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Public affairs analyst, Mahdi Shehu, has strongly criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for resigning from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a post on his official X handle on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Shehu described Atiku’s exit as a betrayal of the party he helped build and a victory for his political enemies.

In a letter dated Monday. July 14, 2025, and addressed to the chairman of the PDP, Jada 1 Ward, Jada local government area (LGA) of Adamawa state, Alhaji Atiku stated that his resignation is due to irreconcilable differences that have emerged within the former ruling party.


The 78-year-old noted that he found it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the party has taken, which, according to him, diverges from the foundational principles it stood for.

Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s vice president between 1999 and 2007, expressed gratitude to the PDP for the platform it provided him to serve and twice contest the presidency—in 2019 and 2023.

He was also a presidential aspirant on the platform of the party in 2007 before decamping to the Action Congress (AC), a forerunner of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

His exit marks another major turning point in his long and eventful political career, which has seen him criss-cross party lines in pursuit of electoral goals.

Atiku has sought Nigeria’s top job six times since 1993 under different political banners, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the PDP, the AC, and the APC .

The perennial presidential contender tendered his resignation in the build-up to the 2027 general election as he teams up with a coalition platform, the Alliance Democratic Congress (ADC).


Reacting to Atiku's exit from the PDP, Shehu said, 'by resigning to join the league of his several sworn foes, detractors and enemies, means Atiku is yet to learn political survival instincts.'

According to him, "I would rather remain within than just fizzle away to an uncertain destination."
Among other alleged implications, Shehu said by abandoning the PDP 'because of rats (sic) infestation', Atiku has "shown that he is not a good fighter willing to fight to finish."


Mahdi Shehu's post, shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, can be read in full below:

1. There is a great lesson for people to learn from:
Whoever contributed in building a house over decades, furnished it, decorated it, repainted it severally, and periodically, felt very much at home, fought to keep the said house from collapse, driving pride from being part of that house, etc, but suddenly abandoned, deserted and run away of the house because of "RATS INFESTATIONS.

By resigning from PDP, Atiku would have given Olusegun Obasanjo a happy moment to celebrate the triumph of his evil plan and mechanisation against both PDP and Atiku in particular
By abandoning PDP because of 'RATS INFESTATION', Atiku has shown that he is not a good fighter willing to fight to finish, willing to stop midway, willingly, to deploy all means available to prove a point.

By resigning from PDP, Atiku has sent shivers and shocks to other PDP members who were hitherto seeing him as a pillar to lean on.

By resigning to join the league of his several sworn foes, detractors, and enemies, means Atiku is yet to learn the political survival instincts that prohibit one from" joining the well-known enemies club" even where one will be seen as a leader, because the same enemies will regroup and inflict deeper injury.

I would rather remain within than just fizzle away to an uncertain destination.

[quote]'HE WHO FIGHTS AND RUNS AWAY. MAYBLIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY, BUT HE WHO IS IN BATTLE SLAIN, MAY NEVER RISE TO FIGHT AGAIN'

zero8zero:
That's the slogan for 2027 - Southern Solidarity.

God bless President Tinubu, God bless Nigeria.

The Technical Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Print Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli, has appealed to political stakeholders to support the defection of Senator Douye Diri, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Hon. Ikuli, the convener of Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders, a group comprising indigenes and non-indigenes resident in the state, made the appeal during a world press conference in Yenagoa, on Tuesday.

According to Ikuli, there is urgent need for Bayelsa to join the APC, the party in power, because most of the characters left in the PDP are people who conspired to deny Bayelsa State and indeed the entire Ijaw Nation, a second term at the Presidency in 2015.

Explaining further, he said there are concluded arrangements to hide under the excuse of crisis and countless court cases in PDP at different levels to work to nullify the nomination of all candidates that will emerge under the party platform.

Bayelsa State, he said, is presently standing alone as the only PDP state in the whole of South South, noting that the the greatest challenge is the hijack of the PDP by few individuals who have set up traps for Bayelsa citizens in 2027, particularly those who intend to fly the flag of the PDP.

He assured Bayelsa citizens that in the next few days, the concerned Bayelsa stakeholders will begin a daily Rally on the streets of Yenagoa to prevail on the governor to consider his defection to the APC, stressing that his move is non-negotiable and Sacrosanct.

Parts of his address read: “our fathers, High Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye and Chief (Sen.) Dr Melford Obiene Okilo admonished the Ijaw Nation to always align with the government at the centre largely due to our distance from the centre and our difficult terrain in order to attract development to our area.

“For instance, our adherence to their advice and our alignment with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that was the government at the centre helped Bayelsa State and the Ijaw Nation to produce the Vice President and later, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of this country in the person of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Sadly, today Bayelsans and Ijaws in general are not among first 40 Nigerians from the Offices of the President, Vice President and Services Chiefs. Ijaws have been relegated and rendered politically and economically redundant and impotent because we are not with the government at the centre.

