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PDP Zones 2027 Presidential Slot to South As North Retains Chairmanship
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned its presidential slot to the southern part of the country.
The party also insisted that the chairmanship position would be retained by a northerner.
The decision was reached at the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.
The NEC also affirmed Umar Damagum as its National Chairman.
Damagum emerged as acting national chairman in March 2023 after the suspension of a former national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, a decision later upheld by a court.
Before his appointment, Damagum was the PDP National Deputy Chairman (North).
The issue of zoning of the presidential ticket of the party has been a contentious issue in the nation’s political landscape.
Currently, the presidency is occupied by a southerner and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, who was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Tinubu’s party, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has unanimously adopted him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
A crisis rocked the party when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, emerged as the PDP candidate in the 2023 presidential election after the party threw its ticket open to.
Displeased by the decision, a former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, pledged his support for Tinubu in the election.
While the PDP has yet to adopt its flag-bearer for the next election cycle, Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and PDP chieftain, in May, 2025, warned that zoning the 2027 presidential ticket of the PDP to the North would fail.
He explained that it would not be smart for the opposition party to zone its presidential ticket to the North in 2027 if the ruling APC’s presidential candidate would come from the South.
“As a party, come out openly now (and say) our presidential candidate will also come from the South? You don’t want to do that; you want to play the same game you played in 2023. It will backfire, and when it backfires, you will say these people did this, these people did that.
“I have told people: this smartness will not help you. Come out now and let everybody know this is where we are heading. This is not the time to send the presidency to the North. No,” he said at a media parley in Abuja on May 12.
Speaking further on the issue, Wike added: “The point is that selfishness can kill a system. If Mr President runs, for example, and wins in 2027, by 2031, the APC will zone their presidential ticket to the North. The PDP will do what then?
“Then you’ll come back and say, since the APC has zoned it to the North, let’s keep it in the North. What kind of smartness is that?”
The management of Dangote Refinery has terminated the employment of all its Nigerian workers.
The statement to this effect was shared on X, Wednesday, by a political commentator, Imran Wakili.
“Dangote Refinery has officially laid off all of its Nigerian workers under the guise of “reorganization”, less than 24 hours after 90% of them joined PENGASSAN,” he wrote.
Wakili said the development comes less than 24 hours after 90 percent of them joined the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN.
According to a memo dated September 25, 2025, and signed by the Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management, Femi Adekunle, Wakili posted on X, the company said the decision was taken as part of a “total re-organisation” of the plant following reported cases of sabotage in different units of the refinery.
The notice directed affected staff to surrender all company property in their possession to their line managers and obtain exit clearance.
The finance department was also instructed to compute benefits and entitlements for payment in line with terms of employment.
The refinery’s management thanked the dismissed workers for their services while in its employment.
DAILY POST reports that Dangote refinery and PENGASSN have been embroiled in a trade dispute over unionization issue.
DailyPost
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been asked to investigate the financial activities of the former Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd.).
Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, through a public interest law firm, has petitioned the ICPC Chairman, stating that Rivers State received at least N283.3 billion under Ibas’ watch between March 18 and September 17, 2025, excluding Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
According to figures cited from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the amount comprised N36.6 billion in local government allocations for January and February 2025, previously withheld, and N246.7 billion in state and local government allocations between March and June 2025.
“Despite these massive inflows, there is little to no evidence of projects or tangible development carried out by his administration,” the petition alleged.
The group claimed the only visible project was the “cosmetic renovation and painting” of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex.
The law firm further accused Ibas of failing to publish the mandatory budget performance reports for Q2 2025, in violation of transparency laws.
It also faulted comments attributed to his media aide, Hector Igbikiowubu, suggesting that the former administrator was not accountable to the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“Equally troubling are recent statements credited to him, dismissing the authority of the Rivers State House of Assembly to probe his financial conduct. He insists that because he was appointed by the President and supervised by the National Assembly, he was only answerable to them,” the petition read.
The firm urged the ICPC to probe how the ₦283.3bn was applied, determine if misappropriation occurred, and hold Ibas accountable if wrongdoing is established.
“It is in light of the foregoing that we respectfully demand that the ICPC probe the financial expenditure of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd.), ascertain how the total amount of N283.3bn was applied, and investigate whether any acts of misappropriation, diversion, or abuse of office occurred during this period,” the petition stated.
Ibas, a retired naval chief and former Chief of Naval Staff (2015–2021), was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025 as Sole Administrator of Rivers State after the declaration of a state of emergency.
His six-month appointment sparked controversy over its constitutionality and the concentration of executive powers in an unelected administrator. He handed over on September 17, 2025, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers House of Assembly were reinstated.
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday, disclosed that her 65th birthday anniversary fund-raising drive has so far yielded N20,456,188,924.93, with donations still trickling in.
Speaking at an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, Mrs. Tinubu said the donations would go toward completing the long-abandoned National Library project, a cause she described as deeply personal.
“This is not the first or second time I have raised money for a worthy cause,” she noted, recalling that at her 45th birthday, she raised N50 million for the completion of the National Sickle Cell Foundation Centre, and at 50, mobilized N200 million for the New Era Foundation and other charities.
She dismissed speculations of political undertones behind the project, insisting that her focus was on nation-building and giving back.
Citing inspirations from writers like Khalil Gibran and former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, the First Lady said: “It doesn’t take much to do good. Most of the work I’ve ever done is not something new; I just make it look big, and at the end of the day, it turns big.”
Mrs. Tinubu traced the history of the National Library project, initiated in 1981, approved in 2006 with a budget of N8.2 billion, and later reviewed to over N23 billion.
She emphasised that with collective will, Nigerians can deliver the 11-story structure within two years.
“I have played my part. The Oluremi@65 Fund will close in December. Nigerians can still donate until then. But to the glory of God, we already have over N20.4 billion and it is still growing,” she declared.
The First Lady expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and his wife Nana, former First Ladies, National Assembly leaders, state governors, captains of industry, including Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Dr. Jim Ovia, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), as well as royal fathers, among others, for their goodwill and support.
She pledged that the names of all donors would be published in national dailies as a mark of respect and accountability.
