Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has appointed actor-turned-politician and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Kenneth Okonkwo, as his spokesperson.

This came weeks after the politician openly criticised the party’s choice of vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

Okonkwo disclosed the appointment in a statement posted on his official X handle on Thursday, where he expressed appreciation to Atiku for entrusting him with the role.

“I give God all the glory to be appointed by His Excellency Atiku Abubakar as his Spokesperson. I thank HE AA for the immense confidence reposed in me,” he wrote.

The former Labour Party, LP, presidential campaign spokesperson described the appointment as a reflection of Atiku’s inclusive leadership style, noting that the former vice president prefers dialogue and consensus-building rather than hostility toward associates who express differing opinions.

“Rather than pick offence against any of his associates for expressing genuine reservations of any action taken, HE AA always opts for dialogue and compromise that will engender solution to problems,” Okonkwo stated.

He revealed that discussions held with Atiku and other leaders of the ADC addressed concerns surrounding the political interests of the South-East despite what he described as limitations created by the Electoral Act, 2026.

“At a dialogue with HE AA and other well-meaning members of the African Democratic Congress, the interests of the South-East have been discussed and guaranteed within the existing challenges posed by the Electoral Act, 2026, and the realities on the ground,” he added.

Okonkwo also expressed gratitude to Kashim Imam, former ADC National Chairman Ralphs Nwosu, and Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties, Ekene Onwuka, for their contributions toward strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

“My sincere gratitude to my family, fans, and friends for their support and prayers, which God answered in covering my errors and colouring my efforts to pave way for this appointment. I still covet your prayers for wisdom, courage, provision, and protection needed to carry out this challenging post, which will usher in a glorious and great Nigeria,” he said.

The appointment comes shortly after Okonkwo publicly faulted the ADC’s selection of its vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

He had warned that reports suggesting the party was considering a candidate from the South-South region for the vice-presidential slot could deepen what he described as the continued marginalisation of the South-East in Nigeria’s political structure.

According to him, such a decision would further deny the South-East the opportunity of producing either the president or vice president, a situation he noted had persisted since 1999.

Imo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Austin Onyedebelu, has said that the party leadership in the State will fight like a wounded lion to ensure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is reelected come 2027 presidential election.

Onyedebelu made the assertion during a stakeholders’ meeting between the State Working Committee of the party and officials of the APC drawn from the 9 LGAs and 105 wards of Owerri Zone.

The meeting was attended by the LGA party Executives, Ward Executives, elected LGA Chairmen, Councillors, and other party officials.

Addressing the gathering, the State Chairman stressed that unity remained the greatest weapon for electoral success.

He maintained that party members and the leadership must work together in ensuring overwhelming victories for Mr president and other candidates of the party in the State.

The APC Chairman warned party officials that they would be held accountable for the party’s performance in their respective areas.

“If you lose our votes we are going to hold you responsible. Don’t tell us why you failed after the election.

“Tell us now what will make you fail so we can address it. If there is anything or any leader that will sabotage our efforts, you must tell us now for us to address it,” he said.

Onyedebelu urged party faithful to rely solely on genuine grassroots mobilization rather than shortcuts, insisting that only real votes would guarantee victory.

He added that there is no other way to win elections than to count on real votes, and that the only way to achieve it is to remain united.

The State party boss cautioned against anti-party activities, reminding members that those who work against their own party would ultimately have nothing to gain.

“If you support the opposition to win against your party, when they begin to share the proceeds of victory, they will first reward their own party members before remembering you,” he added.

The State Chairman also described the 2027 general elections as a defining moment for Owerri Zone in its aspiration to produce the next Governor of Imo State.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the State Secretary of the party, Onyekachi Ibezim, explained that the purpose of the meeting was to enable the State Working Committee to interact directly with party executives at the LGA and Ward levels ahead of the 2027 electoral contest.

He noted that the officers constitute the engine room of the party at the grassroots and would be held responsible for the success of the party in the forthcoming general elections.

Responding on behalf of Owerri Zone, the State Vice Chairman for Owerri Zone, Justus Ogu, assured the State Working Committee that the zone would not disappoint the party.

He assured that the Zone will deliver APC from President down to the State House of Assembly members.

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, has vowed to abolish the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, if he becomes the President of Nigeria.

Sowore said institutions of higher learning should decide admissions through a merit based system.

Posting on X, the activist politician also vowed to scrap the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC,

Sowore said he would establish a two-year, voluntary National Job Corps in place of NYSC.

