Politics

APC and opposition clash over FG’s revenue growth claim

Published

7 months ago

September 4, 2025

The All Progressives Congress and opposition parties on Wednesday clashed over President Bola Tinubu’s claim that Nigeria has already achieved its 2025 revenue target.

While the APC insisted that the President has placed Nigeria on the path of economic recovery, the African Democratic Congress, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party and the Coalition of United Political Parties accused Tinubu of celebrating statistics while citizens struggle under severe economic hardship.

Also, economists expressed scepticism about the President’s assertion that the Federal Government had stopped borrowing locally, as they called for clarification from the managers of the economy.

The experts pointed to the continuous debt market operations by the Debt Management Office and the Central Bank of Nigeria, questioning the president’s assertion and its alignment with the current economic realities.

For years, Nigeria has depended heavily on crude oil, which accounts for about 70 per cent of government revenue and over 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings.

Successive administrations have repeatedly promised to diversify the economy, yet oil has remained the main source of revenue.

In 2023, upon assuming office, President Tinubu launched a series of reforms aimed at repositioning the economy.

One of his most significant steps was the removal of fuel subsidy, a policy that has since triggered severe economic hardship. The removal pushed up transport costs, worsened food inflation, fuelled a foreign exchange crisis, and deepened the overall cost-of-living burden for millions of Nigerians, while freeing more revenues for the government.

Although federal allocations to states have increased under Tinubu’s administration, the impact has not been felt at the grassroots level.

Poverty, insecurity, and other social vices have continued to escalate, forcing many Nigerians to seek greener pastures abroad.

While the reforms have delivered some marginal gains, the weight of hardship on ordinary citizens remains overwhelming.

However, on Tuesday, Tinubu announced at the Presidential Villa that the country had hit its 2025 revenue projection in August, attributing the feat to gains from the non-oil sector.

According to his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President disclosed this while receiving the founding members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change and The Buhari Organisation, led by former Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.

“The economy is now stabilised. Nobody is trading pieces of paper for foreign exchange anymore. The economy is now predictable. You do not need to know the CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, to obtain foreign exchange or import goods,” Tinubu said.

“The President highlighted the significant growth in non-oil revenues accruing to the Federation, federal, state, and local governments. From January to August 2025, total collections reached N20.59 trillion, a 40.5 per cent increase from N14.6 trillion recorded in 2024. This strong performance aligns with projections, placing the government firmly on course to achieve its annual non-oil revenue target,’’ the statement added.

According to the statement, the President also said that the Federal Government is no longer borrowing from local banks to buttress the strong fiscal performance since the start of the year.

TInubu, who linked the development to his economic reforms, promised that his Renewed Hope Agenda would continue to prioritise infrastructure renewal, healthcare, food sovereignty, and security.

The ruling APC backed Tinubu’s declaration that Nigeria had hit its planned revenue target in August.

The Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH.

He said, “We support the President because if the target revenue for the year has been met in August, it then shows that the budget is capable of implementation. It means that what is set in the agenda of the budget will be implemented and that the government would not, as had been the case before, borrow money to be able to fulfil the budget of 2025.

“And then that eases pressure on the part of the government to now begin to have money to deliver the infrastructural development that it had targeted in the course of the year.”

Duru insisted the government’s achievement would have a spiralling effect on the economy.

“It will have a trickle-down effect on all borrowings. So the government would not be under any pressure. It also shows that the government can fund and finance the relevant projects that it needs to address the infrastructure deficit in the country, including overhead costs, which has been the major issue in the country,” he stated.

On the perception that the current administration may still have its eyes set on bonds and other loans from the IMF, the APC chieftain argued that it was a figment of the imagination of critics.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, challenged critics of the President’s assertion on meeting the government’s revenue target and not borrowing locally to provide contrary facts.

Bwala, who spoke on Wednesday evening, accused the opposition of being blind and purposeless in their criticism of the President’s statement.

He said, “The problem the opposition has is comprehension. They have sight but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear.

