Senator Francis Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District, has officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing persistent internal crisis and unresolved legal disputes within the party.
In a resignation letter dated June 12, and addressed to the PDP Chairman in Ward 4, Obokun Local Government Area, the lawmaker said he could no longer continue in the party due to “irreparable and irreconcilable differences” that worsened after the 2023 general elections.
“I wish to formally notify you that I am resigning my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect, due to the irreparable, irreconcilable differences and protracted legal battles that have bedevilled the party at the national level after the 2023 general elections,” Fadahunsi stated in the letter made public in Osogbo on Saturday.
He added that the decision came after consultations with his political associates, family, and friends, urging the party leadership to accept his resignation in good faith.
When contacted, the senator’s legislative aide, Mr. Femi Fadipe, confirmed the resignation and said Senator Fadahunsi had made efforts to keep the party together but without success.
“He did his best to keep the party going, but there was no headway,” Fadipe said, noting that the senator and his supporters will announce their next political move soon.
Fadahunsi’s exit adds to the growing list of high-profile defections plaguing the PDP amid internal divisions and leadership wrangling following its loss in the last general elections.
Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, made his first official appearance as a lawyer on Friday, stepping into a new chapter of his public life — this time in the courtroom.
Clad in the traditional wig and gown of the legal profession, Melaye appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite at Court 8 of the Federal High Court in Abuja, marking his legal debut since being called to the Nigerian Bar.
“Senator Dino Melaye at the Federal High Court Abuja today. Appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite of Court 8,” he wrote on his verified Facebook page, celebrating the moment.
Melaye was among over 5,000 new lawyers called to the Bar in Abuja earlier this month, following the completion of his law degree at Baze University.
A prominent figure in Nigerian politics, Melaye previously served as a member of the House of Representatives and as senator for Kogi West in the 8th National Assembly. A vocal chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Melaye was known for his fiery speeches, activism, and larger-than-life persona, which even extended to appearances on reality TV.
His transition from politics to law signals a fresh phase in his public service journey, with many watchers curious about how he will shape his legal career.
The courtroom appearance has since gone viral, with reactions pouring in across social media, congratulating Melaye for his latest achievement and career shift.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has downplayed the political significance of Atiku Abubakar’s resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing it as a desperate move that will not impact the party’s stronghold or national dominance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reacting to Atiku’s resignation on Wednesday, APC’s Lagos State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Seye Oladejo, said the former Vice President’s reported alignment with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will not change the political landscape.
“Atiku’s actions reflect ambition without principle, not driven by ideology but by relentless personal pursuit,” Oladejo said in a statement issued in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Atiku officially resigned from the PDP on Wednesday, citing deep-seated divisions and the party’s inability to function as a credible opposition. His resignation comes after repeated signs of dissatisfaction with the PDP’s post-election direction.
Although Atiku has not formally joined ADC, political observers say his coalition has adopted the party as a potential platform for the 2027 elections — a move interpreted as preparation for another presidential bid.
Oladejo, however, dismissed the development as another episode in what he called Atiku’s “recycled political playbook.”
“This exit only confirms PDP’s internal collapse and Atiku’s ongoing pattern of inconsistency,” he stated.
The APC spokesman emphasized that the ruling party remains the most viable political force in the country, citing achievements in governance, infrastructure, and economic reforms.
“Whether PDP, ADC or another, Nigerians are politically discerning and will not be swayed by political theatrics,” he added.
“The APC stands as the only party delivering real governance, economic gains, and purposeful leadership.”
Oladejo urged APC loyalists in Lagos and across Nigeria to remain focused, united, and active at the grassroots level, assuring them that the party’s performance record and people-oriented development agenda will secure victory in 2027.
He further argued that political instability often trails Atiku, and his repeated defection history should raise concerns about his leadership consistency.
“Nigerians deserve visionary leadership, not theatrical comebacks. APC is prepared to lead and win,” Oladejo concluded.
This latest development follows reports that some opposition figures — including ex-members of PDP and the Labour Party — are rallying around the ADC in anticipation of a broader coalition for the next general election.
For continuous updates on Nigerian politics and 2027 election developments, stay with News Access NG.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has expressed gratitude to residents for their overwhelming support in the recently concluded local government elections, where the party recorded a sweeping victory.
Speaking during the presentation of Certificates of Return to elected candidates on Wednesday, the Lagos APC Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, attributed the party’s triumph to its commitment and hard work.
