Politics

Bring Your Children To Frontline, NYCN Tells Omo-Agege Over Alleged ‘Rig And Die’ Threat

Published

55 minutes ago

October 26, 2026

The Chairman of the Delta State Council of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Amb. Sagboje Odiri Milton, has challenged former Deputy President of the Senate and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Delta Central senatorial candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to bring his own children to the frontline if he believes young people should be killed over the 2027 general elections.

Amb. Milton issued the challenge while condemning a viral video in which Sen. Omo-Agege threatened violence against anyone who rigs the 2027 elections and expressed a preference for street confrontation over seeking judicial redress.

In a statement on Saturday, the NYCN state chairman warned that no political ambition justifies threats to human life, insisting that young Deltans must not be turned into instruments of electoral violence while political leaders remain removed from its consequences.

“Senator Ovie Omo-Agege must stop preaching bloodshed with other people’s children on the firing line. If he believes violence is the price young people must pay for his 2027 Senatorial ambition, let him bring his own children to the frontline.

“You cannot gamble with the lives of Delta State youths while shielding your own family from the dangers you expect others to face. Our youth are not sacrificial lambs for your political ambition, and no senatorial seat is worth the blood of a single young Deltan,” Amb. Milton declared.

He described the remarks as troubling ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that inflammatory political statements could heighten tensions, intimidate voters and expose young people to injury, death and criminal prosecution.

According to him, youths from ordinary families must not be recruited as political foot soldiers, mobilised for confrontations and abandoned when the struggle for power is over.

“Why should the children of market women, farmers, civil servants, artisans and struggling families be expected to kill, die or go to prison for Sen. Omo-Agege’s political ambition? Our youths are citizens with futures to protect, not expendable tools for political warfare,” he said.

The Deputy National Secretary of the Forum of NYCN State Chairmen stressed that the Council does not condone electoral malpractice, insisting that vote rigging, voter intimidation and other electoral offences must be investigated and prosecuted under the law.

“Electoral malpractice is a crime to be investigated and prosecuted. It is not a licence to kill. Senator Ovie Omo-Agege is not a court of law, and an election is not a battlefield. Therefore, he does not have the authority to determine who should live or die over an electoral dispute,” he stated.

He added that democratic principles cannot be upheld selectively, arguing that political grievances must be addressed through lawful procedures rather than threats or street violence.

“You cannot demand respect for due process when it favours you and encourage confrontation when it does not. The rule of law cannot be optional, and human life must never become the price of political disagreement,” Amb. Milton added.

The NYCN chairman called on the security and electoral authorities to examine the full video and take adequate necessary regulatory action. He also urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to conduct their campaigns peacefully and respect the safety and rights of citizens.

Addressing the youths, particularly those in Delta Central Senatorial District, Amb. Milton warned them against allowing themselves to be recruited into political thuggery, intimidation or unlawful confrontations.

“Do not kill for Sen. Omo-Agege. Do not die for him. Do not surrender your freedom, future or conscience to his personal ambition because when the political contest is over, he will move to do his daddy’s duties to his children overseas, but the young person who loses his life will never return, and the one who goes to prison may lose years of opportunity,” he cautioned.

He urged young people to participate in the democratic process through peaceful mobilisation, voter education and lawful election monitoring, while holding candidates accountable for their promises and public statements.

While reaffirming the Council’s commitment to protecting young people’s rights and interests, he insisted that the 2027 elections must be defined by credible participation, respect for the law and the free will of voters, not threats or violence.

“Sen. Omo-Agege may seek our votes, but he cannot demand our blood. Delta Central is not a battlefield, our youths are not his political ammunition, and no political ambition gives him the right to gamble with our lives because our future is not a sacrifice for his ambition. We will defend democracy, reject electoral violence and insist that every young Deltan has the right to participate in the electoral process without fear of becoming a casualty of political competition,” he declared.

Politics

Tinubu Flags Off 2027 Re-election Campaign In Kaduna

Published

50 minutes ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, launched the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign in Kaduna State, beginning the ruling party’s mobilisation for the 2027 general elections.

The campaign rally, held at the Kaduna Township Stadium, attracted Vice-President Kashim Shettima, APC governors, party leaders, federal and state lawmakers, political stakeholders and supporters from across the country.

The flag-off marks the beginning of the APC’s drive to secure a second presidential term for President Tinubu, with the party expected to promote its achievements, defend its economic reforms and outline its policy priorities under the proposed Renewed Hope 2.0 agenda.

Kaduna’s selection for the campaign launch underscores the strategic importance of the North-West, a region with a substantial voting population and considerable influence on presidential election outcomes.

The APC faces a significant challenge in Kaduna, where the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, defeated President Tinubu in the 2023 election. The rally therefore provides the ruling party an opportunity to strengthen its grassroots structures and regain electoral support in the state.

Addressing supporters, Vice-President Shettima appealed to Northern voters, highlighting President Tinubu’s political relationships with prominent Northern leaders, including Alhaji Abubakar, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Vice-President’s appeal reflects the APC’s determination to consolidate its support in the North as the party intensifies preparations for the presidential contest.

The Renewed Hope 2.0 agenda is expected to feature prominently in the campaign, providing a platform for President Tinubu to explain his administration’s economic policies and outline plans for another term.

However, the President’s record on economic reforms, rising living costs, petrol prices, employment, infrastructure and insecurity is expected to attract considerable scrutiny during the electioneering period.

