The national leadership of Nigeria’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has appealed to former Jigawa State governor Alhaji Sule Lamido to sheathe his sword and support ongoing efforts to stabilise the party. Speaking on the development, Umar Sani, a close associate of the PDP National Chairman, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), said several claims made by the former governor in the interview were inaccurate and required clarification.

According to Sani, contrary to Lamido’s assertion that the party violated court directives during its national convention, no court barred the PDP from holding the convention.
He explained that the court only ordered the party to allow Lamido to participate in the contest after proper verification—an order which the PDP had already appealed at the Supreme Court.

Sani also disclosed that another court sitting in Ibadan granted the party explicit permission to conduct its convention, noting that the exercise produced new national officers, contrary to Lamido’s claim that the party currently lacks legitimate leadership.

He appealed to the former governor to demonstrate maturity and place the party’s unity above personal grievances.

“Sule Lamido is a founding figure in the PDP. At this critical moment, what the party needs is cohesion, not prolonged litigation,” Sani said.
“If we remain trapped in court battles, victory will continue to elude us.”

The PDP leadership urged Lamido to work closely with Chairman Turaki, stressing that both men have long enjoyed cordial relations and can still steer the party away from internal strife.

The appeal comes at a time when the PDP is struggling with internal disputes and public criticism over its handling of recent electoral and administrative issues.

Abuja: As terrorists carry out more atrocities across Nigeria, a former minister of Housing and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien, has asked the federal government to take urgent and decisive action to stop terrorists from wreaking further havoc in the country. Recalling horrifying attacks orchestrated by terrorists in parts of Nigeria in recent weeks, the former minister said that he was deeply troubled by the alarming deterioration of security across our country with the recent wave of killings, kidnappings, and coordinated terrorist attacks painting the picture of a nation in distress. Chief Essien, a former member of the House of Representatives, who represented Eket Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State, said the President must wake up from his slumber and confront insecurity headlong or risks losing the ground to rampaging terrorists.

The former minister accused the federal government under President Tinubu of not demonstrating the urgency or the clarity required in tackling the rising security threats, saying that as one of the loudest critics of the Jonathan administration who demanded accountability for any soul lost, Tinubu should do better than he is doing at the moment.

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The former lawmaker blamed the President for appointing politicians with no knowledge and experience in security matters to very sensitive security roles, arguing that those appointees should sit up and do the job or resign with immediate effect. The minister said: “In the last few days alone, Brigadier General Musa Uba and three of his men were kidnapped and executed in Borno State. Over 64 citizens, including women and children, were abducted in Zamfara’s Tsafe Local Government Area. In Kebbi, 25 female students and their principal were kidnapped, and their vice principal killed. Christians praying in Kwara were attacked, leaving three dead and 38 kidnapped. A police officer was killed in Geidam, Yobe State. In Gwoza, eight Civilian Joint Task Force members were murdered and three kidnapped. In Sokoto, 15 people, nursing mothers and newborns among them, were abducted and two killed. Only days ago more than 300 students were kidnapped from a Catholic school in Niger State.

“These tragedies are no longer isolated events; they have become daily realities in many parts of Nigeria. The pattern of attacks has been consistent, coordinated, and increasingly brutal and shows that terrorism has grown beyond what any responsible government should tolerate. Schools are being shut down, families are afraid to send their children out, farmers have abandoned their fields, and worshippers no longer feel safe in their own sanctuaries. Nigeria is dangerously close to normalising terror.

