Politics
Northern Reps members endorse Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid
Amid the rumoured presidential ambition of former Lagos State governor and National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, members of the House of Representatives from the north have endorsed his candidacy for 2023 presidency.
Though Tinubu has yet to declare his intention to contest any office in 2023, there have been rumours and veiled indications that he might be interested in the exalted seat.
A delegation of the northern caucus in the House, led by the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, had on Friday visited Tinubu in London where he has been receiving treatment for the last three months.
On the entourage were the Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Abubakar Fulata; Chairman, House Committee on the Army, Abdulrazak Namdas; Blessing Onuh, daughter of former President of the Senate, David Mark; Sada Soli, among others.
A member of the delegation told one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity that the visit was to endorse Tinubu for President.
The lawmaker said, “We in the North (House of Representatives caucus) are kind of endorsing his candidature because he is a national leader and you know that he is aspiring (allegedly). Whether you like it or not, he wants to be President of this country. So, we felt that if the northern caucus of the National Assembly – in the House of Reps – would come to see how he is recuperating, we thought that it would mean so much.
“He really appreciated our coming because he said he rated our coming second after the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari. He mentioned that governors and others came but this is a mini Nigeria in the House of Reps, for the entire northern caucus to find time to come and see how he is faring.
“He stood up and walked. I’m sure you have seen the video. I think he has recovered; he is not doing badly at all – this is not politics. I think because of his age, he has to still go for physiotherapy and things like that. These are things that will take time for him to fully do some politicking. He will soon come back to Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, in one of the videos from the visit, which has gone viral on the Internet, the lawmaker representing Guevara/Suleja/Tafa Federal Constituency in Niger State, Lado Suleja, called Tinubu “Mr President.”
The lawmakers were seen accompanying Tinubu to a waiting car, during which Suleja said, “Mr President, see you soon,” and the ex-governor replied, “Thank you.”
Speaking on the visit, the source added, “I will not say he is speaking for the caucus. Lado is his loyalist. He has been Tinubu’s loyalist for a long time, we know that. It was Lado that made that statement. All of us – even me – wish he is our President.”
When asked to confirm Asiwaju’s endorsement, Ado-Doguwa stated that it was a ‘get-well visit.’
He said, “I am neither the leader of the delegation nor come as the Northern Caucus, perhaps not the right person to answer your question. But on a personal note, I can tell you that I was on this mission to simply pay a ‘get-well visit’ to the National Leader of our party, the APC, like many other Nigerians have done, including Mr President. My religion and tradition allow for such visits to the sick.
“I, therefore, stand bold to say that I wish Bola Ahmed Tinubu well and pray for his fast recovery. I am further glad to say that I met him in an improved and very encouraging health Condition.”
I’m healthy, just undergoing therapy – Asiwaju
Meanwhile, in another video, the former governor said he was healthy but only undergoing physiotherapy in London. He said this while addressing the northern caucus.
Tinubu, who was dressed in Kaftan and a red cap, has been in the United Kingdom for about three months after undergoing knee surgery. He however described the physiotherapy as gruesome. “Because of God and people like you, I am well. It is just the physio (physiotherapy) that is gruesome,” he added.
Tinubu’s health had become a subject of controversy of late but in a statement on July 31, 2021, his Media Adviser, Tunde Rahman, said though the former governor was out of Nigeria, he was not hospitalised as claimed by some persons.
“He (Tinubu) is out of the country at the moment. He will be back shortly,” he said, adding that his boss was “hale and hearty”.
Since he arrived in London, Tinubu’s London home has somewhat become a Mecca. He had been visited by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.); Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Governors Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti).
Others who visited Tinubu include a former governor of Ogun State and incumbent Senator representing Ogun Central, Ibikunle Amosun; former Governor of Borno State and Senator representing Borno Central, Kashim Shettima; and member representing Gubio, Kaga and Magumeri Federal Constituency of Borno State, Usman Zanna.
Also on the list are Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat; Chief of Staff to Lagos State Governor, Tayo Ayinde; Deputy Chief of Staff to Lagos State Governor, Gboyega Soyannwo; Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Education, Tokunbo Wahab; former APC National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire.
The Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Adetokunbo Abiru; Senator Adeola Solomon from Lagos West; Senator Opeyemi Bamidele from Ekiti Central; Senator Adelere Oriolowo from Osun West; and Senator Mohammed Sanni from Niger East also visited the ex-Lagos governor in London.
Others are Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, Temitope Adewale; Chairman of the House Committee on Physical Planning and Urban Development, Nureni Akinsanya; as well as Chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Investments and Sustainable Development Goals, Sylvester Ogunkelu.
