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2027: LP, ADP enter alliance, plan consensus candidates

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The Labour Party and the Action Democratic Party have begun talks aimed at building a broad political alliance to adopt consensus candidates for future elections, starting with the Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls and the Osun State governorship election.

The parties said the proposed arrangement would also involve joint voter education, campaigns and mobilisation for agreed candidates, as part of efforts to strengthen opposition politics and improve governance outcomes.

 The initiative, they said, would kick off with the FCT Area Council election scheduled for February 21, 2026, and later extend to the Osun governorship poll slated for August 8, 2026.

 The plan is being pursued under a platform tagged Ballot Alliance for Good Governance, following an inaugural consultation between the Labour Party, represented by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Prince Tony Akeni, and the Action Democratic Party, represented by its National Youth Leader, Chinazam Ike.

Briefing our correspondent on the sidelines of the programme in Abuja, Akeni described the proposed arrangement as a departure from conventional party mergers.

 “The concept of ‘Voters Ballot Alliance’,” he said, “is the first of its kind in our country’s practice of democracy.

From Independence till date, there is no record like it.

He explained that unlike mergers, which require amendments to party constitutions and registration documents, the ballot alliance model is voluntary.

 “While conventional political party mergers entail mandatory amendment of party name, constitution and other registration instruments with the electoral commission, the concept of ‘voters ballot alliance’ is a voluntary agreement among multi-party grassroots faithfuls reached by participating political parties,” Akeni said.

 According to him, the alliance allows parties to rally around the most viable candidate without abandoning their identities.

 “It is an agreement to adopt the most viable, electorate-accepted candidate among the candidates of various political parties contesting for a particular office in a given election. This is done without the participating parties abandoning their original party platforms or identities,” he added.

 Akeni said the model was designed to prevent opposition parties from splitting votes and losing elections.

 “The rationale of the concept is that instead of various political parties splitting or fragmenting their votes and losing to an oppressive or unfavourable political party, the various parties in a specific constituency come together and reach a pre-election and post-victory terms of office or power sharing,” he said.

 He added that under the arrangement, parties would jointly campaign, protect votes and ensure that results reflected the will of the electorate.

 “On election day, the political parties in the ballot alliance vote for, jointly protect the votes and ensure that the actual vote count and winner is announced, paving the way for the victory of the alliance candidate,” he said

Akeni said the alliance, if consistently applied across elections, could reshape Nigeria’s political landscape.

 “It is our conviction that if this model is diligently followed from electoral constituency to constituency… the process will produce an assortment of election winners from different political parties in every election across the states and the country at large,” he said.

 He added that the outcome would “open the political space for the best of citizens to emerge, irrespective of political party differences, promote good governance, strengthen virile and purposeful opposition politics, restore and strengthen true multi-party democracy in our country.”

 Speaking on behalf of the ADP, Chinazam said youths would play a central role in driving the alliance.

 “The youths are the strength and vanguard of elections. If Nigeria’s youths, who form the highest blocs of voting populations, key into the outstanding benefits of the Ballot Alliance concept, good governance, which has eluded our country for so long, will be achieved in record time,” he said.

 He disclosed that the parties planned to test the model in multiple elections.

 “Our plan is to put the Ballot Alliance model to test using the February 21st, 2026, Abuja FCT council elections, Osun state and subsequent Ekiti governorship elections as multi-tier pilot projects,” Chinazam said.

 He added that discussions were ongoing to convene a broader conference of political parties early next year.

 “This is why our party, the ADP, the Labour Party and others are now in talks for a conference of the Ballot Alliance for Good Governance as early as possible in the new year,” he said.

 Chinazam also said the alliance would not exclude major parties.

 “The best aspect of the alliance project is that no political party is left out. This includes the major ruling parties, the APC and PDP,” he said.

According to him, performance, not party label, would determine support.

 “So, if a ruling party’s candidate in an election is doing well, bringing real developments to his or her constituents… such a candidate, whether he belongs to the APC or PDP, will also be adopted to be returned in the polls,” he said.

He concluded that the ultimate goal was to elect leaders committed to good governance “irrespective of political party affiliations.”

Source : punch

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Reps minority whip resigns from PDP

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The Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Ali Isa, on  Tuesday, resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party, citing internal crisis and alleged undemocratic practices within the party.

In a resignation letter April 14, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of Kindiyo Ward in Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State, Isa said his decision takes immediate effect.

