Month: May 2025

Key Nigerian opposition leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman Adolphus Wabara, gathered today at the Continental Hotel in Abuja for the National Political Consultative Group (North) meeting.

The high-profile event, aimed at strategizing for the 2027 general elections, signals a critical step in ongoing coalition talks to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The meeting, attended by other notable figures such as former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami and Mustapha Sule Lamido (San Turaki), underscores the growing momentum behind efforts to unite opposition forces.

Sources indicate that discussions focused on consolidating a broad-based political platform to address Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges and counter the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The choice of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a potential coalition vehicle was a key topic, with stakeholders exploring ways to merge diverse political interests into a unified front.

Atiku Abubakar, a central figure in the coalition push, has been vocal about the need for opposition unity since his 2023 presidential bid under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A pan-Nigerian movement” aimed at “reclaiming and rebuilding the country

Speaking at a recent press conference, he described the coalition as a “pan-Nigerian movement” aimed at “reclaiming and rebuilding the country.” His presence alongside Obi, who commands significant support among Nigerian youths, and Amaechi, a former APC stalwart, highlights the coalition’s intent to bridge regional and ideological divides.

However, tensions remain within the coalition. Peter Obi’s camp, represented by the Obidient Movement, has expressed reservations about arrangements perceived to favor Atiku’s presidential ambitions.

A former aide to Obi, Katchy Ononuju, recently dismissed the coalition as a “caucus of Atiku’s friends” attempting to preempt PDP governors’ zoning decisions. Obi himself has emphasized that his involvement is driven by a desire to combat poverty and bad governance, rather than personal political gain.

The inclusion of PDP BOT Chairman Wabara and other PDP stakeholders reflects efforts to navigate internal crises within the party, which has been weakened by defections and leadership disputes.

The defection of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) earlier this year has also added momentum to the coalition, though the SDP has distanced itself from merger talks.

A source close to the discussions revealed that zoning disputes and Atiku’s potential 2027 candidacy remain sticking points. “Obi and Amaechi’s camps are pushing for power to remain in the South, while Atiku’s team is advocating for a Northern candidate,” the source noted, highlighting the complexity of aligning ambitions.

Obi and Amaechi’s camps are pushing for power to remain in the South, while Atiku’s team is advocating for a Northern candidate

The National Political Consultative Group (North) meeting marks a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s political realignment. With the 2027 elections looming, the outcome of these talks could reshape the opposition landscape and determine the viability of a united front against the APC.

The Apero Mekunnu Advocacy Group, under the leadership of Amoye Bola Sidiq, has officially joined the Zenith Labour Party as their political partner. This marks a significant shift for the group, which has traditionally remained non-political and focused on advocacy.

The announcement was made on May 25, 2025, at the Apero Mekunnu Secretariat in Ilorin. During the declaration, Amoye Bola Sidiq urged the masses to support the Zenith Labour Party and expressed readiness to cast their votes for the party in the upcoming 2027 general elections.

This collaboration aims to strengthen political engagement and promote the values upheld by the Apero Mekunnu Advocacy Group within the political arena.

convener of the Country First Movement, has alleged that former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa failed to convince his community to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking during an interview with Arise TV from 16:44, Nwokobia described the APC’s recent actions as fundamentally anti-democratic and counterproductive. “The truth is that the APC has become its own greatest enemy. Let me say in so many ways, and everything it does presently is largely undemocratic,” Nwokobia statedHe cited examples of what he characterized as coercive tactics by APC governors, including demands for resignations from those refusing to defect. “You see the words coming out of Akwa Ibom state, where the governor is saying that if you’re not moving with me to the APC, you have to resign,” he said.The professor specifically highlighted events in Delta State, where he claims Okowa’s attempts to promote the APC met with local resistance. “Then you move to Delta State, where there was a celebration and some fiesta of sorts of the movement of the people from the PDP to the APC. And then you saw the former governor of Delta state, my senior brother Okowa was trying to sell the APC to the people in his community, and they said No, this is not what we know. This is not the party we believe in,” Nwokobia alleged.He described the APC’s response to this rejection as a series of increasingly desperate public gatherings designed to create an impression of popular support. “And anxious to give a semblance of public acceptance, they moved from a convergence in Northwest addressed by the governor of Kaduna state to a convergence in Abuja addressed by several governors to another one in Lagos addressed by the governor of Imo state, and they call themselves a progressive party,” he said.Despite the wave of defections, Nwokobia argued that opposition parties remain resilient and are reorganizing for greater effectiveness. “But the political parties are reorganizing to find, to form a stronger position. But importantly, if there is any movement or party that is jittery in today’s Nigeria, it is the APC,” he claimed.The professor suggested that the ruling party’s focus on defections reveals underlying insecurity about its electoral prospects. “That is why they have left governance to continue to tell us about their ability to form a one-party state and to continue to tell us about no vacancy in 2027,” Nwokobia said.Beyond the defection controversy, Nwokobia made more serious allegations about the APC’s role in destabilizing opposition parties. He claimed that recent statements from APC stakeholders demonstrate orchestrated efforts to undermine political rivals from withinAccording to him, the ruling party has developed a strategy of using insiders within opposition parties to create internal chaos ahead of the 2027 elections. He argued that this represents a deliberate attempt to weaken democratic competition through manipulation rather than legitimate political competition.

The Kano State Government marked the first anniversary of the reinstatement of Muhammad Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano with special prayers, reaffirming its commitment to preserving and upholding traditional institutions in the state.

In a statement on the occasion, the Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo , expressed the administration’s dedication to strengthening traditional institutions and their role in maintaining peace and unity within the state.