The Chairman of Isolo Local Council Development Area, Adebayo Olasoju; another politician, Adekunle Akanbi; and popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, popularly called KWAM 1, also visited Tinubu in London.
Akeredolu and Fayemi had said their visit was not about 2023 but to pay him a courtesy visit. Meanwhile, Akeredolu added, “He’s the capo (di tutti) for us here. By the time he comes, we can make some important decisions.”
Similarly, when asked in an interview if Tinubu discussed his plans for 2023 with him, Gbajabiamila said his discussion with the APC leader “was privileged”.
His long stay abroad has however drawn criticism from some Nigerians who argued that his prolonged medical trip was not a good signal if indeed he planned to become the president.
Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, had said should Tinubu become President in 2023, he would continue Buhari’s tradition of seeking treatment abroad at the expense of taxpayers.
In recent years, the UK has become a choice destination for the Nigerian elite including Buhari, who frequent London for medical tourism while perpetual industrial actions, lack of modern equipment, inadequate personnel, failure of government to pay doctors’ salaries, amongst others, mar Nigeria’s health sector.
In a related development, the chairman, South-West Agenda for Ahmed Tinubu 2023, a group campaigning for Tinubu’s candidacy, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said Tinubu’s health should not be a concern because, according to him, the health and life of men are in the hands of God.
In an interview with one of our correspondents, Adeyeye, while responding to a question on the health of their candidate, said, “Let us not make his health a major concern. The health and the life of a man are in the hands of God Almighty. Even a person who seems healthy today might collapse and die tomorrow.
“So, issues beyond the realm of human beings should be left in the hands of God. Some people thought Buhari would not survive his health challenge about four years ago but look at him today. I won’t react to those who want to make the health of Asiwaju Tinubu a subject of politics.
“I was the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP when Buhari was sick but I never made issues out of his condition, despite being in the opposition party then because as a Christian, I know such a matter could only be determined by God Almighty.
“Those who travelled abroad to see him came back with a very good report. They said he is hale and hearty and that his health hasn’t deteriorated in any way.”
Meanwhile, the intra-party disagreements in the Lagos chapter of APC seem to be festering as one of the groups in the party, Lagos4Lagos Movement, has continued to express its resolve to change the status quo. The group maintained that a situation where one man would decide who governs the state should be stopped.
The disagreement worsened during the ward and local government congresses as the APC had parallel congresses.
A former Secretary to the Lagos State Government and apex chairperson of Lagos4Lagos, Princess Adenrele Adeniran-Ogunsanya, told Sunday PUNCH that it was unacceptable for one person to single-handedly decide who would occupy political positions in Lagos.
He added, “Everybody knows that there is godfatherism in Lagos. Nobody can deny that. As a people, we must be able to make our choices; we must be able to vote for those who are capable of doing the job.
“Lagos4Lagos means the money of Lagos should stay in Lagos and the benefits should not appear only in one man’s pocket. Many are waiting for them to be called upon and say ‘you are going to be the next governor.’ This should not be so. We should have a governor we all choose and have confidence in.
“I think God allowed what has happened to us in order to teach us a lesson. This is the time we must use that lesson to make changes. I am not afraid of any human being. I respect older people and people generally, but definitely not afraid. I have no apology.
“As of the time he (Tinubu) was trying to change (Babatunde) Fashola, we were successful in stopping them. I don’t think anybody is high and mighty. I am afraid of God, definitely not any leader but I will have respect for that leader. Is he not a human being like me?”
He expressed optimism that Lagos would be stronger and better when no godfather is allowed to choose for Lagosians. “For goodness sake, from 1999 till now, you have had the opportunity of taking us for a ride, you must know that there is a limit; it is only for some time,” he added.
Also, the Lead Visioner for Lagos4Lagos, Jide Adediran, urged the people to use their power to choose their leaders.
He added, “We often shy away from our responsibilities as followers. We habitually fail to use our powers to choose as enshrined in our constitution. It has always been ‘My votes will not count’, ‘It is a waste of time’, ‘Don’t bother, they will rig it anyway’, ‘APC and PDP are the same, and I can’t vote for either.’
“These are some of the reasons why the highest votes in Lagos was 1.8 million, barely 28 per cent of the 6.5 million eligible voters. This was in 2011. It has been on a steady decline since then up to the 2019 election that saw the current Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, getting elected by only 12 per cent of the eligible voters in Lagos. This was by far the poorest of all outings.”
Also speaking to Sunday PUNCH, a member of the movement, Sunday Ajayi, said godfatherism had caused a lot of problems in Nigeria’s democracy. “The era of godfatherism is gone. That is why we are saying the ward and state executives must work with us,” he added.
