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Former Presidential aide, Laolu Akande, says the lobbying activities of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in the United States have intensified political tensions ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

Akande, speaking during the ‘My Take’ segment of Channels Television’s Inside Sources, said Atiku had entered full campaign mode as the January 2027 elections draw closer, with the former vice-president increasingly attacking President Bola Tinubu and challenging some of the administration’s major policy decisions.

According to him, the sharpest confrontation between the opposition and the Tinubu administration is currently playing out in Washington, DC, where Atiku’s US lobbying activities have brought an old civil forfeiture case involving the president back into public discussion.

‘With January 2027 polls on the horizon, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is in full campaign mode, singing and attacking the president from all sides,’ Akande said.

‘After all, the president himself said, ‘All is fair in politics’. So, you can’t blame Atiku.’

Akande said the former vice-president’s US lobbyist, Ikemefuna Okeke, had succeeded in putting the 1993 civil forfeiture case on the political front burner through his activities surrounding a civil suit seeking disclosure of information relating to the matter.

He argued that the development had shifted some of the political conversation away from the Tinubu administration and towards questions surrounding the president’s past, thereby raising tensions ahead of the 2027 elections.

‘The sharpest edge of the fight right now is in Washington DC. Atiku’s US lobbyist Ikemefuna Okeke has successfully put the 1993 civil forfeiture case on the front burner,’ he said.

‘Through his active reporting of the civil suit that is seeking disclosure on the matter, [Okeke] has been able to put Aso Rock on the back burner and is raising political tensions.’

Akande, however, cautioned against creating unrealistic expectations about what the US courts could ultimately disclose, noting that the political attention surrounding the case could go beyond what the legal proceedings are capable of establishing.

‘It also raises some unrealistic expectations about what the courts might reveal or not,’ he said.

Beyond the US legal controversy, Akande noted that Atiku had also succeeded in returning the petrol subsidy debate to the centre of Nigeria’s political conversation.

The former vice-president has repeatedly criticised the removal of the petrol subsidy and has indicated that he would revisit aspects of the policy if elected president in 2027.

Akande said the issue demonstrates how economic policy is already becoming an important battleground in the emerging presidential contest.

The former presidential aide also addressed attempts by some supporters of Tinubu to discredit Okeke by focusing on his reported change of name.

He argued that attacking the lobbyist over his name was unlikely to be an effective political strategy, noting that changes in names are not unusual, particularly in the United States.

‘On social media, some supporters of the president have tried to dismiss him because of the name change. Why is the man hiding behind German-British sounding name? I think that is losing the argument,’ Akande said.

‘The president has had different iterations of his own name over the years. And, in America, it’s routine.’

Akande also questioned some of Okeke’s claims about his official position within the US government.

He said Okeke’s announcement that he had become a White House commissioner could give the impression that he had secured a senior position within the White House, but that subsequent clarification indicated that the role was a non-paid position connected to the US Department of Education.

‘His announcement that he is now a White House commissioner sounded like a senior West Wing appointment. But PerSecond News clarified it that it is a non-paid role in the Department of Education in the selection panel for high school scholars’ programme,’ Akande said.

‘No policy portfolio inside the White House. The man just wanted it to sound bigger.’

He similarly questioned Okeke’s claim of being a senior US government adviser, saying there was no publicly established evidence of such a position.

Akande further referenced reports concerning Okeke’s previous identity and legal history, saying a New York-based journalist had attributed his reported name change to his desire to adopt a more aristocratic-sounding identity following a domestic violence conviction involving his girlfriend.

He stressed that the claims were matters Okeke would need to address directly, while acknowledging the political effectiveness of the lobbying campaign.

‘Court records are being cited and he will need to address that directly. But to his credit, he is landing some serious punches against the president,’ Akande said.

The controversy reflects the increasingly combative nature of Nigeria’s political environment as political parties and presidential hopefuls position themselves for the 2027 elections.

For Akande, however, the emerging contest should ultimately be determined by competing policy proposals rather than personal attacks, controversies or attempts to expose damaging information about political opponents.

‘Altogether, 2027 should be decided on who can throw the best policy ideas, not who can throw the dirtiest punches,’ he stated.

Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the African Democratic Congress, ADC is reportedly putting finishing touches to the list of its presidential campaign council, PCC.

Daily Trust also gathered that among those being penciled down for the top job of the Director-General of the campaign are former Governor of Edo State, Odigie Oyegun, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Senator Augustine Akobundu and former Reps deputy speaker, Emeka Ihedioha.

