Ijebu-Ode residents have peacefully protested in opposition to the Ogun State government’s decision to halt the selection process for alleged irregularities in the area’s selection process for a new traditional ruler.
The protest came after the selection process for a new Ijebuland was suspended.
The demonstrators marched through major streets in the ancient town while carrying placards with inscriptions urging a free, fair, and transparent selection process under the auspices of Ijebu Sons and Daughters and Ijebu-Ode Progressive Youths.
The Chairman, Dare Alebiosu, addressed the crowd at the Ijebu-Ode Local Government Secretariat.
The chairman explained to the protesters that the Ogun State Government had no preference for a candidate and that the suspension was only intended to ensure strict compliance with the law.
Awujale: Ogun LG Stops the Selection Process
He claimed that the government isn’t concerned with the identity of the Awujale in the end. The selection process was made to ensure fairness and transparency.
He praised the protesters’ peaceful behavior and assured them that the selection process that would eventually lead to the creation of a new Awujale would soon resume. It would also reflect the people’s wishes and aspirations.  ,
A resident of the town Babatunde Salami said the demonstration was meant to send a clear message to the rulers to act responsibly.
The Awujale stool is regarded highly in Yoruba, Nigeria, and even beyond. We want the right rulers to make their choice for our nation. he stated
He continued, “We are here to demand that all laws be followed.” We don’t want moneybags to sabotage the process and make it pointless.
The protesters also urged contestants to receive equal treatment, noting that the traditional title should not be used as a justification for disqualification.
“We’ve heard bribery allegations against both the selection process and the contestants. Anyone found guilty must be punished by the government. We don’t want the procedure to be compromised, as it could lead to pointless litigation.
In addition, the Alagemos in Ijebuland have backed the Ogun State Government’s actions to ensure a smooth selection process.
The kingmakers should now sit down and go over the process in full transparency, according to the Funsengbuwa Ruling House.
As part of a wider American push to collaborate with African militaries to fight Islamic State-linked militants, the US military is increasing its supply of weapons and intelligence with Nigeria, according to Africom’s deputy commander.
According to Lieutenant General John Brennan, the Pentagon has maintained communication with military bases in Burkinabe, Niger, and Mali, which are under the junta.
The US military is becoming “more aggressive” in pursuing IS-linked targets on the continent as a result of Washington’s diplomatic pressure on Nigeria over jihadist violence there.
On January 24, 2026, US Army Lieutenant General John Brennan, the United States Africa Command’s deputy commander since April 2024, poses for a portrait in Abuja. Photo by Light Oriye Tamunotonye / AFP
We’ve gotten a lot more aggressive and are working with partners to target, primarily ISIS, according to Brennan, who spoke on the heels of a US-Nigeria security meeting last week in the country’s capital.
The problem set is linked from Somalia to Nigeria, according to the statement. So we’re attempting to disassemble it before giving partners the information they require,” he continued.
More enabling partners have been involved, and less restrictions have been placed on them, making it easier for them to gain more success.
About a month after the US announced surprise strikes on IS-linked targets in northwest Nigeria, the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group met last week.
diplomatic conflict
After the joint strikes, both militaries appear eager to work together again, but Washington’s diplomatic pressure is weighing in on the matter, which Trump claims led to a number of Christians being killed in Nigeria.
Abuja and independent analysts refute the long-standing religious right in the US to frame Nigeria’s numerous, intertwining conflicts.
At the Joint Working Group meeting in Abuja, Allison Hooker, the State Department’s number three, pressed the Nigerian government to “protect Christians” in a speech that neglected to mention the Muslim victims of armed groups.
The north of Africa’s most populous nation is roughly evenly divided between a predominantly Muslim and largely Christian south. Religious and ethnic identity are still a hot topic in a nation that has experienced sectarian violence throughout its history, despite the fact that millions of people live peacefully alongside one another.
According to Brennan, US intelligence would not only be used to defend Christians.
He added that, in the wake of the US’s recent airstrikes in northwestern Sokoto state, American support will continue to be focused on sharing intelligence to support Nigerian airstrikes there and the northeast, where a jihadist insurgency led by Boko Haram and rival breakaway ISWAP have raged since 2009.
He called ISWAP, or Islamic State West Africa, “our most alarming group.”
In recent months, some have questioned whether air support alone can stop armed groups that thrive in rural poverty and state collapse. However, analysts have been tracking US intelligence flights over the country.