He said: “When I become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: @JAMBHQ will be abolished.

“Admission into tertiary institutions should be determined by the institutions themselves under a transparent, merit-based system, not by another layer of bureaucracy.

“The National Youth Service Corps @nysc_ng, in its current form, will be scrapped. In its place, we will establish a two-year, voluntary National Job Corps that guarantees participants meaningful employment, practical skills, entrepreneurship support, and pathways into permanent careers.

“Nigeria’s young people do not need more compulsory schemes. They need opportunities, jobs, skills, and the freedom to choose their future.”

After spending about five months in captivity, terrorists have killed a Catholic catechist and five others abducted during the February 9, 2026, attack on Kutaho and Kugir communities in Aribi Ward of Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Despite months of ransom negotiations and payments by members of the affected communities, the abductees were not spared but were eventually killed.

A church source, who pleaded not to be named, said the development has thrown the communities into mourning and renewed concerns over the worsening security situation in Southern Kaduna.

According to the source, “The communities made frantic efforts to secure the release of the abductees through ransom payments and contributions from residents, many of whom reportedly sold personal belongings and farm produce in the hope of bringing their loved ones home alive.”

The source identified those killed as Friday Agama, Kunama Dogo, Monday Tanko, Lami Williams, a man identified simply as Pawpaw’s brother, and the Catholic catechist, who was reportedly subjected to severe torture before dying in captivity.

The source further explained that the victims were among the 32 residents kidnapped when heavily armed terrorists invaded the two communities in a midnight raid in February, firing sporadically before forcing villagers from their homes and marching them into the forest.

The source said many residents fled the communities for fear of further attacks, while families and religious leaders repeatedly appealed to the government and security agencies to intervene and curb the menace in the area.

According to the source, the kidnappers initially demanded N30 million and four motorcycles for the release of the captives. Despite months of negotiations and financial contributions by residents, the terrorists later demanded an additional N15 million before releasing the victims.

Residents said the prolonged captivity, repeated ransom demands and eventual killing of the six victims have devastated the affected communities and undermined their livelihoods. They appealed to security agencies to intensify rescue operations, strengthen security in vulnerable rural communities and ensure those responsible for the killings are arrested and prosecuted.

The Kaduna State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the killings as of the time this report was filed.

Electricity supply has been restored to parts of Lagos State that were thrown into darkness after severe flooding disrupted operations at a major transmission facility.

The spokesperson for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Ndidi Mbah, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday.

According to Mbah, TCN successfully restored its 60-megavolt-ampere (MVA) transformer, identified as TR1, at the Oworonshoki Transmission Substation after it was shut down by heavy flooding.

The restoration means the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) can now resume electricity distribution to customers in the affected areas.

“The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) hereby informs the public that the TR1 60MVA transformer at the Oworonshoki Transmission Substation, which was out of service due to heavy flooding at the station, has been successfully restored by TCN’s maintenance crew at exactly 07:53 hrs on 30th June 2026,” the statement read.

The development comes barely a day after flooding caused the 60MVA transformer at the Oworonshoki Transmission Substation to go out of service, leading to power outages across parts of Lagos State.

TCN had earlier declared a force majeure on the affected transmission facilities after continuous rainfall inundated the substation, disrupting electricity supply in several areas served by the network.

The Federal High Court judgment nullifying the legal recognition of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has sparked fresh political controversy with divergent opinions from political actors and stakeholders.

To the Kwankwasiyya Movement, the ruling was part of a deliberate plot by the administration of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST in Kano, the movement’s spokesperson, Habibu Saleh Mai Lemo, said the judgment did not come as a surprise, alleging that the ruling party had consistently deployed various tactics to undermine political opponents.

“We already knew that Tinubu and the APC will do anything in their power to suppress the opposition, so we were not shocked by this new development because they have used several tricks to wound other opposition parties before us. So this will not destroy or delay any of our plans ahead of the 2027 elections.”

Mai Lemo expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn the ruling, which he said was contrary to the rule of law.

“We have hope that the Court of Appeal will ensure justice is served because this ruling goes totally against the rule of law and we will not stand for it. This is not a fight for our political future alone; it is a struggle to ensure that the Tinubu administration does not succeed in destroying the opposition bloc and promoting a one-party system as it is clearly trying to do.”

He argued that the issue goes beyond the fortunes of the NDC and other opposition parties, warning that it poses a threat to Nigeria’s democratic principles.

