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NDLEA arrests two Europe-bound businessmen at Abuja airport

Two Europe-based Nigerian ‘businessmen’ who flew home on holiday and attempted to return to Paris, France with their bellies loaded with cocaine have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

The duo, Aliocus Godian Odife and Sam Blackborn, according to a statement by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, were intercepted on 28th October 2026 during the outward clearance of Air France flight AF 832 from Abuja to Paris.

Both men have excreted a total of 200 wraps of the Class A drug weighing 3.460 kilograms.

Odife, who claims to live in France and works in a factory, arrived in Nigeria for a short holiday on 21st October.

He was, however, arrested by NDLEA operatives on his return flight few days after when he was subjected to a body scan, which confirmed the presence of foreign objects in his stomach. Under interview, he admitted to having ingested 110 pellets of cocaine.

He was placed under observation during which he excreted all 110 wraps, which tested positive for cocaine, with a total weight of 1.901 kilograms.

On the same flight, his co-traveller, Sam Blackborn, was also nabbed by NDLEA officers at the departure hall of the Abuja airport. His body scan likewise returned positive for ingestion, while he confessed to having swallowed 90 pellets of cocaine. Under observation, he excreted all 90 wraps, which tested positive for the class A drug after each excretion and weighed a total of 1.559 kilograms.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on actionable intelligence on the movement of skunk, a strong strain of cannabis from the Island to the Mainland, on 25th October, intercepted a white Volkswagen LT 28 bus along Kudirat Abiola Way, Ikeja, where 537 kilograms of the psychoactive substance were recovered. The same day, another team of officers intercepted a brown J5 bus along the Gbagada-Oshodi expressway, with 439 kilograms of the same substance seized.

In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives on 29th October conducted a follow-up operation at Idere Road, Igboora, where two suspects, Oguntona Nasiru and Soji Balogun, were arrested while loading 554 kilograms of skunk into a Volvo truck for onward movement into town. The operation targeted a notorious drug dealer known as ‘Omo Oba’, who escaped arrest on 25th October when officers seized 309.5 kilograms of the strong cannabis strain popularly called ‘Ghanaian Loud’ linked to him.

In Kano, NDLEA operatives on 26th October raided a location in Tsamiya area of Gezawa, where they recovered 247,500 tablets of diazepam weighing 57.7 kilograms and 100,000 tablets of Exol-5 weighing 38.7 kilograms. Two days later, on 28th October, another team of officers stormed the Dorayi area of the state, where they arrested Ziya’ulhaq Abdullahi and Garba Muhammed with 19,250 pills of tramadol 225mg weighing 13.6 kilograms.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway have arrested a woman, Aisha Isah, at the toll gate with 266 rounds of live AK-47 ammunition. On the Zaria-Kano expressway, a 68-year-old man, Ifeanyi Egwolonwu, was arrested at Gwargwaje, Zaria, with 2,770 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 100 ampoules of diazepam injection, 11,000 tablets of diazepam and 4,500 tablets of Exol-5.

In a raid at Tashan Banke area of the state, officers also arrested seven suspects, including Faisal Adamu, and recovered 178.85 kilograms of cannabis alongside quantities of diazepam, tramadol, Exol-5 and pregabalin.

In Ondo State, NDLEA operatives on 25th October, acting on credible intelligence, raided cannabis farms in Ijare forest, where they arrested four suspects, including Bassey Okon, Abraham Edet and Oto Udo. A total of 16 bags of processed cannabis weighing 180 kilograms were recovered from the farms.

Similarly, a team of NDLEA operatives supported by soldiers on 28th October 2026 raided Eko Camp in Ilushi, Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State, where a cannabis plantation measuring 1.646 hectares with an estimated yield of 4,115.53 kilograms was destroyed. A 50-year-old woman, Christiana Uboi, was arrested at the camp with 301 kilograms of processed cannabis, while another 176 kilograms of the drug was recovered during the raid.

In Sokoto, operatives of Zone 7 Command of NDLEA, acting on credible intelligence, on Saturday, arrested a 68-year-old man, Ibrahim Ayuba, with 236.6 kilograms of skunk.

With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities, among others, in the past week.

While commending the officers and men of NAIA, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Ondo, Oyo and Edo Commands for the arrests and seizures, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), noted that the interception of the two cocaine couriers at Abuja airport is a fresh warning to those who think they can use their residence abroad as cover to traffic drugs across Nigerian borders.

