Politics
Buhari to receive defecting Orubebe to APC seven years after opposing President election
Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, has joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), seven years after attempting to scuttle the election of Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s President.
Buhari is set to receive Orubebe into the ruling party in the next few days, according to a Leadership report.
He had in apparent loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan on March 31, 2015 disrupted proceedings at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation centre in Abuja.
He acted to forestall the admission of election results from the states favourable to the emergence of Buhari as president-elect. Orubebe, was appointed a substantive minister on April 6, 2010, when Jonathan constituted his new cabinet as the acting president.
As a polling agent to Jonathan at the collation centre, he accused then INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, of taking sides with the main opposition at that time, the APC. But he later apologised to the nation over his conduct, adding that he regretted the action.
However, in a fresh twist, Orubebe on Monday formally dumped the PDP as a prelude to his formal defection to the ruling party.
Reports showed that Orubebe submitted his resignation letter to the PDP headquarters in Abuja in the early hours of Monday.
It was learnt that Orubebe’s defection was perfected by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Delta State chairman of APC, Engineer Omeni Sobotie.
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Omo-Agege had last week reportedly told Buhari that he had successfully persuaded Orubebe, who was said to be angered by the emergence of a Nigerian of northern extraction, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, as the presidential candidate of the main opposition party, to join the ruling party.
Omo-Agege and Sobotie were said to have pressured Orubebe to join the APC.
Orubebe eventually carved in to the request. It was learnt that Buhari was excited by the development and expressed readiness to personally receive the former minister into the party.
Further investigation revealed that the national Chairman of APC , Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and Omo-Agege, were billed to usher Orubebe into the Presidential Villa to meet with Buhari within the next few days, as part of the process of his formal admittance into the party.
Orubebe allegedly opted for the APC because the party acted in line with his conviction that power should shift to the southern part of the country after 8-year reign of a northerner.
He had acted in line with the leaders of the Niger Delta, PANDEF, Middle-Belt and South East (Ohanaeze Ndigbo) who had also rejected the emergence of Atiku as the presidential candidate. The southern leaders, in tandem with Orubebe, maintained that power must shift to southern Nigeria.
Orubebe was said to have been convinced to join the APC because the ruling party picked its presidential standard bearer from the southern part of the country.
The former minister reportedly expressed readiness to spare no effort to work towards the victory of theAPC’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.
Orubebe said the mood of the country favoured a southern candidate, adding that Tinubu was best fitted.
The minister in the letter addressed to the national Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyiorchia Ayu, dumping the opposition party on Monday lamented that it was obvious that the PDP was not ready to win the 2023 presidential election because of alleged wrong choice of candidate.
He stated in the letter, “I write to formally inform you of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This has been communicated to the Chairman of Burutu Ward 3, Burutu LGA, Delta State, effective 20th June, 2022. Consequently, I am by this letter intimating you of my total withdrawal from all activities at the ward, local, state and national levels of the PDP.
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“I am highly honoured and privileged to have been part of a political party that successfully transformed a pariah nation to one that commanded respect in the comity of nations. When we lost the presidential election in the 2015 in bewildered circumstances to say the least, it was my belief that the party would use the opposition period to strategise with the aim of taking back power at the earliest opportunity.
“However, the present situation in the party does not inspire confidence that the party is ready to regain power in 2033. Against the mood of the nation, and in complete disregard to (sic) the provision of the party’s constitution, the party, threw the zoning of the Presidency open, which created a situation that led to the emergence of a northerner as the party’s presidential flag bearer, thus making the two topmost positions in the party, after your emergence as the national chairman, to be occupied by northerners, contrary to section 7.3 (c) of the party’s constitution.”
Orubebe praised the Rivers State governor, Mr Nyenson Wike, for raising the bar in favour of the southern part of the country by trying to wrest power to the advantage of the south.
He added, “I salute and commend the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Nyesom Wike, for his efforts and gallantry at the primaries. Posterity will be kind to him when the history of the party is written. There is a lot to be said, but out of respect for the party, I leave some stories untold at this time.
“My belief in the sanctity of Nigeria is unshaken and I will continually work for the progress and development, even if it is through another route.”
