Politics
Crisis Rocks Edo APC over commissioner-nominees

Members of the Esan West Local Government chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, are divided over the list of commissioner-nominees.
DAILY POST reports that in a protest letter dated November 21, 2024, addressed to the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo through the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Musa Umar Ikhilor, the petitioners opined that the list submitted to the governor do not reflect the five kingdoms that make up the local government.
The petition titled, “Re: Nomination of five names from Esan West Local Government” was written by the party’s leaders from the ten wards in the locality.
They listed the five kingdoms as Ekpoma, Idoa, Ogwa, Ujogba, and Egoro.
They alleged that the nomination was done by Mr. Thomas Okosun, the former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and one-time State chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and Mr. David Imuse, the former state chairman of APC.
The petitioners also alleged that the nomination was done without consulting the leadership of the party in the local government as done in other Local Government Areas in the state.
The signatories to the petition are Chief Edwin Ogieriakhi, Chief Saturday Ogbeide, Hon. Abu Momodu, Mr. Visly Udaze, Chief Festus Ozoba, Mr. Wesley Oran, Mr. Sam Akhigbe, Chief Ikpea Ojie, Joe Aise Aisdion and Hon. Monday Ehighawa.
They also alleged that two of the nominees included a female, simply identified as Mrs Ogbidi, a wife to chairman of the party, while the other nominee, Pastor Odigie is a pastor in Thomas Okosun’s Church.
While noting that the selection of the nominees does not reflect the spread in the Local Government, they opined that it was contrary to the usual practice when one person was being nominated from each of the kingdoms.
According to the petitioners, “we the concerned leaders of Esan West Local Government wish to register our protest against the list of commissioner nominees from Esan West Local Government.
“Firstly, the nomination was done by Mr. Thomas Okosun and Mr. Imuse without consulting the leadership of the Local Government as it was done in other Local Governments.
“Secondly, the list is made up of his relations and friends. For example, the female in the list is Mrs. Ogbidi the party chairman’s wife and Mr. Governor’s greatest critic, while Pastor Odigie is Thomas Okosun’s church pastor.
“Also, the selection did not reflect the spread in the Local Government as Esan West is made up of 5 kingdoms namely, Ekpoma, Idoa, Ogwa, Ujogba, and Egoro.
“Our usual practice is to select one nominee from each of the kingdoms but in this case, all the nominees are from Ekpoma kingdom.”
The party leaders, who posited that the list was capable of bringing division within the party in the locality, called on Governor Okpebholo to set aside the list for the sake of justice.
Politics
Lagos Assembly Crisis: ‘No plan to defect to Labour Party’ — Lawmakers

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have denied allegations of defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Labour Party.
In a statement signed by Mr. Stephen Ogundipe, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security, the Assembly members refuted rumors circulating online, claiming that 25 members were planning to leave APC for an unnamed political party. A similar claim surfaced recently, suggesting that 27 members were considering joining the Labour Party due to leadership disputes within the Assembly.
Ogundipe stated that these claims had been unequivocally refuted, with members expressing their unwavering commitment to APC and their confidence in resolving internal issues through established party mechanisms.
“To avoid any confusion, no APC member of the Lagos State House of Assembly is considering defection. As true progressives, we acknowledge that challenges may arise, but we remain committed to addressing them through democratic and lawful processes,” he said.
He added that the party leadership is fully engaged, and any outstanding issues would be resolved amicably. Ogundipe urged the public to disregard the baseless reports designed to mislead and create unnecessary tension.
“We reaffirm our loyalty to the leader of our party and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Ogundipe concluded, emphasizing that the Lagos State House of Assembly would continue focusing on its legislative duties, enacting laws that promote the development of Lagos State.
Finally, he advised those spreading falsehoods to desist, reaffirming the Assembly’s dedication to its legislative mandate.
Politics
Atiku Abubakar Denies Plans to Leave PDP for New Political Party

The media office of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed reports suggesting that he is preparing to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for another political platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement released in Abuja on Saturday, Atiku’s camp described the rumors as baseless and misleading.
“We have observed that some news platforms are peddling unverified information that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is abandoning the Peoples Democratic Party,” the statement read.
The former vice president’s media team clarified that Atiku remains committed to the PDP and is actively working on forming a broad coalition to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
“Atiku is advocating a robust coalition that would accommodate all opposition parties – the PDP inclusive,” the statement added. “It is fallacious and unfounded to allege that the Waziri is jumping the PDP ship.”
The statement further emphasized that Atiku’s focus remains on uniting opposition forces to “rescue Nigeria from the grip of the APC.”
Atiku, who was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has been vocal about the need for a strong opposition alliance to counter what he describes as the failures of the current administration.
The media office urged Nigerians to disregard speculations about Atiku’s defection, reaffirming that he remains a committed member of the PDP.
Politics
Anambra guber: Concerns over PDP aspirants’ inability to pick forms

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially adopted the indirect primary method for selecting its candidate for the November 8, 2025, Anambra governorship election. This decision was announced by the party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Bashiru, after a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
Bashiru stated that the decision aligns with the position of the Anambra State chapter of the APC. He also confirmed that the Abdullahi Ganduje-led NWC will meet with aspirants and stakeholders next Tuesday to finalize the modalities for the primary. Dismissing speculations that the party had already endorsed a preferred candidate, Bashiru emphasized that all seven aspirants remain in contention.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing concerns over its inability to attract aspirants for the Anambra governorship race. With the deadline for the sale of nomination forms fast approaching, no candidate has yet purchased the party’s N40 million expression of interest and nomination forms.
The PDP had recently expressed confidence in reclaiming Anambra, following a peaceful zonal congress in Enugu, where party leaders unanimously re-elected the Ali Odefa-led executive. However, reports indicate that high costs and internal crises within the party are discouraging aspirants.
With uncertainty surrounding the PDP, aspirants are now turning to alternative platforms such as the APC, Labour Party (LP), and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for their governorship ambitions.
As the election race intensifies, political observers will be watching to see how the PDP resolves its internal challenges and whether the APC’s chosen primary process will unify or divide its ranks.
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