politics
APC National Chairmanship : Adamu, six other aspirants return nomination forms as Court vacates order stopping ruling party’s convention, vow to fight on
Five of the aspirants for the national chairmanship of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have dropped out of the race, leaving the field for a tight contest by seven top members of the party.
Only the seven met yesterday’s deadline for submission of their nomination forms.
Former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Otunba Iyiola Omisore yesterday submitted his nomination form to contest for national secretary of the party.
Preparations for next weekend’s convention from which a new national executive committee of the party will emerge moved into a higher gear yesterday after a high court in Abuja vacated an order stopping the national convention.
Justice Bello Kawu ruled that a political party could not be sued by a member.
But the bad blood generated by the recent moves against the Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Mai Mala Buni, and the Secretary, John Akpanudoedehe, appears not to be over yet.
Akpanudoedehe declared that he remained CECPC Secretary regardless of the vote of no confidence said to have been passed on him on Thursday by a majority of the committee members.
Chairmanship aspirants who beat the deadline for the submission of nomination forms yesterday were the pioneer Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; ex-Governor Umar Tanko Al-Makura; Mallam Saliu Mustapha (Turaki Ilorin); Senator Sani Mohammed Musa; ex-Governor George Akume; another former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Abdulaziz Yari; and the youngest, Mohammed Etsu.
Only Yari is from the North-West. The rest are mostly from the North-Central.
Those that are out of the race include a former Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bawa Bwari; ex-Governor Ali Modu Sheriff; ex-Governor Isa Yuguda; Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi and Sunny Sylvester Monidafe.
While some of the aspirants jettisoned their ambition in deference to the APC zoning formula in favour of the North-Central for chairmanship, others appeared to have lost steam midway.
A reliable party source said: “All the aspirants are jostling to earn the confidence and endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari. What has buoyed their confidence is the discordant tunes from London.
“They believe it is still an open race based on the extent of influence they have wielded through their godfathers, allies and associates. One of the aspirants was even in London for almost a week but he could not see the President.
“In spite of the speculations on Buhari’s alleged mindset on Adamu, it is still difficult to predict the direction he is heading to.
“He has met with his strategists in London and a clear direction he is disposed to is consensus. But we are unclear about who is the consensus aspirant.
“The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Caucus of APC is adamant on producing the National Chairman of the party from among its two nominees, Saliu Mustapha and ex-Governor Umar Tanko Al-Makura.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “Most of the governors have lost steam on the choice of a new national chairman for APC.
“The crisis in their ranks on the fate of the Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni, has made them to tread softly in advising the President.
“A governor, who was in London to have an audience with Buhari was devastated to read the President’s letter to the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Senator Atiku Bagudu.
“He could not understand the dynamics of presidential power play.”
APC under my leadership won’t beg anyone for money – Musa
One of the chairmanship aspirants left in the race, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, said yesterday that if he won the election, the party, under him, would not beg anyone for money to run its affairs.
He said that the APC with a membership strength of 43 million should have no problem raising funds.
He spoke at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja after submitting his nomination and expression of interest forms.
Musa, who currently represents Niger East in the Senate, said he was looking forward to the convention which he said would usher in a new beginning and transitional change in the APC.
He said the party required a leadership that would “bring direction and build consensus between all dividing organs.”
He said: “The executive governors are there to support the party and the party is there to work with the governors.
“We want to see a party that will become an institution in Africa.
“APC is the largest party and all we need to do is to put the structure in place. That is, the political parties need to be very strong.
“We have a democracy in this country that has a very strong foundation, but what we are lacking is the leadership that will be able to transform our party structure to what it should be: a platform to groom leaders. That is what I’m bringing new to APC.
“And APC will not be dependent on anybody to fund it. With 43 million members, we have no business going cap in hand to beg anybody for money. That is what I’m bringing to APC.”
On the purported endorsement of Senator Abdullahi Adamu by President Muhammadu Buhari, Musa wondered why the party sold forms to other people if it had someone already lined up for the job.
“You sold forms to us. And as far as I’m concerned, there’s never been anybody that officially contacted me or any other aspirants. Nobody! And the spokesperson to Mr. President, Femi Adesina, had said that there was no endorsement,” he said.
“The endorsement I want is your endorsement. I want the endorsement of 43 million APC members. That is what I need.
