Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Friday held a closed-door meeting with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, at the former minister’s residence in Abuja.

Details of the meeting were not immediately available as of the time of filing this report.

The meeting comes barely 24 hours after Amaechi visited former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, also in Abuja, as consultations continue within the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Following Thursday’s meeting, Tambuwal congratulated Amaechi on his emergence as the ADC’s vice-presidential candidate, describing him as an experienced public servant whose commitment to democratic ideals would strengthen the party’s mission.

“Our meeting provided another opportunity to reflect on the enormous responsibility before us as we work with other patriotic Nigerians to build a broad, united and credible platform capable of restoring hope, strengthening our democracy and offering our people the purposeful leadership they deserve,” Tambuwal said in a statement.

He also welcomed the judgment of the Federal High Court affirming the legitimacy of the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the ADC, describing it as a victory for the rule of law, constitutional democracy and due process.

According to Tambuwal, the judgment clears the way for the party to focus on strengthening its internal cohesion and presenting Nigerians with what he described as a credible alternative built on justice, inclusion, competence and national renewal.

Amaechi was recently unveiled as the running mate to the ADC’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for the 2027 general elections.

The party has also uploaded the names of Atiku and Amaechi to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal ahead of next year’s election.

Ogba Oghenevewogaga, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Friday declared that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is afraid of the opposition.

Oghenevewogaga warned that under the leadership of its National Chairman, David Mark and presidential candidate, Atiku Abiubakar, the ADC would wax stronger, adding that APC’s fears would come to past in 2027.

In an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central, the ADC chieftain accused the APC of sponsoring the crisis in the opposition party.

According to Oghenevewogaga: “Whatever you see the ADC going through is being sponsored by the APC and we the Nigerian people will not allow it, the leadership of David Mark will not allow it. The ADC is here to stay for Nigerians and as a matter of fact, we are the only opposition in Nigeria and that is what the ApC is afraid of.

“The APC is afraid of the ADC because they know that if we go into the 2027 general election, they will be defeated. Nigerians are angry, they need an alternative and the ADC is here.”

While making reference to the Firs Lady, Remi Tinubu’s comment that she would empower Nigerian youths to fry Akara and roast corn, the ADC chieftain said the APC is determined to impoverish Nigerians.

He added: “Some days ago, we heard the First Lady saying that she wants to empower people to fry Akara and to do Kulikuli. Who are these people she wants to give those grants to? The person who can fry Akara is the Akara seller, the person who can fry Kulikuli is a Kulikuli seller. So you want the daughter or son of an Akara seller to continue frying Akara.

“This is what the APC wants and it has been fighting because it wants to continue improvising in impoverishing Nigerians and that is why the ADC as a party is saying no this is not what we want.

“Awolowo said he doesn’t want the son of his driver or his cook to be the driver or cook to his own children, this are leaders. How can a First Lady come out and say she wants to empower people to start frying Akara and kulikuli? These are things that the ADC will never do when we take power in 2027.

“They want Nigerians to continue dying of suffering, starvation, and insecurity while bringing up useless policies and that is why they are in court using many other means. Under the leadership of David Mark and Atiku Abubakar, the ADC will keep waxing stronger.”

The governorship candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State, Arthur Jarvis, has alleged that the administration of Governor Bassey Otu is planning a fresh clampdown on him and his privately owned university.

Jarvis claimed the government had already targeted his running mate, Alphonsus Ogar Eba, by marking his residence within the Water Board area of Calabar for demolition, warning that he could be the next target.

“They are coming after me. When they finish with Eba, I’m next,” he told journalists in Calabar, linking an ongoing tax audit of his university to the controversy surrounding the proposed demolition exercise.

The PDP flagbearer accused the state government of deploying tax authorities to intimidate him because of his opposition politics.

“The taxes of our university are up to date,” he said, insisting the institution had fully complied with its tax obligations and describing the audit as “funny” and “insulting.”

According to him, unlike some states that provide grants and infrastructure support to private universities, his institution has received neither financial assistance nor improvements to its access roads. 

He also alleged that repeated requests for a courtesy visit to Governor Otu by the University management since the administration came into office had gone unanswered.

The opposition candidate further alleged that the planned demolition of his running mate’s property formed part of what he described as an attempt to weaken the opposition, warning the government against escalating political tensions.

However, the Cross River State Government has denied any political motive behind the demolition notices, or attempt to muzzle Jarvis.

The government said the demolition exercise is part of efforts to rehabilitate the state’s water infrastructure under a World Bank-backed project and affects 39 structures built on major underground water pipelines, not Eba’s property alone. 

Special Adviser to the Governor on General Duties, Ekpenyong Akiba, and Commissioner for Information Erasmus Ekpang maintained that the exercise was driven by public interest, stressing that properties belonging to other prominent individuals and government facilities were also affected.