President Bola Tinubu has approved the inclusion of two key federal road projects in Ekiti State in the proposed 2026 national budget.

The projects are the Itawure–Aramoko–Ado Ekiti road and the Aramoko–Ijero–Ifaki Ekiti road.

This was confirmed in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode, who said the presidential approval was communicated through a letter from the Office of the President to the Minister of Works, David Umahi.

Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji was also copied in the correspondence.

Oyebode explained that the approval followed a high-level meeting between Governor Oyebanji and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who visited President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on November 9, 2025.

The discussions reportedly centered on the poor condition of federal roads across the state.

He added that the approval came amid public complaints about the deteriorating Itawure–Aramoko–Ado route. “There has been deliberate misinformation about the condition of federal roads in the state,” Oyebode said.

“However, the Tinubu-led government has already awarded three federal road contracts in Ekiti, with contractors mobilized to site.”

He further noted that the Oyebanji administration has completed the Ado–Iworoko–Ifaki road and launched several inter-city and intra-city projects over the past three years.

According to him, the two newly approved roads will ease travel, improve connectivity, and boost trade across Ekiti and neighboring states.

“These projects will open up Ekiti to new economic opportunities, in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Governor Oyebanji’s Shared Prosperity vision,” Oyebode said.

Governor Oyebanji also expressed gratitude to the President for his continued support. “On behalf of Ekiti people, I thank President Tinubu for his strategic intervention in the socioeconomic and infrastructural development of our state,” he said.

The governor reaffirmed his commitment to partnering with the federal government, private sector, and development partners to enhance the welfare of residents.

Meanwhile, the Regent of Aramoko-Ekiti, Princess Sherifat Owolabi, recently appealed to the state government to prioritize road rehabilitation.

She warned that the worsening condition of major roads is hurting local trade and discouraging investors.

“Good roads attract investment and drive development,” Princess Owolabi said.

“We are asking the governor to come to our aid and fix our roads. The government has done well in other areas, but this issue needs urgent attention.”

She also urged indigenes in the diaspora to invest in Aramoko, saying improved infrastructure will boost transport, confidence, and commerce in the community.

The Nigerian Senate has strongly denied reports suggesting any plan to impeach Senate President Godswill Akpabio, calling the claim false and misleading.

Speaking during Tuesday’s plenary, the Senate Leader dismissed the rumour as a deliberate attempt to create confusion and distract lawmakers from their legislative duties.

He clarified that no discussions or moves toward Akpabio’s removal had taken place. According to him, statements attributed to Senator Orji Uzor Kalu were taken out of context.

“From my discussion with Senator Kalu, it was clear the statement was misrepresented,” he told the chamber.

He cautioned that spreading such misinformation could distract the Senate from addressing urgent national issues. Lawmakers, he said, remain united under Akpabio’s leadership and have adopted a zero-tolerance policy against political distractions.

“There is no tension in the Senate,” he said firmly. “We are focused on delivering results for Nigerians and won’t let rumours derail our work.”

The clarification was officially noted during plenary, with senators reaffirming their confidence in Akpabio. Many described the Senate’s response as a strong message to those trying to cause instability within the legislature.

Earlier, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North, told reporters that there had indeed been an attempt to impeach Akpabio, though he said it failed.

Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, described the incident as a “family misunderstanding.”

“There were attempts, but we didn’t allow that to happen. We are one big family, and it’s not going to happen,” Kalu said.

Addressing Nigeria’s economic situation, Kalu admitted that citizens are facing hardship but insisted that the economy is gradually improving.

“As a businessman, I feel the pain too,” he said. “The macro economy is doing well, but the micro economy is not. Investors are coming in, and soon the progress will trickle down so people can eat daily and return to farming.”

He added that both President Bola Tinubu and the Senate are working tirelessly to stabilize the economy and achieve food security.

Responding to questions about Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Kalu described Soludo as a “progressive” who may soon join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I think after the court cases, he will join us. He has no other alternative,” Kalu declared confidently.

The senator also predicted that President Tinubu would easily win a second term, saying the president currently faces “no real opposition.”

When it became clear to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, that his preferred successor, Prof. Aniekan Offiong, would not scale through the hurdles of the selection process, he reportedly shifted strategy. In a calculated political maneuver, sources say, Prof. Ndaeyo swiftly adopted another candidate — Prof. Patrick Linus Akpan from Essien Udim Local Government Area — in a bid to curry favor with the Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, the nation’s number three citizen.

