Politics
Alleged Corruption: FG Blasts OBJ As Opposition Backs Ex-President
The Presidency on Monday attacked former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his claim that corruption has reached a fatal stage in the country.
The Presidency also faulted Obasanjo’s call for the sacking of the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, over his conduct of the 2023 election which he described as a travesty.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party backed the elder statesman on the issue of graft, the imperative of electoral reform and other issues he raised in his keynote address at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum, Yale University, New Haven, United States of America, on Sunday.
In his address, ‘Leadership failure and state capture in Nigeria,’ the ex-President canvassed for shorter tenures for INEC officials and a more rigorous vetting process to prevent the appointment of partisan individuals.
He criticised President Bola Tinubu’s performance in office, asserting that corruption continues to rank among the most important problems affecting Nigerians.
The elder statesman said, “More than N700 billion in cash bribes were paid by citizens to public officials in 2023. Most bribes are paid in the street or a public official’s office.
“Private sector bribery is increasing but continues to be less prevalent than in the public sector. Corruption goes with power; therefore, to hold any useful discussion of corruption, we must first locate it where it properly belongs – in the ranks of the powerful.
“Corruption in Nigeria has passed the alarming and entered the fatal stage, and Nigeria will die if we keep pretending that she is only slightly indisposed.’’
He added, “Ranked 150 out of 180 countries in the Transparency International 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index,1 Nigeria’s ranking places it in the bottom 20 per cent of the comity of nations and illustrates how systemic and embedded corruption is in the country. It is, in my opinion, and those of many, the most serious developmental challenge to the nation.”
He insisted that the nation would continue to sink into chaos, insecurity, conflict, discord, division, disunity, depression, youth restiveness, confusion, violence, and underdevelopment as long as it is embedded in corruption.
However, in a pushback on Monday, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the former President had no moral grounds to criticise INEC, having presided over what he called “the most fraudulent election held in Nigeria since 1960.”
In a statement titled, ‘Former President Obasanjo was not an ideal leader to emulate,’ Onanuga said, “It is hypocrisy writ large when a man who presided over the worst election in Nigeria demands the sack of the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission.”
He added, “After wasting billions of naira on a failed third-term project in 2007, Chief Obasanjo hurriedly organised a sham electoral process that would go down in history as the most fraudulent election held in Nigeria since 1960.
“The beneficiary of the sham election, Umaru Yar’adua, admitted that the election was seriously flawed and, as Justice Muhammed Uwais’ panel recommended, worked towards electoral reforms.”
The Presidency argued that the former leader’s habit of casting aspersions on every subsequent administration overshadowed the expectations from an elder statesman to join a constructive dialogue on attaining national progress.
“In his latest critique of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he pejoratively called ‘Baba Go Slow’ and President Bola Tinubu, who he tagged ‘Emilokan’, Chief Obasanjo used the platform provided by Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University to unfurl his latest treatise on leadership and public morality. He also used the forum to write off Nigeria as a failing country.’’
“The irony of Chief Obasanjo using the platform that celebrates Achebe to sermonise on the ideals of good governance, statecraft, economic management, and corruption should be apparent to discerning minds.
“When he was alive, Chinua Achebe was a universally acclaimed moral, cultural and literary icon with scant regard for Obasanjo,” the statement added.
The Presidency cited Achebe’s rejection of the third highest national honour bestowed on him by the Obasanjo-led administration in 2004 on the grounds of the prevalence of abuse of power, corruption, poor leadership, and, in particular, “state-sponsored brigandage endorsed by Chief Obasanjo in Achebe’s home state of Anambra.”
“In rejecting the 2004 national honour by the Obasanjo administration, Achebe declared: ‘Nigeria’s condition today under your watch is…too dangerous for silence. I must register my disappointment and protest by declining to accept the high honour awarded me in the 2004 honours list,’” the statement read.
The Presidency also cited the unconstitutional impeachment of four Peoples Democratic Party governors – Joshua Dariye of Plateau, Rasheed Ladoja of Oyo, Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti and Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa.
It argued, “A man under whose watch all of these egregious infractions occurred should certainly not be the one to give any lecture on leadership and corruption.
“He should not be taken seriously as he reeks of profound hypocrisy of the worst form.”
Onanuga also suggested that Obasanjo’s self-acclaimed reputation as an economic reformer did not align with his record in office.
The statement pointed out that many challenges Obasanjo highlighted in his Yale address remain unresolved legacies of his administration.
It noted Obasanjo’s admission that his administration failed to prioritise gas development, a sector now receiving attention under the Tinubu administration.
It also acknowledged that Obasanjo’s tenure benefited from rising crude oil prices, which peaked during that period.
Still, it argued that poor economic decisions, including the hasty repayment of $15bn in Paris Club debt while neglecting critical infrastructure, laid the foundation for subsequent economic challenges.
Furthermore, Onanuga faulted Obasanjo for failing to address Nigeria’s infrastructural decay, including federal roads such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Lagos-Abeokuta Road.
The presidential aide also accused him of undermining public universities by capitalising on their deficiencies to establish private institutions.
The Presidency contrasted this with the security sector, where it credited the Buhari administration with modernising the Armed Forces through substantial investments in equipment and strategy, a trend it claims President Tinubu has sustained.
It also linked the rise of militancy and kidnapping to Obasanjo’s administration, asserting that his tenure allowed such security issues to take root and expand.
On matters of integrity, honesty, and morality in public leadership, it said Obasanjo is “certainly not a paragon of virtue for anyone to model after.”
“Nigerians can still remember the messy public spat between Chief Obasanjo and his then-vice president, Atiku Abubakar, over PTDF money that led to a Senate Public Hearing in 2004.
“The sordid details of the public hearing included unsettling evidence of how Obasanjo instructed his Vice President to buy Sport Utility Vehicles for his mistresses with PTDF funds.
“There was also the Halliburton bribe scandal, which the US Congress probe revealed. Bribe payments were made to the highest political authorities at the Villa while Obasanjo was in charge,” the statement read.
It said Nigerians would also remember how the Obasanjo administration invested $16bn in electricity, which left the country in utter darkness.
The Presidency added, “The colossal amount spent on power was so embarrassing that President Umaru Yar’Adua, Obasanjo’s successor, ordered a probe. Similarly, Obasanjo’s privatisation programme was scandalous. It did not deliver real value for the country.
“His administration cheaply sold national assets to cronies who stripped the assets of the state-owned enterprises. A case in point was the aluminium smelter company ALSCON in Ikot-Abasi, Akwa-Ibom State, built by the military government at the princely sum of $ 3.2bn. It was sold for 130 million dollars.
“Obasanjo also sank money into Turn Around Maintenance of our refineries, which never worked, leading to the massive importation of refined petroleum products.”
Onanuga referenced accusations of gross abuse of office during Obasanjo’s tenure, pointing to a petition filed by former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, a member of Obasanjo’s political party, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
He added, “If Chief Obasanjo had addressed the many problems he critiqued in his poorly written Yale lecture when he ruled Nigeria for eight years, President Buhari and President Tinubu would have had a much lighter burden of fixing the country.
“While the Tinubu administration diligently works to overcome the country’s economic challenges, it would be better and more advisable for former President Obasanjo to temper his self-righteousness in his public discussions regarding our nation’s temporary difficulties.
“Instead, his remaining years would be better spent reflecting on the missed opportunities during his own time in leadership, both as military head of state and civilian president.”
Speaking in the same vein, the National Publicity Director of the All Progressives Congress, Bala Ibrahim, said he found it ridiculous that the former President could recommend some measures he didn’t deploy during his eight-year tenure.
As much as the former President is entitled to his opinion, Ibrahim said he could raise the issues he highlighted before the National Council of State where he is a member.
“Such suggestion can best be tabled before the National Council of State of which he is a member. It would be subjected to scrutiny and a decision would be taken in the best interest of the country.
“In his own time, he was a leader and his election was declared by INEC. Obasanjo was not known to be erratic in changing the leadership of INEC during his time. So, it would be unfair for him to suggest such changes, more so when he is gradually turning himself into an opposition.
“If it’s an issue that is of national concern, Obasanjo may have his reason. But issues like that can best be handled at the National Council of State, where he is a member,” the ruling party spokesman noted.
Corroborating the former leader, the opposition parties demanded the dismissal of the INEC boss and an overhaul of the electoral system.
The PDP said beyond the call for his sacking, people like Yakubu and other INEC officials ought to apologise to Nigerians for dashing their hopes at the polls.
In an interview with The PUNCH on Monday, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, asked the anti-corruption agencies to investigate the commission’s staff for alleged mismanagement of resources.
According to hìm, Obasanjo’s comments are a reflection of the demands of Nigerians.
