Politics
Powerful Former APC Lawmaker Dumps Party, Decamps To PDP, Reasons Emerge
A former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Saheed Popoola, has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ending weeks of speculation about his political future.
The two-term lawmaker made the announcement on Sunday in Offa, Offa Local Government Area, where he was formally received alongside a large group of his supporters, Vanguard reported.
Popoola, who represented Ojomu/Balogun constituency, said his decision followed “deep reflection” on the state of the APC, which he accused of abandoning its founding ideals.
I was the first person to contest under the APC platform in 2013 in Nigeria. We started the APC together with a vision of justice and prosperity, but over time, the party lost its soul. Loyalty became to individuals, not the people,” he said.
Popoola explained that his move to the PDP was not out of desperation but conviction.
“I’m joining the PDP not as a desperate politician but as a believer in fairness, justice, and equity. The PDP is peaceful and remains the only viable opposition in Nigeria,” he said.Kwara in 2027, adding that the people were already disillusioned with the APC administration. “The PDP is going to take over the government and governance of Kwara State in 2027,” he said amid applause from his supporters.
Popoola also criticized the current government for the rising cases of banditry and insecurity in parts of the state. He said the development was a result of “misgovernance and poor leadership.”
“We have never seen banditry in Kwara since its creation in 1967. Hundreds of our people have been killed. Banditry existed in Niger State for years but never crossed into Kwara because the leaders then knew what they were doing. But the current Governor does not understand governance. He thinks only about himself and his ideas, that’s why we are where we are today,” he said.
Receiving the defectors, Kwara PDP Chairman, Hon. Issa Bawa, described Popoola’s return as a “homecoming,” saying his presence would boost the party’s strength ahead of the 2027 polls.
“What we have seen today shows clearly that PDP is regaining its momentum. Offa is for PDP in 2027. Offa will rise again and be great again,” he said.
Bawa praised Popoola’s courage, calling him “a man of integrity and conviction.” He also quoted former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who urged the people to “compare what PDP did for them with what the APC has done. The difference is clear.”
However, the APC dismissed the defection as insignificant. The party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Waheed Babatunde, said Popoola’s exit would not affect the party’s chances.
“The party won’t miss Saheed Popoola because his presence was never felt. He left long before the last general election and he’s only making it official today,” Babatunde stated.
He added that Offa remains a stronghold of progressive politics and would continue to support Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and the APC in the 2027 elections.
Nigerian journalist, Seun Okinbaloye, has raised alarm that the 2027 general election is being rigged through the voters’ register.
Naija News reports that Okinbaloye raised the alarm on Friday during Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
Okinbaloye said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must act now and clean up the voters’ register.
He said that intelligence and early signs show that politicians have started manipulating the voters’ register, with cases of underage registration, double registration, and ghost voters already surfacing across the country.
He further called on INEC to immediately commence a thorough audit and clean-up of the voters’ register to remove fake names, dead voters, and underage voters.
Okinbaloye said Nigerians must not wait till election day to cry rigging, because the foundation for rigging is already being laid through a compromised register.
He said, “The 2027 election is already being rigged right now. Not on election day. It is being rigged with the voters’ register. If INEC does not clean it up now, we are wasting our time.
“If the register is dirty, the election is dirty. INEC must act now.”
Meanwhile, African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on INEC to disclose the names of the officials responsible for including Artificial Intelligence (AI)- generated photographs in the voter register.
Atiku made the call in a statement by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu.
He accused the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration of enabling the crisis by allowing INEC to evade scrutiny.
The former vice president said the AI-generated images scandal strikes at the heart of the commission’s credibility.
He called on opposition leaders and the international community to demand an independent audit, full disclosure and accountability on the voter register scandal.
Joseph Danjuma has resigned his membership and position as Publicity Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Nasarawa State, with immediate effect.
In his October 27, 2026 letter to the NDC state chairman, Danjuma said he lacked opportunities to perform his duties as spokesperson.
Danjuma also joined the campaign of former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, who is seeking the Nasarawa governorship under the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The Publicity Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Nasarawa State, Joseph Danjuma has resigned from the party.
He also declared support for the governorship ambition of former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu.
Daily Voice reports that Danjuma announced his resignation in a letter dated Tuesday, October 27, 2026, addressed to the state chairman of the NDC.
He explained that his decision followed his inability to carry out his responsibilities effectively as the party’s spokesperson in the state.
He also announced his decision to join the campaign of Adamu, who is seeking to become the next governor of Nasarawa State under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Danjuma explained that his decision to support the former police chief was based on his assessment of Adamu’s leadership qualities.
He wrote in the letter: “I wish to humbly resign my membership and position as the Publicity Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Nasarawa State Chapter, with immediate effect.
“My decision follows the lack of opportunity to perform my role as the spokesperson of the party in the state.
“With this development, I hereby fully join the campaign train of Ex-IGP Adamu. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.”
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.
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