I’ll ensure party supremacy — Mustapha
Another aspirant, Malam Saliu Mustapha, vowed to ensure party supremacy, inclusiveness and discipline if elected as chairman of the APC.
He promised to promote a policy of mentorship where youth and women would be given deputy leader positions at the various committee levels of the party to give them the much-needed training that will prepare them for leadership positions in the country.
On his plan to fund the party, Mustapha said his leadership would leverage on the over 40 million membership strength of the party by introducing a membership levy on every card-carrying member.
Al-Makura has better credentials to lead APC than five other contestants -Group
Arewa Youths in the South South and South East said former Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Umar Tanko Al-Makura, is better positioned than anyone else to lead the APC.
Spokesman for the group, Arewa Youths South South and South East, Alhaji Anas Yero, described Al-Makura as the best candidate that can unite the party and lead it to victory in 2023.
“We must know that the emergence of a weak leader might affect the party in 2023,” he said.
He added: “In terms of competence, Al-Makura is unquantifiable due to his political track records.
“His candidature has no match. Hence he is widely accepted across all the six geo-political regions in the country.”
The group maintained that since the formation of the APC, all the legacy political parties that came together had produced the national chairman, noting that this is the time for CPC to also enjoy the seat, and the most suitable person is Senator Al-Makura.
Akpanudoedehe: l remain APC National Secretary
The APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) National Secretary, Dr. John Akpanudoedehe, said yesterday that he remained in office despite the Thursday move by a majority members of the committee to remove him.
Akpanudoedehe, emerging from a meeting with the CECPC chairman Mai Mala Buni in Abuja, said: “Our Chairman (Buni) cannot go against the instruction of the President.
“In his last letter, the President has given the directive that the status quo ante should remain. The Chairman is a very brilliant man. He respects the President and will not go against that.
“I am the National Secretary of APC and the constitution is very clear on that. The INEC has said for you to sack any of us, you need 21-day notice.
“I should be celebrated for standing with the Chairman. We should celebrate loyalty, integrity. Why would I be punished for standing with the chairman? It is a virtue.
“So, nothing has changed in APC. I remain the National Secretary and reconciliation efforts are ongoing. It is one party.”
APC youths protest ‘sack’ of Akpanudoedehe as CECPC scribe
A youth group in the APC known as Progressives Youth Movement (PYM) yesterday kicked over the Thursday vote of no confidence passed on Akpanudoedehe by a majority of the members of the CECPC.
The group, at a press briefing in Abuja, cautioned party leaders not to bring up issues that are capable of causing confusion again before the national convention of the party.
National Coordinator of the group, Prince Mustapha Audu, described the purported sack of the APC scribe as void and a nullity, explaining that the party currently needs unity.
He added: “We have a legal way of removing anybody from a committee, and I think only the NEC has the authority to do that.
“I don’t believe a committee that was set up has the authority to sack a member of that committee that was set up by NEC, especially a member who is superior in position.
“I think that is absolutely impossible but we would leave that for the legal team to look into that.”
Omisore jostles for secretary
A former deputy governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, yesterday emerged a surprise candidate for the position of the party’s national secretary.
He submitted his nomination form for the office at the APC National Secretariat.
Omisore, in a statement, said he looked forward to an “efficient and effective management of the national secretariat for next level prosperity, democracy deliverables for Nigeria and Nigerians in utmost of peace, happiness, safety and plenty.”
He promised to “institutionalise civility by leveraging on technology for efficient party administration and create a people-driven political party that will deepen democratic norms across the board in administration and in capacity building not only to win election but to be bonded as an institution whereby everyone will be recognised and respected for their many roles in aiding growth and development of the party from the grassroots.”
Omisore appealed to APC members in Nigeria to support his ambition for the party by voting for him.
Court vacates order stopping APC convention
An Abuja high court yesterday gave the APC the green light to proceed with its national convention scheduled for March 26, 2022 in Abuja.
Justice Bello Kawu vacated the November 18, 2021 order he granted, suspending the convention indefinitely.
An APC member, Salisu Umoru, had in suit marked FHC/HC/CV/2958/2021, challenged the planned convention.
The now vacated order had threatened the holding of the convention.
Kawu said yesterday that the plaintiff lacked the locus to sustain the restraining order.
According to him, the November interim injunction had been overtaken by a recent ruling of the Supreme Court on a similar matter.
