Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has explained the political considerations behind the opposition by himself and then-President Goodluck Jonathan to Aminu Waziri Tambuwal’s emergence as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2011.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Obasanjo said their position at the time was guided by party interest and the desire to sustain gender inclusion in the leadership of the National Assembly.

He spoke on Saturday at a leadership colloquium and 60th birthday celebration organised in honour of Tambuwal, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, ex-governor of Sokoto State and current senator.

Reflecting on the events that preceded the 2011 Speakership election, Obasanjo said the Peoples Democratic Party had backed Mulikat Akande-Adeola, a lawmaker from the South-West.

“Our thinking was that if, for the first time, a woman had become Speaker of the House, she should be encouraged to remain there,” Obasanjo said.

Tambuwal, then a second-term lawmaker and former Deputy Chief Whip from the North-West, however, defeated Akande-Adeola in a keenly contested election, polling 252 votes against her 90 out of 340 votes cast.

Despite opposition from the executive arm, lawmakers insisted on Tambuwal’s emergence, a development Obasanjo said underscored the legislature’s independence.

“But your members thought otherwise, and you made your decision. And we supported your decision. Initially, even you were not sure of where we would stand, but we stood with you,” he added.

The former President described Tambuwal as a humble leader whose rise demonstrated the autonomy of the legislature.

“One thing I saw in you was humility. Greatness that does not include humility is greatness that is hollow. Your greatness is not hollow,” Obasanjo said.

Tambuwal’s victory was further boosted by support from the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, then led by Bola Tinubu, marking one of the rare moments in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic when the legislature openly defied executive preference.
Jonathan Confirms Disagreements

Jonathan, who addressed the gathering virtually, corroborated Obasanjo’s account and acknowledged disagreements with the House during Tambuwal’s tenure.

Jonathan said, “When he was Speaker, I was the President, and we had some disagreements.

“But one thing I must give to Tambuwal is that members of the House believed so much in him. He held the House together, and I appreciated that quality of leadership, even when we disagreed.”

Former Senate President, David Mark recounted how Tambuwal and his deputy approached him before the election.

“They came to me and said, ‘Sir, whether you like it or not, you are adopting us as your sons,’” Mark said.

He admitted to ignoring pressure from the PDP leadership on the eve of the election.

“For once, Mr President, I disobeyed you,” he said, drawing applause from the audience.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described Tambuwal as a leader in the making, while Peter Obi praised him as a bridge builder committed to justice, consensus, and national unity.

Former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, commended Tambuwal’s ability to manage a politically fragmented House, while Akande-Adeola dismissed suggestions of lingering animosity.

“Only what God wills comes to pass. Tambuwal has been Speaker and a leader. There is no animosity among us,” she said.
Tambuwal’s Warning On Nigeria’s Future

In his remarks, Tambuwal said Nigeria was at a critical juncture and urgently needed rescue from years of poor governance.

According to him, national renewal must rise above personal ambition, ethnicity and party politics, warning against the imposition of unworthy successors.

He said such practices continued to weaken institutions and undermine democracy, stressing that meaningful recovery would only be possible if Nigerians acknowledged that “something is fundamentally wrong” and committed to genuine reform.

BARELY 13 months to the 2027 general elections, a wave of high-profile defections into the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has dramatically altered the political landscape across several states.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

While the movement of sitting Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors into the party has strengthened APC’s numerical advantage, it has also exposed deep fault lines, setting the stage for fierce internal battles over leadership, structure and, ultimately, party tickets.

From Akwa Ibom to Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Plateau and Enugu, the central question confronting the APC is whether it can convert elite consensus into grassroots cohesion or whether unresolved rivalries will implode at the primaries.
Sharing of APC tickets to test Akpabio-Eno alliance in A/Ibom

Ahead of the polls, the APC in Akwa Ibom State faces the real prospect of internal crisis following the June 2025 defection of Governor Umo Eno from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

At the heart of the looming tension is how the party’s two dominant power centres -Governor Eno, who controls state resources, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who commands federal influence -will share party tickets for state and National Assembly offices without triggering implosion.

In his defection speech, Governor Eno spoke glowingly of mutual trust between himself, Akpabio and President Bola Tinubu, stressing that the understanding guaranteed automatic tickets for his second-term bid and Akpabio’s political future, while committing all three to deliver Akwa Ibom to the APC.

Conspicuously absent, however, was any assurance for the 26 PDP lawmakers and political appointees who defected alongside him. Apart from Akpabio, even serving APC lawmakers at the National Assembly are uncertain about their chances of securing return tickets.

