APC felicitates First Lady of Nigeria on her 66th birthday

 

The National chairman of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) on behalf of the National Working Committee, leaders and millions of  party members of the party warmly felicitates with her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the occasion of her 66th birthday.

According to the Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, this is a moment to celebrate not merely another year of a remarkable life, but a woman whose journey of service, compassion and sacrifice continues to touch countless lives across our nation.

“Your Excellency, you have distinguished yourself as a true mother of the nation, a woman whose compassion transcends political, ethnic, religious and geographical boundaries. Through the Renewed Hope Initiative and your many interventions in education, healthcare, women and youth empowerment and support for vulnerable Nigerians, you have demonstrated that leadership is ultimately about restoring dignity, rekindling hope and giving people the confidence that tomorrow can be better.”

He continued, “Your quiet acts of kindness and your commitment to humanity have made you a source of comfort and inspiration to many Nigerians.”

As the nation navigates the demanding journey of economic transformation and national renewal, your steadfast support for Mr. President, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has been invaluable. You have stood firmly beside him through the difficult decisions, sacrifices and enormous responsibilities that come with steering Nigeria towards greater prosperity. Your strength, wisdom, prayers and understanding have provided an important pillar of support as the President pursues the arduous task of building a stronger, more secure and prosperous Nigeria. Your partnership exemplifies the power of shared purpose in the service of a nation, he added.

On this auspicious occasion, I pray that Almighty God will continue to strengthen, preserve and bless you with abundant health, wisdom, grace and renewed energy. May the years ahead bring you greater fulfilment and enable you to touch even more lives with your compassion and service. May God continue to bless your union with Mr. President, bless your family and grant you both the strength and wisdom to continue serving our dear nation. Happy 66th birthday, Your Excellency. May your life continue to be a blessing to Nigeria and humanity, he concluded. Openbusiness.

Presidency, Atiku trade words over Tinubu’s absence

*It’s irresponsible to call for Acting President -Aso Rock; No, Shettima should take over -Ex VP

 

The Presidency has lambasted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for attacking the absence of President Bola Ahmed who is on vacation.

Atiku in his criticism of Tinubu’s absence had called on the National Assembly to induct Vice President Kashim Shettima as acting President in in accordance with the constitution of Nigeria.

But in a statement on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy said the attack of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate was irresponsible.

The ADC flagbearer had earlier in the day urged the National Assembly to declare the incumbent Vice President, Kashim Shettima as Acting President while Tinubu is on leave.

The Presidency wondered why Atiku would make such comments when the Federal Government was running smoothly.

According to Onanuga’s statement: “President Tinubu will return to Nigeria at the weekend, following the extension of his working vacation by a few days.

 

President Tinubu departed Nigeria on August 30 for London to begin the working vacation.

 

After spending a week in London, he moved to Paris, France, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Mr Vincent Bollore, whose media group includes Canal+, Multichoice, and Universal Music Group.

 

Since he began the vacation, President Tinubu has continued to keep in touch with home, directing the affairs of the nation, like ordering an independent panel to investigate the death of 37 illegal miners in Minna, following their detention by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, among other things.

 

While away, President Tinubu delegated Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent him at some official functions. Though Shettima left Abuja on September 20 for New York to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who has also been representing the President at events, will continue to do so.

On the political front, the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Senator Abubakar Yari, has been leading notable party leaders in consultations with prominent traditional rulers in the country.

 

The Presidency described the baseless insinuation by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a United States-based lobbying firm about President Tinubu’s non-attendance at UNGA as irresponsible.

 

Vice President Shettima, who is representing the President at the global conference, will present Nigeria’s national statement,” the statement concluded.

But Atiku issued a personally-signed press release titled: “Who is in Charge of Nigeria?”

In it he said: “Twenty-one days have come and gone since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu left Nigeria on what the Presidency described as a three-week annual vacation.

 

Today, Nigerians are entitled to ask a very simple constitutional question: Who is in charge of Nigeria?

 

Section 145 of the Constitution is not ambiguous about presidential vacations. It provides that whenever the President proceeds on vacation, he shall transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, whereupon the Vice President performs the functions of President as Acting President.

 

And where the President fails to transmit that declaration within 21 days, the Constitution provides a further safeguard: the National Assembly shall, by a simple majority of each House, mandate the Vice President to perform the functions of President as Acting President.

