A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Joe Igbokwe has claimed that the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar cannot be president in 2027.

Igbokwe, who made the claims on Monday, on his Facebook page maintained that Atiku cannot fly in 2027, adding that he should wait till 2031.

He said: “Former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is still struggling and dreaming of being president of Nigeria in 2027.

“It cannot fly, all things considered. He should wait till 2031. Even at that, age is not on his side.”

This is coming against the backdrop of the remark by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume that nobody from the North should contest against President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Akume had said the likes of Atiku and other Northern leaders should allow Tinubu continue his second tenure in 2027.

But, Atiku through his media aide, Paul Ibe had dismissed Akume’s remark, noting that Tinubu has not done enough for Nigerians to reelect him in 2027.

Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State on Sunday assured commissioners and permanent secretaries in his administration of a conducive working environment.

Fubara said his cabinet members can function optimally without tension or health conditions like high blood pressure.

He spoke at a special thanksgiving service organised in honour of Dr Tammy Wenike Danagogo, Rivers’ Secretary to the State Government SSG, in Abonnema Town, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area.

In a statement by Nelson Chukwudi, his Chief Press Secretary, Governor Fubara said a good administrator does not pressure his team into performance.

“I want to say that this administration that I am leading will stand by you. You don’t need to worry about the BP drugs anymore because I don’t intend to give anyone BP. There is no commissioner here that has BP. Before, you people used to have BP, but now, there is no BP. There is no permanent secretary who was always lying in the hospital and is still lying in the hospital now because there is no BP,” he said.

This comes amid the governor’s intense face-off with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

The tension between Fubara and Wike had affected some local government chairmen in the state.

The chairmen loyal to Wike had refused to leave office after the expiration of their tenure.

In April, the Rivers Assembly passed the Local Government Amendment Bill into law despite Fubara’s refusal to give his assent.

The amendment empowered the lawmakers to extend the tenure of elected chairpersons of LGAs and councillors where it is considered impracticable to hold elections before the expiration of their three-year term in office.

Despite declining to assent to the bill, the assembly vetoed his decision.

However, a court judgement nullified the amendment of the local government law.

After much back-and-forth, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission conducted the local government election.

The Action Peoples Party won 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions, while the Action Alliance won one seat.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said a report that it has invited former President Goodluck Jonathan to vie for the 2027 presidency under its platform is not true.

Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ibrahim Abdullahi made the clarification in an interview with BBC Hausa.

The PDP deputy spokesman said a previous interview he granted about Jonathan’s eligibility for presidency was misconstrued.

“The report that PDP has issued its presidential ticket to former President Goodluck Jonathan or invited him to contest the 2027 presidential election is not true.

“What happened is this: I had an interview with a journalist where we discussed some issues. But in the course of the interview, he mentioned President Jonathan, asking about our opinion of him, because there are reports that he is being urged to run for the presidency.

“I responded by saying that he (Jonathan) is eligible to contest the election, because he is a Nigerian and has the right to do that by the provision of the law, and he still has one more term left. So, there is nothing wrong about him contesting the presidential election because he is eligible in the face of the law,” he said.

Abdullahi said Jonathan is just one of many prominent people, including 12 sitting governors, in the party who are eligible to seek the party’s presidential ticket.

He maintained that PDP would not need to woo Jonathan as the party has done enough for him.

Daily Sun