Politics

Three Sokoto APC Governorship Aspirants Defect To PDP

Published

3 years ago

June 25, 2022

No fewer than three governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress in the recent gubernatorial primary of the party have so far defected to the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

Among those who have so far defected from the APC to the PDP include a member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon Abdullahi Balarabe Salame.

Salame, who represents Ilella/Gwadabawa Federal Constituency, is a three-term member of the House of Representatives, having spent two terms in the state House of Assembly, where he served as the Speaker as well as acting governor of the state.

Also, the former Minister for Transportation, Hon Yusuf Suleiman, on Saturday obtained his PDP membership card from the chairman of the party in the state.

In a post on his official social media handle, the Isa Local Government-born politician said he is now a bonafide member of the party in the state and promised to work for the success of the party.

Another aspirant who defected to the PDP is a renowned Sokoto-based businessman, Alh Abdullahi Abubakar Gumbi.

One of his aides, who spoke with our correspondent, confirmed that the businessman turned politician had informed the governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, of his intention to join the party and all arrangements has been concluded.

The source, however, said there will soon be an elaborate ceremony to welcome the defector back to the party.

He said many political leaders in the APC have shown their readiness to move to the PDP and work for its success in the forthcoming general election.

The PUNCH gathered that at least five out of the seven governorship aspirants under the All Progressive Congress have shown their displeasure over how the candidate of the party, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu emerged.

Recall that two of the aspirants, Abdullahi Balarabe Salame and Alhaji Abubakar Gada, had withdrawn from the exercise while the trio of Honourable Yusuf Suleiman, Abdullahi Abubakar Gumbi and Honourable Faruk Malami Yabo left the venue in the middle of the exercise.

They all cited irregularities and favouritism by the leaders of the party in the state, alleging that they are working for the candidate supported by the former governor, Aliyu Wamakko, who eventually emerged as the candidate.

Politics

Coalition: Abure-led LP Gives Obi 48 Hours To Leave Party

Published

4 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

The Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, a 48 hours ultimatum to leave the party haven formally joined the coalition party.

This was contained in a statement signed by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in Abuja, on Thursday.

He explained that the Labour Party under Abure’s leadership remains vehemently opposed to joining the coalition while dismissing members of the coalition as “power mongers whose only interest was self and not the people.”

The party warned Nigerians that the often mouthed ‘new Nigeria is Possible’ is a ruse and cannot be achieved with the assemblage of old, recycled, desperate and frustrated politicians in the coalition.

Ifoh said the party is aware that all those who mismanaged Nigeria over the years are the ones that gathered themselves in the coalition while noting that desperate politicians can’t birth new Nigeria.

He said, “We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party. We’re also aware that a number of them has refused to defect with him.

“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition and therefore, any of our members who is part of the coalition is given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party.

“Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona. The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one Party and another leg elsewhere.

“People who in the morning they will claim to be in the Labour Party and in the evening they are in coalition.

“Nearly 70 per cent of the Nigerian population are youths who are tired of the old order, tired of gerontocrats deciding their fate. The new Nigeria that the youths are dreaming of, is not what can be realized from what we are seeing in the coalition.

“These people are opportunistic politicians who are only interested in relaunching themselves into circle of power, people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.

“The new Nigeria of our dream can only be realised through the Labour Party, and the party is willing to lead Nigerians along that trajectory.

“I therefore urge all members of the party to remain loyal and keep the party structure intact ahead of future elections.”

Politics

Only A Formidable Coalition Can Salvage Nigeria, Says Peter Obi

Published

4 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has given his full support for the coalition of opposition parties aimed at ending President Bola Tinubu’s rule in 2027.

He explained that it was a fact that no single group can change Nigeria alone, hence the need for people to come together to pursue the goal.

The former Amambra State Governor said this in a post on his verified X handle, on Thursday.

He said this just as the Julia Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given him 48 hours within which to formally resign from the party or risk expulsion.

Obi in his post wrote, “Yesterday, the coalition members formally adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 Nigeria General Elections with Distinguished Senator David Mark serving as the National Chairman and H.E. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola serving as the National Secretary.

“Our commitment is to sacrifice and work together towards the 2027 General Elections, ensuring that Nigeria gets a competent, capable, and compassionate leadership that will prioritise the nation’s future by putting the welfare of Nigerians first.

REAS ALSO: Peter Obi Speaks As Port Harcourt Refinery Begins Production

“This decision was not made lightly. It comes from deep reflection on where we are as a country and what must be done to move forward.

“No one group can change Nigeria alone. To dismantle the structures that keep our people in poverty and insecurity, we must build bridges, not walls even when those bridges are uneasy. A New Nigeria is Possible. -PO.”

Politics

I Don’t Owe Anybody Explanation On Truce With Fubara – Wike

Published

8 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, declared that peace has returned to his home state, Rivers, saying he does not owe anyone an explanation on the terms of the truce.

Wike disclosed this during a Media chat monitored in Abuja.

According to him, several people had turned the crisis in Rivers State into an “oil well”, from which they were drawing illicit funds for their selfish interests, saying such fifth columnists are no longer happy that he has reconciled with the suspended Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.

Details later…