Fearing backlash from displaced incumbents with strong voter bases, Governor Eno has unveiled the slogan “Akwa Ibom United,” a political doctrine first popularised by the recently displaced PDP chairman, Aniekan Akpan.

Critics describe it as a euphemism for total political control across party lines, blending inducement with coercion. In the weeks before his defection, Eno reportedly gifted SUVs to PDP chairmen and the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPA, ostensibly to promote harmony.

Yet, that posture contrasts sharply with his hardline warning: “We will not leave PDP for thieves to hijack and use against us.”

A party chieftain alleged that dissenters were declared “sacked,” noting that two aides were dismissed for attending the PDP convention in Ibadan.

The strategy, insiders say, is to keep a firm grip on the opposition and deny displaced aspirants viable platforms. But analysts warn that an unresolved Akpabio–Eno ticket-sharing battle could weaken APC’s chances or, if managed ruthlessly, hand it total victory.
Delta: Old warhorses, new alliances

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s April 28, 2025 defection to the APC, alongside his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has reshaped Delta State politics. Since then, Oborevwori has consolidated control of the party, enjoying the backing of the Omeni-Sobotie-led State Working Committee and key stakeholders, including Chief Festus Keyamo, O’tega Emerhor, Senators Ned Nwoko and Ede Dafinone.

The governor has been widely endorsed as APC’s sole governorship candidate for 2027. The governor is also getting support and series of endorsement from APC faithful and stakeholders across the three senatorial districts, federal constituencies and local government areas in the state as consensus governorship candidate of the party in the 2027 general elections.

However, uncertainty lingers over the ambition of former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the party’s 2023 governorship candidate, who has remained silent.

Omo-Agege, who is the immediate past Deputy President of the Senate, has been a longstanding governorship aspirant in the state and had vied for the position severally under the platforms of various political parties.

Though he welcomed the governor into the APC and attended the defection ceremony, Omo-Agege has since then been silent, giving nothing away as to whether he is ready to give up his ambition or not.
With former PDP and old APC members now cohabiting, analysts foresee friction, particularly where incumbents and aspirants collide.

Ethiope Federal Constituency, home of former governor James Ibori, is one flashpoint, with tensions between supporters of his daughter, the incumbent lawmaker, and a rival camp led by Chief Ighoyota Amori.

In fact, an Ibori and Amori feud, if not resolved, could cause big issues.

Delta North Senatorial district is susceptible to rancour in the build up to 2027 as relations between former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and incumbent Senator Ned Nwoko remain strained. Whether Okowa backs a rival aspirant or Nwoko resists pressure to step aside could determine APC’s internal stability.

Before the defection, there were rumours that Okowa was touting someone that will run under the PDP, though it was misrepresented that he was the one that wanted to go back to the Senate.

Ned Nwoko defected from the PDP to the APC and now both of them are back in the same party.
Will Okowa bring someone to run against Nwoko in the APC? Will Nwoko give up and allow someone else to take the ticket from him? This is an issue that could cause chaos in the party, if not properly managed.
Will Diri’s inclusive style count in Bayelsa APC?

Bayelsa State is experiencing a major shift in its political landscape following Governor Douye Diri’s defection from the PDP to the APC. This move is seen as a key boost to the APC, strengthening its hold on the state and paving the way for increased federal support and investment.

With the defection, the APC now controls the state executive and legislative arms of government, giving it an advantage in the upcoming general elections. This shift in power dynamics will no doubt affect opposition parties’ chances in subsequent polls in the state.

However, this has sparked mixed reactions, with some welcoming the decision and others predicting potential instability. Analysts warn that defections don’t guarantee automatic success, emphasizing the importance of internal party structures and agreements, a pointer that the governor’s new role will require navigating the party’s internal factions and managing tensions with his former PDP colleagues.

Interestingly, the party’s internal dynamics are complex, with factions loyal to the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and former Governor Timipre Sylva.

Recall that the then ruling party, the PDP exploited the wrangling within the APC in the last governorship polls to cement its place as the dominant party in Bayelsa until the surprised November 2025 switch by Governor Diri to the APC alongside the Speaker, Abraham Ingobere and members of the state House of Assembly. His commissioners and local government council chairmen under the banner of the PDP also joined the defection train.

One major obstacle is the internal party dynamics, as some APC members have expressed concerns about the governor’s defection from PDP, questioning his loyalty and electoral value as he’s already serving his second term.

