Former Minister of Works and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has openly admitted that he and fellow opposition politicians are feeling the same economic hardship as ordinary Nigerians, stating that hunger is driving their political resolve.

Speaking at his birthday lecture in Abuja on Saturday, Mr. Amaechi made a passionate call for unity among the opposition to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

“We are all hungry. All of us are. If you are not hungry, I am. So, for us, the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power – Tinubu – we can remove him from this power,” Amaechi said, addressing a gathering that included notable political figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The birthday lecture doubled as a strategic meeting for opposition forces exploring the possibility of forming a united front against President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

Reflecting on his activism days, Amaechi reminded the audience of the solidarity that once transcended ethnic and religious lines during nationwide protests against military rulers.

He referenced the campaigns against General Ibrahim Babangida and General Muhammadu Buhari, emphasizing that collective action had always been the key to political change.

Joining the call for political re-alignment, Mr. El-Rufai, a one-time ally and key campaigner for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, did not mince words about his dissatisfaction with the current administration.

“Nigeria is in its biggest trouble since 1914, and that is why we are together working and conspiring to build a coalition to take Nigeria back on track because it is off track,” El-Rufai stated.

He took his criticism a step further, describing the current government as being run by “urban bandits.”

“It has turned to this level because we have allowed bandits, not the ones in the bushes but the ones in the urban areas called the urban bandits, to take over leadership,” he added.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appealed to Nigerians for patience and understanding as his administration pushes forward with major national infrastructure and economic reforms.

Speaking on Saturday during the inauguration of Phase 1, Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a 30km stretch of the proposed 750km six-lane project, the president acknowledged the prevailing hardship in the country but assured citizens of eventual relief.

“I know at this stage, your expectation is still very high and our people are still going through difficult times. I take this opportunity to appeal to all Nigerians that the hope is here and it is realisable.”

Promising brighter days ahead, Tinubu said the reforms already underway were beginning to bear fruit.

“You would be proud of the benefits, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Inflation is coming down, the corruption in the exchange rate is eliminated, the corruption in fuel subsidy is limited to the barest minimum.”

He explained that the measures being taken are intended to reduce the cost of doing business in Nigeria and promote local industry.

“It is all for you the people, we are reducing the cost of manufacturing, and encouraging manufacturing locally.”

“We give all incentives for everyone to abide by the principle. May God bless our country; may God bless Lagos State and keep our fighting soldiers safe.”

President Tinubu also used the occasion to issue a stern warning to property developers encroaching on federal land without official authorization.

He made it clear that any structures built on such land would not be compensated.

“Let me at this stage warn all developers, the Federal Government reinforced the setbacks for the interest of our nation, development without approval will not be compensated. We have gazetted and published the setbacks, we are going to enforce it rigidly in every way possible.

Also speaking at the event, Minister of Works David Umahi addressed recent concerns regarding alleged encroachment on the Landmark property during the highway’s construction.

He clarified that only unauthorized shoreline extensions were affected, and that the core infrastructure remained untouched.

“Mr President, I want to state that we did no harm to the Landmark property. It is by your order that we should save as much infrastructure as possible even though they violated the gazetted route.”

“The Landmark infrastructure is intact, what went off was their encroachment on our front shoreline, and the Supreme Court ruled that 250 metres from the shoreline belong to the Federal Government, and so we didn’t do that.”

The minister also revealed that the president had directed state governors to grant a minimum of 500 metres from the road’s edge as part of the highway’s tolling corridor, a move aimed at preserving the project’s integrity.

He explained that, legally, compensation is not required for temporary or informal structures like shanties. Nonetheless, the president had insisted on compensating affected persons to ease hardship.

“By law, the Federal Government was not supposed to pay compensation for shanties along the road, but the President directed that compensation be paid.”

So far, Umahi confirmed that ₦18 billion has been disbursed in compensation for Phase 1 of the project.

The Imo State Government, acting through the Governor’s Monitoring and Compliance unit, has officially repudiated land allocation documents currently circulating within the state, particularly those related to the Irete Pocket Layout.

In a clear statement issued by Nze Chinasa Nwaneri, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Monitoring/Compliance, the government affirmed that it did not issue any of these documents, including a recently surfaced offer letter purportedly from the Imo State Housing Corporation.

The statement emphasized that the government had given no approval or authorization to the Imo Housing Corporation for any allocations concerning Irete Pocket Layout, Reserve C Extension, Imo Housing Estate Avu, Obinze, or along the Port Harcourt Road axis.

The documents in circulation, the government declared, were fake and fraudulently backdated.

Nwaneri specifically pointed out one such document titled ‘Concessional/Compensatory Offer’, dated January 23, 2019, which claims to grant Plot 137A at Irete Pocket Layout to a private party as an example of these fraudulent papers.

He warned strongly:

“The government has warned that any transaction based on such documents is at the risk of the buyer and will attract the full weight of the law.”

The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly refuted claims by businessman, Arthur Eze, that President Bola Tinubu has endorsed Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for a second term.

The party described Eze’s remarks as baseless and misleading, insisting that they do not reflect the political reality in the state or within the APC.

Arthur Eze, CEO of Atlas Oranto Petroleum and a prominent Anambra-born businessman, had made the statement on Thursday during the second anniversary celebration of Governor Mbah’s administration.

Praising the governor’s leadership, Eze declared “God is a wonderful God. He brought Peter Mbah to change Igboland. Let me tell you, Tinubu has already endorsed him for second term. Tinubu endorsed him for second term because he has character. He is very honest, nobody will stop him.”

In response, the Enugu APC issued a statement on Saturday through its Publicity Secretary, Titus Ezeagu, categorically rejecting Eze’s claims.

The party dismissed his comment as a “personal opinion driven by self-interest rather than political reality.”

The APC clarified that Eze is not a member of the party, nor does he hold any official position within President Tinubu’s administration or political machinery.

According to the statement, he therefore lacks the authority to speak on behalf of the President.

“In fact, prior to and during the 2023 general elections, Eze was widely known to have openly opposed Tinubu’s presidential ambition, preferring another candidate,” the party stated.

“It is, therefore, disingenuous, self-serving, and opportunistic for him to now claim to speak on behalf of the President.”

The party further emphasized that President Tinubu has made no public or private declaration in support of any governor’s re-election bid, including that of Governor Mbah.

“Let it be made clear, the President has not made any statement, public or private, endorsing any governor in any state for a second term, including Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State,” the statement read.

Calling on political actors to avoid misinformation, the APC urged Eze to refrain from making comments that could mislead the public or distort the democratic process.

“We urge Mr Eze to concentrate on his business ventures and allow the democratic process to unfold under the Constitution, without resorting to spreading cheap propaganda which could cast Mr President in a negative light both nationally and internationally.

“His attempt to prop up Governor Mbah’s anti-people governance using the name of President Tinubu is not only false but a clear move to once again undermine the democratic process in Enugu and Nigeria in general,” the party added.

Concluding the statement, the Enugu APC reaffirmed its readiness to present a credible political alternative to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the 2027 elections.

It emphasized its support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda under the leadership of Chief Uche Nwakaibie, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.