Denge Josef Onoh, a former spokesman for President Bola Tinubu in the South-East, has issued a strong ultimatum to Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT): either fully join the All Progressives Congress (APC) or cease his interference in the ruling party’s internal affairs.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a statement released in Abuja, Onoh, who also chairs the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, attacked the political alliance currently being promoted by Wike. He labeled it a “Rainbow Coalition” and a “Trojan horse,” warning that it poses a significant threat to party unity and could jeopardize the APC’s prospects in the 2027 general elections.

“This so-called ‘Rainbow Coalition’ is a toxic distraction, a political mirage, and a well-calculated vehicle for personal ambition that will ultimately undermine the All Progressives Congress and jeopardise the presidential election if left unchecked,” Onoh asserted.

He further argued that Wike’s coalition lacks the necessary political infrastructure to deliver significant votes for President Tinubu outside of Rivers State. Onoh contended that Wike’s influence is largely confined to his home state and criticized the attempt to apply a “fractured blueprint” on a national scale.

The former presidential aide also rejected any comparisons between Wike’s current political maneuvering and the G5 governors’ alliance that preceded the 2023 election. He emphasized that the G5 was a powerful bloc of five serving governors who controlled established party structures and were driven by defined regional interests.

In contrast, Onoh dismissed Wike’s new coalition as lacking institutional weight. He stated, “Today, Wike’s new ‘Rainbow Coalition’ has completely crumbled from that standard. It is not an alliance of powerful state executives; it is a desperate collection of political castaways, disgruntled ex-office holders, and floating political contractors who hold no real electoral value in their own political wards.”

Onoh also took aim at recent public disagreements between Wike and APC governors AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara) and Hope Uzodimma (Imo). He characterized these disputes as a “diversionary tactic,” alleging that the FCT Minister is deliberately stoking tensions in the North-Central and South-East to weaken existing APC structures.

“By attacking highly respected APC governors who are the authentic custodians of the party’s grassroots votes, Wike is actively sowing the same seeds of discord that he used to tear the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) apart,” Onoh alleged, accusing Wike of attempting to destabilize the APC using the same playbook that led to deep divisions within the PDP.

Onoh explicitly rejected the idea of a “transactional arrangement,” where voters might be encouraged to support President Tinubu while voting for candidates from opposition parties in National Assembly races. He argued that because presidential and legislative elections occur simultaneously, such a strategy would undermine the APC’s ability to secure a crucial majority in the legislature.

“We cannot exchange a robust, organic party victory for a transactional arrangement,” he said, citing the 2023 elections in Enugu State as evidence that cross-party support strategies ultimately harm the main party’s chances.

Onoh concluded by urging APC stakeholders to reject any efforts to create parallel political structures within the party and demanded clarity from Wike regarding his political allegiance.

He added, “Nigeria’s political space has no room for double agents, political rent-collectors, or part-time allegiance. You cannot have one foot in the PDP, keep the other foot floating in a vague coalition, and expect to dictate the fortunes and internal architecture of the APC.

“Our position is simple: either Nyesom Wike fully, formally and unconditionally registers as a card-carrying member of the APC at his political ward, or he must step aside immediately.”

Onoh maintained that the APC possesses sufficient structure and grassroots support across the nation to ensure President Tinubu’s re-election without Wike’s involvement, which he described as a “damaging, self-serving distraction.”

Gunmen have kidnapped five Islamic clerics following a prayer session at the Talata Mafara, Zamfara State home of Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, the Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s campaign organization.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

News of the abduction was first reported on Saturday evening by user and Northwest regional crisis reporter, Bakatsine.

Bakatsine identified the missing clerics as Imam Yahuza (First Jumma’at Imam, Dogon Madacci), Magawata Abdullahi (Second Jumma’at Imam, Dogon Madacci), Malam Shehu Dakko, Imam Bala Fagon, and Na’ibi Tasi’u of Tungar Nagudai.

According to the reporter, the clerics were part of a massive assembly of over 2,000 Islamic scholars and imams who had gathered at Senator Yari’s residence for special prayers for peace, national unity, and the success of President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming 2027 elections. The attendees had travelled from various communities within Bakura and Talata Mafara Local Government Areas for the event.

Bakatsine expressed deep concern over the incident, noting that the audacity of abducting individuals from the home of a high-profile political figure underscores the severity of the ongoing security crisis in Zamfara State, where bandit attacks and kidnappings are rampant.

He remarked, “If people can be abducted while attending a gathering at the residence of a prominent political figure, then where exactly are ordinary citizens supposed to feel safe?”

As of this reporting, the Nigerian Police Force and other relevant security agencies have not yet released an official statement regarding the abduction.

Plateau-based cleric Prophet Isa El-Buba has clarified his decision to pull back his backing for Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential hopeful Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 polls.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

During an interview on Saturday with journalist Seun Okinbaloye on the Mic On podcast, the cleric noted that while he previously heavily mobilized support for Obi under the Labour Party platform in 2023, he has now shifted his allegiance to Adewale Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, for 2027.

El-Buba explained that despite viewing Obi as a good individual, he found critical shortcomings in his leadership style, particularly pointing to a perceived lack of courage required to lead a nation through tough times.

Reflecting on his reasons, the cleric stated:

“Peter Obi is a nice man. He is not a bad man. But there are certain things I saw and had discussed with him personally. When a leader loses courage, the first instrument of a leader in the midst of all trials is courage to take shots on behalf of the followers. When a leader loses that one thing, you lose me.

“I don’t think Obi is courageous. That’s an aspect of his weakness. Peter Obi has no business leaving LP and running here and there.”