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Ogun 2027: Omission of my name from INEC list won’t stop my campaign – Adebutu

The gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu said the omission of his name from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) final list will not stop his political activities including his campaign.

He described the omission as a temporary distraction.

Recall that INEC had omitted Adebutu from the final list of candidates for the February 6 2027 governorship election in Ogun State.

The lists signed by INEC secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony and published on the commission’s website contained 13 candidates for the Ogun election with no candidate representing the PDP.

Adebutu’s omission comes amid questions over his party membership following allegations that his name was missing from the PDP membership register submitted to INEC.

But Adebutu while reacting to reports over his membership status insisted that he remained a committed member of the PDP.

Speaking in Abeokuta on Monday while receiving defectors from APC Adebutu noted that he has been a candidate of the party for over 20 years without leaving the party for a day challenging anyone with proof that he ever visited another party office.

He said ‘I have been a candidate of PDP five consecutive times. For the last 20 years every election cycle I have been a PDP candidate. At what stage did I leave the party? Where is the proof that for one day I even visited APC office?’ he queried.

Adebutu said he was actively involved in organising and financing the recent registration exercise in the state which recorded about 19800 members adding that his registration number is 1536.

‘For somebody that registered 20000 whose number is 1536? So I don’t know the magic. The story is up to Nigerians to decide’ he said.

He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State of attempting to stifle opposition and shrink democratic space.

‘Should it be a party’s policy to hold down other parties? If you mean well and you have done well for your people you should be able to place your scorecard on the table. You don’t disqualify opponents’ he said.

He also said his supporters were being harassed and denied space to erect billboards in the state adding that opposition billboards were torn or destroyed.

Despite the omission Adebutu said he would not be distracted noting that he has already visited 12 of the 20 local government areas and 140 of the 236 wards in his ongoing consultations.

‘There is justice in Nigeria. I was duly registered. I orchestrated registration in this state. The precondition for holding primaries is that you must be attested to be a party member’ he said.

‘This is just to slow down the process and make the people disenfranchised and disenchanted. But never mind it will end and it will even be a blessing to us. We will not be distracted. We keep our eyes on the ball and we shall win’ he added.

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan plan joint intermodal cargo terminal

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are planning to establish a joint intermodal cargo terminal and a new Trans-Caspian ferry system called the “Caspian Bridge.”

According to Samruk-Kazyna, Kazakhstan’s national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) and Azerbaijan Railways CJSC have signed a Term Sheet outlining the key terms for the establishment of an intermodal cargo terminal and a joint venture.

The project aims to develop container and other freight transportation, with a particular focus on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor.

The agreement was signed following a meeting between Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of the Management Board of Samruk-Kazyna JSC, and the leadership of Azerbaijan’s state holding company AZCON.

In addition, Samruk-Kazyna JSC and AZCON Holding signed a cooperation agreement on establishing a new Trans-Caspian ferry system. The document sets out the key principles and areas of cooperation between the parties during the development and implementation of the project.

During the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for expanding investment and business cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, as well as the implementation of joint projects.

It should be noted that on October 15, during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s working visit to Baku to attend the summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), an exchange of documents took place concerning a project to build two multipurpose dry cargo vessels for KTZ Express Shipping LLP, a subsidiary of KTZ.

The vessels will be built at the Baku Shipyard and are intended to be used for freight transportation along the Middle Corridor.

On October 1, 2026, Kasym Tlepov, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Railway and Water Transport of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, stated at a World Bank Group event that Kazakhstan expects to receive eight vessels for container transportation by 2028. Four of them will be built at the Baku Shipyard, while the remaining four will be constructed in China.

Zelenskyy offers conditional pause in attacks on Russian oil facilities

Ukraine is ready to stop striking Russian oil refineries if Russia halts its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in an interview with Fox News, commenting on warnings issued by US President Donald Trump.

According to Zelenskyy, the issue has been discussed repeatedly with Trump and his team.

“Kyiv is also ready to consider an arrangement involving the supply of American Patriot air defense systems to protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. If you want us not to attack their oil refineries for a month, give us Patriots for one month,” Zelenskyy noted.

