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Defect With Me To APC Or Resign, Gov Eno Tells Commissioners, Others

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Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has directed all commissioners and political appointees in his cabinet to either defect with him to the All Progressives Congress, APC, or resign from their positions.

The directive was reportedly issued during an ongoing State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting on Thursday, where the governor openly confirmed his decision to leave the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, for the APC.

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Sources present at the meeting disclosed that Governor Eno made it clear that his defection should come as no surprise to any of his appointees, stating:

READ ALSO:Governor Eno Endorsed For Second Term As He Doubles Ward PAs’ Salary To N500,000

Anybody who claims he is not aware of my intention to leave the PDP is still living in the 18th century,” he said.

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He explained that his decision to align with the APC was driven by his admiration for the leadership style of President Bola Tinubu, adding that he wants to work more closely with the Federal Government.

The governor issued a stern warning to his appointees, saying he has “nothing to negotiate” with anyone unwilling to follow his political direction.

READ ALSO:Our Country A Home, Not Hotel, Badenoch Decries UK Immigration Crisis

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Apart from elected officials like House of Assembly members and Local Government Chairmen, I have nothing to negotiate with you,” Eno declared.

Let me tell you, anybody who believes that when I leave the PDP he will use the party structure to fight me is lying, because I will still control the PDP structure.”

As of the time of filing this report, the State Executive Council meeting was still in session, with further developments expected in the coming hours.

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JUST IN: SDP Expels El-Rufai, Bans Ex-Gov For 30 Years

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Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been expelled from the Social Democratic Party, SDP.

Announcing his expulsion from the party, SDP also imposed a 30-year ban on El-Rufai.

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SDP’s National Working Committee, NWC, said the action was in line with the party’s constitution, ideology, manifesto, principles, and practices, as well as in consonance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act pertaining to the exclusive right of a political party to determine its membership.

READ ALSO:Buhari Never Politicised Judiciary – Ex-Bayelsa Gov

A statement by the party’s spokesman, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, warned members against associating with El-Rufai and those who don’t represent its interest.

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Parts of the statement read: “El-Rufai is hereby banished and banned from applying for membership, identifying with the name, insignia, logo, symbol, mark, or any activities, organs, agencies, and institutions of the SDP or donating to, supporting, contributing to, or participating in any affairs of the SDP for a period of 30 years effective from today.”

It would be recalled that El-Rufai joined the SDP after quiting the All Progressives Congress, APC.

However, El-Rufai is also a key member of the opposition coalition which recently adopted the African Democratic Congress, ADC, as its platform ahead of the 2027 election.

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ADC Slams Tinubu Over Mounting Debts, Demands Audit

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The African Democratic Congress on Sunday condemned what it described as the “fiscal vandalism” of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, following the National Assembly’s approval of an additional $21bn in foreign loans.

The party said the new borrowing spree could drive Nigeria’s public debt beyond N200trn by the end of 2025 — without any visible economic gains to show for it.

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In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused Tinubu of accelerating Nigeria’s descent into a debt trap far worse than what the country experienced under his predecessor.

What Nigerians are witnessing, following the approval of a fresh $21 billion in foreign loans, is nothing short of a calculated decision to mortgage the country’s future just to cover up the failures of today,” the party stated.

READ ALSO:ADC Speaks On Choosing Presidential Candidate Among Atiku, Obi, Amaechi

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Citing official data, the ADC argued that under former President Muhammadu Buhari, the country borrowed an average of N4.7trn annually.

However, borrowing under the Tinubu administration has skyrocketed to N49.8trn per year.

In just two years, this administration has borrowed more than ten times what Buhari borrowed in the same timeframe,” the statement said.

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At this rate, Nigeria’s total public debt will crash through N200trn before the end of the year. We are speeding toward a financial cliff, and those in charge seem to have no brakes.”

While defenders of the Tinubu government have claimed the current borrowing figures appear smaller in dollar terms—$1.7bn annually compared to Buhari’s $4.15 billion—the ADC dismissed such arguments, pointing instead to the devastating impact of currency devaluation.

READ ALSO:‘Where’s The 24/7 Electricity You Promised Nigerians,’ ADC Questioned Tinubu

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With the naira now in free fall, again thanks to this administration’s poor policy choices, these same loans are costing the country far more,” the statement read.

