The Labour Party has insisted that no aspirant will be granted an automatic ticket for the 2027 general elections, including its former presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, made the clarification in an exclusive interview with DAILY GAZETTE, amid growing speculation about Obi’s next political move and his strained relationship with the Julius Abure–led leadership of the party.

According to Ifoh, while the party remains open to reconciliation with Obi and other dissatisfied members, its internal democratic processes will not be compromised.

“We have said it repeatedly: all tickets will be decided at the party’s convention. Every aspirant, whether for president, governor, or chairman, must emerge through a democratic process. There is no automatic ticket for anyone,” he said.

Ifoh explained that Obi has kept his distance from the current leadership for about a year, adding that only Obi can clarify his political allegiance.

“He is the only one who can say whether he is still in the Labour Party or elsewhere. In the past year, he has not engaged with the leadership, and that is simply the reality,” he noted.

On why the issue of Obi was not discussed during the recent NEC meeting, Ifoh said the gathering was focused strictly on launching congresses and primaries.

“Our NEC meeting was to commence congresses, and we have done so successfully. INEC monitored the process and everything is moving as expected. By 2027, we hope to have achieved all that we set out to do,” he added.

The tension between Obi and the Abure-led leadership dates back to the aftermath of the 2023 presidential election.

Obi’s camp accused the chairman of financial mismanagement, lack of transparency, and attempts to seize control of party structures, accusations Abure consistently denied.

The disputes triggered multiple internal factions and court cases, further deepening the rift.

Party insiders say Obi became frustrated with the persistent infighting and leadership tussles, which he believed undermined efforts to build a credible reform-driven movement.

By early 2024, he had withdrawn from most party activities, leaving his political future uncertain.

The Labour Party’s latest position comes as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) renews calls for Obi to decide whether he will join its emerging coalition for the 2027 polls.

Although the ADC has acknowledged Obi’s political weight, it insists it will not bend its internal principles or zoning arrangements to accommodate him.

ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi said, “If zoning is the condition for Obi to join us, then maybe he should wait.”

Obi’s close ally and former campaign spokesperson, Yunusa Tanko, urged the ADC to give the former governor more time, noting that Obi must conduct broad consultations before making a final decision.

Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has spent his fourth consecutive night in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after failing to meet the bail conditions set for him.

Malami has been detained since Monday.

DAILY GAZETTE earlier reported that he is under investigation for 18 alleged offences, including abuse of office and terrorism financing.

Multiple EFCC officials, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed on Thursday that the former AGF remained in detention.

“He is still in our custody. He has been here since Monday because he has not met the bail conditions,” one of the sources said.

The former AGF has, however, refuted claims linking him to terrorism financing or the ownership of 46 bank accounts, describing the allegations as “false, baseless, and part of a coordinated media trial.”

In a statement issued by his media aide, Mohammed Bello Doka, Malami said no Nigerian or foreign security agency had ever investigated or accused him of terrorism financing.

“There is no allegation, investigation or charge of terrorism financing against Abubakar Malami, SAN. The claims about ‘46 bank accounts’ are completely fictitious and unsupported by any official record,” the statement read.

He also noted that a retired military officer previously cited in media reports had since clarified that he never accused Malami of sponsoring terrorism.

Malami argued that the allegations were at odds with his work as minister, citing his role in strengthening Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing regime, including establishing the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and championing key legislation in 2022.

He explained that his recent questioning by the EFCC focused primarily on alleged duplication in the recovery of the Abacha loot.

According to him, no recovery process was completed before 2016, and therefore there was nothing to duplicate.

Addressing claims involving a Swiss lawyer who had reportedly sought engagement on the recovery process, Malami said the lawyer reapplied in 2016 demanding fees of up to 40 per cent, an offer rejected by the Buhari administration, which maintained a 5 per cent cap on legal fees.

He added that engaging Nigerian lawyers at the capped rate saved the country “tens of billions of naira.”

Malami further maintained that the various tranches of the Abacha loot repatriated between 2017 and 2020 were handled under separate monitoring arrangements supervised by the World Bank, civil society groups and international partners.

The Cross River State House of Assembly has officially removed Theresa Ushie, the Chairman of Bekwarra Local Government Area, following allegations of gross misconduct.

