Informant Online

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has stated that he may not be alive to contest the upcoming poll.

He alleged that the government is actively frustrating his activities and targeting key opposition figures.

Obi made these startling disclosures during a recent interview on With Chude, which was shared on X by media personality Chude Jideonwo on Wednesday.

When he was asked about the possibility of him failing to emerge as a candidate in 2027, Obi stated, “Not even a candidate. I might not even be alive. I’m telling you”.

The former Anambra State governor clarified that he was not making direct accusations against anyone but was simply describing his daily experiences of continuous obstruction.

When questioned on whether the government was launching a personal attack against him, he explained that the alleged unfair treatment extended to various members of the opposition.

To illustrate his point, Obi cited a specific incident at an airport where he claimed officials deliberately locked his car, even though other vehicles were parked in the very same area.

He further alleged that certain individuals now completely avoid associating with him in public out of fear of being targeted by authorities.

In addition, the former Labour Party presidential candidate claimed that some of his supporters went as far as discouraging him from attending family events for safety reasons.

Obi did not provide concrete evidence to support these allegations during the viral interview, and the Federal Government had yet to respond to the claims at the time of compiling this report.

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The Presidency has officially debunked a viral video that recently surfaced online, which appeared to show President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) reciting the old Nigerian national anthem.

Contrary to claims that the event was recent, the Presidency clarified that the footage is from a 2023/2024 FEC meeting and does not represent current proceedings.

The video had sparked significant online criticism, with many Nigerians questioning why the President and his ministers would recite the discontinued anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots,” instead of the officially reintroduced version, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” which became the country’s anthem on May 29, 2024.

Reacting to the circulation of the clip, the President’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, highlighted specific details within the footage that confirm it predates the official change.

“This video has Dr Iziaq Salako as the Hon Minister for State on Environment at the 0:22 minutes. He was later reassigned to the Ministry of Health in October 2024,” Olusegun explained.

He further noted that the video features the “HM, Ministry of Niger Delta, a ministry that was dissolved in October 2024.”

Concluding his statement, Olusegun dismissed the notion that the meeting was recent by stating, “The new national anthem became official on May 29th, 2024. Verdict: This video was from a 2023/2024 FEC meeting.”

He also expressed frustration regarding the source of the misinformation, stating, “We are unlucky to have these lots as the source of journalism in Nigeria when they keep working hard everyday to make a mess of the noble profession.”

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has explained why it arrested Bello Abubakar, the personal physician to former Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson, Okor Odey, the commission said the doctor was taken into custody for allegedly making false statements after el-Rufai’s hospital visit, during which the ICPC claimed the conditions of a court-approved medical consultation were violated.

According to the commission, it approved el-Rufai’s request for medical attention and facilitated the visit under appropriate security arrangements.

Odey said the former governor was taken to the private wing of the National Hospital, Abuja, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, for a medical consultation.

He stated that officers from the commission’s medical and security teams acted professionally throughout the visit and respected el-Rufai’s privacy.

The spokesperson explained that, at the request of the former governor’s family, the officers remained outside the consultation room while the attending oncologist was said to be examining him.

However, the commission alleged that the hospital visit was used for activities beyond the purpose approved by the court.

According to Odey, at about 2 p.m., Isa Ashiru Kudan, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Kaduna State, posted photographs on Facebook announcing that he and others had concluded a meeting with el-Rufai.

The ICPC said the photographs showed Professor Bello Abubakar, Isa Kudan and three other individuals with the former governor at a time he was expected to be undergoing medical consultation.

“The images and post by Isa Kudan indicated that the arranged medical visit was utilised for activities outside the scope contemplated by the court and the ICPC. This is a clear violation of the court order,” the statement said.

The commission further alleged that the professional courtesies extended to el-Rufai had been repeatedly abused.

It said Professor Bello Abubakar was arrested for allegedly making false statements and had been taken into custody for further investigation.

The development comes days after the Kaduna High Court dismissed el-Rufai’s application for bail in the ongoing trial over a nine-count charge filed against him by the ICPC. Justice Darius Khobo, who presided over the case, rejected the former governor’s third bail application.

The judge ruled that the medical report relied upon by el-Rufai could not support the reliefs he sought because it had been disowned by the National Hospital, Abuja, the institution purported to have issued it.

