Headline

Okorocha’s Party Rejects Buhari, Adopts Atiku as Presidential Candidate

Published

7 years ago

January 15, 2019

Eric

The Action Alliance (AA), a party formed by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State 14 years ago, has adopted Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party as its presidential candidate in the February 16 election.

The national chairman of the party, Kenneth Udeze, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja on Monday.

“We are for Atiku/Obi leadership and we are glad to work with all believers of true federalism and efficient administration of governance at all levels to accomplish this as we approach the forthcoming elections,” Mr Udeze said.

“The National Executives Committee (NEC) of our party are on the same page concerning our support for Atiku, same with all our state chapters in this matter.

“We hereby restate out position through this medium that AA as a certified and active member of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) have not for a moment reconsidered or wished to alter that position.

“For your information, AA moved the motion for the adoption of Atiku as the Presidential Candidate of CUPP, and we are on it to the end,” he said.

The national chairman said the support for Mr Abubakar and his running mate, Peter Obi, was a support for the growth of the country’s democracy and the required restructuring of the country.

Mr Okorocha formed the AA in 2005 and planned to run for president on its platform in the 2007 elections.

He was a founding member of the PDP on whose platform he ran for the governorship primary in Imo State in 1999 but lost to Achike Udenwa who flew the flag of the party.

He later dumped the PDP for the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) where he was a presidential aspirant in 2003.

After a few years in ANPP, Mr Okorocha floated the AA where he hoped to actualise his presidential ambition, but in a dramatic move abandoned the new party to return to the PDP.

While in PDP, he showed interest in the 2007 presidential race and ran for the primary. He emerged runner up to the winner, former President Umaru Yar’Adua.

In September 2007, Mr Okorocha unsuccessfully aspired to become the national chairman of the then ruling party.

He later defected to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on whose platform he ran for governor in Imo State in 2011 and won, beating the incumbent, Ikedi Ohakim of the PDP.

Ahead of the 2015 election, the governor again dumped APGA for the newly-formed All Progressives Congress (APC) following the successful merger of three other opposition parties and a section of APGA which he led.

In APC, he also attempted to become its presidential candidate but was beaten alongside others by President Muhamadu Buhari at the party’s primary in Lagos in 2014. Mr Okorocha came a distant fourth having mustered only 624 votes.

While Mr Okorocha sojourned in PDP and APGA he managed to keep AA afloat and the party became handy.

When APC refused to name his son in-law, Uche Nwosu, its governorship candidate for the March 2 election, Mr Nwosu moved to AA where, without contest, he was accepted and adopted as its flag bearer in the March 2 election.

The APC snub has pitted the governor against the national leadership of the ruling party with both sides often exchanging verbal punches in the past months.

Mr Okorocha, who is the candidate of the APC for the Imo West senatorial District, is believed to have facilitated Mr Nwosu’s defection to AA.

While the spat with the leadership of APC lasted, the governor repeatedly said Mr Nwosu would run on the platform of another party if he was not offered the APC ticket.

On Saturday, Mr Okorocha, at the APC’s South East women and youth rally in Owerri, the state capital, clashed with the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, as both canvassed votes for different governorship candidates.

While the governor rooted for his son-in-law, Mrs Buhari, represented by Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, canvassed support for the APC candidate, Hope Uzodinma, and other candidates of the party in the general elections.

“A vote for Buhari is a vote for progress. APC has done well and we must all support all APC candidates,” the first lady said.

“I am happy with the crowd we saw today. It shows that Imo is APC and I want to urge all youth not to fight, avoid any form of crisis because President Buhari is a peaceful man. From what we have seen today President Buhari has won the South East the same way all our APC candidates have won.”

But when he rose to speak at the rally, which had Mr Uzodinma in attendance, Mr Okorocha vowed that nothing would stop Mr Nwosu from succeeding him as governor, come May 29.

He said, “Let me say this Madam First Lady, this time around we are not here to ask you to campaign for Buhari. What my wife has done is to tell you that Buhari is on ground.

“Imo victory for Buhari is designed, sealed. In Imo State, we have 47 political parties and one of the perfect alliances is Action Alliance led by Uche Nwosu.

“Nwosu is APC in spirit. APC owes Imo an apology because of the injustice meted to Imo people. In Imo State, Nwosu will win Imo State. It is not anti-party. We refused imposition in Imo State,” he said.

At Monday’s press conference, Mr Udeze said Mr Nwosu still remained the governorship candidate of AA in lmo State, adding that he (Nwosu) was the one running for the election under the party, not Mr Okorocha.

