Omo-Agege Backs Obi’s 2027 Ambition, Defends Tinubu’s Economic Reforms

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, has declared support for the 2027 presidential ambition of Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, while insisting that he still backs key economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu.

Omo-Agege made the remarks during an appearance on ARISE Television’s The Morning Show, where he addressed growing public attention around his political alignment following his exit from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He explained that his support for Obi does not amount to a rejection of the Tinubu administration’s policies, stressing that his position on major economic decisions remains unchanged.

“I was a member of the APC. I never left the APC; the party left me and left my over 230,000 supporters in Delta State,” he said during the interview.

Omo-Agege maintained that he continues to support some of the administration’s flagship economic measures, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, which he described as difficult but necessary reforms.

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“When Mr President came up with the economic policies, most especially the naira floatation and subsidy removal, these are policies I supported and continue to support,” he stated.

He further argued that his position on the reforms is consistent with his earlier stance and should not be interpreted as political contradiction.

According to him, the same policy ideas being implemented by the Tinubu administration were also previously advocated by Peter Obi, suggesting a policy convergence between both political figures despite being in different parties.

“Even though these policies were espoused by Mr President, which I support, the same policies were also supported by Peter Obi,” he said.

Omo-Agege added that his endorsement of Obi for the 2027 presidential race is rooted in his belief that Nigerians may have greater confidence in the implementation of the reforms under Obi’s leadership.

He argued that public trust and perception play a major role in the success of economic policies, especially those that have short-term social and economic impacts.

“The question is, have I changed my opinion about this? No, I have not,” he said.

“I just believe that under the new platform I’ve gone to, these policies will continue and the people… would feel more confident because they are more comfortable and trust Peter Obi that he will make these policies work more than Mr President could have done.”

He also insisted that the policies themselves should not be blamed for current economic challenges, but rather their implementation and public acceptance.

“The policies are not bad policies,” Omo-Agege added.

His comments come amid increasing political realignments and early positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections, with key figures across party lines beginning to signal shifting alliances and strategic endorsements.

Political observers say Omo-Agege’s remarks highlight the evolving and often fluid nature of Nigeria’s opposition and ruling party dynamics, particularly as debates around economic reforms, cost of living, and governance continue to shape national discourse.

Omo-Agege Backs Obi’s 2027 Ambition, Defends Tinubu’s Economic Reforms

Oyo APC Primary Crisis: Adelabu Rejects Alli, Says No Candidate Yet

Former Minister of Power and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has urged party members to remain calm amid growing uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the party’s governorship primary election, insisting that no candidate has been officially declared by the party’s national leadership in Abuja .

In a statement issued on Monday, Adelabu said the APC national headquarters has not authorised any individual, group, or committee in Oyo to announce the outcome of the governorship poll. He described reports circulating on social media and other unofficial channels regarding successful candidates as premature and potentially misleading, urging party faithful to disregard them pending an official pronouncement by the party leadership in Abuja .

“However, it is important to remind ourselves that the National Headquarters of our party has expressly directed that no individual, group or committee at the state level is authorised to announce the final outcome of the primaries,” Adelabu said . “Consequently, any purported list of candidates being circulated on social media or through unofficial channels should be treated with utmost caution until the National Leadership of the party makes its official pronouncement.”

Adelabu appealed to party members and supporters to remain patient and law-abiding. “At this crucial stage, no one should allow himself or herself to be misled by rumours, propaganda or premature victory claims designed to manipulate public perception, create confusion among party faithful and influence ongoing consultations within the party,” he said .

Adelabu’s statement comes after Oyo APC chairman, Moses Adeyemo, reportedly declared Senator Sharafadeen Alli as the party’s governorship candidate following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos over the weekend . Several news outlets had also reported that Alli had emerged as the consensus candidate of the party, winning the May 21 direct primary election .

The former minister expressed serious concern over reports that some aggrieved party members had begun defecting to opposition parties in protest over the alleged consensus arrangements. “I am particularly concerned by reports that some of our members, feeling aggrieved by the rumours surrounding the purported consensus arrangements, have begun defecting to opposition parties in protest,” he said .