He added that Ukraine was ready to find the necessary funds and pay for the systems.

Earlier, Ukrainian president said he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Trkiye, arguing that further steps towards resolving the conflict should be discussed at the highest political level.

Families of ‘desaparecidos’ honor missing kin on All Souls’ Day

Abner Hizarsa was on his way to his daughter’s school in Subic, Zambales, to bring her lunch when he was abducted by unidentified armed men in a van without a license plate on March 21, 2007.

Until today, his common-law wife, Cresencia dela Cruz, and his three children have yet to find out where Hizarsa was taken.

‘All the places where we could find him… nearby hospitals in case someone wounded or dead was brought there, we asked for him. Up to here, in Manila. In Camp [Tolentino] in Bataan, Camp Aguinaldo, Camp Crame. We searched all of those places,’ she told the Inquirer in Filipino.

‘But all of them, they are in denial. They don’t know anything,’ she added. Hizarsa is just one of nearly 1,900 ‘desaparecidos,’ the spanish word for ‘disappeared’ used to describe those who are victims of enforced disappearances, whose families gathered at Claret School Chapel in Quezon City to remember their loved ones on All Souls’ Day.

Unlike most families who are able to visit the final restong place of their departed relatives, families of desaparecidos remain unaware if their loved ones are still alive or where their remains are.

They could only offer white roses to photos of their missing kin during a brief program held on Monday, which is part of a yearly gathering meant to voice out their continuing call for justice.

‘Of course, there’s always the hope that victims of enforced disappearances are still alive. This [event] is a way for families to come together and create that kind of hope and to also voice out our demand to surface all victims of enforced disappearances,’ Cristina Guevarra, spokesperson for the human rights group Karapatan, told the Inquirer.

‘As said in a poem, ‘at least give them the ruined body or even just bones, just so they have somewhere to light a candle or offer flowers,” she added.

While no one has come forward and admitted to abducting Hizarsa, Dela Cruz noted that he had previously worked as the spokesperson of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)-Bataan.

She said that because of his role in the NDFP, Hizarsa has also been imprisoned four times before his abduction.

He was first detained in 1978, before being released and imprisoned again in 1981, 1987 and 1990.

Among those most affected by Hizarsa’s disappearance was his daughter, who was only nine years old at the time of his disappearance.

Dela Cruz noted that their daughter, the youngest of their three children, had also been the one ‘closest’ to Hizarsa.

‘She still asks questions, until today. She cries when we talk about it,’ said Dela Cruz.

Even now, almost 20 years later, Dela Cruz said her family rarely talks about what happened to Hizarsa.

But amid her painful experience, Dela Cruz said she is able to find strength to keep searching for justice through these yearly gatherings with other families of desaparecidos.

‘I always look forward to these gatherings of other families with missing kin, because this is where we draw my strength from. Of course, for other families, there is closure. For us, there is none. That’s why we get our strength from these gatherings,’ said Dela Cruz.

Guevarra noted that under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., there are already 15 victims of enforced disappearances, with the most recent one being Gerald Gestole who was abducted in Laguna in 2024.

Since the term of then – President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., she said there are already over 1,900 victims of enforced disappearances.

She noted, however, that these numbers refer to only those who were documented, and could be even higher.

‘We are seriously lagging behind in terms of finding their remains or finding out what happened to them,’ she said.

Guevarra called out the government for failing to implement the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012, stressing that not a single perpetrator of enforced disappearances has been held accountable.

‘The law is nothing right now for the victims, so we are also calling for a review of the law and make it useful for the victims and their families,’ she said.

Rivers women back Rainbow Coalition

Rivers women have thrown their weight behind the Rainbow Coalition congratulating its unveiled candidates and expressing optimism that the ongoing political reconciliation in the state will promote unity and peaceful conduct ahead of the general election.

The women under the Rivers Women Unite Organisation and the Central Planning Committee of the Women Converge commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike for their roles in fostering peace among political leaders.

