Television Nigerian

In light of the ongoing suspension of Dr. Aliyu Bello by executive members of his electoral ward due to suspected anti-party activities, the Nasarawa State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria has announced its support for Bello, the Nasarawa State Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

On behalf of other executives, Ibrahim Iliyasu, the APC Chairman in Gayam Ward of the state’s Lafia Local Government Area, had announced Aliyu Bello’s suspension, stating that his alleged involvement in anti-party activities embarrassed the party and damaged the legitimacy of their joint attempts to elevate it.

The 12 other chairmen elected on the APC platform were led by Safiyanu Isa Andaha, the Executive Chairman of Akwanga LGA and the state’s ALGON Chairman, to the party’s headquarters in Lafia, the state capital, on Wednesday to express their support for Aliyu Bello’s continued leadership of the party.

Andaha requested the ward’s leadership to immediately write an apology letter to the state’s APC chairman in order to maintain the party’s unity and advancement, calling the Gayam ward executives’ actions “sad and ugly.”

In addition to announcing the unwavering support of the state’s 18 Administrators of Development Areas, 147 Ward Councillors, and 13 LG Chairmen for Aliyu Bello’s continuation, the state’s ALGON chairman promised not to let desperate politicians undo the party’s decades-long achievements.

He said, “We have been monitoring a very depressing and unsightly situation in which a few people from Gayam ward are attempting to suspend our chairman.” A guy who is devoted to the party, who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, and who has altered the party’s viewpoint.

“We are here today, chairman, to inform you that under your direction, the APC in Nasarawa State has made great strides. Your suspension from the party will not be justified because we have witnessed your acceptance of all party members.

“The 147 elected Councillors, 18 Development Area Administrators, and 13 Executive Chairmen firmly support your leadership because we are proud of your accomplishments.”

Ahead of the general elections in 2027, Andaha further took advantage of the occasion to urge all APC members and supporters in the state’s 13 LGAs to stay united and not let desperate politicians use them to sow division within the party.

Read Also: Reps Introduce Bill to Expand National Assembly Seats From 469 To 552

The chairman of the Nasarawa State APC, Aliyu Bello, responded by thanking the 13 council chairmen for their faith in him to continue leading the party in spite of the present conflict with some members of his ward’s executive committee.

Since the other 19 executive members of the Gayam Ward have continued to express their support for his leadership, he clarified that the procedure was deemed unlawful because only eight of the 27 executive members had signed the document suspending him.

Although Bello denied any involvement in anti-party actions, he stated that he is still the legitimate state chairman of the party and cautioned that the APC executive committee members in Gayam Ward had no authority to dismiss him from his position as a state executive officer.

He said that decisions about his role as chairman could only be made by the state executive committee, which is the highest decision-making body, and not by the executive members of the APC in Gayam Ward.

He said that he had just received a vote of confidence from the state executive committee for his hard work and dedication to the party’s expansion and advancement.

“I can’t be suspended by the Gayam Ward executives. Their quest is doomed from the start. They rushed to a magistrate court in desperation to seek an injunction, but according to our (APC) constitution, you must first try every internal option before going to court.

They tried to trouble the magistrate when they went to the magistrate court, but the magistrate later revoked the order.

“Your arrival here today is therefore appropriate. In addition to identifying with me, you have come here to support Governor Abdullahi Sule, as certain individuals are attempting to use intimidation to force him to comply for their own self-serving political ends. In anticipation of the 2027 elections, we have made the decision to follow the governor wherever he goes,” he continued.

According to information obtained, the 13 local government chairmen for APC Chairman Dr. Aliyu Bello made a solidarity visit, and the State’s party leaders were in attendance.

With the recent inauguration of David Mark, the interim national chairman of the coalition party (African Democratic Party/ADC), a former president of the Nigerian Senate and a stalwart of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as the race for the general elections in 2027 picks up speed, there was a significant defection into ADC in Borno state.

Mattawali Kashim Ibrahim Imam, a former PDP candidate for governor and an APC mainstay in Borno, hosted a special dinner at his Maiduguri home recently, according to a video that went viral on social media. According to sources, the event included talks with numerous political figures in the state in order to prepare for his decision to join the ADC.

Notably, Nigeria’s two principal opposition figures, former PDP presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party (LP) presidential contender Mr. Peter Obi, have joined the new political party after recently leaving their respective parties.

The governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has denied rumors in some online media that he would join five other governors in switching to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the opposition coalition group.

According to our correspondent, Alh. Idris Mamman Durkwa, a former candidate for governor of Borno state, and Hon. Sheriff Banki, a youth organizer and stakeholder advocate, have taken the lead after abandoning the PDP along with thousands of their supporters, families, and associates and setting up camp with the ADC.

Additionally, it was learned that Durkwa, a former federal civil servant who entered politics and stormed Maiduguri last week, was at the forefront of the state’s massive defections, as numerous members of the ruling APC and other opposition parties began resigning from their positions with their ward chairmen.

Hon. Mohammed Umara Kumalia, a former House minority leader and candidate for governor, is one of them. He is running for the PDP’s 2023 Borno Central Senate seat.

Alh. Saleh Kida, a candidate for the PDP’s 2023 deputy governorship; Alh. Ali Wurge, a former national treasurer of the party; Hon. Babakura Abba Yusuf, a candidate for the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC); Hon. Abdulrazaq Ahmed Zanna, a candidate for the 2023 PDP’s Bama, Ngala, Kala Balge federal constituency; and other candidates for the House of Representatives.

