Politics
National Assembly Leadership: Tinubu, APC leaders meet lawmakers-elect in Aso Rock
- Coalition backs North-Central Senate presidency
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calls for Adamu’s resignation
Barring any last-minute change, the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will meet with the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima; senators-elect and members of the House of Representatives-elect on its platform, today at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
This was disclosed by the APC National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, in an invitation sent to Tinubu, Shettima and the lawmakers-elect.
While the meeting is scheduled for 2:00p.m., invited guests were directed to be seated before 12noon, two hours before commencement of the parley.
The guests were also urged to come alone and with the Certificates of Return issued to them by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after they were declared winners in the February 25 polls.
“The meeting is strictly on invitation. All invited guests are expected to arrive early to allow for screening and be seated before 12noon,” the notice stated.
Though agenda of the meeting was not stated, a source who craved anonymity, said the meeting is connected with the leadership of the 10th National Assembly that will be inaugurated in June.
Also to be discussed are issues of zoning of the Senate presidency, Speaker of the House of Representatives and other offices in the National Assembly, such as the Deputy President of the Senate; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and eight principal positions in both the upper and lower chambers.
The source explained that APC is trying to avoid a situation that played out in 2015, where Senator Bukola Saraki emerged as Senate President against the party’s wish.
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Saraki, who represented Kwara Central Senatorial District in the eighth Assembly, emerged as Senate President when 51 APC senators were at the International Conference Centre waiting for a truce meeting reportedly called by the leadership of the party and President Muhammadu Buhari.
He was elected unanimously by 57 senators present at the session and sworn into office on June 9, 2015 with Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Deputy Senate President.
Meanwhile, indications have emerged that ahead of the zoning of offices of presiding officers for the National Assembly, crisis may be looming in the ruling party as calls for the immediate resignation from office by the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, heighten.
A group under the aegis of Civil Society Organisations of Conference of Nigeria Civil Rights Activists (CNCRA) has asked Adamu, to, as a matter of urgency, obey calls for his resignation in the interest of equity, fairness and justice, just as it said that his resignation would assuage the feelings of Christians.
The group, in a statement signed yesterday in Abuja by its convener, Pastor Ifeanyi Odili, and Secretary, Sina Akadiri, it said Adamu’s exit, as APC National Chairman, would ensure power balancing in the incoming Tinubu-led administration.
According to the group, Adamu’s resignation would also be a great opportunity for APC to assuage the feelings of Christians towards the same faith arrangement of the party in the recently concluded presidential election.
The group also hailed the National Vice Chairman, Northwest of APC, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, on his call for power balancing in the incoming APC-led government and his call for the resignation of Adamu.
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Recall that Lukman had at the weekend advocated for the replacement of Adamu with a Christian, as part of measures to balance the incoming administration of Tinubu.
As the jostle for allocation of National Assembly leadership gets intense ahead of May 29 inauguration of the new government, the President-elect is being prevailed upon to support the Southeast for the Senate presidency.
Tinubu is billed to table the issue of ceding the seat to the Southeast geopolitical zone at the parley with APC leadership and lawmakers-elect today.
Among those touted to occupy the seat is former Abia State governor and Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
APC founding member, Osita Okechukwu, who confirmed the development, argued that the move was in tandem with the need to entrench equity and fairness in the polity.
Two other APC Senators-elect, Osita Izunaso (Imo) and outgoing Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, are billed to contest the seat with Kalu, notwithstanding his ranking status in the upper legislative chamber.
He said: “It’s strategic to zone the President of the Senate to Southeast, based on equity, fairness and natural justice. Nigeria is on a tripod and since Southeast didn’t get the president or vice, it becomes strategic to start a process of reconciliation and recovery with the zone.
“Agreed, Southeast didn’t vote for the APC; however, the leadership must think of tomorrow. Luckily, we have three Senators-elect, two of whom are in the ranking cadre – Kalu and Izunaso. Let’s choose one of them.
“At least, nobody will blame us that it’s because we did not have any Senator, which was the case in 2015. We, the foundation members of APC, need to be accommodated by our brothers and sisters in other geopolitical zones.” Guardian
Politics
El-Rufai Says Son Bello Remains Loyal to APC Despite Criticism of Party
El-Rufai Says Son Bello Remains Loyal to APC Despite Criticism of Party
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has clarified that his son, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, remains a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by personal conviction, even as he continues to critique the ruling party. Bello currently represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, where he serves his constituents independently of his father’s political stance.
El-Rufai made the disclosure during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Thursday evening, shortly after reportedly resisting an attempted detainment by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport upon his return from Egypt. The former governor, now a leading figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), emphasised that Bello is mature enough to chart his own political path.
