By Bonaventure Phillips Melah

High Chief Engr. Phillip Nwabueze Chinedu Atanmo, s former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), of the Ajaokuta Steel Company, Ajaokuta, Kogi State, has passed on, at the age of 86 years.

Prof. Atanmo was appointed in 1993 by then Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. He also served as the General-Manager (Technical Services) at the Delta Steel Company, Aladja, and was appointed as Pro-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, adjunct professor at the Anambra State University, where he served as the Dean Faculty of Engineering, and subsequently, a lecturer, Faculty of Engineering, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, in Anambra State.

According to his son, Engr. Chinedu Atanmo (jnr), the late sage, attended St. Philip Primary School, Akpogwe, Ogidi, Anambra State and Denis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha, before proceeding to the University of Connecticut, United States of America, where he obtained a Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Electrical and Metallurgical Engineering with Distinction, before obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Metallurgical Engineering from Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

A prolific engineer and scholar, Prof. Atanmo held three (3) US patents and authored over 100 technical publications in his lifetime.

After his retirement from the Ajaokuta Steel Company, he was elected a member of the Constitutional Conference in 1997, during the late General Sani Abacha’s administration.

He later became the Vie-President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Anambra State Chapter, before he passed on.

Stanmo reportedly died 21st March, 2026 of Cardio-Plumunary Arrest, according to a death certificate issued by Dame Irene Memorial Hospital, Irefi Oraifite, Anambra State.

He will be buried on Saturday, 6th June, 2026 at his country home, opposite St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Akpakogwe, Ogidi, Idemili-North Local Government Area, Anambra State.

Major opposition political parties in Nigeria and their leaders, have vowed to resist attempt by President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to impose a one-party state on the country.  They also demanded the removal of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and pledged to work together towards fielding one candidate to challenge the president in the 2027 general election.

The opposition leaders took the stands Saturday during a national summit that had in attendance several presidential aspirants from the different political parties as well as national leaders of the parties.

Among those that attended the summit are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, national chairman of African Democratic Congress, ADC, senator David Mark, former governor of Osun state, Rauf Aregbesola and former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, among many others.

They were hosted by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

In a communiqué they jointly signed at the end of the summit which took place in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, the opposition leaders noted what they described as the “collective threats that we face and the existential challenges facing our country under the stranglehold of the oppressive and anti-democratic All Progressives Congress (APC),” adding that, given the need for urgent, collective action to rescue the nation and the destiny of over 200 million compatriots,” hereby resolve as follows:

1. That we shall resist all machinations by the APC to foist a one-party State on Nigeria and fight for the survival of multi-party democracy in our country.

2. That despite the onslaughts and manoeuvrings of the ruling party, the APC to impose President Bola Tinubu as the sole Presidential candidate in 2027; we shall field candidates and contest the 2027 Presidential and other elections.

3. That we shall work towards fielding one Presidential Candidate for the 2027 elections, which shall be agreed and supported by all participating opposition parties to rescue our nation and her long suffering masses.

4. That the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, having shown bias and partisanship in favour of the ruling APC, should not conduct the 2027 general elections as Nigerians across board have lost confidence in him and his capacity to guarantee the required neutrality to deliver free, fair, transparent and credible elections. His continuous stay in office is vexatious and capable of triggering wide spread crisis in our nation.

5. That the National Assembly should immediately review the Electoral Act, 2026 to remove all sections that threaten the sanctity and integrity of the elections and run counter to constitutional provisions.

6. That all leading politicians that are being detained or harassed on bailable offencbe released with immediate effect and allowed to exercise their fundamental rights of participation and inclusivity as Nigerians.

7. That we consider the recent guidelines released by the INEC as obstacles, deliberately engineered to impose conditions and deadlines on the opposition parties. We therefore demand that INEC extends the deadline for primaries till the end of July, 2026.

8. The Summit commends Nigerians for their resilience and readiness to work with Opposition Parties to free our nation from State capture.

9. The National summit of Opposition Political Parties thank the Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for hosting the epochal event.

SIGNED:

Chairmen of Participating Opposition Parties.

Kenya’s President William Ruto has credited Aliko Dangote with solving a fuel scarcity crisis that Nigeria’s oil wealth failed to prevent for decades.

Ruto also rallied support for a planned East African refinery modelled on Dangote’s Lagos facility.

He made the remarks at an infrastructure summit in Nairobi while making the case for African-led solutions to the continent’s energy challenges.

“Nigeria has been a producer of oil for all the years that we know. Yet, when you went to Nigeria, there were queues of people looking for fuel in petrol stations for a long time.

“Until one African stepped forward and built a refinery, Aliko Dangote,” he said.

The Kenyan president used the example to argue that Africa possessed the human and financial capital to solve its own problems, without looking to Europe or Asia.

Ruto urged regional leaders, industrialists and financiers present at the summit to act without delay.

“The solution wasn’t in Europe or Asia. The solution was in Nigeria for a problem that disturbed Nigeria for years.

“I dare say, ladies and gentlemen, we have in this room the political leadership, we have the industrialists, we have the financials to transform our continent and we must waste no time looking any further,” he said.

Dangote, who was present at the summit, pledged support for the proposed East African refinery if regional governments committed their backing.