Politics
Atiku’s Travels Abroad Worry PDP Leaders, Stakeholders
More than three weeks after travelling out of Nigeria to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Presidential Candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has travelled to the United Kingdom (UK).
With crisis in the PDP, most stakeholders in the party are said to be worried that Atiku, who they believed should be at the forefront of meetings with aggrieved leaders of the party like the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom and others, has been out of the country since June.
Some are said to have started making reference to how the former Vice President left Nigeria for Dubai immediately after the 2019 general elections.
It would be recalled that Atiku, jetted out of the country in April 2021 and remained in the UAE and spent over seven months before returning to the country.
Sources disclosed to The Tide source that the former Vice President, who has been in Dubai for more than three weeks, has moved to UK for his Master’s Degree convocation.
The PDP presidential candidate had in November 2021, passed his Masters in International Relations degree programme at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) will hold its graduation ceremonies in Chelmsford, Cambridge and Peterborough from Monday, 11 July until Friday, 29 July.
Some leaders of the PDP who preferred anonymity told our source that it will be unexplainable if Atiku does not return to Nigeria early this week for the Osun State governorship election.
“He was not in Ekiti, won’t he be in Osun too? How are we going to explain his absence? Or is it that he does not understand the importance of the Ekiti and Osun elections? May be he is feeling that after winning the primary, he has automatically won the main election,” a PDP leader who is from Plateau State lamented.
A lot of concerned party faithful are also said to be wondering how Atiku will be away in a time like this, which is the last Sallah celebration before the 2023 general elections.
A former member of the party’s National Working Committee said he was getting worried that even “during Sallah celebration, our presidential candidate, a Muslim, is not here to celebrate with our people. This is not too good because there is no other Eid-el-Kabir festival before the election in February, next year.
The former NWC member himself and many of his colleagues are worried because “if this level of disenchantment by the former Vice President is allowed to grow beyond this level, it will be difficult to handle.”
He lamented that the attitude and language of people around Atiku are not at all complimentary, adding that they appeared to be acting like they have won election already.
“Well meaning stakeholders of the party should wade in now so that we won’t have a repeat of 2015 and 2019,” he concluded.
Politics
Alleged Coup: Protests Rock N’Assembly As Detained Officers’ Children, Wives Demand Justice
Scores of children and wives of military officers detained over an alleged coup plot yesterday staged a peaceful protest at the National Assembly, demanding a speedy trial and the release of the accused officials.
The protesters who gathered at the entrance of the National Assembly complex, moved in a slow procession while clutching placards with inscriptions such as “Don’t Kill Our Daddies,” “Detention Without Trial is Injustice,” and “Six Months of Torture: Enough Is Enough.”
Amid tears and trembling voices, the children appealed for justice and access to their detained fathers, many of whom they said they had not seen for months.
The appeal was made during a press briefing in Abuja attended by no fewer than 20 wives and several children of the detained officers, including a two-month-old baby.
The families were accompanied by human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju and activist Omoyele Sowore.
At the briefing, the families lamented that the officers had been held for over 160 days without trial or contact with their relatives, describing the situation as a violation of their fundamental rights.
Speaking on behalf of the families, Memuna Bashiru said the prolonged detention had thrown their households into uncertainty and emotional distress, noting that while allegations had been widely publicised, families remained in the dark about the fate of their loved ones.
The arrest of the indicted officers was first announced on October 4, 2025, by the then Director of Defense Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, who disclosed that 16 officers were taken into custody for alleged breaches of military regulations and acts of indiscipline.
However, an interim investigation later suggested the existence of a clandestine network of officers, allegedly coordinated by a senior Army officer, which had begun preliminary planning for a coup.
According to the report, the alleged plot involved surveillance of key national assets, including the Presidential Villa, Armed Forces Complex, Niger Barracks in Abuja, and major international airports, with October 25, 2025, cited as the planned date for the operation.
Those reportedly in custody include Brig Gen M. A. Sadiq, Col M. A. Maaji, Lt Col S. Bappah, Lt Col A. A. Hayatu, Lt Col P. Dangnap, Lt Col M. Almakura, Maj A. J. Ibrahim, Maj M. M. Jiddah, Maj M. A. Usman, Maj D. Yusuf, Capt I. Bello, Capt A. A. Yusuf, Lt S. S. Felix, Lt Cdr D. B. Abdullahi, Sqn Ldr S. B. Adamu and Maj I. Dauda.
The alleged plot, according to findings, targeted senior government officials, including President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
In a statement issued yesterday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, said the exercise would take place in all wards and designated centres nationwide.
He called on existing members to update their records, while encouraging new entrants to join the party through the digital platform.
“As the electronic membership registration exercise resumes in all wards and designated locations nationwide, we urge existing members to validate their membership while new members are encouraged to register and join the progressive family,” Mr Morka said.
According to him, eligibility for registration is limited to individuals aged 18 and above who possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN).
The party said the initiative is part of efforts to modernise its operations by transitioning to a digital database that would enhance record accuracy and accessibility.
Mr Morka noted that the e-registration would “digitise the party’s membership register, ensure the integrity of records, and enhance efficient access to membership data for planning and management decisions.”
He added that the move is also aimed at promoting internal democracy within the party and strengthening its commitment to democratic innovation.
The APC had previously introduced electronic registration as part of broader reforms to streamline its membership system and improve organisational efficiency.
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