Benue is the Food Basket of the Nation. Today, that basket is bleeding.
Amnesty International reported that in just the first two years of the Tinubu administration, 6,896 people were killed in Benue State alone. Behind that figure are farmers who never returned from their farms, families driven from their ancestral homes, and communities emptied by fear.
And when Benue cannot farm, Nigeria cannot eat cheaply.
Every farmer forced off the land eventually shows up in the price of yam, rice, beans, vegetables and meat in the market. Insecurity is not only a security crisis; it is now a cost-of-living tax on every Nigerian family.
I speak about this not only as a former Vice President, but as a farmer who has felt the consequences of insecurity. My farms have suffered from theft and disruption. I therefore understand, from personal experience, what insecurity does to production, livelihoods and ultimately the price of food in the market.
This makes the failure of the Tinubu administration even more difficult to excuse.
Nigerians were told that removing fuel subsidy would free enormous resources for development and security. Yet, in 2025 alone, the Nigeria Customs Service disclosed about ₦34 trillion in import-duty exemption approvals, with a substantial portion reportedly linked to military hardware.
So Nigerians are entitled to ask a simple question:
Where is the security? Where are the results?
If Nigerians must pay more for fuel so government can have more resources, and enormous concession are being approved in the name of national priorities, then Nigerians should not also be paying with their lives.
I know this crisis is solvable. I have helped broker peace between Tiv and Fulani communities before, and I remain convinced that criminality has no tribe. A killer is a killer. A thief is a thief. We must punish criminals, protect farmers, secure livestock owners, and restore peaceful coexistence.
It was with this conviction that I received our ADC candidates for various elective positions in Benue State. Their mission must be greater than winning elections. It must be about protecting lives, restoring livelihoods, reviving the Food Basket of the Nation, and making life affordable again.
Tinubu removed the subsidy. Nigerians paid the price. Government got the resources. Benue should not still be paying with blood.
Secure Benue. Restore the Food Basket. Make Nigeria affordable again. -AA
Nigeria may not be facing a constitutional vacuum today, but there is a disturbing vacuum of political leadership.
I have travelled, lived and spent time abroad, and I have never pretended otherwise. But there is a fundamental difference between the travels of a private citizen and the responsibility of the sitting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Consider what Bola Tinubu is leaving behind. Petrol priced beyond the reach of ordinary people. Families rationing food. Transport fares that have turned a journey to one’s own village into a luxury. Insecurity that buries Nigerians week after week. And in the middle of all this, President Tinubu has packed his bags for three weeks in Europe.
The Vice President is abroad on official duty. That makes the President’s decision even more difficult to understand. Leadership is not merely the constitutional right to occupy an office; it is the judgment to know when your country needs you at home.
A father may travel when all is well. But when his roof is burning and his family is trapped inside, he does not pick up his suitcase and head for the airport.
That is the issue here. It is not that a President must never rest or travel. It is that Nigeria is burning, and the President has chosen a boarding pass over the fire extinguisher.
Millions of Nigerians are being grounded by hardship while their President is airborne. The people can barely afford to move, but the President keeps moving.
A government that cannot feel the pain it inflicts will never summon the will to end it.
Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again. -AA
JUST IN: While men slept, a viral Igbo highlife song exploring the virtues of His Excellency Atiku Abubakar hit the South East market and all Igbo communities across Nigeria's six geo-political zones.
In this 12 minutes, 6 seconds song, this highlife artist summarily detailed Atiku's covenant with Nigerians into a five-point agenda.
Enjoy the banger! 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥
Atiku can win this election, and I’m very confident about it.
From what I’m seeing in the North, Zamfara may be the only state Atiku could struggle to share with the APC. But what I’m seeing in the North right now is only fighting that can make Tinubu win because people are not happy with what is happening.
As for Peter Obi, I honestly don’t see him winning the election based on the current political structure. Any serious politician who looks at the numbers and the structure on ground will understand that the strongest Northern challenger is Kwankwaso, and even he is heavily dependent on Kano.
Before now, we could talk about Kano, Katsina and Jigawa as strong Kwankwaso northern bases. But the political landscape has changed. Many of the people and structures from these areas are now with the ADC. When the NDC emerged, they didn’t move there they remained with the ADC.
