Category: News

The ultimatum was contained in a statement on Thursday in Abuja and signed by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh.

According to Ifoh, the Labour Party under Abure’s leadership is strongly opposed to the coalition, which it dismissed as an alliance of “power mongers” with no genuine interest in the welfare of Nigerians.

“The often mouthed ‘new Nigeria is possible’ is a ruse and cannot be achieved with the assemblage of old, recycled, desperate, and frustrated politicians in the coalition,” Ifoh said.

“These are the same individuals who have mismanaged Nigeria for decades. Desperate politicians cannot birth a new Nigeria.”

He also accused Obi of holding secret meetings with some Labour Party members to lure them into the coalition. However, he claimed many had refused to defect.

“We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party,” Ifoh stated.

“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition. Any of our members who aligns with the coalition has 48 hours to formally resign.”

The party further declared that it would not tolerate “dual allegiance,” saying, “Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda or deceptive personas, those who claim Labour Party in the morning and coalition by evening.”

Ifoh emphasised that most Nigerian youths yearn for real change, not a rebranded version of the same old political order.

“Nearly 70 percent of Nigerians are youths who are tired of the old order—tired of gerontocrats deciding their fate. The new Nigeria that the youths dream of cannot be realised through this opportunistic coalition.”

He urged party members to remain loyal and preserve the party structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Meanwhile, Obi has backed the emerging coalition of opposition parties, which aims to unseat President Bola Tinubu-led government in 2027.

In a post shared via his official X handle, Obi stressed the need for collective action, stating that no single group can transform Nigeria alone.

“Yesterday, the coalition members formally adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 Nigeria General Elections, with Senator David Mark serving as National Chairman and H.E. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary,” Obi wrote.

“Our commitment is to work together towards the 2027 General Elections, ensuring that Nigeria gets competent, capable, and compassionate leadership.”

He added, “This decision was not made lightly. It stems from deep reflection on where we are as a country and what must be done to move forward.

“No one group can change Nigeria alone. To dismantle the structures that keep our people in poverty and insecurity, we must build bridges, not walls—even when those bridges are uneasy,” Obi said. Leadership

The coalition, which was established to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027, had earlier chosen Mark and ex-Governor Rauf Aregbesola as Chairman and Secretary respectively.

Speaking at the YarÁdua Centre in Abuja, where the ADC coalition is being unveiled, Nwosu said, “We all decided to resign so that Mark can paddle this canoe and get us to the Villa.”

Nwosu described Aregbesola, estranged ally of Tinubu, as a man of unparalleled service record.

“Nigerians are yearning for change. They are yearning for the coalition. I congratulate you both and assure you that working with the NWC and NEC members you will meet, you have no problem.

“I will be talking as a floor member. My job will not end until we sing the national anthem in the Villa. That will be the real hope. Nigeria has been in ICU. Lives are being lost everyday. My appeal to the emerging political leaders is to take Nigeria from the ICU to global reckoning because we can!

We can help Mark and Aregbesola by the way we conduct ourselves. Anybody who says anything against what we’ve done today is not ADC member. We shouldn’t be apologetic. We need to be ready for this battle. More will come, but the way we are we will surmount them.”

Among those who attended the event were former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; Peter Obi, Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 elections; Nasir El-Rufai, former Governor of Kaduna; Rotimi Amaechi, former Transportation Minister; Emeka Ihedioha, former Imo governor, among others.  Daily Trust

In a statement titled “David Mark Appointed as ADC Interim Chairman – My Response”, Kachikwu rejected what he called a “takeover of the national leadership” of the party, insisting that those behind the move lacked legitimacy and were acting in alliance with a defunct leadership.

“The Atiku-led group are in some form of alliance with the former leadership of the party led by Ralph Nwosu. The tenure of the Nwosu-led executive lapsed on August 21, 2022,” he said, adding that Nwosu’s continued claims to the chairmanship had been subject to multiple court cases.

Kachikwu criticised the group’s strategy, accusing them of trying to hijack the party structure without due process.

“Can you build something on nothing? Can you shave a man’s hair in his absence? Can you enter a man’s house through the back door and declare yourself the landlord?” he queried.

The ADC presidential candidate described the Atiku-aligned figures as part of “yesterday’s men” attempting to prolong what he called a “chopping must continue” political culture.

“They are a bunch of greedy and selfish old men who believe that political power is their birthright,” he said. “Nigerians are tired of your generation and reject everything you have to offer.”

Kachikwu also cast doubt on the group’s claim to be fighting for ordinary Nigerians, noting that its members include former governors, ministers, and political figures who had already shaped Nigeria’s trajectory for decades.

“We have nothing to show for their decades of leadership other than being seen as a nation divided by tribe and religion and thriving in mediocrity.”

He maintained that the ADC remained committed to progressive ideals and urged anyone seeking to join the party to do so “through the front door.”

“We are a party of decent and well-behaved people. Our brand of opposition is one that not only opposes but proposes—something that your group is not conversant with,” he added.

Kachikwu concluded his statement by predicting that the group would soon begin “shopping for another party,” wishing them “bon voyage” as they exit. Arise News

The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this at the second quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja on Tuesday.

The commission is preparing for a packed electoral calendar, including five major elections within the next 13 months.

These include by-elections in 12 states on August 16, 2025; the Anambra State governorship election on November 8, 2025; Area Council elections in the FCT on February 21, 2026; the Ekiti governorship election on June 20, 2026; and the Osun governorship election on August 8, 2026.

Yakubu stressed, “As we approach the by-elections, the off-cycle governorship elections and ultimately the 2027 general election, the commission is concerned with the various interpretations given to the provision of Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022 on the review of election results.