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“Let me state unequivocally that I condemn these defections in their entirety,” Adelabu declared. He said abandoning the APC over speculation and unofficial information would weaken the party and benefit its political opponents. “Every committed member of APC has invested time, resources, energy and sacrifices into the growth of this party. It would be unfortunate to abandon that investment based on speculations and unofficial information,” he added .

Adelabu recalled that the experiences of the 2019 and 2023 elections showed that internal divisions and avoidable defections could undermine the party’s electoral prospects in Oyo State . He urged the party not to repeat the same mistakes if it hopes to return to power in 2027 .

Despite the controversy surrounding the primary outcome, Adelabu expressed confidence in the ability of the APC national leadership to address all concerns arising from the process. “I have absolute confidence that the National Leadership of our party possesses the wisdom, experience and institutional capacity to address all concerns arising from the primary process,” he stated. “I am equally confident that appropriate interventions will be made where necessary to ensure justice, fairness and party cohesion” .

Adelabu urged party leaders, elders, youth groups, women groups, support organisations, and fellow aspirants to exercise restraint and avoid actions capable of deepening divisions within the party. He also cautioned against spreading unverified claims of endorsements, approvals, or predetermined consensus arrangements. “The strength of our party lies in transparency, credibility and respect for due process. No individual or group should engage in activities capable of misleading our members or creating false impressions regarding decisions that have not been officially communicated by the National Headquarters,” he said .

Adelabu, who resigned as Minister of Power on April 30, 2026, to contest the APC governorship primary, had previously faulted the conduct of the primary election, alleging irregularities and manipulation of results . On the day of the primary, after voting at Ward 9, Ibadan South-East Local Government Area, Adelabu described the process in his ward as peaceful and credible but alleged that reports from several wards across the state indicated cases of electoral misconduct, intimidation, and falsification of results .

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In a notable challenge to the reported figures, Adelabu also disputed claims that Senator Alli polled over 500,000 votes to emerge as the party’s candidate. He argued that the total number of registered APC members in Oyo State stands at 153,640 and not 500,000, making such figures mathematically impossible . This assertion aligns with an official source who confirmed that APC has 157,266 registered members in Oyo State, out of which 109,978 participated in the primary .

The actual result of the primary, as confirmed by a senior party official in the office of the APC National Organising Secretary, reportedly placed Senator Sharafadeen Alli as the winner with 91,824 votes . According to this official result, Adelabu came second with 7,532 votes, while Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, representing Oyo North, came third with 6,963 votes . These figures stand in stark contrast to the earlier circulated figures on social media, which had credited Alli with 578,143 votes – a number that party officials described as “mathematically impossible” given the state’s registered APC membership .

The crisis has deepened as five governorship aspirants have called for the immediate resignation of the Oyo APC chairman, Dr. Moses Alake Adeyemo . In a communique issued at the end of their meeting on Monday, the five aspirants – Engr. Rauf Olaniyan, Prince Musbau Asatola Asanike, Dr. Ololade Usman Bakare, Barrister Akeem Agbaje, and Engr. Akeem Oyedele Alao – accused Adeyemo of undermining the integrity of the party .

The aspirants listed several grievances, including Adeyemo’s alleged directive to all local government party chairmen to ensure victory for a particular aspirant even before the primaries, which they described as “a gross abuse of office and a violation of neutrality.” They also condemned the chairman for declaring an aspirant as the party’s candidate before the National Working Committee released the official result, noting that “only the NWC has the constitutional mandate to announce results” .

The communique further expressed alarm that under Adeyemo’s watch, party members were leaving the APC in large numbers for other parties. “Loyal members feel sidelined, unprotected, and disrespected. This exodus weakens our party structure and threatens our electoral prospects in 2026 and beyond if urgent steps are not taken,” the aspirants warned .

Meanwhile, other stakeholders within the Oyo APC have defended Senator Alli’s emergence and dismissed claims that the chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, railroaded the choice of Alli at the party primaries . Key stakeholders under the umbrella of the Oyo State APC Stakeholders Forum, in a statement signed by Mr Femi Aremu, argued that “the fact that all Oyo APC stakeholders and influential persons aligned with Senator Sharafadeen Alli only exposed the frustration of those who believed political power could be sustained through personal ego and isolation from party structures” .

