Headline

Hounding of Opposition Leaders: I Cannot Be Intimidated – Tambuwal Vows

Published

11 months ago

August 16, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

From every quarter, the tension associated with desire to either consolidate power come 2027 by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or the quest to wrest power from the present administration, especially by the newly redefined opposition party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), continue to reverberate, creating unease and subject of discourse across political landscapes.

With opposition politicians raising alarm on a daily basis regarding the intimidation being suffered from the ruling party, many have either decamped to the APC or remained aloof, muffling their own voices for fear of being targeted for attack, victimisation or outright persecution.

This untold uneasy fear among the camps of the opposition has remained tenable until the rebirth of the ADC with major political players and ranking administrators holding sway, and sticking their necks out in one collective effort to ‘rescue Nigeria’.

But that move, which caught the APC unawares, has led to a re-jigging of the strategy, culminating in what the ADC described as victimisation of the opposition by the ruling party.

Consequently, many of the leading figures in the opposition have been hounded either in their businesses or political endeavours. The latest being the former governor of Sokoto State, who doubles as a sitting senator, representing Sokoto South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Also a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tambuwal, who was arrested, detained and later released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has vowed not to be silenced by what he described as intimidation and blackmail.

The EFCC had quizzed Tambuwal and detained him for a night over alleged misappropriation of N189bn during his tenure as governor, a move the opposition African Democratic Congress described as a political witch-hunt aimed at weakening opposition forces ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Returning to Sokoto just before the weekend to a hero’s welcome from thousands of supporters, Tambuwal had addressed a cheering crowd at his residence, pledging to continue the fight for “equitable and democratic governance” in the state.

“I cannot be intimidated or blackmailed. I believe I shall be vindicated, and victory shall be ours,” he declared, drawing loud chants of solidarity from his supporters.

Recounting his encounter with the EFCC, in a statement titled ‘APC is Anti-People, I Cannot Be Intimidated’, Tambuwal said he honoured the agency’s invitation on August 6, but was denied release on personal recognition, despite his credentials as a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, two-term governor, and serving senator.

The full statement of the former governor is presented as follows:

APC IS ANTI PEOPLE, I CANNOT BE INTIMIDATED

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen. Lend me your ears. I know that you have been following developments in the last one week. But before I go into that, let me thank Allah (SWT) for giving me the place, the strength, the health and enablement to arrive home to this receptive

I was first invited by the EFCC and went there voluntarily, on my own volition without being forced, on the 6th of August. That was my first visit to the EFCC. I was interrogated. At sometime they let me go back home with a view of coming back on Monday, 11th of August. I went back and was further interrogated. I requested that I should be allowed to go back home until another time so that we could continue. I was told by the operatives interviewing me that I need to get someone or some people to get me on bail. I told them to go back and tell the Chairman of the EFCC that I was the Speaker of Federal House of Representatives for four years; that I served the people of Sokoto State for an uninterrupted period of eight years; and that now as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and also as a Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFR), I should be allowed my personal recognition. They said that no, the Chairman has declined; that I must bring two directors from the Federal Civil Service, who must get letters of introduction from their employers, and some other conditions for me to be granted bail. This was around 5-6 pm. My lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), appealed that liberal conditions for the bail should be given. They refused. I was taken to cell A23, where I rested till the following morning. Of course, by the grace of God and prayers the conditions of bail were met and I was allowed to go.

Now. Why now? Why at this moment. When the current government in Sokoto constituted a Kangaroo Commission of Inquiry that couldn’t work; and by the grace of Allah it will not work, because we know what we did for the people of Sokoto State; and the people here are the living witnesses; that there are basis for comparison between the government we handed over to and our own government. But that is not the issue.

We have been involved in the process of bringing everyone together, because there are two paradigms in Nigeria today: those in government today; and those of the people of Nigeria. I and my colleagues here chose to be with the people that are working against sustaining the current bad situation in Nigeria. Once you join APC, whatever your sins are will be forgiven. Now, I want to ask you a question: do you want our sins to be forgiven so that we can join APC? Do you want us to continue to work for the coalition?

