By Francesca Hangeior

A former secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has accused some governors and top members of the All Progressives Congress are quietly supporting an opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.

Lawal, who served under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari during his first term, revealed this during an interview on Beyond the Headlines aired Tuesday on TVC News.

He said that although these people have not spoken publicly, they believe in the coalition’s plan to remove the current government.

“Yes, there are APC members working with the coalition], and they will speak for themselves. Some might not be brave or bold enough to do it the way I have, but there are very many, some tell me, including some governors,” he said.

He said he had been working against the APC from within for a long time because the party was full of intimidation and didn’t allow free speech.

He stated, “We’re in a democracy; even if you’re in a political party, you can choose to support a better candidate in another political party. I’m learning a template from APC: this template of remaining in one party and working for another.

“This is a script APC developed, which Wike has enhanced and grown beyond imagination. Wike is our leader in this type of politics.

“The APC has never been united; it’s been a party that has been intimidated and bullied into silence. No internal cohesion; you cannot even advise. Even advice is taken as anti-party. So, many people got frustrated that you cannot talk truth to power in APC.”

He said many people who once supported President Bola Tinubu are now disappointed and want a better alternative.

“A lot of us are people whose primary aim is to replace this government with a better government that serves Nigerians better. If you want to serve this country better, you need to do so from the angle of politics, policies, governance, and leadership. You need to replace the non-performing party,” he said.

“So, there’s nothing wrong if people who were hitherto in APC, allies of Tinubu, have been disappointed in the way he has chosen to run his government or allow others to run his government. There’s nothing wrong if we decide to come together to make a change.”

Lawal also mocked the recent wave of politicians joining the APC, saying most of them are only trying to protect their political careers.

“It’s true the governors are decamping. Why are they decamping to the APC? Because they know the president has given himself an automatic ticket, there will be no primaries, and no other candidate will be allowed to raise their head.

“Most of the governors understand that this government is a government that wrote results to become what they are. So, they can write you out even in your own convention in an opposition party.

“So, all these governors are moving to APC to secure their next elections. However, the governors are moving, but nobody is moving with them; the people are not.”

Lawal also said the coalition is not led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, explaining that it is a team effort by different political figures with the aim of unseating the ruling party.

“The coalition is not about Atiku. I’ve attended meetings tilted towards Obi, Atiku, and Amaechi. Atiku has never spoken in all our meetings, except the last meeting, where he was asked to speak.

“Before we started the coalition, we told everybody that has political ambition to lock it down in a cupboard because the understanding is that no one person can defeat an incumbent government.

“Peter Obi understands that with his Obedient movement, he cannot win this election on a standalone basis. Ameachi understands, and Atiku too; we must have a coalition, get together, join forces, join ideas, and work to defeat this government.”

*Says, it’s about equity and not politics

By Francesca Hangeior

Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North) has said the clamour for the creation of Anioma State is not a political agenda but a matter of equity, justice and cultural identity.

Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District and chairs the Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriation, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to him, it is a generational dream tied to cultural survival and self-determination.

He said, “It has nothing to do with the politics of the APC or the PDP. Anioma has always maintained a distinct sense of self in spite of administrative boundaries.

“Anioma is viable in terms of any parameter for state creation, be it population, economic viability, linguistic and cultural affinity, identity and historical link.
“It was therefore a huge surprise and disappointment that some persons are politicising the Anioma state creation and making it look like a political struggle.

“This myopic attitude and viewpoint clearly demonstrates a disconnect from the Anioma people who are visibly excited that their emancipation is in sight.”

The lawmaker also told NAN that though he didn’t start the struggle, he would complete it.

According to him, the struggle for the creation of Anioma state is more than 50 years old.

He added, “Distinguished personalities like Chief Dennis Osadebay, the first Premier of Midwest State pioneered the struggle.

“He in fact coined the word ‘Anioma’ to encompass the Aniocha, Ndokwa, Ika and the Oshimili people of the old Midwest state, but now under Delta.

“In another sense the term ‘Anioma’ also means the good land or land of good. Chief Dennis Osadebay did not start the state creation as a political movement. It was purely framed on the destiny of the people rooted in identity and history.

“In fact, other people later joined the struggle like George Orewa, Sen. Nosike Ikpo, HRM Prof. Chike Edozien, the late Asagba of Asaba.

