- Party, Okechukwu reply ADC, Tambuwal over comments
- Ruling party alleges ADC’s harassment of members in Alimosho
The Lagos State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and a former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON Osita Okechukwu, have said there is no national consensus to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Aminu Tambuwal, a former Sokoto State governor, had spoken on a national television programme on Friday of a plan to unseat President Tinubu in 2027.
The Sokoto South senator described the move as a national consensus and not a northern conspiracy.
But the APC and Okechukwu, a chieftain of the party, faulted Tambuwal’s claim.
In a statement yesterday, the Lagos State APC spokesman, Mr. Seye Oladejo, said: “What is emerging is a national consensus to support good governance – and when the time comes in 2027, Nigerians will not hesitate to reaffirm their trust in a leader who delivers.”
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The statement said APC was amused to hear Tambuwal, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“This is yet another failed attempt to rewrite the obvious truth: Nigerians overwhelmingly rejected the opposition in 2023 and continue to support a government that is focused on performance, not propaganda.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not imposed – he was elected by Nigerians from every region, faith, and background. And unlike the noise-makers in the opposition, he has hit the ground running.
Also, Okechukwu said the only national consensus in the country is the rotation of the presidency from the North to the South, a convention that guarantees a second term for President Tinubu in 2027.
In a statement yesterday in Abuja, he said: “The only subsisting national consensus is the rotation of the President from North to South and vice versa.
“The truism is that the majority of Nigerians both partisan and non-partisan, adopted the national consensus that the Presidency should rotate from the south to the north and vice versa. This is the subsisting convention instituted in 1999 by patriots, a golden milestone of the fourth Republic for equity, justice, and fairness.”
Also, the APC has condemned the conduct of ADC members at a rally held on Saturday in Alimosho, Lagos State.
During the rally, a former Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, announced his defection to the ADC.
APC alleged that the event, rather than being a peaceful political gathering, turned to harassment of residents and its supporters by suspected ADC thugs.
APC’s Southwest Organising Secretary, Lateef Ibirogba, described the incident as “unfortunate and reckless,” stressing that Lagos had always been known for peaceful political activities and should not be turned into a theatre of violence.
“What happened in Alimosho yesterday (Saturday) is unacceptable. Political rallies should never be a platform for thuggery and harassment. Lagos has enjoyed relative peace, and no individual or group should be allowed to disrupt that with unruly behaviour,” Ibirogba said.
He queried Rhodes-Vivour’s choice of Alimosho as the venue for his defection.
“Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour does not live in Alimosho, nor does he vote here. One wonders why he will come all the way to announce his defection in this community, only to cause disruption. This shows his intentions were not noble,” Ibirogba said.
He added that the APC in Alimosho remained a peaceful and law-abiding party, but warned that its members would not tolerate outsiders coming to the community to cause mayhem under the guise of a political gathering.
“Our democracy thrives on freedom of choice and robust debate, not on intimidation or violence. We call on the police and other security agencies to ensure such ugly incidents do not repeat themselves in Lagos or anywhere in the Southwest,” he said.
He reassured APC supporters in Alimosho and across Lagos that the party remained committed to grassroots development and would not be distracted by what he described as “desperate political stunts”.