By Prosper Okoye

candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) for AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election, Atakulu Ugochukwu Young, has pledged to make reducing rents in the Federal Capital Territory his first priority if elected.

Young made the pledge on Sunday in Abuja at the inauguration of his campaign council, where he presented housing, multiple taxation and transportation as the main priorities of his proposed legislative agenda.

He said a bill to regulate rent increases would be his first legislative proposal at the National Assembly, arguing that the steep rises in rental costs were making it increasingly difficult for residents to remain in their homes.

Citing cases in which annual rents had reportedly risen from N800,000 to N3.5 million and from N400,000 to N3 million, Young said some landlords were pricing tenants out of their accommodation.

“Young men and young women have been driven out of their houses. Why? Because one landlord increased their rents by 500 per cent,” he said.

Young put the proportion of FCT residents struggling with housing costs at 70 per cent. He proposed limiting rent adjustments to 10 per cent over a three-year period, saying this would give tenants greater certainty in planning their finances.

He said his proposal differed from other rent-related bills before the House of Representatives, which he argued focused mainly on tenancy rights and restrictions on advance rent payments rather than the rate at which landlords could increase rents.

On taxation, Young said he would seek clearer rules to prevent businesses from facing multiple charges, arguing that predictable tax obligations would help operators plan their costs and make investment decisions.

He also called for a more organised public bus system operating along designated routes in the FCT. Such a system, he said, would provide commuters with an alternative to private vehicles and help address “one chance” robberies, in which criminals pose as commercial transport operators to rob passengers.

Young said his campaign had established structures in all 22 wards across AMAC and Bwari, with 12 coordinators in AMAC and 10 in Bwari, adding that the coordinators had experience in previous elections.

YPP presidential candidate, Dr Peter Agada, urged supporters to trust Young’s commitment to the campaign, describing him as someone determined to make a difference.

“He wants to make a difference. And he said he’s slow, but he’s definite. Please trust him,” Agada said.

Agada also introduced a rent-to-own housing proposal from his presidential manifesto, arguing that tenants should be able to put their rental payments towards eventual ownership of the properties they occupy.

“What Nigeria needs now is not people to pay house rents. What we need now is rent to own,” he said, explaining that payments would gradually reduce the cost of the house to the occupant until ownership was transferred.

He also described YPP as a platform for young Nigerians and said the party had gained national visibility.

The party’s FCT chairman, Abraham Simeon Adedotun, urged supporters to mobilise behind its candidates, saying the party was relying on personal resources and grassroots organisation rather than public funds.

He accused established political interests of using money to attract supporters and urged young Nigerians not to exchange their political choices for short-term financial inducements.

Adedotun also disputed claims that the All Progressives Congress would secure the FCT in the 2027 elections, saying the YPP was organising across the territory through its ward coordinators and area council structures.

In the AMAC/Bwari race, Young is expected to face APC candidate John Shekwogaza Gabaya. The PDP candidate, Ahmed Dogara Jacob, was reported to have stepped down in Gabaya’s favour in October.

Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has dismissed the presidential ambition of former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, insisting that the South-East has no consensus presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Umahi described Obi as “nobody”, questioning his political superiority over other prominent Igbo leaders, including himself, former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, former Minister of Education Sam Egwu and former Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Chief Elias Mbam.

The minister urged South-East residents to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, arguing that such support would strengthen the region’s chances of producing a Nigerian president when its turn comes.

He made the remarks on Sunday in Abakaliki during a town hall meeting organised by the Directorate of Infrastructure, Mobilisation and Sensitisation of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council.

Umahi also appealed to religious and traditional leaders in the region to openly support Tinubu rather than remain politically neutral.

Addressing the gathering, he said, “I want to tell our religious leaders and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), do not stay on the fence. I know when I was struggling to be Governor, CAN took a decision and said justice must prevail. CAN, don’t keep quiet; let us toe the path that must sustain our freedom.

“There is no way an Igbo man, after staying for 60 years, will want to be President for four years. There is nobody that can accept that. The North has not accepted to be President for four years. Somebody was telling me that Atiku’s son bought buses and donated to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and said this is a personal donation.

“Igbo man needs wisdom, not sentiments. Igbo man should not allow people to be dishing hate speeches on social media on their behalf. Today, our people in commerce, we clear our goods with ease. Today, our roads are being revived in the path of economic activities. Today, we can boldly say we have been integrated. The last time they were choosing service chiefs, it was the Naval Chief. This time, it is Chief of Air Staff, Minister of Works, other Ministers, SSAs, what else? When I say South-East have been fully integrated and included, I mean it.

“My mouth will not shut up because I am telling our people for a reference for tomorrow. We are supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to finish his remaining four years so that the South-East would have strategically supported another region. So that when it is our turn, we will not get this thing by hate speeches; they will not give to us by sentiments. If strategic leaders of the South-East say this, you will now insult them.

“You insult anybody who is not supporting Peter Obi. Anybody who is not supporting Peter Obi is a saboteur; you insult the person. Who is Peter Obi better than? Who is he better than? Is he better than Sam Egwu? Is he better than Elias Mbam? Is he better than the Lion of the South-East, myself? Is he better than Anyim Pius? Who is better than?

“So, I don’t want us to be deceiving ourselves. We don’t have any presidential candidate in the South-East. We have people who are vying; Ebonyi has a right to make a choice. Traditional fathers, do not stay on the fence; religious leaders, do not stay on the fence. Our people in the North do not; our people in the South-West, they do not. Guide our people, let them know what,” the minister stated.

