Politics

Ohanaeze, Afenifere kick as APC says no decision yet on zoning

Published

4 years ago

April 30, 2022

Senator Abdullahi Adamu

The All Progressives Congress, on Friday in Abuja, said it had yet to determine where it would zone its presidential ticket to.

This came days after the party commenced the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms for various electoral offices.

The party’s National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, disclosed this to State House correspondents shortly after he presented the party’s governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

When asked where the governing party would zone its presidential ticket to, Adamu said such a decision was beyond the National Working Committee and was the prerogative of the entire party, which he acknowledged, was bigger than the chairman.

The PUNCH had reported that the APC, during its National Executive Committee meeting last week Wednesday, gave full powers to the NWC led by Adamu, to take decisions on its behalf for 90 days.

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This empowers the NWC to take critical decisions without approval from the NEC.

However, Adamu said, “I am today privileged to be the chairman of the party. The party is greater than me. The party has not made a decision and I cannot pre-empt what the party’s decision will be.

“We also do know that there are citizens who are qualified to contest, but who are not serious contenders, who will just want to take anything cheap by the roadside and assert what they call their rights and create problems for our party.

“We’re also aware that some parties that have no chance whatsoever to win the presidential election in Nigeria will sponsor people to create problems for us and to divert our attention, whichever party is involved in that.”

Adamu also noted that the APC had no regrets about the high cost of nomination forms for aspirants seeking elective offices.

He noted that the high cost was justified by the party’s need to raise sufficient funds to successfully prosecute the coming elections.

He said, “On the issue of cost. Yeah, I’ve been listening with rapt attention to the hues and cries from our lovers and our adversaries. We have no regrets whatsoever. We did some homework; we know what it takes to go through primaries, go through presidential campaigns and go through elections for the President. We know what it takes.

“Over and above that, yes, we are the ruling party. Yes, we need to set examples in what we do, but I ask you, I don’t know which part of the country you come from if God forbid, your traditional ruler dies today, contestants to that office will give more than N100m. It’s no news.

“When I contested for the Senate, all I paid was just a token; N5m, N10m, including the expression. When my colleague wanted to be the chairman of the party in the days of Adams Oshimhole, it cost him N500,000. Today, for me, just as an example, to contest the national chairman of our party, I had to pay N20m.

“The enormity of work that has to be done will be done with the money. We don’t want to continue begging. So, I want to say that we’re able to mobilise sufficient funds to support our efforts to win the election. Some protests may be well-founded, I have no quarrel with that, but the propensity of this, that people just assume it’s the ruling party.”

Receiving the Ekiti APC governorship flag bearer, Buhari noted that Oyebanji’s governorship would be a continuation of service since he had served in several capacities, including as Chief of Staff, commissioner, and Secretary to the State Government.

He wished the candidate “the best of luck.”

Adamu was accompanied to the Presidential Villa by the Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Kebbi State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Atiku Bagudu; and the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

Meanwhile, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndgibo Worldwide, and the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, knocked Adamu for saying the APC was undecided on what zone the presidential ticket of the party would go to.

The spokesman for Ohanaeze, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, said in a telephone conversation with one of our correspondents that the APC was “vacillating and insulating like a pendulum,” because it knew the truth.

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He urged the ruling party to “be wise and do the right thing for equity and fairness to all the regions.”

Ogbonnia stated, “They know the truth, that is why they are moving left, right, and centre like a pendulum. It is not good that this should be the identity of the APC.

“The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, is the leader of the party today. He should step in and take decisions just like former President Olusegun Obasanjo took the decision in 2006 that a northerner should be the President since he was from the South.

“Because of the power-rotation principle agreed upon by the party, the Presidency had to move to the North. All eyes are on Buhari to do to the South-East what Obasanjo did to the North-West. They have seen the truth and don’t want to accept it.”

The Secretary-General of Afenifere, Dr. Sola Ebiseni, said Adamu’s statement did not come to the group as a surprise.

Noting that the country was bigger than any one particular group, Ebiseni stated, “That the new national chairman of the APC is now wavering on the zoning of its presidential ticket to the South after he has secured his own position based on that understanding did not come to us in the Afenifere as a surprise because we saw it coming and our leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has used every available platform to warn those who may be so deceived. These are all permutations driving towards the ultimate decision on what Nigeria will make of itself.