The court, however, directed the ICPC to grant el-Rufai unrestricted access to his personal physicians and allow them to take him to any specialised diagnostic or clinical facility of his choice within Nigeria during the course of the trial.

The arraignment of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man accused of creating and operating the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), has faced repeated delays since police filed charges in November 2025.

These setbacks stem from a series of adjournments requested by the defence, court scheduling conflicts, and claims of poor health, according to a report by PREMIUM TIMES.

Official court documents and police records indicate that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit arrested Adeyemi on 27 October 2025.

He remained in detention for 23 days before receiving administrative bail on 19 November 2025.

“He got ill in police custody and was having an enlarged liver,” a police source noted regarding the medical grounds for his release. Following this, the police formally filed charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja on 27 November 2025.

While President Bola Tinubu recently ordered the ICPC to investigate the broader scandal within 30 days, this directive is not expected to halt the ongoing court proceedings.

The trial’s timeline has been significantly impacted by procedural delays:

• 3 February: The case was first set for arraignment before Justice Mohammed Umar. The defence requested more time, claiming they had only just been served with the charges, despite prosecution protests that service occurred two weeks earlier. The court adjourned until 11 February.

• 11 February: The court did not sit as Justice Umar was away at a judicial workshop. A new date was scheduled for 14 April.

• 14 April: Adeyemi was absent. His lawyer submitted a letter claiming the defendant was unwell. The court deferred the case to 16 June.

• 16 June: Although Adeyemi was present, his counsel requested another adjournment, citing their own illness as a reason they were unable to proceed. The court granted the request, rescheduling for 14 July.

The origins of the case date back to 17 October 2025, when the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, petitioned the IGP and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), accusing Adeyemi of ‘forgery and impersonation’.

Following a police investigation that led to the execution of search warrants at Adeyemi’s office in the federal secretariat and his residence in Suleja, Niger State, authorities uncovered a web of activities.

Investigators reportedly recovered numerous correspondences between Adeyemi and various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), and traced 34 bank accounts linked to him.

These include nine accounts allegedly opened in the name of “purported government agencies known as FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership FIPA-APP and FCT Investment Promotion Act.”

A political ally of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Dr. Aslam Aliyu, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a sharp critique of her former associates, Aliyu dismissed the proposed opposition coalition as a “hoax.”

Announcing her decision in a statement issued in Abuja, Aliyu declared her full support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

She explained that her departure followed years of political engagement with the opposition, which she claimed had failed to present a credible development agenda for the nation.

“After almost two decades of dedicated engagement, it has become undeniably clear that the opposition lacks a meaningful development blueprint or a viable and sustainable national rescue plan,” she said.

Aliyu further contended that the opposition coalition suffers from a fundamental lack of internal trust.

She argued that the ADC possesses no concrete strategy for governance, alleging that their primary focus remains criticising the federal government rather than offering practical, alternative solutions for Nigeria.

“Nigeria is tired of political actors merely ‘shooting films and snapping pictures’ of opposition whilst harbouring no genuine goodwill for the nation,” she said.

Looking ahead to the next general election, Aliyu urged her supporters to join the APC, expressing absolute confidence in President Tinubu’s electoral prospects.

“There is no vacancy in Aso Rock Villa as President Tinubu will emerge winner of the presidential election come 2027 by the Grace of Almighty Allah,” she said.

The 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State, Mallam Sa’idu Umar, has officially defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Umar, who is widely regarded as a key political ally of former Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, made the move during a formal meeting with the APC leader in Sokoto State, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, at his residence in Asokoro, Abuja.

The defection was confirmed in a statement released by Bashar Abubakar, the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Senator Wamakko.

Regarding his decision to abandon the opposition, Umar stated that he was drawn to the leadership quality demonstrated by Senator Wamakko and the ongoing performance of Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s administration.

He noted that the state government’s significant investments in key sectors—including infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, and rural development—convinced him that the APC provides the most viable platform for the future development of Sokoto.

Welcoming the former governorship candidate into the party, Senator Wamakko hailed the defection as a major boost for the APC.

He remarked that the shift in allegiance reflects a “growing confidence in the party’s leadership and governance.”

Furthermore, Wamakko assured Umar and his followers that they would receive equal treatment, emphasizing that the APC “remains open to individuals committed to promoting peace, unity and development in Sokoto State.”