He stated that his exit was “compelled by the way and manner some undemocratic forces have hijacked the party for reasons that are contrary to the founding principles and philosophy of the party, which created a factional leadership.”

The lawmaker, who represents Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency, said he took the decision after wide consultations with key stakeholders.

“After a series of rigorous consultations with my family, political associates, friends, and relevant stakeholders, I have arrived at the conclusion that the path to my political future, as well as the political future of the great people who gave me their mandate, lies outside the PDP,” he said.

Isa added that his priority remains the welfare and political future of his constituents, noting that they deserve a more viable platform.

“It is my firm belief that the people of my constituency deserve a platform on which their interests and political future will be better guaranteed,” he stated.

He, however, thanked the PDP for the opportunity to serve.

“I wish to sincerely thank the leadership and membership of the party for giving me the platform on which the people of Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency gave me the wonderful opportunity to represent them at the National Assembly. I will ever remain grateful and wish you all the best,” he added.

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Six months enough to tackle insecurity if FG is serious — Ndume

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Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, has said Nigeria’s insecurity can be decisively tackled within six months if the federal government shows sufficient commitment.

Ndume made the assertion on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he expressed concern over renewed violence in the North-East.

According to the lawmaker, ending insecurity requires decisive action, improved military capacity and strong political will.

He said, “It is not about complaining. It is not about asking somebody like me, as a senator, to say why these things. I always believe that if the President and the Federal Government of Nigeria are serious about this, we can end this thing (insecurity) in six months.

“All we need is to train our soldiers, equip them, arm them very well, and then motivate them.”

Ndume also decried the continued loss of military personnel, including senior officers, describing the trend as alarming and indicative of deeper operational challenges. He added that the army is not sufficiently equipped and the morale is down.

Our correspondent  had reported that Brigadier General Oseni Braimah was killed on April 9, 2026, in a midnight attack by terrorists on the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, Borno State. Also on Monday, a colonel and six soldiers were killed by Boko Haram insurgents the state.

The senator further blamed the worsening security situation on inconsistent implementation of strategies, urging authorities to match words with action.

“We have to be very serious about this matter; we have to walk the talk,” he said.

On foreign support, Ndume emphasised the need for intelligence, technology and specialised expertise rather than reliance on external forces. He noted that Nigeria lacks adequate drone capacity and called for increased deployment of technology-driven solutions, citing examples from Burkina Faso.

“We have some capable hands on the ground; all they need is equipment, ammunition and motivation. We don’t have enough drones.

“Look at what Burkina Faso is doing; it is technology. We can use it to finish or minimise this within the shortest possible time. If we deploy drones, we have our youths that are specialists and designing it.

“In Borno, if you deploy surveillance cameras, you can see everything that is happening. In these days, you can put up surveillance cameras that can go 100 metres. Once we can escalate our military assets in Borno and everywhere, that will go a long way to reduce our problem.”

Ndume also commended Babagana Zulum for his efforts in stabilising parts of Borno State, noting that the situation would have been worse without his interventions.

“If not for the efforts of Prof Babagana Zulum (the governor) in complementing the efforts of the military in the state, Borno State would have gone down,” he said.

 

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David Mark Files Suit Against INEC Over ADC Leadership

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The leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by former Senate President David Mark, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to overturn a decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that removed key party officials from its records.

INEC had, on April 1, deleted the names of Mark as National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its official website and portal, a move that has deepened the party’s internal crisis.

In a motion filed on April 7 by his counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), Mark urged Justice Emeka Nwite to grant a mandatory injunction compelling INEC to restore the names of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) members pending the determination of the substantive suit.

He also asked the court to set aside INEC’s refusal to monitor or attend the ADC’s congresses and convention, arguing that such actions undermine the party’s operations

Specifically, Mark is seeking an order directing INEC to immediately reinstate and maintain the names of himself, Aregbesola, and other members of the National Executive Committee in its official records. He further requested that the court restrain the electoral body from recognising or acting on any rival leadership claims until the case is resolved.

The application follows a March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe. Mark’s legal team argued that the appellate court had ordered all parties to maintain the “status quo ante bellum”—the last uncontested state of affairs before the dispute began.

According to Usman, as of September 2, 2025, when the suit was instituted, Mark was the duly recognised National Chairman of the party, and the leadership structure in question was already in place.

He added that the plaintiff had resigned from his previous position and no longer held any role within the ADC at the time, insisting that INEC’s actions disrupted an already established leadership order.

The court is expected to determine whether to grant the interim reliefs while the substantive case continues.

 

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