Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has cautioned political opponents against what he described as premature discussions about the 2027 general elections, insisting that his administration will not be distracted from its development agenda.

The governor gave the warning during a church service at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Umuikaa District Headquarters, in Isialangwa South Local Government Area, according to a statement issued on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Ukoha Njoku.

Otti said his government remains committed to fixing Abia State and would not allow political noise to derail its mission.

He stressed that no individual or group has the right to distract his administration from delivering on its promises to the people.

He noted that his focus is on governance rather than electioneering, adding that discussions about the 2027 polls were unnecessary at this stage.

According to him, the administration will continue to do what is right for the state, regardless of political distractions.

The governor also dismissed speculations about his political future, attributing his victory in the 2023 election to divine intervention.

He expressed confidence that the same providence would guide future outcomes, insisting that he remains unconcerned about political permutations.

Addressing concerns raised by church leaders over flooding and poor drainage in the area, Otti directed the Commissioner for Works to extend ongoing drainage construction to Umuikaa junction.

He also apologised to residents for the inconvenience caused by the Umuikaa junction–Owerrinta road project, describing it as a necessary phase in the development process.

Otti disclosed that the road project, though a federal road, received approval from the Federal Government for reconstruction and dualisation, adding that similar infrastructure work was ongoing in other parts of the state, including the Onuimo–Tower axis.

He assured residents that his administration would continue to govern with transparency and integrity, while thanking the church for its prayers and support.

In their remarks, leaders of the church and political support groups commended the governor’s performance, expressing confidence in his leadership and describing his re-election prospects as strong based on visible achievements across the state.

They also renewed calls for improved drainage around the church and neighbouring communities.

The service was attended by the governor’s wife, Priscilla Otti, members of the state executive council, local government officials and other dignitaries.

Moves to form a joint presidential ticket between former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi and ex–Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 general election have intensified, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo emerging as a key driver of the proposed alliance.

Investigations revealed that Obi and Kwankwaso have set up a joint committee to work out modalities for contesting the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress.

Party insiders disclosed that the alliance was initiated by Obasanjo, who encouraged Obi to defect to the ADC and work closely with Kwankwaso to secure the party’s presidential and vice-presidential tickets.

Sources said the former president has been actively lobbying northern political leaders in support of the proposed partnership, believing it offers a viable alternative to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Obasanjo had openly supported Obi during the 2023 election, describing him as better prepared for leadership compared to other contenders.

Kwankwaso, a former Minister of Defence under Obasanjo, is yet to formally join the ADC, but discussions on his defection are ongoing.

Currently, Obi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and ex–Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi are said to be presidential aspirants within the ADC.

A senior party source confirmed that while Kwankwaso has not officially joined the party, preparations for the alliance are already underway.

Leaders of the Kwankwasiyya Movement also acknowledged Obasanjo’s role in initiating the talks, expressing optimism that the partnership would materialise.

Further findings showed that a joint committee comprising representatives of both camps was established about a month ago to mobilise support within the ADC and harmonise positions.

A member of the committee, Magaji Ibrahim, SAN, confirmed that both Obi and Kwankwaso were open to serving either as president or vice president, insisting that the overriding goal was national recovery.

Despite these developments, the ADC leadership said it had no formal knowledge of the alliance.

The party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that while the ADC welcomed Kwankwaso and valued Obi’s contribution, any negotiations between the two politicians were outside the party’s official framework.

Reacting to the proposed alliance, Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, said the former vice president was not threatened, stressing that Atiku remained focused on his political journey and welcomed broad participation within the party.

Supporters of Obi, under the Obidient Movement, welcomed the alliance, describing it as a potentially formidable force if properly coordinated.

The group’s coordinator, Yinusa Tanko, said cooperation between Obidient and Kwankwasiyya supporters could significantly reshape the 2027 political landscape.

Meanwhile, debate has emerged within the ADC over zoning. Obi’s supporters are pushing for the presidential ticket to be zoned to the South, arguing it offers the best chance of defeating Tinubu.

