Politics
10TH NASS: Crisis hits APC as Gbaja, Faleke clash over choice of leadership
The Minority caucus of the incoming 10th House of Representatives made up of seven opposition parties has mocked the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, over its “confusion” on the choice of candidate for the speakership and vowed to exploit the loophole to produce presiding officers of the House, as reported by The Vanguard.
This is coming as the South-East caucus of the Senate urged the APC and the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to allow the zone to produce the Senate President to ensure equity in the 10th Senate.
Currently, there are no fewer than 10 APC members-elect jostling to become the next House of Representatives speaker. Aside from the alleged “confusion” in the APC, the opposition parties have 181 members-elect compared to APC’s 179 and so can, if united, produce the leaders of the House.
Following the conclusion of the elections, the APC won a majority of 179 seats beating the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, 114 seats; Labour Party, LP, 35; New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, 19; All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA,5; Social Democratic Party, SDP, 2; African Democratic Congress, ADC, 2; and Young Progressives Party, YPP, 2.
The caucus also dismissed claims that its members were beginning to drift apart with the 35 members-elect of the LP, which chose Mr. Afam Ogene as its leader, saying they would vote as a block and were still weighing their options on the choice of a candidate.
One of the spokespersons of the Minority Caucus also known as “Greater Majority,” Afam Ogene said in a statement that the fact that over 10 persons were still jostling for the speakership barely five weeks before the inauguration of the new Assembly was an indication that APC’s house was not in order.
There are speculations that the APC and president-elect had endorsed Mr. Tajudeen Abbas representing Zaria federal constituency of Kaduna State for speaker.
However, more APC members-elect have continued to join the race with the latest being the leader of the outgoing House, Mr. Alhassan Doguwa and the chairman, Committee on Navy. Yusuf Gagdi.
Also, the Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, Aliyu Betara, is expected to declare today.
Ogene said the opposition will continue to interrogate and interface with the aspirants while keeping their plan under wraps.
“What you see going on (large crowds of members at speakership declaration events) is not anything unusual. In an electioneering season, such as we have currently, members-elect are free to honour invites by friends and colleagues.
“The mere fact that five weeks to the inauguration of the National Assembly, the APC still has over 10 Speakership aspirants speaks volumes about the confusion therein. The Greater Majority will continue to interface and interrogate all members of the 10th House of Representatives even as we keep our own plans close to our chest,” he said.
Indeed, the 35-member Labour Party caucus in the 10th Assembly of the House of Representatives has said they would vote as a bloc for any speakership candidate of their choice during the inauguration of the new Assembly on June 13.
This is because the members-elect elected Ogene as their caucus leader.
Ogene, a ranking member from the 7th Assembly, who was also the deputy chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs emerged as the party’s caucus leader with 21 votes, after an election, yesterday, in Abuja.
Although 34 members-elect of the party were present at the voting session, only 31 of them took part in the exercise, with the trio of Oke-Joe Onuakalusi, Obi Aguocha and Prof. Lilian Irogbu abstaining, being persons who conducted exercise.
Speaking after the exercise George Ozodinobi and Dennis Agbo, who contested the position, lauded the choice of Ogene.
Agbo who described Ogene as a team player and also vast in the politics of the House of Representatives has served as a former deputy spokesman of the House said “With Ogene as our Caucus Leader, Labour Party is sure to hold its own in the 10th Assembly.”
In an acceptance speech soon after, the lawmaker was presented to the party’s Leader and Presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, and the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, where he assured that in all undertakings of the members-elect, the well-being of the Nigerian people would be uppermost.
Ogene said: “May I use this opportunity to reiterate that the Labour Party caucus, House of Representatives, has not endorsed any speakership aspirant. In fact, anyone desirous of our votes on the day of inauguration must first convince us, as a bloc, on what his plans and programmes for the Nigerian people are. While we may have individual preferences, I can assure you that at the end of the day, the Labour Party shall stand as one indivisible entity to take a common and progressive stand.”
