Major political events that shaped 2024

The year 2024 was remarkable as many political developments unfolded in the landscape. Daily Trust provides a chronicle of these events as follows:

Off-season elections

On November 11, 2024, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted off-season governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states.

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Candidates of the APC, Usman Ododo, and Hope Uzodinma won the Kogi and Imo elections, while candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Duoye Diri, retained his seat in Bayelsa.

Also, INEC conducted off-season governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states respectively. The APC retained Ondo in the November 16 election. The party also took over Edo State from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election conducted on September 21, 2024.

FG sues govs over LG autonomy

Within the period under review, the federal government through the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) had sued state governors over their failure to allow financial autonomy to local government councils.

On July 11, the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to local government councils and barred the 36 governors in the country from further retaining or utilising funds meant for the 774 LGAs.

In its lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court held that the “dubious practice” which has gone on for over two decades was a clear violation of Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Defections

The year presented a gale of defections of high-ranking politicians from the opposition parties to the ruling APC.

Some of those who dumped their parties for the APC within the year are former governors of Kaduna and Imo states, Ramalan Yero and Emeka Ihedioha; former Senate president, Anyim Pius Anyim; and former spokesman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Daniel Bwala.

A former member of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), Senator Sylvanus Nguji Ngele; Senator representing Imo East on the platform of Labour Party (LP), Ezenwo Onyewuchi, also quit their parties for the APC.

On December 4, 2024, four members of the House of Representatives from Labour Party (LP) and one from PDP defected to the APC. They are: Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawu Esosa (Edo) and Erthiatake Ibori-Suenu (Delta) who defected from the PDP, and many others.

Ganduje survives ‘coup’ as crises rage in over 10 APC states

The ruling APC had a tortuous journey in 2024, full of acrimony, legal battles, protests, crises, division and intrigues, with several strategies deployed to oust Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, as the 6th national chairman of the party.

Some stakeholders from the North Central and some political elements from his ward in Kano had launched battles to remove Ganduje from office. But braced with President Tinubu’s backing, Ganduje weathered the storm.

However, the APC had been grappling with crises in over 10 state chapters – Rivers, Adamawa, Benue, Osun, Delta, Zamfara, Jigawa, Bayelsa, Kwara, Bauchi, Enugu, Edo and Ondo – and many other chapters in the outgoing year.

PDP crisis in endless mode

Similarly, the PDP crisis worsened within the year as Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who are the main actors in the crisis, refused to shift ground.

Pundits say the crisis has affected the party negatively within the year as it failed to retain Edo in the September 21 governorship election, and also failed to win Imo, Kogi and Ondo states.

Daily Trust reports that the crisis had divided governors who are members of the party as well as members of the National Working Committee (NWC), Board of Trustees (BOT) and other stakeholders along two parallel lines.

The supremacy battle between Atiku and Wike has left the PDP with an acting national chairman, Umar Damagun, who has acted more than the required timeframe provided in the party’s constitution.

NNPP enmeshed in crisis

The story of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) was not different in 2024, sequel to the fact that its crisis which led to the purported suspension of its 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, persisted.

The party is equally experiencing crises in its state chapters, including Kano, Ogun, Nasarawa and many others.

Sequel to this, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, had said in November, that he was working to bring Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, Rep. Kabir Alhassan Rurum, and other disgruntled NNPP members back to the APC.

LP’s crisis worsened

The Labour Party also had its fair share of the crisis within the period under review. The party was in crisis at both the national and state levels, including Ebonyi and Cross River chapters, among many others.

Julius Abure and Lamidi Apapa, had locked horns over the national leadership of the party as both deployed litigation as tool to get their legitimacy. But in 2024, the Court of Appeal affirmed Abure as the party’s authentic national chairman.

The crisis came to a head when Julius Abure denied Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in last year’s election, of the 2027 ticket, after his earlier adoption by the party, saying the ticket was now open to all qualified Nigerians.

Wike vs Fubara

The year exposed the absence of oneness between a former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and his predecessor, Sim Fubara. Daily Trust reports that the feud stemmed from the issue of who controls the politics and governance in Rivers despite Wike’s current position as FCT minister.

The feud between the two had led to serious political crisis in the state which saw the burning down of the state assembly complex in Port Harcourt. The crisis also led to the “defection” of 27 PDP members of the state assembly loyal to Wike, to APC.

Later in the year, local government caretaker chairmen loyal to Fubara defected to the APP, where they won the local government elections conducted in the state within the year.

Cabinet reshuffle

On October 23, 2024, President Tinubu reshuffled his cabinet. While five ministers were shown the exit route, seven others were appointed to the cabinet.

Similarly, while some ministers were reassigned new portfolios, others maintained the status quo. Tinubu said it was part of efforts to boost his administration’s performance.

Ogun, Zamfara, C/River Assembly speakers impeached

On January 23, the Ogun State House of Assembly impeached its Speaker, Hon. Olakunle Oluomo, over alleged gross misconduct. On February 23, the Zamfara State House of Assembly impeached its Speaker, Hon. Bilyaminu Moriki. Eighteen of the 24 members did the action.

Also on May 22, the Cross River State House of Assembly impeached its Speaker, Hon. Elvert Ekom Ayambem, over alleged financial misconduct.

Constitution review

The 10th National Assembly had embarked on another constitution review which is expected to be concluded in 2026.

Daily Trust reports that several constitution amendment exercises had guzzled over N20 billion, with about 30 alterations made to the document in 20 years.

The 10th National Assembly is considering the issues of state police, local government autonomy, among many others in the amendment.

Merger talks

Some opposition parties in the country announced merger plans as part of efforts to unseat President Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

Recently, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) initiated discussions on a potential merger ahead of 2027. But the LP and NNPP denied any involvement in merger or alliance talks with any other party ahead of the polls.