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
Olujonwo Obasanjo, son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has backed the re-election of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
He expressed his support after joining the Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance Foundation (TMS), popularly known as the “Tinubu Must Stay” movement, to promote the president’s re-election agenda.
Olujonwo said his decision to join the movement was informed by his longstanding association with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and his belief in the need to sustain the policies and reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration.
He was formally received by the leadership of TMS at a forum in Abuja, where he expressed support for the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and called for increased public awareness of its policies and achievements.
Olujonwo, who serves as president of the Buhari Youth Organisation (BYO) and Project One Nigeria, as well as Senior Special Assistant to the Ogun State Governor on Housing, said he had been associated with the APC since 2014.
Explaining his political background, he said he was familiar with the party’s formation and its relationship with key political figures, including his father, former President Obasanjo, the late President Muhammadu Buhari and President Tinubu.
“I have been in the APC since 2014. I was there when my father hosted the late President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to form the movement. I am not new to the party,” he said.APC party merchandise
He argued that some of the policies and achievements of the Tinubu administration were not being adequately communicated to Nigerians, adding that misinformation had contributed to negative perceptions of the government.
Olujonwo cited developments in the education sector, infrastructure and access to student loans as areas he believed deserved greater public attention.
“There is a lot of noise out there, and people are distorting what is going on. ASUU has had no strikes. Students have access to loans. Nigeria has become a massive construction site and an investors’ haven again. These are things we need to promote,” he said.
His decision to join the movement comes as political parties and their supporters begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general election, in which Tinubu is expected to seek another presidential term.
The move also places the son of the former president within a political platform established to defend the current administration’s policies and encourage public support for continuity in governance.
Welcoming Olujonwo to the movement, the National Coordinator of TMS and Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said his background gave him an understanding of the importance of economic reforms.
Inuwa drew a comparison between the economic reforms introduced during Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration and those being pursued by Tinubu, arguing that both periods involved policies intended to reshape Nigeria’s economy.
He cited telecommunications liberalisation and banking reforms under the elder Obasanjo as measures that helped establish the foundation for subsequent economic development.
“You grew up in a family that led the second wave of reforms in Nigeria. Telecommunications liberalisation, banking reforms—these laid a solid foundation. Being raised in that family, you understand what reforms mean,” Inuwa said.
He urged Nigerians to consider the long-term implications of government policies, warning that reversing ongoing reforms could undermine investor confidence and disrupt economic progress.
According to him, maintaining policy consistency would be important for attracting investment and sustaining developments in key sectors of the economy.
“We are building investors’ confidence. The naira is becoming strong. Our stock exchange is one of the fastest-growing. The Dangote Refinery is a game changer. If we start reversing these policies, we’ll go back to where we were,” Inuwa added.
Also speaking at the event, Marcel Ngogbehei, Director-General of TMS and a former coordinator of the Obidient Movement, praised the economic policies implemented during Obasanjo’s presidency.
Ngogbehei highlighted the former president’s role in securing debt relief for Nigeria and supporting the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector, describing those measures as important contributions to the country’s economic development.
He said TMS intended to promote discussions about government policies through evidence, research and public engagement rather than propaganda.
“We’re happy you have decided to take this step. Your father was one of those who revolutionised this country. The debt was paid off, and major innovations were introduced in liberalising the economy. This is not about propaganda. We will engage respectfully, factually and transparently,” Ngogbehei said.
The organisation said it had established structures across the country, including a Board of Trustees, national coordinators and specialised directorates, to support its activities.
It also plans to use digital platforms, virtual town hall meetings, policy research and fact-checking initiatives to promote the government’s policies and address what it considers misinformation about the administration.
Following Olujonwo’s reception, TMS announced plans to expand its engagement with professional associations, youth organisations and community groups across the country.
The planned activities are intended to increase public participation in governance and communicate the administration’s policies to Nigerians across different states and geopolitical zones.
Meanwhile, Olusegun Obasanjo has previously expressed concerns about Nigeria’s economic challenges, arguing that the country has sufficient natural and human resources to become prosperous.
In an interview on C-Suite Cafe, hosted by Ikem Okuhu, the former president questioned why Nigeria continued to struggle with poverty despite its agricultural potential, vast land, water resources and large population.Buy Maps
“Give me one reason why Nigeria should be poor. Is it the land that we don’t have or the desert that we are in or the people that we don’t have or the water that we don’t have or the rain that we don’t have?” he asked.
Obasanjo also criticised policies that encourage the importation of goods that could be produced locally, arguing that such practices discourage domestic farmers and undermine local production.
He recalled how restrictions on rice imports were introduced in 1979 to encourage domestic production, claiming that subsequent administrations reversed the policy and allowed imported rice to compete with locally produced varieties.
