Peter Obi doesn’t need to be president, he wants to be because he cares about Nigeria - Chimamanda Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, award-winning novelist and renowned public intellectual, has said her support for Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), is based on his humility, values, and deep commitment to Nigeria.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television, Adichie drew a sharp contrast between Obi and other politicians, emphasizing that he is motivated by service rather than personal ambition.

“He doesn’t need to be president; he wants to be because he cares about Nigeria, but he doesn’t need to be. That is a very important distinction,” she said.

“There are people who are desperate to become president, not because they have any good intentions for the country, but because of their egos.”

Adichie explained that her endorsement of Obi is “rooted in my love for this country” and a belief that with the right leadership, Nigeria can move in a better direction. She praised Obi’s approach to leadership, saying his sense of responsibility and humility distinguish him from his peers.

“Peter Obi is not a person who expects you to thank him for doing his job as a leader, because to him it’s his job,” she said. “There’s a sense, I think, in Peter Obi that he’s accountable to the people. He doesn’t think that somehow, he will lord it over people.”

Describing the former Anambra State governor as “one of the simplest men I have ever known,” Adichie said his values have remained consistent over the past 15 years.

“The person I knew 15 years ago is still the same in terms of his values,” she said. “He is genuine, consistent, and curious — qualities that I believe are essential in a leader.”

When asked how she would feel if Obi is not on the ballot in the 2027 elections, Adichie declined to comment.

During the 2023 presidential election, Adichie was one of Obi’s most prominent supporters. She expressed her backing through various public channels, including social media posts, a heartfelt birthday tribute, and an official campaign video.

In 2022, she publicly referred to Obi as “my big bro” and said she believed in his vision for the country. After the election, which resulted in the victory of President Bola Tinubu, Adichie penned an open letter to then U.S. President Joe Biden, questioning the credibility of the polls. In the letter, she alleged that the election was marred by discrepancies and irregularities overlooked by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

She also appeared at the presidential election tribunal in Abuja to show solidarity with Obi as he challenged the results.

2027: The North deserves more than being used as a political ladder - Bashir Ahmad kicks against plans to present GEJ as a presidential candidate

 

Ahead of the 2027 election, former Presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, has kicked against plans to present GEJ as a presidential candidate. 

According to him, some political elements are planning to present GEJ as a presidential candidate because they feel he will be easy to market in the North.

According to him, it is a bad precedence as the North deserves to be treated better than being used as a political ladder.

 

A great percentage of these Nigerian Americans making us proud abroad are Igbos - Hadiza, wife of former gov, Nasir El-Rufai, says

Hadiza, one of the wives of former Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has sparked off a debate online after gave her opinion about the Igbos. 

In a post she shared on X, Mrs El-Rufai wrote

‘’A great percentage of these Nigerian Americans making us proud abroad are Igbos. There’s always two sides to every story.

#SayNoToBigotry''

Her post elicited reactions with some Nigerians accusing her and her family of trying so hard to curry favor from the Igbos ahead of the 2027 general elections. The El-Rufais have kicked against this government and are working had to remove the Tinubu government from office.

After seeing some of the backlash she received, Mrs El-Rufai shared another post in which she said no one can take away her right to free speech. She asked Nigerians to stop politicizing everything. 

 

 

31 houses razed in Gwagwalada communal clash after herders k!lled farmer

 

A communal clash between Fulani and Gwari residents in Gurfata village, Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has left one person d3ad and at least 31 houses destroyed. 

The violent confrontation, which occurred on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 was reportedly triggered by a disagreement between a Fulani man, Shaibu Adamu, and a Gwari farmer known as Sa’adu, over access through a farmland path.

A communal clash between Fulani and Gwari residents in Gurfata village, Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has left one person d3ad and at least 31 houses destroyed. 

 

The violent confrontation, which occurred on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 was reportedly triggered by a disagreement between a Fulani man, Shaibu Adamu, and a Gwari farmer known as Sa’adu, over access through a farmland path. 

Sources in the community said the dispute began around 10:30 a.m. when Adamu attempted to walk through Sa’adu’s farmland without cattle. The farmer objected, insisting he use another route. 

 

According to security analyst, Zagazola Makama, an argument ensued, escalating into a physical altercation that left both men with minor injuries. 

 

The incident quickly reignited ethnic tensions in the village, with both communities mobilising in solidarity with the parties involved. 

 

The situation worsened when Adamu Ibrahim, elder brother to Shaibu, allegedly attacked a Gwari resident, Dahiru Yakubu, with a machete. 

 

Yakubu was rushed to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, where he later d!ed from his injuries. 

 

The news of his d3ath sparked a reprisal attack by enraged Gwari youths, who descended on the Fulani settlement in Gurfata, burning down 31 houses and injuring at least three individuals. 

 

The troops of the Nigerian Army as well as other joint Security personnel were later deployed to the area to halt the violence and restore calm. 

