Year: 2025

The immediate past governor of Sokoto State, current senator, and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has sent warm birthday wishes to Peter Gregory Obi on the occasion of his 64th birthday — a gesture observers say might be his first public felicitation of the Labour Party presidential candidate. In a heartfelt message, Tambuwal praised Obi for embodying integrity, discipline, and service in Nigeria’s political landscape. “In a time when our nation yearns for principled leadership and moral clarity, your life has come to represent the possibility of a politics grounded in integrity, discipline, and service,” Tambuwal wrote. He commended Obi’s record as former governor of Anambra State, highlighting his achievements in fiscal responsibility, education, healthcare, and people-oriented governance. Tambuwal also acknowledged Obi’s philanthropy and continued support for schools and hospitals across Nigeria. “Your unwavering dedication to the public good — in governance and as a private citizen — continues to inspire many across party lines and generations,” he added. Tambuwal concluded his message by wishing Obi strength, wisdom, and grace to continue his impactful service to Nigeria. Political Undercurrents? The warm message has sparked speculation about potential political realignments ahead of 2027, given Tambuwal’s influence in the opposition and Obi’s growing national appeal. Political observers are closely watching for signs of alliances as opposition forces reposition for the next general elections. Would you like me to draft a short analysis piece titled “Is a North-South Opposition Alliance Emerging Ahead of 2027?” using this development as a reference point?

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has slammed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent appointments, calling them a “desperate, cynical attempt to buy back the trust that he has spent over a year squandering, particularly in Northern Nigeria.” In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the appointments as “too little, too late,” arguing that the administration has marginalised the North for over two years. “You cannot marginalise a region for over twenty-five months and expect applause because you suddenly remembered on the twenty-sixth month that Nigeria is bigger than Lagos State,” Abdullahi said. The party accused the Tinubu government of engaging in “political panic management,” claiming the move is a frantic attempt to appease rising public anger and the growing strength of the opposition in the North. “For over a year, this government turned a blind eye as bandits terrorised villages in the North, as farmers abandoned their lands, and as rural economies crumbled under the weight of poorly thought-out fuel subsidy removal,” Abdullahi said. “Now, under the heat of public discontent, the President suddenly remembers there are Nigerians to appoint into positions outside his Lagos.” The ADC insisted that Northerners would not be deceived by what it described as “token appointments,” noting that real inclusion requires meaningful consultation and policy fairness. “Tokenism is not inclusion, and symbolism is not governance,” the statement added. The party urged the Tinubu administration to abandon “Bourdillon-style appeasement politics” and focus on real nation-building through equitable policies and genuine national unity. “You cannot patch a broken roof with press releases and photo-ops,” the ADC concluded. “Trust can only be restored through sincere commitment to the federal character principle and inclusive governance.”