He said the Agency’s officers at all entry and exit points remain alert, and that there is no hiding place for anyone who chooses to risk their life and liberty by ingesting illicit drugs for a fee.

Marwa also charged officers and men of the Agency across the country to sustain the current tempo against drug cartels while not relenting in their drug demand reduction efforts, including WADA sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.

CAN raises concern over reported conviction of Christian woman in Borno

THE Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed concern over the reported conviction and imprisonment of a Christian woman, identified as Lami Samuel Dawa, in Borno State.

CAN said the circumstances surrounding the conviction, particularly reports that the case arose from the conversion of an adult woman to Christianity, had raised serious questions about the protection of religious freedom and fundamental human rights in the country.

The association, however, said it was still verifying the precise facts and legal basis of the conviction.

In a press statement issued on Saturday and signed by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN disclosed that an appeal had already been filed, adding that it was committed to allowing the judicial process to run its course.

The association stressed that every Nigerian had the constitutional right to freely choose, change or practise their religion or belief without coercion, intimidation or unlawful punishment.

It called on the relevant authorities to ensure that the rights of all parties involved in the case were protected and that justice was served in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of the country.

‘Nevertheless, the case raises important questions about the protection of religious freedom and the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’ the statement said.

CAN further disclosed that it would continue to monitor developments surrounding the case and engage relevant authorities through appropriate legal and institutional channels.

Reaffirming its commitment to religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, the association said it remained dedicated to protecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of every Nigerian, irrespective of religious background.

The development comes amid renewed concerns over the protection of religious freedom and the rights of citizens to practise their faith in different parts of the country.

2027: We have no issue with Gwarzo, says INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it has no objection to the candidacy of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, explaining that a court order is responsible for the omission of his name from the updated list of candidates for the 2027 elections.

A senior official of the commission told Daily Trust that Gwarzo had been cleared, but his name could not be published until the final determination of an ex parte order issued by a Federal High Court in Kano on October 27.

‘I thought I told you he had been cleared, subject only to the final outcome of an ex parte order by a Federal High Court in Kano on October 27 that we should not download the name of any candidate for NDC.

‘In other words, we have no issue with him,’ the official said.

The clarification followed checks by Daily Trust on Saturday which showed that Gwarzo and his running mate, Rabiu Mustapha, were still missing from INEC’s updated list of governorship and deputy governorship candidates.

The commission indicated ‘Court Order’ against the NDC’s governorship and deputy governorship positions in Kano State.

The development had raised questions about the commission’s earlier decision to clear Gwarzo, after it emerged that his name was still absent from the updated list released on Saturday.

INEC had on Thursday considered petitions arising from the omission of candidates from its initial list published on October 10.

Following its review, the commission upheld 66 petitions and rejected 64 others relating to governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates across the country.

Among those cleared was former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, whose name was subsequently included as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Gombe State.

However, the commission’s explanation suggests that Gwarzo’s continued absence from the Kano list is not a rejection of his candidacy but a consequence of the subsisting court order restraining the publication of NDC candidates’ names.

The legal restriction is therefore expected to remain a factor in the publication of the party’s candidates pending the final outcome of the court proceedings

Flamingos edge out Venezuela to reach U-17 World Cup semi-finals

Nigeria’s Flamingos have booked their place in the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after edging Venezuela 1-0 in a tense quarter-final on Sunday night, with Azeezat Oduntan converting a late penalty in the 89th minute.

The closely contested encounter saw Nigeria create several scoring opportunities but struggle to find a way past Venezuela goalkeeper Valeria Rebanales, who produced a series of saves to keep her side in the game.

The Flamingos enjoyed much of the attacking play in the first half, but Rebanales stood firm as Nigeria pushed for an opener. Midfielder Favour Nkwocha was booked as the contest grew increasingly tense.

Head coach Hakeem Busari made his first substitution by bringing on Precious Oscar for Oluwakemi Adegbuyi as Nigeria searched for a breakthrough.

The deadlock remained unbroken until the 88th minute, when the referee awarded Nigeria a penalty before being called to the pitchside monitor to review the decision.

After consulting the video assistant referee (VAR), the referee upheld the penalty. Oduntan stepped up and converted from the spot in the 89th minute to give Nigeria the decisive goal.

Top scorer Oluebube Umejiaku won the penalty, creating the opportunity for Oduntan to settle the contest.

