The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that it recently received 10 more letters of intent from groups aspiring to be registered as political parties, raising the total number of pending applications to 144. This was stated in a release issued on Thursday by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun. “The Commission has received 10 more letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties, bringing the number so far to 144,” the statement read. “The details of the new associations, including their names, acronyms, logos, addresses and interim leaderships are published on our website and other platforms for public information.” INEC had previously revealed on June 25 that it received 110 applications, with 34 more submitted since then. The Commission said it is currently reviewing the submissions to determine which groups meet the requirements to proceed to the next stage. Olumekun also confirmed the completion of a party registration portal developed in-house by the Commission’s ICT department. “As is the case with all our IT innovations, the new portal has been demonstrated before the Commission and approved for deployment,” he stated. INEC pledged to keep the public informed about ongoing developments.

Breaking from its 2023 approach of throwing the presidential ticket open, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has now zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South. This decision aligns with the resolution reached on Wednesday by the party’s founding fathers. The PDP also announced a change in venue for its upcoming Elective National Convention, moving it from Kano to Ibadan, Oyo State—a move that could further strain relations between supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde. The zoning recommendation, which was adopted during the 101st meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) held Thursday in Abuja, is widely seen as boosting Makinde’s influence within the party, particularly in light of his rumored presidential ambitions. Analysts believe the decision could undermine Wike’s standing in the party hierarchy. Presided over by Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, the NEC meeting drew top PDP leaders to deliberate on issues central to party unity and preparations for the 2027 general elections. Despite a wave of defections to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Damagum expressed optimism about the PDP’s prospects, noting that many defectors had since returned to the party. Echoing this sentiment, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara, said more former members would likely return—provided the party delivers purposeful and inspiring leadership at its forthcoming national convention. Similarly, Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, affirmed the party’s readiness to reintegrate returnees and rebuild its strength ahead of the next electoral cycle.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed its position as a strong, united, and stable political force, fully repositioned to serve as the leading opposition party committed to mobilising efforts to rescue Nigeria from what it described as the catastrophic misgovernance of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The party made this declaration on Thursday following the conclusion of its 101st National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. During the meeting, the NEC approved the schedule and timetable for its 2025 Elective National Convention. According to the approved timetable, the Elective National Convention—where new national officers of the party will be elected—is set to take place from Saturday, November 15 to Sunday, November 16, 2025, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The NEC also directed the PDP National Chairman, Iliya Damagum, and the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, to officially notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the convention's date, venue, and agenda, in line with Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, and Part 2(12) of the 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties. “Accordingly, NEC approved the membership composition of the National Convention Committee as well as the membership composition of the National Convention Zoning Committee to ensure a successful, transparent and credible Elective National Convention,” the communique stated.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Prof. Nentawe Yiltwada, as the party’s new National Chairman. Yiltwada succeeds Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, who resigned on June 27. His nomination was put forward by the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, and seconded by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas. The NEC meeting is currently underway at the Presidential Villa.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) made a major stride toward securing a two-thirds majority in the Senate following the defection of four opposition Senators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday. During plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio read individual letters submitted by the defectors, who attributed their departure to persistent internal crises and “irreconcilable differences” within the PDP. The Senators who switched allegiance are Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), Oluwole Olubiyi (Osun Central), Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North East), and Samson Ekong (Akwa Ibom South). Following the defections, the 109-member Senate now comprises: * **APC – 70 Senators** * **PDP – 28 Senators** * **Labour Party – 5 Senators** * **NNPP – 1 Senator** * **SDP – 2 Senators** * **APGA – 1 Senator** This development places the APC just three seats shy of the 73 needed to secure a two-thirds majority—an influential threshold that enables critical legislative powers such as overriding presidential vetoes, amending the Constitution, or taking decisive actions like removing the Chief Justice of Nigeria or the Governor of the Central Bank. The defections were met with celebration in the chamber, with APC National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru, former Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige, and several House of Representatives members in attendance to show support. Despite the boost, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) urged party members not to view the gain as merely numerical. He stressed that the increase in APC Senators should translate into greater accountability, adherence to the party’s founding values, and commitment to fulfilling electoral promises.

Former Labour Party Vice Presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has hinted at the possibility of contesting the 2027 presidential election, but only under specific conditions. In an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Tuesday, Baba-Ahmed stated he would consider running only if Peter Obi and another unnamed southern figure opt out of the race. He stressed that his decision would not be motivated by personal ambition and reaffirmed his loyalty to Obi, pledging to support him again in 2027 should he decide to run. “Look at my trajectory, and I’ve said this repeatedly, that in 2019 I aspired for the presidency and I lost, together with 11 others. “I religiously supported Peter Obi and I would do so again in 2027, unless certain two people that I have tremendous respect for decide not to take it, and God Almighty in His infinite mercies keeps dropping it for me,” he said. “Except if that happens, I can tell you Peter will contest for sure because he’s in the game, he contested before, I’ll support him. If he doesn’t, or another person that I won’t call his name from the South, if they don’t contest, otherwise I’m not ambitious. My key ambition is to stop the killings, stop the stealing, stop the slide.”

