Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the All Progressives Congress in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State has affirmed its full support for the Senator representing Delta Central, Senator Ede Dafinone’s reelection bid. Speaking at the senator’s country home in Sapele on Saturday, Hon. Francis Okpigbe, the Sapele APC Local Government Chairman, who led the newly elected APC executives on a thank-you visit, said the move was a show of unity and appreciation for Dafinone’s stabilising role during the recent local government congress.

Hon. Francis Okpigbe declared, “Come 2027, our senator will return to Abuja and remain there until 2031. That is what we stand for,” drawing applause from party faithful present at the meeting. According to the Local Government chairman, the visit was intended to express gratitude for the senator’s unwavering support before, during, and after the congress, which he said was conducted peacefully in Sapele despite reported tension in some areas. Okpigbe stated, “In many other local governments and states in the country, there was rancour, disagreements, and struggles for control. But in Sapele, we did not experience that. The process was smooth, and we were able to produce a harmonised list that carried everyone along.”

He credited the senator’s leadership style and commitment to consensus for the calm atmosphere that characterised the exercise. Okpigbe added, “Despite being a high-ranking public officer, he did not create problems. Instead, he worked harmoniously with leaders in the local government to ensure that all stakeholders were accommodated. That is why we are here to say thank you.” The chairman emphasised that the new executives emerged through a process rooted in unity and service, not personal ambition. “These offices are not financial offices. They are positions of responsibility. We understand that our duty is to work and ensure that APC carries the day from A to Z in 2027,” he said.

Hon. Francis Okpigbe also urged party leaders and stakeholders to intensify grassroots mobilisation, particularly with voter registration ongoing, stressing that electoral victory depends on numbers. “If you are not registered, you cannot vote. The strength that guarantees victory lies in the number of registered voters we can mobilise. I call on every stakeholder to ensure that those who are 18 and above are registered,” Okpigbe charged. Reaffirming the loyalty of the Sapele APC structure, he described the executives as the senator’s “first eleven” and pledged total support for his political future. “We are grateful for the confidence you have reposed in us. On behalf of everyone here, we say thank you. Come 2027, Sapele APC will stand solidly with you,” he declared.

Responding, Senator Dafinone commended the executives for their unity and urged them to maintain cohesion within the party. The senator said, “From now on, I do not want to hear anyone talking about factions. You are all one APC now. There is no need to dwell on yesterday.” He called for competence, regular consultations, and stronger ward-level engagement. Senator Dafinone stressed that the party must operate as one united team and remain focused on delivering results. “You all must work together to deliver APC in all the units, wards and Sapele local government, 2027; it must be 5/5.” The visit signals early political consolidation within Sapele APC as leaders begin positioning for the 2027 electoral contest, with the Local Government chairman making it clear that the local government chapter is firmly behind Dafinone’s continued representation of Delta Central in the Senate.

The Peoples Democratic Party has announced the commencement of a digital membership registration exercise across all wards in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The exercise, approved by the party’s National Working Committee, is scheduled to begin on Monday, March 2, 2026, and will last for three weeks.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Comrade Ini Ememobong, mnipr, disclosed this in a statement issued from the party’s national secretariat. In the statement, Comrade Ini Ememobong explained that the essence of the exercise is to compile the digital membership register in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, which requires all political parties to submit the digital register of their members to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Registration will hold every day, except on Sundays, at all ward, chapter and state offices of the party throughout the registration period. Special cases, according to the statement, will be handled at the National Secretariat. A special committee headed by the National Organising Secretary, Hon. Theophilus Daka Shan, has been set up to oversee the exercise and handle any complaints that may emanate therefrom.

Comrade Ini Ememobong encouraged members and the general public to visit the nearest PDP office within their ward to register. He further stated that for more information and enquiries, individuals can call 08035555800 or send a mail to info@iampdp.org. Ememobong reaffirmed the party’s commitment to conducting a transparent and inclusive registration process. The party urges all its members to participate actively in the exercise, Ememobong added.

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and National Deputy Publicity Secretary (Conventional Media), Jackie Wayas, has clarified that no aspirant was endorsed at the recent meeting of party leaders in the South-South region.

In a statement on Saturday, Wayas said the meeting was convened to deepen unity and strengthen the party’s structure across the region, not to confer support on any presidential hopeful.

She explained that the session brought together key stakeholders and party leaders to assess the party’s progress and chart a coordinated path forward.

According to her, former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, formally notified the regional leadership of his intention to contest for the party’s presidential ticket during the meeting.

She described Amaechi’s declaration as a consultative engagement with his geopolitical zone, in line with party tradition and due process.

“However, consultation must not be misconstrued as endorsement. Engagement does not amount to adoption,” Wayas said, stressing that the purpose of the meeting was to consolidate unity and strengthen the party’s base rather than to back any aspirant.

Wayas added that former Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, also reiterated the South-South chapter’s commitment to cohesion and strategic growth, emphasizing that the objective remains the stability and expansion of the ADC at both regional and national levels.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no candidate was endorsed at the meeting. At no point before, during, or after the gathering was any motion introduced, resolution passed, vote conducted, or consensus reached in support of any aspirant,” she stated.

She further dismissed claims that party elders acted outside established procedures, describing such suggestions as unfounded.

Wayas noted that leaders such as former Edo State Governor, John Odigie-Oyegun, have longstanding records of respect for due process and institutional order, making allegations of procedural breaches implausible.

She reaffirmed the ADC’s commitment to internal democracy, stressing that the power to nominate and elect candidates rests with constitutionally recognised organs of the party and its members, not with a handful of leaders at a zonal consultation.

The meeting, she said, ended with a shared resolve among South-South leaders to continue working together to build a stronger and more united ADC capable of advancing its vision across the country.