The chairman of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, in Rivers State, Emma Okah, has rejected the claim by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi cannot win the state in the 2027 presidential election. Wike had recently stated that Obi would not secure victory in Rivers State during the 2027 presidential poll, citing his political influence and support base in the state. However, Okah dismissed the claim, insisting that Rivers voters were free to decide who they would support at the election. The NDC chairman said Wike could not determine the…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
A United States-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has warned against any attempt to manipulate Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, saying credible polls are important to American interests in Nigeria and the wider West African region. The firm made the statement in a post on its verified X account on Thursday while commenting on the political situation in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 elections. Von Batten-Montague-York said the United States could not afford to allow President Bola Tinubu to rig the forthcoming election. It also alleged that there was growing concern across political divides over corruption within the Nigerian…
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has appealed to rival factions of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Jigawa State to withdraw their court cases and resolve their differences through dialogue. Atiku made the appeal during a visit to Jigawa State as part of consultations and engagements ahead of the 2027 general elections. The former Vice President urged the opposing groups to put aside their differences and work together in the interest of the party and its supporters. He said prolonged legal disputes could weaken the party’s structure and distract its members from preparations for the forthcoming elections. Atiku called on…
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, has said adequate funding is essential to securing the 2027 general elections. Amupitan made the statement while stressing the need for effective collaboration between INEC and security agencies to ensure that voters, electoral officials and materials are adequately protected throughout the electoral process. He said election security was not limited to the deployment of personnel on election day, but required sustained planning, intelligence gathering, logistics and coordination before, during and after the polls. According to him, the scale of the 2027 elections makes early preparation and adequate resources…
More than 1,000 residents of Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ahead of the 2027 governorship election. The defectors, said to be largely members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, announced their decision during a consultation visit by the PDP governorship candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, to the area. Archibong visited Akpabuyo to consult traditional rulers, political leaders, stakeholders and residents as part of his engagements ahead of the election. Receiving the defectors, the PDP candidate described the development as the largest group to join the party since he…
Vice presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said governors serving under President Bola Tinubu are not as powerful as governors were when Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999. Kwankwaso made the statement during an interview on Arise Television, where he also discussed governance, the conduct of state governors and the political situation ahead of the 2027 general elections. The former Kano State governor said he did not envy governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, under the Tinubu administration. According to him, governors in the current political dispensation have less…
The Federal Government is working towards announcing a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers, according to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communications, Sunday Shoretire. Shoretire disclosed this while speaking on the ongoing discussions around workers’ wages and the need to review the current minimum wage in line with prevailing economic realities. He said the government was committed to ensuring that Nigerian workers receive improved remuneration, adding that the process of arriving at a new wage structure was ongoing. According to him, relevant stakeholders were being engaged as the Federal Government considers the appropriate figure and framework…
The Ogun State Police Command has commenced the documentation and verification of personnel attached to the Special Protection Unit, SPY, in the state. The exercise is part of efforts by the command to strengthen accountability and improve the monitoring of private security personnel operating with firearms across the state. The command disclosed this in a statement, saying the documentation would cover all SPY personnel under its jurisdiction. According to the police, the exercise is intended to ensure that only properly authorised and verified personnel continue to perform security duties within the state. The command urged individuals and organisations employing SPY…
The vice presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has pledged that the party would reintroduce fuel subsidy in a different form if elected in the 2027 presidential election. Kwankwaso made the promise during an interview with Arise TV, where he criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove fuel subsidy at the beginning of his administration. The former Kano State governor described the subsidy removal as a mistake, alleging that it had contributed to the economic difficulties facing Nigerians. He said the NDC would explore alternative ways of supporting consumers and reducing the cost of petrol without…
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said Senator Ireti Kingibe will not return to the Senate in 2027, while defending the FCT Administration’s borrowing for infrastructure projects. Wike made the statement on Tuesday while responding to journalists during an inspection of ongoing road projects in Abuja. His comments followed allegations by Kingibe, who represents the FCT in the Senate, that the FCT Administration had obtained loans without the required approval of the National Assembly. The minister dismissed the allegation, insisting that government borrowing must be captured in the budget and subjected to the required approval process. Wike…
