Politics
“We’ve Moved From Stabilisation to Acceleration” — Shettima Tells APC Governors, Reveals Naira Nearly Hit N1,000/$ Without CBN’s Intervention
Vice President Kashim Shettima stepped to the podium at the Aso Villa on Tuesday with a message that was equal parts celebration and challenge — 2025 was about surviving the storm, he said. 2026 is about seizing what comes after it.
Representing President Bola Tinubu at the Progressive Governors Forum and Renewed Hope Ambassadors Strategic Summit held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, Shettima told an audience of APC governors, ministers, party leaders, and zonal coordinators that the Tinubu administration has formally exited its stabilisation phase and is now entering a period of full economic acceleration — anchored by the N58.18 trillion 2026 budget, which he described as the most ambitious in Nigeria’s history, featuring record capital expenditure and the largest allocation to national security the country has ever seen.
He wasted no time in laying out the administration’s scorecard. Inflationary pressures are moderating, fuel prices are easing, and the naira, in his assessment, is strong and stable. To drive that last point home, Shettima dropped a figure that has since sent social media into overdrive. He revealed that the naira would have reached N1,000 to the dollar in a matter of weeks if the Central Bank of Nigeria had not stepped in to stabilise the market — adding pointedly that those in the habit of stockpiling dollars should take note. It was a calculated jab, and the room appeared to receive it as such.
On investment, Shettima cited the fact that out of seven major investment decisions made across Africa in 2025, five were committed to Nigeria — a statistic he used to push back against the prevailing narrative that the business environment under Tinubu has become hostile to capital. He framed the numbers as proof that the world sees potential in Nigeria even when Nigerians themselves are struggling to feel it.
The Vice President also addressed what has quietly become one of the APC’s most pressing internal concerns — the gap between what the government is doing and what ordinary Nigerians know about it. He was frank: the administration’s landmark tax reforms, the executive order on oil remittances, and the wave of infrastructure projects rolling out across the country are not resonating with enough people, and that failure belongs to the party. He told the Renewed Hope Ambassadors gathered in the hall that no reform could succeed without public understanding and participation, and challenged them to move their work beyond the comfort of conference centres and into wards, markets, and university campuses where the real electorate lives.
“Elections are not conducted on Facebook,” he said. “They are conducted by Nigerians who report in their own language.”
The summit, themed “Taking Renewed Hope to the Grassroots: One Party, One Message, One Mobilisation Framework,” was a clear declaration that the APC is shifting into full campaign mode — and that the party has identified communication, not policy, as its single biggest vulnerability ahead of 2027.
Shettima also used the occasion to address one of the most publicly awkward fault lines in the ruling party. He made a special appeal to Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, urging both men — whose fierce rivalry has destabilised APC operations across the North-Central zone — to reconcile for the good of Benue and the party at large. “What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us,” he said, in remarks that drew visible reactions from the hall.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who chairs the Progressive Governors Forum and serves as Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, reinforced the Vice President’s tone. He told governors that transformation requires patience, restructuring requires courage, and stability requires discipline — and that the forum was recommitting itself to all three in service of the President’s reform agenda.
With APC’s 2027 machinery now visibly warming up, Tuesday’s summit made one thing plain — the party is no longer leaving its story for the opposition to tell.
President Bola Tinubu has appointed former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), Abuja.
The appointment was announced on Thursday, October 22, 2026, by the institute’s Director of Coordination and Liaison, Lilian Omo-Odigwe.
According to the announcement, Tinubu approved the appointment following a recommendation by the incumbent DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi.
Bichi’s appointment takes effect from October 22, 2026, for an initial four-year term in accordance with Section 4 of the National Institute for Security Studies (Establishment) Act, 2019.
He succeeds former DSS chief A.A. Gadzama as chairman of the institute’s governing board.
The NISS said Bichi’s experience in intelligence, security administration, operational leadership and institutional training would contribute to the institute’s strategic direction and governance.
The institute is responsible for strategic security training, research and capacity development for personnel within Nigeria’s security sector and allied institutions.
