Politics

Kingsley Chinda: Rivers will soon be renamed Wike’s state – Babafemi Ojudu

Published

2 hours ago

June 3, 2026

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Former presidential aide and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Babafemi Ojudu has slammed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, over the emergene of his loyalist as the candidate of the ruling party for the Rivers State governorship election.

DAILY POST recalls that Kingsley Chinda, the immediate past Minority Leader in the green chamber, won the APC governorship ticket ahead of the 2023 election.

However, confusion trailed his emergence on Tuesday following the announcement of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the APC weeks after the primary election.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, announced Chinda’s defection during plenary on Tuesday.

Reacting, Ojudu in a statement on his Facebook page on Wednesday, wondered how the “Minority Leader of one political party could secure the governorship ticket of the ruling party, and only afterwards, defects to that party. Welcome to Rivers State, a soon to be renamed Wike State”.

“Traditionally, political parties are expected to be built on loyalty, shared values, ideological commitments, and long-term participation.

“There are usually expectations—formal or informal—that those seeking a party’s ticket would have contributed to its growth, endured its struggles, respected its processes, and identified with its aspirations over time.

“What then are we witnessing when a politician obtains the ticket of a party before even becoming a member of that party?

“What happens to those who have spent years building the party, funding it, organizing for it, defending it, and remaining loyal through difficult times? What becomes of the principles of membership, party discipline, and internal democracy?”, He asked.

DAILY POST understands that Chinda is a member of the rainbow coalition, a group of political bigwigs drawn from different political parties to support President Bola Tinubu.

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Politics

I followed Peter Obi out of sympathy, three politicians rejected him – Datti Baba-Ahmed

Published

15 minutes ago

June 3, 2026

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Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has said his decision to run alongside Mr Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election was influenced by sympathy for Obi after three prominent politicians allegedly declined to join him.

Speaking in an interview with Symfoni, Baba-Ahmed said many people misunderstood the nature of his relationship with Obi, stressing that sympathy played a significant role in his decision to support the former Anambra State governor.

According to him, Obi approached three major politicians in 2022, but none agreed to align with him.

Baba-Ahmed said he was disappointed by the situation and felt compelled to support Obi’s presidential bid.

He, however, declined to disclose the identities of the politicians or the reasons they allegedly refused to join Obi.

Baba-Ahmed also dismissed suggestions that he would automatically follow Obi into any future political platform, including the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

He stated that while he had supported Obi’s presidential ambition in 2023, he remains politically independent and is not obligated to follow the former Labour Party candidate’s political decisions.

The former senator emphasized that Obi does not control his political choices and maintained that his support for the Labour Party ticket was a voluntary decision made in what he believed was the interest of Nigeria.

He said: “They thought I would follow Peter Obi. People don’t understand between me and Peter Obi, I have a great deal of sympathy for him. And this sympathy was at the core of our relationship. People find it difficult to understand me.

“When he, Peter Obi, approached three major politicians in 2022 they avoided him. I would have been glad if in 2022 one of them went with Peter Obi. They all avoided him. I felt bad for him and for Nigeria as a nation. You and I know the reason and I don’t have to say it now.

“I took it upon myself because naturally I have always been a volunteer for Nigeria.

“They thought I would follow Peter Obi to ADC, but I had given enough sympathy then. Obi does not own me. I own my independence.”

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Politics

Why Anambra will vote for Tinubu in 2027 – Soludo

Published

25 minutes ago

June 3, 2026

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Governor Charles Soludo has said that Anambra State and the All Progressives Grand Alliance would support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Soludo made the declaration while addressing members of the City Boy Movement, Anambra State Chapter.

The governor said his political decisions are guided by the interests of Anambra people and the Igbo nation, stressing that he believes in what he described as the “politics of evidence.”

He cited the Federal Government’s approval of the state’s proposed aerotropolis as a Free Economic Trade Zone as an example of the benefits of cooperation with the current administration.

According to him, the approval was granted in what he described as the fastest response he had witnessed from the Federal Government.

Soludo also said that although APGA remains a separate political party, it shares progressive ideals with the ruling party and should work with the Federal Government for the benefit of the South-East region.

The governor maintained that progressive political forces must collaborate to advance the interests of the Igbo people and accelerate development in Anambra State.

Soludo said: “You don’t take second position in politics. I don’t play that kind of politics. The Politics I want to play is for the interest of Ndi Anambra, and the Igbo.

“I only play politics of evidence.

“The President in a fastest approval I have ever seen, he designated our aero metropolis as a free economic trade zone. That’s politics.

“Despite the fact that we are in APGA, we understand it that progressives have to work together for the good of Igbo.”

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Politics

Crisis hits NDC over Imo primaries

Published

1 hour ago

June 3, 2026

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Crisis hits NDC over Imo primaries

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA — Crisis has erupted within the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, following allegations of hijack and manipulation of the party’s recently concluded primaries in Imo State ahead of the 2027 elections.

A former member of the House of Representatives, Uche Nwole, accused influential figures within the party of undermining internal democracy and compromising the primary election process.

Nwole, who represented Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency between 1999 and 2003, said he was compelled to return to active politics due to concerns over Nigeria’s democratic trajectory and the need to protect internal party democracy.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, he described himself as a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and said he joined the NDC because of its vision and leadership, expressing confidence in its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

He, however, alleged that the party’s internal process in Imo State had been compromised by powerful interests seeking to impose candidates and control party structures.

According to him, a panel sent by the party headquarters to supervise the primaries, led by Chief Babatunde Are, was allegedly prevented from carrying out its assignment.

He claimed the panel was influenced by a prominent party stakeholder and failed to properly supervise the exercise, leading to irregularities in the conduct of the primaries.

Nwole further alleged that while aspirants mobilised for the exercise, the panel failed to appear at designated venues, forcing local government party officials to conduct and collate results which were later submitted through official channels.

He also alleged that the results generated locally were rejected at the national level in favour of what he described as “parallel results.”

The former lawmaker questioned what he called the growing influence of a single individual over the party’s affairs in Imo State, warning that it could damage the party’s credibility and electoral prospects.

“We cannot allow democracy to be hijacked by any individual. Political parties must remain institutions governed by rules and collective decisions, not personal interests,” he said.

Nwole disclosed that he and other aspirants had petitioned the party’s national leadership, calling for a review of the primaries and clarification on the legitimacy of the results.

He urged the leadership to investigate the conduct of the exercise, ensure due process was followed and address grievances among aspirants.

He warned that failure to resolve the crisis could undermine public confidence in the party’s commitment to internal democracy.

The former lawmaker maintained that his intervention was aimed at strengthening the party and preserving its political relevance ahead of the 2027 elections.

He called for fairness, transparency and justice, insisting that only credible internal processes could sustain confidence among members and the electorate.

In the petition excerpts, Nwole and other stakeholders alleged that there was no properly supervised primary election in Imo State, claiming that the panel from the national headquarters failed to conduct the exercise as expected.

He further alleged that the process was taken over by local party executives in the absence of the supervisory panel, leading to disputed results and parallel submissions to the national secretariat.

The petition also called for the party leadership to verify claims of structural control within the state chapter and ensure that candidates emerge through a transparent process.

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