A former Special Adviser on Political Matters to Vice President Kashim Shettima, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has advised former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to exercise restraint, saying his confrontational approach is worsening his legal and political challenges.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Baba-Ahmed said El-Rufai’s current posture reflects a reluctance to adopt caution at a time when prudence is required.

“Unfortunately, Mallam Nasiru, by character, is a very difficult person to advise,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed argued that the former governor should concentrate on responding to corruption allegations linked to his administration in Kaduna State rather than broadening his disputes.

“This is a government that takes no prisoners. They are alleging that while he was in office, he embezzled money and stole money,” he stated.

He warned that escalating confrontations could compound the situation.

“When you find yourself in a ditch, stop digging. The first rule of being in a ditch is to stop digging,” Baba-Ahmed said, adding that recent developments have only intensified hostility against El-Rufai.

He listed multiple issues confronting the former governor, including allegations concerning the management of Kaduna State funds, comments made on live television about involvement in bugging the phone of National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and a letter alleging that the Office of the National Security Adviser was in custody of a toxic substance.

“How far do you want to go in this?” he queried.

Baba-Ahmed also examined the matter from a broader political angle, noting that El-Rufai’s role in the African Democratic Congress would be more effective if he were not weighed down by legal and security disputes.

“You’re a very prominent member of the ADC. You are more useful to the ADC as a free man, not encumbered by a lot of allegations and fights,” he said.

He urged the former governor to limit further damage by focusing on clearing his name over allegations of financial misconduct.

The remarks come amid growing controversies surrounding El-Rufai. Beyond the corruption allegations tied to his tenure, he recently acknowledged accessing an intercepted telephone conversation involving Ribadu, admitting the action was unlawful while claiming that such practices are common within government circles.

The situation escalated after he wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser seeking clarification over reports of the alleged procurement of about 10 kilogrammes of thallium sulphate, a toxic substance.

Tensions heightened further following reports of an attempted arrest by security operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport upon his return from Cairo, fuelling perceptions of a deepening standoff between the former governor and elements within the security establishment.

Earlier, on January 30, El-Rufai had publicly called on Ribadu to clarify the reports concerning the alleged procurement of thallium sulphate by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

But Baba-Ahmed maintained that the pattern of events suggests escalation rather than resolution.

“If you put all these things together, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai seems to have ignored that proverb: if you’re in a ditch, stop digging,” he said.

Fresh cracks have surfaced within the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as rival factions loyal to Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, conducted parallel ward and local government congresses across the state’s 276 wards.

The development underscores a deepening leadership tussle that has dogged the party since the inception of the current administration.

What initially appeared as routine post-election disagreements has gradually snowballed into a full-blown struggle for control of party structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

At the centre of the dispute is the frosty relationship between Governor Alia and his estranged political benefactor, Akume.

Their strained ties have polarized party stakeholders from the state executive down to the grassroots, resulting in two distinct blocs laying claim to legitimacy.

One faction, loyal to the SGF and led by Comrade Austin Agada, insists it remains the authentic leadership of the party in the state.

The other group, aligned with the governor and coordinated through the party’s national secretariat with Chief Benjamin Omale playing a key role, maintains it is acting in accordance with directives from Abuja.

Both camps issued separate notices announcing the commencement of ward and local government congresses.

The Omale-led faction said committees deployed by the APC national secretariat had arrived in Makurdi to supervise the exercise, inviting aspirants to submit nomination and expression of interest forms at the party secretariat.

Conversely, the Agada faction declared its own congress timetable, describing the process as non-elective and in line with resolutions of the party’s National Executive Committee.

It maintained that its exercise was being monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the designated ward congress committee.

Security presence was visibly heightened at the party secretariat in Makurdi as sensitive materials were distributed to representatives ahead of the exercises.

Each side projected confidence in the legitimacy of its actions, further entrenching the parallel structures.

INEC, however, appeared to distance itself from the factional claims.

An official of the commission noted that it was working with the committee recognized by the party’s national secretariat and was unaware of any officially sanctioned parallel arrangement.

Political observers warn that ward congresses are foundational to party stability because they shape grassroots leadership and determine the composition of delegates for higher-level primaries.

The emergence of parallel structures at this level signals an intense struggle for control of the party machinery in Benue.

The rift between Alia and Akume reportedly dates back to early decisions of the administration, including key appointments and leadership selections in the State Assembly.

Subsequent events — including disputes over party secretariat control, suspension of lawmakers, and allegations of executive interference in legislative matters — have only widened the gulf.

Despite court rulings reportedly favouring the SGF’s faction in the dispute over the party secretariat, tensions remain unresolved.

Interventions by traditional and national leaders have so far failed to produce lasting peace.
With both camps pressing ahead with separate congresses, concerns are mounting among party faithful that the crisis could spiral into prolonged legal battles and weaken the APC’s cohesion in Benue State.

For now, the ruling party appears locked in a contest for supremacy, as stakeholders await decisive intervention from the national leadership to prevent further fragmentation.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted reports suggesting that results of the February 21, 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections will be transmitted in real time, describing such claims as a misrepresentation of its established procedures.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the commission clarified that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, was misquoted during his recent visit to polling preparation centres in Kuje, Gwagwalada, and Bwari Area Councils.

