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No Plans to Merge with Atiku, Kwankwaso, Says LP

Published

3 years ago

August 22, 2023

Eric

The National Secretary of Labour Party, Umar Farouk, and Tai Obasi, media aide to LP flag bearer, Peter Obi have denied knowledge of an ongoing merger arrangement with the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and his counterpart in the New Nigeria People’s Party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, The Punch can confirm

This was even as the ruling All Progressives Congress boasted that President Bola Tinubu will have no problem beating the trio again if the motive was to stop him from winning the 2027 presidential poll.

The development is coming in the wake of media reports that the trio of Atiku, Kwankwaso and Obi has opened a preliminary discussion on a possible merger with the ultimate goal of setting up a formidable platform that can unseat the ruling party.

Reacting, Farouk told The Punch that there was no iota of truth in the report.

The LP national secretary disclosed that much as the party respects the privacy of its presidential candidate to associate with anybody, he vowed that Labour Party will never merge with any other political platform.

He, however, did rule out the possibility of an alliance.

“That is not true. I think it is the imagination of the writer. It has not come to us as a party. Whatever is going on, if at all it is true, Peter Obi is probably doing that as a candidate, which he has a right to do and associate with whoever he wants to associate with.

“But as a party, we are not thinking of a merger with any political party. And Labour Party will never merge with any party.

“Whatever the issue may be, we cannot take any decision until after the judgment of our election petition at the tribunal. But as a I mentioned earlier, count LP out of any merger with political parties. Alliance may be possible though,” he stated.

His sentiment was also shared by the LP poster boy’s media aide when he was asked to authenticate the media report.

While stating that Obi respects Atiku and Kwankwaso’s political ideologies, Obasi stressed that they prefer to await the final judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to retrieve their mandate.

He said, “I don’t know of anything like that. Just like every other person, we are still waiting for the judgment of the tribunal. What’s the need for a merger without first getting the judgment? Are they merging as opposition teams or what?

“I really don’t think so. I have also heard my principal mention anything like that. My principal is someone who is very open and can interact on issues. Of course, we have respect for Atiku and also have the same for Kwankwaso.

“But those who are close to Obi know he has no enemy, except for those fighting him unnecessarily. He is a Nigerian who will always interact with any other Nigerian for the good of Nigeria. But with the level of margin, I can tell you that for now, there is nothing like the merger you talked about.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, proved unsuccessful.

The Director of Publicity for the ruling party, Bala Ibrahim, however, dismissed the perceived threat such a merger could pose to the president.

“With my poor arithmetic, let me say if you can beat them individually, I don’t see any difficulty you will have beating them collectively.

“Whether they (Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso) merged or not, they will still remain below the ladder of the ruling party.” Bala boasted.

As of the time of filing this report, the National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Major Agbo, could however not be reached for clarification.

The Punch

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

Published

1 day 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.”

Featured

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

Published

1 day 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.

Featured

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.