Though the Lokpobiri faction has since accepted Diri as the leader of the party in the state by virtue of his position as a governor, he still faces the challenge of winning the trust of some old party members, especially those in the Sylva camp who have been loyal to the party since it berthed in the state and see their principal as its leader.

However, Diri’s leadership style, known for its inclusiveness irrespective of party affiliations and peaceful disposition, will be put to test in his new role as the leader of the party as both old and new members slug it out for positions in the days ahead in the predominantly civil service state where politics has turned out to be a lucrative business for many.

The governor is also expected to bring to bear his wealth of experience and leadership acumen to reconcile the factions within the APC and avoid past mistakes that cost the party dearly at the polls as witnessed in the last governorship election in the state when the party went into battle with the PDP as a divided house.

The outcome of these political maneuvers will no doubt have significant implications for 2027 which focus is to return the President at the centre and help secure Bayelsa State for the APC, reminiscence of the PDP era of dominance in the South South geopolitical zone.
How Fubara’s defection sparked fresh political crisis In Rivers

Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s December 9, 2025 defection to the APC reignited political tensions in Rivers State, especially within the camp of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

Wike’s anger reportedly stems from Fubara’s failure to consult him before meeting President Tinubu and defecting, a move allegedly facilitated by APC Governors’ Forum chairman, Hope Uzodimma.

Wike has openly declared that Fubara cannot be the political leader of Rivers, even as governor, a stance echoed by APC National Vice Chairman Victor Giadom.

However, Senator John Azuta-Mbata countered that Fubara remains the recognised governor, underscoring the fragile and unresolved nature of the crisis as 2027 approaches.

Fubara’s decision to join the APC came barely a few days after about 16 lawmakers loyal to Wike defected to the APC citing “irreconcilable” differences in the PDP.

The governor who had a closed-door meeting with President Tinubu in the Villa on Monday night before his defection, boasted that his joining the APC was a mark of respect and, perhaps, the best way of saying “thank you Mr. President” for standing with Rivers State.

Since a few months into his government after swearing in on May 29, 2023, Fubara has never known peace. Political crisis that erupted between him and Wike, his godfather that almost consumed the state lasted for close to two years until President Tinubu wielded the big stick on March 18, 2025 by declaring a state of emergency in Rivers followed by the suspension of Fubara, his deputy and the House of Assembly for six months.

Vice Admiral Ibok Etteh Ibas, retd, was appointed to administer the state for six months when the suspension lasted. He handed over reins of power to Fubara on September 18, 2025.

However, the latest political development did not go down well with the camp of the FCT Minister, Wike who angrily reacted that singing Tinubu’s political slogan “on your mandate we shall stand” would not guarantee an automatic ticket for Fubara’s second term in 2027.

Investigation showed that Wike’s anger stemmed from the fact that Fubara never sought his consent before meeting President Tinubu on December 8 to finalize plans to defect to the APC. The tactical plan was said to have been mooted by the Imo State Governor and chairman of APC Governors’ Forum, Senator Uzodimma, to spite Wike.

Wike believes that Fubara has blatantly failed to implement some of the agreements made by President Tinubu to resolve the lingering political crisis in the state. According to Wike, Fubara had not been working with the state House of Assembly as it ought to be. But the governor insisted that it is the Minister that ought to arrange for such a meeting where all of them including the elders would sit and settle scores.

Wike has also insisted that despite being in a different party, Fubara can never be the political leader of Rivers State despite being a governor. This position has further sparked wide division among political elites in the state with the National Vice Chairman of the APC, Victor Giadom, saying that Fubara can never get anything without passing through Wike.

Giadom, who described Wike as a “dependable leader” in Rivers State politics, assured the minister that there would be no political force in Gokana (his local government area) other than him (Wike).

“I guarantee, on behalf of my brothers, that the Gokana people are for Wike and Tinubu and nobody will challenge Wike’s influence in Gokana.

“Gokana is a ‘no-go area’ for anybody, even Governor Fubara. For him to win anything in Gokana, he must pass through Wike,” he said.

Nevertheless, the political leader of Eneka Clan in Obio/Akpor local government area of the state and President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, declared that the people of Eneka recognized Siminalayi Fubara as the only Governor of Rivers State.

He assured the Governor of the clan’s “continued friendship and support”, describing the relationship as “firm and unbroken”.