Renowned Delta State political heavyweight, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru, has officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), signaling a major shift in the state’s political landscape. His defection was confirmed by the Delta State ADC Chairman, Okolie Austine, who expressed delight at the development. “We are happy to receive Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru into the ADC. His experience and popularity will strengthen our party,” he said. Chief Ogboru is well known in Delta politics and is often called “The People’s General.” He was the governorship candidate for the Alliance for Democracy in 2003, Democratic Peoples’ Party in 2007, Labour Party in 2015, and the APC guber nominee in 2019.

It is barely over a year since Dennis Otauro, PhD, was appointed as the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. Still, in that short time, his impact as the region’s strong voice, advocate, and the president’s outreach arm, bringing hope and development to the Niger Delta, has grown significantly. When he was appointed in March 2024 by President Bola Tinubu, his designated beat was the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), which was established in 2009 to manage the disarmament, rehabilitation, and reintegration of frustrated Niger Delta activists, some of whom had taken up arms against the government to protest the region’ economic marginalization and the degradation of its environment by oil exploration. From 2009 until March 2024, the amnesty programme was led by several administrators, who bore different titles and did their best to achieve its mandate of peace and security in the Niger Delta through the payment of stipends to ex-agitators and the provision of vocational and formal education opportunities to members of the communities impacted by the militancy. Then enter Otuaro. His vision for the Programme is bold, transformative, and inclusive. Apart from the agitators who are on the government payroll, he has refocused the amnesty programme to capture the next generation of Niger Delta leaders, expanding its frontiers to cater to the interests of a range of stakeholders, especially women and young people. His strategy centres around a broad range of initiatives designed by him and his team to foster enduring peace and prevent any resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta region. One of these is the Programme’s intervention in expanding education opportunities, especially the scholarship scheme for undergraduates from the Niger Delta. Although Otuaro did not initiate the undergraduate scholarships scheme, which had existed for many years before his appointment, he has so reinvigorated it that the award, to use a metaphor, has been given a new lease of life. Before Otuaro, only a few hundred Niger Delta students managed to get the annual scholarships through a cumbersome process, as it was opaque and many had criticised it for being unfair and lacking integrity. Perhaps this was because the previous administrators did not consider education a top priority and viewed the scholarships as not central to their role at Amnesty. But Otuaro’s vision is different. In his first year as administrator, the undergraduate scholarship scheme has increased from a few hundred students to over 3000. Even more, the award process is now more open and inclusive, starting with a media announcement for interested Niger Delta youth to apply, with assurance that merit will play a significant role in the process. And merit did play a role in the grant of the scholarships for the current session. Many prospective students applied, did the aptitude tests, and were awarded the multi-year scholarship, which covers tuition, accommodation, and living expenses, with little or no influence from the amnesty office, a far cry from what used to happen in the past, when there were complaints that money had exchanged hands. In addition, the overseas postgraduate scholarship, suspended by the previous administrators, has been reinstated and broadened. For this current academic session, about 70 Niger Delta postgraduate students were awarded foreign scholarships to universities in the US, Canada, Britain, and other overseas countries. Otuaro made sure that the awardees are pursuing courses that are development-focused and relevant to the material needs of the Niger Delta people. Otuaro’s footprints are also visible in vocational training. With 98 delegates deployed for maritime-related skills training, including refresher courses at Joemarine Institute for Officer of the Watch (OOW) certification; 40 Niger Delta youth trained as aircraft maintenance engineers; another 39 deployed for on-the-job training at organisations like Seven Star Global Hangar and Aero Contractors; and four cadet pilots sent to South Africa for type-rating training, with successful graduation and return to Nigeria. The focus on human development and young people appears to be a genius move by the administrator of the amnesty programme, and a strategy to stop future militancy before it even happens. In the mid-1990s and early 2000s, the Niger Delta boiled as several groups took up arms against the government and oil companies to protest the neglect of the region, which is the goose that lays Nigeria’s golden egg, as nearly all the oil exploration and production take place there. Pipelines were destroyed, workers kidnapped, and oil production was significantly disrupted, leading to huge economic losses for Nigeria and the oil companies operating in the region. The militancy also led to a humanitarian crisis, with many communities suffering from the effects of oil spills, environmental degradation, and violence. The dire situation drew global attention and concern, which highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing the root causes of the conflict and promoting sustainable peace and development in the Niger Delta region. The federal government’s response was the amnesty programme in June 2009. Over three years, up to 2012, three phases of the programme were declared to reintegrate thousands of armed militants and pacify the region. It has been over a decade and a half since the first phase of the amnesty scheme began, and many of the beneficiaries are thus getting old and have probably lost the appetite for armed struggle. Yet the conditions that gave rise to the uprising still exist, despite the government’s efforts over the years. The fear is that those challenges may breed the next generation of militants, angry over the prevalence of poverty and underdevelopment of the Niger Delta. That is why Otuaro’s strong intervention in human development in the Niger Delta, through various initiatives in formal and non-formal education, is brilliant and commendable. That he has implemented the schemes openly and transparently, thus giving the son of a fisherman and the daughter of a boat-maker in the creeks a chance to make something of themselves, is nothing short of transformative, providing hope and opportunities to the overlooked voices. And he has done all this while not neglecting the original agitators on the government payroll, ensuring they are paid promptly, resolving challenges related to payment delays, offering suitable training to wean them off government handouts, and advocating for qualified beneficiaries' placement in jobs in the public service. Otuaro’s impact in just one year is visible and enduring. An asset to the current administration, he is proof that government in its purest form is not merely an idea or an institution on paper but a living presence, something that can be seen, heard, and felt in the everyday lives of the people.

