Politics
Okowa, Ibori at war as guber ticket tears Delta PDP apart
There are fears among the Peoples Democratic Party members in Delta State that the name of the party’s governorship candidate may not be on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s list come 2023 general elections following the cold war between two leaders of the party in the state, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and one of his predecessors, James Ibori.
The battle deepened on Friday, July 22, 2022, when INEC published the particulars of the candidates nominated by political parties for the 2023 governorship and state Assembly elections in all the constituencies nationwide.
Surprisingly, the details of Sheriff Oborevwori, who won the party governorship primary and had his name submitted to the INEC, were not among those published by the electoral umpire as eligible to contest the governorship election in 2023.
The PDP members are worried that the party may not participate in the 2023 governorship election in the state.
The state’s INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Monday Udoh-Tom, confirmed that the PDP in Delta had yet to have a candidate for next year’s governorship election, adding that there were no details of any candidate for the party.
He stated, “We have no particulars of any candidate for the PDP as far as the governorship election is concerned because they (PDP members) are in court. When the matter is determined, we will have the particulars of one of them.
“You will recall that there was a court judgment that disqualified one of them, and he filed for a stay of execution and also appealed the judgment.
“As a result, we cannot act on the case of the PDP for now until the Appeal Court delivers judgment,” Udoh-Tom said.
Oborevwori
The current Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Oborevwori, won the PDP governorship primary on May 25 but his closest rival and former Chief of Staff to Okowa, David Edevbie, approached an Abuja High Court seeking Oborevwori’s disqualification on grounds of discrepancies in the certificates he presented.
The High Court subsequently granted Edevbie’s prayers by disqualifying Oborevwori and declaring the plaintiff as the party’s candidate.
Although Oborevwori filed an appeal against the judgment, Edevbie’s supporters have been jubilant, claiming that INEC recognised their principal as a candidate by issuing him form E13B.
Edevbie was the commissioner for Finance in Okowa’s first tenure, Chief of Staff in his second tenure, and now Ibori’s anointed candidate.
Although he was in the United Kingdom serving a prison term, Ibori could be said to be instrumental in the election of Okowa as the state governor in 2015.
The PDP in Delta State last Saturday held its mega rally in Ozoro in the Isoko North Local Government Area of the state to unveil its governorship candidate and receive defectors from the opposition political parties but got disappointed on Friday as its candidate’s name was missing from the list.
But prominent party leaders boycotted the rally even as there was no official unveiling of the Delta PDP governorship candidate as expected.
Among those absent from the rally were Ibori; a former Governor of the state, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan; Senator James Manager, representing Delta South; and the state Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro.
Dignitaries at the mega rally included the Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu; Oborevwori; and House of Assembly aspirants; party leaders; and political appointees across the three senatorial districts.
Addressing the party members, the vice presidential candidate of the party, Okowa, said the victory of the PDP in the just concluded Osun State governorship election was to make a statement to rescue Nigeria.
Okowa, who received the defectors from the All Progressives Congress and All Progressive Grand Alliance, boasted that a similar victory would happen in the state where the party would win the governorship, national and state assembly seats, and others.
Okowa, who was miffed by recent remarks that the party in the state was dying, said, “I heard some people saying the PDP is dying in Delta State. Why are they deceiving themselves?” People will come out to vote for the PDP in all the local government areas in the state.
“Whatever is going on in the party today is a normal democratic process; so, there is nothing to worry about, no cause for alarm, and no cause to fear.”
“In 2019, they (the opposition) got two local government areas, but in 2023 we will win the entire 25 local government areas.
Edevbie
“It is about Nigeria, youths, women. We cannot continue to suffer. Enough is enough. Those who have just joined us are members of the party, with no discrimination. “In September, the campaign will start. You will hear us loud and clear,” Okowa assured.
“2023 is about youths and women of Nigeria and we cannot continue to suffer and stay hungry. We must definitely move forward, “he stated.
The state Chairman of the party, Mr Kingsley Esiso, urged party faithful to remain calm, adding that INEC had asked stakeholders to be calm until court processes were exhausted.
He stated, “As the state chairman of this great party, it is my responsibility to educate our people on the developments in the party.
“Some weeks ago, our party conducted one of the freest and fairest governorship primaries in Delta State, and a candidate emerged, and our party has dutifully submitted the name of that candidate.
“It is our responsibility to stand and defend the outcome of that primary. The issue before the court has nothing to do with the integrity and credibility of that primary.
“By the action of INEC on Friday, we have been told in the PDP to wait patiently for the outcome of the court judgment,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Director of Operations of the David Edevbie Campaign Organisation, Mr. Julius Akpovoka, blamed the party for taking sides in the suit challenging the eligibility of Oborevwori.
