Politics

2027: Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso planning possible merger – PDP

The Deputy National Spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ibrahim Abdullahi, has said the three leading opposition figures in Nigeria are discussing the possibility of a merger to salvage Nigerians from hunger and widespread insecurity ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Abdullahi made this statement on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Monday.

According to him, the three opposition candidates in the last elections—PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)—would put personal interests aside and form a formidable alliance to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 and salvage Nigerians from hunger.

He said that had the party’s past leadership managed differences and party conflicts well, high-ranking chieftains like former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, Kwankwaso, and Obi would still be full-blooded members of the PDP, and the party would have defeated Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last election.

“We’ve lost Kwankwaso, we’ve lost Peter Obi, all of these people; imagine if they were in the party, we would have won the elections.

“This APC said they defeated us with one million plus (votes); just one of these names that I mentioned would have covered that gap for us, and we would have been in power today, and certainly Nigerians would not have been confronted with this despair and despondency in the land,” he said.

Politics

NAF begins Edo guber election materials transportation

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commenced the transportation of election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, ahead of the Sept. 21 Governorship election in Edo.

This is contained in a statement by the Deputy Director Public Relations and Information, NAF, Group Capt. Kabiru Ali, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ali said the move was part of a broader effort to ensure timely and secured delivery of sensitive materials necessary for the smooth conduct of the elections.

He said the transportation operation had demonstrated the collaboration between NAF and INEC, aimed at facilitating logistics and ensuring a peaceful election process in Edo.

According to him, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, had recently reiterated NAF’s commitment to provide transportation for the swift movement of electoral materials.

“This is in fulfillment of NAF’s constitutional responsibility of providing Military Aid to Civil Authority,’’ he said.

Politics

Fubara directs all 23 LGA chairmen in Rivers to contest under APP

Rivers Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has directed all 23 local government chairmen in the state to contest the forthcoming local government elections under the banner of the All People’s Party (APP).

The decision comes in the wake of Governor Fubara losing control of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) structure in Rivers State to former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

The local government elections are scheduled for October 5, 2024.

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Wike has maintained significant control over the PDP structure in the state, causing friction between the two leaders.

The power struggle has culminated in Governor Fubara opting to back the APP, a move many see as a bid to counter Wike’s dominance in the state.

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With the local government elections fast approaching, this move is expected to reshape the political dynamics in Rivers State.

The APP, previously a lesser-known party in the region, now stands to gain considerable traction, backed by the governor and the incumbent local government chairmen.

Politics

Court sets new date for judgment in suit seeking Ganduje’s sack

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, shifted the judgment in a suit seeking the removal of Dr Abdullahi Ganduje as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Sept. 23.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the matter, which was earlier fixed for today, was not on the case list.

NAN gathered that the parties in the suit had earlier been reached by the court registrar for a new date because the judgement was not ready.

“We have already called the parties on phone to inform them of the development. A new date is next week, September 23,” a reliable source said.

Justice Inyang Ekwo had, on July 5, fixed today (Sept. 18) for the judgment.

Justice Ekwo fixed the date after counsel to the plaintiff, Benjamin Davou; and lawyers to the defence adopted their processes and made their submission for and against the case.

The plaintiff; the North Central APC Forum, led by Saleh Zazzaga, had filed the suit to queried the propriety of Ganduje’s appointment as the Chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central geo-political zone.

In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, the plaintiff listed Ganduje, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.

The plaintiff wants the court to, among others, restrain Ganduje from further parading himself as the chairman of the APC.

It also prays the court to issue an order directing INEC not to accord recognition to all actions taken by the APC, including congresses, primaries and nominations, since Ganduje became APC Chairman on August 3, 2023.

The plaintiff is contending among others, that Ganduje is occupying the office of the APC chairman illegally, not being from a state in the North Central geo-political zone.

It argued that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC breached the party’s constitution when it appointed Ganduje, from Kano State in the North West geo-political zone to replace Sen. Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa State in the North Central geo-political zone.

It also argued that Ganduje’s appointment to replace Abdullahi was contrary to Article 31.5(1) f of the APC constitution and ultra vires the powers of the NEC of the party, among other reliefs.