The member representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, has strongly defended former Plateau State Governor, Senator Simon Lalong, following comments made by former Minister of State for Information, Hon. Dasuki Nakande.

In a statement made available to journalists in Jos, Gagdi said Nakande’s remarks, contained in a publication titled “Re: Dati’s Dirty Lies and Lalong’s Longing for a Job,” departed from the issues raised by former Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Yakubu Dati, and instead resorted to personal attacks on Lalong.

According to Gagdi, Dati’s earlier article highlighted Lalong’s role as Director-General of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign, particularly his leadership during the 2023 election despite widespread opposition to the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.

He expressed disappointment that Nakande, whom he described as a respected elder statesman, allegedly abandoned issue-based arguments in favour of “diatribes and invectives” against the former governor.

Gagdi argued that Nakande, having left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shortly after Lalong’s appointment as campaign director-general, should refrain from commenting on the internal affairs of the ruling party or the composition of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He recalled that Lalong had previously maintained a cordial relationship with Nakande, including personally visiting him during an illness in Abuja, and said he expected the former minister to show greater restraint and respect in his public comments.

The lawmaker acknowledged that while Nakande supported Tinubu during the APC presidential primaries and Lalong backed former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Lalong remained committed to the party after the primaries and eventually led Tinubu’s presidential campaign to victory.

Gagdi described leading the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in Plateau State—a predominantly Christian state with a history of religious tensions—as a difficult assignment that required courage.

He maintained that the APC’s poor performance in Plateau during the 2023 presidential election was largely driven by religious sentiments, arguing that Lalong was targeted because of his inclusive approach to governance and appointments involving the state’s Muslim population.

According to him, despite Lalong’s inability to deliver Plateau State to the APC presidential candidate, the PDP also failed to secure victory, finishing third in the presidential election in a state it had traditionally dominated.

Gagdi further alleged that opponents exploited Lalong’s inclusive policies to portray him negatively before Christian voters, contributing to the party’s electoral setback.

Drawing a comparison with other campaign leaders, he questioned whether it was more significant to deliver one’s constituency or to help secure national victory for a presidential candidate, insisting that Lalong successfully delivered President Tinubu’s overall election victory despite local losses.

He also challenged Nakande to explain whether politicians he supported delivered their polling units, wards and local government areas to Tinubu during the election.

While stressing that he was not speaking as Lalong’s official spokesperson, Gagdi urged Nakande to maintain decorum when commenting on a former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly and former governor.

He concluded by stating that those serving in the current federal administration would continue to defend Lalong before President Tinubu and other key figures in the presidency against what he described as attempts by political opponents to benefit from efforts they did not contribute to.

The Nigerian Army has announced the unconditional release of pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oyo State on May 15, following weeks of coordinated security operations involving multiple security agencies.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Army said the rescue operation was led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Major General C.R. Nnebeife, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Defence Headquarters, and Special Forces drawn from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), alongside other security agencies.

According to the Army, the operation, which lasted for more than a month, focused on identifying the terrorist leaders responsible for the abduction and dismantling their operational network, logistics chain, informants, and hideouts within the Old Oyo National Park Forest.

The military disclosed that the operation resulted in the arrest of several suspects in Oyo State and other parts of the country, significantly disrupting the activities of the criminal group.

“These arrests completely disorganized the group, exerted overwhelming pressure on them and ultimately led the terrorist group to unconditionally release the pupils and teachers,” the statement read.

The Army explained that the operation was carefully planned and executed to ensure the safe rescue of the victims while minimizing collateral damage. It, however, acknowledged that some security personnel sustained casualties during the operation.

According to the statement, the rescued pupils and teachers are currently receiving medical care at an undisclosed hospital. They will be handed over to the Oyo State Government after undergoing medical evaluations before being reunited with their families.

The military added that follow-up operations are ongoing to track down and apprehend other members of the criminal network involved in the abduction.

The Army reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property and assured Nigerians that security agencies would continue to intensify efforts to dismantle terrorist and criminal networks across the country.