Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has defended the multi-billion naira flyover and road infrastructure projects currently underway in Warri and Effurun, describing them as vital long-term investments for the state’s economic growth and urban development.

His response follows criticism from Chief Wilson Omene, former Ethiope West Local Government Chairman and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who had earlier dismissed the projects as “ill-informed and misleading.”

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, Oborevwori emphasized that the infrastructure developments were aimed at easing traffic congestion and promoting business activities in the state’s urban centres.

“The flyovers, road expansions and sleepway interchange are not cosmetic. They are long-term investments in urban mobility, ease of doing business, and economic growth,” the statement read.

The governor further explained that Warri and Effurun serve as strategic gateways connecting the ports, industries, and the hinterland, adding that the ongoing projects are designed to unlock commercial potential and attract private-sector investments.

“These are gateway cities connecting the ports, industries, and the hinterland. The projects are unlocking commercial potential and creating an enabling environment for further private-sector participation. Perhaps, Chief Wilson Omene may have to check the meaning of enabling business environment.”

Oborevwori insisted that only those out of touch with modern urban planning would question the necessity of the projects, highlighting the Warri-Effurun corridor’s role in Delta’s economy and its rapidly growing population.

Responding to Omene’s suggestion that the funds would have been better spent establishing industries in Delta Central, the governor described the argument as “narrow-minded and sectional.”

“Delta State is bigger than any single senatorial district. The M.O.R.E agenda—Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms, and Enhanced Peace and Security, is being implemented equitably across Delta North, Delta Central, and Delta South. No part of the state has been left behind,” the statement noted.

The statement also touched on Oborevwori’s recent defection to the APC, which has drawn both attention and criticism.

Ahon clarified that the move was not driven by personal ambition but by the desire to attract federal collaboration for the benefit of the state.

“Governor Oborevwori’s alignment with the APC was not for personal benefit but to synergise with the Federal Government in delivering more dividends of democracy to Deltans.

Chief Wilson Omene is merely acting out a script written by those who view the governor’s move as a threat to their political interests.”

Sir Ahon concluded by urging critics to embrace constructive dialogue rooted in facts and reaffirmed the Oborevwori administration’s commitment to inclusive governance and sustainable development.

“Constructive criticism is welcome, but it must be rooted in facts and guided by a sincere desire to move Delta State forward,” he stated.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Presidency of plotting to destabilise the newly strengthened opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

This allegation surfaced as three aggrieved party members filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the removal of the Senator David Mark-led interim leadership of the ADC.

Meanwhile, key political figures such as former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, and former Katsina PDP Chairman, Salisu Lawal Uli, have exited their respective parties, pledging allegiance to the ADC-led coalition.

In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Interim National Publicity Secretary and National Coalition Spokesperson, the ADC warned of attempts by the Presidency to intimidate and co-opt its members.

“We have credible intelligence that the aim of this meeting is not for national security or peace-building. It is to intimidate, coerce, and if possible, co-opt these individuals into a fabricated scheme against the opposition coalition. This is not politics. This is sabotage.”

Abdullahi emphasized that the ruling APC is shaken by the opposition’s momentum.

“The July 1 coalition declaration and the July 2 unveiling of the ADC have rattled the ruling party. It is now obvious that the Tinubu administration, having lost the trust of the Nigerian people, cannot withstand the pressure of a united and credible opposition.”

He accused the government of reverting to old strategies.

“But rather than correct its ways, it has resorted to its old playbook of destabilising opposition parties.”

Appealing directly to President Tinubu, he stated:

“We call on President Bola Tinubu to take note of these sinister moves by some of his appointees and call them to order. The President needs to prove to Nigerians that he is, indeed, a democrat.”

“He needs to remind his men that if the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was as intolerant and as subversive of the opposition, the APC would not have come to power in 2015 and he would not have been a president today.”

Abdullahi further declared: “Let it be clear: the coalition movement is an idea whose time has come.”

“This party belongs to every Nigerian who is tired of the lies, the manipulation, and hardship. It belongs to every Nigerian who wants to restore decency, vision and justice to governance.”

“We would, therefore, not allow a handful of desperate men to turn Nigeria into a one-party dictatorship. And it would be our patriotic duty to resist it with every democratic means available to us.”

Abdullahi clarified that the party is not yet discussing its presidential ticket.

“We’re not having any of those conversations right now. That will come later. For now, we’re focused on building the party to offer Nigerians a viable alternative.”

A senior party source added: “We want internal competition to bring out the best candidates. A party that avoids competition internally will struggle in general elections.”

“We’re not banking on voter frustration to win. We want to return to a political system where leaders are held accountable after elections and the party has the authority to discipline them.”

Some party members, Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu, and Haruna Ismaila, have gone to court to contest the legality of the interim leadership appointments.

They argue that Senator Mark, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and Bolaji Abdullahi are in breach of the party’s constitution.