According to INEC, the chairman did not use the term “real-time” while explaining the commission’s result transmission process.

INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, explained that while the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is equipped to upload and transmit election results electronically, such transmission occurs only after voting has concluded, results have been counted, and official forms have been signed by party agents at the polling units.

He stressed that the electronic upload of scanned polling unit results—Form EC8A—to the INEC Result Viewing Portal follows due process and is not carried out simultaneously with voting.

“Since 2022, INEC has been transmitting results electronically using BVAS. The system accredits voters and is capable of uploading and transmitting results. However, the upload takes place after the completion of voting, counting, and documentation at the polling unit,” the statement noted.

The commission maintained that describing the process as “real-time” could mislead the public into believing that votes are streamed live as they are cast, which is not provided for under Nigeria’s electoral laws and guidelines.

INEC cautioned media organisations to exercise precision when reporting technical aspects of election procedures, warning that inaccurate descriptions could fuel confusion and unnecessary public anxiety.

Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and technology-driven elections, the commission assured residents of the FCT that appropriate measures remain in place to guarantee credible polls, while urging journalists to support the process with accurate and responsible coverage.

By Francis Ede

It was Socrates who once said that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” as reported by Plato in his Apology. And our own immutable Chinua Achebe in his Anthills of the Savannah, published in 1988, did contend that “has any of the herd of 2,000 pigs that Jesus reportedly exorcised the demons from, spared a single moment to argue among themselves, perhaps some of them would have lived instead of drowning in the Sea of Galilee.”

But suffice it to say here that 2023 was not the first time the opposition girded their loins against the incumbent government in Enugu State, but by far the most impact was made in 2023 in terms of winning elections.

However, 2003 was by far the most dangerous, and it took a heavy toll on participants, particularly on the opposition side, and Hon. Chijioke Edeoga was at the forefront of that struggle.

As it were, by early 2000 or thereabouts, as many as 16 of the 24 members of the Enugu State House of Assembly had signed impeachment papers against the incumbent Governor of Enugu State then, His Excellency Chimaroke Nnamani, and all the members of the National Assembly from the state—House of Reps and Senate inclusive—were in support of that daring move, except Sen. Fidelis Okoro, representing Enugu North Senatorial Zone at the time.

Almost the entire hierarchy of the Catholic Church and its teeming members were in support, with the fiery Fr. Ejike Mbaka—whose Adoration Ground at GTC was later attacked—leading that crusade of sorts to remove then-Governor Chimaroke Nnamani while his tenure was still in its infancy.

I remember very clearly, Sir, that you were coordinating the efforts of members of the National Assembly from Enugu State at that time to give vent to that mass action to unseat Chimaroke Nnamani for his high-handedness and other sundry allegations against him.

And for the first time in a long while, all the Nwodos and Jim Nwobodo were in one accord in that noble but dangerous enterprise that ultimately failed woefully.

Then came the election of delegates at the PDP State Congress. While the government party structure was organizing their own separate Congress at Hotel Presidential, Enugu, under Governor Chimaroke Nnamani’s supervision, we, the opposition, had our venue at Filbon Hotel at Upper Chime Avenue, New Heaven, Enugu.

On your way to our venue, you were not only abducted but put into the boot of a 504 Salon Car—as huge as your frame is—and taken to an unknown destination.

I was the one who made a formal complaint at New Heaven Police Station. And in fairness to Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, when he heard it—or pretended to have heard it—he ordered that you be released.

He also came to your residence at Onoh Quarters, GRA, that night to apologize to you. Even the Senate President, Chuba Okadigbo, made a press release from London, where he traveled on official duties, and BBC carried it as breaking news.

Your friend, the late Chijiama Ogbu, was their reporter in Nigeria at that time.

At the turn of the 2003 election proper, and aligning himself with then-President Obasanjo on all state and party matters, all the 16 members of the Enugu State House of Assembly were sacked; all the members of the National Assembly, House of Reps and Senate inclusive, were sacked—except Sen. Fidelis Okoro of Enugu North Senatorial Zone, who refused to lift a finger against Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani from the onset.

That was how the likes of Barr. Ike Ekweremadu went to the Senate, and even Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as he then was, got himself a ticket to the House of Reps and remained there for three terms.

A long time before that was the Local Government Election in Enugu State that preceded the 1999 general election, which ended in a stalemate in Isi-Uzo LGA between Hon. Chijioke Edeoga of Alliance For Democrats (AD) and Hon. Osita Ogene of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the result was declared inconclusive by INEC, the electoral authority that conducted Local Government Elections nationwide at the time.

Notably, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga was pronounced by the returning officer, a certain Mr. Ogbonna from Obollo-Eke, to have won that first ballot by gaining the highest number of votes cast, but he did not make the required spread in the 11 Wards of Isi-Uzo LGA.

Significantly too, he entered AD within two weeks of the said election; his name had been removed from the INEC list of PDP candidates by former Governor Jim Nwobodo, using his closeness to Chief Solomon Lar, the then National Chairman of PDP.

