Osita Chidoka, a former minister of aviation, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Chidoka announced his resignation from the opposition party on Friday when he featured on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.

The former minister said he has written to his ward in Anambra state about his decision.

Chidoka said he would dedicate his time to the Athena Centre, a non-profit organisation (NGO) committed to enhancing public policy and leadership across Nigeria.

“I am leaving politics for some time. I am focusing on the Athena Centre,” Chidoka said.

“I will work in concert with other Nigerians who want us to reform the political system to bring evidence-based governance and to support it. So, effective today, I am no longer a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.”

In August 2023, Chidoka said the PDP could become extinct if reforms did not kick in quickly.

“Now, we are beginning to see that PDP itself needs to be reformed,” he said.

“It needs to renew and reimagine itself to be able to begin to play the role of opposition, knowing full well that we have a politician as president.

“If PDP doesn’t get its act together, it will be an extinct party.”

Chidoka served as the minister of aviation between 2014 and 2015 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Labour Party (LP) has denied allegations of working for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

The party is reacting to a viral video in which Deji Adeyanju, a human rights lawyer, alleged that the LP is working for the president.

In a statement issued on Friday, Obiora Ifoh, national publicity secretary of the LP, said the party has no plans to support Tinubu.

“As a matter of fact, the Labour Party is the most visible opposition party as of today, and our national chairman, Barrister Abure, is the leading voice in the opposition camp and has been most critical of the present government,” the statement reads.

“After the 2023 general election, it continued to interrogate the system’s failure and has been very visible playing the role of the opposition, continuously critiquing the policies, proffering solutions, and advising the government.

“It is on record that the Labour Party has on several occasions spiritedly debunked the allegations that it has an unholy understanding with the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, to collaborate ahead of the 2027 general election.

“Recently, the party, under the able leadership of Mr. Julius Abure, came up with a series of programmes, including the creation of the electoral reform committee.

“With it, we hope to enthrone credible, fair, and transparent processes, leading to the selection of leadership in the country, with the Labour Party being a major victim in the 2023 general election.

”All these efforts to reposition the party for someone to be demarketing such a party in such an unguarded and callous manner is most ridiculous and unfortunate.

“We are, therefore, challenging Deji Adeyanju and any other person to come up with facts and proofs that either the party leadership or Mr. Abure intends to work for President Bola Tinubu or his party, the APC, in 2027.

“Adeyanju’s assertion, which is presently trending globally, has caused the Labour Party enormous harm, and we are demanding that he refrain from causing the party further harm.

“As a political party, we view Deji Adeyanju’s now-viral comments as criminal defamation, a clearly motivated ploy to ridicule our hard-earned reputation.

“We are therefore calling on Mr. Adeyanju, who ought to know the grave consequences of a defamatory act, to without delay provide facts and evidence to prove that the Labour Party has been ‘bought’ over by President Tinubu.

“He also has a choice to withdraw his ill assertions and apologise to the leadership and millions of members of the Labour Party for the great harm he has caused the party.”

Jesutega Onokpasa, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has faulted the appointment of Daniel Bwala as special adviser on policy communication to President Bola Tinubu.

Onokpasa’s remarks come amid controversy surrounding Bwala’s past criticism of the president.

Bwala, who served as the spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 presidential campaign, was vocal in his allegations against Tinubu.

He called for the president’s arrest and prosecution over alleged corruption, including accusations related to drug proceeds forfeited in the United States.

At the time, Bwala also called on Nigerian law enforcement agencies to take action against Tinubu.

Speaking on ‘News Night,’ an Arise TV programme, Onokpasa criticised the president’s decision to appoint Bwala, describing it as a betrayal to the president’s supporters.

“Our dear and beloved President stabbed all of us, his staunch supporters, in the back with this absolutely ridiculous, meaningless and just inexplicable appointment,” Onokpasa said.

“I am a Tinubu supporter and not a sycophant; his apologists are calling his appointment of Bwala strategy, but I think it is stupidity.”

Onokpasa, who identifies as a loyal supporter of Tinubu, also expressed frustration at what he perceived as the president’s disregard for his base.

“Not all his supporters want an appointment. It’s just the insult that our president seems to take us (his supporters) for granted,” Onokpasa added.