General News
PDP Crisis Deepens in Sokoto as Members Defect to ADC, Party Factions Disagree Over Tambuwal
The political landscape in Sokoto State is witnessing fresh tension as more members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have reportedly resigned from the party and joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Despite the wave of defections, former PDP senator Abubakar Gada has called for calm, insisting that the PDP remains strong in the state.
The situation has, however, taken a dramatic turn as a faction of the ADC in Sokoto rejected the entry of some of the defectors, including former governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, claiming they did not follow the party’s constitutional procedure for membership.
In a statement issued by the Sokoto State chapter of the ADC under the chairmanship of Hon. Umar Muhammad Faruk, the party denied that Tambuwal is a registered member. According to the leadership, proper consultation was not carried out at the ward and local government levels, which are mandatory steps for anyone seeking to join the party.
The statement explained that the ADC leadership contacted the chairman of Tambuwal Ward and the party’s chairman in Tambuwal Local Government Area, Alhaji Aminu Tambari, who reportedly confirmed that they were unaware of any move by Tambuwal to join the party.
The party also warned the ADC’s 2023 Sokoto governorship candidate, Bello Isiyaku (popularly known as Keegan), to stop presenting himself as having the authority to facilitate the entry of new members into the party. The leadership stressed that membership processes must be conducted at the ward level under the supervision of the ward chairman in line with the party’s constitution.
Consequently, the Sokoto ADC leadership cautioned Tambuwal against interfering in the affairs of the party in the state, warning that such actions could prompt legal action.
The statement, signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Hon. Murtala Aliyu, nevertheless maintained that the ADC remains open to individuals willing to join through the proper and official process.
Meanwhile, the political shift has also affected the National Assembly representation from the state. Three of the four members of the House of Representatives elected on the PDP platform from Sokoto have reportedly resigned their membership of the party.
The lawmakers include Bashir Usman Gorau representing the Gada/Goronyo Federal Constituency; Umar Yusuf Yabo representing Yabo/Shagari Federal Constituency; and Sa’idu Bargaja representing Isa/Sabon Birni Federal Constituency, an area described as one of the most affected by insecurity in the state.
However, the fourth lawmaker, Abdulsamad Dasuki representing Tambuwal/Kebbe Federal Constituency, is yet to announce his resignation from the PDP.
Dasuki had earlier indicated that he would not seek re-election, stating that it was time for a younger generation of leaders to take over.
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Lauretta Onochie, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
Onochie made her position known in a post on her official X account on Friday, March 13, 2026, stating that participation in the National Youth Service Corps does not necessarily prove that an individual graduated from a tertiary institution.
The issue resurfaced following a report by THISDAY which indicated that the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee had yet to dismiss a petition filed against Kalu over his NYSC documentation. The petition was reportedly submitted by the Civil Society Groups for Good Governance, triggering fresh debate about the relationship between NYSC certification and academic qualifications.
Reacting to the development, Onochie argued that the NYSC scheme and academic graduation are separate processes and should not be treated as the same.
“I know someone who took part in the National Youth Service Corps even though he did not do graduation,” she wrote, stressing that possession of an NYSC certificate alone should not be regarded as proof of completing a university or polytechnic programme.
Her remarks come as public scrutiny over the academic credentials of political figures continues to intensify. In Nigeria’s political landscape, questions about educational records have repeatedly generated debate and legal challenges.
Observers say Onochie’s comments highlight the need to distinguish between NYSC participation and formal graduation records, noting that academic certificates remain the primary evidence of educational attainment.
The statement has since sparked reactions across social media and political circles, with some Nigerians supporting her clarification while others insist that transparency in the documentation of public officials is vital for maintaining public confidence.
General News
BUSINESSWOMAN TRACY OHIRI APOLOGISES TO MINISTER DAVID UMAHI, RETRACTS CONTROVERSIAL ALLEGATIONS
Businesswoman Tracy Ohiri has publicly apologised to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, retracting controversial claims that recently circulated online and generated widespread reactions. In a video statement that surfaced online, Ohiri clarified that she never alleged the minister tied a wrapper or towel around himself to meet her in a hotel room, a claim that had fueled speculation and memes across social media platforms.
Ohiri stressed that the widely circulated allegation was never made by her. “I never said Engineer Deacon David Umahi tied a wrapper to meet me in a hotel room,” she said. She further expressed regret over the embarrassment the controversy may have caused the minister and his family. “I apologize to Minister Umahi for the embarrassment this allegation may have caused him and his family,” she added.
The apology follows earlier accusations by Ohiri in which she alleged that the minister owed her money related to a business or contractual arrangement. Some reports had also linked the dispute to claims of alleged improper advances which she reportedly rebuffed. The allegations had attracted public attention and sparked discussions among activists and social media users.
Ohiri explained that after consultations with her family, legal team, and close associates, she decided to step back from the controversy. According to her, the decision was taken to allow her family focus on their personal lives and business activities. She also expressed regret over any misunderstanding or distress that the situation may have caused.
The apology has generated mixed reactions online. While some observers view the retraction as a step toward resolving the dispute, others have questioned the circumstances surrounding the apology.
General News
NIGERIAN CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS RAISE ALARM OVER SENATE PROBE, DEMAND PRESIDENTIAL INQUIRY INTO NNPC FINANCES
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and more than 75 civil society organizations operating under the Coalition of National Civil Society Organizations (CNCSOs) have raised fresh concerns over the ability of Nigeria’s legislature to ensure accountability in corruption investigations, warning that decades of parliamentary probes have rarely produced prosecutions or jail terms for culpable public officials.
