The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Bola Oyebamiji, has resigned.

Confirming his resignation in a WhatsApp message to PUNCH Online on Friday night, Oyebamiji said he stepped down in compliance with the electoral law to enable him to contest the 2026 Osun State governorship election.

He said, “Yes, I have resigned in accordance with the electoral law to pursue my Osun 2026 governorship ambition.”

A source close to the NIWA boss also confirmed the development, noting that the resignation is tied to his political aspirations.

“Yes, he has resigned. He is contesting, and he wants to face the election properly,” the source said.

Before his appointment at NIWA, Oyebamiji served as Osun State Commissioner for Finance for two terms and later as Special Adviser to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.

He is also a banker, economist, public administrator and politician

The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has been declared the winner of the Saturday, November 8, 2025, Anambra State governorship election by the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Edoba Omoregie.

Soludo, who polled a total of 422,664 votes, defeated his closest rival, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Nicholas Ukachukwu, who scored 99,445 votes, while the candidate of the Young Progressives Party, Sir Paul Chukwuma, came third with 37,753 votes.

According to INEC, a total of 16 candidates from various political parties participated in the election.

The state had 2,788,864 registered voters, out of which 598,229 were accredited. A total of 595,298 votes were cast, while 11,244 votes were rejected across the 21 local government areas.

From the results announced, Soludo of APGA won in all 21 local government areas of the state in a landslide victory.

Announcing the results at the INEC headquarters in Awka on Sunday, Omoregie said, “The number of registered voters was 2,788,864, while accredited voters were 598,229. The total valid votes stood at 584,054, rejected votes were 11,244, and the total votes cast amounted to 595,298.”

He added, “After collating the results as tallied into Form EC8E, it is now my privilege to declare the figures each candidate scored according to their political parties.

“There were a few areas affected by incidents, leading to cancellations in some wards across Anambra West, Anaocha, Awka South, and Onitsha South LGAs, amounting to 10,481 affected votes. However, the margin of lead between the top candidates did not affect the overall outcome of the election.

“I, Prof. Edoba Omoregie, Returning Officer for the 2025 Anambra State Governorship Election, hereby declare that the election was peaceful. Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, having scored 422,664 votes — the highest number of valid votes cast and having satisfied the requirements of the law — is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”

Breakdown of results:

Total registered voters: 2,788,864

Total accredited voters: 598,229

Total valid votes: 584,054

Rejected votes: 11,244

Total votes cast: 595,298

Votes by political parties:
A – 224
AA – 1,145
AAC – 292
ADC – 8,208
APC – 99,445
APGA – 422,664
APM – 892
APP – 73
BP – 126
LP – 10,576
NNPP – 525
NRM – 36
PDP – 1,401
SDP – 241
YPP – 37,753
ZLP – 453

Former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has advised former President Goodluck Jonathan against yielding to pressure to contest the 2027 presidential election, warning that doing so would damage his legacy.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Oshiomhole said that only those who do not wish Jonathan well would encourage him to return to the political arena, adding that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would easily defeat him if he chose to run.

“How can Jonathan be a threat? We defeated him before when PDP was truly PDP,” Oshiomhole said.

“If a man had PDP at its best, at its peak, and he was defeated, I think only his enemy will push him to go into election.”

The former APC national chairman advised Jonathan to preserve his reputation as a statesman and avoid a return that could erode the respect he earned after conceding defeat in 2015.

“If I were able to advise him, I will say, Sir, maintain this status. You governed for eight years, you don’t have to govern for nine,” Oshiomhole said.

According to Oshiomhole, Jonathan “has managed to demonstrate that out of power, you can be relevant and at peace.”

He praised Jonathan’s historic concession speech in 2015, describing it as one of his most admirable legacies.

“Looking at how he ascended to that office, if I were him, I will spend the end of my life trying to find relevance, which he has already found, and speaking because that conceding defeat, and that is memorable quote about my blood, sorry, blood of a Nigerian is not worth my ambition, he should just allow those legacies to be,” he said.

Oshiomhole further argued that Jonathan’s political base in the South-South had weakened since his departure from office, making a comeback unrealistic.

“We will defeat him flatly if he comes out because now the South-South is no longer PDP. So where is he going to start from?” he asked.

Jonathan, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost the 2015 presidential election to the late Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).