More than 3,000 delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, are expected to participate in the national elective convention of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, scheduled to hold November 14th and 15th 2025.

A statement by the party on Saturday said delegates and stakeholders are excited and ready for the historic event which it said would ensure that the one-party system agenda of the APC led federal government is checkmates.

“With just six days until the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Elective National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, delegates, stakeholders, and millions of Nigerians are united in their resolve to rebuild the party, restore internal democracy, and deliver a resounding rejection of President Bola Tinubu’s desperate plot to impose a one-party state ahead of 2027.

“Tagged #Ibadan2025, the convention scheduled for November 14–15, 2025, at the prestigious Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, will elect a new National Working Committee (NWC), affirm the Board of Trustees (BoT) under the authentic leadership of Senator Adolphus Wabara, and adopt a unified roadmap to rescue Nigeria from APC’s decade-long misrule.

“PDP is ready. Nigeria is ready,” declared Folarin Babalola, a member of the PDP in Ibadan, Oyo State. PDP delegates are coming out en masse to vote for true hope, not fear.”

“Over 3,000 delegates from the 36 states and FCT, including governors, National Assembly members, former ministers, and grassroots leaders, have confirmed attendance.

“Ibadan is ready to host the rebirth of Nigeria’s strongest opposition. We are not just electing officers – we are electing the conscience of a nation tired of hunger, insecurity, and state-sponsored opposition sabotage,” the statement said.

It listed key highlights of the convention to include:

• Full elective congress for all 18 NWC positions, including National Chairman, Secretary, and Publicity Secretary.

• Live broadcast on major TV stations. social media and digital platforms for transparency.

The statement said the PDP has also launched a nationwide #RejectOnePartyState campaign, mobilizing youths, women, and civil society to counter Tinubu’s use of federal might to fracture opposition parties.

“Nigerians will not allow a return to the dark days of one-party dictatorship. From Lagos to Maiduguri, the message is clear: 2027 is PDP’s to win,” it said.

The federal government has announced the establishment of the Nigeria Fashion Federation aimed at uniting African fashion, culture and creative industries.

The Federation is to collaborate with state governments and industry stakeholders to promote Nigerian fashion; in alignment with the Confederation of African Fashion’s continental framework.

Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, made the announcement at a press conference in Abuja and said the adoption of Afroliganza Vision demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to positioning culture, fashion and heritage at the center of its engagement with Africa and the global community.

She said Nigeria is not only adopting Afroliganza, but will also be the first country to sign the CAFA charter.

Musawa explained that CAFA will coordinate fashion diplomacy, trade integration and creative policy alignment across African nations.

By Bonaventure Melah

Air Peace, the largest airline in West and Central Africa, has taken delivery of dry lease aircraft.

The prestigious brand, which is also the country’s flagship airline, took the delivery barely eleven months after Nigeria signed the Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisation (IDERA) Advisory Circular into law.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737-700NG with the registration number: EL-HRN, became the first dry lease equipment the country would take delivery of 10 years after its blacklisting by lessors.

The aircraft landed at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, on Friday, with dignitaries from Boeing, AerCap, Fidelity Bank, Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on the ground to receive the equipment.

Speaking at the delivery ceremony in Lagos, Keyamo described the occasion as emotional and historic for Nigeria.

He regretted that until now, lessors were not willing to lease aircraft on a dry lease basis to Nigerian operators due to a lack of trust and past defaults.

According to him, when the government assumed office in 2023, it took it upon itself to remove Nigeria from the blacklist by signing the IDERA agreement, which would enable operators from the country to access aircraft on a dry lease basis rather than a wet lease, which he said was more expensive to acquire.

The minister expressed regret that the country’s airlines’ inability to access equipment on a dry lease basis had led to foreign airlines dominating the country’s gateways. However, he insisted that with this development, the narrative had changed.

He assured the leasing company of strict compliance with the agreement and encouraged other leasing firms to invest in Nigeria’s sector.

Additionally, Keyamo praised President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, and all Nigerians for their support in growing the aviation industry, reaffirming that the government would continue to support the operators, regardless of their sponsors.

He said, “On record, a wet lease is three times more expensive than a dry lease. Because of what this government has done in terms of bringing back confidence of the world into our system with what we have done with the Cape Town Convention, the world now trusts us with their equipment.
“Dry lease arrangements are burned out of the highest level of integrity and confidence that they have in that system and also in that operator. So, Nigeria has reached that junction where we are now attracting confidence into our aviation sector, and that is a precursor to empowering our local operators.
“We must also thank Air Peace because, apart from the effort of the government, they also looked at the balance sheet of Air Peace. They saw that Air Peace has not been financially reckless and it’s not owing anybody around the world, while also running the airline in a most responsible manner. It’s a combination of both factors.”
Also, the Chairman of Air Peace, Dr. Allen Onyema, in his speech, said that the Federal Government guaranteed the agreement.

Onyema explained that most of the global carriers operate on dry lease aircraft, noting that Nigeria should not be an exception.

He assured that the airline would strictly adhere to the terms and conditions of the agreement and called on other leasing companies to take a cue from AerCap by investing in Nigerian airlines.

He emphasised that Air Peace was shouldering the responsibility of other Nigerian airlines under the agreement, noting that the era of inadequate capacity for the country’s airlines was over.

He assured that more aircraft under lease operations would be delivered to the country at any moment from now.

He added: “Dry lease option is always the best for any operator, because of our population of over 230 million people, our operations in West and Central African regions and international operations, we need over 50 aeroplanes. We can afford to take over 50 aircraft from AerCap and other lessors.
“If we can take up to 10 aircraft in a wet lease module, we can also take over 50 with a dry lease, which is far cheaper and affordable. It’s a new dawn for Nigeria and I am very thankful And I am very thankful to everybody that has made this happen today.”
Additionally, the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Peter Ryan, commended the Nigerian government and Air Peace’s management for implementing the Cape Town Convention.

The Sales Director, African Region, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Moore Ibekwe Jr, said that the dry lease journey between Nigeria and Boeing began about two years ago.

Executive Director, Fidelity Bank, Dr. Kenneth Okpara, said that Air Peace had continued to maintain prudent and transparent financial records.