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Tinubu Hails Fayemi’s Contributions To Democracy On 60th Birthday
President Bola Tinubu yesterday paid glowing tribute to former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on his 60th birthday and commended his dedication to democracy, governance, and national development.
In a statement released yesterday, Tinubu recalled his long-standing relationship with Fayemi, which dates back to their time in the pro-democracy movement of the 1990s, where they actively opposed military dictatorship.
“During the challenging General Sani Abacha era, civil rights and pro-democracy activists, especially those in exile, had to rely on their ingenuity to survive. Kayode’s brilliance, commitment, and strategic skills were invaluable to our cause,” Tinubu stated.
He highlighted Fayemi’s role in the struggle for Chief MKO Abiola’s release and the de-annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, describing how the military government restricted press freedom and arrested activists.
“There was a need to have a radio station covering the activities of the pro-democracy movement at home and abroad. Dr. Fayemi and other activists actualised the birth of the pro-democracy radio, Radio Kudirat, named in honour of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola,” Tinubu said.
Tinubu noted that following Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, Fayemi founded the Centre for Democracy and Development, focusing on promoting peace and security across Africa.
The President also recalled how Fayemi transitioned into politics in 2006 and contested the Ekiti governorship election in 2007 under the Action Congress.
Though initially denied victory, Fayemi pursued legal action, and after a three-year legal battle, he was declared governor in 2010 following a court-ordered re-run election.
Tinubu also highlighted Fayemi’s pivotal role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress in 2013, chairing the presidential primary panel that produced Muhammadu Buhari as the party’s candidate.
He later served as Director of Policy in the 2015 APC/Buhari campaign, which led to the historic defeat of an incumbent president.
After serving as Minister of Mines and Steel Development in Buhari’s administration, Fayemi returned as Ekiti State governor in 2018.
Tinubu commended Fayemi’s leadership, stating, “As a two-term governor, he served the people amid severe economic challenges. There is no doubt that he made his mark in the governance of Ekiti State.”
The president further praised Fayemi’s loyalty to the APC, recalling how he stepped down for him at the 2023 APC presidential primaries, demonstrating “remarkable humility and comradeship.”
“With our long years together in the trenches and years of party and national politics collaboration, Fayemi has been an able lieutenant, an invaluable ally, and a committed patriot,” Tinubu said.
Celebrating Fayemi’s achievements as an academic, author, administrator, and development expert, Tinubu wished him continued health and success.
“As he turns 60, I wish him continued health and fulfilment in the years ahead,” he added.
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, had lauded the courage and commitment of troops of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in North East Nigeria.
Abubakar gave the commendation during a morale-boosting visit to the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI in Maiduguri, Borno.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, yesterday, in Abuja.
The CAS said their sacrifices were etched in the history of the nation, and in the hearts of millions of Nigerians who sleep safer because of the troops’ vigilance.
He emphasised that their bravery and resilience in the face of adversity have not gone unnoticed, saying his visit underscored the vital role airpower plays in neutralising threats and protecting communities.
Abubakar pledged continued investment in cutting-edge technology to empower frontline units.
According to him, the NAF remains steadfast in its mission, guided by leadership, strengthened by unity, and driven by the selfless service of its personnel.
The visit comes at a critical moment, reinforcing the importance of public support for military operations and spotlighting the human element at the heart of national defence.
Nigeria’s soft drinks and beverage market continues to show strong growth potential, making it the leading consumer of soft drinks in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association.
A statement by the VDMA disclosed during a press conference held in Lagos ahead of drinktec 2025, that Nigeria consumed over 53 billion litres of soft drinks in 2024, placing it well ahead of other African countries such as Ghana and South Africa.
Despite challenges such as inflation and a weakening naira, Nigeria’s growing population, rising urbanisation, and expanding middle class are key factors driving demand in the beverage sector.
Bottled water led the segment with 48.7 billion litres sold in 2024, a figure projected to rise by 27% to 62 billion litres by 2028.
Carbonated soft drinks followed with 3.4 billion litres, expected to reach 4.4 billion litres by 2028, while energy drinks are forecasted to grow by 30% over the same period. Juices, though relatively small, are also on an upward trajectory.
“The Nigerian beverage market is expanding quickly due to increasing accessibility and affordability,” VDMA stated, citing data from Euromonitor International.
Set to take place in Munich from 15 to 19 September 2025, drinktec is the world’s leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry.
VDMA, a key exhibitor and technical partner for the event, revealed that Nigerian participation is expected to be strong, especially as the country anticipates economic recovery.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has condemned the recent ban placed on a song by Nigerian musician, Eedris Abdulkareem, describing the development as a return to the culture of censorship and a threat to the right to free expression.
Abdulkareem had waxed a song titled “Tell Your Papa” which criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement issued from New York University, Abu Dhabi, yesterday, Soyinka criticised the action and its wider implications, saying it echoed past attempts to stifle artistic and socio-political commentary in Nigeria.
“Courtesy of an artist operating in a different genre – the cartoon – who sent me his recent graphic comment on the event, I learnt recently of a return to the culture of censorship with the banning of the product of a music artist, Eedris Abdulkareem,” Soyinka said in the piece posted on PM news.
He expressed irony in suggesting that the ban did not go far enough, stating, “It is not only the allegedly offensive record that should be banned – the musician himself should be proscribed. Next, PMAN, or whatever musical association of which Abdulkareem is member, should also go under the hammer.”
Soyinka noted that he had not listened to the banned song but stressed that the issue transcends content and concerns a fundamental democratic principle.
“It cannot be flouted. That, surely is basic. This is why I feel that we should look on the bright side of any picture and thus recommend the Aleshinloye cartoon – and others in allied vein – as an easy-to-apprehend, easy-to-digest summation of the wisdom of attempting to stifle unpalatable works of art or socio-political commentary,” he said.
He also pointed out the irony that censorship often benefits the targeted artist.
The ban is a boost to the artist’s nest egg, thanks to free governmental promotion. Mr. Abdulkareem must be currently warbling his merry way all the way to the bank. I envy him,” he added.
The literary icon warned that such censorship was not only counterproductive but also dangerous to democratic development.
“We have been through this before, over and over again, ad nauseum. We know where it all ends. It is boring, time-wasting, diversionary but most essential of all, subversive of all seizures of the fundamental right of free expression,” Soyinka said.
He warned that the ban creates “a permissive atmosphere of trickle-down power,” where state authorities feel emboldened to clamp down on dissent.
Soyinka’s statement also touched on broader issues of impunity and mob violence in Nigeria, lamenting the recent lynching of 19 youths in Edo State.
“My heart goes out to friends, colleagues and families of victims and traumatised survivors of this senseless slaughter. Our thirst for justice must remain unslaked,” he said.
Referencing the 2022 killing of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, Soyinka criticised the culture of impunity, saying, “Identified killers were set free to gloat, and paste their photos on the Social Media… in full daylight glare, in the presence of both citizen voyeurs and security forces.”
He called for accountability, warning that “as long as the culture of impunity is given the sheerest strain of legitimacy in any given cause, such gruesome assaults on our common humanity will continue to prevail.”
Soyinka concluded by urging the relevant regulatory body to reverse what he described as a “petulant irrationality,” warning that any government that only tolerates praise-singers “has already commenced a downhill slide into the abyss.”