Politics
FG knocks Obasanjo as ex-President rates Buhari worst in corruption
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a scathing critique of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, declaring it the worst in Nigeria’s democratic history.
Obasanjo, however, said the current government of President Bola Tinubu appears to be following the same path of misgovernance and corruption and may surpass Buhari’s record.
The former president made these assertions in the first chapter of his newly released book, “Nigeria: Past and Future.”
The book was one of the two new books the former President unveiled last week in commemoration of his 88th birthday.
Obasanjo, in th book described the N15.6tn Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project as wasteful and corrupt.
He also slammed Tinubu’s administration for spending N21bn on a new official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, calling it a misplaced priority and conduit designed to embezzle public funds.
He said, “Typical examples of waste, corruption and misplaced priority are the mucky Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road on which the President had turned deaf ears to protests and the new Vice-President’s official residence built at a cost of N21bn in the time of economic hardship to showcase the administration hitting the ground running and to show the importance of the office of the Vice-President. What small minds!”
The former President, however, said corruption was worst under Buhari’s watch, with the strong support of his Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
“The most atrocious waste, enthronement of corruption and discouragement of officials fighting corruption took place under the watch of President Buhari and the devil’s workshop, his Attorney General, Abubakar Malami,” Obasanjo said.
He, however, asserted that the Tinubu government might surpass Buhari’s record.
“Given about two years of President Tinubu in office, it appears that the game of short-changing the over 230 million Nigerians continues because everything is said to be transactional and the slogan is ‘It is my turn to chop,’” Obasanjo added.
Buhari could not be reached for comment on Thursday as his spokesman, Garba Shehu, did not respond to calls and text messages on the allegations against the ex-president.
Malami also declined to react to the book, saying he had not read it.
Malami said in a voice note, “Indeed, I will be able to respond. However, I would not like to comment on mere speculations. I am not certain such allegations were made. Even in his own case, if you recall, during a Hard Talk interview, similar allegations of corruption were raised against him, and he is well aware of that.
“In light of the fact that His Excellency, President Obasanjo, has also been a victim of unsubstantiated allegations of corruption over time, I find it unlikely that he would make similar claims without specific references—such as who provided the alleged bribe, when it was given, how much was involved, under what circumstances, and who facilitated it.
“All these details are necessary when making an allegation. But if the claim remains vague, I find it difficult to conclude that His Excellency indeed made such an assertion—especially given that he himself has faced similar accusations in the past.
“So, kindly refer me to the specific page, and if possible, provide a scan or an extract so that I can respond objectively. I have not yet gone through the book to confirm whether such allegations were indeed made by His Excellency, President Olusegun Obasanjo.”
He had yet to respond as of press time on Thursday.
The Presidency, however, came hard on former President Obasanjo on the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, during an interview on Television Continental, stated that the N15.6tn coastal highway was a visionary legacy project with enormous economic potential.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, in a post on X, said “Former President Obasanjo seems to see himself as the only Nigerian created by God who knows what is good for Nigeria per time.
“If, as President for eight years, he couldn’t fix the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Lagos-Abeokuta road, we can’t take his latest view on the Lagos-Calabar highway as well-informed.”
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, speaking in Akure, Ondo State, said, “The project is not wasteful and corrupt. I have read on social media where people were saying that why is the government or the contractor not explaining, but as the Minister of Works, I am qualified to explain the project.
“It is natural and normal for people to criticise, but I’ve run the benefits of the project and the cost analysis. The jobs are already done about 70 per cent and the project will bring a lot of prosperity to the citizens. I’ll ask those criticising it not to follow the road.”
Emphasising that the first section of the project would be completed next year, Umahi said, “I want to commend the President. His peers are jealous and angry but that means he is doing very well, especially on what nobody has been able to do.
“The project is transparent, it is great in return of investment. I want to urge everyone to ignore distractions.”
In his book, Obasanjo particularly criticised Buhari for failing to live up to the ideals he once championed as a military ruler in 1983.
Recalling how Buhari justified his coup against the civilian administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari by condemning corruption and electoral malpractice, Obasanjo regretted that Buhari presided over a government that became the worst in Nigeria’s civil administration.
He explained that in 1983 when giving the reasons why the democratically-elected government of the late Alhaji Shehu Shagari was toppled by the military, Gen Buhari (retd) had cited mismanagement of public funds hurting and making the country’s economy to be weak, lack of credible polls, among others as the reason for the military take-over.
In the book, Buhari was quoted to have said, “The last general election was anything but free and fair…There is ample evidence that rigging and thuggery were relative to the resources available to the political parties.
“This conclusively proved to us that the parties have not developed in the presidential system of government in which the nation invested so much materials and human resources.
“The corrupt, inept and insensitive leadership in the last four years have been the source of immorality and impropriety in our society…We deplore corruption in all its facets.”
Obasanjo, however, said that as good as Buhari’s 1983 speech was, he failed woefully to match his words with actions, even when he had the opportunity to serve the country for eight years as a democratically elected President, his administration was the worst in the nation’s history of civil governance.
He said “Good points and good words which Buhari failed to follow when he became president eleven years later.
“Words are cheap and what needed to be done was left undone during Buhari’s civil administration regime from 2015 to 2023, the worst civil administration regime so far in Nigerian history.
“Maybe those ideas and thoughts were not his; he just came to read them as written for him. Only Bola Tinubu’s administration seems to be competing with Buhari’s for now.”
In the chapter titled “From the Beginning Till Now: The Missing Key,” Obasanjo reflected on Nigeria’s post-independence leadership, highlighting bad governance, corruption, and self-interest as persistent obstacles to national progress.
He said successive governments, both military and civilian, have always identified bad governance, bad leadership, and corruption as major contributing factors to the country’s stagnated development and abject poverty, but would eventually do little or nothing to change the narrative.
The former President had scathing remarks for some of the officials under the watch of former President Buhari.
He said though it was difficult for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to secure convictions of VIPs involved in grand corruption, this difficult task was achieved with the jailing of former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, for 10 years and his Taraba counterpart, Jolly Nyame for 12 years over N1.126bn and N1.64bn embezzlement of state funds respectively.
Dariye and Nyame were released from the correctional facility in the Kuje council area of the Federal Capital Territory on August 8, 2022, four months after they were granted state pardon.
At a Council of State meeting presided over by former President Buhari in April 2022, Dariye and Nyame were among 159 inmates pardoned.
The two former governors, who were both jailed for fraud, were granted pardon on the grounds of age and ill-health.
Nyame was convicted in 2018 and given 14 years imprisonment for diverting public funds, but his sentence was later reduced to 12 years in 2020, following a ruling by the Supreme Court which affirmed the judgment of the court of appeal on the matter.
Dariye was sentenced to 14 years in prison for N1.126bn fraud, but his jail term was reduced by four years, following a verdict by the Supreme Court affirming an earlier judgment by the appellate court.
Speaking on their pardon, Obasanjo said it was based on the strong advice of Malami as AGF.
The former president said Buhari sought the advice of the Council of State to grant the two former governors presidential pardon on health grounds.
“Words circulated later that neither of them had a life-threatening illness; it was all made up.
“It was all part of Malami’s financial shenanigans and he played many of such to his advantage. His principal concurred, condoned, turned a blind eye and a deaf ear and paid lip service to fight corruption while cohabitating comfortably with corruption in multifarious ways.
“I was made to understand that some officials of the EFCC were terribly disappointed, discouraged, downcast and lost the pep in doing their work of fighting corruption as a result of this government action,” Obasanjo said.
He noted that another sore thumb in the administration of Buhari was the shameful way the project of a new national carrier for the country was handled by the former aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, said to be a close blood relation of Buhari.
“Hadi Sirika believed that he was fooling Nigerians when after N85bn had been budgeted for the establishment of Nigeria Air and released, the dishonourable minister reputed to be a close blood relation of Buhari hired an aircraft from Ethiopia Airline, painted it in Nigerian colours and left it as a parting gift to Nigeria and Nigerians.
“Later, he denied having spent N85bn on the project and that, from 2016 to 2023, all of the money voted and budgeted for Nigeria Air was N5bn.
“Where has the money budgeted for the establishment of Nigeria Air gone? Neither the outgoing president nor the incoming president has done enough about it.