“We must strive to protect democratic principles because this doesn’t just affect the members of the NDC or other opposition parties; it affects the fundamental rights of the average Nigerian by trying to take away our right to choose our leaders from a variety of choices as it should be in any functional democratic society.”

The controversy follows Friday’s ruling by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, where Justice Isah Dashen set aside the court’s December 10, 2025 judgment that had compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC as a political party.

In Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025, the court upheld an application filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), holding that it was a necessary party that ought to have been joined in the original suit. Justice Dashen ruled that the failure to include the PMP amounted to a denial of fair hearing, rendering the earlier judgment invalid.

The judge consequently ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the December 2025 judgment pending the fresh determination of the substantive case, noting that material facts were not brought before the court during the earlier proceedings.

DAILY POST reports that the latest development comes at a time Nigeria’s opposition parties are facing a wave of legal and internal challenges that could shape the outcome of the 2027 general elections.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to grapple with leadership disputes and litigation over its national leadership, while the Labour Party remains mired in a prolonged factional crisis that has divided its leadership and organisational structures.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC), which has recently emerged as a rallying platform for a coalition of prominent opposition figures seeking to challenge the APC in 2027, has also faced legal contests over its leadership and internal administration.

Political observers believe the succession of court cases, leadership tussles and internal wrangling across opposition parties could weaken their ability to mobilise supporters, conclude candidate selection processes and present a united front against the ruling APC.

Reacting to the ruling, NDC National Chairman, Sen. Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, maintained that the party had not been deregistered and announced that its legal team had been directed to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.

In a statement, Zuwoghe said the NDC was duly registered by INEC following the December 2025 judgment and has since conducted nationwide congresses and conventions, participated in INEC activities, fielded candidates in recent bye-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states, and concluded primaries for the 2027 general elections.

He also questioned the legal standing of the Peace Movement Party, arguing that it is not a registered political party and insisting that the Federal High Court had become functus officio after delivering its final judgment in the suit against INEC.

Speaking exclusively in an interview with DAILY POST, Kano-based legal practitioner, Barrister Zulkallani Sani Tsanyawa, said the Federal High Court’s decision does not mark the end of the legal battle, stressing that the ruling remains open to challenge.

“The implication of the unprecedented latest ruling regarding NDC is that the ruling can be challenged before the same court and also can be appealed to the Court of Appeal. Yes, the ruling can be challenged and may be set aside.”

Tsanyawa noted that Nigeria’s judicial system provides equal opportunities for both the ruling party and opposition parties to ventilate their grievances in court.

“Well, judiciary is for both ruling party and opposition parties. This can be seen and attested by the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal on deregistration of ADC and other four political parties.”

He, however, urged judges of both the state and federal High Courts to adhere to legal standards and principles in order to strengthen public confidence in the administration of justice.

“Both judicial officers and legal practitioners, both state and federal High Courts should adhere to the apex court to maintain the confidence of the general public in the judiciary.”

The NDC’s appeal is expected to determine the party’s legal status as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather pace, with the outcome likely to have significant implications for the ever evolving political landscape.

The OK Movement has said that the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, remains committed to delivering a new direction for Nigeria.

The Movement said this on Tuesday in a post on its verified X handle.

This came after the the meeting between the Vice-presidential candidate and the national leader of the party on Tuesday.

“With both our presidential and vice-presidential candidates duly uploaded, the NDC remains united, focused, and fully committed to delivering a new direction for Nigeria.

“The National Leader of the NDC, Seriake Dickson, today held a strategic meeting with our Vice Presidential Candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

“We are pleased to announce that Kwankwaso has been successfully uploaded to the INEC portal as the duly nominated Vice Presidential Candidate of the NDC for the 2027 Presidential Election.

“Nigeria Will Be OK,” the Movement wrote.

Director of the Abuja School of Social Thought and Politics, Sam Amadi, says the one year service of members of the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, should not be compulsory.

Amadi made the suggestion on Tuesday when he featured in an interview on News Central Television.

He was speaking on the recent NYSC reforms proposed by president Bola Tinubu.

“National service should not be compulsory. The NYSC has become a cheap labour for private sector. So, the argument here is that the proposed National Youth Service Corps reforms should go beyond structural changes.

“There should be a redesign of the scheme to prioritise literacy, skills development and innovation as part of Nigeria’s broader development agenda.

“You should make it a status that the corps members have a lot of advantages and it’s competitive.

“So, my worry is that this reform still keeps it like a kind of a loose platform that does not address any seriously thought out development agenda,” he said.