The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 general election, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has called for the revival of the long-standing political alliance between Northern Nigeria and the South-East, saying both regions have a history of working together for national progress.

Kwankwaso made the call during an interview with BBC Igbo, where he stressed the need for forgiveness, reconciliation and unity among Nigerians, irrespective of past political or historical differences.

According to him, the country’s political history demonstrates that leaders from different regions once built strong partnerships that promoted national cohesion.

“We have to forgive ourselves and work together as one family. The South-East has always been our ally and our friend over the years,” he said.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s political evolution, Kwankwaso recalled that the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), led by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, forged a formidable alliance during the First Republic.

He also referenced the Second Republic, noting that President Shehu Shagari and the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) embraced leaders from the South-East, culminating in the emergence of the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme as Nigeria’s Vice President.

Kwankwaso said the decision to integrate the South-East into national leadership after the Civil War reflected the foresight of Nigeria’s founding political leaders.

“The Civil War ended in 1970, and when democracy returned in 1979, our leaders made it clear that the people of the South-East were not enemies but partners in nation-building. That spirit produced leaders like Alex Ekwueme as Vice President,” he stated.

The former Kano State governor described the late Ekwueme as a dependable friend of the North and recalled attending his burial in Oko, Anambra State, as a mark of respect.

He further cited the return of the late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, from exile as another demonstration of reconciliation by Northern political leaders, who encouraged him to return home and participate in Nigeria’s democratic process.

According to Kwankwaso, genuine nation-building requires forgiveness rather than perpetual division.

“We cannot continue to live in one country and keep fighting one another. Whoever may have offended the other, we must embrace the spirit of forgiveness and move forward together,” he said.

He clarified that strengthening political cooperation with the South-East should not be misconstrued as opposition to any other region of the country.

Kwankwaso maintained that no region, religion or ethnic group can successfully pursue national politics in isolation, insisting that inclusive partnerships remain the foundation of Nigeria’s democracy.

Three political parties failed to submit the names of their presidential and vice-presidential candidates before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) closed its candidate nomination portal for the 2027 general election.

A senior INEC official disclosed that the affected parties are the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Nyesom Wike, and the Labour Party (LP) faction led by Nenadi Usman.

According to the official, nearly all registered political parties successfully completed the nomination process before the portal closed at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, following an extension granted by the commission.

INEC had extended the deadline after appeals from political parties, maintaining that no further extension would be considered.

The commission is now expected to begin processing submitted nominations in line with the Electoral Act and its guidelines.

Among the parties that met the deadline are the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which retained President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima as its presidential ticket, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which nominated Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), which submitted the names of Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

However, INEC sources indicated that some political parties uploaded only the names of their presidential candidates without naming running mates.

The nomination exercise also exposed uncertainty in some states, particularly Benue, Kwara and Nasarawa, where disagreements reportedly persisted over the identities of National Assembly candidates eventually uploaded to the commission’s portal.

Meanwhile, concerns have continued to trail the candidature of the ADC following a Court of Appeal judgment restraining INEC from recognising state congresses conducted by the David Mark-led leadership of the party.

Despite the ruling, checks on the INEC portal showed that David Mark remains listed as the party’s National Chairman, while Rauf Aregbesola is still recognised as National Secretary, indicating that no changes have yet been effected by the electoral commission.

The ADC also called for the arrest and prosecution of Nafiu Bala Gombe over claims that he obtained the party’s INEC access code and uploaded candidates.

The party described the documents circulated by Gombe as forged and welcomed INEC’s clarification dismissing the claims as false.

Similarly, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) confirmed that it successfully uploaded the names of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, after obtaining access to the commission’s nomination portal.

The party’s National Leader, Henry Seriake Dickson, said the development followed the filing of an appeal and an application for a stay of execution over a recent court ruling affecting the party.

In another development, the factional PDP led by Abdulrahman Mohammed Takushara also announced that it had successfully submitted its presidential, vice-presidential and National Assembly candidates to the INEC portal, despite reports that another PDP faction had failed to complete the process before the deadline.

Meanwhile, the fate of Accord Party presidential aspirant Gbenga Hashim remains uncertain as a Federal High Court adjourned his suit against the party and INEC until Wednesday.

Hashim is asking the court to declare him the party’s lawful presidential candidate for the 2027 election or, alternatively, order a fresh primary if the relief is not granted.

As of the time of filing the report, it remained unclear whether his name had been uploaded to the INEC portal because of the pending litigation.

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has indicated that the 2027 general election could mark his final attempt at becoming Nigeria’s president.

Obi said the likelihood of seeking the presidency again after 2027 is “very slim,” citing the country’s informal power-sharing arrangement that rotates the office of the president between the North and the South.

The former Anambra State governor made the disclosure during an interview with media personality Rufai Oseni.

Responding to a question on whether he would contest again if unsuccessful in 2027, Obi said his decision would depend on the outcome of the election and the region expected to produce the next president.

“For me, it depends on what happens. I don’t want to say it because people might think that I’m saying it because of some people,” he said.

Obi explained that if the presidency returns to the North in 2031 in line with the zoning principle, he would be 78 years old by the time it is expected to rotate back to the South, making another presidential bid unlikely.

“I said because if I don’t run now, by the next time it comes, believing in the zoning formula, it will go to the North.

“If it goes North in 2031, by the time it comes again to the South, I will be 78 years old, and I don’t think I would be doing this at that age,” he stated.

