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Highway Contract Row: Afenifere Calls For Tinubu’s Impeachment
A faction of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has called on the National Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against President Bola Tinubu over an alleged conflict of interest in the award of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway contract.
The leader of the group, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, in an interview with newsmen, condemned Tinubu’s recent public declaration that the contractor handling the project, Gilbert Chagoury, was his partner during the inauguration of the 30-kilometre Phase 1, Section 1 of the coastal highway project.
President Tinubu, while inaugurating the project last Saturday, praised the Chagoury-led Hitech Construction Company for its work on the road, which he described as a “symbol of courage and commitment.”
“To the contractors and my partner in daring, it was tough for us… We came together to tame the Atlantic,” Tinubu said.
The highway is being executed by Hitech Construction, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, which also spearheads the Eko Atlantic City project, an ambitious real estate development built on reclaimed land from the Atlantic Ocean.
Commenting on Tinubu’s statement, Oba Olaitan expressed disappointment at what he described as a blatant admission of conflict of interest, stating that the road was awarded without competitive bidding and appeared tailored to benefit the privately owned Eko Atlantic City.
“All President Tinubu is doing is building a road to his own Atlantic City. He openly said the contractor is his partner. That means he awarded a federal contract to himself.
“That road was not advertised for public bidding. It is a national shame. If we had a truly independent and vibrant National Assembly, they would have begun impeachment proceedings immediately.”
He also questioned the rationale behind commissioning just a small portion of the highway, suggesting the government may have no further intention of pursuing the full stretch once the part leading to Atlantic City is done.
“Why commission just four per cent of the road? That road leads straight to their private development. If that part is done, they may abandon the rest. This is a clear conflict of interest,” the Afenifere leader insisted.
Calling on lawmakers to take action, Olaitan said, “The National Assembly must prove that it is not complicit. If they are truly independent, they must act now. We cannot condone this. This is not how to run a democracy. The president has admitted to a breach of public trust.
“I am calling on the National Assembly to start the impeachment process now if they are a truly independent and vibrant National Assembly and if they are not equally complicit. We can’t condone such a thing.”
Reacting, the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress said the call for Tinubu’s impeachment lacked substance and was “a joke taken too far.”
Speaking in an interview on Friday, Lagos APC spokesperson Seye Oladejo described the allegation as a deliberate misinterpretation of the President’s comments.
“I will just regard that as a joke taken too far. Maybe they need to consult their dictionary to understand what ‘partner’ means. Did he say business partner? He didn’t say they have any relationship or any incorporated firm where they both have shares. He called them ‘partners in daring’; people who believed in his vision and joined in pursuing it,” he said.
Oladejo added there was no basis for linking the remarks to a business arrangement, saying due process was followed in awarding the contract.
“Relevant authorities handled the contract process. If there’s any issue, it should be addressed through the appropriate channels, not through calls for impeachment,” he added.
Businessday.ng
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has reportedly stepped up its investigation into former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over allegations of certificate forgery.
According to a report by Premium Times, the anti-graft agency has begun efforts to locate the former minister after he allegedly failed to honour several invitations issued in connection with the ongoing investigation.
The publication reported that sources familiar with the matter said the ICPC had invited Nnaji for questioning through different channels, including telephone calls, emails and WhatsApp messages, but he did not appear before investigators.
One of the sources quoted by the newspaper claimed that the commission could declare the former minister wanted if attempts to secure his appearance are unsuccessful.
The latest development is said to be part of an investigation that followed a lengthy inquiry by Premium Times into Nnaji’s academic records and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) documents.
The newspaper had earlier alleged that the former minister submitted forged degree and NYSC certificates during his ministerial screening and confirmation process in 2023.
According to the report, the ICPC has also sought information from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), as part of its investigation.
Another source cited by Premium Times alleged that Nnaji’s failure to respond to the invitations may be linked to his political ambitions ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Enugu State.
The newspaper recently reported that the former minister moved from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and later emerged as its governorship candidate.
Neither Nnaji nor his media aide, Robert Ngwu, had publicly responded to the latest allegations as of the time of filing this report. Premium Times said calls and messages sent to his spokesperson were not answered.
The controversy surrounding the former minister began after investigations into his academic qualifications were published in 2023.
According to the newspaper, Nnaji had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja in a bid to stop the release of his academic records by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
However, Premium Times reported that university authorities later informed the newspaper that although Nnaji was admitted into the institution, he did not graduate or obtain the certificate attributed to him.
The publication also stated that the National Youth Service Corps disowned the discharge certificate allegedly presented by the former minister.
Nnaji eventually resigned from his position shortly after the allegations became public.
The matter has continued to attract public attention, with several lawyers and civil society groups calling for a thorough investigation and, where necessary, prosecution in line with the law.
In a related development, POLITICS NIGERIA also reported earlier this year that an investigative panel set up by the Federal Ministry of Education examined the matter as part of a broader review of the allegations surrounding the former minister’s credentials.
The ICPC has yet to release an official public statement detailing the current status of its investigation
Nigeria’s Ministry of Interior is set to declare a nationwide public holiday across all sectors to mark Democracy Day 2026, potentially granting a one-day break for both private and public sector employees.
The federal government’s announcement regarding Democracy Day will be the only national public holiday observed in Nigeria in June 2026.
Democracy Day commemorates the 1993 presidential election and the nation’s struggle for democratic freedom. June 12, 2026, falls on a Friday.
On June 6, 2018, the late former president Muhammadu Buhari, in a public statement, changed the Democracy Day from May 29 to June 12, in honour of the June 12, 1993, presidential election and its winner, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, who died in prison.
Abiola was born on August 14, 1937 and passed away under suspicious circumstances on July 7, 1998. A popular Ogun businessman, publisher, and politician of the Egba clan, he is often referred to as MKO Abiola.
He ran for the presidency in 1993 and was widely regarded as the presumed winner of the election, which was annulled by former military head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida.
Some southwest states had been celebrating June 12 as a public holiday and are holding ceremonies in Abiola’s honour until Buhari officially declared the day as Nigeria’s real democracy day. The former president, on Monday, June 10, 2018, signed the Public Holiday Amendment Bill into law.
The law, according to the former president’s ex-senior special assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, allows a public holiday to be declared on June 12 every year, while May 29 is to be a handing-over date.
A top Nigerian monarch, the Emir of Gazargamu in Yobe State, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ahmad Tijjani Ibn Saleh, has died after a prolonged illness.
The monarch passed away on Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt, where he had been receiving medical treatment.
His son, Engr. Tijjani Hamisu Bala, who is the General Manager of the Yobe State Road Maintenance Agency (YORMA), confirmed the development to Daily Trust in Damaturu.
In a statement announcing the death, Bala described the late emir as a father, mentor and traditional ruler whose life was devoted to the service of his people and humanity.
“With profound sorrow and total submission to the will of Almighty Allah, I announce the passing of my beloved father, namesake and traditional ruler, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ahmad Tijjani Ibn Saleh, the Emir of Gazargamu, who returned to his Creator today, June 9, 2026, in Cairo, Egypt, after a protracted illness,” he said.
He said the late emir’s life was marked by wisdom, humility, courage and unwavering dedication to the service of his people.
“His fatherly guidance, leadership and legacy will remain a source of inspiration to us all,” he added.
Bala prayed to Allah to forgive the late monarch’s shortcomings and grant him Al-Jannatul Firdaus; and give the family and the entire emirate strength and patience to bear the painful loss.
As of the time of filing this report, details of the burial arrangements were yet to be announced, while it remained unclear whether the late emir would be buried in Nigeria or in Egypt.
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