Politics
War Drums: Russian Mercenaries Arrive Mali
The drums of war that started beating since the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) signaled intention of deploying military force to restore democracy in Niger Republic has assumed another dimension with the arrival in Mali of armed soldiers from Russian mercenary group, Wagner.
Mali, herself, under military regime had declared loyalty to the coupists in Niger Republic, together with their Burkina Faso counterparts.
The berthing of the fully armed mercenaries with a cache of ammunition, just days after Leader, Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was seen in full army regalia, in a video believed to have been made somewhere in Africa, is sending jitters down the spines of the civilian population in the West African sub-region.
International media sources averred that Prigozhin had posited that the presence of his men in Mali was to help the military government of that country clamp down on terrorists and “any other interest”.
The phrase ‘any other interest’ is now subject of various interpretations across the sub-region, given that the military rulers of Mali had declared interest in backing their counterparts in Niger Republic.
Both countries had openly dissociated themselves from the positions of both the ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) following the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, 2023.
However, the ECOWAS’ Envoy to Niger Republic, Nigeria’s Abdulsalami Abubakar, a retired general and former head of state has expressed the opinion that the situation wasn’t likely to deteriorate.
He bared his mind to media men at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS.
It was gathered that President, ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, also attended the meeting.
Gen. Abdulsalami, explained that he took advantage of his meeting with Bazoum and the coupists over the weekend to share ECOWAS’ position, while he had also delivered the peace terms proposed by the junta to sub-regional body.
The lines of dialogue and diplomacy having been effectively opened and alive point to his appointment as envoy bearing good fruits, the retired general highlighted.
Gen. Abudulsalami said, “The ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have made me an envoy to Niger Republic.
“We were there over the weekend to see the military people and discussed how to find a way out of the situation.
“That’s why I’m here, together with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, to report back to Mr. President on our discussions in Niger.
“I must say that our visit to Niger was very fruitful. It has opened an avenue to start talking and hopefully we’ll get somewhere.”
All these are happening while Mali and Burkina Faso, both members of ECOWAS, having pledged to support the military rulers in Niger Republic, already sent troops to Niamey as a backup to the Niger military.
On its part, ECOWAS has rejected the three-year transition plan hinted by Nigerien coup leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani, insisting on the use of force should dialogue fail.
The coupists are also not showing any signs of shifting grounds, and with international backing tending to be swelling in their favaour, the civil population in West Africa have cause to worry.
One of the voices of concern is former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, who called for caution, noting that firing of ammunition in Niger Republic would amount to a civil war within the WA sub-region.
According to E-Rufai, who made his positon on his verified X handle, @elrufai, sent clear caution signals to ECOWAS leaders against application of military force in the bid to restore constitutional governance in Niger Republic.
He cited the bloodlines flowing across the various divides of the geographical entities that constitute the WA sub-region and expressed his detesting any form of ‘brothers-in-arms’, which would have dire and unforeseen consequences.
He maintained that people of the Niger Republic were “one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria,” indeed.
El-Rufai tweeted, “As ECOWAS beats the drums of war, I recall the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’, because a war within our sub-region is a war between brothers.
“Indeed, the people of Niger Republic are one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria.
“Let us bend therefore over backwards to avoid this civil war between brothers.”
What makes this new dimension extreme is insinuations at the global stage that the coupists had the support Russia from the get-go.
They had also called for help from the Wagner Group, which Prigozhin assured he would offer.
According to a former Russian official, Wagner and the Russian state conspired to facilitate the military coup in the landlocked WA country.
“The recent coup in Niger was carried out in close cooperation with Russian special services and Private Military Company (PMC) consultants,” claimed Russian military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk, a former press officer for Russia’s defence ministry, who uses the alias “Rybar”.
However, in the midst of the dramatics on the international stage, the civil population in Niger Republic were said to be rallying round their coupists, as video footages seen online suggest.
The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, had also counselled President Tinubu and ECOWAS to explore diplomatic options for the resolution of the constitutional crisis in Niger Republic.
Similarly, the Northern Senators Forum (NSF) had also urged President Tinubu to exhaust all diplomatic options first.
Like El-Rufai, the NSF are concerned that deploying troops to Niger would not just dangerously expose, but hurt seven northern states, including, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno, all of whom who share borders Nigeria’s northern neighbours.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has affirmed the leadership of former Senate President David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), dismissing a suit filed by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide challenging the party’s leadership.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Musa Liman held that Abejide’s suit lacked merit and upheld the preliminary objections filed by the ADC, its former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, David Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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The judge ruled that the court lacked the jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of the ADC, describing the matter as non-justiciable. He further held that Abejide failed to establish that any of his legal rights had been violated by the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.
Justice Liman also ruled that the lawmaker failed to exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism before approaching the court, a factor that further weakened his case.
The court resolved all three issues raised in the substantive suit in favour of the defendants.
