Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu honoured the late President Muhammadu Buhari in a way Buhari never honoured anyone while he was alive.

President Tinubu declared a public holiday on the day of Buhari’s burial, personally attended the funeral, met with his family, and renamed a federal university in his honour, actions that Sani described as “unprecedented and deserving of acknowledgment.”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sani listed the various gestures Tinubu made to honour his predecessor:

“The President physically attended the burial of Buhari, met with his family, declared a public holiday, held a FEC meeting in his honor and renamed a university to immortalise him.
Something even the late President never did to others. And yet they said he is ‘exploiting the death of Buhari’.”

“What would they have said if he had done none of the above? Politics is something else,”
the senator tweeted.

Sani’s comment has since drawn significant reactions online, with the post garnering over 1,000 likes at the time of this report.

His remarks come in the midst of increasing political debate over how the Tinubu administration has handled Buhari’s passing.

Some opposition groups, particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have accused the government of using the former president’s death as a tool to gain political mileage.

Responding to these allegations, Mr Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, dismissed the ADC’s claims as baseless and politically motivated.

“Their latest press release alleging that President Tinubu’s government is ‘exploiting’ the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari for political gain is not only dishonest.
It is an insult to millions of Nigerians who genuinely mourned the loss of a statesman, and who watched the State Burial accorded Buhari with solemn respect and dignity,”
Dare said.

He also condemned what he called hypocrisy by the ADC, noting:

“It was ironic that the same group accusing the President of politicising Buhari’s death was the one ‘dancing on his grave’ for public attention.”

Dare further explained that Buhari’s burial was handled with the dignity it deserved:

“The burial was conducted with complete honour befitting a former leader, with dignitaries from across the world in attendance, and millions of citizens following the events across media platforms.”

He concluded by defending Tinubu’s intentions:

“President Tinubu is not seeking cheap popularity but allowing his growing list of achievements to speak louder than the noisy irrelevance of groups like the ADC.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lost another senator to the All Progressives Congress (APC), with Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi, representing Osun Central, announcing his resignation from the party.

His decision adds to the wave of recent defections that have reshaped the current composition of the Nigerian Senate.

Senator Fadeyi, in a letter dated June 12, addressed to the PDP chairman in Ward 3, Oke-Ejigbo, Ila-Orangun, cited persistent internal disputes and leadership failures within the party as the reason behind his exit.

“I wish to formally notify you that I am resigning my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect,”
the letter read.

His resignation came just hours after a similar announcement by Senator Francis Fadahunsi of Osun East, deepening the PDP’s crisis in a state it currently governs under Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Fadeyi’s letter pointed to significant issues within the party, including deep-seated divisions, unresolved court disputes, and structural weaknesses, which he said had “hindered governance and effective representation.”

He further explained that the move was not made lightly, noting it came after careful consultation:

“The decision followed extensive consultations with political associates, family members, and close advisers.”

This latest development is likely to intensify speculation of a broader exodus from the PDP in the South-West, especially ahead of the 2027 general elections.

There are already unconfirmed reports suggesting that Governor Adeleke may also be considering a switch to the APC.

The PDP, Nigeria’s principal opposition party, has been in turmoil since the end of the 2023 general elections, grappling with leadership disputes, legal battles, and internal factionalism that have undercut its unity and effectiveness both at the national and state levels.

As defections mount, the PDP’s numbers in the 109-member Senate have dwindled. The party now holds 28 seats, while the ruling APC retains a commanding majority with 69 seats.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party (LP) has grown its presence to four seats, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) holds two, and both the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have one seat each.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of failing to deliver on his pre‑election pledge of 24‑hour power supply and the end of estimated billing, two years into his administration.

In a statement released this Sunday, ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, highlighted Tinubu’s campaign promise:

“A promise made will be a promise kept. If I don’t keep my promise and I come back for a second time, don’t vote for me.”

Abdullahi reminded Nigerians:

“Today, we just want to take some time to remind President Tinubu that he promised Nigerians uninterrupted electricity within four years. Yes, that’s right, Mr. President promised us 24/7 power. All by himself.”

The ADC also raised concerns about the current state of Nigeria’s power sector:

• Electricity tariffs have surged by 240% since Tinubu took office in May 2023.
• The national grid has collapsed 12 times during the same period, with no comprehensive recovery plan communicated to the public.
• More than 90 million Nigerians still lack electricity access, while those in urban areas suffer only 4–6 hours of daily supply, based on the existing Band A–E classification.
• In rural zones, out of Nigeria’s estimated 50 million households, the vast majority remain completely off‑grid, Abdullahi noted.

He bemoaned the government’s apparent lack of urgency, saying:

“We are past the halfway mark of this administration, and millions of Nigerians are still charging their phones at mobile charging kiosks and spending hundreds of thousands to fuel their generators.”

Concluding his statement, Abdullahi echoed Tinubu’s own words:

“Mr. President, you once said: ‘If I don’t give you electricity, don’t vote for me.’ Well, Nigerians are listening. And come 2027, we intend to grant your wish.”