“If you hear what Mr President said yesterday, it is quite clear, concise and self-explanatory.

“I challenge the opposition to come with facts and numbers to counter that; and I will kindly urge the press to ask them for specifics; otherwise, they are just attacking without purpose.”

But the opposition parties faulted the celebration of revenue figures in the face of biting inflation, high food prices, and currency depreciation.

Speaking in an interview with one of our correspondents, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed the President’s declaration as absurd.

He described the APC-led Federal Government’s economic policy as strange, stressing that the revenue target has no meaningful impact on the lives of the citizens.

The ADC Publicity Secretary stated, “What is the essence of the revenue target if it has no direct impact on the lives of the people? What is the purpose of this revenue target if it does not have a direct impact on improving the lives of the people?

“Their economic policy is weird because any economy that does not put the people first cannot really claim to be doing anything. People don’t feel it. The reality that they are proclaiming is different from the reality of the life of the ordinary Nigerian. Nigerians want to see impact. They want to see improvement in their lives.”

He expressed concern that most Nigerians remain trapped below the poverty line.

Abdullahi continued, “I will give you one quick example. You know, the minimum wage, the APC-led government set it at N70,000. Even if it is fixed, it puts the majority of Nigerians below the poverty level.

“The majority of Nigerians will still live below the poverty level. So, that’s what we don’t understand about this claim about generating revenue targets when it does not have any impact.

“When the people cannot see it, they cannot see it. What is the purpose of revenue? They have borrowed so much money, leaving the country with so much debt. And we cannot see what they used the money for.

“And it’s on that basis that the President is claiming that they have met the revenue target. So, it’s absurd. You know? It’s absurd.”

The New Nigeria People’s Party also dismissed the President’s claim, arguing that governance is not just about increasing revenue.

The NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, said, “My question is, if Tinubu meets his revenue targets, has he met the target set out to ensure he looks after the welfare of the people of this country? His government is a tax-and-spend government.

“He believes that when revenue is coming in, that means it is working. Meanwhile, you are turning the screw on the people of the country who are already suffering. Everything shouldn’t just be restricted to revenue.”

The NNPP stated that while the President may have achieved his personal target, he has yet to meet the expectations of the citizens.

“Yes, it is good that the government makes money. But has the same government cut down its costs? Are the revenues meant to buy SUVs, regulate the Presidential Villa and augment the presidential fleet? These are the questions.

“So, no matter how low or high the bar is, the President set the target himself and has marked his own exam. But what about the target we set for him as a people? He hasn’t met our own target. Inflation is still high, and the naira has lost value. It’s presently at N1,600. So, let him talk about the targets we have set him for as a people.”

Also reacting, the CUPP National Secretary, Peter Ameh, in an interview with The PUNCH, said President Tinubu is disconnected from the realities facing Nigerians.

“I think the president is misunderstanding the yearning and the problems of Nigerians. He’s misunderstanding it in a great deal because he himself, as a president, is disconnected from reality. He has created an alternate universe for himself where he thinks that he’s living in the presidential field and doesn’t know what Nigerians are going through.

“He doesn’t know what Nigerians are going through. So, he thinks that taxing Nigeria and collecting revenue that does not have a direct reflection on the lives of the people is an achievement.

“One of the things he has done is that when he collects his revenue, what are the priorities of investments where he puts this money? Which area is he putting the money into that reflects on the lives of the people? It’s not about meeting the revenue target; Is the life of Nigerians better? Is he investing in healthcare? Is he investing in agriculture? Is he investing in our SMEs that will generate more revenue?

“What he’s doing, the president has decided to tax us, generate enough revenue, yet he’s making so much, he’s still borrowing so much money. If we are meeting this revenue target, then our level of borrowing should have reduced,” he submitted.

The CUPP scribe alleged that both the revenue and borrowed funds are being diverted to finance the private lifestyles of those in power.

