Politics
Sulaiman Bichi Insists On Chairmanship Of Kano PDP
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State, Rabiu Sulaiman Bichi has swiftly responded to an announcement of dissolution of the 27-member state caretaker committee of the party by the party chairmen from the 44 local government areas of the state led by Mahammina Bako Lamido saying, he is still the state chairman of the party.
On Wednesday, Muhammina in a press conference announced the dissolution of the caretaker committee of the party in the state, saying they relied on section 24(2)(3) of the party’s constitution 2017 which mandated them to resolve political, social and economic issues of concern to the state.
The Chairman of the state caretaker committee of the party told our source in an interview that they have been to court four times on the same matter during which he was upheld as the legitimate leader of the party.
He added that the constitutional clause they are quoting has been interpreted by the court and the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party allowing him to remain as chairman until a congress is held in the state. “They have taken us to court three times and in all the cases we emerged winners. The last one was in Abuja where they took us to Federal High Court where the judgment delivered on the 30th of October 2019 said we are the legitimate leaders of the party in Kano with my humble self Rabiu Sulaiman Bichi as chairman.
“We didn’t appoint ourselves, we were appointed according to the constitutional provision of the PDP by the National Working Committee. Also, for the three times they have been to court in Kano, the court upheld the position of the NWC.
“The Abuja High Court says that we should continue to stair the affairs of the party up to the time when the congress of the party will be held from the 13th of April to the 5th of May this year. We shall continue as the executives of the party up to the time of the congress,” he stated.
He further stated that most of those assembling to remove them have since left the party to other parties and are probably sponsored to destabilise the party ahead of the bye-elections coming up in a few months’ time.
“I wonder why this issue is taking this dimension. They know the provision of the constitution, they know what has happened, they know they have been to court four times and lost the cases to us in all. I am surprised that suddenly when bye-elections are coming up they come up with these issues.
“We wonder why they don’t want to support the PDP to win the elections. Are they paid? Because some of them have moved to other parties and I don’t know their current positions. So, we are surprised that they continue to act in this manner” he explained.
He finally declared “Thus is an already done deal, the courts have decided in our favor, the NWC has decided in our favor. So, what they have done is an effort in futility. It will not have any effect and will not change anything. We shall continue as leaders of the party up to the time when Congress will be held to elect the new leaders.”
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
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