According to the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), the APC clinched all 57 chairmanship seats and secured 375 out of 376 councillorship positions contested across the state during the Saturday poll.
Ojelabi, while addressing reporters during the event, thanked Lagosians for their trust in the party, pledging that the APC would not take their support for granted.
“We thank the people of Lagos for believing in our party and giving us this victory,” he said. “We worked hard for it and appreciate God for granting us strength and the wide acceptance shown by the people of Lagos State.”
The APC chairman further assured that the newly elected council officials would be held accountable and expected to deliver on their mandates.
“We have put structures in place to monitor their performance, ensuring they contribute meaningfully to the development of their respective councils and the state at large,” he added.
Ojelabi also commended LASIEC for conducting what he described as a smooth and credible electoral exercise. He said the success of the election reflected the will of the people and marked another milestone in the state’s democratic journey.
The event witnessed the official presentation of Certificates of Return to the 57 chairmen-elect and 376 councillors-elect, solidifying the APC’s dominant position in Lagos local politics.
Stay with News Access NG for continued updates on local governance and political developments in Lagos State.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a blistering attack on members of the newly formed opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), dismissing the group as lacking credibility or the capacity to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking during a media chat with journalists on Thursday, Wike described the coalition as a “desperate fallback” for political figures who failed to gain control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“There is no coalition,” he declared. “The opposition has decimated itself. The only party that can, if properly organised, challenge this government is the PDP.”
He accused former Senate President David Mark of trying to hijack the PDP leadership before defecting to become interim chairman of the ADC-led coalition.
“David Mark wanted to be chairman of the PDP, and we said no,” Wike said. “When they demanded that the chairmanship return to the North Central, we resisted. Now he has gone to lead a coalition. Let’s see who Nigerians will believe.”
Wike also criticised Ovation publisher Dele Momodu, calling him politically irrelevant.
“Dele Momodu was never my friend. He claimed he ran for president—he didn’t get a single vote—and now he’s in this coalition.”
Known for his blunt rhetoric, Wike accused many coalition members of chronic political opportunism, singling out former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for repeatedly switching parties to pursue power.
“Atiku was in the PDP, left for the AC, returned to the PDP, then joined the APC, came back to the PDP—and now he’s with the ADC,” Wike said. “Every time, he jumps ship. They’re just looking for where they can be in charge.”
He questioned their credibility, arguing that their criticisms of government were simply bitterness over personal losses.
“They keep saying Nigerians are angry. Say the truth: you were defeated here. Don’t project your frustration onto the public.”
Wike challenged coalition figures to measure their records against his own achievements in public office.
“If I leave as minister today, I can confidently say, ‘This is what I accomplished.’ Let any of them show what they’ve done.”
He also suggested that former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s involvement in the coalition was driven by disappointment over being sidelined.
“If El-Rufai… if the president hadn’t dumped him, would he be part of any coalition?”
As the 2027 elections draw nearer, Wike insisted that despite internal challenges, the PDP remains the only organised opposition party capable of defeating the APC—provided it stays united.
“Politics is about interests,” he concluded. “Those people tried everything to seize the PDP’s leadership, and we stood firm and said no.”
The Presidency has dismissed the adoption of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by the opposition coalition saying they cannot repeat the events that clinched victory for the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 2015 General Elections.
Special Adviser, Media and Public Communication to President Bola Tinubu, Sunday Dare on Thursday wrote on X that the new coalition, unlike the 2013 APC merger driven by selflessness and national interest, is as an opportunistic alliance led by a politically isolated figure with personal ambition, lacking both a unifying leader and a compelling cause.
He further described the chief promoter of the coalition as a serial election loser, clutching at what he sees as his last shot at the presidency
Dare said, “The promoters of the new coalition like to draw parallels with what the APC achieved in 2013. But let’s be clear: this is not 2013—and this is not the APC.
“In 2013, the merger that birthed the APC was driven by selflessness, national interest, and strategic discipline. The leaders at the time were willing to set aside personal ambitions for the greater good. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite commanding the loyalty of several sitting governors, chose to wait. He bided his time, played the long game, and focused on building a viable political platform. He had never lost an election, and he didn’t have to force his way in.
“Now contrast that with today’s coalition. The chief promoter is a serial election loser, clutching at what he clearly sees as his last shot at the presidency. Unlike Tinubu, he enters the coalition alone—without the backing of his state governor, his region, or any meaningful political structure. His ambition is personal, not patriotic. So also that of his many co-travelers.
