Politics
Obaseki’s Comment On Obi: Face Business Of Governance, Your Party, APC Tells Gov

The Edo State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has asked the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki to limit his lamentations over the national “calamity that has befallen his party, the PDP and its disgrace” especially in the just concluded Ekiti State governorship election to himself.
The APC was reacting to a viral video in which Mr Obaseki raised what it called a false alarm on the impact of the social media ‘Obidient’ movement of the Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, on the chances of other parties in the 2023 presidential elections.
In the video, Obaseki alleged that Nigerians were disenchanted with existing parties, and are looking for alternatives, hence the many queue for Permanent Voter Card, PVCs across the country.
But a statement by the Assistant State Publicity Secretary of the party, Victor Osehobo, on Thursday faulted Governor Obaseki and urged him to be “wary of consistently raising false alarms instead of facing his job of governing Edo State.”
“The APC is disappointed that Mr Obaseki who has lost face in his adopted party, while abandoning governance in Edo State, has become a false prophet who busies himself with fake claims and false prophecies about the Nigerian economy, the naira and now the 2023 election, all in a bid to elicit unmerited public sympathy for his abysmal failure as a governor.
“All Nigerians apart from Mr Obaseki know for a fact that the queue for PVC is because many want to meet the new deadline of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and more so at a time more people have realized that they are stakeholders in the Nigerian project and want to be on the positive side of history by owning a PVC which confers on them the power to choose the leaders they desire.
“What abounds in our nation as the 2023 elections draw near is the morbid apprehension that the country risk falling back into the locust years of the PDP, during which the party destroyed our economy, looted the treasury and made the country a laughing stock in the comity of nations, to the extent that life became so despondent to the average Nigerian who cried to God for an alternative party such as the APC.
READ ALSO: 2023: Obaseki Expresses Concern Over ‘Obidient’ Movement
The statement added: “The alternative party, APC has been trying, under the purposeful leadership of President Muhammad Buhari to clean up the mess of PDP’s inglorious reign while at the same time striving to move the nation to the next level.
“We accept the fact that Obaseki and his failed PDP government in Edo lacks the capacity for feedback mechanism, however, the APC wishes to bring to the attention of the PDP that all Edo people today would wish this administration had come to its end.
“Notwithstanding, our party counsel that the governor and the PDP should prepare for more defeats in all the elections leading to May 29, 2023 which has begun with the evident disgrace the party secured at Ekiti.
“The APC urges Edo people in particular and Nigerians in general to continue to rally with our party as we collectively prepare to keep locusts represented by the PDP out of power and put our nation on the track of prosperity which President Muhammad Buhari and the APC has been striving to do”.
Politics
90% Of Nigeria’s Elections Since Independence Rigged — Ex-lawmaker

A lawyer and former member of the National Assembly, Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah, has said that over ninety per cent of all elections so far held in Nigeria, from independence to date, have been brazenly rigged or perverted, thus causing the mass poverty and underdevelopment being experienced in the country.
Senator Obiorah, who represented Anambra South Senatorial District between 2007 and 2011 in the National Assembly, blamed the non-existence of honest, transparent, free and fair elections in Nigeria for the mass poverty and gross underdevelopment in the nation presently.
The lawyer and author stated this in his treatise on “The Philosophy of Elections and Nigeria’s Fake Democracy”, made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday.
Worried by this development, the erstwhile federal lawmaker has proposed a constitutional amendment that will ensure the power to appoint electoral bodies – Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) – is taken away from both the President and Governors and vested in a neutral body which would set in motion processes to lift Nigeria out of poverty.
READ ALSO:INEC Promotes 471 Junior Staff, Begins Senior Staff Assessment
He stated that a proposed bill to that effect had already been sent to both the Senate and the House of Representatives for prompt legislative action.
He pointed out that had the people been allowed to exercise the power to freely elect their leaders since 1960, Nigeria would by now be a fully developed nation by first-world standards and in all ramifications.
According to him, “Since independence, 90 per cent of all elections – Parliamentary, Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, House of Assembly, Local Government Council elections – have been brazenly stolen or rigged or perverted or altogether thwarted or nullified.
“Nigerians have never really and voluntarily chosen their leaders, nor have Nigerians ever been governed with their proper consent and participation. The absence of honest elections makes ours a fake democracy, period. In Nigeria, the simple but painful cause of stealing and rigging of elections is that those vested with power to appoint the electoral bodies and personnel were themselves or their political parties or their preferred candidates, contestants in the same elections. It is just like making a person a judge in his own case.
READ ALSO:INEC Shortlists 14 Associations For Political Party Registration
“Right from independence, the then Prime Minister, and later the President, was always cloaked with the power to appoint the commissioners and senior officers of the electoral bodies responsible for the conduct of all elections in Nigeria.
