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Parties clash over El-Rufai’s probe for criminal conspiracy

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress have accused the Federal Government of intimidation and witch-hunt following a police invitation to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and his allies over allegations of criminal conspiracy.

In a letter dated September 4, 2025, and signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, Uzairu Abdullahi, El-Rufai and six ADC leaders were summoned to appear before the State Criminal Investigation Department on September 8.

The allegations against them bordered on criminal conspiracy, incitement of public disturbance, mischief, and causing grievous hurt.

Those listed in the letter were El-Rufai’s former Chief of Staff, Bashir Sa’idu, Jafaru Sani, Ubaidullah Mohammed, Nasiru Maikano, Aminu Abita and Ahmed Hussaini, aka Mikiya.

The ADC state chairman was directed to produce the individuals for questioning.

El-Rufai vs Kaduna govt

El-Rufai and his successor, Governor Uba Sani, had been embroiled in political disputes.

Tension had been building between the duo after El-Rufai’s allies lost by-elections in the state.

Matters got to a head last Saturday when a meeting of the ADC to inaugurate a transition committee in Kaduna State was disrupted by political thugs.

The hoodlums reportedly attacked attendees with weapons, causing injuries and property damage.

The police had blamed El-Rufai for the affray, an allegation he denied.

A recent Channels Television interview in which the former governor also accused the government of “empowering bandits” led to rebuttals by both the federal and state governments.

The Kaduna State Government in particular accused El-Rufai of attempting to destabilise the state.

In a statement by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Suleiman Shuaibu, the state said the former governor’s recent actions amounted to “provocation, manipulation and incitement,” which posed a threat to peace and development.

The government further alleged that El-Rufai convened an “illegal and chaotic meeting” of his associates last Saturday, which degenerated into violence, including gunshots that endangered innocent citizens.

He was subsequently summoned by the police on Thursday.

Atiku, ADC slam govt

Reacting to the development on Friday, former Vice President Atiku said recent events in Kaduna, Katsina, and other areas highlighted “a troubling trend towards authoritarianism” under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Atiku described the police summons of El-Rufai and other ADC leaders, the alleged attack on former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and the disruption of the Katsina Elders Forum security meeting as part of “a coordinated and dangerous assault on dissenting voices, civic freedoms, and the very essence of pluralistic democracy.”

He warned that criminalising opposition and undermining peaceful civic engagement could push Nigeria towards authoritarian rule, urging citizens and leaders alike to defend democracy.

Similarly, the ADC spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the police of being used to harass opposition figures while neglecting the insecurity ravaging communities.

He condemned the Kaduna police invitation and the reported attack on Malami’s convoy in Kebbi, calling them assaults not only on individuals but on democracy itself.

Abdullahi alleged that police officers failed to act while ADC members were attacked in Kaduna.

He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the police invitation to El-Rufai and his allies, the reopening of the ADC office in Kaduna, and the prosecution of those behind political violence in the state.

APC, Middle-Belt knock El-Rufai

But the All Progressives Congress said El-Rufai was not above the law and should honour the police summons.

The party’s National Secretary, Dr Ajibola Basiru, said, “That you are a politician does not give you immunity from criminal investigations. Even if he is charged, it is the court that will decide if he is guilty or innocent. It is wrong to dismiss every police invitation as a witch-hunt.”

Also, the Middle Belt Forum cautioned political parties against aligning with El-Rufai ahead of the 2027 elections, saying such alliances risked alienating voters in the region.

The MBF’s National Publicity Secretary, Luka Binniyat, accused the former governor of making “degrading and divisive” remarks against Southern Kaduna when he appeared on Channels TV.

He described El-Rufai as a “political virus,” warning that any coalition involving him could face massive voter rejection across the Middle Belt.

According to Binniyat, Southern Kaduna’s size, population, and cultural relevance make it strategically important, and any insult to the area is an attack on the wider Middle Belt.

The group alleged that El-Rufai has long had a “toxic relationship” with the region, adding that embracing him politically would mean courting rejection from millions of Middle Belt voters.

‘El-Rufai reaping what he sowed’

Reacting to the development, the Kaduna State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Friday accused Governor Uba Sani of using security agencies to persecute perceived political opponents.

The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Maria Dogo, described the invitation as a “clear case of political witch-hunt” targeted at those who refused to align with the governor’s camp.