They want the court to determine: “Whether or not the appointment of the 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants as Interim National Chairman, National Secretary, and National Publicity Secretary of the 1st Defendant was made in breach of the provisions of the ADC Constitution, 2018 (as amended)… and whether the 2nd Defendant can lawfully recognize the 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants as the Interim National Chairman, Interim National Secretary, and Interim National Publicity Secretary of the 1st Defendant…”

No court date has been set for the hearing.

Former ADC chairman Ralph Nwosu, now chair of the party’s Integrity Committee, expressed concern that the coalition could implode if not handled with discipline.

“We’re in a political climate where it seems that if you’re corrupt and have stolen public funds, all you need to do is switch parties and your sins are forgotten. Is this the kind of legacy we want to leave for the next generation?”

He rejected claims that the party had been sold out to political heavyweights.

“I’ve invested billions of naira in this party since it began because I believed the political system was failing in leadership. My children studied at the best universities; Imperial College, Stanford, and Columbia, yet they can’t come back to Nigeria. Do you think I would trade their future for money?”

On the appointment of new interim leaders, Nwosu defended their credibility:

“Senator Mark is a man of dignity, discipline, and commitment. His leadership reflects these values. Aregbesola is one of the simplest and most integrity-driven individuals you’ll meet.”

He emphasized that: “Anyone who wants to run for any position, whether for president or any other office, has agreed to attend these retreats. We’ll confront our past mistakes and the erosion of values.”

Responding to the Obidient movement’s expectations: “We have many potential candidates: Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Atiku Abubakar, and others. Even if none of them becomes the candidate, our manifesto will remain the foundation of our movement.”

Chief Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation magazine and a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has restated his commitment to supporting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his preferred presidential candidate in the opposition coalition.

Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired Monday night, Momodu emphasized that his backing of Atiku does not invalidate the rights of others particularly members of the Obidient movement—to support their own preferred aspirants, such as Peter Obi.

“My best choice is Atiku. And that is what I expect Obidients to say, which I expect those who support Amaechi to say,” Momodu said during the broadcast.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. This game is a game of numbers, and the people who are most aggrieved today are in the northern part of Nigeria.”

He argued that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is wary of Atiku’s rising influence and is strategically pushing for a southern candidate to emerge in the ADC, viewing Atiku as a formidable opponent.

“If you listen to Wike very well, they’ve all been campaigning that the next president should still come from the southern Nigeria. But they know very well that there’s no southerner today,” Momodu explained.

“The only one who could have attempted it is Wike. But since he is supporting Asiwaju, he is no longer available. The moment they started pushing campaigns of calumny against Atiku, you must know that they feel threatened by Atiku.”

While reaffirming his admiration for Peter Obi, Momodu urged for an open and democratic contest among all aspirants, stressing that all camps must be allowed to campaign and compete freely.

“I have never asked anyone not to support Obi. Obi is my very good friend. If you asked me about one of the people who should lead the coalition, I would say it should be Obi,” he said.

“As a democrat, I am appealing to them, hoping they will be able to do it democratically so that they will not say they were forced upon them.”

He added: “Let them all go to the field. Let all Obidients campaign for Obi, let those Atikulates campaign for Atiku and let the Amaechis campaign for Amaechi. That is my belief.”

Momodu concluded by reaffirming his confidence in Atiku’s leadership credentials: “Atiku is a good example of what a leader should be in Nigeria.”

Mallam Garba Shehu, media aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, has dismissed widespread speculation suggesting a fallout between his principal and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking during an appearance on Trust TV’s 30 Minutes, Shehu clarified that there is no official indication of distrust or conflict between both leaders, contrary to growing political rumors.

“When people are entitled to hold their opinion, and your interpretation of it is purely your entitlement,” Shehu said.

“I don’t think in a formal and official sense, anybody would talk about distrust or mistrust or a façade between the Buhari administration and the Tinubu administration.”

He emphasized that Buhari remains loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party under which he was elected president after three failed attempts.

“For Muhammadu Buhari, for him, he’s essentially an APC member,” Shehu stated.

“He does not forget the fact that he ran one, two, three times and failed to get the presidency until they cobbled together the APC.”

“APC came together and gave him two terms, for which he has remained grateful, and says—and that’s what I’ve learned from him—‘I will never be ungrateful. I will never betray the party that gave me two terms in office.’”

Addressing the ongoing discourse about cracks within the ruling party, Shehu maintained that such commentary does not unsettle Buhari’s camp.

“We see statements; we read them when people say these things. Do we get disturbed? I don’t think that is the word,” he noted.

Shehu also reminded Nigerians of the historical struggle involved in founding the APC, arguing that those who labored to build the party would hardly be interested in destabilizing it now.

“It took a lot of doing, energy, and sacrifice for the APC to have been put in place, for the desperate opposition elements to come together,” he said.

“They tried one, two, three times, and they failed. But by this time, they came together in 2014, formed a party, and ran in 2014.”

