Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for sweeping electoral reforms in Nigeria to deepen democracy and restore public trust in the electoral system.

Speaking through the Executive Director of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, Ms. Ann Iyonu, he made the remarks during the launch of the National Action Plan for Electoral Reform in Nigeria, organized by Dr. Sam Amadi of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought.

Jonathan emphasized that while Nigeria has made progress since its return to democracy in 1999, the electoral process remains flawed and in urgent need of reform.

“If we are truly committed to democracy, we must be bold enough to reform the process to better reflect the will of the people and the principles of justice, accountability, and inclusion,” he said.

Former Kano State Governor and ex-APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is under a fresh investigation over the alleged illegal sale of a valuable state-owned facility, the Nigerian Meat and Allied Products (NIMAP) Abattoir.

The abattoir, located in the Chalawa Industrial Area and established during the administration of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, was intended to boost the state’s economy by generating revenue and creating employment.

However, the current administration accuses Ganduje’s government of unlawfully auctioning off the multi-million naira facility for personal gain.

To investigate the matter, the Kano State Government has set up an 11-member panel chaired by Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado, former head of the state’s Anti-Corruption Agency.

The panel’s mandate is to recover misappropriated assets and recommend sanctions for anyone found guilty.

Inaugurating the committee at the Cabinet Office, Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Umar Faruq Ibrahim, who represented Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, stressed that protecting public property is a priority.

He described the alleged transaction as a “selfish act” and assured the public that the matter would be pursued without bias.

“This government has a duty to recover critical public infrastructure wrongly sold off for personal interest,” the SSG said.

Responding, the panel chairman, Rimin-Gado, expressed confidence in the committee’s members and pledged to carry out the assignment with diligence and integrity.

The committee is expected to submit its report within three weeks.

The Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has dismissed an ex parte motion seeking to halt the local government elections scheduled for August 30, 2025.

Presiding over the matter, Justice Stephen Jumbo ruled that the application, filed by Port Harcourt-based lawyer Williams Abayomi-Stanley, lacked merit.

As a result, the court allowed the elections to proceed as planned.

Abayomi-Stanley had filed the suit against President Bola Tinubu, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and its Chairman, challenging the legality of appointments to RSIEC and seeking clarification on constitutional provisions regarding such powers.

Although the judge dismissed the motion for an interim injunction, he granted a separate request for substituted service, allowing the claimant to serve legal documents on President Tinubu and the Attorney General through alternative means.

The case was adjourned to September 10, 2025 for hearing on the substantive suit.

Speaking to journalists after the hearing, the claimant’s counsel, Godsent Elewa, said the suit aimed to clarify whether the President has constitutional authority to appoint RSIEC officials responsible for conducting local government elections in the state.

“My client is a constitutional lawyer and an indigene of Rivers State. He seeks interpretation of Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the RSIEC Law No. 12 of 2018, as well as Sections 197, 198, and 200 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended,” Elewa said.

Despite the court’s refusal to stop the polls, Elewa expressed satisfaction that the court granted the motion for substituted service, allowing the case to proceed.

“We filed two motions: one to restrain the conduct of the elections, which the court dismissed, and another for substituted service on the President and the Attorney General, which was granted,” he added.

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s loss in the 2023 presidential election on its failure to zone the party’s ticket to southern Nigeria.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Governor Mohammed who also chairs the PDP Governors’ Forum admitted the party made a critical error by throwing the ticket open instead of respecting Nigeria’s informal power rotation between the North and South.

“Life is always a learning process,” he said.

“When we did it in 2023, it was not a pleasant experience, and that was why we lost. I discovered, to my surprise, that the presidency is a consensus phenomenon. You cannot impose yourself on anybody or any group.”

In 2023, the PDP fielded former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate in a closely watched contest ultimately won by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The decision to keep the PDP ticket open was met with backlash, most notably from the influential G-5 group led by former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

Wike, who lost to Atiku in the party’s primary, argued that the PDP had breached the nation’s unwritten zoning convention.

He contended that since outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari was from the North, the next president should naturally come from the South.

The G-5, also known as the Integrity Group, distanced themselves from the PDP presidential campaign and covertly supported Tinubu.

Following the election, Wike was appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory by President Tinubu, further cementing the perception of the PDP’s internal fractures.

Now, as the 2027 general elections draw closer, the PDP has taken a different path by formally zoning its presidential ticket to the South, a move Mohammed says is not only timely but necessary.

“When my party decided that we would zone this [ticket] to the South, I had no qualms because I knew it was for the common good and not about personal interest,” the Bauchi governor said, even though he had earlier expressed interest in running.

Governor Mohammed emphasized that the party’s decision would help restore internal unity and bolster its electoral chances.

He also pointed to what he described as the APC government’s underperformance, claiming the PDP must now present a viable southern candidate capable of challenging Tinubu.

“We need somebody strong, or stronger, from the South to give him a fight for his life because the government of the day is not working very well,” Mohammed asserted.

The PDP’s repositioning, he said, is rooted in lessons learned from the past and a renewed commitment to equity and national cohesion.

Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda,

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the newly appointed National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Nentawe Yilwatda, to closely collaborate with his predecessor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, in preparing the party for the 2027 general elections.

Yilwatda revealed this during a condolence visit from Ganduje at his Abuja residence on Wednesday, following the death of his mother. He acknowledged the significance of Ganduje’s political experience and indicated his willingness to rely on it as he adjusts to his new role.

He stated: “My doors are open, the office is open, the partnership remains open, and the friendship remains open. So never lock your door against me — and I know you will not — because we have worked together long before this time.”

Yilwatda added that President Tinubu had specifically encouraged him to work closely with Ganduje.

“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has asked me to work with you, to reach out to you as well about partnership,” he said.

“I told him I would regard you still as a Chairman in partnership with me. You are still the co-Chairman of the party (APC). I am only a coordinator. My duty is simply to coordinate the membership of this party. But the party belongs to all of us.”

Reflecting on Ganduje’s political pedigree, Yilwatda said “We are all collective leaders of the party. Moreover, by experience and by virtue of politics, you have been there long before me. Since the time of the NPN, you have been part of the political scene.”

He recounted a childhood memory to emphasize Ganduje’s long-standing involvement in politics.

“At that time, I was only in primary school. I recall that we used to see Governor Rimi come to Jos in the 70s and 80s to visit Solomon Lar. One day, he came to commission a project at my school. I was just in Form 2, waving at them along with my classmates, I never knew what politics truly meant. By then, people like you had already mastered the ropes of politics, while we didn’t even know the definition of politics.”

Reiterating the importance of Ganduje’s mentorship, Yilwatda added:
“So I need your experience. I need your guidance. The learning curve still rests with you. I will depend heavily on your experience, your connections, and your contacts to ensure we solidify this party and build it together, so that we can win more elections.”

In response, Ganduje pledged to maintain a harmonious relationship with his successor, defying the trend of strained ties between predecessors and successors in Nigerian politics.

“One important thing is that the problem between successor and his predecessor, which is one of the issues that APC has solved,” Ganduje noted.

“So, in order to show examples, I am sure you know that since 1999 the problem between former Governors and their successors has always been an issue up till now in many states of the federation.”

He emphasized that the cordial bond he shares with Yilwatda should serve as a model for Nigerian democracy.

“Not only in governorship, but in other positions, especially in politics. So our relationship is the beginning to solve that kind of problem, not only in APC but in the whole atmosphere of democracy. I have to congratulate you for this new appointment.”

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sly Ezeokenwa, has announced that the party will not present a presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, reaffirming its tradition and aligning with its support for the re-election bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Ezeokenwa dismissed suggestions that Governor Charles Soludo’s recent courtesy visit to President Tinubu was aimed at lobbying for support in the upcoming Anambra State governorship election scheduled for November 8, 2025.

Instead, he said the visit reflected mutual admiration between the two leaders and an ongoing ideological alignment between their political visions.

“Let me begin by stating that this press conference has been necessitated by the persistent falsehoods, deliberate misinformation, and baseless allegations being circulated in the media by the supporters and cronies of the APC Senatorial candidate for the recently conducted Anambra South Senatorial by-election, Mr Azuka Okwuosa,” Ezeokenwa said.

He also criticized Nicholas Ukachukwu, the APC governorship candidate in Anambra, for attempting to undermine the credibility of the election process.

“This, of course, includes Mr. Nicholas Ukachukwu, the APC Governorship candidate for the November 8, 2025 Anambra Gubernatorial election, who despite the infamous role he played in attempting to subvert the will of the people at the said election, as well as several electoral infractions he committed, has volunteered himself as the chief purveyor of falsehood, all in the bid to discredit the excellent work of INEC officials and security agencies in ensuring the credibility of the said by-election.”

While acknowledging that APGA typically avoids responding to misinformation, Ezeokenwa said this occasion warranted a response to ensure historical accuracy.

“This press conference is aimed solely to provide a factual counter-narrative and ensure that the truth is documented for posterity,” he said.

He described the August 16 by-election as a milestone for Nigerian democracy.

“The successful conduct of the by-elections has yet again marked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as an important pillar of our democracy and further demonstrated the institution’s commitment to upholding democratic principles and the will of the Nigerian people,” he stated.

On the relationship between Governor Soludo and President Tinubu, the APGA chairman emphasized that their mutual respect is longstanding and not driven by political favors.

“Even the President has continuously alluded to the long-time friendship that has existed between him and Professor Soludo.”

Ezeokenwa maintained that APGA’s decision to back Tinubu is not transactional but rooted in ideological consistency and shared values.

“Governor Soludo’s support and, by extension, APGA’s decision to back President Tinubu’s re-election do not proceed from a quid pro quo consideration… it flows from tradition and as a mark of the mutual understanding between the President and the Governor.”

Although he wasn’t privy to the specific conversations during Soludo’s visit to the president, Ezeokenwa pointed out that Soludo has consistently called for unity among progressive-minded politicians.

“Mr. Governor has never hidden his call for progressives to align and work together.”

He praised President Tinubu’s economic reforms, particularly the fuel subsidy removal on his first day in office.

“The Anambra governor has been vocal about his admiration for the courage that Mr. President has demonstrated in engendering very necessary and crucial reforms of the economy, especially from day one when the president removed the subsidy.”

Ezeokenwa advocated for greater ideological unity among like-minded political parties, hinting at the possibility of a coalition between APGA and APC.

“And so, these and many more issues are, for me, what I may consider pivotal in discussing the relationship between our party and Mr. President’s party.”

“And this call, for me, is ideologically based, that we cannot continue to have the proliferation of political parties professing similar ideologies when these political parties can actually come together in some sort of either strong partnership or loose coalition, especially when the ultimate goal is to advance progressive ideals or progressivism, which we profess.”

He highlighted APGA’s legacy as Nigeria’s oldest progressive political party.

“APGA as a political party is the foremost progressive party in Nigeria. From 1999 till date, under the present dispensation, we were the first to be registered with the word ‘progressive.’ And, of course, before you have started having the All Progressive Congress, the Young Progressive Party, and all manner of progressives.”

“Mr. Governor (Soludo) believes that the mainstay of every political party must be the ideologies that that particular political party professes. And, if you look at the manifestos of most of these political parties, you will see that they are virtually the same. Either you are left of the centre or right of the centre. It’s that simple.”