As the All Progressives Congress (APC) prepares for its upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for July 24, signs are emerging that former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, may be eyeing the party’s national chairmanship seat.

Supporters of the two-term governor have launched an early show of interest by flooding parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with campaign posters bearing his image.

The posters, which call for Bello’s consideration for the top party job, were seen at several strategic locations across the city.

A visit by DAILY GAZETTE to parts of Abuja revealed that hundreds of the posters were prominently displayed around the city gate and near the APC national secretariat on Blantyre Street, an apparent signal of grassroots mobilization ahead of the NEC meeting.

Although Bello has not formally declared his intention to contest for the position, the public display by his supporters suggests a growing push for his candidacy following the unexpected exit of former APC chairman and ex-Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

The development adds to growing speculation over who will emerge as the next leader of the ruling party, with stakeholders expected to decide the matter during the crucial NEC gathering later this month.

In a strong demonstration of unity and shared purpose, 37 state chairmen of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) including the chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have thrown their support behind the party’s interim leadership after a crucial meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.

The closed-door meeting was convened by the interim leadership, which includes former Senate President David Mark and members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

It comes amid growing political speculation about possible internal rifts within the party.

The aim, according to party insiders, was to reaffirm internal cohesion, debunk rumours of factionalism, and consolidate ongoing coalition-building and reorganisation efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, ADC’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, clarified the purpose of the gathering.

“We invited all the state chairmen to reassure them that we have no intention to shove them aside. The purpose is to dispel all the falsehood and rumours making the rounds that we came to hijack the party from them,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasized the interim leadership’s commitment to inclusion and partnership with state leaders, describing them as “partners in building a stronger political party.”

He noted that the meeting had a unifying effect and boosted confidence among party stakeholders nationwide.

“The meeting has succeeded in strengthening the confidence of party leaders across the states,” he added.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has revealed that former President Goodluck Jonathan once attempted to remove him from office during his tenure as governor of Borno State.

Speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the public presentation of OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 billion Nigeria Oil Block, a book authored by former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), Shettima recounted how the move was thwarted.

Shettima, who served as governor from May 2011 to May 2019, said that during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency, especially between 2011 and 2013 when Jonathan declared multiple states of emergency in the northeast, he faced mounting pressure and political attacks.

According to him, “There are two gentlemen seated here. Certain decisions are taken in a very rare circle. The President, the Vice President, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“In one of such conclaves, former President Goodluck Jonathan, with whom we have sheathed the sword and have now recalibrated our relationship, was muting the idea of removing this Borno governor.”

Shettima credited former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, for standing up to the President at the time.

“Aminu Tambuwal, the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, had the courage to tell the President that, ‘Your Excellency, you don’t have the powers to remove an elected councillor,’” he said.

Despite the pushback, Shettima said the former President remained unconvinced.

“The President was still not convinced; he muted the idea at the Federal Executive Council,” Shettima added.

He went on to commend Mohammed Adoke for upholding the rule of law in the face of political pressure.

“He (Mr Adoke) told the then President that, ‘Mr President, you do not have the powers to remove a sitting governor, not even a councillor.’

“They sought the opinion of another SAN in the cabinet, Kabiru Turaki, who said, ‘I’m concurring with the opinion of my senior colleague,’” Shettima recounted.

According to the Vice-President, that moment cemented his lasting bond with both Adoke and Tambuwal.

“That was how the matter was laid to rest. But that was how my relationship with Mr Adoke and Aminu Tambuwal became eternally sealed,” he concluded.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has dismissed the chances of a joint presidential ticket between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the 2027 elections.

Speaking on Prime Time, a programme aired on Arise TV on Thursday, Onanuga said that even a coalition between Atiku and Obi would not be strong enough to unseat President Tinubu.

Daily Trust earlier reported that the opposition coalition recently adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The coalition includes notable political figures such as Atiku, Obi, former governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), as well as former Senate President David Mark, among others.