That is why, looking at the structure on ground, I believe Atiku has a realistic path to victory in 2027.
NDC Senator Rufai Hanga
Nigeria’s young people do not need a government that teaches them how to survive hardship. They need a government that gives them the opportunity to prosper.
The cost-of-living crisis has stripped millions of Nigerians of purchasing power, weakened small businesses and pushed too many young people farther away from jobs, capital and economic independence.
My commitment is to change that.
We will restore purchasing power, reduce the cost of living and deliberately expand opportunities for young Nigerians, including through a $10 billion financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs.
Our objective is simple: move young Nigerians from dependence to enterprise, from unemployment to productivity, and from palliatives to prosperity.
It was against this background that I was pleased to receive, this afternoon, a nationwide delegation of N-Power beneficiaries who came to declare their support for my presidential candidacy.
I thanked them for their confidence and reiterated that Nigeria cannot build its future by distributing poverty. We must build an economy that creates jobs, rewards enterprise and gives every young Nigerian a fair chance to succeed.
The choice before us is between continuing with an economy that shrinks opportunities and building one that restores hope, dignity and prosperity.
We will make Nigeria affordable again. —AA
Just take a moment and imagine if after every interview of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, there will be a follow-up interview by Mallam Nasir El-Rufai on Arise with Charles.
Tinubu no fit rest wallahi!
For those who truly care to understand how Atiku will fund the restoration of the fuel subsidy and why this approach will strengthen Nigeria’s economy, this video is for you.
Atiku proposes the ‘Atiku Affordable Plan (AFAN)’ to deliver genuine, lasting relief to Nigerians from the crushing hardships imposed by Bola Tinubu’s policies.
Good Job, KY Tebo 👏
On the question of subsidy, my position has not changed and will not change: I will restore it! A nation as blessed as ours has no business abandoning its citizens to hardship. Nigeria is rich enough to look after her own.
I believe the wealth of a nation is not measured by how much government collects, but by how much the money in the pockets of its people can buy.
I want wages to have value again. I want farmers to move produce without transport swallowing their profits. I want families to fill their baskets without emptying their pockets. I want businesses to produce, employ and prosper.
That is why I will restore targeted subsidy and put purchasing power back in the hands of Nigerians.
When fuel rises, transport rises. When transport rises, food rises. When food rises, families suffer.
I will break that wretched chain that has defined our national life in the nearly four years of Tinubu’s presidency.
I will support Nigerian production, reduce energy costs and restore purchasing power. I will not restore the import racket; I will restore relief.
I restated this commitment when I received the Osun State leadership of the ADC in Abuja on Tuesday.
I will make the naira in your pocket worth more, make daily living affordable again, and secure our people.
Economic security. Physical security. A better life for every Nigerian.
That is the Nigeria I intend to build. -AA
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is 100% correct on this one. I hail from Rivers State, Bonny Island.
Omoyele Sowore should not be in rooms where governance & development are discussed. It's provocative to see him strut around in his trademark condescending mannerism.
Sowre should run for governor in his native Ondo State. Governance is not a tea party.
It’s good to see Amaechi take things personal. He built more access roads than all the past & present Rivers State governors combined.
He built the road where the NBA Conference is being held. It’s a dual carriageway, one of the best in Port Harcourt City. The road leads all the way from the Liberation Stadium Road Elekahia, through Eliozu & Rukpokwu Towns, down to the international Airport at Omagwa.
He built the Gas Turbine at Trans Amadi. Peter Odili Road, parts of Woji, New GRA, Old GRA, Garrison, & environs enjoy the light to this day.
The Lion of the Niger Delta was the one that chased the notorious criminal called Dogo out of Rivers State. He was the one that calmed Port Harcourt down. Amaechi built inner city roads. Those who knew my Garden City would attest to the flooding before Amaechi’s tenure.
He tackled the perennial flooding along Aba Road, especially by Market Junction & First Artillery by Rumuogba. He built most access roads in Woji Town, Town Hall Ogbatai as well
He built all those model primary & secondary schools in Rivers State. Wike managed to asphalt existing roads. He abandoned Eneka Town completely. He concentrated mostly in PHALGA & Ikwere LGAs. On the contrary, Amaechi touched every part of my state.
He did all of that without appropriating the lands at Slaughter Market & NLG Eastern-Bypass for supermarkets & gas stations.
He would visit construction sites unannounced.
He rode on his bike & sneaked into night clubs with his men. Amaechi understood nightlife like no other. Happy hour was always on the menu.
On his watch, entertainment boomed in Port Harcourt. More night clubs & eateries have closed since Chubuike Rotimi Amaechi left.
Rivers State never recovered. My last visit to Nigeria was right after COVID. I couldn’t recognize my once-buzzing city. Wike was anti-nightlife. He shut down night clubs on a whim.
Spar Mall at Govt House is to Amaechi’s credit.
Entertainment fell completely on Wike’s watch. He was the antithesis to nightlife & leisure.
Burna Boy, Duncan Mighty, Timaya, Omay Lay, 1Da Banton, Mr. 2Kay, Ajebo Hustlers, started out performing in Port Harcourt before Lagos.
On Amaechi’s watch, the Aztech Arcum Event Center at Stadium Road hosted the likes of Burna Boy before he finally moved to Lagos.
G's Barracuda hosted Duncan Mighty a few times. Amaechi understood entertainment like no other. Rivers State hosted the Buguma Beach Festival, also called the Buguma Boat Regatta & Music Festival. Amaechi hosted the Port Harcourt Carnival “Carniriv” as well.
My point of departure with Amaechi is his abandonment of the Port Harcourt Monorail project & the Greater Port Harcourt City.
I won’t forget his spat with Mama Peace (Mrs Jonathan) in a hurry. That was the event that started it all. Joining APC Janjaweeds was his biggest misadventure. Wike is no different!
My brothers have failed to give the Niger Delta a functional railroad network connecting the Eastern corridors to the Western Coastlines.
Both have failed to unlock the maritime corridors of my region. We have the largest & deepest contiguous coastlines stretching across Ibeno, Ibaka, Calabar, Warri, Onne, & across the region. Abandoning my zone to chase shadows in Abuja is unforgivable!
My hope is that someday, somehow, & in some ways, both men can have a rethink. They have roles to play in the growth & development of the Niger Delta. WE HAVE MUCH TO DO!
President Tinubu has declared war on Nigerians by saying "all is fair in Politics", and i agree with him.
We (ADC) would not come to court; do not bother.
Elections will be won and lost on the field.
-H.E Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi
ADC Vice Presidential candidate
Dear President Tinubu @officialABAT, don’t mind @atiku jare. Like you said, he doesn’t know economics, so kindly accept a challenge to face him on national TV for a public debate.
You can do it sir. The Jagaban himself. World No. 1 Economist.
Date, Venue and Time Sir?
Atiku's videos where he was talking about policy were trending two days ago and some people were shocked. Lol. Some allowed their dislike for Atiku to block them from seeing things properly. There is a reason Obi calls him leader and mentor. He is the most competent in the race.
🚨🎙️Toni Kroos on Real Madrid's pursuit of Yan Diamonde:
🗣️“I really think this move is unnecessary.
For me, it's a blunder.”
“We didn't pay $100 million for Vinícius Jr.
We didn't pay $100 million for Mbappé.
Not even Cristiano arrived for that kind of fee.
Now we're talking about putting everything into believing in a 19-year-old who's had one outstanding season.”
“That's not how Real Madrid have traditionally built their success.
Yes, they've invested in young talent, but they've also been careful about the timing and the valuation.”
“There's no doubt the boy is talented.
I'm not questioning his ability.
I'm questioning whether this is the right deal at the right price.”
“When you pay that kind of money, you're not buying potential anymore.
You're buying certainty, and that's a huge expectation to place on a teenager.”
“What happens if he needs two or three seasons to adapt?
The pressure at Real Madrid is unlike anywhere else in football.”
“I'd rather see the club strengthen areas that need immediate quality than gamble such a massive fee on potential.”
“I hope, for the player's sake, that if the move happens he proves everyone wrong.
But today, from where I'm sitting, I don't think it's the right move.”