Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has cautioned that the African Democratic Congress may face difficulty persuading voters in southern Nigeria if it presents a northern presidential candidate in the next general election.

Amaechi gave the warning while speaking in Kano, where he responded to questions about his support for whoever emerges as the party’s flagbearer.

He affirmed his loyalty to the ADC but stressed the need for strategic decision-making to improve the party’s national acceptance and electoral prospects.

According to him, the party must carefully evaluate key factors such as competence, generational considerations, and prevailing political dynamics before settling for a candidate.

He noted that the current power rotation sentiment in the country favours the South, and ignoring it could complicate the party’s outreach in the region.

Amaechi argued that recognising this political reality would make it easier for southern politicians and voters to rally behind the party.

He warned that presenting a northern candidate at a time when many southerners believe power should remain in the South could weaken the ADC’s appeal and create resistance.

Despite these concerns, the former Rivers State governor reiterated his commitment to party unity, pledging to support whoever emerges as the presidential candidate at the primaries, regardless of region.

Amaechi, who has already indicated interest in contesting the ADC presidential ticket, had earlier proposed a single four-year tenure if elected, to allow a return of power to the North in line with the country’s informal zoning arrangement.

Similarly, former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, now aligned with the ADC, has also expressed willingness to serve a single term if given the opportunity, citing respect for the rotational principle.

Amaechi’s remarks come amid ongoing debate within the party over zoning.

Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai recently reiterated opposition to zoning the presidential ticket, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also maintained that the ADC’s nomination should remain open to aspirants from all regions.

The differing positions highlight the internal consultations and strategic calculations underway within the ADC as it prepares for the next presidential contest.

A fresh leadership crisis has erupted within the Labour Party following the announcement by the Julius Abure-led faction that it has regained control of the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, barely 24 hours after the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee assumed authority over the facility.

The Abure camp disclosed this in a statement issued Tuesday night by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, who confirmed that the headquarters, earlier taken over by the rival group, had been reclaimed.

He alleged that the initial occupation of the premises was carried out unlawfully.

Photographs released alongside the statement showed banners and billboards bearing the image of caretaker committee chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, being removed from the premises.

According to Ifoh, the party leadership acted after determining that the takeover involving the Usman group and the Abia State Deputy Governor was illegal and unauthorised.

He added that the party would conduct an inventory of losses allegedly incurred during the incident and pursue legal action where necessary.

The faction also warned against further attempts to undermine what it described as the lawful leadership of the party and urged rival groups to await the final determination of the dispute by appellate courts.

Party activities, it said, would resume at the national secretariat from Wednesday.

However, the caretaker committee rejected the development.

Senator Nenadi Usman, through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, expressed shock and insisted that the Abure faction was acting in defiance of a subsisting court judgment.

She maintained that a valid ruling had already declared Abure’s tenure as national chairman expired and authorised the caretaker committee to oversee party affairs, including operations at the secretariat.

Usman argued that her group’s earlier takeover of the facility was conducted openly and lawfully, questioning the circumstances under which the Abure faction reportedly returned to the premises.

The latest confrontation comes shortly after Usman, accompanied by Abia State Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu, took control of the party’s Utako headquarters under heavy security presence.

Armed policemen were stationed within and around the complex, with party members and journalists subjected to strict screening.

Sources indicated that the caretaker committee had begun moves to extend its control to state secretariats nationwide.

The dispute follows a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja which held that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had lapsed and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise a caretaker committee led by Usman pending a national convention.

INEC subsequently updated its records to reflect the change in leadership.

Despite challenging the ruling and filing an appeal, Abure has continued to reject the decision, describing the caretaker arrangement as unlawful and vowing to resist attempts to remove his leadership.

The unfolding developments underscore the deepening internal divisions within the Labour Party, which have persisted since the aftermath of the 2023 general elections and continue to play out through parallel leadership claims and legal battles.

The Labour Party has declared itself open to welcoming President Bola Tinubu, former presidential candidate Peter Obi, and other political figures who may wish to join, as the party seeks to strengthen and reposition itself under new leadership.

Abia State Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu, who chairs the Labour Party’s National Steering Committee on Membership, Revalidation, and e-Registration, made the statement during the presentation of a progress report and formal handover to the Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee.

