Nenadi Usman, national chair of the Labour Party (LP), says she was moved to tears when Alex Otti, governor of Abia, insisted she remained chair of the party after completing her tenure as caretaker chairperson.

On April 28, Usman was elected substantive national chairperson of LP at the party’s national convention in Umuahia, the capital of Abia.

Before the election, the former minister of finance had been leading LP in acting capacity since September 2024 when she was appointed chairperson of the party’s national caretaker committee.

Speaking on Friday in Abuja while hosting the leadership of the Nigeria League of Women Voters (Kaduna state chapter), Usman attributed her
emergence to Otti’s relentless support.

“When I was going to Umuahia for our last convention, I thought I would hand over to a man. I shed tears when Otti insisted that I should remain,” she said, according to a statement by Ken Asogwa, LP’s national publicity secretary.

“He is indeed a true advocate of women inclusion, especially as reflected in the appointments he has made in Abia State.”

Usman commended the governor, whom she described as a firm believer in the capacity, dependability, and integrity of women.

She added that the Abia governor’s performance remains visible evidence of what the party represents.

Usman thanked the women group for its commitment to the advancement of women’s political rights in Nigeria.

She urged the group not “to relent in the face of intimidation and the difficult operating environment”, adding that much still needs to be done in the struggle for gender inclusion.

“The Labour Party has remained true to its ideals by not only preaching inclusion but also practising it,” Usman said.

She noted that “the party produced the first female national chairman of a major political party in Nigeria and currently has women occupying the positions of national chairman, national organising secretary, and national legal adviser”.

Usman lamented the “shrinking opportunities” for women in governance and politics despite years of advocacy for inclusion.

She recalled that during her time in the seventh national assembly, there were eight female senators, whereas the current 10th senate has only three women — a decline she described as a major setback to the struggle
for gender representation.

She said women must take responsibility for changing the narrative, expressing concern over the tendency of female voters to favour male candidates during elections.

“Even when statistics show that women voters outnumber men during elections, women candidates are often sidelined by their fellow women at the polls. This trend must stop if we are to make any appreciable progress in our quest for greater women inclusion,” Usman said.

She assured the delegation that the party would never waver in its commitment to greater women inclusion in politics.

Responding, Rekiya Shonekan, who led the delegation, appealed to Usman to use her platform to lend stronger support to the group’s advocacy for the bill seeking special seats for women in parliament.

Shonekan said the LP chair’s continued support for women empowerment and broader advocacy will make Nigeria’s political space more inclusive for women.

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There is confusion within the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) following media reports that Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu state, has emerged as the new chairman of the body.

The reports claimed Mbah succeeded Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo state, after an extraordinary meeting of governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), held in Abuja on Thursday night.

Multiple sources said about 20 governors attended the closed-door meeting, including those from Ogun, Bayelsa, and Enugu states.

Governors said to have voted against Uzodimma include those.from Adamawa, Zamfara, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa, Niger, Kwara, Plateau, Enugu, Ogun, and Katsina states.

According to the sources, Uzodimma was backed by governors of Yobe, Lagos, Gombe, Kogi, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, Sokoto, Jigawa, Taraba, Ebonyi, Benue, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa and Kaduna states.

The development was said to have occurred hours after Uzodimma spoke on behalf of APC governors during the submission of President.Bola Tinubu’s presidential nomination and expression of interest forms in Abuja.

Sources familiar with the development also claimed that the PGF had split into two factions, with one bloc backing Mbah as chairman.

The sources said governors aligned with Uzodimma were holding a separate closed-door meeting.

However, in a statement issued on Thursday night, the PGF denied reports that Uzodimma had been removed as chairman of the forum.

“The attention of the Progressive Governors’ Forum has been drawn to a false and misleading report circulating in some media platforms alleging the removal of its Chairman, His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON,” the statement reads.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Progressive Governors Forum states categorically that the report is entirely false, baseless, and without an iota of truth.

“No meeting of the forum was held at which any such decision was taken. The PGF Secretariat has no record of, and is not aware of, any resolution removing the chairman.

“His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, remains the chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum.”

The statement signed by Folorunso Aluko, director-general of the forum, asked members of the public and party faithful to disregard the reports.

“The Forum remains united, focused, and committed to its responsibilities,” the statement added.

“The media are therefore advised to disregard the said report in its entirety.”

When contacted by TheCable, one of Mbah’s aides, who asked not to be named, said he was unaware of any development regarding the alleged
appointment.

