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Peter Obi In Dilemma Over 2027 Presidential Ticket As Chances Slim In ADC, LP, PDP

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Obi: Nigeria Nears Collapse, Act In 2027

Party sources said that even if Obi decides to return to the PDP, he stands a little chance of clinching the ticket, which some members think should be handed over to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The odds seem to be stacking up against the presidential aspiration of former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 elections, according to indications from his inner circle

Obi, who flew the flag of the LP in 2023 and placed third in the election, is yet to declare the platform he intends to use to realise his ambition in the next election

Although he claims to remain an LP member, he has been hobnobbing lately with the Africa Democratic Party (ADC) whose ticket, observers say, appears to be ready made for former vice president Atiku Abubakar.  

The ADC structure is dominated by Atiku’s allies, including the interim national chairman, Chief David Mark and the national secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Mark has denied that his executive committee is working for Atiku but Obi’s supporters appear not convinced.

They are openly alleging marginalization and have formally submitted a petition to Obi on the unfolding situation in ADC.

National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Tanko Yunusa, who signed the petition, claimed that the marginalization manifests at all levels.

“Our people are deliberately excluded at all levels,” he said, adding: “Several of our designated representatives and members are reportedly being excluded from crucial meetings where major decisions affecting the coalition are made.

“This creates an impression of marginalisation and undermines trust, which is essential for building a sustainable partnership.

“The current structure does not reflect the Obidient Movement’s strength and contribution to this coalition.

“We strongly believe that there should be at least one working committee member and one non-working committee member representing the Obidient Movement in each geopolitical zone.”

Why We Want Jonathan Back In 2027, By Niger Delta Integrity & Justice Group

While the Atiku camp is said to be opened to offering Obi the vice presidential ticket, the former Anambra State governor and his supporters are insisting on the presidential ticket.

Party sources said given the present structure of the ADC, it will be very difficult for Obi to defeat Atiku in the presidential primary

“Even if Obi gets the ticket, he will be naïve to expect Atiku to campaign for him,” one source said.

He added: “In 2014, Atiku joined the APC after the party had been formed by other people, because he realised that Jonathan was firmly in control of PDP.

“That was why he ran to APC to seek the ticket despite the fact that he was not a foundation member.

“When he was beaten to the ticket by Buhari, he became lukewarm, unbothered by the party’s chances.

“In 2019, he returned to the PDP, ran against Buhari but lost. His ambition still lingers and nobody can take the (ADC) ticket from him.

“He became an advocate of single term out of desperation. The zoning principle means nothing to him. Is that the man that  Obi wants to contest the ticket with?”

In the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on whose ticket Obi ran as Atiku’s running mate in 2019 many top shots want him back and have been trying to lure him with the party’s  ticket.

However, a major bloc in the party does not believe he has the capacity to run the country.

A few days ago, a founding member of the PDP, Prof. Jerry Gana, admitted that the party was discussing with Obi and other prominent Southern political figures ahead of the 2027 general election.

“Peter Obi is our product. We want to get him back, indeed, because he is a very, very great capital for any political party,” Gana said in a television interview.

Also last Friday, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed publicly invited Obi to return to the party.

However, the PDP today is not the same party Obi left in 2019.

Its rank has been depleted following the crises that trailed the party’s 2022 presidential primaries.

Many of its top members, including two serving governors, its vice presidential candidate in 2023, federal and state legislators and others have dumped it for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and others.

Party sources said that even if Obi decides to return to the party, he stands a little chance of clinching the ticket, which some members think should be handed over to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Prominent PDP members including former deputy national chairman Chief Olabode George, Governor Bala Mohammed and former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido are believed to be among those rooting for Jonathan, an Obi strategist, who does not want to be identified told The Nation on Friday. “The PDP appears ruled out and we are advising him to stick to the LP,” he said.

Though LP itself is badly factionalized, it looks the best bet, he added.

