Former Ogun State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun marked his 68th birthday with a large gathering at the Ake Palace Pavilion in Abeokuta that effectively doubled as a political endorsement rally.
Speaking to supporters, Amosun stressed that for political balance and national stability, the Southern part of Nigeria should complete an eight-year term in office through 2031, urging patience with the current administration amid economic pressures.
The outing also included a philanthropic stop at the Ibara Correctional Centre, where Amosun and associates distributed essential supplies and relief materials to inmates.
Echotitbits take: This rally is a calculated reminder that Amosun remains a kingmaker in Ogun State. By aligning himself so visibly with the President early in the 2027 conversation, he is positioning his political family for a major comeback, potentially setting the stage for a showdown with rival factions within the Ogun State APC.
Source: Tribune – https://tribuneonlineng.com/power-rotation-best-arrangement-for-nigeria-amosun/ 2026-01-26
Photo Credit: Tribune
Former Ogun State Governor and Senator Ibikunle Amosun turned his 68th birthday celebration into a large-scale political rally at the Ake Palace Pavilion in Abeokuta on January 25, 2026. Addressing supporters, Amosun publicly endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second-term bid ahead of 2027, arguing that the South should complete an eight-year tenure for stability and equity.
Amosun described rotational presidency as a practical framework for national cohesion. He maintained that after eight years of Northern leadership, fairness requires that the presidency remain in the South until 2031, positioning Tinubu as the region’s consensus candidate. Despite reports of internal party friction and alleged boycott directives, the rally drew prominent APC figures and filled the pavilion to capacity.
Beyond politics, the event reportedly included a humanitarian visit to the Ibara Correctional Centre, where Amosun’s team donated relief items. Additional reporting characterized the rally as a demonstration of enduring political influence, with Amosun urging Nigerians to exercise patience with ongoing reforms and to respect zoning in the interest of national stability.
Echotitbits take: Amosun is effectively reminding everyone that he remains the “issue” in Ogun politics. By backing Tinubu so early and so publicly, he is carving out a strategic position for himself in the 2027 power map, likely to the chagrin of the current state administration.
Source: Vanguard – https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/01/2027-presidency-respect-rotational-agreement-amosun-tells-north/ 2026-01-26
Thirty three suspected internet fraudsters have been apprehended in Abeokuta by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Office.
This is contained in a statement signed by the EFCC Spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren disclosed the arrest of the suspects in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Ibadan.
The suspects, accused of defrauding unsuspecting individuals through the internet were arrested by the operatives of EFCC on Tuesday at Adigbe, Oloke, Ibara Housing Estate Extension, and Idi Ori areas of Abeokuta, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the agency’s spokesman.
Uwujaren stated that the arrest, followed actionable intelligence earlier received on the alleged criminal activities of the suspects, which led the operatives to making the arrests at different locations in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.
According to Uwujaren items recovered from the suspects include: 18 cars, mobile phones, laptops, and several other incriminating documents.
The suspects are to be arraigned in court after the conclusion of investigations.
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has called on the Federal Government to adopt one of the state’s local fabric popularly called Adire as an attire for national events and as a cultural symbol in the nation’s foreign missions, to further promote the rich culture of Nigeria to the world.
Speaking at the official launch of Ogun Adire Digital Market Place at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto in Abeokuta, Abiodun advocated the making of ceremonial dress from Adire for the nation’s athletes taking part in international sporting activities.
To demonstrably walk his talk, the governor declared that starting from next year adire fabric would become official school uniform in all public schools in Ogun State.
According to him, “I want to call on all stakeholders in the information, culture and tourism sectors to partner with us in promoting this national heritage.
“I want to particularly call on our Honourable Minister of Information and Culture to help promote Adire at the national level. For example, members of the Federal Executive Council and other top government functionaries can adopt and adorn Adire for national events.
“Our Foreign Missions could also adopt Adire fabric as a cultural symbol that will further project our rich culture to the world. Same thing could also be done by our Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports by making the ceremonial dress of our athletes from local fabrics such as our Adire.
“This will go a long way in promoting the local contents and give expression to President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s ‘produce what we use’ and ‘grow what we eat’ policies.”
Abiodun explained that Ogun Adire Digital Market Place designed to provide a global platform for the marketing and distribution of Adire fabric and its entire value-chain to the global markets and serve as a melting-pot for all participants in the entire system, by providing opportunities for a wider coverage of the market for people to reach out to vendors and transact businesses by logging into Adire Digital Mall.
He said plans have reached an advanced stage to make Adire an important aspect of every day life, as all top government functionaries in Ogun State now wear Adire on Fridays, just as plans are underway to make Adire part of school uniform, saying it would empower more people and further stimulate Adire economy.