Sa’idu Umar brings significant political experience to the ruling party. He previously served as the Commissioner for Finance and later as the Secretary to the Sokoto State Government during the administration of former Governor Tambuwal, eventually emerging as the PDP’s flag bearer in the 2023 gubernatorial race.

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” (PFIPC) and all related matters.

The President ordered that the investigation be concluded and a detailed report submitted to him within 30 days.

The directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to Onanuga, the order followed the discovery of the “fictitious” PFIPC, which he said was “never established by the Federal Government and has no basis in any law, presidential instrument, executive approval, or any other lawful act of government.”

“One Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew presented himself as the Director-General of the so-called PFIPC and falsely claimed to be a presidential appointee,” Onanuga stated.

The investigation will focus on several critical areas:

• The forged appointment letters and other official government documents.

• The use of a false claim of presidential appointment to seek or obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation.

• The opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using allegedly forged documents.

The statement added that President Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate not only the activities of the principal suspect and other collaborators but also the broader circumstances that may have enabled a fictitious body and a false claim of presidential appointment to “gain an appearance of official legitimacy.”

The President also instructed the commission to identify weaknesses in government and institutional procedures that may have been exploited and to recommend immediate measures to prevent a recurrence.

All ministries, departments, and agencies of the Federal Government have been instructed to provide the ICPC, upon lawful request, with all relevant information, records, and assistance required for the timely completion of the investigation.

President Tinubu stressed that the “integrity of the Presidency and federal institutions must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity, and the exploitation of weaknesses within the public service.”

He further directed that all persons found culpable be “dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.”

The controversy revolves around Adeniyi Adeyemi, who maintains that he was lawfully appointed Director-General of the PFIPC, despite the Presidency’s insistence that the council does not exist.

Adeyemi had accused the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, of receiving ₦400 million through a proxy and subsequently demanding an additional ₦200 million to facilitate his appointment.

He also challenged the Presidency’s denial of the PFIPC’s existence, arguing that the council was referenced in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

The embattled claimant has called on President Bola Tinubu to constitute an independent investigative panel, stating that he is ready to defend his allegations in court.

However, the Presidency, through Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the claims and described Adeyemi as an impostor.

The Presidency alleged that Adeyemi “forged appointment documents, impersonated a government official, fraudulently opened a Central Bank of Nigeria account, and operated under a non-existent government agency.”

The Presidency further stated that police investigations resulted in an eight-count criminal charge being filed against Adeyemi and two others, with the case scheduled for hearing on July 27.

Meanwhile, Femi Gbajabiamila has threatened a ₦10 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi over allegations of murder and bribery.

A moment of confusion emerged during a recent Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his cabinet ministers were captured on camera reciting the national anthem that was officially retired in 2024.

During the opening ceremony, the audio played was that of the former anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots,” prompting the President and his cabinet to sing along to the discontinued lyrics.

This incident has sparked significant public discussion, primarily because the administration itself signed the legislation restoring “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” as the official national anthem just last year.

By reverting to the melody and lyrics of “Arise, O Compatriots”—which served Nigeria for decades—the event has raised questions regarding protocol and internal awareness of the new national standards.

The reintroduced anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” has been the legally mandated version since the 2024 transition.

As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official clarification from the presidency regarding why the incorrect anthem was played or why it was adopted by the council members in attendance.

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The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has defended the party’s decision to substitute certain candidates following its primaries.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Morka asserted that no aspirant who failed to participate in the primary process was declared a winner, countering allegations that the party had arbitrarily replaced candidates.

Morka revealed that the party received over 720 petitions from aggrieved aspirants after the primaries. According to the APC scribe, these petitions underwent a rigorous review by appeal committees and a final evaluation by the National Working Committee (NWC).

“We received over 720 petitions from those who contested in that election. These petitions were reviewed by the appeal committees. Recommendations were made to the National Working Committee. But the National Working Committee of our party, in its wisdom, also took responsibility to review the reports of the appeal committees and to re-evaluate those cases. And at the end of them, we made those changes that you are discussing. So these are legitimate outcomes of our primaries,” he said.

Addressing claims that the party violated the Electoral Act through these substitutions, Morka argued that the primary election process inherently includes dispute resolution.

“Primary election is a process. It’s not an event. The appeal process is an integral part of the primary election process. It’s not a separate process, and it’s not a process invented by the party to cause mischief,” he explained.

