Politics
2023: Top politicians, opinion leaders meet on mission to rescue Nigeria
Top politicians, including several incumbent state governors and their predecessors with opinion leaders have begun moves aimed to rescue Nigeria ahead of the 2023 general elections.
About 100 of such prominent leaders cutting across political parties and economic sectors are said to have held an inaugural meeting in Lagos.
Indeed, Punch on Wednesday reported the leaders including 14 current governors, 13 ex-governors and three former Senate Presidents attended the Lagos meeting to map a new consensus for national rebirth.
The leaders who met under the aegis of ‘The 2022 Committee’, said Nigeria must be secured, peaceful and united before the nation could have candidates for political offices in 2023.
A statement released on Wednesday and co-signed on behalf of the conveners by ThisDay Newspapers Publisher, Nduka Obaigbena, and a Borno-born politician and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, said the leaders met from February 4 to 6, 2022.
The Punch’s report gave some of the participant as a former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Senate President and Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Anyim Pius Anyim, who is also a PDP presidential aspirant; ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki, also a PDP presidential aspirant; former Governor of Imo State; Ikedi Ohakim, former Governor of Cross Rivers State, Donald Duke and former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
In the statement released on Wednesday, Obaigbena and Ibrahim-Imam said the leaders worked in three sub-committees of national security, the economy and Nigeria in transition, noting that “the participants recognised that there is an urgent need to seek common ground and irreducible minimum actions to stabilise the polity at this critical time of transition.”
The statement was titled, ‘Eminent Business, Political, Society and Thought Leaders Meet in Lagos to Build Consensus for National Rebirth’.
It partly read, “The meetings will continue, as we work with Federal and State Governments, current and future political leaders of all political persuasions, as well as other eminent patriotic citizens, for the greater good of the Nigerian people.
“Whilst the 2022 committee is interested in the quality of leadership that will emerge in Nigeria at all levels, we consider attempts to link the Committee with candidates or political parties for the 2023 elections as an unwarranted and unnecessary distraction – candidates are only chosen by political parties and we are not a political party.
“All the 100 leading lights of the 2022 Committee have the capacity for national leadership; indeed, amongst the very active participants in the work of the Committee are over 7 persons, from 3 or more political parties, who have already publicly declared their aspiration to lead the country but are desirous of working with other patriots for non-partisan greater national goals. We must have a secure, peaceful and united nation before we can have candidates for political offices.
“The committee believes that what Nigeria needs today is for all patriots to come together to rescue our nation from all political, economic and security threats, and promote the unity of Nigeria. We call on all patriotic volunteers, who are willing and able, to join this collective effort to stabilise the system so we can all build a new Nigeria we can all be proud of.”
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Politics
2027: Ajaero Questions Tinubu, Atiku, Obi’s Economic Approach, Highlights Adebayo’s Ideas
2027: Ajaero Questions Tinubu, Atiku, Obi’s Economic Approach, Highlights Adebayo’s Ideas
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has questioned the economic positions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, while saying the ideas of Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo deserve serious attention ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Ajaero made the comments during an interview with Seun Okinbaloye on Mic On, where he was asked about the economic policies of Atiku and other leading figures in the 2027 race.
Rather than focusing solely on Atiku’s economic proposals, the NLC president highlighted the positions of Adebayo and Accord Party presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, saying he had examined their ideas and was willing to listen to them.
“I have looked at Gbenga Hashim’s position and I think he’s an expert to an extent. I also looked at Adebayo. I may listen to them,” Ajaero said.
He subsequently contrasted the economic approaches of Adebayo and Olawepo-Hashim with those of Tinubu, Atiku and Obi.
“Peter Obi, Atiku and Asiwaju, they all have the same position and they have shown that they are market people from far right,” he said.
Ajaero’s remarks have drawn attention to the economic debate ahead of the 2027 election, particularly as issues such as inflation, fuel prices, electricity costs, unemployment, wages and declining purchasing power remain major concerns for Nigerians.
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Adebayo, who is contesting the 2027 presidency on the SDP platform, has built his campaign around social democracy, increased domestic production, job creation and a stronger role for government in providing public services and expanding economic opportunities.
The SDP candidate has also made energy reform a major part of his campaign, arguing that high energy costs and inadequate electricity supply continue to constrain households, businesses and industrial production.
His policy blueprint, Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity: Governance & Accelerated Development — Blueprint of a New Nigeria, 2027–2031, proposes mechanisms for monitoring government performance through measurable targets, periodic assessments and implementation milestones.
Adebayo has also advocated greater emphasis on domestic production, with the argument that Nigeria must reduce its dependence on imports and foreign exchange while strengthening local industries and productive capacity.
Olawepo-Hashim, whom Ajaero also mentioned, has similarly made energy and industrialisation central to his economic programme. His proposed Energy First agenda focuses on increasing domestic energy production, expanding refining capacity and reducing energy costs.
Ajaero’s comments do not amount to a formal endorsement of Adebayo or Olawepo-Hashim for the 2027 presidential election. Rather, the NLC president said their economic proposals were sufficiently different from those of the politicians he discussed to warrant further engagement.