The committee which made the remarks during its monthly prayer session in Port Harcourt at the weekend announced that the 2026 Women Converge would hold on November 26 in the Garden City.

The group expressed solidarity with Fubara saying it had consistently supported his decisions and welcomed initiatives aimed at restoring unity within the political family.

The women in a statement by the Communications Officer of RWUS and RWUOG Glory Sunday expressed confidence that the reconciliation would strengthen togetherness reduce political tension and promote the peace and development of the state.

The committee said this year’s Women Converge would bring together women from different backgrounds religious leaders and other participants for prayers praise thanksgiving reflection and fellowship.

According to the committee the gathering will provide an opportunity to pray for the peace growth and development of Rivers State Nigeria and families across the country.

It urged women and other interested participants from within and outside Rivers State to attend expressing confidence that the event would strengthen faith unity and collective commitment to a peaceful and prosperous society.

Adebutu Describes Exclusion From INEC’s List As Temporary Distraction

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, has described his exclusion from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election as a temporary distraction, insisting that it would not derail his political activities or ambition.

Adebutu spoke on Monday in Abeokuta when the PDP received a former member of the House of Representatives, Olusegun Williams, who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP alongside his supporters.

The former lawmaker, who represented the constituency for two terms, said he was returning to his original political home after what he described as disappointing experiences in the APC.

Speaking with newsmen, Adebutu dismissed any suggestion that he had left the PDP, insisting that his political record and participation in the party’s activities over the years were sufficient evidence of his membership.

He challenged anyone with contrary evidence to establish when he allegedly defected to another political party.

‘I have been a candidate of PDP five consecutive times. For the last 20 years, every election cycle, I have been a candidate of PDP. At what stage did I leave the party? Where is the proof that for one day, I even visited APC office?’ he queried.

The governorship candidate also disclosed that he actively participated in organising and financing the recent PDP membership registration exercise in Ogun State, which recorded about 19,800 members.

According to him, he personally registered during the exercise and was assigned membership number 1536.

‘We were able to register 19,800 and something. We targeted 20,000. Because of time, we couldn’t make 20,000. We registered 19,800 plus. That process, I was a very active participant in organising and financing that registration.

‘I registered and my number is 1536. For somebody that registered 20,000, whose number comes over 1536? So, I don’t know the magic. The story is up to Nigerians to decide,’ he said.

Adebutu argued that every Nigerian had a fundamental right to participate in the democratic process, accusing the ruling APC in the state of attempting to weaken opposition parties rather than allowing them to compete based on their achievements.

He said political parties should be allowed to present their scorecards to the electorate and seek votes through democratic means instead of using political power to frustrate their opponents.

‘Should it be a party’s policy to hold down other parties? Should it be a party’s policy? If you mean well and you have done well for your people, you should be able to place your scorecard on the table. This is what I have done for you. You elect me,’ he said.

The PDP chieftain further alleged that opposition supporters and businesses were being harassed in the state, while billboards erected by his supporters were allegedly destroyed or vandalised.

He maintained that such actions would not stop the party from reaching out to voters across the state.

Adebutu also accused the state government of borrowing excessively without commensurate development, alleging that Ogun State had little to show for its accumulated debts.

On the controversy surrounding his exclusion, he expressed confidence in the country’s judicial system, insisting that he fulfilled the requirements for party membership and participation in the primaries.

‘Why shouldn’t my name come out? There is justice in Nigeria now. There is justice in Nigeria. I was duly registered. I orchestrated registration in this state. I have been the candidate of this state, of this PDP, for the last 20 years. Every cycle. Check your records,’ he said.

He described the omission as an attempt to slow down the party’s preparations and discourage its supporters but insisted that the development would eventually work in their favour.

‘They want to slow down the process and make the people of the state disenfranchised, discomforted. But never mind. It’s the process. It will end. And by the time it ends, it will even be a blessing to us.

‘We are used to this. We’ve had various shenanigans like this and we have always welcomed them. So we have no fear at all. It has just slowed us down,’ he added.

