Connect with us

News

APC Dismisses ADC’s Claims, Calls Leadership Crisis ‘Self-Inflicted’

Published

on

 

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) recent removal of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Working Committee (NWC) members from its portal as a problem entirely of the opposition party’s own making.

Speaking on News Central on Thursday, APC spokesperson Felix Morka rejected allegations that the ruling party was behind INEC’s decision to stop recognising David Mark as ADC national chairman and former governor Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary.

“We are only concerned about our level of preparation and the effort we are making. We’re concerned about ourselves. It is the opposition that is obsessed about what the APC does,” Morka said.

He added: “Even the most recent development that everyone is talking about—INEC’s decision to derecognise the David Mark executive—was utterly self-inflicted. The APC didn’t do that. We did not orchestrate the hijack of the ADC by that executive.”

Advert

INEC removed the Mark-led NWC from its portal on Wednesday, citing a March 12 ruling by the Court of Appeal. The commission also delisted the factional chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe. INEC stated it would no longer recognise any factional activities until the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court resolves the party’s leadership dispute.

In response, the ADC, through its national publicity secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the ruling party of hijacking its leadership and pressuring INEC to sack the Mark-led NWC. “The electoral body acted under pressure from a government panicked by the opposition momentum, despite its efforts to destroy all opposition parties and foist a one-party rule on Nigeria,” the ADC alleged.

Morka dismissed the accusation, arguing that INEC withdrew recognition from Mark and Aregbesola because they disregarded the ADC’s constitution and the rule of law.

“They did that, completely ignoring the rule of law and the party’s constitution on succession. When you parachute into a party and take over without following constitutional stipulations on leadership succession, this is the consequence,” he said.

“This was manufactured by the same people now complaining and pointing fingers at the APC. We are not concerned about all that.”

The leadership crisis in the ADC—a coalition of opposition politicians positioning to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections—began following the resignation of Ralph Nwosu as national chairman. David Mark was subsequently ratified as chairman, a move Gombe contested, arguing that he was entitled to the position under the party’s constitution.

Gombe then approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the legality of Mark’s leadership and seeking an order to stop the NWC members from parading themselves as party leaders.

Mark’s faction appealed to the Court of Appeal on December 18, 2025, arguing that the lower court lacked jurisdiction. However, the appellate court dismissed the appeal, allowing the case to proceed at the Federal High Court.

News

Kano Gov Abba Kabiru Yusuf bags international sports award in UK

Published

on

 

Kano state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf , Saturday was honoured in the United Kingdom for his commitment and support to sports development in the state.

 

Our correspondent reports that the award presentation ceremony took place at the Feel Good Too , Ive Farm sports arena located at the Pavilion Walk in London.

The patron W O. Sports, Moses Andishu , while making the presentation, said the award is aimed at appreciating the governor for his consistency towards the development of sports in Kano.

Moses who doubles as SWAN national patron said “this is our token way of saying kudos to mr governor and our aim is to encourage him to do more for the growth of the industry .

Advert

He added that “ we have noticed the reforms been carried out in Kano Pillars football club , we are aware of the efforts ongoing at the Kano state Sports Commission, KSSC and Kano Pillars is taking a new shape again, the state various sports teams now honor national invitations to major competitions, this is worth encouraging.

“we are very much aware of the plans by the governor, who is investing massively in the area of the provision of infrastructure, likewise we have seen investments made to renovate and upgrade major sports facilities, in the state, we just want to say thank you to his excellency and encourage him to invest more in sports

 

The special adviser to the governor on Youths and Sports, Sani Musa Danja , who received the award on behalf of the state governor said , “we are very delighted and happy, his excellency does not joke with anything that has to do with the development of the youths and he has always assured that he will always do everything possible to support the growth of Kano youths.

“I receive this award on behalf of his excellency with humility and honour for my governor , eng Abba Kabiru Yusuf, his works testify for his passion and commitment to sports development, his agenda is to always ensure Kano athletes competes amongst the best of the best by providing all the requirements that is needed for the state to excel in sports , and be rest assured that with my governor in charge sports development will always remain on the burner of the Kano First Agenda.

Continue Reading

News

President Tinubu Salutes Hon. Kabir Bichi, Chair Appropriation Committee Of The House Of Representatives On His 45th Birthday

Published

on

 

 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu celebrates the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, on his 45th birthday today.

