Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has stated that he has “no regrets” over his decision to overlook Nyesom Wike as his running mate in the 2023 presidential election.

Atiku, who lost the election to President Bola Tinubu, made this revelation during an interview for Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie

The friction between Atiku and Wike dates back to the contentious PDP primaries of 2022, where Wike, then the governor of Rivers State, aggressively pursued the party’s ticket but was defeated by Atiku.

Following his loss, Wike anticipated being chosen as Atiku’s running mate.

However, Atiku opted for former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa instead, a decision widely believed to have deepened internal divisions within the PDP.

Many party insiders have accused Wike of working against Atiku’s campaign in 2023, pointing to his open alignment with the ruling APC and his eventual appointment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under Tinubu’s government.

Addressing his choice of Okowa over Wike, Atiku explained that he intentionally left the decision to the PDP leadership.

“They said I did not consult widely in 2019 when I picked Peter Obi as my running mate,” Atiku said.

“So in 2023, I told the party to set up a committee to recommend three names.”

According to Atiku, the committee ranked Okowa as the top choice, with Wike in second place and former Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel in third.

“So I picked number one,” he stated matter-of-factly.

When asked whether he regretted the decision, Atiku remained firm.

“No, not at all,” he responded.

A prominent Muslim cleric in Katsina State, Imam Nura Gwanda, led hundreds of defectors, primarily from the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, to the Social Democratic Party on Sunday.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Imam Nura Aliyu stressed the need for clerics to take an active role in politics, arguing that their involvement could help purify the system. He urged:

“It is time for us to stop folding our hands and watch as politics deteriorates. We must engage in politics to make a positive change. People should come and join the process.”

He also warned against self-serving leaders, stating:

“Beware of sycophants; if we are to present a flag-bearer, it must be someone with proven integrity, someone who genuinely cares about the development of society, not someone who is only concerned with benefiting themselves and their family.”

Expressing his frustration with the current political system in Katsina State, Imam Aliyu remarked: “We have long yearned for change in our society, but we haven’t seen it. Despite being a predominantly Muslim state, life has become increasingly difficult. Those entrusted with easing our burdens have failed us, instead creating even more hardship.”

He explained the move to join the SDP by adding: “After observing the SDP for some time, we have decided to join them because we believe they are the party that can address our challenges.”

Highlighting the urgent issues facing Katsina, the cleric said: “When I look at the poverty, security challenges, and hunger that afflict even urban centres, I see the failure of our leaders who were entrusted by Almighty Allah to serve the people. These challenges have prompted us to join the SDP in pursuit of the development we need.”

Reflecting on his long-standing political journey, which spans involvement with the PDP, ANPP, CPC, and APC, Imam Aliyu emphasized his commitment to the people rather than personal gain. He noted:

“Since 1999, we have been involved in politics, not for personal gain but for the betterment of the people. We have now made up our minds to work tirelessly for the success of the SDP, and come 2027, we will be ready to rescue our people.”

In response, SDP Chairman in Katsina State, Bello Safana, welcomed the surge of new members.

He cited the party’s transparency and core values as the driving factors behind the growing support. Safana said:

“The secretariat has become a hub of activity, especially with the addition of prominent figures like former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. As of noon today, we have received 400 new members, most of whom are coming from the APC, PDP, PRP, and NNPP. The number continues to grow daily. People are leaving the ruling APC because, while they initially believed in the promises made by the party, they have been let down. The APC has failed them, and that’s why they are now turning to the SDP.”

He further underscored the SDP’s commitment to fairness and progress, stating:

“We are committed to an open-door policy that supports the development of the party, Katsina State, and the nation as a whole.”

Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi, representing Ebonyi North, and former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili engaged in a heated exchange during a Senate ethics committee hearing on Tuesday.

The session was convened to address sexual harassment allegations leveled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by the suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

During the confrontation, Nwebonyi sharply criticized Ezekwesili, stating: “You are an insult to womanhood.”

After the outburst, the tension subsided and the proceedings continued under the oversight of Senate Ethics Chairman, Neda Imasuen.

The hearing was prompted by allegations from Akpoti-Uduaghan that she was being punished by the Senate President for rejecting his sexual advances.

This controversy followed a separate dispute between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio over seating arrangements in the Senate chambers.

According to her, her contribution during the plenary was deliberately ignored after she refused to speak from an assigned seat she deemed unfavorably positioned.

Subsequently, Akpoti-Uduaghan was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for disciplinary review.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Kogi Central does not meet the necessary requirements.

In a statement released on Tuesday, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said that during INEC’s regular weekly meeting on March 25, 2025, the commission reviewed the petition submitted by Kogi Central constituents.

The petition, accompanied by six bags of documents, claimed to have signatures from over half of the 474,554 registered voters across 902 polling units in 57 registration areas within the five local government areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.

Olumekun noted that the petition fell short of INEC’s guidelines because the representatives of the petitioners failed to provide adequate contact details.

