As the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) faces internal challenges and defections, Dan Ulasi, the former Anambra PDP chairman, has called for the party to take decisive steps toward the 2027 general elections, starting with forming a strategic alliance with Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate.

Speaking on ARISE NEWS Friday, Ulasi highlighted Obi as one of the few credible figures in Nigerian politics and urged the PDP to approach him openly.

He stressed that Obi’s credibility and the six million votes he garnered in the previous presidential election make him a significant political force.

“Peter Obi is a factor of progress. He’s a success himself. In the last presidential election, he had over six million votes. ”

“So if there are no over ambitious, inordinately ambitious people in PDP who don’t want to be overshadowed, who don’t want their positions to be diluted, yes, Peter Obi is somebody the party should openly approach because we’re talking about leadership for a better government of Nigeria, not a better person for Nigeria, not a better party for Nigeria.”

“There are individuals who have the characteristics of performance, who have integrity, who have honor, and Peter Obi is one of the very few in this country who has such qualities.”

Ulasi also warned against internal resistance within the PDP, cautioning that “inordinately ambitious people” might hinder progress if they feel threatened by potential leadership changes.

However, he emphasized that if the party’s focus remains on national development and competent leadership, collaborating with Obi would be the right move.

He further mentioned Obi’s substantial influence, noting that his six million votes in the last election prove his political viability.

“If the party does decide to approach him and solicit my advice, I have enough contact and relationship with Peter Obi that I will convince him about the future and why it is necessary for all of us to come together to be able to stop the menace that is going on in Abuja presently.”

The House of Representatives ad hoc committee on Rivers State has finally met with the state’s Sole Administrator, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, after several delays.

The meeting, which took place on Friday, April 25, 2025, is part of the House exercising its constitutional right to assume control over the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Ibas apologized for missing previous meetings and requested more time to adequately prepare to brief the committee.

He explained that he was still adjusting to his new role and asked for the committee’s understanding.

Following his request, journalists were asked to leave as the meeting transitioned into a closed-door session.

After about an hour, the meeting concluded, but Ibas declined to comment as he exited.

Last week, the committee had rescheduled the session with Ibas following a formal request from him.

Ibas was also present at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, making his first appearance at the meeting since being appointed as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.

This appointment followed the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara in March 2025.

Vice President Kashim Shettima presided over the NEC meeting, which included various governors and deputy governors from across Nigeria.

Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has argued that Nigeria’s challenges stem more from a lack of courageous followership than from a shortage of strong leaders.

Speaking at the ninth edition of the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation (AAF) Leadership Colloquium and Award held in Lagos, Amaechi emphasized the need to build resilient institutions and hold power accountable.

The event, themed “Fearless Leadership: A Panacea for Sustainable Development,” drew leaders and thinkers from across the country.

Amaechi dismissed the common calls for “fearless leadership” as largely rhetorical, noting that such leadership is often only celebrated when systems break down.

“Where the system works, you don’t need a courageous leader. It’s only when there is a failed leadership that we start searching for one,” he said.

He emphasized that true governance should prioritize justice and deliberate policies aimed at improving citizens’ welfare.

“Good government entails deliberate action to improve citizens’ welfare. This includes rule of law, regulation of power, and accountability, factors that lead to responsible governance,” he stated.

Amaechi warned that accountability goes beyond managing money or budgets—it is about creating systems where no one is above the law.

He cautioned against the concentration of power in the executive, describing it as a threat to democratic norms.

“Arbitrariness is antithetical to the rule of law,” he said.
“It arises when excessive power is concentrated in the hands of the executive.”

On the importance of legal safeguards, Amaechi highlighted the need to uphold due process.

“No one should be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. Authoritarian leaders abhor due process. They don’t want transparency. They just want to do what they want.”

Founder of the AAF, Akinjide Adeosun, spoke on the transformative power of courageous leadership, asserting that the journey to greatness begins with integrity.

“Our strategy, derived from our mission to build great leaders, begins by transforming belief that is unseen into behaviour that is seen,” he said

“Fearless leadership manifests in tangible strides in healthcare, infrastructure, and industrialisation.”

He added that the conquest of fear enables leaders to make bold, sometimes unpopular decisions that ultimately strengthen national growth and competitiveness.

“Greatness starts with goodness,” Adeosun concluded.

Also speaking at the event, former Lagos State gubernatorial candidate Jimi Agbaje challenged the audience to examine the socio-political conditions that either enable or suppress fearless leadership.

He questioned whether some political acts presented as bold were truly so.

“When a leader speaks truth to power, the environment should ensure that their family’s basic needs, health and education are secured,” Agbaje said.