The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) on Tuesday lost one lawmaker each in the House of Representatives to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defectors — Hon. Peter Akpanke and Hon. Paul Nnamchi — formally announced their switch during plenary, with their defection letters read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
Akpanke, who was elected on the PDP platform, represents Obanliku/Obudu/Bekwara Federal Constituency of Cross River State. Nnamchi, elected under the LP, represents Enugu East/Isi Uzo Federal Constituency of Enugu State.
Both lawmakers attributed their defections to internal crises within their former parties and their desire to support and align with the policies and programmes of the APC-led Federal Government.
Their decision was greeted with applause by APC members in the chamber, as Speaker Abbas congratulated the duo on their new political move.
Makinde Joins 2027 Race, Announces Presidential Ambition in Ibadan
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has officially declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, announcing that he will run under a new political arrangement involving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
Makinde made the declaration on Thursday in Ibadan during a political event held after the signing of an alliance agreement between factions linked to the PDP and APM, aimed at strengthening opposition coordination ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the governor, the agreement is designed to resolve internal party disputes and ensure that candidates aligned with the coalition structure will contest under a unified platform in the next election cycle.
He explained that under the arrangement, candidates of the crisis-hit PDP structure in Oyo State would contest elective positions on the APM platform as part of the broader alliance strategy.
Makinde said the development proves critics wrong who had previously suggested that the opposition may struggle to present a united front in 2027, insisting that the coalition is committed to fielding candidates for all elective positions nationwide.
He further called on opposition stakeholders to close ranks and work together to strengthen their chances in the upcoming election, stressing that unity remains key to achieving electoral success.
The governor then formally declared his presidential ambition, stating:
“I, Seyi Makinde hereby announce my candidacy for the presidency of Nigeria under the PDP/APM Alliance in 2027.”
He added that his decision to run is driven by what he described as the need for the “rebirth of Nigeria”, signalling a reform-focused campaign direction ahead of the elections.
The announcement marks one of the earliest formal presidential declarations for 2027 and is expected to reshape political calculations within opposition circles as parties begin early positioning for the race.
However, the coalition arrangement has already raised questions in political circles, particularly regarding the structure of the alliance and how candidate selection will be managed across participating parties, including the PDP and APM framework.
Political observers say Makinde’s declaration could significantly influence opposition dynamics going into 2027, especially as parties attempt to consolidate support against the ruling political establishment.
For now, the governor’s announcement sets the stage for what is expected to be a highly competitive and closely watched presidential contest.
Makinde Joins 2027 Race, Announces Presidential Ambition in Ibadan
Why South-East Won’t Support Peter Obi’s One-Term Presidency Proposal — Ikonne
A former Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Paul Ikonne, has strongly criticised the proposal by former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, to serve only one term if elected President in 2027.
Ikonne, who is also an aspirant for the Abia South Senatorial seat, said the South-East would reject any arrangement that limits an Igbo presidency to four years when other regions had enjoyed two terms of eight years in office.
Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the APC stalwart argued that the proposal undermines the long-standing agitation for an equitable power-sharing arrangement in Nigeria.
According to him, no serious political stakeholder from the region would support a four-year presidency for the South-East.
“Why would he come and say he wants to be President for four years? He is trying to deprive Southeasterners when other regions are doing eight years. No South-East man will vote for such a thing,” Ikonne declared.
“We are not looking for a President that will just stay there for four years. We want to produce, when the time comes, an Igbo President that will be there for eight years.”
The comments followed recent political discussions triggered by Obi’s reported promise to serve only one term if elected in 2027 — a move believed by analysts to be aimed at attracting broader political support across the country.
Ikonne, however, described the idea as politically unacceptable to many people in the South-East, insisting that the region deserved equal treatment in Nigeria’s presidential power rotation formula.
The APC chieftain recently unveiled a political mobilisation platform known as Asiwaju Tsunami 2027 in Abia State to galvanise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the next general election.
Describing Tinubu’s performance in the South-East during the 2023 presidential election as only “a wind,” Ikonne predicted that the 2027 poll would witness “a tsunami” of support for the President across the region.
“So 2023 was wind, but in 2027 Asiwaju is coming with tsunami,” he said.
