Politics
AMBO! AMBO!! Everywhere, Why AMBO? – By Kola Odepeju
The way the catchword AMBO, which is the acronym of Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji is spreading rapidly across Osun state like the harmattan fire tells much about the personality of the man. Every nook and cranny in the state of Osun today AMBO has become a household name. It’s on the lips of everyone; both old and young ones, youths and children, indigenes and non-indigenes in the state.
The fast and vast acceptability of this campaign slogan reminds me of when we started ORANMIYAN, the name with which the former governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola launched out in 2004 to sell himself to Osun people for his governorship aspiration then. It would be recalled that ORANMIYAN – within just a month that it was launched – had become a mass movement. It had become like sugar attracting ants in multiples from all angles. No doubt the situation we have now in respect of the name AMBO can be likened to the ORANMIYAN or the Ó TÓGÉ movement in Kwara state in 2019.
As one of the promoters of AMBO, l receive calls and messages daily from people especially Osun indigenes in the diaspora inquiring about AMBO. Questions like; Kola, “what’s the full meaning of AMBO?”, “who’s he?”, “why are you supporting him of all the other aspirants?”, “what’s his antecedent?”, “how much of him do you know?”, “can he deliver the goods?” etcetera etcetera. Of course these are questions that are very simple for me to answer. Very simple to answer because I don’t really need to stress myself much to provide answers to them as AMBO is a credible and sellable candidate.
I endeavor to explain to my inquisitors the full meaning of AMBO and that he’s the *Asiwaju of Ikire town* and that he gains this much acceptability within this short time due to the fact that he’s a symbol of charismatic leadership; that some certain attributes endear him to many people. These are integrity, competence, humility, resourcefulness, vision and some other positive character traits.
INTEGRITY: To say that AMBO is a man of integrity is to simply state the obvious as his antecedent testifies to this. A very honest man who has demonstrated this quality in the different capacities he had found himself in the past; both in the private and public sectors he has never been found wanting in terms of moral principles.
COMPETENCE: Talking of competence, AMBO is eminently qualified. He possesses the needed educational qualifications and also the skill requires to provide quality leadership. Given his antecedents as a performer and a result-oriented person, he’s undoubtedly capable of taking Osun to greater heights.
HUMILITY: Another lofty quality that endears AMBO to the people is his humble nature. The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of the English language defines the word *humility* as a modest and low opinion of one’s own importance. Just like his boss, the honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola, AMBO’s unassuming nature is not only commendable but enviable. It’s also one of the reasons why he commands massive followership in the state. Never would anyone know that he’s the Asiwaju of Ikire. He’s not a noise maker. He lives a simple life and he’s not given to unnecessary grandstanding to attract attention.
RESOURCEFULNESS: Resourcefulness is defined as the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties. AMBO is a highly resourceful and result-oriented person. He knows how to wiggle around a difficult situation to bring about positive results. As the commissioner for finance under governor Oyetola then he demonstrated that capacity as his creativity brought about appreciable increase in Osun IGR (Internally Generated Revenue). This assisted the state substantially in meeting up with people’s expectations with respect to the duties and obligations of government to the citizens.
VISION: Vision is the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom. The hallmark of a visionary leader is not only in having vision, but knowing how to translate that vision to reality. This quality isn’t lacking in AMBO. This is evident in the way he envisioned increase in IGR as commissioner for finance under Oyetola and how he brought it about through his ingenuity. This indicates that translating his vision for a greater Osun to reality is possible, no doubt.
CHARACTER: AMBO is a man gifted with positive character traits viz; honesty, transparency, empathy, loyalty, kindness, generosity; just to mention a few. AMBO’s good character earned him the title Asiwaju of Ikire, no doubt. Like the Yorubas do say; “*Ki a to fi eniyan joyè ninu ìlú, o ni lati jé eni rere*” (Before a person can be made a chief in any community he or she must be of good character).
The aforementioned, are the reasons why AMBO is gaining acceptability daily in the state as people know that he towers above others in terms of those charismatic qualities a leader who should lead the state of *OMOLUABI* must possess. That he has all it takes to take Osun to the next level cannot be disputed.
– Kola Odepeju, political activist and social commentator, writes from Iragbiji, Osun state.
A former House of Representatives aspirant under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Danjuma, has joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Danjuma, popularly known as Garkuwa Babba, was the ADC aspirant for the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency and also served as National Chairman of the ADC House of Representatives Aspirants Forum.
