Politics
Wike insists Ayu must resign now, not after elections
- Says it’s hypocritical to condemn APC Muslim-Muslim ticket
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike says he has accepted former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party but insists Iyiorcha Ayu must relinquish his position as the party’s national chairman.
He said this after Atiku rescheduled his campaigns to enable new emissaries sent to the governor to intervene in the lingering crisis in the party.
The camp of Wike, comprising five governors and other influential members of the party, had shunned the campaign council over the refusal of the national chairman to resign.
Atiku and the campaign train expected to be in Kebbi State on Wednesday and Zamfara today (Thursday) had to be rescheduled in order for party to woo Wike camp into the Atiku project.
Speaking when he hosted Cross River State PDP governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, House of Assembly candidates and local government party chairmen at his private residence in Rumueprikom, Rivers State, on Thursday, Wike said efforts for amicable resolution of the crisis rocking the PDP had been frustrated by “rent seeker” in the party.
The governor said nobody could convince him to change his position on the PDP national chairmanship moving to the southern Nigeria.
The governor, during the meeting which was attended by the party’s South-South national vice chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, said the crisis in the party had lingered because some vested interests, whom he described as “hyenas and rent seekers,” had remained obstinate and averse to justice, fairness and equity in the party.
“We have finished presidential primaries; we have a presidential candidate. Is Wike saying remove presidential candidate? Is Wike saying remove vice presidential candidate? So, what are you begging me for? All I am saying, and I will continue to say, is that you have taken president, give us (national) chairman.
“Nobody wants to speak the truth. If I am saying remove the presidential candidate, if I am saying remove the vice presidential candidate, then you will say why is he doing this?”
The governor said he could not be convinced to support the current status quo, where the PDP presidential candidate, national chairman and the Director General of the presidential campaign council are all from the North.
He said the refusal to cede the national chairman position to the South would be a recipe for crisis.
“He (national chairman) said, if the presidential candidate comes from the North, he will resign , which means he has had this in mind. Now, the thing has come to reality, now resign, no. And people are saying go and talk to Wike.
“I’ve accepted the presidential candidate, I have accepted the vice presidential candidate. What’s the problem again? You, fulfil your part. Let the South have something; that is all I’m preaching. You cannot have presidential candidate, national chairman, director general of the campaign.”
The governor also said it is hypocritical for some people in the PDP to criticise the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC, while supporting that a particular region of the country should retain the presidency for another eight years.
He insisted that for the sake of peace, the PDP should adhere to the tenets of its constitution, which recommends that when a presidential candidate emerges from the North, the national chairman should be from the South.
The governor said the clamour for the chairman of the PDP to be zoned to the South would persist until justice, fairness and equity prevailed in the PDP.
He said, “This is period that power game is being played. If you don’t have it now, forget it. If anybody tells you, let (Iyorchia) Ayu resign after election is conducted, then you are a foolish person. This is the time decision is being made. This is the time the presidential candidate, national chairman and the leader of campaign will sit, when election is won in February, before the president is sworn in, decisions would have been made.”
Politics
Tinubu Holds Urgent Meetings with Ganduje, Badaru as APC Defections Surge
Tinubu Holds Urgent Meetings with Ganduje, Badaru as APC Defections Surge
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday night held separate closed-door meetings with former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and ex-Defence Minister Badaru Abubakar at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid rising defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The meetings came as political tensions intensified in Kano and Jigawa States, following a series of high-profile defections that threaten to reshape APC’s influence in the Northern region. Although the discussions were private, sources indicate they were focused on strategies to stabilise party structures and address internal grievances.
The immediate trigger for concern was the recent defection of former governor Rabiu Kwankwaso from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Several of Kwankwaso’s loyalists, including Nasiru Gawuna, APC’s 2023 governorship candidate in Kano, and former deputy governor Aminu Gwarzo, followed him to the ADC, raising alarm among APC leadership.
Earlier in the day, Ganduje appeared publicly with Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin during an event where eight NNPP lawmakers defected to APC, an effort seen as part of the ruling party’s counter-strategy to maintain dominance in the state. Ganduje reassured supporters that APC remains strong and capable of delivering victory in Kano in the 2027 elections.
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Ganduje, who served as APC National Chairman until his resignation in July 2025, remains a key influencer in northern politics. Badaru, a former Jigawa State Governor, recently resigned from his federal cabinet position, sparking similar political realignments in his home state. Sources suggest some APC stakeholders in Jigawa may also consider joining opposition platforms, reflecting a broader trend of party switching in northern Nigeria.
