In Summary: Big politics stories of the week

The impeachment moves against Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State governor, and Ngozi Odu, his deputy, has stalled after Chibuzor Amadi, the state’s chief judge, declined a request by the House of Assembly to constitute a seven-member investigative panel. Amadi said he was restrained by subsisting court orders barring him from taking such action.

In a letter dated January 20, 2026, to the Speaker of the Assembly, the chief judge confirmed receipt of the lawmakers’ requests and accompanying documents but said interim injunctions issued by the Rivers State High Court prevented him from acting.

“My office is also in receipt of two separate court orders of interim injunction issued on 16th January, 2026,” he wrote, referring to suits filed separately by Fubara and Odu, in which he was listed as a defendant. The orders, he noted, restrained him from “receiving, forwarding, considering and or however, acting” on any impeachment-related request.

The Presidency on Ftiday affirmed that Fubara remains the leader of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, dismissing claims that Nyesom Wike, the minister of FCT, wields influence over the party in the state amid ongoing impeachment proceedings against the governor.

Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, said on Channels Television that Wike was not a member of the APC and therefore, cannot speak for the party, stressing that Fubara must be allowed to govern without interference. He added that Wike has been “adequately compensated” by the President but not at the expense of national interest.

Bwala also said the impeachment process must follow due process and respect subsisting court orders, insisting that no individual or group should obstruct Fubara’s administration in Rivers State.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Julius Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), relying on a Supreme Court judgment that validated the party’s caretaker leadership.

In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, Peter Lifu, the presiding judge, declared Nenadi Usman, former minister of finance as the lawful leader of the party pending the conduct of a national convention.

The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Usman-led caretaker committee as “the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party,” holding that Abure’s tenure had elapsed. The judge dismissed Abure’s claim that the dispute was an internal party matter beyond judicial review, ruling also that the caretaker committee was “a necessity” flowing from the Supreme Court’s directive.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday approved the posting of Ayodele Oke as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to France and Lateef Are, a retired colonel, as ambassador-designate to the United States. He also approved the posting of Aminu Dalhatu, former envoy to South Korea, as high commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom. The president had earlier named Usman Isa Dakingari Suleiman, a former governor of Kebbi State, as ambassador-designate to Turkey, ahead of a planned state visit to the country next week. However, in an update issued by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, Dakingari was removed as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Turkey, effectively revising the earlier announcement.

The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has rejected calls for the removal of Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general election, describing such moves as a serious political miscalculation. The forum’s position was outlined in a statement issued in Abuja by Saleh Zazzaga, its chairman, amid reports that some party members were pushing for Shettima’s replacement.

Speculation intensified after Shettima’s photograph was omitted from a banner displayed at the APC’s North-East zonal public hearing on constitutional amendments in Maiduguri. The banner featured Tinubu, five APC governors from the region and the party’s national legal adviser, fuelling debate over Shettima’s standing and the future of the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has signalled his intention to contest the 2027 Lagos State governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The move was indicated by a campaign flyer he shared on Wednesday bearing the inscription, “Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran Jandor for Governor, Lagos State 2027.”

In a Facebook post, Jandor also announced the launch of his campaign website, describing it as part of his preparations for the APC governorship primaries. He said the platform would allow Lagos residents to engage with his ideas and contribute to shaping his policy agenda, adding that his focus remained on party leadership and the people of the state.

Umar Ardo, former Adamawa governorship aspirant, has said Peter Obi may find it difficult to secure the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket for the 2027 election unless former Vice President Atiku Abubakar steps aside. Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday, Ardo said Atiku is strongly positioned to win the party’s nomination.

“Well, the ADC, as it is currently constituted, if it goes for primaries a hundred times, Atiku will win a hundred times,” he said, adding that Obi could only emerge as the party’s candidate “if Atiku steps down.”

Taofeek Oyedokun is a correspondent at BusinessDay with years of experience reporting on political economy, public policy, migration, environment/climate change, and social justice. A graduate of Political Science from the University of Lagos, he has also earned multiple professional certificates in journalism and media-related training. Known for his clear, data-driven reporting, Oyedokun covers a wide range of national and international socioeconomic issues, bringing depth, balance, and public-interest focus to his work.

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