A popular Islamic scholar, Dr Abdulmuddalib Muhammad Auwal has joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Zamfara State and declared for Governorship ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Dr Auwal who formally registered with ADC on Sunday at the state APC Secretariat was supported by the Chairman ADC Tudun Wada Ward.

He was received and welcome by ADC leaders and stakeholders in Tudun Wada Ward and Gusau LGA and large crowd of the party members.

Dr Auwal said he joined ADC because of good ideologies and manifestos of the party
“I have personal desire to contribute to ensure good governance tackling security challenges, addressing poverty and vulnerability in Zamfara.
“I have blueprints to serve as framework, and strategic plans on Education, Health, insecurity, Poverty reduction, women and youths empowerment.
“The ADC’s ideology aligns with my visions to rescue Zamfara from poor governance,” he said.

According to him, “if we are given the mandate, we would change the Zamfara fortune to the promised land through the ADC”.

He described injustice and poor governance as the yardsticks of the increase of security challenges in Zamfara

One of the main reasons for the ongoing escalation of the issues with insecurities challenges destroying Zamfara state and other places is as results of neglect, injustice and political aspirations that have eaten deeply around some elites in the society.

We are aware that injustice and poor governance by the certain group of leaders entrusted with governance are becoming too burden and a yardstick of the increase of the insecurity challenges, particularly in Zamfara state that have become a feasting ground of banditry.

“Poverty and injustice are the main reasons for the ongoing security challenges in Zamfara.”

“Also the lingering insecurity challenges in Zamfara is due to o poor governance.

“In Zamfara we have various potentialities to address future the challenges of insecurity and poverty,” he explained.

He further said, “We came up with good blueprints to ensure sustainable security of our dear state through various policies and programs to tackle poverty, unemployment, and lack of education, particularly among youths”

“We are going to create more job opportunities, through agriculture and economic entrepreneurship development for our teeming to have better alternatives than criminal activities.

“You know, Zamfara is blessed with immense agricultural potentials, infact our motto is “Farming is Our Pride”, but due to lack of good governance, we failed to develop such potentials in to reality for the development of our dear state.

He noted that Zamfara, we have comparative advantages in agriculture due to a large fertile land but not being utilize to address youths unemployment, poverty among our people especially those affected by the insecurity.

“On security sector, I will come up with good strategies to tackle insecurity affecting our communities.

“I have passion about agriculture, if we are voted I will initiate various policies and programs to transform irrigation farming in the state to enhance food security in the state.

“In each of the 14 LGAs in the state, I will build a dam for our teeming population to go in to food and cash crops production.

“One of my blueprints is addressing youth unemployment through establishment of companies by fostering entrepreneurship development and vocational training for our teeming unemployed youths.

“This is to change mindsets of our people, infact we want to Zamfara people to become job providers not job seekers- Scholar explained.
In their seperate remarks, the ADC leaders in Tudun Wada Ward and Gusau LGA expressed gratitude for the Governorship aspirant for joining the party.
They assured him that the party would provide an enabling environment for him and his teeming supporters

Sir Victor Walsh Oluwafemi
Public Analyst and Development Consultant has called for due process and responsible public discourse over calls for the resignation of Independent National Electoral Commission INEC’s chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, SAN.

In a statement he personally signed, Oluwafemi noted that:

“I am compelled, as a concerned citizen and a professional engaged in governance advisory and institutional systems, to address the growing calls for the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN.

“While accountability remains central to any functioning democracy, the manner, tone, and timing of these demands raise serious questions about intent and consequence.

“It is important to critically examine whether such calls are grounded in verifiable institutional breaches or whether they reflect political positioning and reactionary pressure.

Oluwafemi further stressed that: “The positions recently advanced by the African Democratic Congress and the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, if not exercised with caution, risk projecting a troubling precedent that leadership within critical national institutions can be influenced through public agitation rather than constitutional procedure.

