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Kwankwasiyya, Atiku loyalists endorse Obi for 2027

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2026

L-R: Spokesman of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Habibu Muhammed; National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Yunusa Tanko and Leader of the Coalition of Atiku Support Groups Initiative, Obinna Okorie at the event on Friday...Photo Credit: Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis

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Loyalists of former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have thrown their weight behind former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 general election.

The endorsement was announced on Friday in Abuja during a coalition meeting attended by members of the Obidient Movement, Kwankwasiyya Movement and the Coalition of Atiku Support Groups Initiative.

Speaking at the gathering, spokesman of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Habibu Muhammed, said the movement resolved to align with Obi because of what he described as the former Anambra State governor’s proven leadership credentials and commitment to national development.

He said, “In 2027, there is going to be a political revolution where the common man will come out and determine his own fate. They will tell the nation who they believe to be leaders. And, of course, there are no other persons other than Peter Obi and Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.”

Muhammed described leadership as a matter of proven performance rather than experimentation, citing Kwankwaso’s achievements in education and governance as examples of the kind of leadership Nigerians should demand.

“Leadership is not about trial and error. No, it’s about track record. Kwankwaso lost his governorship election, did a comeback in 2011 and won again. I’m glad to tell you that he’s the only person to do that in Nigeria. From 2011 to 2015, he built another state university.

“I believe this is enough to tell you what he cares about and what his concerns are. Nothing builds society, people and a nation more than education. When you educate the youth, you educate the masses. You see progress and development. This is outside the PhDs that he sponsored,” he stated.

He added that the Kwankwasiyya Movement had accepted the need to support another region in the interest of national balance and unity.

“Everybody knows he contested for president. But now, we have agreed that there is a need to consider other parts of the country, which we all agree is fair. Again, when we look at regions, we also need to look at the track record.

“As earlier said, you don’t need trial and error leaders but people with character and a real track record.

“That is why, from the Kwankwasiyya Movement, we agree that Peter Obi is the kind of exceptional leader we want to follow and align with our leader in terms of education, healthcare, infrastructure, and the general well-being of Nigeria,” Muhammed added.

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Coalition of Atiku Support Groups Initiative, Obinna Okorie, appealed to Atiku to support Obi’s presidential ambition in 2027.

Okorie explained that members of the coalition reached the decision after reviewing the country’s political dynamics and Obi’s perceived national appeal.

“We have been supporting Atiku since 2019 when he started with Obi. He is our father and leader because we respect him so much. I’m happy to say that today we have over a thousand support groups in CASGI.

“After studying the political dynamics of Nigeria, we came up with the decision that we would beg our father and leader, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, to support Peter Obi. The reasons are very simple.

“If you are a follower of Nigerian politics, you don’t need anybody to tell you where the wind is blowing. Again, Nigeria has what we call unwritten agreements. I’m not an ethnic or religious bigot. These are the things we saw in His Excellency Peter Obi,” he stated.

The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Yunusa Tanko, also hailed the growing opposition alliance, saying efforts to divide the coalition had failed.

“Today signifies the importance of our coalition again. So anybody who is in doubt, and thinks the coalition has collapsed is not serious. This is because here we have groups from our respected leaders, Atiku, Kwankwaso, and Obi.

“Those who want to create differences among us have failed because the target is to create a division among us while they are making an inroad. We must work as a team. This country needs to be salvaged,” Tanko said.

The endorsements come amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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Enugu Senatorial By-election: Asogwa’s landslide victory affirms APC’s dominance, Says Gov Mbah

Published

25 minutes ago

June 22, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

Senator-elect, Ikeje Asogwa

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…Describes Asogwa as people’s champion

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has congratulated the winner and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Saturday by-election for Enugu North Senatorial District, Chief Ikeje Asogwa, describing the landslide victory as an affirmation of APC’s overwhelming acceptance and dominance in the state’s politics.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday, declared APC’s Asogwa winner of the senatorial seat formerly won in 2023 by Labour Party Senator Okey Ezea, who died after an illness in November 2025.

The district covers Nsukka, Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South, Uzo-Uwani, Igbo-Etiti, and Udenu Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The Returning Officer, Professor Christian Ezeibe, who announced the result in the early hours of Sunday at the INEC office in the LGA, said Asogwa polled a total of 162,360 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nestor Ezeme of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 9,299 votes.

Reacting, Mbah described it as a “statement victory,” noting that the people of the senatorial district had not only made the best choice for quality representation, but had also demonstrated total alignment with the APC.

“On behalf of the Government and good people of Enugu State, I congratulate Chief Ikeje Asogwa on this resounding victory.

“It is a statement and landmark victory both for us as an administration and for the APC as a party.

“If anybody was in doubt, the landslide victory proves, beyond rhetoric, that APC has now emerged as the unquestionable dominant political force across the length and breadth of our state. Our people are fully aligned.

“It is also a vote of confidence in Chief Ikeje Asogwa, a people’s champion, who has distinguished himself in the service of his people and the state.

