The presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Prof. Christopher Imumolen, has withdrawn from the 2027 presidential race to endorse the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu.

Imumolen, a factional National Chairman of the party, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, noting that his decision followed extensive consultations with the party’s leadership.

He described his withdrawal as a patriotic sacrifice aimed at prioritising national unity, stability, and continuous development over personal political ambition.

“Following my emergence as the presidential candidate of the Accord Party during the duly conducted presidential primaries, I, in consultation with the leadership of the party, made the patriotic decision to withdraw from the presidential race and fully support the re-election of President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

“This decision was not borne out of personal interest, but from a deep conviction that the unity, stability, and continued progress of Nigeria must take precedence over personal political ambition,” he said.

Highlighting 10 reasons for endorsing Tinubu’s re-election, Imumolen noted that the President’s reform agenda closely aligns with his manifesto, particularly in economic transformation, education, youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, industrialisation, and national development.

“His resilience and ability to navigate Nigeria’s complex political and economic landscape demonstrate uncommon courage, determination, and strategic leadership worthy of emulation.

“In Nigeria’s democratic history, President Tinubu has consistently displayed extraordinary political wisdom, foresight, and nation-building capacity that have produced transformational leaders across the country.

“His commitment to sustaining progressive governance through purposeful leadership, institutional reforms, and continuity provides confidence in Nigeria’s long-term growth and stability,” he added.

He said Tinubu had also shown a remarkable ability to identify capable individuals, build consensus, promote national unity, and make difficult decisions in the best interest of the nation.

Imumolen expressed belief that the President is uniquely positioned to provide a seamless transition between the founding generation of Nigeria’s democratic leadership and the emerging generation of transformational leaders.

He added that in spite of current economic challenges, he remained convinced that Tinubu’s policy direction, fiscal discipline, and decisive leadership would reposition Nigeria’s economy for sustainable prosperity.

“His willingness to engage and collaborate with progressive-minded Nigerians across political parties reflects true statesmanship and a genuine commitment to national development above partisan interests.

“My aspiration has always been to serve Nigeria and not merely to occupy public office.

“Whenever the national interest is better served through unity and strategic collaboration, I will always choose Nigeria above personal political ambition.”

He said that at this critical stage of the nation’s development, continuity in governance, policy consistency, political stability, and sustained reforms were essential for attracting investment.

He said it was also necessary for creating jobs, strengthening institutions, and building a prosperous Nigeria for future generations.

“Today, I therefore declare my total support for the re-election of President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

“I equally call on members of the Accord Party, my supporters across Nigeria, the youth, professionals, and all patriotic Nigerians to join hands in supporting this national project,” Imumolen said.

From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

The Imole Campaign Council has slammed the misinterpretation and falsification of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s clarion call on President Bola Tinubu to enforce free and fair elections in Osun state, denying accusations that the governor attacked the president.

Reacting to the opposition claim, the Director General, Imole Campaign Organisation, Akogun Lere Oyewumi, said “In a rebuttal to the fake news from the Osun APC, the campaign council restated the Governor’s passionate pleading to Mr President to wade in as the father of all to stop the killings and maiming of residents and Accord members, affirming that “at no point, did the governor attack or deride the president.

“Governor Adeleke only called the attention of President Tinubu to the ongoing repression and intimidation of Osun residents and urged the President to call the Marine Minister, Gboyega Oyetola to order so as to stop recurrence of political violence of the past.

“The state governor only informed the president of constant killing that is driving towards genocide. The Accord party has lost seven members with more than 20 suffering various gun injuries in the last three months. Presently, more than 60 Accord members are languishing in illegal police detentions.

“In 2022, the governor lost 45 of his supporters in the cold hands of APC thugs. The police did not raise a finger to prosecute suspected APC thugs who killed our members during the 2022 elections. APC thugs are daily raiding towns and houses of Accord leaders. The facts are in the public domain.

“The governor also referenced the Osun local government crisis in which over N350 billion of Osun local government funds have been diverted and been used by illegal APC operatives whose falsely claimed tenure has also lapsed.

“The governor only spoke the truth about the illegality across Osun local government and urged the President to intervene for APC illegal occupants of the councils to vacate.

“The State Governor only repeated what the Campaign Council has severally documented that APC sponsored thugs are daily terrorising the residents of Osun including Accord members.

“The lies and concoction on Osun finance levelled by the Osun APC falls flat because Osun has won several awards on budget transparency and came third nationally on auditing responsiveness.

“The Adeleke administration runs a due process and transparency based government with massive good governance delivery across all the sectors”, concluded.

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

The member representing Akpabuyo/Bakassi/Calabar South Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Disaster Management and Preparedness, Hon.Joseph Bassey, has called on National and international response to the devastating landslides and other climate-induced disasters affecting Cross River State, warning that the scale of the crisis is beyond the capacity of the state government alone.

He made the call while reacting to the recent landslide incidents that claimed lives and destroyed property in parts of the state, describing the tragedy as a stark reminder of the growing impact of climate change on vulnerable communities.

Bassey disclosed that Cross River had long been identified through early warning systems as one of Nigeria’s most flood- and rainfall-prone states, prompting his committee to initiate preventive measures well before the peak of the rainy season.

According to him, the House Committee on Disaster Management and Preparedness formally notified the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of the impending risks, leading to the deployment of emergency officials to Cross River State for disaster preparedness exercises, risk assessments and public sensitisation campaigns in vulnerable communities.

He noted that President Bola Tinubu had been fully briefed on the situation, adding that the National Assembly had fulfilled its constitutional responsibility and the governor demonstrated exemplary leadership by personally inspecting the affected communities despite the heavy rainfall and immediately initiating emergency remedial measures.

He said the governor’s prompt intervention helped reduce the overall impact of the disaster, even as he acknowledged that the loss of lives remains a painful tragedy for the state.

While describing the landslide as one of the most severe ever witnessed in Nigeria, Bassey said the complexity of the environmental challenge demands sustained investment in erosion control, slope stabilisation, drainage infrastructure and disaster risk reduction.

He explained that Cross River’s topography, coupled with its high annual rainfall, makes several communities particularly vulnerable to landslides, stressing that the ongoing reconstruction of the Calabar–Itu Highway with reinforced concrete pavement reflects the unique engineering solutions required in the state.

“The resources required to address this disaster are enormous. This is not something the state government can handle alone. It requires strong support from the Federal Government, development partners and international organisations if we must provide lasting solutions,” he said.

The committee chairman revealed that consultations were ongoing with relevant federal institutions, including the Federal Ministry of Environment, to complement the intervention efforts already initiated by the Cross River State Government.

He also assured residents that the House of Representatives would push for enhanced funding for disaster preparedness and ecological intervention projects during the next budget cycle to strengthen resilience in disaster-prone communities.

Bassey urged residents occupying identified high-risk areas, particularly within the Calabar metropolis and surrounding communities, to heed official warnings and relocate where necessary, noting that preserving lives must remain the foremost priority.

He commended the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for intensifying public enlightenment campaigns on disaster preparedness and emergency response, describing community awareness as a critical component of disaster risk management.

The lawmaker said he was confident in the collaborative efforts of the Federal Government, the Cross River State Government and emergency management agencies.