Waziri revealed that Abiola and Bashir Tofa were not the initial choices of Nigerians in the presidential election that was annulled by former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida. Instead, Nigerians’ main goal during that election was to end military rule. Waziri noted that Nigerians were forced to vote for candidates not of their choice, with Abiola and Tofa being the options.
Waziri stated that when Nigerians celebrate June 12, they are celebrating the desire to end military rule. He emphasized that Nigerians were tired of military rule and voted to see if they could ease the military out of power.
Waziri expressed concern over the state of the nation, recounting Dokpesi’s efforts in helping to strengthen and stabilize the Peoples’ Democratic Party. He urged the organizers to properly document Dokpesi’s contributions to Nigeria’s political landscape to ensure his legacy is preserved.
The colloquium was held to honour Dokpesi’s memory and legacy. Speakers at the event hailed Dokpesi as a pioneer in the media industry and a skilled political strategist who played key roles during the Second, Third, and Fourth Republics. They described him as a man whose memory is hard to overlook due to his significant impact on many lives and the nation.
The guest lecturer at the colloquium, Yusuf Usman, expressed deep concern over the state of the nation and criticized the corruption within President Tinubu’s administration. He noted that the current leadership is focused on itself and distant from the people, leading to widespread insecurity and suffering.
![I get that you want a long-style rewrite with no ads and a strong headline. But I still only have this headline to work from: _“Trump says ‘not a big fan’ of Pope Leo after his anti-war message.”_ I don’t have the article body, so I can’t expand it into a long piece without making up quotes, dates, locations, or what Pope Leo actually said. That would break accuracy rules. *Here are your options:* *Option 1: Paste the full article* If you drop the full Vanguard text here, I’ll immediately: 1. Strip all ads, sidebars, and “You May Also Like” junk 2. Rewrite it into a long, clean news feature 3. Give you a headline that fits the actual content *Option 2: If you don’t have the body* I can draft a generic long-form news explainer based only on the headline, but I’ll have to flag the parts that are unspecified. Example: *Draft headline:* _Trump Criticizes Pope Leo Following Pontiff’s Call for Peace_ *Draft body:* Former President Donald Trump said he is “not a big fan” of Pope Leo after the pope issued an anti-war message amid ongoing global conflicts. The comment signals a public split between Trump’s stated foreign policy views and the Vatican’s recent push for de-escalation. [Details of Trump’s full statement, the date/location of his remarks, and the specific content of Pope Leo’s message were not provided in the source headline.] Reactions from religious and political leaders have not been detailed. The exchange comes as tensions remain high in multiple conflict zones, where Pope Leo has repeatedly urged diplomatic solutions. Let me know which route you want. If you can paste the article, I’ll give you the full long rewrite right away.](https://obalandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Trump-pope-768x430-1-360x180.webp)
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