The Labour Party (LP) National Executive Committee (NEC) has appointed Senator Nenadi Usman as Interim National Chairman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha as Interim National Secretary. They will lead the newly constituted interim working committee tasked with managing party affairs until a new NEC is elected at the party’s convention. The appointments were made during the NEC meeting held on Friday in Abuja. Among other decisions reached at the meeting was the adoption of a schedule for ward, local government, state, zonal congresses, and the National Convention. The party's National Secretariat has been directed to release the guidelines and timelines for these processes to guarantee transparent and democratic elections across all levels. In attendance at the meeting were Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero and Abia State Governor Alex Otti — the Labour Party’s sole governor. Speaking at the event, Ajaero described the Labour Party as the political platform of the ordinary Nigerian and encouraged members not to lose hope despite the current challenges facing the party. “Anyone who is not with us and is not working with the Labour force and claims to be the party’s chairman is a daydreamer. When the day of reckoning comes, we will say we don’t know you,” the Abia governor told the gathering. He also reassured members of the party, saying “The council which formed the party is very much with them and we have not abandoned the party. I want us to be focused, not distracted. “There is a need to restructure this party, rebrand it, because that is the only way this party can work.” Meanwhile, Otti told members to do whatever it takes to make the party work. He explained that the statutory NEC meeting is coming at the instance of the Supreme Court’s judgement, which affirmed Nenadi as the national chairperson of the party. The governor also advised the Julius Abure-led faction to be humble enough and obey the apex court judgement. “As law-abiding people, we felt we should obey the Supreme Court judgement, and what we are here to do is to begin a structured process by formalizing some key committees like the interim national working committee, which will oversee all party activities till the party’s convention, when elections for a new NEC will be conducted.” He also appreciated the NLC for forming the party, but asserts that: “Now the party is bigger than the NLC”. Furthermore, he urged members of the party to be humble and work in unity for the greater good of the Labour Party.

Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ibrahim Abdullahi, has revealed that the party is working on strategies to bring Peter Obi back into its ranks. Abdullahi described the former Anambra State governor as a product of the PDP and a valuable political figure, noting that any party would benefit from having him. He highlighted that despite alleged electoral irregularities during the 2023 elections, Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, still secured over six million votes. Before the 2023 polls, Obi—who had previously contested as the PDP’s vice presidential candidate—left the party for the Labour Party, where he clinched the sole presidential ticket. He ran against Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP’s Atiku Abubakar. Obi won in 12 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, but ultimately finished third behind Atiku and the declared winner, Tinubu, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Speaking on Arise News on Thursday night, Abdullahi confirmed that efforts are underway to bring Obi back to the PDP. “Peter Obi is our product, and the PDP indeed wants to get him back. He is a very great capital for any political party, and any political party that will have him will be to their advantage,” he said. “The truth of the matter is if he had not gone the way he did in the last dispensation and proved that mettle to generate over six million in spite of the rigging and frustration of his chances in many of the states. Peter Obi is truly a political capital no doubt about it,” he added. Peter Obi recently stated that he remains a member of the Labour Party but is willing to collaborate with the newly formed coalition spearheaded by the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who contested the last two presidential elections on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has officially resigned from the party. Atiku is now among the prominent political figures aligning under the emerging coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the shared goal of unseating the current president through democratic means.