Prominent human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, to retract his recent remarks directed at Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate.

Falana’s response follows a statement made by Governor Okpebholo during a public event on Friday, where he declared that Peter Obi must not visit Edo State without obtaining security clearance.

Okpebholo accused Obi of contributing to violence during his last visit to the state, alleging that money was shared and that lives were lost shortly after.

“That man who says he has no ‘shishi’ came and dropped N15 million. Where did he get it from? After he left, three people were killed. For this reason, Obi must not come to Edo without security clearance,” the governor stated.

Reacting on Sunday, Falana described the governor’s remarks as unlawful and unconstitutional, stating they infringe on the rights guaranteed under Nigerian law and international human rights conventions.

“The threat to the life of Mr. Peter Obi issued by the ‘new sheriff in town’ in Edo State constitutes a violation of section 33 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” Falana said.

He reminded Governor Okpebholo that under section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, a government’s primary duty is the security and welfare of the people, not threats or intimidation.

“Governor Okpebholo should withdraw the threat, apologise publicly to Mr. Peter Obi, and assure him of the safety of his life in Edo State.”

Falana further advised Obi to seek legal redress if the governor fails to retract the statement, warning of the danger posed by mob justice and extrajudicial killings across the country.

“If Governor Okpebholo does not withdraw the illegal threat because of sheer arrogance of raw power, Mr. Peter Obi should proceed to file an application in the Benin Judicial Division of the Federal High Court to secure the enforcement of his fundamental right to life.”

“Mr. Obi should act with utmost urgency,” he added.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele has revealed that more than 80 percent of federal lawmakers from opposition parties are preparing to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking on Friday at the inauguration of several projects in Ilupeju, Lagos, spearheaded by Odi‑Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA Chairman Rasaq Olusola Ajala—Bamidele outlined the scope of the defections awaiting the resumption of parliament.

“As Senate leader, I can tell you that well over 80 per cent of our colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives who are not in the APC are planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress,” he stated, adding that the transition would accelerate with the return of lawmakers to the chamber.

“You have already seen some of them make the move. By the time we resume on Tuesday, you will hear of more Senators and House of Reps members defecting, especially from the PDP to the APC,” he said.

Bamidele also accused some opposition figures of being so desperate for power that they would entertain unconstitutional tactics.

“Some of them do not even mind a military coup. That is how desperate they are.”

He lambasted those who once claimed to be champions of democracy yet are now, according to him, plotting its unraveling.

“These are the same people who claimed they fought for democracy. But today, just because they are not in government, they want to do everything possible to bring an end to democracy in this country.”

During the same event, Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat dismissed rumblings about a nascent “Association of Defeated Candidates” as inconsequential.

“There is one group calling themselves the Association of Defeated Candidates, ADC or something like that,” he remarked, noting that such alliances would not destabilize the APC.

He defended President Bola Tinubu’s fiscal policies:

“When Tinubu became president, Nigeria was owing a lot, and the president has paid off those debts. To pay that amount, something must be sacrificed.”

According to Hamzat, critics are merely reacting to their political defeats.

“Naturally, the people he took over power from would be angry, and what we are seeing now is the result of that anger.”

Praising the local government’s infrastructural achievements, the deputy governor emphasized their significance.

“Some states are not even doing what our local governments are doing. The roads that our local government has completed are about 90. Our state is doing very well. We must not sit back and allow some group to come out and claim they are forming one coalition.”

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, has reaffirmed her commitment to resume legislative duties on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in accordance with a court judgment that nullified her suspension from the Senate, even as Senate President Godswill Akpabio continues to appeal the ruling.

Speaking from her hometown of Ihima in Kogi State during a community empowerment programme, the senator declared her intention to return to the red chamber.

“I have pretty much two months more before the six months expire. However, I have written to the Senate again telling them that I’m resuming on the 22nd, which is on Tuesday, by the special grace of God,” Akpoti-Uduaghan stated.

“I will be there, because the court did make the decision on that. Now, they argue that it’s an order, it’s not an order, but it is a decision.”

Despite her suspension, the senator noted that she has continued to serve her constituents, although she admitted the Senate suspension hindered a core part of her role participation in legislative duties, particularly bill sponsorship.

“I did mention that every senator has three major functions. Legislative — which is the creation of laws and review of treaties. Then we have oversight — which is to oversee ministers and agencies. And then the third is representation — which I’m doing.

“Whereby I identify the problems and the challenges of my community, and I make sure I present them and have them captured in the federal budget. And I have done pretty well with that. Of course, I do miss putting up my bills there, but it didn’t stop me from working.”

Akpoti-Uduaghan confirmed that she had formally informed the Senate of her intention to resume her seat on the stated date.

Her suspension on March 6, 2025, stemmed from alleged violations of Senate rules.

The move came in the wake of sexual harassment accusations she leveled against Senate President Akpabio. In response, she filed a lawsuit challenging the suspension, which the Federal High Court in Abuja overturned in July.

While the court directed the Senate to reinstate her, Akpabio has since filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, maintaining that the lower court’s decision should not stand.