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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has picked the Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Major Jack, as the running mate to its 2027 governorship candidate,Rep Kingsley Ogundu Chinda.

The development signals the party’s move to consolidate its political structure in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The APC Publicity Secretary in Rivers State, Ikenga Chibike, confirmed Jack’s emergence on Tuesday.

With the announcement, Jack will contest alongside Chinda as the APC’s deputy governorship candidate in the state.

Chinda emerged as the party’s governorship candidate after the APC primary election held in May 2026, setting the stage for the party’s campaign to unseat the incumbent administration.

Why Jack?

The choice of Jack is understood to be part of the APC’s strategy to achieve geographical balance on its governorship ticket while expanding its support base across Rivers State.

Party sources said his political reach, particularly in the riverine communities, was also considered an advantage as the APC seeks to strengthen its grassroots network ahead of the election.

The pairing of Chinda and Jack is therefore expected to give the party a broader geographical appeal, particularly in a state where political support is often influenced by senatorial districts, ethnic considerations and local political structures.

Jack’s Defection

Jack’s emergence as the APC’s deputy governorship candidate also comes less than two years after his defection to the party.

He joined the APC in December 2025 alongside the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and several other lawmakers.

The defections marked a major shift in the political alignment within the state legislature and further strengthened the APC’s presence in Rivers politics.

The lawmakers’ movement to the APC followed months of intense political rivalry and realignment among the state’s political actors.

With the 2027 election now approaching, the APC is banking on the Chinda-Jack ticket, its growing grassroots structure and the recent political realignments to mount a formidable challenge in Rivers State.

The development also sets up an increasingly competitive race as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 governorship election.

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A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ehiozuwa J. Agbonayinma, has taken legal steps against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, demanding that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reopen and prosecute an alleged financial crimes case involving the former Vice President.

Agbonayinma, through his solicitors, is asking the anti-graft agency to revisit its investigation into Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The demand is contained in a letter addressed to the EFCC and signed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Hannibal Egbe Uwaifo, on behalf of Agbonayinma.

The lawyers gave the commission 14 days to act or face further legal action.

In the letter, the solicitors recalled that the EFCC investigated allegations of corruption involving Atiku between 2005 and 2006, when he was Vice President.

They said the investigation culminated in a report titled, “The EFCC Report on Vice-President Abubakar Atiku (Full Report),” dated September 2006.

According to the lawyers, the report contained allegations of corruption, money laundering and other financial crimes involving the former Vice President.

They further claimed that the EFCC had indicated that Atiku would be prosecuted after leaving office, but that no such prosecution had taken place.

The solicitors described the alleged failure to act as a “deliberate dereliction of duty” and urged the commission to revive the matter.

They also cited an alleged investigation by the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

According to the lawyers, the US Senate investigation produced a report dated February 4, 2010, which they claimed contained allegations of money laundering and other financial crimes involving Atiku.

Agbonayinma’s lawyers are therefore demanding that both the 2006 EFCC report and the 2010 US Senate report be reactivated and considered as the basis for fresh prosecution.

They argued that reopening the case would send a strong message that no Nigerian, regardless of political status or influence, is above the law.

The lawyers also praised the current leadership of the EFCC, saying it has the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to fighting corruption by revisiting the allegations against the former Vice President.

The letter stated that their client believes prosecution of the case could become a major milestone in the commission’s anti-corruption campaign.

“TAKE NOTICE that if, after 14 days of this letter, your Commission, the EFCC, refuses or neglects to act, our further instruction is to take legal action against your Commission,” the lawyers warned.

The latest development comes as Atiku prepares for the 2027 presidential contest under the ADC, adding a fresh legal and political dimension to the longstanding allegations surrounding his time in government.

However, the allegations contained in the letter are claims by Agbonayinma and his legal representatives and have not, by themselves, established criminal liability against Atiku. Any prosecution would be subject to investigation, due process and determination by a competent court.

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US President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to hit Iran “hard” after the two foes traded fire for the first time in weeks, as his Treasury secretary vowed to keep up a pressure campaign aimed at hobbling Tehran’s economy.

After six months of war, the foes remain at an impasse, with Iran keeping the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed and the US persisting with a counter-blockade of Iranian ports.
On Sunday, the United States carried out strikes on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran quickly retaliating by attacking US military targets in the Middle East.

The exchange raised fears of a return to major hostilities, with the US president vowing to respond.

“We’re going to hit them hard,” Trump said, according to a Fox News reporter who spoke to him briefly. “There will be a response.”

The United States said it attacked Iranian rocket launchers on the island of Larak to prevent Tehran from planting mines in the key shipping lane.

Iran responded with missile and drone attacks aimed at Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, saying they targeted US forces there, but President Masoud Pezeshkian later on Monday called for dialogue.

“We continue to strive for a path of agreement and understanding, and we believe that continuing the war is neither in our interest, nor in the interest of the region,” he said at a summit in Kyrgyzstan, adding “the solution to the existing problems is dialogue and cooperation.”

State media reported that three people were killed in the US attack Sunday on Larak, with several others wounded.

Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards said the ballistic missile attack targeting two US air bases in Jordan caused “heavy damage”.

But Trump told Fox that all the missiles fired at US forces had been shot down, except for one that was determined not to pose a threat. Jordan’s army said it had intercepted eight missiles, without stating their origin.

Iran also said it targeted US personnel at an air base in the UAE, and shot down an American drone over Hormuz.

Abu Dhabi said it intercepted a drone over the country’s waters, but dismissed claims that Al Minhad Air Base had been targeted as “baseless.”

The Guards reported knocking out a second US drone over Hormuz on Monday evening, and Iran’s armed forces central command reiterated a warning to its regional neighbours not to allow the US to use their territory to carry out attacks.
A tanker leaving the strait reported being hit by three “unknown projectiles” just off the northeastern edge of Oman, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said late Monday, noting that there were no known environmental impacts or casualties.

‘Continue Exerting Pressure’
The exchange of fire came after weeks of relative calm, with the Trump administration recently pivoting to “economic warfare”.
Earlier on Monday, Trump had called Iran “a Failed Nation”, saying on social media that its military was decimated, its finances were crumbling, “and their leadership is in total disarray”.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent vowed to keep up the economic pain.

“We are going to continue exerting pressure, and we’ve had very good discussions here already,” Bessent told reporters at a G20 meeting in North Carolina.
He said a turning point in the pressure campaign could come “within weeks or months”.

Iran is exerting economic pressure of its own through its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, which has roiled global markets and driven up prices for American voters in a closely fought midterm election year.

One-fifth of the world’s oil passed through the strait before the war.

Despite traffic remaining throttled six months on, Trump has claimed the US Navy has “total control” of the strait, with Washington last week announcing it had completed clearing explosives from the waterway.
Iran, however, insists it is in charge of the sea lane.

The Revolutionary Guards said Monday that a “rogue” oil tanker caught fire near the strait after it hit two mines while attempting to transit an “illegal route.”
The US military called the claim “disinformation,” saying: “No ships have hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Mediators have tried for months to broker an end to the war, but an earlier truce and memorandum of understanding fell apart.

Iran recently has been trying to push the US to return to the previous deal, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi telling state TV on Monday that “the solution is completely clear and straightforward: the United States must return to its commitments”.
“In that case, everything can be put back on the right track,” he said.

AFP