 

President Tinubu left Nigeria on 30 August. The Presidency publicly announced a three-week vacation. Yet, to date, Nigerians have not been shown any constitutional letter transmitting presidential authority to Vice President Kashim Shettima.

 

The 21 days have now elapsed. If such a letter exists, the Presidency should publish it immediately.

 

If it does not, then the constitutional mechanism contemplated by Section 145(2) has been triggered, and the National Assembly owes Nigerians an explanation as to why it has not acted.

 

This is not a matter of political convenience. It is a matter of constitutional order.

 

The situation is made even more disturbing by the fact that Vice President Shettima is himself presently in New York representing Nigeria at the United Nations General Assembly — the third consecutive UN General Assembly at which President Tinubu has delegated Nigeria’s representation to his deputy.

 

So again: who is exercising presidential authority in Nigeria today, and under what constitutional instrument?

 

Nigeria cannot be governed by assumptions. It cannot be governed by presidential social-media posts from Europe.

 

It cannot be governed by photographs from private dinners at the Élysée Palace.

 

It cannot be governed on autopilot.

 

While President Tinubu has been abroad, 37 Nigerians died in NSCDC custody in Minna, an incident grave enough to trigger investigations, suspensions and demands for independent scrutiny.

 

At the same time, petrol is selling for as much as ₦1,500 per litre in parts of the country, worsening transportation costs and squeezing families already struggling with the cost of food, electricity, rent and other necessities.

 

These are not ordinary times. Yet the President is abroad.  The Vice President is abroad.

The Senate President is abroad.

And Nigerians have not been told, in the clear constitutional language required of a serious democracy, who is exercising the powers of the President.

 

President Tinubu’s private dinner with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris may serve diplomatic purposes. But Nigeria itself cannot be placed on vacation.

 

The Constitution does not recognise a “working vacation” as an alternative system of presidential succession.

 

It provides a procedure. That procedure must be obeyed.

 

The Presidency should therefore tell Nigerians immediately whether President Tinubu transmitted the declaration contemplated by Section 145(1) before leaving the country.

 

The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House should equally tell Nigerians whether such a communication was received.

 

And if no declaration was transmitted within the constitutionally stipulated period, the National Assembly must explain why the procedure provided by Section 145(2) has not been activated.

 

Nigeria is bigger than any President. At a time of severe economic hardship, rising energy costs, security challenges and the shocking deaths of citizens in government custody, the country deserves visible, accountable and constitutionally grounded leadership.

 

The question will not disappear: Who, constitutionally, is in charge of Nigeria?”

Alake chasing shadows as his sector bleeds – tragic irony of a failed Minister -Obi Media Office

 

 

The Peter Obi Media Office has the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake as a failed Minister who is chasing shadows while his sector boils.

In a statement on Monday, the Office said it “has been made aware of an absurd statement made against Peter Obi regarding the Anambra State issue by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, speaking as a spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign.

“According to Alake, Obi has nowhere to hide regarding his ‘poor record in Anambra State’.

“However, Nigeria is currently in a mourning mood over Alake’s glaringly poor record as a Minister, which caused the deaths of 37 Nigerian youths, but like Nero, who fiddled while Rome burned, the Minister is talking about a man who has become a model of good governance in Nigeria.

 

“For us in Peter Obi Media, there is a tragic irony in watching high-ranking public officials prioritise political posturing over executive accountability,” the statement lamented.

It went further to say that: “In a functional democracy where leadership is bound by empathy and responsibility, a disaster claiming the lives of dozens of citizens under a minister’s direct oversight would demand total focus, sober reflection, and immediate systemic reform.

“Yet, instead of fixing the catastrophic failures in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, providing answers to these questions: Who authorised the operation? What safeguards were in place? Who failed? And who will be held accountable?

“A minister overseeing a sector at the centre of such a tragic episode is busy trying to create a distraction.

Minister Dele Alake appears more eager to trade political barbs regarding Peter Obi and past state governance records.

 

“The numbers are not mere statistics—they represent real human lives lost in illegal, unsafe, and poorly regulated mining environments. When young citizens die in underground pits while the custodian of that very sector devotes energy to political distractions, it sends a troubling message about the administration’s true priorities.

“Before offering public lectures on state-level administrative histories or political credentials, federal custodians of failed essential sectors must first account for their primary responsibilities:

 

“Ending unchecked illegal operations and curbing informal and unregulated extraction that endangers vulnerable youth seeking a livelihood is the Minister’s responsibility.