He adjourned hearing in the substantive suit to March 30.
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai had accused Buni and Akpanudoedehe of knowing about the interim injunction but did nothing to get it vacated.
Ex-PGF boss warns against implosion, uncovers alleged imposition plot by CPC bloc
The immediate-past Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) Salihu Lukman, yesterday alleged a plot to impose leaders from the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) on APC at the March 26 National Convention of the party.
Lukman in a statement titled “Consensus Vs Open Contest in APC” in Abuja yesterday said political associates in the defunct CPC should refrain from acts capable of undermining the authority of the President as the leader of the party.
“It was the liberal disposition of the President that allows him to respect positions of party leaders, based on which he subscribes to decisions and delegate implementation to competent structures of the party.
“If the President can respect other party leaders, why should other associates of the President exude any form of disrespect or contempt for other party leaders in whatever way?
“One of the mistakes of the so-called old CPC members, including the ‘CPC London lobbyists’, is to elevate the respect of party leaders for the President to the level of compelling obedience without recognising that it is mutually reciprocal respect.
“Unlike what obtained under the CPC, whereby President Buhari was largely the singular electoral asset of the party, in the case of the APC, President Buhari, although the dominant electoral asset, other party leaders are also electoral assets in varying degrees, which was the added factor responsible for the electoral victory of 2015 and 2019.
“These are old opportunistic arguments, which were self-serving, used by some few vested interests around the President to impose themselves as party leaders and candidates.
“Many instances were leading to the imposition of candidates during elections, which undermined the electoral viabilities of parties associated with the President. From the ANPP in 2003 and 2007 to CPC in 2011, this has been the reality.
“Often, individual politicians with these self-serving agendas have used it to impose themselves on party members as candidates for elections.
“Although there are many instances whereby imposed candidates win elections, there are also many instances when acts of imposition destroyed the electoral advantages of the parties leading to the loss of elections.
“This was partly the reason for the large-scale defeat of the CPC in the 2011 election in Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Katsina and many states.
In a recent nationwide opinion poll assessing the performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet members, the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammad Matawalle, emerged as the most performing minister in security. The survey sampled views across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, reflecting growing public confidence in his ability to drive strategies that directly confront the country’s complex security challenges. Since assuming office in 2023, Matawalle has steadily carved out a reputation as one of the administration’s most active voices on national defence. Working closely with the Minister of Defence, the service chiefs, and other security stakeholders, he has been instrumental in strengthening collaboration among the armed forces and initiating reforms targeted at insurgency, banditry, and cross-border crimes.
The poll, which was widely discussed across media and policy circles, shows that Nigerians are paying close attention to how security matters are being handled under Tinubu’s leadership. Respondents in the North West and North Central regions areas most affected by banditry and insurgency credited Matawalle’s office with championing military offensives, improving intelligence sharing, and taking a hands on approach through visits to crisis zones. Many see his active presence and swift interventions as a departure from past practices where government officials often kept their distance from affected communities.
Analysts note that the poll’s outcome speaks not only to Matawalle’s rising profile within Tinubu’s cabinet but also to a broader demand by Nigerians for results driven governance. Security remains one of the administration’s toughest challenges, and the minister’s recognition suggests that citizens are beginning to identify clear efforts and results in that direction. Political observers believe this rating could further boost the administration’s credibility as it works to reassure Nigerians that reforms in the defence sector are yielding impact.
Still, experts caution that much work remains to be done. Nigeria’s security crisis is deeply layered, with terrorism, banditry, oil theft, and urban crime continuing to stretch the country’s security architecture. While military operations have recorded notable successes, addressing the underlying socio economic causes of insecurity will require more holistic strategies, ranging from poverty reduction and education to stronger governance at the state and local levels.
Nevertheless, Matawalle’s emergence as the most performing minister in security underscores a significant shift in how Nigerians perceive leadership and accountability. It signals that citizens are not only monitoring the government’s promises but are also willing to recognize and reward performance where it is evident. As President Tinubu’s administration advances, the spotlight on ministers like Matawalle reflects a growing expectation that public service must translate into visible impact. For now, his recognition by the public stands as both an endorsement of progress and a reminder that the nation’s security demands continuous, determined, and innovative leadership.