“While it may sound predictive that having swapped the party positions between the North and the South, the positions in government such as the President, Vice-President, Senate President, and Speaker of the House of Representatives will equally be so exchanged by the party; the prized seat of the President and the Leviathan powers at its command are too tempting to be allowed to pass by those who believe Nigeria is their exclusive estate. This is the reason behind the deliberate resistance to restructuring.”

Ebiseni further stated that for the country to survive as a corporate entity, true federalism must be enthroned, and “all regions must have equal opportunities for all the ethnic nationalities and citizens.”

Also speaking, the spokesman for the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Mr. Ken Robinson, noted that the indecision by the ruling APC was “unnecessary, insensitive and completely out of place.”

Robinson told Saturday PUNCH, “The APC saying they are undecided on the issue of zoning is unnecessary. In 2014, it was the same APC that zoned its presidency to the North, producing Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). The national chairmanship position was zoned to the South, where Pa Akande emerged as the interim national chairman before a former governor of Edo State and then later, Adams Oshiomole. Today, they have reversed those positions earlier occupied by southern Nigerians and given them to the North.

“It is, therefore, expected that the presidency will go to southern Nigeria. If the national chairman of the party is now saying they are undecided, that is unacceptable. It is completely out of place. It is inconsistent and is against protocols that have been established since 1979 and zoning since independence.”

He stressed that if the APC eventually threw the race open, it would be a “call for more disaffection, dissension, and crisis that have already engulfed our country.”

APC did not promise South presidency – Northern groups

However, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the spokesman for the Coalition of Northern Groups, a conglomerate of over 40 pro-North bodies, said the APC did not promise any region the presidency.

He noted that the best move for all political parties was to throw the ticket open so that candidates could emerge on merit.

He stated, “As far as the CNG is concerned, that is the proper thing to do. We have never had faith in that zoning arrangement that does not actually look at the merit of candidates but their region, religion, or tribe.

“We have all along been of the view that until that day when we are able to elect a leader we can all trust and rely on as a Nigerian President, then we have not reached true nationhood.

“In any case, there is no evidence that the APC had in the first place bound itself to any arrangement on zoning or rotation of power on a regional basis.

“That arrangement had all along been most pronounced in the PDP and even they could not get it right. The agreement was respected only in the first four years of Obasanjo and it became shaky towards the end of his second term with the notorious third term agenda, which was aborted.”

Related Topics:Afenifere APC Featured Ohanaeze zoning

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2027: Babachir Lawal Reveals Why He Prefers Tinubu’s ‘Devil’ to Atiku’s Presidency

Published

12 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Trends Admin

Babachir Lawal

2027: Babachir Lawal Reveals Why He Prefers Tinubu’s ‘Devil’ to Atiku’s Presidency

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has maintained that despite his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, he would still prefer Tinubu over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election. Lawal made the statement on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he argued that if Nigerians are forced to choose between the two political figures, Tinubu remains the better option. He asserted that the country would fare worse under Atiku’s leadership compared to the current administration. “I have said it before: if the choice must be between Atiku and Tinubu, then despite the shortcomings of Tinubu’s administration, he would still be a far better president compared to what Atiku would bring Nigeria into,” Lawal stated. Using a striking metaphor to drive home his point, he added: “When you are faced with choosing between two devils, you pick the lesser one. Even among devils, there are different categories.” Lawal further elaborated on this comparative assessment, stating, “I believe that Bola Tinubu’s presidency, as bad as it is now on a comparative level, Tinubu would be an excellent President compared to what Atiku would plunge us into.”

Lawal’s comments come amid his recent attacks on Atiku following his dramatic exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). He had accused the party of conducting a heavily manipulated primary election that produced Atiku as its candidate. In his resignation statement, Lawal alleged that the ADC’s primary elections were “massively rigged” at all levels in favour of Atiku and his political allies. “Results were just written or rewritten to favour him and his coven. Even where they allowed some semblance of election to hold, the winners were simply replaced with members of his syndicate,” he claimed. The former SGF said he could not remain in what he described as a “rigging machine” ahead of the 2027 general elections. “I do not intend to be part of Kachalla Atiku’s rigging machine in the 2027 general elections,” Lawal wrote on his Facebook page.

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In a particularly sharp attack, Lawal repeatedly labelled Atiku as “Kachalla,” a term he claimed is a title traditionally bestowed upon bandit leaders. During the Channels Television interview, when asked why he adopted this moniker for the former Vice President, Lawal alleged a connection to the ongoing insecurity in the country. “Have you seen Atiku condemning bandit attacks?” Lawal questioned, explaining his rationale for the comparison. He also argued that supporting Atiku would inadvertently strengthen President Tinubu’s chances of securing a second term. “For me, working for Kachalla Atiku means giving Tinubu an automatic ticket to a second term, which gives me nightmares,” he stated.