“I heard the news in the media too. I don’t know anything about it. My principal is in Abuja, and I am in Enugu,” the aide said.

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that there is widespread support for Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to return in 2027.

Speaking during his monthly media parley on Wednesday in. Abuja, Wike suggested that Fubara can’t claim to enjoy unanimous backing from the public.

He explained that the political crisis in Rivers State had earlier been addressed through the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, particularly during impeachment proceedings initiated against Fubara.

According to Wike, the President advised all parties to embrace peace, leading to the withdrawal of the impeachment move by the State House of Assembly after agreements were reached.

Wike, however, alleged that the governor failed to fully adhere to the terms agreed during the arbitration process.

Reacting to claims that the people were urging Fubara to seek re-election in 2027, Wike rejected the assertion, insisting that such narratives were misleading.

Wike maintained that appearing before the President fo arbitration required respect for the outcome, noting that all parties were expected to uphold their commitments.

He said: “The President, intervened in the impeachment proceeding. I said withdraw, let their be peace. And the governor said, look, I’m ready for peace. Look, I’m no longer interested for this. I will not do.this. The Assembly went and withdrew the impeachment.

“Having withdrawn the impeachment, he is now too smart on what you agreed before the President. It’s like when you go on arbitration.”

Wike continued, “This one is what I don’t like. Nobody wants anybody. Please, don’t tell me that. Excuse me.

You can go and tell that to the market people or children. Two years that people say he should come out. Who told you that?

“Which politician will say that I was sleeping they came and woke me? Even if people people come to wake you, can’t you say, no, I won’t do it. I’m not prepared for it.

“That you appeared before a President of the country on arbitration, the two parties on arbitration, and these people respected Mr. President, and have done their own part.”

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Former President Goodluck Jonathan has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a lawyer seeking to bar him from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

Jonathan, through his counsel Chris Uche (SAN), filed a notice of preliminary objection, counter-affidavit, and written address on May 5, 2026, urging Justice Peter Lifu to throw out the case.

Uche told the court that the processes were filed urgently after the matter came to their attention via the media, given its significance regarding the former president’s eligibility.

The senior advocate described the suit as unfortunate, noting that a similar matter had already been decided by the Federal High Court and affirmed by the Court of Appeal.

Plaintiff’s counsel, Ndubuisi Ukpai, informed the court that the matter was for mention and that he had just been served. He requested additional time to respond.

Justice Lifu adjourned proceedings to May 11, 2026, for hearing of Jonathan’s objection and the substantive suit.

The judge also directed that hearing notices be served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), who were not represented in court.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, was filed by Abuja-based lawyer Johnmary Jideobi.

He is asking the court to declare Jonathan constitutionally ineligible to run again and to issue a perpetual injunction restraining him from presenting himself as a candidate to any political party.

Jideobi also seeks to bar INEC from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a nominated candidate.

Jonathan is listed as the first defendant, with INEC and the AGF as the second and third defendants, respectively.

The development comes amid growing speculation about Jonathan’s potential return to the presidential race in 2027.

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Funso Doherty, a former governorship candidate in Lagos State, has resigned his membership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

In a statement issued on Thursday, Doherty said he had hoped the ADC would serve as a vehicle for opposition unity, but that is no longer the case.

“We had hoped that ADC would be the vehicle that would unite the opposition. That is now clearly no longer the case,” the statement read.

Doherty said he made the decision “after due consultation, careful deliberation and prayerful reflection,” adding that he is convinced the NDC is the platform that will enable the delivery of good governance to all citizens.

He contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election under the ADC. He had earlier left the party for the PDP in 2024 before returning to the ADC following the PDP’s leadership crisis.

In April 2026, he declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election on the ADC platform.

The ADC is currently facing a leadership crisis between factions led by David Mark and Nafiu Bala.This latest defection follows the recent movement of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to the NDC.

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The Senate has passed the 2026 Statutory Appropriation Bill for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), approving a total expenditure of N2.285 trillion for the development and administration of the nation’s capital.

The passage was sequel to the presentation and consideration of the harmonised report of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on the FCT.

The report was presented by the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Austin Akobundu, Abia Central, on behalf of the Chairman, Senator Ibrahim Bomai, Yobe Central.

In his presentation, Senator Akobundu, who noted the committees recommended the sum of N2,285 trillion as the FCT statutory budget for 2026 from a projected revenue of N2.385 trillion, explained that the budget comprises N165.7 billion for personnel costs, N378.2 billion for overhead costs, while N1.741 trillion was earmarked for capital projects.

