Television Nigerian

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) claims that recent governor defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) validate its warning of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s intention to turn the country into a one-party state.

However, the party stated that the 2027 election will be a direct conflict between the Nigerian people and President Tinubu and his group of APC governors. It also stated that the APC has defended its position about its plan to make Nigeria a one-party state.

The governors of Enugu and Bayelsa have betrayed their long-suffering people and joined the gang against Nigerians with their recent defections, according to a statement released by the ADC in Abuja on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.

The party maintained that the opposition is unconcerned with the governors’ “political apostasy” since the 2027 elections will pit Nigerians against the ruling party, which has left the majority in extreme poverty and made life intolerable for the majority.

ADC stated: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has long warned that President Bola Tinubu is determined to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, no matter the cost to democracy or national stability. The recent defections of the governors of Enugu and Bayelsa states to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) validate this warning.”

Although it may appear that the APC has expanded its list of governors, in actuality, these governors have deserted their constituents in favor of the ruling party, which has made life difficult for the majority.

Nigerians are aware of the country’s current situation. They experience the APC’s shortcomings on a daily basis. Even people who formerly participated in APC campaigns or had the party’s insignia on their social media accounts now steer clear of affiliation with the party. Why? because Nigeria’s reputation in the world community has not improved under the Tinubu administration, which has also failed in the areas of insecurity, economic management, healthcare, social welfare, and corruption.

“Food prices continue to rise, jobs are nonexistent, and insecurity continues to choke every part of the country,” the party added, revealing that Nigerians are paying the price for these failures on a daily basis.

In a democracy, the only way for the people to escape their suffering after the ruling party has misled them is for the opposition to take up arms, put up alternative ideas, and lead the populace out of their plight.

Nigerians expected these opposition governors to do this. They abdicated instead. They also decided to join the massive plot against the Nigerian people, which is a historic political apostasy. They exiled their people for cowardice and other self-serving reasons rather than because they believed in it.

ADC stated that although the ruling party is still celebrating the governors’ defection, both the opposition coalition and it are happy that the distinction between those who are dedicated to preserving the nation and those who only wish to board the gravy train has been made even more obvious.

“The people can see, and they are waiting,” it continued. President Tinubu and his group of APC governors will face off against the Nigerian people in 2027.

Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has blasted his detractors inside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claiming that some who had previously accused him of being an employee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had since joined the ruling party.

Wike acknowledged his pleasure with recent political alignments while speaking on Wednesday at the flag-off of a road project in Abuja. He also hinted that he will soon give Nigerians a detailed update on current happenings.

“I’m thrilled, but I’ll be speaking to Nigerians soon,” Wike stated. “I have been observing social media and television every day. Those who said that I was working for the APC and that I wanted to subvert their party (the PDP) are now all members of the APC. That means they should give me credit for working toward their goal if it is true. Therefore, I deserve praise for my excellent work on their behalf.

The FCT minister, a former PDP governor of Rivers State for two terms, stated that politics calls for maturity and prudence while emphasizing that he is still committed to his responsibilities in the FCT.

“I have stated that politics is for the developed. Politics requires extreme caution,” he continued.

Wike’s comments were made in the midst of several high-profile PDP to APC resignations.

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri announced his departure from the PDP on Wednesday, while Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah formally joined the APC on Tuesday.

The 2027 presidential election, according to Dele Momodu, a member of the opposition coalition, is an ethnic race.

He claimed that the only people who could cast opposition ballots were Mohammed Sanusi, Kano Emir, Nasir El-Rufai, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Aminu Tambuwal, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Adding that he is a Democrat and does not fear robust electoral competition, he stated that elections are a game of numbers.

All efforts to make Nigeria a one-party state should be opposed, Momodu stated in a statement via 𝕏.

El-Rufai, Tambuwal, Kwankwaso, Atiku, and possibly Emir Sanusi (should he choose to leave his status as a monarch to enter politics) are the only candidates who can garner votes for the opposition in the 2027 presidential election, he said.

Since the main opposition groupings can only confirm popularity by contest or consensus, the Southern candidates should not be disqualified as long as they are prepared for a primary.

“Everything should be done to prevent a monarchical or one-party state.”

In order to confront President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, Momodu also called on opposition parties to band together and use what he called the “ethnic and religious cards.”

He said that the current wave of PDP governors leaving the party, including as Peter Mbah of Enugu and Douye Diri of Bayelsa, had further cemented the ruling All Progressives Congress’s (APC) hold.

He asserts that Nigeria is perilously near to becoming a one-party state as the APC already controls both the legislative and executive branches.

According to human rights activist Deji Adeyanju, he is not concerned about the ₦1.5 billion lawsuit that Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi brought against him in 2023.

Adeyanju was accused by Peter Obi of making defamatory, scandalous, malicious, irresponsible, unsubstantiated, and unfounded remarks against him on social media, according to reports.