 

“Nigerian youths deserve a solid minerals sector built on safety, regulation, and sustainable development—not an executive office that chases political shadows while tragedy unfolds on its watch.

“The APC administration has copiously proven in all sectors that it has failed the Nigerian people in all ramifications,” the statement concluded.

Troops rescue kidnap victims, arrest 12 suspects in Plateau

 

 

Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE have rescued two kidnapped victims, arrested 12 suspected criminals and recovered weapons in separate security operations across Plateau State.
The operations, carried out by troops of Sectors 1, 3 and 8 of the Joint Task Force, followed credible intelligence on the activities of kidnapping and criminal syndicates operating in parts of the state, particularly within Jos North, Bassa and Mangu Local Government Areas.
The Media Information Officer of Operation ENDURING PEACE, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, saying the successful operations underscored the commitment of the task force to maintaining peace and security across Plateau State.
According to the statement, troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, deployed at Lamingo, conducted raids on suspected criminal hideouts at Shere, Gwafan and Maza Hills in Jos North Local Government Area in the early hours of September 19, leading to the arrest of 11 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate.
The operation was aided by intelligence obtained from two kidnapped victims who had been abducted from Gwafan Community on September 18. During preliminary investigations, the victims reportedly identified three of the arrested suspects as members of the gang responsible for their abduction.
In a related operation, troops of Sector 3 deployed in Bassa Local Government Area conducted a cordon-and-search mission based on credible intelligence. The operation led to the recovery of a locally fabricated rifle and the arrest of one suspect. Security forces have since intensified patrols in the area to track down other members of the criminal network.
Similarly, troops of Sector 8 on confidence-building patrol along the Tul–Ntam–Angwan Mata–Deng-Deng axis in Mangu Local Government Area apprehended a suspect who allegedly attempted to conceal a weapon after sighting the troops.
A search of the suspect resulted in the recovery of a locally fabricated automatic weapon, nine rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and a mobile phone.
The arrested suspects are currently in custody and undergoing further investigation aimed at identifying and apprehending other members of the syndicates.
Commander of Operation ENDURING PEACE, Major General Maxwell Dangana, commended the troops for their professionalism and swift response, urging them to sustain the operational momentum against criminal elements across the state.
Dangana also appreciated residents and stakeholders for their cooperation, stressing that the provision of timely and credible information remains vital to ongoing efforts to consolidate peace and security in Plateau State.
He reassured residents of the task force’s commitment to protecting lives and property while strengthening ongoing peace-building initiatives across the state. Authority.

The surrogate Presidency in 2027 and the Igbo votes

 

 

By Ike Abonyi

_“A proxy is not a replacement; they are a sacred custodian of your voice when you cannot speak.”_ — Unknown

 

It appears that the battle for the 2027 Presidential Election hinges on a controversial political stand-in. But the fact remains that Nigerian voters deserve direct access to the candidates themselves, not merely campaign operatives; to leaders, rather than their representatives. The reason is straightforward: democracy depends on dialogue between citizens and those seeking their mandate. Surrogates must not become barriers to that exchange, but regrettably, as political preparations for the 2027 general elections begin to take shape, a clear transformation is emerging at the highest level of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The party’s flagbearer, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, appears poorly positioned to present his disastrous first term to Nigerians as a basis for seeking a second term. Consequently, his wife, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has increasingly moved beyond the traditional, exclusively ceremonial boundaries of the unconstitutional Office of the First Lady and assumed a prominent, forceful campaigning role on her husband’s behalf.

The underlying philosophy of Nigeria’s operating Constitution is entirely different, and it expressly sets out the expectations concerning a President’s family. The Constitution contemplates that a President requires a peaceful and supportive home environment to remain in the proper frame of mind for the demanding task of governance. This may explain why it assigns the President’s wife no formal responsibility beyond that of wifery. Its framers also anticipated that some Presidents would have multiple wives and sought to avoid using the Constitution to generate disputes within families. However, despite this, the wives of successive Presidents have continued to assume powers for themselves, thereby creating an unconstitutional office of the First Lady.

Across important geopolitical centres lately — from high-stakes town hall meetings in the South-West to major women’s empowerment rallies in Owerri and Awka, Imo and Anambra States respectively — the First Lady’s message has shifted from measured social advocacy toward direct political persuasion. Last week, the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, maintained a prominent presence in the two Igbo states of Anambra and Imo, making an aggressive effort to promote her husband. She accepted various traditional titles and, as a woman, even violated tradition by using her traditional fan to receive greetings from traditional rulers and titleholders—an act no woman should undertake: standing to receive greetings from chiefs as a woman. The traditional rulers who sycophantically violated their customs will have matters to answer for before the gods.

More troubling still is that these hired Igbo rulers compromised their traditions on behalf of someone who had previously displayed extensive hostility toward Ndigbo—a woman who has remained at the centre of public controversy because of specific comments concerning the Igbo ethnic group (Ndigbo). The two most prominent and widely condemned statements attributed to her about Ndigbo are: “We Don’t Trust You Igbos.” During the March 2019 governorship and state assembly elections in Lagos State, a video showed her engaging extensively with voters. In another highly controversial video in which she discussed Igbo political alignment and cultural integration in Lagos State, she made a further statement that was xenophobic and ethnically divisive. Her supporters argued that the remarks were delivered in a lighthearted, colloquial manner and had been taken out of context. However, it is widely understood that people often reveal their true feelings through so-called jokes: “We will appeal to all the deities of Lagos to drive Igbo people away. Those Igbo who did not marry Yoruba people will become our inheritance. Considering how much we love the Igbo, you now want to ruin everything. You are not the only tribe here… But the Igbo are proving difficult. We will inherit you.”

Because these so-called jokes were politically characterised as “harmless banter” or “innocent jokes,” Igbos, along with their businesses and assets in Lagos, have faced various forms of pressure. This is the same woman who now wants Igbos to reject their son, who is by far a better candidate and chose her husband, whose first tenure has turned Nigeria upside down in every respect. Yet, in pursuit of votes, she suddenly recalls that “Igbos are very nice people. My best friend in secondary school was an Igbo girl… In high school and at tertiary institutions, we were all identified as Igbo because they said I resembled an Igbo girl.”

The First Lady’s growing visibility in the political arena has further fueled debates across Nigeria’s media and political commentary circles about the President’s physical presence on the campaign trail, his stamina, and his broader capacity to govern. By taking a prominent role at public appearances and political events, the First Lady functions as an energetic surrogate, enabling the administration to sustain strong political visibility nationwide. From an editorial standpoint, the First Lady’s forceful leadership of the 2027 campaign provides a notable case study in the use of political surrogates. Her active involvement lends the campaign narrative substantial legislative credibility. In Nigerian politics, when a spouse or senior proxy assumes the central role at political rallies, critics quickly portray that arrangement as a shield for a presidential candidate whose vitality or stamina is waning. Opponents will continue to cite her prominent public role as evidence that the administration is relying extensively on surrogates to compensate for a visibility deficit.

Yet whether understood as a tactical proxy campaign or as a complementary political force, Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s early appearance on the 2027 campaign trail indicates that the contest for the next presidential term will rely significantly on the First Lady’s network and personal political capital. It is worth recalling that she attended a church gathering in the United States at which President Donald Trump was present, seeking, both domestically and internationally, to counter efforts to undermine her husband’s reputation and to engage audiences he is unable to reach because of either physical or moral incapacity. Nigerians deserve the opportunity to see, hear, and question the man seeking their mandate. They deserve direct interaction, not stand-ins; personal explanations, not surrogates. If the President is pursuing another four-year mandate, the campaigners should allow him to appear before Nigerians, defend his record, if any, account for his failures, outline his plans, and persuade the people that he is prepared to serve another term.

The 2027 election must not become a referendum on who can campaign most energetically on the President’s behalf. It should instead be a referendum on the President himself—his record, his capacity, his vision, and his preparedness to lead Nigeria for another four years. Nigerians are not electing a campaign team. They are choosing a President. The very pertinent question, however, is whether a surrogate presidential candidate merits Igbo votes, even if he satisfies the other requirements, particularly given the evident deficiency in every respect.

Igbos are on record to always vote on merits, not on sentiments. Igbos are the least people to ever support someone in the name of “you are from my tribe.” If you don’t merit it, you get no support. They voted OBJ [Obasanjo] over Ojukwu in 1999 and 2003, voted Yar’Adua in 2007, and Jonathan in 2011 and 2015. If they are dying for Peter Obi today, it’s because he is the best in the circumstances. Igbos are not ethnic voters; they pay close attention to competence, achievement, and the track record of candidates. God help us.

Obi will meet and answer the people, not surrogates

 

 

The Peter Obi Media Office said that its attention has been drawn to “a laughable and shameless call” by President Bola Tinubu’s spokesperson that Peter Obi should defend the document released by the Anambra State government.

The Office in a statement on Wednesday lamented that a “president with such a dirty cupboard that he has been unable to clean it even using hired surrogates is pointing at the man with undented records in all ramifications.

 

“Peter Obi is on the road, meeting Nigerians, listening to their concerns, and asking for their mandate directly” and that the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate would not be distracted by political surrogates deployed to speak for a president who should be speaking for himself.

“Our campaign is about the people—not political noise. While others hide behind surrogates, Peter Obi will continue to go directly to Nigerians: to hear them, engage them, and present his vision for a better Nigeria.

“The mandate belongs to the people, and it will be sought from the people—not negotiated through proxies.

Let the surrogates talk.

“Obi will keep walking, meeting, and listening to Nigerians. Obi will not be dragged into endless exchanges with political proxies. His focus is on Nigerians—their hardship, their hopes, their concerns, and the future they want.

“A New Nigeria is possible and will be OK,” the statement assured.

Scrutinize all Presidential Candidates -Obi Media Office tells Nigerians

 

The Peter Obi Media Office said it has observed the growing double standards in the scrutiny and evaluation of the Presidential Candidates for the 2027 election and is pleased “that our candidate has set high standards.”

In a statement on Wednesday, the Office however lamented that “there is something fundamentally wrong when the political establishment and sections of the media in a great and embattled nation like Nigeria seem more interested in searching for Peter Obi’s imperfections than confronting the corrupt records of those who have wielded and continue to wield power.

“The Media Office has noted that every word of Peter Obi is dissected. His past decisions are resurrected. Every allegation is amplified—even when disputed or needing context.           Meanwhile, records of failed promises, economic hardship, insecurity, and governance failures elsewhere are routinely softened, explained away, or forgotten.

“A President abandons a troubled country to Europe to cover up his filthy past, but the nation is not questioning that but looking for how Obi takes every step.

“Why demand perfection from a candidate while tolerating failure in those who have governed or are still governing?

“For emphasis, the Peter Obi Media Office encourages scrutiny of him, as is already happening with some, like Governor Charles Soludo, who is even manufacturing non-existent flaws after fruitless searches. But for God’s sake, scrutinise everyone,” the statement said.

It went further to admonish that: “Let us not use a microscope on Obi and a blindfold on others. Nigeria deserves equal standards—not selective outrage.

“For us at the Peter Obi Media, the political discourse surrounding our principal often reveals a stark double standard in candidate evaluation.

“Supporters and critics alike often hold Obi to a standard of absolute purity, while giving pragmatic grace to traditional political figures.

“We have noticed the leniency standard applied to some candidates. Traditional and corrupt candidates are judged according to a framework of political realism.

“Their past scandals, policy failures, systemic corruption allegations, or lack of transparency are often dismissed as “how politics works” or accepted as necessary compromises for political expediency.”

The Media Office also said that “Since Obi has built his campaign around reform, transparency, and breaking away from the status quo, voters naturally hold him to the high standard he set, which is fair.

“But legacy corrupt candidates, who have never promised moral purity, are not penalised for their lack of it. Why must Peter Obi, a human being, be perfect, while every flaw in other candidates—like corruption, drugs, or lack of certificates—is explained away?

“Obi is asking all his institutions to release his documents to the public, but others are asking courts to keep them from the public. If Obi errs, it is regarded as incompetence. When others err, it is “human.” When Obi changes his position, it is called inconsistency. When others do the same, it is “politics.”

“This is not objective scrutiny. It is selective outrage”, the statement insisted urging that Nigerians scrutinise Obi but apply the same rigorous standard to every candidate, the Office stated.

