Politics
2027: Tinubu’s counter-attack scatters opposition
•How Tinubu turned tide against opponents
There are strong indications that recent political moves by President Bola Tinubu are responsible for the defections of top opposition figures to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The APC and the President, who had been on the defensive against criticisms from the opposition and anti-Tinubu coalition groups, might have turned the tables around.
Insiders insisted that the change resulted from Tinubu’s recent moves.
However, while some sources and opposition figures claimed that the President deployed inducements and blackmail, his supporters said he provided good leadership, which made the party attractive to outsiders.
Masterstroke or mischief?
Feelers from the APC identified Governors Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Aba Yusuf (Kano) and suspended Governor, Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), as four new converts expected to join the party in the coming weeks.
“It is not a rumour. It is happening; those four governors – Eno, Mbah, Yusuf and Fubara — are on their way to joining the APC,” a source said.
Multiple sources at the ruling party secretariat in Abuja equally confirmed the development.
This comes barely three days after the defections of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori; his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and all members of the PDP in the state.
Their change of allegiance was announced last Wednesday by Senator James Manager, shortly after a meeting that lasted over six hours at the Government House in Asaba.
Another source, however, didn’t rule out mischief and blackmail in the arrangement.
He cited President Tinubu’s covert meeting with Fubara in London as one of such.
The meeting, confirmed by an online media platform, The Africa Report, was held at the insistence of the embattled governor, who was suspended from office after a declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers.
Details of the meeting could not be confirmed, as presidential aides contacted said they were not part of the President’s latest trip.
A top source said, “It was at that meeting that we believed Fubara must have been coaxed into considering the idea of defection as part of the arrangement to return his mandate. We also have reasons to suspect that Governor Eno’s potential move to the APC is linked to his predecessor and godfather’s alleged corruption case with the EFCC.
“Kano’s case is already a done deal as Tinubu has started reconciling Ganduje and Kwankwaso. In the coming days, the news of Abba Yusuf’s defection will be made public because he will officially move to the APC with his mentor. We all know Kano is too big a state for Tinubu to ignore politically.”
Also, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Buba Galadima, claimed that a federal lawmaker under his party said President Tinubu gave him a N95bn ecological fund project.
He said, “At least if I don’t know anything, I know a serving lawmaker who declared that he was given N95bn, which is not in the budget, for an ecological project.”
Reacting, the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, denied allegations of inducement and blackmail.
He said, “How can we induce a governor to come and join our political party? There is no factual basis for those allegations. It is in the figment of their imagination and possibly a product of hallucination. The truth is that even before decamping, if they check online, they will realise Governor Sherif has, on several occasions, shown his preference for Tinubu’s presidency.
“He has never hidden his admiration. So, when the stakeholders met, they felt that rather than just supporting Asiwaju in 2027, they should join his party so they could work together. Less than two weeks ago, we were in Agbor when the chairman of NDDC and the Delta Unity Group defected to the APC.
“The only senator of the PDP in Delta, Senator Ned Nwoko, also defected to the APC. So, anybody watching the development knows that it was only a matter of time before the leadership of that place moved. I hope you also know that former Governor James Ibori is a friend of Asiwaju, and they have been collaborating since Tinubu became president. So, would he not want his party to join up with Asiwaju Tinubu?”
Opposition in disarray
The PDP, Labour Party, and NNPP are currently grappling with internal crises compounded by defections to the APC, which has left their parties in disarray.
According to some politicians, the crises are being sponsored to weaken the opposition ahead of 2027.
The immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, had on March 11 alleged that the crises faced by opposition parties were being sponsored by “the government of the day.”
El-Rufai said the litigation, divisions, and factionalisation across opposition parties were all contrived by the ruling party to destabilise them.
PDP: A house divided
The PDP, the largest opposition party in the country, has been embroiled in controversies since the 2023 elections.
The crisis, largely between the camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has significantly weakened the party.
Wike, who worked against the PDP in the 2023 presidential election, has declared support for Tinubu’s 2027 bid.
Delta State Governor Oborevwori, his predecessor, Okowa, and many key members of the PDP also dumped the party for the APC last Wednesday.
Oke’s defection brings the number of opposition members in the National Assembly who had dumped their parties for the APC to 17 since the inauguration of the 10th Assembly.
On Saturday, members of the Rivers State caucus in the National Assembly declared support for Tinubu’s second term.
Commenting on the defections, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, said the defectors, especially the governors, were afraid that Tinubu might move against their elections.
“All of them are scared of Tinubu. They are afraid of what he will do to them, especially when he has the judiciary in his pocket. But we in the coalition don’t care about that.”
LP: One party, three chairmen
The Labour Party is also riddled with a leadership crisis, resulting in factionalisation and defections.
Currently, three individuals are laying claim to the leadership of the party.
Embattled National Chairman, Julius Abure; former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, leading a caretaker committee; and Lamidi Apapa are all claiming leadership of the party.
Amid the crisis, the LP lost key members to the APC.
They are Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi (Imo East Senatorial District), Esosa Iyawe (Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo State), Chinedu Okere (Owerri Municipal/Owerri North/Owerri West Federal Constituency), Mathew Donatus (Kaura Federal Constituency, Kaduna State), and Akiba Bassey (Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Federal Constituency, Cross River State).
NNPP: An undecided party
President Tinubu and the APC are said to be making moves to win over the NNPP leader and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Our correspondents gathered that Kwankwaso and many NNPP leaders might join the ruling party.
The National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, in an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents, confirmed that the party was considering its political options.
He said, “There are three cards on the table: either we remain in the NNPP and continue with those who joined us all the way, or we form some sort of coalition with Atiku and others, or we form an alliance with the ruling party. I am not saying any of these is the case now, but these are the three basic options that could happen.”
Meanwhile, the party has been losing some of its prominent members to the APC.
No fewer than four federal lawmakers of the NNPP, including Senator Kawu Sumaila (Kano South Senatorial District), Yusuf Galambi (Gwaram Federal Constituency, Jigawa State), Mohammed Isimbabi (Toto/Gadabuke Constituency, Nasarawa State), Musa Ibrahim (Doma South Constituency, Nasarawa State), and Kabiru Rurum (Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya Federal Constituency, Kano State), along with ex-Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Sha’aban Sharada, have joined the APC.
The CPC bloc
Members of the defunct Congress for Progress Change, largely made up of loyalists of former President Muhammadu Buhari, were reported to have planned to dump the APC for another party.
However, weeks after the defection plan, a faction of the bloc, led by former Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, declared support for Tinubu, announcing that he and others on his side were not leaving the APC.
A recent report indicated that a leaked memo revealed that Al-Makura was being considered for the APC national chairmanship in exchange for helping to convince other CPC members to remain in the party.
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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