The Presidency has firmly denied reports that Vice President Kashim Shettima was denied access to the Presidential Villa, describing the claim as completely false and mischievous.

The clarification came in a statement released on Saturday by Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President).

The statement, titled ‘Re: Mischievous Report On Access To The Presidential Villa By Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON’, dismissed the reports as fabricated and misleading.

“The latest in this string of disinformation is a report claiming that the Vice President has been refused entry to the Villa,” the statement read.

“This is a feeble attempt to traduce the person and office of His Excellency, Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON. For the record, nothing of the sort ever happened.”

The rumour, which originated from unnamed blogs, alleged that military operatives had blocked the Vice President from entering the Villa. But the Presidency insists the story is entirely baseless.

Nkwocha didn’t hold back in his response, calling the story “the wildest expression of wishful thinking” and accusing those behind it of trying to drive a wedge between President Bola Tinubu and Shettima.

“It is understandable, though regrettable, that the mischief-makers continue to underestimate the strength of the bond and goodwill between the President and the Vice President,” he said.

“However, their questionable sources or habitual reliance on misinformation have once again led them astray. These fairy tales they publish serve no purpose beyond mischief and distraction.”

He also referenced a similar rumour earlier in the week about campaign posters featuring President Tinubu, which was equally debunked.

Nkwocha reassured the public that Vice President Shettima remains undistracted and committed to fulfilling his responsibilities.

“The imagination of individuals intent on creating smoke where there is no fire” would not derail his focus, he emphasized.

He urged Nigerians to disregard the rumour and advised media professionals to verify information from reliable and credible sources, adding that no volume of misinformation would dent the legitimacy of the Tinubu administration.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, alongside the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), has come down hard on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accusing him of betrayal and of actively working to sabotage the PDP and the interests of Nigerians.

Their reaction followed Wike’s media chat in Abuja on Friday, where he dismissed the credibility of the coalition formed to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s reelection. Wike insisted that the alliance lacked sincerity, claiming that its leaders were motivated by personal ambition.

“Those looking for a coalition are doing so for selfish interests, the likes of Atiku and other people. Which coalition, with whom?” Wike asked.

“Why not come in to repair your party? Everybody wants to become president of the country, nobody wants to say, look, let me build our party so that at the end of the day, our party will be in a formidable position as an opposition party to take over power.”

“You don’t do that, the only thing you want to do is ‘let me find a way; how I will be the one.’ And if that does not happen, then it’s to your tent, oh Israel,” he added.

Wike was referring to the March 20, 2025 announcement by Atiku, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, declaring a coalition designed to unseat President Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

In response, Atiku, through his media aide Paul Ibe, dismissed Wike’s criticism and questioned his moral standing to speak on matters of integrity.

“Wike is not in a position to talk about sincerity. This is a man who betrayed his party, a man working with the APC to destroy and undermine his own party and the interests of Nigerians. So, what does he know about sincerity? Nothing.”

“If he wants to speak on sincerity, let him talk to his principal, Tinubu, an absentee President running government from the Presidential Villa’s WhatsApp group. Wike should be sincere to President Tinubu to return home and do his job.”

He continued, “Wike is not in a position to talk to anybody. Wike is working against his own state where he was once governor.”

“He is trying to ensure he has absolute control of the government in Rivers, working in cahoots with Abuja to get the governor suspended. It is unfortunate that they just open their filthy mouths and speak on things they know nothing about.”

As for the coalition’s goal, Ibe reiterated its relevance: “The sincere Nigerians are determined to end the reckless, irresponsible, clueless APC government. Nigerians want to reclaim their country.”

“The coalition presents Nigerians with a vehicle. Atiku Abubakar and others who are involved in it are just tools to an end. This is about Nigeria.”

Also weighing in, the National Secretary of the CUPP, Peter Ahmeh, dismissed Wike’s comments entirely.

In an exclusive interview with DAILY GAZETTE, Ahmeh, a known ally of Peter Obi, accused the FCT Minister of aligning with the ruling APC to suppress opposition.

