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Faleke’s Poor Judgement. By Abdulrazaq Magaji

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James Abiodun Faleke was destined to be deputy governor of Kogi state. He would have been executing that office today. He is not. Poor Faleke! He has his poor judgment to blame. For now, the best trophy he gets for his misadventure in politics is former Kogi state APC deputy governorship candidate. Or, better still, Kogi state deputy governor that was not! No more, no less! This, certainly, is not a good epitaph for a politician who must have been surprised at the speed of his own rising political profile.

Pity it took Faleke this long to realise he is no more than the paper tiger he had always been! It is even pitiable that Faleke failed, in his political naivety, to realise that those who misled him by beating the weird drum to which he danced so weirdly were interested in their own agenda; not his. In his desperation, Faleke even went into an unholy alliance with former governor, Captain Idris Wada believing the diminutive aviator was working for him. But, Wada had other designs and could easily have upstaged Faleke were his case not as bad, if not worse, than that of Faleke.

Perhaps, Faleke was so fixated on and, strongly believed in the potency of Ifa to assist him to covet what was not his. Of course, Faleke must have thought Ifa gods were doing his bidding when his principal, Prince Abubakar Audu, died before he was declared governor last December. Alas, Ifa has proved, and tellingly too that, when the stress is placed on the last two alphabets, Faleke could also mean Ifa is deceitful or dishonest! The gods have played a fast one on Faleke! Were the gods angry?

Were they not, Faleke would have been more diplomatic in handling a ‘small matter’ instead of allowing it to blow into his face. His first diplomatic line of action was to have consulted with his benefactor and APC national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu on the way forward. Faleke simply ignored Asiwaju Tinubu and chose to swim with new-found friends who knew nothing about and, contributed nothing to his emergence as running mate to Prince Audu. So painful and sad that Faleke simply allowed inexpedient counsel to abbreviate his rising political profile.

Contrary to attempts to give it a moral colouring, the Faleke case was purely legal which could not have taken any judge more than five minutes to throw out even if the complainant assembled the best legal brains around! Pertinent questions included: Had the APC candidate, Prince Audu, been declared governor at the time of his death? Were he still alive, would Prince Audu be referred to as governor-elect before the election was finally concluded on December 5? No! So, was there a valid deputy governor-elect to inherit a non-existent throne? No! And, do you have to be a lawyer to know these? Of course, not! So, what was the basis for all the hot air over a ‘small matter’?

For the benefit of fair play, right-thinking Nigerians reasoned that the death of Prince Audu provided an opportunity for the majority Igala to cede the governorship to Faleke, a minority Okun/ Kabba man to govern for the next four years before power reverts, no insults meant, to its rightful place in Igalaland! But, this would have been a moral issue that has no basis in law. And, this is why the APC did the right thing by nominating another minority, Yahaya Bello, to replace Prince Audu.

Faleke simply listened to wrong voices and surrounded himself with vultures and leeches who have now abandoned him. He might have consigned himself to political Siberia by filing to play his cards right.. It is hardly surprising that lawyers count prominent among the wrong voices that told Faleke to insist on a non-existent mandate. And their motive for pushing politically na�ve Faleke around is not because they were convinced Faleke had a valid case. And, by the way, wasn’t it the height of political naivety for Faleke to have teamed up with the son of late Prince Audu who clownishly saw the governorship as an inheritance?

If he has not done so already, Faleke should reach out to leaders of his party to indicate his willingness to work with Governor Yahaya Bello. While doing that, he should find a way to distance himself from vultures and leeches who did anything and everything to scuttle his inauguration as deputy governor last January. Faleke probably thought he was too big to be deputy governor, started acting in that direction and was egged on to what might turn out to be political oblivion. He was made to believe and, he too believed the lie, that he had outgrown the office of deputy governor.

What Faleke should do is to tutor himself about the reality of the shark-infested water of politics and outgrow the political naivety, almost bordering on bigheadedness, which is threatening to cut short a promising career in politics. Faleke was not destined to be governor of Kogi state. At least, not in 2016! And, with the odds stacked against him, there was no way the courts could have made him one! There would have been no question about Faleke being His Excellency today if election-related violence did not force the cancellation and postponement of balloting in some polling units. And slamming the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for declaring an inconclusive election begged the question.

Supporters and sympathizers of Faleke who trod this path argued that INEC acted somebody’s script of ‘robbing’ their man of victory by declaring the election inconclusive! Sure? With a difference of 41,000 votes between the two top candidates and undeclared 49,000 votes, INEC could have opened itself to serious accusations if it had declared Prince Audu. And, this is without prejudice to the fact that even then sitting governor, Idris Wada, knew he had no chance on earth of turning the table at the re-run.

But, wait a minute! Would those who slam INEC have acted similarly if the shoe was on the other foot? Confronted by a similar scenario, would the APC as a political party, have kept mum even if it knew it had no hope in hell of turning the table? Those who slam INEC make the whole episode more laughable because their position presupposed that late Prince Abubakar Audu, upon being declared governor-elect, was going to hand over to Faleke! Even if that was the intention, and Faleke knew it wasn’t, it is time he comported himself and soldier on.