The list of early defectors also includes Hon. Fali Wubulari, a former member of the House of Assembly from the Askira Uba LGA state constituency, Hon. Maina Justice, a leader of stakeholders in the Jere local government area, and numerous opposition party candidates for the House of assemblies in each of the 27 local government areas.

Similarly, 95% of opposition party stakeholders have jumped ships with their former party leaders at the state, local, and ward levels, as have Hon. Isa Lawan Kangar, the Borno North 2023 senatorial candidate, and all ward and local government party executives.

Hon. Sheriff Banki, a youth mobilizer and stakeholder advocate for the movement (coalition), told our correspondent in Maiduguri about the situation and stated that the flood of defections into the ADC was a blatant sign of the APC’s failure under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He also criticized the PDP leadership for letting the once-great African political party lose support and acceptance because of self-serving agendas.

“Under the chairmanship of Hon. Zanna Gadama, the Borno PDP has remained compromised and sellout to the powers that be, forcing its teaming members to quit,” the youth leader particularly claimed.

Additionally, Banki ascribed the action to “the worsening insecurity bedevilling Nigerians and the economic hardship and frustration by electorate at the local, state, and national level.”

In his own words: “I am pleased to notify you that the recent mass resignations and defections by significant opposition party members, including the ruling APC, in Borno State mark the start of positive developments in the state’s and the nation’s political sector.

“Despite experiencing economic hardships as a result of poor policies and programs, Nigerians, particularly the grassroots, have not been sleeping with their eyes closed in the last two years under the APC-led government, despite President Tinubu’s promise of a Renewed Hope Agenda.” Banki said.

Because ADC is the only political party committed to governing an inclusive democracy and saving its citizens, he urged the decent people of the state to join.

In order to establish itself as a political option that seeks to bring peace and security back to the Southeast, the Indigenous People of Biafra Political Wing (IPOB-PW) has started to increase grassroots mobilization as Nigeria prepares for the national elections in 2027 and the forthcoming race for governor of Anambra.

The group claimed in a statement provided to the media that the continued insecurity in Igboland, which includes violent attacks and deaths in states like Anambra, Enugu, and Benue, is the reason for its increased political activity.

Addressing the region’s instability requires political will, which IPOB-PW maintains is currently lacking among politicians “made by Abuja” as opposed to elected with a strong local mandate.

Read Also: No Presidential Slot Open Until 2031, APC Tells Opposition Party ADC

Because the majority of the region’s political leaders are either scared or reluctant to act decisively, the killings in Alaigbo remain unchecked. “Political action is needed to address the underlying cause of this insecurity,” the group said.

IPOB-PW insists that full political engagement is the best way to achieve Igbo self-determination and safety, despite conflicts with Fulani herdsmen and worries of external invasion.

In order to create a wide-ranging campaign before 2027, the group stressed that it is aggressively contacting different grassroots organizations around the Southeast.

“We are contacting those on the ground and organizing internally. We have a big announcement coming up. The statement further stated that IPOB-PW is organizing to address the problems rather than merely monitoring them.

The group advised its followers to maintain composure but vigilance while restating its goal to eradicate insecurity politically.

Additionally, it denounced the recent wave of violence in the area and urged authorities to hold those responsible for it accountable.

“Crime will persist unless offenders are held responsible. IPOB-PW is dedicated to guiding the Alaigbo political ship toward safety, justice, and dignity because our people require political liberation,” the statement said.

The group’s remarks coincide with escalating discussions over the place of regional movements in national politics, especially in view of Nigeria’s intricate governance and security issues.

As 2027 draws near, observers now anticipate the momentous news that IPOB-PW predicted.

According to the All Progressives Congress, President Bola Tinubu would have the support of the North to serve another four years in office, and there won’t be a vacancy at Aso Rock, the seat of authority, until 2031.

Speaking at a media roundtable hosted by the Nigeria Union of Journalists on Monday in Ibadan, Ajibola Bashiru, the national secretary of the APC, specifically stated this.

As a “mushroom party” and a “contraption” full of self-serving people with little political significance, he rejected the ADC partnership.

Read Also: Jack Dorsey Unveils Internet‑Free Messaging App — ICYMI

Northern APC structures are firmly in support of Mr. Tinubu’s 2027 ambition, according to Mr. Bashiru, who lists Sokoto, Bauchi, Kebbi, and Zamfara as states that are on board.

Important northern leaders are supporting Mr. Tinubu, the lawmaker continued, in contrast to those who are circulating unfounded “beer-parlour gossip.” Opposition candidates should wait for their turn, he said, adding that there won’t be a vacancy in Aso Rock until 2031.

Talk of a plot by the North against Mr. Tinubu’s 2027 bid was also refuted by Mr. Bashiru. According to him, the president was welcomed in Katsina, Gombe, Kaduna, and Kano.

“To say the North is banding together against Tinubu is a complete and utter fabrication. I say this because I am knowledgeable. Not that I’m a weakling. According to Amilcar Cabral, “Tell no lies, claim no easy victories,” is how I conduct myself, Bashiru said.

Despite the apparent street celebrations in certain states, such as Kano, Katsina, and Gombe, he assured that northern support for Tinubu is solid. According to the APC chairman, “Omo Ologo,” a song written by Dauda Kahutu Rarara for Mr. Tinubu, has become an anthem in the North.

With a win percentage of more than 75% in prior off-cycle elections, he claims that the APC has demonstrated its national acceptance.

He declared, “Nigerians, not Togolese, Cameroonians, or foreigners, are the ones voting for our party.”

Mr. Bashiru commended Mr. Tinubu for his developing support across the North, inclusive leadership, and advancements in infrastructure. He said that the APC was not in danger or facing any crises as a result of the resignation of former chairman Abdullahi Ganduje.