Pastor Sam Adeyemi has criticized the disconnect between Nigerian leaders and the everyday struggles of citizens, highlighting a growing lack of empathy among those in positions of power.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, the Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre expressed concern that many leaders appear more focused on retaining political power than improving people’s lives.

“Some of our leaders, it is even obvious from the way they speak, that they have lost touch with the reality of the poor, they have no empathy, no compassion,” Adeyemi said during the interview.

He emphasized that this detachment makes it difficult for such leaders to make sound decisions that truly serve the public.

According to him, fear of losing political power fuels rampant defections between parties as politicians prioritize self-preservation over service.

“Some of them are being threatened that they would lose their next election, that is what they are defecting. So their own survival is being threatened,” he noted.

Pastor Adeyemi also pointed to the undue influence of political godfathers as a major factor eroding democratic values in Nigeria.

He lamented that instead of citizens choosing their leaders, powerful political figures often dictate who rises to power.

“I wish we had the perfect scenario that it is the citizens that actually elected people but we have seen over the years the power of the godfathers in our politics. They have built their influence over many years,” he said.

Though many of these political actors are highly intelligent and well-educated, Adeyemi observed that the pressures of navigating Nigeria’s political landscape often lead them to compromise their integrity.

“These are educated people, these are highly intelligent people, some of our best, it is just that in the process of wanting to succeed in this Nigeria, they bent here and bent there and by the time they arrive at the top that they wanted to go, they have become crooked,” he added.

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is “gasping for breath” due to internal divisions and a wave of defections that are swelling the ranks of the ruling party.

Speaking on Thursday at the APC National Summit held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Ganduje pointed to factional conflicts and declining unity within the PDP as signs of the party’s collapse, while attributing its setbacks to the APC’s growing dominance and leadership.

“The PDP is now gasping for breath,” Ganduje declared.

“Its house is divided, and its members are trooping into the APC in droves. That is the impact of our performance and leadership.”

According to Ganduje, the APC now controls 22 of Nigeria’s 36 states — a figure he hinted is likely to rise as more politicians defect.

“One more governor is on the way,” he said, though he did not disclose which state the defection might come from.

Ganduje also emphasized that the APC is focused on expanding its political influence in preparation for upcoming elections, including the governorship race in Anambra State and other off-cycle polls.

He cited the APC’s string of post-2023 electoral victories as clear evidence of the party’s rising popularity and as an indicator of success heading into the 2027 general elections.

“We are preparing strategically, and our recent victories are signs of what is to come. Even in the Federal Capital Territory, through our political dexterity, we are confident of success,” he stated.

The summit drew key APC stakeholders from across the nation, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and 22 APC governors.

The gathering was part of the party’s effort to solidify internal unity and shape its political direction ahead of future contests.

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, all 22 governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the party’s sole presidential candidate.

The endorsement came on Thursday during the APC National Summit held at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja.

The governors, acting under the umbrella of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), passed a vote of confidence on President Tinubu and formally initiated the move to adopt him for re-election.

Speaking on behalf of the governors, PGF Chairman and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma made the announcement during the summit.

The endorsement motion was swiftly supported by the PGF Vice Chairman and Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, who joined Uzodimma on the podium to second it.

Governor Uzodimma subsequently presented the motion for a voice vote before the summit attendees.

Those present included Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, members of the National Assembly, current and former governors, and APC representatives from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The motion was met with unanimous approval.

“In a voice vote followed by a standing ovation, [they] adopted President Tinubu for a second term in office come 2027,” the report noted.

The endorsement follows similar expressions of support from other factions within the APC, including a recent vote of confidence by governors from the North Central region.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has expressed strong confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s political future, declaring that his re-election bid in 2027 will be much smoother than the 2023 contest.

Akpabio made this statement on Thursday while leading the National Assembly leadership in passing a vote of confidence in President Tinubu at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national summit, held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

“If this president has done well, is it not us (National Assembly) that will say so? If he has not done well, is it not us that will give him notice of impeachment?”

“We are not giving him notice of impeachment, we are giving him notice that it was difficult for you in 2023, but in 2027 I see everything turning around, the number of states that are coming to join you,” Akpabio declared.