Reacting to the development, Onanuga said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) does not consider the coalition a serious challenge.

“They are free to form alliances but as far as the APC is concerned we are not seeing them as any threat,” he said.

“If you merge Peter Obi and Atiku together, there is no way the two of them can beat a Bola Tinubu and Shettima ticket. It is going to be impossible.”

He also suggested that the coalition is premature in launching its political activities ahead of the next general election.

“They are jumping the gun, it is not yet time for politicking,” Onanuga added.

The presidential aide maintained that President Tinubu’s track record would be a strong factor in the 2027 elections, suggesting that achievements in office would speak louder than alliances.

The Kebbi State Government has downplayed the political impact of former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), following his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Speaking to newsmen, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir Idris, Ahmed Idris, said Malami’s move holds no political weight in the state and has no effect on the popularity or performance of the current administration.

“Well, the defection of the former Attorney General is not something that the people or the government of Kebbi State will be unhappy about. In fact, we are happy he left because he didn’t add any value to our administration,” he said.

He emphasized that Governor Idris enjoys strong grassroots support, reinforced by his performance in office.

“Our governor is already well-grounded in the minds of the people, and his achievements speak volumes. In fact, the people of Kebbi State are so impressed with him that they want him to continue after eight years or even go to Abuja to become the president of this country,” he added.

Dismissing Malami’s political relevance, Idris argued that the former AGF has never had a solid support base in Kebbi.

“As for Malami, he has no political integrity in Kebbi State. He has never even won his own polling unit in any election, let alone the majority of votes across the state. So, his defection means nothing to us. We are not worried because he has no impact or value.”

Commenting on recent opposition realignments, he said such coalitions are driven by self-interest, not service to the public.

“We’re not worried at all. They cannot defeat the APC not even at the top level. If you look at the caliber of people who defected whether from APC or PDP, they’re doing it purely for selfish interests, not for the people,” he said.

He also cited concerns raised by youths who felt abandoned after being engaged by Malami’s camp.

“Some youths were invited for a meeting by Malami’s people about a new movement. In the end, they were abandoned. He couldn’t even support them. Some of them came to me and complained,” Idris explained.

He highlighted Governor Idris’s inclusive governance style, pointing to appointments made across ethnic and regional lines.

“He doesn’t discriminate whether you’re Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Benin — it doesn’t matter. I’m not even from Kebbi State; I’m a Nupe man from Niger. Yet he picked me as his Chief Press Secretary. He gave appointments to Igbos, Yorubas, and others. That shows the inclusivity of his leadership,” he noted.

Listing key achievements of the administration, Idris mentioned the completion of the state secretariat, rural infrastructure development, and support for traditional institutions.

“He also supported the traditional institutions, renovated palaces of the four Emirs in Kebbi, bought them official vehicles, and didn’t just leave things to contractors.”

On security and agriculture, he added: “He created operational bases in volatile areas where people couldn’t farm or sleep peacefully. Today, areas like Shanga and Yauri are safer… He purchased over 200 trucks of fertilizer and distributed them for free.”

In closing, Idris advised Malami to reconsider his political direction and reflect on the support he once enjoyed under the APC.

“My advice to Malami is that he should rethink his decision. Leaving the APC is a wrong move. Malami benefited from this party and grew politically under APC. He should have stayed loyal.”

“No matter what anyone does in Kebbi today, they can’t win against the goodwill, the performance, and the legacy of my principal. He has touched the lives of the masses and that’s what truly counts,” he concluded.

The Senate on Thursday removed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Chair of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), replacing her with Senator Aniekan Bassey of Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.

The announcement was made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary. No official reason was given for the decision.

“The new chairman is Distinguished Senator Aniekan Bassey, and it will take effect from today,” Akpabio stated.

While addressing the broader context of committee assignments, the Senate President hinted at an upcoming reshuffle of vice chairmanship positions to promote fairness in the distribution of roles.

