Yusuf Gagdi, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Navy, (APC, Plateau), has joined the speakership race.
Though Mr Gagdi, a former Deputy Speaker in the Plateau State House of Assembly, is yet to officially announce his entry into the race, sources within his campaign told PREMIUM TIMES that he is only awaiting the decision of his party on zoning.
This newspaper gathered that Mr Gagdi, representing Panskhin/Kanke/Kanam federal constituency of Plateau State, has been meeting lawmakers to position himself in the event that the speakership is zoned to the North-central geopolitical zone where he hails from.
He may have to contend for the position with the incumbent Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), who is also believed to be eyeing the speakership position.
42-year-old, Gagdi was elected into the Plateau State House of Assembly in 2015 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Despite being in the minority in the State House of Assembly, he was elected as the deputy speaker and subsequently defected to the APC in 2016.
In 2017, he was impeached as the deputy speaker. In 2019, he contested and won the election into the House of Representatives.
He was appointed the Chairman of the House Committee on Navy by Mr Gbajabiamila in 2019.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has told Nigerian youths not to allow politicians to use them to cause division in the country.
Obasanjo gave the advice on Saturday shortly after he was honoured with an honorary doctorate degree by Skyline University of Nigeria in Kano.
Speaking through a recorded video message, the former president said young people must refuse any campaign built on hate, segregation, discrimination and marginalisation, no matter who is behind it.
He said youths should not sit down and wait for change, but must fight for the kind of future they want for themselves.
According to him, young Nigerians must be positively disruptive, and must be ready to shake the system in a good way to bring real development.
Obasanjo reminded them that Nigeria was built by young leaders in the past, and he mentioned the likes of Aminu Kano and Anthony Enahoro, who stood up early to serve the country.
He said age, tribe or religion should not stop any youth from making impact, adding that the future of Nigeria is in the hands of the young generation.
"Don't let politicians divide you. You must reject campaigns capable of promoting division, segregation, discrimination and marginalisation, regardless of their ethnic, religious or age differences," he said.
The former president received the honour alongside former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abubakar Adamu-Rasheed, and Mrs. Vadana Luthra.
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has asked President Bola Tinubu to confront the changing political realities ahead of 2027 elections and urgently rebuild the confidence between his administration and the Igbo.
Ohanaeze advised that President Tinubu should not assume that the overwhelming Northern electoral support he enjoyed in 2023 will automatically be repeated in 2027.
It said changing political calculations across Northern Nigeria could affect the All Progressives Congress, APC's electoral fortunes.
Ohanaeze's position was contained in a joint press statement issued on Sunday by its factional Deputy President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and Professor Chibuikeya Achoakawa.
While acknowledging the visible federal infrastructure projects across the Southeast, it said such was not enough to resolve every political and economic grievances confronting Ndigbo.
According to Ohanaeze, President Tinubu must also understand that Ndigbo have an unquestionable constitutional right to aspire to the Nigerian presidency.
"Our presidential aspiration is legitimate and must be respected. Any political understanding with the present administration must be founded on mutual respect, measurable commitments and genuine inclusion.
"The President must stop assuming that the support of Igbo political intermediaries automatically translates into the confidence of the wider Igbo population.
"Genuine engagement requires direct consultation with credible stakeholders and concrete action on longstanding grievances.
"Our position is clear: President Tinubu still has an opportunity to rebuild trust with Ndigbo and strengthen his relationship with Southern Nigeria.
"But that opportunity must be matched with action, not political rhetoric," it declared.