Politics

Atiku Considers Makinde, Ihedioha, Akobundu As Running Mates

Published

3 months ago

June 7, 2026

Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, is said to be weighing his options ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the candidacy of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, a pending court case involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the possible entry of former President Goodluck Jonathan identified as major concerns.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the ADC, is reportedly viewing the 2027 poll as his best chance yet to win the presidency after several previous attempts.

Sources in his camp who spoke with New Telegraph said President Bola Tinubu was not considered the biggest obstacle on Atiku’s political chessboard, arguing that the North may not give the President the level of support he enjoyed in 2023.

Sources said Atiku’s camp was still unhappy over Obi’s exit from the ADC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where he later picked Kwankwaso as running mate.

According to the sources, Atiku’s strategists believed an Atiku/Obi ticket would have given the opposition a stronger chance against Tinubu.

An Atiku ally said, “The truth is that Obi’s exit pained Atiku. It shattered all plans. Anybody in ADC that tells you Obi’s exit with Kwankwaso did not pain him is telling you a lie.

“Till date, it still pains because with an Atiku/Obi ticket, there is no doubt that there would surely be a new government on May 29, 2027. But as it is, the situation is what it is. We have to go with alternative plans.”

Atiku’s Considers Running Mate Options

It was gathered that Atiku is now considering other options for the vice-presidential slot.

Those reportedly under consideration include former Imo State governor and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; and former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Austin Akobundu.

Makinde has already picked the presidential ticket of the Allied Peoples Movement, raising questions over whether the Electoral Act would allow him to move to the ADC.

“Makinde is being considered in line with the Ibadan declaration, where all the opposition parties agreed to field a single presidential candidate,” an Atiku aide said.

Pressure Mounts On Bala

Another concern for Atiku’s camp is the court case filed by Nafiu Bala against the ADC leadership.

Sources said some Northern groups and personalities were pressuring Bala to abandon the case so he would not be seen as working against what they described as a Northern agenda.

It was learnt that Bala had been told that an Atiku or opposition victory over Tinubu should override other considerations.

The report also claimed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had preferred an Obi/Kwankwaso ticket as the opposition’s unity ticket against Tinubu.

However, some ADC leaders reportedly opposed zoning and insisted that the party should back the strongest candidate, regardless of region.

A party chieftain said, “We were aware that Obasanjo wanted Obi/Kwankwaso as the opposition’s unity candidate, but some people believed that Obi would honour his pact with Atiku. We never expected that he would leave for the NDC.”

‘Obi/Kwankwaso Ticket Worries Us’

Some ADC leaders said Obi’s alliance with Kwankwaso remained a major concern because of the uncertainty around how much influence the former Kano governor could command beyond Kano in 2027.

A top ADC chieftain said the possible entry of Jonathan into the race could also alter calculations.

The chieftain said, “No two cycles of elections are the same! That is why we are worried about the Obi/Kwankwaso ticket. In 2023, Kwankwaso’s influence was limited to Kano.

“But in 2027, you don’t know what the voters would do. We don’t know how far Kwankwaso can penetrate the North. Also, don’t forget Jonathan. If he enters the race, the equation would change completely.

“That is because his doing just four years is certain. That would cause another problem. But if he doesn’t run, then our main headache is Obi. Tinubu can’t get Northern votes like in 2023.”

Sources said Atiku is banking on block votes from the North, a strong showing in the South-South and a competitive battle with Tinubu and Obi in Lagos.

The ADC camp is also hoping that Osun, which Atiku won in 2023, could remain favourable because of the influence of ADC National Secretary and former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola.

An Atiku aide dismissed the presidential candidacy of former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke, on the platform of the Peoples Redemption Party, saying he was not a major factor.

The aide said, “The South-South doesn’t play opposition politics. They are perhaps, the most sophisticated voters in Nigeria. They don’t waste votes. They will vote for either Tinubu or anybody they feel is going to win. Donald Duke is not in our calculation.

