The Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi has led a delegation of the party’s leadership and the Obidient Movement to Maiduguri on Tuesday.
A statement by Peter Obi Media Reach
(POMR) spokesperson Ibrahim Umar indicated that party’s leadership visited the Borno State capital to express condolences and offer support to victims of the recent flood disaster that hit the state.
The statement list the team to include the National Chairman of the Party’s caretaker committee, Senator Nenadi Usman, Obi’s running mate Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmad, and the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, made an initial donation of ₦50 million to the state government’s emergency relief fund.
According the statement, the group met with Governor Babagana Zulum, the Shehu of Borno, His Highness Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba Al Amin El-Kanemi, and toured the Bank of the North spare parts market, where traders suffered significant losses.
The team also visited an IDP camp at Government College, where they interacted with thousands of displaced individuals and met a woman who tragically lost her newborn twins in the flood.

Addressing the people of Borno, the Labour Party delegation emphasized their commitment to aiding those affected by the disaster.
“As the people of Borno navigate this challenging time, we want them to know they are not alone. We are dedicated to helping alleviate the suffering and hardship caused by the floods,” they stated.

The delegation pledged ongoing support to the affected communities and thanked the Borno State government for its intervention efforts. They extended their prayers and sympathies to the families affected by the devastating floods and vowed to continue their efforts to aid recovery in the region.

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general election who is also notable activist, Omoyele Sowore, has indicated that he was briefly detained at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Sunday upon his return from the United States.

Sowore wruting on his X account (formerly Twitter), explained that immigration officials seized his passport and informed him they were acting on orders to detain him.
He suggested that the incident was part of a larger government effort to suppress dissent.

“This is not unexpected because I have always known that it is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist regime on dissent,” Sowore stated, referring to his ongoing activism, including the #RevolutionNow movement.

After a short period in detention, Sowore was released, and his passport was returned.
In response to his detention, Sowore called on citizens to resist tyranny through planned direct actions, starting on October 1st, signaling ongoing tensions between the government and activists.

“I had just arrived in Nigeria from the USA to the MMIA in Lagos; upon reaching Nigerian Immigration, my passport was seized, and they told me they had orders to detain me,” he said.

“This is not un expected because I have always known that It is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist @officialAbat regime on dissent and their fear of the upcoming #FearlessINOctober revolt.

“In case this becomes another prolonged and protracted detention, I urge our citizens to ensure they ALL stop tyranny by all means acceptable and necessary, by engaging in the planned series of direct actions slated for October 1st and beyond.

“I have just been released by the Nigerian Immigration after a brief detention and my passport released back to me.”
However, the circumstances surrounding the order for his detention remain unclear. Some reports indicate that the Department of State Services (DSS) may have been involved, but they are yet to confirm or deny these claims.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has entered into a closed-door meeting following the arrest and detention of its President, Joe Ajaero, by the Nigerian government.
Ajaero was apprehended without a legal warrant while en route to the United Kingdom to attend a global workers’ gathering, leaving his current location and health status unknown.

Benson Upah, the Head of Public Relations at the NLC, confirmed the arrest on Monday, condemning the action as a “brazen act of lawlessness and intimidation.”
The NLC is calling for Ajaero’s immediate and unconditional release, labeling the detention a threat to democracy and workers’ rights.

Ajaero was scheduled to speak at the Trade Union Congress in the UK, addressing critical issues such as workers’ rights, social justice, and economic fairness on behalf of Nigerian workers. His sudden detention has raised concerns within the labor community, both locally and internationally.

In response to the incident, the NLC has put its affiliates, state councils, and civil society allies on high alert. The Congress has also urged the international community, human rights organizations, and democracy advocates to closely monitor what it described as a growing trend of authoritarianism in Nigeria.

The outcome of the ongoing closed-door meeting is expected to determine the NLC’s next course of action, with the organization vowing not to be intimidated by oppressive tactics. The NLC plans to release further details following the meeting.