Politics

APC Crisis: Pro-Oshiomhole Govs Declare War Against Fayemi, Others

Published

6 years ago

March 9, 2020

The travail of the embattled National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has split the APC Progressive Governors Forum (PGF).
A reliable source close to the pro-Oshiomhole governors’ camp told The Tide source that as a result of the crack, about 13 APC governors have declared support for the former Edo governor.
The source said the pro-Oshiomhole governors have declared war on Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), vowing to remove them both as helmsman of Nigeria’s Governors Forum and chairman of Progressive Governors Forum, respectively.
Oshiomhole has consistently maintained that some governors and a minister were behind his ordeal.
According to our source, “after all these days, the other faction of the NWC have been parading a letter they claimed was approved by Mr President to convene NEC meeting, all the Progressive Governors loyal to Oshiomhole have gone to meet Mr President who denied authorising such letter.
“The President assured them that he is fully with Oshiomhole and not part of any plot to remove him. He also told them that he believes in him.
“Some of the governors that were previously anti-Oshiomhole decamped because they initially thought the governor of Kebbi, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, meant well in his schemes. They realised that the plot against Oshiomhole is not good for the party and an unnecessary distraction for Mr President.
“They essentially noted that these governors fighting Oshiomhole are working for their selfish personal interest against the interest of the party. They said the forces against Oshiomhole were based on flimsy excuses of the claim that he is a dictator and highhanded. Most of them realised that those against him were pursuing narrow interests.
“That was how the pro-Oshiomhole governors resolved to support him and will not be part of any antics to remove him. They have constituted themselves into a camp to battle the anti-Oshiomhole governors.
“They said having tried everything to make the other governors understand and failed largely because they think that they are more PGF than them, they are going to prove to them that they don’t have monopoly of anything.
“Let me confirm to you that 13 governors are now backing and fully in support of Oshiomhole. They are not only going to fight them but I can confirm to you that they have resolved to move against Bagudu who has been using the PGF DG to embarrass Oshiomhole. They want to show them that Mohammed Badaru and Kayode Fayemi of Jigawa and Ekiti states respectively and Bagudu are not the only governors. They have resolved to put machinery in motion to remove Bagudu as chairman of PGF and Fayemi as Governors Forum chairman. They now see them as agents of destabilisation,” the source noted.
Similarly, the embattled APC national chairman has replied his detractors that resigning his office is the last option he is considering.
Apparently replying his detractors through a source in his camp he said: “Quitting is the last thing Oshiomhole will do. On the contrary, he is more prepared to battle his detractors more aggressively now than before.”
The camp of the APC boss has failed to confirm if he would report to office on Monday after securing the court order in Kano State to vacate his suspension.
But reacting to the plot by the pro-Oshiomhole governors against Fayemi, a top politician close to the NGF chairman who did not want his name in print said the whole story was concocted.
He told our source that Fayemi is the chairman of the 36 state governors and not of the APC alone, hence, plotting against Oshiuomhole would not confer any advantages on those planning, if any.
Meanwhile, fresh crisis is looming over who replaces Oshiomhole. While the governors are backing the former governor of Cross River State, Clement Ebri, the legislators are considering former Senate leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba.
Ebri who was a governor in 1991 stepped down for Oshiomhole at the last convention while Ndoma-Egba was secretary of the convention.
However, some party members are also rooting for the acting National Secretary to be considered for the position of acting National Chairman.

Politics

2027: Bayelsa APC Adopts Tinubu As Sole Candidate … As Lokpobiri, Lyon Shun Meeting

Published

3 days ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

The Bayelsa State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress(APC) have passed a ‘Vote of Confidence’ on President Bola Tinubu and also adopted him as sole candidate of the party for the 2027 presidential polls.

Speaking in Yenagoa, the state capital, during the ’12th Expanded Stakeholders’ meeting of the party, the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, stressed the importance of the state’s chapter of the party to its national leadership.

Represented by the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Emma Eneukwu, the National Chairman urged all stakeholders to unite to secure victory for the party, come 2027 general elections, adding that the party will give the state chapter the necessary support it requires to win in all future polls.

He appealed to aggrieved leaders of the party in the state to jettison their differences and tow the path of peace, describing the reconciliatory move as commendable while promising that the party’s national leadership will do all within its powers to ensure its success.

“President Tinubu is a pragmatic leader, and a progressive determined to transform Nigeria for the betterment of all. The developmental strides recorded by the president is attracting governors and National Assembly members from the opposition into the APC.

“We’ll ensure that the interest of the

party is managed. Bayelsa is important to our party, and we must do whatever we have to do, for the victory of the party in the state. We have a very good candidate in the president and that is why the South- South governors are taking the lead to join our party in support of the president for his reelection”, he said.

“Mr. President is on the move to take Nigerians to the promised land, and the only way to achieve this is in unity. The leadership of the party in the state need to show more tolerance and carry everyone along. Other state governors in other regions that are not in our party will soon join us, so that if the president is returned, everything will go smoothly.

