Category: Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria, 8 April 2026 (NPA) — Former Vice President and presidential aspirant Atiku Abubakar has accused Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), of partisanship following its decision to deregister the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Atiku, who joined other prominent ADC leaders in a protest in Abuja today, alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) influenced INEC’s action, describing it as partisan and aimed at undermining the opposition ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Atiku warned that any attempt to weaken democracy would be resisted: “INEC and the APC must understand that any effort to undermine democracy in this country will not succeed. It will be resisted and challenged to the best of our abilities. I also hope that the international community is paying attention to the threat to Nigeria, its democracy, and the opposition. Nigeria shall be reclaimed. Nigeria shall be rebuilt. Nigeria shall arise and shine through our collective and united efforts.”

Other notable figures at the protest included Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State; Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers State; David Mark, former Senate President and ADC National Chairman before INEC’s derecognition; Rauf Aregbesola, former Governor of Osun State and ADC National Secretary before INEC’s decision; and Aminu Tambuwal, former Governor of Sokoto State, among others.

Earlier, Newpost Africa reported that Peter Obi, another ADC stalwart, described the protest as not only a defence of democracy but also a reflection on how far the nation has fallen. He urged Nigerians to resist attempts to suffocate democratic freedoms by those who once claimed to have defended them but now seek to silence opposition.

ABUJA, Nigeria, 8 April 2026 (NPA) — Peter Obi, a presidential aspirant and leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has cautioned that history will not be kind to those who traded the struggle for democracy for the comfort of power.

Speaking after joining ADC leaders in a protest at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters, Obi declared: “We will not remain silent, we will not be intimidated, and we will not surrender the future of this nation. The will of the people must prevail—stronger, louder, and impossible to suppress.”

The demonstration was organised to demand that INEC reverse its decision to deregister the ADC, citing ongoing court proceedings.

Other prominent figures at the protest included Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria; Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State; Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers State; David Mark, former Senate President and ADC National Chairman before INEC’s derecognition; Rauf Aregbesola, former Governor of Osun State and ADC National Secretary before INEC’s decision; and Aminu Tambuwal, former Governor of Sokoto State, among others.

In his statement titled “Standing Up for Democracy”, Obi described the protest as not only a defence of democracy but also a reflection on how far the nation has fallen. He urged Nigerians to resist attempts to suffocate democratic freedoms by those who once claimed to have sacrificed for them but now seek to undermine opposition.

ABUJA, NIGERIA, 7 April 2026 (NPA) — A senior figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a presidential aspirant, Mr Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal Government’s latest approval of ₦3.3 trillion to settle accumulated power sector debts.

In a statement today, titled “Let us reflect, sincerely and without sentiment”, Obi noted that this is not the first such announcement. He recalled that on 17 May 2024, ₦3.3 trillion was approved for the same purpose, followed by another ₦4 trillion bond on 25 July 2024. Several other approvals have been made in between, all ostensibly aimed at addressing the same liabilities.

“This raises a fundamental question: were the previous approvals mere announcements without execution?” Obi asked.

During the 2023 campaign, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu pledged that if he failed to deliver stable electricity, Nigerians should not re-elect him. Yet, power supply has deteriorated further, with reports even suggesting that the Presidential Villa may be disconnected from the national grid.

Obi argued that repeated approvals appear more like policy pronouncements than genuine progress. He stressed that the debts were largely accumulated under successive APC administrations between 2015 and 2025, raising serious concerns about accountability, transparency, and financial management.

He pointed out that government institutions, including the Presidential Villa, owe a significant portion of these debts. “Year after year, budgets were made and funds appropriated. Why then were these obligations not settled when due? And from what source will this new payment be made? Are we resorting once more to borrowing to service inefficiencies?”

Key questions, Obi said, remain unanswered:

• How did the debt accrue?
• What is the actual total debt in the power sector?
• Which components are due to operators’ inefficiency and should be borne by them?
• Why have previous approvals not translated into tangible improvements?
• Who are the real beneficiaries of these repeated payments?

