Politics
EL-RUFAI Denies Supporting Southerner for 2027 Presidency Amidst Crisis of Confidence in ADC
By Our Reporter
Kaduna State former Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is facing a crisis of confidence within ADC a situation caused by a news platform operating under the Twitter handle @AdcNews_ alleging that he is rooting for a southern president. But describing this development as a deliberate misrepresenting of his views on the 2027 presidential election, he regretted that this had almost destabilised the emerging opposition coalition.
El Rufai in a press statement of December 15, 2025 refuted the platform’s claims as a hatchet man’s job by taking excerpts from his February 2025 interview granted ARISE News, then using them to falsely portray him as a firm supporter of zoning the 2027 presidency to the South.
The post in question allegedly quoted El-Rufai that: “We gave Southerners their chance and they gave us Tinubu. Has he done well? If he hasn’t done well, let’s vote him out. I’ll prefer that a Southerner succeeds Tinubu.”
El-Rufai in the February interview had said that whether he will be in the APC or any other party, the central question will always be who has the best chance of winning a national election. He recalled that this same logic guided decisions ahead of the 2023 polls, when southern aspirants were assessed and Bola Tinubu was considered by the party’s caucus to have the strongest electoral prospects. He said the 2027 decision, whenever it is taken, would be approached in the same manner.
In the statement, El Rufai stressed that. “It is the same way these decisions are taken now in 2027. I will not be a governor, so I will not have the sort of clout that I had in 2023, but I’m just explaining this so that people understand that in those smokefield rooms where these political decisions are taken, hard political mathematics takes place, in which you want to win, and the person that wins is the one that you go for; it doesn’t matter where he comes from.”
The @AdcNews_ outing had caused raised eye brows and unease within the ADC leadership ranks as it went against their agreement not to talk about candidates or zoning until the party was firmly on ground. It inflamed supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who still want him to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Warning against distorting his views and fake news, the former governor stressed that he speaks only through his verified social media platforms and grants interviews only to credible media organisations, and that no views should be attributed to him unless explicitly expressed through those channels.
He further criticised the practice of attributing opinion articles written by other authors to him simply because he shared them online, warning that such conduct distorts public discourse and fuels misinformation.
El-Rufai condemned some sections of the media whose senior editors, alleged, failed in their professional duty by amplifying news sources from fake platforms without proper verification. He regretted that society suffers when media leaders join the squad of “unedifying Olympics of fiction and fakery.”
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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