Politics

Dropping Shettima won’t stop Tinubu’s 2027 victory — APC N’Central Forum chair

Published

6 months ago

August 4, 2025

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Forum in the North-Central, Saleh Zazzaga, speaks with IMOLEAYO OYEDEYI on the region’s political interest, opposition realignment against President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, internal party threats, and the future of Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of 2027

Some opposition elements have claimed that Professor Nentawe Yilwatda’s emergence as the APC National Chairman threatens the credibility of the upcoming general election because he is a former Resident Electoral Commissioner. Isn’t this concern legitimate?

No, the man resigned from the position in 2022. He contested for the Plateau State governorship under the platform of All Progressives Congress and lost the election. But based on our calculations, he is the best to lead our party to victory in 2027. More so, you can’t predict the outcome of the next election based on our chairman’s past performance. This is because a lot of people play religion politics against him at the last election. But this won’t happen in 2027.

Recently, the All Nigeria Peoples Party bloc in the APC threatened to dump your party if President Bola Tinubu drops Vice President Kashim Shettima and fails to pick someone else from their bloc. What is your take on this?

There is no person or group of people that will pull out of the APC that will make President Tinubu lose the 2027 election. That will not even happen because he has a strong relationship with Shettima and the rest. The ANPP people are only trying to create a gap between the President and the VP. But even if that happens, the President will still have his lead in the 2027 election. We have a feeling that those who called the press conference are not even leaders of the ANPP bloc. So, we can’t take them seriously. More so, even if the President decides to change the VP, it’s for the interest of the APC. If you look at the last election, the President closely lost in Borno State. The President lost the entire North-East. So, if calculation will lead to changing the VP, nothing will happen.

Are you saying the ANPP leaders are being sponsored to cause issues between Tinubu and the VP?

Yes, exactly and they know their sponsors. They just want to create issues where there is none. This is because as we speak, there has been no official statement that President Tinubu is going to change Shettima. So those agitating should wait and see. If the President will change Shettima, he will just issue a statement that will convince everybody.

You said that going by calculations President Tinubu can decide to drop Shettima because in the last election, he did not win the North-East. Will that be a fair ground to drop the VP?

If calculation gives us that alternative to change Shettima, why not? At least, it is for the interest of winning the 2027 election. Mind you, we are not talking of regional interest. We are only calculating how to win the 2027 election. We will do our mathematics to know what is going to happen in the next election. If going with Shettima will give us victory, why should we change him? We will simply manage him and continue with him. But if we do our calculations and find that we are not going to win the 2027 election that way, we will have no alternative than to change him.

Do you think Shettima has performed well enough to make the APC win his region in the next election should the President decide to run with him?

The VP has tried his best. It is just the ANPP people who are trying to strain his relationship with the President, all in a bid to gratify their own interests and those of the opposition parties. They are just trying to create problem between the two leaders.

Are you saying those people are likely being sponsored by the African Democratic Congress?

No, opposition parties. It might not be only the ADC because we do not take the party seriously. We believe that very soon the party (ADC) will scatter because it is being programmed to fulfill the interests of a particular person. So, if that person doesn’t have his way, some of the people will fall out and the party will not be the same.

Whose interests are you talking about?

The party is running for the interests of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, from all indications. If you see the kind of people in the party, all of them are Atiku’s supporters. So, if they don’t give Atiku the presidential ticket, the party will crash. I’m very, very sure. You will just wait and see. Time shall tell.

The North Central seems to be agitating for the vice-presidential slot under President Bola Tinubu in 2027. How true is this?

No, I kicked against that. You know, we cannot just agitate for something of four years. If we are to bring something from the North Central, we need somebody that will spend eight years, not four years. Automatically, if they substitute Kashim Shettima with someone from North Central, the person is going to be there for only four years. I am against that agitation. Let Tinubu and Shettima finish their term with anybody from any region, not from North Central. If they are going to zone, let them zone the presidency to the North Central, not the vice presidency.

So you feel it is better they should zone the presidency to your region and not the vice presidency?

Yes, after Tinubu’s second term. This is because of all the regions, we (North-Central) and South-East, are the only ones that haven’t produced a president or vice president since the beginning of current democratic dispensation. And we have contributed a lot. In the last general election, we gave APC five governors (Nasarawa, Niger, Benue, Kogi, and Kwara). No other zone produced five governors for the APC in 2023. We gave President Bola Tinubu the third highest number of votes after South-West and North-West. Secondly, among all the zones, we had the highest number of governors, senators, Reps, and House of Assembly members.

