WAFFI TV | Politics

2027: I Don’t Know If I Will Run For Presidency~ Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has stated that he is unsure about running for president in 2027. Atiku, who has vied for the presidency six times, shared this in a yet-to-be-aired interview on Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie. His comments come just days after he announced a coalition of opposition leaders seeking to unseat the Bola Tinubu-led APC government. When asked if he would run for the presidency in the next election, Atiku said, “I don’t know because there has to be, first of all, a viable platform, more than any other time in the political history of this country, particularly since the return of democracy.” The former VP, however, did not rule out the possibility of contesting in the 2027 election, stating the need for Nigeria to have a competent leader. “I have not seen Nigeria in dire need of, you know, an experienced and credible leadership than this time. “We had a similar, you know, what would I say, merger in 2014. About four of us or is it three? We all ran for president and one of us emerged, and we all supported the one who emerged, and he won,” he said. There are speculations that Atiku may give his support to the former Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi and former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-rufai for the 2027 election.

3/26/2025, 8:59:44 AM

Fubara: PDP Govs Drag Tinubu, N’Assembly Before Supreme Court

Governors from states governed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court, contesting the six-month suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara. President Bola Tinubu suspended Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers State House of Assembly members on March 18 after declaring a state of emergency in the state and appointing a sole administrator. The legislature backed the president’s decision to enforce the suspension. However, the governors of Bauchi, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Enugu, Osun, Plateau, and Zamfara have questioned the president’s authority to take such action. Named as respondents in the suit are President Tinubu and the National Assembly. Through their Attorneys-General, the governors argued that the suspension was unconstitutional and urged the Supreme Court to declare that “the President has no powers whatsoever to suspend a democratically elected governor and deputy governor under the guise of a state of emergency.” They cited Sections 1(2), 5(2), and 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to support their claim. The suit also sought a declaration that the President lacks the authority to suspend a state’s House of Assembly under Sections 192(4)(6) and 305 of the Constitution. The governors described the suspension of Fubara, his deputy, and the Assembly members as unconstitutional and unlawful, arguing that Tinubu lacks the statutory power to replace a serving governor with a sole administrator. They urged the Supreme Court to nullify the appointment. Additionally, they challenged the National Assembly’s use of voice votes to approve Tinubu’s actions, asserting that the state of emergency in Rivers did not meet the constitutional requirements outlined in Section 305. The litigants argued that the proclamation failed to follow due process and was based on reasons beyond those specified in the Constitution. Furthermore, they contended that the National Assembly’s approval of the emergency via a voice vote was invalid, emphasizing that the Constitution mandates a two-thirds majority vote from each legislative chamber. They prayed the Supreme Court for the following relief, “An order nullifying the proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State made by the first defendant and wrongfully approved by the second defendant. “An order restraining the defendant, by himself, his servants, agents, and privies, from implementing the unlawful suspension of the governor and deputy governor of Rivers State. “An order restraining the defendant, by himself, his servants, agents, and privies, from interfering in any manner whatsoever with the execution by the governor and deputy governor of Rivers State of their constitutional and statutory duties, as well as their electoral mandate. “An order restraining the defendant from attempting the suspension of any other governor of any state in Nigeria, particularly the plaintiffs, or from interfering with or undermining their constitutional and statutory duties.”

3/26/2025, 8:54:40 AM

INEC Flags Deficiencies In Recall Petition Against Senator Akpoti Uduaghan

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified gaps in the petition seeking to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. In a statement on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, stated that the petition did not meet certain requirements. Constituents from Kogi Central Senatorial District submitted the petition along with six bags of documents containing signatures from over half of the district’s 474,554 registered voters. However, INEC noted that the petition lacked clear contact details, including phone numbers and email addresses for all representatives, as required by Clause 1(f) of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall. Only the lead petitioner’s phone number and a vague address listed as “Okene, Kogi State” were provided. INEC reaffirmed that recall petitions are the prerogative of registered voters who have lost confidence in their representative. If all requirements are met, the commission will proceed with verification using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in a transparent manner. The commission urged petitioners to address the deficiencies before further action can be taken. Meanwhile, INEC is exploring alternative means to reach the petitioners and inform them of the issues in their submission. INEC assured the public of its commitment to due process in handling recall petitions.