Read more: Police Surveillance Truck Bringing Suspect Explosives to Oyo
Still work with AES militia members?
According to Brennan, continuing US-Nigerian cooperation will entail “the entire gamut of Intel sharing, sharing… tactics, techniques, and procedures,” as well as enabling them to acquire more equipment.
According to Brennan, the initial strikes targeted militants who were typically active in neighboring Niger and affiliated with the Islamic State Sahel Province.
Analysts worry that ISSP will spread to coastal West African nations like Nigeria as it is a result of the Sahel’s influence.
Local and international journalists were unable to confirm the casualties of those strikes, which has so far been undetermined.
Nigerian information minister Mohammed Idris questioned their effectiveness last week, saying that work was still being done.
In the Sahel, Brennan said more broadly that “we still work” with the junta-led Burkinabe, Mali, and Niger, which have largely rejected the West and distanced themselves from their neighbors.
Since coups that threw civilian governments in the three countries between 2020 and 2023, security cooperation has been hampered.
He claimed that we have actually shared information with some of them to attack important terrorist targets. Even though it’s not a formal agreement, we still communicate with our military partners throughout the Sahelian states.
After the ruling junta forced its troops out of Niger, Brennan added, the US is not attempting to replace its bases there.
He cited the abandoned US drone operations in Agadez as saying, “We’re not in the market to build a drone base anywhere.”
We are much more focused on arriving in the right place at the right time than departing. None of the Western African nations are willing to host us for a long-term base.
As part of a wider American push to collaborate with African militaries to fight Islamic State-linked militants, the US military is increasing its supply of weapons and intelligence with Nigeria, according to Africom’s deputy commander.
According to Lieutenant General John Brennan, the Pentagon has maintained communication with military bases in Burkinabe, Niger, and Mali, which are under the junta.
The US military is becoming “more aggressive” in pursuing IS-linked targets on the continent as a result of Washington’s diplomatic pressure on Nigeria over jihadist violence there.
On January 24, 2026, US Army Lieutenant General John Brennan, the United States Africa Command’s deputy commander since April 2024, poses for a portrait in Abuja. Photo by Light Oriye Tamunotonye / AFP
We’ve gotten a lot more aggressive and are working with partners to target, primarily ISIS, according to Brennan, who spoke on the heels of a US-Nigeria security meeting last week in the country’s capital.
The problem set is linked from Somalia to Nigeria, according to the statement. So we’re attempting to disassemble it before giving partners the information they require,” he continued.
More enabling partners have been involved, and less restrictions have been placed on them, making it easier for them to gain more success.
About a month after the US announced surprise strikes on IS-linked targets in northwest Nigeria, the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group met last week.
diplomatic conflict
After the joint strikes, both militaries appear eager to work together again, but Washington’s diplomatic pressure is weighing in on the matter, which Trump claims led to a number of Christians being killed in Nigeria.
Abuja and independent analysts refute the long-standing religious right in the US to frame Nigeria’s numerous, intertwining conflicts.
At the Joint Working Group meeting in Abuja, Allison Hooker, the State Department’s number three, pressed the Nigerian government to “protect Christians” in a speech that neglected to mention the Muslim victims of armed groups.
The north of Africa’s most populous nation is roughly evenly divided between a predominantly Muslim and largely Christian south. Religious and ethnic identity are still a hot topic in a nation that has experienced sectarian violence throughout its history, despite the fact that millions of people live peacefully alongside one another.
According to Brennan, US intelligence would not only be used to defend Christians.
He added that, in the wake of the US’s recent airstrikes in northwestern Sokoto state, American support will continue to be focused on sharing intelligence to support Nigerian airstrikes there and the northeast, where a jihadist insurgency led by Boko Haram and rival breakaway ISWAP have raged since 2009.
He called ISWAP, or Islamic State West Africa, “our most alarming group.”
In recent months, some have questioned whether air support alone can stop armed groups that thrive in rural poverty and state collapse. However, analysts have been tracking US intelligence flights over the country.
Read more: Police Surveillance Truck Bringing Suspect Explosives to Oyo
Still work with AES militia members?
According to Brennan, continuing US-Nigerian cooperation will entail “the entire gamut of Intel sharing, sharing… tactics, techniques, and procedures,” as well as enabling them to acquire more equipment.
According to Brennan, the initial strikes targeted militants who were typically active in neighboring Niger and affiliated with the Islamic State Sahel Province.
Analysts worry that ISSP will spread to coastal West African nations like Nigeria as it is a result of the Sahel’s influence.