Recently, the New Nigeria People’s Party and the presidency have been locked in a verbal war over alleged marginalisation of northern Nigeria. Will you say President Tinubu’s administration has truly been fair to the North?

Yes, 100 per cent. This is because insecurity, whose rate used to be very high is 30 per cent now. The economy of the country is also developing every day. If not because of Tinubu, we don’t even know what would have happened in the country. So, I believe the President has really tried in the area of security. He has also sited some education and health infrastructure in the North. He has done a lot for us.

The North seems divided over President Tinubu’s re-election. Do you believe the President deserves a second term based on current state of the country?

If you look at the people leading the opposition coalition, you will see that it is only North Central that hasn’t brought anybody forward to contest against the president, because we believe in his leadership. We see the massive achievements. There used to be high rate of insecurity before, but it is over now.

But dozens were killed in Benue and Plateau in recent months?

You cannot stop all like that. But the President is trying. There is a lot of effort he is putting on the ground to end insecurity in our zone. So, we cannot challenge that. Before, our natives could not access their own farms. But now, some of them are already in their farms, due to his effort. So, we believe that with the current effort he is putting in place, in the next two years, insecurity will end in our region.

Since being adopted by opposition coalition, the African Democratic Congress has been gaining momentum across the country, attracting members in the Peoples Democratic Party and the APC. Don’t you think this may likely pose a significant threat to President Tinubu’s re-election?

No. They are going nowhere. They are an association of past politicians. They are not even recent politicians. They cannot go anywhere. All those people are power hungry. All of them have served in various capacities. We know how they play. So, the masses are not going to support them. The people still trust President Tinubu’s leadership.

Are you saying the coalition leaders do not have support base. What of Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State governor?

Yes, if you call El-Rufai, can you name three or four more people?

What about former Vice President Atiku Abubakar?

No. That person doesn’t have any value. When he was vice president of this country, there was no evidence in his village. We know all their records.

What about Peter Obi of the Labour Party and the Obidient Movement?

Peter Obi won’t get the kind of support he had in the last election because they are not going to make him their candidate. They will overpower him and won’t give him the ticket. Even if they give him the ticket, in the last election, how many votes did Obi have in Anambra State?

He had over 580,000 votes in Anambra State out of 624,612 total vote cast? So you don’t still think he is a force to reckon with?

No. Go and check again. The records are there. All I know is they are going nowhere.

What if ADC eventually picks Obi as its standard-bearer?

If they finally pick Obi, they know they are not going to win. All the northerners will not vote for him. None of them will support him. We know their politics.

But some of them voted for him in the last election. He won Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory?

And which state again? You only mentioned one, but the North has 19 states.

Considering that segments of the PDP, and even parts of the APC are folding into the ADC, alongside the deepening alliances of Atiku and El-Rufai, don’t you think if Obi clinches the party’s ticket, he would pose a formidable challenge to Tinubu?

No. The politics of northern Nigeria is different. Immediately Obi becomes the candidate of ADC in the forthcoming election, just believe me, that is the end of the ADC movement.

Are you saying giving Obi the ticket would sink the ADC?

Yes, Obi or Atiku. If any of them gets the ADC ticket, that is the end of the party. Though Obi will win some votes, he is not going to win many states. I believe President Tinubu’s performance will overcome all of them.

Do you see governors from PDP and even APC eventually joining the ADC-led coalition as the 2027 presidential race hots up?

No, it’s not going to be possible. Instead of them joining ADC, they will rather come to APC. This is because the governors are in the best position to know President Tinubu’s achievements. So, they cannot go to any ADC. Instead, they will join the APC. Since the creation of this country, we’ve never had a president that touched the lives of the common man like Tinubu.

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Politics

Abia community donates ₦100m for Otti’s re-election bid

Published

1 day ago

January 31, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Ukwa La Ngwa people of Abia State have donated ₦100m to purchase the nomination form for Governor Alex Otti’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Njoku Ukoha, on Saturday.

It was stated that the donation was announced on Friday during a grand civic reception organised in honour of the governor at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba.

Some Ukwa La Ngwa at the grand civic reception organised in honour of the governor at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba…Photo Credit: Abia State Government

The Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Ukwa La Ngwa Civic Reception and Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emeruwa, disclosed that the amount had been raised collectively, adding that the group was ready to contribute more if necessary.

Speaking at the event, Otti thanked the people for the reception and endorsement.

“The time we came in here this afternoon, the mammoth crowd was intimidating. I want to thank all of you.

“Thank you for the endorsement. Thank you for the support. Thank you for the encouragement,” he said.

