Politics
Sexual Harassment Allegation Is A Political Move To Remove Akpabio, Stop Tinubu’s 2nd Term – PANDEF
The Apex Sociopolitical body of the South South Geo-political zone, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF has raised the alarm that sexual harassment allegations against the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, PDP, Kogi Central are designed to remove the former from office.
According to PANDEF, the action by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is a political move to remove Akpabio as the President of the Senate as the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF has confirmed it.
In a statement on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Obiuwevbi Ominimini, PANDEF noted that the sexual harassment allegations are also targeted at the second term ambition of President Bola Tinubu, saying that the case of the Kogi Senator is the first phase for the north to ccrry out their plans, adding that it is the turn of the Southern Nigeria to produce the Nigeria President in 2027, having done two consecutive tenures by the North under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
PANDEF said that with the statement by the publicity Secretary of the ACF, it is a signal to the fact that it is nothing, but a political war against the entire people of Southern Nigeria that is designed to incite the Northern Nigeria against the Administration of President Bola Amed Tinubu to restore power to Northern Nigeria in 2027.
PANDEF has however called on the President of the Senate to remain resolute and be confident that the people of the South shall do all good things possible to rally round him in the face of what it described as exposed calculated political attack on his office and person and the Southern Nigeria Led presidency, warning that the Senate has its own rules, and ACF can not dictate to the Upper Chamber on how to conduct its business.
The Statement read, “It is very sad that the supposed revered Arewa consultative forum, ACF, has turned itself into a political hired machine for politicians. The press release by the Publicity Secretary of the ACF is nothing but a political war against the entire people of Southern Nigeria aiming to incite the Northern Nigeria against the Administration of President Bola Amed Tinubu to restore power to Northern Nigeria in 2027. In his statements, where he said, “at a period when citizens are being overwhelmed by dire existential living conditions on account of the impact of public policies on lives and livelihoods,” shows very clearly that the 2027.
“Presidential 2nd tenure of President Tinubu is the real target, but they have decided to start in parts, starting with those they feel are the power base of President Tinubu and Southern Nigeria. PANDEF therefore states categorically that it is the turn of the Southern Nigeria to produce the Nigerian President in 2027, having done two consecutive tenures by the North under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari
“The Senate is a well-established institution with rules and guidelines. One is glad to read that the ACF knows that this is the 10th Senate of Nigeria, which means that there had been Senate presidents in the past from Northern Nigeria. The Senate is a Chamber of Records. For ACF to insinuate that is only Northerners that are being suspended, and called for Northern Senators to rally round one of their own, is a threat to the unity of this country.
Just to give one example, in the 8th Assembly, a southern Senator from the oil and gas rich region of South South Geopolitical zone, was suspended by a Northern Senate President. The Apex Sociopolitical body of the South South Geo-political zone,
“PANDEF, never intervened in the activities of the Red Chamber of the National Assembly. Neither did we call on the Southern or South South Senators to rally round one of our own. Suspensions and relocation of seats have been the normal things in the business of the legislature. Those who feel offended usually go to a competent court of law. That has been the normal practice. What ACF has just done is a call for Arnachy, Division, and a major threat to the unity of Nigeria.
“PANDEF hereby calls for the arrest and questioning of the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof T. A. Mohammad-Baba by the Department of State Security, DSS, and the Nigeria Police. Anybody who incites one part of the country against another part of the country is nothing but a pathway to Anarchy and disunity and it is treasonable as the Unity of the Country is under threat by the ACF press release.
“It is very strange and sad to hear as stated by the ACF National Publicity Secretary that “ACF rues the development and hopes that it is not part of the thinly-veiled anti-Arewa agenda now pervading the Nigerian political process.” The question is, where is the anti-Arewa agenda coming from? Is it from Southern Nigeria or within Arewa?
“PANDEF has therefore concluded that this political calculation targeted against the Senate president through this well orchestrated sexual harassment acusation is nothing but a political gimmick to fight back against the South South Geoplolitical zone, the bread winner of Nigeria and the entire Southern Nigeria in the believe of ACF that there is an Anti-Arewa agenda in Nigeria. This political sexual harassment accusation is therefore dead on arrival. PANDEF shall, therefore, call for an extra-ordinary meeting without delay to look deeper into this dance to the gallery by the ACF.
“PANDEF calls on the Senate President to remain resolute and be confident that we, his people shall do all good things possible to rally round him in the face of this exposed calculated political attack on his office and person and the Southern Nigeria Led presidency. The Senate has its own rules, and ACF can not dictate to the Senate on how to conduct its business.”
Politics
PDP to screen Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday as its sole Presidential aspirant For 2027 race
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has scheduled to screen former president Goodluck Jonathan tomorrow, Tuesday, aMay 19, as the lone presidential candidate of party.
According to a statement from the PDP faction backed by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, former governor of Plateau State, Jona Jang and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi have been listed among a committee of 14 members to screen Jonathan described as a lone candidate by the party.