I’m going to say what they don’t want to hear: What they failed to realize is that I cannot be intimidated. And, no one can tarnish my record: from my service in the House of Representatives in 2006, when I served as Minority Leader, 2007 when I served as Deputy Chief Whip to 2011 when I served as Speaker; and Governor of this state up to 2023, I believe we have done well in the service of this country.

Therefore, I will take on anybody who wants to tarnish my image. The process is there. Whatever it is, I believe that by the grace of God, victory shall be ours. At the end of the day, we shall be independent. Let me assure you. I remain resolved and resolute and unshaken by this near attempt to coerce, blackmail and intimidate.

We remain committed to the process of democracy; and ensuring that peoples’ votes count in Nigeria, particularly, insha Allah, in 2027. What they are working towards is to create an impression of invisibility: that they cannot be beaten. Their policies are anti-people. They have no compassion. They have no feelings. What is going on in Sokoto East, what is happening in North West, North East, North Central and South South; South West and South East States

Is Bola Tinubu’s administration considering the federal character in Nigeria today; in terms of giving opportunities to Nigerians to serve? In terms of projects? Nigerians are not fools. In any case, the election was rigged. So, we will not, by the grace of God, allow that to happen again. We’re committed to democratic ethos and the democratic process. We will join forces to gather tendencies in Nigeria, to make sure, by the grace of God, in 2027, we end this misrule and misgovernance over our country.

The former governor carpeted both the Sokoto State government and the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal government of orchestrating a “Kangaroo investigative committee” against him, stressing that no competent authority had found him guilty of any wrongdoing, and deviating from the Federal character arrangement as enshrined in the Constitution, respectively.

It would be recalled that earlier in July, shortly after its formation, the coalition had raised alarm of the government’s plan to clampdown on it leaders and members across the country with spurious accusations.

In a statement by the Interim National Publicity Secretary of ADC and Opposition Coalition, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the group responded to a tweet by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, who alleged a sinister plot to overthrow the Tinubu administration, saying, “Just two years after Tinubu began implementing the reforms, the haters of Nigeria’s progress are banding together to overthrow an administration that has been the most focused, most transformative in our history.”

The ADC spokesperson, who described the tweet as reckless and malicious, further noted that it revealed an imminent plot to clamp down on opposition leaders, ahead 2027 general elections.

He warned that “such reckless and unsubstantiated claim signals a broader campaign of intimidation and repression against political opposition leaders by the Tinubu administration.”

The full statement reads: “Bayo Onanuga’s tweet is a textbook example of a political dog whistle. The APC-led federal government appears to be constructing a false narrative that is designed to justify a potential clamp down on dissent, and to criminalise legitimate opposition activity under the guise of national security.

“The ADC is not interested in truncating democracy; we are solely committed to saving the nation from the irredeemable incompetence of this government. And the only means available to us is the democratic means. We are not soldiers, we are politicians. We don’t have bullets; we only have the ballots. When the time comes, we will only present our solutions and an alternative vision of the future to the Nigerian people and leave them to make their choice.

“We are left to wonder why the APC government is so jittery that it is so eager to betray its own heritage. APC is the first opposition party to come to power in Nigeria. It is, therefore, a great wonder that the same party now appears to find it strange that there is an opposition at all.

“We, therefore, call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to promptly caution his aides from further baseless but dangerous allegations that have the potential to heat up the system even two years ahead of the next election. This manner of crying wolf when there is none does not make the president look good and only betrays a sense of panic.

“We also call on the Nigerian people to be vigilant and discerning, and to reject the underhanded tactics being deployed to delegitimise the opposition and silence alternative voices. The health of our democracy depends on a free, open, and competitive political environment.

“Finally, we urge the international community, democratic governments all over the world, international observers, and human rights organisations, to closely monitor the unfolding political environment in Nigeria. We call on them to hold the Tinubu administration accountable for any actions that undermine democratic freedoms or violate the political rights of Nigerian citizens.

