Today’s Headlines: Why Atiku Can’t Win Presidency; Sultan turbans Bello-Jeli, 12 others in Sokoto

The only thing former vice president Atiku Abubakar has going for him is his intransigence. He was vice president between 1999 and 2007, the last four of those years as an alienated deputy to his boss, former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

As a serial presidential aspirant or candidate since 2003, and with each succeeding election cycle, Alhaji Atiku has proved more intransigent, combative, and increasingly and desperately ambitious. He is entitled to his goals in life.

But, as he has probably discovered, the more he strives for the presidency, his life’s goal since 2003, the more the position becomes elusive. Consequently, the frustrations he has endured for more than two decades have turned him into a bitter and vexatious old man. By the next presidential election, he will be over 80 years old, and his chances of winning the presidency much slimmer than when he started out clumsily.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has turbaned Alhaji Abdulqadir Bello-Jeli as the Sarkin Fulotin Sokoto in recognition of his contributions to the country.

The ceremony took place on Sunday, with 12 other prominent individuals also receiving traditional titles.

During the event, the Sultan described Bello-Jeli as a practical and hardworking person who had made significant contributions to Sokoto State and Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria, Nan, reports that the Sarkin Fuloti is responsible for overseeing the allocation of land and ensuring the fair distribution of food and cattle.

The title holder also supervises the sharing of resources among members of the community during periods of plenty and scarcity to ensure fairness.

The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO), under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to quit his re-election bid, saying Nigeria needs a President with the required stamina to lead a country.

The Director of Strategic Communications of the MDPCO, Richard Ihediwa, stated this in Abuja on Sunday while reacting to the President’s continued foreign trips, the latest being his visit to Saudi Arabia for prayers, just weeks after returning from a vacation in France.

The MDPCO stated that President Tinubu could not withstand the rigours of campaigning and had to be flown to Mecca for prayers after delivering a “speech at the sparsely attended flag-off of his re-election campaign in Kaduna last week.”

The Nigeria Debate Consortium has announced November 8, 2026, as the date for the Lagos governorship debate ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The debate will give governorship candidates the opportunity to present their plans and explain how they intend to address the challenges facing Lagos residents.

The announcement was made in a statement jointly signed on Sunday by TVC News Director of News, Babajide Kolade-Otitoju, and Channels Television General Manager, Kingsley Uranta, on behalf of the consortium.The debate will begin at 7 p.m. at The Hub by IALA, House of His Glory, Plot 18, Providence Road, beside Keystone Bank, Marwa, Lekki, Lagos State.

The consortium comprises Channels Television, TVC News, Punch Newspaper, TheCable and Vanguard Newspaper. It said the Lagos debate would be the first in a series of electoral debates ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to the statement, the debate will provide a fair and independent platform for candidates to present their plans, explain their policy choices and answer questions on issues affecting Lagos residents.

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