Akpovoka, who said this during a chat with journalists in Asaba last week, said Edevbie was very happy when he came out second at the primary.
He said, “It is a case of a second to be the first. We are happy that Edevbie came out second after the primary because we know that Edevbie’s name must be on the ballot list. I am the principal agent for Edevbie. The primary was transparent. We know that the second position is close to the first position based on the facts of the case.
“All of us are members of the PDP, so Edevbie is now the candidate of the party. This is what everyone should embrace. In no time, our principal will embark on reconciliation to bring everybody together.
“ Oborevwori’s case is not new. It is also clear that there are discrepancies in his certificates. We are not shocked by the judgment of the high court.”
“I don’t see the Supreme Court dismissing the judgment of the High Court because the matter was very clear. It is a case of age and discrepancies in certificates. The party should do its best if it wants to win the election. In football, you cannot leave your best player on the bench and play second best. You will lose the game. That’s what we are facing.”
With the raging war, there are speculations that Okowa may be considering adopting a plan B in the event of Oborevwori’s failure at the Appeal Court.
The speculations are coming against the backdrop of rumours that Okowa’s immediate past Chief of Staff, Mr. Festus Agas, had reportedly picked up the governorship form to contest under the Accord party.
A social analyst and human rights activist, Mr. Victor Ojei, in an interview with The PUNCH, said with the look of things, the PDP may not have a candidate in the 2023 general election.
He said, “The reason why the PDP candidate was not on the list was possibly INEC received letter from Edevbie notifying them about the court judgement.As I speak to you now, the judges are on vacation, which most likely to end in the second week of September.”
Another political analyst, Mr. Peter Ejiro, described the development in the PDP as supremacy battle between the two leaders of the party in the state.
“My brother, what you see now playing out in the PDP is a battle of supremacy. Don’t forget that recently a Commissioner in the state said that Ibori is not Okowa’s godfather.”
In the now-controversial post shared on his social media page, Osborne wrote: “In a sane clime president Bola Ahmed Tinubu would’ve respectfully and honourably resigned. I’m of APC but truth be told.”
The comment quickly generated reactions online before the Akwa Ibom State Government moved to terminate his appointment.
In a letter dated June 2, 2026, the Office of the Political Adviser to the Governor announced his immediate disengagement.
The termination letter, signed by the Political Adviser to the Governor, Prince Godwin Ntuk Udeh, stated that Osborne Ubong Okon had been relieved of his duties with immediate effect.Politics
According to the letter, the decision was taken over actions the office described as disloyal.
“You are hereby relieved of your engagement as a Media Aide to the Political Adviser to His Excellency the Governor, with immediate effect and from today, 2nd June 2026,” the memo read.
The letter further cited “actions bordering on disloyalty” and the need to keep the office “purified” as reasons for the dismissal.
The office also issued a warning to members of the public and government officials regarding future dealings with the former aide.
“Any person having dealings with the above-mentioned former Media Aide in relation to this office of his former engagement does so on his/her own peril,” the statement added.
The development has sparked fresh conversations about the limits of political expression for government appointees and the expectations of loyalty within public service, particularly when comments are directed at the presidency.
Neither Osborne nor the Presidency had publicly responded to the development as of the time of filing this report.
The decision was taken during plenary on Tuesday at the Assembly complex in Dutse, the state capital, as the party continues to deal with the fallout from recent primaries.
The action comes amid a wave of suspensions across Jigawa APC following the recently conducted primary election.
Several special advisers and special assistants have already been suspended statewide over alleged anti-party activities from state level down to local government level.
Maigari, who doubles as the councillor representing Auyo Ward, was suspended after the House considered a motion by the Majority Leader, Lawan Dansure.
The motion sought disciplinary action against the lawmaker for conduct deemed harmful to party cohesion.
Moving the motion during the Assembly’s plenary session on Tuesday, Dansure urged members to support the suspension.
He said the House must act to protect the integrity of the ruling party ahead of 2027.
According to him, the actions of the Speaker of Auyo Legislative Council are detrimental to the unity, stability, and progress of the All Progressives Congress in the state.
“His actions are detrimental to the unity, stability, and progress of the All Progressives Congress,” Dansure told the House.
He argued that anti-party conduct at the grassroots level could undermine APC’s performance in future elections.
He said the House could not fold its arms while party discipline was being tested.
“Hon. Haruna Maigari is hereby suspended as Speaker of Auyo Legislative Council over alleged anti-party activities,” Dangyatin announced during plenary.
The Speaker also said the House remains committed to party discipline at all levels of governance in the state.
Dangyatin then constituted an investigative committee to look into the matter and report back within two weeks.
