Politics
How Awujale Made APC, Buhari President – Bakare
The presiding Overseer of the Global Community Citadel Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has revealed the instrumental role the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, played in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
While paying tribute to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Bakare said the passing on Adetona and former President Muhammadu Buhari on the same day was significant.
The clergyman also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the state burial given to Buhari.
According to Bakare, Awujale facilitated the merger of opposition parties which gave birth to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the victory of Buhari in the 2015 election.
Speaking during his state of the nation address at the auditorium of the Church on Sunday titled, “A Major Shift in the National Focus,” Pastor Bakare recalled how he approached Awujale to speak with Tinubu to lead the merger which he agreed, adding if the late monarch who died at the age of 92 had not facilitated the merger talk, the APC would not have emerged.
He said: “Without Awujale’s pivotal intervention, APC would not have emerged as a political party.
“Kabiyesi convened a key meeting at the Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island and brokered the agreement that led to the formation of the APC.
“Even at that, Kabiyesi was non-partisan, supporting any course he thought would facilitate good governance, strengthen the national interest, foster peace and further the course of building a united Nigeria.
“He remained, to the very end, an elder statesman, a patriot, a mentor, a loyal friend, and a rare gift to this nation.”
Bakare reiterated that the merger that formed the APC was the first time there would be a handshake between the progressive North and the progressive South, adding that the passing of the two great man signified a shift which only a few could discern.
Bakare, who was running mate to Buhari in the 2011 election, described Buhari as one of the most tolerant and fair-minded individuals he ever met.
He said, “We must awake to the handwriting on the wall. President Muhammadu Buhari and Oba Sikiru Adetona left a legacy that reads loud and clear – The giant of Africa cannot stand on one leg.
“We cannot build Nigeria as a one-party state. The intersection of these two men played a critical role in the emergence of a virile political landscape with a strong enough opposition party to challenge the then-ruling party.
“We can only build on their legacy by ensuring that both the ruling party and the opposition are strong enough to guarantee good governance in the interest of the ordinary Nigerian.
“Their legacy also reminds us that we cannot stabilise our beloved nation on divisiveness. We cannot build a truly virile nation unless we build an inclusive nation. Where we have been divided as a nation, let us remember the religious tolerance of a man who, for years, was wrongly labelled with the toga of religious fundamentalism when indeed, he was one of the most tolerant and fair-minded Muslims to walk this earth, twice opening the doorway for Christian leaders – Pastors to be specific – in politics and governance.”
He recalled that late President Buhari “left a legacy of an Electoral Act that opened the doorway for Nigerian youth and persons with disabilities, positioning them to shatter glass ceilings through the Not Too Young To Run Act and the Disability Act.”
“Where we have, in the past, polarised the political system and undermined political opponents, let us remember the virtues of a man who would rather present his case to the electorate than descend into the politics of mudslinging.”
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ADC’s membership card was officially presented to Melaye in his office by leaders of the Kogi State chapter of the party.
Dino Melaye, a former Kogi West Senator, has formally joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
ADC’s membership card was officially presented to Melaye in his office by leaders of the Kogi State chapter of the party.
The former lawmaker disclosed this in a video he posted on his X handle on Thursday.
The membership card was presented to Melaye by the ADC leader in Kogi State, Kingsley Temitope alongside, the state Secretary, local government chairman, secretary, Ward Chairman, and Secretary.
Donning an attire with the inscription of ADC, Temitope said, “I present to Distinguish senator Dino Melaye the membership card of African Democratic Congress.
“He is a full member and has started contributing to the party even before we presented him with the membership card.”
Responding, Melaye wrote: “SDM fully ADC.”
SDM fully ADC pic.twitter.com/ZtytRFa6ly
— Senator Dino Melaye. (SDM) (@_dinomelaye) July 31, 2025
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A former presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, Nicolas Felix, has dismissed the newly formed opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress as no threat to President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Speaking in Suleja on Thursday during the distribution of thousands of litres of fuel to Nigerians, Felix expressed confidence that Tinubu would win the 2027 presidential election with no less than 15 million votes.
On July 1st, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, APC’s 2023 presidential aspirant Rotimi Amaechi, and other opposition figures launched the ADC as a unified opposition platform to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Reacting, Felix maintained that while there’s nothing wrong with opposition leaders forming a coalition, he believes they will eventually fall apart just as easily as they came together.
He said, “In a democracy, you must have opposition. We are not threatened. They are out there campaigning. So far, we have not heard anything they want to do anyway.
“So for us as a party, I don’t see any threat here. There is no threat in this coalition. We want them to coalesce. Like I said the other day, they will gather, but they will scatter because they have nothing to offer. Their intention is not pure. Their motive is not pure.
“As far as we are concerned and the APC, come 2027, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is going to have nothing less than 15 million votes. We know that is going to happen. So there is no threat from the ADC or whatever coalition. Let them come. When the time comes for campaigns, we are going to roll out the scorecard of Mr President.
“Didn’t you watch on TV this morning students on campuses singing, celebrating with joy, who just received the NELFund grant, over N100 billion, with no interest, by the way. I lived in America for 21 years; I had never heard that happen. Over N100 billion given to 600,000 students. So these 600,000 students, they will vote. Their families will vote because they know what it takes to go to school. So we are excited, and we know come 2027, it is going to be a walkover for us.”
He stated that his decision to regularly distribute free fuel to Nigerians is his way of supporting the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The ex-presidential aspirant stated, “We are giving out free fuel to the community. As you know, this is our Renewed Hope season. We are just doing this to put smiles on the faces of the people.
“There is no other motivation, but we just want to give back to the community. We did this in 2023 in Edo State, and we did it here also, and we decided to come back here to make the people happy. As you can see, they are all smiling. We are giving them hope.
“This outreach is for everybody, but we know those who need it more. So, I am even more excited seeing the Okada riders because we believe, you know, I would be surprised if I see a G-Waggon here coming to take free fuel. This is more for the Okada and Keke riders. So anybody that comes, we will be able to, you know, just put smiles on their face. We are just giving back. That is what it is all about.”
Also speaking, APC Deputy National Women Leader Zainab Ibrahim stated that the party is pushing for sthe wift passage of the Special Seats Bill currently before the National Assembly, calling it a potential game changer for women in Nigeria.
She noted that, for the first time, the Ministry of Women Affairs has received over ₦100 billion in budgetary allocation to pursue its key goals and assured that Nigerian women will stand firmly behind the president in 2027.
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Former Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, has formally resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party, citing the party’s inability to provide credible leadership and deliver good governance to Nigerians.
In a resignation letter shared on his official X account on Thursday, dated July 4, 2025, and addressed to the chairman of the PDP in Ward 1, Aiyetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Melaye announced his immediate withdrawal from all party activities.
“I hereby tender my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party at all levels of involvement.
“This decision has become imperative due to the lack of potency and capacity by the party to deliver the Nigerian people from the prevailing political cankerworms that have eaten deeply into the fabric of our dear nation”, the letter partly read.
Melaye, who once served as the PDP’s candidate in the 2023 Kogi State governorship election, said his decision followed deep reflection on the party’s current state and trajectory.
“Having carefully reflected on the state of the party, I can no longer in good conscience participate in the activities of the parties or lend my support to her agenda”, the letter continued.
He further requested that his resignation be treated as a formal and total withdrawal from all party levels and structures.
“In view of the above, please consider this as my formal withdrawal from the party and all its activities at all levels with immediate effect”, the letter added.
In his closing remarks, Melaye expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve under the party’s platform during his time as a member.
“Thank you for the opportunity to serve under the platform during my period of membership,” the letter concluded.
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