Meanwhile, a fresh twist appears to have coloured the race for the House of Representatives speakership as four main contenders commenced alliance talks ahead of the June 13, inauguration.
The contenders, Ahmed Wase (current deputy speaker), Aliyu Betara (Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation), Sada Soli and Sani Jaji, on Saturday night, met at the private residence of one of them in Maitama District and agreed to work together and present a common front.
The meeting of the four lawmakers came 24 hours after reports that Tajudeen Abbas from Kaduna State had been adopted as the preferred choice of the ‘Lagos cabal.’
It was also gathered that a crack emerged in the Lagos State House of Representatives caucus over the purported adoption and endorsement of Abbas as the preferred choice of the president-elect, Tinubu.
A close confidant of Tinubu and secretary of the now dissolved Presidential Campaign Council, James Faleke, was said to have confronted Femi Gbajabiamila and accused him of ‘misinformation.’
The four lawmakers, Vanguard gathered, have directed their supporters to attend the declaration of each of them.
Wase has directed his supporters to attend the declaration event of Betara today at the Trans-corp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
Multiple sources told Vanguard that the combined number of supporters of the four aspirants is 287.
Sources close to the meeting of the four aspirants disclosed that the lawmakers have agreed to present a “formidable common front” just as a joint committee involving their confidants has been set up to harmonise positions and present a workable template within 72 hours.
A source at the meeting told Vanguard that “from the onset, we knew what the outgoing speaker was up to but we merely waited for him to unveil his agenda, which he has done now. Interestingly, those of us on this divide do not want to believe the President-elect is part of this charade.
“We know he cannot because he knows too well the implications of such action. It is either he has resolved to use Gbajabiamila to subjugate the North or Gbajabiamila is acting a script without the knowledge of the incoming president.
“Both ways, it means that even the North will not have a say in whatever is zoned to us and that will be the last thing we will accept. How can an outgoing Speaker attempt to impose someone as a stooge and we are all looking?
“We still give Asiwaju the benefit of doubt because he himself is a product of resilience, we all supported him when there was a similar charade shortly before the presidential primaries, when someone attempted to do what Gbaja is doing now.
“For now, we can only say that our 287-man combined supporters is alert and ready to go anywhere the four leaders jointly decide to go. As of now, they have all agreed and indeed directed that their individual support groups should attend the declaration event of any of them.
“As a follow up, the four leaders have even set up a all committee to work out details of an agreeable template that will help us bring everything to the table.
“Betara will do his tomorrow (Monday), while another will follow suit on Tuesday and irrespective of who you support, you have to attend the event to show to the world that we are together in this ‘Save NASS Project’.
“In all these we are doing, we respect the President-elect even though some persons are dropping his name.
We are even more convinced that he knows nothing about what Gbajabiamila is doing because James Faleke is as close as anyone to the President-elect.
“If Faleke could openly confront Gbajabiamila in their Lagos Reps caucus meeting that the purported endorsement of Abbas by Tinubu is not correct, then something is wrong somewhere.”
It was gathered that at the Lagos caucus meeting hosted by Gbajabiamila, Faleke who is the chairman of the House Committee on Finance disclosed that Tinubu’s real choice for the position of Speaker remained Jaji from Zamfara.
He was equally said to have accused Gbajabiamila of deliberate misinformation to the public on the issue of the speakership, saying that Abbas’ adoption was Gbaja’s “personal agenda and not a decision of the party or Tinubu’s.”
Meanwhile, APC stakeholders in the North-Central have rejected the endorsement of Tajudeen Abbas for the speakership of the House of Representatives for the incoming 10th National Assembly.
The APC leadership reportedly adopted Abass representing Zaria federal constituency of Kaduna State for the office, last Friday.
The party was also reported to have favoured former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio for Senate presidency.
At a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday, the stakeholders said the zoning lacked equity, justice and fairness.
The convener, Rev. Dominic Alancha appealed to the president-elect to intervene, warning that the exclusion of other zones may lead to a repeat of 2015 scenario, where former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, emerged against the party’s arrangements.
He said: “We are again compelled to invoke our mandate to address you this morning due to an anomaly we have detected in the direction APC leadership is taking in the course of zoning key offices in the 10th Assembly which we feel may not augur well for our democracy. Having won the 2023 presidential election fair and square, we had expected the leadership of APC to be guided by the principle of justice and fairness in zoning leadership positions in the parliament and had thought that factors like commitment to the success of the party, level of contributions and the need for fairness, equity and justice to all would guide the decision.
“What we have seen emerging from the decision of the APC however, is a situation of total disregard to justice, equity and fairness, where personal interest has been put forward thereby bringing chaos and conflict in a situation that would have otherwise gone smoothly, if national interest had been the guiding principle.
“While the decision of the APC leaders to zone the Senate Presidency to the South-South and the Deputy Senate Presidency to the North-West conforms to the expectations of most Nigerians because it takes care of zones that are yet to be represented in the composition of the leadership of the next administration, we cannot say the same for the zoning of other leadership positions for the 10th Assembly.
“We, therefore, take strong exceptions to the bid to zone the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives to the North West zone because that will imply undue favouritism, lack of fairness and marginalisation of other zones.
“Because while the North West will go home with two key positions in the National Assembly, the North-Central and the South-East would be totally excluded from the leadership of the 10th National Assembly. This to us seems to be a deliberate act of provocation to the North-Central zone which has contributed so much to the success of the APC as a party and to the victory of President-elect Asiwaju Tinubu.”
Following the reported endorsement of Abbas for the speakership of the House of Representatives, a support group of the president-elect, Asiwaju Tinubu had ditched the endorsement and opted for Ahmed Wase.
Wase is the outgoing deputy speaker of the House of the 9th House from Plateau State.
The group known as Tinubu/ Shettima Global Support Group, TSGSG, said it chose Wase over other aspirants because of his wealth of experience in legislative engagements.
In a statement by the convener and co-convener, Engr. Muhammad Ibrahim and Musa Gindiri, the group urged members-elect to rally around a competent candidate with a track record of excellence and experience in leadership to pilot the affairs of the incoming House.
Also, Yusuf Gagdi, has said that he is the best man for the speakership of the 10 House.
Giving reasons why wants to become the Speaker, he said going by his humble beginning, he understands Nigeria’s problems and knows the solutions to them.
The 42-year-old Gagdi, who represents Pankshin/Kanke Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the House, said: “National Assembly members should elect a person that knows the problems of Nigeria, touched, passed through the problems and also has a lot of solutions to the problems.
“I understand Nigeria and the problems because I was a victim too. If you talk about Nigeria today, you will talk about insecurity, poverty, access to health, and education among others.
“As a member of the 9th Assembly, I sponsored 20 bills and out of that, Mr. President has assented to six of my bills.
“As part of equity, justice and fairness, speakership should be zoned to North-Central and again when it comes to age, youth must have the opportunity to have one of the strategic places in Nigeria’s democracy.
Unveiling his manifesto, he stated that it was categorized into two sections: ‘Performance of the House of Representatives’ and ‘Public Policy Priorities.’
To ensure equity in the 10th Senate, the South-East caucus of the Senate has urged the APC and the President-elect to allow the zone to produce the Senate President.
Arising from a meeting in Abuja, yesterday, the caucus made up of the serving and new senators-elect from the South-East geopolitical zone urged Tinubu to be the sensitive to the present times in Nigeria and give a level playing field to all aspirants for the office.
The caucus also threw its weight behind those aspiring for the Senate presidency from the South-East.
A communiqué read at the end of the meeting by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah also warned of grave consequences of endorsing a certain candidate from the South-South region without regard to South-East.
Those who signed the communiqué included Senators Orji Uzor Kalu, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Ifeanyi Ubah, Victor Umeh, Osita Izunaso, Ezenwa Oyewuchi, Tony Nwoye, PC Ndubueze, Okey Ezea, Kelvin Chukwu and Osita Ngwu.