“We shall do our best to deliver him, as he still remains the candidate to beat among all the gubernatorial candidates,” he said.

“On this note, let me warn all our members in Nigeria, and the lmo State Chapter, in particular that we don’t need any infraction in our party (and) in fact there is no room for that.

“It is our unshakable/unfailing resolve to work for the emergence of Atiku/Obi, in the presidential election, and that we must not only be seen to be doing, but to truly do.

“I will not hesitate to invoke from relevant sections of our Party Constitution to deal with erring members no matter how highly placed, as AA constitution which I swore to protect remains supremely sacrosanct. Please be warned,” he said.

It is not however clear if it was Mr Okorocha and his supporters, who are backing Mr Buhari for the February election Mr Udeze referred to as “erring members.”

Mr Udeze could not be reached for comments as he did not respond to repeated calls from this reporter on Tuesday morning.

When contacted, Sam Onwuemedo, media aide to Mr Okorocha, said his principal was now a member of the APC and would not comment on the adoption of Mr Abubakar.

When reminded that Mr Okorocha floated the AA in 2005, Mr Onwuemedo said the only link currently between the governor and AA was that his son-in-law was running for governor on the party’s platform.

Premium Times

Headline

Why Nigerians Must Reject INEC’s Revised Timetable – ADC

Published

3 days ago

February 28, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the week, released a fresh elections timetable, with major amendments to accommodate the just passed and signed Electoral Act 2026 by the National Assembly and President Bola Tinubu respectively.

Following the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which introduced adjustments to statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities, the Commission has reviewed and realigned the Schedule to ensure full compliance with the new legal framework.

Accordingly, the Commission has resolved as follows:

Presidential and National Assembly Elections will now hold on Saturday, 16th January 2027 as against the earlier stated February 20, 2027
Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will now hold on Saturday, 6th February 2027 as against the former date of March 6, 2027

Also in accordance with the approved Schedule of Activities, the electoral bidy noted in the revised timetable that:

Conduct of Party Primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from primaries, will commence on 23rd April 2026 and end on 30th May 2026.

Presidential and National Assembly campaigns will commence on 19th August 2026.

Governorship and State Houses of Assembly campaigns will commence on 9th September 2026.

As provided by law, campaigns shall end 24 hours before Election Day. Political parties are strongly advised to adhere strictly to these timelines. The Commission will enforce compliance with the law.

But in a swift reaction, the opposition coalition, African Democratic Congress (ADC), rejected the revised 2026–2027 general election timetable, describing it as a politically biased schedule designed to favour the re-election agenda of President Bola Tinubu, and calling on all Nigerians to speak up enmasse to reject the revised timetable.

The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Friday argued that the new deadlines and compliance requirements under the Electoral Act 2026 create near-impossible hurdles for opposition parties seeking to field candidates.

On February 13, INEC initially scheduled the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were fixed for March 6, 2027.

The timetable, however, faced objections from some Muslim stakeholders who noted that the dates coincided with the 2027 Ramadan period.

Following the concerns, the National Assembly amended Clause 28 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, reducing the required election notice period from 360 to 300 days, allowing INEC to adjust the election dates.

Subsequently, INEC released a revised schedule on Thursday, signed by its Chairman, Joash Amupitan, moving the Presidential and National Assembly elections to January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections to February 6, 2027.

Reacting, the ADC said the requirement that political parties submit a comprehensive digital membership register by April 2, 2026, effectively bars opposition parties from participating.

The party stated: “The African Democratic Congress rejects the updated 2026–2027 electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission. What has been presented as a routine administrative schedule of the upcoming general elections is, in fact, a political instrument carefully structured to narrow democratic space and strengthen the incumbent administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“According to the timetable, party primaries are to be conducted between April 23 and May 30, 2026, just 55 to 92 days from today. However, more significant is that, pursuant to Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties are required to submit their digital membership registers to INEC not later than April 2, 2026.

“That is only about 34 days away. Section 77(7) further provides that any party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated time shall not be eligible to field a candidate. These are not routine administrative rules but are deliberately constructed barriers designed to exclude the opposition from participating in the election.”

The party further noted that Section 77(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires the digital register of members to contain name, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number (NIN) and photograph in both hard and soft copies, while Section 77(6) prohibits the use of any pre-existing register that does not contain the specified information. It warned that failure to meet these requirements would lead to disqualification.

