Politics
2027: Opposition weakens as more PDP govs, senators eye APC
Opposition political parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, and the Labour Party, are bleeding as some of their prominent members have dumped their platforms for the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Concerned by the wave of defections to the APC, the PDP, NNPP, and the Coalition of United Political Parties have accused the APC-led Federal Government of exploiting state resources to coerce their members and other politicians into switching allegiance to the ruling party.
In response, the APC welcomed the defectors, dismissed the claims from the PDP and NNPP as unfounded, asserting that politicians are willingly joining the party because of the significant achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration.
Recall that over 300 PDP members defected to the APC between February 2024 and February 2025, citing internal conflicts within the party at both the state and national levels as the main reason for their departure.
Likewise, the NNPP and Labour Party have also experienced a notable wave of defections to the APC, with many members pointing to internal disputes and other related issues as their reasons.
On Wednesday, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor and PDP’s 2023 Vice Presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, along with all party members in the state, officially defected to the All Progressives Congress.
The announcement was delivered in Asaba by Senator James Manager following a marathon meeting that lasted over six hours at the Government House.
Manager stated, “All PDP members in the state, including the governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, all the local government chairmen and others, have agreed to move to the APC.
“We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat,” he said.
The Delta State Commissioner for Information, Aniagwu Charles, formally confirmed the governor’s defection, along with the unified decision of Delta PDP leaders and stakeholders to join the APC.
“There is a need for us to adjust the drinking pattern. And in adjusting that drinking pattern, we needed to make a decision that would further help to cement the development in our state, to build the court of law that has existed in our state, to further advance the cause of security and the welfare of our people, and, to a large extent, ensure that development in Delta is not truncated,” Aniagwu stated.
He added, “In taking that decision, we concluded that leaving the PDP was very necessary for us to be able to collaborate and build a state that every Deltan will be proud of. We believe that what is happening, and the state of the PDP, is akin to that palm wine whose taste has changed — and there was a need for us to change the drinking party.”
Charles stated that the decision was reached unanimously by party leaders and stakeholders, indicating that an official public announcement would be made soon.
“By the grace of God, on Monday next week, we will be able to make a very big statement confirming that we are moving into the APC,” he said.
Also, the Senator representing Kano South Senatorial District, Kawu Sumaila, on Wednesday officially confirmed his defection from the NNPP to the ruling APC.
His clarification, which was contained in a statement via his Facebook page, ended weeks of intense political speculations over his future in the NNPP.
The Senator hinged his decision to quit on the need to be fully committed to his constituents, which he claimed remained his first priority.
The statement read, “Yes, it is true — the rumours regarding my defection are accurate. All politics is local, and my primary concern has always been, and remains, the welfare of my immediate constituency.
“I am resolutely determined to advance the lives of my people, ensuring their needs are met and their future is secured.”
His exit has also fuelled rumours that the leader of the Kwankwasiyyan Movement and former presidential candidate of the NNPP, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, may return to the APC.
In another related development, a long-serving member of the House of Representatives, Oluwole Oke, announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Oke, who represents Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency, Osun State, announced his resignation in a letter dated April 16, 2025, addressed to the Chairman, PDP Ward 7, Obokun Local Government Area.
The letter read, “I wish to formally notify you that I am resigning my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party with immediate effect.
“This was concluded after consultation and engagement with my political associates, family and friends.
“It is my wish that you accept my resignation in good faith.”
The letter was copied to the National and Osun State Chairmen of the party.
In a brief telephone conversation with our correspondent, the lawmaker, who appeared to be in no mood for an interview, anchored his decision on the division in his party.
“PDP is divided,” he said, without further elaboration.
Similarly, the Special Adviser to Governor Monday Okpebholo on Political Mobilissation and Engagement, Eugene Utubor, stated on Wednesday that LP Senator Neda Imasuen is on the verge of defecting to the All Progressives Congress.
Utubor, who met with Imasuen on Tuesday night in Benin, said the lawmaker open to joining the APC and that efforts are underway to strengthen the party’s ranks both nationally and in the state.
He said, “I can tell you that Senator Neda Imasuen will join the All Progressives Congress in the coming days. I was with him on Tuesday and his body language speaks volume.
