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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.

The Nigeria Customs Service’s Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A has intercepted illicit drugs and pharmaceutical products valued at N511.4 million and rescued eight live pangolins in separate anti-smuggling operations across the South-West.

The operations were carried out under the leadership of the Acting Comptroller of the unit Oladapo Afeni who has intensified intelligence gathering patrols and collaboration with other security agencies to tackle smuggling and related crimes in the region.

The seized drugs and pharmaceutical products were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation and appropriate action.

The items included 121 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 65.9 kilogrammes 100 grammes of crystal methamphetamine 400 grammes of cocaine 900 grammes of ground synthetic cannabis 4.3 kilogrammes of hybrid cannabis and 57 cartons of codeine syrup.

Customs also handed over 86 packs of polythene bags allegedly used to conceal the substances two vehicles – a Toyota Hiace bus and a Toyota Sienna – and two male suspects linked to separate interceptions.

According to the unit one of the operations took place at about 1pm on October 10 2026 when an intelligence-led patrol team intercepted a Toyota Hiace bus conveying suspected illicit drugs concealed in polythene bags along the Lagos-Benin Expressway around Ore Ondo State.

The substances were subsequently examined and analysed by NDLEA officials who confirmed their nature.

In another operation on October 7 Customs officers intercepted a vehicle along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and discovered 57 cartons of assorted brands of codeine syrup.

Representing Afeni during the handover the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Enforcement Oluwaseun Oguntuase attributed the seizures to sustained intelligence-driven operations across the unit’s area of responsibility.

He said the interceptions and transfer of the exhibits to the relevant agencies demonstrated the Customs Service’s commitment to protecting public health securing the nation’s borders and supporting national security.

The unit’s enforcement activities have also extended to wildlife trafficking with officers rescuing eight live pangolins in two separate operations in October.

On October 12 Customs officers intercepted three live pangolins during an anti-smuggling operation along Oyo Dam at Igbo-Ora. The animals were found inside a sack and concealed in a wire-mesh cage.

The suspected traffickers reportedly abandoned the animals and fled into a nearby swamp after sighting the officers.

In a second operation in the early hours of October 23 officers intercepted five more live pangolins confined in wire-mesh cages along the Igbo-Ora/Imeko-Afon axis.

The suspects allegedly abandoned the animals and escaped as the officers moved in.

The eight rescued pangolins were handed over to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative Centre for safekeeping rehabilitation and appropriate management with the possibility of eventual release into a protected habitat.

Pangolins are among the most trafficked mammals globally with their scales and meat sought by illegal traders. International commercial trade in the animals is prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora which lists all pangolin species under Appendix I.

Speaking on behalf of Afeni during the second handover Oguntuase said the interception of two wildlife consignments within a short period required further investigation to identify and dismantle the networks behind the trade.

He reaffirmed the unit’s commitment to intelligence-led operations and cooperation with conservation agencies to enforce laws against wildlife trafficking.

As part of efforts to strengthen security cooperation Afeni on October 14 began a familiarisation tour of sister security and law enforcement agencies in Lagos.

The engagements focused on intelligence sharing information exchange and joint operations to tackle smuggling cross-border crimes and other security threats.

The agencies visited included the Lagos State Police Command Department of State Services Nigerian Army’s 81 Division headquarters NDLEA Lagos State Strategic Command Nigeria Immigration Service and the Army’s 9 Brigade in Ikeja.

During his visit to the Lagos State Police Command where he met the Commissioner of Police Tijani Fatai Afeni said Customs operations required close collaboration with other security institutions.

He also warned that the approach of an election period could create opportunities for criminal elements to engage in activities capable of triggering crises.

‘We know that crime rates often increase as the country approaches the election period as some people may attempt to take advantage of the period to perpetrate illicit activities capable of causing crises during the elections. Therefore we are here to call for closer synergy so that these bad elements do not have their way’ he said.

Afeni said no security agency could effectively tackle complex criminal activities in isolation stressing the need for sustained cooperation among institutions with complementary responsibilities.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police welcomed the engagement describing the relationship between the police and other security agencies in the state as strong and productive despite the challenges posed by Lagos’s large population and complex security environment.

At the Nigerian Army’s 81 Division headquarters the General Officer Commanding Major General Adebayo Abdulrahman Babalola also stressed the importance of joint operations against criminal activities.

He cautioned against administrative bottlenecks that could undermine operational effectiveness.

Afeni said the FOU Zone A would sustain its patrols intelligence-driven operations and cooperation with relevant agencies across its area of responsibility.

