Peter Obi Defends Party Switch, Blasts Nigeria’s Political Class at NDC Convention

Peter Obi speaking at the Nigeria Democratic Congress convention in Abuja

Peter Obi, presidential hopeful of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has defended his movement across political parties while taking a swipe at critics who mocked his political realignments. In a lengthy statement shared on his verified X handle, Obi justified his decision by quoting former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. He said, “Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others change their principles for the sake of their party.” Obi spoke on Saturday after attending the first convention of the NDC in Abuja, describing the gathering as evidence of Nigerians’ determination for political change and democratic renewal. The former Anambra State governor expressed appreciation to the NDC leadership, led by Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, for welcoming him and his supporters during what he described as a critical period in Nigeria’s political journey. He also acknowledged the African Democratic Congress (ADC), particularly former Senate President David Mark, for providing what he called a democratic platform after ongoing litigation reportedly forced him and others out of the Labour Party and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). According to Obi, the spirit of solidarity among opposition groups must remain central to efforts aimed at rebuilding Nigeria. The opposition figure accused members of the political class of abandoning democratic values and enabling what he described as the systematic destruction of democracy in the country. “Those who once fought for justice now openly celebrate electoral injustice,” Obi stated. He further alleged that intimidation, coercion, manipulation and political gangsterism were increasingly being deployed against opposition voices, warning that Nigeria’s democracy was facing severe threats. Obi said Nigeria was drifting without direction and suffering under worsening economic and security conditions. “Across the world, Nigeria is increasingly described as a failing and disgraced nation. This is not the destiny God ordained for our great country,” he said. The former presidential candidate pointed to what he described as failures in governance, including weak accountability, corruption, poor regulatory standards and the erosion of the separation of powers. He also highlighted rising poverty, unemployment, inflation and insecurity, claiming that more than 140 million Nigerians currently live in multidimensional poverty. According to him, businesses are shutting down while farmers can no longer safely access their farmlands due to insecurity. Obi lamented the increasing cases of kidnapping, displacement and violent attacks across the country, saying hundreds of innocent Nigerians had lost their lives in recent weeks. He questioned who speaks for struggling Nigerians, including grieving parents, unemployed youths and families battling rising hardship. “Our present tragedy is not accidental,” Obi said. “It is the direct consequence of years of deliberate sabotage by a political class that prospers by dividing the people and weakening the nation.” He maintained that Nigeria possesses abundant human and natural resources but continues to suffer because leadership has failed to prioritise the common good. Calling for national unity and reform, Obi urged Nigerians to reject despair and work towards rebuilding the country on the foundations of justice, equity, competence, productivity and accountability. “Our choice as a people is therefore clear: whether to surrender to despair and national decline, or to summon the courage to rescue our country and rebuild it,” he added.

Kwankwaso Plans to Shrink APC’s Support in Kano by 2027

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the former governor of Kano State, has expressed confidence that the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) will significantly reduce the All Progressives Congress (APC) support in the state by 2027. During a meeting with party members in Tsanyawa LGA on Wednesday, Kwankwaso stated that the APC will receive fewer than 15,000 votes in the upcoming elections. READ ALSO: Nigerien Leader, Abdourahmane Tchiani accuses France of Funding Insecurity in Northern Nigeria, Says, Tinubu, Rufa’i and Ribadu are Aware In the 2023 gubernatorial race, the NNPP received over one million votes, surpassing the APC, which garnered nearly 891,000. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) trailed with only around 16,000 votes. Despite entering the political scene late, Kwankwaso credited NNPP’s strong showing to the party’s rapid rise. Looking ahead, Kwankwaso urged his supporters to stay united, promising a focused effort to weaken APC’s influence and secure a win in future elections.

1,331 Ganduje’s kinsmen dump APC for NNPP

NNPP BoT Expels Rabiu Kwankwaso, Dissolves NWC

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on Thursday lost 1,331 members of his party to the ruling New Nigerian Peoples Party in his hometown in Kano.   The defectors, who are mainly from 11 wards of Ganduje’s Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State vowed to work against the return of APC in the state.   Prominent among the former APC leaders, who have now embraced NNPP include the former Vice Chairman of the local government, Malam Isyaku Dahiru Kwa; former state House of Assembly aspirant, Audu Magaji Tumfafi and Bashir Musa Sani, APC Youth Leader for Takai Organisation, among others.   Receiving the decampees to the ruling party at a grand reception held at Dawakin-Tofa, the State Chairman of NNPP, Hashimu Dungurawa, applauded the ingenuity of the Ganduje’s kinsmen to APC.   Earlier, one of the leaders of the decampees, Isyaku Dahiru Kwa, cited Ganduje’s inability to develop the local government during his eight years tenure as the major reason for their decision.   Dungurawa declared that NNPP under the leadership of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is committed to entrench socio-econonic and infrastructural development in Kano.   While assuring the new members of equal opportunity within the party caucus, Dungurawa dispelled the rumour of mass defection of NNPP members to APC.   He maintained that NNPP is not losing grip of control of its party structure across the political wards, describing those aligning with APC as 419 struggling to collect their share of national cake from their recruiters.  

