By Nick Ibe

A letter purportedly written by him to the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, against the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Soludo has been disowned by Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC. He emphasises that he wrote no such letter.

The purported letter appealed to Achebe over political and financial issues he, Obi, is having with Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state.

But, Obi, in a statement posted on his X account on weekend, dismissed the letter as “entirely false” and malicious. He also disclosed that the signature attached to the purported letter was forged.

Obi appealed to members of the public and the media to treat the letter with the contempt it deserves, adding that it was designed to mislead the public. The resd:

“My attention has been drawn to a fake letter circulating on social media, purportedly written by me to His Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, concerning political and financial matters in Anambra State.

“This document is entirely false, malicious, and a fabrication by mischievous elements aimed at misleading the public.

Furthermore, the signature appended to the letter is completely forged,” Obi said.

He added that his attention remained focused on national development and accountability rather than what he described as fabricated publications.

“My focus remains steadfastly on issues of national development, accountability, and building a better future for our people – never on cheap fabrications.”

The rebuttal follows the disagreement between Obi and the Anambra State Government administration over the financial position of the State at the end of Obi’s tenure in 2014.

The fake letter, dated September 19, 2026, and addressed to the Obi of Onitsha was titled, “The Future of Ndigbo is Bleak.”

Furthermore, the purported letter called for transparency over the financial records and liabilities of Anambra State, and urged traditional rulers, political leaders and elders to prevent political disagreements from coming between the people.

The letter also called for the state’s financial records to be examined and for questions surrounding the administrations of Obi and Soludo to be resolved through evidence and transparency.

The letter surfaced days after the Anambra State Government released details of loan facilities it attributed to Obi’s administration and insisted that the state was still carrying repayment obligations from that period.

By Felix Umande

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged the Nigeria Police Force to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and impartiality ahead of the 2027 general elections, stressing that the police must never be seen as an instrument of any political interest.

The President gave the charge at the 2026 Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers in Owerri, Imo State, in an address delivered on his behalf by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

President Tinubu said every Nigerian, irrespective of political affiliation, ethnicity, religion, social status or geographical location, must feel protected by the police, noting that neutrality and professionalism are fundamental to public confidence and the credibility of the nation’s democracy.

“The police must be seen not as an instrument of any political interest, but as a national institution serving the Nigerian people and protecting the constitutional order. This is fundamental to public trust and to the credibility of our democracy,” the President said.

Speaking on the theme “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections,” Tinubu said the 2027 elections would require careful preparation, professionalism, impartiality, intelligence-led operations and close coordination among security and electoral stakeholders.

He assured that the Federal Government would provide the necessary support to enable the Force effectively discharge its responsibilities.

The President explained that securing the electoral process goes beyond protecting ballot papers and polling stations, as it also entails protecting citizens, electoral officials and materials, ensuring peaceful campaigns, preventing violence and intimidation, and guaranteeing that Nigerians can participate in the democratic process without fear.

He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ongoing police reforms, stressing that meaningful reform requires sustained investment in personnel, training, technology, intelligence infrastructure, operational logistics, welfare and institutional systems.

Tinubu urged the Force to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve response times, deepen community engagement, embrace technology and enhance inter-agency cooperation to meet increasingly sophisticated security threats.

He commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, and the Police Management Team for efforts to reposition the Force and respond to emerging security challenges, while acknowledging the sacrifices of officers confronting kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, armed robbery, cultism and other violent crimes across the country, including those who have paid the ultimate price.

The President, however, reminded the Force that security expectations of Nigerians remain high, urging officers to build public confidence through discipline, accountability, professionalism and respect for the rights and dignity of citizens.

He tasked senior officers at the retreat to produce a practical and implementable roadmap that would strengthen election security, improve operational preparedness and deepen public confidence, while looking beyond 2027 towards building a modern, professional, technology-enabled, intelligence-driven and citizen-centred police force.

Tinubu assured officers and men of the Force that the Federal Government values their sacrifices and remains committed to supporting them.

By Felix Umande

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will return to Nigeria at the weekend following the extension of his working vacation by a few days, the Presidency has said.

In a statement on Monday, September 21, 2026, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu departed Nigeria on August 30 for London to begin the working vacation.

After spending a week in London, the President moved to Paris, France, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Mr. Vincent Bollore, whose media group includes Canal+, Multichoice and Universal Music Group.

Onanuga said since he began the vacation, President Tinubu has continued to keep in touch with home, directing the affairs of the nation, including ordering an independent panel to investigate the death of 37 alleged illegal miners in Minna following their detention by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, among other matters.

While away, Tinubu delegated Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent him at some official functions. Though Shettima left Abuja on September 20 for New York to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who has also been representing the President at events, will continue to do so.

On the political front, the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Senator Abubakar Yari, has been leading notable party leaders in consultations with prominent traditional rulers across the country.

The Presidency described as irresponsible the insinuation by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a United States-based lobbying firm headed by an ex-convict about President Tinubu’s non-attendance at UNGA.

Vice President Shettima, who is representing the President at the global conference, will present Nigeria’s national statement, the Presidency added.