A chieftain and founding father of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Osita Okechukwu, has admitted that the microeconomic indicators of President Bola Tinubu’s reforms are poor and have failed Nigerians.

Okechukwu made this statement during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Tuesday.

He, however, said the economic reforms had performed well at the macroeconomic level.

According to him, the high cost of living, declining purchasing power and significant unemployment persist despite Nigeria’s large youth population.

He added that the devaluation of the naira had hindered the importation of machinery by small and medium-sized enterprises, while rising energy costs had further stifled industrial growth.

“The economic reforms have done well at the macroeconomic level, but microeconomic indicators are very poor.

“When we talk about the purchasing power of the citizenry, the high cost of living and joblessness, the president’s economic reform programme has not helped.

“It didn’t help because the assumption in the neoliberal doctrine is that it will propel the private sector. However, there are indicators inhibiting that growth. Small-scale and medium-scale industries are performing poorly.

“When you float the naira, it becomes difficult for them to import machinery, and rising energy costs make it even more difficult. These are tangential to the reform programme,” Okechukwu said.

The African Action Congress, AAC, presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has sued the Department of State Services, DSS, its Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, over an alleged assault and forcible removal from the Federal High Court in Abuja.


In a suit filed on October 13, 2026, Sowore is demanding N5 billion in damages over the alleged violation of his fundamental human rights.

The human rights activist is challenging the actions of DSS operatives during an incident at the court on June 22, 2026.

He wants the court to declare the action illegal and unconstitutional, arguing that the operatives violated his rights to dignity and personal liberty.

Also joined in the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2480/2026, are the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and DSS Deputy Director Benjamin Bulus, whom Sowore accused of leading the operation.

According to the court papers, the incident began after Justice Mohammed Garba Umar ordered that Sowore be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his application for a stay of execution of the order revoking his bail and the bench warrant issued against him.

Sowore said he was still waiting for officials of the correctional centre to take him into custody when armed DSS operatives stormed the fourth floor of the court building.

He alleged that the operatives, some of whom were hooded men and women, accosted and assaulted him before forcibly dragging him to the basement of the court complex against his will.

Lagos State Government is set to commence rehabilitation works on the final stretch of the Damaged Sections along Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway from Bonny Camp to Admiralty Way Junction and VGC Sections in Eti-Osa Local Government Area.

This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure Engineer Olufemi Daramola, during a stakeholders engagement to commemorate the commencement of Works on the Rehabilitation of the Damaged Sections along Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway particularly Bonny Camp to Admiralty Way Junction and VGC Sections.

Daramola said the stakeholders meeting for the commencement of the rehabilitation of the section, held on Tuesday, 19th October 2025, further attests to Governor Sanwo-Olu’s resolve to mitigate the risks associated with the poor condition of the road and create a safer environment for all road users.

According to Daramola, “Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has given the go-ahead to start the rehabilitation of the phase of this Lekki Epe Expressway and all things being equal, we will start this week. This is to show commitment of this administration to better the life of Lagosians living on this part of the State to guarantee them improved life.

L-R: Engr. Olutokunbo O. Oyenuga, Permanent Secretary, Office of Infrastructure; Mr. Maroof Olawale Musa, Permanent Secretary, Transportation; and Engr. Olufemi Daramola, Special Adviser, Office of Infrastructure, during the unveiling and kick-off of the project’s first phase.

“This new engagement will cover from Bonny Camp to Admiralty Way Junction up onto VGC Sections. We therefore request the cooperation of residents and business owners to cooperate for a speedy turnaround time,” he noted.

The Special Adviser emphasised the importance of the Stakeholders Meeting for robust engagement and better result while further noting that the immediate commencement of the rehabilitation of the final section signifies the administration’s objective of completing the entire stretch of the strategic Highway.

He added that Eti-Osa/Lekki/Epe Expressway corridor is the primary gateway to one of Africa’s fastest-growing economic hubs – the Lekki Free Zone and supports infrastructure investment such as the Dangote Refinery, Dangote Fertiliser Factory, Lekki Deep Sea Port, over five Hundred Housing Estates, Eleganza Industrial Estate, Key Institutions like Pan-Atlantic University and Lagos Business School, the ongoing Omu Creek Project, the Future International Airport, the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Project by FMW, and the Green Line Rail Infrastructure by LAMATA.

“This Stakeholders engagement you will agree with me is essential to making the best available for the people of Eti-Osa, like you have pointed, safety and speed in delivery is of essence to avoid long time of traffic situation around the Lekki axis.

