Politics

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, says opposition leaders will work with whoever Nigerians elect as president in a free, fair and credible 2027 election. Obi made the statement in Abuja at the commissioning of the presidential campaign headquarters of Allied Peoples Movement, APM, candidate Seyi Makinde. He said individual political ambitions should not stand in the way of efforts to rescue the country, stressing that opposition candidates are not desperate for power. Obi, who described Makinde as qualified to become president, said whoever wins the 2027 election genuinely will receive the support of other opposition leaders to build a better Nigeria. He said the country’s economic and security challenges require politicians to put the interests of citizens above personal ambitions. Obi said Nigerians are struggling with poverty, hunger and insecurity, adding that political competition should not lead to hostility among opposition figures. He also expressed support for a Nigeria where citizens can succeed regardless of their background or connections. Meanwhile, Makinde dismissed claims that his presidential ambition should not be taken seriously, recalling that similar doubts were expressed before he became governor of Oyo State. The APM candidate said those who dismiss his presidential bid are also discounting the hopes and aspirations of millions of Nigerians seeking a better country. Makinde said his “Reset Nigeria” campaign will take its message to homes, markets, schools, offices, farms, factories and communities. He also called for greater transparency and accountability in the management of Nigeria’s resources, saying increased national wealth must translate into improved living conditions for citizens. Makinde clarified that he is not advocating a return to the old fuel subsidy regime, but wants Nigerians to benefit more from the country’s status as an oil-producing nation through transparent pricing and domestic refining. Bauchi State Governor and APM National Leader, Bala Mohammed, described the 2027 election as an opportunity to build a new Nigeria. Mohammed said Makinde has demonstrated the leadership capacity needed to “reset Nigeria,” while APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, described the opening of the campaign headquarters as the formal beginning of the party’s 2027 presidential campaign.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has dismissed allegations of irregularities in its candidate selection and financing ahead of the 2027 general elections. The party says there are no illegal payments or favouritism in its processes, maintaining that donations, levies and contributions from members, aspirants and supporters are lawful and provided for in its constitution. In a statement, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, says all contributions are paid directly into designated party accounts, properly receipted and managed by the appropriate organs. The party also denies claims that its National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, demands or receives money from aspirants for personal use. It says the presidential and vice-presidential tickets are offered free of charge, rejecting allegations that its tickets are being sold to aspirants. The NDC says it will provide a full account of its finances in line with the Electoral Act and guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The party describes its fundraising efforts as necessary for building its structures and supporting its electoral activities ahead of the 2027 elections. It has also threatened legal action against individuals it accuses of spreading false information about its finances and candidate selection process.

Presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement, APM, Seyi Makinde, says those dismissing his 2027 presidential ambition cannot discount the millions of Nigerians whose votes will determine the country’s political future. Makinde speaks in Abuja while commissioning the APM presidential campaign headquarters, where he unveils the “Reset Nigeria” campaign, focused on transparency, accountability and ensuring that the country’s resources translate into improved living conditions. He also clarifies his position on petrol pricing, saying he is not advocating a return to fuel subsidy but wants Nigerians to benefit directly from the crude oil produced in the country. Makinde calls for transparency in crude production, domestic allocation, refining, transportation, distribution, taxes and retail margins, saying Nigerians should understand how the final pump price of petrol is determined. He says the campaign will engage traders, farmers, workers, business owners and young people, urging Nigerians to ask questions, challenge ideas and participate actively in the political process. Peter Obi backs Makinde’s presidential bid Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, says Makinde is qualified to contest the presidency and urges Nigerians to freely choose their leaders. Obi says political competition should focus on solving Nigeria’s challenges rather than deepening divisions, stressing the need to reduce poverty and improve the lives of citizens. Not every candidate is electable — Daura APM vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, urges Nigerians to distinguish between candidates who are legally qualified to contest elections and those capable of winning. Daura also calls on opposition parties to focus on issues rather than attacking one another, saying their cooperation should produce what he describes as a “qualitative opposition” that benefits Nigerians. Disregard us at your own peril — Bala Mohammed APM National Leader and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, says the commissioning of the campaign headquarters demonstrates the party’s seriousness ahead of the 2027 election. Mohammed warns that anyone who disregards the party is doing so at their own peril, while praising Makinde’s record in Oyo State and his experience in the private sector and oil and gas industry. He also calls for party loyalty, supremacy and unity among members, urging Nigerians to put the country first.

