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Why I Rejected Tinubu, Buhari’s Offers to Join APC — Fayose

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Tinubu hands major federal appointment to Fayose, names 25 others
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose

Why I Rejected Tinubu, Buhari’s Offers to Join APC — Fayose

Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has disclosed why he rejected separate invitations from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former President Muhammadu Buhari to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), revealing that the offers came with promises of political control of Ekiti State which he turned down. Fayose made the revelation on Tuesday while speaking with journalists, also using the opportunity to explain why he has continued to support the administration of Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, despite remaining a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The former governor said his decision not to defect to the APC was based on personal conviction rather than political calculations, and that offers from some of the party’s top leaders, including Buhari and Tinubu, could not change his position.

Fayose explained that the attempts to bring him into the APC dated back several years, with one approach coming around the period former Governor Kayode Fayemi was preparing to return as governor of Ekiti State. According to him, Tinubu personally reached out and invited him to become a member of the APC, but he declined the invitation. He added that Buhari also made a similar appeal while serving as President, but he maintained the same position and refused to join the ruling party. The efforts did not end with phone conversations, as Fayose disclosed that he was later taken to meet the then National Chairman of the APC, where another attempt was made to convince him to defect. Speaking on the issue, Fayose said: “I was governor for seven and a half years; I never had peace. The state was governed in turmoil and confusion. Tinubu called me and told me to come and join APC. I said I won’t join. This happened five years ago when Fayemi was about to be governor. The President called me that I should come. I said I’m not coming. When Buhari was there, he told me I should come. I said I’m not coming.”

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Fayose revealed that he was promised political influence in Ekiti if he agreed to join the APC. According to him, he was told the political structure of the state would be left in his hands. However, he said such assurances did not influence his decision. “He said he would take me there. I said I’m not going. They took me to the office of the then National Chairman. They talked to me. I said I’m not going to work with Buhari. I’m very clear. They said they would leave the state for me. Don’t leave it. If they had left the state for me, I didn’t know Oyebanji would come,” Fayose recounted. The former governor’s stance on remaining in the PDP has been consistent over the years. In July 2025, he told Channels Television’s Politics Today that Tinubu had offered him a position, which he declined, saying, “Have you seen me taking appointment from the APC? Asiwaju asked me, ‘What would we give you?’ I said, ‘Nothing, sir.’ At 65, I’d rather be at home, being more responsible, doing other things that I need to do.” In October 2025, Fayose reiterated that he had no desire to return to public office after decades in politics, stating, “I’ve served well. Two-time governor, I’ve done well. Tomorrow will hold itself.”

Fayose also reflected on his years in office and the physical toll his political battles took on him. He admitted that losing political control of Ekiti after leaving office was a painful experience and that he fought hard during the political contest that followed. The former governor disclosed that the spinal problem he currently lives with was a consequence of the political events surrounding the 2018 Ekiti governorship election. “I wasn’t happy that the state was taken from me. I wasn’t happy at all. I fought. I was equally injured. All the problem I had with my spine was as a result of that election,” he said. Fayose has previously revealed that the injury to his spine resulted from an attack on him during the 2018 Ekiti governorship election, when policemen surrounded the Ekiti State Government House in an attempt to prevent him from attending a governorship rally. This necessitated two major surgical operations—one on his neck in February 2022 and another on his back in July 2022.

Despite his refusal to join the APC, Fayose has continued to support Governor Oyebanji’s administration, describing it as a positive development for Ekiti State. He noted that the passage of time had changed his outlook, and that Oyebanji’s leadership has brought stability and progress to the state. “But today, God who sees tomorrow has produced you for me,” Fayose said. His support for the governor has extended to public endorsements. In June 2026, Fayose reaffirmed his support for Oyebanji ahead of the Ekiti State governorship election, stating that he would not support the PDP candidate because of the faction that produced the party’s candidate. He also described Oyebanji as a leader who has united Ekiti across political divides, contrasting the present atmosphere with periods when political rivalry among leading figures created tension and division in the state. Fayose also revealed that he had no regrets supporting President Tinubu, describing him as a kinsman with capacity. He recalled informing Tinubu of “sinister moves” within the APC during Buhari’s presidency and noted that he had always been open about his admiration for Tinubu. “When your kinsman wants to be president and he has capacity, what should you do? You should fight him? You should throw him under the bus? I have been like this,” Fayose said in a previous interview.