 

Authorities have appealed for peace and urged both communities to exercise restraint. 

 

Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to mediate between the groups and prevent further escalation. 

 

As of Wednesday, normalcy had returned to the village, though tensions remain high. 

 

Nigerian nurses begin nationwide strike today

 

Nigerian nurses, under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Federal Health Institutions Sector, today, July 30, embarked on a seven-day nationwide warning strike. 

The action, which began at midnight, followed the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued by NANNM to the federal government. 

The National Chairman of NANNM-FHI, Morakinyo Rilwan, warned on Monday, July 28, that the strike would involve a total withdrawal of services across all federal health institutions. 

“The 15-day ultimatum ends by Tuesday, July 29, 2025, by midnight, and the warning strike commences on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 12.01am. 

“The action would include 74 federal hospitals – teaching hospitals, federal medical centres, specialist hospitals like orthopaedic, neuro-psychiatric, and eye centres, as well as all general hospitals and primary healthcare centres in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and 774 local government areas. 

“Private hospitals are not included. This is because for now the private practitioner nurses are not spread over Nigeria,” he said. 

According to him, the strike was in response to issues which include poor remuneration, staff shortages, unpaid allowances, and unsafe working conditions. 

On July 14, 2025, the union issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government, demanding immediate intervention to prevent a total healthcare shutdown. 

Rilwan stated that despite the ultimatum, the federal government had not initiated any negotiations. 

He said the strike became necessary after the federal government and the Federal Ministry of Health failed to respond meaningfully to its July 14 ultimatum. 

The organisation’s demands include gazetting of the nurses scheme of service approved by the NCE in 2016 in Minna, Niger State, implementation of the National Industrial Arbitration Court (NIC) judgment of January 27, 2012, upward review of professional allowance for nurses and midwives, and employment of nursing personnel and adequate provision of health facility equipment. 

Other demands include creation of a department of nursing in the federal ministry of health, inclusion of nurses in the headship of the health policy-making body, a fair representation by the association on the board and membership in federal health institutions, centralisation of internship posting for graduate nurses, and consultancy for nurses and midwives. 

The association is also demanding the withdrawal of the content of the recently released circular on revised allowances for health workers (Nurses).

Rampaging hippopotamus caught and butchered for meat by locals in Adamawa community (photos)

One of the rampaging hippopotamuses that recently invaded communities in Adamawa State has been caught and butchered for meat by the locals.

 

 

Happiness Blog reported that one person was k!lled following the invasion of displaced hippopotamuses in the Guyuk and Shelleng Local Government Areas of the state last week. 

The Chairman of Guyuk Local Government, Mr Shalom Kassa, who confirmed the incident on Monday, July 28, 2025, said that a young man was reportedly k!lled by one of the animals during the attack.

Kassa said the hippopotamuses, displaced by flooding around the Kiri Dam in Shelleng, were now within communities, farmlands, and riverbanks, causing fear among residents.

"This is a serious threat to human lives and means of livelihoods; the animals are destroying farmlands, invading flooded homes, and endangering residents and livestock,” he said. 

It was gathered that the hippopotamus was caught on Tuesday, July 29.

 

 

 

 

Nigeria crumbling under poverty, insecurity, elite failure — Pat Utomi

 

A political coalition known as The Big Tent has warned that Nigeria is collapsing under the weight of poverty, insecurity, institutional decay, and elite failure.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition at a media briefing, Convener Professor Pat Utomi described the situation as an "existential crisis requiring urgent civic action and responsible leadership."

“We envision Nigeria as a beacon of African progress, leading a flock of nations toward prosperity much like the Asian Tigers,” Utomi said. “But to achieve this, we must confront hard truths. We must wake up to the suffering around us.”

He identified poverty as the most visible evidence of leadership failure, noting that 75% of rural Nigerians now live in chronic poverty. “Hunger is ravaging the land,” he said. “The rural economy has collapsed. Farmers can’t farm, yet our political elite are obsessed with convoys, private jets, and luxury SUVs. It’s morally bankrupt.”

Utomi warned of an unfolding food crisis, stating that over 30 million Nigerians are at risk of severe food insecurity during the June–August lean season. He added that the government ignored earlier warnings raised by agricultural experts within the coalition.

To address the crisis, he proposed structural reforms including an overhaul of land tenure laws, empowering universities to provide agricultural extension services, and establishing agro-processing clusters.

 “Just as land-grant universities transformed U.S. agriculture, we must re-engage our academic institutions to drive innovation and support in farming,” he said.

On insecurity, Utomi emphasized the connection between poverty and rising violence: “Poverty makes people easy recruits for terrorists and criminals. We need decentralised policing—local governments and states must be allowed to manage their security.”

He also called for regionally driven economic development: “From cocoa in the South-West to lithium in the North-Central, each region has untapped potential. But growth must be led by the private sector, with government acting as a smart enabler.”