Politics

JUST IN: Atiku Is North’s Candidate, Says ACF Chieftain

Published

3 years ago

February 20, 2023

Editor

A chieftain of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Muhammad Yakubu, has said that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, is the endorsed candidate of the north for Saturday’s presidential election.

The PUNCH reports that the ACF through its Secretary-General, Murtala Aliyu, had, in a statement on Sunday, urged northerners and Nigerians to vote the candidate of their choice in the Saturday election.

The ACF had urged Northern voters to look out for a presidential candidate with clear and objective party manifestos and the character and track records of the candidates.

However, while addressing a press conference at the 11A Sokoto road Secretariat of the ACF in Kaduna on Monday, Yakubu, who is the National Assistant Auditor of the Forum, said from recent statements by notable northern elders such as Alhaji Zango Daura, Prof. Ango Abdullahi among others, the region had settled for Atiku for the poll.

The ACF chieftain, who is also the Convener, Atiku/Okowa Patriots, said the region was supporting Atiku not because he was a northerner but because he had the capacity and experience to take the country to the promised land.

He said, “The ACF came to be as a result of certain happenings in the country. The emergence of the ACF is to protect the northern interest and so far, so good, as we head to the polls in a couple of days, our elders, leaders in the likes of Alhaji Sani Zango Daura (the Danmasanin Daura), Prof. Ango Abdullahi, have given us a direction. Atiku is the candidate of the north and that is the direction we are going to follow.

“And that’s the candidate majority of northerners are going to vote for. So, this is one of the reasons that I called for the press conference and if there are other issues you guys want clarification, I am ready to give you answers. I am also the National Convener of Atiku/Okowa Patriots.”

Fielding questions on the reports yesterday by the ACF secretary-general that the Forum backed rotational presidency, Yakubu said, “It’s not true. That’s why I am holding this press conference. At no time did the ACF met to have taken that kind of decision. That kind of decision can either come from the National Executive Council or the National Working Committee. So, since none of these bodies had met, how would that kind of decision emerge. Either the press is misrepresenting the secretary-general or some […] people had concocted some stories.”

On whether the ACF is in support of his position, he said, “Of course, the ACF is established to protect the interest of the north and where is Atiku from? And let me give you a background story. If you have been following the ACF history, you will discover that at each point in time that the county is at crossroads, the ACF and the north usually come to stabilise the country.

“The north supported Obasanjo and he won; the north supported former President Goodluck Jonathan and Jonathan won. Each time the north supports anybody, not because that person is from the north. The north usually considers capacity and competence and integrity. These are the factors the north used to consider.

“The north is supporting Atiku not because Atiku is from the north. No, it’s because at this point in time, among the candidates we have now, it’s Atiku that has the capacity, the competence and the integrity and the reach out across the country.”

Politics

VIDEO: Akpabio, Oshiomhole Clash Amid 2027 Intrigues

Published

15 minutes ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

What began as a routine legislative procedure on Wednesday spiralled into a high-voltage confrontation in the Senate, as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole engaged in a dramatic face-off that exposed simmering political tensions tied to the 2027 power game.

The immediate trigger was procedural: Oshiomhole attempted to raise a point of order just as Akpabio moved to confirm the Votes and Proceedings of the previous sitting.

But the refusal of the Senate President to recognise him—despite repeated shouts of “point of order!”—quickly transformed the moment into a charged standoff.

Oshiomhole appeared determined to be heard, repeatedly interrupting proceedings in a manner that unsettled the chamber.

Attempts by Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno to restore calm failed, as the Edo North senator pressed on.

In a stern and calculated response, Akpabio asserted his authority, invoking the Senate Standing Orders and reading out provisions that underline his sweeping powers to control debate, interpret rules, and discipline erring lawmakers.

“The rules and laws governing the Senate Chamber… are clearly defined,” he said, before reeling off his constitutional and procedural powers.
He did not stop there.

“Let me be clear… many people may not have seen this order,” Akpabio added pointedly, in remarks that drew murmurs across the chamber.

As the exchange intensified, he issued a direct warning: any senator who becomes unruly would be asked to leave.

“This is the final warning,” he declared but beneath the surface, the clash carried deeper political undertones.

Multiple sources within the National Assembly suggest Oshiomhole’s insistence on raising a point of order may not have been merely procedural.

The former Edo State Governor is widely believed to be nursing ambitions for the Senate Presidency in 2027 and Wednesday’s confrontation is being interpreted in some quarters as an early signal of discontent with the current power structure.

At the heart of the tension is a controversial amendment to Senate rules, which critics say has effectively narrowed the 2027 Senate Presidency race to a select circle of insiders—years before the first vote is cast.
For figures like Oshiomhole, the development is said to be deeply unsettling.

Insiders claim the amendments are part of a broader political calculation to shape the leadership of the next National Assembly.

According to multiple accounts, the move is allegedly backed by powerful interests within the ruling establishment seeking to ensure that the Senate leadership remains firmly aligned with the executive arm.

Critics argue that the strategy is designed to shut out independent or unpredictable contenders, preempt internal rebellion, and ultimately shield the executive from robust legislative scrutiny.

Within this context, Wednesday’s drama is being viewed less as a spontaneous breakdown of order and more as a clash rooted in control, ambition, and the future leadership of the Senate.

To some observers, Akpabio’s firm handling of the situation was a necessary assertion of order.

To others, it signalled the use of institutional authority to silence dissent at a politically sensitive moment.

Either way, the explosive exchange has laid bare a Senate increasingly defined not just by lawmaking—but by high-stakes maneuvering ahead of 2027.

Watch the video here

Politics

JUST IN: Former APC National Youth Leader Dumps Party

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Sadiq Abubakar, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Youth Leader has announced his decision to dump the ruling party.

Abubakar who disclosed this in an interview with Newsmen in Bauchi on Wednesday, explained that his decision was unconnected with the hardship faced by many Nigerian homes due to difficult policies and programmes by the APC.

According to him, the move was also driven by an objective of securing free and fair victory in future election primaries so as to continue to serve the people with strength and integrity.

He stated that his decision followed a series of consultations with family, friends, political associates and stakeholders saying this was after a careful reflection on recent developments within the party structure and internal arrangements.

“It is high time to adopt a party with a more clear vision and the compassion to help the common man.

“The APC processes are not working, the party is not just and fair. I’m leaving the party because there is no fairness in the electoral processes of the party as well as the consensus.

“And I know that they are not going to be fair in the forthcoming primaries but they will only use the power of incumbency.

“Also, what the party is doing to every family is becoming something else as it’s becoming too hard to put a three square meal on the table,” he said.

The Former APC National Youth Leader however, affirmed that he would soon reveal the new political party of his destination in no distant time.

Politics

Defection: Peter Obi Simply Looking For ‘Food Is Ready’ Party – Wike

Published

8 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe on former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his recent defection.

Speaking during a media parley on Wednesday, Wike said Obi is looking for a ‘food is ready’ political party.

The minister said, “Obi was in APGA, he couldn’t build APGA. He went to Labour, he ran away again from Labour. All he’s looking for is food is ready political party.”

Recall that Obi and Rabi’u Kwankwaso, former presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, on Sunday officially joined the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections.