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PILOTS are falling asleep in the cockpits because they’re so overworked, a damning new report claims, as reported by Daily Mirror of UK

A survey of 7,200 pilots commissioned by the European Cockpit Association (ECA) warned of tiredness leading to ‘micro-sleeps in the cockpit.’

One pilot told the Mirror that falling asleep while flying was common, but claimed that aviation insiders ‘do not care’ while virtually all passengers are not even aware.

The ECA has argued that there was ‘insufficient rest to prevent cumulative fatigue’ and flight duties extended ‘beyond legal maximums.’

The report suggested fatigue is ‘underreported across the industry.’

‘Airlines reporting systems are often seen as neither effective nor trusted, and a substantial share of pilots fly fatigued because of fear of a punitive reaction from their airline,’ it noted, warning that the situation was particularly bad at low-cost airlines.

Ireland and Malta were identified as countries where the problem is particularly bad, but overall, more than three out of four pilots (77%) reported at least one microsleep while operating an aircraft in the four weeks before completing the survey.

One commercial airline pilot, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Mirror that he’d fallen asleep in the cockpit ‘many times.’

‘I have the responsibility of 234 souls, and I can legally work up to 14 hours straight, not including the repositioning. But after many years I realised nobody cares because, at the end of the day, no airplanes are falling from the sky,» he said.

‘After many nights in-flight, you experience microsleeps from a few seconds up to two to three minutes, but you do not realise and it’s subtle because you might seem to be aware, but you are technically sleeping. It impairs your situational awareness and your judgment ability. But…as I said, nobody cares.»

Only 37% of those surveyed said that they report unfit when fatigued, while 24% confirmed flying when tired. Almost two in five reported a fear of punishment or a «retaliatory response» to reporting fatigue.

ECA president, Captain Tanja Harter, said: ‘The numbers in this report – and the lack of any meaningful improvement over the past three years – are a clear wake-up call for airlines, authorities and the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Something must change in the way Europe deals with pilot fatigue.’

The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) said the survey›s results were worrying and should lead to action.

Joji Waites, BALPA director of flight safety, policy and regulation, said: «The ECA’s survey of almost 7,200 pilots is a clear safety signal. That 24% of pilots usually continue flying rather than report themselves unfit due to fatigue is a concern.

«Aviation is the safest mode of transport through pilots’ expertise and professionalism in tandem with other aviation professionals; however, fatigue remains one of the most significant threats. Safety margins cannot hold if pilots are routinely rostered to the upper limits of their flight and duty time limitations (FTL).

With almost half of pilots fearing repercussions for reporting fatigue, we fully support ECA’s call for EASA to strengthen fatigue rules and enforce non-punitive reporting and responsible calls on the use of commander’s discretion.

BALPA thanks the ECA for the considerable work involved in gathering this data. We are still running our Realtime fatigue app to collect actionable intelligence on UK pilot fatigue, so combined with the ECA’s findings, we can create a clear picture of pilot fatigue, which will be fed into the CAA’s ongoing FTL review.

The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) on Sunday urged President Bola Tinubu to abandon his re-election bid in the 2027 general elections and allow a younger generation to take over, alleging that he no longer possesses the stamina required to lead a country like Nigeria.

MDPCO is the presidential campaign organisation of the candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Governor of Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde.

The organisation said the Presidency was a demanding office that required physical strength, energy and the capacity to provide effective leadership, adding that Tinubu should not continue to hold on to power when he allegedly lacked the capacity to discharge its responsibilities.

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

Ihediwa alleged that Tinubu could not withstand the rigours of political campaigning and had to travel to Mecca for prayers after delivering what he described as a brief and incoherent speech at the sparsely attended flag-off of his re-election campaign in Kaduna last week.

Ihediwa noted: ‘President Tinubu is no longer strong. He 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 not a retirement home. It 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 the 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, Engr. Seyi Makinde, to take over for the next four years to Reset Nigeria with an all-inclusive government of national unity.’

The MDPCO spokesman argued that Makinde possessed the experience, preparedness and energy required to work round the clock and deliver on his promises to Nigerians.

According to him, the country needs a president who can travel across the country, spend quality time with citizens and remain actively engaged in governance, including working into the early hours of the morning.

‘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,’ he added.

On the Federal Government’s announcement of a monthly N50,000 payment to vulnerable households under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention, Ihediwa described the initiative as a failed attempt to induce voters.

He maintained that the intervention would not sway Nigerians from their determination to vote Tinubu out of office in 2027.

The spokesman went on: ‘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.

‘Again, if you look at the APC campaign flag-off in Kaduna, where over N2tn was reportedly spent to mobilise Nigerians, the campaign still flopped. This is an indication that, despite the APC government’s attempts to induce voters, Nigerians are resolute in their determination to vote out President Tinubu in January 2027.’