Political analysts say the meetings indicate Tinubu’s urgent focus on party unity ahead of the 2027 elections, aiming to curb defections and reconcile internal factions. Observers note that while some political actors continue to leave, others are joining APC, highlighting a fluid political landscape.
The developments underscore the strategic challenges facing APC, as opposition parties like the ADC gain ground, particularly in the Middle Belt and northern states, in the run-up to the next general elections.
Tinubu Holds Urgent Meetings with Ganduje, Badaru as APC Defections Surge
Politics
Adebayo Adelabu Resigns as Power Minister to Run for Oyo State Governorship
Adebayo Adelabu Resigns as Power Minister to Run for Oyo State Governorship
Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, has officially resigned from his ministerial position to focus on his bid for the Oyo State governorship ahead of the 2027 general elections. His resignation, dated March 26, 2026, was submitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, which mandates political appointees intending to contest elective offices to vacate their posts before party primaries.
In a resignation letter, Adelabu expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve in the Tinubu administration, stating, “It has been a privilege contributing to the efforts aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s power sector under your Renewed Hope Agenda. My decision to resign is to enable me to fully pursue my aspiration to contest for the office of Governor of Oyo State and dedicate my time and resources to that endeavour.”
The minister’s exit follows a government directive issued via the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, which required political appointees to resign by March 31, 2026, if they intended to contest elective offices in the 2027 elections. Other ministers, including Yusuf Tuggar (Foreign Affairs) and Yusuf Sununu (Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs), have also resigned to pursue governorship ambitions in Bauchi and Kebbi States, respectively.
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Adelabu, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Deputy Governor of Operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria, has previously contested the Oyo governorship under the APC in 2019 and the Accord Party in 2023. His resignation signals renewed focus on securing his party’s ticket and intensifying the Oyo State political race ahead of the 2027 elections.
His tenure as Power Minister coincided with public scrutiny over persistent electricity outages, which he addressed in a press conference, issuing a public apology to Nigerians. He acknowledged that erratic power supply had affected households, businesses, and industries, especially amid rising temperatures, and pledged to improve the situation before leaving office. During his term, Adelabu also oversaw key sector reforms, including a N501 billion bond issuance aimed at resolving long-standing liquidity issues in Nigeria’s electricity market.
As of his resignation, the federal government has not announced a replacement for the Ministry of Power, leaving a crucial cabinet role vacant ahead of ongoing reforms and infrastructure projects. Political analysts say Adelabu’s departure is likely to reshape both the federal cabinet and the Oyo governorship contest, as party stakeholders prepare for the primaries and eventual general election.
Adebayo Adelabu Resigns as Power Minister to Run for Oyo State Governorship
Politics
2027: Badagry elders rally Tinubu to back zone’s first Lagos governor
2027: Badagry elders rally Tinubu to back zone’s first Lagos governor
A prominent elder statesman, Pa Andu Liadi Adio, has urged President Bola Tinubu to honour longstanding assurances that Lagos State’s governorship will be ceded to Badagry Division.
Speaking at his residence in Badagry, the 93-year-old said the time had come for the division to assume leadership after decades of perceived marginalisation and backed the aspiration of Dr. Samuel Mawuyon Ajose.
He appealed for patience among youths in the area, saying efforts were ongoing to ensure justice for the division in the state’s political arrangement.
Pa Adio expressed confidence that the President would not disappoint the people of Badagry in their quest to produce the next governor.
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He recalled that during his tenure as Lagos governor, President Tinubu had requested a representative from Badagry to serve in his administration, leading to the nomination of Hon. Olanrewaju Saka-Shenayon, who later served as Commissioner for Rural Development and Infrastructure.
According to him, that appointment debunked claims that Badagry lacked competent individuals to hold key positions in government.
In his remarks, former commissioner, Olanrewaju Saka-Shenayon, dismissed concerns over the political credentials of Dr. Ajose, describing him as a seasoned private sector player with a strong record of contributions to socio-economic development in Lagos West and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Also lending her support, former House of Representatives member, Rafeequat Arinola Onabamiro, said Dr. Ajose possesses the experience and capacity to govern, citing his over three decades in the private sector.
She noted that past Lagos governors, including Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, did not begin as career politicians but went on to leave impactful legacies.
Onabamiro lamented that since the creation of Lagos State in 1967, Badagry Division has yet to produce a governor, deputy governor, minister, or Secretary to the State Government.
She added that Lagos West Senatorial District is united in its support for Dr. Samuel Mawuyon Ajose’s governorship ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
2027: Badagry elders rally Tinubu to back zone’s first Lagos governor
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