Naijaonpoint recall that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf reinstated Muhammad Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano on May 24, 2024, after signing the Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Bill 2024 into law on May 23, 2024.

The law led to the removal of the emirs of Kano, Bichi, Karaye, and Rano, underscoring the governor’s strong stance on traditional leadership.

During the special prayer session held in honour of Emir Sanusi, Deputy Governor Gwarzo emphasised the vital contributions of traditional institutions in fostering peace, preserving cultural heritage, and uniting communities.

Our traditional institutions are pillars of wisdom, peace, and stability. The administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf holds these institutions in the highest esteem and will continue to collaborate closely with them to promote the collective interests of the people of Kano State,”said Gwarzo.

The prayer session, which was led by prominent Islamic scholars and attended by key stakeholders, served as a moment of reflection, gratitude, and renewed hope for the people of Kano. The event marked the importance of Emir Sanusi’s leadership in maintaining unity and stability in the State.

The Deputy Governor also took the opportunity to commend Emir Sanusi for his exemplary leadership, unwavering commitment to justice, and dedication to the welfare of Kano’s citizens.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF), Mohammed Sheidu, has decried the chronic underfunding of the Nigerian Police Force, describing the current financial allocations to police stations as “meagre” and wholly inadequate to support effective policing in the country.In an exclusive interview with The Nation newspaper, Sheidu revealed that each police station receives just N45,000 per quarter, equivalent to N15,000 monthly and about N500 daily, as imprest to cover their operational costs.“Police stations are given N45,000 quarterly for imprest. If you like, call it running cost or operational cost, it’s N45,000 for a quarter. Do the math, per day. So, how much to fuel, to file? If there’s diesel, there’s no light. That’s why the type of stations we build now, one of the first things we looked at is: how do we provide stable power to run even basic operations?”, he said.According to Sheidu, many police officers operate in near-impossible conditions, forced to perform their duties with little to no institutional support.“The officers we see every day are miracle workers. They are living and functioning by miracle. They wear their uniform by miracles. There is nothing really there to actually support them fully to discharge their duties. It does not exist”, he said.He further emphasised that the entire structure of police funding needs urgent reform, stressing that fuel allocations from the central budget, for instance, are insufficient to power patrol vehicles throughout the year.“The IG said it. The budget reallocation for just fuelling of cars cannot run them the whole year. If they are lucky, is it four months or eight months a year?. So what happens to the remaining months? Where do you expect them to get funding for fuel to move around like you?” he asked rhetorically.On the legal funding framework for the Police Trust Fund, Sheidu noted that despite constitutional provisions for dedicated revenue streams, many of them remain either contested or unremitted.“There’s the 0.5% of the FAAC allocation, but as of 2022, some states took us to court, so that hasn’t been flowing in. Then there’s 0.005% of the net profit of all companies operating in Nigeria. That’s about N50,000 for every N1 billion in profit—very small. And even that was not collected until 2022 when FIRS finally began remitting”, he explained.He acknowledged that while the Federal Inland Revenue Service has since improved collection, the Trust Fund still faces severe shortfalls due to unresolved legal disputes and non-compliance by some funding sources.In a bid to bridge the gap, Sheidu said the Trust Fund is turning to strategic partnerships with other government agencies, including the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), to address infrastructural challenges in police stations.“REA’s mandate is rural electrification—it’s to light up places. My own mandate, I can build police stations. So we asked: how do you help me light up police stations? We now have that collaboration ongoing,” he said.

In a renewed effort to quell internal tensions threatening the cohesion of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki on Friday, May 23, 2025, led a high-powered reconciliation delegation to meet with Enugu State Governor and South East PDP leader, Dr. Peter Mbah.

The closed-door meeting, held at the Enugu State Government House, was the first stop for the newly reconstituted Special Reconciliation and Strategy Committee, tasked by the PDP Governors’ Forum with ensuring unity ahead of the party’s upcoming National Executive Council (NEC) meeting and a likely national convention.

Also present at the meeting were committee members and former governors Senator Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State and Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State.

The visit follows rising tensions within the South East PDP over the national secretary position vacated by Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

In a communique issued last week, the South East PDP Zonal Executive Council (ZEC) re-nominated former PDP National Youth Leader, Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye, to complete the remainder of Anyanwu’s tenure.

The ZEC warned of a potential mass exit from the party if its decision is not respected.

In the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the Party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward,” the communique stated.

Speaking to journalists after Friday’s engagement, Saraki described the meeting as “very useful” and said it marked the beginning of efforts to reset the party’s internal dynamics.

“We are members of the PDP Reconciliation and Strategy Committee that was set up recently by the PDP Governors’ Forum to work towards ensuring that our upcoming National Executive Council meeting and also likely convention is rancor-free and works smoothly”

Saraki said He praised Governor Mbah’s leadership in the region and the performance of his administration, calling it “a reflection for Nigerians to see what happens when you have a PDP government.”

“This is the first state we are coming to because we appreciate the importance of the South East in our PDP family,” Saraki said.

3“The South East has played a key role as the bedrock of the popularity and the strength of our party.”

While the delegation did not announce any final resolutions, Saraki noted that the discussions had provided a solid foundation for renewed unity.

“With this, we can say here in Enugu we laid the foundation for a greater new PDP that is coming,” he said.

He acknowledged the magnitude of the internal challenges but expressed confidence in the collective will of the party’s leadership to resolve them.

What we have also seen today is that there is nothing insurmountable in the challenge ahead and the spirit, the commitment of all of us, especially our leaders, is very, very inspiring,” he added.