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Faleke’s Poor Judgement. By Abdulrazaq Magaji
James Abiodun Faleke was destined to be deputy governor of Kogi state. He would have been executing that office today. He is not. Poor Faleke! He has his poor judgment to blame. For now, the best trophy he gets for his misadventure in politics is former Kogi state APC deputy governorship candidate. Or, better still, Kogi state deputy governor that was not! No more, no less! This, certainly, is not a good epitaph for a politician who must have been surprised at the speed of his own rising political profile.
Pity it took Faleke this long to realise he is no more than the paper tiger he had always been! It is even pitiable that Faleke failed, in his political naivety, to realise that those who misled him by beating the weird drum to which he danced so weirdly were interested in their own agenda; not his. In his desperation, Faleke even went into an unholy alliance with former governor, Captain Idris Wada believing the diminutive aviator was working for him. But, Wada had other designs and could easily have upstaged Faleke were his case not as bad, if not worse, than that of Faleke.
Perhaps, Faleke was so fixated on and, strongly believed in the potency of Ifa to assist him to covet what was not his. Of course, Faleke must have thought Ifa gods were doing his bidding when his principal, Prince Abubakar Audu, died before he was declared governor last December. Alas, Ifa has proved, and tellingly too that, when the stress is placed on the last two alphabets, Faleke could also mean Ifa is deceitful or dishonest! The gods have played a fast one on Faleke! Were the gods angry?
Were they not, Faleke would have been more diplomatic in handling a ‘small matter’ instead of allowing it to blow into his face. His first diplomatic line of action was to have consulted with his benefactor and APC national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu on the way forward. Faleke simply ignored Asiwaju Tinubu and chose to swim with new-found friends who knew nothing about and, contributed nothing to his emergence as running mate to Prince Audu. So painful and sad that Faleke simply allowed inexpedient counsel to abbreviate his rising political profile.
Contrary to attempts to give it a moral colouring, the Faleke case was purely legal which could not have taken any judge more than five minutes to throw out even if the complainant assembled the best legal brains around! Pertinent questions included: Had the APC candidate, Prince Audu, been declared governor at the time of his death? Were he still alive, would Prince Audu be referred to as governor-elect before the election was finally concluded on December 5? No! So, was there a valid deputy governor-elect to inherit a non-existent throne? No! And, do you have to be a lawyer to know these? Of course, not! So, what was the basis for all the hot air over a ‘small matter’?
For the benefit of fair play, right-thinking Nigerians reasoned that the death of Prince Audu provided an opportunity for the majority Igala to cede the governorship to Faleke, a minority Okun/ Kabba man to govern for the next four years before power reverts, no insults meant, to its rightful place in Igalaland! But, this would have been a moral issue that has no basis in law. And, this is why the APC did the right thing by nominating another minority, Yahaya Bello, to replace Prince Audu.
Faleke simply listened to wrong voices and surrounded himself with vultures and leeches who have now abandoned him. He might have consigned himself to political Siberia by filing to play his cards right.. It is hardly surprising that lawyers count prominent among the wrong voices that told Faleke to insist on a non-existent mandate. And their motive for pushing politically na�ve Faleke around is not because they were convinced Faleke had a valid case. And, by the way, wasn’t it the height of political naivety for Faleke to have teamed up with the son of late Prince Audu who clownishly saw the governorship as an inheritance?
If he has not done so already, Faleke should reach out to leaders of his party to indicate his willingness to work with Governor Yahaya Bello. While doing that, he should find a way to distance himself from vultures and leeches who did anything and everything to scuttle his inauguration as deputy governor last January. Faleke probably thought he was too big to be deputy governor, started acting in that direction and was egged on to what might turn out to be political oblivion. He was made to believe and, he too believed the lie, that he had outgrown the office of deputy governor.
What Faleke should do is to tutor himself about the reality of the shark-infested water of politics and outgrow the political naivety, almost bordering on bigheadedness, which is threatening to cut short a promising career in politics. Faleke was not destined to be governor of Kogi state. At least, not in 2016! And, with the odds stacked against him, there was no way the courts could have made him one! There would have been no question about Faleke being His Excellency today if election-related violence did not force the cancellation and postponement of balloting in some polling units. And slamming the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for declaring an inconclusive election begged the question.
Supporters and sympathizers of Faleke who trod this path argued that INEC acted somebody’s script of ‘robbing’ their man of victory by declaring the election inconclusive! Sure? With a difference of 41,000 votes between the two top candidates and undeclared 49,000 votes, INEC could have opened itself to serious accusations if it had declared Prince Audu. And, this is without prejudice to the fact that even then sitting governor, Idris Wada, knew he had no chance on earth of turning the table at the re-run.
But, wait a minute! Would those who slam INEC have acted similarly if the shoe was on the other foot? Confronted by a similar scenario, would the APC as a political party, have kept mum even if it knew it had no hope in hell of turning the table? Those who slam INEC make the whole episode more laughable because their position presupposed that late Prince Abubakar Audu, upon being declared governor-elect, was going to hand over to Faleke! Even if that was the intention, and Faleke knew it wasn’t, it is time he comported himself and soldier on.
Otherwise, he risks making the gods angrier after they benevolently cracked his nuts for him!
Troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, working alongside local vigilantes, have reportedly captured key commanders of a terrorist group suspected of involvement in the kidnapping and killing of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar in Katsina State.