The governor said his administration would continue to prioritise the interest of the people, stressing that governance in Abia was no longer driven by self-interest.

“One thing you can take home is that because this is your government, your interest will always come first. This is not about party or partisan celebration,” Otti added.

He disclosed that Ovom Road would be commissioned on February 25, the same day the reconstruction of the Enyimba Hotel, a five-star facility to be handled by Radisson Blu, would be flagged off.

“Our style is not to flag off and go home. We want the five-star hotel to start functioning by next year,” the governor said.

Otti also urged residents of Aba to register for their Permanent Voter Cards and to take responsibility for security and cleanliness in their neighbourhoods.

“The number of people in Aba is ten times larger than the number of votes that come from Aba. The only way to show your strength is to get people to come out and register,” he said.

Addressing the gathering, Chairman of the occasion and Board of Trustees Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Adolphus Wabara, said the event was a reflection of the people’s verdict on Otti’s performance.

“This is not a political party rally; it is a people’s verdict. It is the collective affirmation of the masses to celebrate a man who has demonstrated that good governance is achievable and real.

“Let no one be deceived: Abians will never again surrender their mandate to any cabal. Any attempt to subvert the will of the people in 2027 will be firmly resisted,” Wabara said.

Also speaking, the Senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, and the National Secretary of the Labour Party, Darlington Nwokocha, said Otti’s performance across sectors had earned him widespread support.

Earlier, the leader and spokesperson of the Ukwa La Ngwa people, Chief Theo Nkire, described the governor as “a great achiever” who had transformed Aba into “a world-class industrial hub.”

Traditional rulers from Ukwa La Ngwa also pledged their support, while the event featured cultural displays and was attended by several dignitaries, including the member representing Isiala Ngwa North/South Federal Constituency, Ginger Onwusibe.

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Politics

Annulled PDP convention: Turaki fumes, Wike’s camp celebrates

Published

1 day ago

January 31, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has appealed the Federal High Court ruling that voided the party’s November 2025 convention and recognised a caretaker committee backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Addressing journalists on Friday, Turaki said, despite the court verdict, the party remained legally intact and unshaken as it awaits the pronouncement of the appellate courts.

The Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan had, earlier on Friday, invalidated the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15, 2025.

The court also directed Turaki and others to stop presenting themselves as national officers of the PDP.

Justice Uche Agomoh further ruled that the caretaker committee headed by Mohammed Abdulrahman and Samuel Anyanwu remains the only recognised National Working Committee of the PDP until a valid national convention is held.

The PDP governors had supported the Ibadan convention, at which Turaki and other members of the NWC were elected for a four-year term.

However, Wike, alongside Abdulrahman and Anyanwu, insisted that they remained in office as acting national chairman and national secretary, respectively.

Although the governors oversaw a smooth transition from the former PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum, to Turaki before Damagum’s tenure ended on December 9, the Wike-aligned faction went ahead on December 8 to constitute a 13-member caretaker committee, appointing Abdulrahman, Anyanwu and others with a 60-day mandate.

As a result, both the governors’ faction and the Wike-aligned camp have been seeking recognition of their leadership by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which has so far declined to recognise either group.

Consequently, several court cases have been instituted to resolve the dispute ahead of the 2027 general election.

But reacting, Turaki described the judgment as an academic exercise, urging the Court of Appeal to consolidate all pending party-related cases to produce a single binding judgment for all parties.

Turaki said the NWC had filed a Notice of Appeal and a Motion for Stay of Execution and would pursue the matter to its legal conclusion.

He explained that they went to court to seek an order of mandamus directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the Ibadan Convention and enable official party communications with the Commission.

Turaki said, “More importantly, the judgment is in material conflict with subsisting orders and previous judgments of courts of coordinate jurisdiction.

“Consequently, we have filed a Notice of Appeal as well as a Motion for Stay of Execution of the judgement, and we are determined to pursue this matter diligently and to its logical conclusion in accordance with the law.

“For the avoidance of doubt, this judgment is only one among several decisions of the Federal High Court on this subject matter, and the core issues arising therefrom are already before the Court of Appeal. In that sense, this particular judgment is, technically speaking, academic, pending the authoritative pronouncement of the appellate courts.

“Let me assure all members of our great party that, notwithstanding this judgment, the National Working Committee produced by the Ibadan Convention remains legally intact, firmly in place, and fully committed to the ongoing rebirth of the Peoples Democratic Party.”

Turaki called on PDP members and supporters nationwide to stay calm and steadfast, emphasising that there was no reason for concern, and affirmed that the Rebirth movement continues to progress steadily.

