Today’s Headlines: I Wish I Had My Dad’s Brain — DJ Cuppy; APC Slams Atiku for Calling Tinubu ‘Bola’

Nigerian disc jockey Florence Otedola, popularly known as DJ Cuppy, expressed admiration for her father, billionaire businessman Femi Otedola, saying she wished she possessed his intelligence and business acumen. In a LinkedIn post, Cuppy revealed that she regularly sought financial and investment advice from her father whenever he visited London.

Cuppy praised Otedola’s investment strategy, particularly his decision to invest over $450 million of personal funds in First HoldCo Plc. She said observing his business decisions had taught her that wealth creation involved generating value beyond personal profit. She also highlighted the company’s dividend policy targeting at least 60 per cent of annual profit after tax, adding that she remained committed to learning from her father’s financial expertise.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for repeatedly addressing President Bola Tinubu simply as “Bola”, describing the action as disrespectful to the presidency. The council’s spokesperson and Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, accused Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, of allowing political ambition and resentment to undermine his statesmanship. The criticism followed Atiku’s description of Tinubu’s administration as a “Yahoo Yahoo” government and allegations questioning the President’s educational background.

Alake maintained that Atiku’s conduct fell below the standards expected of a former vice-president and presidential candidate. However, he directed APC leaders, spokespersons and supporters to continue treating Atiku with the respect his former office deserved. He added that Tinubu’s re-election campaign would concentrate on government achievements, policies addressing Nigerians’ concerns and efforts to translate economic reforms into prosperity ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The Federal Government assured Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu would not abandon them amid rising petrol prices. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had agreed to sacrifice part of its profits to cushion the impact of increasing fuel costs. He explained that the temporary intervention was a response to global oil market disruptions linked to the Iran-U.S. conflict and did not reverse the administration’s petrol subsidy removal policy.

Idris acknowledged the financial difficulties facing Nigerian households and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving living standards. He disclosed that Nigeria’s economy was projected to grow by over four per cent in 2026, while inflation had declined from approximately 27 per cent in January 2025 to 15 per cent. He added that external reserves exceeded $54 billion in September, stressing that the administration remained focused on translating economic improvements into affordable essential services, employment opportunities and increased purchasing power.

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 72 hours to publish his name as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election. Through his lawyers, Ahmed Raji & Co., Pantami challenged his exclusion from the final candidates’ list released on October 10, 2026, despite winning the party’s fresh primary on September 29.

Pantami’s lawyers explained that the Federal High Court had nullified the initial May 26 primary over procedural irregularities but upheld his party membership and ordered a fresh election. They maintained that INEC monitored the September 29 primary, which Pantami won, making his subsequent exclusion unjustified. The legal team demanded that INEC publish his name by Wednesday, October 14, and provide written confirmation of corrective action.

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