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New Year: Tinubu to empower 8.8m Nigerians in 2026
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said his administration will empower at least 8.8m citizens in 2026.
He said not less than 1,000 people from each of the 8,809 wards in the country would be empowered, as part of efforts to deepen inclusive growth and deliver tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
The President disclosed this in his New Year goodwill message to Nigerians on January 1, 2026, where he described the new year as the beginning of a more robust phase of economic growth for the country.
“The new year marks the beginning of a more robust phase of economic growth, with tangible improvements in the lives of our people,” Tinubu said.
He said the empowerment initiative would be implemented through the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, which aims to bring at least 10 million Nigerians into productive economic activity by empowering at least 1,000 people in each ward across the country.
According to him, the programme will stimulate local economies through agriculture, trade, food processing and mining, while expanding grassroots economic opportunities nationwide.
Tinubu said the initiative builds on economic reforms sustained throughout 2025, during which the government carried out what he described as a fiscal reset and recorded steady economic progress despite global economic headwinds.
“We had a fiscal reset and also recorded steady economic progress,” the President said, adding that the gains recorded “reaffirm our belief that the difficult but necessary reforms we embarked upon are moving us in the right direction with more concrete results on the horizon for the ordinary Nigerian.”
On economic performance, Tinubu said Nigeria recorded robust GDP growth in every quarter of 2025, with annualised growth expected to exceed four per cent.
“We maintained trade surpluses and achieved greater exchange rate stability. Inflation declined steadily and reached below 15 per cent, in line with our target,” he said.
The President said the Nigerian Stock Exchange outperformed its peers in 2025, posting a 48.12 per cent gain, while foreign reserves stood at $45.4bn as of December 29, 2025, providing “a substantial buffer against external shocks for the Naira.”
He added that foreign direct investment rose to $720m in the third quarter of 2025 from $90m in the preceding quarter, reflecting renewed investor confidence in Nigeria’s economic direction, which he said had been “consistently affirmed and applauded” by global credit rating agencies, including Moody’s, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s.
On fiscal policy, Tinubu said he recently presented the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly, stressing that fiscal discipline and tax reforms would be critical to sustaining growth.
“The new year marks a critical phase in implementing our tax reforms, designed to build a fair, competitive, and robust fiscal foundation for Nigeria,” he said.
He said harmonising the tax system would raise revenue sustainably, address fiscal distortions and strengthen the country’s capacity to finance infrastructure and social investments, while commending states that had adopted harmonised tax laws to reduce the burden of multiple taxation.
On infrastructure, the President said the government would continue investing in roads, power, ports, railways, airports, pipelines, healthcare, education and agriculture, stressing that “all ongoing projects will continue without interruption.”
On security, Tinubu said economic progress must be accompanied by peace and stability, noting that decisive actions were taken against terrorist targets in parts of the North-West on December 24, in collaboration with international partners, including the United States.
He said operations had since been sustained against terrorist networks and criminal strongholds across the North-West and North-East.
The President reaffirmed his belief that “a decentralised policing system with appropriate safeguards, complemented by properly regulated forest guards, all anchored on accountability,” was critical to addressing terrorism, banditry and related security challenges.
Calling for unity, Tinubu urged Nigerians to embrace shared responsibility in nation-building.
“Nation-building is a shared responsibility,” he said. “Let us resolve to be better citizens, better neighbours, and better stewards of our nation.”
The David Mark-led faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the Federal High Court judgement that removed its leadership.
The opposition party also disclosed that it had filed an application seeking a stay of execution of the judgement pending the hearing and determination of its appeal.
The party made this known in a statement on Friday, November 6, adding that it had formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the legal steps taken,
The appeal is against the judgement delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 5, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1619/2025, involving Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe and the ADC.
The party urged INEC to refrain from taking any further action on the matter until the Court of Appeal has considered the case.
It argued that the application for a stay of execution was yet to be decided and that the electoral commission should not take any step that could affect the outcome of the appeal.
According to the ADC, it expects INEC to respect the ongoing legal process and allow the appellate court to hear the matter before making any decision connected to the judgement.
The statement partly read, “The ADC is exercising its lawful right to appeal. The judgement is now being challenged before a higher court, and the legal process must be allowed to run its course.
“We expect INEC to uphold the law and take full account of the pending proceedings before making any consequential decisions.”
The party also urged its members and supporters to remain calm, insisting that the court judgement would not stop its political activities.
It said its campaigns would continue while it explored all available legal options to defend its position.
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The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Senator David Mark, declaring the caretaker committee that oversaw the party’s affairs illegal and invalidating all decisions taken by the committee.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, also affects the presidential primary that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the ADC’s flag bearer for the 2027 general elections.
Atiku, whose name had earlier been published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s presidential candidate, had already selected former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
The ruling followed a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the ADC, who challenged the process through which the David Mark-led leadership assumed control of the party.
Gombe argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to take over the leadership.
He consequently asked the court to invalidate all actions undertaken by the Mark-led leadership and restrain Senator Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from presenting themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
The plaintiff maintained that their emergence violated the ADC constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.
In suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, the ADC, INEC, Senator David Mark, Aregbesola and Chief Ralph Nwosu were listed as defendants.
Justice Lifu upheld Gombe’s claims and granted the reliefs sought, effectively invalidating the authority of the caretaker committee and decisions taken under its leadership.
The verdict is expected to trigger fresh political uncertainty within the ADC, particularly over Atiku’s presidential ambition and the party’s preparations for the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
However, the party has vowed to challenge the judgment at the appellate court.
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