Fayose was recently appointed Chairman of the Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) by President Tinubu. The appointment marked a shift from his earlier public position that he would not take up any role under the APC-led administration. Upon assuming the role, Fayose pledged to deploy his new office to attract electricity projects to rural communities in Ekiti State and across Nigeria. Speaking on the 2027 general elections, Fayose assessed the current state of opposition politics, declaring that Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, remains the only opposition figure with significant national traction capable of challenging the ruling APC.

Why I Rejected Tinubu, Buhari’s Offers to Join APC — Fayose

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2027 Elections: Atiku Raises Alarm Over Outdated BVAS Software, Warns of Manipulation Risks

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3 hours ago

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August 11, 2026

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Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar

2027 Elections: Atiku Raises Alarm Over Outdated BVAS Software, Warns of Manipulation Risks

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has raised serious concerns over the continued use of an outdated operating system on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), warning that the technology could expose Nigeria’s 2027 electoral process to cybersecurity threats and manipulation. Atiku’s concerns follow the recent mock accreditation exercise conducted in Osun State on August 1, 2026, and comments by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Director of ICT, Dr Lawrence Bayode. During an interview on Arise TV, Bayode disclosed that the BVAS devices, first introduced into Nigeria’s electoral process in 2021, currently operate on Android version 10.

In a statement issued by his Media Office in Abuja on Tuesday, Atiku pointed out that Android 10 reached its end-of-life status in 2023 and no longer receives regular security updates or patches. He argued that running critical electoral infrastructure on an end-of-life operating system creates a broad attack surface that could be exploited by cybercriminals. The ADC presidential candidate questioned why INEC, despite what he described as its substantial budget, had failed to upgrade the BVAS software ahead of the 2027 general elections. He also asked why upcoming off-cycle elections, including the Osun governorship election, could not be used as an opportunity to test an upgraded system.

Describing INEC’s handling of the matter as “suspicious,” Atiku alleged that continued reliance on outdated technology could undermine public confidence in the electoral process. He warned that vulnerabilities in the legacy operating system could potentially be exploited to gain unauthorised access to BVAS devices and tamper with stored voter accreditation information or polling unit result data before transmission. The former Vice President also expressed concern over the transmission of polling unit results through public telecommunications networks to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). He argued that outdated security and cryptographic components could expose the transmission process to cyber threats, including attempts to intercept, block, or manipulate electoral data. He specifically warned of the risk of Man-in-the-Middle attacks, through which sophisticated actors could intercept, block, or manipulate data packets over the air.

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Atiku further raised questions about the biometric functions of BVAS, which rely on fingerprint and facial recognition technologies for voter accreditation. He argued that an outdated biometric framework could affect the accuracy and reliability of the accreditation process and potentially make the system more vulnerable to attempts to bypass its verification mechanisms. He also warned that software defects associated with legacy systems could result in application crashes, particularly during periods of heavy usage, leading to delays in voter accreditation at polling units. Against this backdrop, Atiku backed calls by cybersecurity experts for an independent and comprehensive audit of the BVAS hardware and software before the 2027 elections. He maintained that deploying critical national infrastructure on an end-of-life operating system could widen the system’s attack surface and expose Nigeria’s electoral process to avoidable risks.

In a related development, a coalition of civil society organisations under the aegis of the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room has raised concerns over INEC’s introduction of an electronic EC8A on the BVAS and a new backend validation process before results are published on IReV. The groups warned that the validation process is not visible to the public, polling agents, or election observers, while INEC has yet to explain what is being validated, who conducts the review, or how long the process should take. The CSOs argued that the introduction of the electronic EC8A could create multiple versions of the same polling-unit result, potentially generating confusion in the event of discrepancies. They urged INEC to abolish the backend validation of transmitted results before publication on IReV or, at the very least, subject the process to public and independent scrutiny.

However, INEC has previously stated that upgrades have been introduced to the BVAS system to curb manipulation of results transmitted to IReV. INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan disclosed that the BVAS system now performs internal validation checks to ensure that the total votes entered do not exceed the number of accredited voters, with over-voting automatically flagged. Amupitan noted that these upgrades were tested during the FCT Area Council election and found to work correctly, with an average of 97 per cent of results uploaded to IReV. The commission has also indicated it is considering conducting a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems and staging a mock presidential election as part of efforts to strengthen preparations for the 2027 general elections.