The decision was reached after the Assembly adopted a report submitted by its Committee on Judiciary and Public Petitions.

The case traces back to June 10, 2025, when eight councillors of the Bekwarra legislative council petitioned the Assembly, accusing Ushie of corruption, abuse of office, arbitrary suspension of councillors’ salaries, and breaches of due process in council administration.

In response to the petition, Ushie was initially suspended for 90 days, during which Vice Chairman Egbung Odama was appointed acting chairman pending a full investigation.

During Wednesday’s plenary session in Calabar, 19 out of 25 lawmakers voted in favor of the committee’s recommendations to remove Ushie from office.

The committee chairman explained that the allegations, originally submitted on May 19, 2025, were substantiated through consultations with the petitioners, Ushie, and local stakeholders in Abuochiche.

“After engaging all parties and reviewing the evidence, the committee determined that the allegations were serious and well-founded. The chairman’s conduct fell below the standards expected of her office,” he said.

Following her removal, the Assembly directed the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CRSIEC) to organize a by-election within 30 days to fill the vacancy.

Speaker Elvert Ayambem reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to transparency and good governance.

“This House will always defend probity and uphold the law. Our actions reflect our responsibility to the people of Cross River State,” he said.

Efforts to reach Ushie for comment were unsuccessful, as her phone lines were reportedly unreachable.

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has relieved Professor Kenneth Kalu of his duties as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and asked him to proceed on leave.

In his place, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole has been appointed Acting SSG, effective January 1, 2026.

The announcement was made in a statement issued on Friday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ukoha Njoku, and made available to journalists in Umuahia.

Meribole, who currently serves as the Governor’s Special Adviser on Projects, will begin the handover process on Monday, December 15, 2025, working closely with Kalu to ensure a smooth transition and the uninterrupted implementation of government policies and programs.

A medical doctor by training, Meribole is a seasoned professional who previously retired as Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

His tenure as Special Adviser has been marked by the successful execution of several key developmental initiatives across the state.

Governor Otti expressed gratitude to Professor Kalu for his dedicated service to Abia State and commended his contributions to the administration.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will today arraign former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, on an eight-count charge bordering on corruption and abuse of office.

Ngige, who also served as Governor of Anambra State, is expected to appear before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Gwarimpa, Abuja.

He is the sole defendant in the case, listed as FCT/HC/CR/726/2025.

The charges, dated October 31 and filed on December 9 by a team of EFCC prosecutors led by Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), accuse the former minister of awarding multiple contracts to companies allegedly linked to his associates while he supervised the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) between September 2015 and May 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the first charge, Ngige is accused of using his office to grant undue advantage to Cezimo Nigeria Limited, headed by his associate Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles.

The NSITF reportedly awarded seven consultancy, training and supply contracts to the firm valued at N366,470,920.68.

Count two alleges a similar offence involving Zitacom Nigeria Limited, also owned by Ezebinwa, to which eight contracts worth N583,682,686 were allegedly awarded.

In count three, Ngige is accused of influencing the award of eight contracts totalling N362,043,163.16 to Jeff & Xris Limited, managed by his associate Nwosu Jideofor Chukwunwike.

Count four concerns Olde English Consolidated Limited, owned by Uzoma Igbonwa, which allegedly received four contracts worth N668,138,141 through Ngige’s influence.

In count five, Ngige is further accused of favouring another Igbonwa-linked company, Shale Atlantic Intercontinental Services Limited, which allegedly received four NSITF contracts worth N161,604,625.

The above offences are said to violate Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

The remaining counts accuse the former minister of corruptly receiving financial gifts from contractors working with NSITF through organisations linked to him.

Count Six: Ngige allegedly received N38,650,000 from Cezimo Nigeria Limited into the account of the “Senator (Dr) Chris Nwabueze Ngige Campaign Organisation.”

Count Seven: He allegedly accepted N55,003,000 from Zitacom Nigeria Limited, channelled through the “Senator (Dr) Chris Ngige Scholarship Scheme.”

Count Eight: He allegedly received N26,130,000 from Jeff & Xris Limited, also through the scholarship scheme.

These offences violate Section 17(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and attract penalties under Section 179(c) of the same Act.

Ngige is expected to take his plea when he appears before the court today.