Tag: All Progressives Congress

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PDP’s fielding of Atiku in 2023 an error, says Abba Moro

A chieftain of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abba Moro, says the party regrets fielding Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections. 

Moro, a senator representing Benue South in the National Assembly, stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

“As a result of how the election turned out and because the Nigerian people spoke, definitely, it [fielding Atiku] was an error,” the Senate Minority Leader said on Tuesday.

“To lose a very monumental election in that disastrous manner is certainly in for regret.”

The PDP lost the presidential election to the All Progressives Congress (APC), coming second in the exercise won by Bola Tinubu, the then-flagbearer of the ruling APC.

About two years after that defeat, Atiku dumped the PDP and has yet to announce his new party.

Though the 2027 general polls are barely two years away, there are rumours that the main opposition wants to persuade former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, to return to its fold.

Since Jonathan lost to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, he has kept a low profile as he has not been seen at public functions within the PDP.

Similarly, Obi, who was running mate to Atiku in the 2019 elections, dumped the PDP for the Labour Party, where he later secured its presidential ticket for the 2023 polls.

He was said to have been frustrated out of the PDP, a claim that was corroborated by Moro.

But Moro said there were ongoing talks to persuade the duo to join the presidential race.

He added, “So, in the run-up to 2027, I am aware certain individuals have been talking to Peter Obi, ‘Hey, come back home, this is what we are likely to do, and if you come, you stand a chance of being the candidate’,” Moro said on the show.

When asked about the possibilities of ex-President Jonathan returning to the PDP, Senator Moro said, “Some persons are talking to the former president to come and run. It is a possibility”. (Channels)

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Tinubu mourns ex-Plateau military gov, Senator Mana

President Bola Tinubu has condoled with the family, friends, and associates of Col Mohammed Mana (retd), a former military administrator of Plateau State and onetime senator, who passed away in the early hours of Saturday in Abuja.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain represented Adamawa North in the Senate between 2007 and 2011.

President Tinubu described Mana as a distinguished patriot and officer gentleman who gave much to his fatherland in and out of uniform.

The President lauded Mana’s commitments to the common good and a better society, saying his counsel and leadership would be sorely missed.

President Tinubu commiserated with the people and government of Adamawa State and members of the APC family in Adamawa, who benefited from Senator Mana’s wisdom.

Senator Mana was chairman of the party’s Reconciliation Committee until his death. (Vanguard)

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I’ll support anyone who backs Tinubu – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has stated that he will support those who support President Bola Tinubu, urging residents to “support those that the government will listen to.”, has stated that he will support those who support President Bola Tinubu, urging residents to “support those that the government will listen to.”

Wike made the statement while commending former Senator representing the FCT, Philip Aduda, and the Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Christopher Maikalangu, during the flag-off of Lot 2 of Water Supply Projects in Karu, on Thursday.

The minister hailed both men for their capacity and for bringing development to the people, while promising the construction of a 2km road in Karu site, on the request of Aduda, adding that he will support those who continue to support the Tinubu-led administration.

He further commended the AMAC Chairman, Maikalangu, as “very good and hardworking”, noting that the latter had used his access to government to deliver several projects to his residents in the area council, adding that his administration will do, whatever he asked if he (Maikalangu) won his re-election bid as council chairman.

“There is a road where you said is about 2km, is it not? Consider it done. You know, one thing about government and politics, support those who have capacity to bring something to the people. Support those that government will listen to.

“From what happened now, you see that Aduda, government has his ear where he is. And that’s why government said where is that road he mentioned? Consider it done.

“You can see that since he (Maikalangu) became the Chairman of AMAC, he has brought government to do Saburi Road, he has brought the government to do Kabusa-Takushere Road, he has brought government to redo this road. He has brought government to do Deidei Road.

“For me, I’m here to talk about those who have access to government and bring something to the people.

“The chairman has access to us. Anything he tells us, we will do. This is the only man I know. If he wins as chairman of AMAC, we will give him whatever he wants. I don’t know the party he belongs to. But I know that he supports Tinubu. Anybody who supports Tinubu, I will support him,” Wike said.

The minister pointed out that past governments had failed to provide the needs of the people, particularly water supply to the communities in Karu, noting that the government of Tinubu has fulfilled its promise to provide potable water to satellite towns.

“We have had a government who stayed here for five years, isn’t that correct? We have had a government who stayed here for eight years too, is that correct? Has any government come to say, look, we will provide you water? Have you had water before? Did this government promise it will give you water? Have we come now to give you water?

“So, you believe you have a covenant with this government. And the covenant is like somebody said, agreement is agreement. So, the people of Karu, you will readily remember the government that remembers you, is it not correct?

