By Godswill Eketabubu

The above caption may seem unusual given the well-publicized succession of political problems that have afflicted the PDP since 2015, problems that were further exacerbated during the 2023 presidential election cycle.

Yet, as grave as these political maladies may appear, they currently pale into relative insignificance when compared to the complex legal challenge the party is now facing.

My theory is simple: tackle and resolve this knotty legal challenge, and the party’s political pathologies will begin to dissipate rapidly.

Ignore it, throw it under the bus, or address it half-heartedly, and the envisaged political solution being canvassed will only bring temporary relief.

PDP’s 2023 Political Wahala

The magnitude of the political crises that crippled the PDP during the 2023 presidential election season is well known.

From the party’s ambiguous stance on zoning the presidential ticket, to the refusal of then-National Chairman Dr. Iyorcha Ayu to resign, and the open rebellion led by Nyesom Wike and the G-5 Governors, the party’s fate was quickly sealed.

Its perennial candidate, Atiku Abubakar, lost the presidential election; Wike landed the top job as President Bola Tinubu’s Minister of the FCT; and a vicious political war was unleashed at the heart of the party’s ability to function as a coherent political apparatus.

Those aggrieved by the party’s actions in 2023 resolved to exact revenge. To achieve this, the party must be taught a lesson, one painful enough to break it into many pieces before 2027, thus paving the way for President Tinubu’s leisurely return to office.

At this stage, the driving force in the party’s persistent crises is political contestation: Who controls the party’s machinery? Who determines its direction? What purpose will it serve? There are three major forces in this rofo-rofo:

1. Those insisting that the party must remain autonomous and free from external control so it can wage and possibly win the 2027 political battle;

2. Those who want the party to be tied to the apron strings of President Tinubu and the ruling APC;

3. And those who neither want the party to be strong and united because “they have no portion in it again,” nor want Tinubu to have anything to do with it.

Without a shadow of doubt, the Governor of Bauchi State and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Sen. Bala Mohammed, best exemplifies the first tendency.

He has recently been joined by the Acting National Chairman of the party, Amb. Illiya Damagun, whose loyalty to the party was initially seen as questionable.

PDP Lands Itself in a Legal Quagmire

The political noise was so loud that scant attention was paid to the legal challenge that crept into the party’s core: the epic battle over the National Secretary position.

Why is this struggle existential for the party? Not just because of the perception of institutional disorder, but because unless it is resolved, the party’s future is in grave danger.

The situation is straightforward: three claimants are vying for the position—

The elected National Secretary, Sen. SamDaddy Anyanwu;

Comrade Ude Okoye, nominated by the South East Caucus after Anyanwu contested the Imo State governorship;

Setonji Kosheodo, Deputy National Secretary, who emerged as Acting National Secretary to mediate between the two.

Any party member or leader who fails to recognize the centrality of this legal tussle to the party’s survival is either being mischievous or is downright clueless and politically naïve.

If resolved quickly, the party can convene a valid NEC, ratify legally sound appointments and zoning committees, hold a lawful National Convention to elect a new NWC, and in 2026, conduct presidential primaries to produce its candidate for the 2027 general elections.

However, if the party mishandles the National Secretary position, by retaining the wrong person, and proceeds with those processes, it will suffer the same fate as the APC in Zamfara in 2019.

This won’t just affect off-season elections, but will legally undermine all PDP candidates in the 2027 general elections, governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, and state assemblies alike. Period.

INEC Holds the Ace in Resolving PDP’s Legal Problem

Many have argued that it’s improper for the party to seek INEC’s intervention, or that INEC should not interfere or summon its leaders to a meeting.

Some insist that the June 30th NEC meeting is sacrosanct and must hold, and that Sen. Anyanwu can never return as National Secretary.

While it’s understandable that people want to vent, reality must be approached rationally, not emotionally. Only through deliberate, logical action can the party escape this quagmire.

In Nigeria’s constitutional democracy, especially under its multiparty system, INEC is the Alpha and Omega. As uncomfortable as this may sound, it’s true.

As a regulator, INEC has powers that few people fully understand. Its legal team is formidable, given the volume of litigation it faces daily.

I would trust INEC’s interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the National Secretary issue over that of 100 SANs combined!