He explained that the covering letter forwarded with the petition did not include proper contact addresses, telephone numbers, or e-mail addresses as required under Clause 1(f) of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines.

He stated: “The address given is ‘Okene, Kogi State’, which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners. Only the telephone number of ‘the lead petitioner’ is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners.”

The commission reiterated that the recall of a legislator is a process initiated by registered voters who express their loss of confidence through a properly submitted petition.

Once the petition complies with all the submission requirements, INEC will begin the verification of signatures at each polling unit using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

Both the petitioners and the legislator subject to recall may nominate agents to monitor the process, with interested observers and the media also being accredited.

Olumekun added: “If the petitioners fully comply with the requirements of Clause 1(f) of the Regulations and Guidelines regarding the submission of their petition, the commission will announce the next steps in line with the extant laws, regulations and guidelines.”

He further remarked that, in the absence of a definite contact address, INEC is exploring alternative means to notify the petitioners about the deficiencies in their submission.

Olumekun reassured the public that the commission would adhere strictly to the legal framework governing recall processes and urged Nigerians to disregard any speculations or insinuations circulating on social media.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi West) has strongly denied reports that she issued an apology to the Senate concerning her sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, labeling such claims as a desperate attempt to silence her.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) received a petition yesterday calling for the recall of the Kogi West senator. This development came on the heels of a Federal High Court ruling in Lokoja, Kogi State, which on March 20 vacated the ex parte injunction previously granted to her.

In a statement issued yesterday, the senator denounced what she characterized as an orchestrated campaign aimed at discrediting her and vowed to persist in her quest for justice. She declared:

“I stand firm in my resolve to never apologise for speaking my truth.

“The desperation to silence me is palpable, but I will not be intimidated. The games being played in full view of Nigerians will be exposed, and those who have hijacked our institutions will be held accountable.”

Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that her suspension from the Senate is not merely a personal matter, but rather a clear instance of the powerful suppressing dissenting voices—particularly those of women who dare to challenge the status quo.

Despite the backlash, she insisted on continuing her fight for justice and for the rights of Nigerian women, urging the public to disregard the viral report of an apology, which she described as both false and manipulative.

Secretary to INEC, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, accepted the petition when a group of registered voters from Kogi Central stormed the INEC headquarters in Abuja yesterday.

Previously, a Federal High Court in Lokoja had, on Friday, set aside an earlier ruling that had prevented INEC from receiving the recall process initiated by Kogi Central constituents against their senator.

The court, in a judgment delivered in Lokoja, affirmed that the recall process is constitutionally valid and consistent with the civic rights of the constituents, urging them to continue exercising their rights in an orderly and peaceful manner.

Following this ruling, the constituents proceeded to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja to demand her immediate recall.

In a petition dated March 21, 2025, the constituents stated:

“We, the undersigned being duly registered voters of the Kogi Central Senatorial District, hereby invoke our rights under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to formally demand the recall of Sen Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Nigerian Senate.

“By this petition, which we have made sure is signed by more than half of the registered voters in Kogi Central, we hereby demand that INEC immediately commences the constitutional and procedural process of recall to remove Akpoti-Uduaghan from office and declare her seat vacant.”

Addressing reporters after submitting the petition, the group’s leader, Charity Omole, stated that those who had elected her now demand her recall.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Isa Dashen of the Federal High Court, who issued the order setting aside the injunction, also called for an accelerated hearing of the case.

Earlier on Thursday, Dashen had granted an interim injunction restraining INEC from receiving, accepting, or acting on any petition bearing the signatures of members of Kogi Central.

The court also prohibited INEC from conducting any referendum based on such a petition to initiate a recall process for Akpoti-Uduaghan, pending the resolution of a motion on the matter.

However, INEC, represented by its counsel Abdullahi Aliyu (SAN), made an oral application to set aside the ex parte injunction granted to Akpoti-Uduaghan and requested an expedited hearing of the case.

Aliyu contended that, under the Constitution, the Federal High Court does not possess the jurisdiction to prevent a constitutional body like INEC from performing its statutory duties.

“I, hereby, make an oral application by virtue of the pronouncement made by the Court of Appeal in the case between EFCC v Bello for the interim injunction to be discharged,” he argued.

Counsel for the applicants, West Idahosa (SAN), objected to this application, asserting that when complainants raise an allegation of illegality, the court is duty-bound to restrain constitutional actions. He added,

“This is because every rule has an exception. More so the Supreme Court reaffirmed that when a case of illegality is brought before a court, the court would first look at it to be sure it is true. The plaintiffs in this matter said there’s an illegality of forgery backed with a valid affidavit before this honourable court.”

He further requested that the court not allow the application for vacation of the interim injunction.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Dashen granted the application, vacated the interim order, and ordered that the case be expedited.

The case is now adjourned until April 9, 2025, for further hearing.