By Omonu Nelson

A political earthquake is shaking up the road to 2027: a powerful coalition of federal agency heads has officially formed to spearhead President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election campaign. This unprecedented alignment of institutional heads represents the most strategic and formidable innovation yet ahead of the next general elections.

Under the Forum of CEOS of Federal Parastatals (FORCEPA), these institutional heavyweights have resolved that the campaign cannot be left to the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) alone. Instead, those who execute the government’s policies must actively participate in renewing its mandate—marking a profound shift in political thinking.

For years, Bureaucrats have abandoned the battlefield, cowardly hiding in the shadows. The architects of vital public programmes retreated behind ivory towers of silence, leaving their critical achievements defenseless against political crossfire and partisan sabotage. By refusing to stand and fight for their own records, these administrators have surrendered the narrative to opportunists in the opposition who would rather weaponise their hard-won results than protect the people they serve.

By engaging APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and the National Working Committee (NWC), the Forum—led by its Chairman and Director-General of the National Board for Technology Incubation, Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji—aims to close the dangerous gap between performance and perception. Their stance is simple and compelling: where the government has delivered, those achievements must be shared. After all, who is better equipped to communicate results than the people who produced them?

The strategic advantages of this coalition are monumental. While the 2023 campaign centered on promises of what President Tinubu would do, the 2027 narrative will shift entirely to accountability—what he has achieved. Winning that argument demands hard data, institutional memory, and deep grassroots mobilization. These chief executives command exactly those assets, making them indispensable to anchoring the next campaign in undeniable evidence.

They provide a complementary technical structure designed to extend the reach of the Presidential Campaign Council, not compete with it. These professionals, public-sector leaders, and political stakeholders offer deep expertise in election planning, grassroots mobilization, and strategic messaging. By leveraging nationwide networks through their parastatals, they drive government messaging into communities the central campaign machinery often misses.

In doing so, they affirm the bold nature of President Tinubu’s reforms, showing that key insiders who weigh the costs and benefits of difficult decisions remain confident enough to publicly campaign on that record. That courage is now being validated beyond Nigeria.

Five influential international institutions and rating agencies, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, African Development Bank, Fitch, and S&P, have acknowledged progress in Nigeria’s reform programme under President Tinubu. Their assessments point to improving macroeconomic stability, stronger external balances, better revenue mobilisation, and renewed confidence in economic policy. rewrite for high impact flow.

This external validation gives the Forum a credible foundation to build its campaign messaging on. However, as the chief executives themselves understand, the next test is to translate these macro gains into lower living costs, more jobs, rising purchasing power, and better living standards for ordinary Nigerians. That is precisely why their grassroots presence matters.

The calibre of the Forum’s leadership virtually guarantees its success, anchored by Chairman Dr. Raji—a distinguished telecommunications authority with more than 25 years of proven success in leadership, project management, and technological innovation.

Dr. Raji, an Oyo State-born engineer affectionately known as “Raji KK,” is a distinguished leader whose academic and leadership foundation was built at the prestigious University of Ibadan. During his time there, he served as the Hall Chairman of Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall (Zik Hall)—widely recognized as the most vibrant, politically active, and influential student residence in any African university.

He possesses an extraordinary academic portfolio that reflects a lifelong commitment to excellence. His qualifications span multiple disciplines, including a PhD. Combining deep technical engineering expertise, executive business acumen, and a proven track record of grassroots leadership, Dr. Raji stands out as a dynamic force in both academia and corporate management. During the 2023 general elections, he drove key grassroots initiatives as the Director of National Youth Mobilisation (South West) for the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.

Another member of the forum who embodies the suitability of this arrangement is Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, the Chairman of the forum’s Media and Publicity Committee and Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO). Ajiboye’s entry into public service is no accident. He brings the formidable expertise of a seasoned media personality and a legendary advertising leader with more than three decades of pioneering experience.

