The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has scheduled October 20 for the inauguration of its Presidential Campaign Council as the party intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The party’s National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, announced the date on Saturday during a press briefing in Abuja, assuring Nigerians that the party remained united behind its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Cleopas said the inauguration would take place during a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which would also ratify key decisions concerning its preparations for the elections.

He disclosed that the party would present Certificates of Return to its candidates and organise a dinner to strengthen cooperation among members ahead of the polls.

According to the chairman, the planned inauguration demonstrates the party’s commitment to its electoral preparations, dismissing suggestions that the NDC was not ready for the 2027 elections.

“The propaganda that our party is not committed to the elections is definitely a sign of fear in the camp of the ruling party,” he said.

Cleopas explained that the party was taking time to carefully select members of the campaign council, stressing that the importance of the forthcoming election required individuals with the appropriate character and capacity.

“It is better to get it right. It is a sensitive election that we are going into. And we must check characters,” he added.

The NDC chairman also rejected claims that the party had been inactive since unveiling Obi and Kwankwaso as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

He said party leaders had continued to engage stakeholders through consultations and town hall meetings, citing recent visits to Sokoto and Kaduna.

Cleopas further announced that the party would visit Enugu on October 15 as part of its ongoing consultations ahead of the elections.

On the party’s presidential ticket, he maintained that the national leadership, including National Leader Seriake Dickson, the National Working Committee and the NEC, remained committed to Obi and Kwankwaso.

“Our presidential candidate and vice-presidential candidate today have the mandate of the party to lead us into political battle, on a rescue mission for this country,” he said.

He described the ticket as a representation of Nigeria’s religious, ethnic and generational diversity.

The chairman also vowed that the NDC would challenge any alleged attempts to manipulate the electoral process before, during and after the elections.

He said the party would remain vigilant throughout the electoral process and expressed confidence that its candidates would be inaugurated on May 29, 2027.

Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has cautioned against attempts by northern political interests to reclaim the presidency in 2027, warning that such a move could trigger renewed separatist agitations in southern Nigeria.

Sani argued that respecting the principle of power rotation was critical to national stability, noting that former President Muhammadu Buhari completed eight years in office before handing over to President Bola Tinubu in 2023.

The former lawmaker made the remarks during a media parley with journalists in Kaduna on Friday, amid political discussions over the distribution of power ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to Sani, allowing the South to complete its presidential tenure would give northern politicians an opportunity to pursue the presidency in 2031 without disrupting the existing power-sharing arrangement.

He warned that any attempt to reverse the arrangement could heighten political tensions and reignite separatist agitations in different parts of the country.

Sani referred to agitations in the South-East, South-West and South-South, arguing that expectations surrounding political inclusion and access to presidential power had influenced developments in the regions.

The former senator also accused some northern political leaders of inconsistency in their criticism of successive administrations over insecurity.

He alleged that some leaders who criticised former President Goodluck Jonathan over security challenges failed to maintain the same level of scrutiny during Buhari’s administration but had become vocal in their condemnation of Tinubu over similar concerns.

While insisting that Tinubu should be held accountable for the country’s security challenges, Sani said political leaders should apply the same standards irrespective of the administration in power.

He cited the abductions in Dapchi, Jangebe, Kankara and Yauri, alongside the attack on Greenfield University, as examples of security incidents that should be assessed without ethnic or partisan considerations.

On his political ambition, Sani disclosed that he was seeking a return to the Senate to represent Kaduna Central, a district he previously represented in the National Assembly.

He highlighted interventions he said he facilitated during his previous tenure, including primary healthcare centres, scholarships, educational assistance and women’s empowerment programmes.

Sani also criticised the immediate past Kaduna State administration, accusing it of suppressing dissent, dismissing workers and teachers, and demolishing residential properties.

He further called for the protection of Kaduna State’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious character, stressing that peaceful coexistence among its diverse communities remained essential to the state’s stability.

More than 30,000 teachers in Enugu State have endorsed Governor Peter Mbah for a second term in office and declared support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing improved teachers’ welfare and increased investment in education.

The endorsement was announced at a rally organised by the Teachers for Grassroots Movement (TGM) at Okpara Square, Enugu, on Saturday.

