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2019: Ondo APC Members Protest, Reject Senatorial Candidate

Published

7 years ago

November 2, 2018

Eric

Thousands of members of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Ondo State on Thursday took to the street of Ore, the headquarters of the Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, to protest against the alleged imposition of Senator Yele Omogunwa as the candidate of the party in the Ondo Senatorial District.

Senator Omogunwa, who is currently representing the Ondo South Senatorial District at the upper chamber of the National Assembly, was alleged to have been imposed on the members of the party in the district by the National Working Committee of the APC. The senator was given an automatic ticket to be the candidate of the party in the 2019 senatorial election.

Omogunwa was elected into the Senate in 2015 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party but he later joined the APC in 2016 shortly before the governorship election in the state.

The protesters, who were from the six local government areas of the district, converged on the party secretariat in Ore with different placards with inscriptions, saying the party would lose in the senatorial district if Omogunwa remained the candidate.

The placards had inscriptions such as “Ondo South Rejects Yele Omogunwa”, “Ondo South says No to imposition”, “Ondo South APC says No to Yele Omogunwa”, “Omogunwa is a liability, no more second term”, and “We demand a replacement for Omogunwa”, among others.

The leader of the protesters and an APC leader in the district, Mr Olatunbosun James, said members of the party were concerned with the victory at the poll in 2019, adding that the party would suffer defeat if Senator Omogunwa was fielded as the party’s candidate.

James also noted that the rejection of Omogunwa’s candidature would affect the chances of President Muhammadu Buhari at the 2019 presidential election in the senatorial district.

He alleged that the senator had failed the people of the senatorial district, adding that he was a dormant representative of the district in the Senate.

He said, “The fact is incontrovertible that our senatorial district is suffering from misrepresentation at present in the red chamber. Yele Omogunwa, the man positioned to represent us, is nothing but a political misfit. Under his watch, our district suffered untold and unbearable hardship including the extant infamous electricity blackout ravaging the land.

“Senator Omogunwa is identified with incompetence and his candidature becomes unsellable because we deserve better representation in Ondo South which lay the golden egg for the state and the country. Yele has become analogue and the best thing to do for President Buhari and the party to win in 2019 is to replace him with a more competent fellow before it will be too late.

“We reject his candidature; we don’t want him because he has failed us in the last three and half years. He has no capacity to win the Senate election for APC and that will affect the president on the day of the election.”

James also called on the National Working Committee and the National Chairman of the party, Mr Adams Oshiomhole and other party leaders to replace Omogunwa for a better and more competent candidate in the interest of the party and the senatorial district.

However, the embattled Senator Omogunwa, in a statement, said the protest was sponsored by some aggrieved aspirants of the party.

“As far as I am concerned, the sponsored protest coming amid my concerted effort to reconcile all cleavages within the party in the district is highly regrettable and unconscionably misdirected and mischievous in all ramifications,” he stated.

The Punch

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2027: We’re on Track, ADC Hails S’Court Ruling

Published

11 hours ago

May 1, 2026

Eric

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that it would never be intimidated, distracted, or silenced in its push to realize a better Nigeria.

Spokesman of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said this in reaction to the Supreme Court ruling, which affirmed David Mark’s leadership of the party.

Abdullahi said the judgment has affirmed that the Mark and Rauf Aregbesola leadership of the party is legitimate.

Abdullahi said: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) congratulates all our members and leaders across the country on today’s Supreme Court ruling which affirmed the leadership of our party under Senator David Mark as National Chairman, and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary.

“Today’s decision is a clear affirmation that our party, its structures, and its leadership under our National Chairman, Senator Mark, and our National Secretary, Ogbeni Aregbesola, are legitimate.

“We commend the five-man panel of the Supreme Court, whose unanimous judgment has today done great credit to the judiciary in our country and our political system.

“However, while we welcome this judgment, we do not mistake it for the end of the struggle. The events leading up to this moment have exposed a troubling pattern of interference, bad faith, and attempts to weaken opposition voices in Nigeria.

“Let it be clearly stated: the ADC will not be intimidated, distracted, or silenced. We remain resolute in our mission to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative.

“We therefore urge all our members, supporters, and democratic stakeholders across the country to remain vigilant.”

Featured

Tinubu Appoints Bianca Ojukwu As Foreign Affairs Minister

Published

2 days ago

April 29, 2026

Eric

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as Nigeria’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The announcement was contained in a statement released on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy).

The appointment followed the resignation of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, who stepped down to participate in preparations for the 2027 elections.

According to the statement, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s elevation marks a return to a more senior role within Nigeria’s foreign service architecture, having previously served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Her new appointment places her at the helm of Nigeria’s diplomatic engagements, where she is expected to oversee the country’s foreign policy direction, strengthen international partnerships, and advance economic diplomacy objectives.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, following the resignation of Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, who stepped down to participate in the 2027 elections.

“Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu previously served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

The Presidency noted that the decision forms part of ongoing efforts to reposition Nigeria’s foreign policy framework for greater efficiency and stronger global engagement. It added that the new minister is expected to deepen diplomatic relations, promote Nigeria’s national interest, and ensure the welfare of Nigerians abroad remains a priority.

In the same announcement, President Tinubu also nominated Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, subject to Senate confirmation.

Enikanolaiye, from Kogi State, previously served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations. He is a seasoned diplomat with over three decades of service in Nigeria’s foreign affairs system and has held key postings in Addis Ababa, Belgrade, Ottawa, London, and New Delhi.

The Presidency said the appointments are part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s foreign policy architecture and improve the country’s global diplomatic engagement.

Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu is a lawyer, diplomat, and former beauty queen who has had a long career in public service and international diplomacy.

She was born on 5 August 1967 in Anambra State and studied law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1992 after attending the Nigerian Law School in Lagos.

Her academic background includes a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio in Spain, as well as postgraduate diplomas in Human Rights and International Relations from the Berg Institute, Madrid, and in Dynamics of Conflict and Cooperation from the University for Peace in Costa Rica.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu previously served as Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Diaspora Matters and later became Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain from 2012 to 2015, where she also represented the country at the UN World Tourism Organization. She earlier served as Ambassador to Ghana.

She was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in October 2024 by President Bola Tinubu, where she supported Nigeria’s external affairs portfolio, including diplomacy, consular engagement, and international relations strategy. She has now been appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Nairametrics

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2027: Lagos APC Guber Aspirant Rejects Hamzat As Consensus Candidate

Published

2 days ago

April 29, 2026

Eric

All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Samuel Ajose, has declared that the endorsement of Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the next governor by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) will not stand.

GAC, regarded as the highest decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, endorsed Hamzat, as its consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

The decision was reached during a closed-door meeting held at Lagos House, Marina, indicating an early alignment within the ruling party ahead of the next electoral cycle.

Speaking after the session, GAC leader, Tajudeen Olusi, said members unanimously agreed on Hamzat, expressing confidence in his ability to sustain and build on the state’s developmental progress.

Olusi explained that the meeting was convened to deliberate on the party’s forthcoming primaries and assess the governorship position ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking about the GAC adoption of Hamzat as Lagos APC consensus 2027 governorship candidate on Arise News on Tuesday, Ajose said that Sanwo-Olu and others are trying to force President Tinubu into making a decision.

“I don’t think our president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is giving in to what they are doing.

“What they are just trying to do is to coerce him into taking a decision, and I don’t think that decision will stand.”