Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari, has said that in his nearly 40 years in politics, he has never seen a Nigerian president with better plans for the country than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Masari made the statement in a video published on Tuesday by HM Arewa, a Hausa-language media group, while addressing a group of women at a recent public function reportedly held in Kaduna.

According to him, he is convinced that Tinubu has a clear plan to move Nigeria forward.

“Even if I were asked to swear, on my age and my political involvement for almost 40 years, I can confidently say I have never seen a president with better plans to make Nigeria great than Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Masari said.

The former Katsina governor also criticised those who claim that the Tinubu administration has achieved nothing, saying similar criticisms were made against previous governments.

He cited the administrations of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, saying both faced accusations of sectionalism and other divisive issues.

Masari said the same pattern was now being repeated against Tinubu.

He also criticised the use of religious and ethnic sentiments in political discussions, questioning attempts to associate particular religions exclusively with specific ethnic groups.

The former governor appealed to women preachers and other influential women to discourage divisive rhetoric, particularly as the 2027 general election approaches.

“Each and every one of you knows how to talk to her husband or children better than anyone else can,” he said, urging them to use their influence to promote peace and unity.

Masari served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007 and later governed Katsina State from 2015 to 2023.

In August, he was appointed Deputy Director-General, Parliamentary Mobilisation, of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Development Coalition (NDC), Peter Obi, has challenged the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), to make his academic records available for public scrutiny, insisting that he has nothing to hide.

Obi made the call in a post on X on Tuesday amid renewed controversy over his educational credentials and ongoing legal proceedings involving the university, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

The controversy followed three separate suits filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja by Abayomi Arabambi, a former National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, over the alleged refusal by the institutions to release documents relating to Obi’s academic qualifications.

Arabambi also alleged discrepancies in the way Obi’s name appeared on documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and educational institutions.

Responding to the development, Obi said he welcomed legitimate scrutiny of his educational background and directed UNN to release his academic certificates, records and other official documents relating to his admission and studies, subject to applicable laws.

He similarly called on other institutions he attended in Nigeria and abroad to make his records available in accordance with established legal procedures.

According to the former Anambra State governor, transparency and accountability must be central to the conduct of anyone seeking to occupy the highest political office in the country.

“As a presidential candidate seeking the trust of Nigerians to lead our country, I welcome legitimate public interest in my background, qualifications, and record,” Obi said.

He added that political leaders should be prepared to subject themselves to scrutiny and demonstrate through their actions that they have nothing to conceal from the people they seek to govern.

Obi also challenged other presidential candidates to make their educational qualifications and relevant records available for public examination.

He argued that such disclosure should not be viewed as an attack but as a means of strengthening public confidence, promoting accountability and restoring Nigerians’ trust in political institutions.

“If we desire a Nigeria founded on transparency, integrity, accountability, and respect for institutions, those values must begin with those who seek to lead it,” he said.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reaffirmed his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, while insisting that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains free to field candidates in other elective positions.

Wike said his decision to mobilise support for Tinubu’s second-term bid should not be interpreted to mean that the PDP would withdraw from the governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.

The minister made the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.

Wike also dismissed claims that the emerging “rainbow coalition” was an arrangement with the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it instead as a platform through which members of different political parties could mobilise support for President Tinubu.

According to him, his political support for Tinubu is strictly focused on the presidential election and does not amount to an undertaking to help individuals secure victory in other elections across the states.

“Politics is local and those having problems in their States should resolve them instead of using the reelection of the President to whip up sentiments,” Wike said.

The FCT minister recalled that he and other members of the G5 governors did not negotiate with the APC before supporting Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.

He argued that the outcome of the 2023 elections in states such as Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi demonstrated that voters could support different political parties in presidential and National Assembly elections held on the same day.

Wike cited the victory of APC candidates in some senatorial contests in the affected states despite the party recording relatively low presidential votes as evidence that electoral alliances should not be interpreted solely from party structures.

He maintained that similar voting patterns could emerge in 2027, provided political stakeholders genuinely mobilise support for Tinubu at the grassroots.

“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the reelection of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and States House of Assembly elections,” he said.

Wike further stressed that the rainbow coalition had no formal connection with the APC, but was designed to mobilise support for Tinubu across political party lines.

“Most importantly, rainbow coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is our own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term,” he added.

The clarification comes amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Wike maintaining his position in support of Tinubu while remaining a member of the opposition PDP.