Politics

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has assured that no presidential hopeful will be pressured to step down within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general election. This position was conveyed in a statement issued on Tuesday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe. Atiku urged Nigerians to push back against what he described as attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to intimidate and weaken opposition parties. His remarks come amid speculation that he is under pressure to withdraw in favour of a southern candidate as the ADC’s presidential flagbearer in the 2027 contest against President Bola Tinubu. According to Atiku, if anyone should step aside, it should be President Tinubu, whose administration he said has increasingly become a burden on the nation...

Murphy Omoruyi, the last remaining Labour Party (LP) member in Edo State’s House of Representatives, has officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), blaming persistent internal crises within his former party and pressure from his constituents. Omoruyi, who represents the Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency, spoke to journalists in Benin City on Tuesday, saying his decision was driven by growing calls from the grassroots for a change in political direction. “Our people are crying out. They are under serious pressure. There are no good roads, and the current government has made life difficult for them,” he said. “As a representative of the people, I chose to align with their aspirations. They want a change, and I must stand with them to make that happen.” He noted tha...

As preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum, Ovation publisher Dele Momodu has advised the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to steer clear of the kind of internal crises that weakened the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In a post on X on Tuesday, Momodu recalled a 2025 meeting in Abuja where opposition parties rallied around the ADC in a bid to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He said he was encouraged by the initial unity and leadership structure of the coalition, particularly the emergence of former Senate President, General David Mark (rtd), as chairman. “I was delighted to hear those inspiring words,” Momodu wrote. “Seeing an Army veteran like General David Mark as chairman gave confidence that indiscipline would not be tolerated. But late...

Amid renewed tensions with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has vowed that the mistakes made during the 2023 elections will not recur in 2027. Wike made the statement on Tuesday while addressing residents during visits to Akuku-Toru and Degema Local Government Areas. He stressed the need to acknowledge past missteps and take corrective action, noting that lessons had been learned from the last election cycle. According to him, “What is important in life is to admit when you have made a mistake and come out to say, ‘I made a mistake and I want to correct it.’ The mistake we made in 2023 will not be repeated. Where we voted in the state is not where we will vote again in 2027.” The remarks come shortly after th...

Former Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has dismissed reports suggesting he plans to defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing the claims as false and baseless. PUNCH Online gathered that the speculation may have arisen from the lingering political rift between Badaru and his successor, Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi, within the All Progressives Congress (APC). Party sources say tensions have persisted, with allegations that supporters of the former governor feel sidelined in both government and party affairs in the state. The internal disagreements within the Jigawa APC have reportedly fueled rumours of possible defections, as some members are said to be disillusioned and exploring alternative political platforms. However, Badaru has firmly denied the re...

Former National Secretary of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD), Professor Udenta Udenta, has said efforts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to establish a one-party state will ultimately fail. Speaking on Tuesday during an interview on Arise Television, Udenta argued that the APC would emerge weaker after its primary elections, with rival parties benefiting from internal fallout. He said the party’s internal troubles were already evident, pointing to developments in Rivers State as an early sign of structural and administrative instability within the APC. According to Udenta, Nigeria’s diverse and multi-ethnic nature makes the idea of a one-party state unrealistic, stressing that such a system would face strong resistance. He added that politicians are often f...

Venezuela’s parliament on Monday officially inaugurated Delcy Rodríguez as interim president, two days after US forces captured former leader Nicolás Maduro and transported him to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Rodríguez, who previously served as vice president, took the oath of office before the National Assembly, pledging her commitment to the nation. She expressed anguish over what she described as the abduction of national figures, referring to Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are currently in US custody. The parliamentary session also resulted in the re-election of Rodríguez’s brother, Jorge Rodríguez, as Speaker of the National Assembly, further consolidating executive and legislative power within the family. Addressing lawmakers, Jorge Rodríguez vowed to e...

Kano State witnessed rising political tension on Monday as security presence was increased around the Government House amid disagreements between the leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf over planned defections. There have been strong indications that Yusuf, a protégé of Kwankwaso, is preparing to defect from NNPP to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Reports said the move, earlier expected imminently, had been shifted to January 12 to allow the governor hold wider consultations, especially with lawmakers in the state assembly. Kwankwaso, speaking on Saturday, accused the governor of planning to “hand over Kano to former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje”, claiming the state had earlier been rescued from him. Ganduj...

The political crisis in Rivers State has intensified as moves by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to block Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s 2027 re-election bid appear to be faltering. Several governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have reportedly thrown their weight behind Fubara, escalating the rift between the former allies. Sources within the APC disclosed that renewed hostilities between Wike and Fubara were triggered by the decision of influential APC governors to support Fubara’s second-term ambition—an outcome said to have angered the FCT minister. The situation was further reinforced by the APC leadership’s apparent endorsement of Fubara, with party leaders openly commending his governance record and infrastructure projects. Tensions reported...

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, has slammed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, urging him to resign from his ministerial position and face his “obsession with Rivers politics and the APC”. In a statement on Monday, Basiru declared that Wike has no standing to involve himself in any APC political matters until he formally joins the party. He also rejected Wike’s claim that he is motivated by the N600 billion in the coffers of Rivers State government, emphasizing that he is not an opportunist and has consistently taken principled positions. “From my record, he (Wike) isn’t a member of APC. I don’t see which authority or temerity he has to be dabbling in APC affairs. “I am the National Secretary of APC...