“You can do anything, and no matter how atrocious, if you are rightly connected, there will be no consequence. In the circumstances of outgoing and incoming presidents, you can get away with murder unless you do not rightly belong. There are selective justices and selective consequences at best.
“For the minister of aviation, it was the most reckless and condemnable audacity, barefaced stealing with the encouragement and condonation of the presidency.
“About 230 million Nigerians were being taken for a ride as if we were all stupid fools. Without consequence, he would get away with his action and others would do worse,” Obasanjo stated.
He added that there were many more in Malami and Sirika’s class within the cohorts of the Buhari administration.
The EFCC is currently prosecuting Sirika and three others, Fatima Hadi Sirika, Jalal Sule Hamma and Al Buraq Global Investment on six count amended charges bordering on contract fraud to the tune of N2,825,032,220.97.
The former President feared that Tinubu’s cohorts may outdo Buhari, judging by the first one or two years in office.
The octogenarian said he blew the whistle on his ex-minister for power and steel, Dr Olu Agunloye, on the alleged fraudulent $6bn Mambilla Power Project contract to tackle the sore and repulsive corrupt practices of officeholders in the country.
Obasanjo laments wastes
Speaking on how the chief executives both at the federal and state levels encouraged waste and corruption, he cited the examples of Agunloye, Buhari, and late President Umaru Yar’Adua.
He said while some waste could be inadvertently occasioned by lack of knowledge, capacity and general inadequacy to do otherwise, some are deliberate and have cost the nation a fortune.
Obasanjo explained that under the military leadership of the late Gen Murtala Mohammed whom he served as his Vice, the nation lost $150m on balloon communication for the Ministry of Communication in the eagerness to improve on telecommunications.
He said, “The contractor and our external and internal consultants along with engineers in the ministry assured us that the balloon communication would work, but it had to be abandoned as unworkable after close to $150m had been expended.”
Obasanjo said this was a good example of inadvertent waste just like continuous issues of gas flaring said to have cost the nation a revenue loss of a whopping $59bn as of the end of 2023.
The former President, however, observed that the decision of Buhari during his military leadership to arbitrarily cancel the contract for the metro line in Lagos State, which was meticulously negotiated by the then governor of the state, the late Lateef Jakande, was a grievous error.
The contractor, Interinfra, reportedly went to court in Europe and obtained 650m French francs which is about $100m, almost the amount of money the project would have cost.
He said that was how, his successor, Yar’Adua, also disregarded the legal counsel and cancelled the concession agreement on the Ajaokuta Steel Plant with the affiliate facility of the Iron Ore Mining Company with Global Steel Holding Ltd.
“The contract would have lawfully become null and void and the government entitled to more than $26 million as damages from the Indian firm.
“This was because the firm appeared unable to pay the first tranche for the Ajaokuta shares before the first anniversary of the agreement (May 25, 2008). This failure would have given Nigeria a right to over $26 million as liquidated damages under Clause 12 of the Ajaokuta Share Purchase Agreement.
“Instead, the Federal Government agreed to part with about $496 million to settle a $5.23bn claim by the Indian firm. It was another waste of resources that could have gone for the provision of infrastructure for Nigeria,” he lamented.
He disclosed further that “With the heavy payment by Nigeria for inappropriate actions of revocation of agreements and contracts by Presidents Buhari and Yar’Adua, there seems to have developed a new industry in Nigeria of local contractors and foreign contractor seeking old contracts and agreements, purchases and transactions that can be unearthed to punch holes in them to make bogus claims with the arbitrator, judge or mediator being procured to join the sharing formula.
“This, I believe, is the case of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Ltd and Olu Agunloye for Mambilla on which I blew the whistle. Agunloye and his cohorts, for personal aggrandisement, were taking Nigeria for a ride.
“Some families are spuriously appearing for properties developed by governments more than 50 years ago or more acquired, paid for and developed by government and these families are claiming compensation again with the support and collusion of people in government. The government has to be milked dry once the claimants’ mouths are watered. What a people!”
Presidency defends project
The Presidency described the N15.6tn Lagos-Calabar coastal highway as a visionary legacy project with enormous economic potential.
Darem in an interview of TVC, said the coastal road would bring enormous economic potential to the country, adding that the project would be one of the best infrastructure in the country.
“Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is a visionary legacy project with enormous economic potential.
“Recall when the Lekki-Epe corridor was opened, everyone thought that President Bola Tinubu, who was then Governor of Lagos, didn’t know what he was doing.
“That corridor has opened up in the last 15 years, and some of the highest rates of real estate have sprung up. We’ve seen the Dangote refinery, we’ve seen the Lagos Free Trade Zone and a lot of developments along that corridor.
“Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, when completed and fully utilised, will be one of the best projects ever put out by any President of this country.”
Also speaking, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, in a statement on his X handle, said “While it is common for many elder statesmen to write books aimed at sanctifying their days as the leader of the country, despite obvious flaws, another elder statesman, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has just published a memoir containing claims that would further relegate his integrity as the leader who opened Nigeria to the cankerworms of corruption, by neglecting important projects that could have changed the trajectory of this country if he had focused on what mattered in his days.
“By underplaying the importance of the Lagos-Calabar project in his latest book, OBJ has not only affirmed to those who witnessed his administration’s several failures to address the needs of the country when he had the opportunity, but he has also put in written form, a position which generations to come will indeed question when the road that will end up as one of the most significant endeavours of any Federal Government in the history of the country finally becomes a reality.
“Despite spending eight years in government and failing in his attempt to force himself on Nigerians for a further four years, Baba Obasanjo failed woefully in addressing the infrastructural needs of his state; indeed, it took former President Buhari just three years to deliver the first modern rail to pass through baba’s backyard in Abeokuta.
“The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was southwest and indeed one of Nigeria’s most important road projects in recent times, both baba and the PDP spent 16 years without getting the project beyond 30 per cent completion until Buhari happened.
“What about the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway that has now been inherited by Governor (Dapo) Abiodun in 2024 because the President who hailed from the state failed to make it a reality, despite having all the power and goodwill to do so?”
The presidential aide queried the corruption allegations in the Obasanjo administration, as he asked the former president to attempt to explain to Nigerians why he failed to help the country transit into a great country under his leadership.
He said, “Should we delve into the corruption that brought Nigeria’s power sector to its knees despite the claims of spending billions of dollars to fix the same under his administration? Or his failure to revive our refineries, killing our steel industry and fraudulent privatisation of NITEL, among others?
“President Obasanjo must emulate others before him by returning to his writing board to at least attempt to explain to Nigerians why he failed to help Nigeria transition into a proper country under his leadership, despite emerging at a time when the goodwill was at an all-time high, compared to these days when President Tinubu now has to take all the decisions they failed to take.
“Like the Sokoto-Badagry Highway and Lagos-Abuja Highway, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road is a project that will change the economic landscape of our country for life and former President OBJ must pretend not to be jealous of the master strategist who is rewriting the history of the southwestern presidency by fixing all that needs to be fixed across the country.”
He concluded that Tinubu would not be deterred by distractions, adding that Nigerians who understood development would also not be distracted.
Politics
Enugu NDC Passes Vote Of Confidence On Dr. Johnpaul Anih-Led State Exco, Warns Against Destabilisation
The Enugu State chapter of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has unanimously passed a vote of confidence in the Dr. Johnpaul Anih-led State Working Committee (SWC), reaffirming its confidence in the current leadership and warning individuals allegedly plotting to destabilise the party to desist.
The resolution was reached on Saturday during an expanded meeting of the state working committee, party stakeholders, candidates and members, who commended the state executive for its leadership, commitment and efforts at repositioning the NDC in Enugu State.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the meeting, the Chairman of the party in Isiuzo Local Government Area, Hon. Jonathan Ogbu, said the current state leadership had transformed the fortunes of the party in Enugu.
“This is the only leadership of the party that emerged through a valid congress monitored by INEC, and any attempt by Enugu politicians spending dollars in Abuja to destabilise the party will be firmly resisted”.
“Without the current leadership, nobody would be hearing about the NDC in Enugu State today. The Dr. Johnpaul Anih-led executive has given the party life and made it attractive through its programmes and grassroots mobilisation,” he said.
Corroborating his position, the Igboeze North Local Government Chairman of the party, Hon. Kingsley Ape and his Aninri counterpart, Hon. Stephen Ajah, stated that the achievements of the present leadership had positioned the party to participate effectively in the forthcoming local government elections.
According to them, without the Dr. Johnpaul Anih-led executive, the NDC would not have been on the ballot for the forthcoming local government chairmanship and councillorship elections in Enugu State.
The party leaders declared that they remain firmly behind Dr. Anih and his executive, insisting that the State Working Committee enjoys the overwhelming confidence and support of the party’s grassroots structure across the 17 local government areas of the state.
They further warned that any attempt to tamper with the existing leadership could trigger a mass exodus of members from the party in Enugu State.
The stakeholders also cautioned individuals allegedly fomenting crisis within the party, urging them to steer clear of activities capable of undermining the unity, stability and progress of the NDC.
According to them, any attempt to create parallel party structures or sow discord among members would be firmly resisted in the interest of preserving the party’s cohesion ahead of future political engagements.
The members equally expressed concern over what they described as the actions of the party’s national leadership, alleging that recent developments could further deepen internal disagreements if not handled with fairness and respect for due process.
They urged the national leadership to refrain from actions capable of escalating tensions within the party, stressing that internal disputes should be resolved in line with the party’s constitution and democratic principles.
Reaffirming their loyalty to the NDC, the stakeholders called on members across the state to remain united, focused and committed to building a stronger political platform.
They pledged their continued support for the Dr. Johnpaul Anih-led State Working Committee and maintained that the Enugu chapter would continue to protect the integrity of the party while working tirelessly to advance its political objectives in the state.
Kwankwaso disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, saying the agreement was aimed at ensuring power returns to the North after a single four-year tenure in line with the party’s power-sharing arrangement.
The former Kano State governor said he had no reason to doubt Obi’s commitment to honouring the agreement.
“Oh yes, I personally believe him. I don’t think, based on what I now know about him, that he will change his mind when the time comes. We are all gentlemen,” he said.
Asked whether the understanding had been documented, Kwankwaso replied that both the party and the two candidates signed separate agreements.
“We have done one for the party, and we have done another one between the two of us,” he said.
Explaining the substance of the agreement, Kwankwaso said it provides for a single four-year tenure for Obi before the presidency returns to the North.
“The agreement is what you said, that for four years, we will work together, team together as a group, party, friends and brothers so that after his term of four years (2027-2031), it comes back to the North. That is the general agreement.”
“Together we felt that the presidency should go to the South for four years; thereafter it will come back to the North.
“We believe that should be the consensus of everybody in this country so that we can move together as a family, both North and South,” he said.
On whether he intends to contest the presidency in 2031, Kwankwaso said the party remained focused on winning the 2027 election while keeping its long-term political plans in view.
“We have a short-term plan which we are executing now and, of course, we also have our medium and long-term plans for the country, and that is what we are working on now,” he said.
Obi had in May announced that he would serve only one term if elected president, saying the decision was intended to promote political stability and strengthen national unity.
“I want to be a one-term president because of stability. I would not stay a day, with a gun to my head, longer than four years,” Obi had said.
The NDC has consistently defended its power-sharing arrangement, presenting the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket as a consensus aimed at balancing the country’s regional interests ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The leadership crisis rocking the Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a fresh turn on Monday after the Federal High Court in Abuja granted a stay of execution on its earlier judgment that removed Sen. Emma Anosike as the party’s state chairman.
The order effectively restores Anosike to office pending the determination of the legal proceedings.
The dispute began after a faction of the party led by Ifeanyi Osegbo approached the court, seeking recognition as the duly constituted State Working Committee (SWC) of the APC. The application was opposed by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Following the initial judgment, the Anambra APC dismissed the ruling as a “kangaroo judgment,” alleging that the plaintiffs misrepresented facts before the court. The party further claimed that some individuals listed as plaintiffs were unaware of the suit and that their names had been inserted without their knowledge.
The party also argued that Anosike and the state secretary, Mr. Obi Okpala, were not joined as parties in the suit, making the judgment unenforceable against them.
Relying on the earlier judgment, members of the Osegbo faction reportedly took over the party secretariat in Awka, gaining access to the offices and holding a meeting there.
In response, Anosike, Okpala, acting on behalf of themselves and other elected executive members, filed an application challenging the judgment. They asked the court to set aside the ruling delivered on June 24, 2026, by Justice M.G. Umar, describing it as a nullity.
The applicants also sought an order staying the execution of the judgment pending the hearing and determination of their application.
Among the grounds for the application were alleged non-service of originating processes and hearing notices, denial of fair hearing, misrepresentation of facts, forum shopping by the plaintiffs, estoppel, and the court’s inherent jurisdiction to set aside a judgment obtained through procedural defects.
Speaking after Monday’s proceedings, counsel to the APC, Douglas Najime, alleged that the earlier judgment was secured through misrepresentation and without proper service on the affected parties.
According to him, the court’s decision to grant a stay of execution means that Sen. Emma Anosike remains the substantive chairman of the Anambra APC, alongside the existing executive committee, pending the outcome of the appeal.
He maintained that the stay of execution effectively suspends the enforcement of the earlier judgment and preserves the status quo until the legal dispute is finally resolved.
THE adage that pride goes before a fall may have caught up with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded Party Primaries in Abia state as the party displays arrogance, impunity and sense of unguarded pride which according to the adage ( …goes before a fall) Hiding under the cloak of a ruling party at the national level, the APC merchants may have actually dug a pit of hell for the party in Abia state where they aught to have deployed their first eleven.
Undoubtedly, APC story in Abia state as to the recent primaries could be likened to the arithmetic presentation known as ” improper fraction” where the smaller number carries the bigger number on its head thereby carrying unbearable load that is capable of breaking it’s spine. One wonders whether any sane person can prefer the least to the highest.
THE CAUSE OF THE MATTER
The APC in Abia state conducted their primaries in the Month of May 2026.The party at the National Level sent their representatives to the State to conduct the exercise. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were also present, monitored and authenticated the exercise.
Few weeks after the exercise, it was later learned that the APC had set up a kangaroo Primaries Election Appeal Committee at Abuja and upturned the entire exercise and substituted genuinely elected candidates of the party from the Abia South Senatorial Zone of the state with names that came distance last according the results produced by the Primaries.
The Abia South Senatorial Primaries Election was won by Hon. Erondu Junior Erondu while that of Ukwa Federal Constituency was duly won by Hon. Chris Nkwonta, the incumbent member representing the constituency. The APC brazenly substituted the duo with Prince Paul Ikonne and Sam Nwogu. What a daylight goof by the leaders of the APC.
What could have caused this. The Primaries Appeal Committee of the APC conducted their mockery exercise without even hearing from the duo that were said to have been substituted. This was the beginning of the suspicions that there must be an unseen hand remotely involved.
Up till now, no known reason has been offered for the substitution of Hon Erondu and Hon Nkwonta. It is on record that the duo of Ikonne and Nwogu never featured in any of the congresses of the party in the state from the ward to the State level only to emerge from the blues to become candidates of the Party. What an impending disaster if the party allows this rubbish to fly . Of course that would be the party’s end as it has never been known to have won any election in that zone but had always ended distance 4th.
The life APC is enjoying in the Abia South Senatorial Zone today is the cross- carpeting of Hon. Chris Nkwonta who joined the party from the PDP after some months in the Green Chambers and the latest entrant ,Hon. Erondu also from the PDP. There is no APC in Abia South Senatorial Zone without Nkwonta and Erondu and other political parties have been in early jubilations praying that the duo are denied the Party’s ticket as it is already uhuru for them.
Hon. Nkwonta, since he joined the APC has single handedly bankrolled the party at the zone building structures and welcoming multitudes into the party and many have believed and followed him into the party because of the enormous love, support , good will he enjoys amongst his people. There is no doubt that Hon Chris Nkwonta is the most cherished and loved politician in Ukwa land because of his generosity, kindness, open door policy which has impacted immensely on his people even before his foray into politics.
Hardly will one go into any community in Ukwa land that you will not hear his positive testimonies from widows, Youths, adults and that has made him a household name in Ukwa land and as such has also caught the eyes of his envious negligible political opponents scared of his prominence and rising profile. A successful business man who has ever said it that he was in politics to make a difference and serve his people. And within the past three years in the Green Chambers, the difference is clear and shows in all corners of Ukwa land.
