President Bola Tinubu has extended warm wishes to former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as he marked his 60th birthday on May 27.

In a goodwill message, the President praised Amaechi’s dedication to public service and expressed hope for his continued success in politics.

According to a statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said Amaechi had made “invaluable contributions to Rivers as a former speaker and two-term governor,” and noted that “he dedicatedly served the state.”

During his tenure, Amaechi also served as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and later held the position of Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari for eight years.

President Tinubu prayed for “more years and God’s grace” for the former minister, adding that he “wishes him well in his political career.”

Meanwhile, Amaechi is reportedly involved in a growing political coalition aimed at challenging Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

The coalition, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, met on Monday in Abuja under the banner of the National Political Consultative Group (North-NPCG).

The meeting, described as non-partisan, included key political figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Datti Baba-Ahmed, Peter Obi, former Justice Minister Abubakar Malami, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal.

Other notable attendees were former Minister of State for Solid Minerals, Abu Bwari, and former APC National Vice Chairman (North-West), Salihu Lukman. The meeting lasted over four hours.

Also in attendance was Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came to show solidarity with the group.

A member of the coalition, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the group gathered to “further consolidate North’s position ahead of the 2027 general election and to seek the support of like-minded individuals across the South.”

Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has warned that Nigeria may descend into autocracy if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the country’s major opposition party, collapses.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm on Tuesday, Lamido emphasized the crucial role the PDP plays in preserving Nigeria’s democratic structure.

“If the PDP collapses, Nigeria will collapse. Where there is no opposition, then there will be an emperor. When the party collapses, then you have an emperor all over Nigeria, and all emperors are destroyed by their greed,” Lamido said.

He described the PDP as central to Nigeria’s political journey since the return to civilian rule in 1999, warning that the party’s fall would be equivalent to a collapse of the nation’s democratic legacy.

“The PDP is Nigeria’s history in the last 25 years, therefore, look at the bigger picture. If the party collapses, it is Nigeria’s history which collapses,” he said.

Lamido, a founding member of the PDP, stressed that without the efforts of the party in 1999 to restore democracy, President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not have emerged as president in 2015.

He also added that current President Bola Tinubu’s rise to power in 2023 wouldn’t have happened without the groundwork laid by the PDP.

He further asserted that President Tinubu needs a strong PDP to function effectively as a leader.

“More than anybody, Tinubu needs PDP to be chasing him, to be on his toes, but when it collapses, nobody will be chasing him; he will be chasing himself,” Lamido remarked.

He also dismissed any notion of leaving the PDP, despite internal crises within the party, reaffirming his loyalty.

Lamido did not spare Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, accusing him of using poverty in the North to gain political favor through food donations.

He condemned what he described as opportunistic acts disguised as benevolence.

“You look at a person and then look at his character and what he stands for. Was he there two years ago, if he is so benevolent?” he asked rhetorically.

“Since when has he been going to the North to give out rice to people who are hungry? No, tell me.”

He continued: “It’s because he’s cashing in on the pain and the odium induced by his father. And therefore, the people have been conditioned by the poverty and suffering caused by his father. So, he is cashing in on that saying, ‘Take food’. Simple.”

“Was he there last year? His father is a Muslim. Was he ever there in the North in the last 20 years?” Lamido queried.

As the 2027 general election draws nearer, political maneuvering has intensified.

Amid internal party conflicts and leadership crises within the PDP, Labour Party, and alleged marginalization within the APC, some politicians are gravitating toward the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as a more stable platform.

A major development occurred on March 20, 2025, when opposition leaders including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Nasir El-Rufai declared a coalition aimed at unseating Tinubu.

The group hopes to leverage the significant votes Atiku and Obi received in 2023, a combined 12 million votes, which is over four million more than Tinubu’s winning tally.

Public affairs analyst Mojeed Dahiru has expressed serious doubts about the future of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), warning that the party may not survive beyond the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Dahiru described the PDP as a political party in decline, citing what he called a strategic misstep during the 2023 presidential election.