The victory sends the Flamingos into the semi-finals, where they will face Brazil, who advanced with a 2-1 win over China in their quarter-final match.

Demonstrate democratic maturity and work collaboratively to keep Kogi State peaceful – Shehu

As the 2027 electioneering year is fast approaching, Wahab L. Shehu, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kogi State Resident Commissioner (REC), has called upon the people of the state to demonstrate democratic maturity and work collaboratively to keep Kogi State peaceful and progress-driven.

Shehu stated this at the critical stakeholders’ session with political leaders and candidates at the INEC headquarters, Lokoja, saying this is a clear indication of their collective commitment to the peace, stability and democratic progress of Kogi State.

He said: ‘We have convened this gathering for one primary purpose: to ensure that our electoral processes in Kogi State remain peaceful, transparent, credible, and seamless.

‘As key players in the political ecosystem, your role goes beyond seeking public office; it extends to sustaining public confidence in our democratic process. Today, we want to address vital operational arrangements, security protocols, and compliance directives essential for our upcoming activities and future engagements.

‘This meeting will also provide you with an opportunity to express your concerns and what you expect from INEC and other stakeholders in the build -up to the General Election. Specifically, this meeting seeks to provide you with an update on INEC’s preparations for the elections and your expected roles, as well as to discuss security concerns in the ongoing political campaigns by candidates and their supporters across the state’.

He pointed out that as the Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) Collection and Voter Sensitisation is ongoing across the 21 local government areas, ‘We strongly implore political parties, candidates, and community leaders to join hands with us in mobilising citizens to pick up their PVCs at the local government area offices while we await the arrival and distribution of cards for subsequent phases.

‘To ensure maximum outreach, the Commission is actively sensitising the public through regular media jingles across various radio stations in the state.

In line with our strategic preparations for the 2027 General Elections, the Commission is conducting comprehensive internal capacity -building workshops led by our Electoral Operations and Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) Departments.

‘These initiatives cover critical operational areas, including the Collation Support and Verification System (CSRVS), Electoral Operations Support Centre (EOSC), Voter Education, as well as Gender and Inclusivity training to ensure every segment of society is served effectively.

‘To boost our logistical capacity and guarantee prompt deployment during elections, additional operational vehicles have been supplied to the State Headquarters and LGA offices. Major and minor reconstruction and renovation works are currently ongoing across our L local government area offices to create a safe and functional environment for staff, stakeholders, and the general public.

‘We urge all political parties and candidates to begin the mobilisation of their party agents immediately. This is to avoid delays when the time of upload begins and to avoid unnecessary delays in printing the official identification tags,’ he said.

On the security concerns in the ongoing political campaigns, he said: ‘We have received some disturbing reports of attacks and intimidation. Political competition is not a license for criminality. INEC and security agencies emphasise that no candidate’s ambition is worth the safety or lives of citizens.

‘Political parties are required by law to maintain peaceful, issue -based campaigns. Therefore, party leaders are encouraged to rein in their supporters and stop mobilising thugs, destroying opponents’ campaign materials, or blocking rival political gatherings.’

He pointed out that INEC in Kogi State remained strictly non-partisan and dedicated to providing a level playing field for every participant.

2027: North must allow South complete eight years Presidency insists

The Presidency on Sunday warned against attempts to truncate the South’s eight-year tenure in the nation’s rotational presidency arrangement insisting that the North must honour the existing understanding to preserve national unity political stability and mutual trust.

It argued that sacrificing the longstanding power-sharing principle to accommodate any individual’s presidential ambition would undermine the spirit of reciprocity that has helped sustain Nigeria’s democracy since 1999.

Personal Assistant to the President on Radio and Broadcast Office of the Vice President Hajya Rahma Abdulmajid made the statement on Sunday about the Grand Inauguration and Strategic Media Awards Ceremony of Matan Arewa 4 Tinubu Again (MATA) in Kano.

Abdulmajid who made a veiled reference to former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar maintained that the North’s political interests would be better protected by respecting the rotational arrangement than pursuing an immediate return to power.

She described the North-South power-sharing understanding as a reciprocal political compact designed to guarantee fairness inclusion and national stability.

According to her the agreement reached by political leaders during the transition from military rule in 1998 helped address the divisions created by the annulment of the June 12 1993 presidential election.

