Issues that Shaped Nigerian Politics in 2025

In 2025, Nigeria’s political climate grew tense amid worsening insecurity, US President Donald Trump’s threat of military intervention, a state of emergency in Rivers State, and unprecedented defections of governors from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress. Despite these challenges, the country’s democracy endured through the year under review

Worsening Insecurity

The nationwide insecurity worsened in 2025 with attacks on military facilities and civilian population by terrorists and bandits.

In June, the unending attacks by herdsmen on communities in the North-central state of Benue had forced President Tinubu to reschedule his official visit to Kaduna State and travel to Benue, following the killing of many people in Yelwata Community, Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.

Tinubu paid a condolence visit on June 18, 2025, and instructed Nigeria’s service chiefs to ensure the arrest of those responsible for the massacre.

Tinubu also met with all stakeholders—including traditional rulers, political, religious, community leaders, and youth groups—to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.

In the North-east, Brig. Gen. Musa Uba was killed by the ISWAP terrorist group while in captivity, days after the senior official was kidnapped by the terrorists following an ambush in Borno State, which also claimed the lives of four soldiers.

Bandits seem to be having a field day in the North-west, despite the sustained efforts of the military and other agencies.

US Military Operation in Nigeria

Though Nigeria witnessed many political and economic developments in 2025, the most significant that sent shivers down the spine of officials of the federal government was the threat by the United States President Donald Trump.

Trump’s threat was eventually carried out in form of US military operation against terrorists in the North-west State of Sokoto.

The strike, which was carried out in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria led to precision air strikes on terrorist targets in the North-west.

Trump had in November threatened to come into Nigeria “guns blazing” to destroy Islamic terrorists in defence of Nigerian Christians who have been killed in their thousands in the past few years

He said he had ordered the Pentagon, or the “Department of War,” to prepare for potential military action in Nigeria.

He alleged that the federal government has failed to protect Christian communities from violent Islamic terrorists.

Trump’s threat followed his earlier declaration designating Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) for religious-freedom violations, citing what he described as an “existential threat” to Christianity.

He further embarrassed Nigerians when he called Nigeria a “disgrace”

US Senator Ted Cruz had pushed Congress to adopt the designation, alleging that “religious persecution and violence against Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria is endemic.”

However, President Tinubu rejected the claims, arguing that “religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.”

Tinubu also sent a powerful delegation led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to engage the US officials.

Following the engagement between the two countries, Trump announced in the early hours of Friday that he ordered the US military to launch a deadly strike against ISIS terrorists in the North-west on Thursday night. 

According to him, the US Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, which only the United States is capable of doing.

Trump vowed that the US, under his leadership, will not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper..

Rivers State Emergency Rule

A major internal political tsunami occurred on March 18, when President Tinubu imposed an emergency rule in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara; his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of state House of Assembly.

Tinubu appointed a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd ) as the administrator of the state.

Some governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) went to the Supreme Court to challenge Tinubu’s power to sack democratic structures in the state.

The state was plunged into a protracted political crisis following the supremacy battle between Fubara and his godfather and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who is the leader of the political structure that produced him as governor.

Tinubu had in December 2023 brokered an eight-point peace deal between the governor and the FCT minister, but the peace deal could not be fully implemented because it was skewed against Fubara.

The last straw that broke the camel’s back in the governor’s camp was the 62-page Supreme Court’s judgment delivered in February 2025, which indicted the governor for acts of gross misconduct.

Tinubu recalled Fubara, his deputy and the lawmakers on September 18, 2025, after the six months ended on September 17.

The Supreme Court delivered its judgement months after Fubara had returned to power.

 The apex court, in its judgement, upheld the president’s powers to declare a state of emergency in any part of the country to forestall a breakdown of law and order in line with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.

It was curiously silent on the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy and the state legislators from office, which was the main bone of contention.

 Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Suspension

A major political development in 2025 was the six-month suspension of the lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, by the Senate, following the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.

 The senator was suspended over her dispute with the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, following her alleged violation of the Senate’s rules.

The lawmaker had earlier accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.

She was consequently referred to the Senate Committee which recommended her suspension for six months.

She returned to her office on September 23, 2025, and described her suspension by the Senate as “illegal”.

She challenged her suspension at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja where Justice Binta Nyako held that the six-month suspension slammed on her by the Senate was “excessive,” and amounted to denying her constituents their right to representation.

However, she failed to make a declarative order for her immediate recall.

Joash Amupitan as INEC Chairman

Following the expiration of the tenure of the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, President Bola Tinubu appointed Professor Joash Amupitan as the new chair of the commission.

With his appointment, Amupitan, a law professor at the University of Jos, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has the mandate to superintend presidential, governorship and legislative elections in the country.  This appointment places him in the full glare of Nigerians, especially ahead of the 2027 general election.

Opposition Parties in Disarray

During the year under review, the PDP was further factionalised while the leadership crisis in the Labour Party (LP) deepened, thereby brightening the chances of the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election.

With the major opposition parties in disarray, opposition politicians formed a coalition and joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC). 

Today, the PDP has two factions with Wike’s loyalists constituting one faction headed by Abdulrahaman Mohammed as National Chairman while the second faction has Taminu Turaki (SAN), as the National Chairman.

INEC said it would not recognise any of the two factions until judgments in several court cases are delivered.

Leadership crisis also weakened the LP, after it was split into two factions – Julius Abure-led faction, and Senator Nenadi Usman-led faction.

Following the crises that hit the opposition parties had alleged that President Tinubu and the ruling party were destabilising the opposition parties.

Defections and Fear of One-party State

A gale of defections hit the PDP in 2025 with the main opposition party losing nearly all its governors.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State was the first governor to abandon the PDP for the APC, followed by Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, and Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State.

Barely 24 hours after Mbah’s defection, the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri also resigned his membership of the main opposition party.

Though Diri was initially mum on his next political move, months later he defected to the APC.

Earlier this month, Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State also defected from the PDP to the APC.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, also later dumped the PDP for the APC.

The ruling APC had also announced the defection of Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, from the PDP to the ruling party.

The announcement was reportedly made last Wednesday by the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, during the party’s 14th National Caucus meeting held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

With the gale of defections hitting the PDP, the chieftains of the opposition parties alleged that the governors were defecting to the APC to avoid a probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They also claimed that the defections to the APC had confirmed their claim on President Tinubu’s plan to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

Anambra State Governorship Election

Another major political development in 2025 was the November 8 Anambra State governorship election, the first major election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (NEC) under its new Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN).

The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, emerged the winner of the election, following the announcement of results from all 21 local government areas (LGAs) by the INEC.

INEC announced that a total of 584,054 votes were collated across the state, with Soludo securing 422,664 votes, maintaining a decisive lead over his closest rival, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the APC, who garnered 99,445 votes. Other candidates include ADC: 8,208 votes and PDP: 1,401 votes.

Ambassadors Appointed at Last

During the year under review, President Tinubu ended the logjam of over two years when he appointed ambassadors to oversee Nigeria’s missions abroad.

After President Trump of the United States blacklisted Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, many blamed it on the non-appointment of ambassadors.

The ambassadors, which are 64 in number, consist of 34 career ambassadors and 30 non-career ambassadors.