Osun State chapter of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, has affirmed Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde as its preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The party also intensified efforts to attract members and structures of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, into its fold ahead of future electoral contests.

The affirmation came as the party concluded its primary elections and announced candidates for National and State Assembly positions across federal and state constituencies in Osun State.

Chairman of the Primary Election Committee, Adewale Adebayo, said Makinde was affirmed across the 332 wards of the state.

Adebayo described the outcome of the primary exercise as a demonstration of unity, consensus and shared commitment among party members.

He said, “In every generation, political movements survive not only by competition, but by cohesion, discipline and collective purpose. Today, APM is sending that message clearly and boldly.”

According to him, “The affirmation of our candidates across all elective positions reflects the confidence of the party in credible leadership and our determination to move forward as one united political family.

“Sometimes, the strongest democracy is not in division, but in agreement built on trust, consultation and common vision.”

Announcing the presidential endorsement, Adebayo said, “After the successful conduct of our primaries, we have Today affirmed His Excellency, Seyi Makinde, the sole presidential aspirant of our great party, as the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement for the 2027 general election.”

He noted that the affirmation followed what he described as the peaceful and successful conduct of the exercise across all 332 wards in Osun State without rancour or disruption.

Adebayo disclosed that the party had activated reconciliation mechanisms aimed at engaging aggrieved members and encouraging them to remain committed to the party’s objectives ahead of the 2026 Osun governorship election and the 2027 general elections.

He also called on members and supporters of the PDP, as well as other Nigerians, to join the APM, describing it as a platform capable of strengthening opposition politics and advancing its political agenda ahead of future elections.

A good governance advocate, Isaac Fayose has expressed optimism that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, may lose the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ekiti State.

Fayose was reacting to a viral video that captured a mammoth crowd receiving the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede in Ado Ekiti on Friday.

Oluyede and his running mate, Hon. Deji Ogunsakin had stormed the Ekiti State capital to pay a strategic courtesy visit to the Muslim Society in the city.

In the viral video, the PDP candidate was seen accompanied by a very large number of supporters, who vowed to sack the incumbent governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the APC via the June 20 governorship election.

Reacting, Isaac Fayose, in a post on his Facebook page, said the ruling “APC is gone” in Ekiti State.

He, however, stated that “the only way for APC now is to rig”, stressing that except the outcome of the election is manipulated, Ekiti people would now have a breath of fresh air.

Isaac Fayose claimed that the end of all the former governors and other political leaders, who, according to him, sabotaged the growth of the state, has come.

“Thank you for coming out today to tell all the former governors in Ekiti State that their time is up. You all came out today to say enough is enough, bye bye to APC”, he added.

Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has said that the various states of the federation have benefited from the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu since May 29, 2023.

AbdulRazaq, who is also the governor of Kwara State, made this remark on Friday in Lagos when the NGF, led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, paid a Sallah homage at Tinubu’s Lagos residence.

He was speaking on President Tinubu’s bold decision to remove fuel subsidies since his inauguration in 2023.

According to him: “I remember we were in China when I got a call from the NSA and DSS DG to be informed that oil subsidy would be removed and there is no going back.

“We went into panic mode, and I sent a message to my colleague governors, and nobody wanted to hear that.

“I gathered my colleagues and decided to book an appointment with you to register our disagreement with the policy, but when the president invited us for dinner, we sat and listened to his vision for the country and at the end of his speech, we couldn’t even bring up the topic. We didn’t even know if he had gotten security reports about why we wanted to see him, but we couldn’t bring up the issue.

“We went back to our room and decided to implement it. So we agreed to call State executive council meetings because we were expecting serious riots due to the removal of fuel subsidies. There were already bad government riots, but lo and behold, there were no riots.

“I think the nation was shocked by the audacity of the president to implement that policy.

“Today, we benefit from that policy. In my own state, we have reduced our debt by 40%. Some states have also cleared their debts.”

Troops of the 1 Brigade, Combat Team 6, have rescued 31 kidnapped victims during a patrol operation along the Bagega–Kawaye road in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
This was contained in a post on Friday night shared on X by security analyst, Zagazola Makama who disclosed details of the operation.

According to the post, the rescue took place at about 6:33 a.m. on May 28 when the troops came across the victims while carrying out routine patrols in the area.

The victims were said to have spent several weeks in captivity after being abducted by suspected armed groups operating in forested parts of Zamfara State.

It was also gathered that the victims were able to escape following an airstrike carried out by a Nigerian Air Force helicopter gunship in the western part of the Bagega forest.

“The fleeing victims were later intercepted and secured by ground troops during follow-up operations in the area,” Makama added.

Security authorities say efforts are ongoing to ensure the rescued persons are reunited with their families after medical checks and necessary security procedures.

The military has continued to reassure residents of its commitment to sustained air and ground operations aimed at dismantling criminal groups and restoring peace in Zamfara and the wider North-West region.