The Ogun State Chapter of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has dismissed reports claiming that it disowned Biodun Collins Ogundipe as its 2027 governorship candidate and endorsed Jimi Lawal.

The party described the claims as false and misleading.

Acording to the party, the report was a deliberate attempt to distort facts surrounding the conduct of the ADC governorship primary election in the state.

DAILY POST had reported that the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Adeniyi Adams, declared Ogundipe as the winner of the primary election after he polled the highest number of votes.

According to the official results announced, Biodun Collins Ogundipe polled 9,370 votes, while Jimi Lawal secured 6,812 votes and Marie Odusina, 2,349 votes.

However, on Wednesday, a report was circulated online claiming that the state leadership was unaware of any primary election that produced Ogundipe as the party’s governorship candidate.

It also alleged that Ogundipe was being used by unnamed individuals to disrupt the party and undermine its chances in the 2027 general election.

Reacting, the Ogun ADC State Publicity Secretary, Olumide Onabajo, in a statement on Wednesday, said a re-run was conducted in some areas during collation to ensure fairness and credibility, but that did not amount to a fresh primary.

The statement reads, “There was only one duly conducted governorship primary election of the African Democratic Congress in Ogun State.

“All three aspirants, Biodun Collins Ogundipe, Jimi Lawal, and Marie Odusina participated in that single primary election. There was no separate or parallel primary election.

“During the collation process, issues affecting some areas necessitated a re-run, which was agreed to by the stakeholders as part of completing the same primary election.

“A re-run is not a fresh primary election. It is merely a continuation of the same electoral process to ensure fairness and credibility.

“Unfortunately, before the duly constituted Electoral Committee concluded and formally announced the final outcome, certain individuals who were not members of the Electoral Committee purported to announce Otunba Jimi Lawal as the winner.

“No unauthorized declaration can override the decision of the committee vested with that responsibility.”

The statement further faulted the announcement of Jimi Lawal as winner, noting that those behind the action lacked the authority of the committee legally empowered to declare the result of the primary election.

“That announcement lacked the authority of the committee legally empowered to declare the result of the primary election. The announcement made by persons without authority cannot supersede the declaration of the committee empowered to conduct and announce the results of the primary election.

“If Otunba Jimi Lawal was the undisputed winner of the governorship primary as now claimed by the Soluade group, why has he instituted legal proceedings against the African Democratic Congress, Dr. Biodun Collins Ogundipe, and INEC?” the party asked.

The party urged all parties to allow the court to determine the matter rather than resort to media propaganda.

“Political disagreements should be resolved through lawful and constitutional means, not through media propaganda. The ADC remains committed to internal democracy, due process, and the rule of law.

“We urge party members and the general public to disregard misleading narratives intended to rewrite the facts. The issues in dispute are already before a court of competent jurisdiction, and we have confidence that justice will prevail,” the statement added

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Jigawa State has named former New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) governorship candidate Malam Aminu Ibrahim Ringim as its deputy governorship candidate for the 2027 general election.

Ringim will serve as the running mate to the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Sabo Mohammed Nakudu.

The announcement was made on Monday in Ringim, the deputy governorship candidate’s hometown, following the approval of the party’s stakeholders.

Speaking after accepting the nomination, Ringim expressed appreciation to the party leadership and stakeholders for finding him worthy of the position.

He pledged to work tirelessly with the governorship candidate to ensure the party’s victory in the 2027 general election.

“I was part of the campaigns and administrations of Ibrahim Saminu Turaki and Sule Lamido. People know the role we played in ensuring their electoral victories and the successes recorded during their administrations,” he said.

Ringim described Senator Nakudu as the right candidate to lead Jigawa State, citing his extensive experience in governance, administration and economic management.

“Our governorship candidate is the right choice for Jigawa State. His wealth of experience will help bring the positive changes the people have been yearning for,” he said.

He added that his role would be to provide sound advice and support to ensure the successful implementation of policies that would benefit the people of the state.