She recalled that prominent Northern and Southern leaders including Chief Sunday Awoniyi Dr Chuba Okadigbo Alhaji Abubakar Rimi Dr Alex Ekwueme and Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo participated in the discussions that shaped the understanding.

Abdulmajid also claimed that Atiku attended the historic Kaduna meeting a position she said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume had corroborated.

‘In 1999 when the guns of military rule finally fell silent this nation did not just switch governments-we made a sacred promise.

‘Our founding patriots gathered in Kaduna with one urgent defining question echo-chambered in their minds: How do we keep Nigeria one?

‘And from that sacred deliberation came a compact: not a sectional concession but a reciprocal agreement’ she said.

Tracing the country’s leadership transitions Abdulmajid noted that former President Olusegun Obasanjo governed from 1999 to 2007 before power shifted North with the election of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

She explained that Yar’Adua’s death in 2010 interrupted the North’s tenure with his Southern deputy Goodluck Jonathan completing the administration and subsequently winning the 2011 presidential election.

According to her the North’s demand for power to return in 2015 was eventually realised through the election of Muhammadu Buhari who served two terms between 2015 and 2023.

She maintained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s emergence in 2023 restored the rotational sequence making his re-election in 2027 consistent with the same principle Northern political leaders previously defended.

‘The agreement is reciprocal; it is a two-way street. The North has already taken its full benefit after eight solid years under Buhari. You cannot eat your cake and still demand another man’s cake’ she declared.

Abdulmajid recalled Tinubu’s role in mobilising support for Buhari’s election in 2015 arguing that the same commitment to political fairness should now guide Northern leaders in supporting his second-term ambition.

She accused Atiku of applying different standards to the zoning arrangement depending on whether it favoured his presidential aspirations.

‘Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar tells us zoning is ‘self-defeating.’ But he participated in and benefited from zoned arrangements in 2015 and 2019 when they favoured his ambition!

‘When rotation opened the door for him it was acceptable. When it stands in his way it becomes ‘intellectually dishonest” she said.

Questioning the justification for abandoning the arrangement she added: ‘Shall we sacrifice Nigeria’s stability for one man’s ambition? The North’s genuine interest is not served by that; the North’s interest is stable inclusion.

‘The guarantee that power will return to you only lives if we honour the compact today’.

She urged Northern voters to regard Tinubu’s re-election as a matter of political honour and national stability rather than sectional competition.

‘This is for our honour. This is for reciprocity. This is for the enduring stability and peaceful coexistence of our great nation.

‘That is exactly what the re-election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term stands for’ she said.

Also speaking Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf warned that reversing the existing power rotation arrangement would portray the North as unwilling to respect political agreements.

The governor represented by his Director-General of Media and Publicity Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa maintained that fairness inclusivity and mutual respect remained indispensable to Nigeria’s unity.

He urged Northern political stakeholders to uphold the existing understanding by supporting Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

Former Jigawa State Governor and immediate past Minister of Defence Mohammad Abubakar Badaru also backed the President’s second-term bid arguing that the North had benefited substantially from the administration’s infrastructure investments.

Badaru maintained that the Tinubu administration had delivered more development projects to the North than to any other region.

He cited completed road projects including the 88-kilometre Zuba-Jere and 81-kilometre Abuja-Kaduna sections of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway commissioned in October 2026.

Others he said included the 77-kilometre Kaduna-Pambeguwa road the Yakasai-Badume-Damargu-Marken Zalli roads in Kano and the Jimeta Bridge in Yola.

On healthcare the former minister listed the completed Gadon Kaya Primary Healthcare Centre in Kano three polio emergency centres in Katsina Kano and Sokoto and a pharmacy laboratory at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria.

He also mentioned the 50-bed mental health centre at the University of Maiduguri an infertility centre at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi and ongoing improvements at Bichi General Hospital.

Badaru further identified the deployment of 79 Compressed Natural Gas-powered ambulances as part of the administration’s efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery.

He maintained that the projects demonstrated the administration’s commitment to Northern development and provided additional justification for the region to support Tinubu’s second-term ambition.

Advocates, Rotary clubs urge students to embrace peace, shun violence

The Peace Arena for Youth Foundation (PAY-F), in partnership with PeaceJam Nigeria, the Rotary Club of Akoka, District 9112, and the Rotary Club of Ikeja GRA, District 9111, has urged students and members of different ethnic groups to embrace peaceful coexistence and shun violence.

