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Enugu 2027: Nnaji signs one-term pact, vows to quit after four years
The Enugu State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 election, Uche Nnaji, has signed an undertaking to serve only one term of four years if elected governor.
Nnaji signed the pact on Friday at Akpugo, Nkanu West Local Government Area, during a grand reception organised in his honour by PDP supporters and stakeholders.
The candidate said the decision was in recognition of the existing zoning arrangement in the state, assuring that he would not seek re-election after completing his first term.
According to him, the one-term commitment would enable him to focus on good governance and the implementation of his development agenda without being distracted by the pursuit of a second term.
“I am not interested in perpetuating myself in power. That is not the idea. That is why I said I am not going to disrupt the arrangement that is running, which is zoning of power.
“I am aware that Nkanu has gone for four years. So, being an Nkanu man, I will go for one term. After the one tenure, I will go.
“I am going to bring a different approach to governance. My approach will be just for human beings. I am not going to govern for animals. We must have conscience in governance. Government is said to be for the people, by the people and for the people,” he said.
Nnaji also promised to introduce what he described as a “one-day, one-project” policy, through which his administration would initiate and execute development projects across the state.
He said his ambition was to leave a legacy of rapid development and improved living standards at the end of his four-year tenure.
The PDP candidate appealed to the people of Enugu to support his aspiration, promising that his administration would be people-oriented, transparent and committed to the development of the state.
On taxation, Nnaji said his administration would govern with “conscience”, arguing that policies imposing excessive burdens on residents and businesses should be reviewed.
“So, we must govern with conscience. If you put a tax regime in place and it becomes so bad for the people, why are you keeping it? You withdraw it.
“Look at all these taxes going on in Enugu State. The cost of living has risen so high. Enugu State has become the most expensive state in the whole federation, and this is a civil service town, a public service town.
“Most people who want to build industries in Enugu State are taking them to Anambra because of the fear of taxation. So, we must govern with conscience,” he said.
Also speaking, a PDP chieftain, Basil Ani, pledged the support of party members and supporters for Nnaji’s ambition, saying they would work to ensure his emergence as governor in 2027.
Ani said Nnaji had grown beyond being a political candidate, describing him as a movement with growing support among the people.
“I want to tell you that Uche Nnaji has become a movement that is at the heart of the people. It is no longer about the political party; it is about the conviction of the people towards him.
“Nwakaibie is here to stay. Nwakaibie is here to take over,” he said.
Ani maintained that Enugu State remained a stronghold of the PDP, expressing confidence that the party would reclaim the governorship in the 2027 general election.
Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the New Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has reflected on his past relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, saying the former Rivers State governor appeared happier and healthier when they worked together.
Obi made the remarks while speaking about his relationship with Wike and the political developments ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
According to Obi, Wike seemed to enjoy himself more during the period they worked together.
“Wike was looking healthier when we were working together. When Wike and I were together, he was a much happier person and was enjoying himself,” Obi said.
The former governor also recounted an alleged remark attributed to Wike, claiming that someone had told him that the FCT minister once said he would become the “first president” if Obi eventually emerged as president.
“Someone even told me that Wike said if I became president, he would be the first president,” Obi added.
Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, also sought to explain his motivation for pursuing the presidency, saying his ambition was not driven by a desire to persecute political opponents.
“I’m not campaigning to be president to start pursuing people,” he said.
His comments come amid renewed political realignments and manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Obi and Wike now occupying different political positions from the period when they worked together.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of pushing Nigerians dangerously close to the limits of human endurance as he has turned petrol price dynamics into a punitive measure.
In a statement in Abuja, on Tuesday, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the party said with petrol now selling for as much as N1,470 per litre, every journey had become more expensive, while food and even basic education are being priced out the hands of citizens.
“President Tinubu has turned the petrol pump into an instrument of punishment for everyday Nigerians. Food, transportation, electricity, education, and everything Nigerians need to survive responds directly to the price of fuel and combine together to make life difficult for the majority of Nigerians,” he said.
Abdullahi said the widespread reports of private schools increasing fees by between 30 and 40 per cent is another evidence of how life has become progressively worse under the APC government.
