Politics
‘Ignore Usani’s Backdoor Moves’ – Cross River ADC Warns Members
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Cross River State has descended into a fresh crisis as the party’s leadership has asked members to disregard a meeting reportedly convened by the National Vice Chairman (South-South), Usani Usani, who is currently serving a three-month suspension.
The controversial meeting was said to have been scheduled for Sunday at the Calabar home of a former governor of the state, Senator Liyel Imoke.
In a statement dated November 30, 2025, the State Publicity Secretary, James Otudor, warned that such gatherings are not recognised by the party.
According to him, “meetings held in private residences under the ADC name are illegal and not approved by the party.”
Otudor recalled that Usani, a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, along with others, had earlier been instructed to formally resign from their previous political parties before taking part in ADC activities, but allegedly failed to comply.
The statement described Usani’s actions as anti-party and warned against attempts to weaken the ADC through backdoor maneuvers.
It stressed that only properly registered party executives are authorised to discuss sensitive matters, including delegate lists, in accordance with the party’s constitution.
“Party leaders and members are advised to ignore these invalid meetings,” the statement added.
The ADC further hinted that the gathering at Imoke’s residence may be a guise for a reception in honour of an award recently presented to the former governor by the state governor, Bassey Otu of the APC.
Otudor maintained that the ADC would continue to uphold its “integrity, unity and constitutional order.”
While Imoke declined to comment on the development, Usani dismissed claims of suspension, insisting in an earlier interview: “I am speaking as the National Vice Chairman of our party in the South-South. Such suspension does not exist.”
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday alleged that the rising wave of terrorist attacks across Nigeria is a coordinated attempt to distract President Bola Tinubu from implementing his reforms.
Akpabio made the claim during his goodwill message at the commissioning of the Nigeria Revenue Service headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, the Senate President suggested that the violence is politically driven and could subside after the next election cycle.
“Believe me, Mr President, two weeks after you win the elections, the bomb blasts will stop. People are sponsoring it to distract you from your work.
“You’re doing so well despite the gang up on your administration,” he said.
Akpabio’s comments came barely 24 hours after President Tinubu held a closed-door meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, and a visiting French general at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Sources familiar with the meeting said it formed part of intensified collaboration to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
The engagement, which started around 2:00 pm on Monday, marked the President’s first official assignment after returning from Bayelsa State on Friday.
The meeting also followed Tinubu’s earlier announcement that France had agreed to provide military equipment and training to Nigerian forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
The partnership is expected to bolster ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in the region.
Akpabio’s remarks come amid deteriorating security conditions nationwide, with a string of violent incidents recorded in recent days.
Among them was a controversial airstrike on Saturday by the Nigerian Air Force targeting suspected Boko Haram insurgents at Jilli market in Yobe State, near the Borno border.
The strike reportedly killed over 40 civilians, including children, according to Amnesty International, which cited survivors and hospital sources. Local reports, however, put the death toll as high as 200.
While the military defended the operation as a precision strike on a terrorist logistics hub, Amnesty International condemned it as a “reckless use of deadly force” and called for an independent investigation.
The Presidency also justified the operation, insisting that the location had been taken over by insurgents.
“The market was a legitimate military target because it has been turned into a logistics and trading hub by Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists,” the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said in an interview with Bloomberg.
Civilian casualties raise concerns
Reports indicate that military air operations have led to significant civilian casualties in recent years, with at least 500 deaths recorded since 2017.
Analysts have attributed such incidents to lapses in intelligence gathering and coordination between ground forces and air operations.
The worsening security situation has also drawn international attention.
On April 8, the United States Department of State authorised the voluntary departure of non-essential staff and their families from its embassy in Abuja, citing security concerns.
The advisory also elevated 23 Nigerian states to a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” category, the highest risk classification, including Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, and Taraba states.
The US cited threats from insurgents in the North-East, banditry in the North-West and North-Central, and violence in parts of the South and South-East.
Visa services in Abuja have since been suspended, although the Lagos consulate continues to offer routine and emergency services.
Reacting, the Federal Government said the advisory was based on internal US protocols and did not reflect the overall security reality in Nigeria.
“While we acknowledge isolated security challenges in some areas, there is no general breakdown of law and order, and the vast majority of the country remains stable,” the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has conducted ward congresses in Ahoada East and Khana Local Government Areas of Rivers State to elect delegates for its primaries ahead of the February 21 House of Assembly bye-elections.
The congresses were organised to select delegates who will vote for the party’s candidates in the bye-elections for Ahoada East State Constituency II and Khana State Constituency II.
In Ahoada East State Constituency II, the exercise was monitored by the party’s congress and primary election committee, chaired by Shehu Dange, with Smart Iheanazor serving as secretary.
Members of the party’s appeal committee were also part of the monitoring team.
The committee toured the six wards in the constituency to observe the process and ensure strict compliance with the party’s guidelines.
Observers from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by the Assistant Electoral Officer in charge of Operations for the local government area, Okogbule Emilia, were present at the congress.
Security agencies, including the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force, were equally deployed to monitor the exercise and maintain order.
The congress was conducted peacefully across the wards, with party members participating in an orderly manner through a voice vote.
At the end of the exercise, five delegates emerged from each ward.
Similarly, the APC congress in Khana Local Government Area took place concurrently, with party officials supervising the selection of delegates in line with the party’s constitution.
The party’s delegate congress and primary election committee in the area was headed by Oyoala Peter.
INEC officials and security operatives from the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force were also present to observe the process.
As in Ahoada East, five delegates were elected from each ward in Khana State Constituency II.
The elected delegates from both constituencies are expected to participate in the APC primaries to determine the party’s candidates for the February 21 House of Assembly bye-elections in Ahoada East II and Khana II.
Party officials expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the congresses, describing the exercise as a crucial step towards the APC’s successful participation in the forthcoming polls.
The Ahoada East II seat became vacant following the resignation of its former occupant, Edison Ehie, who was appointed Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The Khana II seat, on the other hand, has remained vacant since the death of its lawmaker, Dinebari Loolo, in September 2023.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday, January 5, 2026, reshuffled his cabinet, relieving the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Olanike Adeyemo, of her appointment with immediate effect.
The development was contained in a statement issued in Ibadan, the state capital, by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr Sulaimon Olanrewaju.
Following Adeyemo’s removal, the governor appointed Prof Musibau Babatunde as the new Secretary to the State Government.
The statement, however, did not disclose the reasons behind the change, but noted that the decision takes immediate effect.
As part of the cabinet reshuffle, Governor Makinde also approved the redeployment of Mrs Temilolu Ashamu from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
Ashamu’s redeployment is expected to strengthen planning and fiscal coordination in the state, according to government sources.
In another key decision, the governor announced his Senior Special Assistant on Public Works, Mr Ademola Aderinto, as a commissioner-designate.
Aderinto will be presented to the Oyo State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation in line with constitutional provisions.
Makinde also made fresh appointments to strengthen his administration.
He appointed Mr Abiodun Adedoja as Special Adviser on Energy Security, while Mr Kolawole Elijah Akanmu was named Senior Special Assistant on Budget and Economic Planning.
The latest shake-up comes as part of ongoing efforts by the governor to reposition his cabinet for improved service delivery and effective governance in Oyo State.