Some political decisions acquire their full meaning only years after they are made. Others return at unexpected moments to illuminate the relationships, calculations and compromises that shaped an earlier generation of leadership.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu reached back eight years at the unveiling of Dr. Obafemi Hamzat’s governorship manifesto on Friday, October 30, and retrieved one such decision from the political history of Lagos State.

It concerned September 2018, when the APC governorship contest had thrown up several aspirants, including the then incumbent, Akinwunmi Ambode, Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat.

Hamzat was not an accidental entrant. He had served in the administrations of Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola, acquired experience across significant government ministries and built his own political relationships.

He had prepared to contest the governorship primary. Then, on September 29, 2018, he announced his withdrawal and endorsed Sanwo-Olu. The decision changed the configuration of the contest ahead of the primary in which Sanwo-Olu would confront Ambode.

What remained less clearly articulated in the public record was the full extent of the political conversations behind Hamzat’s decision.

Sanwo-Olu supplied his own account on Friday. ‘Then the leaders of our party asked him to step aside for me.’ The brevity of that statement gave it unusual weight.

For the governor, the central issue was not merely the withdrawal itself, which had been publicly reported at the time, but the personal cost of abandoning an ambition after years of preparation.

He recalled how Hamzat accepted the decision, supported his candidature and subsequently agreed to serve as his running mate.

That second decision was formalised on November 4, 2018, when the Lagos APC presented Hamzat as Sanwo-Olu’s deputy governorship candidate.

There is an important historical distinction here. Hamzat’s withdrawal was not simply a private favour whose meaning can be established by the beneficiary alone.

At the time, Hamzat publicly justified his action by reference to consultations, political counsel and his confidence in Sanwo-Olu. Friday’s speech added the governor’s perspective to that existing record.

It was nevertheless an instructive disclosure because of what followed.

The 2018 political arrangement became a governing partnership in May 2019. Seven years later, Sanwo-Olu was standing before party leaders and Lagos residents to explain why his former rival and longstanding deputy had become the candidate seeking to succeed him.

There was a circular quality to the moment: the man who stepped aside in 2018 had returned as the governorship candidate in 2026, with the man who benefited from that decision now offering a public account of their shared history.

But it would be too convenient to reduce the development to a story of sacrifice eventually rewarded.

Political ambition cannot be suspended indefinitely on the assumption of future compensation. Neither does an earlier concession confer an automatic right to public office.

The governorship of Lagos belongs to its electorate, not to a private understanding between two politicians. The more significant aspect of Sanwo-Olu’s recollection was therefore his description of what happened between the concession and the new candidature.

According to him, Hamzat did not allow the disappointment of 2018 to define their working relationship. He neither became a troublesome deputy nor pursued a competing political agenda within the administration.

Sanwo-Olu’s observation that they had maintained one government and one direction was intended to present the relationship as an example of political accommodation surviving the pressures of office.

That is relevant in a country where disagreements between governors and their deputies have periodically produced impeachment proceedings, factional conflicts and institutional instability.

For Lagos, the recollection also raises questions about the relationship between loyalty and leadership. Loyalty can preserve stability, but it cannot substitute for independent judgement.

A successful governorship requires more than the capacity to work harmoniously with a predecessor. It demands responsibility for decisions that may differ from the preferences of those who assisted a candidate’s rise.

That distinction will become increasingly relevant as Hamzat explains his own proposals. What Sanwo-Olu achieved through the recollection was to give the 2027 campaign a historical starting point that predates the manifesto and even the present administration.

He demonstrated that the relationship being presented to Lagosians was not suddenly assembled for electoral convenience. It had passed through competition, concession, political collaboration and the practical experience of government.

There is also a lesson for posterity in the governor’s decision to speak publicly about the episode. Political transitions are often documented through official announcements, with little acknowledgement of the human decisions that made them possible.

By recalling September 2018, Sanwo-Olu placed one such decision into the public conversation. Whether that history ultimately influences the electorate is a separate question.

What is established is that the narrative of Hamzat’s candidature now includes an important earlier chapter, told by a principal actor and open to examination alongside the contemporary record.

All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the Zamfara North Senatorial ticket, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has alleged a conspiracy and warned against any violation of electoral laws and party guidelines.

Shinkafi raised the alarm on Saturday night while briefing journalists at his residence in Gusau, the state capital, ahead of a fresh primary election scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026.

He urged the APC national leadership to ensure a free, fair, credible and transparent primary, expressing concern that he had been given short notice of the exercise.

‘Lack of formal communication to as an aspirant, the short notice given for the exercise, and the security challenges affecting Zamfara North required adequate preparations and consultations with relevant authorities.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the way the party leadership had handled concerns over the proposed primary election in the senatorial district.