2027 Election: Labour Party and Others self-destruct

Apart from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, other leading players at the last election except the ruling All People’s Congress seem to be imploding, all as a result of frenzied moves ahead of the 2027 general elections.   For instance, both the PDP and the Labour Party, the first and second runners up at the 2023 presidential election have been neck deep in internal wranglings for no specific reasons other than the machinations of greedy party members to self destruct in favour of an individual’s ambition to conquere power in 2027.   In an apparent redundant move the Labour Party has revoked the automatic tickets previously reserved for its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, for the 2027 election.   The decision was made during the party’s National Executive Council meeting held on Monday, September 9, in Abuja.   Following the meeting, the party’s National Working Committee, led by Julius Abure, announced that all party tickets, from the presidency to the House of Assemblies, would now be open to all qualified Nigerians.   In a communique signed by the National Chairman of the party, Abure, and National Secretary, Umar Ibrahim, the NEC nullified the decision taken at the stakeholders meeting convened by Otti.   The NEC insisted that there was no vacuum in the leadership of the party after “conducting its National Convention in line with its constitution, the Electoral Act and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on March 27, 2024.”  

2027: Atiku, Peter Obi, Kwankwaso Resume Merger Dialogue 

The three prominent opposition leaders in Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, are reportedly currently engaged in discussions regarding a potential merger ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The trio aim to unseat the All Progressives Congress (APC) incumbent administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This move follows the hunger and widespread insecurity in the country, as stated by a spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday. The deputy national spokesman for the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, made this announcement while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme. He indicated that the three opposition candidates from the previous elections—Atiku of the PDP, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), – are prepared to set aside personal ambitions to create a strong coalition capable of challenging the ruling APC in 2027, with the goal of “rescuing Nigerians from hunger.” Abdullahi further remarked that had the previous leadership of the party effectively managed internal disputes and conflicts, prominent figures such as former Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike, Kwankwaso, and Obi would likely still be active members of the PDP, which could have led to a victory over Tinubu of the APC in the last election. He said, “We’ve lost Kwankwaso, we’ve lost Peter Obi, all of these people, imagine if they are in the party, we will have gone to win the elections. “This APC said they defeated us with one million plus (votes), just one of these names that I mentioned would have covered that gap for us and we would have been in power today and certainly Nigerians would not have been confronted with this despair and despondency in the land.” When asked if the PDP is trying to get Obi, Kwankwaso, Wike and others back into the party, Abdullahi said, “Sure, discussion is ongoing. You will see Peter Obi discussing with Atiku, you will see Peter Obi meeting with (Nasir) El-Rufai. Party management is a very difficult thing and we are doing the best in the quagmire that we have found ourselves. Rest assured, there would light at the end of the tunnel. We have learnt our lessons in a bitter way.” When inquired further about the potential outcomes of Obi and the others rejoining the PDP, Abdullahi stated, “One of them would yield to the other, thereby providing us with a clear direction. “Our concern as a party and to these people that I have mentioned is to ensure that we salvage Nigerians from this despair and despondency, between maladies of hunger and frightening insecurity in the land. You could see cluelessness and ineptitude on the part of these people managing this country.” The PDP chieftain said salvaging Nigerians out of the present hardship is more important than the individual ambitions of the trio. He said, “Atiku is saying if it is better for him to get Nigeria out of this hopelessness, he would do so. “He (Atiku) must not be in the race. Atiku is saying that it is an entitlement to him as a democrat; the constitution provides for him that he could contest at any time. “What he is trying to say is that (there) is no ceiling stopping him from contesting. That is his fundamental democratic right but he is not saying that he will force it on the throat of the party or the country. “I am telling you clearly: Peter Obi is suitably qualified; he can aspire and we will support him if he gets the ticket. Atiku is suitably qualified and if he gets the ticket, we will rally behind him and give him the desired support to salvage Nigerians out of this situation.”