More than 12,000 teachers reportedly participated in a procession through parts of the state capital before converging on the venue.

The teachers commended the Mbah administration for its interventions in the education sector, including the construction of Smart Green Schools, recruitment of teachers, regular payment of salaries, promotions and training opportunities.

They also praised Tinubu’s economic policies, with Mbah attributing the increased resources available to state governments for development projects to the President’s economic reforms.

Speaking at the rally, the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Theophilus Odo, described Mbah as a governor who had demonstrated commitment to the welfare of teachers.

Odo recalled that Mbah had supported the domestication of harmonised retirement benefits for teachers before assuming office as governor.

He also commended the construction of more than 260 Smart Green Schools across the state’s 260 political wards, saying the initiative had improved learning conditions and positioned pupils to compete with their counterparts elsewhere.

According to him, the government’s recruitment of thousands of teachers, provision of professional development opportunities and prompt payment of salaries had helped address longstanding challenges in the sector.

“We are happy today because God has given us a caring governor, Peter Mbah,” Odo said.
He added that the teachers were endorsing Mbah for a second term, declaring that their votes would go to the governor.

Similarly, the Chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in Enugu State, Nelson Agu, said private school teachers had joined the rally to recognise the administration’s efforts to transform education.

Agu explained that the establishment of Smart Green Schools had encouraged private school operators to upgrade their facilities and improve educational standards.

He also praised the state government’s commitment to allocating 33 per cent of its budget to education for three consecutive years.

The Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Enugu State, Simeon Akaeme, said the Mbah administration had restored the dignity of teachers through investments in infrastructure and social services.

In her remarks, the Director-General of TGM, Dr. Nwakaego Aja, described education as a foundation for liberation, self-reliance and economic development.

Aja said the movement represented more than 30,000 teachers across the state and pledged their support for Mbah and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

She maintained that the governor had demonstrated a commitment to innovation and educational transformation, promising that teachers would take his achievements to communities, schools, markets and polling units.

“Our vote is for the All Progressives Congress from bottom to top,” she declared.

The Enugu State Commissioner for Education and patron of TGM, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah, described the endorsement as an indication of the support the governor and the President could attract ahead of the 2027 elections.

He thanked the teachers for supporting the administration’s education agenda, noting that the government had committed substantial resources to improving learning outcomes and expanding opportunities for children across the state.

Responding, Governor Mbah said the endorsement was significant because the success of his administration’s development agenda depended largely on the education sector and the teachers responsible for preparing future generations.

He said his administration’s ambition to position Enugu among Nigeria’s leading states in economic output, investment, business, living standards and tourism was closely linked to the transformation of education.

The governor highlighted ongoing investments, including the construction of more than 7,000 classrooms, the provision of 25,000 desktop computers and over 5,000 tablets, as well as free school feeding and uniforms.

Mbah said the government’s focus was not merely on providing infrastructure but on fundamentally transforming the state’s education system.

He expressed appreciation to teachers for their role in shaping the future of children and developing the human capital needed to drive the state’s growth.

The governor’s wife, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, also commended the teachers for their endorsement, describing it as recognition of an administration that had placed education at the centre of its development agenda.

The rally was attended by government officials, political leaders, community representatives and other stakeholders.

The name of Professor Isa Ali Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Gombe State, is missing from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election.

The omission was confirmed in INEC documents released on Saturday, raising questions about Pantami’s status in the forthcoming governorship race.

Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, is seeking to contest the Gombe governorship election on the platform of the PDP.

Detail shortly….

There was a courtroom disagreement on Thursday when Abia State lawmaker, Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah, objected to the appearance of a lawyer representing him in an ongoing criminal case before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja.

The case, filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF), concerns allegations of forgery and other offences against the member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

The incident occurred when the matter came up before Justice Halilu Yusuf, with Ogah rejecting the appearance of Barrister V.C. Ifacho, who is from the chambers of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi (SAN).

Ogah reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the legal representation, arguing that the seriousness of the case warranted the appearance of a more senior lawyer.

The lawmaker also referred to the financial resources he had committed to his defence and questioned why a junior counsel had appeared on behalf of Agabi to handle a matter he considered sensitive.