However, the outgoing governor of Ebonyi State and senator-elect, Dave Umahi and other senators-elect from the state were absent at the meeting.
The communiqué read in part: “We have observed with dismay the antics of persons with vested selfish interests who have planted themselves around the President elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and have vowed to shut out the South-East from the Senate Presidency of the 10th Senate.
“Beyond ethnic and religious considerations, in the forthcoming 10th Senate, the South-East has been blessed with ranking Senators-elect including members of the All Progressive Congress, who have the cranial capacity, competence, influence, experience and Political followership to pilot the affairs of the Red Chamber, it becomes imperative that the All Progressives Congress upholds the principle of natural Justice and equity which it preaches founded on reasons and zone the seat of Senate President to the South-East region.
“That the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should extend the same democratic opportunity he received from the outgoing administration which gave all aspirants equal opportunity to exercise their fundamental and constitutional rights during the APC Presidential Primaries. He should be conscious of the grave implications of zoning and endorsing a candidate from the South-South without any regard for the South-East, such a move will no doubt serve as a recipe for injustice which will culminate in restiveness.
“We implore the President-elect to be sensitive to the times in Nigeria and ensure the country continues to thrive on the party of equity, unity and fairness to the tripod of Nigeria (Hausa Igbo Yoruba) and the geopolitical zones.
“The country is already divided amongst ethnic and religious lines due to the exclusion of the Southeast region, which formed the major reason the APC received the amount of votes from the Southeast. The incoming Administration of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu must correct this anomaly by ensuring that the Southeast is given the opportunity to produce the next Senate President.
“With the side-lining of the South-East from producing the Presidential candidates of the major political parties before the general elections, the only means through which the zone can be compensated is for the zone to produce the next Senate President as this will restore confidence of the people from the S-East and S-South.”
John Chuma Nwosu, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for the upcoming governorship election in Anambra State, has officially committed to serving only one term if elected.
Nwosu, a resident of Nnewi in the Anambra South Senatorial Zone, is running in a race that includes the incumbent governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who is also from the same zone and is seeking re-election.
Anambra State follows an unwritten zoning arrangement, which entails the rotation of the governorship among its three senatorial zones. As part of this tradition, Nwosu has promised to complete the remaining term for the South, which is part of the ongoing rotation cycle.
To formalize his commitment, Nwosu visited the High Court in Awka on Thursday, where he swore an affidavit affirming his intention to govern Anambra State for a single four-year term.
The move has been hailed as a bold and exemplary step, reflecting Nwosu’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and selfless leadership.
Speaking after signing the affidavit, Nwosu said leadership should not be about holding on to power but about achieving tangible results within a set timeframe.
He stated, “I came into the race to serve, not to rule. I have publicly made this commitment before and have now legally sealed it before the court. Four years is enough to transform Anambra if there is sincerity of purpose.”
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has dropped a major hint that he may endorse one of his current team members as his preferred successor ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Speaking on Thursday during the Stakeholders’ Consultative and Engagement Meeting on the 2026 Budget at the Ogunlana Hall, University of Ibadan, Makinde said such a move would guarantee stability and sustain his administration’s development roadmap.
According to him, continuity is key to maintaining the progress Oyo State has recorded in the last few years.
“If we put anybody forward in our team, what it means is that we have evaluated that individual. It wouldn’t be about the individual per se. If, within the team, we have a roadmap for continued development of Oyo State for 2027 and beyond, and we have people within that team who have already bought into it, that would be the best path forward,” he said.
Governor Makinde, whose second term ends in 2027, stressed that while he may make recommendations, the final choice of the next governor rests squarely with the people of Oyo State.
“The decision on who would be the next governor rests with the people of Oyo State. We will make our own submission to the people, because Oyo State has gone beyond stunt politics. Maybe it used to happen in the past. Now, Oyo State people will ask you questions,” he added.
Consequently, Makinde’s remarks have already stirred political interest within the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and beyond.