“There is no doubt that his presence at the centre will strengthen state-federal government partnership and the inflow of dividends of democracy,” he stated.

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Terrorists burn NSCDC Checkpoint, kidnap resident in Kebbi

Published

30 minutes ago

June 22, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Suspected terrorists on Saturday raided Tsamiya, a community in Bagudo Local Government Area of Klebbi, setting ablaze security checkpoint belonging to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), a local brothel, and the residence of one Sule Mai Goge.

In a statement, the Public Relations Officer of the State Police Commander, SP Bashir Usman, said one Alhaji Yusuf Bazamfare was kidnapped during the attack on the community.

He said following the attack, the Command had deployed tactical personnel to Tsamiya town.

The statement added that a comprehensive investigation into the incident had since commenced, with efforts to rescue the kidnapped victim and track the perpetrators ongoing.

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Two grandpas arrested for selling illicit drugs to teenage secondary school students

Published

13 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

The suspects

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…as NDLEA intercepts illicit consignment from China, Dubai-bound Loud concealed in ladies’ bags

…nabs wanted couple in Ekiti, 75-year-old grandma, others in Oyo raid

An 84-year-old grandpa, Godfrey Orji and 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora are now cooling their heels in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following their arrest for dealing in illicit substances, which they sell to teenage secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia state capital.

Pa Obiora was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Friday 19^th June 2026 following credible intelligence that he was selling illicit substances to young students and others in his patent medicine store located at 4 Club road, Umuahia, where 4.64 kilograms of opioids including tramadol and diazepam were recovered from him during a search of his premises.

In his case, Pa Orji who is a pensioner and also into the illicit drug trade, was nabbed by security guards at Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia, for supplying illicit drugs to two teenage students (names withheld) in the school. The guards thereafter handed them over to the police who in turn transferred them to NDLEA on Thursday 18^th June.

In his statement, one of the two teenagers, a 15-year-old SS2 student claimed the 84-year-old grandpa supplies him the drugs which he takes and also sells to fellow students. While the two grandpas are billed to have their day in court, the students have been placed on counselling and rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives have intercepted a consignment of ADB Chminaca, a synthetic cannabinoid classified as a dangerous new psychoactive substance (NPS), at a courier firm in Lagos. The shipment coming from China with a gross weight of 9.5 kilograms was concealed in a carton. This was followed by another seizure on Tuesday 16^th June at a different logistics company in Lagos where 300grams of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis was found hidden in ladies’ handbags.

In another interdiction operation in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Friday 19^thJune raided the home of a wanted drug dealer Lukman Badmus (a.k.a. Lukman Ogombo) in Ogombo area of Ajah where nine bottles of codeine syrup and 30 grams of skunk were recovered.

A swift follow up operation at Lukman’s wife shop in Patey area of Lagos Island led to the recovery of additional two bottles of codeine and drug paraphernalia, while 42 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 22.5kg were also recovered from a mini bus parked in front of her shop. Attempt by the wife, Aisha Saraki, to flush some of the drug exhibits in the toilet during the raid was thwarted by operatives.

In Kogi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway on Friday 19^th June intercepted a suspect Tochukwu Onah, 33, coming from Lagos to Abuja with 1.030kg methamphetamine concealed in custard containers, while a couple: James Tony Chukwudi, 48, and James Kehinde, 35, wanted in connection with the seizure of 117 kilograms of skunk since 26th March, 2026 in Ekiti state were eventually arrested at Oniyo street Efon-Alaaye-Ekiti on Tuesday 16th June after months on the run.

In Oyo state, 75-year-old Tudun Olubiyi and two others: Nasiru Buhari, 22; and Buba Musa, 47, were arrested by NDLEA operatives when their house located in Dangote area, Elekara, Oyo town, was raided on Saturday 20th June with 118 jumbo bags containing 1,416kg skunk covered with sawdust recovered.

A suspect Patrick Imoukhede, 45, was arrested on Wednesday 17^th June when NDLEA officers raided the Khagba forest, Ikao, Owan East LGA, where they destroyed 1,744.075kg skunk and recovered already processed 169kg of same substance, while another raid at Ebora Camp, Ilushi in Esan South LGA led to the destruction of 2,424.945kg of cannabis, with a suspect Augustine Anyamone, 45, apprehended with 395kg skunk in a separate operation in the area.

With the same zeal, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Orun Community Grammar School, Orun Ekiti; Government Girls Secondary School, Charanchi, Bichi, Kano; Federal Technical College, Doma, Nasarawa; Tafida Community Secondary School, Zango, Katsina; and Government Technical College, Onitsha, Anambra, while the Rivers state command paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Paramount Ruler of Rumuogba kingdom, Rivers state, HRH Barr. Temple Ejekwu, among others.

While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Kogi, and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country not to rest on their laurels.

Femi Babafemi

Director, Media & Advocacy

NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja

Sunday 21st June 2026