BUT WHO ARE THESE MISCHIEVMAKERS IN APC?
Certainly, there are top ranking individuals within and outside the party in the state alleged to be behind this plot to deny elected party candidates their tickets and thereby drag the party into colossal failure, doom and darkness in the state.
Chief Paul Ikonne and Sam Nwogu are said to be members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, a pro President Tinubu group with the lmo state Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma as their leader. The group had been in rival conflict with the APC leadership in the state headed by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ben Kalu. The cold war between the two APC Leaders in the South East is so conspicuous and is entrenched strongly in Abia APC. Both Camps produced candidates for all the elective positions in Abia state ,State House of Assembly, the National Assembly and the Governorship position. It has remained strong rumours in the state that followers of the lmo state Governor had in different fora boasted that Governor Hope Uzodinma will install the next Government in Abia state.
But this is exactly what is playing out in Abia South Senatorial Zone of the APC as candidates of the Imo state Governor continue to lay claim to a candidacy they lost at the Primaries insisting that the matter has been settled at the National Headquarters of the party at Abuja. There is obvious truth in their claim and glaring collaboration with leaders of the APC at the National Level.
If not, one continues to wonder the rush by the leaders of the APC at the National Level to conduct a kangaroo Appeal Panel Committee and quick substitutions and submission of lists to the INEC.
So ridiculous that an Appeal committee was set up simultaneously as the primary election committee was being set up. The appeal committee sat and cleared Hon Erondu and Hon Nkwonta but the NWC decided to go contrary to the report of the appeal committee. Obvious Confusions and suspicious of a hidden motive.
The APC at the state level had through the state Chairman, Hon Chijioke Chukwu recently in a press conference confirmed and affirmed the candidacy of Hon Erondu and Hon. Nkwonta assuring that they remain the party’s authentic candidates for 2027 Elections.
The people of Ukwa Federal Constituency of the APC also recently held a press conference aligning with the decision of the party at the state level.
In a communique recently released after an enlarged stakeholders of the APC in Ukwa East and Ukwa West Federal Constituency The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ukwa East and Ukwa West LGAs indisputably reaffirmed the candidacy of Hon. Chris Nkwonta.
The party leaders said “As the countdown to the 2027 general elections commences, the party has firmly established that Hon. Nkwonta stands as the rightful and duly nominated flagbearer for the Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency, a fact borne out of a resolute commitment to democratic integrity and transparency”
“The meeting was held at the Ukwa-East Party Secretariat in Akwete. The meeting veritably saw the convergence of vital constituents: the executives of APC at the LGA level, ward chairmen, youth leaders, women leaders, ward secretaries and influential senior stakeholders hailing from both Ukwa East and Ukwa West LGAs. Together, a collective voice was forged which resonated with clarity and purpose.
The communiqué bore the signatures of figures including Hon. Chiwuike Ekeke – Chairman of the APC in Ukwa East LGA, Hon. Success Enyinnaya – Chairman of the APC in Ukwa West LGA, Mr. Darlington Iwor – Secretary Ukwa East and Sir Joe Onyedi-Magnus – Secretary Ukwa West. Each signature, remains a will to the unity and steadfast support for Hon. Nkwonta’s candidacy”
“The purpose of this significant gathering was to confront what the party leadership deemed as a plethora of misleading narratives circulating within the vast realms of social media, casting shadows of doubt upon the party’s chosen candidate for the seat of the House of Representatives. In a robust defense of party’s integrity, the leaders articulated their full participation in a transparent primary election, executed in strict accordance with the sanctity of the Electoral Act and the party’s own guiding constitution. The party proudly asserts that on the defining day of May 16, 2026, Hon. Nkwonta emerged victorious, celebrated across the expansive canvas of 20 electoral wards of Ukwa East and Ukwa West LGAs.
With untiring conviction, the party leadership emphasized that the announcement of Nkwonta’s victory was officially heralded by none other than Barr. Erasmus Cishak, the Chairman of the Abia State National Assembly Primary Elections Committee, as constituted by the National Working Committee. The party’s assertions remained fortified with an insistence that Hon. Nkwonta’s candidacy had neither been substituted nor withdrawn at any juncture in this honorable journey.