Recently, the All Progressives Congress, APC released its Presidential Campaign Council, with former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari as Director-General and Hope Uzodimma, Imo State Governor as secretary.

A top party source told our correspondent that the National Working Committee, NWC of the party, under the leadership of former Senate President David Mark, will soon meet to give the final approval to the list which has been harmonised by the some members of the NWC and Atiku’s camp.

Among those also expected to be part of the campaign council Daily Trust reliably gathered are Kashim Imam, former National Chairman of the ADC, Dr Ralph Nwosu and Senator Dino Melaye.

Others are National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant to Atiku Abubakar on Public Communication and Nollywood actor Kenneth Okonkwo among others.

Party sources however specifically said the position of DG campaign is between Oyegun, Tambuwal or Akobundu.

Already, the Presidential campaign is gathering momentum after the ADC candidate Atiku Abubakar announced that he will reverse the fuel subsidy removed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Atiku and the Presidency are already having a back and forth over the policy with other presidential candidates also weighing on what they will do differently to bring down the cost of living and transportation across the country.

National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, told Daily Trust that the party is working behind the scene to make sure that they will come out with a campaign council that will deliver the Presidency to the ADC.

Though the ADC has confirmed that its presidential campaign council, will soon be unveiled, the party refused to be specific on exactly when the announcement will be made.

Asked whether the list is likely to come out any moment, since the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has since lifted the ban on campaigns, Abdullahi told our correspondent that he cannot be specific.

Bolaji disclosed that what is important is that the party is working behind the scenes and engaging with the people and telling them about the policies of the party and why they should trust ADC with the apparatus of government to deliver the goods.

Nigeria ranks 177th out of 182 countries in women’s representation in national parliaments, with women holding only 4.2 per cent of seats in the country’s federal legislature.

Data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women show that Nigeria remains one of the countries with the lowest female representation in parliament globally.

According to the data, women occupied 15 of the 356 seats in Nigeria’s House of Representatives, representing 4.2 per cent. In the Senate, women held four of the 107 seats, accounting for 3.7 per cent.

Nigeria among lowest in the world

The global ranking places Nigeria among countries with the least women’s representation in the world, with women accounting for only 4.2 per cent of its parliamentary representation.

Nigeria is ranked 177th out of 182 countries surveyed, while Tonga, Maldives, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu have lower levels of female representation among countries with women in their lower or single chambers.

The global average stands at 27.4 per cent, meaning Nigeria’s figure is less than one-sixth of the worldwide average.

Nigeria also trails the Sub-Saharan African regional average of 27.1 per cent by more than 20 percentage points. Other countries like Oman, Tuvalu and Yemen recorded no women in their national legislatures.

However, among African countries, Nigeria recorded the lowest level of female parliamentary representation.

Rwanda leads the continent and the world, with women holding 63.8per cent of parliamentary seats. It is followed by Cabo Verde at 45.8 per cent, South Africa at 44.8 per cent, Namibia at 42.3 per cent, Ethiopia at 41.9 per cent and Senegal at 41.2 per cent.

Countries with comparatively lower levels of female representation, including Botswana, The Gambia and Algeria, recorded higher figures than Nigeria.

Botswana recorded 9 per cent, The Gambia 8.6 per cent and Algeria 7.9 per cent.

Nigeria’s 4.2 per cent therefore represents the lowest figure among African countries with active, reporting national parliaments in the 2026 ranking.

Other African countries also performed significantly above the global average. Cabo Verde, South Africa, Namibia and Ethiopia all recorded female parliamentary representation of more than 40 per cent, while Senegal recorded 41.2 per cent.

Women in Nigeria’s 10th Assembly

Since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023, female legislators have continued to push for greater participation in governance while advocating policies around inclusivity, development and social justice.

At the beginning of the 10th Assembly, women occupied four of the 109 Senate seats and 16 of the 360 seats in the House of Representatives.

The number of women in the House of Representatives later dropped to 15 following the death of Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, who represented Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun State.

However, the latest IPU and UN Women data indicate that the overall level of female representation remains extremely low by international standards.

‘2027 race highlights wider gender gap’

The low representation of women in parliament is also reflected in the approaching 2027 general elections, with women remaining marginal in the contest for the presidency.

Of the 19 presidential candidates listed for the election, only three are women, representing about 16 per cent of the candidates.

The three female presidential candidates are Ada Elizabeth Okwori of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Anita Zugwai Chukwu of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Esther Iken Okereke of the National Rescue Movement (NRM).

The development reflects a broader pattern in Nigerian politics, where women participate extensively in elections but remain largely absent from positions of political decision-making.

