Few hours after former VP, Atiku Abubakar visited ex-president Muhammadu Buhari, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Friday, led members of the party’s National Working Committee on a visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari at his residence in Kaduna State.

The visit took place hours after former vice president Atiku Abubakar led the People’s Democratic Party delegation on a courtesy call to the former president.

The delegation included former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai; former governor of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal, former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa; former governor of Benue, Gabriel Suswam; former governor of Adamawa, Jibrilla Bindow; former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and former Minister of Communications, Isa Pantami.

Speaking with reporters after the meeting, El-Rufai said the visit to the former president was not political and asked “adversaries” not to lose sleep.

The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory added that the visit was for “unity and brotherhood”.

The outcome of the APC NWC’s visit remains unknown; there have been speculations of disunity in the party, as some members of its members recently defected to the Social Democratic Party.

Atiku also cleared the air on Friday, saying that the visit was for the Sallah celebration as against speculated coalition talks.

In a post on his official X handle, Atiku wrote, “As the Waziri Adamawa, I was obligated to be in Adamawa during the Sallah celebrations. I held forth for the Lamido Fombina (Adamawa) in some of the activities of the Sallah celebrations. Today, I had the opportunity to pay a post-Sallah visit to His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2015-2023. It was a wonderful time with him. As usual, he cracked me up (to the extent that my ribs were hurting) with his peculiar humour.”

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has scheduled the state council election for July 12.

Mr Tope Ojo, LASIEC’s Head of Public Affairs, made this announcement on Friday in Lagos.

He revealed that the election for 57 council chairmanship positions and 376 councillor seats will take place on July 12. If necessary, a re-run will occur on July 19.

Lagos State comprises 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

The election date was chosen to avoid a leadership vacuum in the state’s councils.

LASIEC’s notice confirmed that the election will include 20 Local Governments, 37 LCDAs, and 376 wards.

With the current local government administration nearing its end, LASIEC has ramped up efforts for a smooth election process.

The commission has officially launched the electoral process with the release of the Notice of Election.

Political parties must visit the LASIEC headquarters to obtain nomination forms for their candidates.

Ojo confirmed that a meeting with all registered political parties is set for Tuesday.

“The Election Guidelines will be published on April 17,” Ojo added.

According to him, campaigns and rallies will start on April 18 and end on July 9.

Nomination Forms for “substituted” and “only candidate” submissions must be submitted between June 18 and June 25.

LASIEC Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (rtd), assured a fair and level playing field for all political parties.

He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to holding a free, fair, inclusive, and credible election.

Former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship hopeful, Paul Chukwuma, has been officially declared the gubernatorial candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) for the upcoming November 8, 2025, election in Anambra State.

Chukwuma, who recently resigned from the APC over what he described as a deeply flawed and compromised primary process, secured the YPP ticket via a consensus vote held on Thursday in Awka. The primary, attended by 374 delegates, adopted the Option A4 voting system and was described as transparent and peaceful.

The election was overseen by the party’s National Secretary and Chairman of the Election Committee, Vidieno Bamayi. Despite Chukwuma being the sole aspirant, the party proceeded with a formal vote to uphold the integrity of the electoral process and demonstrate internal democracy.

“Even though he was unopposed, we conducted the primary in accordance with our constitution and electoral guidelines. This reflects our commitment to due process,” Bamayi stated.

At the end of the exercise, Chukwuma received overwhelming support, garnering 366 ‘yes’ votes, while eight delegates voted ‘no’. He was subsequently declared the official flagbearer of the YPP.

Chukwuma’s Vision and Promises

In his acceptance speech, Chukwuma expressed deep appreciation to the party and its delegates for the trust reposed in him. He described the YPP as a party with discipline, structure, and a mission to deliver transformative leadership to the people of Anambra.

“I come before you not just as a candidate, but as someone who understands the stakes and the expectations of Ndi Anambra. The YPP is ready to redefine governance in this state. Today, we take a bold step towards real change,” Chukwuma said.

He pledged to offer visionary leadership that would position Anambra State for growth, development, and greater political inclusion at the national level. According to him, one of his core goals is to bridge the gap between Anambra and the federal government, ensuring that the state benefits from national opportunities.

“Anambra is the heart of Igbo land, and it deserves to be firmly connected to the centre. I am here to make that connection possible with YPP as the vehicle,” he emphasized.

Interestingly, despite his departure from the APC, Chukwuma signaled support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration, especially the “Hope Agenda” – a policy framework aimed at economic revitalization and national unity. He expressed confidence in aligning his vision for Anambra with the broader developmental goals of the federal government.

“I believe in President Tinubu’s vision, and I will work to ensure Anambra taps into the opportunities created by this administration. We must think beyond party lines and focus on the development of our people,” he said.

Chukwuma will face a formidable lineup of contenders in what is expected to be a highly competitive governorship race. His opponents include:

Incumbent Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo (All Progressives Grand Alliance – APGA)
Nicholas Ukachukwu (All Progressives Congress – APC)
George Moghalu (Labour Party – LP)
Chioma Ifemulike and Chidi Onyeze (Accord Party)
Jeff Nweke (Action Alliance)

With his formal emergence as the YPP candidate, Paul Chukwuma is positioning himself as a unifier and reform-minded leader who intends to take Anambra to new heights. His campaign will likely focus on inclusive governance, economic expansion, and establishing stronger ties between the state and the federal government.