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PDP Crisis: Wike to Ayu, Arrogance, Ingratitude Can’t Take You Anywhere

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Nyesom Wike
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike
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Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has blasted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyorchia Ayu, for showing “ingratitude” and “arrogance” after he was assisted to get the seat of the national chairmanship of the party.

“These children you said we are, brought you from nothing,” the governor said during the commissioning of Omerelu Internal roads in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

Wike challenged Ayu to show himself as a man of honour and integrity by fulfilling his promise that he would vacate the chairmanship seat if the northern region produces the presidential candidate of the party.

The party’s strongman said, “Somebody said those of you who said the right thing must be done are boys, they are children. You can imagine what power can do. You can imagine how ingratitude, how people can be ingrates.

“I thought as a chairman of a party who wants to win the election, your business is to bring peace to the party; your business is not to divide your party, your business is not to show arrogance.

“Dr Ayu said we are children. Yes, the children brought you to be chairman of the party, the children brought you from the gutter to make you chairman.

“Ayu, you were impeached as Senate President, Ayu you were sacked by (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo in his administration two times. Arrogance cannot take you anywhere.”

He also said the N14bn  PDP realised from the sale of forms of primaries last May must be judiciously used.

His comment is the latest in the calls for Ayu to quit the party’s chairmanship after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar (from Adamawa State) emerged as the presidential candidate of the PDP in May.

Ayu, who hails from Benue State in northern Nigeria, had last October said he would vacate the chairmanship seat but on Wednesday said he won’t resign.

Earlier, the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Walid Jibrin, and a northerner from Nasarawa State agreed that it is unfair for the party to have its presidential candidate and national chairman from the same region.

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 APC Chair Downplays PDP, LP, ADC Strength

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APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda
APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda
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The new Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, on Thursday, downplayed the relevance and strength of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

“There is no opposition for now,” he said dismissively on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme shortly after he emerged as the ruling party’s chairman on Thursday in Abuja which was  monitored by Newsblast.

“Zero fears,” he said of the opposition coalition champion on the ADC platform. The new APC chair also boasted that his party would win the next presidential election.

“Why is it that all the by-elections in the last two years were all won by the APC and in landslide victories, in most cases?” he quipped.

The former humanitarian affairs minister said the APC has no fears about the opposition parties, saying that they’ve all failed in off-season governorship polls post-2023 general elections in Edo, Ondo, Kogi and Imo states. The APC won the four governorship elections.

He said he would invest in legwork to bring more governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition parties to join the APC.

“My job is to unite the party, (and) to expand the party. We have 23 governors and we are still counting. My job is to bring in more. We would do legwork and bring in more,” he said.

So far in 2025, two governors dumped the PDP for the APC — Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and his Delta State counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori. At the moment, the APC controls 23 states, the PDP rules 10 states, whilst the Labour Party (LP), the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) control one state each.

 

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Tinubu To APC Governors: Nigerians Are Not Happy, Focus On Grassroots

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APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting
APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting
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President Bola Tinubu has charged the governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to focus more on grassroots engagement to meet the expectations of Nigerians.

Tinubu made the called at the APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, July 24, 2025.

The president emphasised the need for increased community engagement and greater responsiveness to citizens’ concerns.

He said: “Nigerians are still complaining at the grassroots.

“To you, the governors, you must wet the grass more and deliver progressive change to Nigerians. May God bless our democracy and grant us more fertile lands.

“To those working with me to achieve food sovereignty for our country, we will continue to work hard for you, Nigerians, and to listen to everyone to achieve the national goals.”

Tinubu reiterated the APC’s inclusive posture and affirmed that the party remains open to new members and fresh ideas.

He described the opposition as “a coalition of confusion” and urged progressive-minded Nigerians to join the APC and participate in its developmental agenda.

“Our doors are still open, and we should wholeheartedly embrace those who join us,” Tinubu stated.

Also speaking to the governors, Tinubu urged them to work collectively to leave behind a lasting legacy, including building a party secretariat in Abuja.

Tinubu added: “We should leave a legacy of development. The governors are here – 23 of them – to help identify a land, along with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

“We should establish a committee of progressive governors to identify suitable land and construct the secretariat.”

Tinubu acknowledged economic challenges but affirmed that progress has been made under his administration.

He cited the record N14.9 trillion in revenue collected by the Federal Inland Revenue Service in the first six months of the year, a 43 per cent increase from the amount collected in 2024.

“It is not easy to navigate the stormy waters of economic instability. Now, the economy is stabilised – there is no fear for the country except for continued upward movement and sustained growth. I can assure you,” he stated.

Regarding security, the President noted that significant efforts have been made to restore safety across Nigeria.

“Thousands of terrorists and bandits have been neutralised. You can see that fear is decreasing. However, we must remain vigilant and take the matter seriously. We must invest more in our people, be accommodating, and remain committed to ensuring national security.”

The president welcomed new entrants into the APC, including Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, and other key political figures.

The meeting observed a minute silence in honour of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

At the president’s request, the meeting also observed a minute of silence in honour of Aminu Dantata and Oba Sikiru Adetona (the Awujale of Ijebuland), who both passed away recently.

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Nentawe Yilwatda Elected APC National Chairman

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APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda
APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda
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The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwatda, has been elected as the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

His nomination was put forward by the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma, and seconded by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen.

The motion was adopted through a voice vote by NEC members during their meeting held in Abuja on Thursday.

Yilwatda’s emergence comes as the APC works to strengthen its grip on power at the federal level and consolidate its presence in states where recent defections have bolstered its ranks.

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