Politics

APC Primary: How Northern Governors Dumped Amaechi For Tinubu

Published

3 years ago

June 10, 2022

After weeks of intrigues and uncertainty, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) elected a former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu as its presidential candidate.

The 70-year-old politician was able to get northern governors behind himself and handed crushing defeats to other younger and agile aspirants, including the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

Some weeks before the national convention, Tinubu, Osinbajo and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi were neck in neck, even though the odds favoured Tinubu.

Simon Lalong, the governor of Plateau State, Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna and Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State were some of the governors that backed Amaechi publicly.

However, three days before the election, the governors had closed ranks and aligned with the former Lagos State governor.

DAILY POST findings revealed that the governors considered the emergence of Amaechi against the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, with the conclusion that it was slim.

The Jigawa State governor, who had openly pledged support for Amaechi subsequently stepped down and asked his supporters to support Tinubu.

An insider said in the aftermath of the declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari that governors should back him to select a candidate, the governors met several times but it became clear that more governors backed Tinubu.

The insider also said Amaechi’s campaign also slowed down after his resignation as Minister, therefore, creating doubt in the minds of those willing to back him.

“During those meetings, Governor Umar Ganduje, Gboyega Oyetola, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Babagana Zulum were clear on their position as far as their favourite candidate is concerned. Also, the declaration by Abdulahi Adamu on Ahmad Lawan as consensus candidate united the governors to pick the strongest of the candidates,” the source said.

It would be recalled that the National Chairman had announced the Senate president as the choice of the president as the consensus candidate.

That same day, some governors, including Nasir El-Rufai, Umar Ganduje, Babajide Sanwo-Olu came to the National Secretariat and had a meeting with some members of the NWC; however, Adamu shunned the meeting.

Undeterred, the governors went to Adamu’s house in the Villa around 1 a.m., to make it clear they will not accept Lawan.

Another insider told DAILY POST that the governors wanted to make it clear to Adamu that they are the owners of the party.

“Since (Adams) Oshiomhole left, the governors have been in control of the party. They know the antecedent of Adamu. What played out at the convention was to make it clear that they are the one to pick the successor of President Buhari.

“On the choice of Asiwaju, they looked at who has the capacity to go head to head with Atiku Abubakar in the general election. The governors have a huge stake in the election. If the APC should lose the presidential election, it will affect their senatorial elections as most of them want to move to the Senate and also elect a successor,” the source said.

“For the governors, it was more of a logical reasoning, nothing more, and Amaechi fell short of the expectation,” the source further explained.

Tinubu, in his acceptance speech, also corroborated this, when he said he did not know what he told the governors, but they gave him their total support.

Politics

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

Published

3 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

4 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.

Politics

Gov Adeleke Resigns From PDP

Published

4 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial primaries of the party.

Adeleke’s resignation letter, dated November 4, 2025, sighted by Tribune Online was addressed to the PDP ward chairman for Ward 2, Sagba Abogunde, Ede, Osun State.

According to the letter, the governor’s resignation was based on “the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”

According to the letter, titled: “Resignation of my membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’ read, “Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my Membership of the People’s Democratic Party with immediate effect.

“I thank the People’s Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the People’s Democratic Party.”