“The ADC remains committed to building a better Nigeria, through peace, participation, and the power of the people.”

The Nigerian political space has gathered momentum ever since the announcement of the opposition coalition group, which later adopted the ADC as its political platform for the 2027 general election. The group is led by a former Senate President, David Mark, with former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola as the National Secretary.

So far, every member of the coalition has received tremendous approval from their supporters across their various regions, signaling what may be a landmark challenge of Tinubu’s APC in the forthcoming elections.

Headline

Parties’ Deregistration: ADC, Not NDC, is the Target

Published

1 day ago

June 29, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

As the 2027 presidential election draws closer, intrigues, manipulations and maneuvers have continued to be the order of the day as political parties engage in one gimmick or another to outdo and undo one another.

While some are playing politics of numbers and conviction, others are engaging tendencies that tend to question the status quo and established principles under which genuine democracy is formed. As a matter of fact, fingers have been pointed at the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal government as the brain behind all machinations that have attempted to derail multi-party democracy, and institute a one-party state, which is alien to the Nigerian democratic roots. This is as a result of the constant imbroglio that has consistently engulf almost all the major political parties in the country.

Fresh facts have however, emerged to prove that every act of frustration thrown at the opposition has been indirectly aimed at the main opposition party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

According to reliable sources, the recent deregistration of parties, especially the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), was actually targeted at the ADC.

Recall that the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, on June, 26, set aside its earlier judgement directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC as a political party. A ruling that put a question mark on the eligibility of the party presenting candidates in the forthcoming 2027 elections

The presiding judge, Isah Dashen, held that all relevant parties must be heard before any substantive decision can be made in the matter.

The court upheld the application filed by a certain organization, the Peace Movement Party (PMP), ruling that the party was a necessary party to the suit.

According to the judge, the earlier judgement was constitutionally defective as it was delivered without hearing from all interested parties.

He declared that such an omission rendered the entire process null and void.

Mr Dashen further ruled that the status quo be restored to what it was before the December 10, 2025 judgement, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

He also observed that certain material facts were suppressed in the earlier proceedings, which justified the decision to set aside the judgment.

Consequently, the court ordered that the substantive suit should begin afresh, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PMP and the NDC as parties to the case.

According to NAN’s reports, the applicant’s lawyer, Chikezie Ekeocha, told journalists that the PMP approached the court after discovering that NDC’s registration was based on a logo it had previously submitted to INEC before the commencement of the suit.

According to Mr Ekeocha, the court agreed that the applicant’s rights had been affected and consequently vacated the earlier judgement.

“The court has ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the judgment of 10 December 2025, and directed the claimants to join all necessary parties to ensure the issues in dispute are effectually and completely determined,” he said.

He explained that the implication of the ruling is that every action taken by INEC in compliance with the now-vacated judgment stands reversed.

“The recognition of the NDC, the issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC’s records, and any appearance on ballot papers arising from that judgement must be withdrawn pending the final determination of the substantive suit,” Mr Ekeocha stated.

He, however, clarified that the substantive case remains before the court and has not been decided.

“The matter has not been concluded. The court merely set aside its previous judgment and directed that the party whose interests were affected be joined so that all sides can be heard before a fresh decision is reached.”

Mr Ekeocha also dismissed suggestions that the court merely ordered parties to maintain the status quo, insisting that the ruling specifically directed a restoration of the position that existed before the 10 December 2025 judgement.

The ruling effectively returns the dispute over the registration of the NDC to the Federal High Court for a fresh hearing, with all relevant parties expected to participate before a new determination is made.

It would also be recalled that a few weeks earlier, the Federal High Court in Abuja, had ordered the deregistration of five political parties including the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The others are Action People’s Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Accord Party.

However, on June 16, the Court of Appeal in Abuja halted the enforcement of the judgement, ruling that it violated its earlier ruling staying proceedings before the Federal High Court.

While INEC awaits the release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment to deregister the NDC, the NDC has reacted, rejecting the judgment as travesty of justice.