The latest political development, however, is an indication that the peace accord brokered by President Tinubu between Governor Fubara and Wike, was just a fluke.
Plateau: Mutfwang’s defection shakes PDP stronghold

Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s defection has rattled Plateau State, long regarded as a PDP bastion. While APC leaders welcomed the move cautiously, PDP loyalists see it as a betrayal.

Analysts warn that without reconciliation and transparent leadership, APC risks factionalisation that could blunt its electoral edge and reopen space for opposition resurgence.

Plateau State has long prided itself as the traditional stronghold of the PDP, a reputation built on the state’s pivotal role in the formation, growth and sustenance of the Party over the years.

From the advent of the Fourth Republic, the PDP enjoyed overwhelming acceptance across the state, embedding itself deeply in the political consciousness of the people.

For many politically aware citizens, loyalty to the PDP went beyond mere party affiliation and was often likened to a belief system. Adherence to the party line was regarded as a civic duty, while any form of deviation in the recent past was viewed by supporters as political apostasy.

This entrenched loyalty largely explains why opposition parties struggled for relevance and electoral success in Plateau State for many years.

This political pattern, however, witnessed a significant shift with the emergence of the All Progressives Congress, APC, which broke the PDP’s dominance and governed the state between 2015 and 2023.

The period marked a notable departure from Plateau’s long-standing political tradition and demonstrated that voter loyalty, though deeply rooted, was not immutable.

Following the 2023 general elections, the PDP returned to power in Plateau State, rekindling hopes among its supporters that the Party’s supremacy had been restored.

However, internal crises and protracted leadership disputes at the national level of the PDP soon cast a shadow over this resurgence. These unresolved tensions reportedly culminated in the defection of Governor Mutfwang to the APC, a move that sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape.

The defection was met with mixed reactions. While some leaders within the APC initially expressed reservations, questioning the political implications of the move, grassroots supporters of the PDP were equally unsettled, perceiving it as a profound betrayal of the Party’s long-standing ideals and support base.

As events unfold, the Plateau State chapter of the APC appears poised to grapple with significant internal challenges.

Analysts foresee the emergence of factional alignments and leadership disputes driven by competing loyalties to existing party structures and newly formed power blocs. Such divisions, if not carefully managed, could weaken internal cohesion and disrupt the Party’s organisational effectiveness.

These tensions may also adversely affect grassroots mobilisation, undermine confidence among Party faithful and potentially trigger defections of some members. The risk of deepening discord remains high, particularly if the Party fails to articulate a unified vision or adopt transparent mechanisms for conflict resolution.

Ultimately, without timely reconciliation, inclusive leadership and credible internal democratic processes, the APC risks diminishing its effectiveness and electoral competitiveness in Plateau State.

Such a scenario could create political openings for other contending parties to gain traction and reshape the state’s political dynamics in 2027.
Enugu: Why APC may avoid implosion

Unlike elsewhere, Enugu APC appears poised for relative stability following Governor Peter Mbah’s defection. Strategic realignments, the exit of former power brokers and the emergence of Dr. Ben Nwoye as caretaker chairman have effectively handed party control to the governor’s camp.

With funding, structure and national backing aligned, insiders say harmonisation is inevitable, though zoning adjustments may be required to balance senatorial interests.

When Governor Mbah, in October, defected to the ruling APC he literally collapsed the hitherto entire PDP structure into the APC. He moved with all PDP structures from ward to state level. Before then, APC structure in the state was under the control of Chief Uche Nnaji, then the minister of Science and Innovation, with Barr.

Ugochukwu Agballa as the chairman of the party. But the party was not very peaceful. There were incessant disagreements between the former minister and the leadership of the party on one side and other senior party members and stakeholders on the other side. Major stakeholders of the party, including former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani, former Governor Sullivan Chime, former DG of Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, among others, were suspended and alienated from the party by the then party leadership of Agballa.

Meanwhile, the relationship between the former minister and the governor was not cordial, they were not working together as minister and governor aimed at one good purpose- development of the state; even when both of them are of Nkanu clan.

With the leadership crisis in PDP, Mbah’s former party not abating, the former APC chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye, also an Nkanu man, and who was not happy with the Agballa leadership of the party, worked behind the scenes with estranged stakeholders and tactic support of the governor, and schemed back his way as the chairman of the party, further dividing the party, and contesting the leadership of the party with Ugochukwu Agballa.

With support from Abuja and stakeholders, he openly started wooing Gov. Mbah to join APC.
As this was going. on, the NYSC forgery allegation against the former minister cropped up, leading to his resignation.

