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New Year: Nigerians list expectations from Tinubu govt in 2026
As Nigerians crossed over into the new year, 2026, some have expressed fear and anxiety, especially following the wave of insecurity witnessed in the out-gone year, and a range of economic reforms that worsened the hardship in the country.
President Bola Tinubu in his new year message on January 1, 2026, which was laced with promises of opportunities from the maturation of the economic reforms which he began in 2023, projected to propel great economic growth that could launch at least 10 million Nigerians into the productive sector.
In this report, a cross-section of Nigerians, who spoke to Ekwutosblog, expressed their expectations and what they want President Tinubu to do differently to better the lot of citizens better than the out-gone year, 2025.
A legal practitioner, Sylvester Agih, said implementation of the new tax laws and resolving the controversies generated by the alleged alteration of the gazetted copies would likely remain major headlines of most news platforms for the best part of 2026.
“My expectation from Tinubu is that he should handle the issues and implementation of the laws maturely and in a transparent manner that would command public trust and confidence.
“I also expect the government to be accountable to the people for taxes collected. I not only want to see numbers at the end of each fiscal year and what the numbers were used to achieve for the benefit of the common man. Afterall, the essence of governance is service to the people,” he said.
A Kwara-based entrepreneur and lecturer, Hassan Alowonle, said that he would want the president to tackle the issue of insecurity head on and bring the perpetrators and the financiers of terrorists to book.
He said, “I want him to eliminate all the cells of Bandits be it known or unknown, be it influential or not. It is when we are alive that we can be citizens of this country.
“There has never been an upsurge of insecurity in Kwara like the one we experienced in 2025, and sadly, it has crept into this new year. We in Kwara cannot sleep with our eyes completely closed.”
In the same way, a Kaduna-Abuja based journalist, Benedict Onoja, charged the president to make fertilizers available and affordable for the peasant farmers in the remote areas of the country to aid them in their farming activities.
“I expect president Tinubu to make fertilizers affordable for farmers and fix the issue of electricity, which is a major drawback of small scale businesses in Nigeria.
“Most importantly, he should give more political will to ruthlessly deal with the terrorists which have become a nightmare to farmers in the remote areas of our country, from where comes the food that sustains the nation,” he said.
Speaking differently, the convener of Frederick Emergency Response Support Initiative, FREER, Mcfrederick Akor Edache, said he does not expect anything from the president and from Nigeria.
Edache said, “I don’t expect anything from President Tinubu and from Nigeria. I don’t expect anything from anyone. I only expect my goals in this year to come to pass without expecting anyone to smoothen or fast track it.
“This is my honest opinion. However, it would be nice to find my goals happening easily because of some people or some things.”
On his part, Divine Mike, said as a Nigerian, he would like to appeal to President Tinubu to take some measures to make life easier for Nigerians, especially the poor masses in this new year, 2026
He said, “Firstly, the rate of unemployment in the last few years has been on a geometric rise. Millions of Nigerian graduates are yet to be engaged productively.
“Even the few slots for white scholar jobs are usually hijacked by members of the National Assembly, State Assembly, top government officials and key men in positions of authority, leaving the qualified ones stranded and unjustly denied the jobs.
“Based on this trend, I advise President Tinubu to write his name for good in the souls of men by mapping out strategies to stop this lopsided and unjust form of employment.
“He should replicate what Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State did in the recent teachers recruitment in the state where only those who sat and got the cut off marks in the job exam were automatically employed without connection to any superior authority in government.
“Secondly, President Tinubu should carry out actions against rampaging bandits and terrorists in Nigeria with more fervency, especially now that the US is interfering. He should not make himself appear like a docile and incapable President that needs external hands to save his nation.
“He should end years of playing politics with the security of the nation and dare the horns of the dare-devils,” he said.
Also speaking, Patience Samuel appealed to the President to ensure that the price of food items and fuel is controlled, adding that most times, some petrol stations still keep their price high even when there is announcement of price reduction by NNPC and other bodies in charge of petroleum.
She said, “I appeal to the president to ensure that State governors begin full compliance with the court order for Local government autonomy.
“Despite his golden effort to ensure full autonomy for LGAs in Nigeria, governors have refused to comply, as LGAs are at the moment under total control of the State governors.
“Funds for LGAs are being hijacked by governors who only release a minute fraction of it to Council chairmen.
“This has continued to hamper the growth and development of LGAs, as council Chairmen are left with little or nothing to run the affairs of the LGAs.”
She added that President Tinubu should start a policy of not releasing funds to any state governor in whose state there is no compliance with the local government autonomy.
News
I would rather die, than betray my predecessor – Gov Buni declares
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has made a powerful declaration, saying he would rather die than to betray his political godfather and current Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam.
Buni made the declaration on Tuesday while addressing delegates shortly after the conclusion of All Progressives Congress, (APC), congress held in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.
“I would rather die than betray our mentor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam. I remain deeply grateful to him for the role he played in my political journey.
“I will never forget where I am coming from, and I will never turn my back on the man who trusted and supported me,” he said.