“Our problem is Obi and Tinubu. We are looking at winning the South-South. Of course, we know Obi will take the South East, but we can divide his votes there. We know it is difficult. But we can get some votes there and win some South-West states with the right calculation.”

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Politics

ADC demands probe, autopsies over deaths of 37 illegal miners

Published

1 day ago

September 18, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The African Democratic Congress has demanded an immediate, independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 Nigerians in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Friday, the party called for independent autopsies, the publication of the victims’ identities and detention records, compensation for their families, and the prosecution of officials found responsible for the deaths.

Thirty-seven suspected illegal miners arrested in M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto villages in Niger State on Thursday died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Suberu Aniviye, in a statement said that the suspects were arrested during operations conducted on September 15 and 16.

Reacting, the ADC said the victims’ arrest during raids on mining sites did not extinguish their constitutional rights to life, dignity and due process, insisting that poverty, unemployment or allegations of illegal mining should not result in the loss of citizens’ lives.

The party stated, “Thirty-seven Nigerians entered government custody alive. Their families are now being asked to receive their bodies. This is an indictment of this government about the value of the average Nigerian life. Low-income Nigerians are not disposable, and no Nigerian should lose his or her life simply because they were arrested while struggling to survive.

“We must be clear: poverty is not a capital offence. Unemployment is not a death sentence. No accusation, whatever the case, gives any government institution the right to return citizens to their families in body bags.

“The incident cannot be separated from the worsening cost-of-living and unemployment crises that have pushed millions of Nigerians into desperate and dangerous means of survival.

“The same APC-led federal government that has failed to provide jobs is now criminalising the desperation created by its own policies. Food is unaffordable, transportation has become a luxury, businesses are closing and legitimate opportunities are disappearing. Yet, rather than confront these failures, the government continues to punish the victims of its failures.”

The ADC also alleged that the government targets poor miners for arrest while failing to identify and prosecute influential individuals and criminal networks involved in illegal mining.

It continued, “The poor are arrested for digging to survive, while the powerful men who finance illegal mining, sponsor insecurity and cart away Nigeria’s mineral wealth remain beyond the reach of the law. The Tinubu administration has made honest work scarce, survival expensive and insecurity profitable.

“President Tinubu must decide whether Nigeria’s security institutions exist to protect citizens or punish them for being poor. Nigerians need jobs, security and justice, not an economy that impoverishes them and institutions that treat their lives as disposable.”

Source: punchng.com

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Politics

SDP pledges to rebuild, transform Nigeria if elected in 2027

Published

1 day ago

September 18, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Social Democratic Party has promised to liberate and rebuild Nigeria from its current socio-economic and insecurity challenges if elected in the 2027 general elections.

The National Chairman of the SDP, Prof Sadiq Gombe, made the pledge on Friday while receiving a delegation of the Confederation of West Africa Youth at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Gombe, represented by the party’s Deputy National Chairman, Senator Ugochukwu Uba, said the party’s ideology is anchored in Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution, particularly the welfare and security of Nigerians.

He said the growing interest of young Nigerians in the SDP indicated that the party’s message was gaining traction, adding that Nigeria had reached a point where it needed to be rebuilt.

“The SDP is a party that has its ideology threaded. This ideology is based on Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which talks about provision for the welfare and security of Nigerians. That is what guides the policies of this party.

“So I find it interesting that many Nigerian youths are taking interest in the party. It means that the message we are sending is getting through to the people. This country has derailed to a situation where we need to rebuild. And if you look at our message and the manifesto that was presented to the public last week, you will see a comprehensive programme for the transformation of this country.

“We cannot continue drifting. The SDP wants to put this country back on track. Fortunately, we have a presidential candidate who knows his onions, determined, young and ready to turn things around. So, we want to do something different that will lead to the liberation of this country if we come to power.”

Also speaking, the SDP presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, urged members and supporters of the party to concentrate on grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.

Adebayo said political influence was ultimately determined at the community level, stressing that national visibility or eloquence would not translate into votes without effective engagement with voters at the polling-unit level.

