News

Campaigns: PDP, APC in Panic Start

Published

4 years ago

October 4, 2022

***As G5 PDP Govs Make Fresh Moves Against Atiku
*** Tinubu’s Absence/APC Campaign Council Composition Cause Ripples
By: Politics Editor
The five agrieved Governor’s of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP have been meeting periodically to review their positions in the ongoing imbroglio that has engulfed the party.

At the end of each meeting, which they have been rotating amongst themselves, they tell the press their decisions and likely moves ahead. But at the end of such meetings in Enugu on Sunday, all the five Governor’s maintained sealed lips, forcing the press to guess what may have transpired.
The Governor’s who include Samuel Orton of Benue State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Efeanyi Oguwanyi of Enugu state, Nyeson Wike of Rivers State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, were in Enugu state in furtherance of their fight against their party.
National TRAIL correspondent has been on the trails of some participants at the meeting and reports that, in what looks like last ditch efforts in having their ways or rock the boat, the five agrieved Governor’s have come up with new strategies during the Enugu meet.
Although they declined talking to the Press at the end of their closed door meeting, a member of the group gave insight into the new strategies to national TRAIL.
The member who is privy to the discussions in Enugu told our correspondent that, the Governor’s reviewed the seeming non committal stance of the PDP standard bearer, Atiku Abubakar in his separate meetings with some of them in the last two weeks;including Nyeson Wike of Rivers State and Efeanyi Oguwanyi of Enugu state.
In each of the meetings the Governor’s felt their views were misrepresented in the media, hence they agreed to avoid making unnecessary comments in the media on the subject matter, to avoid being misrepresented.
This according to him informed the sealed lips maintained by the Governor’s after their meeting in Enugu.
According to the source, the five Governor’s also agreed to use all available means to Compel the convening of another National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting at which the vote of confidence reportedly passed on Iyorchia Ayu will be rescinded if he fails to quit.
The Governor’s also agreed to cease further talks with the party’s standard bearer, Atiku Abubakar unless the National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu agrees to step down, or Atiku publicly disowns the Chairman.
And in the event that the party calls their bluff, the five powerful Governor’s also agreed to identify a suitable candidate with whom they will work against the next election.
National TRAIL had earlier reported of possible alliance with Peter Obi, Presidential Standard bearer of the Labour Party, LP, in which they will support Obi during the Presidential elections, but will fall back to their party, the PDP for subsequent elections where some of them are already candidates.
But a former auditor of the party, Francis Nnaji described the five Governor’s meeting as a dangerous ploy that could leave everyone of them in the lurch.
According to him, it is a suicidal move that may consume the political carriers of the actors themselves, as working against Atiku could amount to working against themselves and their other candidates in various races for positions.
Nnaji was quoted as cautioning the five Governor’s against rocking the PDP boat, so as to avoid running foul of their own machinations.
While pundits predict that the ruling APC will benefit from the internal crisis in the rival PDP, by poaching from its ranks, the APC itself seem to be fighting to remain afloat.
The controversy surrounding the composition of it’s campaign council, coupled with the absence of the APC standard bearer Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the country and his continued shunning of strategic events have been sending the wrong signals, with the attendant risk of strengthening the narrative about his state of health.
Media reports in the last one week indicate that the crisis of confidence trailing the campaign council is deepening and some key stakeholders have threatened to remain passive and uncooperative.
National TRAIL investigations reveal that, while Tinubu’s running mate, Kashim Shettima has been consulting and trying to rebuild confidence, the absence of Bola Tinubu has further deepened fears about his commitment to the reconcilation drive he professed in his acceptance speech after the primary election.
While some people think his absence at this very critical juncture when the campaigns are starting is a deliberate snub, others tend to believe that he is not physically strong enough to face the assignment ahead.
Spokespersons of the Presidential campaign council only made feable explanations about the reasons for Bola Tinubu’s absence yet no reasons have been given on why the inauguration of the campaign council is still on hold.
Periodic flashes of Bola Ahmed Tinubu claiming to be healthy but resting in London do not seem to impress many Nigerians, who feel that his physical presence could make the difference and could put to rest insinuations about his illhealth.
At a time other candidates are busy making inroads into areas hitherto controlled by the APC and members are defecting massively into other less fancied camps, the APC standard bearer has not made any efforts arresting the tide, save for the moves initiated by the running mate, Kashim Shettima, who has been consulting widely.
Feelers indicate that hitherto very strong supporters of the APC are having a second thought about remaining members.
Against reports that some key stakeholders who felt agrieved with the outcome of the primary election and the composition of the campaign council might be working against the party, there are strong indications that the APC may be sinking deeper.
Our correspondent reports that, while the controversy surrounding the Muslim/Muslim ticket for the Residential race lingers, the likes of Ahmed Lawan, Rotimi Amaechi, Yemi Osinbajo and Dave Umahi, who lost the primary elections to Tinubu may still have an axe to grind with the party.
While some were alleged to have been publicly snubbed by the candidate, others are losing out to their arch rivals who are being Patronized by the party at their expenses.
Most party faithfuls are of the view that, the APC needs to return to the drawing board, if they hope to go into the elections as one big family.
Recent events have seen to the embattled standard bearer of the PDP, Atiku Abubaka showing good outings and holding reconcilatory meetings with agrieved members of his party, while that if the APC is nowhere to be found.
Reports across the country also indicate that, other candidates, including those of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Action Alliance, AA,Hamza Al-Mustapha and the rest, are busy crisscrossing the country and recruiting followers.
Following the formal start of campaigns, rallies are holding, with solidarity marches and town hall meetings being convened to woo Nigerians by these other candidates.
Analyst believe that the crisis rocking both the APC and the PDP could pave way for the third force, epitomized in the Labour Party, to take the shine of them.
Already, opinion polls have twice given the possibility of winning to Peter Obi, who seem to be basking in the euphoria of his latest ranking.

