Valentine Ozigbo, a former candidate for governor of Anambra State, has explained why he switched from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He stated in a statement on 𝕏 that his love for Anambra State was the driving force behind his painful decision to defect.

Ozigbo said he felt deceived in the LP, but he also admitted the disappointment and rage that followed his departure.

He claims that he had huge grassroots support inside the Obidient movement and was totally dedicated to the LP at the height of its popularity in Anambra State.

According to Ozigbo, he received over 90% of the votes in two different surveys on preferred party and governorship candidates, and independent web polls at the time showed strong public support for his candidacy.

However, he claimed that his aspirations were thwarted by internal treason and sabotage inside the LP leadership.

“A lot of people have asked: ‘Val, why did you leave the Labour Party?'” he stated. Why the APC? Some were curious, some disappointed, and some furious when they asked. All three make sense to me. Truth, however, requires context.

“Unlike anything I had experienced in public life, I saw a degree of betrayal and sabotage within the top leadership of the Labour Party (not at the grassroots level).” At the leadership level, a conscious attempt was made to thwart my candidacy at all costs.

He asserted that the party’s officials planned an opaque approach instead of guaranteeing justice.

“All I asked for was a transparent process, a level playing field, not a coronation. However, what transpired exposed a disturbing truth: the identical culture we denounced in other parties had established itself there, and in certain situations, even more deeply, he added.

The former LP candidate stated that the party’s internal flaws were revealed by his exit, which eventually destroyed the party’s structure in the state.

“I could have stayed to carry on the battle from within, but I had long realized that, out of selfishness and shortsightedness, they ended up crippling the party itself in the process of chasing me out,” he stated.

Ozigbo justified his choice to join the APC by stating that it was the only remaining viable platform to oppose the Anambra government.

The African Democratic Congress coalition party has joined the United States in criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that his indifferent approach toward insecurity has made the situation worse and that a terror cell supported by Al-Qaeda is spreading to Kwara.

“Under this regime, terror and bloodshed have spread to the center region as well as the far east and west of the north. Another terror group, JNIM, an Al-Qaeda affiliate that had been active in the Sahel region, announced a successful attack in Kwara State, which serves as a gateway to the southern part of the country, on October 31, 2025, the day President Trump expressed his concern about Nigeria, according to a statement from ADC. “There is an existential crisis that threatens all Nigerians, and it is not about any ethnic or religious group being targeted to kill.”

According to the coalition, since Mr. Tinubu took power in 2023, thousands of Nigerians have perished as a result of insurgency and violent acts.

Aso Rock was rocked by President Donald Trump’s Friday warning to use the U.S. military to invade Nigeria, as Mr. Tinubu, cabinet members, and supporters hurried to minimize the country’s long-standing insecurity crisis as not necessarily directed at Christians.

FCT minister Nyesom Wike and Femi Fani-Kayode, two of the president’s aides, have united with their leader in criticizing Mr. Trump for interfering in issues they said were outside of his purview.

Bolaji Abdullahi, the spokesperson for the ADC, claimed on Monday that not only was Mr. Tinubu’s administration full of justifications, but it also managed to increase the number of Nigerians killed by violence and insurgents to 15,000 in just over two years since taking office. He noted that entire communities and “worshippers have been slaughtered in religious spaces.”

The new coalition said that since this administration took office in 2023, “nearly 15,000 lives have been lost to sundry violent activities,” adding that the “deaths occurred across regions and religions.”

The coalition denounced Mr. Tinubu’s incapacity and refusal to admit that the problem had escalated under his leadership, noting his litany of justifications, even though ADC acknowledged that Mr. Tinubu inherited a country devastated by violence and insurgency.

The ADC declared, “President Tinubu did not initiate the issue of insecurity in Nigeria.” “The issue is that President Tinubu has refused to admit that the situation has gotten worse while he has been in office.”