A Kaduna-based Muslim-Christian group has expressed support for the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, over his recent comments about the administration of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. The Kaduna State Muslim-Christian Network for Good Governance described Musa’s remarks as an honest assessment of the former governor’s administration. The group accused the El-Rufai government of divisive policies, insecurity, demolitions and actions against traditional rulers and workers. The group also accused the former governor of using religion as a political tool, particularly during elections. It said Musa’s comments reflected the experiences of many residents during El-Rufai’s time in office. The network urged Kaduna residents to support the current state government’s efforts to promote unity, fairness and inclusiveness.

Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, has unveiled a plan to reduce the pump price of petrol to ₦200 per litre through increased domestic refining and greater government control over crude oil supply. Adebayo says Nigeria’s current petrol pricing system is unsustainable and could worsen poverty, inflation and the country’s economic challenges if it remains unchanged. Speaking on Arise News, he says the major weakness in the current system is the government’s limited control over petrol supply. He proposes that the government revive its publicly owned refineries and ensure that their output is mainly dedicated to the Nigerian market. Adebayo notes that Nigeria has four major government-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, but says they are not contributing adequately to domestic fuel supply. He says reducing petrol to ₦200 per litre would only be sustainable if Nigeria produces a significant portion of the fuel it consumes instead of depending heavily on imports. The SDP candidate also criticises the former subsidy system, arguing that subsidising imported petrol places a heavy burden on government finances. He proposes reserving part of Nigeria’s crude oil production for domestic refining to reduce exposure to international price fluctuations and pressure on consumers. Adebayo says government-owned refineries should be rehabilitated rather than sold, adding that he would seek agreements with competent operators to ensure they run efficiently. He also says private refineries would continue to play a role in the petroleum sector, particularly by producing for export, while government-owned facilities would focus on meeting domestic demand. According to Adebayo, restoring domestic refining capacity would help reduce dependence on imported fuel, lower petrol prices and ease the financial pressure on Nigerian households and businesses.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) is facing growing internal crisis ahead of the 2027 general elections, as aggrieved members and defeated aspirants are defecting to opposition parties and seeking legal redress over primary election outcomes. The development comes nearly four months after the party’s 2026 primaries, with reconciliation efforts by the National Working Committee (NWC) failing to resolve disputes in several states. The party has set up reconciliation panels and sent peace missions to affected states, but some aggrieved members say the interventions have failed to provide a clear path back to political relevance. The crisis is worsened by changes to the Electoral Act, which have reduced the options previously available to politicians after losing party primaries. In past election cycles, defeated aspirants could sometimes be accommodated through consensus arrangements, deputy positions and other political compromises. Several of those leaving the APC have strong grassroots structures and loyal supporters, raising concerns that their defections could affect the party’s chances in governorship and National Assembly elections, as well as its wider electoral calculations. In Nasarawa, former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu Abubakar, has defected from the APC to the Social Democratic Party after losing the governorship primary. Kwara Senator Saliu Mustapha has also moved to the Peoples Democratic Party after being excluded from both the governorship and senatorial contests, taking his political structure with him. In Bauchi, Senator Shehu Umar Buba has left the APC following his defeat in the governorship primary. The APC Deputy State Chairman, Ibrahim Misau, alongside some ward and local government officials, has also joined the exodus. Cross River lawmaker Alex Egbona has defected to the PDP as he seeks a third term in the House of Representatives. The situation in Osun remains unsettled, with Senator Iyiola Omisore rejecting reconciliation efforts after he was screened out of the governorship primary. About 20 of his loyalists have already defected to Accord. In Ondo, some aggrieved aspirants have taken the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission to court over the outcomes of party primaries. One of them, Pastor Akingboye Akinleke David, is challenging the emergence of Donald Ojogo as the APC candidate for the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency. Political observers warn that the continued disputes could weaken the APC in affected constituencies and give opposition parties an advantage in the 2027 elections. With several lawsuits still pending and defections continuing, the party’s reconciliation efforts face a major test as preparations for the 2027 campaigns intensify.

