Politics

Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, has cast doubt on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s chances in the 2027 presidential election, suggesting he may struggle to secure significant support. Speaking during an interview on Symfoni TV, Bwala said he believes there is a possibility that former Labour Party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar could be outperformed by Peter Obi, who is expected to contest under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). He also expressed concern that Atiku could finish as low as fourth place in the race, a result he said could impact the former vice president’s political legacy if it turns out to be his final presidential bid. Bwala contrasted Atiku’s current standing with the support he enjoyed d...

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has debunked reports claiming that he promised automatic senatorial tickets to lawmakers who were defeated in the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections. This follows remarks he made while addressing senators upon their return from a three-week recess and the Eid-el-Kabir holiday. Akpabio expressed optimism that efforts were being made to address concerns arising from the party’s primary process. Speaking at the plenary session, the Senate President acknowledged the challenges faced by some lawmakers and noted that the leadership of the Senate was working to minimise disappointments among members. However, in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, Akpabio said reports clai...

Factional National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, has accused former presidential candidate Peter Obi of leaving the party with large sums of money belonging to the Labour Party. Abayomi made the claim during an interview with Nevon HQ, saying that the party had about ₦12 billion in one of its accounts and another $15 million in a separate dollar account. He alleged that Peter Obi left with the funds and distanced himself from the party afterward. Arabambi also said Obi had never personally earned such an amount in his career, insisting that the figures being discussed were beyond his known financial history. He further claimed that one of Obi’s companies in the United Kingdom went into bankruptcy due to a debt of about £900,000. He added that leg...

The Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) has refunded ₦10.8 million to former presidential aspirant Mrs. Abisayo Busari-Akinnadeju following her resignation from the party. Busari-Akinnadeju confirmed the development in a statement issued on Friday, noting that while the party had returned most of the money she paid for the 2027 presidential nomination form, an outstanding balance of ₦1.2 million is yet to be paid. She disclosed that she resigned from the party on May 28, citing concerns over the alleged imposition of a consensus candidate through a process she claimed violated provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. According to her, she was also removed as a cleared aspirant through a disciplinary procedure after refusing to support the consensus arrangement. While expressing appr...

A senatorial aspirant of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Edo South, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinwa, has expressed regret over his decision to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the NDC, describing the move as going “from the frying pan into the fire.” Speaking during an interview on Arise News’ News Day on Friday, the former House of Representatives member alleged that despite emerging victorious in the NDC senatorial primary for Edo South, he is being prevented from appearing on the ballot. Agbonayinwa explained that the party opted for a direct primary after aspirants failed to agree on a consensus candidate. According to him, the process was rigorous, but the aftermath has been disappointing. “I’ve moved from the frying pan to hellfire. We held a direct primary after ...

The senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, has raised concerns over the worsening security situation in Kogi State, lamenting that kidnapping has become an almost daily occurrence in the state. Karimi made the remarks on Wednesday while contributing to a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Abdulfatai Buhari at the Senate. The motion was prompted by the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. According to the lawmaker, kidnapping and banditry have grown into serious national threats that should not be blamed solely on the Federal Government. He stressed that all levels of government must play active roles in addressing the crisis. Citing a recent incident in his constituency, Karimi revealed that armed bandits invaded Ayedun Bunu ...

Vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, says it was out of sympathy that he agreed to run with Peter Obi.   Baba-Ahmed said this duirng an interview with Symfoni.  According to him, Obi had approached three prominent politicians ahead of the 2023 election, but none agreed to run with him. He said his decision to become Obi’s running mate was driven by sympathy for the ex-Anambra governor and the country’s political situation at the time. “People don’t understand that between me and Obi, there is a great deal of sympathy. I have sympathy for him. And this sympathy was at the core of our relationship. When he approached three other major politicians in 2022, I would have been glad if one of them had gone with Pete...

Actor, Emeka Ike has revealed plans to take action against Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the alleged exposure of his personal data from the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission. Ike contested for the House of Representatives seat for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) and lost. After the outcome of the election, Olayinka shared what appeared to be Ike’s voter information via an INEC administrative webpage. On his X handle on Saturday, Olayinka wrote that Ike was formerly a registered voter in Imo State before transferring his registration to the FCT. He wrote, “Emeka Ike was a registered voter in Imo State. He on...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has responded to allegations surrounding the alleged leak of voter information involving Lere Olayinka, spokesman to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Olayinka had recently mocked Nollywood actor Emeka Ike over his voter registration transfer from Imo State to the FCT, sharing images online that were later alleged to contain data accessed from INEC’s administrative system. The controversy deepened after Ike reportedly indicated interest in contesting for the House of Representatives seat for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency under the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), raising concerns about how his details were obtained. In a statement issued on Tuesday by National Commissioner and Chairman of the I...

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, showed his political influence on Tuesday as six members of the House of Representatives, Oyo caucus, loyal to him, dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the Allied Peoples Movement. At the resumption of plenary following the Sallah break, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the session, read 13 letters announcing the change of parties by lawmakers. Recall that Makinde, a few weeks ago, defected to the APM, on which platform he has already declared to run for the presidential election in 2027. The members of the Oyo House of Representatives caucus who defected to the APM on Tuesday included Anthony Adebayo, Adedeji Olajide, Sunday Makanjuola, Oyedeji Oyeshina, Fola Oyekunle and Adigun Adekunle. undefined...