“When our successors came, one of the first things they did was to lift importation of rice, not to encourage production of rice but to encourage importation of rice, and the farmers couldn’t sell their own rice,” he said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has indicated plans to take disciplinary action against members accused of working against its interests, with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, among those facing criticism over his alleged support for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).Access Services
PDP chieftain Emmanuel Ogidi disclosed the party’s position during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday.
He discussed the lingering crisis within the opposition party and the steps its leadership intends to take against members accused of undermining its activities.
Ogidi described the situation as internal sabotage and maintained that the party could no longer afford to tolerate actions that weaken its structure, particularly as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to gather momentum.
He accused Wike of maintaining a relationship with the PDP while allegedly supporting the interests of the APC, arguing that such conduct raised serious questions about loyalty and commitment to the opposition party.
“You can’t serve two masters. He (Wike) is supposed to be serving us in PDP, but he is serving APC. This is a threat to democracy. APC is using him to destroy democracy, and it’s deliberate, but we are very conscious of that and very soon you will hear what will happen,” Ogidi said. Access Services
The PDP chieftain’s comments suggest that the party may be preparing to take a firmer position against members it believes are contributing to its internal difficulties.
However, he did not disclose the specific disciplinary measures being considered or when any formal decision concerning Wike would be announced.
Ogidi also indicated that the party had moved beyond the demands previously presented by Wike’s camp during efforts to resolve the disagreements within the PDP.
His comments point to growing frustration among party members who believe that the disagreements have continued for too long and are affecting the party’s ability to prepare for future elections.
The dispute involving Wike and the PDP has remained a major issue within the party since the 2023 general elections, when divisions emerged over its presidential candidate, the distribution of party positions and disagreements surrounding the political future of its leadership.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, was a prominent PDP member before President Bola Tinubu appointed him as FCT minister in 2023.
His appointment placed him in the cabinet of an APC-led administration despite his continued association with the opposition party.
His role in the federal government has since generated disagreements among PDP members, with some questioning how a senior party figure can serve in an administration controlled by a political opponent while remaining associated with the PDP.
Ogidi, however, insisted that the PDP belongs to its members and supporters rather than any individual or faction.
He argued that no group should be allowed to dictate the party’s direction or prevent it from enforcing its rules.
He further warned that the party’s willingness to reconcile with aggrieved members should not be interpreted as an acceptance of indiscipline.
According to him, efforts to bring members together must be accompanied by accountability for actions considered harmful to the party.
The PDP remains one of Nigeria’s major political parties, but prolonged internal crises could affect its candidate-selection process, campaign planning and efforts to attract voters ahead of 2027.Nigeria travel guide
Despite these challenges, Ogidi maintained that the PDP remained strong and capable of overcoming its current difficulties.
He dismissed suggestions that defections, court cases and disagreements over zoning had rendered the party incapable of competing in future elections.
He said the party was focused on ensuring that its forthcoming convention was successful, describing the exercise as an important step in its preparations for the 2027 polls.
Nevertheless, the exact nature of the proposed action against Wike and other members remains unclear, pending any formal announcement by the party’s authorised organs.
The FCT minister has not been quoted in the remarks provided as responding directly to Ogidi’s latest comments.
The allegations against him should therefore be understood as the position expressed by the PDP chieftain rather than an established finding of wrongdoing.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed reports of a disagreement between its governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, insisting that both sides remain committed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, described the reported disagreement as a ‘false battle’.
He maintained that there was no genuine conflict between the minister and members of the Progressives Governors Forum.
Morka clarified this on Tuesday during an interview on Arise Television’s News Day, following Wike’s inclusion in the APC Presidential Campaign Council.
According to him, the governors and the FCT Minister share a common political objective of ensuring Tinubu’s victory in the next presidential election.
“It was a false battle to begin with. I mean, I don’t think there was any real tension between those positions because they united in their extraordinary commitment to the re-election of the president,” Morka said.
He noted that the Progressive Governors Forum comprised governors elected on the APC platform, while Wike, a former Rivers State governor, was a member of Tinubu’s cabinet and a vocal supporter of the President.
According to him, publication of the presidential campaign council list had also clarified the roles of those involved in Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
He said: “Governors, who are not of the APC, now [are] front and centre, coordinating some of our activities in their respective jurisdictions.”
Morka described the development as a new phase in Nigeria’s democratic politics, arguing that the President was bringing politicians from different parties together around a common objective.
The APC spokesperson claimed that the collaboration was unusual in a presidential system, stressing that Tinubu was transcending party differences by building a coalition of political actors to support his administration and re-election campaign.
He said: “We’re seeing a president who is transcending all of the divides and really nullifying what I call the politics of difference between these partisans and bringing them together under the same umbrella to pursue a common agenda for the good of the people.”
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