According to Dahiru, the party made a “mortal mistake” by abandoning its traditional power rotation principle and fielding a northern candidate rather than a southern one.

He argued that this undermined the party’s credibility and alienated many of its supporters.

“The PDP is a dying party. You see, the Bible says the wages of sin is death. So the PDP is dying because it committed a mortal sin in 2023 and I cannot say this enough,” Dahiru stated.

He was referring to the party’s decision to nominate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who hails from the North-East, as its presidential candidate in 2023.

This move, he argued, ran counter to the power-sharing agreement that would have rotated the presidency to the South.

Dahiru noted that this decision was particularly damaging given that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had fielded a southern candidate, former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu, who eventually won the election.

The analyst added that Atiku’s candidacy further complicated internal dynamics within the PDP, triggering conflict with key figures such as Nyesom Wike, then-Governor of Rivers State.

“I don’t see PDP surviving as a party beyond 2027 because you see when Atiku happened to the PDP, he developed an (Nyesom) Wike problem,” Dahiru explained.

Former Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, has dismissed a viral social media report alleging that he has thrown his support behind a particular aspirant in the upcoming Anambra governorship election.

This rebuttal came via a statement released on Wednesday by Dr. Paul Nwosu, who served as Commissioner for Information during Obiano’s administration.

Nwosu labeled the widely circulated post as “fake news,” clarifying that the former governor never addressed any community or group in Texas, contrary to what the post alleged.

“The attention of His Excellency, Chief (Dr.) Willie Maduabuchi Obiano (Akpokuedike Aguleri), former Governor of Anambra State, has been drawn to a viral social media post falsely attributing to him an endorsement of a particular aspirant in the forthcoming Anambra governorship election,” the statement read.

Expanding on the misinformation, Nwosu explained “the fake statement mischievously claims that Chief Obiano, while allegedly addressing Ndi Anambra in Texas, urged them to support a certain aspirant who would reportedly perform excellently as Governor of Anambra State.”

He firmly denied any involvement by Obiano in such events:

“Chief Obiano neither addressed any gathering of Ndi Anambra in Texas nor granted any interview or issued any statement, publicly or privately, concerning the forthcoming election or any aspirant.”

According to the statement, the former governor remains devoted to the overall well-being of Anambra and intends to express his opinion on the state’s political affairs when appropriate:

“The former governor, according to the statement, remains committed to the peace and progress of the state and will make his views known when necessary through clear and direct communication.”

The Nigerian Senate has advanced the proposed N1.48 trillion budget for Rivers State for the 2025 fiscal year, approving it for a second reading.

The proposal was sent to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, following the emergency rule declared in Rivers State on March 18, 2025.

Senate Leader and Chair of the Ad-hoc Committee on Emergency Rule in Rivers State, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), presented the budget for deliberation.

The proposal outlines three major areas of spending:

N120.8 billion allocated to debt servicing,

N287.4 billion earmarked for recurrent (non-debt) expenditures, and

N1.07 trillion designated for capital projects.

During the debate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West) voiced support for the fiscal plan, emphasizing the budget’s emphasis on infrastructure.

He noted that “over 45% of the allocation is directed toward infrastructure development,” adding that the proposal reflects “a strong commitment to ensuring effective governance and uninterrupted service delivery in the state despite the emergency rule.”

The Senate adopted the budget proposal for second reading through a voice vote and assigned it to the Ad-hoc Committee on Emergency Rule in Rivers State for further evaluation.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio instructed the committee to deliver its findings within two weeks.

In a related development, the Senate confirmed that Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, along with other senior state officials, will appear before the Joint National Assembly Ad-hoc Committee to defend the proposed budget.

At the inaugural meeting of the committee, Senator Bamidele reiterated the Senate’s dedication to protecting democratic principles and legality during the emergency period.

He stated the Senate remains committed to “preserving democratic governance and upholding the rule of law in Rivers State.”

Leading the 18-member committee, Bamidele pledged to safeguard the interests of the people, urging his colleagues to conduct their duties “with diligence and integrity.”