Politics

2023 Polls: How Division In APC Threatens Tinubu’s Victory

Published

3 years ago

February 4, 2023

The implementation of the Naira redesign policy and the resultant scarcity of the new notes appear to be tearing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) apart.

On Friday, a protest broke out in Oyo State capital, Ibadan, as people attacked banks and other locations. Earlier in the week, a protest also broke out in Benin City, Edo State, Enugu as well as other States.

However, the biggest protest has been coming from within the ruling party, as Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the party took the first salvo during a rally in Ogun State.

During the rally in Abeokuta, Tinubu said the redesigning of the Naira is directly targeted at his presidential ambition. He also maintained the same position in Ekiti State during the party’s rally.

In the last 72 hours, Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State has been on media rounds— he has spoken to Channels TV, TVC, Arise TV and BBC. On each appearance, the message has been the same: some elements in the Villa are conspiring against Mr Tinubu.

Some of the comments by the Kaduna State governor fueled speculations that the “Villa Cabals” are backing Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who contested against Tinubu but lost.

However, in subsequent interviews, El-rufai clarified that the VP is not part of the people sabotaging the party.

“This is not the policy of our candidate (Bola Tinubu), this is the policy of fifth columnists. They want to bring us down, they want to bring this country down,” El-rufai had said during the interview on Channels TV.

Apart from El-rufai, other associates of Mr Tinubu also made some media rounds. Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola was on Instagram Live discussing the campaign, while Ajuri Ngalale held nothing back during an interview.

Ngalale accused the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele of presenting a poor policy direction to president Buhari.

“The outcome of the policy wasn’t what Emefiele initially presented to the President,” he said during an interview.

It would be recalled that the VP has also criticized the implementation of the policy.

Osinbajo, during a meeting with some players in the Fintech sector, said Nigerians are suffering the impact of the scarcity of the new notes.

While applying pressure, some governors of the APC equally met with the president behind closed doors on Friday: however, the president insisted on seeing through the February 10 deadline. Shortly after the meeting, Emefiele also announced that there will be no further extension.

The no-extension stance of President Buhari and Emefiele appears to be consistent with the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, who asked the CBN not to extend the deadline beyond the fixed date.

Many within the ruling party are concerned that the impact of the policy may affect their chances at the polls considering how the PDP and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) are making a push into the Northwest.

“Asiwaju is coming to terms with the impact of this policy on the election, therefore, he is pushing the Southwest base. The crowd in Osun was a statement, then Ekiti again. He is sending a message,” Ibrahim Gbadamosi, the coordinator of Asiwaju Grassroots Support told Daily Post.

“There is an uptick here, the fact the Asiwaju spoke up— he opened up the conversation around it. And look at it, the governors, particularly the Northern governors are solidly behind him. So there is no reason to be worried.

“We have six states in Southwest, we are optimistic of about five States in Northcentral, three States in Northeast and still strong in Northwest. In fact, we are pushing in States in Southsouth and Southeast.” He said.

Despite the optimism in the camp of the ruling party, many believe that the hardship associated with the swap of Naira may further weaken the chances of the ruling party.
DAILY POST

Related Topics:#Tinubu 2023 elections 2023 Polls

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Politics

Ambassadorial Nominees: Ndume Asks Tinubu To Withdraw List

Published

15 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Editor

Ahead of the Senate’s screening and confirmation of the ambassadorial nominees sent to the Red Chamber by the Presidency, former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the list from parliament.

The federal lawmaker declared that the composition of nominees was in clear breach of the Federal Character principle, as enshrined in the Constitution.

Checks revealed that while certain states have three and four nominees, states like Gombe have no representation, while the only nominee from Yobe, Senator Adamu Garba Talba, died last July.

The entire North East state has 7 nominees in the list.

Further checks revealed that the South West geopolitical zone has 15 nominees, while the North West and South East have 13 and 9, respectively.

North Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominees, while South South region has 12 nominees.

The Senate President at plenary on Thursday formally read the list of nominees and referred it to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for further legislative action.

The Senator representing Borno South in a statement issued on Saturday maintained that the list of nominees was in clear breach of Section 14(3) of the Nigerian Constitution which mandates that the composition and conduct of the federal government must reflect the “federal character of Nigeria” to ensure national unity and loyalty.

The section reads: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”

The former Chief Whip of the Senate admonished President Tinubu to avoid taking decision that will fuel ethnic tension and promote distrust in the country, amidst the wrong narrative being promoted by the Western world against his administration.

He said: “My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical time in the life of his administration, he should avoid missteps that could endanger national unity and promote ethnic distrust.

“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholders in the country.

“He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on Federal Character Principle that government’s structure and operations must represent the diverse states and peoples of Nigeria.”

Politics

PDP Issues Certificate Of Expulsion To Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others

Published

4 days ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it has issued certificate of expulsion from the party to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other 10 members earlier expelled from the party.

The party National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

The other members, according to him, include the embattled National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, the Legal Adviser, Kamarudeen Ajibade, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

They also included Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah Nnanna, George Turna and Chief Dan Orbih, expelled during the party National convention in Lagos.

Turaki said that the original copies of the certificate had been dispatched to the owners through a courier service to serve as proof that they were expelled from the PDP.

“We have taken note of the fact that Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, and so we have sought to make it easy for them.

“Now that they are no longer members of our party, and now that the National Convention, which is the highest decision-making organ of our party, has expelled them, we have decided to issue them certificates of expulsion.

“So, when they go to register with other political parties in Nigeria, they will show these certificates as proof that they are no longer members of the PDP.

“By that, those parties will not accuse them of trying to belong to more than one political party,” he said.

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, and other government agencies, to take note.

“Very soon, members of the society will be informed via proper disclaimers that any person henceforth who decides to do business with them, any or all of them, does so at his or her own risk.

“They are no longer members of the PDP. They have been expelled,” he added.

He added that the NWC also reviewed some of the cases filed against the party and lawsuits instituted by the party, particularly the one that related to the “unlawful and illegal” closure of the party’s national Secretariat, the Legacy House, and the Wadata Plaza.

“The brief we received from our lawyers is that we are on sound ground, and that very soon, the law will take its course,” he said.

Turaki said the NWC was prepared to be saddled with the responsibility of performing its functions as the leading opposition party in Nigeria.

“We are going to provide a credible alternative to Nigerians. We are going to provide credible leadership to Nigerians by the special grace of God from 2027,” he said.

Politics

Adebayo Adedamola Wins Osun PDP Governorship Primary

Published

5 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as FRYO, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

The primary election took place in Osogbo on Tuesday amid heavy security presence.

Announcing the result, chairman of the primary election committee, Humphrey Abba, stated that Adebayo secured 919 votes out of 957 accredited ballots, giving him a clear victory in the contest.

Explaining that there were 20 void votes following the withdrawal of one of the candidates, believed to be Governor Ademola Adeleke, Abba added, “The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and he stands elected and returned.”

DAILY POST reports that despite announcing his resignation from the party, Adeleke’s name appeared on the ballot paper for the PDP governorship primary.

Party officials said the exercise was conducted in accordance with established guidelines, with accredited delegates participating in the voting process.

Adeleke announced his resignation in a letter dated November 4, 2025, and addressed to the PDP leadership at his ward.

On Monday, Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, had announced that the governorship primary slated for Tuesday, December 2, 2025, has been postponed due to leadership crisis at the national level.

But a faction of the party went ahead with the exercise in Osogbo on Tuesday.