Edo Lawmakers, 2Baba’s Wife Join NDC in Major Political Shake-Up

Wife of Nigerian music icon Innocent Idibia (2Baba) and serving member of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Natasha Osawaru-Idibia, has defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in a major political development ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Natasha defected on Thursday alongside the Minority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Charity Aiguobarueghian, as well as other lawmakers and political stakeholders from Edo State.

The defection was confirmed by the National Leader of the NDC, Senator Henry Dickson, who said the party also received a former Deputy Governor of Gombe State, John Yoriyo, and his delegation into its ranks.

Dickson said the new entrants formally joined the party and pledged their support for its vision and political direction during a reception held in Abuja.

According to him, “Today, in the company of our party officials, I received the former Deputy Governor of Gombe State, His Excellency John Yoriyo, alongside his delegation, who formally joined the NDC and pledged their support for our vision and movement.”

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He further disclosed that Hon. Charity Aiguobarueghian led a large delegation of Edo State House of Assembly members into the party, noting that Natasha Osawaru-Idibia was among those who officially joined the NDC.

Dickson also said Natasha attended the event alongside her husband, 2Baba, describing their presence as a public declaration of support for the party.

“Notably among them was Hon. Natasha Osawaru-Idibia, accompanied by her husband, the renowned musical icon Innocent Idibia (2Baba), who paid a courtesy visit to declare their support for the NDC and formally join the party,” he said.

He added that several other political figures, including High Chief Peter Ojemen (Don P) and activist Dr. Aisha Yesufu, were also formally presented with party membership cards as part of their full integration into the NDC.

Dickson urged the new members to remain committed to building the party and supporting its vision of offering Nigerians a credible political alternative.

He further stated that the NDC remains a growing opposition platform and is open to Nigerians from all political backgrounds who wish to contribute to its development.

“The NDC remains the main opposition party in the current political landscape of our country, and we welcome all Nigerians, irrespective of previous political affiliations, to join and support this growing national movement,” he said.

The defections are seen as part of broader political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, with parties intensifying efforts to strengthen their structures nationwide.

Edo Lawmakers, 2Baba’s Wife Join NDC in Major Political Shake-Up

‘Nigeria Is Working Again’ — Shettima Defends Tinubu at APC Event

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday formally submitted the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, officially entering the incumbent into the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary race ahead of the 2027 general election.

The forms were submitted at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre (BATICC) in Abuja on the final day fixed by the ruling party for the submission of nomination documents by aspirants seeking elective offices under the APC platform.

The event, attended by top APC leaders, governors, ministers, lawmakers and party supporters, turned into a major endorsement gathering for the president, with party officials insisting that Tinubu deserved another term based on what they described as his economic reforms, infrastructure drive and efforts to stabilise the country.

The submission came barely 24 hours after the APC National Working Committee (NWC), during its 188th meeting in Abuja, waived the mandatory screening process for President Tinubu.

The party leadership argued that subjecting Tinubu to another screening exercise would be unnecessary since he had already undergone screening before emerging as the APC presidential candidate in 2022.

According to the APC, the president had also received overwhelming endorsements from the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), the National Assembly leadership and other organs of the party during the APC National Summit held on May 22, 2025.

The waiver effectively grants Tinubu automatic clearance to participate in the party’s presidential primary without appearing before any screening committee.

Speaking during the submission ceremony, Shettima described the moment as a reaffirmation of confidence in Tinubu’s leadership, insisting that the administration had successfully navigated Nigeria through difficult economic conditions.

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“The President has delivered on the mandate of stability and national revival. The storms of the past years have not diminished him. They have made a party hero out of him,” the Vice President said.

He defended the administration’s economic policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange reforms, arguing that the decisions were necessary to prevent deeper economic collapse.

According to Shettima, Nigeria’s foreign reserves stood at about $33.99 billion when Tinubu assumed office, a figure he claimed was insufficient to sustain fuel importation for more than one month.

Rather than shifting blame, he said, Tinubu took “bold and painful decisions” aimed at restoring investor confidence and stabilising the economy.

“We have crossed the river. We are out of the dark tunnel. Nigeria is on a path to recovery and growth,” Shettima declared.

He urged Nigerians across political, religious and ethnic lines to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, described the occasion as “a celebration of continuity, courage and reform,” insisting that the president had laid a strong foundation for long-term economic transformation.

Yilwatda reminded party members that the APC National Executive Committee (NEC), the party’s second-highest decision-making body, had already unanimously endorsed Tinubu for a second term during its previous meeting.

“All of us seated here who are members of NEC are bound by the decision we made last year as a commitment to Mr President,” he said.

The APC chairman said the decision to waive the screening process was intended to preserve the integrity of that earlier endorsement.