Lending credence to the notion that the President Tinubu-led administration is basically targeting the establishment of the ADC as a party, and the candidature of its presidential flagbearer, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who is also the presidential candidate of the ADC, has stated categorically that there are plots to prevent the party from participating in the 2027 general election.

Atiku’s position is stated in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu on Monday, notifying the public that he had received credible information suggesting that political and legal manoeuvres were being deployed against the ADC, stressing that the persecution that has been thrown towards the NDC was a clear distraction as the main target is the ADC.

Atiku alleged that anti-democratic elements within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were working to ensure that the ADC is excluded from the ballot.

“We are fully aware of their plots. While they seek to sow confusion within the opposition, we know their real target is the ADC because it represents the most credible alternative,” he said.

Atiku called on Nigerians to reject any attempt to determine which opposition parties participate in the election.

“We therefore call on all Nigerians — not just ADC members and supporters — to rise in defense of democracy and reject any attempt by the ruling party to cherry-pick which opposition parties are permitted to participate in the next general election,” he said.

“Our message to the APC and the hooded men plotting in dark chambers is simple: you may conspire, but you will not succeed.

“If the APC is truly confident in its popularity, why is it so terrified of the ADC?”

He said he hoped the information available to him would not materialise but argued that recent political developments made such concerns difficult to dismiss.

“The pattern has become all too familiar. First, institutions that ought to be neutral are drawn into partisan contests,” he said.

“Then, frivolous litigations suddenly gain unusual momentum. Administrative powers are selectively deployed.

“Political pressure is mounted behind closed doors. Before long, democracy itself becomes the casualty.”

Atiku alleged that the ruling party has focused more on weakening the opposition than addressing the country’s economic and security challenges.

“The obsession with silencing the opposition has become so consuming that governance itself has taken a back seat,” he said.

“At a time when Nigerians are battling hunger, inflation, unemployment, insecurity, and collapsing purchasing power, those entrusted with public office appear preoccupied with political survival rather than national survival.”

Nigerians recall that ever since the official rejuvenation of the ADC in June/July of 2025, where the duo of Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola emerged as the party’s chairman and secretary respectively, the party has not known moments of peaceful coexistence as litigations from corners unknown have sprang up in a bid to destabilize the party and deprive it of the opportunity of featuring on the ballot paper come 2027.

ADC, as a child of circumstance emerged from the rumbles of the litigation-ridden former main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where two factions have consistently remelained at loggerheads over leadership. While the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who is working assiduously to ensure the reelection of Bola Tinubu, leads one faction, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who became a defacto head, leads the other faction. In all, PDP appeared to have no direction, forcing many of its members to jump ship, thereby birthing the ADC, and to a large extent, the NDC, which is presenting Peter Obi as the presidential candidate, with former Kano governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as his running mate.

Sources also informed The Boss that the hasty reading and passage of the Electoral Act 2026 by the Godswill Akpabio-led National Assembly, with many great areas left unattended to, were also part of the grand design to deprive the ADC the constitutional rights of presenting candidates for the 2027 elections.

But both the ADC and the NDC has vowed that they would follow every process to ensure that the crackdown on opposition parties by the Tinubu administration comes to an abrupt end.

But beyond the intrigues, Nigerians are gearing up to participate fully in the forthcoming election with cross sections of the population either hailing Tinubu for his policies or knocking him for the untold hardship in the land.

Headline

South Africa Nothing Without Africa – MTN Boss, Mcebisi Jonas

Published

3 days ago

June 27, 2026

Eric

The MTN Group Chairman, Mcebisi Jonas, has condemned the ongoing anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa, describing it as a symptom of State failure being cynically exploited by politicians with no interest in genuine solutions.

The speech is seen as one of the most substantive interventions by a senior business figure into xenophobic crisis currently plaguing South Africa.

Delivered during the funeral service of Zimbabwean-born activist and public servant, Thokozani Damasane, Jonas’ words have sparked a wave of discussion across South African civil society.

