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PDP Govs Meet in Ibadan, Rejects Merger Plans, Reaffirm Support for Fabara

Published

11 months ago

April 15, 2025

Eric

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has debunked speculations of the party planning to join any coalition or merger.

The resolution was made in a communiqué issued at the end of the Forum’s meeting held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday.

After the meeting which lasted about six hours behind closed doors, the Chairman of the Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who read the communiqué clarified that rather, the PDP remains open to welcoming individuals, parties, and groups committed to rescuing Nigeria and promoting good governance,

“The Forum resolved that the PDP will not join any coalition or merger. However, as a major opposition party, it welcomes any party, persons, or groups willing to join it with a view to wrestling power and enthroning good leadership in 2027,” the communiqué read in part.

On the recent Supreme Court judgment on the national secretary position, the Forum recommended that the deputy national secretary act in the position pending the nomination and ratification of a substantive Secretary from the South East geopolitical zone.

On the spate of insecurity in parts of the country, the Forum expressed concerns over the rising insecurity, particularly in Borno, Katsina, Edo, and Plateau States.

The group called for a review and re-organisation of the nation’s security architecture, advocating a bottom-up approach that empowers sub-national governments to play a more active role in safeguarding their territories.

The Forum also declared its solidarity with the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, amid the current political crisis in the State, and the declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu.

The Forum announced plans to hold a national meeting on May 27, 2025, where a Zoning Committee would be constituted ahead of the party’s national convention scheduled for August 28 to 30, 2025, in Kano.

The communiqué also listed members of the Zoning and National Convention Committees, with Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State named Chairman of the Zoning Committee, and Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State heading the National Convention Committee.

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

Published

8 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

13 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

15 hours 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.