The Member of the House of Representatives representing Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency, Hon. Lanre Omoleye Oladebo, has congratulated the Chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Habitat, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa, on the occasion of his 50th birthday.

In a congratulatory message, Hon. Oladebo described Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa as a distinguished parliamentarian, accomplished public servant and valued colleague whose dedication to legislative duties and commitment to national development remain worthy of commendation.

He noted that attaining the age of 50 is a remarkable milestone, providing an opportunity to reflect on a life defined by service, achievements, leadership and meaningful contributions to society.

Hon. Oladebo also expressed his personal appreciation for the celebrant’s friendship, collegiality and commitment to the business of legislation, noting that his wealth of experience, intellectual capacity and dedication continue to add significant value to the National Assembly.

The statement reads:

It is with great pleasure that I join your family, friends, colleagues and well-wishers in celebrating you as you attain this remarkable milestone of 50 years.

Your journey has been marked by dedication, resilience, intellectual capacity and an unwavering commitment to public service. Beyond being a distinguished parliamentarian, you have been a dependable colleague and a leader whose friendship I deeply value.

As you celebrate your Golden Jubilee, I pray that Almighty God grants you renewed strength, sound health, greater wisdom and abundant grace to continue your service to humanity and our dear nation.

May this new chapter of your life bring you greater accomplishments, fulfilment and lasting impact. May the years ahead be even more rewarding than those behind you.

“Happy 50th birthday, my dear Chairman and distinguished colleague. I wish you many more years of good health, happiness, peace and impactful service.”

Signed:
The Media Team
Office of Hon. Lanre Omoleye Oladebo

By Abba Anwar

I read with great admiration and clear endorsement the piece by Ishaq Samaila titled “Why President Tinubu Calls Ibrahim Kabir Masari ‘Waziri’ and the First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu calls him ‘Mai Jama’a.” It is not only an envelope of precision, it is also the kind of political writing we need more of under the current political atmosphere; thoughtful, measured, and rooted in substance rather than fallacy.

Ishaq Samaila deserves commendation for capturing what many in Abuja understand but few can articulate so clearly. As he rightly noted, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu describes Alhaji Ibrahim Kabir Masari as his ‘Waziri’ — a traditional title associated with counsel, responsibility, political strategy and service close to leadership. And First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has referred to him as ‘Mai Jama’a’ a Hausa expression meaning “man of the people.”

These are not casual and loosed nicknames. In Samaila’s analysis, they represent “… two defining sides of Masari’s political identity.” I could not agree more. And it is on this premise that I offer this addendum, not to debate, but to amplify and showcase how Masari, the man, embodies every word in that excellent article.

Being “Waziri” in tensed and difficult political atmosphere isn’t a joke. The man, Masari, is an embodiment of Presidential trust, vision for the nation and unwavering loyalty from the former. While the latter maintains a very long standing relationship. He (Masari) is entrusted with the weight of the nation’s political stability. It is to be the calm in the storm, the ear that listens as it sounds musical to it, before decisions are made, and the hand that builds bridges where others see walls and castles in the air.

That is Masari. As Special Adviser to the President on Political and Other Matters, he has operated with a rare combination of discretion, ingenuity, efficiency and effectiveness. At a time when governance requires managing 36 states, 360 federal constituencies, and thousands of political interests, Masari has been the President’s henchman and trusted anchor.

He does not grandstand. He does not seek credit. His work is in the consultations that prevent crises, in the engagements that align stakeholders with the Renewed Hope Agenda, and in the political intelligence that allows leadership to stay ahead of challenges. Also in political sophistication that strengthens presidential ambition through utilization of all options.

This is the modern definition of a Waziri: a man who serves power by serving the country first. President Tinubu, a master political strategist himself, recognized this quality in Masari and brought him closer in strategy and execution. It was not by accident. It was designed long before now. A relationship built over decades and rooted in trust.

If “Waziri” explains Masari in the Villa, “Mai Jama’a” explains Masari in the villages, in our communities. And this is where his political genius truly shines. This is where he speaks wisdom, freedom and breaks chain of hardship, to stardom, to build a kingdom of service. He is a great leader and mentor who never left ground, grassroot. Hence, he is well grounded and firmer.

The title “Man of the People” is the hardest to earn in Nigerian politics because the people themselves must give it to you. You cannot buy it. You cannot lobby for it. You can only work for it. The title is more or less, achievable and non-replaceable. Masari toiled for it and achieved it.

