Politics
Atiku: “I bear no grudges against PDP Members’ Defectors to APC “
Let me be unequivocal: freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy — they are fundamental rights
Atiku Abubakar, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) flag bearer in the 2023 presidential election wrote today on his official Facebook page :
“I have been overwhelmed with inquiries from concerned Nigerians, all eager to understand my position on the latest political shifts, particularly the defection of some PDP members to the ruling party.
Let me be unequivocal: freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy — they are fundamental rights.
Alongside these stand the pillars of a just and functional democratic society: the people, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability. Undermine any of these, and democracy itself begins to crumble.
As someone who holds fast to these values, I bear no grudges against anyone for exercising their right to political alignment.
Defections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics.
We’ve seen them before, and we’ll see them again.Some have resorted to insults because I visited former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Let’s not rewrite history: Buhari is not only a former leader but a significant statesman in the Nigerian political landscape.
During the 2013 opposition merger, the leaders of the time consulted widely — including visits to Obasanjo and Babangida.
So why is it now sacrilegious for me and other leaders to visit Buhari in Kaduna? If you truly believe in freedom of association, then you must respect the rights of all political actors to engage, regardless of party lines.
Defections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics.
When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with President Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance.
But the moment I greet Peter Obi, el-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency. Hypocrisy and the politics of selective outrage have never been this fashionable!
Let us be clear: the coming political battle is not APC versus PDP or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering.
The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing.
Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels. Nigerians are not just tired — they are angry, and rightfully so.
This moment is about collective survival. The real enemy is not one another — it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure.
We must reject every attempt to distract us with ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments. These are tools of manipulation, designed to divide and conquer, used by those with nothing else to offer.
The Tinubu administration has no achievements to stand on and no credible record to defend. Its only strategy is chaos and division because that’s the last refuge of the incompetent.
And make no mistake— an incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board. -AA”
Politics
Senate swears in two new lawmakers
Based on this, APC now has a majority seat of 73 senators, while PDP has 28 senators, LP is reduced to 4 , SDP 1, APGA 2 and NNPP 1.
SENATE on Wednesday, sworn- in two newly elected lawmakers.
They are Joseph Ikpea representing Edo Central, and Emmanuel Nwachukwu, representing Anambra South senatorial district.
Ohibaba.com reports that the swearing-in, which took place during plenary, was presided over by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, while the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Ojo, administered the oaths of office and allegiance.
The development followed the recent by-elections conducted to fill two vacant seats.
One of the seats was previously occupied by Monday Okpebholo, now Governor of Edo State, and the other by the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who died in July 2024.
Based on this, APC now has a majority seat of 73 senators, while PDP has 28 senators, LP is reduced to 4 , SDP 1, APGA 2 and NNPP 1.
Politics
Eleven things to know about new acting INEC chair May Agbamuche-Mbu
Before she was appointed to serve as INEC acting chairperson, she served as managing partner of her law firm, Norfolk Partners, in Lagos.
1. May Agbamuche-Mbu was born in Kano but hails from Delta State.
2. She attended St. Louis Secondary School, Kano.
3. After her secondary education, she proceeded to the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where she earned her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1984 with an LLB in Law.
4. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985 and later qualified as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales after completing studies at the College of Law, London.
6. Agbamuche-Mbu holds an LLM specializing in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary and Westfield College, London; completed two additional postgraduate programs in International Dispute Resolution and International Business Law.
7. She is a recognized expert in Alternative Dispute Resolution.
8. Agbamuche-Mbu is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom Nigeria branch, where she served as Secretary.
9. She served on the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee (PPAC) from March 2010 to November 2011 as the sole solicitor, evaluating a nationwide portfolio of major unfinished public projects in Nigeria.
10. She was appointed in March 2016 as a member of the Ministerial Committee to prepare the Road Map for the Solid Minerals Sector.
11. Before she was appointed to serve as INEC acting chairper, she served as managing partner of her law firm, Norfolk Partners, in Lagos.
Politics
House of Rep Welcomes New Members- Igbinedion, Bagudu and Rabiu
The Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, announced the presence of the new members during plenary on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
The House of Representatives has sworn- in three new members – Omosede Igbinedion (Edo), Felix Bagudu (Kaduna) and Murktar Rabiu (Jigawa).
The Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, announced the presence of the new members during plenary on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
The three All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers were ushered into the Green Chambers by the Clerk of the House, under the speaker’s watch.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Igbinedion as the winner of the by-election recently conducted in Ovia Federal Constituency of Edo State.
Igbinedion polled a total of 77,053 votes to emerge the winner of the poll to fill the seat which became vacant in September 2024 following the emergence of Dennis Idahosa as deputy governor.
Also, Bagudu, who replaced the late Labour Party’s Ekene Adams from Chikun–Kajuru Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, polled a total of 34,580 votes to emerge victorious.
The third member, Rabiu from Garki/Babura Federal Constituency of Jigawa, polled 38,449 votes to emerge winner of the by-election.
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