The call was made at an event themed ‘Choosing Peace Over Violence,’ held on Saturday at the Tolu Odugbemi Hall, University of Lagos (UNILAG).

Speaking on the theme, a Rotary Peace Fellow alumna, Rotarian Grace Anuforo, identified six forms of violence, including physical abuse, sexual violence, social and emotional abuse, cybercrime, verbal abuse, and cruelty.

Anuforo advised participants to set boundaries and walk away from bullying, physical attacks, and verbal abuse rather than retaliate.

She said, ‘This isn’t weakness. It means that you have power over the other person. You shouldn’t allow the actions of a bully to control you. You must think about the consequences of your actions before you act.

‘Being a peace ambassador in your various schools means engaging in peaceful dialogue and teaching other students the rudiments of peaceful coexistence. You must let them understand the dangers of hurting fellow students or engaging in actions that could make them feel violated.’

Also speaking, an official of the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Awojumobi Oluwaseun, described initiatives of this nature as important in promoting peaceful coexistence, conflict resolution and positive behavioural changes among students, particularly amid growing social challenges in schools.

He expressed satisfaction with the large turnout of students, their enthusiasm and the quality of presentations, noting that the programme had fostered an effective partnership among the organisers, teachers and students.

According to him, the initiative provides students with opportunities to acquire practical knowledge beyond the conventional classroom environment.

He urged teachers to reinforce the lessons by creating opportunities for participating students to educate their peers through classroom engagements, school assemblies and other collective activities.

‘The students are agents of change, and they can influence others in their classes. They should be encouraged to continue talking to themselves, encouraging one another and spreading the message of peace beyond the programme,’ he said.

Oluwaseun also advised the organisers to develop information materials, including magazines and flyers, to sustain awareness and encourage positive behavioural changes among students.

He urged the participants to sustain their enthusiasm and commitment, stressing that peace education should extend beyond the programme and become part of their daily conduct within and outside the school environment.

Earlier in her opening remarks, the Executive Director of PAY-F and Coordinator of PeaceJam Nigeria, Dr Doyin Ogunyemi, described the theme as timely, noting that shaping young people’s lives positively from an early age could have lasting effects on their behaviour and choices in adulthood.

Ogunyemi, a former president of the Rotary Club of Akoka, urged young people to maintain harmonious relationships with those around them and promote peace in their communities and beyond.

She said the foundation believed that peace education should begin early, adding that students needed to understand that they could navigate life’s challenges by choosing peaceful responses over violence.

According to her, young people often encounter situations that provoke frustration and could lead to physical violence or emotional abuse, but they must understand that responding violently or peacefully is a choice.

She also stressed the need for peaceful conduct ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging Nigerians to embrace dialogue, tolerate opposing views and remain united despite their differences.

Ogunyemi identified poverty, inadequate resources and economic difficulties, including the rising cost of transportation, as some of the factors that could trigger frustration and violence among students and members of society.

She called for equitable access to available resources and urged students to serve as role models by demonstrating peaceful ways of resolving disagreements.

The PAY-F executive director also advocated the integration of more peace clubs into school curricula to equip students with the skills to manage difficult situations and maintain peaceful relationships.

‘We want to build a country where, even when we disagree on an issue, we can engage in dialogue rather than fight, pick up weapons or resort to other negative actions,’ she said.

Ogunyemi added that individuals must take responsibility for promoting peace, beginning with themselves, their immediate surroundings, schools and communities before extending the message to the wider world.

The event attracted 340 students drawn from 21 schools across Lagos State and neighbouring Southwest states, teachers, development practitioners, Rotarians and peace advocates.

2027: Tinubu lacks stamina to continue in office – APM campaign

The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO), under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to quit his re-election bid, saying Nigeria needs a President with the required stamina to lead a country.

The Director of Strategic Communications of the MDPCO, Richard Ihediwa, stated this in Abuja on Sunday while reacting to the President’s continued foreign trips, the latest being his visit to Saudi Arabia for prayers, just weeks after returning from a vacation in France.

The MDPCO stated that President Tinubu could not withstand the rigours of campaigning and had to be flown to Mecca for prayers after delivering a ‘speech at the sparsely attended flag-off of his re-election campaign in Kaduna last week.’

‘President Tinubu does not have the stamina to continue in office. It’s a natural tendency. All of us wish and pray to grow old, but we cannot continue to insist on holding office even when we no longer have the capacity, capability and stamina to effectively perform in the office.

‘So, President Tinubu should quit and allow a younger generation to take over. The Presidency is a very demanding office that requires a lot of stamina.

‘Nigeria has been racing backwards in the last three and a half years because we have a president who is not able to lead from the front, who cannot physically oversee governance. President Tinubu at his age is not attuned to aspirations of the contemporary world. He cannot invest in current technologies because these things would be confusing to him.

‘So, President Tinubu should take the back seat and allow younger hands, like our presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, to take over for the next four years to Reset Nigeria with an all-inclusive government of national unity.’

Ihediwa said Makinde possessed the experience, preparedness and energy required to work round the clock and deliver on promises

He stated, ‘Nigeria needs a president who can travel to every part of the country, spend quality time with citizens and remain actively engaged in governance, even into the early hours of the morning.

‘This explains the enthusiastic reception accorded Makinde, his running mate, Lawal Daura, and the entire campaign train by Nigerians across the North-West, North-Central, North-East, South-South, South-West and South-East geopolitical zones.

‘I want to use this opportunity to urge Nigerians to sustain the momentum, obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and vote out President Tinubu if he fails to heed our counsel and withdraw from the 2027 presidential race.’

On the announcement by the Federal Government of a monthly N50,000 payment to vulnerable households under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention, Ihediwa described it as a failed attempt to procure Nigerians , adding that such cannot sway the people from their determination to vote Tinubu out of office in January 2027.

‘Such panic-driven financial measures cannot save President Tinubu and the APC from defeat. You can see that the APC was defeated in the Osun State governorship election despite the amount of money that they deployed.’

Kwara 2027: 31% Undecided as Poll Projects how parties stand

Ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial poll in Kwara State, an African research and strategy consultancy specialising in opinion polling, NU Northstar Research, has reported that 31 per cent of voters have not undecided or declined to disclose their preference in the governorship race.

However, the poll reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, is leading his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, Bolakale Kawu, by 63 per cent to 34 per cent among voters who have expressed a voting preference, according to a new opinion poll.

The findings, signed by the Head of Research, NU Northstar, Mr Ebuka Iloh, are based on a survey of 30,000 registered voters across the state’s 16 local government areas and 193 wards.

Iloh said the survey was conducted between September 2 and October 20, 2026.

The report also puts the ruling APC candidates ahead of their PDP counterparts in all three senatorial districts.

Among the entire electorate surveyed, Danladi recorded 43 per cent support, compared with Kawu’s 24 per cent, while 31 per cent were undecided or declined to disclose their preference.

Zakari Mohammed of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) polled one per cent, while Ridwan Apaokagi of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) recorded less than one per cent.

A breakdown of the governorship findings showed that Danladi led in all three senatorial districts and all 16 local government areas.

His highest margin was recorded in Kwara North, where he polled 71 per cent against Kawu’s 26 per cent among decided voters. In Kwara Central, the figures were 56 per cent and 41 per cent respectively.

The closest local government contest was recorded in Ilorin West, Kawu’s home local government, where Danladi led by 51 per cent to 46 per cent. The poll, however, identified 58 of the state’s 193 wards as too close to call, while Danladi recorded clear leads in 135 wards.

Kwara South accounted for the largest concentration of undecided governorship voters, with 43 per cent yet to identify a preferred candidate.

The corresponding figures were 28 per cent in Kwara Central and 24 per cent in Kwara North. All six local governments where undecided voters exceeded 40 per cent were in Kwara South.

Young voters aged between 18 and 29 also recorded the highest level of uncertainty, with 37 per cent yet to make a choice.

Undecided voters were also more concentrated in Kwara South, where 36 per cent had yet to identify a preferred senatorial candidate, compared with 25 per cent in Kwara Central and 19 per cent in Kwara North.

On voting patterns, 64 per cent of respondents said they intended to support the same political party in both the governorship and senatorial elections, while 15 per cent indicated a possibility of splitting their votes. Another 21 per cent were uncertain.

The survey also examined public assessment of the incumbent administration.

Bad roads emerged as the most frequently identified problem statewide, cited by 25 per cent of respondents. However, priorities differed across the senatorial districts, with electricity prominent in Kwara Central, road infrastructure in Kwara South and insecurity in Kwara North.

According to the research team, the exercise combined telephone interviews, street surveys and online questionnaires to capture voters’ preferences, perceptions of government performance and concerns across different communities.

