By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has commended Maryam Ibrahim Dan’Azumi, for winning the women’s category at the 46th King Abdulaziz International Qur’anic Competition in Makah, Saudi Arabia.
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‎The First Lady gave the commendation on Tuesday in Abuja, and awarded Dan’ Azumi the sum of N20 million.

‎She was accompanied by her father, Ibrahim Dan’ Azumi, the Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, and other members of the state government.
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‎Tinubu described Maryam’s accomplishment as a pride to the nation and the girl child globally.
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‎She described the winner as an inspiration to the girl child, and commended her parents for supporting her education and nurturing her talent.
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‎She said the award was not only a personal triumph but also a source of national pride, as she has placed Nigeria prominently on the global stage through her mastery of the Holy Qur’an.
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‎The first lady described Dan’Azumi and her elder sister, Hajara, who came first in a similar competition in Jordan in 2024, as inspiration to young Nigerians.
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‎She particularly commended their parents, teachers, mentors, and Gov. Inuwa Yahaya for their mentorship and support.
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‎”Maryam’s achievement show the value of hard work, discipline and dedication.

“I urge her to embrace mentorship as she advances in her education,” Tinubu said.

She said education remained a key priority of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, with emphasis on inclusive education and creating opportunities for young Nigerians to develop their talents.

‎The First Lady also announced her willingness to support Dan’Azumi pursuit of post graduate degree.

Earlier, the Gombe state governor said that the state was not deficient in education.

Yahaya described Dan’Azumi’s achievement as a source of pride to Gombe state and Nigeria, noting that she had progressed through local and national Qur’anic competitions before qualifying for the international contest.

‎Responding, Dan’Azumi thanked the First Lady for the honour.

She said participating in the Saudi Arabian competition gave her global exposure.

She expressed hope that her achievement would inspire other young Nigerians to work harder and excel.

Dan’ Azumi further expressed gladness and joyfully presented her award to the first Lady.

‎She encouraged the youths to develop themselves both mentally and physically.

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A philanthropist and prominent APC chieftain in Kano from Fagge Local Government Area, Hon. Haruna Kabiru Wakili, has called on Nigerians to re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all APC candidates at every level in the 2027 elections.

Speaking, Hon. Wakili said as loyal members of the APC, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a leader with “focus” and “target” on the things he wants to achieve.
“He has not turned a blind eye like past leaders who understood the problems but refused to take proper action because they feared losing votes in an election. So they did nothing about it,” he said.

He added that history shows that anyone who tried to remove fuel subsidy did so in their second term.
“For example, former President Olusegun Obasanjo tried to remove the subsidy in his second term. At that time, Adams Oshiomhole was NLC President and organized protests, and Nigerians came out and said they did not agree.
The same thing happened to Jonathan in 2012. Even President Buhari, before he won the election, asked, ‘Who is subsidizing who?’ Is it the Nigerian Government that is giving Nigerians subsidy, or are Nigerians giving the Nigerian Government subsidy?”

Hon. Wakili said even when Buhari got into office, he realized there was a fundamental problem affecting the country’s economy, but he could not solve it because of fear of protests. “In his second term he said he would remove the subsidy, but he could not remove it completely.”

“But when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came in, he said, ‘Let us tell ourselves the truth. There is no way we can continue walking with a broken leg. One day if we fall, we will not get up.’ On the very first day he was sworn in as President, he announced the removal of fuel subsidy. It was a painful decision. Even we did not understand it at first and we opposed it. But now we understand where he was headed.

“Today, anyone with knowledge of Nigeria’s economy knows that the problem has already been addressed. This fracture that was troubling the country, President Tinubu has fixed. What remains is for the leg to heal completely. Once we are fully healed, we will get up and run. No one will be able to catch us in Africa in terms of economic strength.”

He added that Tinubu has reformed the foreign exchange market. “Before, if you went to look for US Dollars you would be in distress. There were different rates everywhere. Some people were just sitting doing nothing and they were given dollar ‘allocations’ and were making billions without adding any ‘value’. Now the rate has been unified. Businessmen are seeing progress. Investors are coming in every day because the economy is improving.”

Hon. Wakili also commended the work of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. He said since Kano State was created, there has never been a Governor who turned it into a modern city comparable to major cities in the world except Abba.
“In places where you did not think a road would be built, new roads have now been constructed in the city and rural areas. Even the 5-kilometer roads abandoned by past governments are now being completed. Work is also ongoing on quality drainage systems and solar-powered streetlights.”

Wakili said that in the upcoming 2027 election, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has strong acceptance and stands a good chance of winning a second term under the APC.
“The party will defeat all governorship candidates of the opposition parties, especially *NDC* candidates who have no record of assisting the development of the people in all the political positions they have held.”

Hon. Wakili expressed optimism about the success of Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau I. Jibrin of Kano North in the 2027 election.
“If it were not because Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf joined the APC, Senator Barau I. Jibrin would be our governorship candidate. When the APC had no Governor in Kano, he was the one sustaining the party for almost 3 years. As a Senator and Deputy President of the Senate, he has given people jobs and appointments, and is distributing empowerment funds to thousands. That is why the people of Kano North will vote for him again.”*

He said in Kano Central they have Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, a highly respected person, a former Governor and former Senator, who is also the current APC Kano Central Senatorial candidate.
“He played a major role in developing Kano when he was Governor. When he was Senator he brought many constituency projects. Unlike Kwankwaso who, when he became Senator, did not bring even one brick in the name of constituency projects.”

In Kano South, he commended *Senator Kawu Sumaila* for working harder in his first term than the one who spent 16 years in the seat. He urged the people of Kano South to re-elect Kawu Sumaila as Senator for a second term in 2027 to continue enjoying the dividends of democracy.

Hon. Haruna Kabiru Wakili called on the people of Kano and Nigeria to vote for APC candidates in 2027.
“Because President Tinubu has the intention to improve the economy and solve the security problem. This is not about politics. It affects everyone. Let us support the Government at every level.”

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the appointment of politically exposed academics as Returning and Collation Officers for the 2027 general elections.

In a press statement issued on Monday, the party expressed concern over a newspaper report revealing that over 600 senior lecturers from public universities across Northern Nigeria have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.

The ADC argued that this development raises fundamental questions regarding electoral credibility and conflict of interest, noting that university lecturers and vice chancellors are routinely entrusted with the sensitive responsibility of collating election results and declaring winners.

While acknowledging the constitutional right of every Nigerian, including academics, to support or endorse any political candidate, the party insisted that no individual who has openly taken a partisan position should be entrusted with determining the outcome of an election involving that candidate.

“The principle is straightforward,” the ADC stated. “You cannot campaign for a candidate and then be entrusted with counting the votes and declaring winners in the same election that your candidate is contesting in.”

The party, therefore, urged INEC to establish and publish clear criteria disqualifying academics and other prospective election officials who have publicly endorsed candidates, participated in partisan political activities, or otherwise demonstrated an obvious political affiliation.

Additionally, the ADC called on INEC to publish the names of proposed Returning and Collation Officers sufficiently ahead of the elections. This, the party said, would allow political parties and the public to identify and raise legitimate conflict-of-interest concerns.

“The integrity of an election does not begin when the first ballot is cast,” the statement read.

“It begins with the neutrality of the people entrusted to administer, collate, and declare its outcome. Nigerians must never be placed in a position where those who have publicly chosen a side are subsequently presented as neutral arbiters of the contest.”

The statement was signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress.