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Fresh Crisis Brews Between Fubara, Wike Camps Over Rivers Cabinet Slots

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A fresh row is brewing within the camps of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Sources who spoke to Punch disclosed that the rift stems from unresolved aspects of the peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu several months ago.

The disagreement reportedly centres on the composition of a new cabinet.

Tinubu had brokered a peace deal between Fubara and Wike following a prolonged political crisis that escalated into a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State.

However, several months after the truce, findings showed that the political rift between the two camps has shown little sign of abating, as the underlying issues fuelling the crisis remain unresolved.

Following his reinstatement in September, Fubara retained eight commissioners who were unaffected by the Supreme Court judgment recognising Martins Amaewhule as the authentic Speaker of the Assembly

He had earlier dissolved his cabinet after the expiration of the emergency rule, paving the way for a fresh executive council.

Findings showed that despite several meetings between the governor and lawmakers, no consensus has been reached on the list of commissioner nominees.

According to insiders, the lawmakers plan to reject any commissioner nominee who does not align with the Wike camp, in a bid to retain influence over the state’s political structure.

A top Peoples Democratic Party official told the aforementioned publication that the FCT minister was seeking to exert control over a significant portion of the cabinet.

He alleged that the minister was demanding up to 12 commissioners.

“If you want 12 commissioners, what will the governor have left?

“Asking for three, four or even five commissioners is understandable, but 12 is excessive, particularly after taking over all 23 Local Government Areas. Commissioners are people a governor works closely with, and he must be comfortable with those appointments,” the source said.

However, another PDP stakeholder and strong ally of the FCT minister, Chimelem Wodi, dismissed the claim, describing it as the handiwork of political jobbers spreading false information to remain relevant.

Wodi, who is the legal adviser to the Federal Commissioner to the President on Christian Pilgrimage, South-South zone, said Wike was “bigger than that.”

He said the former Rivers State governor had achieved almost everything in politics, as a former local government chairman, former National Chairman of ALGON, former governor and now minister, to be seeking commissioner slots.

The PDP stakeholder said the governor had refused to accept the reality of having a political godfather, insisting that the Rivers political issue had been settled by the President.

According to him, those pushing the narrative were political jobbers who resurfaced after months of irrelevance following the state of emergency.

He maintained that if such demands existed, they would have been made known to stakeholders, adding that Wike was not known for hiding agreements.

Wodi said the rumours were capable of heating up the polity, stressing that the FCT minister had remained silent because the matter had already been resolved.

“This is not what the FCT minister is known for,” he added.

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2027 Election Shock: Three Parties Miss INEC Deadline, Presidential Ambitions in Jeopardy

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Three political parties failed to submit their presidential and vice-presidential candidates on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal, which closed at 11:59 pm on Tuesday.

This was confirmed by an INEC official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter.

Daily voice understands that the affected parties are the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Nyesom Wike, and the Labour Party (LP) faction led by Nenadi Usman.

“As of now, only about three political parties are yet to upload the names of their presidential and running mate candidates. They are APGA, the PDP (Wike faction) and the LP (Nenadi faction). Virtually every other party has filed its candidates,” the official said as quoted by Daily Trust.

The commission had warned that no further extension would be granted.

Apart from the three parties said to have missed the deadline for uploading their candidates, the INEC official said almost all registered political parties have successfully uploaded the names of their candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The 2027 presidential election is scheduled to be held on Saturday, 16th January.

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Niger Governor Bago Announces Running Mate For 2027 Election

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Niger State Governor, Umaru Mohammed Bago, has officially confirmed that he will retain his Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba, as his running mate for the 2027 governorship election, putting to rest speculation surrounding the composition of his re-election ticket. Government

Governor Bago made the announcement on Tuesday during a gathering at the Government House in Minna, where he declared that Garba would remain his deputy on the 2027 ticket. He further disclosed that Garba’s name would be submitted alongside his to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by law.

The governor explained that the Nigerian Constitution mandates every governorship candidate to nominate a deputy when submitting nomination forms to INEC. He noted that recent rumours had created uncertainty over his choice of running mate, prompting him to publicly reaffirm Garba’s position.

Bago stated that the decision was intended to end months of speculation and reassure party members and supporters that Yakubu Garba remains his preferred deputy for the next electoral cycle.

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Muslim- Muslim Ticket: Former Speaker Breaks Silence on Dumping APC

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APC Schedules July 24 NEC For Ganduje Replacement

A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has dismissed reports that he plans to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the party’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.

Naija News reports that Dogara described the reports as false and politically motivated, insisting that he remained a loyal member of the ruling party.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Dr Dominic Alancha.

According to the statement, the former Speaker is committed to working for the victory of the APC and the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Alancha said reports suggesting that Dogara was considering leaving the party were deliberately fabricated to create tension within the APC.

He said, “We wish to state categorically that these claims are false, baseless, and deliberately intended to mislead the public and create unnecessary political tension.

“Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara remains a committed and loyal member of the All Progressives Congress. He has neither resigned from the party nor expressed any intention to do so.”

The spokesperson accused unnamed individuals of attempting to exploit the reports to cause division among members of the party.

“Reports suggesting otherwise are the handiwork of mischief makers seeking to sow division within the APC,” the statement added.

Dogara Committed To APC Victory

Alancha said Dogara was already working with party leaders and members to strengthen the APC ahead of the next general election.

The statement read, “As a statesman and experienced democrat, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara remains steadfast in his commitment to the unity, growth, and success of the APC.

“He is fully dedicated to working with party leaders, members, and supporters across the country to strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.”

The statement stressed that Dogara’s political focus remained on supporting the ruling party and contributing to its electoral success.

Dogara also pledged his support for Tinubu’s bid for a second term, according to the statement.

 

“Furthermore, Rt. Hon. Dogara is committed to supporting the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ensuring the victory of the APC in the 2027 general election,” Alancha stated.

He added that the former Speaker remained focused on promoting good governance, national unity and development under the APC-led administration.

Alancha urged members of the public and the media to disregard unverified reports about Dogara’s political future.

He added, “We urge members of the public and the media to disregard the fake reports and rely only on verified information from credible and official sources.

“Those behind these unfounded allegations should desist from spreading falsehoods capable of undermining the unity of our great party

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