Storytimes Newspapers

 In a major political realignment ahead of the 2027 presidential election, councillors from Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas have formally joined the City Boys Movement, pledging unwavering support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid. The declaration was made during a high-profile gathering in Owerri, Imo State, at the weekend, where the councillors teamed up with the youth-driven City Boys Movement to form what they described as an “unstoppable force” for the President’s return to office. Hon. Evoh Okechukwu Nwikegwu, President of the National Councillors Forum of Nigeria, addressed the gathering and announced that the nation’s 8,809 councillors are mobilising across 176,836 polling units nationwide to deliver a landslide victory for Tinubu in the January 2027 polls. “The figures are staggering. This is a movement poised to sweep across the nation. Any agenda that seeks to undermine this will be rendered a futile attempt to obstruct progress,” Nwikegwu declared. ...

 In a bold grassroots initiative aimed at reshaping Nigeria's political landscape, the Igbo Presidency Project (IPP) has launched a nationwide mobilisation drive to secure a president of Igbo extraction in the 2027 general elections. National Coordinator of the IPP, Prince Chinedu Nsofor, announced the plan during the official unveiling of the campaign. The group intends to recruit and deploy 10 volunteers per polling unit across the country. These volunteers will engage in voter education, mobilisation, and advocacy to build momentum for an Igbo-led presidency. According to Prince Nsofor, the initiative seeks to address what he described as the longstanding imbalance and marginalisation of the South-East geopolitical zone in Nigeria's leadership structure since independence. "Supporting an Igbo president is not just about equity for Ndigbo; it is about national healing, inclusivity, and true federal character," he stated. The strategy focuses on Nigeria's extensi...

  The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has successfully screened 540 candidates vying for various positions across the state's 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) ahead of its highly anticipated Ward and Local Government Area (LGA) congresses. The screening, which took place at the party's state secretariat in Ogba, Lagos, involved 27 aspirants from each LGA. It was overseen by members of the LGA Ward Congress Committee, with the exercise described as smooth and well-coordinated by party officials. Mr. Nungji Salama, Chairman of the APC Screening Committee for Ward and Local Government Congresses in Lagos State, confirmed that the committee vetted the candidates for various offices. He praised the process and indicated that only cleared aspirants would proceed to participate in the congresses scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026. The congresses aim to elect new executive officers at the ward and LGA levels, strengthening the party's grassroots structure as p...

  Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has predicted that judges in Nigeria will deliver verdicts favoring the status quo in any election petitions arising from the 2027 general elections. In a recent statement, Sowore expressed deep skepticism about the independence of the judiciary in handling electoral matters, suggesting that outcomes in court challenges would largely ratify disputed results rather than overturn them based on evidence of irregularities. Sowore, known for his consistent criticism of electoral processes and governance in Nigeria, argued that the judiciary has historically aligned with powerful interests, particularly in high-stakes political cases. He tied this prediction to broader concerns over electoral transparency, including ongoing debates about electronic transmission of results and alleged manipulations ahead of 2027. "Judges will predictably rule in ways that protect the incumbent ...

 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured readiness for the 2027 general elections and has completed work on the election timetable and schedule of activities, even as the amended Electoral Act remains delayed in the National Assembly (NASS). However, this claim appears inconsistent with official statements from INEC itself. On the same day (February 4, 2026), INEC's official website published a denial: no timetable or schedule of activities for the 2027 general election has been released yet. INEC described circulating reports of a released timetable as false and misleading, emphasizing that any official timetable will be issued in due course, in line with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2022. INEC has repeatedly debunked similar false claims in recent months (e.g., in January 2026), warning the public against fabricated articles with invented dates like presidential elections on February 20, 2027, or specific campaign periods. In an of...

  Abia State is bracing for a high-stakes political showdown as the 2027 governorship election approaches. What began as verbal jabs between former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and incumbent Governor Alex Otti has snowballed into a full-scale confrontation, pitting a formidable coalition of ex-governors and their allies against Otti and his supporters. The battle is increasingly described as one for the very soul of Abia—pitting the "old guard" desperate to reclaim influence against a governor backed by widespread public support for his reform agenda. The spark ignited when Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North), a former governor (1999–2007), publicly declared that Otti's backing was unnecessary for President Bola Tinubu to win Abia in 2027. Kalu has repeatedly claimed Otti is merely "repainting" projects from his own era and vowed Otti would be a one-term governor. This escalated when Kalu, alongside former Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji (2007–2015) and ex-Gove...

  As Nigeria edges closer to the 2027 general elections, a relentless wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dramatically reshaped the political map, leaving just seven opposition governors defying what analysts describe as an unstoppable "APC hurricane." Published reports highlight how power dynamics, federal pressure, and the quest for political survival are colliding in the run-up to the polls. Recent defections—particularly from PDP and other opposition platforms—have swelled APC's control to around 29 or 30 states (depending on the latest count), giving it unprecedented leverage over resources, security, and electoral machinery. Those still resisting the pull include: Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi (PDP), who has faced opposition siege but maintains a defiant stance rooted in northern PDP interests. Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo (PDP), leveraging strong local power bases and rumored presidential ambitions within the PDP. Governor Dauda ...

  Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Bauchi State, declaring that efforts are underway to establish a "virile opposition" capable of effectively challenging the status quo ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement shared on his official X account on Monday, January 19, 2026, Atiku revealed that he hosted a high-level delegation of Bauchi State's key ADC stakeholders, led by Alhaji Aminu Ahmed Yapeco, Sarkin Yakin Katagum. "This afternoon, I hosted a delegation of Bauchi State’s critical stakeholders in our party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by Alhaji Aminu Ahmed Yapeco, Sarkin Yakin Katagum," Atiku wrote. "Our conversation focused on how to strengthen the party’s structures in the state. We have examined the gaps, and I am committed to working with the party’s leaders at all levels until we achieve a virile opposition that will best serve the i...