Vice President Kashim Shettima has said only six of the 19 northern governors supported President Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition during the 2023 election.   Shettima made the disclosure at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, during the turbaning of Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate. According to the Vice President, the political tension surrounding the 2023 presidential campaign and election was intense, but Tinubu remained determined to pursue his ambition. “You all know that we have 19 states in the North; out of these, only six actually believed and supported Tinubu, but Tinubu refused to be deterred,” Shettima said. He added that several obstacles were placed in Tinubu’s way, including opposition linked to former President Muhammadu Buhari. Shettima recalled the slogan, “Baba bayan sushi,” which he said reflected opposition to Tinubu’s candidacy at the time. Despite the political resistance, the Vice President said Tinubu continued with his presidential bid and eventually secured victory in the 2023 election. Shettima also urged politicians to reconcile after political contests, saying politics should not be treated as a “game of death”. He said Tinubu had embraced and forgiven northern governors who did not support him during the 2023 election, describing this as a demonstration of leadership. The Vice President subsequently urged politicians in Kwara State to close ranks after the All Progressives Congress primaries and emulate what he described as Tinubu’s accommodating approach to political differences. Shettima also spoke about the economic challenges inherited by the Tinubu administration, stating that the Federal Government inherited $3.9 billion in the kitty. He said the administration’s economic team nevertheless continued with its efforts to turn the economy around. The Vice President had earlier inaugurated the state’s Revenue House on Ahmadu Bello Way and a garment factory in Ilorin.

The Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), Dele Alake, has called for the immediate mobilisation of rescue resources following a mine collapse in West Kordofan, Sudan.   Alake urged authorities to pool regional and local resources to deploy heavy-lifting and excavation equipment to the Al-Zaraa gold mine near Al-Nuhud town, where rescue efforts are underway. According to a statement by Alake, the equipment is needed to speed up search-and-rescue operations and provide medical assistance to survivors. The AMSG expressed condolences to the families and communities affected by the incident, saying initial reports indicated that dozens of miners had died, while others remained missing and were feared trapped beneath the rubble. The group said the collapse reportedly involved interconnected shafts in loose terrain, highlighting the dangers faced by artisanal and informal miners across Africa. Alake also called for greater regulation of artisanal mining operations, including improved training, safety enforcement and institutional oversight. “Human life must always supersede resource extraction,” he said, stressing the need to protect vulnerable workers operating in conflict-affected and politically unstable regions. The AMSG said rescue operations had been further hampered by limited access to heavy excavation machinery, with survivors and local responders reportedly relying on basic hand tools. The group described the incident as a serious reminder of the need for stronger safety standards and regulatory oversight at informal mining sites. The AMSG reaffirmed its commitment to promoting policies aimed at ensuring minerals are mined, managed and processed with greater attention to worker safety and human dignity.

Ukraine has received the bodies of 252 people in an exchange of war dead with Russia, Ukrainian authorities said on Thursday.   The exchange is one of the few areas where cooperation between the two countries has continued despite the ongoing war. Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said the repatriation had resulted in the return of 252 bodies. “Police and other officials” will conduct the necessary examinations and identification procedures, the headquarters said. Russia, meanwhile, received 23 bodies in return, according to Russian lawmaker Shamsail Saraliev, who was quoted by the RBK news outlet. The latest exchange involves fallen soldiers and is separate from prisoner-of-war exchanges between the two sides. The development was reported by Channels Television on September 17, 2026.

Veteran actor Jide Kosoko, Nollywood stars Toyin Abraham, Eniola Badmus and Bimbo Akintola, and Fuji musicians Pasuma, Obesere and Adewale Ayuba have been named members of the All Progressives Congress Lagos State Campaign Council.   The celebrities are part of the Entertainment and Creative Economy Directorate of the campaign council, according to the full list released by the Kadri Obafemi Hamzat Media Centre on Thursday. The council is scheduled to be inaugurated on Friday, September 18, at the APC Secretariat on ACME Road, Ikeja. Toke Benson-Awoyinka will serve as Director of the Entertainment and Creative Economy Directorate, while Kosoko is listed as Co-Director and Badmus as Deputy Director. Akeem Alimi, popularly known as Ajala Jalingo, will serve as Secretary, with Dare Olateju as Assistant Secretary. Other members from the Yoruba film industry include veteran actor Oga Bello, also known as Adebayo Salami, Saheed Balogun, Bukky Wright, Fathia Balogun, Yinka Quadri and Tayo Sobola. The Fuji music sector is also represented by Pasuma, Obesere, Ayuba, Sulaimon Alao Adekunle, popularly known as Malaika, Akorede Babatunde Okunola, known as Osupa, and Temitope Adekunle, popularly called Small Doctor. The Entertainment and Creative Economy Directorate is one of several directorates under the Lagos APC campaign council. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is listed as Chairman of the campaign council, while Kadri Obafemi Hamzat will serve as Deputy Chairman.