The intervention comes as political parties and presidential candidates increasingly position their economic policies at the centre of the 2027 campaign, with competing proposals on fuel pricing, taxation, electricity, wages, industrialisation, employment and social protection.
For the NLC, which represents organised labour and has been at the forefront of debates over wages and the impact of economic reforms on workers, the direction of the next administration’s economic policy is expected to remain a major issue ahead of the election.
With the 2027 political contest gathering momentum, the competing economic visions of the presidential candidates are likely to face increased scrutiny from organised labour, businesses and voters as parties intensify their campaigns.
2027: Ajaero Questions Tinubu, Atiku, Obi’s Economic Approach, Highlights Adebayo’s Ideas
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Politics
2027: Soludo Govt Accuses Peter Obi Of Plot To Destroy APGA
2027: Soludo Govt Accuses Peter Obi Of Plot To Destroy APGA
The Anambra State Government has declared former governor Peter Obi and his Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) a threat to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) ahead of the 2027 presidential election, urging APGA supporters to resist the opposition party.
The state government made the declaration in a message issued through its New Media office on Monday, accusing Obi of working to weaken the party that gave him the platform to become governor of Anambra.
The government described its message as a “betrayal alert” to APGA supporters, alleging that Obi had been seeking to undermine the party since leaving it in 2014.
It urged party members in the state not to be swayed by Obi’s current political influence, arguing that APGA remained the political platform responsible for his emergence as governor.
The government said, “Since 2014, Obi has had one mission: to destroy the party that made him,” while calling on APGA members to defend the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
The development comes amid an increasingly tense political relationship between Obi and the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
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Obi governed Anambra from 2006 to 2014 on the APGA platform before leaving the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He later joined the Labour Party, under which he contested the 2023 presidential election, before becoming the presidential candidate of the NDC ahead of the 2027 election.
The former governor remains an influential political figure in the South-East, particularly in Anambra, where his 2023 presidential campaign recorded strong support.
The Anambra government’s latest position also comes against the backdrop of APGA’s alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The state government has previously defended its relationship with the President and maintained that supporting Tinubu does not conflict with APGA’s interests.
However, Obi’s emergence as the NDC presidential candidate has created a new political challenge for APGA, particularly because of his longstanding influence among voters in Anambra and the wider South-East.
The NDC has rejected the allegations against Obi, accusing the Soludo administration of attacking the former governor because of concerns about his popularity.
NDC Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theo Abu Agada, described the state government’s position as political blackmail and maintained that the party was confident of its prospects in the 2027 election.
The latest exchange has further widened the political divide between the camps of Peter Obi and Chukwuma Soludo, with both sides increasingly positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.
For APGA, the emergence of Obi and the NDC presents a particularly sensitive political challenge because of the former governor’s history with the party and his continued influence in Anambra.
The 2027 election is therefore expected to produce a major political contest in the state, with APGA seeking to retain its influence while Obi’s NDC attempts to convert his personal support base into wider electoral backing.
2027: Soludo Govt Accuses Peter Obi Of Plot To Destroy APGA
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Politics
Nine Zamfara Lawmakers Dump APC for ADC Ahead of 2027
Nine Zamfara Lawmakers Dump APC for ADC Ahead of 2027
Nine members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly have left the All Progressives Congress (APC) and defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The lawmakers cited concerns over insecurity, internal party divisions and what they described as inadequate attention to the welfare of residents and their constituents as reasons for their decision.
The lawmakers are Aliyu Ango Kagara, representing Talata Mafara South; Muktar Nasir, representing Kaura Namoda North; Faruk Dosara Musa, representing Maradun I; Basiru Bello, representing Bungudu West; Bashir A. Masama, representing Bukkuyum North; Ibrahim T. Tukur, representing Bakura; Nasiru Abdullahi, representing Maru North; Yusuf Muhammad Anka, representing Anka; and Bashar Aliyu, representing Gummi I.
Speaking on behalf of the lawmakers, Kagara said their concerns about the security situation in Zamfara had contributed to disagreements with the state government.
He said the lawmakers had raised the issue of insecurity on the floor of the Assembly, but that their position led to disagreements with Governor Dauda Lawal and their subsequent suspension.
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Kagara also alleged that joining the APC did not resolve their grievances, claiming that some party leaders failed to give them what they considered a fair hearing.
Earlier, some of the lawmakers announced their resignation from the APC in separate letters dated October 4, 2026.
In the letters, the lawmakers cited issues including insecurity, alleged injustice, internal divisions, uncertainty and concerns about governance.
One of the lawmakers also alleged that members of the Assembly had gone about 32 months without receiving salaries, allowances and other entitlements.
The claims about unpaid entitlements and other grievances are allegations by the affected lawmakers and have not been independently established in the reports.
The APC in Zamfara initially said it had not received official copies of the resignation letters. The party’s publicity secretary, Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji, said the documents had been seen on social media and that the party was awaiting formal communication through the appropriate party structures.
The defection represents a significant political realignment in Zamfara ahead of the 2027 elections, with the movement of the lawmakers potentially affecting the political balance within the state legislature.
Nine Zamfara Lawmakers Dump APC for ADC Ahead of 2027
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