3/25/2025, 5:48:44 PM

Wadata Plaza Doesn’t Belong To PDP~ Wike’s Aide

Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media to Nyesom Wike, has stated that most members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are unaware that Wadata Plaza does not belong to the party. Speaking on *The Morning Show* on Arise Television on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, Olayinka disclosed that the property is actually owned by former Senate Leader, Senator Samaila Mamman. Wadata Plaza, located in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, serves as the PDP’s national headquarters. However, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, a PDP member, recently revoked its land title due to the party’s failure to pay ground rent. The minister also revoked the title for the party’s unfinished national secretariat in the Central Area Business District of Abuja. PDP leaders have condemned the move, calling it a politically motivated attack by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to weaken the opposition. Defending the revocation, Olayinka explained that PDP never owned Wadata Plaza, despite efforts to acquire it in 2005. He claimed that when the party approached then-FCT Minister Malam Nasir El-Rufai to purchase the property, they were asked to pay ₦26.9 million but failed to do so. Olayinka said, “PDP moved to buy the property from Senator Samaila in 2005, and after that, they wrote to the Minister of the FCT, Malam El-Rufai, a member of the PDP at that time, saying that we were buying this property, asking for the minister’s consent, which is the normal thing you do when you’re buying a property. A response was made to the PDP, saying that you have to pay a fee amounting to N26.9 million in 2005. “The Chairman of PDP then, Vincent Ogbulafor wrote to the FCT minister saying that money is too much. Imagine PDP at that time, the party in power, saying it does not have N26 million to pay, and El-Rufai insisted that the PDP must do the right thing, just as Wike is doing now.” With the revocation of the property’s land title, Olayinka said the building now belongs to Senator Samaila.

3/25/2025, 12:55:03 PM

Tension In Rivers Over Alleged Move By Administrator To Appoint LG Caretakers

A fresh wave of panic has gripped Rivers State following reports that the newly appointed Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd), is planning to appoint administrators to oversee the state’s 23 local government areas. Sources claim that President Bola Tinubu, upon appointing Ibas, allegedly instructed him to establish a new leadership structure at the local government level. Despite promising peace in the state, Ibas is reportedly on the verge of making these appointments. A source familiar with the development expressed concern that Ibas is pushing forward with this plan, despite clear constitutional provisions and a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming local government autonomy. The source warned that such a move would violate democratic principles and defy the court’s verdict, which mandates that local governments be run by elected officials, not appointed administrators. It is alleged that a list of prospective administrators has already been compiled, raising fears of a deliberate attempt to subvert the people's will. Reports also suggest that the appointments have been skewed in favor of a prominent political figure in the state. In response, opposition figures are reportedly gearing up for a major confrontation once the appointments are announced. Observers fear that this move could trigger a crisis in the local government system and set a dangerous precedent for executive overreach. The source said: “Nigerians must remain vigilant against this unconstitutional manoeuvre, as it threatens the foundation of grassroots democracy. “Any attempt to impose unelected administrators on LGs must be met with firm resistance from law-abiding citizens, political stakeholders, and civil society groups. “Will the rule of law prevail, or will impunity reign? The next 24 hours will be crucial in determining whether democracy holds firm or is trampled upon.”

3/24/2025, 6:52:34 PM

INEC Accepts Petition Seeking Senator Natasha’s Recall Despite Court Injunction

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially received a petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The petition, submitted on Monday, was accepted by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, according to *The PUNCH*. This comes shortly after a Federal High Court in Lokoja overturned an earlier ruling that had barred INEC from accepting the recall request. On Friday, March 21, 2025, *SaharaReporters* reported that the Federal High Court had previously issued an interim injunction restraining INEC from receiving or processing any recall petition containing allegedly fictitious signatures from members of the Kogi Central Senatorial District. The ruling, delivered on Thursday in suit number FHC/LKJ/CS/13/2025, followed an ex parte application by Anebe Jacob Ogirima and four other registered voters from the district. Their request, citing urgency, was presented by Smart Nwachimere, Esq. of West-Idahosa, SAN & Co. The plaintiffs sought an interim injunction to prevent INEC from acting on any petition allegedly containing falsified signatures. The court granted the request, pending a Motion on Notice for a similar order. Presiding over the case, Justice Isa H. Dashen ruled: “That an interim injunction is granted restraining the defendant, their staff, agents, privies, or assigns from receiving, accepting, or acting in any way whatsoever on any purported petitions submitted to the defendant by any person or persons whatsoever, containing fictitious signatures and names of purported members of Kogi Central Senatorial District and conducting any referendum whatsoever upon such petition for the purpose of initiating a recall process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Senator representing the said senatorial district in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.” The court further ordered that INEC be served with the enrolled order and the Motion on Notice while awaiting the resolution of the main suit. The case was adjourned to May 6, 2025, for a report on service and further proceedings. The push to recall Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan follows rising political tensions in Kogi Central. Efforts to remove her gained traction amid allegations that certain political figures were orchestrating petitions with falsified signatures to weaken her position. Petitioners argue that the signatures backing the recall are fraudulent and driven by political motives.