He also highlighted major infrastructure projects being executed under the Tinubu administration, including the Lagos–Kano–Maradi railway corridor, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, and the over 1,000-kilometre Badagry–Sokoto highway project.

According to him, the Maradi dry port initiative would position Nigeria as a major commercial gateway for landlocked African countries such as Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso.

He further claimed that the Badagry-Sokoto transport corridor would support irrigation systems and boost agricultural production across several northern states.

Meanwhile, governors elected under the APC platform unanimously endorsed Tinubu for a second term and backed a consensus arrangement for his emergence as the party’s sole presidential candidate.

Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, announced the position while addressing party stakeholders during the event.

According to him, all 31 APC-controlled states are united behind Tinubu and committed to campaigning based on the administration’s achievements.

Uzodimma noted that the governors’ endorsement was consistent with resolutions reached at the APC Political Summit last year, where governors urged Tinubu to seek re-election.

“We are united behind the President and fully committed to marketing the achievements of this administration to Nigerians,” he stated.

Despite the APC’s endorsements, opposition parties and critics of the administration continue to argue that the country is facing severe economic hardship, rising inflation, insecurity and unemployment under Tinubu’s government.

Labour unions and civil society organisations have repeatedly criticised the impact of fuel subsidy removal, rising electricity tariffs and the depreciation of the naira on ordinary Nigerians.

However, APC leaders insist the reforms are beginning to yield positive results and argue that continuity is necessary to sustain economic recovery efforts.

With Tinubu now formally entered into the APC primary race, political activities surrounding the 2027 presidential election are expected to intensify in the coming months.

‘Nigeria Is Working Again’ — Shettima Defends Tinubu at APC Event

ADC Alleges Plot to Remove Justice Nwite from Nafiu Gombe Case

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that there are ongoing attempts to pressure Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja to withdraw from handling the case involving the party’s National Chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe, warning that such a move could pave the way for the matter to be reassigned to judges allegedly considered politically pliable.

The opposition party made the allegation in a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, who claimed that “desperate forces within the corridors of power” were working behind the scenes to frustrate the judicial process in the politically sensitive matter.

According to Abdullahi, the alleged plot was aimed at compelling Justice Nwite to recuse himself from the case so that the matter could be transferred to another judge perceived to be more favourable to certain political interests.

“The party has uncovered a disturbing plot by desperate forces within the corridors of power to frustrate the course of justice by mounting pressure on Justice Nwite to step aside from the case so that it can be reassigned to judges perceived to be pliable and politically compliant,” Abdullahi stated.

He stressed that judicial recusal should not be used as a political tool or manipulated for convenience by individuals seeking favourable outcomes through indirect means. “Judicial recusal is not a toy for political convenience. It is an extraordinary measure guided by law, facts, and established judicial principles, not by whispers from desperate political actors seeking favourable outcomes through the backdoor,” he added.

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The ADC further claimed that its legal team observed what it described as unusual developments surrounding the handling of the matter, particularly the scheduling of the case despite the absence of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgment.

According to the party, although the Supreme Court judgment had not yet been formally transmitted to the trial court, the case was still fixed before Justice Nwite for hearing on May 8, 2026.

Abdullahi alleged that the accelerated pace of proceedings raised concerns that there could be a deliberate strategy to pressure the judge into stepping aside. “We have credible reasons to believe that this unusual haste is part of a calculated scheme to force Justice Nwite into recusing himself, thereby creating an opening for the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to transfer the matter to judges allegedly considered more amenable to political influence,” he said.

The opposition party maintained that any effort to remove the case from Justice Nwite through intimidation, administrative pressure, blackmail or coordinated political influence would amount to interference in the judicial process.

According to Abdullahi, the actions being alleged pose a serious threat to judicial independence and democratic governance. “Any attempt to remove the case from Justice Nwite, whether by administrative manipulation, intimidation, blackmail, or coordinated pressure, amounts to a deliberate interference in the due administration of justice,” he stated.

“A judge does not abandon his constitutional duty merely because vested interests have manufactured allegations against him.”

The ADC also warned that the growing trend of seeking “friendly courts” and “convenient judges” could undermine public confidence in the judiciary and weaken Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.

“The growing desperation to procure friendly courts and convenient judges poses a grave danger not only to opposition parties but to the survival of constitutional democracy itself,” the party added.

The party called on the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and senior members of the judiciary to closely monitor the situation and ensure that the integrity of the judicial process is protected.

ADC also appealed to members of the international community and diplomatic missions in Nigeria to observe developments surrounding the case.

Political observers say the controversy reflects increasing tension within opposition politics and the judiciary ahead of the 2027 general elections, as legal disputes, leadership battles and coalition talks continue to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape.

At the time of filing this report, neither the Federal High Court nor Justice Emeka Nwite had officially responded to the allegations raised by the ADC.

ADC Alleges Plot to Remove Justice Nwite from Nafiu Gombe Case