Delving deeper into the tenets of democratic processes, the stakeholders articulated that the provisions of the Electoral Act delineate precise procedures for candidate nomination and submission, rendering any attempts at undermining this process through social media propaganda or political maneuvering utterly futile.
The sanctity of the APC primary election was further validated by the vigilant oversight of officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ensuring that Nkwonta’s position as the party’s standard-bearer for the impending 2027 general elections stands robust and unassailable”
The party leaders appealed to both party members and the broader public, the Ukwa East and Ukwa West APC to disregard what they characterized as the insidious fabrications of pranksters and scamps. Reaffirming their steadfast dedication to upholding the rule of law, due process and the pillars of internal democracy.
However, the APC leadership of Ukwa East and West extends heartfelt congratulations to Hon. Nkwonta for his significant achievement and pledged a united front to secure his triumph at the poll in 2027.
The party leaders equally expressed their deep appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the National Executive Committee of the APC, the revered Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and APC luminary in Abia State, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, CFR, along with Hon. Chijioke Chukwu—the Abia State APC Chairman and other party leaders for their abiding commitment to principles of justice, due process and democratic integrity.
They reaffirmed their loyalty to the APC and articulated an unshakable support for President Tinubu’s administration, exuding confidence that the party would emerge resoundingly victorious in the upcoming elections.
It is expected that the APC leadership in Abia under Rt Ben Kalu, the Deputy Speaker House of Representatives in his usual characteristics should demonstrate political will and insist that the choice of Abians in his party’s are affirmed and not thwarted. He is the leader of the party in the state and witnessed the entire process during the Primaries so cannot allow an intruder assume leadership position or upturn the wishes of his party members in the state.
It is also very important to let the APC at the National Level know that those masquerading as Ambassadors of the party in Abia are non-performers who wear a robe of discipleship but carry the mark of Judas Iscariot as their actions are totally in variance with the name they profess and their plot will spell doom to APC in Abia state. The authentic list of the party’s candidates as uploaded from INEC should be made public as secrecy surrounding the release does not portray the party in good light.
Members of the party in Abia South Senatorial Zone are watching and waiting. The APC should put its house in order and chart the right course, or risk facing serious political consequences and the looming catastrophe that lies ahead.
Maduforo Ekeke. Writes from Aba. Abia state.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld a Federal High Court judgment restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising state congresses conducted by committees appointed by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a split decision of two to one, the three-member panel affirmed the earlier ruling of the Federal High Court, holding that the congresses organised under the caretaker committee violated an existing court order.
Justice Okon Abang, who delivered the lead judgment, ruled that there was no basis to set aside the restraining order issued by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on April 29.
The appellate court also upheld the lower court’s decision barring the caretaker leadership from interfering with the functions and tenure of the party’s duly elected state executive committees.
According to the court, the ADC Constitution vests the responsibility for conducting state congresses in the elected state executive committees, not the national caretaker leadership.
Justice Donatus Okorowo concurred with the lead judgment, while Justice Abba Mohammed dissented, arguing that the matter was an internal affair of the political party and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The suit was filed by aggrieved members of the ADC, who challenged the legality of committees established by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership to conduct state congresses. They argued that the appointments breached the party’s constitution, insisting that only duly elected party organs had the authority to organise state congresses.
In its earlier ruling, the Federal High Court held that the four-year tenure of the ADC’s State Working Committees and State Executive Committees remained valid until fresh congresses and a national convention were properly conducted.
Justice Abdulmalik further ruled that neither the 1999 Constitution nor the ADC Constitution empowered the caretaker committee to appoint committees to conduct state congresses.
While noting that courts generally refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of political parties, the judge held that judicial intervention is justified where constitutional or statutory provisions are alleged to have been breached.
Affirming the lower court’s decision, the Court of Appeal declared the state congresses and national convention conducted by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership null and void for being carried out in defiance of an existing court order.
The appellate court stressed that once a dispute raises constitutional issues, it ceases to be merely an internal party matter and becomes subject to judicial review.
Consequently, the court dismissed the ADC’s appeal, upheld all the orders of the Federal High Court, and awarded ₦10 million in costs against the party.
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