‘I sent three text messages to the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, after seeing a notice announcing the schedule of activities for the Zamfara North senatorial primary on social media scheduled for Monday, 2nd November, 2026.

Shinkafi appealed to the national chairman to liaise with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure adequate preparations for the exercise.

Although he said he had no objection to the scheduled primary, he insisted that the process must be transparent, credible, and conducted in accordance with electoral laws and APC guidelines.

He also appealed to Governor Dauda Lawal, the APC state chairman, INEC, and security agencies to maintain neutrality and ensure a transparent, credible, and acceptable primary election in Zamfara North.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been urged to order an independent probe into the alleged use of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated photographs and the manipulation of personal data in the preliminary Register of Voters published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The call came on Sunday from Lagos-based rights group Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) through a statement by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

Referencing its letter dated October 31, 2026, the human rights group charged the President Tinubu-led government to direct the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji, to conduct a prompt, thorough, and independent investigation.

SERAP’s call came after the electoral body acknowledged public complaints about suspected AI-generated photos and questionable records discovered during the nationwide display of the preliminary voter register from 9 to 15 October 2026.

According to INEC’s statement of 27 October 2026, the commission agreed that ‘many questionable registration records were identified and flagged for further examination and that the online publication does not reflect all ongoing data-cleanup activities.’

The irregularities, according to SERAP, raise concerns about data security, voter register integrity, and the 2027 general elections.

The letter reads in part: ‘The reported irregularities raise serious concerns about the security and integrity of Nigerians’ personal data and the reliability of the voter register ahead of the 2027 general elections.

‘The security and accuracy of the voter register are fundamental to the protection of Nigerians’ personal data and their right to participate in public affairs.’

The Lagos-based rights group urged the NDPC to establish the nature, extent, and geographical spread of the affected records, determine if a personal data breach occurred under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, and identify those responsible.

SERAP expressed worries that some registration officers may have misused their official access credentials to introduce irregular records, including AI-generated photographs.

SERAP said, ‘An internal review by INEC cannot substitute for the NDPC’s independent exercise of its statutory data-protection mandate,’ just as it cited Sections 24, 39, 40, and 65 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, which require personal data to be processed accurately and securely, and mandate data controllers to report breaches within 72 hours.

The group equally referenced Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution on the right to privacy.

The human rights group prayed to the NDPC to conduct a forensic examination of INEC’s database, publish its findings, enforce corrective measures, and ensure affected Nigerians can verify and correct their records without being unfairly excluded from voting.

SERAP gave the government a seven-day ultimatum to act, warning that failure would lead to legal action.

‘We would be grateful if the requested measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions,’ the letter added.

Ahead of the 2027 general elections and in a bold move to reposition for total victory, the ruling Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Bauchi State, on Sunday, held a high-powered strategic meeting aimed at harmonisation of its leadership.

The meeting, which was held at the Old Banquet Hall, Government House, Bauchi, followed last week’s dissolution of the State Working Committee of the party, leading to the constitution of a Caretaker Committee expected to produce a new harmonised SWC at the end of November 2026.

The meeting, which was presided over by the National Leader of the APM and Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, brought together critical stakeholders from across the 20 LGAs of the state.

Also in attendance were all APM candidates for the 2027 general elections, the Caretaker Committee leadership of the APM in Bauchi State, former State Working Committee members of both the Allied Peoples Movement and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Local Government Chairmen, and other party faithful.

The Governor, his Deputy, Rt Hon Mohammed Auwal Jatau, and other top government functionaries were in attendance.

Addressing the gathering, the National Organising Secretary of the APM and Director-General, APM Campaign Council, Alh Hamza Koshe Akuyam, said the stakeholders’ meeting was convened specifically to discuss harmonisation between the former leadership of the APM and the collapsed PDP structure that has now joined the party.

He stressed that it was with a view to establishing a united common front that will galvanise support for the victory of all APM candidates in the forthcoming general elections.

Akuyam commended Governor Bala Mohammed for his continuous support and deepened stakeholding in the party, and appealed to all relevant stakeholders to close ranks and unite for the overall victory of the APM.

He stressed that unity, discipline and collective sacrifice remain the only path to reclaiming Bauchi and delivering good governance to the people.

Bala Mohammed, in his remarks, stressed the importance of unity and commitment by all stakeholders in order to ensure that the APM won all the elective offices in the 2027 general elections.

He assured that, as National Leader of the APM, he is committed to ensuring victory at all levels, saying that, as it is, the APM has a huge electoral advantage over other political parties in the state and across the country.

Stakeholders at the meeting unanimously resolved to work as one family, assuring that the APM is now stronger, more united and ready to win across all levels in 2027.

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has declared that his administration has ended the era of political profiteering, intimidation and irresponsibility in the state, insisting that Abia would never return to what he described as years of bad governance.