According to the coalition, JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) launched its first-ever attack against Nigerian soldiers and territory as a result of Mr. Tinubu’s mishandling of the country’s existential situation. The rebel group gained notoriety for its activities in Burkina Faso and Mali.

On Friday, the same day that Mr. Trump accused Mr. Tinubu’s administration of enabling Islamic terrorists to kill Christians in specific attacks, JNIM, a group supported by Al-Qaeda, boasted of unleashing mayhem that killed a Nigerian soldier.

Mr. Tinubu refuted the accusation, claiming that his administration was making every effort to apprehend those responsible and that Nigerians of various ethnicities and religions were victims of insecurity. But the president’s remarks have so far done little to inspire confidence, as the majority of Nigerians said

An “independent audit of operations, leadership, and strategy” was one of the recommendations made by ADC for a reform of the national security establishment.

The ADC encouraged the US government to help Nigeria develop the capacity to handle its own issues, warning that the possible mobilization of US forces to invade the country would undermine the country’s democracy.

As members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) formally welcome Governor Douye Diri and his supporters to the party, Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, is reportedly buzzing with enthusiasm.

Recall that Diri, who left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 15, has been secretly negotiating his defection plan with prominent APC figures for weeks.

Despite the early morning rain, thousands of APC and Diri supporters from all eight local government areas began to flood into the state capital as early as 8 am. They were clad in colorful clothing and white t-shirts.

Along several of the state capital’s main thoroughfares, additional supporters could be seen signing and drumming.

In addition, the 5,000-seat Samson Siasia Stadium was packed, and as the crowd continued to swarm inside, security personnel blocked more people from entering out of fear of a possible stampede.

Pastor Umo Eno, the governor of Akwa Ibom State; Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, the governor of Delta State, and his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, the governor of Ondo State; Adams Oshiomhole, the former governor of Edo State; and Abubakar Momoh, the minister of regional development and engineering, have already arrived in the state capital for the event.

The most recent development has officially ended rumors that Diri might join the APC.

Shortly after Abdulrahman Mohammed took over as Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), security personnel blocked off the party’s National Secretariat at Wadata Plaza and the Legacy House in Abuja on Monday, drastically altering the party’s leadership crisis.

Early in the morning, heavily armed police officers stormed the Wadata Plaza offices and ordered media and employees to leave before sealing the gates.

According to reports, the officers positioned themselves strategically around the structure to stop any attempts at access.

Shortly after, the PDP’s National Convention Organizing Committee headquarters, Legacy House in Maitama, was blocked off by a second security unit, thereby stopping all administrative activities at the two main opposition party centers.

Police officers turned away journalists who tried to enter Legacy House, citing “orders from above” as justification for the lockout.

Staff and party members around the country were alarmed by the abrupt security crackdown. It happened just hours after Mohammed’s contentious appointment as Acting Chairman, which has exacerbated tensions inside the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Vanguard was informed by a senior party source that the high police presence was an attempt to prevent violent confrontations between opposing groups.

Factions Exchange Leadership for Blame Days of tense negotiations and political scheming preceded Tussle Mohammed’s takeover, which was allegedly supported by a group within the NWC loyal to a former South-South governor. In the run-up to the 2027 general elections, his camp promised to bring stability and unity back to the PDP while accusing the previous leadership of being overbearing and lacking cooperation.

Umar Damagum is still the legitimate Acting Chairman of the PDP, according to supporters of the suspended leaders, who have rejected his appearance as “an illegal coup.”

Later in the afternoon, PDP employees at the national secretariat staged a walkout to voice their displeasure with the situation, which increased tension.

With signs in hand, the workers declared that there was “total confusion” and that they would not go back to work until clarity was restored.

Both Wadata Plaza and Legacy House were still under lock and key as of the time of publication, with armed guards keeping a close eye on the area.

According to sources, loyalists from both groups were convening separate emergency meetings in Abuja at undisclosed places to discuss potential reconciliation initiatives and next steps.