News
Fubara’s fate hangs, as APC decides on 31 govs, Tinubu’s challenger, others
Siminalayi Fubara, embattled Governor of Rivers State, will know this Wednesday, if he is fit and proper to vie for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or end up being a one-term governor after all.
This is on account of the release of its findings by the party on its governors, National Assembly members and the only candidate challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the presidential ticket.
Recall that the President had been cleared by the party to recontest for the ticket on the ground of his starling records, which the APC national secretariat made it unnecessary for him to present himself for the rigours once again.
But it is not so for Osifo Stanley, his challenger the about 31 governors, 88 senators, 242 members of House of Representatives and 2,620 others who went through the party’s four-day screening rituals between May 8 and 12.
Vanguard reports that, as part of activities to meet the timelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the polls, the APC will today publish the names of cleared aspirants.
Hope Uzodimma, Imo State Governor; House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu; Ogun East Senator, Gbenga Daniel; former governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo are among those screened by the party, the report said of the exercise which saw no fewer than 2,980 aspirants for one presidential slot, 28 governorship, 109 Senate, 360 House of Representatives, and 991 state assembly positions participating.
Among those screened between May 8 and 12 were a host of serving and former governors, lawmakers and technocrats, who purchased and submitted expression of interest and nomination forms.
Among those whose fate hangs on today’s publication is Osifo Stanley, the only aspirant challenging Tinubu for the presidential ticket.
Another aspirant is Hope Uzodimma, who holds multiple positions as Imo State governor, chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, and Chairman of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors leading President Tinubu’s re-election push.
Vanguard gathered that the APC hierarchy is under pressure to prevail on Uzodimma to drop his senatorial ambition, which they said would create crisis in the polity, adding that his winning the Imo West senatorial seat would have two positions at the same time given that his governorship will lapse in January 2028.
In Ogun State, former governor and serving Ogun East Senator, Gbenga Daniel is locked in a tough fight for the seat with serving Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Gombe State governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, is also challenging Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo (his predecessor in office) for a senatorial seat in Gombe.
House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who is gunning for Abia State governorship, recently fought against a petition accusing him of going to the Law School and doing the one year national youth service at the same time. His fate will also be known today
Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, has two formidable opponents in former Senator Gbolahan Dada and ex-Works Commissioner, Olayiwola Taiwo, for the APC ticket in Ogun West senatorial district.
With most of the aspirants insisting on direct primaries, kicking against consensus, and threatening fire and brimstone, if candidates were imposed, National Chairman of the party, Professor Nentawe Yiltwatda, yesterday read the riot act to unruly aspirants.
Yilwatda on Monday put aspirants seeking elective positions on the party’s platform on notice, warning that the forthcoming primaries must be conducted peacefully or sanctions will follow.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda said: “The leadership of the party will not tolerate any act capable of disrupting the smooth conduct of the primaries.”
He noted that any aspirant or supporter found instigating violence, sponsoring unrest, engaging in anti-party activities, or attempting to undermine the integrity of the process will face severe disciplinary measures, including immediate suspension from the party.
I’m ready to face any aspirant, beat Abiodun in primaries – Daniel
Meanwhile, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, yesterday declared that he is fully prepared to contest the primary, expressing confidence that he will emerge victorious in a free and fair contest.
Daniel, who spoke during the BAT/OGD Movement Mid-Term Assessment Tour and Empowerment Programme of Ijebu-Ode Local Government, which took place in Ijebu-Ode, said no aspirant within the party could match his popularity and grassroots support across Ogun East.
The former governor maintained that the decision on who will fly the party’s flag ultimately rested with APC members at the ward level, urging party faithful not to succumb to intimidation or political pressure during the primary election.
“I have reached the point of no return in this contest. On the day of the primary election, every APC member should go to his or her ward with their membership card and vote for the candidate of their choice.
“In a free and fair primary, I will not only win, I will win overwhelmingly. The people know those who are working for them and those who truly have their interests at heart.”
