Former National Officer of the Labour Party, Kenneth Okonkwo, has claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is using intimidation tactics to disrupt opposition activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, Okonkwo said the ADC has faced repeated attacks while holding meetings across several states.
ADC is on fire. The only thing is that we have an APC that is using every method to intimidate and scatter the plans of the opposition,” he said.
Okonkwo cited incidents in Kaduna, Lagos, and Ekiti States where ADC gatherings were allegedly dispersed by thugs acting under the supervision of security agencies.
He accused the APC of manipulating security institutions to frustrate opposition parties, contrary to provisions of the Electoral Act that mandate equal protection for all political parties.
Okonkwo expressed confidence that the ADC would form the next government, describing the APC as a party “already imploding.”
ADC is going to form the next government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We are strategizing, and we are going to beat this APC. They are already imploding because all these endorsements are just an amalgamation of sycophants,” he added.
The Labour Party (LP) has declared that its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will not be given the party’s ticket for the 2027 general elections.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, made this known on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics.
We are going to do our 2027 without Peter Obi; he will not have our ticket,” Arabambi said, while stressing that the party’s momentum in the last election was not solely because of Obi but largely driven by the EndSARS movement and widespread discontent with the former president Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Arabambi also accused the LP’s acting National Chairperson, Nenadi Usman, and activist, Aisha Yesufu, of colluding with Obi, adding that the party would take steps to expel them. He further challenged Obi to openly announce his departure from the party.
Obi has one leg in Labour Party, one leg in PDP, and one leg in ADC. If he believes he has the proficiency on his own to have seven million votes in 2027, we advise him to pronounce his departure from Labour Party,” he added
Obi, who came third in the 2023 presidential election, has publicly backed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) but has yet to formally defect to the coalition platform.
A convoy of the African Democratic Congress leader in Kebbi State and former Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, came under attack by suspected political thugs in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after Malami’s return to the state, while he was on a condolence visit to several families in the metropolis.
Witnesses said about 10 vehicles in the convoy were vandalised, while several of his supporters sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Malami, who served as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice between 2015 and 2023, described the attack as politically motivated.
“I was in Birnin Kebbi solely to pay condolences to families who lost their loved ones while I was away, not for political campaigns.
It’s painful and unfortunate. Some thugs emerged from the APC state headquarters, armed with weapons and stones, and attacked our convoy, destroying vehicles and injuring our supporters.
When it comes to politics in Kebbi State, there is no retreat, no surrender,” Malami said in an interview with journalists.
However, the All Progressives Congress in Kebbi State has denied any involvement in the incident.
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Isa Assalafy, in a statement, condemned the attack and described Kebbi as a peaceful state.
No government that enjoys the massive support of the people and is confident of victory in 2027 would want the peace of the state disrupted,” Assalafy said.
He further alleged that armed security personnel attached to Malami’s convoy opened fire during the confrontation, which he claimed escalated the situation.
Police authorities in Kebbi had yet to release an official statement on the attack as of the time of filing this report
The Supreme Court has affirmed the 2024 governorship election victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, the apex court ruled that the appeal lacked merit. It upheld the earlier judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had both declared Okpebholo the validly elected governor.
The court held that Ighodalo and the PDP failed to present credible and admissible evidence to support claims of irregularities, including allegations of over-voting and substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Many of the documents presented, the court noted, were merely “dumped” on the tribunal without proper linkage to the allegations in 432 out of the 4,519 polling units.
Ighodalo had approached the apex court after the Court of Appeal, in its May 29 ruling, affirmed the tribunal’s dismissal of his petition. He argued that the lower courts failed to properly evaluate the evidence, and insisted that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act.
The PDP and its candidate had earlier contended before the tribunal that INEC failed to pre-record some sensitive materials and that results were allegedly manipulated in 765 polling units. They called 19 witnesses and tendered 153 BVAS machines used in 133 polling units, but the tribunal ruled that they failed to substantiate their claims.
INEC had declared that Governor Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ighodalo, who secured 247,655 votes.
Obasempire reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has criticized the House of Representatives members for their decision to reduce their salaries by 50 percent for six months.
This development followed the approval on Thursday of an amendment to a motion proposed by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu. The amendment requires lawmakers to forgo 50% of their N600,000 monthly salaries to aid Nigerians.
The salary reduction is intended to support the federal government’s efforts to tackle the increasing cost of foodstuffs and ease the hardship faced by Nigerians.
The motion was approved and assigned to the committees on Humanitarian Affairs, Finance, and Budget for implementation.
With each member contributing N300,000 to a collective fund, the legislative body will provide N108 million monthly to the Federal Government, totaling N648 million over six months.
However, Atiku Abubakar criticized this decision on X, suggesting that lawmakers should cut their allowances rather than their salaries.
Atiku argued that the country can no longer afford to borrow to finance governmental irresponsibility.
He wrote, “The demons are in allowances and not salaries. There’s too much wastage and prioritisation of non-essential expenditures. What we want is an across the board cut in expenses pork. We can no longer afford to borrow to fund irresponsibility in government.”
Obasempire reports that the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, absolved President Bola Tinubu of responsibility for the current economic difficulties afflicting the nation.
Governor Uzodimma asserted it would be unjust to fault the President, characterizing the severe challenges as a global issue affecting not only Nigeria.
He expressed these views during a visit to the APC secretariat in Abuja to offer condolences to the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, following the passing of his mother-in-law.
Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje
Accompanying him were Governors Bassey Otu of Cross River, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo, and Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti.
“By the grace of God, I am very confident that very soon, Nigerians will be jubilant about how he has managed to navigate the waters.
“We have to visit the secretariat to be in touch with the leadership of the party, national chairman and members of the National Working Committee and, above all, to commiserate with him who just lost his mother-in-law; and also show solidarity with the chairman and managers of our party.”
The PGF chairman expressed optimism that the APC would wrest power from the Peoples Democratic Party-led government in Edo State at the September 21 governorship election.
The governor also disclosed that some of the APC governors would also monitor the polls in Edo and Ondo states to show solidarity for their governorship candidates.
He said, “Of course you know, I am the chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum. When I speak, I speak on behalf of my colleagues, the 20 governors and a party like APC that controls 20 of the 36 states. If an election is a game of numbers, it means the majority will win.
“For instance, on the 20th of this month, the national campaign council will be inaugurated in Edo State and it is expected that most of us, the members of the Progressives Governors Forum, will be in attendance. Which other party can provide or boast of such an asset, politically speaking?”
Ganduje welcomed the delegation, saying he felt honoured by their visit.
“There is no doubt that we are highly delighted when we got the information that they (governors) are coming. So, I think it is a blessing to us. We have confidence in them.
“We will do all it takes to ensure that we maintain good relationships with our governors all over the country and help to protect their interests. There is no doubt that they are also assisting the party and making us proud as an institution,” he said.
Obasempire reports that in a recent development, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos state for 2023 election has voiced his reservations about the party’s choice for the presidential candidacy, Peter Obi, asserting that Obi does not align with the kind of politician Nigerians require.
Rhodes-Vivour conveyed this sentiment during an appearance on the Honest Bunch Podcast.
In a snippet circulated across online platforms, the LP stalwart indicated that the former Governor of Anambra State might possess the qualities of a leader Nigeria requires; however, he falls short of embodying the quintessential politician. “we need for us”.
He said, “Peter Obi is the leader that we need for Nigeria, but not the politician we need for us.”
Rhodes-Vivour also insisted, “Peter (Obi) does not buy votes. He won Lagos without buying votes.”
Obasempire reports that renowned Nigerian comedian, Oluwaseyitan Aletile, popularly known as Seyilaw, has opened up about the monetary repercussions of endorsing Tinubu’s bid for the presidency.
In an exclusive interview with TVC, Seyilaw revealed that he had to refund a significant sum of 15.5 million naira to certain dissatisfied clients following his public backing of Tinubu.
Comedian Seyilaw
He stressed his steadfastness in his stance, asserting that he remained resolute in his support for Tinubu despite enduring financial setbacks and business losses.
In Seyilaw’s words: “Supporting Tinubu made me poorer, I refunded N15.5m to people who were angry that I backed Tinubu. But because I believed in my choice, that was why I was bold enough to refund money and did not back down from my support.
“Everybody knows that as a comedian December is probably the high point of our event and I lost quite a number of clients because I supported this administration. But do I regret it? No, I don’t. I believe that this administration will deliver”
