Politics

APC SUPREMACY TEST IN BENUE

Published

1 month ago

July 12, 2026

The Zamfara precedent should have been the loudest warning bell any political party could ever receive, yet it appears certain actors within the Benue APC either forgot the lesson or simply believed they were above it. In 2019, the All Progressives Congress swept every single elective position in Zamfara State, only to watch the courts strip the party of every seat won because of unresolved primaries controversies. That singular event remains one of the most painful lessons in the history of Nigerian party politics, a case where victory at the polls meant nothing because the party failed to settle its internal disputes before facing the electorate. It is what many now call the successful defeat, a party that won everything and lost everything in one court pronouncement.

It was precisely to avoid a repeat of that disaster that the APC strengthened its Appeal Committee, a body vested with the responsibility of reviewing complaints arising from primaries and resolving them with finality. This committee exists as the internal safeguard, the mechanism meant to catch and correct every irregularity before matters spiral into litigation that could embarrass the party nationally.

Going into the 2026 primaries, the APC made its position unmistakably clear. Results were not to be announced at state level. Everything was to be centrally coordinated and released only after all controversies had been addressed. This was not a suggestion, it was policy.

Yet in Benue, officials who supervised the primaries were allegedly pressured into announcing results prematurely, in open defiance of that directive and amid credible evidence of misconduct. This was done by elements who apparently regard presidential directives as optional suggestions rather than binding instructions from the leader of their own party.

It must be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had personally intervened in the Benue APC crisis and handed down a clear directive: all elected officials of the party were to be returned automatically, unopposed and undisturbed. Chief Hyacinth Iormem Alia, a governor once described by Chief Gabriel Suswam as more powerful than God, appeared emboldened rather than restrained by that intervention. Rather than comply, he reportedly dismissed the presidential directive as mere prayers, fielded his own preferred candidates, and proceeded to manipulate the outcome of the primaries in his favour.

What followed was the proper constitutional response within the party structure. Appeals were filed before the Appeal Committee. Upon due consideration of the evidence, the committee ordered rectifications and forwarded fresh names to the Independent National Electoral Commission. It bears emphasis that those so called new names are not strangers to the party. They are the very officials the president had directed should be automatically returned. Their restoration, and the consequent removal of Alia’s placeholders, is not an act of party disloyalty. It is an act that vindicates internal discipline, protects the party’s transparency, and honours the chain of authority from the presidency downward.

Having taken that decision, the APC owes itself, and every Nigerian who still believes in due process, the duty to stand firmly behind the Appeal Committee’s verdict. Any pressure to reverse or dilute a decision that is already in effect would amount to inviting the ghost of Zamfara back into the room, only this time in Benue. The party constitution says the party is supreme. Benue should not be the state where that supremacy is tested and found wanting.

Politics

APC Sets August 22 for Legislative Primary Elections

Published

14 hours ago

August 19, 2026

Online editor

By Abigail David

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has scheduled Saturday, August 22, 2026, for its primary elections to select candidates for four restored State House of Assembly constituencies and legislative bye-elections across five states.

The party announced the timetable in a statement signed by its National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, and released on Wednesday.

The primaries will cover three restored constituencies in Delta State — Abraka, Isoko North II and Ughelli South II — and Yagba West II in Kogi State.

The exercise will also produce APC candidates for legislative bye-elections in Gombe, Bauchi, Delta and Kano states.

According to the timetable, the sale of expression-of-interest and nomination forms will run from August 18 to 20, while the submission deadline is August 20.

Screening of aspirants, publication of results and screening appeals will take place on August 21, ahead of the primaries on August 22. Election appeals are scheduled for August 24.

The APC fixed the expression-of-interest fee for State House of Assembly aspirants at N1 million and the nomination fee at N5 million, while House of Representatives aspirants will pay N1 million and N9 million respectively.

Female, youth and physically challenged aspirants are required to pay the expression-of-interest fee and 50 per cent of the prescribed nomination fee.

The timetable follows the Independent National Electoral Commission’s restoration of the four previously suppressed constituencies after court judgments.

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Politics

Natasha Osawaru Emerges as Edo Assembly Minority Leader

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Online editor

By Abigail David

Natasha Osawaru, wife of Nigerian singer Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has been appointed Minority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly.

Osawaru, who represents Egor Constituency, was announced as the new minority leader during Monday’s plenary following a reshuffling of the Assembly’s principal leadership positions.

Her emergence followed her defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the National Democratic Congress in May 2026.

A statement from her Media and Strategic Communications Directorate said the reshuffle reflected new alignments among lawmakers and party caucuses in the Assembly.

Osawaru previously served as Deputy Majority Leader. She has focused on grassroots development, legislative debates, and youth and women empowerment during her time in the Assembly.

Reacting to her new position, Osawaru thanked the Assembly leadership, her colleagues and constituents.

She described the appointment as a responsibility rather than a title, pledging to promote accountability, effective representation and the development of Edo State.

Her emergence places her in a key opposition leadership role in the Edo State House of Assembly.

Politics

Politicians Urged to Shun Violence, Focus on Issues Ahead of 2027 Elections

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Online editor

By Abigail David

A security expert in Katsina State, Ibrahim Katsina, has urged politicians and their supporters to embrace peaceful campaigns and focus on issues ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Katsina, a former Special Adviser on Security Matters to ex-Governor Aminu Masari, made the call in an interview with Channels Television in Katsina on Monday.

He urged political parties and candidates to promote their manifestos rather than resort to violence, intimidation, hate speech or other actions capable of creating tension.

“As the 2027 electioneering campaign draws closer, my advice to politicians is that they play according to the rules of the game in order not to overheat the polity,” he said.

Katsina also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to sanction political actors who incite violence or engage in thuggery.

On security, he commended the improvement recorded in Katsina State, attributing it to collaboration between the government and security agencies.

He expressed optimism that ongoing operations would further reduce insecurity before the 2027 elections, while stressing that citizens also have a role to play in maintaining peace.

“Security is everybody’s business. When we unite against terror, we will succeed,” he said.

Katsina also cautioned Nigerians against glorifying criminal activities on social media, saying such narratives could encourage criminals and undermine public confidence in security efforts.