“Ironically, Ijaws who are the majority in terms of population in the geographic Niger Delta area (South South) and the fourth largest tribe in the country, Ijaw Nation that contribute well over 65% of the oil and gas wealth that are used to run the affairs of the country have been rendered powerless because of our non-alignment with the ruling party.

“Again, there is a power sharing and rotation system between the North and South. The North having done their complete eight years under late President Muhammadu Buhari is supposed to support the South to complete her own eight years under incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is working round the clock to strengthen the South.

“The President has graciously appointed illustrious sons and daughters of Ijaw Nation and Bayelsa State in particular into key offices.

“We appreciate his appointment of Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Chief Samuel Ogbuku as MD of NDDC, Chief Ebitimi Amgbare as MD of NDDBA and Hon. Preye Aganaba as the Executive Director of Human Resources of South South Development Commission (SSDC).

“We also thank President Tinubu for approving Federal Government take over of the Second Phase of the Nembe-Brass Road that will help to link the Ocean where the vast wealth of Bayelsa State is.

“It is based on the above that we unanimously appeal to the Governor to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to show Southern Solidarity with other Southern Governors who are with Mr. President.

“But as we move forward, one of the greatest priorities in the alliance with the centre should be the actualization of the Agge Seaport that will help to boost the state economy and also bring about unimaginable transformation and prosperity.”

He urged that rather than dump the coalition, the Labour Party chieftain, who has a history of moving from one party to another, should rather embrace the opportunity to mentor new leaders and build long-term political structures.

“With a history of multiple party changes—from APGA to PDP to Labour—and now potentially another exit, Nigerians may begin to see Mr. Obi not as a visionary reformer, but as yet another self-interested politician.

Reno Omokri, former presidential aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and a Northern Youth, known as Sarki on X, have lambasted Peter Obi of the Labour Party for not attending late president Muhammadu Buhari’s burial in Daura, Katsina State, on Tuesday.

Omokri and Sarki made their feelings known in separate statements on X on Tuesday.

This comes as ex-president Buhari was given a statewide burial on Tuesday with the presence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ex-vice presidents Atiku Abubakar and Yemi Osinbajo, and
other top dignitaries.

However, Obi Peter was visibly absent during Buhari’s funeral on Tuesday.

Reacting, Reno Omokri questioned Obi’s absence.
According to him, Obi’s absence at the late Buhari’s burial showed his disposition towards the region.

He further accused Peter Obi of being a pretender.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in Daura from beginning to end, showing his personal devotion to General Muhammadu Buhari and his commitment to the North. Arewa, remember who was not there!

“On October 19, 2024, during General Gowon’s 90th birthday, Peter Obi called him ‘an enemy’ to be forgiven.” His exact words. And today, when General Buhari, the successor to Ahmadu Bello, was being buried, Peter Obi was nowhere to be found.

“Meanwhile, last week, he said Nnamdi Kanu’s trial ‘makes no sense.'” Again, these are his exact words. This is the same Nnamdi Kanu who says the vilest things about Arewa and lied that General Buhari died in 2017 and was replaced by a clone from Sudan named Jubril.

“Arewa, isn’t the handwriting on the wall clear?
“In 2027, Nigeria needs a truly Nigerian president in Aso Rock, not a pretender whose true allegiance lies elsewhere,” he wrote on his X.

On his part, Sarki said Obi’s absence at Buhari’s burial may affect his acceptance in Northern Nigeria in the 2027 presidential election.

“Peter Obi didn’t attend President Muhammadu Buhari’s burial. This is the same man who expects northerners to hand over Nigeria to him.
“Let’s see how he plans to become president without our votes,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, DAILY POST reports that Omokri and Sarki have been critics of Peter Obi.

Earlier, activist lawyer Maduabuchi Idam questioned why President Tinubu declared a public holiday on Tuesday in honour of Buhari.

Calling on Obi not to turn Auchi Polytechnic into his political playground, NAPS claimed that his alleged frequent manipulation of statistics, silence over errors, and refusal to retract falsehoods raise serious questions about his moral compass.

The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has cast aspersions on the Presidential candidate of the opposition Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 poll, Mr. Peter Obi, over the claim that students of the Auchi Polytechnic were recently killed in the institution of higher learning.

NAPS President, Comrade Eshiofune Paul Oghayan, at a press conference held in Abuja on Monday, insisted that there is no iota of truth in Obi’s claim made on his Facebook and X handle account.

“Let the truth echo across every town and campus in Nigeria: No student died. Few students sustained minor injuries from teargas exposure, but no hospitalisation was recorded,” he noted.

“And most importantly, no life was lost. We challenge Mr. Peter Obi and his sympathisers to present the names, faces, and families of the alleged victims. If none can be found, then it is a deliberate fabrication, weaponised for political clout.