Local and international journalists were unable to confirm the casualties of those strikes, which has so far been undetermined.
Nigerian information minister Mohammed Idris questioned their effectiveness last week, saying that work was still being done.
In the Sahel, Brennan said more broadly that “we still work” with the junta-led Burkinabe, Mali, and Niger, which have largely rejected the West and distanced themselves from their neighbors.
Since coups that threw civilian governments in the three countries between 2020 and 2023, security cooperation has been hampered.
He claimed that we have actually shared information with some of them to attack important terrorist targets. Even though it’s not a formal agreement, we still communicate with our military partners throughout the Sahelian states.
After the ruling junta forced its troops out of Niger, Brennan added, the US is not attempting to replace its bases there.
He cited the abandoned US drone operations in Agadez as saying, “We’re not in the market to build a drone base anywhere.”
We are much more focused on arriving in the right place at the right time than departing. None of the Western African nations are willing to host us for a long-term base.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) national working committees, which were set up to conduct delegate congresses and party primaries in Rivers State ahead of the House of Assembly bye-elections on February 21, have commended the party’s rising support among the electorates.
READ MORE: Fubara Vows To Uphold Peace in Rivers, “I Remain Governor,”
Following the successful completion of the exercises in both constituencies on Sunday, January 25, 2026, committee members for Ahoada East State Constituency II and Khana State Constituency II made the remarks during a joint press briefing.
Shehu Dange, the party’s chairman and primary committee for Ahoada East State Constituency II, claimed Rivers State’s residents were more enamored with the party after Governor Siminalayi Fubara joined the APC.
The responses of residents of the constituency, in his opinion, reflect renewed confidence in the party’s leadership.
“We observed the people’s reactions as we maneuvered around the constituency. They are pleased with the new direction and the APC’s new leadership.
The APC family has grown even more at ease under Governor Fubara’s leadership. Rivers State’s leadership and focus have made the party stronger, according to Danger.
Barrister Smart Iheanazor, the delegate’s representative’s representative for Ahoada East State Constituency II, also gave an address praising the public’s faith in the governor.
There was no doubt about their commitment, especially when they chanted “Renewed Hope” in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
He continued, “The entire Ahoada area turned out very well,” as we saw.
Ayoala Peter, the delegate congress and party primary committee for Khana State Constituency II, said on his part that under Governor Fubara’s leadership, the APC is well-positioned to win the 2027 general elections and the bye-elections on February 21.
Party members patiently despite the distance between wards and the time it took to get to some of them.
We observed their joy and willingness to take part in the process, Peter said.
Prior to the bye-elections, APC committees held ward congresses in Khana and Ahoada East to elect electors.
The Congress and Primary Committee, led by Shehu Dange, led the exercise in Ahoada East State Constituency II, along with members of the party’s appeal committee, and Smart Iheanazor served as Secretary.
The Assistant Election Officer in charge of Operations for the Local Government Area, Okogbule Emilia, served as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The process was also closely monitored by security organizations, including the Nigerian Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Party members had a voice vote at the congress.
Similar to how the APC congress in Khana State Constituency II was held concurrently, with party officials acting as delegates’ judges using an open voting system.
Ayoala Peter presided over the exercise, which was closely monitored by INEC officials and security organizations, including the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force.
In each of the constituencies, five delegates were chosen.
Despite praising the level of construction that has been delivered so far, the federal government has revoked 68 km of the 105-kilometer Gusau-Talata Mafara road project, which was awarded to a private company due to the slow pace of work.
Also read: Umahi Orders Federal Road Contractors to Return to Sites
While inspecting the ongoing dualization of the Sokoto-Gusau-Funtua-Zaria highway, the Works Minister, Bello Goronyo, made the announcement on Sunday.
Triacta Nigeria Limited, the federal government’s contractor, was given the contract in May 2023 to construct a dual carriageway between Gusau and Talata Mafara for the construction of the Gusau-Sokoto highway project, which extends from Gusau to Talata Mafara.
Although the company started working from Talata Mafara Local Government Area and made some progress, the area’s worsening insecurity forced the contractor to relocate to the Gusau-Bungudu axis, where construction is currently being done.
The Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, who reviewed the project on President Bola Tinubu’s recommendation, applauded the caliber of the work done by Triacta but expressed dissatisfaction with the slow construction pace, which resulted in the revocation of 68 kilometers of the contract.