First Lady’s description speaks to something deeper than politics. It speaks to character and characteristics. To accessibility and creativity. To a man who, despite holding one of the most sensitive political offices in the country, still believes in his people, still attends community events, and still understands the language of the ordinary Nigerian. Hence the initiation of many interventions. To help people become economically independent, culturally creative and politically reliable.

From Katsina to Kano, from party meetings to condolence visits, Masari has maintained what Samaila correctly called “… grassroots orientation and his ability to maintain contact with communities, political supporters and ordinary citizens.” What a reliable political figure. Reliability in its purest form.

He is proof that you can be in the room where national strategy is decided in the morning, and still be on the ground listening to market women and youth leaders in the evening. A balanced political figure, who believes strategy keeps political opponents continuously busy from a position of weakness. That balance is rare. That balance is leadership. That balance is resistance against a non-welfare state.

As Samaila concluded so powerfully, “Tinubu’s ‘Waziri’ is also the First Lady’s ‘Mai Jama’a.’ One description highlights his role around political leadership; the other highlights his connection with the people.”

In today’s Nigeria we need leaders who understand high-level politics but are not imprisoned by it. A clear explanation of President Tinubu’s symbol, a broken chain of slavery. Where poverty of rationality remains in limbo. We need advisers who can navigate complex stakeholder dynamics without losing touch with the pain and aspirations of the people. We need a Waziri who is also Mai Jama’a.

It is absolutely true that Masari depicts this with all that is said in Samaila’s article. He depicts loyalty without sycophancy. He depicts strategy without arrogance. He depicts accessibility without losing authority. The same way he depicts engagement without scarcity.

He is a bridge-builder in an age of division, where weaker opponents misrepresent facts with fictions, vision with illusion, and hope with hype. A stabilizer in an age of noise, who clearly differentiates empty noise from real choices. A public servant who understands that titles are not for decoration, they are for duty. They are for selfless service to humanity.

While I concur with the author in all his submission, let me also join him in celebrating this well-thought and timely piece. It reminds us that in the midst of our national challenges, we still have men and women in government who embody service, humility, and competence.

Alhaji Masari, by all standard, is one of them. The President saw the Waziri in him. The First Lady saw the Mai Jama’a in him. The people are beginning to see both. His interventions to his people is invaluable. His faith in this administration is absolute. His hope is renewed. His effort in renewing people’s hope is rewarding and visibly engaging.

Samaila Bravo for explaining in a more clearer terms, Waziri and Mai Jama’a in Masari. A golden coin of two inseparable sides.

Anwar writes from Kano
Thursday, 10th September, 2026

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has asked the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate an alleged anti-north statement attributed to him and circulated on social media.

The petition to the DSS was written on behalf of the senate president by Chinedu Akubueze, his chief of staff.

According to the petition, Akubueze called for an urgent investigation into the creation and coordinated dissemination on Facebook and other digital platforms of what he described as a “manifestly false, inflammatory and dangerously divisive statement” attributed to Akpabio.

The alleged statement, circulated alongside Akpabio’s photograph and designation, reads: “Northerners, You Will Be the Ones to Suffer the Most, If You Allow Tinubu to Lose the Election”.

Akpabio’s chief of staff maintained that the senate president “did not make this statement”.

He said no date, venue, speech, interview, video, audio recording, official statement or credible news report had been produced to authenticate the alleged remark.

“The graphic carries no identifiable publisher’s mark or verifiable source,” the petition reads.

“It appears to have been deliberately manufactured and presented as an authentic quotation for the purpose of deceiving the public, provoking regional resentment against the President of the Senate and portraying him as threatening the people of Northern Nigeria.”

According to the petition, a preliminary examination of publicly accessible Facebook records identified some of the earliest traceable accounts that amplified the alleged fabricated graphic.

It listed Abdullai Musa, who reportedly posted the graphic in a Facebook group called Sheikh Muhammad bin Uthman Group 24, and Uzoma Chilaka, whose Facebook post reproduced the graphic alongside commentary credited to Boniface Uzoma Chilaka and Engineer Ibrahim Umar Ammar.

The petition said the individuals should not be presumed guilty before an investigation but described them as “material persons of interest” because of their alleged roles in circulating the material.

“Their publication records, device communications and the provenance of the image should, therefore, be investigated in accordance with the laws,” it said.

In the petition, Akubueze urged the DSS to investigate the source of the graphic and identify its designer, original uploader, sponsors, intermediaries and network through which it was distributed.

He said the investigation was necessary to establish the circumstances surrounding the creation and circulation of the alleged statement and prevent further dissemination of what he described as inflammatory content.