President Tinubu describes Hon. Bichi, who represents Bichi Federal Constituency of Kano State, as a vibrant, resourceful and dedicated lawmaker whose commitment to legislative duties and national development stands out.

President Tinubu remarks: “ As Chairman of one of the most strategic committees of the House, Hon. Bichi has demonstrated uncommon capacity, grit, and leadership in steering the consideration, scrutiny, and passage of the nation’s annual budget, a role central to implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Advert

“I commend him for his effective representation of his constituents and his impactful interventions in education, infrastructure, and youth empowerment, which have endeared him to his people.

“Bichi has distinguished himself since his first election to the House in 2019, where he served as Chairman of the House Committee on Works in the 9th Assembly and now as Chairman of Appropriation in the 10th Assembly.

“ As he marks his birthday today, I urge him to rededicate himself to serving his people and his fatherland.

“ And I pray to Almighty God to continue to bless him with good health, wisdom and strength.”

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)
October 3, 2026

Continue Reading

News

Yari Urges North to Respect Power Rotation, Back Tinubu’s 8-Year Presidency

Published

on

 

The Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdul Aziz Yari Abubakar, has called on Nigerians in the North to respect the informal power-rotation arrangement and allow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to complete his constitutionally permitted eight-year tenure.

Yari made the call while addressing journalists at the Kano Government House after a meeting with Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

The former Zamfara State governor said the North should understand and respect the political arrangement that brought the presidency to the South in 2023, arguing that the presidency had been held by a northerner for several years before the emergence of Tinubu.

Yari said, “66 years ago since independence, the country was led by northerners for 47 years,” adding that Nigerians should recognise the importance of maintaining unity and understanding how the country’s political system operates.

According to him, Nigeria remains a country that all citizens must work together to protect, regardless of regional or political differences.

“As we love this country, we don’t have any country other than Nigeria. Nigerians should come and understand how this country works. It is also better than many nations,” Yari said.

The APC chieftain explained that his role as Director-General of the campaign council was not limited to promoting President Tinubu but also included promoting national unity and understanding among Nigerians.

Yari said the current political arrangement should be respected, noting that former President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, governed the country between 2015 and 2023 before power shifted to Tinubu from the South in 2023.

Advert

“Having said this, this country, Nigeria, from 2015 to 2023 was led by a northerner, and now from 2023 to 2026 it is led by a southerner,” he said.

He therefore appealed to northerners not to seek to overturn the existing zoning arrangement on the basis of the region’s population, saying the political understanding was important for national stability.

“If we say we want to uproot the zoning arrangement because of our numbers, then my call for northerners is to understand how it works. They even understand more than I do,” Yari said.

He acknowledged that President Tinubu’s administration, like every government, was not perfect, but argued that the challenges facing Nigeria should not solely be attributed to the administration.

“Nobody is perfect. The southerners have also experienced what we are complaining about today when President Buhari was in power,” he said.

Yari also argued that insecurity was not peculiar to Nigeria, saying countries across the world, including the United States, continue to grapple with security challenges despite their level of development.

“On problems, no problem of a country is solved by any government, including even in the United States. They are managing insecurity as we are managing it,” he said.

The APC campaign council director-general further cited gun violence in Chicago as an example of the security challenges faced by other countries, stressing that every nation has its own problems that require continuous efforts to address.

Turning to the economy, Yari said Nigerians should assess the Tinubu administration based on economic indicators and compare the situation at the time the president assumed office in 2023 with the current position.

“When you look at when Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu came to power in 2023, go and check what was the state of our reserves and what it is today, and what was the rate of inflation in 2023 and what it is today,” he said.

Yari maintained that the administration was making efforts to address the country’s economic and security challenges, while acknowledging that governments at both federal and state levels were working to improve the situation.

He urged Nigerians, particularly those in the North, to give the political arrangement time, arguing that the presidency would return to the region after Tinubu’s tenure if the existing rotation principle was maintained.

“I am calling on northerners to note that by the time Bola Ahmed Tinubu finishes in 2031, it will definitely come back to the North. So, this is how the arrangement is,” Yari said.

He added that federal and state governments were making efforts to address the challenges confronting the country and urged Nigerians to support measures aimed at strengthening national unity and development.

Continue Reading

Trending