“Imasuen believes that the governor has done remarkably well in such a short time and it is crucial that we come together to ensure the success of his vision for our people.
“He has encouraged every well-meaning Edo citizen to rally around the governor as he works diligently for our collective progress.”
In recent times, Imasuen is often seen in public functions alongside notable leaders of the APC in Edo State. He is said to enjoy cordial relationship with members of the ruling party in the state.
In addition to the recent defections, several prominent figures had earlier joined the APC. These include former Kaduna State Governor Muktar Ramalan Yero; Senators Shehu Sani, Suleiman Hunkuyi, and Sylvanus Ngele; former Senate President Pius Anyim; ex-Edo Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu; House of Representatives member Suleiman Gumi; and PDP founding member Shuibu Oyedokun. Others are Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), Omosede Igbinedion, Kabiru Classic, Salisu Garba and Abuja Municipal Area Council chairman Christopher Maikalangu.
From the NNPP, Yusuf Galambi, who represents Gwaram federal constituency in Jigawa, has also defected to the APC. He is joined by several local government chairmen, councillors, and party officials. Key NNPP leaders, including Senator Sulaiman Kawu Sumaila (Kano South), Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, Ali Madaki, and Hon. Badamasi Ayuba, have met with APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and are expected to make their defection official soon.
With the 2027 elections approaching, multiple sources indicate that three PDP governors and NNPP National Leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso have struck a deal with President Tinubu and are likely to join the APC in the near future.
One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said, “Based on their actions and silence, as well as the way some governors have openly praised President Tinubu’s administration, it’s clear that a few of them are likely to join the APC soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if the governors of Adamawa, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, and even the NNPP National Leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, eventually defect.”
In response, PDP Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor criticised the recent defections from opposition parties to the APC, saying they serve personal interests rather than the nation’s good.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ahead of the 2027 National Assembly elections, a mass protest voting movement may be building up in Anambra South Senatorial District, following reported moves by members of major political parties to support the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Ebuka Onunkwo.
The development is said to be linked to grievances among some members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and remnants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the treatment allegedly meted out to Onunkwo during previous political contests.
Onunkwo, who had previously contested the Anambra South senatorial seat under APGA, later emerged as the NDC candidate for the 2027 election.
Although the ADC is currently embroiled in legal disputes over the authentic candidates and the conduct of its primary elections, some members of the APC and APGA are also reportedly dissatisfied with developments within their respective parties.
It was gathered that a section of APGA members, in particular, are backing Onunkwo as a form of protest over the conduct of the party’s senatorial primary, while some members of other parties are also believed to be considering voting for him irrespective of their party affiliations.
Confirming the growing support for Onunkwo, the Chief Executive Officer of NOWAS Oil and Gas Limited and a major stakeholder in Anambra South politics, Chief Ignesus Ikechukwudere Nnubia, said the NDC candidate currently enjoys widespread acceptability across party lines.
Nnubia said the growing support for Onunkwo had made his party affiliation less significant, arguing that voters would ultimately vote according to their conscience and assessment of the candidates.
He said, “At the moment, the number of APGA members with him and supporting him makes one wonder what is left of that party. Even the remnants of the PDP have pitched their tents with him, while members of the ruling APC at the national level are also behind him.
“So, the party that he belongs to is not a factor at all. You know that it is a game of numbers, and people are going to vote according to their conscience and not necessarily because of the political party they belong to.
“People are not bound to vote for their party, and some of them are ready and willing to vote for him.
“We are not talking about the party because he will surely get votes from the NDC, APGA, APC and even other political parties that are already closing ranks to support him as their candidate.”
Nnubia further described Onunkwo as the candidate currently standing tall among the contenders for the Anambra South senatorial seat, expressing confidence that his emergence would usher in what he described as a “new dawn” for the district.
He said political parties should not be the major consideration for voters, stressing that what matters most is the ability of elected representatives to improve the lives of their constituents.
According to him, political parties exist because of the people, and therefore the influence of party structures and incumbency has its limits during elections.