“Will you remember those who had the opportunity and they refused to do anything for you? Will you remember those who left Karu unattended, will you remember them? So, we have come to fulfil the promise we made to you, that you must have clean and potable water,” he stated.

PUNCH Online reports that Aduda represented the FCT on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party between 2011 and 2015, and was re-elected in 2015 and again in 2019, before losing the seat in the 2023 general elections.

Meanwhile, Maikalangu is seeking re-election as Chairman of AMAC in the forthcoming February 2026 Area Council elections, on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, after defecting from the PDP in 2024. (Punch)

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Atiku condemns Tambuwal’s arrest, says EFCC now a political tool

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of weaponising anti-corruption agencies to pressure opposition leaders into defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Atiku lamented that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been turned into a political tool.

On Monday, the EFCC detentained former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal over alleged financial misconduct, it also invited former Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha over corruption allegations during his brief tenure.

Reacting, Atiku claimed Tambuwal’s detention was solely because he is a member of the coalition seeking to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

He stated, “The only reason the EFCC has detained the former Governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, is because he is a member of the opposition Coalition. It is a continuation of the Tinubu-led administration’s agenda to harrass, intimidate, and decimate the opposition.

“The reality unfolding before us today is that the Tinubu administration, as with other aspects, has objectified the fight against corruption as a political tool to coerce opposition leaders into the ruling party.

“We are living witnesses to a growing trend where the state and its operators have assumed the roles of a bully by making corruption and the fight against it a political agenda.

“Certainly, that is not the objective for which I worked hard during our administration to create the EFCC.”

Atiku stressed that while fighting corruption needs everyone’s support, using it as a political weapon must be condemned by civil society and Nigeria’s international partners.

The statement read in part, “It is as though today, anyone who associates with the opposition is a target for phantom corruption allegations and, it is as though, as soon as they are coerced into the political agenda of President Tinubu, their ‘sins’ are forgiven.

“That, definitely, is not how to build institutions. That, certainly, is not how to fight the monster of corruption. Indeed, such tendencies provide the stimulant for corruption to thrive

“We have seen how the EFCC has been used to empty opposition state governors into the ruling party, and the tea party is not about to end anytime soon.

“While the genuine fight against corruption is a matter that requires the total support of all Nigerians, the objectification of it as a political agenda should be roundly condemned by all in civil society spaces and friends of Nigeria in the international community.

Atiku vowed that opposition leaders would resist any anti-democratic attempts to force the nation into a one-party dictatorship. (Punch)

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2027: No politician, including Jonathan, can defeat Tinubu —Presidential aide

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has dismissed speculations about former President Goodluck Jonathan posing a threat to Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 general elections.

He also declared that no politician in Nigeria today has the capacity to defeat Tinubu at the polls.

Bwala, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, was asked if there is a need to worry over the recent clamour for Jonathan to run for office in 2027.

He said, “I see that some unscrupulous elements are trying to hoodwink former President Goodluck Jonathan to come into politics so they can destroy his reputation, which, after he left government, he has been building by becoming an international figure globally.

“And why do I say that? The southern Nigeria where President Goodluck Jonathan comes from, has all turned to us. You have seen governors coming.

The presidential aide also questioned the motives of northern political figures urging Jonathan to run, noting that some of these individuals were instrumental in opposing him during his presidency.

“The elements that are going to him in the north, asking him to come to run, were they not the ones that chased him away?
“So what hope does he have that this time around, they are calling him because they mean well for him? Then look at the political class that is coming together to cajole him to come into politics. I know President Goodluck Jonathan is smarter than that.”

Bwala expressed confidence in Tinubu’s victory should Jonathan runs.

“But if President Jonathan decides to run, let me tell you, I have seen the political climate in Nigeria today, and I will speak to facts, not conjecture. There is not a single politician that has the capacity to knock off President Bola Tinubu.”

With the 2027 polls barely two years away, opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, former Senate President, David Mark, among several others, are joining forces to sack the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Calls have also been made for former President Goodluck Jonathan to join the 2027 presidential race, although he has yet to make his position known publicly. (Punch)

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Tension disrupts APC rally in Nsukka, rally continues despite interruption

An All Progressives Congress (APC) rally held in Opi-Nsukka, Enugu State, was temporarily disrupted on Saturday following reported incidents of violence, including the destruction of canopies and rally materials.

Witnesses said the rally was interrupted multiple times before party supporters regrouped and continued the event. Party officials also alleged that campaign posters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were torn during the disturbance.

A former governorship aspirant and ex-commissioner in the state, Mr. Peter Okonkwo, who addressed the crowd after the rally reconvened, described the disruption as an attack on the party’s peaceful assembly. He noted that despite the setback, party members remained resolute in their support for the APC and President Tinubu.

