Politics
Impeachment: APC moves to stop PDP lawmakers’ gang-up
It was also learnt that the impeachment plot by the opposition senators and House of Representatives memb Joners was part of a bigger agenda to outsmart APC in 2023 poll.
The PDP lawmakers have issued a six-week ultimatum to the president to resolve the security challenge or face impeachment.
APC National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who dismissed the threat, said it is political.
He said: “This is election season. The PDP senators are whipping up sentiments. They want to de-market our party and the Buhari administration.
“It is not desirable that PDP senators should politicise security. Security is a collective responsibility. The opposition in parliament should contribute useful suggestions, and not to start playing to the gallery.”
Yesterday, African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu described the impeachment threat as self-serving.
Sources said APC leaders were shocked that PDP senators allegedly went overboard on the decision of the Executive Session of the Senate.
They were also angry that PDP senators sold a dummy to the public that the “opposition is in control of the two chambers of the National Assembly.”
It was gathered that APC leaders took preliminary stock of the situation and decided to halt further moves to embarrass the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Some of our leaders have met in Abuja. We are ready to nip the so-called threat in the bud. It is a fluke because it was the stock in trade of PDP when it was in power.
“We have made up our minds that we won’t allow PDP to ambush our administration. We know that they do not have the numbers, but they can make disturbing noise.
“I know that before the end of the recess of the National Assembly, the threat will be over.”
The source gave insights into what transpired on Wednesday in the Senate.
He said: “The PDP Senators derailed from the consensus reached at the Senate Executive Session because of sheer politics.
“Senators Gabriel Suswam and Opeyemi Bamidele foresaw the development when they cautioned their colleagues.
“But they did not listen because they have their agenda cut out for them by some forces in their party. We know those behind the impeachment threat.
“It was all politics by PDP to present a false narrative to Nigerians ahead of 2023 poll.
“Was PDP not in power when insurgency became the order of the day? What did they do?
“By the time Nigerians see the factsheet, they will know that this administration is really addressing the nation’s security challenges.”
It was gathered that some aggrieved APC senators, who lost return tickets, tacitly supported the move by their PDP colleagues to embarrass the president.
Another source, however, said one of the steps being initiated by APC leaders was to address their grievances.
The source listed the issues as follows:
Slowness in addressing the aftermath of party primaries
Absence of regular caucus meeting
Lack of regular consultation with lawmakers by the President as expected in a democracy
Lack of constant interaction with party leadership
Poor communication with the lawmakers and Nigerians on the fight against insurgency, banditry and killing of troops.
Lack of inclusiveness.
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He added: “These gaps are really being exploited by PDP to harass and intimidate APC government under the guise of insecurity.
“In the next few weeks, we will try as much as possible to address some of these problems.
“But I can tell you that impeachment is unrealistic; it is a storm in a tea cup. We will, however, tell ourselves the truth on the need to improve on what we have been doing.”
As of press time, some PDP senators and a few aggrieved elements in APC have agreed to meet on Sunday in Abuja.
An opposition senator said: “We will meet to decide on what to do if there is no improvement in the nation’s security architecture within six weeks.
“We will keep you posted, but we will place premium on national interest.”
‘National Assembly complicit in govt’s failure’
Kachikwu, in a statement by his media office in Abuja, said before Buhari can heed the call to resign, the leadership of both chambers must resign first.
He said the “National Assembly is complicit in the failure of government in the country”, which has resulted in the deteriorating security situation.
Kachikwu said: “I was very amused to hear some senators and members from the Lower House call for the President to be impeached.
“This is a self-serving call. The same people who have refused to do their jobs in the last three years have just woken up to realise that the President should be impeached.
“What exactly has happened today that is different from what has been happening since President Buhari was sworn in seven years ago for the first term and three years ago for the second term?
“Are the attacks today any different? Are the deaths less or more meaningful?
“Is there any life worth more than the other? Are they reacting now because Abuja is threatened?
“The National Assembly is complicit in the failure of this government, so they should ask their leadership to resign before calling on President Buhari to resign.”
The ADC flag bearer lamented that the checks and balances enshrined in the Constitution “never envisaged that Nigerians would be saddled with a spineless and self-serving legislature.”
He added: “Buhari has failed and should resign or be impeached but he failed because the legislature failed in their duties.
“The entire leadership of the National Assembly should also resign or be impeached. This is the double-edged sword called doctrine of collective responsibility.”
Protest a charade, says CD
The Campaign for Democracy (CD) said the lawmakers know what to if they really mean business.
Its General Secretary, Pastor Ifeanyi Odili, in a statement, described their action as a charade.
The statement reads: “The protest that took place at the red chamber of the National Assembly is a charade, pantomime – a theatrical entertainment, mainly for children, slapstick comedy usually produced during Christmas period.
“The Senators are not unintelligent, illiterates or alliens to know the business of the National Assembly.
“Matching like college students, chanting ‘Buhari Must Go’ means they do not know the business of the National Assembly.
“Therefore, the senators who participated in the protest should be impeached without further delay.
“Impeaching a sitting President has a series of procedures, which we think they are all familiar with unless they want to have Nigerians believe that they are just fooling Nigerians.
“The protest has exposed to the international community, that they are intellectually bankrupt as it is a direct attack on the reputation of the hallowed chamber.”
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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