According to him, the budget structure showed that 76.19 per cent of the total allocation would go to capital expenditure, while recurrent expenditure accounted for 23.8 per cent.

Akobundu said the appropriation was in line with constitutional provisions and followed extensive engagements between the joint committees and officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

He said, “The committees met with the minister and other relevant officials of the FCTA and deliberated extensively on the subject matter.”

Senators who contributed during the debate described the budget as “top-notch” and “well-balanced”.

In his remarks, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, who noted that the budget was capable of accelerating infrastructure and security development in Abuja and satellite towns, said, “Mr President the budget is top notch. You know, I am the only one in the history of the legislature in this country that had the opportunity to serve as chairman appropriation committee in the House and in the Senate.

“So when I see a good budget, I know it’s a good budget. It is a budget that’s top-notch. We have to commend the FCT minister for doing a very very good job.

“A budget that you have a total of N2.2 trillion and out of this, N1.7 trillion is going for capital.

“It shows his willingness and determination to continue to show FCT to the admiration of all.”

In his remarks, Senator Abdul Ningi, Bauchi Central, said that the budget was well-packaged and well-balanced considering the observations made by the Senate Committee on FCT last year.

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Operatives of Special Area Rumudomaya police division attached to the Rivers State Police Command have arrested a man simply identified as Goodnews for allegedly defiling his neighbour’s 16-year-old daughter along Apu Road in Rukpokwu in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

A family friend of the victim’s parents, Chidi Obulor, told newsmen on Thursday in Port Harcourt that the incident occurred on Monday, May 4, 2026, when the suspect, who resides in the same compound as the teenager, under the guise of sending her on an errand, tricked the girl into his apartment and had carnal knowledge of her.

Obulor disclosed that “following a formal complaint by the parents of the girl, policemen from the Special Area Rumudomaya went to work and arrested the suspect. The girl was rushed to a hospital where medical examination was conducted on her and treatment is being administered.”

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident and the arrest of the suspect, saying investigation is ongoing.

Agabe stated, “I can confirm the arrest of the suspect by operatives of Special Area Rumudomaya, and investigation has also commenced.”

Meanwhile, a human rights group, the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, has criticised some persons under the umbrella of a particular organisation in the area for attempting to initiate a settlement in the matter.

National Coordinator of the Centre, Prince Wiro, in a voice note sent to our correspondent, stated, “Yes, the victim/parents are the nominal complainants in the matter, but the crime is not only against the victim but also against the state.

“Crimes of this nature are intentional, not a mistake, and when perpetrators escape facing justice by way of settlement, it emboldens others to commit the same crime.”

Wiro called on the police to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident, adding that if the suspect is found culpable, he should be made to face the law.

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President Bola Tinubu on Thursday submitted his presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Tinubu’s nomination forms were submitted at the APC National
Secretariat in Abuja by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima.

Recall that a member of the House of Representatives, James Faleke, picked up the forms on Tinubu’s behalf on Tuesday at the APC national secretariat.

This came after the payment of N100 million to the party.

The forms were presented to Faleke by the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, shortly after the commencement of sales for aspirants seeking the party’s presidential ticket.

The purchase of the forms signifies that Tinubu will be  for a second term in office in 2027.

Meanwhile, the ceremony for the submission of the forms is ongoing at the national secretariat of the party.

Speaking, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the submission indicates that Tinubu has done well enough to contest for a second term in 2027.

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The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has warned that 19 states across the country may experience flash flooding.

In an advisory issued on Thursday, NiMet said increased surface runoff and flash flooding could occur during heavy early rains due to dry and hardened soils that prevent water from properly soaking into the ground.

The agency listed the states likely to be affected as Zamfara, Nasarawa, Kwara, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Delta, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Edo, Ondo, and Bayelsa.

NiMet said the possible impacts include flooded roads, traffic disruption, damage to homes, farmlands and infrastructure, blocked drainage systems, power outages, telecommunication disruptions, and increased risks of injuries and water-borne diseases.

The agency advised residents to clear blocked drainages and stay updated with weather and flood alerts.

NiMet also cautioned motorists and pedestrians against driving or walking through flooded areas.

The agency asked relevant authorities and stakeholders to strengthen coordination, preparedness, and emergency response measures to
reduce flood-related risks.

“An informed community is a prepared community. Know the risks and act early,” the advisory reads.

The federal government had warned that 14,118 communities in 33 states and the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are at risk of severe flooding in 2026.

The states include Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna and Kano.

Others are Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara, and the FCT.

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