Responding to questions on whether Obi could return to the party should he fail to secure the presidential ticket of his new platform, the African Democratic Congress, Emetu emphasised the party’s open, transparent, and inclusive system.

“The Labour Party is a party for all, irrespective of who they are. It is a national party, not a cult group where people are restricted from joining,” he said.

Emetu went further to note that even President Tinubu would be welcomed should he decide to defect from the ruling All Progressives Congress before the 2027 elections.

“We will gladly accept him. This is a party for everybody,” he added.

On the continued resistance by ousted National Chairman Julius Abure, who has vowed to appeal the court judgment recognising the Usman-led caretaker committee, Emetu dismissed the move as inconsequential. “Abure

The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has disclosed that the federal government was displeased with him during his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives after lawmakers refused to approve a foreign infrastructure loan that initially excluded the South-East.

Gbajabiamila, who led the House between 2019 and 2023, said the loan request was subjected to thorough scrutiny by lawmakers, who discovered that proposed infrastructure projects were distributed across all geopolitical zones except the South-East.

The decision sparked concerns at a time when debates over alleged marginalisation of the region were widespread.

He spoke on Tuesday in Abuja while addressing newly inaugurated commissioners of the Federal Character Commission at a two-day induction programme.

According to him, the House withheld approval for several months, placing the request on hold until the executive committed to including projects in the South-East.

He explained that the action was driven by the need to uphold the federal character principle and ensure fairness, noting that it would be unjust for any region to be excluded from a national loan that would ultimately be repaid by all parts of the country.

Gbajabiamila recalled that the stance taken by the House did not sit well with the government at the time but stressed that it was necessary to protect equity and national cohesion.

He said situations like that highlight the importance of the Federal Character Commission beyond political appointments, adding that the body has a responsibility to scrutinise budgets and identify imbalances in the distribution of projects and social services before they escalate.

The Chief of Staff urged the commissioners to carry out their duties with courage and a strong sense of national responsibility, emphasising the need to defend constitutional principles even under pressure.

He maintained that fairness and inclusion remain essential for sustaining unity and public trust in Nigeria.

Earlier, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Hulyat Omidiran, said the commission would no longer operate on a routine basis, pledging strict adherence to its enabling laws, ethical standards, and institutional discipline.

She described the commission as a key constitutional mechanism for promoting balance, justice, and inclusiveness in the country, stressing that the federal character principle is a stabilising framework for national unity.

Also speaking, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, represented by his Senior Technical Adviser, Prof. Babatunde Bernard, said the induction programme was timely and would strengthen governance and institutional performance.

Senator Nenadi Usman has formally assumed control of the Labour Party’s national secretariat in Utako, Abuja, making history as Nigeria’s first female national chairman of a political party.

The takeover was marked by a significant security presence, with armed police officers stationed within and around the premises.

Usman, acting as National Chairman, assumed control from the Julius Abure-led faction.

She confirmed the development through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, noting that the process was in line with a recent court judgment.

At the secretariat, party members, supporters, and journalists were subjected to thorough security screening before being allowed entry.

Banners and billboards featuring Abure and his executives were removed and replaced with those of Usman and the interim leadership.

The new leadership has reportedly directed members to begin preparations for similar takeovers of state-level Labour Party secretariats across the country.

Speaking on the development, Usman described the takeover as long overdue.

“Yes, the police mounting guard at the national secretariat were invited by our people. They are there to perform their duties in line with the court’s judgment. We are doing this together with the NLC,” she said.

She dismissed fears of confrontation with the Abure faction, insisting that there was no basis for resistance.

“There can’t be any confrontation from Abure. He moved all his belongings from the office after the judgment. There is no longer room for factional claims. We are officially taking over the party,” Usman added.

The interim leadership later sent out a media invitation for an official handover ceremony, scheduled for 11 am at the secretariat, which will include a progress report on membership revalidation and registration.

Reacting to the takeover, the Abure-led faction, through its National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh, said it would respond officially, noting that the judgment had been appealed.

The development follows a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja which declared that Abure’s tenure as National Chairman had ended and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the caretaker committee led by Usman pending a national convention.

INEC has since updated its records, listing Usman as acting National Chairman along with other recognised national officers.