Television Nigerian

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso has been called back to the ruling party by a coalition known as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth, and President Bola Tinubu has been urged to arrange this.

They also demanded that Tinubu fire Dr. Umar Ganduje, the National Chairman of the APC, for “his failure to deliver Kano State to the APC in the last governorship election.”

Leading the coalition, Ali Mai Sango, stated that enabling Kwankwaso’s return to the APC will improve the party’s chances of winning Kano in 2027 when making the demand on Sunday in front of reporters.

As per his assertion, Tinubu’s pursuit of further presidential ambition can only be ensured by Kwankwaso’s political influence in Kano and Northern Nigeria.

According to him, Kwankwaso’s party’s chances of winning the next general election will be enhanced by Kwanduje’s loss of political significance in Kano.

Senator Godswill Akpabio has been asked to apologize by the Akwa Ibom Professionals, a collection of state stakeholders and professionals, for his remarks made against former governor Obong Victor Attah and other previous leaders.

The group’s national coordinator, Engr. Ufot Akan Umoren, also charged him with using polarizing strategies to undermine the existing government and further his political goals in a statement released in Abuja on Sunday.

Recently, Akpabio—a former governor himself—came under fire for asserting that Akwa Ibom had not seen any significant growth prior to his government in 2007. He also took pride in building other infrastructure, such as dual carriageways, as though these were ground-breaking accomplishments in the state’s history.

The text of the statement is, “Senator Akpabio’s deeds and words reveal him to be a healthy, conceited human being. He has gone too far by denigrating the character and work of His Excellency Obong Victor Attah, the man responsible for creating the present Akwa Ibom State, and even Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga, the first indigenous governor of the state.

“It is ridiculous and an unacceptable spurning of the legacy and groundbreaking achievements of Obong Victor Attah and other leaders, which the state continues to enjoy even for future generations. His unfounded claim that Akwa Ibom State never experienced real development until he (Akpabio) became the governor in 2007 is.”

The government of Obong Victor Attah is credited for laying the groundwork and creating the master plan for the development of Akwa Ibom State. Every accomplishment Senator Akpabio has made while serving as governor of Akwa Ibom has its origins in the Attah government.

Major landmark projects such as the Ibom Airport, major highways, dualization projects, gas processing projects, the Ibom Icon and Golf Course, and a number of legacy projects that will benefit the people of Akwa Ibom State for many years to come were initiated, conceptualized, and started to be carried out by Governor Attah.

Above all, Obong Victor Attah led the charge in the struggle for the derivative money that the State is now receiving.

For six years, Senator Akpabio was a commissioner in Governor Attah’s administration. Who was he before Governor Attah chose him and gave him the chances that helped him advance to the position of governor? Akpabio embodies a classic case of the impoverished child who bites the hands that provide him with food.

After profiting from Akwa Ibom State, it is disgusting that Akpabio is going around making inflammatory, inciting, and divisive political statements that have the potential to spark a crisis and destabilize the State, rather than working with other leaders to take the State to the next level under Governor Umo Eno’s current administration.

As the Senate President, we challenge Senator Akpabio to list any accomplishments during his four years as Senate Minority Leader, his four years as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, and his current position. He ought to bring forward one suggestion he ever made to support Nigeria’s economy. He has nothing to point to, of course.

“As we will not hesitate to resist further attempts to divide the state with ethnic seeds of discord, we counsel Senator Akpabio to retrace his steps by tendering an unconditional apology to Obong Victor Attah, other leaders, the government, and people of Akwa Ibom State.”

“Akpabio ought to honor the electorate’s decision to elect Governor Eno, focus on his responsibilities as Senate President in Abuja, and quit sulking about Akwa Ibom State,” the group declared.

The National Leadership of the Labour Party will not reduce the N30m fee for Edo State governorship nomination and expression of interest forms.

In a Sunday interview, LP National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh urged all candidates to raise funds.

In describing the Edo State governorship election as a serious business, the LP Publicity Secretary asked how candidates who could not raise N30m for forms would get money “to prosecute the main election that will cost you hundreds of millions.”

Ifoh responded to a call by Edo State governorship candidate Egbe Omorodion and three others to review the N30m form fee by the Labour Party.

Eagles draw Guinea0:08 / 1:01AFCON SPECIAL: Reaction

Omorodion noted that other aspirants felt the same way, but none had contacted him, adding that they would meet on Monday to harmonise and inform the party.

Some aspirants and party members claimed moneybags had hijacked the state party.

Kelly Ogbaloi, the party chairman, denied the claim, saying the party would level the playing field for all candidates.

Before February’s primaries, 34 candidates are running for the party.

According to Omoridion, they were not forcing the party to lower the form’s price, but they were asking the party leadership to include people with good intentions.

He struggled to balance his conscience and the form’s price, worried it would silence their ballot-voting supporters.

“I can tell you that four of us (are) calling on the party to lower form prices,” he said. We will meet on Monday to coordinate and express our views to the party hierarchy.

The form’s price suggests politics is being monetized, which we don’t want. Each Imo State election form cost N15m. Edo is different—why?

We’re not forcing the party to review the price, just inviting them to participate. If we are shut out, the people we represent will have no voice.”

The UK LP Chairman, Omorodion, advised against selling forms to raise party funds because people may feel exempted.

According to him, the party has not lost steam since Peter Obi lost the presidential election, but “we have not had the candidate to shake the base.”

But LP National Publicity Secretary Ifoh said the Edo State governorship was serious business for the party.

He said, “My immediate reaction is that of the three major political parties in Nigeria, the Labour Party charges the lowest. We have better odds of winning the Edo State governorship.

We are in a serious business, and if you can’t buy N30m, how will you prosecute the hundreds-million-dollar main election? We are not just filling names in the Edo State governorship election; we are filling great names that can win for the party.

So we ask aspirants to be patient. Request that they find the money. A party decision was made. We won’t refund expression of interest or nomination form fees.”