INEC has spoken. As regrettable and odious as that may seem to some, its stance is final. If the PDP acts otherwise, trust me, it will mark the beginning of its end, especially if it manages to dethrone President Tinubu.

So, what is INEC’s position?

The June 30 NEC meeting was illegally convened and cannot hold;

The National Secretary was supposed to co-sign the notice with the Acting National Chairman;

Sen. Anyanwu remains the valid National Secretary until the next elective convention;

Any attempt to sidestep this will result in legal catastrophe.

Even if INEC hasn’t said all this in a press conference, a visit to its records makes this position abundantly clear.

Gov. Bala Mohammed’s Rescue Mission

Gov. Bala Mohammed seems to have understood this reality. His relentless efforts, hosting countless meetings, pushing for compromise, show his commitment to rescuing the party.

He appears to have realized that Sen. Anyanwu’s refusal to resign after becoming a gubernatorial candidate or the friends he keeps are irrelevant in this context. What matters is legal compliance, not emotional sentiment.

The Acting National Chairman, Amb. Damagun, seems to share this perspective, as seen in the postponement of the June 30 NEC and the move to reinstate Sen. Anyanwu.

Sen. Bukola Saraki, Chairman of the Reconciliation Committee, also appears to be working toward this sound outcome.

My appeal to all PDP members, sympathizers like myself, and lovers of multiparty democracy, under pressure from a frightened APC and an ambitious presidency, is to rally around these efforts.

If someone like Gov. Bala Mohammed were to turn his back on the party now, one wonders what would become of it.

Rather than vilify him or others, party faithful should support the urgent mission of pulling the PDP from the jaws of APC sharks.

Plea To South East Party Leaders

To the South East leaders of the party, particularly the dynamic Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Sen. Adolphus Wabara, BOT Chairman, I appeal to you as a neighbour from the South-South and long-time PDP sympathizer: calm down.

Rise above your righteous anger over Anyanwu’s perceived betrayal and let peace reign. You cannot destroy what you helped build.

You cannot win this case in INEC’s eyes, and INEC’s eyes are the law in this instance. It may sound harsh and defeatist, but it’s the truth. Unless you have other reasons to leave the party, it should not be over Sen. Anyanwu, whose tenure lapses in November.

What good will it do to burn it all down when all that’s needed is patience for three or four months? Demand that the party rezone the position to the South East at the next convention and put your preferred candidate there for a full four-year term.

South East leaders have everything to gain by cooperating with Damagun and Gov. Bala Mohammed to finally resolve the National Secretary issue, abandon the illusion of a June 30 NEC meeting, and reframe that gathering as an Expanded National Caucus.

There, the date for a legitimate NEC and the National Convention can be decided.

To do otherwise is to hand victory to the party’s enemies—and contribute to its eventual ruin.

Dr. Eketabubu wrote from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Alhaji Ali Bukar Dalori, the Deputy National Chairman (North), has stepped in as Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the unexpected health‑related resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka announced in Abuja last night that President Bola Tinubu personally directed Dalori to assume the position “pending the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party … to fill the vacancy created by the resignation.”

Dr. Ganduje, who had served as National Chairman for 22 months, tendered his resignation to the National Working Committee (NWC) via National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru.

In his resignation letter, he cited urgent personal matters and expressed gratitude to President Tinubu “for the opportunity to serve the Party at the highest level.”

Morka praised Ganduje’s tenure, noting he “dedicated himself to strengthening Party unity and cohesion, expounding its democratic ideals, and enhancing the Party’s electoral competitiveness.”

According to him, the NEC and National Caucus meetings in February 2025 had bestowed “a profound recognition and honour for his service.”

Morka reiterated that other NWC members remain unaffected by the change in leadership.

He confirmed that NEC will convene immediately to appoint a substantive National Chairman, with the next National Convention scheduled for December, where a permanent appointment is expected.

A party insider speculated,

“My own suspicion is that the resignation may be a fallout of what happened at the Gombe meeting of APC North East.”

At that gathering, delegates disrupted proceedings after the omission of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s name during the endorsement for President Tinubu’s second term.

Inside the national headquarters at Muhammadu Buhari House, staff and party members were reportedly shocked by Ganduje’s resignation.

Personal effects belonging to the former Chair and his aides have been removed from his office, while calls to other NWC members regarding the shake‑up were reportedly met with denial of any broader impact.