2027 Elections: Atiku Raises Alarm Over Outdated BVAS Software, Warns of Manipulation Risks

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Keep Religion Out of Nigeria’s ‘Dirty Politics,’ Gumi Tells Jingir

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15 hours ago

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August 11, 2026

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Keep Religion Out of Nigeria's 'Dirty Politics,' Gumi Tells Jingir

Keep Religion Out of Nigeria’s ‘Dirty Politics,’ Gumi Tells Jingir

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has waded into the growing controversy over the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, defending his colleague Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir while urging all political actors to keep religion out of what he described as Nigeria’s “dirty politics.” Gumi’s intervention comes as Jingir’s recent remarks—in which he advocated for continued Muslim-Muslim presidential tickets ahead of the 2027 elections and reportedly referred to Christians as “infidels”—have sparked widespread condemnation from Christian leaders, civil society groups, and politicians across party lines.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Gumi argued that Jingir should be “excused” for what he described as an “extreme view in politics,” attributing the cleric’s position to his environment. “Sheikh Jingir should be excused for his extreme view in politics; he dwells in the eye of the storm of excessive bigotry against Islam,” Gumi wrote. Gumi, however, noted that the exploitation of religion for political purposes is not exclusive to one side of the political divide. He pointed to a recent controversy involving a Muslim vice-chancellor in Plateau State as evidence that the opposition also uses religion to garner votes. “Just recently, a mere Muslim VC in Plateau State is stirring controversy. On the other hand, the opposition is not also free from using religion to garner votes,” he said. Gumi urged politicians and religious leaders to keep religion out of partisan contests, emphasising Nigeria’s religious diversity. “In a multi-religious entity, religion should not be dragged into the quagmire of dirty politics,” he added.

The Plateau State chapter of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has distanced itself from comments attributed to Jingir, describing a viral statement claiming the organisation’s “100 per cent” support for the cleric as fake and misleading. In a statement, JNI Plateau Publicity Secretary, Gambo Hamza, clarified that while Jingir is entitled to personal views, such positions should not be presented as the official stance of the organisation. “JNI Plateau State neither endorsed nor authorised any statement purporting to support Sheikh Jingir ‘100%’ in relation to the Muslim-Muslim ticket or any other partisan political position,” Hamza said. The organisation urged security agencies to investigate the source of the false publication, warning that it could fuel religious tension in Plateau State, which has a history of ethno-religious conflicts. JNI also clarified that it has no official position designated as “Special Adviser on New Media” and no official named Abdulsalam Ahmad, who was reportedly associated with the disputed statement.

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Former Kano State governor and vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, also condemned Jingir’s remarks. In a post on his verified Facebook page, Kwankwaso expressed deep concern over the cleric’s comments, which reportedly included a warning that those who oppose a Muslim-Muslim ticket should leave Nigeria because the country belongs to Muslims. “Let it be clearly stated: the good people of Kano do not endorse or support these divisive remarks,” Kwankwaso wrote. He urged political and religious leaders to uphold truth, promote unity, and advance reconciliation, adding that the 2027 elections would provide Nigerians with an opportunity to assess the performance of the current administration. “The 2027 general elections will be an opportunity for Nigerians to reward good governance with resounding support and to reject poor performance at the polls. This administration has earned the latter,” he said.

Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, warned that Jingir’s comments could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s re-election chances in 2027 by alienating Christian voters. Fani-Kayode, in a Facebook post, said he received more than 100 calls and messages from concerned Christians and Muslims following the publication of Jingir’s remarks. “Jingir is not only feeding into that false narrative with his reckless words, but he is also endangering the chances of our candidates in the 2027 presidential election because in order for us to win, we need BOTH Muslim AND Christian votes,” he said. He stressed that Jingir’s views were not representative of the APC or the majority of Nigerian Muslims. “Jingir does not represent the feelings of the APC and neither does he speak for us. He only speaks for himself,” Fani-Kayode said. He called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to invite and caution the cleric over his comments.

