The African Democratic Congress has warned that rigid loyalty to individual presidential aspirants, particularly the “Obi or nothing” stance, could weaken the party’s chances in the 2027 general election.

Speaking during the ADC Coalition Hours held virtually on Saturday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, cautioned supporters against divisive campaigning, urging them to rally behind the party rather than any single aspirant.

Abdullahi said such inflexible attitudes risk undermining unity within the opposition coalition that adopted the ADC as its platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Since emerging as the coalition vehicle in July 2025, the party has been working to strengthen its national structures under the leadership of former Senate President David Mark as National Chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary.

Several high-profile politicians have since declared interest in the ADC presidential ticket, including former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi.

More aspirants are also expected to join the race in the coming weeks.

The growing field has triggered debates among supporters over zoning and ticket allocation, with some Obi supporters advocating a southern ticket, while others aligned with Atiku have pushed for an open contest.

Abdullahi disclosed that he had engaged key coalition figures, including Atiku, Obi, Amaechi and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, to stress the need for unity and collective focus.

According to him, all party leaders agree that winning the election should take priority over individual ambitions.

He also addressed concerns about the timing of the 2027 election, noting that while early elections might benefit the opposition due to public dissatisfaction with the current administration, the party would prefer more time to heal divisions that could arise from its primaries.

Abdullahi warned that supporters promoting a “must-be-my-candidate” mindset were inadvertently working in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

He said securing the party’s ticket alone was meaningless without broad-based support across regions, adding that divisive rhetoric could alienate potential allies and voters.

The ADC spokesperson assured that the party would intensify efforts to promote cohesion and ensure its leaders speak with one voice ahead of the elections.

He stressed that all aspirants were qualified and that attacking individuals or regions would only weaken the party’s prospects, insisting that unity remained the key to electoral victory in 2027.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has officially dissociated itself from the appointment of convicted pension fraudster Abdulrasheed Maina as Patron of its Garki branch in Abuja, calling the action “reprehensible” and a “mockery of the legal profession and the fight against corruption.”

According to a statement issued by NBA President Mazi Osigwe on Friday, disciplinary proceedings will commence against the Garki Branch Chairman, Anthony Ojo, who authorised Maina’s appointment.

“The purported appointment not only paints the legal profession and the NBA in a bad light but also makes a mockery of the government’s fight against corruption, as well as the association’s motto of promoting the rule of law,” Mr Osigwe said.

“The Bar fails in her duties to the society and the cause of justice when it condones, encourages, and or fails to take definite actions to eliminate corruption and corrupt practices.”

At the event, Mr Maina called for an intensified investigation into former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

“What the government has seen so far may only be a fraction. My speciality is the recovery of public funds. We can recover more. There must be accountability, transparency, and the rule of law. Malami should be properly prosecuted and investigated again because he has not been properly investigated,” Mr Maina said.

He claimed that powerful persons in the former administration orchestrated his corruption saga and denied wrongdoing, insisting that Mr Malami and other top forces in the Buhari administration were after him.

Mr Maina, a former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, was appointed in 2010 by the Goodluck Jonathan administration to reform the pension system and eliminate ghost workers.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) later charged him in FHC/ABJ/CR/256/2019 with using fictitious names and accounts to siphon pension funds through relatives and accomplices.

Three of his siblings testified against him in court, revealing how Mr Maina fraudulently used their information to open accounts for his company, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd. Nigerian banks, including UBA and Fidelity Bank Plc, were reported to have acted as conduits for the stolen funds.

After fleeing Nigeria in 2013, he was arrested and extradited in 2019.

In November 2021, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment for laundering N2 billion in pension funds.

“The facts of this case are sordid, immoral, and morbid. The facts portray the moral decadence in Nigeria,” Justice Abang noted.

The Court of Appeal later affirmed the conviction and handed a 14-year jail term to Mr Maina’s son, Faisal, for related offences.
Recent Release from Prison

Though the exact date is unclear, Mr Maina quietly completed his prison term in February 2025.

Thursday’s NBA event marked one of his first public appearances since his release.

Recounting his time as a fugitive, he claimed, “I was flown out of the country on a government aircraft for medical care, but officials turned around and arrested me in the Niger Republic for jumping bail.”

The NBA has ordered Mr Ojo to immediately withdraw Maina’s appointment and stop issuing statements on his behalf or on pending court cases.

“While the NBA respects Mr Maina’s right to exhaust his right to appeal against the conviction, the Bar will not under any guise comment on such an appeal or be seen to try to sway public opinion in his favour,” the statement said.

