There are some very powerful people pulling the strings behind the scenes on this legal issue over airtime lending in Nigeria, trying to stick their straw into a market worth an estimated N400b annually. These people are close to the president, and are wielding tremendous power and distorting the entire economy in ways that would have embarrassed a post-Soviet Russian oligarch in 1994.
I’ve been actively aware of this matter for over two years now and the time may have come to tell the full story of how Idris Saliu Alubankudi, and his brother Shamsudeen Saliu 'Shamz' Alubankudi - both very close to Bola Tinubu and his family - have built one of the biggest and most powerful state corruption enterprises
in the entire history of Nigeria.
These men are attempting to capture the systemically important foundations of the entire Nigerian economy - specifically telecoms and ICT - and turn their 3 year-old corruption enterprise into a sort of Nigerian chaebol. You have never seen anything like it before.
You will be hearing the names 'Idris' and 'Shamz' a lot in the coming few days. Also don’t forget their family name 'Saliu Alubankudi.' It's an important part of the story.
“If I do not provide steady electricity in four years, do not vote for me for 2nd Tenure,” -BAT
Thirty-two months after being incharge and instead of living by his powerful words, he now dumps National Grid that has been performing abysmally under his watch.
Those were the powerful words then that inspired hope among Nigerians who longed for light in their homes, stability for their businesses, and growth for their nation. Yet, while Nigerians are still grappling with that unfulfilled, categorical electoral promise - and without clear communication on the obstacles, if any, we read of provision in 2025 budget about the ₦10 billion for solar power at Aso Rock, and in 2026 budget another humongous amount for upgrade and maintenance and now we are being scarcitically told that Presidential Villa has planned to be disconnected from the national grid to rely entirely on solar.
It is a gross neglect and deeply worrisome when the seat of power abandons the national grid. One would expect government institutions to lead efforts to strengthen and expand the grid so that other establishments, and ultimately, citizens can benefit. If those in authority disconnect themselves from the system, who then will connect the ordinary Nigerian to reliable power?
Promoting renewable energy, as solar systems do, is commendable and necessary for the future. However, this situation reflects a deeper concern: governance lacking compassion and commitment to the governed. You cannot tell the people to fast while feasting yourself, securing yourself while Nigerians remain unsecured.
Nigerians do not expect 100% fulfilment of promises, but they do expect 100% effort, accompanied by measurable improvements and clear explanations when gaps exist. Leadership must serve the people, not isolate itself from their daily struggles. -PO
Slot on not being a joy to watch:
“Against Fulham I don't think people thought it was a joy to watch. Against PSG, it was for me. People tell me we need the extra pass, the second goal v Fulham was 17 passes we needed before we scored.
“I find it hard to hear [we're boring] but it is not that I disagree, I would use a different word but I take it into account. I am known for attacking football and we are still trying to do so, but possession doesn't mean you play attacking football, we are struggling to create a lot of chances but I have said many times we're not the only team that struggles. I don't think we are creating less than other teams who are doing well. But I don't like to hear [we're boring] because I want to play an attractive style of football. We have to find a way to play it against teams who don't want to and that is something we haven't found enough. We are working on this every day."
[@ptgorst]
Aging is not the wrinkles on your face.
Aging is the weakness in your legs.
Aging is when you cannot climb stairs without negotiating with your knees.
Aging is when simple tasks feel like a project.
The problem is not age.
The problem is muscle loss.
Muscle is not vanity. Muscle is survival. Muscle is your metabolic engine.
Muscle decides whether your blood sugar behaves or misbehaves.
Muscle is the warehouse that stores glucose so it doesn’t become fat.
Muscle is what protects your bones, your joints, your heart, and even your brain.
But modern adults lose muscle like sand from a broken basket.
— Sitting all day.
— Eating bread and vibes.
— Protein deficiency disguised as “I’m not really hungry.”
— Zero strength training.
Then you wonder why you feel older than your parents at the same age.
When muscle disappears, everything collapses.
— Insulin resistance creeps in.
— Fatigue becomes normal.
— Hormones become confused.
— Balance becomes shaky.
— Immunity weakens.
— Healing slows down.
— Stress hits harder.
— Sleep becomes useless.
And your body begins to age at triple speed.
The so-called anti-aging creams cannot save you.
The supplements cannot save you.
The detox teas cannot save you.
What you need is resistance training. Controlled stress on your muscles. Progressive overload.
Lifting your own weight before lifting iron. Building strength like your life depends on it, because it does.
You don’t lose muscle because you are old.
You grow old because you lost muscle.
Muscle is the real anti-aging drug, and the prescription is simple: protein, strength training, sleep, sunlight, and consistency.
Grow your muscle or watch your life shrink.
Don't forget to reach out for a diet plan. Share and tag your friends.
