanwhile, similar developments are taking place in other states. On Wednesday, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma announced an increase in the state’s minimum wage to ₦104,000, following a meeting with labour leaders in Owerri.

These changes follow the Minimum Wage Act signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in July 2024, which raised the national minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.

However, some state governments, like Ebonyi and Imo, have opted to exceed the federal benchmark in support of their workers.

The apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has reaffirmed that any Igbo individual is free to contest the 2027 presidential election, dismissing reports suggesting otherwise.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the President General of Ohanaeze, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, stressed that the organisation is not a political party and has no authority to determine who should or shouldn’t run for political office.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo has stated emphatically that any Igbo person can contest in the 2027 presidential election,” Azuta-Mbata declared.

He further emphasized that any publication suggesting Ohanaeze has taken a stance against an Igbo candidate running for president is false and should be ignored.

“Any publications to the contrary are fake news, did not originate from Ohanaeze Ndigbo and should be discountenanced by the entirety of Ndigbo,” he said.

The statement reiterated that Ohanaeze is solely a socio-cultural body, not aligned with any political platform.

“Any Igbo person who belongs to a political party and wants to contest any elections whatsoever in 2027 is free to do so,” Azuta-Mbata stated.

He encouraged Igbo politicians to continue participating in democratic processes through their respective parties.

“Ndigbo are advised to continue their lawful political activities in the various political parties of their choice and membership.”

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has declared that he and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde would form a “perfect match” if paired on a joint ticket for the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Governor Mohammed said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should pair a Christian from the South with a Muslim from the North.

“Seyi Makinde–Bala Mohammed ticket can match even better. Because to me, it depends on what Nigerians want. If they want the continuation of this clueless administration, then it is the choice of Nigerians. But certainly they have seen the pedigree, the capacity of Seyi and my humble self at the subnational level.”

He added that while he admires Makinde, many potential running mates have emerged across the country:

“And of course, it is not only Seyi; there are so many people that may even come up. And there are so many people that can be good vice president. What we are saying is that this time around, if Nigerians are selling this option, they should be given the opportunity.”

“But of course, there are so many options that, maybe, you don’t want to mention, and I don’t want to mention, that people are talking in terms of pairing. It is all these narratives that would go into the consciousness or the senses of judgment of our party people and even the presidential candidate, when he emerges.”

Mohammed emphasized that the PDP remains open and inclusive at this stage:

“What I want to say is, we have not absolutely chosen or narrowed down on any person. Everybody should know that PDP is open. It’s open in a manner that it is for the southerners to bring somebody.”

He urged the party to avoid repeating the APC’s mistake of endorsing a Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023:

“We don’t want to make the mistake of the APC. We need a Christian from the South to emerge as a presidential candidate so that he will lead the majority of Christian southerners to come and pick a majority Muslim vice president in the north, not to put ourselves in the cul‑de‑sac the way a man in APC did in 2023, when they picked a minority from the south.”

“And they had to take a majority person from the north, which brought the issue of Muslim‑Muslim ticket, which did not take into cognisance our diversity and our different peoples’ feelings. This is because we have not really reached a stage where we don’t take into consideration all these factors.”