The political parties’ umbrella body and its civil society allies made the assertion in a joint press statement signed by Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the CNPP, Comrade James Ezema, and National Secretary of the CNCSOs, Alhaji Ali Abacha, in reaction to the ongoing Senate investigation into alleged ₦210 trillion accounting discrepancies in the books of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) during the tenure of its former Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari.
In the strongly worded statement, the groups expressed skepticism about the outcome of the Senate probe, arguing that similar investigations conducted by the National Assembly of Nigeria since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999 have largely ended without meaningful consequences.
In a statement, the groups said legislative investigations into corruption across various sectors of the Nigerian economy—especially the petroleum industry—have historically generated significant public attention but seldom translated into criminal prosecution or conviction.
They stated that the recurring pattern has become familiar to Nigerians: once a scandal breaks, the legislature convenes hearings, officials are summoned, public outrage follows, and investigative reports are promised. However, the matter often fades away without concrete action against those responsible.
The organizations noted that the latest probe by the Senate into the financial records of the national oil company has again brought the issue of accountability in Nigeria’s petroleum sector to the forefront of national discourse.
The Senate is currently investigating allegations of about ₦210 trillion in accounting discrepancies linked to the operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, particularly during the leadership of Mele Kyari, who previously served as Group Managing Director of the defunct Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) before the organization was restructured and transformed into a limited liability company.
While the CNPP and the coalition of civil society groups welcomed the decision by the Senate to summon former officials of the company to explain the controversial figures, they warned that the probe must not follow what they described as a familiar trajectory of inconclusive investigations.
“For more than two decades, Nigerians have witnessed countless legislative probes that ended without prosecution, conviction, or imprisonment of those responsible for corruption uncovered during the hearings,” Comrade James Ezema and Alhaji Ali Abacha said.
The groups recalled that they had repeatedly raised alarm over the financial management of the national oil company during the tenure of the former management led by Mele Kyari, alleging opaque accounting practices and questionable financial disclosures relating to subsidy payments, crude oil transactions and operational expenditures.
They also revisited long-standing concerns about the controversial rehabilitation of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries, particularly the Port Harcourt Refinery, which they said had consumed billions of dollars in public funds without delivering sustainable refining capacity.
In a statement, the groups said repeated announcements by officials of the national oil company suggesting that the refineries had been successfully rehabilitated ultimately turned out to be misleading when the facilities failed to function as expected.
They claimed that trillions of naira and substantial foreign-currency expenditures were reportedly committed to refinery rehabilitation projects across the country, yet the anticipated results never materialized.
The statement noted that the eventual shutdown of operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery by the new management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited raised serious questions about the effectiveness of the earlier rehabilitation efforts.
Despite the magnitude of the alleged financial irregularities, the groups lamented that no public official had been successfully prosecuted or jailed in connection with the projects.
Beyond the refinery controversy, the organizations also expressed concern about what they described as a disparity in the enforcement of anti-corruption laws in Nigeria.
They accused the country’s major anti-graft agencies—the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)—of showing greater urgency in cases involving political opponents than in investigations involving high-ranking public officials accused of large-scale economic sabotage.
In a statement, the groups said some members of the immediate past management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, including Mele Kyari, were reportedly invited and briefly detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission following their removal from office.
However, they claimed that the detention lasted only a short period and that the Nigerian public has not been informed of any major findings from the investigation since then.
The groups contrasted this situation with what they described as the aggressive prosecution of some political figures outside the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), many of whom have faced prolonged detention or repeated arrests even after courts granted them bail.
They warned that such disparity creates the perception that anti-corruption enforcement in Nigeria may be selective and politically motivated.
In light of these concerns, the CNPP and the coalition of civil society organizations called for decisive presidential intervention to address the controversy surrounding the finances of the national oil company.
They urged Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to issue an executive order establishing an independent judicial commission of inquiry into the financial dealings of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Comrade James Ezema and Alhaji Ali Abacha said the proposed investigation should cover the period from 2015 to date, particularly in view of the fact that the administration of the late Muhammadu Buhari had previously overseen the judicial seizure of assets and recovery of stolen funds from past officials of the national oil company before 2015.
They also demanded a comprehensive forensic audit of the finances, contracts, crude oil transactions and subsidy claims of the company within the same period.
The groups said the probe should further investigate all funds allocated to the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries, including the Port Harcourt Refinery and other federal facilities.
In a statement, they insisted that the activities and decisions of the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited under the leadership of Mele Kyari must be thoroughly examined.
They further called for the public presentation of the findings of the forensic audit and judicial inquiry, followed by the immediate prosecution of any officials found culpable.
In a statement, the organizations stressed that Nigeria cannot afford a situation in which allegations involving trillions of naira generate public outrage but ultimately produce no consequences.
The organizations stressed that if the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu is genuinely committed to fighting corruption, the most powerful actors in the country’s most strategic economic institution must be subjected to the same level of scrutiny applied to ordinary citizens and political opponents.
They concluded that only a transparent, impartial and credible investigation can restore public confidence in the management of Nigeria’s petroleum resources.
Until such an independent judicial inquiry and comprehensive forensic audit are carried out, the groups warned that legislative hearings alone would remain insufficient to resolve the deep-rooted concerns surrounding the operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.