“We will do our best, and by the grace of Allah, we will succeed,” Ringim stated.

He also thanked Senator Nakudu for selecting him as his running mate and promised to justify the confidence reposed in him.

Ringim, a prominent politician, previously contested the governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). He also served as Chief of Staff during the administrations of Governor Ibrahim Saminu Turaki and Sule Lamido.

Reps raise concerns over poor budget implementation, delayed releases to MDAs

By Gift Chapi Odekina, Abuja

The House of Representatives was thrown into a rowdy session on Wednesday after Speaker Tajudeen Abbas stopped an attempt by a lawmaker to invite President Bola Tinubu to appear before the chamber over the implementation of the 2025 budget.

The incident occurred during the consideration of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh (Labour Party, Abia), who expressed concern over inadequate funding of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and persistent delays in the release of appropriated funds.

Presenting the motion, Ikwechegh said disclosures by ministers and heads of MDAs during the ongoing 2026 budget defence sessions indicated that several agencies had received little or no capital releases in 2025 despite appropriations approved by the National Assembly.

According to him, the delays have stalled critical projects across the country and left many contractors, who financed government projects through bank loans, awaiting payment for completed and verified contracts.

He recalled that President Bola Tinubu had directed at a Federal Executive Council meeting in December 2025 that verified contractor liabilities, estimated at about ₦1.5 trillion, be settled. However, he noted that despite the directive and legislative approvals, releases to MDAs remained slow or, in some cases, had not been made.

Ikwechegh also drew attention to a Treasury Circular reportedly issued on June 29, 2026, by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, suspending payments for zonal intervention and constituency projects pending the issuance of Certificates of Verification and Compliance by the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.

He urged the House to commend the President for directing the settlement of contractor liabilities and to call for the immediate implementation of the directive.

The session became heated when the lawmaker went beyond the prayers contained in his motion and proposed that President Tinubu be invited to appear before the House to explain the delays in budget implementation.

Before he could conclude, Speaker Abbas interrupted him, reminding him that the proposal was not part of the motion before the House and directed him to restrict his submissions to the approved prayers.

The intervention sparked sharp reactions across the chamber. While some lawmakers supported the suggestion, others opposed it, arguing that under the Constitution, ministers and heads of government agencies—not the President—are responsible for accounting for budget implementation.

The disagreement deepened when Hon. Godwin Oga Mobi proposed an amendment seeking the postponement of the House Open Week to allow lawmakers to concentrate on addressing the budget implementation challenges. The amendment was seconded by Hon. Sani Lawan.

Also contributing, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi (Plateau) backed the substantive motion but opposed any move to invite the President. He argued that parliamentary oversight should focus on officials directly responsible for implementing government policies.

Gagdi further requested that the House split the question to enable members to vote separately on the proposal to invite the President and the other prayers contained in the motion.

The request triggered loud protests from lawmakers, with members shouting across the chamber as supporters and opponents exchanged arguments.

Speaker Abbas repeatedly called for order before ruling against the request to split the question, insisting that the House would proceed in line with its rules and the motion as presented.

Following the ruling, calm was restored and the House concluded consideration of the motion.

The House subsequently urged the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria to prioritise timely releases and cash-backing of appropriated funds, publish a clear schedule of releases for the 2026 fiscal year, and conclude the verification and payment of outstanding contractor liabilities within a defined timeframe.

Lawmakers also called on fiscal authorities to ensure that the over ₦1 trillion borrowing approved by the National Assembly is applied strictly to the settlement of verified capital project obligations and to provide the legislature with a full account of its utilisation.

The House further urged the Office of the Accountant-General to review the June 29 Treasury Circular and align it with the President’s directive by introducing clear timelines for issuing verification certificates to avoid further delays.

As part of its resolutions, the House proposed the constitution of an ad hoc committee, to be chaired by the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, to engage relevant fiscal authorities on the status of fund releases, contractor payments and the utilisation of approved borrowings.

The committee is expected to report back to the House within four weeks with recommendations for further legislative action.