“Parents are not earning 40 per cent more. Their salaries have not risen with the prices of fuel, food, rent, transportation, and school fees. Yet, at every turn, this government demands that already exhausted families pay more.
He said, “At N1,470 per litre, petrol is no longer simply a commodity. It is Tinubu Tax, which has made life unbearable for the majority. Under Tinubu and the APC, Nigerians have been tightening their belts. Now, there are no more holes left, and people have started to choke.
“Families are now skipping meals, withdrawing children from school, abandoning medical treatment and shutting down businesses,” it says, adding that the government could not continue demanding sacrifice from ordinary Nigerians while public officials funded extravagant lifestyles from the same public purse.
“A reform that continuously makes the people poorer is not working. An economic policy that produces impressive figures at government briefings but hunger in Nigerian homes is a failure. When parents must choose between feeding their children and educating them, the government has failed spectacularly in its most basic responsibility.”
The ADC spokesman said the 2027 election would present Nigerians with a clear choice between “carrying on with enduring President Tinubu’s punishment and embracing the relief programme proposed by the ADC presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.”
He restated the promise of Atiku Abubakar, ADC Presidential Candidate’s commitment to reduce the price of petrol by bringing back subsidy to support domestic production of fuel, which would, in turn, ease the cost of food, transportation and production.
“Unlike Tinubu and APC, we recognise that economic reform must serve the people, not sacrifice them. Nigeria cannot be an oil-producing country whose citizens experience every visit to a filling station as punishment.”
“Their resilience must not become an excuse for continued cruelty. Tinubu has had enough time and inflicted enough pain.
The people are suffering, businesses are dying, and hope is becoming increasingly expensive. President Tinubu must act now. Don’t push Nigerians to their limits.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction aligned with Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has warned governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against underestimating his political influence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The faction alleged that opposition to Wike’s political activities was driven partly by concerns among some governors over their electoral prospects, accusing them of poor performance and warning that attempts to undermine the minister could have political consequences.
The statement, issued on Tuesday by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, came amid an escalating disagreement between Wike and the APC Governors’ Forum over the minister’s proposed “Rainbow Coalition” and his role in mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. �
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The controversy intensified after Wike publicly accused Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of working against him.
During a media chat in Port Harcourt earlier this month, Wike accused AbdulRazaq of leading what he described as a campaign against him, including allegations that he was sponsoring politicians against the governor’s preferred candidates in Kwara State.
Wike said he had provided a political platform for aggrieved APC politicians and argued that such politicians could otherwise align with opposition forces hostile to Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election. He also recalled the political support he claimed to have extended to Uzodimma. �
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The latest development follows a fresh confrontation between Wike and the APC Governors’ Forum.
The governors, led by Uzodimma, recently declared that they would not participate in or endorse any political alliance capable of weakening the APC, undermining Tinubu’s re-election bid or adversely affecting the party’s candidates at the state and federal levels. �
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Wike, however, has maintained that his Rainbow Coalition is primarily aimed at mobilising support for Tinubu and does not amount to an agreement with the APC. He has also insisted that his support for Tinubu does not prevent the PDP from fielding candidates in governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections in 2027. �
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Reacting to the governors’ position, the Wike-backed PDP faction said APC governors should focus on governance rather than attempting to dictate Wike’s political activities.
“The APC governors should also know that Wike is not their problem; their poor governance and fear of electoral defeat are the real problems,” the faction said.
It further argued that Wike’s record as Rivers State governor and his current role as FCT minister had demonstrated what it described as his capacity for project delivery, political organisation and electoral mobilisation.
The faction also questioned the priorities of the APC governors ahead of 2027, asking whether they were primarily concerned with securing President Tinubu’s re-election or protecting their individual political interests.
“A governor who truly wants the President to win should welcome every credible political force capable of contributing to that victory,” it said.
The PDP faction consequently urged the APC Governors’ Forum to concentrate on governance, accountability and performance rather than attempting to determine whom Wike should support.
The clash adds another layer to the widening political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections, with Wike backing Tinubu’s presidential bid while remaining a PDP member, and APC governors insisting on maintaining the party’s structure and candidates across the ballot. �
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Obi: Wike Was Happier, Healthier When We Worked Together
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