Aisha Yesufu Rejected House of Reps Ticket, Said She Was ‘Too Big’ for It – Dickson

The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has revealed that prominent activist Aisha Yesufu turned down an offer to contest for a seat in the House of Representatives, insisting that the position was beneath her political ambition.

Dickson disclosed this while responding to questions over internal party disputes and allegations surrounding the distribution of elective tickets ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to him, the offer was jointly made by him and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi as part of efforts to accommodate key figures within the party and ensure inclusiveness in its emerging political structure.

“Do you know that Peter Obi and myself offered Aisha House of Reps? You the public, you don’t know,” Dickson said during the media briefing.

“She turned it down. House of Representatives that people are fighting for, she said she’s too big for it.”

The former Bayelsa governor said the public was largely unaware of behind-the-scenes negotiations undertaken by the party leadership to resolve concerns over positions and aspirations among influential members.

Although Dickson did not state when the offer was made, he suggested it formed part of discussions surrounding elective offices in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where several aspirants have been jostling for party tickets.

His remarks come against the backdrop of reported disagreements within the NDC over the conduct of its primaries and the allocation of tickets ahead of the next election cycle.

Yesufu, a former convener of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign and one of the most visible figures in the Obidient movement, had earlier indicated interest in contesting the FCT senatorial seat under the NDC platform.

She formally declared her ambition on May 6 after defecting from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying her decision was influenced by the political and leadership experience she gained while in the party.

However, less than a month later, she withdrew from the race after the NDC reportedly handed the FCT Senate ticket to another aspirant, Amanda Pam, who had been a member of the party before Yesufu’s arrival.

Dickson’s latest revelation provides fresh insight into the internal negotiations that preceded Yesufu’s withdrawal and may further fuel debate over candidate selection and power dynamics within the party as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.

BREAKING: Atiku Picks Amaechi As Running Mate For 2027 Presidential Election

ABUJA — The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has reportedly selected former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

The development, which marks a significant step in the ADC’s preparations for the general election, was confirmed on Saturday by prominent party figures, including the immediate past Chairman of the ADC in Rivers State, Leader Sampson.

When asked whether Amaechi had accepted the vice-presidential nomination, Sampson responded in the affirmative, signaling the successful conclusion of weeks of consultations and negotiations within the opposition coalition.

The emergence of an Atiku-Amaechi ticket comes shortly after a fiercely contested ADC presidential primary election that attracted more than 2.5 million votes from the party’s estimated 3.1 million registered members nationwide.

Atiku secured a decisive victory in the exercise, polling 1,855,787 votes to defeat Amaechi, who garnered 509,397 votes, while businessman and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen came third with 180,903 votes.

The primary election, however, was not without controversy. Following the announcement of the results, both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen expressed reservations about the conduct of the exercise, alleging irregularities and claiming that the process had been skewed in favour of Atiku.

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Prior to the primary, Amaechi had repeatedly maintained that he did not obtain the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms to pursue a vice-presidential position, insisting that his ambition was to contest for the presidency.

Political observers had therefore viewed the possibility of an Atiku-Amaechi ticket as unlikely, particularly in light of the disagreements that followed the primary election.

However, a major breakthrough reportedly occurred after Atiku embarked on a reconciliation mission to Amaechi’s residence shortly after the contest. Sources within the party disclosed that the meeting was aimed at healing divisions and strengthening party unity ahead of the 2027 election.

The reconciliation effort was later followed by another high-level meeting involving Atiku, Amaechi, Hayatu-Deen and senior ADC leaders at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

During the discussions, Atiku was said to have appealed to his former rivals to set aside their differences and work together in building a formidable opposition platform capable of challenging the ruling party and advancing democratic governance in Nigeria.

According to sources familiar with the meeting, Atiku emphasized that the presidential primary should not be viewed as a battle between winners and losers but rather as a collective democratic process designed to strengthen the party.

The reported acceptance of the vice-presidential nomination by Amaechi is being interpreted by political analysts as a strategic move by the ADC to consolidate support across key regions of the country.

Atiku, a prominent political figure from Nigeria’s North-East, and Amaechi, a leading politician from the South-South, are expected to present a ticket that party leaders believe will enhance the ADC’s national appeal and electoral competitiveness.

The development is also seen as a major boost to opposition efforts ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with stakeholders expressing optimism that the reconciliation between the party’s leading figures will strengthen internal cohesion.

Party officials are expected to make a formal announcement on the Atiku-Amaechi ticket in the coming days.

If officially confirmed, the ticket will set the stage for one of the most closely watched presidential contests in Nigeria’s recent political history.

