By Shina Abubakar

The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Tuesday led the party’s governorship campaign council to Ile-Ife to kick-start its governorship campaign.

Aregbesola was received by a large crowd at the Ooni’s Palace in the company of the party’s governorship candidate, Najeem Salaam, and other party chieftains.

Addressing the officials led by the Lowa Adimula of Ifeland, Oba Adekola Adeyeye, Aregbesola said the choice of Ife for the take-off of the ADC campaign is symbolic and also historical.

His words were, “Ile-Ife remains our source. It has been about eight years since we last came here for this purpose. We came with the candidate of our former political party, and although the people of Ife stood solidly with us, God did not permit that opportunity to be fully utilised.

“Our tradition has always been to begin our political campaigns in Ile-Ife because we believe this is our source. Since 2004, we have consistently visited the palace to seek royal blessings before embarking on major political activities, and we are here today to continue that tradition.”

Earlier, Oba Adeyeye reaffirmed the Ooni’s commitment to promoting peaceful coexistence, irrespective of political affiliations, while describing Ile-Ife as the spiritual and historical cradle of the Yoruba race.

He stressed the need for successive governments and political leaders to accord Ile-Ife the level of attention and development befitting its historical significance.

He adds, “Ile-Ife remains the source and ancestral home of the Yoruba people. Politics in modern Nigeria has a rich history that also has strong roots in Ile-Ife. The late Ooni Adesoji Aderemi served as Governor of the old Western Region, and his remarkable contributions were felt not only in Ile-Ife but throughout Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole.

“Since he left office, Ile-Ife has not experienced the level of development that befits its status as the cradle of the Yoruba race. The Hausa people regard Sokoto as their source, and today Sokoto continues to enjoy significant development. The Igbo people hold Enugu in high esteem as one of their historic centres, and its growth is evident. We, as Yoruba, who acknowledge Ile-Ife as our source, must collectively ensure that this ancient city receives the attention and development it deserves.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto State has directed all its aspirants and candidates seeking elective positions to stop pasting campaign posters on roundabouts and other public monuments across the state.

The directive was contained in a statement issued by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Umar, following concerns over the defacement of newly constructed and beautified public facilities in Sokoto metropolis and surrounding areas.

Speaking through the statement, the State Chairman of the APC, Haruna S. G. Adiya, described the indiscriminate display of campaign posters on public infrastructure as irresponsible, unacceptable and contrary to the party’s commitment to environmental cleanliness and urban development.

“The government has invested significant resources in beautifying public spaces, but those efforts are being undermined by political actors who continue to paste campaign posters on these facilities,” Adiya said.

“It is therefore unacceptable for any candidate or supporter to deface these facilities with campaign posters. Such actions constitute environmental abuse, visual pollution and a clear disregard for public infrastructure.”

He stressed that political campaigns must be conducted within the law and with respect for public property, warning that the party would not tolerate actions capable of damaging its image or frustrating government efforts to improve the environment.

Adiya directed all APC candidates and their campaign organisations to remove posters already pasted on roundabouts and avoid further violations.

“Any candidate or campaign team that fails to comply with this directive will face disciplinary action in line with the party’s constitution and internal regulations. We will not hesitate to impose appropriate sanctions on anyone who disregards this order because no one is above party discipline, and the APC remains committed to promoting responsible political engagement,” Adiya said.

He also appealed to party supporters and members of the public to help protect public infrastructure by reporting cases of poster vandalism and environmental abuse to the appropriate authorities and the party’s disciplinary committee.

Rumours have continued to circulate over the possible replacement of the Adamawa State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Omar Suleiman.

Until last week, the rumour was that Suleiman, popularly known as Omrana, would be replaced by Abdulrahman Haske, a leading All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant ahead of the party’s primary, who was said to have defected to the ADC.

No sooner had the public learnt that Haske had returned to the APC than fresh rumours emerged over the weekend that one Alhaji Tukur Modibbo would now replace Omrana.

Addressing the rumours on Tuesday, a founding member of the ADC in Adamawa State, Suleiman Adamu Jimeta, described them as false and potentially damaging to the party.

He said the purported plan to bring in Tukur Modibbo, with some party stakeholders allegedly welcoming the idea and describing Modibbo as a better choice, was baseless, insisting that no such decision had been communicated through the appropriate channel.

“Omar Suleiman remains the party’s legitimate candidate and has worked tirelessly to earn the confidence and support of ADC members across the state,” Jimeta stated.

Describing the rumoured move as a recipe for confusion and internal division, he cautioned that it could severely weaken the party’s chances in the 2027 elections.

The Adamawa State chapter of the ADC had not issued any statement confirming any change to its governorship ticket as of the time of filing this report on Tuesday evening.