A key member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Bichi Local Government Area, Hon. Jamilu Kabir Bichi, has resigned from the party, saying he has been consistently sidelined despite his contributions.

Kabir, who was the NNPP Director-General of the 2023 Campaign in Bichi, announced his resignation in a letter dated November 19, 2025, and addressed to the party’s ward chairman.

He described his decision as “painful yet necessary,” explaining that he and his supporters had faced neglect in the party, especially in his home community.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: NNPC, NUPRC, NMDPRA Shut As PENGASSAN Begins Strike

He said the leadership had failed to acknowledge the sacrifice and effort of loyal members.

Fear grips Nigerians as terrorists go on rampage, target large gatherings
“The leadership’s refusal at all levels to recognize our progressive agenda, loyalty, patience, and endurance has been deeply disheartening,” he wrote.

Kabir also said many committed members who worked hard to build the NNPP were denied chances to serve in the party or in government after the party won elections.

According to him, this made it impossible to remain in the party.

READ ALSO:Mass Exodus Hits APC, LP, NNPP As Over 5,000 Members Join PDP In Benue

“As a principled individual with a political vision and mission… I can no longer, in good conscience, remain in a party that compromises my values,” he stated.

He thanked his political mentor, former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Hon. Ahmad Garba Bichi, praising his patience, loyalty, and straightforwardness.

Kabir added that he would continue to practice “politics without bitterness.”

He ended his letter with a prayer, asking Allah to guide the people of Bichi, Kano, and Nigeria, and pledged to stay committed to serving humanity.

Former Senate Leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has raised the alarm over the wave of defections by governors and lawmakers from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that the party may be courting an internal collapse if the trend continues unchecked.

Ndume, who represents Borno South in the Senate, spoke on Sunday night at the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe Annual Award Lecture, held at the NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja, where he received the honour of Most Outstanding Legislator and Advocate of National Unity.

In a candid acceptance speech that drew murmurs from the audience, the outspoken lawmaker dismissed many of the defectors as political lightweights with little or no value to add to the governing party, insisting that the APC is becoming “overloaded” with “mostly empty cargo.”

READ ALSO:Customs Intercepts Lion Cub, Monkeys At Seme Border, Arrests Suspects

Checks by The Guardian revealed that the gale of defections accelerated within the last year, leaving the opposition parties badly depleted.

No fewer than five governors, including those of Delta, Bayelsa, Enugu and Taraba, have dumped their parties for the APC. Also awaited is the defection of the Plateau State governor.

Ndume, in a metaphor-laden address, warned that the rising influx poses structural danger to the ruling party.

READ ALSO:Why Bayelsa Gov Delayed Defection To APC

“I have warned that the APC is becoming overloaded. And when you overload a ship, especially with mostly empty cargo, it risks capsizing,” he declared.

Describing the defections as a coordinated assault on Nigeria’s democratisation, the organisation said it amounted to a calculated attack on political pluralism and a betrayal of voters’ mandate.

The Senator representing
Edo North District at the National Assembly, Adams Oshiomhole, has criticised the immediate past administration in the state over what he described as ground-breakings that yielded no meaningful projects, including the failed Gelegele Port and abandoned housing schemes.

The former governor of the state spoke while fielding questions from journalists over the weekend in Benin.

Oshiomhole also criticised the EdoBEST programme as “deceptive,” alleging that most schools lacked electricity or Wi-Fi to support its digital monitoring claims.

He further accused the past administration of neglecting public schools and reducing teacher numbers drastically.

Oshiomhole, who
sharply criticised the media for relying on what he described as political ancestors in the opposition, noted when asked questions on PDP: “You ( journalists ) had a meeting with PDP ancestors, because that party is politically dead. In this part of the world, when you are dead, you join the ancestors.

“So, did they speak to you from their graves? I answer questions from the living, not the dead. And I do not intend to join them anytime soon. So please, leave PDP out of it.