“The kind of businesses and the people in Eti-Osa part of Lagos is too important to this administration for us not to listen to you. It is for this reason we are having this meeting so we can listen to you and attend to all your requests, suggestions and advice before work commences, and this will happen before the end of this week,” Daramola announced.

L-R: Mr. Maroof Olawale Musa, Permanent Secretary, Transportation, Engr. Olufemi Daramola, Special Adviser, Office of Infrastructure and Engr. Olutokunbo O. Oyenuga, Permanent Secretary, Office of Infrastructure at the stakeholders Engagement.

Also speaking on effort at ensuring smooth transportation for people and products around this axis of Lagos, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transportation, Mr Olawale Musa assured residents of the presence of officers the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority LASTMA, and security officers day and night as long as rehabilitation work lasts.

He promised that free flow of traffic would be ensured and sustained for the period of repair activities on that road.

He also assured residents of enough traffic signs along the road as requested by residents, but noted the challenge has been that those signs are often stolen by people.

He charged Lagosians to help keep their eyes on those road signs to apprehend those behind the theft in other to arrest scapegoats.

L-R: Mr. Maroof Olawale Musa, Permanent Secretary, Transportation, Engr. Olufemi Daramola, Special Adviser, Office of Infrastructure and Engr. Olutokunbo O. Oyenuga, Permanent Secretary, Office of Infrastructure at the stakeholders Engagement.


Musa said, ” as long as work goes on the Lekki axis, our officers will be there and definitely they will be there with policeman day and night. We are ready to work with our sister agencies to ensure timely delivery of these important roads.

“On the issue of road signs, we have a challenge with people stealing the road signs. We have put up many road signs around the state but the most strange thing here is that in a matter of days, these signs are gone.

“We need your cooperation to apprehend those perpetrating these nefarious acts. They are stoping us from providing the same in other part of the state. When we make scapegoats of those arrested, this will stop, Musa noted.


Continued pressure on the road occasioned by rapid urbanisation also led to its speedy decline as drivers and commuters face hardship while using the road.

In demonstration of its commitment to further stimulate economic growth and open up the axis for greater development, the administration of Mr Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, declared a state of emergency on this road, which culminated in the decision to upgrade the road using a more sustainable road pavement.

Thus, the Rehabilitation/Upgrading of Eti-Osa/Lekki/Epe Expressway from Eleko to Epe T-Junction in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area as Phase I (18.75km) was first awarded in November 2020 as a three-lane dual carriageway in reinforced concrete pavement road with ancillary facilities, and was completed and commissioned in February 2023.

To consolidate the gains of Phase I and fulfil the promise made by Mr Governor during its commissioning, the State Government awarded Phase IIA & IIB of the Eti-Osa/Lekki/Epe Expressway Project spanning Eleko Junction to Abraham Adesanya, as a three-lane dual carriageway in reinforced concrete pavement road with ancillary facilities.

To promote an integrated intermodal transportation system and optimise the design of Phase IIA & IIB to proactively accommodate emerging infrastructure within the corridor, including the Green Line Rail Mass Transit Project, the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge (4MB), and the future expansion of Ogombo Road, the State Government in April 2025 awarded the Development of Early Infrastructure for the Green Line Mass Transit Project.

L-R: Mr. Maroof Olawale Musa, Permanent Secretary, Transportation, Engr. Olufemi Daramola, Special Adviser, Office of Infrastructure and Engr. Olutokunbo O. Oyenuga, Permanent Secretary, Office of Infrastructure at the stakeholders Engagement.

The rail corridor will run from Marina through the Eti-Osa/Lekki/Epe Expressway corridor to the proposed Lekki International Airport, providing a vital transport link between the Lagos Mainland and the rapidly developing eastern corridor of the State.

Also, in furtherance of the commitment of the current administration, led by Mr Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, to implement programs that fast-track development, bringing relief and shared prosperity to the people, the administration awarded the Rehabilitation works for the Damaged Sections along Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway Sections II & III (from Admiralty Intersection to Ajah Jubilee Flyover). This section has also been completed. You will recall that we held a similar stakeholder meeting in November 2025, before the commencement.
Thus, we have so far reconstructed and rehabilitated a total of 69.44 km (consisting of 49.7 km in continuous reinforced rigid pavement and 19.76 in flexible pavement) of the Eti-Osa/Lekki/Epe Expressway,

In affirmation of the resolve of the Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, to continue to grow the economy of Lagos through the provision of a robust infrastructure portfolio, they have graciously approved the Rehabilitation of the Damaged Sections along the Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway from Bonny Camp to Admiralty Way Junction and VGC Sections.