By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has categorically denied that any final decision has been made regarding his political future, even as a close ally told reporters that he and fellow opposition leader Peter Obi plan to defect from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Monday.

In a statement issued in the late hours of Saturday, the former governor and 2023 presidential candidate acknowledged “wide-ranging consultations” with leaders from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and others to explore options for protecting their democratic interests.

The clarification comes after Buba Galadima, a key Kwankwaso ally, disclosed to newsmen on Saturday, May 2, 2026, that both Kwankwaso and Obi would leave the ADC for a new political platform on Monday.

Kwankwaso cited multiple legal challenges facing the ADC, including a recent Federal High Court ruling that “delegitimised the party’s recent convention” and an application by the Attorney General of the Federation to deregister the party.

“We left the NNPP due to externally influenced legal problems that made our stay perilous,” Kwankwaso said. “The ADC has now been also forced into this difficulty.”

Regarding presidential ambitions, Kwankwaso noted that the ADC has yet to zone its presidential ticket or take any decision on a candidate. “I have therefore neither declared any intention to run for president nor endorsed any aspirant,” he stated.

His absence from two recent ADC stakeholders’ meetings, he said, was due to “unavoidable personal commitments” for which he had apologised to party leadership.

A definitive position on his political direction will be announced “in the soonest possible time,” he added.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced that aspirants seeking its presidential ticket for the 2027 general elections will pay N100 million for nomination forms, as the party released its detailed primary election timetable on Sunday.

In a press statement signed by National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party outlined a fee structure that places the ADC among Nigeria’s costliest political platforms. Aspirants for governor will pay N50 million, while those seeking a Senate seat will pay N20 million. Candidates for the House of Representatives will be required to pay N10 million, and State House of Assembly aspirants will pay N3 million.

To encourage wider participation, the ADC introduced concessional rates: a 50 percent discount for youths and a 25 percent discount for women and persons with disabilities.

The party’s 2026 primary elections will begin on May 21 with simultaneous ward-level elections for State Assembly, House of Representatives, and Senate seats. Governorship primaries follow on May 22, and the presidential primary is scheduled for May 25.

A Special National Convention on May 27 will ratify all candidates.

The timetable requires aspirants to collect application forms from April 1 to May 4, purchase nomination forms from May 5 to May 10, and submit completed documents by May 13. Screening runs from May 14 to May 15, with appeals heard May 18–19 and a final cleared aspirants list on May 20.

The ADC urged strict compliance with the party constitution and the Electoral Act, positioning itself as “the primary platform for Nigerians seeking competent, accountable, and people-focused leadership in 2027.”

As the international community marks World Press Freedom Day, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have called on “the government of President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s state governors, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to urgently ensure press freedom, protect journalists, and bring an end to the escalating insecurity and widespread human rights violations across several parts of northern Nigeria, including Benue, Borno, Kwara, Plateau, and Sokoto states.”

The statement followed the conference and interactive session on ‘the Role of the Media in Promoting People’s Rights, Accountability, and Access to Justice in the Context of Growing Insecurity in Nigeria’ held yesterday at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja. The event was jointly organized by SERAP and NGE to mark World Press Freedom Day.

In a joint statement today, SERAP and NGE emphasised that “protecting journalists and safeguarding information integrity are central drivers of peace, security, and democratic stability.”

The groups said, “any credible peace, recovery, or security strategy in Nigeria must integrate support for free, independent, and pluralistic media alongside humanitarian, institutional, and economic responses.”

The groups expressed “serious concerns about the scale and persistence of killings, abductions, sexual violence, forced displacement, and destruction of property across several parts of northern Nigeria.”

According to the groups, “thousands have reportedly been killed and millions displaced, with rural communities repeatedly targeted and women and children bearing the brunt of the violence and insecurity.”

The statement, read in part: “these patterns reflect systemic failures to prevent foreseeable harm, protect communities, investigate violations, prosecute perpetrators and their sponsors, and ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims.”

“Such grave violations constitute serious breaches of Nigeria’s obligations under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”

“The humanitarian consequences remain severe: communities destroyed, livelihoods lost, and victims left without effective remedies. The persistence of impunity continues to erode public trust and weaken democratic governance.”

“Nigerian authorities at all levels have binding constitutional and international human rights obligations to protect journalists, and end insecurity and impunity in the country.”

“The Tinubu administration, state governors, FCT minister and other relevant authorities must exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate, and remedy human rights violations, including by ensuring justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators and their sponsors.”

“We note that the UNESCO theme for the 2026 World Press Freedom Day Conference, ‘Shaping a Future of Peace,’ underscores the centrality of a free, independent, and viable media ecosystem to peace, security, and sustainable development.”

“The erosion of independent journalism and civic information ecosystems directly contributes to governance breakdown. When journalists are targeted through intimidation, repression, or impunity for attacks, corruption thrives, accountability declines, and misinformation spreads.”

“In such environments, information violence often precedes physical violence, deepening insecurity and undermining public trust in state institutions.”

“Protecting journalists in Nigeria is therefore not a peripheral issue but a core requirement for addressing insecurity and advancing democratic governance.”

“We recall that Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution mandates the media to hold government accountable, while Section 39 guarantees freedom of expression.”

“These provisions, alongside international human rights obligations, require Nigerian authorities at all levels not only to refrain from interference but also to actively protect journalists and ensure a safe environment for reporting on insecurity and human rights violations.”

“Addressing insecurity requires more than reactive responses. It demands sustained commitment to transparency, accountability, human rights and the rule of law. Embedding these principles into governance and security frameworks is essential to breaking cycles of violence and restoring restoring public confidence.”

“We therefore call on the Federal Government, state authorities and FCT minister to: guarantee freedom of the press and expression; protect civic space and journalists, and promote victim-centred, ethical reporting; and publicly recognise that killings, abductions, and destruction of property are grave human rights violations that cannot be justified.”