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“My son Bello was elected under the platform of the APC and his electorate seem to be happy with the work he is doing, so since he is an adult of over 30 years, he can make his own choices. Politics is about personal preference,” El-Rufai said, explaining that his son’s continued stay in APC does not contradict his own opposition to the party.
He added that if Bello chooses to remain within the APC without engaging in any of the party’s perceived wrongdoing, guided by the values and home training he received, “then Alhamdulillah.”
Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, born in 1988, has represented Kaduna North since 2023 and currently chairs the House Committee on Banking Regulations. His work in the National Assembly has earned commendations from constituents, reinforcing his independent political credibility within the APC framework.
El-Rufai’s clarification comes amid ongoing political realignments in Nigeria, where personal choices sometimes diverge from family or party affiliations. The statement highlights the balance between individual political conviction and broader party loyalty, particularly in high-profile political families.
El-Rufai Says Son Bello Remains Loyal to APC Despite Criticism of Party
Politics
Atiku Denies Fayose’s Claims About 2027 Vice-Presidential Talks With Makinde
Atiku Denies Fayose’s Claims About 2027 Vice-Presidential Talks With Makinde
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly refuted claims by former Ekiti State governor Peter Ayodele Fayose alleging that Governor Seyi Makinde had agreed to run as his vice-presidential candidate in the 2027 elections.
In a statement issued Thursday in Abuja through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described Fayose as a “serial political gossip” and dismissed the report as a “reckless and malicious fabrication” consisting of “beer parlour tales of infamy.”
Fayose had alleged that Makinde agreed to the vice-presidential slot and pledged ₦10 billion in contributions, a claim Atiku denied entirely. Shaibu said the account was not insider information but “insider fiction, manufactured to mislead, distract and provoke.”
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“There were no negotiations over vice-presidential tickets. There were no discussions about ₦10 billion contributions. There were no zoning manipulations. There were no delegate-delivery guarantees. And there is certainly no clandestine ‘Dubai meeting’ on any such agenda,” the statement read.
Atiku’s office emphasized that his political engagements are broad-based, principled, and national in scope, and not transactional or clandestine, as alleged. The statement further warned the public against giving credibility to reports from individuals who “attempt to manufacture relevance by inventing tales around serious national figures.”
The former vice president also clarified that during his recent visit to the residence of former Head of State Ibrahim Babangida, no discussions about vice-presidential arrangements took place.
Shaibu urged Nigerians to treat the publication with contempt, stressing that “falsehood may trend for a moment, but it collapses under the weight of truth.”
Atiku remains focused on principled engagement and building coalitions ahead of the 2027 elections, rejecting backroom political theatrics as “mischievously and irresponsibly portrayed.”
Atiku Denies Fayose’s Claims About 2027 Vice-Presidential Talks With Makinde
Politics
City Boy Movement Receives Bus Donations from Zenco, Obi Cubana for Tinubu’s Campaign
City Boy Movement Receives Bus Donations from Zenco, Obi Cubana for Tinubu’s Campaign
Prominent business leaders and influencers have donated buses worth millions of naira in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, signalling a growing grassroots mobilisation effort by his backers across Nigeria.
The donations were led by Cletus Uzoezie Oragwa, founder of Zenco Oil, alongside Chief Christian Okonkwo of C-Energy Oil and popular nightlife entrepreneur Obi Cubana. The buses were handed over to CityBoyMedia, an affiliate of the City Boy Movement, a youth-driven grassroots support platform actively engaging communities in the Southeast and beyond to strengthen Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
During the presentation ceremony, the donors emphasised that the buses would enhance the movement’s logistics, voter mobilisation, and outreach efforts in key regions, particularly rural communities. The initiative underscores the role of private sector support in bolstering campaign infrastructure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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Obi Cubana, who has previously been prominent in civic engagement and social advocacy, signalled stronger political alignment with the Tinubu-led administration. In recent events, including hosting Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, in Abuja, Cubana reaffirmed his commitment to youth mobilisation and inclusive political participation through the City Boy Movement.
Also present at the event was social media personality Cubana Chief Priest, who expressed support for the administration and reiterated his opposition to former presidential candidate Peter Obi in the upcoming 2027 elections.
The donations coincide with a wider surge in pro-Tinubu mobilisation activities nationwide, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and allied groups intensify efforts to consolidate support and ensure a strong grassroots presence. Political observers note that contributions from private citizens and business figures play a key role in sustaining momentum for the campaign.
This initiative highlights the intersection of political support, business influence, and grassroots mobilisation, reflecting strategic efforts to galvanise youth engagement and strengthen the administration’s electoral prospects.
City Boy Movement Receives Bus Donations from Zenco, Obi Cubana for Tinubu’s Campaign
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