Politics
APC SUPREMACY TEST IN BENUE
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.
By Abigail David
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it froze the bank accounts of the Osun State Government to prevent the alleged diversion of public funds, stressing that the action was based on an ongoing investigation and not the forthcoming August 15 governorship election.
In a statement shared on its official X account, the anti-graft agency said it had been investigating the Osun State Government since March 2026 over the alleged handling of about N11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations.
The EFCC said several state officials, including the Accountant General, had been questioned as part of the investigation. It added that while the probe alone did not warrant freezing the accounts, it detected what it described as suspicious transfers of funds beginning on August 2.
According to the commission, large sums were allegedly moved from government accounts into several corporate accounts, prompting it to place a Post No Debit order to prevent further transactions.
The EFCC maintained that it has a legal responsibility to safeguard public funds and said it could not ignore suspicious financial activities because of the impending governorship election. It also stated that other state governments are under financial scrutiny as part of its broader accountability efforts.
The commission urged Nigerians to disregard what it described as false narratives about the account freeze, insisting its actions were non-partisan and aimed at protecting public resources.
The statement followed criticism from Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who described the account freeze as illegal and challenged EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede to publicly justify the decision. Adeleke also directed the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada (SAN), to challenge the action at the Federal High Court in Osogbo, arguing that the EFCC requires a court order before freezing government accounts.
By Abigail David
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has responded to comments by Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, over the upcoming Osun State governorship election, saying the singer should direct his appeal to Osun voters rather than him.
Davido had urged an unnamed Imo politician during a press conference on Wednesday to allow a free and fair election in Osun, citing reports of alleged plans to interfere with the August 15 governorship poll. Although he did not mention Uzodimma by name, he called for peace and urged that voters be allowed to choose their preferred candidate.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Electronic and Creative Media, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, Uzodimma dismissed the appeal and predicted that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke would lose his re-election bid.
The governor claimed that many voters were dissatisfied with the current administration and would support the APC candidate in the election.
Uzodimma also advised Davido to focus on preparing his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke, for life after office instead of making public appeals. He added that the singer might have to “sign his uncle as a dancer” after the election, expressing confidence that the electorate would vote for a change in leadership.
The exchange comes ahead of the August 15 governorship election, where Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking a second term in office.
By Abigail David
The Osun State Government says it will challenge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in court after alleging that the anti-graft agency froze the state’s bank accounts.
The state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, said on Wednesday that Governor Ademola Adeleke had directed him to file a suit at the Federal High Court over the development.
According to Jimi-Bada, the EFCC issued a “Post No Debit” directive to First Bank, where the state’s accounts are domiciled. He argued that while the commission has the power to investigate financial records, freezing government accounts requires a court order.
He said the action could disrupt government operations but expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved through the courts. Jimi-Bada also maintained that state funds were not being used to finance Governor Adeleke’s re-election campaign.
The Commissioner for Finance, Sola Ogungbile, also alleged that police officers visited the main branch of First Bank in Osogbo and arrested some bank employees. He urged the EFCC to consider the potential impact of the account restrictions on governance and residents.
Earlier on Wednesday, Governor Adeleke alleged that the EFCC was planning to freeze the state’s accounts and those of top government officials ahead of the August 15 governorship election. He described the reported move as unlawful and claimed it was intended to disrupt government activities before the poll.
The EFCC had not publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of this report.
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