The unit said its enforcement activities were aimed at disrupting the movement of prohibited goods protecting public health and government revenue and tackling crimes that threaten national security and the environment.

AI-generated audio impersonating election officials fabricated results false polling announcements and targeted messages to suppress voter turnout could undermine Nigeria’s 2027 general elections the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Joash Amupitan and other stakeholders have warned.

They called for coordinated action by electoral authorities security agencies media organisations technology platforms and fact-checkers to detect and counter threats before they erode public confidence or trigger violence.

Speaking at a national summit on Artificial Intelligence Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and Electoral Information Integrity in Abuja on Monday Amupitan said elections could be compromised long before voting begins as generative AI makes convincing fake audio videos and official documents increasingly accessible.

The summit was organised by the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) under the theme Beyond the Ballot: Safeguarding Electoral Information Integrity in the Age of AI.

‘Artificial intelligence is not inherently an enemy of democracy’ he said noting that machine learning could improve voter registration logistics planning data analysis and administrative efficiency.

However he warned that malicious actors could exploit the same technology to impersonate public figures fabricate election announcements and manipulate voters.

‘Any country any institution that has gone before these apps are not beginning to address the dangers that are posed by AI is planning to fail’ he said.

Amupitan identified continuous voter registration political campaigns the pre-election blackout period and result announcements as vulnerable stages in the electoral cycle. Fake registration portals manipulated voter lists and fabricated claims about cancelled polls could confuse citizens while false results might provoke unrest before INEC announces official outcomes.

He also warned that AI-generated audio could be timed to circulate during campaign blackouts leaving election authorities and fact-checkers little time to respond before voters head to the polls.

INEC he said was strengthening its technical and communication capacity and working with development partners including the European Union to prepare for information crises. The commission also has memoranda of understanding with some social media platforms including TikTok.

He urged media organisations telecommunications providers and technology companies to establish rapid channels for verifying claims and communicating accurate information. Voter education he added should extend beyond explaining how to vote to teaching citizens how to verify information including through messages in local languages and Nigerian Pidgin.

Amupitan however cautioned against using the fight against AI manipulation to justify censorship or suppress legitimate political dissent. He called for clear inter-agency escalation procedures institutionalised links with independent fact-checkers and simulation exercises to test responses before the 2027 elections.

‘Building credible elections requires continuous adaptation’ he said stressing that electoral integrity depended on both the physical security of polling units and the authenticity of information available to voters.

Former INEC chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega urged election management bodies to deploy AI tools including chatbots to provide voters with verified information and counter false election-related claims.

Jega who chaired the summit said discussions at the 2024 Cambridge Conference on Electoral Democracy had highlighted chatbots’ potential to answer voters’ questions using official information.

‘I believe that such positive uses of AI may be worthy of the effort while of course looking wide-eyed and vigilant for other efficient and effective ways of protecting information integrity’ he said.

He urged International IDEA and other partners to consider the proposal in future democracy dialogues arguing that the benefits of AI deserved attention alongside safeguards against misuse.

European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States Gautier Mignot warned that false electoral information could disrupt voting and deepen suspicion about election results.

‘A fabricated announcement can send voters to the wrong location. A false claim about results can deepen suspicion before verifying information reaches the public. The immediate target is information; the deeper target is trust’ he said.

Mignot called for response mechanisms to be established before election pressures intensify stronger partnerships among electoral authorities journalists fact-checkers and digital platforms and safeguards for democratic rights.

He said AI could improve translation accessibility and communication but also make deceptive content easier to produce. Even uncertainty over whether a recording was authentic he added could undermine public trust before its contents were verified.

‘The task is therefore broader than detecting deepfakes. It is to build an electoral information environment in which reliable information is available institutions communicate credibly independent journalism can flourish and manipulation is a prepared response’ he said.

Mignot called for international cooperation to share threat-assessment methods and strengthen verification skills while urging greater protection for women facing intimidation and coordinated online abuse alongside accessible electoral information in local languages and formats suitable for persons with disabilities.

He cautioned that efforts to combat foreign interference must not become a pretext for suppressing criticism or restricting media freedom adding that Nigeria’s electoral choices belonged to Nigerians.

Professor Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika who delivered the keynote address warned that the 2027 elections could face increasingly sophisticated voice cloning fabricated result sheets false polling announcements and cross-border influence operations.

Reviewing recent electoral cycles she said paid social media influence operations expanded in 2019 while the 2023 polls saw fabricated result sheets cloned official statements and edited videos used to mislead voters.