It was on the morning of the scheduled rerun election, when all the forces had been assembled for action and counteraction, that Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, who led the PDP election task force to Isi-Uzo, persuaded Hon. Chijioke Edeoga to withdraw from the election, come back to PDP, and take the House of Representatives ticket. And the rest is now history, as the saying goes.

So, when some people come here purporting to teach us the terms and conditions of playing opposition politics in Enugu State and Nigeria as a whole, I wouldn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. But sometimes, I laughed so hard that I shed tears.

Those who are aghast that Hon. Chijioke Edeoga left the Labour Party for PDP, and have continuously mouthed the mantra of “betrayal” and “Obi wave” as being responsible for the mercurial success of Labour Party in the 2023 election in Enugu State, should willingly and gracefully take up the mantle of leadership amongst themselves.

Let one person in their fold—even from their rank in the Senate—take up the challenge, or more appropriately, the task of riding the next Obi wave to win the 2027 Governorship Election in the State against His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah, since Peter Obi, the magician they know and applaud, is still in the race for the 2027 Presidential Election in Nigeria.

Why begrudge and demonize Hon. Chijioke Edeoga for exercising his fundamental right of freedom of association?

And why crucify him for taking a political decision that is entirely his to take?

Is there no anointed head left among the remnants of the Labour Party, Enugu State, or more appropriately, the Obidient Movement, Enugu State, who can swiftly take the Governorship ticket of whatever party Mr. Peter Obi might finally anchor his aspiration upon, since Labour Party is no longer an assured platform to challenge Governor Peter Mbah in the race to the Lion Building by 2027?

Must it always be Hon. Chijioke Edeoga at the barricade?

Truth is, all those making all manner of propaganda against Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, while denying his role in helping them win the various elective offices they secured through the Labour Party platform in Enugu State, will soon recant.

Has Hon. Chijioke Edeoga not been shouting it like a prophet of old: “Come into the Lord’s house, it is going to rain”?

And what a heavy downpour it is, by the look of things to come.

Truth again is that they will soon realize the paralysis that comes from discarding too quickly the ladder one has used to climb to the top.

And like a shadow that laughs in the dark, it will become manifest that they have been riding for a fall. For being at the top is one thing; the ability and grace to stay at the top is another.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended its Enugu State chapter for what it described as peaceful, transparent and credible ward congresses conducted across the 260 political wards in the state.

Chairman of the APC Ward and Local Government Congresses Committee for Enugu State, Hon. Solomon Funkekeme, gave the commendation on Thursday in Enugu, expressing satisfaction with the overall conduct of party members during Wednesday’s exercise.

Funkekeme said the congresses were orderly and in strict compliance with the party’s constitution and guidelines.

He noted that the monitoring team, acting on the directive of the party’s national leadership, engaged stakeholders and supervised activities in several wards across the state.

According to him, the exercise reflected unity within the party, describing the Enugu APC as a cohesive family under the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah, who emerged as leader of the party in the state in October 2025.

He stated that the committee was impressed by the conduct of party faithful and leaders, adding that there were no reports of major disputes or irregularities.

Funkekeme also praised the level of inclusivity demonstrated during the congresses, noting that positions reserved for women were duly filled in line with gender mainstreaming principles.

He added that provisions for persons living with disabilities were equally respected, underscoring the party’s commitment to inclusiveness.

He expressed confidence that the forthcoming local government congresses scheduled to hold across the 17 local government areas of the state would be conducted in the same peaceful and credible manner.

In his remarks, the Secretary of the Enugu APC Caretaker Committee, Hon. Eugene Odoh, appreciated the national panel for its oversight role and commitment to ensuring transparency and orderliness throughout the ward congress process.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidate for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Zadna Dantani, has withdrawn from the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and declared support for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a letter dated February 18 and addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dantani said his decision followed consultations with family members and political stakeholders.

He described the move as voluntary and taken after careful consideration.

Dantani subsequently called on his supporters to back the APC candidate and incumbent AMAC chairman, Christopher Maikalangu, in Saturday’s poll.

In a video message, he also thanked the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for what he termed guidance and intervention.

His withdrawal comes barely 24 hours after the PDP chairmanship candidate in Bwari Area Council, Julius Adamu, stepped down from the race and endorsed the APC candidate, Joshua Musa.

Adamu had similarly cited consultations before announcing his decision.

With Dantani’s exit, two prominent PDP chairmanship candidates have now pulled out of the contest in quick succession, signalling a shift in the political landscape ahead of the elections.

The 2026 FCT Area Council elections are scheduled for Saturday, February 21.

The exercise, conducted directly by INEC, will see voters across the six area councils — Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali — elect six chairmen and 62 councillors across 68 constituencies.

INEC has announced that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed in all polling units, with results to be transmitted electronically to its Result Viewing Portal.

Security agencies have also confirmed widespread deployment of personnel, while movement restrictions are expected between 6am and 6pm on election day.

Campaigns officially ended at midnight on February 19, two days before voters head to the polls.