By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

As Political realignments continue ahead of 2027 general election, the National Youth Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Dayo Israel has raised the alarm that opposition political parties are poaching the party’s youths.To checkmate the tide, Comrade Israel said that the APC has started a process of restructuring and rebranding the party to halt and frustrate plans and efforts by other parties to sway Nigerian youths and divert their votes away from the party.

The national youth leader made these remarks while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday while unveiling the newly constructed Youth Directorate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a resource center for party youths, located at 8 Ajesa Street, Wuse 2, Abuja.Comrade Israel stated that poor funding from the national secretariat of the party, lack of enlightenment and engagement programmes directed at the youth abd women population have started to have some toll and negative effect on the confidence of the target groups and may affect supporting the party and the president in the future.”We are hoping that when the APC gets a permanent site like the president directed, the youth wing of the party might even be given a whole structure as its office but before that, we have to do a lot to begin to support the youth of our nation.”The Labour Party and others are trying and doing everything possible to hijack the youths for their votes as we head to 2027 general elections. We need to be proactive and start engaging our youths now so that we can deliver their votes in the election to Mr. President. “We have developed a three-year development plan on how we want to engage the youths but we felt that it is only proper to setup this resource centre first where youths can meet and rub minds with policy makers.”Israel outlined several skills and other empowerment programmes that would be offered by the resource centre, and stated categorically that when APC youths are properly equipped and empowered, other parties will not pose any serious threat to the ruling party either before, during or after the general elections. Apart from taking proper inventory of APC youths across the country, he said, the resource centre hopes to immediately commence radical public engagement and enlightenment programmes targeting all sectors of youths including the students in higher institutions to ensure massive votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection in 2027.

By David Torough, Abuja

A university scholar, Prof. Uji Wilfred of the Department of History and International Studies, Federal University of Lafia, has called on the Federal Government to establish a National Bureau for Ethnic Relations to strengthen inter-group unity and address the deep-seated ethnic tensions in Nigeria, particularly in the North Central region.

Prof.

Wilfred, in a paper drawing from years of research, argued that the six states of the North Central—Kwara, Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa share long-standing historical, cultural, and economic ties that have been eroded by arbitrary state boundaries and ethnic politics.

According to him, pre-colonial North Central Nigeria was home to a rich mix of ethnic groups—including Nupe, Gwari, Gbagi, Eggon, Igala, Idoma, Jukun, Alago, Tiv, Birom, Tarok, Angas, among others, who coexisted through indigenous peace mechanisms.

These communities, he noted, were amalgamated by British colonial authorities under the Northern Region, first headquartered in Lokoja before being moved to Kaduna.

He stressed that state creation, which was intended to promote minority inclusion, has in some cases fueled exclusionary politics and ethnic tensions. “It is historically misleading,” Wilfred stated, “to regard certain ethnic nationalities as mere tenant settlers in states where they have deep indigenous roots.”

The don warned that such narratives have been exploited by political elites for land grabbing, ethnic cleansing, and violent conflicts, undermining security in the sub-region.

He likened Nigeria’s ethnic question to America’s historic “race question” and urged the adoption of structures similar to the Freedmen’s Bureau, which addressed racial inequality in post-emancipation America through affirmative action and equitable representation.

Wilfred acknowledged the recent creation of the North Central Development Commission by President Bola Tinubu as a step in the right direction, but said its mandate may not be sufficient to address ethnic relations.

He urged the federal government to either expand the commission’s role or create a dedicated Bureau for Ethnic Relations in all six geo-political zones to foster reconciliation, equality, and sustainable development.

Quoting African-American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, Prof. Wilfred concluded that the challenge of Nigeria in the 21st century is fundamentally one of ethnic relations, which must be addressed with deliberate policies for unity and integration.

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

The leadership of the Labour Party has cautioned that if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) goes ahead to conduct the August 16, 2025 bye-election without publishing the names of its candidates, and ensuring that its logo appears on the ballot, it will seek the nullification of the election in line with the provision of the law.

The party has also called on well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Prof Mahmood Yakubu led INEC to respect the Nigeria Constitution and the Electoral Law by discharging its duties as specified by the laws of the land and avoid wasting tax payers money. It accused INEC of working for interests that are anti democratic.In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, Labour Party said that by the electoral Act 2022, any political party which is excluded from participating in any election is expected to approach the court for remedy.I”NEC is gambling with the huge resources of the country which are being expended in the conduct of the bye-election that is scheduled to hold on the 16 of August, 2025. “We are not going to be helpless as the law has provided adequate remedies for any act or omission by the commission that has shortchanged the political party or put its image in disrepute. “A political party is expected to guard its image and reputation jealously and Labour Party will not take any conduct by any agency or regulatory body intended to rubbish its reputation lightly. “One wonders what interest INEC is protecting that will make it throw the entire country into unnecessary crisis and incurring such a colossal financial waste. “By virtue of the Supreme Court decision delivered on the April 4, 2025, the court stated that the issues of leadership is an internal affairs of the party and going by the internal mechanism of the party, the party has held a convention on the 27th of March 2024 at Nnewi, which produced the current leadership as led by Barrister Julius Abure. One wonders what the problem is with INEC.”INEC under Prof. Yakubu must respect the decisions of both the Supreme Court and the leadership of the Labour Party.”