“Although I don’t want to react to it, let me tell you, El-Rufai is only reaping what he sowed,” Dogo said.

“He robbed us of our mandate during the 2023 governorship election and handed it over to Governor Uba Sani. Look closely at the composition of those invited by the police; they are mostly people who left the All Progressives Congress. This is witch-hunting, plain and simple.”

The PDP spokeswoman accused Governor Sani of hiding behind security agencies to clamp down on political rivals.

Efforts to reach the Kaduna State Government for comments proved abortive as calls and messages sent to the governor’s spokesperson were not returned as of the time of filing this report.

However, a senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, dismissed the PDP’s claims as “baseless and self-serving,” insisting that the police were merely doing their job.

“Nobody is above the law. If the police have credible evidence against anyone, whether a former governor or not, they have the right to invite them for questioning. The PDP is only crying foul because it suits their political narrative.”

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Politics

Over 6.2 million Nigerians complete online voter pre-registration – INEC

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More than 6.2 million Nigerians completed their online pre-registration for the Continuous Voter Registration during week six of the exercise, according to data released by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday.

The figures, published on INEC’s official X handle and website, showed that a total of 6,232,673 pre-registrants were recorded between September 22 and 28, 2025.

Of this number, 3,250,338 were female, representing 52.15 percent, while 2,982,335 were male, accounting for 47.85 percent . Youths aged 18 to 34 continued to dominate the process, with 4,230,715 registering within the period. Students made up a significant portion with 1,565,824 entries, while persons with disabilities totaled 137,865.

INEC also reported that 1,004,132 Nigerians completed both online and physical registrations in Week five, covering the period from September 22 to 26, 2025.

This figure includes 537,743 who finalized their registration online and 466,389 who completed the process physically.

Demographic data for the completed registrations in week five showed that 555,077 were female (55.28 percent) and 449,055 were male (44.72 percent). Youths made up 742,379 of the total, while students were 354,406. The number of registered PWDs during the week stood at 13,987.

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Osun PDP, APC clash as FG releases LG allocations

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The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, on Sunday, confirmed that the Federal Government had released the withheld six-month allocations for the state’s local government areas.

The APC, however, denied that the funds were paid into the private accounts of council chairmen elected on the platform of the APC in October 2022.

It said the funds were paid “into the local government councils’ accounts.”

However, the ruling PDP, which said it was not aware of the payment, demanded that the APC disclose the details of the accounts the funds were paid into.

The PDP wondered how the Federal Government would release the funds into bank accounts unknown to the state’s accountant general, auditor-general for local governments and the ministry of local governments.

The clash between the two parties comes after the National Union of Local Government Employees accused the Federal Government of illegally releasing the withheld six-month allocation to the APC.

Speaking on behalf of the union on Sunday, NULGE Chairman, Dr Nathaniel Ogungbangbe,  said the union had confirmed that the Federal Government paid the March–August 2025 allocations into accounts illegally opened by the APC chairmen and councillors despite pending court cases.

He specifically accused the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; the Accountant-General of the Federation, Babatunde Ogunjimi; and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), of abusing their offices by facilitating the release.

“Today, we have it on good authority that these three principal officers of the Federal Government have released the Osun State Local Government Councils’ allocations for the month of March 2025 to August 2025 to the illegal bank accounts opened by court-sacked APC chairmen and councillors,” Ogungbangbe said.

“We find this development very scary and alarming.

Paying Local Government allocations into privately opened and illegal bank accounts of politicians is unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented in the history of public administration in Nigeria.”

Ogungbangbe recalled that a Federal High Court had on May 15, 2025, ordered parties to maintain the status quo, an order he said was acknowledged by the Central Bank of Nigeria, which initially withheld payment.

“The Attorney-General cannot assume the role of the Supreme Court by setting aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the sacking of the APC politicians by the Federal High Court. The Attorney-General is not above the law,” he declared.

He also accused the APC of trying to destabilise the state.

“Their ultimate goal is to cause anarchy and use it to call on the President to declare a State of Emergency in the state so that they could loot our resources,” he alleged, adding that council workers would not return to duty posts until the issue was resolved.

But the Osun APC dismissed the allegations, describing them as lies designed to favour the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, the APC said: “It is not true that the said federal allocations are paid into the account of any of our local government council chairmen or any of the APC members or chieftain but into the local government councils’ accounts.”