Mr Osigwe added, “The association would not lend its platform, name, or institutional credibility to influence public opinion or judicial proceedings in respect of cases that are sub judice or take steps that may be perceived as laundering the image of any person convicted of criminal offences.”

He described such acts as “a grave violation of professional ethics and a direct affront to the rule of law.”

The NBA president stressed that integrity, accountability, respect for the judicial process, and public confidence in the legal profession are foundational values.

He warned that any conduct undermining these principles would attract decisive institutional response.

“The NBA views this conduct as a serious breach of professional responsibility and institutional discipline. Accordingly, disciplinary proceedings will be commenced against the Chairman of the NBA Garki Branch for actions inconsistent with the Constitution of the NBA, the Rules of Professional Conduct, and the core values of the legal profession.”

Kwankwaso Says He’s ‘Not For sale’, Rallies Supporters After Governor Yusuf Left NNPP
Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, national leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, has dismissed speculation that he could abandon his political ideology following the resignation of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, from the New Nigeria Peoples Party.

Speaking to supporters at his residence in Kano, Kwankwaso declared that he was “not for sale,” insisting that his political engagement was driven by principles and commitment to the welfare of ordinary Nigerians rather than personal gain.

He cautioned party members, particularly youths, against the lure of money politics, urging them to remain steadfast in defending the ideals of the Kwankwasiyya Movement despite recent defections.

Governor Yusuf’s exit from the NNPP has sparked a wave of resignations within the party’s state structure, with reports indicating that several aides, local government chairmen, and lawmakers have followed suit.

In response to the unfolding developments, Kwankwaso held meetings with Kwankwasiyya groups across the state to reassure loyalists and outline strategies aimed at preserving the party’s grassroots base.

The NNPP leadership has condemned Yusuf’s resignation, describing it as a betrayal of the mandate freely given by Kano voters and the longstanding loyalty of the party’s supporters.

The party also rejected claims that internal crises necessitated the governor’s decision, arguing that such narratives were unfounded.

Kwankwaso used the occasion to call for early mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, stressing the need to consolidate party structures, strengthen internal cohesion, and prepare effectively for future political contests.

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress have called on the National Assembly to assume the legislative functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly, citing what they described as a worsening constitutional crisis in the state.

The call followed renewed attempts by the Rivers Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, which APC leaders said were politically motivated and amounted to an abuse of legislative powers.

The crisis deepened last Friday when the Assembly wrote to the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, requesting the constitution of a seven-member panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy.

However, the Chief Judge declined the request on Thursday, citing subsisting court orders restraining him from taking further action.

Despite the development, the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, maintained that the impeachment process should continue, describing it as the only path to resolving the political impasse in the state.

Reacting, the APC Leaders Forum said the House had lost public trust and credibility, accusing it of repeatedly abusing its constitutional mandate.

In a statement jointly signed by the forum’s National Leader, Ibrahim Danjuma, National Secretary, Akpan Ekpeyong, alongside civil society leaders Ifeanyi Okorie, Maryann Douglas, and Collins Akpofure, the group warned that democracy in Rivers State was under serious threat.

The forum described the allegations against Governor Fubara as unsubstantiated, insisting that the impeachment move lacked both legal and factual basis.

It urged the national leadership of the APC and the National Assembly to intervene to safeguard democratic governance in the state.

The group also accused 27 lawmakers allegedly loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike of diverting state resources for personal and political interests.

It further called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene decisively, arguing that extraordinary measures were necessary to prevent a breakdown of constitutional order.

Meanwhile, the High Court of the Oyigbo Division in Port Harcourt adjourned indefinitely the suit filed by Governor Fubara and his deputy challenging the impeachment process.

The presiding judge, Justice Fiberesima, adjourned the matter sine die following confirmation that two separate appeals had been filed before the Court of Appeal.

In a related development, the Rivers State chapter of the APC, led by Chief Emeka Beke, commended the presidency for recognising Governor Fubara as the leader of the party in the state.

The party’s Publicity Secretary, Dalington Nwauju, said President Tinubu’s position aligned with the party’s national convention, which recognises sitting governors as state party leaders.

The Rivers APC also called on Governor Fubara to convene an urgent stakeholders’ meeting to address lingering internal divisions.

The party reiterated its demand for the resignation of the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, over comments on the impeachment process and urged the National Working Committee to conduct fresh congresses at ward, local government, and state levels.

The APC in Rivers State is currently divided into two factions, led by Emeka Beke and Tony Okocha, respectively.