A source clarified,

“It is only the National Chairman that is affected. All other members of the NWC are to carry on in their positions.”

Alhaji Ali Bukar Dalori, formerly the APC Chairman in Borno State, ascended to the role of Deputy National Chairman (North) after Senator Abubakar Kyari’s appointment as Agriculture Minister.

A notable ally of Vice President Shettima, Dalori is a seasoned politician, having served five terms as a local government chairman, two terms in the Borno State House of Assembly, and on the board of the Nigeria Railway Corporation.

Under Article 14.2(iii) of the APC Constitution:

“The Deputy National Chairman shall act as National Chairman in the absence of the National Chairman from his zone.”

Dalori becomes the sixth national chairman of the APC, following in the footsteps of Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu.

The party reaffirmed its focus on delivering transformative governance under President Tinubu’s “Hope Agenda.”

The NWC also commended Ganduje for his contributions and wished him well in his future endeavors.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has firmly refuted allegations that he secretly allocated over 2,000 hectares of land in Abuja’s elite Maitama and Asokoro districts to his son.

The allegation, which first surfaced via an online platform (not DAILY GAZETTE), claimed Wike facilitated the issuance of a Right of Occupancy in the name of JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, a company reportedly linked to his family.

The report suggested that land meant for agricultural use was instead being used as a cover for private enrichment.

Reacting to the claims, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, issued a strong rebuttal, describing the story as part of a deliberate campaign to smear the Minister’s image.

“Not even a single plot of land has been allocated to any of the minister’s children,” Olayinka stated in a press release on Thursday.

He went on to dismiss the allegations as baseless and absurd, questioning the credibility of the source and the feasibility of the claim itself.

“In Asokoro and Maitama of today, where can the FCT minister see 2,082 hectares of land to allocate to anyone?”

Olayinka described the report as a fabrication peddled by unprofessional media operators.

“Only quack journalists will go to town with the story of allocation of 2,082 hectares of land in Asokoro and Maitama, the reason some of us have continually advocated for professionalism in journalism,” he said.

He also accused the unnamed publisher of engaging in a coordinated effort to malign the minister.

“My attention has been drawn to yet another malicious falsehood coming from the same elements whose job is to defame and malign the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike,” Olayinka added.

The recent resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje from his role as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sparked speculation within the party, with a prominent chieftain suggesting that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso could emerge as a potential successor.

Though Ganduje, who hails from the North West, had been occupying a position originally zoned to the North Central, the party stalwart who spoke on condition of anonymity believes internal zoning disagreements may have played a role in his departure.

“It is possible that Ganduje might have been consumed by the zoning crisis because that position belonged to North Central before Ganduje was confirmed. It does not belong to North West,” the source said.

Describing the chairmanship as a politically volatile position, the chieftain added, “Ganduje might have been forced to resign because a self-resignation of this instance is not expected.”

“Yet it is not surprising because that seat is very hot. We know what has happened to his successors, so it is hard to see a Chairman who completes his tenure as APC Chairman. We saw what happened to Abdullahi Adamu, Oshiomhole, and others.”

The source further questioned whether President Bola Tinubu would be willing to bypass the North Central region again in favor of Kwankwaso, who also comes from the same geopolitical zone as Ganduje.

Still, he noted a growing momentum in support of Kwankwaso’s entry into the party and eventual leadership.

When asked whether Ganduje’s resignation was linked to tensions with Vice President Kashim Shettima, the chieftain dismissed the idea, suggesting instead that recent political developments were strategic moves by the presidency.

He explained, “The drama in Gombe State at the Northeast APC endorsement meeting was cooked to spike the Northeast party members, to check their readiness for the 2027 election.”

“If you check the contribution of APC in the Northeast during the 2023 election, you will agree with me that it was insignificant.”

“So, what happened last week was intended to wake them up. I don’t think the President intended to remove Shettima, and the drama can’t be attributed to Ganduje.”

Regarding any potential fallout for the APC in Kano, particularly in the lead-up to the 2027 elections, the source expressed confidence that Tinubu’s chances would not be negatively affected.

“It is not necessarily possible for Ganduje’s resignation to threaten Tinubu’s chance in Kano because I don’t think Ganduje will fight back. You know Ganduje is a very loyal and committed member of APC,” he said.