“They won. Which means, in effect, that the people who were around, who saw how much sweat it took to build this coalition I think they are not likely to be the ones who are trying to fracture it.”

National Chairman of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Bishop Amakiri, has dismissed the credibility of the newly formed opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections, claiming that the majority of its leaders are responsible for Nigeria’s current political and governance challenges.

Appearing on The Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme on Monday, Amakiri criticised the coalition which includes political heavyweights such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, and others, arguing that many of them lack the moral authority to champion any meaningful change.

“I have a problem, and it is whether 85 per cent of people in that coalition have the moral justification to tell us about a coalition that will liberate the Nigerian people from the political leadership quagmire we find ourselves in,” Amakiri stated.

The coalition recently met in Abuja, endorsing the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political platform, with former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola emerging as interim chairman and secretary, respectively.

Amakiri did not hold back in his criticism of the coalition’s makeup and motivations. He described the alliance as a recycled assembly of politicians who had been tried and tested—and found wanting.

“You can’t have a gathering of over 85 per cent of persons who have been given the opportunity to lead this country before – and where have they taken the country to? Abysmal failure,” he said.

Labeling the coalition as a group of “political power mongers,” the YPP chairman argued that the move appears to be more about personal ambition than genuine reform.

“They are just political power mongers trying to advance their interests,” he added.

Amakiri also drew parallels between the current coalition and the 2015 political merger that gave rise to the All Progressives Congress (APC), suggesting that history was simply repeating itself with no real commitment to change.

“It’s the same thing they did in 2015 when they just wanted to kick out a president who was doing very okay,” he remarked.

Responding to speculation that some members of the YPP had joined the coalition, Amakiri made clear that the party’s current priority is not the presidency, but increasing its legislative presence.

“We are not in a hurry to produce a president. Our major ambition is to take over the parliament,” he said.

The controversial Abuja meeting that sparked Amakiri’s comments brought together politicians from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the ADC, all positioning themselves as a united front to challenge the ruling APC in 2027.

The Coalition for the Defence of Nigeria’s Democracy (CDND) has called for the arrest and prosecution of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over what it describes as inflammatory and destabilizing statements that threaten national peace.

In a statement released Monday in Abuja and signed by the group’s National President, Dr. Rufus Obadiah, the CDND compared Amaechi’s rhetoric to that of detained separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, accusing him of promoting unrest and undermining national stability.

The group cited a speech delivered by Amaechi at the launch of the 2025 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey Report by the Africa Polling Institute in Abuja.

According to CDND, the former minister’s remarks about revolution and bloodshed cross the line into dangerous territory.

“Amaechi said the only way to stop President Bola Tinubu in 2027 is for Nigerians to take their fate into their own hands and then went further to suggest that no revolution can succeed without blood,” Obadiah stated.

The group described the comments as a direct incitement to violence, highlighting his reference to global examples of civil uprisings in countries such as Bangladesh and Peru, and his lament that Nigerians are “too docile” to challenge the status quo.

“There is no meaningful difference between Rotimi Amaechi and Nnamdi Kanu in this context,” the statement read.

“Both have used inflammatory language, promoted civic disobedience, and hinted at bloodshed to advance their political causes.”

Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State and ex-minister under President Muhammadu Buhari, recently left the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with a public declaration of his ambition to contest the 2027 presidential election.

However, CDND dismissed his candidacy, criticizing both his track record and recent statements.

“Rotimi Amaechi has never worked in the private sector for even a day in his life,” said Obadiah.

“And yet, Nigeria’s transport sector remains in shambles, our seaports dysfunctional, and the rail projects he championed mired in debt, opacity, and inflation.”

The group also condemned Amaechi’s comment blaming the masses for their continued subjugation under elite control.

“The same elites who made a mess of governance are now mocking the people they failed. It is the height of insensitivity,” Obadiah added.

CDND took particular exception to a line in Amaechi’s speech, where he reportedly said:

“200 million Nigerians can fight 100,000 elites.”

The group called this “a call to arms disguised as political analysis,” likening it to rhetoric that previously led to the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu. CDND questioned why, given the similarity, Amaechi had not yet faced legal consequences.

The organisation called on security agencies, including the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS), to investigate the matter and ensure that justice is served.

“Failure to act will set a dangerous precedent,” the statement warned.

CDND also demanded clarity from the ADC, questioning whether the party endorsed such radical rhetoric from its new member.

“The African Democratic Congress must make it clear whether it stands for democratic dialogue or revolutionary violence. The 2027 election is not a war,” it said.

Finally, Obadiah issued a strong warning to young Nigerians, urging them not to be misled by what he called “violent fantasy masquerading as reform.”

“Nigeria’s recovery must come through lawful, democratic means, not bloodshed,” he said.

“Amaechi has nothing new to offer. Now, he wants to burn down what remains of Nigeria’s democracy so he can rise from its ashes. That is not patriotism. That is sabotage. And it must not go unpunished.”