“Wike is doing the APC’s bidding. He’s working in the APC government and aiming to support an APC president in 2027.”

“He wants to discredit the coalition because it seeks to democratically remove President Tinubu, his principal. His actions go against the interest of suffering Nigerians, simply to protect his position — a clear reflection of how selfish Wike is.”

Ahmeh further questioned Wike’s credibility: “And people cannot use Wike’s statement as a reference for sincerity.”

“Because you cannot tell me, that if you do proper research now, you won’t find several contradictions in what Wike had said—how he claimed he would never go to the APC, never move to this one, never work with that one. There are contradictions.”

“So, we don’t take Wike seriously and nobody should. Because if there’s anybody today who has been selfish about his interest over Nigeria, who has said one thing, meant another, and done something else, it is Wike himself.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has maintained Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party on its official records, despite a recent Supreme Court judgment that has sparked controversy over his leadership status.

A search by DAILY GAZETTE shows that Abure’s name is still listed on the Commission’s official website.

The Supreme Court’s ruling addressed the internal leadership dispute within the Labour Party, emphasizing that such matters are internal affairs and beyond the jurisdiction of the court.

Consequently, the court set aside previous judgments from the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal that had recognized Abure as the party’s National Chairman.

In response to the judgment, the Labour Party, through its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, asserted that the Supreme Court did not remove Abure from his position.

The party interpreted the ruling as an affirmation that leadership issues are to be resolved internally, thereby upholding Abure’s chairmanship.

However, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and other stakeholders have criticized Abure’s continued claim to the chairmanship.

They argue that the Supreme Court’s dismissal of Abure’s cross-appeal and the declaration that his tenure had expired effectively nullify his leadership claim.

Amid these conflicting interpretations, INEC has stated that it is reviewing the Supreme Court’s ruling to determine its implications for the Labour Party’s leadership structure.

The Commission’s decision to retain Abure’s name as the party’s National Chairman on its records has further fueled the debate over the rightful leadership of the party.

Valentine Ozigbo, a governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Awka, seeking the nullification of the party’s April 5, 2025 primary election results.

Ozigbo, in the suit filed on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, is challenging the emergence of Nicholas Ukachukwu as the party’s candidate.

The APC, Ukachukwu, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are named as defendants in the case.

According to results from the primary held at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre in Awka, Ukachukwu secured a total of 1,455 votes to clinch the party’s ticket.

Ozigbo came in second with 67 votes, while other contenders, Johnbosco Onunkwo and Edozie Madu, scored 26 and eight votes respectively.

Represented by a legal team led by Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Umeh Kalu and B.C. Igwilo, Ozigbo’s case is backed by documents drawn from the party’s constitution, internal communications, and the delegate registers.

The suit calls for the court to assess whether the APC followed its own rules in the conduct of the primary, especially concerning Ukachukwu’s qualification to contest.

In a personal statement released alongside the court filing, Ozigbo minced no words in condemning the process. Titled “For a future worth fighting for”, the statement described the primary as fraudulent and stage-managed.

“When institutions falter, it is the duty of conscience to rise. I have taken that stand—not for self, but for truth, for justice, and for Ndi Anambra,” he declared.

He further stated: “On Wednesday, April 16, 2025, I took a consequential step in fighting for truth and justice.”

“I filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of the deeply flawed process that purportedly produced Mr Nicholas Ukachukwu as the flagbearer of our great party, the APC, for the November 2025 Anambra governorship election.”

Ozigbo decried the entire conduct of the primary, suggesting that it was manipulated from the outset.

“Let us be clear: the April 5, 2025 exercise was not a primary election—it was a well-scripted illusion. A contrived delegate list filled with names unfamiliar to even the most seasoned party leaders was used for the guber primary.”

“Real APC members were locked out while chaos reigned. No accreditation, no order; just thugs, violence, and a herd of hired hands masquerading as delegates.”