Concluding his thoughts, the APC chieftain hinted at what he sees as a likely shift in leadership dynamics within the party.

“But what I’m thinking, the way the wave of permutations is going, Kwankwaso may likely emerge as new APC Chairman. This is my personal observation. Kwankwaso will join APC soon.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has launched an official investigation into alleged corruption and abuse of office by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, following reports that he allocated billions of naira worth of Abuja land to his son, Joaquin.

According to sources at the State House, Mr. Tinubu gave the directive on Thursday night, although final arrangements for the probe were concluded on Friday afternoon.

“The president agreed that the minister’s activity as reported in the media was suspicious and ordered a probe to determine if he had illegally enriched himself,” a presidential aide told DAILY GAZETTE by telephone Friday afternoon.

The probe will be coordinated by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the official disclosed.

“The SGF’s office would be coordinating the probe, and we encourage anyone who may have seen any wrongdoing in government to always bring such to the attention of the administration,” the official added, requesting anonymity to speak about the matter.

It remains unclear whether Nigeria’s major anti-corruption bodies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), will be involved. A request for comment sent to the SGF, George Akume, had not been answered as of press time.

Insiders also noted that the probe has not yet been publicly announced because the president is treading carefully to avoid appearing confrontational toward Mr. Wike, who has received praise for his performance in managing federal projects in Abuja.

Nonetheless, prominent anti-corruption campaigner Lanre Suraju has called for a thorough and open process.

“That is most astonishing, but we need to be careful, going by past experiences of camaraderie and solidarity in public office and the president’s several public praises of Mr Wike,” Suraju said.

“Such panels need to make public their process and involve the services of seasoned investigators from law enforcement agencies in conducting investigations, including forensic and CAC registry analysis.”

It was earlier reported that Mr. Wike allocated about 2,082 hectares of land, prime property in Maitama and Asokoro districts, in the name of his son, Joaquin.

Experts estimate the real estate to be worth more than $3.6 billion.

After public backlash, Mr. Wike responded by claiming the land was allocated to Joaq Farms and Estates Ltd strictly for agricultural purposes.

However, he did not clarify that the company is linked to his son.

In his defense, Wike maintained that his actions were legal.

The minister also stated that no laws barred him from granting land rights to his family members.

However, this stance appears to be in conflict with Nigeria’s Constitution.

Article 5 of the Fifth Schedule clearly forbids public officials from using their position for personal enrichment.

When asked whether Mr. Wike would cooperate with the investigation, his spokesperson declined to comment.

President Bola Tinubu has reportedly brokered a peace deal to resolve the political crisis in Rivers State, paving the way for the reinstatement of the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

However, the governor’s return to office is said to come with strict conditions.

According to a report by The Cable, the resolution was reached during a late-night meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja between President Tinubu and key stakeholders, including FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and other aggrieved parties.

Under the terms of the agreement, Fubara will be allowed to return to office and complete his four-year tenure, but he must not contest for a second term in 2027.

In addition, the deal reportedly grants Wike full authority to nominate all chairpersons across the 23 local government areas in Rivers State.

As part of the settlement, Governor Fubara is also expected to pay all outstanding allowances and entitlements owed to the 27 state lawmakers who are aligned with Wike and were previously suspended from the House of Assembly.

Furthermore, the agreement includes a non-impeachment clause: the lawmakers, once reinstated, will refrain from initiating any impeachment proceedings against Fubara.

The Taraba State House of Assembly has refuted reports suggesting it is planning to remove Deputy Governor Aminu Alkali, who is currently undergoing medical treatment in Abuja.

Addressing journalists in Jalingo on Thursday, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Nelson Len, categorically denied the speculation, asserting that no such plan is under consideration by the state legislature.

“We call on the general public to disregard the speculations that the assembly is preparing to declare the deputy governor incapacitated,” he said.

Len assured that Alkali is expected to resume official duties once he fully recovers from his illness, and clarified that none of the three arms of government in Taraba State had initiated any process to remove or replace him.

He emphasized the commitment of the government to support the deputy governor’s recovery.

“Efforts are ongoing to ensure his full recovery and return to office,” he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Alkali has been on medical leave since November 2024, prompting concerns in some quarters about the length of his absence and its implications for governance in the state.