“What he’s doing with the money is like, he’s spending more on transportation costs, on overseas travel, he’s spending a lot of money, and he’s spending more on luxury; luxurious lifestyles of those in government.

A factional spokesman for the Labour Party, Tony Akeni, berated the President and his party for what he described as a habitual resort to falsehood.

“I am happy Nigerians now know that the middle name of the APC is lies. This is because you cannot say you have walked away from taking loans and then try to hide in-between local and international ones. Yet, you were making this declaration on the international stage.

“Are you aware that Chatham House, London, has taken him up on this falsehood? They have countered him. And you will see that the contradiction is traditional with President Tinubu and his political party.

“It is all to pump false confidence in the country and give weapons of arrogance for the followers of the APC and their zealots to keep pushing the wrong narrative to deceive Nigerians.”

He wondered why the government was taking loans if it had met its revenue target.

“But there is nothing like that because if they have reached their thresholds or their targets of local revenue generation, why would they add to the burden of Nigeria by borrowing extensively from the foreign arena, where the interests are higher, conditions more stringent and where the fallouts result in more pains and sufferings both in the immediate period and the time to come.

“So the position of the Labour Party is that it is all lies and Nigerians should be doubly vigilant because any time a lie is told, it means there is a tough conspiracy behind the curtain.’’

In a related development, economists have expressed scepticism about the President’s statement on not taking local loans anymore.

A renowned economist, Professor Akpan Ekpo, expressed surprise at the claim, stating, “Maybe he has information we don’t have. But they are still borrowing externally. DMO is still issuing financial papers, and then the Central Bank is still involved in the debt market, and the Central Bank is part of the government. They are involved in Open Market Operations and all those things. So, I don’t know what he means by not borrowing.”

He further noted that meeting revenue targets would be positive, with funds ideally directed towards crucial sectors like health, education, and infrastructure.

“If they have met the revenue target, that’s fine. I would hope that the remaining will be used to address issues in the economy of Nigeria. We should put the money into health, education and infrastructure. When I heard the President say that, I was surprised. I don’t know what he means,” he said.

Prof Ekpo also emphasised that borrowing can be beneficial for financing infrastructure, provided transparency is maintained. “If the country is not borrowing, it’s not something to be proud of, because sometimes it’s good to borrow to finance infrastructure, once they are transparent.”

Also, Prof Segun Ajibola of Babcock University highlighted that the half-year figures released by relevant authorities up to the end of June showed Nigeria had barely crossed half of its 2025 revenue target.

He stressed the need for further clarification from the Minister of Finance and the Debt Management Office regarding the President’s statement.

“Looking at the figures released as of the end of June, the half-year figures by respective authorities, the fiscal authority, the monetary authority, and even the debt management office. At that point, it showed that Nigeria barely crossed half the target for 2025.

“So, I wouldn’t know what might have transpired in July and August. I am not in possession of more accurate data than government functionaries. Maybe, we need to hold our breath and wait for further clarification, especially from the Minister of Finance and also from the Debt Management Office,” Ajibola said.

If indeed the annual revenue targets had been met in August, as stated by the President, Ajibola called for ideas on how to better utilise any potential surplus revenue from September to December, saying, “If indeed we have been able to meet the annual revenue target in August, then it is wonderful. What then happens to the revenue flow from September to December? We can start brainstorming on what to do with that surplus.”

The Chief Executive Officer of Arthur Stevens Asset Management, Tunde Amolegbe, offered an alternative interpretation, suggesting that the President’s statement might refer to not exceeding the projected N13 trillion fiscal deficit.

“The truth of the matter is that you know, some of these statements one needs to put in perspective. It’s very possible that what he meant was that we are not going to borrow beyond the N13tn gap, which was estimated in the project in the first place.

‘’You remember that at the beginning of the year, because of the difference in the projected oil price that was used in the budget, compared to what the market price was, it was projected that the N13tn deficit might grow beyond that.