READ ALSO:Oshiomhole Criticised For ‘Eating Own Vomit’

“If you must ask me a question, then I also have the right to ask you a counter-question: What did the PDP accomplish in their first year?

“They performed numerous so-called groundbreakings—Gele-Gele Port that mysteriously shifted into Benin when it rained, housing estates, and many others.

“They broke the ground so much that Edo almost became an earthquake zone. Fortunately, God designed our soil well”, Oshiomhole added.

Assessing Governor Okpebholo’s performance in one year, Oshiomhole stated that the governor inherited a state abandoned for eight years but has already delivered visible and verifiable projects.

He pointed to the Ramat Park flyover project as a major intervention that will significantly reduce traffic congestion and improve economic productivity in Benin City.

He praised Okpebholo for rehabilitating long-abandoned schools and providing better learning environments, referencing images recently displayed by the governor during a public presentation.

The senator highlighted the revival of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, which he said almost collapsed due to inadequate subvention under the past administration.

READ ALSO:Why Peter Obi Should Inform Okpebholo Before Visiting Edo – Oshiomhole

He commended Okpebholo for raising the institution’s monthly subvention to ₦500 million, resolving long-standing academic disruptions.

Oshiomhole also applauded the restoration of subvention to Edo University, Iyamho, increased from zero to ₦250 million monthly, describing it as a strategic investment in higher education.

He added that the governor has shown leadership by restoring peace to the traditional institution and resolving lingering tensions in the Benin Kingdom.

He maintained that Okpebholo’s one year in office has brought relief across the state, with major roads being reconstructed and abandoned institutions revived.

According to him, the governor’s humility, firm leadership and ability to hire and fire when necessary have restored discipline in government.

Oshiomhole said the governor has allowed his achievements to speak for him, noting that “action speaks louder than voice.

Speaking on his primary duty as a senator, Oshiomhole said that, although, senators come from specific districts, their legislative duties extend to the entire country.

READ ALSO:What Oshiomhole Said After Witnessing PDP’s Petition Hearing At Tribunal

He explained that all motions, bills and appropriations passed in the Senate must be designed with national application, adding that his focus has always been on contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.

The former governor reiterated that during his 2023 senatorial campaign that his priority was federal intervention for Edo would be the rehabilitation of the Benin–Auchi–Okene Road.

Oshiomhole narrated how the road, once a smooth 90-minute journey from Iyamho to Benin, had deteriorated so badly that travellers sometimes spent seven hours or even slept on the route.

The Iyamho-born political tactician said the industrial expansion in Okpella, now a major cement hub hosting BUA and Dangote plants, had further increased the pressure on the highway.

“You will also recall that during my campaign, those who had time to listen would remember, because during elections, journalists are oversubscribed. I stated clearly that the most important federal project I wanted addressed was the Benin–Auchi–Okene road.

READ ALSO:Why I Don’t Drink, Smoke – Actress Sunshine Rosman

“When I was growing up in Iyamho, it took about an hour and a half to get to Benin City. At one point, it began to take about seven hours, and if you were unlucky, you could even get trapped and sleep on that road. With the heavy movement of trucks, the situation became worse.

“This happened partly because of the industrial growth around Okpella. That axis has become the cement hub of Edo North, hosting production plants for Dangote and BUA.

“Moving these products around adds to the congestion. That is why, as soon as I got to the Senate, the very first motion I moved was on the Benin–Okpella–Okene road.

“Working with the then Senator Monday Okpebholo, now the Governor of Edo State, we mounted pressure on President Tinubu to think outside the box on how to fund and complete the road”, he said

Oshiomhole revealed that there was a heated exchange with the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, during the 2024 budget defence when only ₦200 million was initially allocated to the major highway, insisting that the government had to treat the road as a priority.

Speaking on Tinubu’s administration, the Edo Senator said the state is benefiting from the Tinubu administration’s nationwide social protection programmes, though, he maintained that the state still requires increased federal presence.