“We are at Triacta, the second contractor, starting at kilometer 105, and, as I said, we are now at kilometer six.” Although you can see them on the job site, we have noticed that their work is not very impressive because they only have a 16% completion rate.
We are hopeful that Talata-Mafara should have made significant progress on this path because the contract was almost concurrent with Sokoto’s contract, which was in May 2023, was awarded. “This is a very significant corridor,” Goronio said.
So we narrowed them down to kilometer 37 from kilometer 0 in Gusau so that they could concentrate on the dual carriageway, the two sections left and right, before November this year, so that Phase One and Phase Two, which are located at kilometer 37 from kilometer 105, can be found and completed by a reputable contractor who will arrive and deliver that project on time, he added.
According to him, the Federal Government is determined to complete the project’s affected section by November this year to improve visibility, improve road safety, increase security, and boost economic activity along the corridor.
A Triacta Nigeria Limited representative responded, citing persistent insecurity as one of the main issues affecting the project.
You’re aware that our work has already begun in Mafara, which is located just 60 kilometers away. We almost completed 11 kilometers in Mafara, which was a very timely record, before, regrettably, we were evacuated because of security concerns that are well known to everyone.
“Therefore, building a camp there is not simple. When you have seen how quickly we started working on the bridges there with all the heavy equipment we have put there, including the asphalt plant, and other plants, we have to move to a new location where we have nothing, Furry said.
“So we had to construct a new location again; in the interim, it was obviously not finished on time. We can’t claim that we fully resumed our first session.
We are now at full strength once more, but we are uncomfortable. Yes, security is a major issue here, he added.
The minister then proceeded to Setraco’s other projects, which included Gusau and Sheme-Funtua, where he applauded the speed and standard of work.
Despite praising the level of construction that has been delivered so far, the federal government has revoked 68 km of the 105-kilometer Gusau-Talata Mafara road project, which was awarded to a private company due to the slow pace of work.
Also read: Umahi Orders Federal Road Contractors to Return to Sites
While inspecting the ongoing dualization of the Sokoto-Gusau-Funtua-Zaria highway, the Works Minister, Bello Goronyo, made the announcement on Sunday.
Triacta Nigeria Limited, the federal government’s contractor, was given the contract in May 2023 to construct a dual carriageway between Gusau and Talata Mafara for the construction of the Gusau-Sokoto highway project, which extends from Gusau to Talata Mafara.
Although the company started working from Talata Mafara Local Government Area and made some progress, the area’s worsening insecurity forced the contractor to relocate to the Gusau-Bungudu axis, where construction is currently being done.
The Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, who reviewed the project on President Bola Tinubu’s recommendation, applauded the caliber of the work done by Triacta but expressed dissatisfaction with the slow construction pace, which resulted in the revocation of 68 kilometers of the contract.
“We are at Triacta, the second contractor, starting at kilometer 105, and, as I said, we are now at kilometer six.” Although you can see them on the job site, we have noticed that their work is not very impressive because they only have a 16% completion rate.
We are hopeful that Talata-Mafara should have made significant progress on this path because the contract was almost concurrent with Sokoto’s contract, which was in May 2023, was awarded. “This is a very significant corridor,” Goronio said.
So we narrowed them down to kilometer 37 from kilometer 0 in Gusau so that they could concentrate on the dual carriageway, the two sections left and right, before November this year, so that Phase One and Phase Two, which are located at kilometer 37 from kilometer 105, can be found and completed by a reputable contractor who will arrive and deliver that project on time, he added.
According to him, the Federal Government is determined to complete the project’s affected section by November this year to improve visibility, improve road safety, increase security, and boost economic activity along the corridor.
A Triacta Nigeria Limited representative responded, citing persistent insecurity as one of the main issues affecting the project.
You’re aware that our work has already begun in Mafara, which is located just 60 kilometers away. We almost completed 11 kilometers in Mafara, which was a very timely record, before, regrettably, we were evacuated because of security concerns that are well known to everyone.
“Therefore, building a camp there is not simple. When you have seen how quickly we started working on the bridges there with all the heavy equipment we have put there, including the asphalt plant, and other plants, we have to move to a new location where we have nothing, Furry said.
“So we had to construct a new location again; in the interim, it was obviously not finished on time. We can’t claim that we fully resumed our first session.
We are now at full strength once more, but we are uncomfortable. Yes, security is a major issue here, he added.
The minister then proceeded to Setraco’s other projects, which included Gusau and Sheme-Funtua, where he applauded the speed and standard of work.