He stated, “In a more honourable society, the INEC chairman would have humbly resigned on his own and apologised to Nigerians, whose trust, hopes, and expectations he dashed through his negligence and inexperience. When he was appointed, Nigerians had high expectations and truly believed he was a breath of fresh air.
“But now, after witnessing his administration’s handling of the affair within INEC, Nigerians are not only disappointed, but they also feel as though they’ve stepped back into the dark ages, where elections were sold to the highest bidder and were neither credible, free, nor fair.
“So, President Obasanjo is not saying anything new. He is simply reflecting the sentiments of Nigerians—well-meaning Nigerians—who understand that what INEC is doing now is a threat to our democracy and a recipe for anarchy if not addressed. I would advise the INEC Chairman to take this admonition seriously if he has any honour left in him.”
The National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Ladipo Johnson, argued that Obasanjo’s comments had some merits.
“He is thorough and must have his reasons for saying what he said. In any event, it behoves Nigerians to look at the performance of INEC since 2015. Are we on an upward trajectory or are we on a downward trajectory?
“The answer is there for everybody. Except we want to continue to fool ourselves. But when an elder statesman makes a call like that, everyone has to revisit the issue and chart a way forward,” Johnson stated.
His counterpart in the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, equally said Obasanjo was expressing the minds of the masses, who he said had long given up on INEC.
Ifoh added that ‘’despite being given N1 billion taxpayers money’’ ahead of the 2023 poll to invest in election technology through iREV (INEC Result Viewing portal) and BVAS ( Bimodal Voter Accreditation System), Nigerians found it appalling that the facilities were not effectively deployed for the elections.
He said, “It is a crime against the Nigerian masses. Obasanjo is someone who speaks truth to power. He is also known not to mince his words. He lives among the poor in his Ota farm settlement. So, he understands what people are going through.
“Those men at the leadership of INEC are still in office because this is Nigeria. In a developed democracy, they would have resigned a long time ago. But look at them just sitting in their offices comfortably.
“To make things worse, the judiciary is supporting them. Even in this last election in Ondo State, the President was telling those who were not content with the result to go to court. They are now making our courts look pedestrian because they know if you go to court, they will buy out the judgment.”
“So, the former President has said it all. I don’t think INEC has done well at all. They have done a disservice to this nation. The ridiculous economy we are having today is as a result of their action,” he stated.
PUNCH
Politics
Enugu High Court Receives OAU Onyema’s N20m Recovery Suit Against NDC, Dickson, Egwu, Others
A legal battle has commenced at the Enugu State High Court following the filing of Suit No. E/619/2026 by Chief Sir OAU Onyema against the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), former Bayelsa State Governor Senator Seriake Dickson, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, Barrister Ikenna Enekweizu, former Ebonyi State Governor Dr. Sam Ominyi Egwu, and First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
The plaintiff is seeking the recovery of N20 million, which he alleges was procured through misrepresentation, undue influence, and coercive inducement, resulting in what he described as unjust enrichment by the defendants.
According to court documents, the defendants have been given 42 days to file their defence. The plaintiff has also filed an application for summary judgment, urging the court to enter judgment in his favour without a full trial on the grounds that the defendants allegedly have no viable defence to the claims. The defendants were granted 14 days after service to respond to the motion.
In a 41-paragraph affidavit supported by 12 exhibits, the plaintiff detailed the basis of his claims and requested an order compelling the defendants, jointly and severally, to refund the N20 million allegedly paid into Account No. 1046691859 belonging to the first defendant and domiciled with FCMB.
As part of the summary judgment application, the plaintiff is also seeking an order freezing the account pending the determination of the substantive suit if the court declines to grant immediate judgment.
In the substantive action, the plaintiff seeks declarations that the N20 million payment was obtained through misrepresentation, undue influence and coercive inducement, and that the defendants’ continued retention of the funds amounts to unjust enrichment.
He is further asking the court to award N5 million as special damages for litigation costs, N200 million as general damages for alleged psychological trauma, embarrassment, hardship and inconvenience, and interest on the disputed sum at the rate of 10 per cent per month from June 2, 2026, until full repayment.
The matter has been tentatively adjourned to July 2, 2026, for returns on court assignment and the fixing of further hearing dates.
Further details of the proceedings are expected as the case progresses.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released a revised final list of candidates for the June 20, 2026 Enugu North Senatorial District by-election, approving seven candidates from different political parties to contest for the vacant Senate seat.
The updated list significantly expands the race, following the commission’s earlier publication which featured only three candidates from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Boot Party (BP).
The initial exclusion of candidates from several parties, including the Labour Party (LP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC), generated controversy and prompted legal and political reactions across the senatorial district.
The Labour Party had approached the court to challenge the omission of its candidate from the election. However, following the inclusion of its flag bearer in the revised list, the party reportedly withdrew the suit.
According to INEC’s final notice, the candidates cleared to participate in the by-election are Chika Idoko Emmanuel (ADC), Asogwa Ikeje Israel (APC), Aneke Kingsley Chukwuebuka (BP), Eze Ejike Simon (LP), Ossai Elias Okwudili (NDC), Ezeme Nestor Chika (PDP), and Ugwuanyi Charles Ugochukwu (PRP).
The revised list brings four additional political parties into the contest, broadening the field and offering voters more options ahead of the election.
Political observers and stakeholders have welcomed the development, describing it as a step toward a more inclusive and competitive electoral process.
The by-election is scheduled to hold on June 20 across the six local government areas that make up Enugu North Senatorial District: Nsukka, Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South, Udenu, Uzo-Uwani, and Igbo Etiti.
INEC’s records show that Eze Ejike Simon of the Labour Party, aged 67, is the oldest candidate in the race, closely followed by Ossai Elias Okwudili of the NDC, who is 66.
The youngest contender is Aneke Kingsley Chukwuebuka of the Boot Party at 39 years, while Chika Idoko Emmanuel of the ADC is 41.
Other candidates include APC’s Asogwa Ikeje Israel, aged 56; PDP’s Ezeme Nestor Chika, aged 55; and PRP’s Ugwuanyi Charles Ugochukwu, also 55.
The commission further disclosed that all seven candidates contesting the by-election are male.
With the publication of the final list, political parties are expected to intensify campaigns in the final days before the poll, which will determine who represents Enugu North Senatorial District in the Senate for the remainder of the current tenure.
Credit: Nation
Stakeholders also called for sanctions against Justice Peter Lifu for flouting a superior court order, as the ADC assures supporters they will remain on the ballot.
Political parties and stakeholders affected by the Federal High Court’s controversial deregistration order welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of the judgment.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had on Tuesday ordered a stay of execution of the judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the ADC, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party, while delivering a stinging rebuke to Justice Lifu for flouting a May 22 appellate court order restraining him from delivering the ruling.
In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, a three-member panel led by Justice A. B. Mohammed condemned Justice Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja for flouting a May 22 order that directed him to suspend proceedings before him, describing his conduct as the gravest form of judicial misconduct.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution,” the panel held.
The appellate court went further, invoking a Supreme Court precedent to characterise Justice Lifu’s conduct in the harshest terms.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is the highest form of judicial impertinence,” the panel declared, adding that the Supreme Court had previously held that a judge who acted in such a manner “is unfit for the bench as it amounts to judicial rascality.”
The court said it had a duty to assert its supervisory authority over lower courts and protect the integrity of the judicial hierarchy.
“Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This court has supervisory authority over the trial court. This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for stay of execution is hereby granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed,” the panel ruled.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Lifu, had on Monday ordered INEC to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party and Zenith Labour Party, ruling that the five parties failed to meet the constitutional performance thresholds under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, specifically, requirements related to securing at least 25 per cent of votes in certain states or winning seats in the 2023 general elections.
Earlier in Tuesday’s proceedings, INEC told the appellate court it was stunned by Justice Lifu’s decision to deliver the judgment, disclosing that the commission only learned of the ruling through media reports rather than any official notification.
INEC’s lead counsel, Mr Haliru Mohammed, told the panel that the commission had been aware of the appellate court’s May 22 order restraining the lower court from delivering the judgment, which had originally been reserved for June 5.
“We were not aware of any notice from the court regarding the delivery of the judgment. We only saw it as breaking news in the media. We therefore do not oppose the application of the appellant to stay the execution of the judgment,” Mohammed submitted.
The commission also aligned itself with the notice of appeal filed by the affected political parties.
Counsel to the ADC, Mr Shuaibu Aruwa, SAN, told the court that Justice Lifu communicated the judgment’s delivery to the party via WhatsApp, a disclosure that drew visible reactions from the bench.
Aruwa described the lower court’s conduct as an invitation to anarchy and urged the appellate court to invoke its disciplinary jurisdiction under Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution to sanction the judge.
“The action of the trial judge calls for swift and extraordinary measures from this court. We have come to the stage where this court should press the reset button.