News

‘Ombugadu Is a Brand, Not a Title’ — PDP Chieftain

Published

1 day ago

September 15, 2026

Our Reporter

By Emmanuel Kuza

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Abuga Ovie, has described the name Ombugadu as a political brand, saying the popularity and wide acceptance of the name have made David Emmanuel Ombugadu a major force in the state’s political landscape.

Ovie, who stated this in an interview on Tuesday, said what started as opposition from some of Ombugadu’s biological brothers and people he described as fathers and uncles who betrayed him for personal political interests had now assumed a wider dimension, with political parties allegedly joining the battle against him.

According to him, the latest development was an attempt to undermine the political value of the Ombugadu name by presenting another person with the same surname, describing it as an indication of how far some political actors were prepared to go to weaken the PDP governorship candidate.

“Ombugadu is a brand, not a title. The people are not fools. They know their own. You cannot simply bring another person bearing the same name and expect the people to forget the political identity that Ombugadu has built over the years,” he said.

He further alleged that a former governor was working to introduce a political associate who had served as Accountant-General of Nasarawa State into the political equation, with the alleged objective of destabilising the PDP and weakening its chances by ensuring that the party fields a less competitive candidate in 2027.

“The plan, as we understand it, is to destabilise the PDP and make sure the party presents a weak candidate, thereby creating an advantage for the former governor’s preferred candidate. But all those efforts have proved abortive because the national leadership of the PDP stood its ground and refused to lose its best bet for the 2027 governorship election,” Ovie said.

The PDP chieftain said the resolve of the national leadership to retain Ombugadu had demonstrated the confidence the party had in his capacity to win the governorship election, despite what he described as attempts by some political actors to frustrate his ambition.

Ovie urged political parties and their leaders to resolve their internal differences instead of concentrating their efforts on Ombugadu, whom he compared to David in the Bible, saying he remained focused despite betrayal and opposition from those close to him.

“Ombugadu is like David in the Bible. Even when his brothers forsook him, he remained focused. Today, despite the people who have betrayed him, he remains focused and has a blueprint that can rescue Nasarawa State,” he said.