Nigerian Liverpool fans are the realest. Many Nigerians supported clubs like Chelsea, United, and Arsenal for their wins, but Liverpool fans started supporting when we struggled.❤️🫶
PVC is the bridge to a New Nigeria
Today, I want to plead with every Nigerian, young and old to heed this call to action.
The future of our dear nation is in your hands. The greatest strength of democracy is in the voter’s card. Your PVC is the voice of the voiceless, the shield of the weak, and the weapon of the poor for a better life, against injustice and bad leadership. I appeal to every Nigerian: Get Organised and Make Election Rigging Difficult. Go out, register, collect your PVC, and hold it firmly as your bridge to a new Nigeria.
Let us know this: those who buy votes are not offering you charity; they only invest in their own corruption. They buy votes so that they can buy their way into our treasury to steal public money. When they get into that office, they will loot the funds that should have been used to build schools, hospitals or provide good jobs. Such people are not leaders, they are criminals in disguise. They are no better than killers, armed robbers, and kidnappers, because they commit the same crime of destruction.
To those who sell their votes, you are not just selling an election, you are selling the very opportunities that would have lifted you and your family out of poverty. You are selling the schools that your children should have attended, the hospitals that should save your loved ones and the jobs that would have given you dignity and a better life. Those who buy your vote are only buying it to make a profit from the seat of power, not to serve you.
The power to change this country is in your hands, the looters will only loot when we give them the opportunity. Your vote counts, if it doesn’t, they would not be desperately buying that vote.
Every Nigerian must rise and take responsibility for building the nation we dream of.
Our democracy is at stake. That is why I urge every eligible Nigerian to register, collect, and safeguard your PVC, and when the time comes, use it wisely. Vote for leaders of competence, character, capacity, and compassion. Leaders who will put you first. Do not be intimidated, do not be deceived, and do not be bought.
Let us stand together and prove that Nigeria belongs to the people, not to those who trade our future for their selfish gain.
Register to vote, because a new Nigeria starts with you.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
Any society where lawlessness overrides the rule of law is not destined to be a haven for investors. Recent reports showing that Nigeria’s human rights indicators have worsened merely highlight severe shortfalls in government protection for civil liberties, personal security, and basic living standards.
I know what I have been going through as a person in abuse of my human rights just because I contested a Presidential election which I have legitimate rights to do. So I imagine what small business owners, regular citizens, and vulnerable communities face every day. If this level of lawlessness can happen to someone with a registered company and legitimate means, what hope does the ordinary Nigerian have?
This morning, my youngest brother called me frantically, informing me that a group of people had invaded his company property in Ikeja, Lagos, and were demolishing the building. He had just come in from Port Harcourt and was denied entry to the property by security men who told him the building was being pulled down. They even informed him that this demolition had started over the weekend. As a peace-loving Nigerian, he quickly started processing to go to court immediately, not knowing what must have resulted in this, as they moved fast to destroy his home without any restraint.
I rushed to Lagos from Abuja after the call this morning and headed straight to the property. On arrival, I was met by security people who tried to bar me from entering the property. I humbly pleaded with them that the property belonged to my brother’s company, and from the records, the company had owned the property for over a decade. They told me they had a court judgment, and I immediately requested it. You would not believe that the court judgment they claim was issued against an unknown person, and squatters. I went further to ask about a demolition order or permit, and there was none.
How do you sue an unknown person? How does a court issue a judgment in such a farce of a case? No one was served. No name was written. Yet they showed up with excavators and began destroying a structure that had stood for over 15 years.
I immediately asked the excavators for the person who had sent them, and they said they didn’t know anyone, but they were only informed to come and demolish the house. I immediately told them to tell whoever it is that I would like to speak with them, if they can call my number, which I shared with the excavators, so that I can speak with whomever gave them the order to demolish the property.
I stood there from 10am to 2pm, waiting to get a call at least and nobody called or came. The contractor even said he didn’t know who sent him. Two men later came and said they would like us to go to a police station. I asked if they even had a demolition order but they had nothing. The whole situation screamed of coordinated lawlessness and impunity. Our country has become lawless.
I just started reminiscing about how just over the weekend, I had a meeting when someone told me how he has investments in Ghana, Senegal, and the Benin Republic, but won’t touch Nigeria despite his market being here. I asked him why. His answer was piercing: “Nigeria is a lawless country. Until we have laws that protect people, nobody will invest in Nigeria.”
I am just shocked. How did Nigeria get to this level of lawlessness?
What kind of country are we trying to build when the rights of citizens, their lives, their properties, and their voices are trampled upon daily?
I remain committed to a better Nigeria where lawlessness will be a thing of the past, protection of life and property, respect for human rights, care for the less privileged, and basic education for all children.
A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO