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Kogi State governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with traditional institutions to promote peace, unity, security and grassroots development in the state.

Ododo gave the assurance on Saturday in Ankpa during the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the ascension of the Ejeh of Ankpa, Alhaji Abubakar Yakubu II, to the throne.

The governor described traditional rulers as custodians of cultural heritage and vital partners in governance, noting that their closeness to the people positions them to understand community needs and contribute meaningfully to addressing grassroots challenges.

He commended the Ejeh for his leadership over the past five years and urged him to sustain efforts to promote unity, peaceful coexistence and development among communities under his traditional authority.

Ododo also called on traditional rulers, community leaders and residents to strengthen cooperation with security agencies to tackle insecurity and protect lives and property.

He stressed that effective collaboration among traditional institutions, government and security agencies is essential to maintaining peace and creating an enabling environment for sustainable development.

He urged traditional rulers to continue serving as a bridge between the government and the people by communicating the concerns of their communities and supporting government initiatives in key sectors, including education, healthcare, agriculture and infrastructure.

The governor added that sustained engagement at the grassroots level was necessary to ensure that government policies and development programmes adequately addressed the needs and aspirations of the people.

THE state police bill is set to commence its final leg in the National Assembly following the passage of the constitutional amendment clauses by 25 states Houses of Assemblies as of last weekend.

Deputy spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon Phillip Agbese, who confirmed the development on Monday in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune said that President Bola Tinubu will soon assent to the constitution amendment bill after the ratification of the remittances from the state assemblies.

Honourable Agbese, disclosed that the National Assembly had commenced the process of receiving and collating the resolutions from the state legislatures.

He said the approval by the required number of state assemblies represented a significant milestone in the constitutional amendment process, adding that the National Assembly would proceed with the next stage once the Clerk to the National Assembly had authenticated the resolutions.

‘Now that the required two-thirds of State Houses of Assembly have approved the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, the National Assembly is in the process of receiving and collating the formal resolutions from the states,’ he said.

He added that the bill would be transmitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent once the constitutional requirement had been formally confirmed.

‘Once the Clerk to the National Assembly authenticates that the constitutional threshold has been duly met, the Bill will be transmitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent in line with Section 9 of the Constitution,’ Hon. Agbese stated.

The 25 states that have so far endorsed the legislative framework are Adamawa, Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara, Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Zamfara, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Taraba, Yobe and Kebbi.

Under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, an amendment requires the support of at least two-thirds of the members of each chamber of the National Assembly and approval through resolutions of the Houses of Assembly of not fewer than two-thirds (24 of the 36 states).

Hon. Agbese described the development as a major step towards restructuring Nigeria’s policing architecture, which has been dominated by the Nigeria Police Force under the Federal Government.

‘This is a critical and irreversible step forward,’ he said, stressing that the proposed reform was intended to bring policing closer to communities and improve responses to security threats.

He, however, noted that the constitutional amendment was only one part of the process, as the Presidential Working Group was continuing work on the accompanying National Policing Bill, which would establish the operational framework for the proposed dual policing system.

‘Alongside this, the Presidential Working Group continues its work on the accompanying National Policing Bill, which will provide the detailed operational framework, standards, and safeguards for the dual policing system,’ the Deputy Spokesman said.

Hon. Agbese reaffirmed the commitment of the House leadership to completing the reform process, expressing optimism that the proposed arrangement would strengthen community-based security and make policing more responsive to the needs of Nigerians.

‘We remain committed to seeing this reform completed so that Nigerians can begin to enjoy the benefits of more responsive, community-based policing,’ he added.

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, also known as the State Police Establishment Bill, originated as an Executive Bill as part of efforts to address the country’s persistent security challenges and improve the effectiveness of law enforcement.

The National Assembly transmitted the bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, through the office of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, following its passage by both chambers. The transmission was carried out pursuant to Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution and on the directive of the National Assembly leadership.

In a statement announcing the transmission, Barrister Ogunlana said the State Police Establishment Bill was the only constitutional alteration bill passed by both chambers of the National Assembly in the ongoing exercise at the time.

He explained that the state legislatures had been requested to consider the bill in accordance with their respective legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly after concluding deliberations.

The CNA also indicated that the state assemblies had been given a 30-day administrative window to respond, clarifying that the period was not a constitutional deadline because the Constitution did not prescribe a specific timeframe for the submission of their resolutions.

The Senate passed the executive version of the bill on June 24, 2026, a day after receiving it, while the House of Representatives passed its version on June 11 before rescinding that earlier decision and adopting the executive version on July 23, 2026.

Meanwhile, the Ondo State House of Assembly on Monday passed the Bill seeking to establish state police in the country.

The bill scaled second and third readings during plenary, with all lawmakers present supporting its passage.

Moving the motion, the House Leader, Olatunji Oshati, said the lawmakers had carefully considered the implications of the proposed amendment, noting that state police would help address the country’s security challenges.

The motion was seconded by Allen Oluwatoyin, representing Ese-Odo Constituency.

The Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, described the proposed establishment of state police as long overdue, saying it would enable security agencies to respond more swiftly to crime and other security threats.

He added that decentralised policing would strengthen intelligence gathering, promote proactive security measures and help reduce criminal activities.

Oladiji directed the Clerk of the House to transmit the document, alongside the Assembly’s observations, to the National Assembly.

The passage comes amid growing support for the proposed constitutional amendment, which seeks to introduce a dual policing system in Nigeria.

The proposed amendment had secured the approval of 24 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, meeting the two-thirds threshold required for constitutional alteration.

The Nigeria’s Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, has met with Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo in Abuja to discuss strategies for mobilising support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

The meeting, held at the governor’s residence on Monday, focused on strengthening the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State and consolidating support for Tinubu ahead of the general elections.

The minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Lizzy Okoji, disclosed this in a statement.

According to the statement, the discussions centred on collaboration among APC leaders, engagement with party stakeholders and strengthening political structures across the state’s three senatorial districts.

Both leaders pledged to work together to advance the party’s interests and secure electoral support for Tinubu in the state.

Speaking after the meeting, Audu described Ododo as the leader of the APC in Kogi State and emphasised the need for unity among party leaders to achieve the president’s re-election bid.

‘Governor Ododo is the leader of our Party, APC in Kogi, and the Governor and I are committed to working together with other party leaders and stakeholders across Kogi State to ensure that we deliver a resounding victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027,’ he said.

The minister said the party was committed to strengthening its grassroots structures and mobilising residents across the state ahead of the elections.

‘We understand the importance of this task, and we are determined to mobilise our people and strengthen our structures across the state.

Kogi is united in this mission, and we will work together to deliver an overwhelming victory for Mr President,’ Audu added.

He said the meeting was part of ongoing efforts to improve cooperation among APC leaders in Kogi State and coordinate preparations for the 2027 general elections under Ododo’s leadership.

The Academy of Medical Sciences of Nigeria (AMSN) has strongly cautioned the Federal Government against prematurely declaring the country free of Ebola, following the medical evacuation of Nigeria’s index case of the disease to Switzerland.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, the academy warned that, while the source patient had left the country, Nigeria’s outbreak response was far from over.

The statement was jointly signed yesterday by the AMSN President, Emeritus Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie; the Foundation President, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru; and the Chairman of the Rapid Response Committee, Prof. Boaz Adegboro.

The intervention follows confirmation by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, that Nigeria’s index Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) case was medically evacuated from Abuja to Switzerland on Monday morning, alongside her asymptomatic spouse.

The academy noted that the medical evacuation of the clinically stable patient was fully permitted under the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) and WHO protocols. It cited the 2014 precedent, when the US, UK, Germany, Spain and Switzerland similarly evacuated Ebola patients to high-level isolation units.

However, the medical experts stressed that the departure of the source case did not eliminate local risks.

‘The source case leaving the country does not reduce the risk among the 53 contacts, who include health workers and domestic staff,’ the statement read. ‘Each person must complete 21 days of follow-up, and WHO requires 42 days without a new case before an outbreak can be declared over.’

To ensure public transparency, the academy called on the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to publish a brief account of the evacuation protocol, the WHO-Swiss coordination framework and the decontamination measures implemented.

While praising the Nigerian clinicians, nurses, laboratory scientists and public health officers who stabilised the patient, the academy raised red flags over systemic vulnerabilities exposed by the case.

The experts expressed concern over a 13-day delay between the onset of symptoms and final testing, during which the patient sought care at multiple private facilities.

This delay exposed several healthcare workers and revealed a low index of suspicion for viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHF) among febrile travellers, despite a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) having been declared in May.

Furthermore, the academy pointed out a stark disparity in health equity. ‘Even though a foreign national could be flown to a high-level isolation unit abroad, a Nigerian patient could not,’ the body noted, urging Nigeria to urgently build domestic capacity to guarantee the same standard of care for citizens and visitors alike.

To secure the containment of the virus, the academy detailed a comprehensive roadmap for federal health authorities.

