POLITICS
No Amount of Torture, Killings, Abduction of Members will Stop PDP from Taking over Ebonyi in 2023 – Ex-SGF-Anyim tells APC

Godwin Okeh, Abakaliki
The former secretary to the government of the Federation, SGF, senator Pius Anyim Pius on Friday said that no amount of intimidation, torture or abduction of it’s party members by suspected agents of Ebonyi government, will stop the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from taking over power from the ruling APC in the state, come 2023.
Anyim Pius who is a presidential aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, made this known in a statement signed and made available to journalists in Abakaliki capital of Ebonyi state.
The former senate President, however expressed dismay over the decision of the fifteen (15) APC lawmakers in the house of Assembly, to declare vacant the seats of their two members; Dr. Oliver Osi representing Ivo constituency and Mrs. Lilian Ngozi Eziulo representing Afikpo North East constituency in the state house of Assembly.
The statement reads in part: “Just today, the same House of Assembly in another childlike drama purportedly declared the seat of two more members, Oliver Osi and Ngozi Eziulo vacant, for the same reason of reaffirming their membership of the PDP.
“As a leader of a party built on the rule of law, the PDP, and a defender of democracy, I remain resolute in conjunction with other leaders, in using all lawful means to protect the citizens and obtain justice for the oppressed, aggrieved and all victims of the vicious activities of the state government.
“For all we care, the Ebonyi State House of Assembly and their master may declare the whole of Ebonyi State House of Assembly vacant. That will not break the resolve of the 9 out of 24 members that have vowed to remain in PDP. In the same vein, no amount of torture, killing or abduction will make the well-meaning citizens of Ebonyi State change their minds about remaining in the party of their choice the PDP. “I, therefore, urge all Ebonyians to remain steadfast; even in the face of intimidation, killings and suppression, as all necessary actions are being taken to ensure that the state is rescued and made greater in 2023” he said.
Anyim however, urged the commissioner of police Ebonyi state command, CP, Aliyu Garba to rise up to the challenge, to investigate the signatory forgery of the factional deputy speaker of the house, Obasi Odefa, who reaffirmed his earlier refusal to defect to APC in the state.
“We look forward to seeing the reaction of the Ebonyi State Police Command now that Mr. Odefa has clarified that his signature was forged and he is only being hunted because he reaffirmed his earlier refusal to defect to APC. True to the reign of terror in Ebonyi State, deadly hoodlums numbering over 50 were dispatched to surround his country home with unclear intentions. It took the firm resolve of Youths of the community to dislodge them and save the deputy speaker and his family from evident danger.
He however, expressed happiness over the release of the Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chika Nwoba Chika who was in police detention since 9th January 2022.
“The bail granted the Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Ebonyi State, Nwoba Chika Nwoba, calls for, not only celebration, but deep thoughts about the danger democracy is running into in Ebonyi state. “It will be recalled that Nwoba was abducted in a commando-style on January 9, 2021, by known officers and agents of the Ebonyi state government under the dreaded Ebubeagu outfit. The swift intervention of the state PDP deputy chairman, who invited the police to the scene, saved Nwoba from being killed by his abductors. “To the bewilderment of all, rather than arresting the culprits, the police turned around to detain Nwoba until January 26 when he was arraigned in court” Anyim stressed.
NEWS
Zamfara APC Group Warns Against Governor Dauda’s Alleged Defection Plans