“However, now that it appears that the country has been able to increase production of crude, and also oil prices seem to have reached a level that is close to our price estimate used for the budget, it is very possible that what the president meant was that we are not going to go beyond the N13tn (fiscal) deficit that has been projected in the budget. Not that there won’t be any need to borrow,” he pointed out.

Amolegbe projected that continued borrowing will be necessary until the year-end, noting the recent DMO treasury auctions. “I suspect that we will probably still need to borrow between now and the end of the year. I mean, the DMO conducted a treasure auction yesterday (Tuesday). They conducted an auction a few weeks ago. I suspect there are other auctions still coming up.’’

A former Chief Economist at Zenith Bank, Marcel Okeke, was more direct in his assessment, calling the claim “laughable” and “unrealistic”. He questioned the historical precedent of the government exceeding revenue projections by August in any fiscal year.

“Has it ever happened in this economy? By August, in any fiscal year, has the government made and exceeded its revenue projections? In order not to insult the president, I would say that the claim he made is laughable. But the claim doesn’t look realistic. It doesn’t seem as if it reflects reality because, from what we have been reading, there are a number of ongoing borrowing negotiations, whether from within or from without.

“They have surpassed their revenue targets by August, and they have stopped borrowing. I don’t know how to wrap my head around it.’’

A Professor of Forensic Accounting at Copperstone University, Zambia, Richard Mayungbe, described the Nigerian economy’s recent performance as a result of successful diversification from crude oil dependence.

Speaking on the President’s announcement, Mayungbe said the development reflects a deliberate effort to strengthen non-oil revenue streams.

“The President has diversified the economy from solely relying on crude oil to generating revenue from non-oil sources. This is a major boost for the country and ensures economic resilience,” he said.

According to him, restarting the economy after years of slow growth is a gradual process that requires courage and decisive leadership. He praised the administration for taking bold steps, including the removal of the oil subsidy, noting that the decision had already been necessitated by fiscal realities during the last days of the previous government.

He further highlighted improvements in foreign exchange management, pointing to the unification of multiple FX windows and the stability of the naira. “You no longer have to depend on the Central Bank for access to foreign exchange. Most banks now allow naira cards to be used internationally, which is a sign of a stabilising economy,” Mayungbe argued.

However, in a review of the half-year done by multiple investment houses, borrowings had been projected to increase in H2.

Cardinal Stone mid-year outlook titled, ‘Charting The Sustainability Path,’ noted that Nigeria mostly relied on the domestic market for deficit financing in the first half of the year, with the government issuing about N3tn via Treasury Bills and Bonds, suggesting that a further net issuance of about N10.08tn may be required to cover the estimated deficit for 2025.

During the first half, the Federal Government sought National Assembly approval for $21.00bn, €2.20bn, and ¥15.00bn under its rolling borrowing plan.

Projecting, the analysts said, “We expect a notable increase in external sourcing in H2 25. Precisely, the government has set its sights on raising $1.20bn through the Debt Management Office and a further $2.00bn at concessionary rates through multilateral sources.

‘’These numbers suggest that a cumulative total of N4.90tn (using the official exchange rate of $1,530.00/$ as of June 1, 2025) may be sourced from abroad, with the balance of N5.19tn likely to be raised from the domestic market after catering to rollovers.

“We are of the view that a part of the external borrowings may be used to finance the $1.12bn Eurobond maturity due in November and cumulative coupons of c.$1.38bn,” the report added.

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Politics

Cameroon’s president Paul Biya set to get a vice president for the first time in his 43-year rule

Published

3 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya, is set to get a vice president for the first time in his four-decade rule, following controversial constitutional changes backed by the parliament.

In a ‌joint session of the ruling party-dominated National Assembly and Senate, lawmakers voted 200 to 18 in favour, with four abstentions, to pass the bill.

The bill stipulates that the vice president will automatically assume the presidency if President Paul Biya dies, resigns, or becomes incapacitated.

Biya, 93, has led the Central African country since 1982 and is the world’s oldest serving head of state. Public discussion about his health is banned.