However, a confidential letter leaked to our correspondent has exposed what insiders now describe as a coordinated and fraudulent scheme to position Prof. Akpan as the frontrunner for the Vice Chancellorship.

The Leaked Document

The two-page petition, dated November 10, 2025, and signed by Mr. Ekom Akpan Solomon (JP), was addressed to the Chairman of the University Governing Council. It accuses some powerful elements within the University Senate of colluding to manufacture administrative credentials for Prof. Akpan through what the author terms a “phony and fraudulent appointment.”

At the heart of the controversy is the creation of a questionable new office — “Provost, University of Uyo Business School” — announced at the 137th Meeting of Senate held on October 29, 2025.

“This appointment was a desperate scheme to give Prof. Patrick Akpan an administrative advantage in the ongoing Vice Chancellorship race,” a senior faculty source told Our Correspondent, corroborating details in the petition. “The term ‘Provost’ was deliberately chosen to score him points in the Council’s ranking system.”

A Title That Should Not Exist

The petition argues that the title “Provost” is alien to the Nigerian university structure except within medical colleges. The appropriate designation for a business school, it insists, should be “Director.”

“It was rightly pointed out to Senate that the nomenclature ‘Provost’ is a misnomer… Nevertheless, the observation was ignored,” Solomon wrote.

Multiple academic sources confirmed to this newspaper that the University of Uyo Business School is not a full-fledged faculty, making the appointment of a Provost not only irregular but procedurally indefensible.

A former Dean, who requested anonymity for fear of victimization, described the appointment as “a dangerous precedent.”

“If this goes unchallenged, tomorrow every unit can create new titles to fast-track someone’s rise. It’s corruption by rebranding,” the source warned.

The Candidate in Question

Records reviewed by Our Correspondent show that Prof. Patrick Linus Akpan last held a major administrative office more than a decade ago — as Director of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Business School and Coordinator of the MBA Programme in 2012.

Since then, he has reportedly not occupied any position that qualifies as top-level administrative experience — a key requirement for consideration as Vice Chancellor under Nigerian university regulations.

“He has not functioned as such and lacks the requisite administrative experience,” the petition reads. “The appointment of Provost was made in October 2025 solely to provide him the needed points during assessment.”

A high-ranking academic familiar with the internal process confirmed that administrative experience carries significant weight in the Governing Council’s scoring template for Vice Chancellor candidates.

“Whoever controls the administrative record controls the race,” the official said.

Council in a Tight Corner

The letter, which has now gone viral across faculty WhatsApp groups, has placed the University’s Governing Council in a difficult position. Several senior staff members are calling for an internal audit of recent appointments, while others warn that any attempt to dismiss the petition could spark open protests.

“If the Council keeps silent, it means complicity,” a union representative said. “The system must not reward deceit.”

Efforts to reach Prof. Akpan for comments were unsuccessful as of press time. Calls and text messages to his known line were not returned. The Registrar’s office also declined official comment, saying the matter was “still under review.”

Meanwhile, a member of the Senate who attended the controversial meeting privately admitted that the nomenclature issue was raised but “hurriedly brushed aside.”

“Everyone could see it was a setup,” the source said. “But no one wanted to challenge it openly — not when the stakes are this high.”

A Pattern of Manipulation?

Observers within and outside the University note that the controversy fits a recurring pattern of behind-the-scenes manipulation that has marred leadership transitions in several Nigerian universities.

An Abuja-based education analyst described the University of Uyo case as “a mirror of the wider rot.”

“What you’re seeing here is institutional capture,” the analyst said. “Appointments are now engineered to favor preselected candidates, and the academic community is left to clean up the mess.”

Integrity on Trial

As the Vice Chancellorship race intensifies, the revelation of this alleged appointment fraud is expected to dominate discourse within the University of Uyo in the coming weeks.

In his closing appeal, Mr. Solomon urged the Governing Council to “discountenance the fraudulent appointment for what it is.”

“This is a phony and fraudulent appointment,” he wrote. “The integrity of the University must not be sacrificed on the altar of personal ambition.”

With the credibility of the process now under intense scrutiny, the University of Uyo stands at a crossroads — between institutional reform and institutional decay.