He announced his defection after meeting with Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, at the Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, Naija News understands.
During the meeting, Danjuma declared his support for the APC and pledged to mobilize his political network and grassroots supporters for the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said he would support Governor Yahaya’s senatorial ambition, the APC governorship candidate in the state, Dr Jamilu Isiyaku Gwamna, and other candidates of the party.
Danjuma said his decision to leave the ADC was largely influenced by Yahaya’s leadership, performance and development record in Gombe State.
He praised the governor for what he described as tangible development across the state, saying his achievements had boosted confidence in the APC and reduced the appeal of opposition parties among voters.
According to him, joining the APC was a deliberate move to support continuity, stability and further development in Gombe State.
Receiving Danjuma, Governor Yahaya welcomed his decision to join the APC, describing the development as a major boost for the party.
The governor assured the new APC member and his supporters of an inclusive and united party, stressing the importance of unity, loyalty and collective effort.
Yahaya said the APC remained open to individuals and groups who shared the vision of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Gombe State.
He added that Danjuma’s political experience, network and grassroots reach would be valuable to the party.
The governor also urged APC members and stakeholders to remain united, saying the strength of the party depended on its ability to accommodate different interests while working towards the development of Gombe State.
“These men and women will carry the ADC banner and our commitment to offer Nigerians credible leadership and a real alternative,” the party said.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has released the names of its governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the 2027 elections in 28 states
The list, signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, includes several prominent politicians and former public officials seeking to contest the poll.
“These men and women will carry the ADC banner and our commitment to offer Nigerians credible leadership and a real alternative,” Mr Abdullahi wrote in a post on X on Friday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the governorship elections for 6 February, 2027. It will hold alongside the state House of Assembly elections.
The remaining eight states hold their governorship elections outside of the regular election season as a result of previous court decisions. The eight states are Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun.
The presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on 16 January, 2027.
ADC governorship candidates
The candidates and their running mates are Kalu Agu and Alozie Darlington (Abia); Modibbo Ribadu and Aguwa Iliya (Adamawa); and Akpanudedehe James and Nsien Tommy (Akwa Ibom); Halliru Jika and Sama’ila Mohammed Kabir (Bauchi); Herman Iorwase Hembe and Abba John Abba (Benue); Babagana Buhari and Mamman Dauda (Borno); Nkoyo Toyo and OkwoChe Andrew Adagbor (Cross River; and Great Ogboru and Afiari Gloria (Delta).
Others are Ukpai Mba Udeh and Onwe Daniel Ede (Ebonyi); Ocho Obodeze Chukwuma and Eze Arinze Christopher (Enugu); Bala Bello and Bala Sani Isa (Gombe); Sabo Mohammed Nakudu and Musa Ya’u Balarabe (Bauchi); and Isa Mohammed Ashiru and Kantiok Irmiya Ishaku (Kaduna).
There are also Ibrahim Ali Amin and Shehu Abdulkadir Bari (Kano); Ahmad Baba Kaita and Aminu Yar’Adua Ahmed (Katsina), Abubakar Malami and Zagi Musa Mohammed (Kebbi); Zakari Mohammed and Olawuyi Julius Olayide (Kwara); Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and Gbadamosi Babatunde Olalere (Lagos).
The list also includes Nuhu Angbazo and Ahmed Yusuf (Nasarawa); Mohammed Kpautagi and Musa Mamman (Niger); Biodun Collins Ogundipe and Muraina Oluwaranti Oluyemi (Ogun); Taofeek Adegboyega Adegoke and Wahab Adeniyi (Oyo); and John Sunday Sura and Pwajok-Kele Chundung Bitrus (Plateau).
The remaining candidates are Gabriel Pidomson and Okumgba David Amapakaye (Rivers); Manir Mohammad Daniya and Isah Bello Ambarura (Sokoto); Abubakar Umar Tutare and Kwetishe Haruna Kwenyan (Taraba); Kassim G. Gaidam and Kori Lawan Mohammed (Yobe); and Shinkafi Bilyaminu Yusuf and Muhammad Abdulmuddalib Auwal (Zamfara).
ADC performance in off-cycle elections
Since the ADC was adopted as the platform for the opposition coalition in 2025, it has struggled to make a significant impact in the three off-cycle elections held in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun off-cycle governorship elections.