“The committee is expected to establish facts and recommend further action based on its findings,” he said.
The Speaker also directed the suspended lawmaker to hand over all official documents in his possession to the Deputy Speaker of Auyo Legislative Council.
He said the handover must be done immediately to ensure continuity of council business.
Meanwhile, the House also received a formal notification from Governor Umar Namadi regarding an official trip.
“The governor is billed to attend a two-day West African Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, Ghana,” the Speaker said during the plenary session of the Assembly.
Dangyatin, who explained that the governor’s foreign engagement will hold between June 2 and June 3, 2026, added that “the governor’s participation is aimed at attracting investment to Jigawa’s rice value chain.”
By Chinedu Sabastine
Mr. Samson Chukwu Nnamani has declared that he remains the authentic governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 election.
Nnamani made this known on Friday during a press briefing held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Enugu.
Reacting to allegations that he was suspended from the party before the PDP governorship primary election, Nnamani dismissed the claim, questioning how a supposedly suspended aspirant could participate in the exercise and secure votes.
“The purported claim that I was suspended is very funny. If I was suspended as they claim, how can they attribute votes for me during their kangaroo primary,” Nnamani questioned.
Represented by his Media Director, Dr. Buchi Nnaji, the PDP chieftain said his authenticity derives from the present recognition of the Abdulrahman-led faction of the PDP by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), of which he is a member.
The clarification followed the emergence of multiple claimants to the PDP governorship ticket in Enugu State.
Nnamani insisted that the party was no longer factionalised following INEC’s recognition of the Abdulrahman-led PDP leadership, noting that the panel which declared him winner where sent from their headquaters, Abuja.
Nnamani expressed gratitude to PDP leaders and supporters whom he said turned out massively on Sunday, May 24, 2026, to elect him as the party’s governorship candidate.
He pledged to reposition Enugu State through infrastructure development, job creation and people-oriented policies.
“As the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Enugu State, I remain committed to the ideals of good governance, inclusive leadership, economic development, youth empowerment, quality education, improved healthcare and enhanced security for all residents,” he said.
He added that his aspiration was to build “a greater Enugu State where opportunities abound for every citizen, irrespective of political affiliation, religion or social status.”
According to him, his administration would prioritise infrastructure development, industrialisation, support for small businesses and welfare programmes aimed at improving the lives of the people.
“We shall also review and remove policies and practices that are truncating the wellbeing, economic survival and social advancement of the citizens,” he stated.
Nnamani further called on stakeholders, party faithful, youths, women, traditional rulers and the people of Enugu State to join hands in building “a united, peaceful and progressive state.”
“Together, we can achieve the Enugu of our dreams,” he added.
The Presidency has reacted following the circulation of an alleged WhatsApp voice note in which President Bola Tinubu reportedly claims he begged opposition figure Peter Obi to step down ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The reaction came on Wednesday from Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President.
Onanuga condemned the audio file, labeling it a fabrication and called for legal action against popular social media critic VeryDarkMan who shared it.
“This VDM needs to face the weight of the law for being the conveyor and disseminator of a fake audio of President Tinubu. This is a clear case of an egregious abuse of the social media platform.,” Onanuga tweeted.
In the viral video, VeryDarkMan used the alleged leaked audio to urge Nigerians to vote against President Tinubu’s reelection bid in the upcoming 2027 polls.
Recall that just days ago, on Saturday, May 23, 2026, President Tinubu secured the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a landslide nationwide direct primary election.
During that contest, Tinubu faced a lone challenger, Edo State businessman and APC chieftain Stanley Osifo. The President won with 10,999,162 votes from the 12,643,306 registered party members, while Osifo secured 16,503 votes.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi, who finished third in the 2023 election, is widely expected to fly the flag for the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC). Both Obi and Tinubu hail from the southern region of Nigeria and are set to face last year’s runner-up, Atiku Abubakar, who is expected to lead the ticket for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in Ebonyi State, Ifeanyichukwuma Odii, has accused Governor Francis Nwifuru of running the state like a personal family business.
Odii made the remark shortly after emerging as the PDP governorship candidate for the 2027 election following the party’s primary election conducted across the 13 local government areas of the state.
Speaking to party supporters in Abakaliki, Odii said the 2027 election would be about rescuing Ebonyi from poor governance and restoring economic growth and public welfare.
“Ebonyi can never be consumed. Ebonyi can never be conquered. Ebonyi can never become a personal family business, and we are here for the rescue of our dear state,” he stated.
The PDP flag bearer pledged to improve the welfare of civil servants and teachers while promising policies aimed at reviving the state’s economy.
Odii also dismissed fears over political opposition ahead of the election, insisting that his focus remained the development and progress of Ebonyi State.
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