“However, by virtue of the 1999 Constitution, the power of appointing the state electoral bodies responsible for conducting local government elections was transferred to the State Governors. Consequently, the world has been witnessing the Soviet Union-style results declared from Nigeria’s local government elections, where the Governor’s political party, in most cases, scores a 100 per cent victory.
“The world has also been hearing loud cries and protestations against rigging and seeing the avalanche of court cases that attend all other elections in Nigeria for which the President appoints the electoral bodies and officers,” he noted.
He added that “it is very important to make the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and electronic transmission of results via INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) legally mandatory in the conduct of Nigerian elections.”
Senator Obiorah pointed out that “these systems cannot solve the problem of election rigging without the electoral bodies’ neutrality and integrity because BVAS and IReV are vulnerable to manipulation.”
READ ALSO:Anambra Guber: INEC Releases Total Number Of Registered Voters Ahead Election
As a way out of this problem, Senator Obiorah is proposing that the power for the appointment of electoral bodies be taken away from both the Governors and the President and vested in a neutral body which would set in motion processes to lift Nigeria out of poverty.
According to him, “I do, most humbly, propose a constitutional amendment to provide for the establishment of a new, truly and literally Independent National Electoral Commission (new INEC), charged with the responsibility of conducting all elections for all elected offices in the three tiers of government – the Federal, State and Local Government.
“I do, also, propose that the new INEC be composed and constituted by thirteen commissioners, six of whom would be elected by the underlisted six Nigerian labour and professional organisations, and six commissioners nominated by the United Nations, and one commissioner-observer nominated by Transparency International, totalling thirteen commissioners.
“The new INEC would have the power to elect and remove its Chairman and hire and fire all staff, including the Chief Executive Officer.
“The election of six commissioners by the underlisted Nigerian labour and professional organisations is arranged in a corresponding alphabetical order as follows:
READ ALS:
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics would elect one commissioner out of its members from the North Central geopolitical zone;
The Academic Staff Union of Universities would elect one commissioner out of its members from the North East geopolitical zone;
The Institute of Chartered Accountants would elect one commissioner out of its members from the North West geopolitical zone;
The Nigerian Bar Association would elect one commissioner out of its members from the South East geopolitical zone;
The Nigerian Medical Association would elect one commissioner out of its members from the South South geopolitical zone;
The Nigerian Union of Journalists would elect one commissioner out of its members from the South West geopolitical zone.
READ ALSO:Navy Opens Recruitment For Basic Training School Batch 38
He clarified that nominations from the United Nations and Transparency International would definitely not violate Nigeria’s sovereignty, because those nominations would not be imposed by any sort of force; rather, it is Nigeria as a sovereign nation that would voluntarily request these nominations.
He stated further that the UN and Transparency International would be positively disposed to acceding to Nigeria’s request because, like other development institutions, they rightly regard stealing or rigging of elections as the worst and most destructive kind of all corrupt practices. He noted that the UN, having directly organised the establishment, manning and management of some anti-corruption programmes and institutions in various countries such as Guatemala and El Salvador, would be pleased to participate in such a liberating effort in Nigeria.
Senator Obiorah also recalled that the President of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, not long ago, dispatched a letter to the United Nations requesting the UN’s establishment and management of an International Commission against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras, for which a memorandum of understanding has been signed by both parties in furtherance of that cooperation.
He added that the United Nations and Transparency International would not nominate any Nigerian citizen or any person indigenous to Nigeria, saying that “It would be the job of the President to receive and collate the names and curriculum vitae of the nominees for transmission to the Senate and House of Representatives for confirmation.
According to him, “No nominee or nominee-elect would be rejected or impeached by the National Assembly except by concurrent resolutions supported by at least two-thirds majority of all Senators and Honourable Members of the House of Representatives, respectively, voting individually in person by a secret ballot and televised in real time. Voice vote for this exercise would be prohibited.
“The tenure of office of a commissioner would not exceed four years. It must be made clear that the establishment of the new INEC would not be a setback in the strides for devolution of powers to the States.”
Politics
Probe Natasha’s Allegations Against Akpabio, Afenifere Urges FG

The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has urged the Federal Government to investigate sexual harassment allegations levelled by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The call followed the Senate’s decision to lift Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension.
This, Afenifere said should not overshadow the need to establish the truth of her claims.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Afenifere’s National Organising Secretary, Kole Omololu, said the senator’s recall reflected commitment to the rule of law.
“We commend the Senate President, His Excellency Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Senate leadership for taking a decision that further reinforces the country’s rule of law,” Omololu said.
READ ALSO:Natasha Resumes At Senate, Calls Akpabio Dictator
The group, however, insisted that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations must not be ignored.