“They tried to disperse us multiple times, but we stood firm and came back stronger,” he said. “We are here to show our support for the President and our belief in the future of the APC.”

No official confirmation has been made regarding the identity of those responsible for the disruption. The incident took place on the same day the Enugu State Government commissioned several projects in Nsukka, including a 5,000-shop international market and roads.

Top APC leaders in the state condemned the incident and called for an investigation. They included:

Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology

Barr. Ugochukwu Agballah, Enugu State APC Chairman

House of Representatives members: Hon. Sunday Umeha, Hon. Chimobi Atu, and Hon. Prof. Paul Nnamchi.

The party leaders urged the authorities to ensure the safety of political gatherings and allow all parties to freely mobilize support.

Despite the disruption, the rally proceeded with the reception of over 1,000 new members from other political parties including the PDP, Labour Party, APGA, ADP, and YPP.

Minister Nnaji praised the resilience of the attendees and the courage of the new members, describing their defection to the APC as “a significant step toward greater political participation.”

The APC chairman, Agballah, called for a peaceful and fair political environment in the state, noting that previous rallies in other areas had experienced similar challenges.

“We believe in democracy and the right to peaceful assembly,” he said. “We urge all stakeholders to respect that.” (Vanguard)

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Minister vows APC will take over Enugu in 2027

The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, has expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress will take over Enugu State in the 2027 general elections.

Nnaji made this assertion while receiving over 500 defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance into the APC on Monday.

The minister condemned the Enugu State government’s indiscriminate demolition of markets and people’s shops without notice and compensation, saying it has inflicted untold hardship on traders, leading to the death of several traders in the last year.

“Enugu has never had it this bad, and as I stand today, I imagine how a people can survive without something like Ogige Nsukka market.

“Ogige Nsukka market has gone; they have bulldozed Ogige Nsukka to ashes, without any notice.

” Many of our people have died out of that singular act of government. If you come to Enugu too, Holy Ghost suffered the same fate, Garki and Abakpa suffered the same fate, and Ogurute market here in Igbo-Eze North LGA suffered the same fate, and I wonder how our people who are predominantly businessmen can survive without trading.”

Nnaji expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for appointing Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, who is from Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, as the Chief of Naval Staff.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu knows that we are here; he knows we are doing all these things for the state and for him and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“He knows and he has our support 101 per cent and he is behind us, we are APC,” Nnaji said.

The minister assured that the APC will do everything possible and within the law to displace the PDP government under Governor Peter Mbah in 2027.

“We are going to fight, we are going to do everything humanly possible and within the ambit of law to make sure that come 2027 our people will start rejoicing again,” Nnaji asserted.

The APC State Chairman, Ugochukwu Agballah, welcomed the defectors, describing the influx of new members as a “rainbow movement.”

“You know that in the last election, the Labour Party won in Igbo-Eze North, LP won the House of Assembly, won the House of Rep, won everything, but they were rigged out.

“Do you know why they were rigged out? It’s because they were in a one-man show. One-man-show parties don’t go far, politics is like a market, one person does not constitute the market,” Agballah said. (Punch)

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Lagos LG Polls: APC wins all 57 chairmanship, 375 councillorship seats

The All Progressives Congress (APC) won all 57 chairmanship seats and 375 councillorship seats in Saturday’s Lagos State Local Government election .
 
The Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Retired Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, said this on Sunday while declaring the results of the exercise at the commission’s headquarters in Sabo Yaba, Lagos.
 
She said APC also won 375 of the 376 councilorship seats, losing one councilorship seat to PDP in Yaba LCDA.
Okikiolu-Ighile commended the peaceful conduct of residents, especially voters,  during the exercise.

The LASIEC boss also said the enthusiasm displayed by residents before and during the exercise was commendable.
 
She said that the enthusiasm displayed through active participation reinforced the shared belief in the importance of local governance in service delivery and grassroots development.
 
The commission’s boss also commended security agencies and the media for their professional conduct before, during, and after the polls.
 
“Their presence was a significant factor in maintaining a conducive, congenial atmosphere across the polling units.
 
“We are pleased to announce that no major cases of electoral violence or ballot snatching, voter intimidation or general breakdown of law and order were recorded,” she added.
 
Okikiolu-Ighile said that the commission “was pleased to report that the election was generally free, was fair, was peaceful, was orderly, was transparent, credible, and devoid of significant obstructions.”

According to her, electoral officers and ad hoc staff discharged their duties with commendable diligence and integrity.

Stating that no electoral process was without its challenges, the chairman said that the late arrival of electoral personnel and materials in some areas was due to some logistical issues.
 
“We acknowledge that voter apathy remains a concern and we are committed to strengthening our voter education and stakeholders’ engagement strategies relentlessly,” she added.
 
Okikiolu-Ighile said that the results of the elections had been collated and announced by the law across various wards and local council areas by returning officers.
 
She said that the presentation of certificates of return to duly elected chairpersons and councillors would follow soon at the commission’s headquarters.
 
The LASIEC boss also commended observers, civil society organisations, youth groups, women advocacy groups, traditional and religious institutions, market men and women, and other stakeholders for their support and active participation throughout the process.
 
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 15 political parties participated in the election. (Vanguard)

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Buhari’s Kaduna home wears solemn look

The Kaduna residence of Nigeria’s former President, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) wore a solemn and deserted look on Sunday following news of his death in London.

Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s civilian president between 2015 and 2023 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, died at about 4:30 pm in a London clinic, according to a statement issued by his former spokesman, Garba Shehu.

When our correspondent visited the former president’s home located on Sultan Lane, along Sultan Road in Kaduna, there were no signs of mourning sympathisers trooping in or out of the premises.

The usually quiet street remained subdued, save for the presence of security operatives.

Two military trucks were stationed in front of the house at the time of filing this report. Armed personnel on guard duty politely turned away journalists who had thronged the area, directing them to move further down the main Sultan Road.

Efforts by reporters to catch a glimpse of any family member were futile, as the heavy security presence kept all non-residents at bay.

The late Buhari’s Kaduna residence is located in a neighbourhood known for its association with Nigeria’s political elite.

Among his neighbours are the family of the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, former Chief of Staff, Supreme Military Council, and former Minister of Finance and Labour Party chieftain, Nenadi Usman.

General Buhari’s political journey remains remarkable. He was first Nigeria’s military Head of State between January 1984 and August 1985 following a coup d’état.

Decades later, after several unsuccessful attempts at the presidency, he was elected as Nigeria’s democratic president in 2015 and re-elected for a second term in 2019. He handed over power in 2023. (Punch)

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Supreme Court reserves judgment in Edo gov election appeal

The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved judgment in the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, over the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State.

The apex court made this decision after hearing arguments for and against the appeal.

The appeal challenges the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which announced Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election.

The appeal was heard by a five-member panel of justices led by Justice Garba Lawal.

Ighodalo’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ken Mozia, asked the court to overturn the judgments of the lower courts, which had upheld INEC’s declaration of Okpebholo as winner.

On May 29, 2025, the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed the ruling of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

Both courts dismissed Ighodalo’s petition, describing it as lacking merit.

On April 2, 2025, a three-member panel of the tribunal, chaired by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, dismissed the petition filed by the PDP and Ighodalo, citing the petitioners’ failure to prove claims of over-voting and electoral irregularities.

The petition, marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, alleged that Okpebholo did not win the highest number of lawful votes and that the election was marred by widespread irregularities, over-voting, and violations of the Electoral Act.

The PDP and Ighodalo alleged that the election involved incorrect collation of figures, errors in vote computation in 765 polling units, and a failure by INEC to serialise ballot papers or pre-record sensitive materials.

They claimed this enabled electoral malpractice in favour of the APC and its candidate.

During the trial, the petitioners called 19 witnesses and subpoenaed a Senior Technical Officer from INEC’s ICT department, who brought 154 BVAS machines from 133 polling units to support claims of over-voting.

INEC did not present any witnesses.

Okpebholo called one witness, while the APC presented four.

While the PDP asked the tribunal to nullify the election based on the evidence, the respondents countered that the case lacked merit.

They argued that Ighodalo failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he won the election or that there was significant non-compliance with the law.

Justice Kpochi, in the tribunal’s judgment, said, “We hold that the failure by the petitioners to call polling unit agents, presiding officers or other registered voters was fatal to the case.

“It still remains the law that documents do not speak for themselves. A petitioner must prove their evidence. The allegation of non-compliance must be proved.

“The BVAS machines were clearly dumped and remain dormant. None of the witnesses could speak to the BVAS machine. The machines were not demonstrated to prove the allegations of over-voting.

“All the evidence documents tendered by the petitioners to prove over-voting fall short of the requirements. The law requires that the petitioners shall call witnesses to link the evidence rendered.”

On the petitioners’ claims that INEC did not comply with electoral guidelines, Justice Kpochi ruled, “The petitioners failed to prove that the first defendant did not comply with the provisions of the electoral act or INEC rules of conduct as required by law.”

Regarding claims of missing serial numbers on ballots, the tribunal ruled, “There are figures here.”

The court also dismissed claims of a lack of prior recording of materials used in the poll.

In the final result announced by INEC, Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes while Ighodalo came second with 247,655 votes. (Punch)