He said, “Politics is done in the neighbourhoods. We have 176,846 polling units across the country. Any amount of command of English you have that does not convince your neighbour about how they are going to vote is wasted.

“Any influence you have from Timbuktu to Accra that cannot influence how people vote in the community where you come from, that influence is academic. So we must go back.

“Politics is not a game of the mouth. It’s a game of the heart because the burden of politics is not easy. It is the love of your country and the vision of the future that will make you last long in politics.”

The Regional President of the Confederation of West Africa Youth, Israel Akinola, who spoke during the visit, said Nigerians needed to pursue a new political direction ahead of the 2027 elections.

Akinola said public and private sector stakeholders must work together through public-private partnerships to drive development.

He also criticised the tendency of Nigerians to celebrate governments for providing basic services, which he described as citizens’ fundamental rights.

Source: punchng.com

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Politics

Toyin Abraham distances self from Lagos APC campaign council ahead of 2027 elections, see why

Published

1 day ago

September 18, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Actress Toyin Abraham has rejected her inclusion in the Lagos State All Progressives Congress Campaign Council, saying she is “staying out of politics” and asking the public to disregard her reported membership of the council.

Abraham was listed as a member of the Entertainment and Creative Economy Directorate of the campaign council unveiled by the Lagos APC on Thursday ahead of the 2027 elections. She was listed alongside actors Jide Kosoko, Eniola Badmus, Bimbo Akintola, Adebayo Salami, Saheed Balogun and Bukky Wright, as well as Fuji musicians including Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, Obesere and Adewale Ayuba.

However, reacting to the list in an Instagram Story on Thursday, Abraham said she had not joined any campaign council and had recently made her position clear.

“I’m not a member of any campaign council. I have said it recently. I am staying out of politics. Please disregard the supposed inclusion of my name in any campaign committee,” she wrote.

The development comes three years after Abraham’s public support for President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election triggered sustained criticism and personal attacks against her on social media.

In March 2023, the actress spoke about the backlash during a Twitter Space, saying some supporters of Peter Obi had petitioned Netflix to remove her films from its platform and had also targeted brands associated with her. She shared screenshots of messages urging Checkers Custard to drop her as an ambassador and described receiving daily curses and insults directed at her, her husband, Kolawole Ajeyemi, and their son.

The controversy resurfaced repeatedly after the election, with Abraham continuing to face criticism over her political choice. PUNCH reported in July 2024 that social media users continued to lambast the actress, while the situation escalated after she took action against individuals she said had made derogatory and defamatory comments about her and her family.

One of the incidents involved an X user identified as Big Ayo, who had made a post accusing Abraham of using money allegedly linked to Tinubu to pay for a hair transplant for her husband. Abraham denied the allegation and reported the matter to the cybercrime authorities.

She later clarified that she had not caused the arrest of the man’s mother, as had been alleged online, but had filed a petition over what she described as cyberbullying and defamatory content.

Big Ayo was subsequently released from police custody amid an online campaign and pleas calling for his release.

The arrest and its aftermath triggered another wave of criticism against Abraham. Some social media users threatened to report her films to streaming platforms, while others circulated messages urging Netflix to remove her movies.

Amid the controversy, Abraham made an emotional Instagram Live appearance in July 2024 in which she described the sustained online attacks and said she had been pushed to the limit.

“I want to die,” she said during the broadcast, while also saying that her child had been cursed and that she had been subjected to prolonged bullying and defamation. PUNCH reported that she said she had only exercised her rights as a citizen by filing a petition with the cybercrime department.

In another statement during the same period, Abraham said she could tolerate insults directed at her but would not accept attacks involving her children.

The actress’s latest decision to distance herself from political campaigning therefore follows a history of controversy surrounding her political involvement, particularly after her support for Tinubu in 2023.

The Lagos APC campaign council, meanwhile, lists Toke Benson-Awoyinka as Director of the Entertainment and Creative Economy Directorate, with Kosoko as Co-Director and Badmus as Deputy Director. Abraham remains listed as a member of the 33-person directorate in the published council document despite her public rejection of the reported appointment.

Source: punchng.com

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