BREAKING: Atiku Picks Amaechi As Running Mate For 2027 Presidential Election

No Election Is Perfect Anywhere – Fashola Tells Opposition to Accept Results

LAGOS – Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Babatunde Fashola, has declared that elections are inherently imperfect exercises, urging Nigerian opposition politicians to stop faulting outcomes and instead accept results while embracing their democratic role.

Speaking on Friday at The Platform, a public policy forum organised by the Covenant Christian Centre and led by Pastor Poju Oyemade as part of activities marking Democracy Day, Fashola laid bare the logistical scale of Nigerian elections to explain why absolute perfection remains unattainable.

According to the former minister, Nigeria conducts presidential elections across more than 176,000 polling units simultaneously, with officials and voters expected to perform identical tasks under vastly different conditions. This reality, he argued, makes flawless elections a practical impossibility anywhere in the world.

“Elections are an imperfect event because they require a large logistical operation across a federation,” Fashola told the audience.

He then challenged his listeners directly, posing a fundamental question about democratic conduct: “Do we agree as a people that elections are an imperfect event all over the world? They are never perfect because it is a large and challenging logistic undertaking. So, perfection is aspirational.”

Explaining the inherent difficulties of nationwide polls, Fashola noted that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cannot be present at every polling unit to supervise or verify procedures. He asked pointedly: “And so, with imperfections, are we agreed that we should accept the results? Or are we agreed that it must be INEC’s fault? Even when the INEC chairman cannot be in all of those 176,000 polling stations.”

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The former governor argued that electoral imperfections are not unique to Nigeria. He noted that even long-established democracies acknowledge such challenges while continually seeking ways to improve their electoral systems rather than undermining public confidence in democratic outcomes.

“In other jurisdictions, they recognise the imperfections, they aspire to improve, but they accept the results. They move peacefully and calmly to take up the position of opposition,” Fashola stated.

He expressed concern over what he described as a growing reluctance among some political actors to accept electoral defeat, warning that such attitudes weaken democratic development and prevent unsuccessful candidates and parties from playing constructive opposition roles.

“It seems to me that an unwillingness to accept the outcome of an election perhaps blinds the unsuccessful participants from seeking and taking up the role of opposition for the development of society,” he said.

Fashola emphasised that opposition politics plays a critical role in democratic governance and should not be viewed solely through the lens of electoral victory or defeat. He declared that “the role of opposition is as important, if not more important, than the role of those in government.”

Reflecting on the significance of June 12 as Democracy Day, Fashola recalled the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, describing it as a turning point in Nigeria’s democratic journey.

“This should have been an ordinary day, just another ordinary day. We had gone to vote and we had expected while we were monitoring the results that the votes would be counted. Then the abnormal happened. The votes were stopped, the elections were subsequently annulled and June 12 became not just a date anymore, it became an event, a cause and a movement, an agitation that took local, international and global centre stage,” he said.

The former minister stressed that democracy extends far beyond the conduct of elections. He urged citizens and political leaders to engage in deeper conversations about the kind of democratic culture Nigeria seeks to build.

“If we are to discuss democracy beyond elections, the question I ask is: What kind of democracy do we want? ” he asked.

Fashola also called for national consensus on critical governance issues such as taxation, foreign policy, parliamentary oversight, healthcare, education funding, labour relations and political party accountability. On taxation, he questioned whether political parties had clearly articulated their positions during recent debates on fiscal reforms.

“Can you truly have a representative government, a democratic government, without a debate about taxation? That is the basis of representation,” he said.

Addressing the broader function of consensus in democracy, Fashola noted that agreement across party lines does not weaken opposition politics. “Consensus does not disable opposition. On the contrary, it sharpens the alternative that they represent,” he stated.

The former minister further challenged Nigerians to reflect on the country’s identity, asking whether Nigeria should be regarded primarily as a nation or merely a country. “Are we a nation or are we a country? We use those words somewhat interchangeably, but they mean different things,” he said.

In a separate disclosure during a panel discussion at the same event, Fashola revealed that he did not receive security votes at any point during his eight years as governor of Lagos State. He explained that all funds belonging to the state government during his administration were managed through established institutional channels rather than being placed under the direct control of the governor, with revenues domiciled within the state’s Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

Fashola maintained that while elections remain a vital component of democracy, the true test of democratic maturity lies in the ability of institutions, political actors and citizens to uphold democratic values even after the ballots have been counted.

His remarks formed part of broader discussions at The Platform on the state of Nigeria’s democracy, governance, accountability and the responsibilities of citizens and political leaders in sustaining democratic institutions. The event was held at the Covenant Christian Centre in Lagos as part of activities marking the June 12, 2026 Democracy Day celebration.

No Election Is Perfect Anywhere – Fashola Tells Opposition to Accept Results