Politics
Uzodinma begs APC primary election losers to accept results, work for party
Following some complaints and disharmony arising from the just concluded primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Imo State chapter, Governor Hope Uzodinma has appealed to aggrieved aspirants who lost out during the exercise to accept the outcome of the primaries and see it as a sacrifice they offered for the stability of the party.
He urged them and other party faithful to concentrate on how to ensure the APC has a successful outing in the 2027 elections.
The Governor made the appeal during a post-primary stakeholders meeting convened by the party leadership aimed at assuaging frayed nerves following the aftermath of the primaries.
Addressing party leaders, candidates and former aspirants, Uzodinma congratulated the party on the just-concluded exercise, which he described as a success, while urging members to put the contests behind them in the interest of party unity.
He stressed that while every election produces winners and losers, members must remain committed to the collective interest of the party and the development of the State.
“There is no contest without winners and losers. What is important is how we conduct ourselves after the contest. We must remain united because the interest of the State and our party is bigger than any individual ambition,” the governor said.
Uzodinma called on party faithful to intensify grassroots mobilisation and voter registration efforts ahead of 2027, expressing confidence that APC would record overwhelming victories in the State.
Earlier in his speech, the State Chairman of the party, Austin Onyedebelu, commended members for their peaceful conduct during the primaries, describing the exercise as evidence of the political maturity of party members.
He congratulated successful candidates and urged those who did not secure tickets to remain loyal to the APC, noting that politics is a journey and future opportunities remain open to committed party members.
Onyedebelu used the occasion to call on those who contested the primaries to collapse their structures into the party mainstream ahead of the general elections.
The meeting ended with a unanimous pledge by stakeholders, candidates and former aspirants to remain united and mobilise support for APC candidates at all levels, including President Tinubu, in the 2027 general elections.
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..Agbese, Ugochinyere clash over forgery allegation
By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja
A heated dispute over the leadership of the opposition caucus disrupted proceedings in the House of Representatives on Thursday as lawmakers engaged in a public confrontation over allegations of forgery and attempts to influence the race for the position of Minority Leader.
The drama unfolded during plenary when the member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, Hon. Philip Agbese, raised a matter of personal privilege, accusing fellow lawmaker, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, of using his signature without authorisation in a document purportedly nominating him for the office of Minority Leader.
Agbese told the House that he was shocked to discover a document circulating online bearing his name and signature in support of Ugochinyere’s bid for the opposition leadership position.
According to him, although he had held discussions with several lawmakers, including Ugochinyere, on issues affecting minority lawmakers and constituency projects, he never endorsed any nomination document.
“I feel that my legislative privilege has been breached because this amounts to forgery for my signature to be used for purposes for which it was not intended,” Agbese said.
He urged the House leadership to investigate the matter and stop what he described as attempts by Ugochinyere and his associates to tarnish his reputation.
The Benue lawmaker also dismissed reports circulating on social media alleging that some lawmakers received $50,000 to support a particular candidate for the minority leadership position.
“My constituents have been calling me. I have not received any amount of money from anybody and I will not do so. This is my integrity,” he declared.
Responding, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen acknowledged Agbese’s complaints and assured him that the matter would be addressed. He, however, appealed to lawmakers not to prolong the debate and disclosed that he had convened a closed-door meeting of minority lawmakers later in the day to resolve the leadership dispute.
“We will take action on the issue you have raised in due course. However, I want to again bring to the attention of all minority members that I am inviting every minority member of this House to a closed-door meeting today by 2 p.m. so that we can discuss further,” Abbas said.
The situation escalated when Ugochinyere sought the Speaker’s permission to make a personal explanation, insisting that the allegations made against him on the floor and during a live broadcast could not go unanswered.
The Imo lawmaker denied the forgery allegation, maintaining that Agbese personally signed the nomination form supporting his aspiration for Minority Leader.
According to him, Agbese voluntarily endorsed the nomination at a meeting attended by several lawmakers who could testify to the development.
His remarks immediately sparked protests from Agbese, who repeatedly interrupted him, shouting: “I never did that!”
The exchange soon degenerated into a shouting match as lawmakers from both camps joined the argument, forcing the Speaker to repeatedly call for order while some members attempted to calm the situation.
Despite the uproar, Ugochinyere insisted that his aspiration enjoyed the backing of the majority of opposition lawmakers.
“I understand that at the moment, the overwhelming majority of 61 members out of 81 opposition members elected me. It may not go down well with some people, but I never expected that their desperation would get to this level,” he said.
He described the forgery allegation as “a treacherous lie” and vowed to produce witnesses who were present when the nomination document was signed.
The Speaker again intervened, urging lawmakers to refrain from further exchanges and allow the matter to be resolved at the scheduled meeting of opposition members.
Before calm was fully restored, another lawmaker raised a point of order, arguing that Ugochinyere’s claim of being elected by opposition lawmakers should be expunged from the House records since the matter was not formally before the chamber.
The lawmaker maintained that only the opposition caucus could officially determine and present its leadership to the House, stressing that any declaration made on the floor amounted to a personal opinion.
The latest confrontation underscores deepening divisions within the opposition caucus as rival camps continue to jostle for key minority leadership positions ahead of an official announcement by the Speaker.
The outcome of the closed-door meeting is expected to shape the future direction of the opposition bloc in the Green Chamber.
The post Minority leadership tussle disrupts Reps plenary appeared first on Vanguard News.
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Former Labour Party Vice-Presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, says he personally advised Peter Obi to work with former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso long before discussions about a political alliance between both men gained public attention.
Baba-Ahmed disclosed this in an interview on Symfoni TV, stating that he encouraged Obi to build broader political partnerships as part of efforts to strengthen the opposition ahead of future elections.
He reiterated that the conversation took place in January 2024, shortly after the 2023 presidential election.
“I tracked him and asked him, ‘What is your plan going forward?’ When I didn’t get a clear plan, I said, ‘If you don’t have a plan, sir, work with Kwankwaso,” Baba-Ahmed disclosed.
According to the former vice-presidential candidate, his recommendation was informed by his belief that defeating the ruling APC would require long-term organisation, coalition-building and strategic planning.
The Kaduna-born politician stressed that President Bola Tinubu’s rise to power was not accidental but the result of years of political organisation.
“Tinubu organised for 16 years. You cannot be planning from day to day or week to week,” he said.
Datti disclosed that even after disagreements emerged within the Labour Party, he continued supporting Obi politically and remained committed to helping him navigate the country’s complex political landscape.
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A Federal High Court in Sokoto has adjourned the hearing of a leadership dispute within the Sokoto State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) until June 19, 2026.
The case was adjourned after lawyers raised concerns that some court documents served on the defendants were not properly signed by court registry officials.
Counsel for the first defendant, Sulaiman Usman, told the court that there was a procedural error in the documents served on his clients.
He said, “The right thing should be done to enable us to respond appropriately. What happened is a clear procedural error.”
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs and other defendants agreed that the issue should be corrected.
Justice Ahmad Gama Mahmud questioned how the mistake occurred and ordered that the properly signed documents be served on all parties.
After the corrected documents were issued, the judge warned court officials against similar mistakes in the future and fixed June 19 for the next hearing.
The lawsuit challenges the leadership of the ADC in Sokoto State, with the plaintiffs disputing the claims of individuals who are currently presenting themselves as the party’s state chairman and secretary.
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