“We urge this court to take disciplinary steps by immediately suspending that judgment. This court has the power to protect its own integrity. We pray this court suspends the judgment immediately without further delay,” he added.
APC reacts
Reacting to the appellate court’s decision, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ruling offered a measure of hope for the judiciary’s credibility, though he was careful not to celebrate unreservedly.
“It indicates that the judiciary may still redeem itself. We are cautiously delighted but we insist that it shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” Abdullahi said in a telephone interview.
He called on the National Judicial Council to take urgent steps to rid the bench of judges whose conduct brought the institution into disrepute.
“We, therefore, hope that the judicial council will take urgent steps to purge the bench of judges who bring the judicial institution to disrepute,” he said.
The National Leader of the Action Peoples Party, Ikenga Ugochinyere, was more emphatic in his welcome of the ruling, describing it as a vindication of the party’s position from the outset and calling on the NJC to weed out what he termed controversial judges.
“There was no need to panic in the first place, and, so, this ruling is a vindication of our position from the get-go,” Ugochinyere said.
Former Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has dismissed as false and misleading reports circulating on social media alleging that he is supporting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Barr. Nestor Ezeme, in the forthcoming Enugu North Senatorial District bye-election.
In a statement personally signed by him, Ugwuanyi described the claim as fake news orchestrated by political mischief-makers seeking to gain undue advantage ahead of the poll scheduled for June 20, 2026.
The former governor, who is now a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said he has no reason to support a candidate from another political party, stressing that his loyalty remains with the APC and all its candidates.
“As a committed member of the APC, I have no business supporting the candidate of another party. My support is firmly and unequivocally for all APC candidates, from the President down to the Councillor,” Ugwuanyi stated.
He specifically reaffirmed his support for the APC candidate in the Enugu North Senatorial bye-election, Chief Ikeje Asogwa, maintaining that his position on the contest has never been in doubt.
“I stand by Chief Ikeje Asogwa and my party, the APC. Any claim to the contrary is fake news and should be dismissed by the public,” he said.
Ugwuanyi further alleged that the rumours were being spread by individuals bent on deceiving the electorate through name-dropping and misinformation.
“These false reports are the handiwork of mischief-makers who have resorted to propaganda and deception in pursuit of electoral gains. The people should not be misled,” he added.
The former governor urged members of the public and supporters across the Enugu North Senatorial District to disregard the reports and remain focused on the issues ahead of the election.
Actor-turned-politician and former presidential campaign spokesman, Kenneth Okonkwo, has declared that he will not support the presidential ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if reports that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) picked its vice-presidential candidate from the South-South are confirmed.
Okonkwo made his position known in a strongly worded statement posted on his X account on June 15, 2026, where he accused the emerging opposition coalition of perpetuating the political marginalisation of the South-East.
The former Labour Party chieftain said he could not, in good conscience, campaign for any presidential ticket that excludes the South-East from both the presidential and vice-presidential positions.
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well. I am not favourably disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as President or Vice in 2027,” Okonkwo stated.
His remarks effectively distance him from Atiku’s campaign and signal a major crack within the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general election.
The lawyer and political activist expressed disappointment over reports that the vice-presidential slot may have been ceded to the South-South despite the sacrifices made by leaders from the South-East in building and sustaining the coalition.
“I heard from the social media that ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East,” he said.
Okonkwo recalled that the ADC was founded by former National Chairman, Chief Ralphs Nwosu, an indigene of the South-East, and argued that the party’s coalition arrangement was never intended to sideline the region.
“The ADC was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005. He made the sacrifice to give up the party in 2025 for the coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. He couldn’t have made that sacrifice to marginalise his own people,” he stated.
According to him, the South-East had already relinquished key positions within the coalition and deserved consideration for the vice-presidential slot.
“I did not join the coalition to assist in the further marginalisation of my own people. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the National Chairman and the President, it will amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the Vice President in 2027,” he said.
Okonkwo further disclosed that his only request to Atiku was to demonstrate his commitment to the political inclusion of the South-East by choosing a running mate from the region.
“The only favour I asked Atiku Abubakar, who openly declared that he is the pathway to the presidency of the South-East, is to show it by choosing someone from the South-East to be his Vice,” he stated.
He maintained that his political involvement has always been driven by the desire to build a Nigeria where no region, ethnic group or individual is marginalised.
“I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, Geo-Political Zone, or person will be marginalised,” he added.
His declaration is expected to fuel fresh debate over zoning, equity and power-sharing within the opposition coalition as preparations intensify for the 2027 presidential election.
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