Politics
APC Governors Call For Collaboration To Tackle Nigerian Cash Crisis
Amidst the ongoing cash crisis and controversy surrounding the naira redesign policy, All Progressives Congress (APC) governors held a crucial meeting with the party leadership in Abuja to discuss the situation and find a resolution.
At the important meeting held on Sunday at the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress, no less than 10 governors were in attendance.
The meeting was between the state chief executives and the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
This significant gathering took place just one week before the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, February 25th.
Several governors, including Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Simon Lalong (Plateau), and Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), as well as members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were present at the meeting.
However, the absence of several governors, including Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), and most of their counterparts in the South, was noted.
In addition to the aforementioned attendees, representatives from the governors of Imo and Katsina states were also present.
The party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, later joined the meeting at 4.45pm.
Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, addressed journalists before the closed-door meeting on Sunday, stating that the meeting was important and an emergency.
He said “it is my privilege to welcome you to this important and emergency meeting. We have found a situation where there is a pressing need to get together as standard bearers of our states in Nigeria who were elected on the platforms of our great party, the APC.
The programme’s agenda included ‘Interactions’ and ‘Preparations for the general election,’ but according to Senator Abdullahi Adamu’s speech, the discussion also covered the current friction between the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and some aggrieved governors over the naira redesign policy.
Over the last four weeks, this policy has caused considerable hardship for many Nigerians.
Contrary to an order of the Supreme Court that the Federal Government should suspend the February 10 deadline for swapping the old naira notes with new ones, the Central Bank of Nigeria refused to shift the deadline.
The apex court order followed a suit filed by Zamfara, Kogi and Kaduna state governments against the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
States including Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Kano, Sokoto, Ogun and Cross River have also joined the suit as co-plaintiffs.
The situation was further exacerbated by the President’s declaration that only the old N200 should co-exist with the new naira notes. This policy has caused significant hardship for many Nigerians, with the recent protests being an expression of their frustration.
Following the President’s broadcast, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State addressed the people of his state, stating that the directive to reintroduce only the old N200 banknote was wrong and not a viable solution to curb the cash crunch in the country.
An angry Governor El-Rufai did not mince words during his address to the people of his state. He stated that the old N1,000 and N500 notes were still legal tenders in Kaduna state, and that the aim of the naira redesign was to scuttle the general election and pave the way for an interim government.
Following the conclusion of the APC NWC and governors’ meeting, which ended at 7:15 pm, journalists were invited into the venue, where the chairman addressed them regarding the outcome of the discussion.
During his address to journalists after the meeting, Senator Abdullahi Adamu lamented that while the naira redesign was a good move, the timing and pain it had caused Nigerians made it necessary for both the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to avoid misleading the President.
He said, “I’m sure you are quite aware of the fact that a meeting comprising the APC governors was held today and the leadership of the NWC of our great party was summoned.
“We had a discussion and at the end of the discussion, we have resolved as follows: That this resolution is without prejudice or whatsoever to the case that is lying at the Supreme Court at this point in time. This has to do with the issue of currency redesign.
“That the meeting is urging his Excellency, Mr President, to intervene in resolving issues that are causing this great difficulties to the economy,”
According to reports, during the meeting, many of the governors present expressed their opinion that there was a need to urge the President to obey the court order.
According to a report, Governor Bagudu of Kebbi state, who spoke first after the chairman’s opening address, rallied other governors and the APC NWC to reject the CBN policy during the meeting.
The lingering intra-party crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has forced senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Tambuwal to dump the party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Tambuwal, a former governor of Sokoto State, disclosed this in a resignation letter dated March 11, 2026, addressed to the PDP ward chairman in Tambuwal/Shinfiri Ward of Tambuwal Local Government Area.
The letter, which was made available to journalists on Thursday, said the decision followed consultations with his political associates and supporters.
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“After deep reflection and extensive consultations with my political associates and supporters, I have decided to resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party with immediate effect,” Tambuwal stated.
According to the former Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, lingering disputes and leadership disagreements in the PDP made it increasingly difficult for him to remain in the party.
“The persistent internal crises, leadership disagreements and growing divisions within the party have made it increasingly difficult for me to continue my membership,” he added.
Despite leaving the party, the senator expressed appreciation to the PDP for the opportunities it gave him to serve in different capacities.
“I remain grateful to the party for the platform it provided me to serve Nigeria as Speaker of the House of Representatives and later as Governor of Sokoto State,” he said.
Tambuwal confirmed that he had joined the ADC alongside his political associates and supporters, describing the move as part of efforts to strengthen democratic values and provide a credible political alternative.
“My decision is guided by the conviction that Nigeria requires a stronger political platform built on integrity, accountability, inclusiveness and a clear commitment to national development,” he added.
Tambuwal served as Speaker of the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015 before emerging governor of Sokoto State in 2015 under the All Progressives Congress (APC). He later defected to the PDP the same year and was re-elected governor in 2019.
After completing his second term in 2023, he was elected to the Nigerian Senate to represent Sokoto South.
His defection to the ADC is expected to alter the political dynamics in Sokoto State, where he remains one of the state’s most influential political figures.
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has explained that the persistent crisis and legal disputes within the Peoples Democratic Party compelled him to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
The governor’s defection was formally announced on Monday by his deputy, Mani Mummuni, after a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Gusau.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the move was described as a necessary step taken in the interest of the state and supported by political stakeholders across Zamfara.
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According to the statement, Governor Lawal had remained committed to the PDP despite the ongoing leadership crisis and had made several efforts to reconcile factions within the party.
However, attempts to achieve peace and unity reportedly failed, leading to prolonged legal battles.
The development followed a judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP challenging an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court.
The earlier judgment had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The governor was said to have informed political stakeholders during a series of meetings that he would make a final decision about his political future after the appellate court delivered its ruling.
Following the judgment, Lawal concluded that joining the APC would better position him to continue what he described as the “Zamfara Rescue and Rebuild Mission.”
His defection marks a significant shift in the political landscape of Zamfara State and could influence political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has handed a significant setback to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, dismissing his appeal challenging a Federal High Court ruling that questioned his eligibility to contest the upcoming governorship election.
A three-member panel delivered a unanimous judgment on Monday, affirming that the trial court acted correctly when it allowed Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, the plaintiff, to amend his originating summons.
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Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, who read the lead judgment, said the governor failed to show that the High Court’s decision caused any miscarriage of justice or denied him a fair hearing.
The appeal was therefore dismissed for lacking merit, and the court awarded ₦2 million in costs against Aiyedatiwa.
The ruling reinforces the November 24, 2025, Federal High Court decision in Akure, which granted Egbuwalo permission to challenge Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility for re-election.
Earlier, the Court of Appeal also rejected an application by Aiyedatiwa to set aside a January 27, 2026, order staying proceedings in the case before the Federal High Court.
The appellate court clarified that the stay was a lawful exercise of its jurisdiction aimed at protecting the integrity of the proceedings.
The panel further emphasized that attempting to overturn its own order would be akin to sitting on appeal over its own decision.
The governor’s remaining option, the court noted, is to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court. Another ₦2 million in costs was awarded against Aiyedatiwa.
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