….and he is not a threat to this govt

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has dismissed suggestions that the presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi poses a political threat to the Tinubu administration, insisting that the government is focused on delivering its mandate.

Speaking during an interview on Mic On Podcast on Saturday, Dare said the administration was not afraid of Obi, arguing that the government’s performance and policy initiatives had strengthened its position ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“This government is not afraid of Peter Obi. He is not a nightmare to our government. Maybe before, Peter Obi was a threat, but right now, he is no threat because we stand on the solid ground of performance,” Dare said.

According to him, the administration has carefully examined the country’s challenges and is implementing policies and programmes aimed at addressing them.

“We have been able to interrogate the problems of this country. Decisions are being taken, policies are being unfolded across the country, and we have a scorecard to show,” he added.

Dare also criticised Obi’s public interventions, describing some of his comments and interviews as lacking clarity.

“Peter Obi is not a nightmare. Maybe you replace nightmare with nuisance because if you see some of his reactions, they are very pedantic. Sometimes you wonder. You listen to some of his interviews, ask him a question, and he goes in a roundabout direction that does not make sense,” he said.

Commenting on the 2027 presidential election, Dare maintained that Obi would not be able to repeat his performance in Lagos, where the Labour Party candidate defeated Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.

“Peter Obi defeated President Tinubu in Lagos in 2023. This is 2027; he can’t defeat Tinubu again in Lagos,” he said.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in Zamfara State, Surajo Garba Maikatako, has described the party’s reported deregistration as a temporary legal hurdle, urging supporters to remain committed to the ideals of democracy.
Maikatako said this in a statement issued on Sunday in Gusau, where he reassured party members and supporters that the NDC remains a legally recognised and operational political party.

According to him, the party’s leadership had clarified that the NDC had not been deregistered and remained committed to democratic governance and service to Nigerians.

“The recent ruling by the Federal High Court is a decision we view as a temporary legal hurdle, not a death knell,” he said.

The state chairman maintained that the party had complied with all constitutional and legal requirements, adding that its structures remained intact from the polling unit level to the national level.

He also stated that the party’s candidates remained valid and that preparations for the 2027 general elections were ongoing.

Maikatako called on supporters in Zamfara State to remain calm, united and focused, insisting that the development should not discourage members of the party.

He further expressed confidence in the leadership of the party at the national level, describing its governorship candidate in Zamfara State, Senator Kabiru Marafa, as a key figure in the party’s political aspirations.

The chairman urged members to remain steadfast while the party pursues available legal options regarding the court ruling.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has secured a clean sweep in the Gombe State local government elections, winning all 24 chairmanship positions and the 240 councillorship seats contested across the state.

Chairman of the Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission, GOSIEC, Abdullahi Garba, announced the outcome after the collation of results, declaring the APC victorious in every local government area and ward.

“From the results received across the state, the APC emerged victorious in all the 24 local government chairmanship elections and won all 240 councillorship seats,” Garba said.

He described the exercise as a landmark election, noting that it was the first to be conducted following the expansion of the state’s local government structure from 11 councils to 24 administrative councils.

Garba explained that the increase became possible after Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya approved the establishment of 13 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to enhance grassroots governance and accelerate development.

According to him, the commission studied similar electoral models adopted in other states, including Lagos, before proposing the expansion, which was subsequently backed by the Gombe State House of Assembly through the necessary legislation.

“The previous election in 2023 was conducted in 11 local government areas. Today, we have 24 administrative councils, while the number of councillorship seats has increased from 114 to 240. This represents a significant milestone in the state’s democratic development,” he said.

Garba disclosed that although several political parties participated in the elections, only a handful presented candidates across the newly created councils.

He said the APC fielded candidates in all 24 local government areas, while the African Action Congress (AAC) contested in three councils. The Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) participated in six councils, while the Youth Party (YP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and National Rescue Movement (NRM) each contested in three local government areas.

The GOSIEC chairman commended political parties, election observers, civil society organisations, security agencies, the media and other stakeholders for their roles in ensuring the peaceful conduct of the elections across the state.