Daily Trust reports that the controversial outcomes of the APC’s candidate selection processes have deepened divisions within the ruling party in Kwara State.

Fifteen influential party leaders, operating under the aegis of the G-15, had rejected candidates backed by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and warned the party’s national leadership of the potential consequences of the internal crisis ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The G-15 which later rebranded as ‘The Otoge Progressives,’ comprising former ministers, serving and former lawmakers, party chieftains and grassroots mobilisers, has reportedly thrown its weight behind the PDP governorship candidate, further complicating the APC’s political calculations in the state.

One of the group’s members, Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central, has since defected to the PDP and secured the party’s senatorial ticket.

His emergence as the PDP’s senatorial candidate sets up a direct contest against Governor AbdulRazaq, who is also seeking election to the Senate on the APC platform.

Laopakdee rides rare 4-shot swing to retain Asia-Pacific crown; Dumdumaya squanders Top 6 bid

Jaden Dumdumaya’s familiar late-round woes resurfaced at the worst possible time, while Fifa Laopakdee produced a stunning comeback capped by a pivotal four-shot swing to retain his crown in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Te Arai Links South Course in New Zealand on Sunday.

Dumdumaya appeared poised for a Top-6 finish after mounting a spirited charge, but another shaky windup, marred by a pair of costly double bogeys, derailed his bid. He settled for a 72 and slipped back to joint 13th with a four-round total of 289, exactly where he stood at the start of the final round.

Laopakdee, meanwhile, turned a two-shot deficit into a two-stroke lead in a dramatic reversal on No. 11, where overnight leader Zach Swanwick suffered a disastrous triple bogey while the Thai calmly sank a birdie putt. The four-shot swing proved decisive, shifting the momentum of the championship and setting the stage for Laopakdee’s triumphant finish.

The Thai then stood firm under pressure, producing clutch shots and nerveless pars down the stretch before delivering the knockout blow on the par-3 17th, where he struck a solid tee shot to within two feet for a birdie.

He tapped in for par on the par-5 18th to complete a one-under 70 and a four-day total of 278, then celebrated with three emphatic downward fist pumps, capping another memorable championship triumph.

The victory carried echoes of his dramatic win in Dubai last year, when he overcame a six-shot deficit before prevailing in a three-player playoff.

Laopakdee had opened this year’s championship with a blistering 63 but cooled off with rounds of 72 and 73, enabling Swanwick to seize control. Trailing by two with eight holes remaining, however, the Thai found another gear.

On the pivotal par-4 11th, Laopakdee fired his approach to within eight feet, while Swanwick sent his shot into the left greenside bunker. The New Zealander’s recovery quickly turned into a nightmare as his blast sailed well past the cup and rolled down the slope. His next chip barely reached the ridge before the ball rolled back down, leaving him in further trouble.

Swanwick eventually carded a triple bogey, while Laopakdee calmly converted his birdie putt to seize the lead in a stunning four-shot turnaround.

From there, the Thai showed remarkable composure, surviving the closing holes with gutsy pars before delivering his decisive birdie on No. 17. He finished three strokes clear of Swanwick to become the third multiple winner of one of amateur golf’s premier championships.

The triumph also secured Laopakdee another invitation to next year’s Masters, along with a coveted berth in The Open.

Swanwick birdied the last to salvage a 75 and finish second at 281, while Australia’s Kayun Mudadana charged into third with a 67 for 282.

Dumdumaya, meanwhile, was left to rue another missed opportunity after briefly putting himself in contention for a strong finish.

Starting the day at joint 13th, the Filipino-American World No. 67 bounced back from a bogey on No. 2 with birdies on Nos. 5, 10, 13 and 14 to climb to joint sixth and raise hopes of a blistering final-round charge.

But the promising surge unraveled once more in the closing stretch. He stumbled with a double bogey on No. 15 and failed to regain his footing, dropping two more strokes on No. 17 to finish with a 72. His 289 total sent him tumbling back to joint 13th, erasing the gains of his earlier rally.

The recurring late-round breakdowns proved a frustrating hallmark of Dumdumaya’s campaign, as he repeatedly struggled to sustain his momentum when it mattered most.

Shinichi Suzuki also endured a difficult finish, posting a second consecutive 76 to tie for 53rd at 307. The Filipinos, who entered the championship with high hopes, thus came away disappointed, with the other two representatives, Rolando Bregente and Chris Remata, missing the cut.