Governor Otti made the declaration on Sunday at the formal flag-off of his re-election campaign at the Umuahia Township Stadium, where thousands of Labour Party supporters from the 17 local government areas of the state converged for the ceremony.

The event, which transformed the Abia capital into a carnival-like atmosphere, attracted various support groups, organisations and dance troupes, as party faithful expressed solidarity with the governor’s bid to secure another four-year term.

The Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Eluma Asogwa, disclosed this in a statement titled ‘The world now knows that Abia is on the right track: Never shall we return to the era of irresponsibility’, made available to the Nigerian Tribune.

Addressing supporters, Governor Otti recalled his unsuccessful attempts to rescue the state from what he described as years of man-made hardship in 2015 and 2019, declaring that the political siege on Abia was eventually broken in 2023.

‘We ended the era of political profiteers. We defied intimidation to liberate Abia and break Abia from the era of siege. Never shall we go back to the era of irresponsibility. Nothing will make us go back to Egypt,’ he declared.

Recalling the experiences of residents whose properties were allegedly demolished because of their political affiliations, the governor assured Abians that such incidents would not happen again, declaring: ‘Never again will anyone’s fence be pulled down on account of political choices. I declare Abia free.’

He said his administration required another four years to consolidate its achievements and establish enduring institutional safeguards that would protect ongoing reforms, promote transparency and eliminate what he described as the remaining vestiges of mediocrity in the state.

‘The only battle worth fighting is the one geared towards leaving Abia better than I met it, and I enjoin you to join me as we continue to fight that fight. I appeal to you to join me in fighting that battle in the next four years in order to consolidate on our records of performance,’ Governor Otti said.

Unveiling his campaign manifesto, ‘The New Abia: From rescue to consolidation’, the governor said it contained detailed plans for sustaining the achievements of the past three and a half years, adding that institutionalising transparency remained a major priority of his administration.

Highlighting his administration’s performance, Governor Otti disclosed that about 400 road projects covering more than 1,000 kilometres had been completed across the state.

He also listed improvements in primary healthcare, the employment of over 9,000 teachers, the construction of smart schools and investments in Abia State University, Uturu, and Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba.

Other areas, according to him, included the revival of industries in Aba, support for small and medium-scale enterprises and investments in agriculture to promote food sufficiency.

Governor Otti further declared that his administration had restored the dignity of Abians, urging supporters to vote for the Labour Party in all elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.

However, in a demonstration of political tolerance, he extended goodwill to candidates of other political parties and directed state functionaries to make public facilities available to any political party seeking to use them for campaign activities, provided the required fees were paid and applicable regulations observed.

Governor Otti also urged his supporters to focus their campaigns on issues, policies and records of performance, warning against political brigandage and other electoral misconduct.

A Lagos-based human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, on Sunday charged the Ekiti State Police Command to immediately arrest and prosecute the suspected thugs who attacked the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, in Ado-Ekiti.

The SAN equally urged the Ekiti State Ministry of Justice to take over the prosecution of two suspects, Joseph Rotimi Olabiowonu, popularly known as Metilo, and Opeyemi Adedoyin, who are accused of abducting and assaulting Sunday Ogunsakin, leading to his death.

Falana made the request in a statement on Sunday while expressing sadness over what he described as the growing incidence of political violence, thuggery and unlawful killings in Ekiti State.

While recalling past incidents of political violence in the state, the human rights crusader referenced the alleged killings of Dr Ayo Daramola, Tunde Omojola and Engr Kehinde Fasuba by a notorious killer squad allegedly operating because of political differences.

Falana maintained that the criminal gang also threatened the lives of other prominent indigenes of the state, just as he noted that although suspects were arrested and charged with the murders before the Ekiti State High Court, the cases were allegedly compromised by powerful political interests.

The senior lawyer stated that the failure to ensure justice in those cases had contributed to the persistence of political thuggery and unlawful killings in the state.

Falana equally recounted the circumstances surrounding the death of Sunday Ogunsakin following an alleged attack on 14 September 2026.

The SAN alleged that Olabiowonu, a former chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), and Adedoyin invaded Ogunsakin’s residence in Afao-Ekiti over a land dispute.

According to the human rights lawyer, the victim was abducted and severely assaulted before the suspects allegedly pushed him out of a moving vehicle, causing serious head injuries.

‘Ogunsakin was subsequently rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), where he was pronounced dead.

‘The two suspects were arrested and investigated by the Ekiti State Police Command under Commissioner of Police Michael Falade before being arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court in Ado-Ekiti,’ he said.

Falana commended the magistrate for ordering their remand in a correctional facility pending legal advice from the state Attorney-General, despite alleged pressure from powerful interests.

Falana further urged the state Ministry of Justice to take over the case involving Olabiowonu and Adedoyin and ensure that they are charged before the High Court for alleged abduction, torture and murder.