Obi is requesting that the state high court in Onitsha, Anambra, force Adeyanju to write an unqualified apology to him in three national publications and on social media as part of the lawsuit.

A portion of the court documents states, “AN ORDER compelling the Defendant to immediately retract and delete from all his social media platforms, including but not limited to his “X” handle @adeyanjudeji, his verified Facebook account “Adeyanju Deji,” Instagram account @AdeyanjuDeji, and any other online platforms or sites, all false and malicious publications describing the Plaintiff with derogatory labels (such as “leader of a mob,” “religious bigot,” “fraud,” “scum,” “political fraud,” and “political prostitute”), along with allegations of financial misconduct, dishonesty, or abuse of office, which have harmed the Plaintiff’s personal, political, and professional reputation.”

In reaction, Adeyanju stated in a post on 𝕏 on Wednesday that he is prepared to demonstrate in court that Peter Obi is not just dishonest but also a fraud and a bigot.

“At last, I’ve been sued by Peter Obi,” he wrote. In fact, I’m glad and grateful that he didn’t back down in the end. Even though he is virtually always in Abuja, where I live, it’s interesting that he pulled me all the way to Anambra State. We move, though, so don’t shake. In court, I will demonstrate Peter Obi’s corruption, bigotry, and deceit. I swear, you will all be entertained.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, has backed activist Omoyele Sowore’s demand for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the imprisoned Indigenous People of Biafra leader.

On Wednesday, while visiting LEA Primary School in Kapwa, Abuja, Obi said the detention was unimportant.

He restated his stance that the only long-term way to quell separatist agitations is through dialogue rather than detention.

When media questioned Obi about his stance on Sowore’s call for Kanu’s release, he responded, “I’ve always been consistent on Nnamdi Kanu’s situation.” “His arrest was unnecessary in the first place,” Obi stated. Additionally, I’ve always stated that I will speak with, negotiate with, and consult with anyone who is agitated. I made it clear, and I still stand by it.

Obi praised Sowore and those advocating for Kanu’s release, emphasizing that the solution to such problems was peaceful communication.

“Those who are genuinely attempting to do or say what we have been saying for a long time have my gratitude. Click here to see what I said in 2020, 2022, and even 2024. Since it has gone to court, the guidelines ought to be adhered to by all agitators in the country, not just Nnamdi Kanu,” he continued.

“There’s nothing wrong with someone getting upset or suggesting that we talk to them. And let’s abide by the guidelines in whatever we do with them. I therefore want to congratulate the organizers and everyone who is taking part.

Days before to Obi’s comments, Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress for 2023, declared that he will spearhead a statewide demonstration in Abuja on October 20 with the hashtag #FreeNnamdiKanuNow.

The claim that the cost of the Lagos-Calabar coastal route has increased has been refuted, according to Phrank Shaibu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s Special Assistant on Public Communication.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Shaibu requested that the Federal Government release all contractual documents, submit the project to an impartial value-for-money audit, and halt further payments.

“When the Tinubu administration unveiled the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway project, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar expressed concern that the project’s cost had been exaggerated to an absurd N8 billion per kilometer,” the statement adds.

“The claim was rejected at the time by Works Minister David Umahi, who insisted in a 2024 interview that “you will see that our cost is N4 billion instead of the N8 billion alleged by the former vice president.”

But now the same minister has changed his mind and acknowledged that the true cost is about N8 billion per kilogram, which is exactly what Atiku forewarned Nigerians of.

He went on to say, “This revelation not only supports the former vice president’s viewpoint, but it also reveals the Tinubu administration’s lack of openness in overseeing one of the most costly infrastructure projects in Nigerian history.

In the past, Atiku had questioned the coastal highway’s financing methodology and cost structure, calling it opaque, exaggerated, and dubious in its design to serve special interests rather than the Nigerian people.

Now, even by the minister’s own estimation, the Federal Government’s commitment amounts to only 15% to 30% of the project’s overall cost, meaning the contractor would presumably be responsible for sourcing the majority of the estimated $11 billion. This begs the important question: Who are the real funders? Under what sovereign assurances is this arrangement based? In what way did a project that seemed cost-effective at first inflate to Atiku’s estimated figure?

This development supports Atiku Abubakar’s insistence that all significant public projects must adhere to due procedure, competitive bidding, and openness. Openness, not contradictions and covert transactions, is what Nigerians deserve.

“Once more, Atiku has shown himself to be a statesman who speaks truth to power—out of patriotism, not politics. Every inflated contract, he realizes, is a steal from the Nigerian people.

As a result, we urge the Tinubu administration to: Make the entire contract public, including the financing terms and counterparty obligations; have the project undergo an independent value-for-money audit; and halt further payments until Nigerians are convinced that the project is truly in the country’s best interests.

“History has upheld Atiku Abubakar once more, and the Nigerian people are watching.”