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Mustapha Declares for APC National Chairmanship, Insists on Zoning, Party Discipline, Supremacy

Published

5 years ago

May 25, 2021

Eric

By Eric elezuo

An aspirant for the National Chairmanship position of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Barr Mohammed Bello Mustapha has made public his intention to hold the exalted position of the party, insisting that the zoning formula agreed upon by the rank and file of the party must be respected and put to work.

Mustapha made his remarks while addressing members of the press in company of notable party associates at the CitiHeights Hotel in Lagos on Monday.

The seasoned party faithful said that time has come to reposition the party for greater achievements, hand leadership over to the youths and put every mechanism in place to heal the nation, which presently is divided along ethnic and religious lines.

Acknowledging the giant strides of the party and President Muhammadu Buhari so far, Mustapha said that he has glorious strides up his sleeves to put the party on the positive front burner, and right every wrong that has set the people of Nigeria against one another, especially among the APC family.

Acknowledging the faith the party and his associates reposed in him, Mustapha said he has itemised glaring cardinal objectives that will propel his administration’s vision as the party chairman. He mentioned them as Zoning, Supremacy of the party, Entrenchment of party discipline, Restoration of internal democracy, Reactivation of motivation and rewards system, and not forgetting to give the women the opportunity they deserve.

He further informed that there is no going back on zoning, which happens to be an agreement reached by the party earlier in 2013 when it came on board, saying that reneging on the agreement will be tantamount to betrayal of trust.

“There was an agreement on board since 2013 on how to rotate power between the north and the south in terms of the presidency and the party chairmanship. This understanding must be strictly adhered to – the presidency should go the south while the chairmanship returns to the north,” he said.

He noted that with the youths commanding more 60 per cent of voting strength in the party and across all other parties, it is high time the youth took up the challenge, and dictate who runs the affairs of the party, and the country at large.

“It is high time the elders stepped down and allow the youths a chance to run the parties at all levels,” he announced.

Mustapha lamented the indiscipline that has engulfed the party in recent times, going down memory lane to the first and second republics, to recount how disciplined party leadership was, using the tenure of Adisa Akinloye as Chairman of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) as a case study.

“As we can see today, recklessness in speech and action has become the order of the day. There are no functional disciplinary mechanism anymore, and no one seems to caution anyone. My administration as the chairman of our party will correct all that. I will further ensure all round inclusiveness where every member of the party will be carried along.

“Not only that, when I become the chairman, I will see to it that every party member who has paid his dues are well rewarded and taken care of. I promise everyone the APC of our dreams when I become the chairman,” Mustapha said as a matter of fact.

In his entourage were other party faithful including Mr. Kingsley Chinda, Comrade Ayodele Adewale and Mr Shaka Momodu.

MB Mustapha is an APC stalwart, who has been an active participant since the party’s inception in 2013. He hails from Jalingo in Taraba State, and was born on January 2, 1972.

A Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Mustapha stands tall against all odds and his sterling credentials in party politics and wealth of experience speak volumes. He had contested elections on the highest levels including 2011 governorship election in Taraba and senatorial aspiration in 2019.

He is a responsible married man, and blessed with children.

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Tinubu Nominates Oyedele As Minister of State for Finance, Moves Anite-Uzoka to Budget Ministry

Published

17 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, has announced that “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Taiwo Oyedele as the minister of state for finance, replacing Doris Anite-Uzoka.

“Mrs Anite-Uzoka will now move to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as the Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration.

“President Tinubu has today conveyed the nomination of Mr Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Until President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Mr Oyedele from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State, was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

“Mr Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert.

“He attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy and finance. He attended Oxford Brookes University and earned a BSc in applied accounting.

“He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Mr Oyedele spent 22 years of his working career at PwC, joining in 2001 and rising to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.

“Mr Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.”

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Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

22 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

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DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.