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, warns politicians and political parties against using abusive, inflammatory or threatening language during campaigns. INEC Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, says campaign rhetoric becomes electoral intimidation when it involves threats of violence, hate speech, coercion or language capable of provoking hostility among ethnic, religious or regional groups. He says Section 96 of the Electoral Act 2026 prohibits abusive, slanderous or inflammatory language during political campaigns. Under Section 96(7), a candidate convicted of such offences faces a fine of up to ₦5 million or 12 months imprisonment, while a political party faces a ₦10 million fine for a first offence and ₦2 million for subsequent offences. Oketola says INEC can monitor campaigns, issue queries and sanction parties within its legal powers, while security agencies are responsible for maintaining law and order during rallies. He also urges the media, traditional rulers and religious leaders to speak out against inflammatory political statements. The warning comes amid recent threats by political figures in states including Osun, the FCT, Borno, Yobe, Kebbi and Ebonyi. INEC says political campaigns should focus on competing ideas rather than creating fear, violence or intimidation among voters.

The 21-day deadline for challenging the August 15 Osun State governorship election has expired without any petition filed at the election tribunal. Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, who contested under the Accord Party, was declared winner after securing 511,067 votes, defeating his closest rival, APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes. Fifteen political parties contested the election, but none of the 14 defeated candidates filed a petition before the deadline. An APC legal team member says the party decided not to challenge the result in the interest of peace, despite believing there were grounds to contest the outcome. The Accord chairman, Victor Akande, describes the decision by opposition candidates as a sign of political maturity, while SDP candidate Olugbenga Ajala says the election process was fair enough and that the best candidate won.

The Managing Director of the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will defeat former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso in Kano State in the 2027 presidential election. Bichi, who served as the Kano State Campaign Director of the Tinubu-Shettima campaign in 2023, said the APC had gained more political strength in the state following the defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and several political leaders from the NNPP. He claimed that many former members of the Kwankwasiyya political movement had also joined the APC, leaving Kwankwaso with less political influence in the state. Bichi attributed the APC’s growing support to what he described as major infrastructure projects carried out by the Tinubu administration, including road projects linking Kano with other parts of the country. He predicted that the APC would secure more than 70 per cent of the votes cast in Kano in 2027, saying the party had become stronger across the state. On claims of divisions within the Kano APC, Bichi said disagreements were normal in democratic politics but insisted that party members would unite after the primaries to ensure victory for the APC. He also defended the Tinubu administration against criticism over economic hardship, saying the difficulties caused by subsidy removal and exchange-rate reforms were temporary and that increased government revenue was being used for infrastructure and other development projects. Bichi further argued that the government had made progress in tackling insecurity, claiming that increased spending on security had produced improvements compared with previous years.

Opposition political parties seeking to present a common presidential candidate for the 2027 election have proposed that the candidate would serve only a single four-year term if elected. The proposal, discussed at a recent opposition summit in Abuja under the G-100 platform, was aimed at managing competing ambitions and creating a stronger challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. It also included plans for a four-year National Reset Programme. However, political analysts, lawyers and civil society groups expressed doubts about whether such a promise could be enforced. They noted that Nigeria’s Constitution currently allows a president to serve two four-year terms, meaning a private political agreement cannot override that constitutional right. Some stakeholders argued that a single term could allow a president to focus fully on reforms without worrying about re-election. Others warned that a president who could not seek re-election might become less accountable if strong institutions were not in place. Several commentators also questioned the timing of the proposal and the ability of opposition parties to agree on a single candidate, given the electoral timetable and the competing ambitions of major political figures. Civil society groups therefore urged the opposition to go beyond promises by presenting a clear manifesto, measurable targets and a transparent agreement signed by all participating parties. They maintained that Nigerians should judge the proposed coalition based on the candidates’ records, competence, integrity and plans for tackling insecurity, poverty, unemployment and economic hardship, rather than simply on a promise to serve for one term.