“For over six months, where are the facts and evidence of her grave allegations?” Afenifere asked.
It called on the “Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to carry out a full investigation into the matter.”
Afenifere also recalled Akpoti-Uduaghan’s past false sexual harassment claims against former presidential aide Reno Omokri, which ended in an out-of-court settlement.
“Does this not suggest that, without proof, her allegations against Akpabio are suspicious?” Omololu asked.
READ ALSO:UK Regulator Reports Air Peace Over Alleged Safety Violation
The group further criticised Akpoti-Uduaghan for taking her claims to international media, including BBC, CNN, Sky News and Deutsche Welle, saying the move portrayed Nigeria negatively abroad.
It also queried her participation in a session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in New York.
“If Natasha truly participated in the IPU meeting without due nomination, then it simply revealed her compromise or manipulation of our public institutions for pecuniary ends,” the group said.
In March 2025, Natasha was suspended for six months after a row in plenary and her petition accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.
READ ALSO:Naira Appreciates Massively Against US Dollar In The Black Market, Highest In 15 Months
She claimed the incident happened in December 2023, but the Senate’s Ethics Committee dismissed her petition on procedural grounds. Despite a court order halting disciplinary action, the Senate went ahead with her suspension, which also froze her pay and barred her from official duties.
Akpoti-Uduaghan challenged the suspension in court, insisting it was tied to her allegations. While the Senate said it acted over misconduct, the case attracted global attention after she granted interviews to international media. The matter remains unsettled, with Afenifere now urging federal authorities to investigate her claims.
Meanwhile, Natasha formally resumed her duties at the National Assembly on October 7, 2025, after her six-month suspension ended – and immediately claimed that Akpabio is a dictator.
And almost immediately, Akpabio’s media aide Kenny Okolugbo debunked the claim.
Politics
2027: Drama As Atiku Disowns Media Consultant Over Statement On Yoruba

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has denied any association with a media consultant named Kola Johnson.
This is as he also rejected statements released by the media consultant on Wednesday that he would protect Yoruba interests if elected as president in 2027.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, alleged that “faceless mercenaries” are behind the false press statement just to discredit him.
He also dismissed the claim as “false and offensive,” describing it as part of a calculated propaganda project to ridicule him in the media.
READ ALSO:Alleged Age Falsification: Absence Of Five Ex-police Officers Stalls Arraignment
The statement specifically mentioned one Kola Johnson, described as a “self-styled media consultant,” who allegedly released a publication claiming that an Atiku administration would be dominated by a single ethnic group.
The statement read, “Our findings point directly to the Presidency, which, in its desperation to smear opposition leaders, has resorted to hiring faceless mercenaries to fabricate fake stories and circulate unauthorised statements on Atiku.
“Particularly offensive is the false claim attributed to this individual that an Atiku administration would be dominated by a single ethnic group. This disinformation is part of a calculated propaganda project designed to ridicule Atiku in the media.
“Let it be clear: Atiku Abubakar has never engaged one Kola Johnson as a media consultant, aide, or associate. Any statement issued in that name is fake and should be disregarded. We urge media houses that have published such falsehoods to immediately retract them.”
READ ALSO:Why I Resigned From PDP – Atiku
The statement also clarified that authentic information on the former Vice President is only released through his Media Adviser or Special Assistant on Public Communications.
“Editors and media gatekeepers are strongly advised to verify with the Atiku Media Office before publication,” the statement added.
It was widely reported on Wednesday that Atiku has assured people of the South-West geo-political zone that their interest would remain central to his policy direction if elected President in 2027, noting that his long-standing marital and cultural ties to the region make him family.
The report quoted a statement by one, Kola Johnson, as saying that the former Vice President spoke during an engagement with select stakeholders.
READ ALSO:2027 Coalition: Atiku, Secondus, Other PDP Leaders Meet In Abuja
The report said Atiku described the people of the South-West as one of the finest species of the human race, noting that his marriage to a Yoruba woman in the 1970s forged a permanent bond between him and the Yorubas.
He dismissed fears of Hausa/Fulani domination under his leadership as unfounded, insisting that the Yoruba were his larger extended family and in-laws.
The former vice president added that his Yoruba connections extend beyond family, as some of his closest friends and associates were from the region.
“In case you don’t know or have forgotten, I was married to my first wife, Titi, a Yoruba woman, in the 70s, and we have four Yoruba children together. She is now over 75 years old, and we are still together.
“Besides, the Yoruba are so sophisticated and highly educated that you can only toy with them at your peril,” Atiku stated. “My Ijesha-born Yoruba wife is more than a wife to me. Aptly put, she is my Jewel of Inestimable value and anybody who knows about my family, even from a distance, can easily tell you this.”
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