Nnubia said those factors would ultimately be tested by the electorate in the 2027 election, which he described as a contest in which voters’ choices would determine the outcome.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Ebonyi State election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has pledged to attract more than ₦2 trillion in private-sector investment to the state within six months of assuming office if elected.
Odii made the pledge while addressing supporters in Lagos ahead of the formal commencement of his campaign.
He said his investment strategy would cover key sectors of the Ebonyi economy, including mining, hospitality, real estate and manufacturing.
According to the PDP candidate, he has identified more than 2,000 prospective investors, each capable of investing about ₦1 billion in the state.
“I have over 2,000 people who can invest ₦1 billion each. When you multiply it, you will get over ₦2 trillion. This has been structured in such a way that all aspects of the economy will be involved,” Odii said.
He said the proposed investment drive was designed not only to inject capital into the state but also to create jobs, expand the productive base of the economy and provide opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
Odii said Ebonyi’s natural resources and strategic location placed it in a strong position to attract large-scale investments if its economic potential was properly harnessed.
He promised that his administration would prioritise private-sector participation, industrialisation and job creation while creating an enabling environment for both local and foreign investors.
The candidate also said existing businesses in the state would be supported to expand, while new investors would be encouraged to establish operations across various sectors.
His pledge comes amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with economic development, employment generation and wealth creation featuring prominently in his campaign message.
The proposed ₦2 trillion investment target within six months, if achieved, would represent a significant boost to Ebonyi’s economy and rank among the most ambitious private-sector investment mobilisation plans proposed in the state.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The planned visit of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to Anambra State has sparked controversy following a protest by the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Emma Anosike, that the party was not informed about the visit.
Anosike said the APC in Anambra was never consulted or briefed about the proposed visit, adding that the party was taken aback by reports that the wife of the party’s national leader and presidential candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would be visiting the state without recourse to the state chapter.
He said, “It is indeed strange that the First Lady of our presidential candidate is visiting Anambra State without recourse to the party in the state.
“The party wishes to state categorically that we are not part of the arrangements for the reception of our First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, because the party was never put in the picture.”
Anosike also dismissed the mantra that “The Progressives Are Working Together”, being canvassed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), describing it as a smokescreen by the ruling party in Anambra to hijack President Tinubu’s re-election from the APC.
He said, “For instance, the APGA-led government in Anambra State did not interface with us on the organisation of the visit, and the party wonders if the progressives are indeed working together.”
The APC chairman, however, said the development would not compromise the First Lady’s visit, urging all APC members and supporters in the state to turn out and give Senator Oluremi Tinubu a warm welcome.
He stressed that despite the party’s reservations over the arrangements, APC members remained committed to welcoming the First Lady to Anambra State.
Former Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Sagir Saleh, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Saleh, who served as deputy governor under former Governor Isa Yuguda, announced his resignation in a letter submitted to the party leadership in Katagum Local Government Area.
He cited personal reasons for his decision but did not provide further details.
His exit comes amid growing disagreements within the Bauchi APC following the party’s 2027 governorship primary. Other prominent members, including former governorship aspirant Bala Jibrin and Sunusi Kunde, an associate of Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, have also reportedly left the party.
Jibrin, a former National Auditor of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), resigned on August 31, 2026, following his opposition to the emergence of former Bauchi Governor Muhammad Abubakar as the APC’s 2027 governorship candidate.
He had criticised the primary process and questioned how the candidate emerged.
Kunde also resigned from the APC in August, submitting his resignation to the party chairman of Beti Ward in Misau Local Government Area.
The latest departures are coming as efforts continue to resolve internal disputes and disagreements among APC members in the state.
The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to assassinate former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general election.
Ayodele issued the warning in a video shared on his verified X account on Sunday, urging both opposition figures to strengthen their security and remain vigilant.
The cleric did not identify those allegedly behind the purported plot but claimed that attempts were being made to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
According to him, divine intervention would prevent the alleged plan from succeeding.
“Obi and Atiku, be very conscious of your security. They are looking for any means to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
“But God will never allow it to happen. Watch out and be cautious about your security,” he said.
Ayodele also urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider travelling to the United States, alleging that there were forces in America working against his political fortunes.
The claims come as political activities and realignments intensify ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
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