“We will make some changes to our vice chairmanship positions next week. Some of the senators have two vice chairmanship positions. Every senator should either be a chairman or a vice chairman so we balance the situation,” he said.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, was initially appointed as Chair of the Local Content Committee but was removed earlier this year. On February 4, 2025, she was reassigned to head the Committee on Diaspora and NGOs.

Her removal from the Diaspora Committee comes amid ongoing tension between her and Senate leadership.

In March, Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended over allegations of gross misconduct following a confrontation with Akpabio, reportedly over seating arrangements on the Senate floor.

Despite a court ruling that nullified her suspension, she has not yet returned to active legislative duties.

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was waiting for official court documentation before making her return.

“I am awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary,” she said, adding that she was acting on legal counsel and out of respect for the institution.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced its intention to pursue legal action against the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro, Abuja, following the abrupt cancellation of a high-profile political event scheduled to take place at the venue.

According to ADC’s legal counsel, Kabiru Abdullahi, the hotel not only failed to refund the ₦6 million already paid for the reservation but also left the party scrambling less than 24 hours before the event.

Speaking to The Peoples Gazette, Abdullahi disclosed that the party is now demanding ₦100 million in damages from the hotel for the “inconvenience and embarrassment” it caused.

DAILY GAZETTE had earlier reported that the unveiling event, which was meant to formally announce ADC as the political platform for Nigeria’s growing opposition coalition, was unexpectedly disrupted last Wednesday after the hotel abruptly withdrew its reservation agreement.

The event was set to draw notable figures from across Nigeria’s political spectrum, positioning the ADC as a unifying vehicle to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.

However, on the morning of the scheduled event, organizers received a message from the hotel stating it could no longer accommodate them, citing a vague “internal compliance matter.”

A screenshot of the message, shared online by media personality and politician Dele Momodu, read:

“Dear Esteemed Patron, Thank you once again for choosing the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments.
We sincerely regret to inform you that due to an internal compliance matter that has just come to our attention, we are unable to proceed with hosting your scheduled event.”

Commenting on the short notice, Mr Abdullahi expressed frustration at the hotel’s handling of the situation.

“A guarantee was given to us on the venue’s availability, with an invoice of the payment made, but they waited until less than 24 hours before notifying us of the cancellation,” he said.

“Giving us ‘internal compliance’ as the reason for the cancellation without any further explanation. We paid you and you and gave us an invoice, then we went back to our businesses, preparing for the event, only for them to call some minutes before midnight, less than 24 hours to the event which was supposed to take place at 2 p.m. the next day stating that it’s because of internal compliance.”

He emphasized that the last-minute cancellation was not only disruptive but a breach of contract, especially considering the party had already finalized payments and logistics.

“They sent us into a frantic moment to look for alternatives to prepare for the event and had to pay extra money for refreshments for the event,” Abdullahi said.

“The venue couldn’t contain the participants, they caused us so much inconvenience and they also caused us embarrassment.”

The ADC lawyer elaborated that the party had paid ₦6,063,000 to the Wells Carlton Hotel, which included the venue reservation and catering for guests.

A formal letter has since been sent to the hotel, demanding immediate reimbursement, a public apology, and compensation for damages amounting to ₦100 million.

“We sent them a letter demanding refund of our money, an apology and the sum of ₦100 million as damages and if they don’t, we will meet in court; it’s as simple as that,” Abdullahi said.

As at the time of this report, the hotel has not publicly responded to the allegations.

The Supreme Court has validated the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor of Edo State, putting an end to the legal challenge filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, a five-member panel of justices, headed by Justice Mohammed Garba Lawal, dismissed the PDP’s appeal for lack of merit.

The apex court held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of electoral malpractice, including non-compliance with electoral laws, unlawful voting, and claims that Okpebholo was not lawfully declared winner.

The ruling affirms earlier decisions by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had also thrown out the opposition’s case on similar grounds.