However, party leaders warned against zoning, insisting that competence and unity, rather than regional considerations, should guide the choice of candidate.

The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has taken a legal turn, following a suit filed by party stakeholders challenging the nomination of candidates for the last local government elections.

The PDP emerged victorious in three key local government areas—Port Harcourt City, Obio-Akpor and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni councils—widely regarded as politically strategic in the state.

However, the legitimacy of the party’s candidates in the polls has now been questioned in court.

Three PDP stakeholders, Enyi Uchechukwu, Wisdom Kalio, and Uche Amadi, have dragged the party’s factional state chairman, Aaron Chukwuemeka, alongside the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), the PDP, and the Rivers State Government before the Rivers State High Court.

In an originating summons, the claimants asked the court to determine whether Chukwuemeka, whose emergence followed congresses allegedly nullified by a subsisting court judgment, possessed the legal authority to submit a list of candidates to RSIEC for the local government elections held on August 30, 2025.

They contended that the congress which produced Chukwuemeka had earlier been set aside by the Rivers State High Court, thereby rendering any actions taken by him, including the submission of candidates’ names, invalid.

Among other reliefs, the claimants sought a declaration on whether the PDP validly presented candidates through Chukwuemeka for the elections, and whether those candidates were qualified to participate in the polls.

They further urged the court to declare the PDP ward, local government, and state congresses conducted on July 27 and August 10, 2024, null and void, insisting that Chukwuemeka, as a product of the nullified congresses, lacked the capacity to conduct primaries or forward any list of candidates for elective offices.

The stakeholders also prayed for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from further interference in the party’s internal affairs relating to the nomination and presentation of candidates for elections.

At the hearing, counsel to the claimants, Glory Chizim-Chinda, applied for substituted service on the second and third defendants.

The presiding judge, Justice Stephen Jumbo, granted the application and ordered that court processes be served at the PDP state secretariat along Aba Road.

Justice Jumbo adjourned the matter to February 9, 2026, for an application for joinder, and directed that the processes be served on the chairmen, their deputies, and councillors of Port Harcourt City, Obio-Akpor, and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni local government areas.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has stated that its main goal is to remove President Bola Tinubu from office, describing it as a necessary step to rescue Nigeria from what the party calls an unprecedented governance crisis.

Speaking on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi said, “It’s solely to get Tinubu out of power. That is the agenda. There is no scenario where he remains in power, and we are able to save this country.”

Abdullahi, a former minister, claimed that Nigeria has been “hijacked,” adding, “When people say you can smash it, grab it, and run with it, that is the language of banditry,” which he said reflects the mindset of the current administration.

He also raised concerns over alleged legislative manipulation, particularly around tax laws, describing recent government actions as unprecedented in Nigeria’s democratic history.

Abdullahi accused the government of forging a law that had already been duly passed by the National Assembly, questioning the legality of such an act.

“A government that can forge a duly passed law; what do you call that?” he asked.

On the Federal Government’s reported payment of $9 million to foreign lobbyists in the United States, allegedly to improve Nigeria’s image before American leaders including former President Donald Trump, Abdullahi said the process lacked transparency and legality.

“Is it a bad thing to lobby? No. But how was this contract awarded? Who paid the money? What budget line was it taken from? How was the money transferred out of Nigeria?” he asked, adding that such spending reflects misplaced priorities.

“If you invest nine million dollars in internal security, you will see results. You won’t have to convince another country that your nation is safe,” Abdullahi argued, noting that the government cares more about appearances abroad than the daily insecurity faced by Nigerians.

“They don’t care whether Nigerians are still dying. They just want to look good before Americans,” he said.

Abdullahi also expressed alarm over a recently signed medical Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Nigeria and the United States, reportedly signed on December 19, which he said gives the US significant control over how funds are spent, including determining the regions that would benefit.

“No Nigerians have seen the details of this MOU,” he said, describing the terms as “shocking” and raising concerns about sovereignty and accountability.