By David Torough, Abuja
A group of All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters in Zamfara State has urged the party’s National Chairman, Umar Ganduje, to reject any attempt by Governor Dauda Lawal to defect to the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group, operating under the banner of Zamfara APC Supporters (ZAS), issued a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, accusing Governor Lawal of seeking political refuge in the APC to evade corruption investigations.
Comrade Muttaka Ibrahim Ruwan Bore, who chairs the group, said the governor’s alleged plan is driven by fear of prosecution over reported links to former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and ex-Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele.
He described the move as an attempt to secure a “soft landing” by aligning with the ruling party in order to shield himself from ongoing investigations.
“Dauda always boasts that the people voted for him. We are saying he should remain in the Peoples Democratic Party and test his popularity to see if he can secure even 20 percent of the votes.
“We are not asking him to join us, but it would be better for him to test his popularity come 2027.”
“Governor Dauda wants to reap where he did not sow,” Bore said. “We, the APC members in Zamfara, are satisfied with our current leaders and do not welcome an additional burden.”
The group listed notable party stalwarts in the state—including former governors Ahmad Sani Yarima, Mamuda Shinkafi, Abdul’aziz Yari, and Bello Matawalle—as respected leaders who have maintained the party’s grassroots strength.
Bore further claimed that Dauda’s alleged defection bid was a calculated strategy to gain political cover if he loses his re-election bid in 2027.
He insisted that the governor is trying to use the APC as a shield against possible criminal charges linked to financial misconduct, stressing that “the party does not support corruption.”
“Our party is corruption-intolerant,” he said. “We cannot accept anyone with baggage from past misdeeds.”
Governor Dauda, a former banker, has faced criticism since taking office in 2023 under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), with opponents pointing to his alleged ties to controversial figures as a source of concern.
The APC, which lost the governorship in the last general election, has remained a dominant political force in Zamfara, largely due to the continued influence of its former governors.
As political realignments intensify ahead of the 2027 elections, defections are expected to shape the race.
However, the ZAS group warned APC members to remain vigilant and guard the party against being used as a “haven for those seeking to escape justice.”
“We will continue our advocacy and ensure that our party remains a home of integrity,” Bore said .
POLITICS
South-East Threatens to Dump PDP if Denied National Secretary Position

The South-East bloc of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has threatened to reconsider its relationship with the party if the zone was denied the position of the party’s National Secretary.This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of South-East PDP Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) meeting held on Wednesday in Enugu.
The document was signed by Chief Ali Odefa, Chairman, PDP, South-East Zone. He said the ZEC unanimously recommended Mr Sunday Udeh-Okoye for the office of national secretary of the party. “Therefore, we hope that this time around, the position of the South-East PDP regarding the Office of the National Secretary is accorded the honour and immediacy it deserves.“However, in the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the party, the South- East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward,” he said.Odefa urged PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to uphold its decision at its 600th meeting on April 29 which allowed the party’s Deputy National Secretary to function as Acting National Secretary.This, he said, would be pending the time a substantive national secretary would be confirmed.“The South-East ZEC further noted that the zone had to go through this process for the umpteenth time, unlike what obtains in the filling of vacant national offices by other zones.“It is recalled that the South East ZEC met in October 2023 and nominated Udeh-Okoye to serve out the remaining term of the National Secretary.“This position was reaffirmed during the Feb. 20, 2024 meeting of the PDP South-East ZEC. We also reiterated this during the meeting of ZEC in Enug today,” Odefa said.The zonal chairman said that South-East had consistently served as PDP stronghold from the inception of the party.He said that while the party had been losing key members following post-2023 general election, the South-East PDP was at the vanguard of strengthening the party by rallying major opposition figures into its fold.“In Enugu State, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party is back to the PDP; two members of the House of Representatives are equally back from Labour Party.“Furthermore, PDP seats in the Enugu State House of Assembly have grown from 10 at the inception of the Assembly to 20 today,’’ he said.He recalled that on March 21 the Supreme Court brought to a close the protracted legal tussle over the position of the National Secretary of the PDP.According to him, the apex court, in its ruling, held that the issue of the leadership of a political party was the internal affairs of the affected party.“The PDP Governors’ Forum, at its April 14, 2025 meeting held in Ibadan recommended that the South-East PDP should nominate a candidate.“This followed the consideration of the report of the panel it set up to review the Supreme Court judgment.“Their position is that the candidate would serve out the remaining tenure of the National Secretary of the Party zoned to the region,’’ Odefa said. (NAN)POLITICS
Senate Confirms 5 INEC RECs

The Senate has confirmed the appointment of five Resident Electoral Commissioners of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).Report says that their confirmation followed the presentation of the report of Committee on INEC at plenary on Wednesday.The report was presented by Chairman of the committee, Sen.
Simon Lalong (APC-Plateau). Report says that the RECs confirmed were: Umar Garba, representing Kano, Sa’ad Idris (Bauchi) and Chukwemeka Ibeziako (Anambra), Umar Mukhtar (Borno) and Dr Johnson Sinkiem (Bayelsa). Lalong, in his presentation, said that the committee considered the resume, work experiences and career progression of the nominees during their screening.He said that the nominees responded to questions successfully, adding that they were all qualified for the appointment.“After carefully scrutinising all the relevant documents of the nominees and due consideration of their levels of exposure, experiences, performances, qualifications and integrity, this committee hereby recommends that senate confirm the nominees,” he said. (NAN)