Politics

On Omatseye’s Obituary By Valentine Obienyem The other day, Mr. Sam Omatseye – a writer many used to have respect for due to some reasons, including the fluidity of his prose – wrote an article entitled “Obi-nomics”. In the said article, clearly embittered by resentment, he hurled obloquies at Mr. Peter Obi. He saw Obi as a rising sun that must be totally eclipsed. I did a rejoinder to that piece as part of the respected “right to reply”, which readers are supposed to enjoy. I appropriately sent the rejoinder to Mr. Sam Omatseye, who, contrary to the liberality of “The…

Former presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2019 presidential election, Dr. SKC Ogbonnia, has disclosed his intention to dump his political party affiliation and its 2023 presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, to support the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi. Ogbonnia said that his endorsement of Obi was because the LP presidential candidate is a ‘democratic revolution, whose time has come,’ adding that “with every sense of patriotism, he was joining the Nigerian masses to endorse Obi as the next president of Nigeria. “Though I remain a member of All Progressives Congress, APC,…

The Labour Party has said that at least five sitting governors are working for the presidential quest of Peter Obi, the standard bearer of the party. Obi is rumoured to be enjoying the support of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo is said to be allegedly recruiting other political leaders to back the Labour Party presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 elections. The Labour Party has also said at least five governors and other leaders are supporting the presidential ambition of Peter Obi. The Deputy National Chairman of the party, Bashiru Apapa made this known in Ado Ekiti during a sensitisation…

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has restated his objection to the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to run with a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the 2023 general election. He said Christians, including members of the APC, will use their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) and prayers to resist the party’s plan ahead of the polls. His stance was echoed by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara. The duo, who are Christian political leaders from the Northern part of the country, spoke at an APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit in…

Two former deputy governors of Kebbi State, Ibrahim K. Aliyu and Mohammed Bello Dantani, Magajin Rafin Kabi alongside, All Progressives Congress (APC) zonal vice chairman, Alhaji Atiku Alaramma Warrah and the state organising secretary, Abdullahi Mai Unguwa Shanga and 43 others have defected from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In Bauchi State, 5,000 APC women have also defected to the PDP. While expressing their loyalty at PDP Secretariat in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital yesterday, Aliyu and Kabi said, they left the APC because of maltreatment and the state government’s failure to execute meaningful projects in the…

The gale of defections in Abia State caused by alleged poor handling of the internal politics of the major political parties by their leaders continued unabated as more political leaders are set to dump their parties for the Action People's Party (APP). Some of them said they decided to join the APP because of the love they have for its governoship candidate in the 2023 gubernatorial election in Abia State, Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu. Recently, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Dr. Tom Otuka dumped the party for the Action People's Party (APP). Otuka was…

No fewer than 58 Senators will likely not return in 2023. Many of the Senators who won’t be returning are either members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Checks by The Nation shows that many of the Senators lost out during the primary and a few others, after losing, defected to different parties to secure their tickets. Only candidates, who emerged from various party primaries, have been duly recognised by INEC. Senators who won’t make it back to the Senate Chambers are as follows: Ahmad Lawan; Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun Central); Ajayi Boroffice (Ondo…

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed the chances of the Labour Party in the 2023 election. In an interview on Arise TV on Friday, Atiku stated that the presence of this erstwhile running mate, Peter Obi, cannot boost the chances of the party, because it has no structure. He said, “I really don’t expect the Labour Party to take as much votes from the PDP as people are suggesting. We could have seen it in the last election in Osun State. What was the performance of the Labour Party? "This is a party that…