“In 2013, the APC had a rallying figure in Muhammadu Buhari—a man seen as a symbol of integrity, and a national unifier with cult-like grassroots appeal. Today, no one in this coalition commands that kind of loyalty or trust. Not one of them could genuinely unite a ward, let alone a country. No one comes close to parading the democratic credentials of President Bola Tinubu.
“Most importantly, the APC coalition emerged to address real grievances: the constitutional denial of power to a region that had been unfairly sidelined and to end the 16 years of ruinous governance by the PDP. It was a coalition grounded in justice and balance.
“This new coalition? It’s purely opportunistic. The presidency already rests with the region rightfully due. And that’s where it will be till 2031. Heads up for Nigerians about ADC – There is no injustice to redress—only avarice ambition to satisfy,” he wrote.
The spokesperson for the opposition coalition, Bolaji Abdullahi, has explained why the group adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Abdullahi said the decision was based on the ADC’s openness to reform and alignment with the coalition’s shared ideals.
“When we began this process, we set clear parameters for the kind of party we were looking for,” he said. “Those who came from the APC rejected it, arguing that the party’s founding principles had been betrayed. PDP members felt their party, once a political giant, had lost its way. Labour Party members were also disillusioned. So, we agreed on common principles for moving forward.”
He stressed that any party the coalition embraced had to be willing to restructure itself around their vision.
“Unfortunately, hardly any existing party has that discipline and structure—nothing like the parties of the First and Second Republics,” Abdullahi noted.
Why coalition chose ADC – Spokesperson
While acknowledging the ADC is not a perfect fit, he described it as a unique opportunity for change.
“We found a party amenable to the kind of reform we envisioned. If you say it’s soft like clay because it can be moulded into a pot, then yes—that’s why we adopted it.”
Responding to criticism that political veterans are dominating the coalition, Abdullahi said:
“This is nobody’s coalition. David Mark will serve as interim national chairman—not as a front for Atiku. It is a coalition of people. He was chosen because everyone has confidence in him. We’ve tried the party-of-big-men model before—it failed.”
On governance, Abdullahi criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda has become hopeless. Nigeria is sliding into a one-party state where no opposition can survive.”
He also dismissed critics of the coalition.
“This coalition has been in the works for over 18 months. Suddenly, people are crawling out of dark corners, accusing us of taking over. Where were they all this time?”
One of the critics, Dumebi Kachikwu, the ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, appeared on the same programme. He described coalition members as “enemies of Nigeria” determined to drag the country backward.
“They are enemies of progress. Nigerians can no longer be fooled. That hall was full of ‘former’ this and ‘former’ that—former Vice President, former governors, former ministers. These are the same people who have ruled Nigeria for decades. Where has it led us? Eighty percent of the population is poor. Now they pretend to be the fire brigade trying to put out the fire they started,” Kachikwu said.
He also accused the coalition of illegally hijacking the party.
“They came in through the back door. I oppose viruses and bacteria entering my party. Those who destroyed Nigeria cannot fix it.”
According to Kachikwu, Ralph Nwosu, who handed over the party leadership, had no authority to do so.
“His tenure expired two years ago. There has been no convention to ratify any extension. The ADC constitution is clear: you must have been a member for at least two years to hold office. This interim leadership is fraudulent.”
Kachikwu said he and other members plan to petition the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for clarification.
The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given Peter Obi a 48-hour ultimatum to leave the party after he joined the coalition.
Obi was among the frontline politicians who joined the coalition adopting the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday, using their platform to contest the 2027 poll with the sole objective of unseating President Bola Tinubu.
However, the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in a statement in Abuja, on Thursday, explained that the Labour Party under Abure’s leadership remains vehemently opposed to joining the coalition while dismissing members of the coalition as “power mongers whose only interest was self and not the people.”
The party warned Nigerians that the often mouthed ‘new Nigeria is Possible’ is a ruse and cannot be achieved with the assemblage of old, recycled, desperate and frustrated politicians in the coalition.
Ifoh said the party is aware that all those who mismanaged Nigeria over the years are the ones that gathered themselves in the coalition while noting that desperate politicians can’t birth new Nigeria.
He said, “We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party. We’re also aware that a number of them has refused to defect with him.
“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition and therefore, any of our members who is part of the coalition is given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party.
“Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona. The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one Party and another leg elsewhere.
“People that in the morning, they will claim to be in the Labour Party and in the evening they are in coalition.
“Nearly 70 percent of Nigerian population are youths who are tired of the old order, tired of gerontocrats deciding their fate. The new Nigeria that the youths are dreaming of, is not what can be realized from what we are seeing in the coalition.
“These people are opportunistic politicians who are only interested in relaunching themselves into circle of power, people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.
“The new Nigeria of our dream can only be realized through Labour Party and the party is willing to lead Nigerians along that trajectory.
“I therefore urge all members of the party to remain loyal and keep the party structure intact ahead of future elections.”
The Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, says arrangements have been concluded for the launch of a book on the administration of the former president.
Shehu told newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja that the book, which he authored, was titled: “According to the President: Lessons from a presidential spokesman’s experience.”
The book, according to him, seeks to provide a reading material to students of communication, journalism practitioners and researchers on the lessons learned in his many years of presidential communications.
Shehu also said that the book, which chronicled the administration of the former president, was written to inspire students aspiring to have career in journalism and public relations.
“The book is not a personal biography but a guide written to inspire students who aspire to have a career in journalism and public relations.
“It is also an authoritative account of what President Buhari did with his eight years in office,” he said.
Shehu further stated that the book tried to build on what Mr Femi Adesina, a former Special Adviser to the President on Media Publicity and several others had written.
He added that the book was to authoritatively document the achievements and some of the historic decisions of the Buhari administration in eight years.
“It brings President Buhari up close: How did he govern? What did he eat? And the clothes he wore for some occasions,” he said.
Shehu added that the book was analytical and informative in its approach, saying it was packed with personal anecdotes.
He explained that the book shared experiences of a cross spectrum of reporters and editors in dealing with the author in his work as presidential spokesman.
According to him, it is not possible in a 260-page book to explain the significant works, policies and programmes undertaken by the administration in its eight years.
He, however, said that it was not in doubt that Buhari brought the country to a new pinnacle in the efforts to lay the foundation for a self-reliant Nigeria.
“These included bringing a culture of personal integrity and setting new benchmarks in transparency with the institution of the Treasury Single Account, Tax Identification Number (TIN), BVN, IPPS, Whistle Blower; the usage of NIN number and the various other transparency-enhancing schemes,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has sworn in eight newly appointed Permanent Secretaries.
He urged them to embrace the THEMES Plus developmental agenda with vigour.
The governor gave the charge during the swearing-in ceremony held on Thursday at the Banquet Hall, Lagos House, Ikeja.
Sanwo-Olu described the new appointees as drivers of innovation, tasked with formulating policies to improve the lives of Lagos residents.
“In Lagos, we consistently promote excellence, professionalism, and a best-in-class approach in all areas of governance.
“You are policy drivers, bridging political leadership and the people. You must innovate and remain committed to the ideals of good governance.
“As you take office, embrace the development agenda with renewed energy, working towards sustainable progress and prosperity for all Lagosians,” Sanwo-Olu advised.
He reiterated that Lagos State prioritises excellence to ensure the best hands tackle social and economic challenges facing the state.
“With your elevation comes greater responsibility and expectation. You are entrusted with public service and must lead by example at all times.
“We expect nothing less than excellence, which has earned you this position through your hard work and dedication,” the governor said.
Sanwo-Olu emphasised that governance is a collective effort, urging collaboration with colleagues and citizens for effective service delivery.
“Engage with feedback, respond constructively to criticism, and always prioritise the public good over personal interests,” he stated.
The Head of Service, Mr Bode Agoro, said the appointments aim to revitalise civil service structures for the benefit of Lagos residents.
In a vote of assurance, Mrs Aderinsola Olanrewaju thanked the governor, pledging that all appointees will work towards actualising the THEMES Plus agenda.
The new Permanent Secretaries include Mrs Abiola Idowu, Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, and Mrs Olarewaju Adebanjo, Citizens Mediation Bureau.
Others are Mr Olarenwaju Bajulaye, Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism; Mr Also Mahmood, Ministry of Finance; Mr Wasiu Agbabiaka, Civil Service Commission.
Also sworn in were Mr Gbolahan Oki, Urban Development, Ministry of Physical Planning, and others assigned to various portfolios.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that with this batch, Sanwo-Olu has sworn in 111 permanent secretaries — the highest in the state’s history.