But the spokesperson for Lagos APC, Seyi Oladejo, challenged Lagos4Lagos members to test their polarity at the poll rather than giving excuses, adding that contrary to the claim by Lagos4Lagos, Tinubu had not been overbearing in his leadership style.
He said, “Since you don’t have the structure; you don’t have the pedigree, you don’t have the antecedent and acceptance, you only have yourself to blame; maybe you need to have a rethink and re-strategise.
“There is nothing like Asiwaju being overbearing or that he lords it over others in Lagos APC or wherever. There is nothing wrong for them (Lagos4Lagos) to be ambitious; that is the beauty of democracy. But until they test their popularity at the poll, their only hope remains in the realm of conjecture. I can assure you that we have tested and experienced soldiers who have weathered many political challenges.”
PUNCH
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.
By Chinedu Sabastine
A pro-Yoruba women group, operating under the banner of Yoruba Women in Politics (YWIP), has applauded the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Benjamin Obi Nwoye, for strengthening the party across the Southern part of Nigeria barely three months he assumed office.
They said: “Dr. Benjamin Obi Nwoye is a very honest and open person. He has done considerably well,” the group said.
He was also praised for displaying high democratic ideals and delivering electoral victories for the ruling party in Southern Nigeria.
Chairperson of the women group Mrs. Dorothy Akinyele, in a statement issued in Akure, the Ondo state capital on Saturday applauded Nwoye “for his loyalty, strength of character, and consistency of purpose to the cause of democracy.”
They expressed delight and satisfaction “with the high degree of determination so far exhibited by Nwoye to applying the principle of fair play in treating all party members and asserting independence and neutrality in most cases.”
The highly revered South West women body also commended Nwoye “for deepening the party’s structures in the South-west, South-South and South-East, empowering women and youth and building a stronger APC and a more inclusive future for Nigeria.”
In particular, the women lauded Nwoye “for mobilizing support for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election, preserving the progressive ideals upon which the APC was built and curtailing the abuse of democratic norms in the ruling party.”
According to them, “Dr. Benjamin Obi Nwoye is level headed, has milk of human kindness flowing in his veins and committed to the success of President Tinubu and the party in 2027 and beyond,” YWIP said.
It therefore, described Dr. Nwoye as “the influential exponent of national unity,” extolling him for ensuring a smooth internal
Democratic process in his home state Enugu, the coal city state.
The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has dismissed a public debate challenge from the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, saying the minister must first become a presidential candidate before seeking such an engagement.
Obi made the remark during an interview with media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo, where he responded to Umahi’s challenge following his criticism of the condition of Nigerian road.
The former Anambra State governor argued that presidential debates are reserved for candidates seeking the nation’s highest office, insisting that Umahi does not fit that category.
According to Obi, the controversy over the poor state of the roads had already produced results, noting that his criticism prompted repairs.
“If he is inviting me to a debate as a presidential candidate, then he has to become a presidential candidate first,” Obi said.
Drawing an analogy with international football, the NDC presidential flagbearer likened Umahi’s challenge to a team that failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup inviting a qualified team to a match.“The World Cup is going on now. You cannot stay outside and invite a team that qualified for the World Cup to come and play against you simply because you think you are good. No. There is a qualification process,” he added.
Obi maintained that leadership should be measured by performance rather than rhetoric, suggesting that the repairs carried out after his criticism underscored the importance of holding public officials accountable.
His response comes days after Umahi declared that Obi posed no political threat to President Bola Tinubu or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while challenging him to a public debate over the state of federal roads and infrastructure across the country.
Ada Ogbu, who made the clarification in a statement posted on her official X account on Saturday, was responding to Keyamo’s ultimatum demanding that Obi apologise to airport officials, pay a ₦25,000 parking fine or face action by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).Executive Branch
Ogbu, who described herself as an eyewitness, maintained that she was among those who accompanied Obi to the airport on Saturday, July 4, and categorically denied the minister’s claim that the politician was driven by a police officer.
“As a member of the team that accompanied His Excellency @PeterObi to the Abuja airport on Saturday, July 4, I can state categorically that he does not have a police officer as his driver in Abuja. Therefore, if airport CCTV captured a police officer entering the driver’s seat of a vehicle, that vehicle could not have been Mr. Obi’s,” she stated.
She further argued that the incident highlighted by Keyamo was different from the one Obi narrated during his interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo.
According to her, Obi’s frequent travels across the country have exposed him and his aides to repeated hostile treatment by airport personnel.Government
“It is also important to note that Mr. Obi travels through as many as ten Nigerian airports every week. Over time, there have been several acts of hostility directed at him and members of his team by airport personnel across different locations,” Ogbu said.