That blend of professional expertise, political loyalty, and oratorical power makes him perfectly cast for his current role. He understands that an election is won not just by mobilisation, but by messaging—and for an incumbent, that messaging must be rooted in performance.

As the CEO of NICO, he directly executes the Renewed Hope Agenda in the cultural sector while remaining one of the ruling party’s most consummate communicators. Thus, when he argued that the communication apparatus cannot be left to the PCC alone—advocating that the Forum act as a technical monitoring body to identify gaps and reinforce narratives—he speaks from both experience and authority.

Ultimately, the contribution of this coalition to the success of President Tinubu’s second-term bid in 2027 could be decisive. It provides what every incumbent needs but rarely organises early enough—a credible, coordinated, and decentralised army of validators who can speak with authority about what the government has achieved. It transforms the campaign from a purely party affair into a national project driven by those who know the work firsthand.

To dismantle the opposition’s relentless campaign of deceit and manufactured narratives, this coalition stands as an unstoppable frontline of undeniable facts, raw institutional power, and boots-on-the-ground dominance.

By deploying its members to explain, defend, and mobilise around the administration’s record — from internationally acknowledged macroeconomic reforms to everyday community impact — it ensures that the President’s long-term economic ambitions are not just understood in Washington, London, and Abidjan, but felt in markets, farms, and homes across Nigeria.

This is how elections are won in mature democracies—not by slogans alone, but by aligning the implementers with the campaigners. With Otunba Ajiboye providing the strategic communication leadership, the Forum has positioned itself as a critical pillar for victory in 2027.

• Omonu, a development journalist, writes from Abuja.

By Felix Umande

The House of Representatives has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately comply with judgements of the Federal High Court, Makurdi Division, directing the restoration of Njiriv and Yonov State Constituencies in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State.

The resolution followed a motion moved by the member representing Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency, Arc. Dr. Asema Achado, during plenary on Thursday, October 15, 2026, presided over by Speaker Rt. Hon. Dr. Tajudeen Abbas.

Presenting the motion, Achado cited judgements delivered on July 2 and July 7, 2026, on the restoration of Njiriv and Yonov constituencies and called on the House to compel INEC to give effect to the decisions and conduct elections in line with court orders and electoral laws.

He said restoring the constituencies would expand political participation, enhance access to legislative representation and strengthen democratic inclusion for people of Gwer East.

The motion warned that failure to implement the judgements could undermine the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution, particularly Section 1(1) and (3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

The House accordingly resolved that INEC should fully and immediately comply with the judgements in Suit Nos. FHC/MKD/CS/07/2026 and FHC/MKD/CS/235/2025 by conducting elections in the restored constituencies.

It mandated the Clerk of the House to transmit a certified true copy of the resolution to the Chairman of INEC, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Governor of Benue State for necessary action.

The House also mandated its Committee on Electoral Matters to liaise with INEC to ensure full implementation and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.

By Felix Umande

The Catholic Diocese of Otukpo has announced the kidnap of one of its priests, Rev. Fr. John Inalegwu Otache, with the police confirming a rescue operation is underway.

Fr. Otache, Parish Priest of St. Margaret’s Parish, Ajegbe-Awume, was abducted on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, while returning home from Otukpo along Otobi-Amejo–Ajegbe Road in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.

In a statement, the Diocesan Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Joseph Aboyi Itodo, said Bishop Most Rev. Michael Ekwoyi Apochi was deeply pained by the development and has called for prayers for the priest’s quick and safe release.

“It is with great sadness that we write to notify you of the kidnap of one of our priests, Rev. Fr. John Inalegwu Otache… He was going home from Otukpo when he ran into the kidnappers,” Fr. Itodo said.

“We commend our brother, Fr. John, and all those in the kidnappers’ den throughout the country to the efficacious intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary for their speedy and safe release,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command confirmed the abduction on Friday in Makurdi.

Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Aondogu Orchia, said the command has commenced full investigation and efforts were ongoing to rescue the priest.