NCDC rules out Ebola in two suspected Adamawa cases

Two suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa State have tested negative after two rounds of laboratory testing the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said.

The agency also emphasised that Nigeria currently has no confirmed Ebola case following the evacuation of the index patient to Switzerland for further treatment after her condition improved.

NCDC’s Director-General Dr. Jide Idris announced this in a statement on Saturday night.

The agency boss explained that the individuals were isolated after presenting symptoms suggestive of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Yola Adamawa State.

According to him the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre received the report in the early hours of October 30 prompting investigations and the activation of appropriate public health measures.

Idris said the NCDC was working with the Adamawa State government through the Ministry of Health and Human Services to investigate the cases and provide technical support for the response.

The NCDC boss praised the Commissioner for Health and his team for their proactive response stressing that Adamawa State currently has no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case.

He added that the index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) remained Nigeria’s only confirmed case.

Idris urged the public to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information advising Nigerians to rely on official government and public health communication channels for updates.

It also advised anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever severe weakness headache muscle pain vomiting diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding particularly after a possible exposure to seek immediate medical attention and disclose relevant travel or contact history to healthcare workers.

The agency cautioned against self-medication and urged the public to follow professional medical advice noting that Ebola requires prompt identification appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

Idris said the NCDC Adamawa State Government and other stakeholders would continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as verified information became available.

?10bn fund covers Lassa fever cholera other epidemic threats not Ebola alone says NCDC boss

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has clarified that the ?10 billion emergency intervention fund approved by President Bola Tinubu was intended to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for multiple epidemic-prone diseases not Ebola alone.

The clarification follows public misconception over the fund amid Nigeria’s response to its first imported case of Ebola in 12 years with the agency’s Director-General Dr Jide Idris warning against misinformation and the politicisation of public health emergencies.

In a statement Idris said the funding was requested to strengthen the prevention preparedness early detection and rapid response capacity for diseases of public health importance including Ebola Lassa fever cholera cerebrospinal meningitis diphtheria measles mpox and antimicrobial resistance.

‘Was ?10 billion released to NCDC? Yes’ Idris said adding that the money was not released to the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President.

‘The PTF was established primarily to coordinate the national response. The ?10 billion in question was released to NCDC to address the broader health security needs outlined above’ he said.

Idris said the fund was approved in June 2026 as the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo became a global emergency and was intended to reinforce health security efforts already underway with government and development partners.

He said the funding should be assessed against Nigeria’s wider health security needs rather than the response to a single disease.

‘The ?10 billion allocation remains inadequate to meet Nigeria’s broader health security needs’ he said.

According to the NCDC chief Nigeria’s second National Action Plan for Health Security covering 2025 to 2029 is estimated to cost about ?522 billion over five years or an average of ?104.4 billion annually.

Although not all the plan’s activities are funded through the NCDC he said the figures illustrate the scale of investment required to protect the country against public health threats.

The ?10 billion intervention fund represents about two per cent of the plan’s average annual cost Idris said arguing that it should not be portrayed as excessive without considering the range of activities it is meant to support.

‘The discussion should not be whether Nigeria can afford to invest adequately in health security but whether it can afford the human social and economic consequences of failing to do so’ he said.

Idris added that the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board estimates that countries need between $1 and $2 per person annually to achieve an acceptable level of epidemic preparedness.

For Nigeria’s population of about 240 million he said this translates to between $240 million and $480 million annually underscoring the need for sustained funding from federal and state governments and development partners.

He noted that the NCDC’s allocation increased from ?4 billion in 2024 to ?7 billion in 2025 followed by a ?5 billion intervention fund that year.

The 2026 Appropriation provides ?22 billion while the additional ?10 billion was approved as emergency intervention funding in June.

Idris said health security was the fourth pillar of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative the Federal Government’s sector-wide approach to improving healthcare.

He attributed persistent funding gaps partly to the tendency to prioritise visible interventions over prevention which can be harder to measure despite its potential to avert deaths contain outbreaks and prevent economic losses.