In a striking admission about the dynamics of the 2027 election, Lawal warned that President Tinubu would be virtually unbeatable if electoral manipulation becomes the determining factor. “If the parameter for winning elections in Nigeria is rigging, nobody can face Bola Tinubu in this country,” he said. He added with dramatic effect: “If Atiku’s strength is in manipulating results, I wish him luck; he will meet the master rigger in front.” Lawal predicted that Tinubu would secure a “landslide” victory in 2027, claiming that no politician could match the President when it comes to navigating electoral contests.

Beyond his criticisms of Atiku, Lawal also expressed support for one of Atiku’s opponents in the ADC primary. He stated that Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, a former Managing Director of the defunct FSB International Bank and former Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), is more competent than Atiku. Asked whether Hayatu-Deen was more competent, Lawal responded emphatically: “Hayatu-Deen is more competent than Atiku. They can’t even be in the same boat. They are not on the same boat and are not possibly talking about the same sea.”

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In response to Lawal’s allegations, Atiku’s camp has launched a fierce counter-attack. Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, dismissed Lawal’s claims as baseless and accused the former SGF of lacking the moral authority to speak on electoral integrity. Shaibu pointed to Lawal’s controversial tenure as SGF under former President Muhammadu Buhari, noting that he was removed from office in 2017 following his indictment in the alleged N544.1 million grass-cutting scandal. “Mr Lawal is not remembered for any celebrated crusade for accountability. Rather, he remains one of the most prominent public officials ever removed from office under the cloud of the infamous grass-cutting contract scandal,” Shaibu stated. The Atiku camp also questioned Lawal’s consistency, noting that he appeared willing to accept the same ADC primary process in Adamawa State, where his cousin, Omar Suleiman, emerged as the party’s governorship candidate. “Mr Lawal has also failed to explain how the very same primary process he now dismisses as fraudulent somehow produced a result he appears perfectly willing to accept in Adamawa State,” Shaibu said. He added that Lawal has “produced no documents, no verifiable facts, no credible witnesses, and no proof whatsoever to support his sensational allegations.”

The ADC had declared Atiku the winner of its presidential primary after he polled 1,846,370 votes. Former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi came second with 504,117 votes, while Mohammed Hayatu-Deen placed third with 177,120 votes. Both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen subsequently rejected the outcome and boycotted the announcement of the results.

Despite his strong criticisms of Atiku and his preference for Tinubu in a comparative sense, Lawal clarified that he is not currently backing any presidential hopeful, including former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi. “I am supporting nobody. I don’t want to be part of anything for now,” he stated. The former SGF said he would instead retire to his village to focus on farming and agriculture-related activities while consulting with like-minded colleagues on strategies to stop Atiku from winning the presidency in 2027.

Lawal’s resignation and comments come amid increasing political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 general elections. President Tinubu has already secured the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 election and is expected to face opposition from candidates of rival parties, including Atiku of the ADC and Peter Obi, who is now the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC). In the 2023 general election, Tinubu was declared elected by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku, who secured 6,984,520 votes, and Obi, who got 6,101,533 votes. As the 2027 election cycle gathers momentum, Lawal’s dramatic exit from the ADC and his blistering attacks on Atiku have added fresh tension to an already volatile political landscape. Whether his claims of primary manipulation will gain traction or be dismissed as sour grapes remains to be seen, but his metaphor of choosing the “lesser devil” has already ignited widespread debate across Nigeria’s political space.

2027: Babachir Lawal Reveals Why He Prefers Tinubu’s ‘Devil’ to Atiku’s Presidency

Politics

Power-Sharing Showdown: NDC Replaces Kwankwasiyya-Nominated Candidates in Kano

Published

12 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Trends Admin

Power-Sharing Showdown: NDC Replaces Kwankwasiyya-Nominated Candidates in Kano

KANO, Nigeria — Tensions within the New Democratic Congress (NDC) have erupted into the open after the party’s leadership in Kano State replaced several candidates previously nominated by the influential Kwankwasiyya political movement. The dramatic revision of the candidate list is being justified as an enforcement of a 60/40 power-sharing agreement, but insiders say the move has infuriated loyalists of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the movement’s leader and former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). The crisis, if not swiftly resolved, risks fracturing the party’s structure in one of Nigeria’s most politically significant states and could force a major realignment ahead of future elections.

