Politics
Akpabio, Yari, Izunaso contest senate presidency
There are indications that the battle for the senate presidency for the 10th National Assembly has been reduced to a three-horse race, involving former Governor Godswill Akpabio, Senator Abdulaziz Yari and Senator Osita Izunaso.
Impeccable sources at the National Assembly told our correspondent that this development has led to three power blocs, headed by Akpabio, Yari and Izunaso, dividing the senators-elect along these lines.
Since the All Progressives Congress made its zoning in a consensus list known, some members have disagreed with the arrangement.
A chieftain of the party, Olujonwo Obasanjo, had said the party remained supreme and as such all aggrieved members should align with the party’s decision.
Others have made a case for their region, especially the North-Central, which has become very vocal about its position since the zoning list came out.
But, one of the sources close to the matter, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said an extraordinary meeting of the APC All Progressives Congress Senators and Senators-Elect was held on Friday.
The source stated that Akpabio’s candidacy was only ‘sustained’ by the endorsement of the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu.
Akpabio’s bloc, according to the source, is largely dominated by South-West senators and ‘a few from the South-South, South-East and North-Central’.
Sunday PUNCH gathered that there are about 54 senators in this fold.
It is not clear if the bloc enjoys the support of the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who has been consistent in his call for “further and better” consultations on the zoning arrangement.
The source said, “He (Adamu) told Akpabio’s counterpart in the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to stop parading or seeing himself as the Speaker of the 10th Assembly.
“Most of the senators do not have a personal conviction on the cause of the bloc; they are acting only on what they were asked to do as publicly disclosed by the outgoing governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, and Senator Ali Ndume when they spoke on national television that it was the President-elect that directed them to support Senator Akpabio.”
The second bloc, spearheaded by a former governor of Zamfara State, Yari, was formed as a response to the announcement of Akpabio by the APC as the consensus candidate for the position, our correspondent gathered.
Another source who attended Friday’s meeting said, “They (Yari’s bloc) were angered by the unilateral selection of Akpabio by the President-Elect and are dominantly from the entire North, with a majority of South East, South-South and two or three from South West.
“Their grouse is mainly against Akpabio who is generally resented by the northern senators.”
While stressing that the Yari group is formidable, the source noted that it believed that ‘northern interest would suffer in the hands of Akpabio’.
The third bloc, which is the Izunaso group, Sunday PUNCH gathered has its members spread across all the geo-political zones.
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Sunday PUNCH findings revealed that they are made up of former members of the House of Representatives, serving senators and new senators ‘rooting for a change’.
A returning senator, who did not want his name mentioned, told this report that the Izunaso group met regularly.
“Their vision is a rebranded senate for the fruition of a new Nigeria. The group is growing daily,” the source added.
The senator, however, noted that there was only a thin line between the Yari and Izunaso group, as ‘apart from both having similar goals of sanctity and independence of the senate, members of the Izunaso’s attend Yari’s meetings and vice versa’.
Meanwhile, Sunday PUNCH reliably learnt that there are serious talks between the two blocs to work together with the two leaders sharing the positions of Senate President and Deputy Senate president.
If the talks which are already at an advanced stage are consummated, the combined group would have an overwhelming majority in the senate.
Another senator loyal to the Yari faction noted that the core loyalists of the President-Elect were putting pressure on him to withdraw his support for the former governor of Akwa Ibom State for the position.
The senator, who did not want to be mentioned because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, said, “The loyalists have concluded that Akpabio is not the right person to lead the National Assembly at this critical period.
“The image of an Akpabio leading the legislative arm with his baggage of criminal cases of corruption would send wrong signals to the world, the global business community where the president-elect is already relating with for economic activities that would boost the Nigerian economy.
“The loyalists have become worried and uncomfortable with the daily growing concerns being raised by Nigerians, individually, pressure groups, the media and influential stakeholders.
“The latest of which was the cries by the South-South Women Compatriots threatening to protest naked.”
The senator stressed that Tinubu’s loyalists hold that the government they have tagged ‘Renewed Hope’ should not begin on ‘a hopelessness note for an important issue such as the fight against corruption’.
The senator said, “All the protesters and commentators saw the endorsement of Senator Akpabio as an affront to Nigerians and the annihilation of the little success achieved by the outgoing government in the fight against sleaze.
“The loyalists both within and outside Nigeria are advising the President to look for a corruption-free, clean, experienced and competent ranking senator from the South-South or South-east to support for the position.
“In both the South-South and South-East, there are only two ranking senators apart from Senator Godswill Akpabio. They are Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, a former Governor of Abia State; and Senator Osita Izunaso, the pioneer National Organising Secretary of the APC from Imo State.
“Out of these two senators, it is only Izunaso that does not have any case with the EFCC or any criminal case at all. If the President-elect listened to the pleas by Nigerians and the advice of his core loyalists, Osita Izunaso is the man to support.”
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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