News
Tinubu’s Crises, Wike’s Dilemma
Every week, President Tinubu faces a new problem. His Tinubu administration seems to be walking from one crisis to another every now and then. Is it negligence, incompetence, or just bad luck? While security challenges are surging, the US is breathing down on him. At the moment, he’s dealing with a serious diplomatic spat with Burkina Faso.
Eleven Nigerian military personnel are being detained in that country, days after the plane in which they were travelling made an “unauthorised” landing in the south-west city of Bobo Dioulasso. The problem started on Monday when a Nigerian military cargo plane, a C-130, travelling from Lagos to Portugal, was forced to land in Burkina Faso.
Burkinabe authorities described the landing as an ‘’unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law’’ in a statement that evening. But the Nigerian air force said technical problems had forced the plane to divert to the nearest airport “in line with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.”
That the landing came within 24 hours of Nigerian troops helping to thwart a coup attempt in Benin, which borders Nigeria and Burkina Faso, was enough to frighten the junta in Ouagadougou and spur torrents of conspiracy theories. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger officially broke away from the ECOWAS regional bloc in January, forming a military alliance. They now belong to a new bloc known as the Alliance of Sahel States.
As ECOWAS Chairman in 2023, President Tinubu had, in a moment of indiscretion, threatened to use military forces from ECOWAS countries to invade the three countries, remove their military leaders and reinstate the deposed democratically elected civilian governments.
The threats created panic in the subregion, frightened the new military regimes and forced them to break away from ECOWAS. It was Tinubu’s first diplomatic crisis since he assumed office as Nigerian leader. Many more were to come. There have been reports of severe underfunding in foreign missions, negative impacts of the non-availability of ambassadors, the president’s frequent travels and managing Nigeria’s reputation amid mounting economic and security problems.
The President’s firm stand against the military juntas in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso was met with a less cohesive West African response, weakening ECOWAS and challenging Nigeria’s traditional leadership role in the subregion.
With the detention of the Nigerian air force personnel and their plane, the Burkinabe authorities are essentially exacting revenge against Nigeria and thumping their nose at President Tinubu. Capt. Ibrahim Traore, 37, has not forgiven President Tinubu for leading ECOWAS to issue those threats and imposing a raft of sanctions after Traore deposed President Paul-Henri Sandaogo on September 30, 2022. Burkina Faso is spoiling for a serious diplomatic squabble with Nigeria. I will not be surprised if Traore asks the Nigerian government to apologise to him.
This is not the time for the Nigerian leader to dawdle as usual. Tinubu should be prepared to handle this with all the deftness and skills he can muster. He needs help from other West African leaders and the African Union (AU) to resolve this and secure the release of our soldiers and aircraft. He cannot afford to treat this with the same type of levity and casualness with which he handled our security challenges before Donald Trump posted his “guns-a-blazing” threat on November 1.
Nyesom Wike celebrated his 58th birthday on Friday, but immersed in huge political turmoil, he has no reason to cheer. Days before, the Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly and 16 other members, as well as Gov. Sim Fubara, had defected to APC, leaving the FCT minister practically all by himself in his own faction of the PDP. Of course, Wike will eventually move to the APC, expectedly within the first quarter of 2026, but for now, he’s facing a big political dilemma. If he defects now, the PDP would breathe a sigh of relief and begin to rebuild and prepare in earnest for the 2027 elections.
That means Wike’s job, which was to kill the PDP, would not have been done. But if, on the other hand, he lingers a while and continues to make trouble for the Tanimu Turaki-led NWC, Fubara will have enough space and opportunity to consolidate as the leader of the APC in Rivers State. The other day, Fubara had exclaimed to a crowd that “I am the number one person in APC in Rivers State,” announcing that his agenda was to work for the reelection of President Tinubu.
Do not forget that Wike has, actually, been expelled from the PDP, and INEC has recognised that. The FCT minister is, in practical terms, no longer a useful political tool for the Tinubu strategists. The game is up!
Business Day
The Kano State Government has declared Tuesday, September 1, 2026, a work-free day for civil servants across the state to observe Takutaha, the annual religious and traditional procession.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf approved the announcement, which was formally addressed to senior government officials including commissioners, permanent secretaries, and heads of state agencies.
As reported by Daily Trust, the directive was published in Circular No. 7/2026, signed by Abba A. Danguguwa, Permanent Secretary of the Establishment Directorate in the Office of the Head of Civil Service.
Danguguwa issued the statement on behalf of the Head of Service. The circular noted that the holiday falls on the 19th of Rabi’ul Awwal, 1448AH.