He said political parties should concentrate on presenting their programmes and convincing voters about how they intend to address the challenges confronting the state rather than expending their energy on attempts to stop Ombugadu.

“Political parties should fix their problems instead of wasting their strength fighting Ombugadu. Let everybody bring their blueprint before the people and explain what they intend to do for Nasarawa State,” he said.

Ovie maintained that the 2027 election should be about ideas, competence and the future of Nasarawa State, rather than attempts to manipulate political structures or undermine individuals perceived to enjoy strong grassroots support.

He urged the people of the state, particularly the Eggon community, to remain politically vigilant and resist what he described as efforts to make them settle for less, insisting that voters would ultimately determine who enjoys their confidence at the polls.
Reduce repeated references to Ombugadu

News

200 widows benefit from empowerment outreach in Plateau

Published

2 days ago

September 15, 2026

milcah

By Israel Adamu, Jos

Two hundred widows from communities across Langtang North Central State Constituency of Plateau State have benefited from an empowerment outreach organised by Gimbiya Gani Nandir Lar under the Jagoran Talakawa movement.

The outreach, held at Pilgani in Langtang North Local Government Area, was aimed at supporting vulnerable women and drawing attention to the challenges faced by widows, particularly those struggling to provide food, pay school fees and meet other basic needs for their families.

The organiser, Nandir Lar, who is the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate for Langtang North Central State Constituency, said the gesture was motivated by compassion and concern for vulnerable members of the society.

She stressed that the outreach was not a political programme but an expression of love and support for humanity.

Nandir Lar said: “The plight of widows may not always make headlines, but their struggles are real, painful and deserving of our collective attention.

“This is simply an expression of compassion and love for humanity. It is not a political programme.

“Our constituency is home to people with diverse needs, including mothers, widows and young people who are seeking opportunities to improve their lives.”

Former Provost of the Federal College of Education, Pankshin, Amos Chirfat, commended the initiative, saying it had brought smiles to the faces of vulnerable women in the constituency.

Minority Leader of the Langtang North Legislative Council, Dirya Sheni, also commended Nandir Lar for supporting widows and other vulnerable members of the community.

At the end of the outreach, each of the 200 beneficiaries received a 10-kilogramme bag of corn flour, seasoning and N10,000 cash

News

SCUML, REDAN Strengthen Collaboration on Anti -Money Laundering Compliance

Published

2 days ago

September 15, 2026

milcah

By Francis Wilfred

The Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), and the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) have expressed commitment to ensure a full compliance with the Anti Money Laundering/Counter Finance on Terrorism/Counter Proliferation Financing, (AML/CFT/CPF) laws within the Nigeria’s real estate sector.

They made the resolve during a stakeholders’ engagement held on Thursday, September 10, 2026

The engagement focused on Mutual Evaluation readiness, risk-based supervision, beneficial ownership transparency, customer due diligence, internal controls and stronger collaboration between SCUML and the real estate sector.

Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE 1 Ibinabo Amachree, speaking on behalf of SCUML highlighted the strategic role of real estate operators in protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system, particularly given the sector’s vulnerability to money laundering and other financial crime risks.

Amachree encouraged REDAN members to move beyond registration to ensure that compliance is embedded in their day-to-day operations. He mentioned the areas to include: understanding institutional risks, knowing customers and beneficial owners, identifying politically exposed persons, conducting appropriate sanctions screening, maintaining effective internal controls and meeting applicable reporting obligations

He, therefore, reaffirmed readiness to working closely with REDAN and other stakeholders to improve compliance, build capacity and promote a stronger culture of accountability across the real estate sector

“The message is clear: effective compliance is not just about meeting regulatory requirements; it is about protecting businesses, strengthening the real estate sector and safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system”, she said.

In his remarks, the Chairman of REDAN, Lagos state, Mr Tony Kolawole pledged readiness to partner with SCUML in ensuring compliance with AML/CFT/CPF in the real estate sector to uphold financial integrity.

The engagement also provided an opportunity for REDAN members to share practical regulatory and operational challenges affecting the sector, reinforcing the importance of continuous dialogue between regulators and industry stakeholders.