Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District, has said that the excessive printing of money by the Central Bank of Nigeria under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari through the Ways and Means policy crippled the naira.

Oshiomhole made this statement on Saturday at a Progressive Governors Forum’s Meeting and Interactive Session in Benin City, Edo State.

He blamed the policy for the eventual collapse of the Nigerian currency against the US dollar.

“We are coming from a country that was almost like Zimbabwe or Idi Amin’s Uganda, where he asked the Central Bank Governor to ‘go and print more money for us to share to the people’. And the Governor said, if we print more money, Uganda currency will be like a sheet of paper,” he said.

According to the former Edo State Governor and President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to understand the root cause of the present cost of living and the exchange rate regime, you must trace and locate it in terms of the excessive amount of banknotes through the so-called Ways and Means which the past government created.

He said Nigeria was borrowing every day the way fish drinks water, stressing that it has become President Bola Tinubu’s burden to pay back those loans to guarantee the sovereignty of Nigeria.

Recall that the Senate in 2024 inaugurated an ad hoc committee to investigate the Ways and Means and the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the apex bank.

Ekwutosblog reports that the Ways and Means provision allows the Federal Government to borrow from the CBN if it needs emergency finance to fund delayed government expected cash receipts of fiscal deficits.

Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, under the aegis of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, PGF, on Saturday said the resignation of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, was in tandem with the party’s continued evolution.

Ekwutosblog reports that the Forum stated this in a communiqué issued at the end of its two-day strategic regional meeting in Benin City, Edo State capital, hosted by Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The communique read by the Chairman of the PGF and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, noted that APC remains the most institutionally-coherent political platform in Nigeria, with unmatched records of reforms, electoral success and national unity.

The communique noted that the recent influx of governors, National Assembly members, and other key stakeholders into the APC is a clear affirmation of public confidence in the party’s leadership model and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

The Forum which formally welcomed Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State to the party, noted that his decision, alongside with his supporters to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, reflects a growing national consensus on the transformative policies being executed by the Tinubu administration.

The communique added that the APC governors committed to work collaboratively to deliver bold reforms, strengthen institutional trust, and accelerate socio-economic development across all geopolitical zones.

The APC governors equally resolved to remain faithful to the party’s values, leveraging technology, innovation, and inter-governmental collaboration to drive Nigeria’s transformation from the bottom up.

The Forum encouraged all Nigerians, both home and abroad, to rally behind Tinubu and the APC as the nation moves towards a more secured, inclusive, and forward-looking future.

According to the communique, the APC governors engaged in deep reflection on the nation’s socio-economic direction and reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“The Forum highlighted key outcomes and resolutions from the gathering. The meeting provided a crucial platform to harmonize development strategies, reinforce party cohesion, and reaffirm the forum’s dedication to people-centered development, institutional accountability, and inter-governmental collaboration.

“The PGF congratulated President Tinubu and his team, commending the widespread endorsement of his policies across all States led by the Forum.

“A comprehensive appraisal of the nation’s economic, social, security, and political trajectory was undertaken by members of the Forum,” the communique said.

On security and national stability, the Forum commended security agencies and the ongoing efforts to counter criminality and safeguard national sovereignty.

The PGF expressed condolences to families affected by insecurity, particularly in Benue and Niger states, and reaffirmed its collective resolve to support the President’s national security architecture, commending recent actions and visits to Benue State.

While calling for greater investment in surveillance infrastructure and the welfare of frontline personnel, it reaffirmed support for inter-agency coordination, community policing, and grassroots intelligence systems.

In the same vein, the communique highlighted the indispensable roles of local government and community structures in service delivery and democratic inclusion, emphasizing the need for reinvigorated grassroots governance.

Ralph Nwosu, founder and national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), says the party is in transition and that former Senate President David Mark possesses the capacity to provide the required focus.

On Saturday morning, reports swirled that Mark had been appointed as the interim national chairman of the party.

When contacted by Ekwutosblog, Nwosu neither confirmed nor denied Mark’s appointment, but said the party is undergoing a transition and will make an official announcement next week.

“ADC has been in transition for the last 18 months. Where we are going is to make sure that we can build it to a state where patriots and citizens of this country would believe that it is not business as usual — and people with the highest integrity and moral force would be put together to lead the way forward,” he said.

Nwosu, who has led the ADC since its inception, lauded Mark’s leadership pedigree and described him as a figure the party needs for stability ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The distinguished senator David Mark has served the country in different capacities, and he has displayed leadership and patriotism. That is the kind of leadership we want to showcase to our country moving forward,” he added.

“To build a stable, focused, disciplined culture in the political party, there is no better person than David Mark if he were to agree to do that patriotic job.

“It is not about zone, it is not about anything, it is about Nigeria. We have some decent men who have lived for Nigeria, and David Mark is one.

“He is, in any way, possibly the first exemplar of what we want to do for the country. But we will wait until next week. Everything would be clear to all Nigerians.”

Baba Abdullahi, ADC national secretary, also did not deny or confirm Mark’s appointment.

“It is not a hanging news, but let it be until it is presented well,” he said.

Mark, a retired army general, served as senate president from 2007 to 2015. He is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and has not officially resigned from the party.

COALITION TALKS

Since the start of the year, opposition leaders have been ramping up high-level consultations aimed at forging a united political front strong enough to challenge and possibly unseat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election.

Key figures involved in the coalition discussions include former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections; Nasir el-Rufai, former Kaduna governor; and Rotimi Amaechi, ex-Rivers governor.

In May, TheCable reported that opposition leaders agreed to adopt the ADC as a platform to run in the 2027 elections.