The operation, carried out on Sunday, September 20, 2026, reportedly resulted in the arrest of several senior members of the terrorist group known as the Kachalla Maha network.
Among those captured was a suspected commander identified as Samagi, who is believed to be a prominent figure within the group’s operational structure.
According to security sources, the suspects are expected to undergo detailed investigation and profiling to determine their individual roles in the activities of the group and their possible involvement in other attacks and kidnappings across Katsina and neighbouring states.
The arrests were reportedly achieved through cooperation between military personnel and local vigilantes, with intelligence from local communities playing a role in tracking the suspects.
Security authorities are expected to use information obtained from the arrested suspects to uncover details about the group’s leadership structure, hideouts, supply networks and other possible members or collaborators.
The development comes months after Major General Rabe Abubakar, a former Director of Defence Information, was abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State. He later died while in captivity. His wife was subsequently rescued during a military operation.
The military has continued intensified operations in Katsina and other parts of the North-West as part of efforts to disrupt terrorist and bandit networks operating in the region.
President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has been appointed Grand Patron of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF), as organisers seek to strengthen connections between established business leaders and emerging entrepreneurs across Africa and beyond.
The appointment was formally presented during a visit by the GEF Board to Dangote, where he was also recognised for his contributions to entrepreneurship, business development and economic transformation.
Dangote to Support Global Entrepreneurship Drive
The festival said Dangote’s experience in building businesses and investing across major sectors of the African economy would add value to its entrepreneurship platform.
Speaking after receiving his certificate of appointment, Dangote highlighted the importance of connecting entrepreneurs and businesses to explore opportunities for collaboration.
He said the platform could help bring entrepreneurs from North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the world together to identify areas where businesses can work together.
GEF Targets Stronger Business Connections
The appointment is part of the festival’s broader effort to connect established business leaders, investors, institutions and policymakers with emerging entrepreneurs.
GEF President, Dr Summy Smart Francis, led the delegation that presented the appointment to Dangote. The organisation said his involvement would strengthen efforts to promote enterprise development, investment and collaboration.
GEF Vice Chairman, Dr Elizabeth Jack-Rich, was also credited with facilitating the engagement between the festival’s leadership and Dangote.
Festival to Hold in Egypt
The 2026 edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival is scheduled to take place in Cairo, Egypt, from November 6 to 8.
The three-day event is expected to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, business leaders, policymakers and institutions from Africa and other parts of the world.
The festival is designed to provide opportunities for networking, investment discussions, mentorship, knowledge sharing and business partnerships.
Dangote is also listed among the speakers for the 2026 edition on the festival’s official website.
Focus on Africa’s Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
With Dangote taking on the Grand Patron role, the festival organisers are seeking to deepen links between established African enterprises and the continent’s emerging generation of entrepreneurs.
The initiative comes as GEF positions the Cairo gathering as a platform for entrepreneurs and investors to exchange ideas, build partnerships and explore opportunities across markets.
Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued 31 kidnapped victims during separate operations in Katsina and Kebbi states.
The operations, conducted on September 14 and 15, also led to the death of two suspected terrorists, the arrest of two others and the recovery of ammunition, a motorcycle, camouflage clothing and other items, according to the task force.
10 Kidnap Victims Rescued in Katsina
In Katsina State, troops of Sector 2 rescued 10 kidnap victims following reports of abductions in Unguwan Daudu and Unguwan Chibauna communities in Funtua Local Government Area.
The victims comprised three males and seven females, including an infant.
According to the military, troops launched a hot pursuit after receiving the reports and engaged the suspected terrorists in a gun battle, leading to the successful rescue of the victims.
The rescued persons were subsequently taken into military custody for further action.
21 Victims Rescued in Kebbi
In Kebbi State, troops responded to a distress call following the abduction of civilians from Fafala Village in Kangiwa Local Government Area.
Acting on what the military described as credible intelligence, the troops conducted a fighting patrol towards Fafala and Dandikwa, where they engaged the suspected terrorists in a heavy exchange of fire.
The gun battle reportedly forced the attackers to withdraw, allowing the troops to rescue 21 victims.
The rescued victims were later reunited with their families.
Two Terrorists Killed in Katsina
The military also reported a separate operation in Katsina on September 15, during which troops foiled an alleged plan to attack communities in Matazu and Kankara local government areas.
The troops reportedly moved towards a suspected terrorist hideout and engaged the group with superior firepower.
Two suspected terrorists were killed, including Abbah Alhassan, whom the military identified as a known terrorist kingpin. Other suspected terrorists reportedly fled into the surrounding bush.
Items recovered from the area included 10 rounds of ammunition, a motorcycle, a cutlass, camouflage clothing and Indian hemp, among other items.
Two Suspected Terrorists Arrested
In another operation in Katsina, troops arrested two suspected terrorists around the Yantumaki general area of Dan Musa Local Government Area.
Preliminary interrogation, according to the military, indicated that the suspects were allegedly associated with a suspected terrorist kingpin identified as Mannori.
The two suspects remain in custody for further investigation.
Military Urges Public Vigilance
The Joint Task Force said the operations demonstrate its continued efforts to rescue kidnapped victims, disrupt terrorist networks and restrict the activities of armed groups across its area of operation.
The task force also thanked members of the public for their support and urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.
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