The minister’s resignation automatically changed a lot in the party. It cleared the way for Nwoye with the backing of the governor and hitherto estranged stakeholders of the party, to take complete control of the party in the state. And he got the nod of the party at the national level to take over as caretaker chairman.

With the party under the control of the governor’s man, the way became express for him to join which he did.

With the circumstances surrounding his movement into the party and the intrigues that removed those that could have constituted a stumbling block for him, it is unlikely that there may be leadership crisis in the party under him, more so in Nigeria political clime, the governor provides the funds and therefore he dictates the tune too.

So it is expected that before long there will be a seamless harmonization and selection of new leaders of the party in the state to reflect the required political balance. This is necessary because the governor and the party chairman should not come from the same senatorial district as presently constituted. Both of them are from Enugu East districts.

Blocs loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, within the Peoples Democratic Party have stepped up moves to secure alternative political platforms amid uncertainty over candidate nominations ahead of the 2027 general elections.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Sources in the party told Sunday PUNCH that the blocs were weighing the All Progressives Congress and the African Democratic Congress as possible platforms for aspirants in the PDP.

The development follows growing concerns that the PDP may be unable to field candidates for the 2027 elections due to ongoing court cases over the legitimacy of the party’s two factions.

The fear was further heightened by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s rejection of the party’s Ekiti governorship candidate, Wole Oluyede, for the June 20, 2026 election.

Oluyede emerged in a primary conducted by the Taminu Turaki-led National Working Committee of the PDP, loyal to Governors Makinde, Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) and Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa).

The Turaki leadership emerged during the November , 2025 convention of the party in Ibadan, Oyo State. The PDP faction backed by the FCT minister did not conduct a primary for the election.

The two factions have been claiming legitimacy of the party’s leadership, while INEC insists they must resolve their crisis.

Meanwhile, INEC also said it will not recognise the Turaki-led NWC.

The commission said it could not recognise or update the list of PDP leaders because of the existing court orders of the Federal High Court in the cases filed by Nwachukwu and Lamido.

Unending litigations

Findings by Sunday PUNCH show that there are five ongoing court cases that will determine the leadership and future of the party, with two judgments currently at the Court of Appeal.

One of the cases, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, resulted in a judgment that suspended the party’s convention until it complies with the requirements of its constitution, the Nigerian Constitution, and the Electoral Act.

This suit was filed by three aggrieved members of the party: Austin Nwachukwu (PDP Chairman, Imo State), Amah Nnanna (PDP Chairman, Abia State), and Turnah George (PDP Secretary, South-South). The case is now pending in the Court of Appeal.

Another notable case was filed by former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido.

Justice Peter Lifu had issued an order restraining INEC from supervising, monitoring, or recognising any PDP convention that excluded Lamido as a contestant. That matter is also pending before the Court of Appeal.

The remaining three cases, including one from the Oyo State High Court, challenge the legitimacy of the November 15–16 convention and others in Abuja are still being heard in the lower courts.

Overall, the two cases currently before the Court of Appeal are crucial and will decide the leadership of the party.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki-led NWC, Ini Ememobong, confirmed that the five cases were pending in court.

Ememobong, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, expressed confidence that the Turaki-led NWC would obtain justice.

He stated, “We have two matters before the Court of Appeal and about three at the Federal High Court, but the most important ones are those at the Court of Appeal because those are appeals against final judgments.

“Our party is optimistic that we will get justice for all. We are doubly optimistic about it because even in the SDP case, the Supreme Court has reiterated its time-tested position that political matters, leadership of political parties, and how they conduct their congresses are matters that are non-justiciable, meaning that the courts do not have jurisdiction over them.”

Factions seek refuge in APC, ADC

Sunday PUNCH gathered that PDP factions, unsettled by unresolved leadership disputes, protracted court cases and INEC’s decision in Ekiti, are exploring options outside the party.

A member of the Turaki-led NWC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the party was already considering an alliance with the ADC.

He acknowledged that the crisis facing the party might deny it the opportunity to field candidates for the 2027 general elections, lamenting that INEC had demonstrated its resolve to “stop the party’s chances.”

Speaking with one of our correspondents on Saturday, the PDP chieftain said, “With what INEC has done to our candidate in Ekiti State, we should not deceive ourselves; our chances of having candidates for the 2027 general elections are very slim.

“We are already taking steps so that even if some of us remain in the PDP, our candidates will be able to contest under other parties, especially the ADC.