Olabisi further argued that NULGE had no authority to interpret court rulings.

“We want to, as a party which believes in the rule of law, make it abundantly clear that it is not the duty of the NULGE to interpret any court judgment. The Court of Appeal judgement of the 10th of February, 2025, which reinstated the APC local government council chairmen and their councillors, is still in force as there is no record anywhere that it was appealed against.”

He accused the NULGE leadership of pursuing selfish interests and acting as an appendage of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

“The NULGE needs not weave up a series of lies in respect of the payment of the federal allocations… The sing-song of the NULGE before now was that some agencies of the Federal Government were withholding the accumulated federal allocations. Now that the logjam has been laid to rest, what would be their next excuse?” he asked.

The party also urged security agencies to remain on alert.

“We plead with the NULGE to shun brigandage, as Osun, being a subset of the country, is being governed by the rule of law,” the statement read.

Reacting to the revelation and the admission by the APC, Osun PDP called on the APC to disclose the accounts into which the allocations were paid and the signatories of the accounts.

In a statement on Sunday by its Chairman,  Sunday Bisi, the PDP described the release of funds to the APC as a crime against the people of Osun State.

The PDP said rather than attacking NULGE, the APC should “come clean before the people of Osun State by publicly disclosing the exact bank accounts into which the local government allocations were paid and the signatories to those accounts. The APC should also disclose the amount in each of the accounts.”

The PDP said, “We demand these details because all the statutory officers of all the 30 local governments who should be aware of the payment are not aware of it. These officers manage all the accounts of the local governments. They have not seen a dime in any of their local government accounts. Also, none of the state accountant general, the auditor-general for local governments and the ministry of local governments is aware of the payments or where they were paid into.

“The Osun PDP wishes to remind the APC that hurling insults at labour unions cannot change the reality that the people of Osun are demanding answers. The questions are simple: into which accounts were the allocations paid, and who are the signatories?”

The PDP said the APC must urgently provide answers, “or we will conclude that the APC and its leaders have staged the greatest heist in the history of Nigeria by diverting over six months of allocations of all local governments in Osun State.”

“The PDP assures the people of Osun State that under Governor Ademola Adeleke, transparency and accountability will continue to be the guiding principles in the management of public funds. No amount of intimidation or blackmail by the APC will derail this resolve,” Bisi added.

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Adamawa ADC gives Atiku ultimatum to pick membership card

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The African Democratic Congress has issued an ultimatum to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and other prominent figures in the party to register at their respective wards before the end of the year or risk losing recognition as members.

Speaking exclusively to The PUNCH in Yola, the Adamawa State Chairman of the ADC, Shehu Yohanna, said the party had unveiled its membership register, stressing that only those with valid membership cards would be acknowledged.

“Atiku Abubakar should go to his ward in Jada Local Government and register, Babachir should go to his ward in Hong Local Government and register. That is the only way they can be treated as legitimate members of the party,” Yohanna said.

“You cannot be taking decisions for a party you are not constitutionally a member of. All of you should register for the greatness of our party.

“It is illegal for someone to hold a leadership position in the party at the national level without being a registered member. That makes a caricature of the party,” he declared.

Last Thursday, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, reaffirmed the caucus’ resolution that all coalition members resign from their current parties and register fully with the ADC—a directive dismissed as inconsequential by both the APC and PDP.

Atiku’s much-publicised membership registration, initially scheduled for August in his hometown of Jada, was suspended indefinitely last month without explanation.

The PUNCH gathered that the former Vice President is weighing his chances of clinching the ADC’s presidential ticket, particularly in light of the growing influence of Peter Obi’s political movement within the party.

Yohanna dismissed the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party as incapable of defeating the ADC in the 2027 general elections.

He added that the ADC boasts politically influential figures and is prepared to wrest power from the APC administration.

“The unfriendly policies of the present government have paved the way for our party to take over and reposition the country for authentic democracy,” he said.

On the reported crisis in the party’s Adamawa chapter, Yohanna maintained that he remained the legitimate chairman.

“My tenure expires in 2026 based on the constitution of the party, so nobody can remove me from office. The ADC is not the estate of anyone; it is a political party registered by former President Olusegun Obasanjo,” he said.

He further claimed that the credentials of ADC governorship aspirants are among the best in Adamawa and indeed across Nigeria.

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