“There was also a former Delta Deputy Governor, Sir Benjamin Elue, who presented a paper on Anioma state creation at the 2014 National Conference inaugurated by the former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“None of these patriots rooted for the creation of the ANIOMA state under the banner of politics.”

He also said that he had no ambition of being the first governor of a created Anioma state.

“So what is the fear of the antagonists to the creation of Anioma state? Whose interests are they representing?

“The present-day struggle for the creation of Anioma state has the blessing of the new Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, the Dein of Agbor, HRM Benjamin Keagborekuzi I, and other notable Royal fathers as well as politicians from every political divide and supporters from every tribe and language in the district.

“The Anioma state creation is supported by about 85 senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a huge support from the Presidency.

“To show that the protagonists of the Anioma state creation are cowards who operate under the dark, they could not attend the historic public hearing at Uyo and Enugu which was held on July 4th and 5th to voice out their dissent,” Nwoko said.

Nwoko disclosed that the public hearing was a resounding success for the Anioma state creation bid, adding that no one voice of dissent was heard, meaning that it is popular, generally accepted and feasible.

“Let it be sounded clearly that the Anioma state creation is not a demand for separation but for recognition. No sensible person should stand in its way.

“It is a moving train that can potentially crush any clog on its wheel of progress. Let us all divorce politics for this cause, because it is a dream which time has come.

… anything you float with ill motive naturally it will die

…the committee was ill-intentioned

Hon Teejay Yusuf, a vibrant member of the House of Representatives between 2011-2023 has bared it all on why the disciplinary committee floated by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP kissed the dust.

Teejay in a chat with selected editors in Abuja was philosophical when he declared that anything founded on nothing will yield nothing as the committee was ill intentioned laced with inequity, injustice and unfairness.

Asked why the committee failed to see the daylight despite the massive publicity that welcomed it, Teejay said:

“Okay. Anything that you initiate with a motive that is not fair, just, and equitable will not see the light of the day.
Ikimi was and is a very core member of the Atiku group.

” If you remember, Bode George refused to serve under that committee. First of all, he questioned how can Ikimi be chairman.

“Ikimi met him in the party. He was a foundation member, he was the national vice-chairman of the party, and what have you. So what’s Ikimi’s pedigree?

“But at that time, they wanted a man that would do a hatchet job. In fact, they were after the secretary. That’s because I have asked question. Ikimi didn’t he do anti- party in Edo in one election before this election? Atiku didn’t he do anti party in Nasarawa.

“So, how come you feel that somebody close to you is hurt that is why you are setting up a committee because it was purely the Atiku that was hurt.

“So we are saying let’s set up a committee to look at, globally, anti-party. So that’s why they cannot see the light of the day because the intention from day one wasn’t fair, just.

He stressed, ” It was sectional, parochial, targeted at some individuals.
The same chairman of our disciplinary committee is attending coalition. So what is coalition meeting? Is it not anti-party? Did the party, the PDP sat anywhere to go into coalition.

“So, you have the right to go and discuss coalition, without the party. But somebody has no right.
So, who will now bring the disciplinary committee? So that is why it’s laughable especially when our elders are involved in this because elders are supposed to I mean, to be reservoirs of knowledge and wisdom.

“You should seen them when there’s an issue. You should come to them and they use their wisdom and pedigree.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to be disrespectful to them. But respect is earned, it is not given, it is earned. So the moment the person you expect to respect you, has a reason why he cannot honour and respect you. Whatever you say does not make meaning anymore.

“That’s why a lot of our elders are surprised why the youths are not respecting them. Because they can just look back and say, is it not you? Is it not you? Is it not you here?
So that’s why we must be conscious of what we are doing.

” People are not interested in what you say. It’s in what you do. You are more interested in what you say but we are interested in what you do. Are you saying and doing? Doing and saying? Or saying and doing something else?

“So the Ikimi committee is dead on arrival. It cannot even submit a report. Why it cannot even submit a report? Who is the secretary of the party? Anyanwu. So where do you submit a report to, the secretary of the party?

“And they even want to even go further to remove Anyanwu. You people committed for lack of a better word but that’s the truth, fraud. You forged the guidelines of the party and inserted the word, must. And that’s on the basis of which you went to court.

“Police got into it, arrested our printer, went to the store, all other guidelines have no must, except the one taken to court. So ideally, the Anyanwu matter should even send some people to jail.