When converted to naira, Tinubu’s foreign borrowing amounts to N25.5trn every year, more than Buhari’s annual average of N2.2trn.”

The opposition party claimed that since the APC assumed power in 2015, Nigeria’s public debt has ballooned from N12.6trn to over N149trn in 2025, with over $35bn borrowed from external lenders alone in the last decade.

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Our debt to the World Bank has tripled. What we owe in Eurobonds has grown eleven times over. And now, this government wants to borrow even more, pushing our foreign debt ceiling to $67bn.”

READ ALSO:Oyegun Blames APC For Hunger Starvation, Oyegun Gets ADC Party’s Card

The ADC expressed concern that this growing mountain of debt has not translated into improved infrastructure or services.

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The debts have continued to mount, but infrastructures have remained poor, universities are still grossly underfunded, hospitals are still ill-equipped, and the electricity supply is as poor as ever. So, what exactly are these loans used for?” it queried.

This is the question that Nigerians expect the National Assembly to ask. Instead, it has continued to approve these loans without asking the hard questions, without demanding a plan, and without standing up for the Nigerian people.”

The party cited data from the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria to further highlight the impact of excessive borrowing, saying small businesses now struggle to access credit, while investors are losing confidence and leaving the market.

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READ ALSO:Why I Support ADC’s Coalition But Remain In PDP — Lamido

And because over 60 per cent of our national income is now used to service debt, the government is turning to ordinary Nigerian families and taxing them beyond their limits.”

The ADC also faulted the government for borrowing more even after the recent naira devaluation, arguing that such a move should ordinarily reduce the need for external loans.

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Consequently, the party demanded full transparency regarding all loans taken since 2015.

The ADC hereby demands a full disclosure of all loan agreements signed over the past ten years by the APC and the Tinubu government. Nigerians have a right to know the terms, interest rates, payment timelines, and final recipients of the loans.”

READ ALSO:2027: Presidency Planning To Use Courts To Sabotage ADC’s Momentum – David Mark Raises Alarm

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It further urged President Tinubu to end what it called “fiscal recklessness” and focus instead on meaningful economic reforms.

We also call on President Tinubu to put an end to this fiscal recklessness and focus instead on meaningful reform by investing wisely and spending responsibly. The era of borrowing to cover policy failures must come to an end,” the statement concluded.

Efforts to get the reactions of Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information, Bayo Onanuga and the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, were unsuccessful.

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As of the time of filing this report, they could still not be reached.

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2027 Presidency: Tinubu Can Be Beaten In Next Election – Political Commentator

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A social media expert and political commentator, Japheth Joshua Omojuwa, has said President Bola Tinubu’s record of never losing an election is a curse.

Omojuwa explained that such a record is a curse for Tinubu because he can be beaten in 2027 if he dwells too much on it.

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He disclosed this while featuring on Mic One podcast with Seun Okinbaloye.

The political commentator said if Tinubu fails to stabilize the economy and ensure his number adds up politically, he would be defeated in 2027.

READ ALSO:2027: Why Obi Will Never Be President – Political Analyst

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He said: “Anytime somebody goes into the ring he can be beaten. I’m a boxing fan and if you get into that ring, you can be beaten.

“Anybody can be beaten. If President Tinubu doesn’t ensure that the Nigerian economy is stable and if he doesn’t do his numbers well with respect to the politics, they will beat him.

“And that’s why he is balancing governance with politics because he knows that anybody can be beaten.

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READ ALSO:ADC Speaks On Choosing Presidential Candidate Among Atiku, Obi, Amaechi

“Tinubu has never lost an election, that’s a gift and a curse – a gift because it gives you a sense of invincibility and it’s a curse because if you dwell too much on it, you can get knocked out by a sucker punch.

“Forget Tinubu, anybody who is on the throne is a candidate to beat because people think that it’s about the individual. Go and check the design throughout history, incumbents always win reelection.

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“His enemies, those who don’t like him and want to beat him have to think with this understanding in mind that just by the design of incumbency, he is in an advantageous position, by his own personal history of election; he brings out that advantage.”

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