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Abubakar Sokoto, has described the emerging Rainbow Coalition as another phase in Nigeria’s long history of political alliances and realignments. Sokoto, in a statement issued in Sokoto on Tuesday, said political coalitions had featured in different electoral cycles as parties and political groups joined forces to pursue common objectives while retaining their separate identities. He said the names, personalities, circumstances and objectives behind such alliances might change over time, but political realignment remained a recurring feature of Nigeria’s democratic process. The PDP candidate cited the 1999 joint presidential ticket of…
The New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, has warned Nigerians against individuals allegedly impersonating its officials and making unauthorised statements in the name of the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. The party said the warning became necessary following what it described as a growing number of unauthorised comments, statements and activities being attributed to its leadership. In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, the NNPP urged Nigerians, party members and the media to verify the identity and authority of individuals speaking on behalf of the party. Johnson said only properly designated officials were authorised to…
The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has announced plans to inaugurate its Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, ahead of the 2027 general elections. The party disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, following consultations among its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the party leadership. According to the statement, Obi and Kwankwaso have been given the authority to nominate key officials of the campaign council in consultation with the party leadership. The positions include Director-General, Deputy Director-General for the North, Campaign Spokesman, Deputy Spokesperson, Head of New Media, Finance…
The Presidency has defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to stay away from the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, saying he can effectively govern Nigeria from anywhere in the world. Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the statement while reacting to criticisms from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi. Atiku had questioned Tinubu’s absence from the UNGA for the third consecutive year, while Obi also expressed concern over the President’s decision not to personally attend the international gathering. Responding to the concerns, Onanuga said the…
Social commentator and businessman, Isaac Fayose, has disagreed with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the political strength of the opposition in Abuja ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Fayose, who spoke during an appearance on News Central TV on Tuesday, claimed that the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, would win the Federal Capital Territory in the 2027 election. His comment followed Wike’s recent assertion that the opposition lacks sufficient popularity in Abuja and that President Bola Tinubu would win the FCT and Rivers State in the next presidential election. Fayose…
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has demanded an explanation from President Bola Tinubu over his decision not to attend the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, for the third consecutive year. Atiku made the demand in a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, following the Presidency’s announcement that Vice President Kashim Shettima would lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st session of the UNGA in New York. Tinubu was absent from the 79th UNGA in 2024 and the 80th session in 2025, with Shettima representing him on both occasions. The Vice President is again…
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared Adamu Yakubu of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, winner of the Sakwa State Constituency bye-election in Zaki Local Government Area of Bauchi State. Yakubu emerged victorious after polling 8,515 votes in the election conducted on Saturday. The All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate came second with 3,771 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, secured 2,076 votes. The Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, polled 727 votes. The Returning Officer for the election, Professor Muhammad Sabo of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, announced the result after the collation of votes from the constituency.…
More than 6,000 members of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 general elections. The defectors, led by Mr Godwin Obasi, were received by the leadership of the PDP in Enugu, the state capital, on Saturday. Obasi said the group decided to leave the NDC following what he described as the party’s choice of unpopular candidates for various elective positions. He said the defectors were drawn from all 260 wards and 17 local government areas of the state. “We decided that we were going to join the…
Concern is mounting ahead of the 2027 general election over a series of statements and actions by some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, which opposition groups and civil society organisations have described as threats and intimidation. The concerns have emerged from incidents reported in Borno State, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Osun and Ebonyi, where some APC-linked public officials have made statements warning opponents or voters against supporting opposition parties. The presidential and National Assembly campaigns commenced on August 19, 2026, while the governorship and State Assembly campaigns began on September 9, according to the Independent National Electoral…
The Convener of the Igbo Union, Elias Odoemena, has accused governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, of opposing the Rainbow Coalition because they are afraid of the political influence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike. Odoemena made the claim while reacting to the ongoing disagreement between Wike and members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum over the political coalition ahead of the 2027 general election. The APC governors, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, had rejected the Rainbow Coalition, saying they would not support any political arrangement capable of weakening…