Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
Chief John Okiyi-Kalu is one of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants in the 2027 governorship election in Abia State. He is a well-recognised political leader in Abia who has served as a commissioner for trade and investment as well as a former commissioner for information. He is a PDP stalwart. In this interview he reveals how he plans to govern Abia State if eventually elected as the next governor of the state, using four major points he listed while speaking at a public function. Chief, recently in a public function, you pinpointed four elements of creating prosperity if elected…
By James Udemba Anyone who was unfortunate to read an article published in Sun newspaper of May 13th, 2026 entitled “The Shadow of 1953 – Why Uzodimma’s Senate Ambition reopens an old wound of South East betrayal”, will have nothing but disdain and pity for those who always resort to the politics of tribalism and religion when intellect and integrity fail them. According to the author whom I will not dignify by mentioning his name, Igbos have always marginalised the South South beginning from 1953 when Prof Eyo Ita was replaced as the premier of the then Eastern Region. He…
By Nze James Chinonyerem In politics, loyalty is tested not by the speeches we make during election season, but by the sacrifices we make when the cameras are off. It is tested by consistency, by service, and by the willingness to build the party even when personal ambition is not on the table. By these measures, Prince Alex Mbata stands out as a faithful son of the All Progressives Congress in Imo State and a committed advocate for a better Owerri Prince Alex Mbata’s relationship with the APC is not transactional. It is rooted in conviction. Long before the party…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, on Friday arraigned popular social media influencer and self-acclaimed relationship therapist, Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, over an alleged N36 million fraud. Blessing CEO, whose real name is Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, was arraigned before Justice D.I. Dipeolu on a two-count charge bordering on alleged obtaining by false pretence and stealing. According to the EFCC, the defendant allegedly obtained the sum of N36 million from one Mrs. Ifeyinwa Nonye Okoye under the guise of securing a six-bedroom detached duplex located at No. 1B Tunbosun…
High Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, pioneer spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has declared that Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara currently enjoys massive grassroots support across the state, making him a formidable political force ahead of the 2027 elections. Sara-Igbe made the remarks during an interview while speaking on the political situation in Rivers State and the ongoing crisis involving Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. According to the elder statesman, the governor’s popularity among ordinary residents has continued to grow despite the prolonged political tension in the state. He argued that Fubara’s…
Abia State Police Command acting on actionable intelligence, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), combed the Ogwashi Forest in Old Umuahia, Abia State, suspected to be a hideout for kidnappers and arrested one Mr Ibrahim Audu, a suspected kidnapper. During the operation, the operatives were engaged by the kidnappers in a confrontation, also rescued a victim, one 46 years old man, Mr Onyebuchi Nwaoha, and recovered a cash of .Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira Only (₦830,000.00). DrumAfricanews gathered from the kidnappers, unable to withstand the superior firepower of the officers, fled the scene. DSP Maureen Chinaka, Police…
Constituents across Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State have unanimously endorsed the third term bid of Rt Hon. Benjamin Kalu in the National Assembly ahead of the 2027 general elections. DrumAfricanews reports that At the declaration event held in Bende on Thursday, representatives from all 13 wards of the constituency including political stakeholders, community leaders, youths and grassroots supporters commended the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives for what they described as effective representation, inclusive leadership and quality service delivery since assuming office in 2019. They noted that Kalu’s legislative contributions, empowerment programmes, infrastructural interventions and commitment to the…
President Bola Tinubu has urged All Progressives Congress (APC) members to prioritize unity and sportsmanship as nationwide primaries commence today, warning against rancorous conduct that could undermine the party’s strength ahead of the 2026 general elections. Tinubu in a statement marking the commencement of the primaries—from House of Representatives contests on May 15 to presidential polls on May 25—described the exercise as “a referendum on our unity, resilience and strength as a party.” According to him, q“The primary elections, kicking off with those for House of Representatives aspirants tomorrow and culminating in the presidential primaries on May 25, 2026, are…
… describes PDP governorship screening today as smooth, successful Abia State: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, has said that his major interest in aspiring to lead Abia as a governor is to spread prosperity people can see and feel in the state and completely industrialise the state and improve all facets of life in the state through innovation. Kalu, speaking after having a successful screening by the PDP governorship screening committee, led by HE Ahmed Maikarfi, described the screening exercise as smooth and successful, stressing that it is basically what he actually expected from a great party…
By Elder Abraham Amah The unfolding political drama surrounding the Peoples Democratic Party has finally exposed what many discerning party faithful had long suspected. So, after all the noise, chest thumping, media propaganda, orchestrated confusion, and desperate attempts to create the impression that the PDP had collapsed under some imaginary leadership vacuum, Governor Seyi Makinde and Governor Bala Mohammed have reportedly found political comfort elsewhere. What an anti climax. The same architects of the ill fated Ibadan gathering who labored endlessly to destabilize the PDP now appear to be abandoning the very battlefield they claimed to have conquered. Nigerians can…