“When institutions begin to respond to pressure instead of process, democracy itself becomes negotiable.”

“Nigeria’s constitutional framework is unambiguous. The removal of the INEC Chairman is not a matter for public sentiment or media campaigns, but one strictly governed by law. It is therefore both prudent and necessary to advise that all grievances, allegations, or concerns be subjected to judicial scrutiny.

At this stage, restraint is not only advisable but also essential.

“In every serious democracy, accusation must travel through the courts, not through microphones.”

“Equally concerning is the growing trend of unguarded and, in some instances, uncultured utterances across television, radio, and digital platforms.

“Public commentary on matters of national importance must be measured, responsible, and evidence-based. The consequences of careless rhetoric are neither theoretical nor distant.

“Recent electoral observations in Nigeria recorded over 200 incidents of election-related violence, with multiple fatalities.

“A significant driver of such tensions has consistently been inflammatory rhetoric and the premature delegitimisation of institutions.

“Words, when recklessly deployed in a fragile political climate, can become triggers rather than expressions.”

“It is therefore imperative to caution all stakeholders. Opposition actors must ensure that their engagements strengthen democratic confidence rather than weaken institutional trust.

“Socio-religious organisations must be mindful of the weight of their voice, particularly in matters that intersect with national governance.

“Those who appear on radio and television must understand that public platforms are not merely spaces for expression, but instruments that shape national mood and direction. Discipline in speech is not a limitation; it is a responsibility.

“Freedom of expression must never become a licence for institutional erosion.”

“This is not a defence of any individual. It is a defence of process, order, and democratic stability. Where there is credible evidence of wrongdoing, it must be tested through lawful and constitutional channels. Disputes must be resolved within the framework of the judiciary.

“Until such processes have run their course, calls for resignation remain premature and potentially destabilising.

“A nation does not strengthen its democracy by removing officials through pressure, but by upholding the systems designed to hold them accountable.”

“Nigeria must choose discipline over noise, process over pressure, and stability over sentiment.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Kabiru Tanimu Turaki has formally rejected the takeover of the party’s national secretariat by a rival group aligned with Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.

The dispute over the control of Wadata Plaza, the party’s headquarters, escalated after police sealed the facility on November 18, 2025, following clashes between the two factions.

On Saturday, the Wike-aligned group announced that the police had unsealed the secretariat, allowing them to take control of the premises. However, the Turaki faction quickly dismissed the development, accusing law enforcement of partisanship and noting that the ownership dispute remains before the courts.

In a statement, Ini Ememobong, spokesperson for the Turaki faction, alleged that the police had unlawfully aided the Wike camp, describing its members as “agents of the federal government and APC apologists, masquerading as PDP members, despite a pending appeal.”

Ememobong said the court ruling the police claim to be acting upon has already been appealed. He added that the police force, as a party to the case, has been formally served with the appeal and is fully aware of the legal status.

“By their action, they have tampered with the res which could render the judgment of the Court of Appeal nugatory when it is eventually given,” Ememobong said. “It is most shameful that those entrusted with protecting the law are those disobeying the law.”

He further criticized the conduct of the police throughout the crisis, saying, “While it is not surprising that the police is acting in a clearly partisan manner, we were hopeful that they would act differently under the command of the new Inspector General of Police. From the inception of this imbroglio, the officers of the police force have consistently acted in a manner that leaves no one in doubt as to their support for the Wike-backed APC apologists.”

Despite the tensions, Ememobong urged members of his faction to remain peaceful and avoid any actions that could disrupt public order.

“As law-abiding citizens, we admonish our members to continue to maintain peace and not undertake any activity capable of breaching public peace, while we promise to take all necessary steps within the ambit of the law to protect the rights and privileges of the genuine members of the Peoples Democratic Party,” he said.

The faction assured the public that what it called “state-sponsored persecution” would not last, expressing hope for a return to genuine democratic practice in the interest of preserving the republic.