The stakeholders further noted: “Rather than concocting false accusations about misuse of public funds, attention should be focused on why a supposedly formidable political figure failed to inspire confidence within his own political family. The truth remains that Zacch Adedeji neither imposed himself on Oyo politics nor forced anyone to support a particular candidate. Stakeholders, leaders, and party faithful made their choices freely based on political realities, relationships, and perceived capacity to unite and move the party forward” .

The Oyo APC chairman had earlier described the primary as credible and disclosed that the primary election committee would forward results to the national secretariat for formal announcement, in line with the party’s guidelines . A Monitoring Committee had also been put in place to guarantee transparency and fairness throughout the exercise .

Adelabu, who contested the 2023 Oyo governorship election on the Accord Party platform before defecting to the APC , has urged members to place unity above individual ambitions. “Elections come and go, but the party remains our common platform for service, development and progressive governance,” he said. He added that concerns raised by party members would be addressed through appropriate structures .

“Together, we shall overcome our current challenges, emerge stronger and position our great party for victory in the elections ahead,” Adelabu concluded .

Other Oyo APC gubernatorial hopefuls include Senator Sharafadeen Alli (Oyo South), Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (Oyo North), Rauf Olaniyan (former deputy governor), Adewale Kareem, Musbau Asanike, Akeem Agbaje, Oyedele Alao, and Ololade Bakare .

Oyo APC Primary Crisis: Adelabu Rejects Alli, Says No Candidate Yet

Babachir’s Claims Against Atiku, ADC Could Threaten Political Stability — Bwala Warns

Presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala has said allegations made by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) could raise concerns over national security implications if they are eventually proven true.

Bwala made the remarks on Tuesday in a post on X (formerly Twitter), reacting to Lawal’s resignation from the ADC and his claims that the party’s recently concluded primaries were manipulated in favour of Atiku Abubakar.

Lawal had alleged that the ADC presidential primary process was “massively rigged,” insisting that the exercise was skewed to favour Atiku’s emergence as the party’s candidate and expressing frustration over internal party developments that informed his exit from the coalition.

Reacting, Bwala questioned the credibility and framing of the allegations, suggesting they carried serious implications for political stability if validated.

“WOW, Is it ChatGPT or Grok that Babachir Lawal used in writing the ratio decidendi of his resignation from ADC? What he said about the candidate of ADC (if validated or verified) is scary and will undermine the national security of Nigeria,” Bwala wrote.

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The presidential aide argued that such claims, if substantiated, could undermine confidence in democratic processes and heighten political tension at a sensitive time in Nigeria’s electoral cycle.

Bwala also criticised the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), which Lawal is reportedly aligning with after leaving the ADC, alleging that its ideological direction and presidential preference were inconsistent with democratic values and principles of governance.

He further stated that some of the political positions previously expressed by Babachir Lawal on national television interviews contradicted his current political stance, describing the development as inconsistent.

“You need to hear in Babachir’s own words on Arise Primetime and Channels TV interviews… to understand what in law we call ‘confessional statement’,” he added.

Bwala also dismissed claims of unity within opposition coalition movements ahead of the 2027 general elections, arguing that recent defections, counter-claims and internal disputes suggested growing fragmentation rather than cohesion.

According to him, the unfolding political disagreements among opposition figures further reinforce what he described as the strengthening position of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the next presidential election.

“With this, the choice for 2027 has never been more clearer. President Tinubu in all honesty is a million miles ahead of them,” he stated.

Babachir Lawal, a former ally of the All Progressives Congress (APC), announced his resignation from the ADC on Monday, accusing the party of conducting “flawed and manipulated” primaries and alleging that the process was structured to favour Atiku Abubakar.

He also declared plans to work with political allies to resist Atiku’s presidential ambition in 2027, further deepening tensions within opposition realignment efforts ahead of the next general elections.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Atiku Abubakar nor the ADC leadership had issued a detailed response to the latest allegations.

Babachir’s Claims Against Atiku, ADC Could Threaten Political Stability — Bwala Warns