What Is Takutaha?
Takutaha is a centuries-old celebration held on the 19th of Rabi’ul Awwal each year. It commemorates the seventh-day naming ceremony following the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and carries deep spiritual and cultural significance for residents of Kano.
Many make their way to Twin Dala and Goron Dutse hills, where they climb to share meals, feast, and enjoy religious performances while overlooking Kano
Kano government’s message to civil servants
In its declaration, the Kano State Government described Takutaha as an occasion of deep communal and spiritual importance. Officials urged civil servants to use the day for prayers and reflection, seeking divine blessings for peace and prosperity in Kano and Nigeria as a whole.
The government also confirmed that essential services will continue to operate normally throughout the holiday.
2 public holidays in August 2026
Recall that Nigeria has two public holidays scheduled for August 2026, covering both religious and cultural observances.
Isese Day falls on Thursday, August 20, and four Southwest states are set to observe it as a work-free day.
Eid ul-Mawlid comes up later in August, with its date depending on moon sighting and authorities’ confirmation.
Ibadan, Oyo state – Alhaji Abdul Waheed Akintola Olajide, who served as Secretary to the Oyo State Government during the administration of the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, died on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
He was reported to be either 74 or 80 years old, with different accounts giving conflicting figures.
As reported by The Guardian, Olajide’s family confirmed his death in a statement released on Wednesday, August 26, describing him as a beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother and cousin. The family thanked God for his life and called on friends and the public to offer prayers and support as they grieve, according to PM News. He was buried in Ibadan on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, in accordance with Islamic burial rites.
Olajide was a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and was widely regarded as a committed public servant within Oyo State political circles.
Waheed Olajide: Aare Musulumi Pays Tribute
The Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta States, Alhaji Dawud Makanjuola Akinola De-Damak, confirmed Olajide’s sad passing and expressed deep sadness over the death.
Through a statement, the Aare Musulumi called Olajide a devout Muslim, a man of integrity and a dedicated public servant who served Oyo State with dignity and a strong sense of responsibility.
He described the loss as “painful” for the late SSG’s family, the Muslim community and Oyo State as a whole.
Olajide’s death: Media Personality Recalls Personal Bond
Faysol Oluwakemi, who is also a media personality, shared a personal tribute on his Facebook page, recalling the role Olajide played during his own political journey ahead of the 2027 Oyo State House of Assembly election. He wrote:
The news of the passing of Alhaji Waheed Olajide, former Secretary to the Oyo State Government, is deeply painful to me.
“Beyond the fact that we belonged to the same Progressives family and came from the same Ward 3 in Ibadan Southwest Constituency 1, Alhaji Waheed Olajide was a father figure, mentor and political elder to me.”
Oluwakemi recalled that Olajide counselled him during campaign consultations and encouraged him even after he lost his party ticket. He quoted one of the late SSG’s pieces of advice:
“You have all the qualities to represent our constituency. I pray you get the ticket. But promise me that whenever you get the ticket, you will represent Ibadan Southwest Constituency 1 with dignity, transparency and inclusion.”
He closed his tribute with the words: “Rest well, Baba SSG. Your words will continue to guide me.”
The Federal Government has appointed a Professor at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Emmanuel Olukemi Rotimi, as a member of the Policy Advisory Committee supporting the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill.
Daily Voice reports that Rotimi was selected because of his academic work on the history and development of policing in Nigeria, especially his research into the country’s former decentralised police systems.
According to Nigerian Tribune, the proposed National Policing Bill is being prepared to create a legal framework for the operation of both Federal and State Police Services.
The Presidential Working Group is chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The group has been given seven weeks to prepare a draft of the proposed legislation that can be implemented and submit it to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The Policy Advisory Committee is headed by retired Justice Mohammed Abdullahi Liman.
Its duties include providing policy guidance, giving instructions for the drafting process and reviewing the contents of the proposed Bill before it is finalised.
Rotimi is a professor in the Department of History at Obafemi Awolowo University and has spent many years studying Nigeria’s policing system.
His academic work has focused on how policing developed under colonial and post-colonial administrations and the challenges faced by earlier local police institutions.
His master’s research examined the Native Administration Police Forces in Western Nigeria between 1905 and 1951.
He later conducted doctoral research on Native Administration Police Forces across Nigeria from 1900 to 1970.
He also authored The Police in a Federal State: The Nigerian Experience, published in 2001. The book examined the origin, organization, and development of Native Authority and Local Government police forces before those institutions were eventually abolished
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