She identified five risks the rapid spread of synthetic content foreign actors using local proxies attempts to dismiss authentic evidence as AI-generated fragmented institutional responses and excessive government restrictions imposed in the name of combating false information.

Foreign actors she said could use local public relations consultants digital agencies and influencers to conceal their involvement making technical investigations financial tracking and cross-border intelligence sharing essential.

Ogwezzy-Ndisika also noted that AI could improve voter register audits detect duplicate registrations support logistics planning and identify anomalies in polling-unit data provided its use was subject to human oversight cybersecurity safeguards data privacy and accountability.

She proposed a national Electoral Information Integrity Response Protocol covering early-warning systems risk assessment independent forensic verification digital evidence preservation rapid communication and post-incident reviews.

She stressed that countermeasures must comply with the Constitution the Electoral Act and the Nigeria Data Protection Act warning against internet shutdowns throttling and arbitrary platform bans that could undermine fundamental rights.

‘The integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 general election will not be decided on the election day in 2027. It’s been decided right now in the choices we make the protocols we build and the trust we forge in this room today’ she said.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris represented by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Press Council Dr Dili Ezughah said electoral integrity depended on the quality of information available to citizens before during and after voting.

He cited Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy published in 2024 and the establishment of the UNESCO Category 2 International Media and Information Literacy Institute in Nigeria as steps towards responsible AI use and improved public understanding of information.

Idris also cited the Electoral Act 2026 signed by President Bola Tinubu on February 18 which provides for mandatory electronic transmission of polling-unit results and recognises INEC’s result-viewing portal.

He urged journalists to verify information while maintaining their independence and holding government political parties and public institutions accountable. Responses to false information he said must respect freedom of expression and the right to information.

On his part the Executive Director of the International Press Centre Lanre Arogundade said more than 300 participants would work towards a shared understanding of electoral information threats test responses through a simulation exercise and agree on an electoral incident response protocol.

He said the summit would also seek commitments from relevant institutions with defined responsibilities and timelines towards establishing a Nigerian Electoral Incident Partnership to sustain collaboration beyond the meeting.

The Youth Wing Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) and National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) have warned youths to eschew violence in the forthcoming general elections.

The groups said the elections was a litmus test for Nigeria’s unity and could not be traded for anything. They stated this at the inter-religious peace accord summit organised by the Youth Southwest Zonal in Lagos last Saturday.

The Chairman CAN Lagos State Bishop Stephen Adegbite said the accord was aimed at fostering religious tolerance rejecting political violence and promoting peaceful coexistence ahead of the elections.

Adegbite also faulted politicians making derogatory utterances against their political opponents saying the nation could not afford war at this period.

‘It is because we don’t have trust in one another and when there is no trust there Is room for acrimony and suspicious and bickering.

‘What we must do is what youths have done today both Christian and Muslims have done well to bring peace and restore confidence in our great nation.

‘It is also to say that we must work together in oneness and togetherness that is the only way we can achieve greatness to the glory of God.’

Adegbite urged the youths to first show the way so Nigerians would follow adding that the summit was to show the world that the two religions want peace in the elections during and after the election.

The CAN chairman said the two religious bodies did not want anyone to be killed for any elective position.

‘When you go into Romans 12:18 it tells us to live in peace with ourselves even in Qur’an there are verses that speak about peace’ he said .

Also speaking Alhaji Shehu Ibrahim the National Secretary NACOMYO explained that the peace accord was important to the Muslims youth in the country because they were approaching the general elections.

Ibrahim said with this peace accord they would make sure they preach peace across the country starting from the grassroots level.

The national secretary said this was where they would mobilise their youths to ensure there were no violence during the election.

He said they were still contacting the Imams so they could use Jumat service islamic schools and other islamic gathering to preach peace to islamic youths.

The APC Youth Leader Lagos State Mr Damilare Orimoloye said this peace accord summit was to let Nigerians youths understand that peace comes after there was misunderstanding.

‘Peace speaks against violence how to tolerate each other showing love amidst misunderstanding.

‘Certainly there will be misunderstanding as we move into the election period so we need to tolerate each other and to speak love to one another.’

In his words Mr Nnamdi Obasi the South West Chairman YOWICAN noted that the summit was significant because the inter-religious youths need to bridge the gaps between the Christians and the Muslim youths not to be used to fight one another.

He said: ‘For example in the North where the Muslims are killing the Christians and the Christians are also killing the Muslims.

‘We need to make youths understand that we are one for the same purpose while we are together on earth.’