His statement might set the stage for internal realignments as 2027 draws closer.
However, it could be recalled that earlier this year in January, Governor Makinde had hinted that his preferred successor would likely be someone younger and part of his current political structure.
PoliticsNigeria
Former Abia State Governor and Senator, Orji Uzor Kalu, has proclaimed himself the most important political figure in Nigeria’s South East, dismissing claims that Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi is his leader.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, Kalu highlighted his political achievements, arguing that his electoral and administrative record surpasses Obi’s.
“Peter is not my leader. I’m the most important politician from that zone. I have won two states before under the PPA.
“I have run for president before. My 4.9 million votes are still there since 2007,” Kalu stated.
He further noted that his influence extended to the federal level during the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
“I achieved a lot with PPA. We had ministers, ambassadors, and several appointments under President Yar’Adua,” he said.
Challenging Obi directly, Kalu added: “Arrange in your studio a meeting between me and Peter Obi. Put two of us in the same place.”
Politics
2027: ‘Igbo People Have Capacity To Rule Lagos, We’re Only Respecting The Law’ – LP Chieftain
Chief John Uche is the first president of Ohaneze Ndigbo in Lagos State. He speaks with SUBAIR MOHAMMED of Nigerian Tribune, on the alleged political conspiracy against the Ndigbo and why Igbo presidency is difficult to achieve.
Why is it difficult for the South-East to produce the president of the country despite several attempts by Igbo politicians?
We have tried our best but this time around, we’ll get it right. We are trying to reach out to other ethnic groups to align with us. If we are to go by numerical strength, I can tell you Igbo people have the numerical strength to rule Nigeria. For instance, in Lagos State, the Igbo are the most populated tribe. This is why I respect President Tinubu. In 2006 during census, the Federal Government downplayed the number because of the issue President Obasanjo had with Tinubu as the governor of Lagos State then, but he organised his own census and came up with 17.8 million total population of Lagos.
Out of this number, Igbo was 9.2 million with 6 million taxable adults. At as then, we were 53 percent of the population of Lagos State. As at 2023, according to INEC records, the total 6.6 million out of which the Igbo has 4.8 million. The record is there. If we want to win over Alausa, we will but we are respecting the law of the land that is why we are putting the indigene at the forefront and we will support him. In every free and fair election, the Igbo people will win. In every state of the federation, after the indigene, the Igbo have the highest number and that was why when they attacked the Igbo in 2023 election, the former DG of NOA visited Eze Ndigbo Lagos to pacify us. The Igbo are the most populated tribe in Nigeria but religion and tribalism is what is killing us as a country. The Igbo intermarried and mingled without any crisis. We contributed to the growth of Lagos State. Our contribution is not less than 75 percent of the economy of Lagos State. They sold their land to us and later come to tell me that we are not land owners. Who owns the land?
To what extent can you say Ohaneze Ndigbo serves as the rallying point and negotiate the interest of the Igbo people?
First of all, Ohaneze Ndigbo was not established as a political group. Prior to its formation, there was the Igbo State Union (ISU) but it was proscribed in 1965. After the civil war, Igbo leaders came together in search of leadership and that gave birth to the formation of Ohaneze Ndigbo in 1975. Then, it was only in Enugu. We only held our meetings in Enugu and returned to our respective destinations. Traditional rulers and eminent Igbo personalities were the handlers of Ohaneze then. But when the NPA and NPP were formed, rather than leave Ohaneze as the umbrella body and the rallying point for the Ndigbo, they decided to introduce politics to the group and crisis erupted. Consequently, it was stepped down. We decided that those that wanted to go into politics should go for politics while Ohaneze continue to exist as the apex socio-cultural group for the Ndigbo.
During the SDP/NRC era, precisely between 1991 and 1992 in Lagos State, an Igbo man won the local government election in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area but they ganged up against him and robbed him of his mandate. The election was nullified on the ground that he didn’t have political spread in Amuwo Odofin therefore a by-election was held and of course, he was rigged out. Out of annoyance, the young man left Lagos for Enugu where he stood for an election and won. This episode in Lagos State rekindled the political consciousness of the Igbo people and later gave birth to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
And has it been able to revive the political consciousness of the Igbo?