He further claimed that governors and major political stakeholders in the South-East were already aligning with Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, even governors elected on opposition platforms were allegedly maintaining cordial relationships with the presidency.
“One clear indication is that when the governor who came on board through Labour Party is now supporting the President, it means the President has no opposition in Abia State,” Ikonne stated, in an apparent reference to Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
Ikonne also praised Tinubu’s administration for allowing more resources to reach state governments and local councils, arguing that the President’s policies were beginning to attract support from the South-East.
“The President has pushed resources down to governors to implement developmental projects that impact people directly. Nigerians now understand that he means well,” he said.
The APC chieftain disclosed that Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma had constituted a mobilisation team, which he said he belongs to, to rally support for Tinubu among Igbo communities nationwide.
He added that support for the President would come not only from the South-East but also from Igbo traders and residents across Nigeria.
Speaking further, Ikonne claimed that the Labour Party had weakened significantly in Abia State due to internal crises and defections.
According to him, the political momentum enjoyed by Obi during the 2023 general election had reduced considerably ahead of 2027.
“Labour Party is not really on ground in Abia State. The party has been battling one crisis after another,” he said.
Ikonne also criticised Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, accusing the lawmaker of spending nearly 20 years in the Senate without meaningful constituency projects.
“Abia South is the economic hub of Abia State and even the South-East because Aba is the commercial nerve centre of the region. Yet there is nothing to show for nearly two decades in the Senate,” he stated.
He insisted that the people of Abia South were ready for new leadership and political direction ahead of the next election cycle.
Political observers say Obi’s reported one-term proposal has continued to generate mixed reactions across Nigeria, particularly in the South-East where many believe the region deserves a full two-term presidency if given the opportunity.
While supporters of the proposal see it as a strategic compromise capable of easing regional political tensions, critics within the APC insist it shortchanges the South-East and weakens the region’s bargaining power ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The debate is expected to remain a major issue in Nigeria’s political landscape as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.
Why South-East Won’t Support Peter Obi’s One-Term Presidency Proposal — Ikonne
Presidency Attacks Peter Obi Over ‘One-Term’ Promise, Questions His Political Loyalty
The Presidency has intensified its criticism of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his pledge to serve only one term if elected president in 2027, accusing him of political inconsistency and unreliable leadership.
The latest attack followed Obi’s statement during an interview scheduled to air on News Central Television, where he declared that he would leave office after four years under any circumstance.
“I want to be a one-term president because of stability. I would not stay a day longer than four years, even with a gun to my head,” Obi said in the now-viral clip.
Reacting in a post shared on X on Thursday, presidential spokesman and Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed Obi’s declaration, arguing that the former governor’s political history contradicts his latest promise.
“If you believe Peter Obi’s promise to serve only one term as president, you’ll believe anything,” Onanuga wrote.
According to the presidential aide, Obi has a history of changing political platforms and abandoning previous political alliances.
Onanuga recalled that Obi rose politically under the All Progressives Grand Alliance before later defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party and eventually joining the Labour Party ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
“Peter Obi’s pledges have always been short-lived. He ultimately abandoned APGA for the PDP, and since then, he has drifted from one political platform to another — a political rolling stone,” he stated.
The presidential spokesman further argued that Obi’s movement across parties over the years raises questions about the credibility of his promises and long-term political commitments.
“By his own actions, Peter Obi has shown that his word cannot be trusted. His promises are as fleeting as his political allegiances,” Onanuga added.
Obi, however, has consistently defended his one-term position, insisting that Nigeria’s stability requires adherence to the country’s informal zoning and rotational presidency arrangement between the North and South.
The former Anambra governor has repeatedly stated that any southern candidate elected president in 2027 should vacate office by 2031 to preserve national balance and unity.
Since leaving the Labour Party coalition talks and aligning with the Nigerian Democratic Congress alongside former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Obi has continued consultations with opposition figures ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Obi also recently criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over worsening economic hardship, rising debt profile, insecurity and inflation, arguing that the current government has failed to improve living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.
The former governor came third in the 2023 presidential election behind Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Political observers say the latest exchange between Obi and the Presidency reflects the growing intensity of political realignments and early campaigns ahead of the 2027 general election.
Presidency Attacks Peter Obi Over ‘One-Term’ Promise, Questions His Political Loyalty