Reverend Dr Joseph John Hayab, Chairman of the Northern Christian Association, criticised three governors who were present when Jingir made the remarks, accusing them of smiling rather than condemning the comments. “When we cry out that we are being persecuted, when we cry out that there is a deliberate attempt to dominate us, people say, ‘No, this isn’t true.’ Today we have it—the man didn’t just say it in his room. He said it in the presence of three governors, and they were all smiling,” Hayab said. He argued that the governors should have immediately rebuked and rejected the remarks rather than appearing to approve them.

Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, also condemned Jingir’s comments, warning that Nigeria risks sliding into “a dangerous form of religious majoritarianism.” Dalung questioned the wisdom of reducing Nigeria’s complex political and socioeconomic problems to a religious headcount. “A Muslim-Muslim ticket does not put food on a Muslim family’s table, secure communities from kidnappers, create jobs, or repair the country’s collapsing infrastructure,” he said. He insisted that supporters of a Muslim-Muslim ticket should defend it on measurable issues such as competence, security, justice, economic growth, and good governance—not religious identity.

Keep Religion Out of Nigeria’s ‘Dirty Politics,’ Gumi Tells Jingir

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FCT Minister Wike Denies Lobbying for APC Campaign DG Role, Vows to Deliver Tinubu Without Title

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August 10, 2026

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FCT Minister Wike Denies Lobbying for APC Campaign DG Role, Vows to Deliver Tinubu Without Title

FCT Minister Wike Denies Lobbying for APC Campaign DG Role, Vows to Deliver Tinubu Without Title

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory has dismissed reports that he is seeking to become Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 elections, insisting his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election does not depend on holding any formal position.

The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has firmly denied reports that he is lobbying to become the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement issued on Monday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike described the claims as entirely false. The denial comes amid growing political activities and alignments as the 2027 elections approach, with reports in some sections of the media listing Wike among top party chieftains and government officials allegedly being considered for the influential campaign position.

Wike, who has been on a short break outside Nigeria, explained that his recent absence from the country followed an intensive period of official engagements during which he spent over 30 days commissioning completed projects, flagging off new ones, and inspecting ongoing infrastructure developments across the Federal Capital Territory. He noted that many of these projects are scheduled for further commissioning in December and January next year. The FCT minister stressed that he had not discussed either the leadership or membership of the proposed Presidential Campaign Council with anyone. His remarks appear designed to put an end to growing speculation over the composition of the ruling party’s 2027 campaign team, as consultations and political permutations continue ahead of the next general election.

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Wike reiterated his unwavering commitment to President Tinubu’s re-election bid, declaring that he does not need any official title within the APC campaign structure to contribute to the President’s electoral success. “Therefore, I do not need to be the DG or even member of the Presidential Campaign Council of Mr President’s political party to contribute my quota by ensuring that he wins handsomely in Rivers State and the FCT,” the statement quoted him as saying. The FCT minister emphasised that his immediate focus upon returning to Nigeria would remain the continuous delivery of his mandate in the Federal Capital Territory, in line with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He also pledged to continue working to strengthen Tinubu’s electoral prospects in Rivers State and the FCT, despite not holding any position within the campaign council.

This is not the first time Wike has spoken confidently about President Tinubu’s chances in Rivers State. Earlier this month, during his monthly media chat, Wike declared that President Tinubu is the only presidential candidate capable of winning Rivers State in the 2027 election, urging political opponents to “cancel Rivers” from their electoral calculations. He disclosed that a broad political coalition comprising members of the Peoples Democratic Party, the APC, the Labour Party, the Action Alliance, and other groups had resolved to work together in support of Tinubu’s re-election while prioritising the interests of Rivers State.

Since joining the Federal Executive Council in August 2023, Wike has emerged as one of the administration’s most visible cabinet members, overseeing an ambitious infrastructure renewal programme in the nation’s capital. His political alliance with Tinubu has remained one of the defining features of Nigeria’s post-2023 political landscape, despite his continued association with the Peoples Democratic Party, where he remains a member. As political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections, Wike’s position appears clear – he will work for Tinubu’s victory, with or without a formal campaign title.

FCT Minister Wike Denies Lobbying for APC Campaign DG Role, Vows to Deliver Tinubu Without Title

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