Politics

10th NASS Leadership: Tension As APC NWC Throws Contest Open

Published

2 years ago

May 18, 2023

Barring any last-minute change, the National Working Committee, NWC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, will declare a free contest for principal officers of the 10th National Assembly.

The APC had zoned the Senate presidency to the South-South and the speaker of the House of Representatives to the North-West.

It announced Senator Godswill Akpabio, as its consensus candidate for Senate presidency and Senator Jibrin Barau, as the next Deputy Senate President in the 10th Assembly.

Similarly, the party zoned the speakership of the House of Representatives to a Kaduna lawmaker, Tajudeen Abbas, while Ben Kalu, a reps-elect from South-East, clinched the Deputy Speaker slot.

The APC zoning, however, elicited angry reactions from lawmakers-elect who had declared their intention to contest.

APC NWC recommends a free contest

Multiple sources told Vanguard that following the APC NWC’s suspicions that its proposed zoning may be thwarted, it is, however, recommending that the contest be thrown open.

A source, who spoke to Vanguard in confidence last night, said: “It appears the NWC is suspicious that their plan may not go as planned and that is why they are recommending a free contest.

”Secretly, they have recommended a free contest because they (NWC) have intelligence that the G-6 aspirants have already adopted a consensus candidate among themselves but they have not revealed the identity of that person.

”The G-6 aspirants are confusing the party, the Gbaja boys are also confused because they don’t know who they are throwing up.”

Another source said that the G-6 speakership aspirants might have settled to pick a deputy speaker from the South-South geo-political zone.

“Secondly, they have got concrete information that the G-6 is going to the South-South to pick their deputy,” the source told Vanguard.

G-6 aspirants close in on consensus, ahead of inauguration

“There are issues and they need to be confronted because the more we delay in solving the issues once and for all, the more we keep on having fresh ones.

“For instance, we have credible intelligence that the aggrieved aspirants who have formed the G-6 are already in an alliance with the opposition parties.

“Initially, we thought it was not going to work but we gathered credible information that they swore to themselves not to betray one another and went ahead to concede the deputy speakership slot to the opposition parties.

“We first considered it an act of indiscipline and anti-party but in a second thought, we needed to be smart to throw the contest open to all aspirants. Whoever wins at every point is after all a party man.

“Some suggested that they should be sanctioned but we looked at the bigger picture because we must learn from experience as party administrators. What are the consequences for those aspirants? And what are those consequences on the party as a whole?

“So, the message the party chairman gave to Senator Akpabio and his team when they visited was a coded message. It is left for them to decode it because it is difficult to do another rejoinder to repudiate what we had said earlier on zoning.

“More importantly, our initial thought was that the aggrieved aspirants would quickly adopt someone amongst them but they are also smart enough not to do so for now.

“That keeps the suspense high and it will be risky to allow them to do the damage by allying with the opposition parties swiftly on the floor of the parliament that day.

“Of course, we know too well that most of the people milling around Akpabio or Abbas are playing politics. So, what is the guarantee that all are with us?

“So we have decided to slow down and lower our tone on streamlining to individuals; let all those interested come out to contest because if we don’t allow that to happen, the gang up of the aggrieved APC aspirants and the opposition will be too risky for us”, a lawmaker-elect told Vanguard.

Politics

ADC Will Take Over Aso Rock, Lagos Govt House In 2027 — Aregbesola

Published

4 hours ago

September 13, 2025

Editor

The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has vowed that his party will unseat President Bola Tinubu and also take over Lagos state come 2027.

The former governor of Osun State made the pledge on Saturday, at an event where the leader of the Conscience Forum of the Labour Party (LP), Hon. Moshood Salvador, led members of the group to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The event which held in Lagos also marked the 25th anniversary of the Conscience Forum as a political group.

It had in attendance the National Secretary of the African Democratic Party, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, leadership of the ADC in Lagos state, and wards and zonal leaders of the Conscience Forum from the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 LCDAs in the state.

Addressing the new members, Aregbesola commended the leadership, executives and members of the Conscience Forum while tasking them on the need to take over the seat of power in Abuja and Lagos in 2027 general elections.

He pledged that the ADC will produce the next president of the country while charging the new intakes not to relent in their efforts to changing Nigeria for the better.

