Politics
Ohanaeze Wants Atiku To Drop Presidential Ambition
The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has told former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to drop his presidential ambition to uphold the unity of the Nigerian nation.
The Igbo group advised the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, not to give the former Vice President its 2023 presidential ticket, saying such decision would cause a total disintegration of Nigeria.
Speaking to newsmen in Owerri, Imo State capital, the National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, said the council frowned at what he described as “the undue desperation of Atiku Abubakar to pick the presidential ticket of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.”
The Igbo youth group said, “If PDP denies a South-Easterner Presidential ticket, the only thing over 50 million Igbo youths must ensure is to keep Nigeria one by massively voting APC presidential candidate from the South-East, and no PDP office/flag from ward level to state level will stand erect in the South-East. We’ll fight PDP like Yakubu Gowon did to keep Nigeria one.
According to the council, “Atiku Abubakar should go to the history line of PDP formation from G34 led by Dr Alex Ekwueme before it became a political party, to ascertain that the South-East has paid the ultimate sacrifice in PDP more than any other zone in Nigeria.”
Speaking further, the group reiterated that South-Eastern people had contributed to the formation, building, as well as sustaining PDP as the biggest party in Africa.
“Atiku Abubakar’s call to contest in PDP is a call to interrupt the unity and peace in Nigeria and such move will lead to national political disaster, anarchy and tribal crises that will sink Nigeria.
“PDP must avoid using Atiku Abubakar, Aminu Tambuwal and other selfish presidential aspirants that are not from South-East to disintegrate or cause Nigeria her national unity,” Igboayaka said.
“It’s derogatory that Atiku Abubakar boasted how he used Ben Obi and Peter Obi as running mates. Atiku Abubakar should know that if any Nigerian desires to see Nigeria as the ‘Giant of Africa’ as proposed by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik of Africa), then it’s high time he dropped his presidential ambition and support a credible and competent presidential aspirant from South-East to build the Nigeria of Zik’s vision,” he said.
“Atiku Abubakar must awaken his human consciousness and realize that among the six geo-political zone in Nigeria, South-East gave him the overwhelming highest vote, which led the present administration of President Mohammadu Buhari to nick-name South-Eastern people 5%. Therefore, it is historical that Atiku Abubakar and PDP family is owing the South-Eastern people reciprocation gratitude in the 2023 presidential election.”
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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