Politics
Jonathan Emerges PDP Presidential Candidate Amidst Chaos
–Wike-backed leadership gives thump down
By Isa Abdul, Abuja
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, Saturday, emerged as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2027 general election, as hoodlums invaded A-Class Event Centre Abuja where he was endorsed at a Special National Convention by a faction of the PDP led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, SAN.
The event took place despite opposition from the party’s faction led by Nyeson Wike, FCT minister.
Suspected thugs reportedly invaded the original venue for the ratification of Jonathan’s candidature, A-Class Event Centre, and attacked participants.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the attack occurred shortly after the factional leaders relocated from the venue to engage with police personnel deployed to the area.
Turaki and other factional members shifted the activities to their operational office in Area 10, Garki, after security personnel barricaded the A-Class Event Centre and crowned the ex-president in absentia with the issuance of a Certificate of Return.
Fred Agbedi, a former House or Representatives member, received the certificate on behalf of the former President after a brief ceremony.
The party leaders returned to the A-Class Event Centre for an engagement with police officers stationed at the venue.
Shortly after Turaki concluded his remarks at the scene, hoodlums arrived in two Coaster buses armed with sticks launched a sudden attack on party officials who were already returning to their vehicles.
The attack forced party leaders, journalists and other stakeholders to scamper.
In the ensuring chaos, a journalist’s mobile phone was reportedly snatched.
The convention’s highlight was the ratification of Jonathan’s candidature through a voice vote following a motion moved by the Chairman of the PDP State Chairmen’s Forum and Edo State PDP Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, and seconded by former Minister of Aviation, Mohammed Dagash.
With Jonathan’s candidature, a new chapter has been added to PDPs tale of crises.
But it is not clear, as at press time, if Dr Jonathan has accepted to be part of this and the herculian tasks ahead: to step into the murky internal PDP war and then move on to the larger contest between an incumbent president whose power grab philosophy is well known.
Confusing is the both factions’ claim to their legal grounding.
The Wike faction got the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeals filed by the Turaki faction and upheld previous lower court rulings in its favour. This nullified the parallel PDP National Convention held in Ibadan, stripping the rival group of legal standing. It also declared the National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu (a staunch Wike ally) as the legitimate National Secretary of the PDP and the Caretaker Committee led by Abdulrahman.
But addressing supporters at the Abuja event, Turaki accused unnamed political interests of attempting to undermine democracy through intimidation and abuse of power.
“No matter how highly opinionated they may be about themselves, or no matter how they think they can use their positions to thwart democracy, we want to tell them that Nigeria is bigger than anybody and any group of persons.
“We will not fight. The time of fighting will come when we meet at the polls. We will meet you there; we’ll fight you there, we’ll defeat you there, and then we will pin you down on the ground.”
The former minister went on to uphold the legitimacy of the faction and what it was doing as being consistent with the supreme court judgments and the provisions of the PDP constitution.
He maintained that the PDP Board of Trustees and members of the National Executive Committee had intervened to address the leadership vacancies created by judicial pronouncements, leading to the formation of an Interim National Working Committee:
“What we are doing today is in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court, which affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division.”
At the event also, an elder statesman and PDP founding member, Prof Jerry Gana, spoke against the dip in what what ought to give democracy full traction: an unbiased, independent electoral umpire which the pro-democracy activists canvassed for:
“It is with great pain that I see this situation, that so many years after democracy, we are still being reduced to this.
“We insisted that we must have an Independent National Electoral Commission. Unfortunately, after so many years of development, is INEC now independent?”, he queried.
Gana also criticised the heavy security presence noting it was a threat to democratic freedoms:
“We are supposed to be having a special convention in a very well-organised place. Now the police have taken over the whole place. Are we back to military rule?
“This is a disgrace. Let the whole world know that Nigerian democracy is challenged because people cannot meet freely.”
However, the Nyesom Wike PDP faction’s leadership had earlier distanced itself from the convention through its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, who maintained that former Cross River State senator, Sandy Onor, remained the recognised presidential candidate of the party.
Politics
Namdas Congratulates Shettima, Says Tinubu’s Renomination of VP Signals Stability, Continuity
By Philip Nyam
The newly appointed Director General of the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, Ph.D has commended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to renominate Senator Kashim Shettima as the Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 Presidential Election as a bold affirmation of competence, loyalty, and results.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Namdas said, “As a proud member of the APC and a stakeholder committed to the unity and progress of our nation, I heartily congratulate His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, on this well-deserved renomination.
