The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress ( NDC) in the 2027, Mr. Peter Obi, has criticised what he described as growing intolerance of dissent by the Federal Government, warning that attacks on religious leaders who speak on national challenges undermine democracy and distract from the country’s pressing problems.

In a statement titled “When a Government Declares War on the Truth,” Obi said Nigeria’s worsening economic hardship, insecurity, inflation and unemployment require sincere engagement with constructive criticism rather than hostility towards those who raise legitimate concerns.

According to him, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has never acted as an opposition platform but has consistently served as the nation’s moral conscience, speaking out on issues affecting the common good under both military and civilian administrations.

Obi noted that the same commitment to truth has been demonstrated by major Islamic and Christian organisations, including Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN), the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), all of which have repeatedly expressed concern over rising insecurity, economic hardship and inflation.

He argued that religious leaders are often among the first to witness the suffering of ordinary Nigerians because they live and work within local communities where families struggle daily with soaring food prices, unemployment, kidnappings and other security challenges.

Drawing from his experience as Governor of Anambra State, Obi said constructive criticism from traditional rulers and religious leaders contributed significantly to the successes recorded by his administration, particularly in education and healthcare.

“As leaders, we should be gracious enough to listen to people and organisations that speak the truth to us and genuinely criticise us when things are not going in the right direction,” he stated.

The former governor expressed concern over recent attacks on the CBCN and, in particular, on His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, following the bishops’ assessment of the nation’s condition. He recalled that when Pope John Paul II visited Nigeria in 1998 and openly challenged the late General Sani Abacha on issues including the detention of Chief Moshood Abiola, the pontiff was not subjected to public vilification.

Obi also pointed to what he described as a contradiction in the Federal Government’s relationship with the Catholic Church. He observed that President Bola Tinubu demonstrated respect for the Church during the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in Rome by arriving ahead of many world leaders and participating fully in the ceremonies, but said that posture appeared to have changed following criticism from the Nigerian bishops.

He further accused political actors of attempting to exploit religious and ethnic divisions by portraying the bishops’ comments as a purely Catholic concern.

According to Obi, the issues highlighted by the bishops – including insecurity, poverty, inflation, unemployment and widespread hardship – affect all Nigerians irrespective of religion or ethnicity.

“The bishops merely expressed what millions of Nigerians experience daily,” he said, arguing that government officials should focus on addressing the concerns raised instead of attacking respected religious leaders.

Obi maintained that a democratic government should welcome honest feedback from credible institutions, insisting that national progress depends on leaders’ willingness to confront difficult truths rather than silence those who voice them.

Nollywood actress Temitope Osoba has died after a prolonged battle with cancer, bringing an end to her courageous fight against the illness.

The sad news was confirmed on Wednesday by fellow actor Alesh Ola Sanni, who announced her passing in a heartfelt message shared on his Instagram page.

Sanni disclosed that the actress died on Tuesday evening, expressing deep sorrow over her passing and recalling the memorable moments they shared together. He said he had been unable to sleep after receiving the news and described Osoba as a dear sister whose memories would remain with him.

Temitope Osoba’s death comes nearly two years after she publicly appealed for financial assistance to undergo a second surgery as part of her cancer treatment in November 2024.

During her battle with the illness, the actress spoke openly about the challenges she faced, revealing in an interview that doctors had informed her she might not be able to conceive for five years because of the medication required for her treatment.

She also disclosed that she underwent several medical examinations to determine whether the cancer had spread, but remained hopeful despite the diagnosis.

According to Osoba, she chose not to accept the medical prognosis regarding her chances of having children. Instead, she said she relied on her faith through prayers and fasting while continuing her treatment.

Her passing has sparked an outpouring of grief from colleagues, fans and members of the entertainment industry, who have continued to pay tribute to her life, resilience and contributions to Nollywood.

The West African Examinations Council has withheld the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent of those who sat the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School candidates, over alleged examination malpractice.

The figure, however, represents a decline from the 9.7 per cent recorded in 2025.

This was disclosed by the Head of WAEC Nigeria National Office, Dr Amos Dangut, who announced the release of the results in Lagos on Wednesday.

Dangut said the council withheld the affected results due to various infractions, including the increasing use of mobile phones in examination halls despite the existing ban and organised cheating in some schools, Vanguard reports.

“The increasing use of cell phones in the examination hall, in spite of the existing ban, and organised cheating in some schools, are other nagging issues,” Dangut said.

He added that some supervisors and invigilators found assisting candidates in malpractice had been arrested and would face disciplinary action through the relevant state ministries of education.

Performance breakdown

A total of 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools registered for the examination across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea, while 1,950,726 candidates eventually sat for the examination.

Out of the candidates who took the examination:

1,200,514 candidates (61.54 per cent) obtained credits and above in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

1,687,378 candidates (86.50 per cent) secured credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, with or without English Language and Mathematics.

The number of candidates who obtained credits in five subjects including English and Mathematics dropped by 1.42 percentage points compared with the 2025 examination.

Of the 1.2 million candidates who achieved credits in English and Mathematics:

558,883 (28.65 per cent) were male.

641,631 (32.89 per cent) were female.

Overall, 997,267 females (51.12 per cent) and 953,459 males (48.88 per cent) participated in the examination.

WAEC said 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent, had their results fully processed and released, while the results of 116,031 candidates (5.95 per cent) were still being processed.

The council also disclosed that 1,213 candidates with special needs participated in the examination. They included:

137 visually impaired candidates;

491 candidates with hearing impairment;

55 spastic and mentally challenged candidates; and

41 physically challenged candidates.

The 2026 examination marked the second edition of the Computer-Based WASSCE for School Candidates, following the introduction of the format by WAEC.

Dangut said the council introduced several innovations, including the Digital Examiner Mark System to improve the speed of processing results, serialisation of question papers to curb malpractice, and a new portal that allows candidates to generate e-PINs directly for checking their results.

The examination was conducted between April 24 and June 19, 2026, with 102,708 examiners involved in marking across 88 marking venues.

Dangut, who described the briefing as his third and final engagement as WAEC Nigeria National Office head, said candidates sponsored by states indebted to the council would not have their results released until the outstanding payments were cleared.