Daniel alleged that some forces within the APC were planning to intimidate members and suppress voter turnout during the party primary, warning supporters against being discouraged.
“I have heard that people may be scared from coming out to vote, but they should not be intimidated. This is a democratic process and everyone has the right to participate freely,” he said.
The senator’s remarks come amid growing political tension between him and Governor Abiodun over the Ogun East senatorial seat.
The rivalry intensified recently after a meeting of APC stakeholders reportedly endorsed Abiodun as consensus candidate for the district.
Daniel, however, insisted that only party members have the constitutional right to determine the party’s candidate through the primary process.
Ogun East APC endorses Abiodun for Senate, Daniel camp kicks
However, leaders, delegates and stakeholders of the APC in Ogun East senatorial district, yesterday, presented Governor Abiodun as the consensus candidate of the zone for the senatorial election.
The endorsement, described by party leaders as a collective decision aimed at sustaining unity and ensuring quality representation for Ogun East at the National Assembly, took place in the presence of prominent APC chieftains and stakeholders across the district.
Among dignitaries at the event were the party’s consensus governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, former deputy governors Yetunde Onanuga, Segun Adesegun and Gbenga Kaka, Ogun State APC Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi, Deputy Chairman, Chief James Dina, Chairman of Ogun East Senatorial District, Senator Lekan Mustapha, and APC Chairman in Ogun East Zone, Dr. Adeleke Ogundoyin.
Presenting Governor Abiodun to party leaders and stakeholders, a former Deputy Governor, Mr Segun Adesegun, said members of the party across the district had unanimously adopted the governor as the APC consensus candidate for Ogun East senatorial district.
Adesegun said: “The entire Ogun East APC family has resolved to present Governor Dapo Abiodun as our consensus candidate for the 2027 senatorial election. This decision reflects the collective will of leaders and members of the party across the district.”
Responding, Governor Abiodun expressed appreciation to leaders, stakeholders and delegates of Ogun East for the confidence reposed in him, describing the consensus arrangement as a demonstration of political maturity, unity and commitment to the progress of the district and the state.
He said: “I am deeply humbled by this overwhelming support and confidence reposed in me by leaders and members of our party in Ogun East.
“This consensus arrangement underscores our collective resolve to strengthen the unity of the APC and advance the development of Ogun State.”
The endorsement has sparked reactions within the party, as media aide to former Governor Gbenga Daniel, Steve Oliyide, dismissed the move as “coercion and desperation.”
Oliyide, in a statement, said: “How many times did we endorse Senator Yayi as the governorship candidate of the party? This is the third time I am reading stories of endorsement for the Ogun East senatorial race. It is becoming too much of an endorsement and more of coercion and desperation.”
Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has released a list of nomination fees for all its elective positions in 2027, with that of presidential office pegged at N60million – N20million for Expression of Interest and for Nomination Forms, respectively, while putting that of the governorship at N30million.
The forms which would be on sale from Wednesday, would also has those of the Senate put at N8million cumulatively, that of the House of Representatives is pegged at N6million, while aspirants for Houses of Assembly in states are to pay N2.5million.
In a statement signed by Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, National Chairman and Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, National Secretary the party also released the timetable and deadlines for the purchase and return of the forms.
Specifically for the governors, the NDC fixed N10 million and N20million for the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms, respectively, N3 million and N5 million respectively, for the Senate and N2 million and N4 million for the Nomination Forms respectively for the Reps.
State House of Assembly aspirants would be required to pay N1 million for the Expression of Interest and N1.5 million for the Nomination Forms respectively, the statement said, adding that sale of the forms for all elective positions would commence Wednesday, May 13, 2026, and close on Monday, May 18, 2026.
All aspirants would undergo screening and interviews between May 19 and May 21 before becoming eligible to purchase Nomination Forms, the statement noted, adding that the sale of Nomination Forms would commence immediately after the screening exercise and run from May 21 to May 23, while completed forms must be returned not later than May 25.
Disclosing that appeals arising from the screening process would be handled on May 25 and 26, while primary elections for various offices would hold on May 27 and 28, the party put its presidential primary election for May 29, 2026, in Abuja.