She concluded that the aviation minister had referenced an entirely separate incident.
“Based on the account shared by the Honourable Minister, it is clear that the incident Mr. Obi referenced during his interview with @Chude did not occur on the date or at the airport cited by the Minister. They are plainly two different incidents.”
Her reaction comes hours after Keyamo released CCTV-based findings from an internal inquiry into the airport incident, insisting Obi must publicly apologise to airport workers and pay the prescribed parking fine within one week or risk further action by FAAN.
President Bola Tinubu on Friday formally retained Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
This was as political parties made last-minute moves to beat the Independent National Electoral Commission’s deadline for the submission of presidential and National Assembly candidates.
The ruling All Progressives Congress presented the nomination forms of Tinubu and Shettima to its National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, in Abuja for onward transmission to INEC, effectively ending months of speculation that the President could replace his deputy with a northern Christian.
The development came as INEC confirmed that it had received the presidential and vice-presidential nominations of the African Democratic Congress, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Social Democratic Party, Action Alliance, African Action Congress, Peoples Redemption Party and Young Progressives Party.
Meanwhile, several other political parties continued uploading the names of their candidates ahead of the commission’s Saturday midnight deadline.
The electoral commission had fixed July 11, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to upload the nomination forms of their presidential and National Assembly candidates through its online nomination portal in accordance with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The submission exercise, which commenced on June 27, covers Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E for presidential, vice-presidential, Senate and House of Representatives candidates.
According to the timetable released by the commission, political parties are expected to begin uploading the names of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates from July 18, with the exercise ending on August 8.
INEC is scheduled to publish the personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates on August 1, while those of governorship and state assembly candidates will be displayed on August 29 to allow members of the public raise objections where necessary.
The commission also fixed August 22 as the deadline for the withdrawal and substitution of presidential and National Assembly candidates, while governorship and state assembly candidates have until September 19 for withdrawal or replacement in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The July 11 deadline marks one of the most critical stages in the build-up to the 2027 general elections, as only candidates validly nominated by political parties through primaries monitored by INEC are eligible for submission.
The commission had repeatedly warned political parties against submitting the names of candidates different from those who emerged from duly monitored primaries, insisting that any nomination outside the provisions of the Electoral Act and its regulations would be rejected.
Against this backdrop, the APC used Friday’s presentation ceremony to publicly affirm its presidential ticket, signalling that it would head into the 2027 contest without altering the Muslim-Muslim ticket that secured victory in the 2023 presidential election.
Following President Tinubu’s emergence as the APC’s presidential candidate during the party’s convention, political discussions had intensified over whether the President would retain Shettima or opt for another running mate to broaden the party’s electoral appeal.
Those speculations gathered momentum in recent months amid reports that the ruling party was considering a northern Christian as vice-presidential candidate to address concerns over religious balancing.
Friday’s submission, however, ended the uncertainty, with the APC formally presenting Tinubu and Shettima as its flag bearers for the 2027 election.
The nomination documents were presented on behalf of the President by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, during a ceremony attended by members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, the National Assembly, the Federal Executive Council, the APC National Working Committee, state chairmen of the party and APC governorship candidates.
Earlier, the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, described the event as the formal presentation of the duly completed nomination forms of the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
Argungu noted that President Tinubu had earlier secured the party’s presidential ticket through what he described as a transparent primary election, and urged party members to remain united ahead of the 2027 polls.
He also commended the President for what he described as the achievements of his administration before formally handing over the nomination documents to the APC National Chairman for onward submission to INEC.
Speaking on behalf of APC governors, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, reaffirmed the governors’ support for President Tinubu and the party leadership.
“We are delighted that this event is coming after a well-organised and thoroughly supervised primary process. We reiterate our commitment to continue supporting President Tinubu and the party,” he said.
Uzodimma said the APC remained committed to internal democracy and inclusiveness, adding that the governors would continue mobilising support for the President across the country.
“We will continue to support him in the larger interest of Nigerians and to take the country to greater heights. To the National Working Committee, we reaffirm our support. Together, we are going to deliver victory for President Tinubu and ensure the party wins all elective positions, including the National and State Assemblies,” he added.
Receiving the nomination forms, APC National Chairman, Prof. Yilwatda, described the event as a reflection of the confidence reposed in President Tinubu by millions of party members across the country.
According to him, the President’s endorsement by members of the party demonstrated widespread support for his administration and its policies.
He stated, “Today is a reflection of the wishes of over 12 million members of the APC who overwhelmingly voted for Mr. President as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election. We are proud that APC members across the country cast over 12 million votes for Mr. President and overwhelmingly endorsed him.
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