Historical figures show that female participation in presidential contests has fluctuated since 2015.

In 2015, only one woman contested the presidency, while four women were listed as vice-presidential candidates.

Female participation increased in 2019, when five women contested the presidency and 23 contested the vice-presidency.

However, in 2023, only one woman contested the presidency, while no woman was listed as a vice-presidential candidate.

Women also missing from State Assemblies

The gender imbalance extends beyond the National Assembly. Fourteen state Houses of Assembly have no female legislator, further highlighting the limited presence of women at the sub-national level.

The affected states include Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Plateau, among others.

Nigeria’s Revised National Gender Policy 2021-2026, however, adopted a 35 per cent affirmative-action target for women’s participation in political and public decision-making, in line with the country’s commitments under international frameworks.

Meanwhile, the current figures remain far below that target.

One of the major proposals aimed at addressing the imbalance is the Reserved Seats Bill, a constitutional amendment proposal seeking to create additional elective seats exclusively for women in the National and state assemblies.

Under the proposal, each state and the Federal Capital Territory would have one additional Senate seat reserved for women, while the House of Representatives would have one additional women-only seat for each state and the FCT.

At the state level, each House of Assembly would have three additional seats reserved for women.

The proposed seats would have the same constitutional status, powers and privileges as existing seats, while women occupying them would still be eligible to contest regular seats.

If passed, the proposal would increase the size of the legislature to 146 senators, 397 members of the House of Representatives and 1,098 state legislators.

The bill, however, is yet to become law.

Players of Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have received the naira equivalent of $100,000 each as part of the Presidential reward approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for their victory at the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) confirmed that the accounts of the players and team officials were credited on September 9, 2026, with all beneficiaries confirming receipt of the payments.

Each team official received the naira equivalent of $50,000.

The payment completes the financial component of the Presidential reward promised to the team following D’Tigress’ historic triumph at the 2025 Afrobasket, where they secured a record fifth consecutive title and seventh overall.

In a statement signed by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Kehinde Ajayi, on Wednesday, the NSC said the payment marked the completion of all components of the reward promised by Tinubu.

‘With the payment, the entire presidential rewards promised to each member of the team by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR comprising a 3-Bedroom flat in Abuja, national honours of OON and Naira equivalent of $USD 100,000 to players and $USD 50,000 to officials have been fully redeemed and completed,’ the commission said.

The NSC recalled that D’Tigress players and officials had earlier received title documents for their three-bedroom apartments in Abuja, alongside certificates of national honours.

The documents, duly signed by Tinubu, were presented to the team in February 2026 during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Lyon, France.

The commission said the cash component was paid following the team’s participation in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany.

It will also be noted that the Federal Government has also extended similar Presidential rewards to the Super Falcons following their achievement at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

According to the NSC, Falcons players have received title documents for their three-bedroom apartments in Abuja and certificates of national honours.

The documents were presented during the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in July and August 2026, while the cash component of their reward is expected to be paid before their next official engagements.

A former governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi State, Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Ajaka has dissociated himself from the recent protest against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing reports linking him to the action as false and misleading.

In a statement signed by his Head of Media and Public Communications, Prince Tijani Dauda which was made available to newsmen in Abuja yesterday, Ajaka said he neither authorised, sponsored, directed, commissioned nor coordinated the protest.

The statement was issued in response to a publication by a group identified as ‘Igala Vanguard,’ attributed to one Engr. Lawrence Ankpa, which allegedly linked Ajaka to the demonstration.

‘For the avoidance of doubt, Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Ajaka did not authorize, sponsor, direct, commission or coordinate the protest,’ the statement said.

It added that attributing the actions of independent citizens to Ajaka was an attempt to mislead the public and drag his name into an issue with which he was not connected.

Ajaka’s media aide also defended the right of citizens to engage in peaceful protests, stressing that Igala youths did not require the permission of any political actor to assemble and express concerns about issues affecting their communities, representation and future.

The 2023 SDP candidate questioned why citizens who independently chose to speak out on matters affecting them should automatically be associated with Ajaka.

In the statement, Ajaka further accused unnamed individuals and groups of using fictitious associations and pseudo-identities to engage in character assassination, political manipulation and the spread of unsubstantiated allegations and warned those allegedly operating behind such platforms to stop using his name for political propaganda, blackmail and manufactured controversies.

He challenged anyone with allegations against Ajaka to come forward openly, using their real names and presenting facts and evidence that could withstand public scrutiny and further clarified that Ajaka holds the chairman of INEC and the Commission in high esteem.