“I want the former governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, to personally lead the reconciliation so we can achieve the unity we desire. Forget all differences and bring everyone together”, he added.

Also speaking, the leader of the state chapter of the party and former Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, noted that the national secretariat of the party had not treated the state fairly, noting that if the national leadership of the APC had given the state the support it needed, the party would have achieved more.

Chief Sylva called on absentee leaders of the party at the meeting, particularly Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and former Governor-elect of the State, Chief David Lyon, to close ranks and work with other leaders to move the party forward.

“I wonder why the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and former Governor-elect, Chief David Lyon are not here. We’re all Bayelsans, we’re all Ijaw people, they should come and let’s work together for the greater interest of the party. We did well in 2023, but not what we expected.

“2027 is already a done deal, if we have the support of the national leaders of the party. Today we’re more ready than ever before.The only thing we lack is support from the party at the national level. With your support we’ll be the strongest, and nobody will be able to stand us in elections”, Chief Sylva said.

In his remarks, the Managing Director /Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Samuel Ogbuku, noted that most people thought the party was no more in existence, but that the NWC could see that the party is alive and kicking.

“Reconciliation is on and those in charge are doing well. The party has members in the state who were ‘victory-hungry”, he said.

Earlier, State Chairman of the party, Dr Dennis Otiotio, said the meeting was to critically appraise the performance of the president and also adopt him as the sole candidate of the party for the 2027 presidential election.

By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Politics

Alleged Smear Campaign Against Yakubu, CSOs Demand Apology From Uzodimma

Published

3 days ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

The Transparency and Accountability Rights Initiative, a coalition of Nigerian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), has issued a strong condemnation of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, accusing him of orchestrating a malicious smear campaign against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, and development advocate Dr. Chima Amadi.

During a press conference held in Owerri, the coalition called the campaign a “dangerous and shameful display” designed to distract the public from the governor’s performance in office.

The CSOs directly linked the Greater Imo Initiative (GII) —the group that made the allegations on September 4, 2025—to Governor Uzodimma, describing the group as his “mouthpiece and attack dog.”

“Every word spoken against INEC was spoken on his behalf.

“By falsely alleging that Professor Yakubu has an alliance with Dr. Amadi to compromise the 2027 elections, Uzodimma has not only maligned a man of proven integrity but also assaulted the very foundation of our democracy”, said Dr Agbo Frederick, speaking for the coalition.

The coalition described Professor Yakubu as a “beacon of electoral professionalism” and called the attempt to soil his reputation “defamatory and a national security risk.”

They also defended Dr. Amadi, a “respected development scholar,” stating that the governor’s accusations were “laughable, desperate, and dangerous.”

The CSOs see the motive behind the campaign as an attempt to “silence the dissent, intimidate the opposition, and divert attention from the governor’s abysmal record in office.”

The coalition issued four key demands to Governor Uzodimma: An immediate retraction of the false and defamatory allegations against Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Dr. Chima Amadi.

A public apology to both men within seven days, to be published in at least three national newspapers and broadcast on major television networks.
An end to diversionary tactics and proxy propaganda.
A renewed focus on governance, including addressing insecurity, unemployment, and poverty in Imo State.

The CSOs warned that failure to comply would force them to “review our position with a view to seeking legal redress from Governor Uzodimma for defamation, false accusation, and reckless endangerment of lives.”

“Governor Uzodimma must be reminded that he did not find himself in the seat of power to chase shadows.

“We call on all Nigerians to reject Uzodimma’s diversionary antics as they are nothing short of desperate plots by a government terrified of accountability”, the statement concluded.

Politics

Stopping Natasha’s Resumption Threatens Nigeria’s Democracy – ADC

Published

3 days ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for the immediate reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, warning that continued obstruction of her return after a six-month suspension poses a threat to Nigeria’s democracy and undermines women’s participation in politics.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC expressed concern that preventing the senator from resuming her legislative duties violates democratic principles and disenfranchises her constituents.

“The suspension, having been imposed by the Senate and not a court of law, has lapsed. Any further attempt to prevent her from resuming is therefore both illegal and morally indefensible,” Mallam Abdullahi said.

The party noted that denying Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan access to the chamber silences the voice of the people who elected her, adding that the withdrawal of her salary, aides, and office access during the suspension amounted to excessive punishment.

The ADC also criticised the Clerk of the National Assembly for declining to process her resumption on grounds that the matter was before the courts, arguing that the Clerk’s role was administrative, not judicial.

“Administrative caution must not translate into complicity. When the administrative machinery becomes hostage to political interests, the institution itself is diminished,” the party stated.

Highlighting that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan is one of only four women in the 109-member Senate, the ADC warned that the handling of the case sends a discouraging signal about gender inclusion in Nigerian politics.

“Any action that resembles gender intimidation of the few women in the Senate would only discourage women’s participation. Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while excluding half of its population from key decision-making spaces,” Mallam Abdullahi added.

The ADC insisted that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan be allowed to resume her seat immediately, stressing that the matter was about more than one individual.

“What is at stake here is not just one Senate seat, but the integrity of our democracy itself,” the party said.