General News
Presidency, PDP Panic over Buhari’s Massive Crowd in S/South
The massive turnout of Nigerians at the campaign grounds of Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the south, ahead of the February 14 presidential election, is unsettling the Presidency and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), according to National Mirror.
The region is generally believed to be the natural catchment area for President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP, while the north is thought to be the stronghold of both the APC and Buhari.
But the huge crowd that has been pouring into the APC campaign grounds is pushing the Presidency to think of re-strategising for the ruling party’s campaign.
National Mirror reported that Buhari had campaigned in Rivers, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, the president’s home town, Imo and Enugu states, with massive crowd attending each of the campaign.
APC however said that the successes recorded by its campaign train in the south were due to the candidate’s large followership and the knowledge of the need of the people.
“For instance, he knew that in Ebonyi, the only resources they have there is rice plantation, so he promised them that he would make the state a rice capital of the world.
“Enugu has large coal deposit and he promised effective utilisation of the material to solve the energy need of the nation.
“He addressed the issue of Ogoni. You need to see the crowd that trooped out even in the president’s own state, Bayelsa.
“But the president has not been addressing issues. He goes about abusing individuals, leaving out issues. Can you believe that at this critical point in time, he is still taking the persons of Obasanjo, MEND, Tinubu and so on.
“We expected a serious campaign to proffer solutions to corruption and insecurity, but what do we get, a president that is busy apportioning blames,” a member of the APC Campaign Council told our correspondent in Abuja yesterday.
Mr. Osita Okechukwu, spokesman, South East APC told our correspondent that the South is rooting for Buhari now because Nigerians generally are yearning for change.
“One can submit in reality that Gen. Buhari’s appeal is widening, as his electoral chances are growing by the day, unlike in 2003, 2007, and 2011. I think the south is coming to the hard reality that GMB represents the masses and the middle class. “He spent his public service in the collective interest of the masses and the middle class and hence the celestial bond between him and the masses and the middle class.
“President Jonathan’s woeful performance more or less energised the GMB appeal in the south; they have come to the inevitable conclusion that Mr. President lacks the political will to either fight Boko Haram or fight corruption. And it’s trite that the primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of the citizenry,” he said.
It was gathered that with the campaign soon to shift to the north and with anti-Jonathan sentiment already springing up in several places in the region, the Presidency is growing grey hair on how to convince the people, particularly in the north east to vote for President Jonathan.
The campaign vehicles of President Jonathan and some of his sympathisers have been attacked in Kano, Gombe and Plateau states in recent days.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has detained Tunde Ayeni, former chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc, for alleged fraud involving N36.5 billion and $30 million.
Tunde Ayeni, former chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc,
This follows the probe of alleged diversion of N36.5 billion and $30 million secured as loans from Polaris Bank Plc through companies linked to Ayeni.
He was arrested by EFCC operatives in Abuja on April 23, 2026, and is still been held in custody as at the time of filling the report.
Dele Oyewale, spokesperson, EFCC, confirmed the arrest on Friday but declined to provide further details.
Ayeni is under investigation for diverting funds obtained for marine security, electricity distribution, and real estate projects into other unknown projects.
Investigators allege the loans were instead channelled into telecom investments tied to NITEL/MTEL assets via a NATCOM account.
About 12 firms believed to be connected to Ayeni are also under investigation for their role in securing the loans.
The EFCC is expected to file charges once the investigation is concluded.
Summit Household Solutions Limited has opened its ultra-modern manufacturing facility in Ota, Ogun State, as part of its efforts to scale production of home and personal care products in Nigeria.
The plant, which started operations in April 2025, produces items such as dishwashing liquids, handwash, sanitisers and multipurpose liquid soaps, with an annual capacity estimated at 7,000 tonnes.
Commissioning the facility on behalf of Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Investment, Mr Kehinde Akintomide, said the investment reflects growing confidence in Ogun State’s business environment.
He noted that the state hosts over 6,000 manufacturing firms and described the development as consistent with ongoing efforts to promote industrialisation, attract investment and reduce reliance on imports under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope initiative.
Akintomide disclosed that the factory has already employed more than 50 Nigerians, with projections to exceed 250 jobs as operations expand.
In his remarks, the General Manager of the company, Mr Sadiq Ali, said the facility represents a major step in Summit’s growth plans, adding that its flagship brand, 2Sure, currently leads production at the plant.
He also revealed that the company is preparing to introduce new home and personal care products later this year.
Summit Household Solutions manufactures the 2Sure brand and has expanded into the personal care segment with Lewar, a premium beauty soap line positioned for quality and affordability.
Among dignitaries present were the Onikotun of Otun, Ota, Oba Abdulakeem Odunaro, representing the Olota of Ota, Prof. Adeyemi Abdulkabir Obalanlege; the Agba Akin of Ota, Chief Dada Olusola; Director of Investment, Ms Yemisi Folarin; Director of Industrial Promotion, Mr Femi Adeboye; former Managing Director of 7Up Bottling Company, Mr Ziad Maalouf; and the Chief Executive Officer of OmniRetail, Mr Deepanker Rustagi.
Speaking at the event, Maalouf, who conceived the 2Sure brand during his time at 7Up Bottling Company, expressed satisfaction with its growth and commended Summit Solutions Limited for advancing the brand.
The special guests were conducted around the facility, and the programme was concluded with a luncheon.
The administration of Donald Trump has frozen $344 million in cryptocurrency allegedly linked to Iran, marking a sharp escalation in financial pressure on Tehran.
The move comes amid stalled diplomatic efforts and a fragile ceasefire in the region.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that authorities are sanctioning multiple crypto wallets tied to Iran. “We will follow the money that Tehran is desperately attempting to move outside of the country and target all financial lifelines tied to the regime,” he said.
Tether, which facilitated the transactions, said it worked with U.S. authorities to freeze the funds across two wallet addresses after receiving intelligence linked to unlawful activity.
A U.S. official said blockchain analysis revealed “material links” to the Iranian regime, including transactions routed through intermediary addresses connected to wallets associated with the Central Bank of Iran.
Responding to the development, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company does not tolerate illicit use of its stablecoin. “USD₮ is not a safe haven for illegal activity. When there is credible linkage to sanctioned entities or criminal networks, we act immediately,” he stated.
The crackdown underscores the growing reliance of sanctioned states on digital assets to bypass traditional banking restrictions. Data from Chainalysis shows Iran’s cryptocurrency holdings reached $7.8 billion in 2025, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly controlling about half.
Analysts say while the freeze is significant, Iran has historically adapted to sanctions. Daniel Tannebaum of the Atlantic Council noted that targeting third-party actors enabling such transactions may be key to increasing pressure.
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