Nigeria in March 2026: the most important developments in politics
In Nigeria in March 2026, President Bola Tinubu's state visit to the United Kingdom dominated the political news. On 15 March the federal government alleged a plot to embarrass him during the trip, saying it involved a smear campaign related to mining disputes. The visit began on 17 March and was the first UK state visit by a Nigerian leader in 37 years. Tinubu met British royals, attended a state banquet and met Prime Minister Keir Starmer on 19 March, when a 746 million pound port investment deal and an agreement on deporting failed asylum seekers and offenders from the UK to Nigeria were signed. Peter Obi criticised the choice of the Defence Minister for the delegation amid domestic insecurity. Tinubu returned to Abuja on 25 March.
The 2027 election shaped the rest of the month. Eleven opposition lawmakers defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress and the African Democratic Congress on 12 March, and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC. The African Democratic Congress said Obi, Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi were working on a coalition against Tinubu. Obi met Rabiu Kwankwaso in Kano on 22 March, and on 30 March Kwankwaso joined the ADC. Tinubu ordered political appointees seeking elective office in 2027 to resign by 31 March, and the Labour Party set 23 May for its presidential primaries. The PDP remained split: after a Court of Appeal ruling on its Ibadan convention, Nyesom Wike called for unity while a faction led by Turaki headed to the Supreme Court, and Wike and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde traded criticism.
Anti-corruption agencies were also active. On 24 March the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission moved to take over the Abuja residence of former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission prepared to arraign former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who arrived at a Kaduna court under heavy security. Obi alleged the arrest of a cleric who had hosted him in Kaduna, and Atiku Abubakar called for the cleric to be released or prosecuted.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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