Bichi previously served as Director-General of the DSS from September 2018 until August 2024, when he left the position and was succeeded by Adeola Ajayi.
During his career, he held several positions within the intelligence agency, including State Director of Security in Jigawa, Niger, Sokoto and Abia states. He also served in different directorates at the DSS national headquarters and headed the State Services Academy in Lagos.
Before joining the DSS, Bichi began his career in the Security Division of the Kano State Cabinet Office and transferred his service in 1984. He later received specialised training in intelligence processing, analysis and security administration.
His appointment comes as the Federal Government continues efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security institutions amid persistent challenges, including kidnapping, banditry and other forms of violent crime.
As chairman of the NISS Governing Board, Bichi is expected to provide oversight on the institute’s strategic direction and contribute to strengthening professional training and institutional capacity within the country’s security sector.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Femi Olaniyi-Ferrari, has declared his intention to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 governorship election.
Olaniyi-Ferrari made the declaration during an interview in Lagos on Monday, October 19, 2026, saying his party was prepared to offer residents an alternative leadership focused on public welfare, accountability and socioeconomic development.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the candidate argued that Lagos residents deserved a government that listens to their concerns and responds to their needs.
He also questioned the prolonged dominance of one political party in the state, maintaining that a change in leadership should be considered by voters.
Olaniyi-Ferrari said the SDP intended to reshape the state’s political landscape through policies and programmes designed to improve residents’ living standards.
SDP Promises People-Centred Governance
The governorship candidate said his party would prioritise transparency, economic opportunities, social welfare and sustainable development if given the mandate to govern Lagos.
He explained that the SDP would intensify grassroots mobilisation and engagement across the state to communicate its policy proposals and attract support ahead of the election.
Olaniyi-Ferrari also urged eligible voters to examine the manifestoes and policy commitments of political parties before deciding whom to support in 2027.
He emphasised that elections provide citizens with an opportunity to influence the direction of governance through their votes.
According to him, the SDP’s proposed approach would focus on responsible management of public resources, broader access to opportunities and government policies that reflect residents’ aspirations.
The candidate expressed confidence in his party’s ability to mobilise supporters across Lagos and compete for the governorship seat.
He further called on residents to participate actively in the electoral process, stressing the importance of credible elections and informed choices in strengthening democracy.
The SDP’s declaration comes as political parties and their candidates intensify preparations for the 2027 elections, with the APC facing challenges from opposition parties seeking to secure the support of Lagos voters.
However, the outcome of the contest will ultimately depend on the candidates’ campaigns, policy proposals and decisions made by voters at the polls.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has withdrawn recognition of its chapters operating outside Nigeria, citing a subsisting court judgment that reportedly restricts Nigerian political parties from establishing and supervising branches abroad.
The party announced the decision on Sunday through its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, who said the move followed a review of the party’s relationship with its foreign-based chapters.
According to Director, the decision was taken in deference to a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama in a case involving Professor Ali Alao, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and another party.
The suit, identified as No. CV/187/2025, reportedly addressed the legal status of diaspora chapters established by political parties registered in Nigeria.
The NDC spokesperson said the court held that Nigerian political parties lacked the legal authority to establish, operate or supervise chapters outside the country’s territorial boundaries.
Consequently, the party said it was halting recognition of its foreign chapters and withdrawing all previously granted recognition in compliance with the judgment.
Despite the decision, the NDC expressed appreciation to Nigerians living abroad for their support, loyalty and contributions to the party.
Director disclosed that the party had begun a harmonisation process in locations where multiple groups were operating, with the aim of bringing them together under a unified structure.
He added that the party was still reviewing the judgment and had referred the matter to its legal department for further advice and guidance.
The NDC also acknowledged the interest of Nigerians in the diaspora in its candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The party encouraged its supporters abroad to remain engaged, continue interacting and maintain their political interests through appropriate and lawful channels.
The development comes as political parties prepare for the 2027 elections, with the NDC indicating that its withdrawal of formal recognition would not prevent continued engagement with supporters outside Nigeria.
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