Exactly! After what played out in Lagos, I studied the political dynamism of Lagos politics and the way Igbo people were humiliated. So, I went to Ikemba to discuss the need for the Igbo people to have their own party. The North formed the NEPU, NPN, NPP, GNPP and PRP and the Igbo people followed them and became their campaigners. Equally, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo envisioned the Action Group (AG) and later the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and today, the Yoruba people formed the Alliance for Democracy (AD) which was used to negotiate positions in the national politics. It is time we formed a political party that would promote our own ideologies as Igbo people. So, the People’s Democratic Congress (PDC) was birthed. We packaged it and held meetings in Lagos and Enugu in a hotel that was owned by Dr Alex Ekwueme.
At this time, Dr Ekwueme was the chairman of the G34 but when we saw the direction he was heading, Ikemba instructed us to name our party the PDC and Dr Ekwueme turned the G34 to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But being a former Vice President, he was able to get the PDP registered with INEC while we were not registered because of the similarity in the name. Out of annoyance, Ojukwu moved to join the APP while Chekwas Okorie, myself and others tried to join the PDP but then it was too late. So, we decided to join the elite politics of the Ohaneze. While on this, we were advised to change the PDC to UPGA — United Progressives Grand Alliance. You would remember that UPGA was the coalition party that was used to perpetuate Okpara in power when Chief Awolowo was in prison. It had grassroots acceptance and I used Ohaneze offices in the South-West to mobilise and it later became a national party.
On July 28, 2001, we announced UPGA to the world in Enugu and again, INEC couldn’t register us. I met with Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife to tell him about our plight and he gave me a note to the INEC’s National Legal Adviser, Ifeyinwa Obegelu, who later advised that we should change the name of the party. She told us that President Olusegun Obasanjo didn’t want UPGA to be registered because it was proscribed in 1965. It was at this point that we changed the “United” in UPGA to “All” and that was how the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) came into existence.
So, former President Obasanjo’s rejection of UPGA led to its renaming as APGA?
Yes. When we submitted the documents for registration, within two hours, Obasanjo got hint about the change of name. He was alarmed! He insisted on APGA not being registered. So, I went back to Dr Ezeife who directed me to the former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim. Initially, I refused to meet with Senator Anyim because of his hobnobbing with President Obasanjo against the Igbo people but I can tell you that Pius Anyim was the one who facilitated the registration of APGA. He called the INEC chairman, Abel Goubadia, for an update about all the political associations and he told him that only two parties made the requirements. Anyim expressed his interest in one of the political associations and that was how APGA was registered as a political party.
So, since coming on board, at what point did the relevance of APGA start dwindling to just one state and without national appeal?
It’s unfortunate. When APGA was registered, it was to negotiate the interest of the Igbo people but unfortunately, the existing political parties, especially the PDP, made sure that no Igbo elite came into APGA. But when Rochas Okorocha vied for governorship under APGA, we had two states, Imo and Anambra States.
In 2011, when the gang up was so much, I went to Ogbonnaya Onu that there was need for us to form a coalition of parties to chase the PDP out of power. I met with the elites in ACN, LP, APP, APGA and CPC. They saw how lofty the idea of a coalition was. President Muhammadu Buhari was on a lesser hajj then and we were received by the CPC chairman, Tony Momoh. We also met with Chief Bisi Akande who was the chairman of ACN at the time but he asked us to see Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and he welcomed us. I also went to Victor Umeh who pledged to support any move that would advance the cause of the Igbo people.
In 2012, Ogbonnaya, as the chairman of the ANPP, wrote all of them to drop their parties. Instead of coalition which was the original idea, they began to talk about merger and that was how the APC was formed. APGA was part of the merger talk through Rochas Okorocha but he chose to remain in the APC and that was what killed APGA in Imo State. This becomes the ways of our leaders, especially the Igbo elites. They don’t join political parties to build it but APGA continued to hold Anambra State because of the influence and presence of Ikemba. But problem started when they refused to rotate the chairmanship of APGA and allow other states to produce the party chairman, and that adversely affected the party not to grow.