N1,470 fuel hike: Don’t push Nigerians to their limits, ADC warns Tinubu

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the rising cost of petrol and other essential commodities is pushing Nigerians “dangerously close to the limits of human endurance.”
The party said the reported increase in petrol prices to as much as N1,470 per litre had worsened the cost of living, with transportation, food, education, electricity and other basic necessities becoming increasingly unaffordable.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the Tinubu administration of implementing economic policies that had imposed excessive hardship on households, workers and businesses.
“President Tinubu has turned the petrol pump into an instrument of punishment for everyday Nigerians. Food, transportation, electricity, education, and everything Nigerians need to survive responds directly to the price of fuel and combine together to make life difficult for the majority of Nigerians,” the party said.
The ADC also expressed concern over reported increases in private school fees, saying some schools had raised tuition by between 30 and 40 per cent despite the absence of corresponding increases in workers’ incomes.
It argued that the development was another indication of the pressure being placed on Nigerian families by the rising cost of living.
“Parents are not earning 40 per cent more. Their salaries have not risen with the prices of fuel, food, rent, transportation, and school fees. Yet, at every turn, this government demands that already exhausted families pay more,” the party said.
However, the opposition party said it did not blame school proprietors for the increases, arguing that private schools were themselves facing higher operating costs arising from taxes, electricity bills, fuel, rent and staff salaries.
“Parents, workers, and businesses are all casualties of Tinubu and the APC’s economy,” it said.
The ADC described the current petrol price as a “Tinubu Tax,” alleging that the removal of fuel subsidy had transmitted additional costs across virtually every sector of the economy.
“At N1,470 per litre, petrol is no longer simply a commodity. It is Tinubu Tax, which has made life unbearable for the majority,” the party said.
According to the ADC, many families were now being forced to make difficult choices, including reducing food consumption, withdrawing children from school and delaying medical treatment, while some businesses were struggling to remain operational.
The party argued that the Federal Government could not continue to demand sacrifices from ordinary Nigerians while public officials were allegedly maintaining extravagant lifestyles with public resources.
“A reform that continuously makes the people poorer is not working. An economic policy that produces impressive figures at government briefings but hunger in Nigerian homes is a failure,” the party said.
It added that when parents were forced to choose between feeding their children and paying school fees, the government had failed in its basic responsibility.
The ADC said the 2027 general election would provide Nigerians with an opportunity to choose between continuing with what it described as the Tinubu administration’s economic hardship and the alternative economic programme proposed by its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The party reiterated Atiku’s commitment to reducing petrol prices by restoring a form of subsidy targeted at supporting domestic fuel production.
According to the ADC, such a policy would help reduce transportation, food and production costs and provide relief to households and businesses.
“Unlike Tinubu and APC, we recognise that economic reform must serve the people, not sacrifice them,” it said.
The party maintained that Nigeria, as an oil-producing country, should not have citizens experiencing every visit to a filling station as an economic punishment.
The ADC also warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against interpreting Nigerians’ resilience in the face of economic hardship as acceptance of government policies.
It urged the President to take immediate measures to address the rising cost of living and ease the burden on households and businesses.
“Their resilience must not become an excuse for continued cruelty. Tinubu has had enough time and inflicted enough pain. The people are suffering, businesses are dying, and hope is becoming increasingly expensive.
“President Tinubu must act now. Don’t push Nigerians to their limits,” the party warned.
Authority.