While aspirants for the state assemblies would be screened in their respective states, those for National Assembly and presidential aspirants would take place at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
For the governorship primaries the assignment would be conducted at the local government level, the statement said, adding that all aspirants seeking its tickets would be required to sign undertakings in line with the party’s code of conduct and electoral guidelines.
Assuring members and aspirants of what it described as a transparent, inclusive and credible primary process capable of producing competent candidates for the 2027 elections, the statement said: “The party remains committed to a transparent and democratic process that guarantees fairness, inclusiveness and internal democracy in the conduct of its primaries.”
In the conduct of the primaries, the party said it had adopted “open secret ballot” system, to strengthen credibility and transparency during delegate voting, adding that its nomination fees remained among the lowest when compared with those charged by other major political parties in the country.
Announcing concessions for female aspirants and persons living with disabilities, the statement said while women would pay only 50 per cent of the approved fees, while PWDs would enjoy a 75 per cent waiver across all categories.
The statement further added: “The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has officially announced the commencement of the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for aspirants seeking to contest various elective positions on the platform of the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The screening and interview of aspirants, which will determine eligibility for the purchase of Nomination Forms, will hold from Tuesday, May 19, to Thursday, May 21, 2026. The sale of Nomination Forms will commence immediately after the screening exercise, from Thursday, May 21, to Saturday, May 23, 2026, while completed forms must be submitted on or before Monday, May 25, 2026.
“The NDC further stated that appeals arising from the screening process will be entertained on May 25 and 26, while primary elections for various elective offices are scheduled to hold on May 27 and 28, 2026.
“The Presidential Primary Election is slated for May 29, 2026, in Abuja.
“The party explained that aspirants seeking tickets for State Houses of Assembly will be screened in their respective states, while screening for aspirants to the National Assembly and Presidential positions will be conducted at the party’s National Headquarters in Abuja.
“It also disclosed that governorship primaries would be conducted at the local government level. All aspirants will be required to sign an undertaking in line with the party’s guidelines and code of conduct.
“The NDC assured members and aspirants of a transparent, inclusive, and democratic process in the sale of forms and conduct of primaries.
“The party also announced that it would adopt the “open secret ballot” system for its primaries in order to guarantee credibility, fairness, and internal democracy.
“The NDC noted that its approved nomination fees remain among the lowest compared to those of other major political parties in the country.
“A breakdown of the approved fees is as follows:
- State House of Assembly:
Expression of Interest Form – N1 million
Nomination Form – N1.5 million - House of Representatives:
Expression of Interest Form – N2 million
Nomination Form – N4 million - Senate:
Expression of Interest Form – N3 million
Nomination Form – N5 million - Governorship:
Expression of Interest Form – N10 million
Nomination Form – N20 million - Presidency:
Expression of Interest Form – N20 million
Nomination Form – N40 million
Meanwhile, female aspirants and persons living with disability (PWDs) are to pay 50% and 25% of the fees across all categories.
“The party reaffirmed its commitment to a transparent and credible primary election process capable of producing competent candidates for the 2027 general elections.”
For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu there is no other way for African countries to get out of the woods but to engage in massive industrialisation – transforming their rich mineral resources into finished products rather than exporting them in their raw states.
This was the major highlight as he took the podium on Tuesday at the ongoing Africa Forward Summit at the Kenyatta Convention Centre in Nairobi.
Tinubu, who led Nigeria’s government, diplomatic, and business delegation to event, told his audience that Nigeria was ready to assist in the deeper economic integration and industrial growth and prosperity he envisaged for the continent.
Highlighting Nigeria’s blue economy potential as a key driver of Africa’s development, and decrying its underutilisation due to insecurity and uncertainty, he said: “Today, I make an explicit commitment: Nigeria will intensify regional coordination by offering our Deep Blue Project’s maritime intelligence infrastructure as a shared data hub for willing Gulf of Guinea states.