“We may not even have a presidential candidate because, yes, we have the structure, but with the current situation, we cannot go anywhere. That is why we are already in talks with ADC leaders, and negotiations are ongoing. We cannot afford to be stranded.

“If you say we are in a dilemma, that was in the past. Now we have a clear direction, which is to form an alliance with the ADC to protect the interests of our candidates. In a short time, our negotiations with the ADC will produce a defined structure.”

Confirming this to Sunday PUNCH, a top official of the ADC said some leaders of the PDP and the ADC had met over the proposed alliance.

According to the official, the PDP leaders were from the Turaki-led faction and were willing to work with the ADC.

However, the party chieftain said no decision had been taken and no formal negotiations yet.

“The discussion is still at an early stage; nothing concrete has been decided,” he added.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, simply said, “We are open to every Nigerian willing to be part of the rescue mission.”

He declined to comment further on the matter.

Also speaking with Sunday PUNCH, a member of the NWC loyal to Wike’s bloc, Timothy Osadolor, expressed fear that even if the PDP produced a presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, the party would perform poorly.

He said the PDP would need to collaborate with a stronger opposition platform to have any real chance.

Osadolor blamed the crisis in the party on what he described as the arrogance of the governors under the platform.

“We have seen that the early Christmas party (national convention) that some of the governors went to have in Ibadan has led to nowhere. The other group has also successfully made a point that it is going to wrestle the governors to the ground if need be, and that they have done.

“For me, 2027 is already a closed matter for PDP. It is closed because whoever is thinking he is going to run on the PDP platform now must either be Jesus Christ or be more popular than Coca Cola because the damage that these governors have done to PDP will not put anybody, no matter how strong or how popular the person is in a good position to win election in 2027. But to say the PDP wants to go into the election alone is like looking for a needle in a haystack,” he said.

Osadolor suggested that the party’s best option was to seek an alternative platform that could produce a formidable candidate capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu.

He, however, dismissed the APC as a viable alternative.

“APC is not a platform; anyone supporting it is just promoting hunger, hopelessness, and frustration. On the other hand, the ADC has shown signs of being ready to take over power. With collaboration and steadiness, it could become a platform for a viable opposition.

“The best bet for the PDP or for the progressive-minded people in PDP is to seek an alternative platform for collaboration where a formidable candidate can be produced to give President Bola Tinubu a run for his money and possibly defeat APC in the next polls. I’m not close to the APC. If they (Wike bloc) are close to the APC, that is fine for them,” Osadolor added.

When contacted, the APC’s Director of Information, Bala Ibrahim, said the party had not decided to accommodate candidates from the Wike-led faction of the PDP.

He, however, suggested that the matter was under consideration.

Ibrahim said, “If you can wait maybe on Monday, the party will decide on it. I am not a member of the National Working Committee. When the NWC meets and takes a position, then I can tell you.”

PDP will unite, field candidates – Anyanwu, Ememobong

But the National Secretary of the PDP loyal to Wike, Samuel Anyanwu, dismissed claims of any negotiations with the APC, describing them as “mere speculations”.

In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Anyanwu said the party was on the path to resolving its crisis.

He said, “The PDP will soon resolve its crisis. I believe we are going to agree very soon and then move on with one voice. People will come back to the party, I assure you. In the next few days now, from March, APC will start having their problems because they will have their convention and congresses.”

Anyanwu reaffirmed his loyalty to the PDP, adding that he would continue to fight for the unity of the party.

“I’m very close to the FCT minister, but he has made it so strongly clear that he’s going to support the PDP,” he said.

Also, a factional spokesperson for the PDP, Ememobong, dismissed the fear that the party might not field candidates for the 2027 elections.

He insisted that the party would not only field candidates but also win the elections.

Ememobong said, “PDP will field a presidential candidate and others, you can take that to the bank. I’m assuring you 100 per cent that the PDP will fully participate in the 2027 elections. We are not just going to field a presidential candidate, we will field a candidate that will win.”

He noted that the party still had time to take steps to ensure its candidates were recognised before the elections.

Ememobong expressed optimism that the party would win its court cases, adding that a favourable ruling from the Court of Appeal would confirm that the decisions taken at the Ibadan convention were valid and compel INEC to recognise the PDP’s candidates.

He, however, said the PDP remained open to working with other opposition parties.

According to him, while the immediate focus is on preparing the party and its candidates, opportunities for alliances or coalitions will be considered closer to the elections to enhance their competitiveness against the APC.