Politics
YPP Claims Four Legislative Seats In Akwa Ibom, Anambra
The Young Progressives Party (YPP) has won three House of Representatives and one state assembly seats in the rerun and bye-elections held last Saturday in Akwa Ibom and Anambra states.
The polls were marred by pockets of violence in Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State leading to the cancellation of the exercise in two units in Ikono and Ini local government areas.
The winners are Hon. Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo, who was returned for a second term by defeating the candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Glory Edet and Moses Essien (YPP), who floored PDP’s Obong Godwin Ekpo to clinch the Ibiono Ibom State constituency seat.
In Anambra State, the YPP candidate for Nnewi-North, Nnewi-South Ekwusigo Federal Constituency, Hon Peter Uzokwe defeated the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Hon Uchenna Elodimuo in the election.
Also, the YPP candidate for Orumba-North/Orumba-South Federal Constituency, Hon Chinwe Nnabuife, won the rerun election with a total of 14,496 votes to defeat her PDP opponent, Hon Okwudili Ezenwankwo who scored 13,087 votes.
In the Akwa Ibom State, Mr Nabie Jude, the collation officer for the House of Representatives rerun, said the YPP candidate polled 24,050 votes to beat his closest challenger Edet, who got 17,232 votes.
Jude, therefore, declared that, “Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo of the YPP having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”
Ukpong-Udo had moved from the PDP to the YPP to pursue his second term bid in the 2023 elections following his failure to secure the PDP ticket.
In the Anambra contest, Uzokwe polled a total of 25,518 votes to emerge winner while the APGA candidate, Elodimuo scored 25,412 votes.
With the outcome of the rerun election, Uzokwe will now replace Elodimuo who had been in the House of Representatives after the February 25, 2023 general election until the Appeal Court nullified his election and ordered a rerun election in five polling units in Nnewi-North council.
Uzokwe and his party (YPP) had filed a petition at the Election Petitions Tribunal challenging the outcome of the earlier poll wherein he complained of irregularities during the main election.
Curiously, the senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, has described the rerun elections as a clear proof that he commands a strong political support base in the state.
Ubah, who has since defected from the YPP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), claimed responsibility for the victory of the YPP candidates.
In a reaction to the outcome of the poll, Ubah said despite the power of incumbency of Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his party, APGA, the YPP candidates won the two House of Representatives seats that were contested.
He said, “The state government sent down seven commissioners and other government officials to Nnewi for that election for APGA. Their purpose was to intimidate us but we floored them.”
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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