He also recounted an encounter with a senator from the Labour Party, underscoring the shift in political alignment.

“As I was leaving, one senator was dragging my dress today. He said, ‘please take me there’, and I said you can’t come now. He is a Labour senator but I don’t want to mention his name,” Akpabio added.

The vote of confidence aligns with earlier support from the Progressives Governors’ Forum, which also endorsed Tinubu’s leadership during the summit.

The party leadership formally adopted this endorsement at the gathering, which was attended by President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, APC governors, and other prominent party figures.

Tinubu, who is nearing his second anniversary in office, secured victory in the 2023 presidential election amidst stiff competition from key rivals.

He won in 12 out of 36 states and amassed 8,794,726 votes, outpacing his nearest challenger, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, who garnered 6,984,520 votes.

Labour Party candidate and former Anambra Governor, Peter Obi, achieved a notable third-place finish with 6,101,533 votes, having mobilized an energetic base of mostly young voters.

The Nigerian government has filed criminal defamation charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, citing her public allegations that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello plotted to assassinate her.

According to court documents obtained by DAILY GAZETTE, the charges were filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with the Federal Republic of Nigeria listed as the complainant and Senator Natasha as the sole defendant.

The senator is being charged under Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990. The alleged offence is punishable under Section 392 of the same law.

The allegations stem from a live interview Senator Natasha granted on Channels Television’s programme Politics Today on April 3, 2025, during which she stated:

“I do stand by what I said. In respect to the meeting or discussion Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me.”

She also accused Senate President Akpabio of orchestrating the withdrawal of her security detail to make her more vulnerable to attack.

The government plans to call six witnesses, including key political figures, to testify in the case.

Godswill Akpabio and Yahaya Bello are listed as nominal complainants and are expected to testify on their personal knowledge of the events.

Their addresses are listed as No. 13 TY Danjuma Street, Asokoro, and No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, respectively.

Senator Ekpenyong Asuquo, whom Natasha alleged drove Bello to the Hilton Hotel for the said meeting, is also listed as a witness. His address is the Senate Building, National Assembly Complex.

Dr. Sandra C. Duru, a U.S.-based individual, is included as a witness, listed to testify about her knowledge of the matter.

Her address is 1 Chrisholm Trail Road, Suite 450, Round Rock, Texas, 78681.

Two police officers from the IGP Monitoring Unit, ACP Maya Iliya and SP Abdulhafiz Garba, are listed as the investigating officers in the case.

Before the television interview, Senator Natasha had made similar claims at a political rally in Kogi State.

“The Senate President first reached out to Governor Ododo to recall me. But Ododo declined, saying the people love me too much. So he turned to Yahaya Bello,” she said at the rally.

“Akpabio was not satisfied. He then called for Yahaya Bello. It was Senator Asuquo who drove Yahaya Bello to the Hilton. I was informed. The meeting was in two folds.”

“He told him to commence my recall. He was going to fund it. Of course, money changed hands that day. The second thing was that he should kill me.”

“Akpabio told Yahaya Bello to kill me. He told him not to do it in Abuja. It should be done here [in Kogi], so it would seem like the people killed me. I didn’t make that public, but we did notify the police about it.”

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has issued a firm directive to all commissioners and political appointees in his administration: either defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with him or resign their appointments.

Speaking during an ongoing State Executive Council meeting in Uyo on Thursday, Eno clarified his position on leaving the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which has governed the state for 25 years.

“Anybody who claims he is not aware of my intention to leave PDP is still living in 18th century,” the governor declared.

Multiple sources present at the meeting confirmed the governor’s remarks, noting that Eno emphasized his admiration for President Bola Tinubu and his desire to align politically with him.

“Let me tell you, anybody who believes when I leave PDP he will use the party structure to fight me is lying because I will still control the PDP structure,” Eno added, signaling his intent to retain influence even within the PDP.

The governor reportedly made it clear that the directive applied to all appointees except elected officials such as members of the State House of Assembly and Local Government Chairmen.

“Apart from elected officials like House of Assembly members and Local Government Chairmen, I have nothing to negotiate with you,” he warned.

Eno’s expected official defection on June 6 would end PDP’s 25-year dominance in the state.