Other members of the committee were Chief Olabode George, Babangida Aliyu, Maryam ciroma, Zainab Maina, Josephine Anenin, Dr. Abdul Bulama, Dr. Esther Uduehi, Edo State PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, Dr. Sunday Solarium and Chief Anicho Okoro, who would serve as administrative secretary of the committee.
Last week, the national Publicity Secretary of the faction, Ini Ememobong, disclosed that former president Jonathan has successfully registered as a member of the party in the fresh digital registration exercise directed by INEC.
The PDP faction also announced that it was set to screen 748 house of representatives aspirants, 198 senatorial aspirants, and 112 governorship aspirants.
The screening committee would screen 2122 states houses of assembly aspirants. The exercise will commence tomorrow, Tuesday in different states.
According to the statement, the screening exercise would take place nationwide on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
The statement said the Interim National Working Committee (iNWC) has also released the names of members to serve on the Screening Committees and Screening Appeal Panels.
It added that the publication of the screening details “is in accordance with the party’s guidelines and timetable for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.”
Politics
Oshiomhole wins Edo APC senatorial primaries unopposed
A former governor and incumbent Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, along with his counterpart Senator Joe Ikpea, sailed through the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary in Edo unopposed, and securing their tickets without a single vote cast against them.
Also Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama emerged the winner in the APC primary for the Edo South senatorial district.
Ogbeide-Ihama won in the seven local government areas of Edo South in the results announced by the Chairman of APC National Assembly Primary Election, Muhammed Ajana at the Urokpota Hall, Benin.
He polled 27,154 votes while his opponents, Senator Neda Imasuen, got 13,580, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu got 6785.
The elections were hitch-free in Edo North and Edo Central, where there was no contest against the incumbents, Senators Oshiomhole of Edo North and Ikpea of Edo Central, respectively.
Ajana at the Urokpota Hall said the collation arose from votes cast in the seven local government areas made up of 77 wards where elections were conducted by members of the committee.
He said, “There are seven local governments that make up the Edo South Senatorial District. We have heard from the Returning officers from the seven local government areas. From the collation, the cumulative result we have for Edo South Senatorial District is this; Ogbeide-Ihama with 27,154 votes, Imasuen with 13,580 votes and Ize-Iyamu with 6, 785.
“This is the total reflection of what has transpired from the ward level to the local government and the Edo South senatorial district collation centre. With this we await further directives from the National Secretariat, we have done our best by collating the results which is our mandate, to collate the results and send them to the National Secretariat.”
However, it was gathered that Ize-Iyamu emerged as the APC candidate for Edo South Senatorial race. He claimed to have clinched the party’s ticket after defeating Ogbeide-Ihama and Imasuen.
It was claimed that the Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Muhammad Kabiru, officially declared Ize-Iyamu the winner after securing the highest number of votes cast.
On his part, the senator representing the district condemned the exercise describing it as a sham allegedly designed to favour a preferred aspirant.
Imasuen spoke while reacting to events at his polling unit in Umagbae North Ward 5, Urhokuosa where he said he was denied the opportunity to vote following what he described as a chaotic and manipulated process.
The lawmaker accused leaders of the party of openly adopting a preferred candidate ahead of the exercise and intimidating members into supporting that aspirant.
He said, “There is nothing satisfactory about this sham of election they did today and it is very unfortunate because as a loyal party member, I expected something better than this.”
He said the warning signs emerged days before the primary when some ward chairmen allegedly informed him that they had been directed not to receive him during consultations.
Imasuen claimed that some ward leaders openly told him the party had already adopted a preferred aspirant, identified as Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, making further consultations unnecessary.
Politics
Ajuloopin Suffers Setback as Home Ward Rejects Third Term Return Bid in Kwara APC Primary
The re-election bid of the member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi, popularly known as Ajuloopin, suffered a major setback on Friday after party members in his home ward, Omu-Aran Ward 1, boycotted the All Progressives Congress APC House of Representatives primary.
According to party stakeholders and observers present at the exercise, no valid election took place in the ward after members refused to participate in protest against what they described as the lawmaker’s poor performance after three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives.
Sources in the ward said efforts by some political figures and loyalists to persuade members to back Ajuloopin’s ambition failed, with party faithful insisting they would not endorse what they termed an attempt to impose his candidacy again.
The boycott led to a breakdown of the electoral process in Omu-Aran Ward 1, with many members staying away from the polls entirely. Stakeholders have called on the APC Electoral Committee to disregard any result purportedly presented from the ward, arguing that no credible primary was conducted there.
Political observers in the constituency described the development as a significant blow to Ajuloopin, noting that the rejection came from his own ward and among constituents most familiar with his record.
Preliminary reports from other parts of Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero local government areas, where voting proceeded, also indicated weak support for the incumbent. Many party members were said to have voted for alternative aspirants.
APC stakeholders have urged the party leadership to review reports from affected wards and accept only authentic and verifiable results to preserve the credibility of the primaries. They stressed that internal democracy was critical to the party’s prospects in the constituency and warned against imposing unpopular candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
With tension rising across the federal constituency, party faithful said the leadership must listen to grassroots members and allow delegates and supporters to determine the outcome of the primaries.
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