“Interoperable systems, harmonised laws, and seamless joint enforcement must become the daily reality, not an aspiration on paper. Let no one misunderstand: maritime sovereignty does not repel investment — it attracts it. Secure sea lanes, predictable regulation, and functional courts are the preconditions that unlock private capital. Governance has de-risked Nigeria’s maritime proposition. We now invite partners to build on these gains as we advance climate-aligned port modernisation and the digital transformation of our maritime sector.
“As we endorse the Nairobi Declaration, Nigeria affirms that maritime sovereignty and ocean governance are the non-negotiable foundations of Africa’s Blue Economy transformation. We will continue to earn that sovereignty — through institutions, through assets, through law, and through iron-clad regional solidarity that turns our waters from a theatre of risk into a story of shared resilience.
“The oceans have no duplicate as a common heritage of mankind. For Africa, moving from sea blindness to ocean sovereignty is not a choice — it is a generational duty. Nigeria is ready, and we invite all present to join us in that duty.”
Blaming international financial system, for the poor state of industrialization in Africa, Tinubu insisting that Africa must not remain locked into raw-material exports while importing finished goods.
Hear him: “Last September, from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly, Nigeria warned that the international system must reform or risk irrelevance. We spoke not only of the Security Council but of the financial and trade structures that quietly de-industrialise our nations. The evidence is before us. Despite decades of independence, Africa’s share of global manufacturing value added remains below 2 per cent.
“We export raw minerals, crude oil, and agricultural commodities, and we import processed goods at a premium. This pattern is not an accident. It is the product of a global financial architecture that starves our industries of affordable capital, tolerates massive illicit financial flows, and imposes policy constraints that our competitors themselves never observed when they built their own industrial bases.
“Nigeria does not come to this discussion as a supplicant. We come as a nation that has taken painful, homegrown decisions to put our house in order — removing fuel subsidies, unifying our exchange rate, recapitalising our banking system with over US$3.4 billion, and exiting the FATF grey list. These reforms were sovereign choices, not external conditions. They have delivered a declining debt-to-GDP ratio, now projected at 32.3 per cent in 2026, stronger external reserves of $45.5 billion, and a return of investor confidence. But, Excellencies, even a reforming nation like Nigeria is being forced to de-industrialise by a financial system that is stacked against us.”
The President added that in 2026, Nigeria will spend about US$11.6 billion on debt servicing — nearly half of projected revenue.
“Every single dollar that leaves our treasury to pay punitive interest rates is a dollar that did not go into our steel sector, our textile mills, our agro-processing plants, or our digital industries. It is a dollar that did not train a young Nigerian engineer or provide affordable power for our factories. Our industrial base is being starved of the blood it needs — long-term, affordable finance — while creditors and rating agencies treat African sovereigns as permanent high-risk borrowers, regardless of our fiscal performance.
“So, I ask this gathering: how can an African manufacturer compete with a competitor in Europe, Asia, or North America when the cost of borrowing in our nations is five to ten times higher? How can we build cross-border industrial value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area when our infrastructure projects face a financing gap deepened by the very institutions meant to bridge it? The answer is plain: we cannot. The international financial architecture, as currently constituted, is an instrument of industrial disarmament for Africa.
“Nigeria is not asking for charity. We are demanding a financial system that intentionally enables Africa to industrialise — to process its own minerals, refine its own crude oil, manufacture its own pharmaceuticals, and compete fairly in global markets. We will continue to borrow responsibly, but we insist that our creditworthiness be measured by our economic fundamentals and our industrial potential, not by outdated stereotypes,” he noted.
On migration, Tinubu said addressing root causes was essential, stressing that people would not risk dangerous journeys if opportunities existed at home.
He said Nigeria had embedded migration management within its broader economic reforms, including subsidy removal, banking recapitalisation, and agricultural modernisation.
He also called on international partners to increase investments in climate adaptation, energy access, digital skills, and job-creating sectors, urging that a portion of Official Development Assistance (ODA) be directed toward reducing irregular migration pressures.