“Then you can now see elders that you think have reputation. Wabara will stand that we have decided that he’s not our secretary, on forgery. The basis from which you say he should not be secretary. Is that secretary must resign, that is in the guideline. And you know you forged the guidelines. How does it sound?

“The present governor of Taraba was PDP state chairman. He ran primary, he became governor,, before he resigned as state chairman of the party.

“So what’s Anyanwu’s own? Why is Ayanwu’s own different? Because they are making it look as if how can secretary go and run and still be in the office. Has it not been happening? Except he chose to resign.

“And when people say they want to appoint. No. I said something earlier. When we were in government, when you have president and you can do certain things, does not mean it is right.

“You just sit down as South East Caucus, it’s a convention that elects a secretary. So it is not that you did it before nobody goes to court. If you do it now somebody will go to court, he will squash it. And the court was very clear about it.

“So our elders must realize that people are watching their steps. And they want to test their dancing steps, follow them.

“But if you are dancing Makkosa, I am seeing Makkosa and Makkosa music is playing, all of a sudden it is now Shabarank you are dancing. They are both energy dance. But Makosa and Shabarak is not the same.

“If you now step into Fuji, I will not be looking. I will now look. You see that, is that you are not hearing very well? So you become confused.

” They are confusing us. The kind of step and the music that is playing and the step they are dancing. They are not correlating.
So that is why it is as if, they say the younger ones do not respect them. It is because your stance is not synchronizing with the beating, So check your dance steps.

On whey there are no ideal parties in Nigeria, Teejay said: “There is no organization anywhere in the world that is uniquely different from the culture and the value of its people.

” What you are seeing in the political party in Nigeria is the family values that we have.
So you cannot come out because you are now in the party, you now become very, very upright, what have you? Are you upright from home? So nothing is wrong with the party, it is the individuals.

“The constitutions are okay. The values are okay. They are just people compromising it. Can you stay by the rules? Are you contributing? Are you paying your due?
You don’t pay your due. Somebody is paying for the party. You are in court, somebody is paying. You now say there should be equity, we are the ones in charge. Hello. Even town union meeting, if you don’t pay due you lose your voice.

“That’s what I said earlier. PDP still remains the only party that is close to it. I ran election under PDP, just came in and I won. Everything was done to take me out because there are processes and they still follow in PDP.
I tell people that one of the major reasons why I’m staying back in PDP, that I recognize the opportunity it gave me; if it were the other side, ACN then, they won’t allow me run primary against the person I contested against.

“They will say go and wait for your turn.
PDP will allow you and despite all they stood by that position. So PDP is not there but we are still the one close.

“You can still find people manipulating in between. But there’s a process. But some don’t have process. They just declare what will happen because that’s one of the things our elders are importing to us that we don’t want.
I’ll use our congress in Kogi governorship election. Delegates lists were removed to please a particular candidate. And who insisted it must be done, Atiku, I’m mentioning name.

“So when you are able to lure people to take decision despite the party constitution, if it favours you it is okay. But once they are not getting it, they are killing the party.

” These are the things I’m talking about our elders.
Where is your value? Where are those principles? I grew up as a young boy of a family of boys and just a girl. I went to a male secondary school, what have you. I never smoked hemp till today. Why? Because I know the son of who I am.
Those things they were telling me, I mean I was student union leader, I was taking risk, everything but what is hemp? I see people smoking it everyday but because of those values I couldn’t.

“There were certain things I don’t do, not because you will stop me, I remember the narrative, my dad died in 1981, I was running election in 2011, 30 years later.

“A man saw me, I don’t know you TJ. I don’t want to know you. I know your father. I’ll work for your father. If you are truly his son and you are not a bastard, you will do well.

“I want my own children to come 30 years time and somebody say, if you are truly his child, how can a man who died 30 years ago will now be still be referred to?
Where’re our elders? Can I look at them and say, this is my father. If I tell you some of the things I’ve seen from my elders? They lie, no shame.

“But those things that make family values strong, those days were those things, values; can you step out and be doing wrong without your parents there and you know there’s an elder there. And the presence of that elder is ready to caution you, can you still do those things?

“Can I be in a meeting now? We have a discussion, nothing is written. And an elder is there, and I know that this elder will not lie. And when we get there, he’ll say this is what was discussed. Can I? Can that still happen? Can the elder stand and say, yes, this is it?
So the political parties are not the issue. The issue is the character and nature of our values system now.