Tinibu

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) has broken ranks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that President Bola Tinubu faces a stiff re-election battle in 2027 against opposition heavyweights Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Ndume rejected the air of overconfidence around the presidency, insisting that Tinubu’s inner circle is shielding him from reality.

“I’m not that worried, but at the same time, I don’t take opponents for granted,” Ndume said. “That is the mistake many of us are making, especially those that are around Mr. President, having problems with telling him the fact—the truth.”

His remarks came after the show’s host warned that “the storm is coming,” naming Atiku, Obi, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde as potential threats, and suggesting the APC could be “packing from the Villa” after the next election.

Ndume said he had already faced backlash from unexpected quarters over previous comments about “reciprocating what the President did to us.”

“Many people that I didn’t expect… shouted at me, saying ‘Why did you say that?’” he said. “But the President is my president, he is in my party, we are going to struggle it out together.”

While noting that neither Obi nor Atiku is a new contender — “Obi did it—tried it before. Atiku tried it before” — Ndume conceded the scale of the challenge ahead.

“It can be like the WWE… they get prepared and they want to take this thing,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough fight, yeah, I agree with that.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu has postponed his planned departure for an official visit to France, Kenya, and Rwanda.

Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on information and strategy, had earlier announced on Friday that Tinubu would leave Abuja on Saturday. He said the president would first head to France before travelling to Nairobi, Kenya, to attend the Africa-France summit.

However, Onanuga later issued another update on Saturday through his X handle. He stated that the president would now begin the trip on Sunday instead of the earlier scheduled date. He did not state any reason for the adjustment.

In the earlier statement, Onanuga explained that the Africa-France summit would be co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto. He said discussions at the meeting would cover energy transition, green industrialisation, digital transformation, restructuring of the global financing architecture, and climate action.

He added that Tinubu is expected to take part in the summit, which is billed for May 11 and May 12. The participation, he said, forms part of efforts to deepen strategic ties between Nigeria, other African nations, and France.

The summit carries the theme, “Africa forward: Africa-France partnerships for innovation and growth”. It will gather leaders from Africa and France to discuss issues such as economic transformation, climate resilience, infrastructure, youth development, technology, and peacebuilding.

Onanuga also disclosed that after the Kenya meeting, the president will travel to Kigali, Rwanda. There, he will attend the Africa CEO forum scheduled for May 14 and May 15.

The forum, with the theme “Scale or Fail”, will bring together business leaders, investors, and policymakers. They are expected to examine ways to boost economic growth through regional cooperation and cross-border investment.