On the current Ebola situation Idris said Nigeria confirmed the imported Bundibugyo virus disease case in its laboratory on October 20 within 24 hours of receiving an alert in Abuja.

He said all identified contacts were being monitored daily and that Nigeria had no active case at the time of the statement.

‘Every contact is under daily watch and there is no active case today’ he said.

However he cautioned that surveillance would continue until the last identified contact completed the 21-day monitoring period without a new case emerging among the contacts or elsewhere in the country.

‘We are not yet out of the woods’ he said assuring Nigerians that the agency would continue to provide updates on the response and emerging findings.

Idris also said the situation did not warrant postponing elections banning mass gatherings or political campaigns or restricting travel adding that the NCDC had not recommended any of those measures.

‘Instead we have developed technical guidelines for all organisers of mass gatherings. With strict adherence to infection prevention and control and safety protocols events can go ahead safely and we can hold each other accountable’ he said.

He added that the agency would revise its advice if new evidence justified a change.

‘NCDC is a technical agency. Our advice follows the evidence alone. We will not be drawn into politics and we ask everyone to keep public health out of it’ Idris said.

He urged Nigerians to verify information through the NCDC’s official channels before sharing it warning that rumours and panic could undermine public trust and the national response.

‘Ebola is a health threat not a political tool and science not rumour will lead this response’ he said.

Idris called on policymakers the media and development partners to focus on securing sustainable and accountable funding for the NCDC and Nigeria’s wider health security system.

He pledged transparency in the use of the intervention fund saying the agency remained committed to protecting the health of all Nigerians.

Omission of Adebutu’s name from INEC final list: Ogun PDP heads to court

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has approached the court following omission of the name of its governorship candidate Ladi Adebutu from the final list of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The party said it was already in court and awaiting the commencement of the case.

Recalled that the fate of Adebutu and that of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in Kano State Aminu Gwarzo remain uncertain after their petitions were among the 64 rejected by INEC last Thursday while the candidacy of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State Isa Ali Pantami was cleared for the 2027 general election.

Speaking in Abeokuta with The Nation PDP Publicity Secretary in the state Kayode Adebayo an architect said the case would be in court this week.

He said: ‘I don’t have the details; I don’t want to mislead the public. But I know definitely that we are going to court this week.

‘The hearing will start the case will begin this week. But I don’t have the actual date so I don’t want to be misquoted.’

He however urged supporters of the party to stay calm and have strong belief that the matter would be resolved and Adebutu would be on the ballot in the 2027 general election.

‘If democracy is at play we believe the court is the last hope of the people. We believe in the court process and we hope at the end of the day the case will be heard and fairly judged.’

’Short circuit risk’ remains, university says

King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) has warned flood victims to check their homes for hidden electrical and structural damage, as submerged appliances could cause fires even if they appear to work normally.

The warning follows inspections by KMUTT lecturers and students, working with Singha R-SA and the King Mongkut’s Universities of Technology network, in the Rom Klao housing community after heavy rainfall and flooding in late September.

The team found faulty electrical installations and other hazards that homeowners might not have known about before the floods.

Asst Prof Atip Doolgindachbaporn of KMUTT’s electrical engineering department said many homes had power sockets installed close to the floor, leaving them vulnerable to flooding and short circuits.

Unlabelled circuit breakers also complicated repairs, forcing technicians to spend hours identifying which circuits they controlled.

Some residents had also suffered electric shocks when operating switches that had not been submerged, possibly because of accumulated moisture and deteriorating electrical components.

The team also discovered wiring installed incorrectly, with live and neutral wires switched, posing a safety risk that had existed before the flooding.

Asst Prof Atip advised homeowners in flood-prone areas to label circuit breakers clearly, separate lighting and socket circuits and raise sockets above previous flood levels where possible. Homes whose sockets, switches or electrical control panels have been inundated should not have their power restored until a qualified electrician has inspected the system.

Appliances that have been submerged should also be treated with caution, even if they have dried out and can still be switched on.

Water can damage insulation and internal components, creating a risk of short circuits or fires later.