The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Friday described the Minister of the Federal Capital territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike as the National Leader of the winning faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Akpabio made the remark while urging Nigerians to ignore Wike’s comment that he was an uncommon performer as a governor under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stressing that he is now an ancestor.

He spoke during the commissioning of access roads to the Renewed Hope Cities and estates in Karsana district of the FCT to mark President Bola Tinubu’s third year in office.

Earlier, Wike in his introduction described Akpabio as a uncommon performer while he was the governor of Akwa Ibom State under the PDP.

Responding, Akpabio said: “Members of the Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, please ignore the comment of the minister that I was an uncommon performer in the PDP, he is not talking about the PDP of today and you need to know that at that time there was no APC.

“APC was born in about 2014 and by that time I was already seven and a half years as a governor and that’s why I sometimes refer to myself as an ancestor.

“I was sworn into office way back in 2007 and there was no APC then, a progressives minded person like me should be belong to a progressive family, so therefore, when the APC came to be; I discovered that that was my group and was in the wrong party called the PDP, so I exit early and joining the progressives, shortly after that you now know what happened to PDP.

“They fragmented, I don’t know how you are going to put it today but I recognize you as the National leader of the winning faction of the PDP because you are doing well.”

Public affairs and political analysts from Southern Nigeria have faulted the emergence of former Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi as running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, in the 2027 presidential election.

DAILY POST reports that Amaechi, who ran the ADC presidential primary with Atiku, was recently picked as the running mate for the country’s former vice president. 

Amaechi’s emergence has stirred mixed reactions among ADC supporters. 

Recently, the newly appointed spokesman for Atiku, a Nollywood actor turned politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, condemned the choice of Amaechi for the position.

On their part, public affairs analysts, all from Southern Nigeria, Johnson Iheanacho, Eniafe Ayomide, and Anga Fidelis, in a statement on Friday said the former minister of transportation would cost the ex-VP a chance of emerging victorious in the coming 2027 election. 

“This begs the question. Is Atiku Abubakar aware of the massive hope many Nigerians from the six geopolitical zones of the country have invested in his aspiration? Does Atiku actually want to win the 2027 presidential elections, or, as Amaechi had quipped, does he just want to emerge as a party candidate again and lose to Tinubu at the general elections as a serial loser he has become? These are probing and germane questions.

“If it is true that Atiku finally zeroed in on Amaechi as his running mate, because the process of choosing a running mate is not yet concluded in the electoral umpire’s timetable, then it is a clear indication that all that Amaechi said about Atiku could be true and he is gambling with Nigerians’ hope and future. But this is bigger than Atiku and the ADC, and that is why we deemed it fit to air our concerns, especially if Atiku still desires to have Amaechi as his running mate. He should be reminded of the fact that resides fully in the public domain.

“With all due respect, maybe Atiku, even though he is a pan-Nigerian who has businesses, friends, associates, and ties across the South West, South East, and South-South sides of the country, may not be fully abreast with the political reality in the Niger Delta region where Amaechi is from. As of today, Amaechi is a political liability, and it is a statement of fact that he cannot win his ward in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. When you can’t deliver your ward, how do you deliver your LGA and ultimately the state?

“The majority of Nigerians are in unison that Tinubu must go next year, but it won’t be easy, and all hands and boots must be on deck. Based on the dynamics of Nigerian politics, Atiku is expected to garner large support and votes from the North. While focusing on that goal, should he be distracted by an Amaechi who cannot deliver one state in the 8 states that made up the Niger Delta region he is from? He cannot even deliver the required 25% constitutional votes. If Amaechi could not do it in eight states, is it the 17 states in the Southern part of the country, South-South (six states), South-West (six states), and South-East (five states) that he would deliver? Let’s call it what it is, mission impossible,” they stated.

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has dismissed reports that he has defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, insisting that he remains a committed member of the APC.

Ganduje described as false and politically motivated the posters circulating on social media alleging that he had left the ruling party.

He said, “The claims were part of a deliberate misinformation campaign aimed at misleading the public, creating confusion among APC supporters, and generating unnecessary political speculation.”

In a statement issued by his former Commissioner for Information and Chief of Staff, Muhammad Garba, the former Kano State governor stressed that $he has never considered leaving the APC, a party he once led as National Chairman”.

He maintained that reports linking him to the NDC lack both political and logical basis.

Ganduje further stated that the APC remains the country’s largest political party and continues to gain support under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.

He reaffirmed his commitment to working with the party’s leadership to advance the President Bola Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The former APC chairman also revealed that those responsible for producing and circulating the alleged defection posters had been identified. He warned that legal action would be taken if the materials were not withdrawn and the spread of the claims did not stop immediately.

He urged party members, supporters and the general public to disregard the posters, insisting that they do not reflect his political position or intentions.