On one side of the LP is the Esther Nenadi Usman-led national caretaker committee to which Obi belongs.

Mrs. Usman is regarded by core members as an outsider whose influence in the party is peripheral.

On the other side is the Julius Abure faction which has fallen out with Obi.

Abure and Usman are still giving different interpretations to the recent judgment of the Supreme Court on the authentic chairman of the party.

Party sources said if the issue of leadership is not trashed out on time, it may pose a legal obstacle to Obi’s ambition at some point.

Like the PDP, the leadership crisis in LP has forced out many of its top members, including federal and state lawmakers.

Besides, the fervor that greeted the Obi brand in 2023 has waned considerably and the party is no longer as formidable as it was in the last elections.

Nonetheless, not a few loyalists of Obi believe the LP remains a viable platform for him. ” He should be consistent lest he will be like the serial presidential defector whom Nigerians have contempt for, ” another of his loyalists said.

“I can assure you that he is weighing the options and the right decision will be taken,” he said

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2027 Election: Tinubu’s Ex-Minister Adelabu Speaks On Dumping APC

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The immediate past Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has dismissed reports that he is planning to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Allied People’s Movement (APM) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Naija News reports that Adelabu made the clarification in a statement issued on Friday in Ibadan, Oyo State, by his media aide, Femi Awogboro.

The statement followed reports alleging that Adelabu’s personal assistant, Ajiboye Akande, had held talks with members of the APM as part of moves to facilitate the former minister’s defection.

Reacting to the speculation, Adelabu described the claim as false and unfounded, insisting that neither he nor his aide was involved in any plan to leave the ruling party.

“He remains a committed member of the APC and continues to hold the President and National Leader of the party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the highest regard as his political mentor,” the statement said.

The former minister also reaffirmed his confidence in the APC leadership and pledged to abide by legitimate decisions taken by the party.

It added, “Chief Adelabu believes in the party, respects its leadership, and remains committed to the democratic process. Given his well-known decency and integrity in politics, he is always prepared to respect the legitimate decisions of the party’s national leadership.”

Adelabu urged members of the public and his supporters to disregard the defection reports, describing them as an attempt to create unnecessary political confusion.

 

-Source: Politics Nigeria

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FULL LIST: APC Uploads 13 Governorship Candidates to INEC Portal

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified preparations for the 2027 general elections with the submission of nomination details for 13 governorship candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The party is working to beat the August 8 deadline set by the electoral body for the submission of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates across the country.

A senior APC official disclosed that the nomination details of the candidates had already been processed and uploaded through INEC’s nomination portal, while documentation for additional candidates was being finalised.

According to the official, the party remains confident that all 28 governorship candidates and their running mates will be successfully submitted before the deadline expires.

Party sources said the APC’s Information and Communication Technology team has been handling the uploading process while ensuring that all required documents meet INEC’s specifications.

However, the party is facing challenges with the submission of candidates for State Houses of Assembly.

The source revealed that technical issues affecting the INEC nomination portal have slowed down the process for the assembly candidates.

Despite the setback, the APC expressed optimism that the problem would be resolved quickly.

“Our ICT team has already scanned and prepared the documents for immediate upload once the issues are resolved,” the official said.

The party maintained that preparations were progressing smoothly in most states despite concerns raised by some aspirants and stakeholders following the outcome of various primaries.

Reacting to reports of dissatisfaction among some party members, APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said efforts were ongoing to reconcile aggrieved stakeholders and strengthen unity within the party.

According to him, the APC reconciliation committee has already commenced engagement with affected members.

“As for the disaffection that the emergence of some of these candidates may have caused, the reconciliation committee is working,” Ibrahim said.

“We are hoping that, at the end of the day, all grievances will be resolved. All the aggrieved parties will come together and forge ahead.”

He stressed that the party remained focused on building a united front ahead of the elections.

Ibrahim also urged candidates to remain committed to the APC’s policies and programmes while taking the message of President Bola Tinubu Renewed Hope agenda to voters across the country.