He told the gathering that noted political career are built on trust, noting that he is a product of trust.
“I always want to be remembered as someone who never betrays anybody,” he declared.
The governor charged the newly elected party officials in the state to remain steadfast, urging them to uphold trust and integrity in the discharge of their responsibilities.
News
Iran: ‘Nigeria in trouble too’ – Hakeem Baba-Ahmed
Amid the ongoing tension in Iran, former Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Matters, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said that Nigeria too is in trouble.
Baba-Ahmed stated this on Tuesday during an interview on Trust TV monitored by Ekwutosblog.
He was speaking about the attack on Iran by the United States and its ally, Israel.
Ekwutosblog had reported that the US and Israeli launched air strikes on Iran on Saturday resulting in the death of its Supreme Leader and other top political office holders.
Airing his own opinion, Baba-Ahmed said, “Nigeria too is in trouble. We are not safe with what is going on in Iran.
“The world is by now aware of the fact that two days ago, the United States of America and Israel attacked the State of Iran, killed its leader and a number of very senior political and military officers, as well as a number of other citizens.
“Clearly, the United States had decided to affect regime change, meaning removal of the entire leadership of Iran and maybe installing a different one, or giving a chance to the citizens of Iran to choose who will next govern them.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work as neatly as leaders like President Donald Trump think. What we are likely to have is what we are beginning to see now, a lot of chaos, prolonged crisis, both within Iran and around it, and a lot of uproar around the world.”
News
Rivers LG chairman under scrutiny over alleged physical assault on female aide
The Chairman of Ahoada West Local Government Area, Hon. Eugene Ekpelle, is facing allegations of assault made by his former media aide, Minnie Ogadinma.
Ogadinma alleged that the council chairman ordered his brother, Monday Cheta, to attack her for allegedly attempting to tarnish his image.
Ekwutosblog reports that trouble started after Ogadinma made a social media post-highlighting the deteriorating condition of Community Secondary School, Odioku.
She alleged that the chairman visited her residence on Sunday evening after her video.
According to her, the chairman accused her of trying to damage his reputation and subsequently directed his brother, Monday Cheta to “teach her a lesson.”
She further alleged that Cheta assaulted her and attempted to use a shovel during the altercation, claiming the situation was only brought under control by neighbours who intervened.
Ogadinma said both she and her mother sustained injuries during the incident and disclosed that she was relieved of her duties as a media aide the same Sunday.
Detailing her account, she stated, “On Thursday, I visited my community secondary school in Odioku.
“When I got there, I saw how bad the school was. They don’t have chairs, no roof over their head. So I made a video calling for help.
“I tagged VeryDarkMan in my post, asking him to come renovate the school for us.
“Yesterday, I was in my house with my mother. Then the chairman came, himself, his younger brother, Monday Cheta, and the security man with the driver.
“They came down from the vehicle. And then when my mummy tried to greet the chairman, the next thing he said was that your daughter wants to damage his image online.
“Then he asked his junior brother, Monday Cheta, that he should teach me a lesson. That was his word. Go and teach this small girl a lesson.
“I was inside my compound. Monday pushed down my gate, pushed my mother. My mummy even had injury on her lips because she had an accident before now that they stitched.
“So, when he pushed my mummy, my mummy started bleeding from her mouth.
“So I ran into my compound. Then Monday entered my compound, started beating me. And then the chairman told him that he should kill me.
“My mom raised an alarm, and my neighbors came around. They had to come and rush him. He used a shovel that he wanted to hit me with.
“Then they rushed him, and they had to separate him from where I was.
“The next thing I heard from the chairman was that even if I should die, that nothing would happen to him, that nobody would do anything to him.”
However, the chairman denied the allegations.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Dennis Ezeuwa Lot, the council described the claim as “false, malicious, and deliberately distorted,” insisting that the Chairman neither assaulted nor directed anyone to assault Ogadinma.
The statement maintained that the Chairman had visited the residence for a peaceful engagement and alleged that Ogadinma confronted him with insults.
It added that she later fell and sustained minor injuries while being restrained by a passerby during a heated exchange.
“At no point did the Chairman engage in any physical confrontation,” the statement said, challenging those promoting the allegation to provide verifiable evidence.
The council further clarified that issues relating to Community Secondary School, Odiokwu fall under the jurisdiction of the Rivers State Government, not the local government, and urged the public to disregard what it termed attempts to create political tension.
Reacting to the development, a Port Harcourt-based human rights lawyer, Chetam Nwala condemned the alleged actions, describing it as “a serious disappointment from a public leader,” and called on security agencies to ensure justice is served.
Also speaking at a media briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the Director of Pilex Centre for Civic Education, Courage Nsirimovu, said Ogadinma “acted within her constitutional rights as a Nigerian citizen to monitor public projects in her community.”
Similarly, the Director of Relief International Africa, Green Isaac called for the “immediate arrest and prosecution of the council chairman, a public apology and compensation for medical expenses and displacement.”
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