Umahi further declared his readiness to mobilise 1.3 million votes for Tinubu and Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru in the 2027 elections.

He said he would not allow opposition parties to take control of the state, describing as unrealistic the expectations of those seeking to unseat Nwifuru.

The minister, who put Ebonyi’s registered voters at 1.8 million, said the state would be doing itself a disservice if it failed to deliver the projected votes for the President and the governor.

He said, “We have 1.8 million registered voters in Ebonyi State. Let me tell you, if we are not donating 1.3 million votes for the President, for the Governor, we are doing ourselves a disservice.”

(PUNCH

By Chidera Orji

As the country grabbles with so many socio-economic problems, a United States-based Nigerian Mrs Nkechi Eze (née Nzelu), has identified insecurity as one of the major reasons many Nigerians who are based outside the country are unwilling to return home, adding that the fear of kidnapping, violent attacks and unsafe roads makes visiting home increasingly difficult.

Nkechi, who is practicing healthcare professional in USA, stated this when she spoke with some selected journalists via zoom, said although she personally remains emotionally connected to Nigeria and wishes to reunite with family members, the safety of her children and other loved ones remains her foremost consideration whenever she contemplates travelling home.

She said that her concern goes beyond the possibility of being attacked, stressing the need to be confident that she and her family could travel safely, move around freely and access emergency assistance if anything went wrong.

According to her, staying away from Nigeria does not diminish her love for the country but reflects her responsibility to protect her family from avoidable risks.

As a healthcare professional, Mrs Nkechi Eze expressed particular concern over the growing threats to the lives of medical personnel, noting that health workers should not have to risk kidnapping or death while carrying out their duties.

She observed that insecurity affects healthcare delivery at several levels, as patients may be unable to travel to hospitals at night, medical personnel may struggle to reach their workplaces, and ambulances may avoid dangerous routes.

She warned that such disruptions could have serious consequences for pregnant women experiencing emergencies, accident victims and patients requiring urgent referrals to better-equipped medical facilities.

Eze also noted that financial constraints, transportation difficulties and delays in identifying hospitals capable of providing appropriate treatment could further worsen emergencies in an already challenging environment.

On what would make her reconsider visiting Nigeria, she said sustainable improvements in security, safer roads, effective emergency response systems and credible investigations into criminal activities would be necessary.

She maintained that assurances of safety must be backed by verifiable improvements in the specific communities and locations people intend to visit.

Speaking on banditry, kidnapping and farmer-herder conflicts, Eze said the challenges reflect the need for stronger protection of ordinary citizens, urging authorities to identify and prosecute individuals responsible for criminal activities rather than unfairly blaming entire ethnic or occupational groups.

She called for improved intelligence gathering, stronger collaboration among security agencies, better-equipped and properly supervised local policing structures, as well as efficient investigations and judicial processes.

She also advocated preventive measures, including education, employment opportunities and fair mechanisms for resolving disputes, while emphasizing the importance of respecting human rights to build public confidence in security institutions.

Comparing her experience in the United States with the situation in Nigeria, Eze acknowledged that the US was not free from crime but said the predictability of its security and emergency response systems gave residents greater confidence to plan their daily activities.

She said Nigerians deserved an environment where people could go to work, visit relatives and seek medical attention without living under constant fear or depending on private security arrangements.

On healthcare administration, she highlighted the US emergency care system, where hospitals are required to screen and stabilize patients experiencing medical emergencies regardless of their immediate ability to pay.

She clarified that this does not mean emergency treatment is entirely free, but stressed that urgent medical attention should not be delayed while patients or their relatives search for money.

Turning to Nigeria’s electoral process, Eze said her experience voting in the United States had exposed her to an organized system characterised by voter privacy, clear procedures and mechanisms for verifying election results.

She explained that although voting methods differ across US states, the processes generally provide for identification, private voting, verification and audits to strengthen confidence in the outcome.

While acknowledging the efforts of hardworking electoral officials and citizens in Nigeria, she expressed concern over allegations of electoral violence and manipulation, saying such issues must be addressed through transparent processes and evidence-based investigations.

She, however, cautioned against treating every allegation of electoral malpractice as an established fact, insisting that institutions must make relevant evidence accessible and clearly explain disputed outcomes to the public.

Eze argued that credible elections could contribute to improved governance by giving citizens the opportunity to reward or remove political leaders through the ballot.

However, she stressed that elections alone would not resolve insecurity or reverse the migration of skilled professionals, adding that sustainable progress would also require effective governance, responsible public spending, enforcement of laws and improved working conditions for professionals.

On diaspora voting, she supported extending voting rights to Nigerians living abroad, provided adequate safeguards were introduced to ensure credible registration, proper identity verification, prevent multiple voting and guarantee transparent counting.

She nevertheless maintained that strengthening the credibility and security of votes cast within Nigeria should remain an immediate priority.

Eze said the effectiveness of Nigeria’s security response should ultimately be measured by practical outcomes, including whether farmers could safely return to their farmlands, nurses could work night shifts without fear and victims of kidnapping could receive prompt and professional responses from security agencies.

She maintained that Nigerians deserved dependable public institutions capable of protecting lives, safeguarding livelihoods and restoring confidence in the country’s future.