“I also extend my profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the wisdom and foresight demonstrated in retaining a Vice President who has stood firm with him in steering the affairs of this country through challenging times”, he stated.
Namdas noted that “Since assuming office in 2023, the Tinubu-Shettima ticket has provided purposeful leadership anchored on the Renewed Hope Agenda. Senator Shettima has not been a spare tire. He has been an active partner in governance. From driving economic reforms, to deepening engagement with the private sector, to representing Nigeria with dignity on the global stage, and to providing calm, thoughtful leadership in the North East and across the country, he has shown capacity, humility, and dedication”.
According to him, “Mr. President’s choice to retain Senator Shettima sends a clear message to Nigerians and to the world: that this administration values continuity, experience, and teamwork. It tells our citizens that performance will be rewarded, and that the job of nation-building is not for grandstanding, but for steady hands.
“I also congratulate our great party, the APC, for presenting what is, without doubt, the most formidable presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election. With President Tinubu at the helm and Senator Shettima as his deputy, the APC is offering Nigerians a tested team that understands the assignment and has the courage to take the hard decisions required to reposition our economy, secure every part of Nigeria, and create opportunities for our young people.
“The road ahead will demand more sacrifice, more unity, and more belief in the Nigeria project. But with this ticket, I am confident that the APC will not only retain power in 2027 but will do so with an even stronger mandate because Nigerians can see that the foundation being laid today will deliver the prosperity we all seek tomorrow.
“Once again, congratulations to Senator Kashim Shettima. Thank you, Mr. President, for your confidence and for putting Nigeria first. And congratulations to the APC family. The work continues, and victory, by the grace of God and the will of the people, is assured”.
— Vatsa, APC Chieftain Tells Bago
By Michael Lim
Governor Mohammed Umar Bago of Niger state has been urged to select a Christian running mate for the 2027 governorship election for fairness and to garner more Christian support.
Jonathan Vatsa, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State and former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, has advised.
He warned that failure to do so could cost the party significant votes due to the ongoing marginalisation of Christians in the state’s political landscape.
Speaking with journalists in Minna on Saturday, Vatsa expressed concern that the APC’s recent primaries produced almost exclusively Muslim candidates.
He noted that only one Christian secured a ticket for the entire State House of Assembly, while all three senatorial candidates, 11 House of Representatives candidates, and 26 out of 27 House of Assembly candidates are Muslims.
According to Vatsa, Christians have also been sidelined in political appointments, despite Governor Bago’s public outreach to Christian groups.
But he argued that symbolic gestures such as attending church programmes or making donations cannot substitute for genuine inclusion in governance.
“It’s not about attending church programmes, singing choruses or making donations. What matters is fairness and inclusion in appointments and elective positions,” he said.
Vatsa maintained that nominating a Christian deputy would help restore balance and strengthen the APC’s chances in 2027.
He cautioned that if opposition parties present Christian running mates, they could attract sympathy votes from the Christian community.
He further stressed that the credibility of candidates, rather than party platforms, will play a decisive role in the upcoming elections.
By Isa Abdul, Abuja
After a review of party primaries across the federation, Governors elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC) have resolved to meet with Prof Netanwe Yilwatda, Chairman of the party, and other leaders.
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo and Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), said the resolution was reached at the forum’s meeting which ended in early hours of Tuesday in Abuja.
The PGF is an umbrella body of all serving APC governors.
Uzodimma, while addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting said that the governors also resolved to work to ensure that Nigerians were better off.
He said that the meeting reviewed the outcome of the party’s primaries across the federation, the recent Ekiti governorship election and various by elections in which the APC came out in ”flying colours”.
“We have resolved to work towards solving the problems and challenges facing our democratic space and ensuring that our people are better off.
“We also resolved to meet with the leadership of the party to plan the coming 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections. We are ready and good to go,” he said.
The PGF chairman added that the forum further resolved to continue to work with the APC leadership to support and strengthen it and prepare it for future elections.
The meeting was attended by governors of Ekiti, Zamfara, Taraba, Lagos, Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Gombe, Kebbi, Akwa Ibom and Borno States among others.
The meeting may not be unconnected with what some sources believe is the group’s displeasure with how the primaries were reportedly handled by the party hierarchy scheming out their candidates out for the 2007 polls
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