In a world where celebrations are often measured by extravagant parties and fleeting moments of applause, Mr. Tunji Bello, an illustrious son of Lagos and proud alumnus of Lagos State University (LASU), has chosen a different and far more meaningful path.
His decision to donate a befitting auditorium to LASU’s Epe Campus is not just an act of generosity—it is a gift of legacy, one that will serve generations and continue to echo long after the music of birthday celebrations has faded.
As an indigene of Epe and fellow alumnus of LASU, I, Hon. Segun Olulade, feel an overwhelming sense of pride and gratitude for this uncommon gesture. In choosing to immortalize his milestone birthday by giving back to his alma mater, Mr. Bello has shown the world what it means to truly live for others.
He could have spent lavishly on personal celebrations, but instead he turned the spotlight away from himself and placed it firmly on education, youth development, and community growth. That is the mark of true greatness.
What makes this story even more inspiring is the sacrifice behind the scenes. Mr. Bello did not simply write a cheque. He converted birthday gifts into seed funding, sold his own property to sustain the vision, and held firm to his conviction that education is the best legacy one can bequeath.
This is not charity—it is vision, it is leadership, it is a demonstration of courage to prioritize posterity over personal comfort.
For us in Epe, this auditorium is more than brick and mortar. It is a beacon of hope, a symbol that greatness often rises from within our own soil.
For LASU, it is an enduring platform that will nurture leaders, thinkers, and innovators who will shape the destiny of our nation. And for Lagos State, it is another shining example of the transformative power of giving back.
I therefore celebrate and commend Mr. Tunji Bello for this act of uncommon generosity. His name is now etched not only in the history of LASU but in the hearts of every student who will pass through that hall, daring to dream and achieve.
Egbon Tunji Bello, you have written your name in gold.
Hon. Segun Olulade Eleniyan
Executive Director Customer Centricity and Marketing Galaxy Backbone Ltd.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for even the most hardened critics to deny that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms are working. In fact, one wonders how long they will continue to close their eyes while respected global voices and real-time results keep pointing to the obvious truth.
Recently, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Harvard-trained economist, lauded President Tinubu for stabilizing Nigeria’s economy. According to her, there can be no growth without stability, and Tinubu has laid that crucial foundation.
She further revealed that Nigerian women stand to benefit immensely from the WTO-ITA women’s economic funding opportunities — another dividend of a government that knows where it is going.
As if that validation was not enough, former CBN Governor and first-class economist, Prof. Charles Soludo, also declared that Nigeria is moving in the right direction under Tinubu. Even CNN could not resist admitting on August 4, 2025, that Nigeria is experiencing its best economy in a decade under this administration. These are not APC praise-singers, but global voices with credibility that propaganda merchants cannot wish away.
Yet, while intellectual heavyweights and international institutions are affirming Nigeria’s progress, some opposition figures keep playing the role of comedians in the marketplace of ideas.
One wonders how a man whose only credential is being a “petty trader” and second-class philosophy graduate believes he is better placed to lecture Nigeria on economics than world-renowned experts. But then again, mischief has always thrived where knowledge is scarce.
Beyond these validations, Nigerians themselves are speaking loudly at the ballot box. The just-concluded bye-elections tell the story better than any press release. APC defeated Atiku right in his backyard, Adamawa.
The party consolidated victories across Jigawa, Edo, Ogun, Kogi, Niger, and Kaduna, even gaining new ground in Southern Kaduna. In Kano, APC held firm, and in Zamfara, the victory margin already in the bag is more than enough to deliver the state. These are not coincidences — they are a political referendum on Tinubu’s leadership.
Those peddling the fantasy that 2027 will be APC versus Nigerians need a serious wake-up call. Unless Nigeria suddenly decides to abandon the very gains of democracy it has long anticipated, the ruling party will once again coast to victory — loud and clear.
Nigerians cannot afford to return to square one, throwing away years of sacrifice on the altar of reckless experimentation with individuals who have nothing new to offer.
The truth is simple: the people are embracing Tinubu, and the opposition is losing. It’s not complicated — Nigerians know exactly where their future lies.
President Tinubu’s reforms are not just working; they are winning hearts, winning minds, and winning elections. Facts, as they say, are stubborn things.
By Hon. Segun Olulade Eleniyan
Executive Director Customer Centricity and Marketing Galaxy Backbone Ltd
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