He said, “I am happy to be a part of this gathering. I am also happy to receive you into the ADC folds. We are the only one that can make it difficult to take over wherever we are if the Conscience Forum, good looking people with highly cultured leadership can organized this kind of event to make a declaration for the ADC and follow the line enunciated by the leader, surely, Alausa is a sure ticket for all of us.

“With our resolve, it won’t be difficult at all to take over the seat of power. It’s a simple strategy of one getting ten and each of the ten will equally get ten. Its operation ten over ten. Once we are able to get this done, that’s the end of it. We will surely meet at the Aso Rock Villa and produce the next president of the country. Once again, I am happy to be here and we must not relax our efforts to change Nigeria.”

Speaking on the move to the ADC, Salvador said the problems confronting the Labour Party has shown that it is not a party for the future.

He said, “Today, we are marking the 25 anniversary of the Conscience Forum and at the same time, for a wise man or people of wisdom, we look back to what you’ve achieved and look forward to what we are aiming to become. Our members were in Labour Party and the problem of the Labour Party has shown that they have lost the future. Its no more a party of the future and that is why, we have to think of where next since we have the new wave and the formation of coalition of political party, for anyone that wants something good of its members, the best is to join the coalition.

“This is not just the ADC. The ADC being the symbol of the coalition and that is why Conscience Forum, being a political group with over 400, 000 members in Lagos will have to showcase our structure including our LGA and Ward officers and so on. This is necessary for them to know the size of the group they are taking in. We chose today being our 25th anniversary to declare for the ADC so that our members will now join the ADC at their various ward levels.”

Politics

2027: Details Of Jonathan, Peter Obi Meeting Emerge

Published

10 hours ago

September 13, 2025

Editor

Details have emerged regarding the recent closed-door meeting between former President Goodluck Jonathan and former presidential candidate Peter Obi.

The two leaders are reportedly discussing strategies for a unified front in the 2027 presidential election.

The meeting took place on Thursday, with Obi disclosing insights about the engagement on his Facebook and X accounts.

The meeting was a continuation of previous conversations between the two leaders over strategies for the 2027 race.

The National Coordinator of the OBIdient Movement, Dr Yunusa Tanko, confirmed this in a statement on Friday.

“They (Jonathan and Obi) have been friends for a long time. The meeting was for them to fraternise and discuss how to rescue Nigeria.

“But for us in the OBIdient Movement, it would be great if Jonathan remains the respected statesman he is known for. He has done his best as President, he is respected, and this is the time for him to support his brother,” Tanko told Daily Trust.

Tanko further alleged that some politicians were plotting to use Jonathan against Obi but maintained that the Obidient Movement would not allow such a plan to succeed.

“We are aware of such moves, but we strongly believe they will not succeed.

“Many Nigerians believe the next president should come from the South, and for fairness, the South East should get the chance. Peter Obi is the ideal candidate,” he added.

Politics

Tinubu’s Mandate Accomplished In Rivers — Ibas

Published

18 hours ago

September 13, 2025

Editor

Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), has stated that the mandate given to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been “sufficiently achieved” with the restoration of democratic governance at the grassroots.

Ibas made the remark on Friday at Government House, Port Harcourt, during the presentation of the report on the recently concluded local government elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).

He recalled that Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, directed him to stabilise the state, re-establish its institutions, and return Rivers to full democratic governance following his appointment as sole administrator.

According to him, the successful conduct of the polls and the swearing-in of elected chairmen and councillors across the 23 local government areas marked the fulfilment of that mandate.

“Mr. President’s mandate to me was clear: to stabilise the state, create an enabling environment for the re-establishment of its institutions, and return Rivers State back to full democratic governance. With the successful conduct and swearing-in of local government chairmen and their councils, I believe we have decisively achieved the mandate that we were given,” Ibas stated.

He praised RSIEC for what he described as a credible and transparent election, noting that the exercise was free of harassment and voters freely expressed their choices.

Ibas added that the government would review the RSIEC report and issue a white paper in due course. He also commended his team, security agencies, and state officials for their contributions.

RSIEC Chairman, Dr Mike Odey, who presented the report earlier, described the election as a “historic achievement” for Rivers and the country. He stressed that it was organised, coordinated, and concluded within 30 days — an unprecedented record in Nigerian electoral history.