In the 2025 Anambra governorship election, APGA’s Chukwuma Soludo was re-elected with 422,664 votes, defeating APC’s Nicholas Ukachukwu, who polled 99,445 votes. John Nwosu, the ADC candidate, finished fifth with 8,208 votes, representing about 1.4 per cent of the 584,054 valid votes cast.
In the 2026 Ekiti governorship election, the ADC candidate, Dare Bejide, finished third with 12,872 votes, accounting for about 3.4 per cent of the 375,777 valid votes cast.
In last month’s Osun governorship election, the ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 1.7 per cent (17,180) of the 985,079 valid votes cast.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the exit of global ride-hailing brand Uber from Nigeria, alongside the shutdown or scaling down of operations by several major international companies, as further evidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies are turning Nigeria into a “graveyard of businesses.”
Naija News reports that global ride-hailing company, Uber, had announced the shutdown of its operations in Nigeria, bringing an end to a 12-year presence in the country.
The company said its services would cease in Nigeria from September 2, 2026, following a review of its business operations
Uber disclosed the decision in a statement issued on Wednesday, describing its departure from the Nigerian market as a difficult one.
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the growing list of businesses shutting down, scaling back or leaving the country exposes the widening gap between the government’s claims of economic progress and the reality confronting businesses and ordinary Nigerians.
The party said it was particularly astonishing that President Tinubu and his government were celebrating a marginal 0.2 percentage-point improvement in GDP at a time when businesses are closing, jobs are disappearing and millions of Nigerians are sinking deeper into poverty.
“Certainly, a 0.2% growth does not justify the extreme hardship that Nigerians are suffering,” the party said.
He argued that while the Tinubu government celebrates a marginal improvement of 0.2 percentage points, Nigeria’s poverty rate has snowballed to 63%, affecting an estimated 140 million Nigerians.
The ADC also asked President Tinubu to explain 0.2% GDP growth to the 140 million Nigerians who have sunk into poverty since he came to power; the workers who have watched the value of their salaries disappear; businesses that have struggled with energy costs; and millions who have been forced to reduce the quantity and quality of food on their tables.
“When the President and his party say things are getting better, we expect them to tell us what has improved in the lives of Nigerians. They should tell us how much food their “GDP growth” has put on the tables. They should tell us which bill it has paid. If 0.2% is a mark of success in their books, President Tinubu and APC should tell us what they consider as failure,” the ADC said.
The party said that Uber’s exit after twelve years in Nigeria reflects the increasingly hostile operating environment confronting businesses, particularly the soaring cost of energy and transportation, with the price of fuel rising by as much as 1,700% following the removal of fuel subsidy and devaluation of the naira.
“This is precisely why the ADC Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has proposed the restoration of a targeted fuel subsidy to bring down the cost of fuel, transportation and production,” the party said.
It also cited the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria’s earlier report that 767 manufacturing companies, including 20 iconic global brands, have shut down or ceased operations in Nigeria, while hundreds more are distressed since President Tinubu assumed office in 2024. It listed among the companies that have shut down or scaled down operations in the country to include Microsoft, Jumia and Bolt Food, Pick n Pay, Shoprite, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Sanofi-Aventis, Bayer AG, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and PZ Cussons, among others.
“Therefore, when the President announces that Nigeria has turned the corner, we wonder which corner he is talking about. If indeed the economy is improving, or the slightest hope exists in the minds of those who run these businesses that this APC government can improve the economy, why are they closing shop and moving elsewhere?” ADC asked, citing the example of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which it said shut down manufacturing in Nigeria after 50 years.
“The painful truth is that Tinubu has turned Nigeria into a graveyard of businesses. Every business that shuts down or pulls out is a vote of no confidence in the Tinubu administration and its capacity to manage the economy. Each exit delivers a blow to the economy. But perhaps, more importantly, each one represents a massive loss of jobs and increased poverty.
“Therefore, when the APC and its government celebrate even the most negligible shift in GDP numbers and flaunt that as evidence to show that things are getting better, they are immediately contradicted by the painful reality that Nigerians are getting poorer and hungrier. Those who had jobs yesterday are not sure how long it will take before their employers close shop, and those earning salaries are struggling even to transport themselves to work,” the party concludes.
ADC reiterated that its presidential candidate’s plan to subsidise the production costs of fuel to make it more affordable will bring down the cost of living, make businesses more profitable, and create jobs across sectors.
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