Morka categorically denied allegations that tickets were awarded to individuals who did not purchase nomination forms or participate in the screening and voting phases.

“I’m not aware of any such case that you are alluding to about those who didn’t participate, who never bought forms, who were not screened, who didn’t participate in primaries, all of a sudden handed tickets. Look, I’m not aware. If you have any such example, please mention it, and I will go back and do my own investigation,” he stated.

While acknowledging that some aspirants remained dissatisfied, Morka maintained that the party’s internal mechanisms were designed to ensure transparency.

He emphasized that the review process was not arbitrary or driven by personal interests, noting that the party has begun engaging aggrieved members to reassure them of the integrity of the process.

“What we say to them is that everyone cannot be flag bearer. Our engagements are already on to reach individuals like this, to reassure them that this is not personal. Nothing has been done that is arbitrary. Nobody has just been favoured with tickets,” Morka added.

Regarding the party’s outlook on the upcoming general election, Morka dismissed suggestions of anxiety within the APC.

“All the elections conducted in this country since the 2023 general elections, we have won them, including the most recent elections we won massively, bigly, to use the words of Donald Trump. We are working hard to win the next election, like we’ve won in all the by-elections. The idea that we’re afraid, that is utterly ridiculous. We are working hard to win the next election,” he concluded.

Former Borno State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Ali Modu Sheriff, has dismissed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s chances in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that it is not the North’s turn to produce Nigeria’s next president.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Sheriff stated that the North would not support Atiku’s presidential bid because it is the turn of the South.

According to him, Nigeria’s political leaders reached an understanding after the civil war to ensure regional balance in the country’s leadership.

“After the civil war our leaders have said that there will no longer be this situation in Nigeria, there is a regional agreement. For Atiku, it’s not our time now. He is on his own because it is the turn for the South. Buhari just finished 8 years,” Sheriff said.

He further suggested that while Atiku is qualified, he should postpone his ambitions. “If Atiku wants to be president he can wait, he is a leader in Northern Nigeria, he is eminently qualified but it is not our time now, he has to wait till 2031. That is the time for the North, for now, it is time for the South.”

Sheriff expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would secure re-election in 2027, though he noted that the APC would not take anything for granted and would work hard ahead of the polls.

Former Borno State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Ali Modu Sheriff, has dismissed Peter Obi’s chances in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the former Anambra State governor will not secure the support of Northern voters.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Sheriff said he was not concerned about Obi’s presidential ambition, despite the former Labour Party candidate’s strong performance in the 2023 election.

Obi, who polled more than six million votes to finish third in the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party, is seeking the presidency again in 2027 under the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

However, Sheriff maintained that Obi would not succeed because, according to him, the North would not vote for him.

“I am not worried about Peter Obi at all because I know that Northerners will never vote for Peter Obi,” Sheriff said.

When reminded that Obi won substantial votes in states such as Nasarawa and Plateau during the 2023 election,

Sheriff dismissed the comparison, arguing that circumstances had changed. “The situation is different now, you know why? Peter Obi when he was a governor chased all the Northerners out of Anambra State,” Sheriff alleged.

He added: “This is what Kano people are telling Kwankwaso now, that we always supported you and we will support you if you run for president but we will not support you to go with Peter Obi.”

Social commentator and institutional reforms advocate, Segun Awosanya, popularly known as Segalink, has said the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, lacks the qualities required to lead Nigeria, arguing that his politics is divisive and driven by what he described as an online “mob.”

Awosanya made the remarks during an interview on Vanguard’s Politics Hub, where he spoke on the state of the nation, the 2027 general election and Obi’s presidential ambition.

Describing the former Anambra State governor, Segalink said Obi had built his political appeal around public anger rather than national leadership.

“It is obvious to the blind and audible to the deaf, that somebody who is playing to the gallery, who postures as one thing and is actually another should be revealed for who they are,” he said.

“As far as I’m concerned, Peter Obi is just a leader of the mob, somebody who is surfing the wave of the angry people… to demonize people and blackmail people in order to gain attention to themselves, and then bully themselves into political power.”

Responding to a question on whether his criticism stemmed from his perceived disagreement with Obi’s supporters, Awosanya dismissed the suggestion, saying he had no personal conflict with the Obidient movement.