However, Obi did not completely rule out another presidential contest, saying he could reconsider if the presidency remains in the South beyond 2027.

“If it’s still in the South in the next election, maybe, but the probability is very slim. I don’t know until after the outcome of the 2027 election,” he added.

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested self-proclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, in Osun State, hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

Adeyemi was apprehended on Tuesday by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and is expected to be transferred to Abuja to face criminal charges.

Confirming the arrest, the spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, SP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the operation was carried out by the Intelligence Response Team from Abuja.

“Yes, it is confirmed. The Intelligence Response Team from Abuja arrested him here in Osun,” Ojelabi said.

The arrest followed an order by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, after Adeyemi failed to appear in court for his scheduled arraignment on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.

The bench warrant was issued after the prosecution, led by the Nigeria Police Force, informed the court that the defendant was absent without lawful justification.

Justice Umar rejected the explanation by Adeyemi’s counsel that his client stayed away because he feared for his safety, ruling that the defendant must be compelled to appear before the court to answer the charges against him.

The case was subsequently adjourned until September 30, 2026, for arraignment.

Adeyemi’s arrest came barely 24 hours after he denied reports that he was evading law enforcement authorities.

During an interview on Channels Television on Monday, he insisted he was not in hiding but claimed his life was under threat.

He also reiterated his allegation that he paid ₦400 million through an intermediary to secure his appointment as Director-General of the controversial council and called for an independent investigation into the matter.

The Nigeria Police accused Adeyemi of forging official government documents, including a purported presidential appointment letter allegedly signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Investigators further alleged that he falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, an organisation the Presidency has repeatedly stated does not exist, and operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja.

If found guilty, Adeyemi faces up to 21 years’ imprisonment on the forgery-related charges without the option of a fine, while the impersonation charge carries a maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment or a fine.

The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately remove the names of Senator David Mark and members of his National Working Committee (NWC) from the Commission’s official portal, following a Court of Appeal judgment.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Bala Gombe said the court judgment had withdrawn recognition from the David Mark-led National Working Committee and invalidated all decisions, resolutions, and actions taken by the committee.

According to him, INEC should comply with the court’s directive by recognizing and uploading only the names of what he described as the legitimate National Working Committee of the party under his leadership.

The ADC chairman also cautioned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar against presenting himself as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

He maintained that Atiku is neither a member nor the presidential candidate of the ADC, insisting that any claim to that effect amounts to misinformation capable of misleading the public.

Bala Gombe further warned the former vice president to stop using the party’s name, logo, and emblem in connection with what he described as unauthorized political activities.

He issued Atiku a seven-day ultimatum to publicly apologize to members and stakeholders of the party over statements allegedly made on behalf of the ADC without authorization, warning that failure to comply would leave the party with no option but to seek legal redress.

The ADC chairman also called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate and arrest Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi over alleged dissemination of false information.

He alleged that Abdullahi’s actions were capable of misleading the public, inciting unrest and undermining public peace, urging security agencies to take appropriate action in accordance with the law.

A Federal High Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), after he failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment.

Adeyemi was expected to take his plea on charges linked to the alleged PFIPC scandal, including forgery, impersonation and related offences.

However, his absence prompted the court to order his arrest.

The bench warrant authorises law enforcement agencies to apprehend Adeyemi and produce him before the court to answer the charges against him.

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The planned arraignment of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi over the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal was stalled on Tuesday after he failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Adeyemi, who describes himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC, was expected to take his plea on charges bordering on alleged forgery, impersonation and other related offences.

However, the proceedings could not continue due to his absence in court.

The case has drawn nationwide attention following the Federal Government’s position that the PFIPC is not a recognised government agency.

Before the scheduled arraignment, Adeyemi had alleged that his life was under threat and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to order an independent investigation into the controversy surrounding the organisation.

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for the immediate investigation, arrest and prosecution of Nafiu Bala Gombe over what it described as the circulation of forged documents and false claims relating to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s candidate nomination portal.

The party’s demand followed INEC’s public dismissal of Gombe’s claim that he had obtained the commission’s access code and uploaded candidates for the 2027 general election on behalf of the ADC.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said INEC’s clarification confirmed that the document circulated by Gombe was forged and his claims were entirely false.

According to the party, the matter has gone beyond political misinformation and now constitutes a serious attempt to undermine the integrity and credibility of Nigeria’s electoral management body.

The ADC argued that falsely claiming access to INEC’s restricted nomination portal and presenting forged documents as authentic amounts to a criminal act capable of eroding public trust in the country’s electoral process.

It therefore urged INEC to refer the matter to relevant law enforcement agencies for a thorough investigation and prosecution of everyone involved in originating or promoting the alleged falsehood.

The party warned that failure to hold those responsible accountable could create a dangerous precedent, encouraging others to fabricate similar claims capable of causing political tension and weakening confidence in democratic institutions.

The statement stressed that the issue extends beyond the ADC, insisting that it concerns the protection of public institutions and the preservation of confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.

The opposition party further maintained that INEC must treat the incident as a direct attack on its institutional integrity, noting that the commission’s response would demonstrate its commitment to defending the credibility of the nation’s electoral process.

ADC reaffirmed its commitment to democratic principles, respect for institutions and peaceful political competition, while expressing confidence that the relevant authorities would take decisive action to ensure that deliberate misinformation and document forgery do not become acceptable features of Nigeria’s democracy.