At the forefront of these demands is a strict contact-tracking protocol. The academy insisted that authorities must complete the 21-day daily monitoring of all 53 identified contacts, execute rapid testing for any who exhibit symptoms, and provide fully funded welfare packages to ensure total compliance with quarantine rules.

Alongside patient tracking, the academy emphasised health worker support, calling on the government to deliver immediate occupational health follow-ups and psychosocial support to every medical professional exposed during the initial chain of care.

To fortify national vigilance, the body recommended that a national alert be issued to mandate all public and private health facilities to check the travel history of every febrile patient, with immediate isolation and testing for anyone linked to affected regions.

On an infrastructure level, the experts urged the government to establish at least one high-level isolation and treatment unit in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, ensuring that these facilities are equipped with trained staff and granted access to investigational therapeutics through WHO-coordinated trials.

The roadmap also targets critical gaps in research and data. The academy stated that Nigeria must secure its fair share of medical specimens, sequence data and clinical records to allow local scientists to lead the investigation into the source of the infection, particularly regarding reported genetic links to cases in Kenya and Uganda.

Finally, prioritising public communication, the academy underscored that the government must actively engage the media through timely, official briefings to effectively curb rumours, panic and social stigma.

The academy also appealed to the public to remain calm and vigilant, reject the stigmatisation of contacts and healthcare workers, rely only on official updates from the NCDC, and seek early medical attention for any travel-related fevers.

Registered voters can now check their names and other details on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) preliminary register of voters online ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The commission provides an online portal that allows voters to inspect the register for their polling units and identify possible errors or discrepancies.

1. Visit INEC’s online register portal

Visit https://display.inecnigeria.org/, the commission’s dedicated portal for viewing the preliminary register of voters.

2. Sign in to your account

Follow the sign-in instructions on the portal to access the register. Users must sign in before they can view the list of registered voters.

3. Select your polling unit

Choose your state, local government area, ward and polling unit to access the register for your location.

You can also enter your polling unit code to locate the relevant register.

4. Check the names and photographs

The portal displays the names and photographs of registered voters in the selected polling unit.

Users can select a letter to navigate to surnames beginning with that letter, making it easier to find a particular entry.

Check that your name and other displayed particulars are correct. You can also inspect other entries in the register for your polling unit.

5. Understand the portal’s limitations

INEC’s platform is designed for viewing the preliminary register. It cannot be used to register as a voter, transfer registration to another polling unit or replace a Permanent Voter Card (PVC).

The portal also does not support searching for an individual’s name across the country. Users must select a polling unit to view its register.

INEC monitors activity on the platform and limits the amount of information each account can access to protect the register from misuse. Users who reach the limit may be asked to try again later.

Those seeking to register to vote or access other voter registration services can visit INEC’s Continuous Voter Registration portal.

What happens after the inspection?

INEC says it is processing claims and objections arising from the preliminary register inspection exercise ahead of the certification and publication of the final register on December 15, 2026.

Voters who identify errors or discrepancies should consult INEC’s official guidance on submitting claims or objections, as the online viewing portal is not a voter registration or correction service.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, on Monday flagged off the Renewed Hope Light Up Project in Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, targeting 42,000 households across the 13 electoral wards of the constituency with solar lights.

He also distributed 26 power transformers to the wards to connect communities to the national electricity grid.

Commissioning the solar lights, which marked the second phase of the project, the Deputy Speaker, who represents the constituency at the National Assembly, described access to power as the pressing need of the people uncovered during a constituency-wide needs assessment.

He said: ‘In representation, one of the key expectations of the office of a representative is to do needs analysis, and in the course of doing needs analysis, we discovered that one of our greatest problems in this federal constituency is darkness, lack of access to power and that has affected our economic life, the security life of the community, the human capacity development and job creation, all of which fall under the proposition of the Renewed Hope Agenda, the eight agenda of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who from the start intended to improve the economic life of our nation, starting from the communities; create more jobs; improve the security of our communities, human capacity development, agriculture and food security and the list goes on’

The Deputy Speaker said the project had two components: connecting communities to the national grid through transformer distribution and providing alternative energy through solar for all homes in the constituency.

He said the intervention aligned with the eight-point Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which seeks to improve the economic life of Nigerians, starting from the communities.

‘What we are doing today has a multiple effect, a ripple effect that trickles down to different aspects of this Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President. Today, we stand as the partners of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President. We call ourselves Renewed Hope Partners. We are members of APC, Bende constituents who believe in the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and his agenda to improve the lives of the people of Nigeria starting from Bende federal constituency.