The governor called on investors to take advantage of the new Adire Ogun Digital Market Place by partnering and intensifying their collaboration with Ogun State in the development of arts, culture and tourism.
In his remarks at the event, Minister for Information and Culture, Lai Muhammed, applauded Ogun State for making efforts to showcase Adire in the international arena, noting that the action was in line with the Federal Government’s diversification policy.
Minister of Information and Culture in Nigeria, Lai Mohammed speaks at the Cultural Centre, Kuto in Abeokuta the Ogun State Capital.
He said Adire Ogun Digital Market Place would serve as a veritable platform to marketing local fabrics, create employment and promote the nation’s cultural heritage, calling stake to make the best of the opportunity.
Also speaking at the event, the Wife of the Governor Ogun State, Bamidele Abiodun, described the digital market place as a consolidation of centuries of creativity and enterprise which would benefit more women when exposed to national and international market, calling on producers to always think about the environment, by disposing used chemicals properly.
To Alake of Egbaland, Oba Oludotun Gbadebo, Adire is a veritable foreign exchange earner. He charged all producers to properly handle chemicals used in producing adire, as it was dangerous and harmful to health.
Paramount Traditional Monarch of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo.
Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Oluwatosin Taiwo, in his part, said the state was blessed with world class tourism potentials that would generate foreign exchange.
He added that the history of Abeokuta would not be complete without Adire. He noted that depite influx of foreign fabrics, Adire continues to make huge impact in Ogun State and beyond.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta has sentenced one Festus Gbenga Ajayi to one year imprisonment for internet fraud.
The convict was prosecuted by the Ibadan Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on one-count charge of criminal impersonation, having been arrested on October, 2019 in a raid conducted in his hideout in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Investigations conducted by the Commission linked him to series of internet-related frauds which formed the ground for his initial arraignment on eight-count charges, bordering on criminal impersonation and obtaining money by false pretence before the charges were amended to lone-count, to which he pleaded guilty.
Apart from the jail term which takes effect from the day of conviction, the judge, Justice Ibrahim Watilat ordered that the convict to forfeits his uncompleted one-storey building, located in Ado-Ekiti, a Toyota Corolla car, one gold-colour iPhone, among other proceeds of and tools of crime to the Federal government.
He had earlier refunded N1,400,000 (One Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira) to the government, through the EFCC.
The heavy downpour in Abeokuta, which started at about 1.15 am on Saturday had destroyed property worth several millions of Naira.
Among the property destroyed were part of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library fence located at Moshood Abiola Way, Abeokuta and several properties such as electronics and personal belongings of some people that were washed away by the flood. All areas within the Abeokuta metropolis were adversely affected by the flood, as houses at the bank of the river were submerged.
Mostly affected areas also include Kuto, Isale -Igbein, Lanfewa, Amolaso, Ijeun-Titun, Ago -Ijesa, Abiola way, Isale Abetu, Sokori, Igbore, Oke Mosan and Isale Make area, all in Abeokuta South and North local government areas of Ogun State.
Robbers have been reported to have stormed Ogun Radio, Rounder and Adeun areas along Aiyetoro road in Abeokuta.
The incident was reported by a resident, Bola Hussein, who lives in the E2 area of Olomore Housing Estate in Abeokuta this Thursday afternoon.
In a telephone chat with Echotitbits, Hussein confirmed the robbery incident, saying she had been in touch with friends who live in the affected areas.
Hussein expressed fear that the robbers will not spare her area as her home is only about a 10minute drive from the affected areas.
She said “There is a robbery going on, we don’t know what is happening, The chairman of our landlord association informed everybody now. We have been calling people living in Adeun, Ogun Radio, rounder, they said the robbery is going on right now. They are really attacking people entering houses.”
It was gathered from Hussein, that the robbers were forcing their way into houses one after the other and attacking occupants. she also stated that the Assistant chairman of the Landlord Association in her area identified as Deluola, called to warn resident of the impending attack.
“The Assistant Chairman of our landlord association in E2 Olomore, gave us the information when he called about 30 minutes ago,”
While It is however not clear if the police in Abeokuta have responded to the incident as at 3pm, Hussein said “she has been hearing the whistle of security men, vigilantes alerting themselves”.
Meanwhile, another resident of Sabo, Terry Asibor, who spoke to Echotitbits confirmed that he has seen videos on Whatsapp statuses of neighbors around Sowunmi, a neighborhood close to his home.
He stated that, in the videos, security officials were seen ushering some boys in their vehicles.
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Officers of Police Command Ogun believed to have arrested some suspects involved I’m Thursday’s attack on some residents In Abeokuta
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