“Strong and focused leadership is essential in a time like this. Sadly, the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu has not demonstrated the urgency or clarity required. President Tinubu was once among the loudest critics of the Jonathan administration, demanding accountability for every life lost. “Today, the insecurity he decried has worsened dramatically, yet the leadership he promised has not materialised. Equally troubling are the appointments of defence ministers with little or no experience in security or defence operations. At a time when Nigeria is fighting highly adaptive terrorist networks, the defence sector must be led by individuals with strategic insight, operational competence, and deep knowledge of security matters. Defence is not a political reward; it is the backbone of national survival. Allegations that some officials harbour sympathies for terrorist groups or maintain questionable links with them only deepen public anxiety. A nation cannot defeat terror when elements of its secur “Nigeria must abandon the culture of excuses and political diversions that mask the real issues. The primary responsibility of government is to protect its citizens, not to rationalise the motives of terrorists or craft narratives of shared victimhood. Terrorism has religious, economic, political, and social roots that must be addressed honestly. It is counterproductive to shape national security decisions around the perceived sensitivities of foreign leaders. The killings are happening on Nigerian soil; the victims are Nigerians. Our leaders must prioritise Nigeria. “What the country needs now is a comprehensive, well-designed security strategy. It must prioritise intelligence gathering, strengthen community-based security networks, and ensure that the armed forces are properly equipped, motivated, and led by competent professionals. Just as important is confronting the uncomfortable reality that terrorism is sometimes enabled by collaborators within security or political structures. Those who fund, support, or protect terrorists, regardless of their status, must be identified and held accountable. Security should never be sacrificed for political convenience.

Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo, has renewed a 15-year warning about rising insecurity in Nigeria, following recent attacks on churches that have left several worshippers dead and others abducted.

This is even as Italy has become the second G7 nation after the United States to openly demand an immediate end to the killing of Christians in Nigeria.

Recall that US President Donald Trump had threatened to take military action against Nigeria if the Federal Government failed to stop what he described as Christian genocide in the country.

Speaking at the 4th Pre-Shiloh Encounter Service monitored by Vanguard yesterday, Oyedepo expressed deep concern over the state of the nation.

He said: “Developments in the past two weeks, particularly in Nigeria, are worrisome to say the least. There is a need for a prompt response in prayers to stop the killings once and for all. You can’t trade people’s lives for your comfort.

“All the innocent blood shared is speaking vengeance…all the perpetrators will pay with their lives.”

Asserting further his connection to the nation, the cleric said, “No one is more Nigerian than I. We all have our ancestral grounds. We all know power passes power; no power passes the power of God.”

He urged members of his church to engage in midnight prayers, saying, “We are going out on a midnight raid (prayers). “Every member of this church should be awake one hour before violence descends to anarchy in Nigeria… You mean a church was invaded during worship, and people were killed and abducted, and nothing happened? The God of justice is rising. He gave reasons the wicked will be cursed in prayers (Genesis 12:3). He stressed Nigeria’s spiritual identity, declaring that “when God steps in, the pride of men is cut. Every arrogance will be cut down. Nigeria will never descend into chaos. I want them to hear these hard things because they are coming from the burning spirit of a prophet.”

Also citing the scripture on peace, Oyedepo said: “When God speaks, it is accompanied with peace, Psalm 85:8, ‘I will listen to what God the LORD will say; for He will surely speak peace to His people and His saints.

‘’He will not let them return to folly.’ I’ve been shouting this for 15 years; he (God) has prompted me to speak again.”

While condemning acts of violence, kidnapping, and terrorism, the cleric said further: “We shall be calling for justice against those responsible for acts of violence. We are raiding the camp of the wicked; let’s all partake in the midnight prayer. Italy backs Trump on alleged Christian killings in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Italian government has followed the footsteps of US President Donald Trump in condemning Christian genocide in Nigeria.

Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in a strongly worded statement posted on X, condemned what she described as “renewed violence” against Christian communities, insisting that the attacks had become unacceptable.

“We strongly condemn the renewed violence that has taken place against Christian communities in Nigeria. Religious freedom is an inviolable right.

‘’We ask the Nigerian government to strengthen the protection of Christian communities and all religious communities and to prosecute those responsible for these heinous attacks.”

She added that Italy “expresses all its closeness to the victims and to the communities in Nigeria who today feel in danger because of their religious beliefs,” signalling Rome’s alignment with mounting global concern over the targeted killings.