2027: How ready are you? AU queries INEC as delegation visits Commission 

The African Union (AU) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide details of its level of preparedness for the 2027 general elections, particularly on voter registration, technology, logistics, funding, inclusivity and public confidence.
The AU made the enquiries when its Pre-Election and Needs Assessment Mission, led by former Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen, paid a courtesy visit to the electoral commission in Abuja on Tuesday.
The mission, which is in Nigeria from September 13 to 19, 2026, said its objective was to assess the country’s electoral preparedness, identify potential gaps and recommend possible remedies ahead of the elections.
Mekonnen said INEC was one of the key stakeholders the delegation had prioritised because of its central role in the electoral process.
He said the mission was supportive rather than supervisory, adding that the AU delegation wanted to understand the commission’s preparations and identify areas where additional support might be required.
According to him, the minimum standards for an election should include credibility, transparency, fairness and inclusivity, with a level playing field for all political actors.
The former Ethiopian deputy prime minister said the delegation was particularly interested in INEC’s readiness across the pre-election, election and post-election phases.
He asked whether the voter register would be finalised in time and whether it would be credible and ready for scrutiny by stakeholders and the public.
Mekonnen also sought clarification on the commission’s preparedness to deploy technology, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), in light of lessons from previous elections.
He said the delegation was also interested in the logistical and operational challenges associated with conducting elections in a country as large and geographically diverse as Nigeria.
“From the election process, pre-election periods, the election periods, and the post-election cases are the important and sequential process of this. The pre-election period is the most important one,” he said.
The AU delegation also asked whether INEC had received adequate and timely funding for the 2027 elections, stressing that resources were essential to conducting credible, transparent and fair elections.
Mekonnen further sought information on measures being taken to promote inclusion, particularly the participation of youths, women and other groups in voter registration and the broader electoral process.
He said Nigeria’s growing youth population made their participation particularly important to the credibility of the democratic process.
The mission also raised concerns about transparency and public confidence, asking INEC what measures it was taking to strengthen accountability and trust among citizens and other stakeholders.
Responding, INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, represented by National Commissioner May Agbamuche-Mbu, welcomed the AU delegation and described the mission as an important peer-assessment mechanism ahead of the 2027 elections.
Agbamuche-Mbu said the commission was preparing for an unprecedented operational deployment involving a voter population approaching 100 million, 176,846 polling units and an ad-hoc workforce exceeding 1.4 million personnel.
She said INEC had used recent off-cycle elections in Anambra, the Federal Capital Territory, Ekiti and Osun as proving grounds for reforms under the Electoral Act 2026.
According to her, the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election provided a benchmark for administrative efficiency, with early-morning logistical opening rates exceeding 94 per cent.
She also cited the performance of the biometric voter accreditation system, results transmission through the IReV portal and inter-agency security coordination as areas where the commission recorded progress.
Agbamuche-Mbu said INEC was also collaborating with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to integrate national identification numbers into its Continuous Voter Registration process.
She explained that the initiative was designed to help audit, verify and clean the national voter register ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Nevertheless, conducting a national election across a country as vast and complex as Nigeria presents continuous technological, logistical, and political challenges,” she said.
The commission subsequently identified areas where it would welcome technical and institutional assistance from the AU.
These include digital training methodologies for more than 1.4 million election personnel, e-learning tools, digital simulation models and standardised ICT training protocols.
INEC also requested assistance on countering election disinformation, particularly the use of artificial intelligence to create deepfakes and coordinated fake-news campaigns.
Other areas highlighted included strengthening the Election Monitoring and Support Centre as an operational tracking, evaluation and early-warning mechanism, as well as capacity-building workshops.
The commission further sought assistance in strengthening electoral inclusion and gender-mainstreaming frameworks, including improved participation of persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons and other underrepresented groups.
Agbamuche-Mbu assured the AU delegation of INEC’s full cooperation as it engages political parties, civil society organisations, security agencies, media executives and development partners during its assessment.
She said the commission would provide the mission with relevant operational data to support its assessment report.
The INEC chairman, she added, remained committed to the independence, neutrality and professionalism of the commission, insisting that all administrative decisions would be guided by the law.
“Every technical deployment will serve transparency, and the final outcome of the 2027 general election will reflect nothing less than the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate,” she said.
Authority.

2027: Wike hits back at APC Govs, says my support only for Tinubu

*Insists PDP will field candidates in other elections

 

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has reiterated that his support for the reelection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remained sacrosanct, saying he never promised that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not field candidates in governoship, National Assembly and States House of Assembly elections.

The Minister said the rainbow coalition does not have anything to do with the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the coalition as a platform for other political parties that are pleased with the good works of the President and are supporting his reelection.

In a statement on Tuesday, by his Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the FCT Minister, who said he won’t be the one to help people to win elections in their States, noted that “politics is local and those having problems in their States should resolve them instead of using the reelection of the President to whip up sentiments.”

Wike pointed out that he never met with the All Progressives Congress (APC) before himself and other members of the G5 supported the President in 2023, and that for 2027, his support is for the president only.

The Minister said politics is no longer about coming from fourth position to be governor, it is about genuinely mobilising support and winning elections from the polling units.

He asked; “In Imo State under Governor Hope Uzodinma, how did APC win two senate seats in 2023, in an election held the same day with that of the President and APC had less than 15 percent in the presidential election? Was it rainbow coalition? Were the voters confused?

“Was it rainbow coalition that also made APC to win National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu States where the President did not have ten percent of the votes?

“If in 2023, the voters in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi voted APC in the Senatorial election and voted another party in the presidential election, they won’t be confused in 2027 provided we all support the president genuinely this time?

The Minister urged all stakeholders to put the presidential election first, saying; “after the President must have been reelected, we can all go and face elections in our States.”

“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the reelection of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and States House of Assembly elections.

“Most importantly, rainbow coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is own way of mobilising support accross political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term,” he said.