And that led you to the Labour Party?
Yes, I left APGA for the LP a long time ago because of the leadership tussle. I am now in the Labour Party. Many of us are in LP. In Oshodi-Isolo, there is no way you’ll win an election without being in Labour Party. This is like our vineyard. But the ADC is also like our own party because the man, Ralph Nwosu, who founded the party, is my friend. He was in APGA. He was behind structures of APGA in Anambra because he contested for the governorship. He won the primary election but Ikemba told me that in Enugu where he lived, his candidate was Ugo Agbala while he chose Peter Obi as his candidate for Anambra and that was how Nwosu got angry and left APGA to form the ADC. Since then, we have been working together as friends. So, ADC is not a new party. We are looking at adopting the ADC as a coalition party on the ground that we will be accommodated. We join politics not only to make money but to develop the country and ensure that the people enjoy the dividends of democracy and respect the constitution of the party and the country.
Between Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who would you prefer as the coalition candidate for the ADC?
We are not just going to support any politician that is bent on fulfilling his lifelong ambition of becoming the president. If the idea was just for somebody to be president, we won’t support such. Atiku has been inadvertently making efforts to be president. He is a strong man and a former Vice President of Nigeria but sometimes you’ll have to leave law and follow moral for things to move forward. On Peter Obi, he is not a condition for me to be in any political party. I wasn’t in the Labour Party when he was there but because of the ideas of how the Igbo people were abandoned and rejected, we all rallied round him in 2023.
We were all in the PDP at a time. When leadership came from the West, when Obasanjo was there, all of us rallied round him. Even when his people rejected him and he lost his ward, we voted him into power and he carried the Igbo along. When the leadership went to the North during late President Umar Yar’Adua’s presidency, he carried everybody along but death could not allow him to continue. Then Goodluck Jonathan came in, he did his best to hold the country together until late Buhari, who believed he must rule, came in. He edged Jonathan out and he changed the entire system. Buhari turned it to war.
Our cry of neglect and marginalisation started under late former President Buhari because he did a whole lot of things against the Ndigbo to the extent that we became a dot in the circle. We all rallied round and voted him into power. He begged for only one term but ended up with two tenures. Tinubu would have been the president earlier because he negotiated with six Southwest states but Buhari came with only one state and Ogbonnaya Onu came with three states. Buhari begged and it was concluded that because of his age, he should be allowed to go for one term and at the end of his tenure, he successfully made nonsense of Nigeria.
And has anything changed for the Ndigbo under President Bola Tinubu?
When Tinubu won the election and became the president, we thought he would carry everybody along but he didn’t. In the South East, we have just five ministers as stipulated by the constitution but in the South West, there are nine ministers. Let’s say originally, the South West deserves six and the three portfolios he created himself, at least, he should have spread it. All the choice positions are given to the South West. In Igbo land, there is no federation presence in terms of infrastructure. Almost all South East roads are impassable that travelling becomes difficult. From Enugu to Port Harcourt, the road is nothing to write home about and from Onitsha to Owerri, it’s a pitiable sight. The much talked about Second Niger Bridge has not been completed since Buhari administration. The construction is still ongoing. If we are not marginalised, tell me one federal industry that is located in the East? What we have in Igbo land is the sight of the police and military and checkpoints everywhere.
What’s your assessment of Tinubu’s administration?
I cannot condemn him because it’s just two years and some months in office. He is trying his best to fix the country but he should step up his game. People are crying. He should listen to them. I’ve worked with Tinubu. He is a proponent of democracy. He cannot be president now and abandon it. Our border should be open for prices of food to be reduced. I see no reason the border should be closed and insecurity is on the increase. There is no way we can have it all but let him accommodate others.