During the exchange, Ogah reportedly made remarks about the level of influence he claimed to wield within Nigeria’s judicial and political circles.

The latest courtroom development comes amid ongoing proceedings in charge No. CR/650/2024, in which the Federal Government accused the lawmaker of offences relating to alleged false declaration, perjury and injurious falsehood involving Nkeiruka Chidubem Onyejeocha, a former Minister of State for Labour and Employment.

The prosecution’s case is linked to statements allegedly contained in an affidavit sworn to by Ogah in May 2023.

The case had earlier attracted attention following reports that the lawmaker was remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre pursuant to a court order.

Proceedings in the matter are ongoing, and the allegations against Ogah remain to be determined by the court.

Some candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) seeking seats in the House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general election.

The defectors, comprising six House of Representatives candidates and three State Houses of Assembly candidates from Taraba, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Plateau states, were led by Princess Aslam Aliyu, founder of Baba Tinubu Fisabilillah 2027.

They were formally received into the APC by the party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Friday.

The new APC members pledged to mobilise two million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, promising to work towards expanding the party’s grassroots support ahead of the polls.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Aslam-Aliyu disclosed that another 23 opposition candidates would join the ruling party within the next two weeks.

She also questioned the electoral prospects of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC’s presidential candidate, claiming that he would struggle to persuade ward chairmen to join his party.

“These are not merely defections; they are clear demonstrations of confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Renewed Hope Agenda as a pathway to national recovery,” she said.

Aslam-Aliyu added: “In two weeks, we are bringing 23 opposition candidates back to the APC. If politics is a contest of influence, then our scoreboard currently reads two-zero in our favour.

“The APC remains resolute in mobilising support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027,” she stated.

The APC Progressive Lawyers Forum has called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate a reported arrest order issued by an Abuja magistrate against former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume over the disputed All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Imo West.

The group also urged the relevant judicial authorities to examine the legality of the order and consider suspending its enforcement, where legally permissible, pending the outcome of the review.

In a statement, the forum expressed concern that the development could complicate the ongoing legal dispute over the APC’s senatorial tickets, particularly as the Federal High Court is reportedly scheduled to deliver judgment on competing claims involving the Orlu and Okigwe senatorial zones.

It argued that, with the substantive dispute awaiting judicial determination, all parties should exercise restraint and avoid actions capable of creating further legal complications or undermining confidence in the judicial process.

The forum further alleged that the arrest order was connected to efforts by individuals it described as supporters of Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, to influence the political atmosphere ahead of the pending judgment.

It called on the appropriate authorities to investigate the allegation, while stressing the need to protect the judiciary from any perception of political interference.

“The administration of justice must be protected from every appearance of political interference. Where a substantive matter is already before a competent court, all parties must respect due process and refrain from actions capable of prejudicing public confidence in the judicial process,” the forum said.

The group maintained that the rule of law must take precedence over political interests, urging the NJC to determine whether the circumstances surrounding the reported arrest order and the procedures leading to its issuance complied with applicable judicial requirements.

It also insisted that the dispute over the APC senatorial ticket should be resolved through established legal processes rather than actions that could be perceived as exerting pressure on the parties involved.

Reaffirming the NJC’s responsibility to safeguard judicial integrity and public confidence in the courts, the forum urged the council to investigate the matter and take any further action deemed appropriate under the law.

Two buses conveying supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, have been involved in a road accident in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

The supporters were travelling from Benue State to attend the APC North-Central mega rally scheduled to hold in Lafia on Saturday when the accident occurred.

According to an eyewitness, the crash happened in Lafia town near the Government House Junction on Saturday morning.

Dan-Morgan Ihomun, spokesperson for Akume’s APC camp in Benue State, confirmed the incident on Saturday.

He disclosed that some of the passengers sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for medical attention, but no fatalities were recorded.

According to Ihomun, “Yes, two vehicles conveying supporters of our party APC on their way to the venue of North Central mega rally today in Lafia involved in accident. Some were injured and taken to hospital for treatment. Nobody died and we thank God for that.”

The circumstances surrounding the accident were not immediately disclosed.

Meanwhile, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu is expected to attend the APC North-Central mega rally in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Governors from the North-Central states, alongside APC members and supporters from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), are also expected at the gathering.