At the heart of the conflict is a power-sharing formula brokered by the NDC’s National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson. The agreement was struck when Senator Kwankwaso and his large political following joined the NDC. Under the terms, the Kwankwasiyya bloc was allocated 60% of elective positions and party offices, while the original NDC structure retained the remaining 40%. However, NDC leaders in Kano allege that the initial list of nominees submitted by the Kwankwasiyya faction did not reflect this ratio. Instead, they claim, the movement sought to dominate all available tickets, effectively locking out non-Kwankwasiyya members from contesting.

In a statement addressed to Senator Dickson, Senator Kwankwaso, and the NDC North-West Zonal Chairman, Kano State Chairman Hon. Hussaini Isah Mairiga explained that the revisions were necessary to “preserve internal harmony and avoid an escalation of disagreements.” The party’s spokesperson, Comrade Ibrahim Waya, added: “The founding members built the NDC’s Kano structure before Kwankwaso’s integration. The agreement was clear—60/40. We acted to protect that formula and prevent internal disputes.”

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Following the party’s directive, the NDC approved a new slate of candidates for several federal constituencies in Kano State. For the Kumbotso Federal Constituency seat, the party approved Barrister Isma’il Idris Sani as its candidate. Other approved nominees include Nasiru Ali Ahmed for Nassarawa, Kabiru Ishaq Sa’id for Kano Municipal, and Barrister Dayyabu Jamilu Ibrahim for Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency. Additionally, Muhammad Hamisu Abubakar will contest for the Dawakin Tofa/Rimin Gado/Tofa Federal Constituency seat, while Ibrahim Bashir Bango was selected for Sumaila/Takai Federal Constituency. Abdulmajid Isa Umar Mairigar Fata was also named as the party’s candidate for Gwale. In addition to federal seats, the party confirmed adjustments to several Kano State House of Assembly candidacies, particularly in the Dala, Tarauni, Kumbotso, Ungogo, and Dawakin Kudu local government areas.

Despite the public humiliation of seeing its nominated candidates dropped, the Kwankwasiyya movement has officially denied any plan to exit the NDC. Its spokesperson, Habeeb Saleh Mohammed, described rumours of an imminent defection as “false and unfounded.” “There was never a time it was discussed that our party leader is leaving the party. That is our position,” Mohammed stated. He further explained that the movement conducted its primaries on May 29 in line with the INEC timetable and had already forwarded results to the party leadership.

On Monday night, Senator Kwankwaso took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account to address the situation indirectly. He downplayed talk of a breakup by highlighting ongoing party engagements. “This evening, I hosted a highly productive meeting with the NDC candidates from Kogi State at my residence in Abuja. We had robust deliberations on the way forward and concrete strategies for our collective victory,” he posted. While the post made no direct reference to the Kano crisis, political observers see it as an attempt to project unity and dispel defection rumours.

However, behind the official denials, deep anger is brewing. A source close to the movement disclosed that Senator Kwankwaso is privately unhappy with the cancellation of his loyalists’ nominations. “If not resolved amicably, this situation will affect the perception of the movement and send a serious danger to the unity of the NDC in Kano State,” the source warned. Another insider hinted that Kwankwaso may decide to quit the party if the matter is not reversed, though a different source described the crisis as “a minor problem” that would ultimately be resolved.

The crisis has also attracted the attention of national political figures. Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad weighed in via X, advising Kwankwaso to leave the NDC if he genuinely believes he has been treated unfairly. “If Kwankwaso feels the NDC leadership has betrayed him and his movement, he should not hesitate to seek another platform. Political marriage without respect is slavery,” Ahmad wrote.

The coming weeks will be critical for the NDC-Kwankwasiyya alliance. Both sides have expressed a desire to resolve the dispute, but the gap between their positions remains wide. The NDC insists on strict adherence to the 60/40 power-sharing deal. The Kwankwasiyya movement maintains it followed due process in nominating its candidates. Unless a middle ground is found, the party risks losing one of its biggest political assets in northern Nigeria—Senator Kwankwaso and his massive grassroots following. For now, the Kano political landscape remains on edge, with all eyes on Abuja, where the party’s national leadership is expected to intervene.