3/24/2025, 2:10:07 PM

Reps Members Got $5,000 As ‘Sallah Gesture,’ Not Bribe For Tinubu’s Emergency Rule In Rivers

Fresh details have surfaced about the contentious cash payments to Nigerian lawmakers amid President Bola Tinubu’s push for a state of emergency in Rivers State. In an attempt to manage the fallout, House Committee on FCT Chairman, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, has denied that the payments were bribes to secure support for emergency rule. Investigative journalist Jaafar Jaafar revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that Betara reached out to clarify that the $5,000 given to lawmakers was simply a "Sallah Gesture" and not an inducement. Betara reportedly insisted that the payments were part of a long-standing tradition and unrelated to the political crisis in Rivers State. "The chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, has clarified to me that he only shared $5,000 to each member of his committee as a 'Sallah Gesture' not an inducement to support emergency rule in Rivers State. According to him, he maintains the tradition – like Santa Claus – every year. As we say in Hausa, not thigh but hind leg," Jaafar posted.

3/24/2025, 10:24:18 AM

Rivers: Restore Gov Fubara Immediately~ NBA To Tinubu

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has once again urged President Bola Tinubu to reinstate Governor Siminalayi Fubara without further delay, insisting that his removal is unconstitutional. Last Tuesday, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, which led to what many Nigerians have criticized as the unlawful suspension of the elected governor, his deputy, and all House of Assembly members amid the state’s political crisis. In Fubara’s place, the President appointed retired naval chief Ibok-Ete Ibas as the state's sole administrator— a move the NBA immediately condemned, arguing that Tinubu lacks the authority to suspend democratically elected officials. Speaking on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, NBA President Afam Osigwe reaffirmed the association’s stance, emphasizing that the constitution does not recognize a sole administrator and that Fubara must be reinstated. “That is our belief, that is what we expect the president to do, to restore him (Fubara) back to power having unconstitutionally removed him,” Osigwe said on the programme when asked if the president should recall the governor. “And that is why we do not recognise that a sole administrator is the rightful person to occupy the government house in Rivers State having been appointed unconstitutionally. “Even when I saw him taking oath of office, I was wondering which oath he was taking because he was taking an oath not known to the constitution, the constitution does not recognise an administrator,” he said. Osigwe argued that the approach to resolving the crisis in Rivers State is misguided, comparing it to using a sledgehammer on one’s head to cure a headache. He described the measures being implemented as excessive, undemocratic, and, most importantly, unconstitutional. According to him, the crisis is purely political and can only be resolved through a political solution.

3/24/2025, 7:17:02 AM

Rivers: Suspension Of Elected Officials Paints Nigeria In Negative Light~ Jonathan

Former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s suspension of elected officials in Rivers State, warning that the move could tarnish Nigeria’s image. Speaking as Chairman at the Haske Satumari Foundation Colloquium in Abuja on Saturday, Jonathan expressed disappointment over the removal of elected leaders. “These actions by key government actors cast the country in a negative light,” he stated. His remarks come days after President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich South-South state, leading to the six-month suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly. Tinubu defended the decision, citing Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, stating that it was necessary to restore stability amid ongoing political conflicts between the governor and state lawmakers. He confirmed that the proclamation had been published in the Federal Gazette and sent to the National Assembly. Jonathan, however, argued that such actions undermine investor confidence and damage the country’s democratic image. While acknowledging that former presidents typically refrain from political commentary to avoid inflaming tensions, he said he felt compelled to speak due to persistent appeals from Nigerians, particularly as a prominent Niger Delta figure. He also criticized undue interference in the judiciary, warning that it erodes public trust in the legal system. Tinubu added, “This declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which has been forwarded to the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution. “It is my fervent hope that this inevitable intervention will help to restore peace and order in Rivers State by awakening all the contenders to the constitutional imperatives binding on all political players in Rivers State in particular and Nigeria as a whole.”

3/22/2025, 12:55:12 PM

NGF Takes Neutral Stand On Rivers Emergency Rule

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has stated that it cannot take a stance on President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, stressing its role in fostering unified policies and driving sustainable socioeconomic growth. In a statement on Saturday, NGF Director General Abdulateef Shittu emphasized that taking sides on divisive partisan matters, regardless of the framing, reflects a flawed grasp of history. Rivers State has faced political turmoil for nearly two years, with former Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor, Sim Fubara, locked in a power struggle that has stalled governance. In response, Tinubu declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, suspending Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all state House of Assembly members for six months. Retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas was appointed as the sole administrator. The NGF urged the public and media to exercise patience, expressing confidence that appropriate platforms and crisis management efforts would resolve the situation. It stated, “The Forum wishes to clarify that it is an umbrella body for subnational governments to promote unified policy positions and collaborate with relevant stakeholders in pursuit of sustainable socioeconomic growth and the well-being of the people. “As a technical and policy hub comprising governors elected on different platforms, the body elects to steer clear of taking positions that may alienate members with varying political interests. “In whatever language it is written, taking positions on contentious partisan issues would mean a poor sense of history —just a few years after the Forum survived a fundamental division following political differences among its members. “Regardless, the Forum is reputed for its bold positions on governance and general policy matters of profound consequences, such as wages, taxes, education, and universal healthcare, among others.”

3/22/2025, 12:38:21 PM

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