When asked if he was concerned about the PDP cases pending in the Appeal Court, Turaki clarified that he was not, noting that the lawyers on both sides had filed their briefs on time.

He stated, “There are more than two matters pending before the Court of Appeal. First, there is the judgment of Justice Lifu. There is also the judgment of Justice Omotosho, and another judgment given by Justice Abdulmalik. In all these three matters, we were sued and defended those cases. We have appealed against the orders made against the party in those cases.

“On whether there is concern that the appeals have not yet been heard, there is no concern. There are processes required before an appeal is ready for hearing. Each party must be given fair hearing and must file briefs within the time stipulated by law. Counsel on both sides have commendably compressed the time for filing briefs and complied promptly. All briefs are now in the court files. Sometimes replies are also required, and those will be filed as needed.

“There are many appeals ready for hearing in the Abuja Division. The court previously implemented a special plan in the Lagos Division, where multiple panels were set up and over 500 appeals were disposed of. There are also over 400 appeals ready in Abuja, and it is hoped that similar special panels will be created there. If that happens, this political case should receive priority.

“It is also desirable that the appeals be consolidated so that one binding judgment will apply to all parties. Many of the PDP cases are interconnected, and determination of the key issues in one will likely resolve the others and bring closure to related matters pending in various courts across Nigeria. We are hopeful that the Court of Appeal will soon constitute a panel to hear and determine all these appeals.”

Meanwhile, Wike’s bloc has welcomed the court ruling, calling on all members to embrace unity, reconciliation, and adherence to due process.

The Mohammed-led PDP Caretaker Committee, through a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jungude Mohammed, on Friday, reaffirmed that the party’s legitimacy stems only from adherence to its Constitution, laws, and valid court orders—not from unlawful claims or impersonation.

The statement read in part, “The landmark judgment, which further nullified the conduct, outcome, and entire proceedings of the purported convention held in Ibadan on the 15th and 16th of November 2025, represents a decisive victory for the rule of law, constitutionalism, and internal party democracy. It reaffirms the long-standing position of the PDP that legitimacy can only be derived from strict compliance with the Constitution of the Party, extant laws, and valid court orders, as opposed to seeking self-help through impersonation or unlawful assertions of authority.

“The National Caretaker Working Committee therefore congratulates all its members and supporters for their patience, resilience, and unwavering faith in due process throughout this period, and further calls on all members to remain calm, law-abiding, and united as we move forward in the spirit of reconciliation, progress, and renewed commitment to the ideals of our great Party.

“We appeal to all aggrieved members to sheath their swords, as this victory belongs to the entire PDP family. Our doors remain open for genuine reconciliation and integration. This will strengthen unity, deepen internal cohesion, and refocus collective efforts toward building a stronger and more formidable PDP.

“We commend the Judiciary for once again rising to its constitutional responsibility as the impartial arbiter in political and constitutional disputes.”

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Politics

2027: Akeredolu’s Widow Declares Support For Peter Obi

Published

2 days ago

January 30, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The former First Lady of Ondo State, Betty Akeredolu, has thrown her weight behind Peter Obi as the preferred presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general election.

In a post shared on her verified 𝕏 handle on Friday, Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu reaffirmed her support for the Obidient Movement, quoting a report that linked her with Obi’s political ambitions and writing simply: “Obi or nothing.”

Her declaration comes amid heightened debate within the ADC, where supporters of Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar are said to be jostling for the party’s 2027 presidential ticket.

Obi, who recently aligned with the ADC through a broader coalition, has received growing support from his followers, many of whom have called for the presidency to be zoned to the South, with Obi presented as the party’s standard-bearer.

Reacting to rising tensions, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, warned party members and supporters against stoking division.

Speaking during a live 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) Spaces conversation last Saturday, Abdullahi urged party loyalists to avoid preaching division and exceptionality,” that could undermine internal cohesion.

He also addressed proposals for the 2027 elections to be held earlier, possibly in 2026, describing the idea as a double-edged sword.

According to him, while an early election could expose the ADC to unresolved internal grievances, it could also offer a strategic advantage, especially as many Nigerians are dissatisfied with the current administration.

Abdullahi further revealed that he had held consultations with key opposition figures, including Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai, in a bid to build unity within the ADC-led coalition.

“These discussions are focused on strengthening the party and ensuring we are well-positioned for the next general elections,” he said.

The ADC is expected to hold its presidential primaries in June, amid increasing pressure to finalise zoning arrangements and manage growing interest from political heavyweights within and outside the party.

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