In addition to procedural irregularities, he also alleged that Ukachukwu did not meet the eligibility requirements laid out in the APC constitution.

As at the time of filing this report, the court has yet to assign a date for the hearing.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a strong message to Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), making it clear that joining the ruling party will not shield him from ongoing corruption investigations.

Speaking during a press conference held at the party’s Kano headquarters on Friday, the APC Chairman in the state, Abdullahi Abbas, reacted to growing speculation about Kwankwaso’s potential defection.

“We are fully aware that some people are desperate to join the APC because they have scuttled their political goodwill and have become political lepers in the national scheme of things and looking to the APC for relevance,” Abbas said.

He emphasized that defection into APC should not be mistaken as a way of escaping scrutiny from agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

“We are also aware that some politicians are trying to run away from accounting for their corrupt misdeeds both in government and party administration, and seeking refuge in the APC to escape from the fangs of anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC and IPCC.

However, joining APC as a political party is not a panacea for escaping from their past sins,” he declared.

Beyond the warning, the APC leader demanded an apology from Kwankwaso to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for past disparaging remarks now that he appears to be seeking entry into the party.

He said, “It is high time Kwankwaso tender an unreserved public apology to President Bola Tinubu and his vice, Kashim Shettima, over previous derogatory comments, now that he is desperate to decamp.”

While Abbas acknowledged that political realignments are constitutional rights, he argued that Kwankwaso has few options left.

“APC remains the last political refuge for Kwankwaso, having allegedly destroyed his relations with all other political groups.”

He also warned against tolerating the presence of any organized factions within the party structure, taking a veiled swipe at Kwankwaso’s supporters.

“For the avoidance of doubt, let me emphasize that the APC as a political party does not and will not encourage or promote the existence of cult-like associations in the name of political activities or grouping.”

Despite his hardline stance, Abbas announced that the party has begun preparations to receive potential defectors.

“I have directed ward chapters to open registers to receive the new decampees irrespective of their political and social status in line with the party’s constitution provision.”

He called on party leaders at all levels to maintain their responsibilities until their tenure ends.

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, has dismissed the proposed coalition of opposition political parties planning to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections. He described the effort as fruitless and unworthy of serious attention.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Fayose, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stated that the movement lacks credible support.

“Their coalition is a dead horse ab initio. Tell me one positive person, well respected Nigerians that has given his voice in support of this coalition,” Fayose asserted.

Prominent political figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who recently joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), are reportedly leading the coalition.

However, Fayose questioned its viability, claiming PDP governors are not aligned with Atiku and are more concerned about preserving their own political relevance.

“If anybody is fighting out of issues with his party, he can resolve that with his party. The (PDP) governors’ actions and statement in Ibadan is to tell Atiku that we are not with you, we are going nowhere, we have our own identity,” he said.

He continued, “So, that coalition is just in the imagination of people trying to bring it to fruition. So, let me say to you, it’s a waste of time.”

According to Fayose, many PDP governors would rather align with President Tinubu for their political survival than back Atiku.

He further criticized the state of the PDP, saying that internal issues must be addressed before the party can mount a serious challenge to the APC.

“Something is fundamentally wrong with the PDP that needs to be fixed,” he warned.

Fayose also reiterated his opposition to Atiku’s potential 2027 presidential bid, maintaining his earlier stance.

“I publicly worked against Atiku, and I am saying for the second time, if Atiku comes again, I will work against him. It is time to learn our lesson,” he declared.

He attributed the internal conflict in the PDP to the abandonment of the party’s zoning arrangement, which traditionally balances power between North and South.

“After eight years of a Northerner, it is the turn of a Southerner. which could involve someone from the East, South West or South South,” Fayose explained.

“Those who gave or zoned power back to the North caused all these problems,” he said, stressing the importance of an informal understanding on power rotation.

“You don’t have to like a Nyesom Wike or a Peter Obi, but there should be an unwritten, respected gentleman’s understanding of powershift,” he concluded.