‘What we are here to do is to drive that vision home, by making it a mission that our people can feel, touch and experience. Light before now to many homes in Bende seemed to be luxury. That has been demystified,’ he said.

The Deputy Speaker further disclosed that he received approval of the plan from President Tinubu when he presented the figure of 42,000 households with a request to ensure that children could read at night without kerosene lanterns and that families could power their fans and charge phones.

He expressed profound gratitude to the President for his interventions in Bende in particular and in the entire South-East in general, noting that the Light Up Project was aimed at making its impact felt directly by rural households in Bende.

‘Let me thank the President for initiating Renewed Hope Agenda which has been the roadmap towards the achievements we have made in the last few years.

‘There is nothing we are doing in Bende, in Igboland as members of this government that has not been approved by the President. He is a President that loves the south Easterners and he is making sure that most of the landmark initiatives commence from this area of the country. Today, we are saying bye bye to darkness in Bende Federal Constituency’, Kalu said.

Explaining that the rollout was in batches of 10,000 households, Hon. Kalu said 1,000 solar units had already been distributed to beneficiaries from all electoral wards in the constituency who were present at the ceremony to testify.

He said each solar unit would serve for 10 years, revealing that it came with a maintenance agreement.

‘The people who are handling this have said that this particular solar will serve our people for 10 good years which means you are not going to look for kerosene to power your lanterns in 10 good years, where to charge your phone, power fan. The arrangement we have made with them is that if anything goes bad, we will invite them to come back and fix it as far as you didn’t break it’, he said.

The Deputy Speaker also assured that the first 10,000 of the solar lights distributed on Monday would be completed in the next two weeks before the next batch began.

‘In the next two weeks, I am sure this 10,000 will be done with and another 10,000 will come in and that is how we will follow it until we finish’, he said.

To ensure accountability and prevent diversion of the solar lights, Kalu said all installations were geo-located and programmed through an app, adding that it was the first time 42,000 homes in a single federal constituency would receive solar power in Nigeria.

‘All the installations will be geo-located through the App. Let me warn. Don’t take your own meant for Item to Ozuitem, it will not work. They are all programmed. This is the first of its kind in the Federal Republic of Nigeria that 42,000 homes will receive light in a federal constituency,’ he said.

Also distributing the brand-new transformers, Hon. Kalu explained that each of the 13 wards in Bende would receive two transformers to gain access to the national grid and help boost their small and medium enterprises.

‘Just like we promised that the light in Bende is in two phases, we have the one for national grid and then, we have places that have not experienced the effect of national grid. Based on that, we requested for alternative source of energy that is environmentally friendly and we chose solar. But we also know that while solar handles the home, the small and medium scale enterprises across Bende need support to power fridges, welding machines, small scale industries, you need a transformer to pick up power from the national grid. So, we have made provisions for all the Wards. Every Ward in Bende Federal Constituency wil receive two transformers.

‘The decision on where they will be located will not be based on sentiment and will not be political. It will be needs- influenced decision. It will be decision based on lack of access to electricity. Thereafter, all parts will follow. So, my advise to the leaders when you go back is that these should not be packed in anybody’s home. They should be placed around the place it will be easier to be hooked to the national grid to be begin to serve greater number of the people.

‘We must choose a location where wider number of our constituents will enjoy access to electricity. We are doing all this because of the ripple effect power brings. If you see us distributing solar fans, it is to prevent the heat waves so that Bende people will not be badly impacted by the heat wave that is coming from the global warming. We also believe that these transformers will add values that will protect us from global warming.

‘I want to thank Bende people for sending me to Abuja. I want to thank them for making that decision. The decision is what is fetching what is happening here today and many more that we have done as well as much more that we will do in the coming days.

‘Secure these transformers when it gets to your place. It will be economic sabotage if you tamper with them. They should be protected by the youths, the Presidents-General and the traditional rulers because it is meant to serve Bende communities and everyone in Bende both those in APC and those not in APC. These transformers do not know the colour of political parties. It will serve everyone that I am representing,’ Hon. Kalu said.

The Deputy Speaker also signed a ?100 million contract with the electricity company that installed the transformers for the restoration of light to Item and Alayi wards, which have been disconnected for years.

Some constituents representing the 13 electoral wards and the Presidents-General of different town unions, who testified to the effective representation of the Deputy Speaker at the commissioning, pledged to vote massively for both President Tinubu and Kalu in the 2027 general elections to continue their people-oriented projects.