He said party members must work collectively to strengthen the APC’s chances at the polls.

INEC had opened its portal for governorship and State House of Assembly nominations on July 18.

The commission fixed August 8 as the deadline for the submission of candidates’ particulars.

Under the timetable released by the electoral body, personal details of candidates will be published on August 29 to enable public scrutiny.

The deadline for withdrawal and substitution of candidates has been fixed for September 19.

In a related development, the APC recently announced the successful completion of the upload of all its presidential and National Assembly candidates to the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal.

The party described it as a major milestone in its preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The exercise saw the submission of 471 candidates, including the presidential ticket, Senate candidates and House of Representatives aspirants.

APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, hailed the development and commended party officials involved in the process.

“I congratulate our candidates, leaders, and members of APC on the successful 100% upload of our Presidential, Vice Presidential, Senate, and House of Representatives candidates on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP),” he said.

“With this milestone achieved, our focus now shifts to mobilisation and preparations for a successful campaign and decisive victory at the polls.”

The successful upload also confirmed President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima as the APC presidential ticket for the 2027 election.

The development came shortly after INEC extended the deadline for the submission of presidential and National Assembly candidates following appeals from some political parties that were unable to meet the initial deadline.

The APC had criticised opposition parties over the extension, insisting that it had completed its submissions before the original closing date.

Recall that INEC later announced an extension of the deadline after receiving requests from political parties through the Inter-Party Advisory Council.

The electoral commission said the decision was taken to allow parties complete their uploads while ensuring broad participation in the electoral process.

Source: Politics Nigeria

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BREAKING: APC Sitting Senator Dumps Party, Joins New Political Party

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APC Schedules July 24 NEC For Ganduje Replacement

The senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District in the Senate, Olubiyi Fadeyi, has dumped the All Progressives Congress and returned to the Peoples Democratic Party.

PUNCH Online reports that Fadeyi, alongside four other National Assembly members, dumped the Peoples Democratic Party in July 2025.

He, however, lost the APC ticket to contest the 2027 general election to Mr. Adekunle Adegoke (SAN).

Announcing his return to the PDP during a telephone interview with our correspondent on Thursday, Fadeyi said, “I am back in the PDP led by the FCT Minister, His Excellency, Nyesom Wike. I have already written to the Senate.

“I can also confirm to you that I am the candidate for Osun Central Senatorial District for the 2027 Senate election.”

Stating his reasons for dumping the APC, in his letter to the Senate, Fadeyi referred to how the 2027 National Assembly primary for Osun Central was conducted by the Osun APC.

“I write to formally tender my resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), effective immediately. This decision has not been taken lightly. I joined the APC as a progressive party in good faith to support Mr President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in his ancestral home, which falls within my senatorial district, Osun Central.

“Having got assurances and an agreement reached by Mr President to give me the sole ticket to run for the senatorial seat under the APC in Osun Central, which was passed down to our leader of the party by Mr President, I believed that those understandings would be honoured and that the party would uphold the principles of fairness, equity, mutual respect and internal democracy.

“Regrettably, recent developments from the leadership of the APC in Osun State have created serious trust issues within the party and made my continued membership of the party untenable. It was expressly agreed that the process for selecting candidates would be conducted on the basis of consensus. However, no consensus process was genuinely conducted, nor were party primaries held in a transparent and acceptable manner.

“This departure from our collective understanding has eroded confidence and undermined trust within the party. Furthermore, the manner in which decisions were taken appeared to disregard the authority and leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, whose commitment to due process, party cohesion and democratic values is well known,” Fadeyi’s letter to the Senate President partly read.

He also expressed concern over the decision to hand return tickets to the other colleagues — a serving senator and three House of Representatives members — who defected with him, while denying him the 2027 ticket.

He said the decision to dump the APC was not in opposition to Tinubu but was informed by his conviction that democratic principles, mutual trust and respect for agreements must always prevail.

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