By Bonaventure Phillips Melah

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, under the leadership of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has announced waiver for former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, clearing the way for h as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The presidential screening committee made the announcement Tuesday evening at the River Meeting Hall of Transcorps Hilton, Abuja.

The waiver announcement was made by former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu in company of several committee members.

Although Jonathan has not formally declared intention to contest the election, insider sources said the former president has fulfilled all other conditions, including digital registration of membership as well as return of completed forms for contest.

By the announcement, Dr. Jonathan is now the only presidential aspirant under the PDP umbrella and therefore the party’s official candidate.

Details later…

Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of River State and Transportation minister under Buhari’s administration, has said he would defeat former vice president Atiku Abubakar in the presidential election primaries of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

He expressed confidence in his chances of securing ADC ticket ahead of the 2027 election, saying Atiku may no longer be electorally viable.

Speaking during an interview on Trust TV on Monday night, Amaechi said although Atiku had consistently won party primaries, he had failed to convert them into presidential victories.

“I listened when the former vice president said he never failed a primary before. I hope this will be the first time he will fail primary,” Amaechi said.

He added, “The issue is that at all times that you have passed primary, you have not won an election. So it’s about electability.”

Amaechi argued that his own candidacy would present a fresh option to voters because he had never previously contested a presidential election.

“I’ve never run. If nothing else, I can argue that I’ve never run any presidential election,” he said.

The former minister, however, praised both Atiku and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, saying they would govern Nigeria better than President Bola Tinubu if elected.

“If you give this country to Vice President Atiku to govern, I believe he would do well. Just as I think Governor Obi would do well. Honestly, both of them would do better than President Tinubu,” Amaechi said.

He also accused Tinubu of promoting ethnic considerations in governance, claiming the President was “tribalistic,” while contrasting his approach with that of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom he described as “a huge nationalist.”

Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has reacted to the recent election defeat of Senator Ned Nwoko in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Delta North senatorial primary.

Former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa defeated Ned Nwoko during the primary held on Monday. Nwoko got only three votes while Okowa secured 4,462 in his ward.

Reacting, Sowore in a post shared on his Facebook page, mocked the senator over the outcome of the primary election. The former presidential candidate said the defeat exposed what he described as the problems within Nigeria’s elite class, accusing wealthy political figures of building influence through manipulation, propaganda and political connections.

He also stated that power built on such foundations would eventually collapse, adding that there is no loyalty among people involved in corrupt political dealings.

He wrote: “The fall of so-called billionaire Senator Prince Ned Nwoko exposes the rot behind Nigeria’s elite culture of wealth without honor. When power and influence are built on manipulation, propaganda, and political patronage, the collapse is always inevitable. In the end, there is truly no honor among thieves.”