The ADC questioned the fairness of the digital membership requirement, noting that the ruling All Progressives Congress began its registration process in February 2025, long before the requirement became mandatory.

“It is not a product of foresight but insider advantage. They knew what was coming. They therefore had one full year to carry out an exercise that other political parties are expected to complete in one month, during which they must collect, process, collate and transmit large volumes of digital data to INEC under the threat of exclusion. This is practically impossible.

“Democratic competition is based on a level playing field that does not give any contestant an undue advantage. A system where one party exploits incumbency to gain a one-year head start on a requirement that other parties only became aware of when it was nearly too late is a rigged system.”

The ADC said it has joined other opposition parties in rejecting the Electoral Act 2026, adding that the INEC timetable is equally rejected as it appears designed to serve what it described as a self-succession agenda.

“Let it be clear that ADC will not take any action that appears to confer legitimacy on a fraudulent system. We are reviewing our options and will make our position known in the coming days,” the party said.

The party also called on civil society organisations, democratic stakeholders and Nigerians to scrutinise the timetable and demand fairness, stressing that democracy cannot survive when electoral rules are structured to produce predetermined outcomes.

The party has consistently accused the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) of scheming to silence the opposition as the 2027 General Elections draw closer, citing his manipulation of state governors and Assembly members from jumping ship, and settling with the ruling party.

Presently, the president’s party has a total of 31 out of 36 states governors, more than majority of the national and states Houses of Assembly.

A frontline publisher and chieftain of the ADC, Chief Dele Momodu, has warned that Tinubu is gradually transforming into full-blown dictatorship, stressing that his second term in office would turn state governors into ‘total slaves’.

Headline

Second Term for Tinubu Will Turn Governors into Total Slaves, Dele Momodu Warns

Published

3 days ago

February 28, 2026

Eric

Chairman, Ovation Media Group, and former presidential aspirant, Aare Dele Momodu, has expressed strong concern over what he described as growing political support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu among state governors across the country.

Speaking during an interview on News Central TV, Momodu said he was shocked by the level of backing the president is reportedly receiving, warning that Nigeria’s democracy could face serious risks if the current political trend continues.

The media entrepreneur cautioned that allowing Tinubu to secure a second term in 2027 could, in his view, lead to excessive concentration of power. He particularly criticized what he described as a growing wave of opposition figures aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress> (APC).

Momodu referenced reports of opposition governors, including Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, allegedly moving closer to the ruling party, describing the development as politically troubling.

According to him, some governors are allegedly competing to demonstrate loyalty to the president ahead of future elections.

“The governors are fighting to ensure Tinubu wins a second term, fighting to be the biggest thug for him. If a man in his first term can capture the bodies and souls of Nigerians this way, imagine what he would do with a second term. It will be a full-blown dictatorship, and the governors will regret it as they become total slaves to him,” Momodu said.

He concluded by urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and actively protect democratic institutions, warning that unchecked consolidation of political power could threaten the nation’s democracy and future stability.

Gistmania

Headline

Court Validates PDP 2025 Convention in Ibadan, Affirms Turaki-led NWC

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

Eric

The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has affirmed the validity of the 2025 Elective Convention of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), which produced Dr. Kabiru Turaki as the substantive National Chairman of the party.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Ladiran Akintola upheld the convention in its entirety, ruling that it was conducted in full compliance with the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions governing party elections in Nigeria.

The decision marked a significant legal victory for the party’s leadership and brought clarity to the dispute surrounding the convention’s legitimacy.

The ruling followed an amended originating summons filed by Misibau Adetunmbi (SAN) on behalf of the claimant, Folahan Malomo Adelabi, in Suit No. I/1336/2025.

In a comprehensive judgment, the court granted all 13 reliefs sought by the claimant, effectively endorsing the processes and outcomes of the Ibadan convention.

Justice Akintola held that the convention, organised by the recognised leadership of the party, satisfied all laid-down legal requirements as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The court found no breach of due process or statutory non-compliance in the conduct of the exercise.

In the same proceedings, the court dismissed the Motion on Notice seeking a stay of proceedings and suspension of the ruling, filed by Sunday Ibrahim (SAN) on behalf of Austin Nwachukwu and two others. The applications were described as lacking merit.

Earlier in the proceedings, the court had also rejected a bid by Ibrahim to have his clients joined in the suit.

Justice Akintola ruled at the time that the joinder application was unsubstantiated and consequently dismissed it.