On the question of whether David Mark and Aregbesola emerged as the party’s leaders in accordance with the law, Justice Liman held that the transfer of leadership from former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu to Mark did not violate any provision of the ADC constitution.
The court further agreed that the July 2, 2025 meeting, where the leadership transition began, was a stakeholders’ meeting that preceded the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on July 29, 2025.
According to the judgment, the NEC meeting, which was monitored by INEC, validly produced David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary of the party.
Justice Liman consequently declared that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola complied with the ADC constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and all relevant party regulations.
The court also imposed financial penalties on the plaintiff and his counsel.
Abejide was ordered to pay ₦2 million each to all the defendants, while his lawyer was fined ₦10 million in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, was filed on February 15 by Abejide against the ADC, Ralph Nwosu, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and INEC as the first to fifth defendants respectively.
In the originating summons, Abejide sought eight reliefs before the court, including an order nullifying Nwosu’s handover of the party’s leadership to David Mark and Aregbesola during the July 2, 2025 stakeholders’ meeting held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
He argued that the handover was illegal, unlawful, null and void and urged the court to restrain Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary.
The lawmaker also sought a perpetual injunction restraining INEC from recognising the duo as leaders of the ADC, maintaining that their emergence did not comply with the requirements of Section 82 of the Electoral Act and other relevant provisions.
However, the court rejected all the reliefs sought by the plaintiff, affirming that the leadership transition was valid and carried out in accordance with the law.
The judgment marks a significant legal victory for the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC, effectively ending the legal challenge against the party’s current leadership and strengthening its position ahead of political realignments and preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, Atiku Abubakar, has appointed actor-turned-politician and party chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, as his official campaign spokesperson.
Okonkwo announced the appointment in a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, expressing gratitude to Atiku for entrusting him with the responsibility.
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“I give God all the glory for being appointed by His Excellency Atiku Abubakar as his spokesperson. I thank His Excellency for the immense confidence reposed in me,” he said.
The former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesperson described the appointment as a testament to Atiku’s leadership style, noting that the former vice president embraces dialogue, inclusiveness and compromise rather than taking offence when associates express differing opinions.
According to Okonkwo, discussions with Atiku and other leaders of the ADC addressed concerns surrounding the political interests of the South-East within the framework of the Electoral Act, 2026, and the current political realities.
He said the engagement reassured stakeholders that the interests of the South-East had been recognised and safeguarded despite the prevailing challenges.
Okonkwo also appreciated Dr. Kashim Imam, former ADC National Chairman Ralphs Nwosu, and Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties, Dr. Ekene Onwuka, for their efforts in strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 general election.
He further thanked his family, supporters and friends for their prayers and encouragement, while seeking continued support as he assumes the new role.
“I still covet your prayers for wisdom, courage, provision and protection needed to carry out this challenging responsibility, which will usher in a glorious and great Nigeria,” he added.
The appointment comes weeks after Okonkwo publicly criticised reports that the ADC was considering a South-South vice-presidential candidate, arguing that such a decision would further marginalise the South-East, which has not produced either the President or Vice President since 1999.
Despite the concerns, the ADC later named former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate after the former vice president secured the party’s presidential ticket.
The Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in Abia State, Peter Azubuike, has expressed confidence that the party will record a landslide victory in the 2027 general elections, declaring that it would emerge victorious “before 2 p.m.” if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were to conduct an election today.
Azubuike made the assertion on Monday while addressing journalists at the party’s state secretariat in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
According to him, the Labour Party has overcome its internal challenges and is now fully united and mobilised ahead of the next general elections.
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He maintained that the party remains the strongest political force at the grassroots in Abia, pointing to its current political representation across the state as evidence of its popularity.
“If INEC conducts an election today, we will win before 2 p.m. because we are the only political party with a strong grassroots presence. We have 184 councillors, 17 local government chairmen, and 20 members of the Abia State House of Assembly. That is evidence of our widespread acceptance and grassroots support,” Azubuike said.
The LP chairman also defended the party’s adoption of the direct primary system for selecting candidates ahead of the 2027 elections, describing it as a transparent process that promotes fairness and reduces internal disputes.
He dismissed reports suggesting that only one nomination form was sold in some constituencies, insisting that several aspirants contested for party tickets in different areas.
“It is not true that only one form was sold. In several constituencies, multiple aspirants purchased forms. In fact, not all sitting lawmakers secured the ticket. A clear example is the Osisioma/Obingwa/Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency, where the incumbent did not get the return ticket,” he stated.
Azubuike said the party had continued to strengthen its structures from the ward level to the state level and remained optimistic of another overwhelming victory in 2027.
He further stated that the faction of the Labour Party led by Senator Nenadi Usman is the one recognised by INEC, adding that the leadership had already been granted access to the electoral body’s portal for uploading candidates.
The party, he added, remains committed to internal democracy, grassroots mobilisation and effective leadership as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
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