According to the legislation, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, the vice president will be appointed and dismissed by the president, serving for the remainder of the president’s seven-year term.

However, the interim leader would be prohibited from initiating constitutional changes or running in a subsequent election.

Prior to the amendment, the constitution designated the leader of the Senate to briefly take over in case the sitting president d!es or is incapacitated. An election would then be held.

The Social Democratic Front (SDF) party, which has six representatives in parliament, boycotted the vote. It had pushed for a revision in favour of the vice-president being jointly elected with the president, rather than appointed.

The party also sought a constitutional provision that reflects the linguistic split between English and French-speaking regions. The SDF wanted the nation’s top two posts to be shared between Cameroon’s two communities, which was the position before 1972.

“This constitutional reform could have been a moment of political courage, but it is nothing less than a missed historic opportunity,” SDF chairman Joshua Osih said.

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Politics

Opposition parties weigh election boycott ahead of 2027

Published

8 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Opposition parties have started pushing for boycott of the 2027 general elections over alleged bias by the Independent National Electoral Commission and purported moves to make President Bola Tinubu the sole contender at the polls.

The Taminu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party and the National Chairman of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, urged political parties to boycott the elections.

The spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the option would be considered by the party leadership.

In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, the National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki faction, Ini Ememobong, said the boycott was necessary to prevent opposition parties from legitimising a “compromised and predetermined” process.

He accused INEC and the All Progressives Congress of deliberately undermining opposition parties to pave the way for an uncontested victory.

INEC had derecognised the Senator David Mark-led National Working Committee of the ADC, a development that intensified leadership disputes and deepened divisions within opposition ranks.

Ememobong questioned the timing of INEC’s planned activities, including the clean-up of the voter register and monitoring of party records, warning that such measures could be used to deregister opposition parties.

He said, “All opposition parties are in a precarious situation. It is either we find a platform or collectively pull out and allow them to have their fun.

“The only thing that can be gleaned from INEC’s disposition is that it wants to foist a coronation, an uncontested election in 2027. The opposition must think outside the box. This regime is determined to impose itself on Nigerians whether they want it or not. We must adopt unconventional but legal strategies to apply pressure. If they don’t yield, we boycott early to save the nation unnecessary costs.

“Let us not allow them to embezzle over N800bn in the name of an election. If the President does not want to stand, we don’t need to spend the money. Let them organise a coronation, but we will not legitimise an illegitimate process. The faster we decide our course, the better. If PDP, ADC, and all critical politicians boycott, the President may rethink, or the election will proceed and the international community will respond.”

Speaking on the boycott, Sowore said participation in an election lacking fairness would be pointless.

“Political parties met with INEC, and the position of every political party is that these guys are not planning an election. They are doing things so there is no room for any other party to compete,” he said.

He noted that opposition parties should start discussing a collective withdrawal if the situation did not improve.

“If we can’t have an atmosphere for a free, fair and credible election, why are we wasting time participating? If all the political parties are serious, we should be discussing a boycott now,” Sowore said.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi, said the party understood the reasons for the call.

“Boycotting the election is a position that will have to be considered by our party leadership, but we understand why they (Turaki faction) are making that demand. We are going to vacate the space for APC, but we are convinced that we will win this election regardless of what they (APC) do,” Abdullahi said.

Opposition in crisis

Major opposition parties are battling internal crises that critics say could weaken them ahead of the 2027 elections.

The PDP crisis, rooted in unresolved disputes from the 2023 presidential elections, has left the party split into two factions: one led by Taminu Turaki, backed by governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), and another led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, who is loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The ADC has also been embroiled in a leadership dispute since 2025, after Senator David Mark assumed leadership of a new National Working Committee in July that year.

The conflict stems from disagreements over the tenure of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, which ended in August 2022.

While Nwosu participated in the 2025 transition, his deputy, Nafiu Gombe, insisted he should serve as acting National Chairman.

Rival factions subsequently laid claim to the party’s leadership, triggering multiple court cases before the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court, raising doubts about the party’s readiness for 2027.