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Politics
APC Sweeps Enugu LG Election, Wins All 17 Chairmanship, 260 Councillorship Seats
APC Sweeps Enugu LG Election, Wins All 17 Chairmanship, 260 Councillorship Seats
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all 17 local government area chairmanship seats and all 260 councillorship positions in the Enugu State local government election held on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
The results were declared on Sunday by the Chairman of the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), Professor Christian Ngwu, after the completion of the collation exercise.
Ngwu announced that APC candidates secured the highest number of valid votes in all 17 local government areas and were consequently returned as elected chairmen. The commission also declared APC candidates winners of the 260 councillorship positions across the state’s 260 wards.
The outcome gives the APC control of the elected leadership of all 17 local government councils and the 260 political wards in Enugu State.
The election was contested by seven political parties, with voters choosing council chairmen and councillors across the state.
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Declaring the results, Ngwu said the successful candidates had satisfied the requirements of the law and recorded the highest number of valid votes in their respective constituencies.
He congratulated the winners and urged them to regard their election as a call to duty and an opportunity to serve the people. He also commended security agencies and other stakeholders who participated in the electoral process.
The declaration followed an election that recorded low voter turnout in several parts of the state. Reports from Enugu metropolis indicated that only a small number of voters were present at some polling units, while electoral materials arrived late at some locations.
The election also took place under significant movement restrictions. The state government and security agencies had restricted vehicular and human movement across Enugu on election day as part of measures to maintain security and ensure a peaceful exercise. Essential workers, accredited election officials and other authorised persons were exempted from the restriction.
Security agencies had also deployed personnel across the state’s 17 local government areas and 260 wards ahead of the election, while political parties, candidates and their supporters were urged to avoid electoral malpractice and actions capable of disrupting the exercise.
The 2026 result marks a change from the previous Enugu local government election held on September 21, 2024, when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won all 17 chairmanship seats and all 260 councillorship positions.
With ENSIEC’s declaration and the presentation of certificates of return, the commission has concluded the announcement of the Enugu LG election results, confirming the APC’s sweep of the state’s 17 councils and 260 wards.
APC Sweeps Enugu LG Election, Wins All 17 Chairmanship, 260 Councillorship Seats
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Politics
2027: Lagos APC Steps Up Grassroots Mobilisation Ahead of Atiku, Obi Challenge
2027: Lagos APC Steps Up Grassroots Mobilisation Ahead of Atiku, Obi Challenge
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the party strengthening its grassroots mobilisation across senatorial districts, local government areas, wards and polling units.
The move comes as political parties continue to build their campaign structures ahead of the elections, with Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi among the presidential candidates listed for the 2027 contest.
For the 2027 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while Peter Obi is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Obi’s running mate is Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is also contesting on the NDC ticket.
The Lagos APC leadership says its immediate priority is to strengthen the party’s organisation at the grassroots and maintain regular engagement with voters across the state.
APC Lagos Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi said the party would decentralise its mobilisation efforts, placing particular emphasis on activities at the polling-unit level.
He described the strategy as “Operation Man Your Polling Booth”, under which party members would take responsibility for mobilisation and coordination around their respective polling areas.
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Ojelabi also said the party was targeting five million votes in Lagos from a projected electorate of about seven million. The five-million figure is an APC campaign target and should not be interpreted as an independently verified forecast of the party’s eventual votes.
The mobilisation drive follows the inauguration of a 1,235-member Lagos APC campaign council for the 2027 elections.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was named chairman of the campaign council, while Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat serves as deputy chairman and former Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as Director-General.
The wider campaign arrangement also includes prominent Lagos APC figures, including former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, who have been assigned roles within the party’s advisory and mobilisation structures.
The broader APC campaign structure also places emphasis on grassroots engagement and mobilisation, youth mobilisation, women mobilisation, community support and other areas.
Hamzat has urged party campaigners to rely on facts, data and verifiable records when engaging voters, saying campaign messages should focus on policies, projects and measurable achievements.
The Lagos APC has also directed its 2027 candidates to suspend overseas travel until after the election, with the party saying candidates should remain available for campaign and grassroots mobilisation activities.