“I was thinking, what is home to Damasane?” he said. “Because I understand, and I understood very early in life, that home is where humanity is. Home is about humanness. It is about the good of humanity and striving for the good of humanity.”

Thokozani Damasane was born and educated in Zimbabwe before relocating to South Africa during the post-apartheid transition period. Jonas described him as arriving “as an outcast” into a country still finding its post-liberation footing – and choosing, nonetheless, to commit himself entirely to its struggles and its people.

“He immersed himself deeply into the struggles, into the pains of South Africans, and he became one of us,” Jonas said.

“In Damasane’s strength, our strength as South Africa and South Africans is reflected. And in his weaknesses, our own weaknesses are reflected.”

Speaking further, Jonas blamed the state for the failure being witnessed, emphasising that if foreigners leave South Africa today, the country’s problems will still persist.

“Foreigners can leave tomorrow – inequality will be with us,” he told the congregation.

“Foreigners will leave tomorrow – unemployment will be with us. Foreigners will leave tomorrow – our police will remain corrupt. Foreigners will leave tomorrow – our politicians will still be concerned with one thing: being elected and re-elected.

“The problem is the failure of the state. The State doesn’t manage immigration. It doesn’t manage its borders. It doesn’t enforce
law enforcement. It doesn’t manage education. What are you expecting?”

Jonas argued that this failure created fertile ground for political manipulation. “When people feel the burn, they become vulnerable to politicians whose sole purpose is to be elected and re-elected. Some of them have no credibility whatsoever. But they lead marches and tell our people that the problem is not us – it is foreigners.”

Jonas recounted a conversation he had witnessed between Damasane and a young man who had challenged the right of foreigners to be in South Africa. Damasane’s response, Jonas said, had stayed with him ever since.

“Damasane said to this guy: Just wait fifteen or twenty years. You will also want to leave your country.”

Jonas told mourners those words now carry a weight Damasane may not have anticipated. “As I stand up today, I look at South Africa. The level of oppression and inequality, the level of exclusion of our people, the level of corruption, the betrayal of the dream of liberation – those words of Damasane ring very loud in my ears.”

South Africa is nothing without Africa

Jonas closed with a call for what he described as a return to “national consciousness” – one rooted in continental solidarity and economic interdependence rather than ethnic exclusion.

“We are a nation embedded in Africa,” he said. “And without Africa, our growth as a country – economically – our fortune is intertwined with the growth of Africa. South Africa is nothing without Africa. And Africa is nothing without South Africa.”

He also reframed the question of legacy and identity for Damasane’s children, who were present. “Sometimes this thing called meritocracy is measured in wealth. No. It is values, it is principles, it is integrity. And your father had all of that.”

“We cannot judge people by their origin,” he told mourners. “We cannot determine the legal status of people by their origin.”

Headline

NDC Rejects Court Ruling on Party’s Registration, Heads to Appeal Court

Published

3 days ago

June 27, 2026

Eric

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), on Friday, vowed to challenge the judgment nullifying its registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that it would exercise its constitutional right of appeal.

Reacting to the ruling on Thursday, the party’s spokesman, Osa Director, said the NDC was still awaiting the certified copy of the judgment before making a comprehensive statement on the court’s decision.

He, however, confirmed that the party had resolved to head to the appellate court.

“We are still waiting to obtain a copy of the judgment. After reading the comprehensive judgment, we will make a detailed statement,” he said.

The spokesman added: “For now, what is certain is that we will exercise our right of appeal.”

Insisting that the party would challenge the ruling, he said: “It is our constitutional right to appeal, and we intend to exercise that right.”

When asked specifically whether the NDC would appeal the judgment voiding its registration, the spokesman replied: “Yes, the party will appeal the case.”

The party’s reaction came shortly after a Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, in a judgement that nullified its registration by INEC, a development that could have significant implications for the NDC’s participation in the country’s political process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The NDC, however, maintained that it would refrain from making further comments on the substance of the judgment until it had studied the full text of the court’s decision.

The party’s planned appeal is expected to set the stage for a fresh legal battle over its status and continued existence as a registered political party.