By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba (retd.), has withdrawn from the 2027 Yobe State governorship race on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

Baba announced his withdrawal in a statement made available to Newsmen on Wednesday, saying the decision followed extensive consultations with political stakeholders and associates across the state and beyond.

The former police chief said the move was taken in the interest of party unity, stability and progress ahead of the APC governorship primaries.

‎He stated, “After due consultations and exhaustive meetings with the Vice-President, Federal Republic of Nigeria Senator Kashim Shettima, the Executive Governors of Yobe and Borno states, elders and political associates, as well as some very critical stakeholders across the seventeen Local Government Areas, I have decided to withdraw my aspiration for the governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.”

Baba described the decision as a difficult but necessary sacrifice for the unity of the ruling party in Yobe State.

‎“The decision was not arrived at easily; it is voluntary but an obvious sacrifice we must make in the interest of party unity, stability and progress of our dear state,” he said.

He urged his supporters to remain calm and continue supporting the APC and whoever emerges as the party’s governorship candidate.
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‎“Having made this decision, we urge our teeming supporters to remain calm, law-abiding and continue to support our great party, the APC, as well as the eventual gubernatorial candidate,” Baba added.
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‎The retired IGP also reaffirmed his commitment to the development of Yobe State despite stepping down from the race.
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His withdrawal comes less than 24 hours after another APC governorship aspirant, Alhaji Lawan Kolo Geidam, also exited the contest.

The remaining aspirants include Senator Ibrahim Muhammed Bomai, Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, Bashir Sheriff Machina and Kashim Musa Tumsah.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has described the alliance between Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde-backed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) as fraudulent.

“When I say people are fraudulent, they thought I was joking. And that’s the 419 we are talking about,” said Mr Wike during an inspection of ongoing road projects in Abuja on Thursday.

Mr Makinde earlier declared his interest to contest the 2027 presidency after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the APM to be its standard bearer.

“I, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, Excellency, announce my candidacy for the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the governor stated.

According to the agreement, candidates of the Turaki-led PDP faction in Oyo State loyal to Mr Makinde who are contesting governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and state assembly seats are expected to run on the platform of the APM rather than the PDP in the 2027 elections.

However, Mr Wike said the alliance was unknown to the Independent National Electoral Commission and his faction of the PDP.

He added, “There’s no alliance between PDP and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) or any other political party, as the case may be. INEC also knows that there’s nothing called PDP-APM alliance.”

Noting that the ongoing political activities within the PDP, including the screening of aspirants, clearly showed that the party remained independent and had not entered into any coalition arrangement, the minister accused Mr Makinde of pursuing his personal presidential ambition through the APM platform.

“PDP has presented a presidential candidate and watch out who will be submitted to INEC and see whether there’s anything called PDP-APM.

“What you have is Seyi Makinde joining APM to be able to actualise his presidential ambition, which is already dead on arrival,” Mr Wike said.

The PDP has been embroiled in leadership crisis stirring yet to be resolved court cases.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has revealed that the involvement of Honourable Desmond Elliot in the overturned impeachment of Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, almost cost him his job as as chief of staff to the president.

Speaking to members and supporters of the APC in Surulere on Thursday, Mr Gbajabiamila revealed that he almost got sacked by Mr Tinubu during Mr Obasa’s impeachment saga involving Mr Elliot and other members of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

“I almost lost my job as Chief of Staff last year because of Desmond Elliot. Mr President called me to his study in his house in Abuja during the Obasa saga, and he said, ‘I heard this Desmond is your boy, the one we gave you, we heard he’s part of the people causing problems in the Lagos House of Assembly,’ and immediately I told Mr President that Desmond was not part of them. I haven’t even confirmed from Desmond, but I defended him.”

“But the president said, ‘well, I’m telling you from intelligence that he’s part of them. Go and tell him to retrace his steps,’ and I called Desmond and told him that if he was part of them, he should withdraw,” Mr Gbajabiamila added.

He, however, noted that during his phone call with Mr Elliot, the lawmaker dilly-dallied rather than being straightforward with him about his involvement in Mr Obasa’s impeachment saga.

Mr Gbajabiamila noted that three days after his meeting with the president, he received a phone call from the Director General of the State Security Service, who informed him that he was being accused of supporting Mr Elliot to ensure the impeachment of Mr Obasa.

He added, “Of course the president will not believe that Desmond would do such a thing, and I would not know about it. But I told the DG DSS that I had already spoken with Desmond, and he promised to withdraw his involvement in the matter. So, I called Desmond again and directed him to issue a public statement that he wasn’t part of them, but till tomorrow, he never did. If not for my kind of relationship with Mr President, I won’t be here today.”

On January 13, 2025, 32 of the 40 state legislators impeached Mr Obasa while he was out of the country. This triggered a leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly, prompting Mr Tinubu’s intervention and the subsequent reinstatement of Mr Obasa as Speaker after more than 40 days.