Obasi advised the youth to let them remain united and love each other as brothers and sisters and not to allow politicians to cause conflict among them as the 2027 draw nearer.

The Ogun State Electricity Regulatory Commission (OGSERC) has begun full regulatory operations in the state ordering all electricity operators licensees and service providers to register with the commission within 30 days or face sanctions.

The directive which affects operators across the electricity value chain sets Tuesday December 2 2026 as the compliance deadline.

Major electricity distribution companies including the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Eko Electricity Distribution Company and Ikeja Electric as well as their subsidiary companies operating in Ogun State were also covered by the directive.

Industrial commercial and private entities involved in electricity undertakings within the state were also instructed to register.

The Commission listed electricity generation distribution transmission supply and trading companies among those required to register.

It also extended the directive to mini-grid off-grid embedded generation and captive power operators as well as electrical contractors installers and other service providers.

A statement by the Chairman of OGSERC Engr. Jide Onakoya warned that operating an electricity-related business in Ogun State without obtaining the necessary registration and licence from the state regulator would violate the Ogun State Electricity Law.

He explained that the development followed the transfer of regulatory oversight of the state’s intrastate electricity market from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to the state.

According to him the transfer was also backed by the Ogun State Electricity Law enacted by the Ogun State House of Assembly in accordance with the Electricity Act 2023 as amended.

Onakoya said the commission was now fully empowered to regulate electricity-related activities within Ogun State adding that all operators must comply with its registration requirements.

He said ‘By this announcement all licensees operators developers and service providers in the electricity value chain in Ogun State are hereby required to register with OGSERC.

‘This exercise backed by law is critical to ensuring safety standardisation consumer protection and an enabling environment for investment in the state’s power sector.’

The Commission warned that no operator would be exempt from the requirement and that conducting electricity business without appropriate registration and licensing from OGSERC was illegal under state law.

It therefore directed affected businesses and operators to begin the registration process at its headquarters on the fifth and sixth floors of OPIC Tower Oke-Ilewo Abeokuta.

Alternatively operators can initiate the process via its official email address.

OGSERC said all affected entities must complete the process within 30 days of the announcement warning that failure to meet the December 2 deadline would attract sanctions prescribed by law.

The Commission however said its regulatory intervention aimed to establish a transparent efficient and reliable electricity market capable of protecting consumers promoting investment and strengthening Ogun State’s position as one of Nigeria’s major industrial centres.

The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State Bimbo Adekanmbi has unveiled a dedicated manifesto website to showcase his governance blueprint tagged Omititun 3.0: Continuity Competence and Community as part of efforts to deepen public engagement ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

He said the initiative was designed to provide residents with direct access to his vision policy proposals and development agenda while creating an opportunity for voters to examine scrutinise and assess his plans for the state.

Director of Communication/ Spokesperson Oyo State APM Governorship Campaign Council Yinka Oladoyinbo in a statement issued on Monday said the launch of the website is another important step in his efforts to communicate his political vision and engage citizens on the future of Oyo State.

The statement reads in part ‘The manifesto website can be accessed at bimbo-adekanmbi.com

‘Omititun 3.0 represents a governance philosophy built around continuity competence and community participation with an emphasis on sustaining existing achievements identifying development gaps and ensuring that the benefits of governance reach communities across the state.

‘The initiative is anchored on the belief that effective governance must go beyond promises to include clear policy direction practical solutions and a commitment to inclusive development.

‘The continuity component of the blueprint would focus on building on existing development efforts while competence would bring the experience and capacity required to identify challenges address gaps and deliver measurable results.

‘The community component underscores the importance of ensuring that no part of Oyo State is left behind in the distribution of development projects opportunities and government services.

‘The newly launched website features dedicated sections including About Bimbo Omititun 3.0 Why Bimbo and Manifesto providing visitors with information about the candidate his political vision and proposed governance priorities.

‘The platform is also expected to serve as an information hub through which residents stakeholders and other interested members of the public can familiarise themselves with the APM candidate’s policy direction and proposed approach to governance.’

He said further ‘The launch adds a digital dimension to Adekanmbi’s political engagement strategy providing an accessible platform for citizens to interact with his ideas and hold discussions around his proposed development agenda for Oyo State.

‘An abridged version of the manifesto is ready and posted on our official website while the full version will be released very soon.

‘The presentation of the document would enable the people of the state in particular and Nigeria in general to be properly informed about the developmental programmes being planned for implementation during Omituntun 3.0.

‘It will also provide opportunity to scrutinise the manifesto and prepare them for constructive engagement with the APM candidate.’