“Pursuant to our powers to issue regulations, guidelines and manuals to give effect to the provisions of the Electoral Act and for its administration, the commission is working on a supplement to the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2022, to provide clarity on the review of declaration and return at elections.

“As soon as the commission takes a decision, perhaps as early as this week, the supplementary Regulations and Guidelines will be uploaded to our website and other platforms for public information,” the chair noted.

The INEC chairman also called on RECs to regard their duties as ongoing responsibilities rather than activities limited to general elections.

Yakubu emphasised the need for consistent commitment at the state level, noting that the success of Nigeria’s elections depends on year-round efforts.

He reminded the RECs that responsibility for effective logistics, voter engagement, and implementation of electoral reforms lies with them.

“I wish to remind you that your work does not begin as the general election approaches. You are full-time commissioners. There are policy and procedural issues already determined by the commission which you need to implement without prompting from the Headquarters in Abuja.

“Some of you are already doing so, but you need to intensify your effort. You do not need an elaborate conference or workshop to build the capacity of your staff to improve on their knowledge of new policies and practical innovations introduced by the commission to improve electoral service delivery to Nigerians,” Yakubu stressed.

Yakubu emphasised that the RECs must be proactive, adding, “You can only effectively discharge your responsibilities when you are knowledgeable and committed.

“I encourage you to intensify your effort so that we will play our part in what is a multi-stakeholder responsibility more effectively.

“This is a multi-stakeholder responsibility. We must play our part more effectively,” he concluded.

The chairman also announced that Continuous Voter Registration will resume nationwide on August 18 for online pre-registration and on August 25 for in-person registration.

However, in Anambra State—where a gubernatorial election is due in November—the CVR will begin next week and will take place simultaneously in all 326 wards.

The meeting, held at INEC’s Abuja headquarters, also welcomed two new National Commissioners—Profs Sunday Aja and Abdulrazak Yusuf—as well as six recently sworn-in RECs.

Four of the new RECs attended the consultative meeting for the first time.

This followed the onset of the rainy season in the state.

Borno State also lost two residents to floods.

The Public Relations Officer of Gombe State Police Command, Buhari Abdullahi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incidents in a statement yesterday in Gombe town.

The police spokesman said the command received reports of four incidents of drowning that occurred at Hayin Kwarin-Misau; Bojude, Bajoga, and Difa communities in Akko, Kwami, Funakaye, and Yamaltu Deba local government areas of the state.

He said the victims were children and teenagers who drowned in rivers, erosion sites, and unprotected water channels.

Two women have died in a flood that occurred in Wovi Community of Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.

Several houses were also destroyed in Rumirgo, Askira Uba Local Government Area, displacing several families.

A statement by a media aide to the governor, Mr. Dauda Iliya, said Governor Babagana Zulum extended his sympathy to the victims and their families.

The incident occurred less than a year after a deadly flood submerged communities across Borno State, killing scores of people and washing away homes, farmlands, among others. Nation

The BoT members, who had arrived at the secretariat early Monday for the meeting, were denied access by security personnel, who barricaded the premises.

The Chairman of the BoT, Adolphus Wabara, condemned the cancellation of the NEC meeting on Thursday, insisting that the action was unconstitutional and a gross violation of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).

About 12 members of the National Working Committee (NWC) had insisted that the NEC meeting be held as scheduled in line with the resolution of its 99th meeting. The NWC members also rejected the reinstatement of Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s national secretary.

The BoT members and the splinter NWC officials were reacting to a disclosure by the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagun, at a press conference last Wednesday, recognising Mr Anyanwu as secretary and that the scheduled NEC meeting on 30 June would merely be a special expanded caucus meeting.

Mr Anyanwu issued a notice on Sunday affirming Mr Damagum’s position.

According to the notice, the expanded caucus meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. today (Monday) at the NEC Hall in Wadata Plaza, the party’s secretariat, which is now under police siege.

The notice further listed those expected to attend the meeting, including statutory members of the national caucus, deputy national officers, members of the Board of Trustees, state party chairpersons, PDP members of the National Assembly, former NWC members still in the party, ex-officio members, former governors, and recent governorship candidates.

The PDP has yet to issue an official explanation for the police presence at its headquarters.

However, a party official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak, alleged that the security lockdown was a deliberate move to block the proposed expanded caucus meeting.

As of press time, BoT members and their allies had begun converging on the Yar’Adua Centre in preparation for the NEC meeting. Premium Times

In a statement on Monday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, clarified that officers were only deployed to the area to maintain law and order in line with their constitutional responsibilities.

“The Command wishes to categorically state that this information is false, misleading, and does not reflect the true situation on ground,” she said.

According to her, the presence of police personnel at the PDP Secretariat was strictly a preventive measure aimed at ensuring peace and public safety.

“At no time was the Secretariat sealed off by the Police,” she emphasized.

The Commissioner of Police, FCT, was also quoted in the statement urging media organizations to always verify sensitive information with the Police Public Relations Office before going public.

She was however, admitted to bail on self recognizance by Justice Mohammed Umar, who recognized her status as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a lawyer.

Besides, the court also agreed with Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Chief Roland Otaru, that the defendant was not a flight risk.

The Kogi senator had pleaded not guilty to all six-count charge bordering on making statements via broadcast that are allegedly capable of harming the person of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, had told the court that the prosecution was not opposed to the bail application and did not also file a counter affidavit.

He however urged the court to admit the defendant to bail in a term that would ensure that the defendant attend her trial.

Meanwhile, the court has fixed September 22, for trial.