Culled from Nigerian Tribune
Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide, Bashir Ahmad, has stirred political waters by asserting that the Governor of Taraba State and another governor from the North West will, “in just a matter of days,” formally defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), as reported by NaijaNews
According to the online publication, Ahmad made this assertion in a post via his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday, October 7.
He wrote: “In just a matter of days, the Governor of Taraba State and another Governor from the North West will officially join our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
While no names beyond Taraba have been confirmed, the assertion by Ahmad has reignited speculation about a continuing wave of defections from opposition parties to the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
The pronouncement by Ahmad aligns with recent reports of governors and political leaders abandoning opposition platforms to align with the APC.
Taraba State has been in the spotlight. Recent pressure from youth groups has called on Governor Agbu Kefas (PDP) to switch allegiance to the ruling party, citing better access to federal resources.
Although the governor has made no official comment, his increasingly warm ties with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have fueled speculation of a looming political realignment.
According to Daily Post, observers point to the governor’s repeated engagements with the president at public events and private meetings as possible signals of shifting loyalties.
Sources close to the matter, who spoke with the publication, suggest the calculation may be less about partisan politics and more about attracting federal attention to Taraba, which has struggled to secure key infrastructure investments.
A political analyst in Jalingo said, “The writing may be on the wall. With the 2027 elections on the horizon, it’s not unusual to see shifts in allegiance. But if Kefas is indeed considering a switch, it may be more about opening Taraba to federal collaboration than playing partisan politics.”
Adding to the speculation, the Concerned Taraba Youth Group publicly called on the governor to align with the APC, citing the neglect of federal projects such as the Mambilla Hydro Power Project and the abandoned Zing–Jalingo–Wukari road.
The group’s spokesperson, Shedrack Iremiya Gani, said, “Considering the continued deterioration and abandonment of federal projects in Taraba, we appeal to Governor Agbu Kefas to align with President Bola Tinubu to attract greater federal presence to the state. We want the governor to make history by leaving the PDP and joining the APC.”
Within the APC, insiders are upbeat. A senior chieftain of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, suggested that several high-profile defections from the PDP are imminent.
A legal practitioner, Johnmary Jideobi, on Monday, asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to issue a perpetual injunction restraining former President Goodluck Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party in Nigeria for the purpose of contesting the 2027 presidential election.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, Jideobi listed Jonathan as the first defendant, while the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Attorney-General of the Federation were mentioned as the second and third defendants, respectively.
The lawyer prayed the court for an order to restrain INEC from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a duly nominated candidate for the presidential contest under any political party.
In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, deposed to by one Emmanuel Agida, the plaintiff described himself as an advocate of constitutionalism and the rule of law.
He argued that if Jonathan were to contest and win the 2027 presidential election, which has a four-year term running from 2027 to 2031, he would exceed the constitutionally allowed maximum of eight years in office as President of Nigeria.
Jideobi urged the court to determine “whether, in view of the combined provisions of Sections 1(1), (2) and (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the first defendant is eligible under any circumstances whatsoever to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Upon determination of the question, the plaintiff sought four main reliefs, including, “A declaration that, based on a proper interpretation of Sections 1(1), (2) and (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Jonathan is ineligible to contest for or occupy the office of the President of Nigeria.
“A declaration that INEC lacks the constitutional power to receive or publish Jonathan’s name as a candidate of any political party for the presidential election in 2027 or any future election”.
He also prayed the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party in Nigeria for nomination as its presidential candidate in 2027 or thereafter.
The plaintiff additionally asked the court to issue an order directing the Attorney-General of the Federation to ensure compliance with any decision or order made by the court in the matter.
In recent times, there have been calls on Jonathan to join the 2027 presidential race.
The calls are being made by leading figures in the opposition parties, but Jonathan has yet to speak openly on whether or not he wants to contest.
Last week, the Presidency issued a statement, welcoming Jonathan, who was ousted from power in 2015, to contest against Tinubu but said he would be haunted by his “disastrous” past record in office.
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