“There’s no friction between me and anybody. I don’t even recognize them as anything. I’m focused on what I’m doing,” he said.

He alleged that members of the Obidient movement attempted to hijack the #EndSARS protests for political purposes.

“If you look at the antecedent of the Obidient group, they were one of the cancerous nodes within the EndSARS advocacy… they wanted to use the movement for their own game. And when they failed, they demonised everybody within the system,” he claimed.

Awosanya also explained why he had previously spoken positively about Obi before becoming one of his critics.

“When I commended Peter Obi, I commended him because he was at the time speaking to issues that border on vulnerable individuals in the country,” he said, adding that his earlier comments were “not promotion” but an observation.

He, however, maintained that Obi was unfit for the presidency because of what he described as his divisive political record.

“When I eventually conclude that he cannot be president is because of his divisiveness… He brought Christians against Catholics when he was governor, and he did a lot of things that he’s preaching against today. Evidence are there,” Awosanya said.

He further argued that widespread narratives on social media should not be mistaken for facts, adding, “The fact that the lie is viral doesn’t make it the truth.”

The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has disowned the claim that the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

While responding to claims made by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the PFIPC, the Presidency had said misled OAGF and opened a CBN account.

“The Police found that Adeyemi, using the fake documents he created, fraudulently opened a CBN account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. According to the police, no government money has been transferred into the account,” Bayo Onanuga, Presidential spokesman, had said in a statement, which exonerated Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, of any wrongdoing in the saga.

But giving its own side of the issue, the OAGF said the council never completed the process required to operate a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account.

He said that made it impossible for any government allocation to be paid into its coffers.

Director of Public Relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, said an application to open the account was initiated after the council’s convener, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, presented “an appointment letter“ linked to an existing government agency.

He, however, said the process stalled because the names of authorised signatories were never submitted, preventing the account from becoming operational.

“The account has not seen the light of day. It has not received one kobo because it was never fully activated. The Accountant-General has not released any money because there is no operational account for such payment,” Mokwa said.

He added that while the council has a budgetary allocation, the existence of a provision in the Appropriation Act does not automatically translate into the release of funds.

The OAGF also dismissed claims that salaries had been paid to staff of the council.

Mokwa explained that federal agencies cannot recruit personnel or process salary payments without obtaining approvals from the Federal Character Commission, the Budget Office and the Federal Civil Service Commission before workers are enrolled on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

“If an agency is granted a waiver to recruit, it must still obtain approvals from the relevant agencies before presenting staff details to the Accountant-General. Without those approvals, not even one employee can be captured on the payroll,” he said.

According to him, none of the statutory conditions has been fulfilled by the PFIPC.

He insisted that the council has neither an operational CBN account nor an approved payroll through which government funds or salaries could have been disbursed.

The controversy surrounding PFIPC first came to public attention after the Presidency disowned the body, insisting that no such agency exists under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. It warned Nigerians against dealing with individuals claiming to represent it.

The Presidency subsequently said Adeyemi, who had presented himself as Director-General of the council, was standing trial on charges bordering on alleged forgery, impersonation and related offences.

According to the Presidency, the matter was uncovered in October 2025 after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) raised concerns that the purported council was carrying out functions similar to those of the commission.

The Office of the Chief of Staff to the President thereafter petitioned security agencies, alleging that appointment letters, official documents and other materials purportedly issued in the name of the Presidency had been forged.

Investigators were said to have recovered documents during searches conducted after Adeyemi’s arrest, while the government maintained that the PFIPC was never legally created.

The issue, however, took a fresh twist after the 2026 Appropriation Act listed the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council under the Presidency with a budgetary allocation of about N1.3 billion for personnel, overhead and capital expenditure.

The inclusion triggered widespread questions from opposition figures, legal experts and civil society groups, who argued that the budgetary provision appeared inconsistent with the Presidency’s insistence that the council was fictitious.

The development has since shifted public attention beyond the criminal allegations against Adeyemi to broader concerns over Nigeria’s budgeting and administrative processes.

Critics have questioned how a body the Presidency describes as non-existent could appear in the federal budget, while also demanding explanations over reports that the council operated from the Federal Secretariat and interacted with several government institutions before it was disowned.

Calls for an independent probe into the circumstances surrounding the controversy have continued to mount.