Ojelabi has similarly called on party members to conduct their campaigns peacefully and avoid violence, hatred and other conduct that could undermine the electoral process.
The renewed Lagos APC grassroots mobilisation comes against the background of the 2023 presidential election in the state, when Peter Obi, then the Labour Party candidate, secured 582,454 votes, while Bola Tinubu of the APC polled 572,606 votes.
The political landscape has since changed significantly.
For the 2027 presidential election, Atiku is contesting under the ADC, while Obi is contesting under the NDC, with Kwankwaso as his running mate.
The new party alignments have also produced different campaign structures from those that existed during the 2023 election.
Within the NDC, the party has given Obi and Kwankwaso a role in nominating key officials of the presidential campaign council, while the separate Obi-Kwankwaso Movement has also developed its own support structure.
The relationship between the NDC’s formal structures and the Obi-Kwankwaso support movement has generated differing positions among party officials in some states, although other state chapters have said they are working harmoniously with the support groups.
Against this backdrop, the Lagos APC is focusing on consolidating its own grassroots political structure, with particular attention to senatorial districts, local government areas, wards and polling units.
Lagos remains a significant focus of national politics because of its large electorate and its importance in presidential and state-level elections.
As preparations continue, the APC and opposition parties are building their campaign machinery, mobilising supporters and seeking to strengthen their presence among voters across the state ahead of the 2027 elections.
2027: Lagos APC Steps Up Grassroots Mobilisation Ahead of Atiku, Obi Challenge
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Politics
2027: NDC State Chairmen Reject Obi-Kwankwaso Movement’s Parallel Structures
2027: NDC State Chairmen Reject Obi-Kwankwaso Movement’s Parallel Structures
State chairmen of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have rejected the creation of parallel political structures by the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement (OK Movement) ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that support groups should not take over functions reserved for the political party.
The position comes amid an ongoing disagreement between the NDC and the OK Movement over the organisation of the campaign for the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
The dispute began after the OK Movement unveiled a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council on September 17. The structure included zonal and state coordinators as well as directors responsible for mobilisation, women’s affairs, strategy, security, legal affairs and other areas.
The movement named John Ughulu as Director-General of the campaign council and Saadatu Sani as secretary.
The NDC subsequently dissociated itself from the council, saying it was not authorised or constituted by the party. National Chairman Moses Cleopas said the public should disregard the structure and stressed that only the party’s appropriate organs could constitute or announce an official NDC campaign council.
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The disagreement deepened after the OK Movement insisted that it was an independent political organisation with its own leadership, structures and internal processes.
The movement also said it would not collapse or surrender its national, state, local government and ward structures to the NDC.
However, NDC leaders have maintained that support groups can mobilise for the party’s candidates but should not establish structures that perform the functions of the political party or its official campaign organisation.
NDC National Leader Seriake Dickson has said support groups should complement the party rather than compete with it or operate as parallel structures.
The position has also received a response from Obi himself.
Obi, speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time, said the NDC was the political party to which he and his supporters belonged, while the OK Movement, Obidient groups and Kwankwasiyya should operate as support groups.
He also said the creation of a presidential campaign council by a support group was not appropriate and disclosed that he had not been consulted before the OK Movement announced its 59-member council.
Despite the disagreement, the NDC has taken steps towards establishing its own official campaign machinery.
The party previously gave Obi and Kwankwaso authority to nominate key officials of the NDC Presidential Campaign Council, including the Director-General, Deputy Director-General for the North, campaign spokesman, deputy spokesman, Head of New Media and finance officials, in consultation with the party leadership.
The latest disagreement therefore centres on the distinction between the official NDC campaign structure and independent support organisations backing the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.
While NDC state chairmen have insisted on the authority of the party’s structures, the OK Movement continues to maintain that it has the right to retain its own organisational framework.
The parties and support groups have not indicated that the dispute has affected the candidacy of Obi and Kwankwaso, but the disagreement has become a prominent issue in the organisation of the 2027 opposition campaign.
2027: NDC State Chairmen Reject Obi-Kwankwaso Movement’s Parallel Structures
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