“Mr. Peter Obi’s failure to verify—a man who constantly urges Nigerians to verify—is not just hypocrisy, it is a philosophical betrayal. It is the commodification of grief, the manipulation of emotion, and the exploitation of students to attack the government of the day.”

Calling on Obi not to turn Auchi Polytechnic into his political playground, NAPS claimed that his alleged frequent manipulation of statistics, silence over errors, and refusal to retract falsehoods raise serious questions about his moral compass.

NAPS demanded a public apology from Obi to the entire Nigerian student community and specifically to Auchi Polytechnic, published on the front page of at least four national dailies within 72 hours.

NAPS threatened that failure to do so will be met with massive peaceful student protests, picketing across his known business and political offices and a global media campaign against misinformation in high places.

NAPS thereby demanded a full investigation into the CSO’s role and conduct, an audit of all security collaborations at Auchi Polytechnic, disciplinary measures against negligent officers and justice for injured students during the recently held election into the students’ union government (SUG) of the institution.

Putindbutt:
Don't be mischievous, Omatseye wrote the article, not the Nation editorial. What do you guys really gain from mischief?. Tufia!

Cc; seun nlfpmod Dominique Mynd44 - correct the headline.

In a resurfaced video, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi detailed a critical moment during a All Progressives Congress (APC) convention, emphasizing Bola Tinubu's pivotal role in securing the party's historic electoral success. Amaechi's account, shared and reacted to by President Tinubu’s aide Bayo Onanuga on X on July 12, 2025 highlights the intense political dynamics and personal stakes involved.

“One day, Asiwaju (President Tinubu) got angry with me. He was very angry. I went to his house with El-Rufai and knelt down before him and said, Please don't do this. If we lose, I'm finished. I told him he'll be leading the history of the first civilian coup,”

Amaechi recounted, underscoring the high tension within the party. He further noted,

“When we had issues with holding the convention, I asked my leader (Tinubu) to lead us to the convention. He turned to me and said to me, Let's go, and truly, by 8 pm, the convention started.”

This narrative is said to align with historical accounts of Tinubu's influence, challenging narratives that downplay his contribution. Amaechi's recollection emphasizes Tinubu's strategic maneuvering, which was crucial for the APC's unity and campaign success.

The video's resurgence comes amidst ongoing political discussions, with Onanuga commenting,

“The internet never forgets. People may have short memory, but the internet records everything."

APC chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, has dismissed claims made by Ohaneze Ndigbo chairman in Lagos state that Igbos were not allowed to vote in the local government elections that held in Lagos state on Saturday July 12.

The President of the socio-cultural group in Lagos State, Dr Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, in a chat with newsmen on Saturday, stated that Igbos living in Lagos State are allegedly being disenfranchised and excluded from voting in the local government elections.

Aguene said;
“Do you know that the Igbo that are resident in Lagos state are denied the opportunity to vote? This is not just happening in this election; it occurs during every cycle of election. Igbo residents in the state are not given the opportunity to contest for local Government Chairmanship and councillorship positions. Despite our contribution to the economic and political growth of the state, we are being treated unfairly. There are one or two Igbo persons as Vice Chairmen of Local Governments.

It is therefore safe to conclude that we don’t have democracy in Nigeria, because democracy promotes equity, justice and fairness. What we have is opportunists grabbing power and ruling. There is voter apathy in Lagos and Nigeria because Nigerians are tired of voting for opportunist.

Igbos are the ones investing heavily in Lagos. They are supposed to be given the opportunity to hold some positions in the state. Governance in Nigeria is just for the few as many Nigerians are really suffering. The working class including journalists and security officers whose profession are essential cannot even work and shelter for their families. The situation in Nigeria is terrible.”

Reacting to his statement, Igbokwe said it is totally false and misleading. According to him, he didn’t witnessed such at the polling unit where he voted.

bolaayenimo:
She calls herself a journalist but a confirmed APC member. Very bias nuisance

National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Ajibola Bashiru says the Osun State chapter of the party will back President Bola Tinubu’s preferred candidate for the Osun governorship election.

There are speculations that Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has Tinubu’s backing for the gubernatorial election.

DAILY POST reports that some aggrieved members of the APC in Osun State had argued that Tinubu’s open show of support for the incumbent governor could jeopardise the chances of the party’s candidate in the governorship election.

However, speaking on Wednesday during an interactive session with the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ajibola said Tinubu’s decision is final.

He said, “Whatever President Tinubu says on issues of Osun stands. We can afford to follow the President blindfoldedly.

“He takes decisions from the position of wisdom and the position of what will advance the larger interest of the progressives.”

Ajibola lauded the present administration, stating that Nigerians, particularly members of the ruling party, have confidence in President Tinubu’s policies.