The Labour Party is also caught in a protracted leadership crisis, marked by conflicting court rulings and rival petitions.

The situation reached a turning point when a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered INEC to recognise the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee as the legitimate leadership.

Justice Peter Lifu, delivering the judgment, ruled that the tenure of the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee had expired, declaring the Usman-led committee “the only valid authority” pending a national convention.

While the Usman-led committee anchored its legitimacy on the ruling and prior judicial pronouncements, the Abure faction rejected the decision and has filed an appeal, arguing that “no court has the power to appoint leadership for any political party.”

The internal crisis in the NNPP has also deepened, with rival factions at the national and Kano State levels trading accusations of external interference.

At the federal level, the party is split between supporters of former presidential candidate and ex-Kano governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and a faction led by founding member Boniface Aniebonam.

APC slams opposition parties

Reacting, the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Basiru Ajibola, questioned the credibility of the opposition.

He said, “Which opposition? Is it people who cannot even organise their party affairs creditably and within the law and acceptable democratic ethos? It is part of the democratic rights of any political party to participate or boycott elections. APC and our president cannot be gaslighted by baseless and mischievous allegations.”

Ajibola further described allegations against INEC as unfounded, saying they reflected lack of seriousness and preparedness for democratic contest within the ambit of existing laws.

He took a swipe at the opposition’s electoral performance, and noted that they had fared poorly in elections conducted since 2023, including the FCT election and recent bye-elections in Kano and Rivers.

NNPP rejects boycott, CSOs worry over calls

Meanwhile, the New Nigeria Peoples Party and civil society organisations have warned that a move to boycott elections could undermine the democratic process and push the country towards a one-party system.

The NNPP Publicity Secretary, Dipo Johnson, said despite growing concerns over INEC’s recent decisions, the party would not support withdrawing from the polls.

“The NNPP shares stronger views because it is becoming clear that what was whispered is now beginning to look like the truth—that INEC is trying to ensure that only the APC will stand for the elections. But we will advise them to try to win through democratic means. Already, a non-democratic method has started.

“I don’t subscribe to boycotting the election, but I support something much harder than that because Tinubu and his party don’t even care if you boycott the election,” Johnson added.

A board member of Yiaga Africa, Professor Nnamdi Aduba, said concerns over the electoral process should be addressed, but the threat of a boycott may be exaggerated.

He criticised what he described as excessive judicial interference in political party affairs, noting that parties were voluntary organisations that should be allowed to operate independently.

“While the threat should be taken seriously and the government should keep its hands off, I think there is some grandstanding. It would be unhealthy if we begin to have a system dominated by a single candidate, and I don’t think that will happen.

He added, “The judiciary is handling issues in a way that risks giving the impression that the government is trying to weaken opposition parties. Political parties are voluntary organisations and the courts should only intervene in rare cases.”

Also speaking, the National President of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, said it was inaccurate to place the blame solely on the ruling party for the challenges facing opposition groups.

Adeniran noted that while a one-party state would be detrimental to Nigeria, there is no clear evidence that the country is heading in that direction.

“It is fashionable to say that the ruling party wants to frustrate the opposition, but even within parties like ADC, they know they made fundamental mistakes. It is not healthy for a country like Nigeria to gravitate towards a one-party state, but there is no sign that this is actually happening,” he said.

Adeniran attributed current difficulties largely to internal weaknesses within opposition parties and rejected calls for an election boycott.

“I don’t think anybody is undermining our democratic experiment, and there is no justification for any party to boycott the election,” he added.

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Politics

ADC crisis: Govs, lawmakers shelve defections

Published

8 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

There are indications that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and his counterpart from Bauchi State, Governor Bala Mohammed, may no longer join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Credible sources close to Makinde and the ADC told Sunday PUNCH that the two governors had slowed down their consultations to move to the ADC following the de-recognition of the party’s leadership by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Sunday PUNCH also gathered that INEC’s decision had cast doubt on the intentions of National Assembly members planning to join the party.