Politics

LP ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE WELCOMES POLITICAL RECONCILIATION IN KELGA

Published

52 minutes ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The Labour Party (LP) standard-bearer for Ikwerre State Constituency in Rivers State, Hon. Stasi Amadi, has described the ongoing political reconciliation in Ikwerre Local Government Area as a welcome development capable of promoting unity, understanding and peaceful coexistence among political stakeholders.

Hon. Amadi stated this while speaking with newsmen in the area at the weekend, noting that genuine reconciliation remained necessary for strengthening relationships among political leaders and creating an atmosphere conducive for democratic participation.

She said the reconciliation initiative was borne out of goodwill and should not be interpreted as a setback for the Labour Party’s determination to win the Ikwerre State Constituency seat and bring positive changes to the people of the area.

According to her, the party remained committed to its political aspirations and would continue to mobilise support among the electorate through constructive engagement, people-oriented programmes and a determination to provide effective representation.

Hon. Amadi observed that the Rainbow Coalition was a broad political platform capable of accommodating different interests and tendencies, expressing optimism that the arrangement could provide opportunities for participating political parties to secure elective positions.

The LP candidate said the coming together of political brethren should be celebrated rather than criticised, adding that reconciliation would be more beneficial if it encouraged mutual respect, cooperation and a shared commitment to the development of Ikwerre Local Government Area.

She maintained that the leadership of the Rainbow Coalition was focused on achieving positive changes for the people, stressing that the LP would not abandon its political principles or aspirations because of the ongoing reconciliation process.

According to her, political unity should not prevent individual parties from pursuing their legitimate electoral ambitions, but should, instead, encourage healthy competition, issue-based campaigns and a collective commitment to the welfare of the electorate.

Hon. Amadi said the people of Ikwerre deserved a political environment where leaders prioritised development, improved living conditions, employment opportunities and effective representation rather than allowing political differences to undermine the common interest.

She also called on the police and other relevant security agencies to deploy adequate tactical intelligence before, during and after the 2027 general elections to prevent security breaches and ensure that the electoral process was peaceful and credible.

The LP standard-bearer urged security agencies to remain professional, impartial and vigilant in the discharge of their responsibilities, particularly in identifying potential threats, preventing political violence and protecting voters, electoral officials and other stakeholders.

Hon. Amadi expressed hope that the reconciliation among political stakeholders would strengthen democratic participation in Ikwerre Local Government Area, while assuring the electorate that the LP remained determined to contest the forthcoming election and pursue a positive political future for the people.

By: King Onunwor

Politics

2027: DICKSON’S EX-ALLY VOWS TO WORK AGAINST NDC INTEREST IN BAYELSA

Published

52 minutes ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

A former ally of Senator Seriake Dickson, the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Godpower Keku, has vowed to work against the interest of his erstwhile political leader and kinsman in the 2027 general elections.

Hon. Keku also faulted the duo of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), over their consistent presidential ambitions.

Hon. Keku, who is the Commissioner for Culture in Bayelsa State, served as Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State during Senator Dickson’s tenure as governor of the state.

The Tide further gathered that Hon. Keku hails from the same State Constituency, local government area, and Senatorial District as Senator Dickson.

He described Mr Obi as a destroyer of political parties and alleged that the NDC’s presidential candidate does not build parties, but instigates problems and backs out of them when internal wranglings become aggravated to the detriment of any party he belongs to.

According to him, politicians should be grateful to their political parties and remain consistent to avoid being stereotyped as untrustworthy and disloyal members in order to grow politically.

He also alleged that the National Leader of the NDC once affirmed that he would not field a presidential candidate for the party in the 2027 polls, saying Senator Dickson had been reported to have said, during the initial stages of formalizing the registration of his party, that he was only interested in producing Assembly and governorship candidates prior to the entrance of Mr Obi and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso into the NDC.

The ex-PDP scribe, who described himself a “party man”, restated his loyalty to the Governor Douye Diri-led leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and vowed to deliver all candidates of the party in his constituencies.

“I wonder why Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar still want to contest this election. In fact, Obi is the easiest to win in this election. And I’m begining to suspect that it’s either he is a friend of President Tinubu or he is an enemy. One of these two things must be factual, if not why is he still contesting in the 2027 polls?

“What surprises me most in Obi’s behaviour is the way and manner he destroys political parties with his over- ambitious political interest. After destroying one party he quickly moves to another without helping to rebuild the party he helped destroy.

“My brother and friend, Senator Dickson said he wasn’t interested in fielding presidential candidate for the NDC prior to the registration of Obi and Kwankwaso as members of the NDC.

“Dickson had also said he was only going to field States, National Assembly and governorship candidates in the NDC and work with President Tinubu before the entrance of Obi and Kwankwaso into the NDC”, he said.

“For Atiku, he should remember that it’s the turn of the South to complete their eight years of two terms. Buhari, a Northerner just completed eight years of two terms before handing over to President Tinubu, a Southerner.

Speaking on the performance of the Bayelsa State governor, the Commissioner boasted about the achievements of Governor Diri’s administration, stating that the infrastructural and human capital development projects of the governor would campaign for the APC and ensure victory for the party in the forthcoming elections.

“I’m a party man, and even my brother and friend, Senator Dickson would attest to that fact. I don’t betray and don’t relent in my support for any party I belong to. The APC is my party and Dickson is an NDC member. I can’t work for him or any candidate of his party. I have my integrity and interest to protect as a party man.

“We’ll deliver all APC candidates in my political enclave, because, like I said earlier, Dickson himself knows me as a party man”, he stressed.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells