Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal is coming under growing political pressure following a fresh wave of defections from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, which has further weakened his base ahead of the 2027 general election.

Reliable sources in Government House, Gusau, told DAILY POST that the governor is expected to embark on a series of high-level consultations in Abuja as part of efforts to contain the crisis within his party and reassert control.

Observers believe Lawal’s Abuja consultations are part of wider efforts to manage the crisis and negotiate political protection as the APC consolidates its growing dominance in Zamfara State.

The defections, which have unsettled the ruling PDP in the state, involve key political figures, including lawmakers, ward leaders, and former aides, who accuse the governor of poor performance, neglect of party loyalists, and failure to deliver on campaign promises.

On Tuesday, Hon. Maharazu Salisu, representing Maradun II Constituency in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, officially joined the APC at the party’s state secretariat in Gusau.

His defection, along with those of five PDP ward leaders, marks another major setback for the governor, whose influence within the party continues to wane.

Lawal’s political challenges worsened last week after a PDP candidate he reportedly supported with over ₦4 billion during a by-election also defected to the APC, citing disillusionment with the administration’s performance and growing public dissatisfaction.

The APC currently controls 13 of the 24 seats in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, while reports indicate that seven more PDP lawmakers may soon cross over — a development that could leave Lawal with only four loyal members and expose him to impeachment risks.

Sources disclosed that the governor held a late-night meeting with some lawmakers on Monday, where he expressed concern over the defections and their possible implications for his political future.

According to one source, the governor admitted he might “explore international options” if forced out, referencing properties he reportedly owns in London, Dubai, the United States, and Germany.

Meanwhile, the Northern APC Stakeholders Forum has cautioned the party’s leadership against admitting Lawal into the APC, warning that his performance record could harm the party’s image in the region.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Mubarak Liman, the forum accused Lawal of presiding over one of Zamfara’s most difficult periods marked by insecurity and infrastructural decline.

“Governor Dauda Lawal has failed in critical areas of governance — security, infrastructure, and welfare. Welcoming him into the APC would be counterproductive for the party in Zamfara and the North-West,” the statement read.

The group added that the steady stream of defections from the PDP reflects the governor’s declining popularity and waning grassroots support.

Kwara State main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) has strongly condemned the incident at the Government Day Secondary School, Amule, where the Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWASUBEB), Professor Raheem Adaramaja, allagedly humiliated teachers.

He was said to have forced teachers, including the school Vice Principal, to sweep the school premises in the full glare of students during a supposed inspection visit.

According to credible eyewitnesses, Adaramaja, allegedly accused the teachers of keeping an unkempt environment, and ordered them to pick up dirts within the school premises, despite explanations that the students had just returned from break time.

A statement by the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, viewed Adaramaja’s action “not as an enforcement of discipline, but as a severe abuse of office and a public degradation of our dedicated educational professionals who are operating under harsh working environments.”

The party asked Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq if this is the new standard for the teaching profession in Kwara.

“To have a Professor who himself was a teacher before access to public office, strip teachers of their dignity and compel them to perform tasks that belong to labourers, all in the presence of the students they are meant to inspire.

“This act, coming from Adaramaja stands as a symbol of arrogance, insensitivity, and moral bankruptcy,” the party noted.

The party called on the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), to immediately rise in defense of their members and ensure that the dignity of teachers is never again trampled upon by power-intoxicated government officials.

“Adaramaja must immediately issue an unreserved public apology to the teachers of Government Day Secondary School, Amule, and the entire teaching community in Kwara State for his shameless act.

“We also call on Governor Abdulrahman to publicly condemn this action and sanction the SUBEB Chairman if truly Governor is not in the know of this so that the dignity of civil servants is protected in Kwara State,” the party added.

In a reaction, chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Ilorin East branch, Comrade Saka Saafi Adanla, sympathized with the management and staff of the school over the unfortunate incident during the subeb chairman’s visit to the school on Monday.

“I want to express my deepest sympathy and solidarity with you over the unfortunate incident that occurred during the SUBEB Chairman’s visit to your school.

“The humiliation and disrespect meted out to you by the chairman is totally unacceptable and uncalled for. I assure you that the State Leadership of NUT Kwara State Wing is fully aware of the situation and is working tirelessly to address this issue.

“We condemn this behaviour in the strongest terms and demand an apology from the SUBEB Chairman.

“Please be assured that we are on top of the situation and will ensure that your rights and dignity are protected,” the branch Union chairman stated.

Human rights activist and public commentator, Mahdi Shehu, has warned that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may soon face the same downfall that befell the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying power built on arrogance and injustice cannot last forever.

Shehu made the remark on Tuesday morning on his official X handle.

He drew a sharp comparison between the PDP’s fall from power after 16 years and what he described as the APC’s growing disregard for Nigerians.

According to him, “Whatever goes up must surely come down. Just as PDP rose and fell after its years of pride and betrayal, APC is now walking the same path.”

He recalled how the former PDP National Chairman, Vincent Ogbulafor, once boasted in 2008 that the PDP would rule Nigeria for 60 years, but the party later collapsed under its own weight.

“God showed them who truly owns power. The same will happen to APC if they don’t change,” he added.

Mahdi Shehu accused the APC of destroying institutions, intimidating citizens, and taking the country for granted.

He warned that such arrogance always ends in disgrace.

Quoting the Bible, he said, “Psalm 37:10 says, ‘A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.’

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has extended the ongoing collection of the Permanent Voter Card, PVC, in Anambra State to November 2, to enable eligible voters collect their cards.

Director, Voter Education and Publicity in the state, INEC, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, made the disclosure in a statement on Monday in Awka.

“The INEC has approved the extension of the ongoing collection of PVC in Anambra from October 29 to November 2.

“The decision was reached at a meeting of the commission held on October 27, following several appeals from citizens and stakeholders requesting additional time to enable eligible voters to collect their cards,” she said.

Eta-Messi stated that registered voters who have not collected their PVCs are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to do so at the designated collection centres across the 326 Registration Areas (Wards) in the state.

According to her, the exercise covered persons who registered during the recent Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, in the state.

The Director further stated that the collection of the PVCs must be in person, as no collection by proxy would be allowed.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State has inaugurated a caretaker executive committee to steer the party’s affairs until a new leadership is formally elected.

Presiding over the inauguration, the North East Zonal Vice Chairman of the ADC, David Lawal Babachir, said stakeholders agreed to constitute the interim team to stabilize the party and prepare it for the 2027 general elections.

Babachir, who served as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) during Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, explained that the new structure was approved by the National Working Committee (NWC) after due consultation and compliance with the party’s constitution.

“The leadership you see today is legitimate because it followed due process in line with the party’s constitution,” Babachir said. He emphasized that indiscipline or defiance would not be tolerated in the party.

According to him, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, has reaffirmed the party’s commitment to uphold its constitution, warning that anyone opposed to its guiding principles “has no place in the ADC.”

He also called for harmony among members, saying, “Every politician must expect criticism, but that should not change our character or commitment to the party.”

In his acceptance speech, the new interim chairman, Barrister Sadiq Dasin, expressed appreciation to party leaders for their confidence in his team. The former federal lawmaker and one-time Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly promised to unite the party and give special focus to women and youth participation.

Describing his emergence as “a child of necessity,” Dasin urged all aggrieved members to support the new leadership. “As we assume this responsibility, I assure you that 60 percent of elective positions in the forthcoming congresses will be reserved for women and youth because of their vital role in our success,” he said.

He further pledged to ensure that all future congresses in the state would be transparent, fair, and credible.

The expelled National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Shehu Gabam, has insisted that he remains the legitimate chairman of the party.

In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by his Special Assistant (Legal), Abubakar Baba, the embattled SDP leader described his reported expulsion from the party as illegal, null, and void.

He condemned the move as a desperate attempt by impostors to destabilise the party, insisting that the purported action was unconstitutional and of no consequence.

DAILY POST recalls that Gabam, along with the National Youth Leader, Dr Ogbonna Uchechukwu, and several others, was expelled on Thursday following a meeting of the National Working Committee, NWC, in Abuja.

Reacting to the development, Gabam said “the said meeting is illegal, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever.”

Citing Article 13 (iv) of the SDP Constitution, which empowers only the National Chairman to preside over meetings of the National Convention, National Executive Committee, National Working Committee, and National Caucus, he said: “I remain the national chairman of the SDP. Any meeting convened or presided over without the consent of the duly recognised chairman constitutes a gross violation of its constitution and a brazen attempt to usurp legitimate authority.”

Gabam also criticised the National Secretary, Olu Agunloye, for allegedly writing to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to communicate the purported decisions of the meeting, describing the action as a breach of Part 2 (12) 3 of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has inaugurated the Accreditation and Special Duties subcommittees of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ahead of its 2025 elective national convention.

The convention is scheduled to hold on November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The inauguration of the accreditation subcommittee took place on Friday at the PDP Legacy House in Maitama, Abuja. The committee is responsible for producing the delegates’ list, booklets, and tags for participants and observers, as well as accrediting and ensuring the welfare of delegates.

Lawal also inaugurated the Special Duties Subcommittee at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja. The committee is tasked with coordinating financial activities, approving budgets, fundraising, and managing disbursements during the convention.

He noted that both subcommittees form part of the National Convention Organising Committee working towards a smooth and credible exercise.

Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from the North West zone have rejected the reported adoption of former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, as the consensus candidate for the position of National Chairman of the party.

The decision followed reports that northern PDP stakeholders had endorsed Turaki after a meeting led by Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri.

Addressing journalists after a meeting in Abuja, the North West PDP leaders said the purported endorsement did not represent the collective position of stakeholders from the zone.

Speaking on behalf of the group, the party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, accused Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal of acting unilaterally without consulting other leaders.

Bature explained that the governor had initially called for a meeting to deliberate on possible candidates for the chairmanship position zoned to the North West but later postponed it and went ahead to adopt a candidate on his own.

“We want to make it clear that this zone has not adopted anybody as a candidate for the PDP chairmanship. There is a lot of resentment due to lack of consultation among leaders in this zone,” Bature said.

He added that the process was inconsistent with the principle of consensus, stressing that no meeting had been held to decide on a candidate for the region.

The leaders also questioned the credibility of the so-called “open contest” when a candidate had already been handpicked, describing it as a move that undermines internal democracy within the party.

Present at the meeting were Mustapha Lamido, son of former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido; 2023 Kaduna State governorship candidate Isa Ashiru; 2023 Katsina State candidate Garba Lado; and other party leaders from the zone.

The disagreement is believed to be linked to the ongoing division within the PDP between factions loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and those aligned with the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, ahead of the party’s convention.

Political observers and stakeholders have aired their views on the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to control the activities of political parties in the country.

There is the belief that laws and regulations are hardly followed, with institutions in the country showing weakness or turning the other way when they are to enforce the laws.

INEC’s approach in managing the excesses of these political parties, especially the ruling party, has been widely condemned.

In a recent roundtable organised by the electoral umpire to discuss ways and possible solutions to these challenges, especially that of premature election campaigns in the country, it became clearer to the electorate that INEC has limited powers in handling some of these issues.

The ruling party has been the biggest offender on the prevailing issue, and this was made manifest after Abuja residents woke up to see gigantic billboards all over the city featuring President Bola Tinubu holding his wife, Remi, with a clear message: “Grassroots Support for Tinubu 2027.”

It was the announcement of the President’s second term three years before the next election.

However, the argument is that the President, or any other aspirant, may not have initiated their campaigns themselves; it could have easily come from third parties doing so without clearance from the aspirants to gain recognition or favours whatsoever.

There also lies the possibility of the aspirants’ political opponents launching premature campaigns to make the aspirant appear to be in breach of the rules and regulations.

Meanwhile, another question has been the failure on the part of advertisement regulatory agencies to ask the necessary questions before approving such billboards or to immediately pull them down if they were not approved.

DAILY POST can report that other billboards reading “Tinubu Continuity 2027,” often alongside Governor Umar Namadi, among others, were mounted on major roads and public places across the country.

Apart from this, social media, especially Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, has been busy with all sorts of campaigns such as songs, skits, and hashtags that project particular aspirants.

Following INEC’s warning at some point, where the attention of some of the aspirants was called to the reckless abuse of the laws of the land, the Presidency came out to deny sponsoring or having anything to do with the campaign materials.

It also demanded that the campaign materials be taken down immediately, but the Presidency’s demand fell on deaf ears.

DAILY POST can further report that aspirants and their supporters make use of the slightest opportunities to campaign during cultural festivals, book launches, flagging-off or commissioning of projects, religious and other gatherings.

Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 stipulates: “For the purpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.”

Speaking at the Abuja roundtable, the outgone Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, pointed out some challenges and loopholes in the law being exploited by these politicians.

“INEC, as registrar and regulator of political parties, [is expected] to act in the face of the brazen breach of the law on early campaigns. However, the major challenge for the Commission is the law itself. Section 94(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 imposes sanctions, albeit mild (a maximum amount of N500,000 on conviction), on any political party or a person acting on its behalf who engages in campaigns 24 hours before polling day. However, there is no sanction whatsoever concerning breaches for campaigns earlier than 150 days to an election. Here lies the challenge for the Commission in dealing with early campaigns by political parties, prospective candidates, and their supporters,” Mahmood Yakubu said.

Analysts have also questioned another part of the Electoral Act, Section 92(4), which states that “No registered political party in Nigeria, its aspirants, or candidates shall be prevented from holding rallies, processions, or meetings at any time for their constitutional political purposes, and the Police shall, in a consultative manner, resolve any conflict of time and venue between and amongst parties where such arises.”

While all this favours the politicians, there is a call for a much clearer regulatory framework to highlight what constitutes premature or early campaigning to avoid the ambiguities that create loopholes.

Former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, in a recent presentation, recommended that all election campaign offences, especially premature campaign offences, should be carefully defined, stiff penalties specified, and strictly applied where applicable.

He also said that all candidates and their parties, and especially incumbent officeholders and their political parties, should be vicariously held responsible and penalised for premature campaigns by third parties. EFCC and ICPC should pay special attention to third-party campaigners and thoroughly interrogate their sources of funding.

Professor Jega said that in determining whether candidates’ and parties’ expenditures fall within approved limits, the estimated or determined expenditure by a third-party campaigner for the candidate or party should be taken into consideration.

He said that the Election Management Bodies, such as INEC and the State Independent Electoral Commissions, must work closely and collaboratively to ensure appropriate imposition of sanctions and penalties where necessary.

Making further recommendations, Jega called for the establishment of an Elections Offences Commission and Tribunal, which he said has become even more urgent and important for consideration, and should be addressed in the next round of electoral reforms before the 2027 elections.

Speaking to DAILY POST on the issue of premature election campaigns, the Convener of Situation Room and former Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Mrs Ene Obi, lamented that laws, rules, and regulations are not followed in Nigeria.

“Well, you have somebody in authority on election matters that has talked about it, but what does the Constitution say? What is the timeline for the election itself?

“Some people have started posting posters, and others say, yes, the posters are posted by third parties and not by them. They don’t know who is posting them. You hear denials and so on and so forth.

“I think we have a problem with the rule of law. We have a problem with obeying the law. INEC has not announced the timetable yet.

“So is it premature? Or is it not premature? Because INEC has the right to hold them accountable. What are the laws?

“But what should be between one election and the other is a time for the government to show what they are doing, or for the ruling party or those who are leading to show they are worthy of being re-elected.

“What we need to warn against is the use of official time for campaigns. They are going to be using official time, when they’re supposed to be working for the people, for campaigns instead of delivering good governance or democracy.

“So for now, we are watching and waiting to see what INEC would do, when the guidelines will come out, and when the campaign will begin officially.

“If INEC can say it cannot implement or enforce it, then who will enforce it? Who has the regulation? Who has the right to disqualify people? All these things are stated in the law.

“In Nigeria, we don’t keep laws. So what are the rules? What are the current rules that are not working? When we see the violations, we come out and voice them. And that’s why, for the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, we look at the laid-down rules.

“That’s why, when INEC is appointing people, you see us coming out, and we call the sections of the law for you. We are not having sanctions. And a country that does not have sanctions, how do they move?

“Even INEC itself, when they are confused on issues, they will tell you to go to court. Even when they are not confused, when it’s very clear for them to make pronouncements, they will tell you to go to court. So who will save us unless citizens rise and stick to the rules, and demand accountability, for people to obey the rules and regulations, and the Constitution of Nigeria.

“And there must be sanctions, like those who have looted the treasury and all of those things. Many of their cases are before the likes of the EFCC, but nobody can take them to court.

“I think we need more civic education. We need people who are patriotic to Nigeria, and that is what is lacking.”

Also speaking to DAILY POST, Yunusa Tanko, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, said the law should be strict on what should be done to offenders.

He accused the government of the day and the ruling party of having broken the rules already, saying, “The government is already doing a campaign. It’s completely against the rules and regulations of the Electoral Act, and so they should be held responsible. I don’t think it’s true when INEC said they lack the powers. The rules are there,” insisting that the Obidient Movement is very careful with the way it goes about pre-election matters as it would not like to be held accountable.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly is proposing moving Nigeria’s next general elections to late 2026, six months earlier than the traditional February 2027 schedule.

The proposal, contained in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025, was unveiled on Monday during a joint public hearing organised by the Senate and House Committees on Electoral Matters in Abuja.

The bill, which seeks to repeal the 2022 Electoral Act and enact a new one, has drawn wide input from lawmakers, civil society groups, and electoral stakeholders.

The Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of INEC. He was screened by Senators on Thursday following a request by President Tinubu.

During the screening, the INEC Chairman, among other things, assured that the electoral body would educate Nigerians in a bid to regain the confidence of voters.

The INEC Chairman was appointed to replace Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who has completed his two terms.