INEC on Wednesday removed the names of the NWC of ADC led by Mark from its official portal, citing a Court of Appeal order.

The electoral commission said it would maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of a substantive suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The decision followed a protracted leadership crisis within the ADC, with rival factions led by Nafiu Gombe and Mark laying claim to the party’s national structure.

According to the commission, the appellate court, in a judgment delivered on March 12, 2026, directed all parties to maintain the existing situation before the dispute arose and refrain from actions that could prejudice the outcome of the case.

But the Mark-led NWC rejected INEC’s decision and called for the dissolution of the electoral commission.

It also vowed to proceed with preparations for the proposed National Convention scheduled for Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on April 14.

There were reports that Makinde and Bala would join the ADC following the prolonged crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party.

Bala, who is Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, on Tuesday indicated plans to defect to the ADC.

The governor gave the hint after a closed-door meeting with a delegation of the ADC, led by a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, at the Presidential Lodge, Bauchi.

Bala stated that despite exhausting all avenues for reconciliation within the PDP at both national and state levels, no meaningful progress had been made.

The Bauchi governor described the ADC as a “preferred destination,” noting, however, that consultations and negotiations were ongoing to ensure a well-informed decision.

Ditto for Makinde, who had been meeting with chieftains of the party.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, an ally of Makinde, who is knowledgeable about the political activities of the governor, said he might not join the ADC again.

The source said, “I’m not sure Makinde will join the ADC again because ever since INEC’s derecognition of the ADC leadership, he has not been showing interest in further engagements with the ADC leaders.”

Reacting, the Special Adviser to Makinde on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, dismissed claims that the governor was planning to dump the PDP.

Olanrenwaju, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, equally denied claims that he was delaying his move to ADC due to uncertainty surrounding the party’s national leadership.

He said, “The information is mere rumors, nothing like that.”

Also, the Bauchi State chapter of the PDP said Bala had yet to join the ADC.

Responding to questions on why he had yet to defect to the ADC despite earlier indicating Thursday as a possible timeline, the state PDP Publicity Secretary, Dayyabu Chiroma, said, “All I can tell you is that we are still in the PDP, and we are stronger together.”

He noted that although a committee had been set up to assess the party’s political future, no decision had been taken to leave the party.

“Yes, we have established a committee to make findings on our political future, but we are still in the PDP and have not moved to any other platform,” Chiroma said.

Uncertainty over lawmakers’ defection

Findings by Sunday PUNCH indicate growing uncertainty over the planned defection of some lawmakers, with several still undecided on their next move.

Originally expected to dump the PDP for the ADC, the lawmaker representing Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, Mansur Soro, told Sunday PUNCH that consultations were ongoing.

“We are still consulting and we’ll decide in the next one week,” he stated, when asked if his movement to the ADC remained sacrosanct despite INEC’s decision not to recognise the Mark-led NWC.

Similarly, Lagos lawmaker, Jesse Onuakalusi, whose defection from the Labour Party to the ADC was recently announced on the floor of the House, declined to state his next move if the crisis persists.

Asked what options he would explore, he responded tersely, “What do you mean by if the controversy is not resolved? I don’t want to talk about this issue for now.”

On his part, the lawmaker representing Idemili North/Idemili South Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Uchenna Okonkwo, downplayed the significance of INEC’s action, expressing confidence in a legal resolution.

“The Court of Appeal did not ask INEC to yank off anybody’s name. The court said the status quo should be maintained but the umpire chose to interpret it the way it deemed it.

“As far as we are concerned, this is not cause for alarm as we are optimistic that the issue would be resolved.”

He added that regardless of the outcome, a former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, would lead the way for many LP defectors.

Okonkwo said, “It is unfortunate that people are not being allowed to exercise their democratic choice to decide where they want to be. Those who are celebrating today are reminded that the challenges we face as a people are party neutral. Poor power supply, cost of fuel and high living conditions affect all.”

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