Tinubu also called for stronger African cooperation in shaping global migration governance, saying existing frameworks such as the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration remained insufficient due to their non-binding nature.
He expressed support for African Union initiatives including the Migration Policy Framework and the Khartoum Process, while urging stronger links between regional and global systems.
The Africa Forward Summit, co-hosted by Presidents Emmanuel Macron and William Ruto, brought together leaders and officials from over 30 countries.
Opening statements were delivered by Macron, Ruto, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and African Union Commission Chair Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.
On the sidelines, Tinubu met Madagascar’s President Michael Randrianirina and held talks with CAF President Patrice Motsepe, where he reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to host the 2026 CAF Awards.
He was accompanied by senior government officials, including ministers of foreign affairs, finance, agriculture, marine and blue economy, environment, industry, communications, as well as leading private sector figures such as Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu, Abdulsamad Rabiu, and Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.
The summit featured discussions on investment, AI, digitalisation, agriculture, creative industries, climate change, and strategies to translate policy discussions into industrial development across Africa.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is claiming to be the victim in the fracas that ensued at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) in Akwa Ibom on Tuesday, which led to the arrest of Eyo Ekpe, Deputy Chairman of the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee (MAC).
In a detailed account of the incident, which caused panic at the institution following the arrival of the EFCC operatives at the facility, the anti-graft agency, explained that its operatives were in the hospital on lawful duties to make enquiries on a medical report of one of its suspects.
On Tuesday, a video clip showing workers, patients and visitors, scampering away as plumes of smoke suspected to be from teargas canisters fired into the premises, went viral, attracting a backlash from the public.
Amid the commotion that ensued, the operatives, said to have arrived the institution in two saloon cars and a tinted bus, with some officers wearing masks and others dressed in EFCC-branded jackets, eventually spirited away Epe, Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Dele Oyewale, spokesman of the commission, however said the operation was legitimate, adding that the operatives only visited the hospital to authenticate a medical report presented by a suspect who has been remanded over allegations of defrauding multiple microfinance banks, including University of Uyo Microfinance Bank.
Oyewale Head of Media and Publicity, who narrated how the agency previously wrote two different letters to the hospital management over the medical report but received no response, added decided to visit the hospital for further enquiry over the matter.
He wrote in a statement: “As a last resort, operatives of the Commission visited the Chief Medical Director of the hospital on Tuesday to make further enquiries, only to be locked in with a false alarm and subjected to unprovoked attack by misguided staff of the facility who pelted them with stones and other dangerous objects,” the statement reads.
“While within the hospital, the CMD reportedly directed that gates of the facility be shut, making it impossible for any lawful enquiry to be made.
“Police authorities in Akwa Ibom State advised the CMD to open the hospital gates to enable the operatives exit the premises peacefully but the entreaties were turned down.
“In spite of the hostility and provocation, there was no breakdown of law and order as the operatives exercised restraint and professionally made their ways out of the hospital premises without disrupting its activities.
“Enquiries bordering on operational engagements of the Commission are lawful. It is therefore necessary to remind the public and corporate bodies that they are obligated to cooperate with the agency in such circumstances.”
-
Columns4 weeks agoAbike Dabiri: Did Obi raise a monster or you’re drunk on Tinubu’s poisoned chalice?
-
News3 weeks agoJandor: Tinubu didn’t endorses Hamzat *I’ve briefed President on my ambition
-
Columns4 weeks agoBe the hero that saved Nigeria! Open letter to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
-
News2 weeks agoBREAKING: Makinde, Turaki, lose! *S’Court affirms Wike’s PDP leadership
-
Columns4 weeks agoNow VDM has become Sowore’s nemesis, does Peter Obi need anther advocate?
-
News4 weeks agoRelief for ADC? Supreme Court decides fate of Mark after INEC’s hammer
-
Features2 weeks agoJim Nwobodo: The Sun shines, thrills, at ‘The Vanguard Awards’
-
News4 weeks agoI’m shocked at Tinubu’s volte-face – Obi *Insists President culpable in ADC crisis