Power-Sharing Showdown: NDC Replaces Kwankwasiyya-Nominated Candidates in Kano

Politics

BREAKING: Iyabo Obasanjo Quits APC, Alleges Persistent Disrespect, Maltreatment

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

Trends Admin

Iyabo Obasanjo

BREAKING: Iyabo Obasanjo Quits APC, Alleges Persistent Disrespect, Maltreatment

Abeokuta, Nigeria – Former Senator and daughter of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) , citing what she described as persistent disrespect, rejection, and unfair treatment by the party leadership in Ogun State.

The former governorship aspirant announced her decision in a resignation letter dated May 31, 2026, addressed to the Ogun State APC Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi. The resignation comes barely six months after she joined the party and just two months after she lost the APC’s governorship ticket for the 2027 election.

In her resignation letter, Obasanjo quoted a famous saying to drive home her point: “A famous person once said that when disrespect is the only dish served, then one should leave the table. I am therefore leaving the APC table where I am not welcomed. This is my resignation from the party.”

The United States-based Associate Professor of Epidemiology expressed strong dissatisfaction with the consensus arrangement that produced Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the APC governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Ogun State. According to her, while she had agreed to support any candidate that emerged through a consensus process, she was neither consulted nor involved before Adeola was announced as the party’s preferred candidate.

“When I started the journey to get the party’s nomination for Governor, I came to see you and I said to you and everyone both privately and publicly that I will honor the party’s consensus decision once it has been made,” she stated in her letter.

Obasanjo further alleged that some of her supporters were denied access to the venue where the consensus candidate was unveiled and were subjected to intimidation during the exercise.

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“When that day came, even as violence was perpetrated against my supporters to stop them from entering the venue, I maintained my calmness,” she said.

She also lamented that her presence and contributions were not acknowledged despite her extensive grassroots mobilisation efforts across Ogun State.

“No one acknowledged my presence at the meeting given that I was the most prominent opposition to the candidate chosen and I had traversed the state mobilizing and encouraging grassroots APC support,” she added.

Despite her reservations, Obasanjo said she accepted the outcome in the interest of party unity and immediately issued a statement congratulating the consensus candidate that same night.

The former Ogun State Commissioner for Health disclosed that Senator Adeola subsequently contacted her and requested a meeting with her supporters. During that meeting, her supporters made three requests, which she described as non-compulsory. Adeola reportedly promised to respond within one week.

However, more than two months later, Obasanjo expressed disappointment that she had received no feedback.

“Unless he gets back to me after I send this letter, he has not reached out to me after two months. This is just part of the general treatment I have received from APC of disrespect and rejection as if I was not there making contributions that increased support for the party in Ogun Central and across the state,” she said.

Despite her decision to leave the ruling party, Obasanjo expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and some party leaders for the cordial relationship she enjoyed during her brief stay in the APC.

“Through you, I want to thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for receiving me warmly as usual, and I thank you and our Ogun Central Senatorial Chairman, Chief Soremi, as both of you treated me well and I will always remember that,” she wrote.

Obasanjo’s political comeback was brief but eventful. She formally joined the APC in January 2026, registering as a member in Ward 11, Ibogun, in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, signaling her return to active politics after years away from the political scene. Her return had sparked political discussions across the state after campaign billboards bearing her image surfaced in Abeokuta in late 2025, signalling her intention to contest the 2027 governorship election.

Obasanjo had previously served as Ogun State Commissioner for Health from 2003 to 2007 and represented Ogun Central Senatorial District in the Senate from 2007 to 2011. After losing her re-election bid in 2011, she relocated to the United States and largely stayed away from partisan politics until her recent return.

The APC had adopted Senator Adeola as its consensus governorship candidate on April 13, 2026, at a party congress held in Abeokuta. Governor Dapo Abiodun, who announced the decision, revealed that the consensus was reached to break the long-standing 50-year barrier affecting Ogun West, while ensuring fairness and equity across all senatorial districts. Senator Adeola, who represents Ogun West at the National Assembly, was formally presented as the party’s flagbearer for the 2027 election.

Obasanjo’s departure marks a significant political development in Ogun State and has sparked fresh conversations about internal democracy and inclusiveness within party structures. Her resignation comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, and political analysts suggest that the former senator’s exit could have implications for the APC’s efforts to consolidate support in Ogun Central Senatorial District, where she maintains considerable political influence.

As of press time, the Ogun State APC leadership and Senator Solomon Adeola had not issued any official response to Obasanjo’s allegations. The party has also not commented on the claims of violence, intimidation, and unfulfilled promises made by the former governorship aspirant.