Otherwise, he risks making the gods angrier after they benevolently cracked his nuts for him!

jf

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“I Can Decide To Revoke The Land Allocated To Onitsha Main Market And Build A School On It” — Gov Soludo

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Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has sparked fresh controversy after stating that he has the constitutional power to revoke the land allocated to Onitsha Main Market and repurpose it for public use, including building a school. The governor made the remark while addressing market leaders amid the ongoing dispute over the continued Monday sit-at-home observed by traders in the state.
Soludo recently ordered the closure of Onitsha Main Market for one week after traders allegedly complied with sit-at-home directives despite the state government’s ban on such actions. He described the practice as “economic sabotage” and warned that the government would no longer tolerate disruptions to commercial activities in Anambra, one of Nigeria’s major economic hubs.
According to the governor, the Land Use Act empowers the state to revoke land allocations for overriding public interest, adding that affected owners would be compensated and could challenge the compensation in court if dissatisfied. He further warned that shops that remain closed could be sealed, fined, or taken over by the government and reassigned to willing traders.
The decision has generated mixed reactions, with critics accusing the government of punishing ordinary traders and worsening economic hardship, while supporters argue that enforcing a full business week is necessary to restore economic stability and investor confidence in the state. Some lawmakers and stakeholders have also urged the governor to adopt dialogue and caution, citing potential losses and unrest from prolonged market closures.
As tensions continue, the development highlights the broader struggle between government authority, security concerns, and economic survival in the South-East, with Onitsha Main Market—one of West Africa’s largest commercial centres—at the centre of the storm.

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Kano Assembly Speaker Jibril Falgore Leads 21 Lawmakers Out of NNPP After Governor’s Exit

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The Speaker of Kano State House of Assembly, Jibril Ismail Falgore, alongside 21 other legislators, has formally resigned from the New Nigeria People’s Party following Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s departure from the political platform.

The mass resignation, announced on Saturday, includes the Deputy Speaker, Muhammad Bello Butu-Butu, Majority Leader Lawan Hussain, and other principal officers of the state legislature, signaling near-total collapse of NNPP structures in the assembly.

According to a statement released by the Chief Press Secretary to the Assembly, Kamaluddeen Sani Shawai, the lawmakers declared total support for Governor Yusuf, who had exited the party just 24 hours earlier alongside eight federal lawmakers and all 44 local government chairmen in the state.

The defecting legislators include Deputy Majority Leader Garba Shehu Fammar, Chief Whip Muddasir Ibrahim Zawachiki, Majority Whip Zakariyya Abdullahi Nuhu, and lawmakers from constituencies across Kano including Ajingi, Albasu, Bagwai/Shanono, Bebeji, Bunkure, Dawakin Kudu, Fagge, Gabasawa, Garko, Gwale and Karaye.

The statement emphasized that the Kano State House of Assembly had verified and authenticated the complete list of defecting lawmakers to properly inform the public and clarify their political position following the governor’s resignation from NNPP.

The legislators reaffirmed their unwavering commitment and loyalty to Governor Yusuf’s administration despite the political realignment, pledging to continue supporting the policies and programmes being implemented across the state.

Governor Yusuf had communicated his decision to leave NNPP in a letter addressed to the party chairman of Diso-Chiranchi Ward in Gwale Local Government Area, effective January 23, 2026, citing persistent internal disputes and legal challenges that have undermined party stability.

In the resignation letter, the governor expressed appreciation to NNPP for the platform and support extended to him since joining in 2022, while acknowledging that deepening internal divisions had created an untenable situation requiring decisive action.

The NNPP Secretary of Diso-Chiranchi Ward, Kabiru Zubairu, acknowledged receipt of the governor’s resignation while commending his achievements in infrastructure development, urban renewal, healthcare delivery, education and economic empowerment during his time in office.

Zubairu admitted the existence of lingering internal challenges within the party and stated that NNPP had no option but to accept the resignation, describing Governor Yusuf as one of the most outstanding governors produced by the political platform.

The wave of defections marks a dramatic political shift in Kano State, where NNPP had dominated since the 2023 elections under the influence of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya movement.

NNPP national officials have condemned the development, labeling it a betrayal of the sacred trust given by Kano voters. National Publicity Secretary Ladipo Johnson dismissed claims of irredeemable party crisis as baseless, while Kwankwaso declared he is not for sale and would not compromise his principles.


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Singer TIME Drags Georgina Onuoha Over Comment on Davido’s Father’s Reaction to Paternity Saga

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Nigerian singer, TIME has publicly called out Nollywood actress Georgina Onuoha following her criticism of Davido’s father, Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, over his reaction to the ongoing paternity controversy involving the Afrobeats superstar.
The drama began after Georgina Onuoha questioned why Davido’s father appeared to defend his son amid allegations that he welcomed a child with a woman identified as Anu Adeleye. In a post shared online, the actress described Davido as “irresponsible,” sparking mixed reactions across social media.
Reacting to her comment, TIME took to X (formerly Twitter) to drag the actress, accusing her of ignoring key details surrounding the case. He referenced statements made by Davido, noting that he had never met the said lady before the first DNA test, and questioned why people were not discussing other individuals mentioned in the saga.
“Madam Georgina, did you hear the part Davina said she’d never met her prior to the first DNA test? Why are y’all not talking about the bank official the girl mentioned to Dr. Sikiru Adeleke?” TIME wrote.
According to reports, Aanu’s mother has been identified as Grace Ayotomide Labinjoh, who has consistently maintained that Davido is her daughter’s biological father despite the singer and his family denying the claim.
TIME’s remarks triggered a fresh wave of debate online, with some social media users backing him for defending Davido’s family, while others accused him of unnecessarily attacking Georgina Onuoha.
As the paternity saga continues to trend, the clash between TIME and Georgina Onuoha has added another layer of controversy, keeping Davido and his family at the center of public discourse.

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