Politics
Ebonyi SDP Chair Predicts APC Fall In 2027
The Social Democratic Party says it’s strengthening its grassroots base, just as it’s capitalising on growing dissatisfaction among Nigerians in the face of a biting economy. In this interview with EDWARD NNACHI, the Ebonyi State Chairman of SDP, Dr Kingsley Agbor, speaks on Nigeria’s 26 years of democracy, and his party’s preparedness for the 2027 elections
How has your party fared recently in Ebonyi State?
As former President Goodluck Jonathan once said, when you’re putting up poles and wiring, no one notices. It’s only when the lights come on that people begin to pay attention. That’s exactly what we’re doing in SDP. We’re laying structures, connecting grassroots networks, and consolidating our position. We are active in all 13 Local Government Areas and have executive members in virtually every electoral ward in Ebonyi State. But because we’re in opposition, we are moving quietly and strategically. We want to take people by surprise. Soon, they’ll start asking, ‘Where has SDP been all this while?’
There’s this general belief the SDP is ‘lifeless’ in Ebonyi State. What’s your take?
There is one saying that people who pound their mortar loudly every night at times have the impression that the other people who you don’t hear them pound go hungry. Now, what do I mean? The ruling party, because they are in control of the resources and all that, they are free to make all the noise and all that. They believe erroneously that there is no other person existing. But because we are in opposition, we need to get our act right, and our tactics right, and the only tactic we are using is to go underground. And yes, other persons who are out there will believe that life has been snuffed out from SDP. But I can tell you that we are very much alive, and we will take them by surprise. So, it is not true that life has been snuffed out from SDP in Ebonyi State.
On June 12, Nigeria marked 26 years of uninterrupted democracy. Do you think Nigerians have truly enjoyed democratic governance?
Let’s not forget: the spirit of June 12 came from SDP, the platform on which the late MKO Abiola won the 1993 election. That said, when you evaluate Nigeria’s democracy by its core definition — government of the people, by the people, and for the people — you’ll see we’ve fallen short. Government of the people? It implies the people elect their leaders. But with the current electoral system, from INEC to the judiciary, the will of the people is often subverted. So, no, we haven’t achieved that. And government for the people? Let’s look around. How many homes have pipe-borne water? How many communities enjoy stable electricity, accessible healthcare, or quality public schools? Democracy is meant to benefit the people. But what we see is economic hardship — a crate of eggs now costs ₦7,000. Is that progress? I can say that we have just been surviving but whether the core mandate of democracy has been delivered, the answer is no!
So, are you saying we are living in deception?
Yes, we are purely living in deception. I took my time to explain it — government for the people, of the people, and by the people. When you put it line by line, you will see that we haven’t met any of the aspects of democracy.
What’s the way forward?
The way forward is what the SDP is trying to do or what the SDP has been doing. And what have we been doing? We are continuously advocating, mobilising, and sensitising the people to bring about the change. Regrettably, we never had the opportunity in 1993 because many people had in mind that, peradventure they allowed MKO Abiola to govern Nigeria, by today we will not be where we are. Where N2,000 cannot buy a loaf of bread. Where we cannot fly from Enugu to Lagos without spending less than N125,000. These are very disheartening. A journey of not more than 45 minutes, you are spending more than N30,000 just from Enugu to Lagos. The way forward is what we are doing now, continue holding these people by their words, and continue advocating and mobilising people. You see, my heart bleeds anytime I see this type of defection going on. Where are you defecting to? Defecting to a government that has made lives more terrible for its people? A government where its today is better than tomorrow? So, the way forward is that we keep on advocating, we keep on mobilising, and we hope that come 2027, we are going to get it right because SDP is poised and is fully ready and prepared to take us to where we should have been taken in 1993.
Governor Francis Nwifuru marked two years in office on May 29. What’s your rating of his administration?
Coming to score the government — unfortunately, I won’t score him high. Just like the government of David Umahi, which I described as cosmetic governance because in governance, we have hard-core governance and cosmetic governance. What is cosmetic governance? Just like when you see a lady with make-up and the rest of it, it does not solve anything. I have asked someone to tell me how much all the flyovers David Umahi built in Ebonyi State generates into the coffers of Ebonyi State. How many people have those flyovers employed and taken away from the job market? The answer is none. Until the government addresses this, it is purely cosmetic. Unfortunately, Nwifuru has equally followed the step of cosmetic governance instead of hard-core governance. What do I mean by hard-core governance? Let me give an example. Former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai entered into a partnership with a Dutch firm to establish Olam Farms, a mega hatchery and agro-processing enterprise. That initiative provides direct and indirect employment to over 10,000 people and contributes massively to the state’s economy. In contrast, how many Ebonyi people got jobs through the flyovers? What revenue have they generated? Until we embrace hardcore governance that drives the economy and uplifts lives, I cannot give the Nwifuru administration a pass mark. So, I won’t score Nwifuru high until he goes into hard-core governance.
You appear to be a lone ranger in this game. Is there any chance of you defecting to the ruling party ahead of 2027, just like others have done?
Why should I defect to a government I just described as cosmetic? I’ve chosen the path of service through hard-core governance. I’ll stay on the side that advocates for true change. I just told you—what they are giving us is cosmetic governance and I won’t want to be part of cosmetic governance, so that when I’m gone, one million years after, they will say it is the government of so-so people that did this. You still hear of Sam Mbakwe, and Jim Nwobodo — you still hear of those people. Sam Mbakwe wasn’t that rich, but if you go to Owerri you will see his legacy there.
