The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of creating the political crisis rocking the state and attempting to blame him for its fallout.

Wike said AbdulRazaq pushed three senators and several members of the House of Representatives out of the All Progressives Congress (APC) political arrangement, only to accuse him of sponsoring them after some found accommodation in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“He has been the one championing this campaign against me everywhere. I mean the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and I have confronted him about it,” Wike said.

“You removed three senators; you removed members of the House of Representatives. You must be a super governor to survive that.

“Strategically, if you try to remove all these people, you have a crisis in your hands, and you have to be very, very careful.”

The crisis took a dramatic turn with the defection of Kwara Central Senator Saliu Mustapha from the APC to the PDP, where he subsequently emerged as the party’s senatorial candidate.

Mustapha’s defection, alongside the exit of other prominent APC figures, has rattled the political establishment in Kwara and significantly altered calculations ahead of the 2027 elections.

Wike questioned what AbdulRazaq expected the displaced politicians to do after shutting them out of the APC, saying they could have joined the ADC or NDC, where their support for President Bola Tinubu could not be guaranteed.

“These senators you removed, you have no place for them. Therefore, did you prefer them to go to ADC or to go to NDC, which is opposing Mr President fervently?” he asked.

Wike said rather than appreciate that the politicians joined a PDP tendency still supporting Tinubu, AbdulRazaq had resorted to portraying him as the mastermind of opposition against his government.

“The Governor of Kwara State now takes this propaganda to their own level, saying that Wike is now sponsoring a candidate in Kwara because I am supporting Saraki,” he said.

Wike dismissed the allegation, insisting that his support for Tinubu did not mean the PDP would stop fielding candidates against the APC.

“Did I have any agreement that now that we are supporting Mr President, PDP will not have any candidate anywhere?” he asked.

Burkina Faso has proposed high-level bilateral talks with Nigeria to review existing areas of cooperation and identify new opportunities for partnership as both countries seek to strengthen their diplomatic relations.

The proposal was made on Friday in Ouagadougou, when Nigeria’s newly appointed Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Ambassador Syndoph Endoni, presented his Letter of Credence.

Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Marie Traoré, received the Nigerian envoy and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to deepening relations with Nigeria.

Burkina Faso Calls for Review of Cooperation

Traoré described Endoni’s assumption of duty as an opportunity to reinforce the longstanding relationship between the two countries.

He highlighted the shared history, African heritage and common regional challenges connecting Nigeria and Burkina Faso.

The Burkinabe foreign minister subsequently backed the convening of a bilateral session where both governments could comprehensively review existing cooperation and explore new areas of partnership.

The proposed talks could provide an avenue for Abuja and Ouagadougou to address outstanding differences through direct diplomatic engagement while exploring cooperation in areas such as security, trade, diplomacy and regional stability.

Nigeria Advocates Stronger African Solidarity

Responding to the proposal, Ambassador Endoni conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appreciation to Burkina Faso’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, for accepting his accreditation.

The Nigerian envoy also thanked the Burkinabe government and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the reception accorded him since his arrival in Ouagadougou.

Endoni pledged to work with Burkinabe authorities to address issues of mutual concern and develop joint solutions to challenges affecting both countries.

He also called for stronger African solidarity and greater confidence among African countries in resolving their differences through dialogue.

“As Africans, we must learn to accept ourselves and make efforts to resist the urge to wash our dirty linens outside,” Endoni said.

Move Comes After Regional Diplomatic Tensions

The proposed engagement comes against the backdrop of recent diplomatic tensions involving Nigeria and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

The three countries formally withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on January 29, 2025, and subsequently strengthened their cooperation through the AES framework.

Nigeria, meanwhile, remains a leading member of ECOWAS and has continued to support diplomatic engagement with the Sahel countries.

The two sides have previously experienced diplomatic friction, including an incident in December 2025 involving Nigerian Air Force personnel and an aircraft that landed in Burkina Faso after the crew reported a technical problem. The matter was eventually resolved through diplomatic engagement.

New Ambassador Begins Mission

Endoni’s arrival in Burkina Faso marks the beginning of his diplomatic assignment in Ouagadougou.

His posting is part of President Tinubu’s deployment of newly appointed Nigerian ambassadors to various foreign missions.

The ambassador is expected to formally present his credentials to President Ibrahim Traoré as he settles into his new assignment.

Focus Shifts to Renewed Cooperation

The proposed bilateral session could provide Nigeria and Burkina Faso with an opportunity to move beyond recent disagreements and establish a new framework for engagement.

For both countries, renewed cooperation could focus on shared security concerns, economic relations, regional stability and stronger people-to-people ties.

The proposal also signals a willingness by Ouagadougou to maintain direct diplomatic channels with Abuja despite wider changes in West Africa’s political and security landscape.

.Political campaigning for Nigeria’s 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections officially begins today, August 19, 2026, opening a new phase in the race for the country’s presidency.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has lifted the restriction on public campaigns, allowing political parties and candidates to begin rallies, grassroots mobilisation and other activities aimed at winning voters.

Under the Electoral Act 2026, public campaigns are permitted to begin 250 days before election day and must end 24 hours before voting. INEC’s timetable puts the presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16, 2027.

Campaigning for the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections is scheduled to begin on September 9, 2026, ahead of those elections on February 6, 2027.

The presidential contest is expected to be dominated by three major political figures: incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The emerging contest has similarities with the 2023 election, when Tinubu, Atiku and Obi were also among the leading candidates.

However, the political landscape has changed considerably since then, with opposition parties attempting to build a broader coalition capable of challenging the APC at the federal level.

One of the major developments ahead of the campaign season is the effort by opposition groups to establish a united front.

The G-100 Coalition, led by former APC national vice-chairman Salihu Lukman, has been working to bring opposition parties and political leaders together with the aim of producing a stronger challenge to the ruling party.

The coalition is expected to hold a unity summit in Abuja as part of efforts to reconcile competing interests and explore the possibility of a consensus presidential candidate.

However, reaching an agreement among major opposition figures could prove difficult because of their individual presidential ambitions and differing political interests.

While opposition parties continue their efforts to strengthen their alliance, the ruling APC says it is also preparing for the election.

The party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said the APC would work to retain the confidence of Nigerians and secure the renewal of President Tinubu’s mandate.

APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka also said the party was developing a comprehensive nationwide campaign programme after consultations with relevant stakeholders.

Morka noted that although August 19 is the earliest date parties are permitted to begin presidential campaigning, parties are not legally required to launch their campaigns on that exact day.

As candidates begin campaigning, major national issues are expected to dominate their messages to voters.

These include economic hardship, inflation, unemployment, insecurity, poverty and the impact of the Federal Government’s reforms.

The APC is expected to campaign on the achievements of the Tinubu administration and its Renewed Hope Agenda, while opposition candidates are likely to focus on areas where they believe the government has fallen short.

The ability of candidates to present credible solutions to these challenges could play a major role in determining how Nigerians vote.

With the campaign season officially underway, political activity is expected to intensify across the country in the coming months.

Parties will now seek to mobilise supporters, strengthen grassroots structures, sell their manifestos and convince undecided voters ahead of the January 2027 presidential poll.

The election is expected to be one of Nigeria’s most closely watched political contests, with the outcome set to determine the country’s direction for the next four years.