From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, who represents Cross River North Senatorial District and is seeking re-election to the National Assembly for a second term, has reconciled with his former political rival, the current Cross River State Education Commissioner, Senator Prof.

Agom, an APC chieftain, paid a visit to Odey, also a chieftain of the party, at his Okuku residence and said the reunion was aimed at strengthening party cohesion.

 He explained that it was important for both political heavyweights to present a united front ahead of key political activities in the constituency and across the state.

An APC stalwart, Benjamin Anoh, described the meeting as part of ongoing efforts to mend ties and foster closer collaboration between the two lawmakers. He noted that the gesture signaled a willingness to put past differences aside for the sake of the party.

In a statement, St. Augustine Adula, media aide to Senator Stephen Odey, said the two leaders held a “heartfelt, closed-door meeting that was focused on unity and renewed collaboration.”

 He added that “discussions by the former political rivals were centered on strengthening coordination for the benefit of the district and the state more broadly.”

Adula stated that the development is “widely seen as a positive and timely step for the All Progressives Congress in the region,” adding that “it is expected to reinforce unity among party stakeholders and reduce internal friction that could distract governance priorities.”

He described the meeting as “warm and candid,” giving the former rivals an opportunity for “sincere, heart-to-heart reconciliatory talks.”

According to Adula, the private setting allowed both men to speak frankly about past differences and chart a path forward.

He said the renewed collaboration would “strengthen the collective resolve for the growth and progress of the APC in Cross River,” and that this coordinated approach would improve delivery on constituency projects and effective representation.

The reconciliation ends a long-standing rift that dates back to 2015 where Odey won the Cross River North Senatorial seat that year and served for eight months in the Senate, but Jarigbe, then in the House of Representatives, challenged the result in court.

The court nullified the election and awarded the seat to Jarigbe. The two politicians had little contact afterward until Jarigbe defected to the APC, Odey’s party, months ago.

From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

With the successful completion of the primary elections into the Houses of Representatives and Assembly of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State on Saturday, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC has congratulated the candidates, other aspirants, the members of the party and their numerous supporters.

The Osun APC, said, for the mere fact that any election is a competition for interests and opportunities where it is constitutional for each of the aspirants to be the first among equals is the reason why there seems to be unease at any period of all manners of elections worldwide.

According to the Osun State APC Chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal in a press statement made available to our Correspondent in Osogbo on Sunday, “We commend the displayed spirit of sportsmanship of the aspirants who could not emerge victorious while they should take solace under the fact that an election of any type like an examination may not always be the best form of assessing the superiority of any student or candidate over their peers.

“In a contest, it is just necessary and compulsory that a winner must emerge which is the reason there were the emergence of the successful candidates as the firsts among equals.

“It is apposite to remind the emerging candidates of the need to use their victory as a potent political tool to consolidate the oneness and consolidation of the party in preparation for the major elections ahead where the efforts of all and sundry shall be needed for the success of all our candidates during the general election.

“Having witnessed some of the negative comments of some members of our party before the events that culminated into the successful holding of our houses of Representatives and Assembly primary elections of yesterday, it is however, expedient to remind the members of our party not to lose sight of the supremacy of the party in all their endeavours.

“It wouldn’t augur well for any member(s) of our party to engage in the talking down of the party or any of our leaders because of their inability to emerge victorious during the primary elections.

“Let’s do a self-examination with a view to ending such untowards actions and inactions which would not, in any way, add quality to the collective chances of constitutionally taking over the administration of the state in the next dispensation.

“It is expedient to inform us all that there’s no winner and no vanquished in this sportsmanlike NASS primary elections as our party and the entire people of the state were the overall winners of the elections.

“We want to appeal to the candidates and the aspirants that it is imperative for them to warn their social media army to desist from writing and publishing offensive statements/comments/messages capable of causing acrimony, schism, disunity and crisis in the party as there’s a constitutional mechanism to address this frontally.

“It is also necessary to appreciate the leaders of our party at all its levels, the executive arms of the party in the state and other numerous supporters of our party who sacrificed their comfort, time and resources in various ramifications to ensure the successful holding of the primary elections across the state.

“As members of the same political party, you are all welcome back to the trenches where it is a general task for each and every one of us to contribute our quota for the success of our governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji AMBO, in the forthcoming 15th August, 2026 gubernatorial election”, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal was quoted as saying.

From Abel Zwanke, Lafia

A former aspirant for the Lafia/Obi Federal Constituency seat under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Isaac Ali Kigbu, has withdrawn from the party’s primary election, citing the need to preserve unity and peace within the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Kigbu announced his withdrawal on Sunday in a press briefing shortly after the APC primary election for the constituency was scheduled to hold.

According to him, the decision followed extensive consultations with party leaders, including Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.

He said his action was guided by the overriding interest of party cohesion and stability.

“After extensive consultations with party leadership, and in particular with His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, I have reached the considered decision to withdraw my candidacy from this contest,” he stated.

“This decision is anchored on a single principle: the unity, cohesion, and peace of our great party, the APC. Politics is transient, but the strength of our platform and our collective resolve to deliver good governance to the people of Nigeria must endure.”

The former aspirant called on his supporters across Lafia and Obi Local Government Areas to remain loyal to the APC and support the party’s candidate in the forthcoming elections.

“At this moment, the greater service I can render is to place party harmony above personal ambition, so that we approach the 2027 general elections as one indivisible family,” he said.

“To my teeming supporters across Lafia and Obi, I say thank you for your unwavering trust and sacrifice. “I call on you to sustain that same spirit by standing firmly behind our party and its chosen candidate, and to embrace unity and peace within our ranks.”

Kigbu also urged party members and residents of the constituency to support the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“I also urge you to lend your full support to the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, which represents our collective pathway to economic recovery, security, and inclusive development,” he added.

He further maintained that his commitment to public service remained unwavering despite stepping down from the race.

“For me, public service is not bound by the outcome of one election. As long as God grants me life and strength, I remain committed to the cause of Service to Humanity,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Kigbu dismissed allegations circulating on social media that he was induced financially to withdraw from the contest.

“Let it be stated clearly, I, Hon. Isaac Ali Kigbu, has not received the sum of ₦50 million, nor any form of inducement, from any individual or group in relation to this process,” he said.

“My withdrawal is an act of conviction and loyalty to the party, not of compromise.”