How prepared is your party to take over the reins of governance in Ebonyi State?
The 2027 election is not going to be between PDP or any party and APC, it is going to be Nigeria and APC, and they are looking for a very organised platform. That platform we have is SDP. We are fully ready. Like I told you, we are going underground. If I tell you the number of supporters we have, you will be amazed. Whatever thing we are doing now, we are fully ready. You will be surprised at the kind of people that will emerge — that will pick up SDP tickets. They might not be the popular people you know every day. No! We are getting hardcore people who have travelled far and wide.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, said those championing the coalition against President Tinubu are not credible and can’t unseat him. What’s your take?
Now, you see that he has the arrogance and free will to say anything he wants to say. But I want to tell you what El-Rufai told us. He said in 2013, when they were regrouping into APC to unseat PDP, all they heard was, “You can’t remove an incumbent government, he has control of the police, INEC is in his pocket, he has all the money.” But he said, “Will you allow yourself to get distracted?” They said all the answers they gave to them, they appreciated and said ‘thank you’ and went underground. They were told they were wasting their time. He said six months into that election, they were very sure they had won because all they needed to do, they had done. They went door-to-door and saw that Nigerians had already changed their minds. I’m not surprised about what he (Umahi) said; he is the current Minister of Works and can say all he needs to say. But I want to assure you that just as it happened in 2015, nobody believed it was going to happen because they were working underground. I want to assure you that it will happen. When it happens now, unfortunately, and disappointingly, people like David Umahi will be among the first to defect back to SDP, so, that he will take power. It is very unfortunate.
Punchng.com
Tension gripped proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday as video recordings of police interviews with defendants accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration were played in open court.
The recordings, tendered by the prosecution, featured statements from three of the six defendants standing trial over the alleged conspiracy.
Counsel to the defendants objected to the admissibility and public viewing of the recordings, arguing that the statements were not voluntarily made and had not yet been formally admitted as evidence.
However, the trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, overruled the objections and ordered that the recordings be played, while noting that a trial-within-trial would later determine the voluntariness of the statements.
In the footage, two of the accused persons, Erasmus Victor, a retired naval captain, and Ahmed Ibrahim, a police inspector attached to the State House, acknowledged awareness of discussions relating to the alleged plan, while a third defendant, retired Major-General Mohammed Gana, denied any knowledge of a coup attempt.
Gana insisted he had lived a quiet life since retiring from the Nigerian Army in 2010, saying: “If I knew about any coup plan, I would have reported it,”
He admitted knowing the alleged mastermind but maintained that his involvement was limited to forwarding messages and materials he did not originate.
Gana also acknowledged that his name surfaced during investigations in connection with a N2 million transfer but denied any operational role, including claims of surveillance at the Presidential Villa.
Victor, on his part, admitted awareness of conversations suggesting a plan to topple the government but said he discouraged the idea. He told investigators: “Out of anger, he said he wants to overthrow the system. I told him to forget about it and consider retirement,”
He also admitted being approached for financial support and logistical assistance but claimed he refused to participate, though he continued communicating with the suspect using encrypted messaging platforms.
“I feel so bad that I find myself in this situation,” Victor said, appealing for leniency. Inspector admits reconnaissance and payments.
Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim admitted receiving between N1.4 million and N1.5 million and conducting reconnaissance around the Presidential Villa, including Aguda House.
He told investigators that coded language such as “fertiliser” and “farming” was used to disguise discussions about funding and operational planning.
However, he claimed he did not take the alleged plan seriously, stating: “I played along because I knew it would be impossible for them to access the State House,”
Trial continues amid national security concerns The prosecution told the court that the interviews were conducted in line with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, with defendants informed that the sessions were being recorded and that they had the right to remain silent.
The case, involving six defendants charged over an alleged plot to overthrow the government, was adjourned until Tuesday for continuation of hearing. The Federal Government is prosecuting the suspects in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, with other defendants including Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
About 17 African Democratic Congress, ADC, lawmakers in the House of Representatives have defected to the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC.
This was disclosed by Speaker Abass Tajudeen on the floor of the House on Tuesday.
Tajudeen also announced the defection of Leke Abejide from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Lawmakers who defected to the NDC include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.
Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene and Abdulhakeem Ado.
This comes barely a day after former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso defected from the ADC to the NDC.
Obi and Kwankwaso have pledged to continue their pursuit for a better Nigeria in the NDC.
A State High Court sitting in Yola has nullified the Local Government and State Congresses conducted by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State, declaring the exercise invalid over breaches of due process.
The ruling followed a suit filed by the Adamawa State Chairman of the party, Comrade Shehu Yohanna, who challenged the congresses for failing to comply with established legal and party procedures.
Delivering judgment, Justice Isa Ahmed held that the congresses violated Section 84(4) of the Electoral Act as well as Article 18 of the ADC constitution.
He ruled that the defendants failed to follow laid-down guidelines and instead relied on what he described as a self-imposed procedure.
The court identified several irregularities in the conduct of the congresses, including lack of proper notice of the time for the elections and the use of an inappropriate venue.
Justice Ahmed said such lapses undermined the credibility and legality of the exercise.
In a consequential order, the court nullified all congresses conducted during the pendency of an earlier interim order.
The judge emphasised that actions taken in defiance of valid court orders cannot stand under the law.
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