Kano Corruption Agency to Quiz Kwankwaso’s Nephew

NNPP BoT Expels Rabiu Kwankwaso, Dissolves NWC

Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) has secured a post no debit on account linked to the alleged local government contract scam in the state, blocking N160million while moving to recover N440million.   This is as investigators of the commission are expected to continue the quizzing of some of the key figures in the investigation.   It was also gathered that Musa Garba Kwankwaso, nephew of the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, will be quizzed by the investigators, on Thursday.   He is expected to answer questions regarding the involvement of his company, Novomed Pharmaceuticals, in the alleged contract scam.   The contract, said to have been awarded without due process, involves each local government paying about N9 million monthly, amounting to N396 million in total every month.   The scandal came to the fore when Bello Galadanchi, a United States-born Nigerian filmmaker and content creator, alleged that the state government directed each of the 44 local government councils to pay about N10 million for the drug supply, with the contract awarded exclusively to Novomed Pharmaceuticals.   According to Galadanchi, 25 local governments, including Tofa, Bebeji, Dambatta, Dawakin Tofa, Doguwa, Kumbotso, Tudun Wada, Gezawa, Ungogo, Warawa, Ajingi, Kabo, Kura, Madobi, Bichi, Gwarzo, Rogo, Garun Mallam, Takai, Shanono, Kiru, Makoda, Nasarawa, and Gabasawa, have already made payments for August to the company’s account.   Critics had alleged lack of transparency in the dealings of the local governments’ interim management committees appointed by Governor Yusuf in March, after the tenures of the elected council chairmen expired.   Governor Yusuf had, late last week, distanced himself from the contract by denying prior knowledge of the deal and ordering an immediate probe into the matter.   In an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, the chairman of the PCACC, Muhuyi Magaji, said: “We’ve already issued invitations to about five or six individuals, including the permanent secretary of the Ministry for Local Governments, the Director of Planning, and the Director of Local Government Inspection”.   He said the commission also summoned the chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kano State, the state secretary of the association, as well as the chairman of the Local Governments Directors of Personnel Management Forum. Also invited is the public relations officer of the forum.  

Kano announce date for LG polls 

Abba Kabir Yusuf, Gov, Kano State

The Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) has scheduled November 30, 2024, for the local government elections in the state.

Kano Guber: Supreme Court Affirms Abba Yusuf Victory

The Supreme court has upheld the election of the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as the governor of the state. The five-man panel of the court lead by John Inyang Okoro, held that the 165, 616 votes complied with the provisions of Section 71 of the Electoral Act have been signed and stamped by the election agents. The court held that the All Progressive Congress (APC) and it’s flagbearer, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, failed to prove that the votes were unlawful. Therefore, the court ordered that the signed and stamped 165, 616 votes be returned to the appallant. With the verdict, the court thereby set aside the judgement of the lower court and declared that the Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf won the 2023 governorship election in Kano State with the majority votes. The Independent National Electronic Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced Yusuf as the winner of the March 18, 2023 election, saying he garnered 1,019,602 votes to defeat Gawuna who got 890,705 of the votes cast. Consequently, the APC headed the Tribunal, citing alleged electoral malpractice. The Tribunal in its ruling nullified Yusuf’s election, adding that over 160,000 ballot papers “were not signed or stamped by INEC”. The three-man panel of the Tribunal led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay sacked Yusuf on September 20, 2023, after deducting 165,663 of his votes. Yusuf’s votes were subsequently reduced to 853,939 while Ganuwa’s 890,705 votes were not affected. Not satisfied, Yusuf proceeded to the Appeal court which held that it can be seen that the Tribunal acted in the overall interest of justice when it allowed APC’s tendering of documents during trial. The court held that INEC released documents to the APC piecemeal in order to defeat the petition of the petitioner. The judgement further posited the the Petitioner’s insistence that APC ought to have joined its candidate, Ganuwa, as a party at the Tribunal proceedings, was not backed by the 1999 Constitution. It maintained that a candidate is entitled to be represented by his political party during litigation, adding that every political party shall maintain the register of its voters. The court said the appellant to his own detriment did not submit his NNPP membership registrar or even tendered his statement on oath regarding his membership of the party. The court added that the name of Abba is not the NNPP membership registrar. “As rightfully found, Yusuf Abba was not a member of the NNPP at the time he was purportedly sponsored by his party and he was not qualified to contest the March Governorship Election,” the court while affirming the judgment of the Tribunal. “If you claim to be a member of a political party, is it not logical for you to say so by yourself and not by proxy? “Even though membership of a political party is an internal affair, a political party cannot be permitted to circumvent or breach the provisions of the 1999 Constitution. “The Tribunal was wrong not to have disqualified the appellant. “Therefore the failure of the appellant and the NNPP to comply with the 1999 Constitution is fatal to their election. “All issues in this appeal are dismissed and the judgment of the Tribunal is affirmed,” the court held.