Obi concluded: “Nigeria must move beyond recycled announcements and confront the power sector crisis with sincerity, transparency, and decisive reforms. Until we do so, we will remain trapped in a cycle of debt and darkness. But with discipline, accountability, and the right leadership, a new Nigeria is still possible.”

ABUJA, April 7, 2026 (NPA) — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised alarm that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to stop receiving its correspondence pending a Federal High Court ruling could jeopardise its participation in the 2027 elections.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, said INEC sits at the centre of the emerging crisis.

Abdullahi explained that while the commission’s action might appear procedural, it directly conflicts with timelines in the Electoral Act 2026, which provides defined compliance windows, including the mandatory 21-day notice period and subsequent submission requirements for political parties.

“This has revealed the deliberate administrative landmines being deployed by INEC to prevent the party from fielding candidates in the upcoming elections,” Abdullahi said. He added that documentary evidence, including certified INEC records, attendance logs, monitoring reports, and excerpts from the commission’s sworn affidavit, establish a clear record of events.

He noted that INEC monitored the ADC’s July 29, 2025 NEC meeting, documented proceedings, updated records, and recognised the new leadership, including Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola. “These are not claims. They are facts contained in INEC’s own records,” he stressed.

Abdullahi argued that leadership transition had already been completed and recognised, and such internal party matters fall outside judicial interference. “Yet, despite this clear documentary trail, INEC has now taken the position that it will no longer receive any correspondence from the ADC. This is where the contradiction becomes dangerous,” he said.

He further noted that INEC had fixed May 10 as the submission deadline, but its refusal to accept ADC correspondence within that period could block compliance with statutory requirements. “This places the ADC in an impossible position and creates a clear pathway to artificial non-compliance, which can justify excluding the party from fielding candidates,” Abdullahi warned.

He added that INEC claimed its April 1 decision was taken to avoid rendering proceedings before the Federal High Court nugatory. “The reality is the opposite. By intervening in a matter already before the court, the commission has undermined the very process it claims to protect,” he said.

The spokesman urged INEC to reverse its position, resume accepting lawful correspondence, and uphold its constitutional duty to ensure fairness and a level playing field.

ABUJA, NIGERIA, April 6, 2026 (NPA) — The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a statement titled “My response to Peter Obi’s media people,” questioning why what he described as “incompetent politicians” are attacking the President over INEC’s delisting of ADC leadership from its portal.

Onanuga stressed that President Tinubu has no involvement in Obi’s departure from the Labour Party or the challenges he now faces in the ADC.

He argued that Obi used the Labour Party to contest the presidency in 2023 but abandoned it afterward, failing to demonstrate leadership in resolving its internal crisis. Instead, he leaned on the IPOB-linked Obidient movement, which Onanuga described as “more active online than on the ground.” He added: “You would think the man would transform the movement into a political party. But no, he didn’t. He is incapable of building an organic party of his own.”

Onanuga further claimed that Obi, aware he needed a political structure to pursue his presidential ambitions, moved to the ADC, which he alleged was “an SPV bought by Atiku Abubakar from Ralph Nwosu.” According to him, no due diligence was carried out, leading to the crisis now confronting the party.

The statement reads in part: “What is the connection of Tinubu with the ADC crisis? Absolutely none. Whatever problem they have is self-inflicted. Obi and his co-travellers need to get their acts together, clear the mess in their new party and then compete for the presidential ticket. As of now, Obi, without being made a candidate, is inconsequential for 2027. The fact that he came third in 2023 does not mean he will have the same showing in 2027, if he ever becomes a candidate of any party. 2023 is not like 2027. President Tinubu is an incumbent with many achievements to flaunt, most of which Obi has been blind to acknowledge.”

Onanuga concluded by insisting that all accusations against President Tinubu were baseless, describing them as “sheer baloney” and an unfair attempt to undermine his democratic credentials.