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Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has urged Enugu voters, especially members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporters of his administration, to vote for the party’s candidates across all positions in the forthcoming local government elections in the state and the 2027 general election.

Mbah cautioned voters against what he described as attempts by some political actors to persuade them to split their votes by supporting APC candidates in some positions and candidates of other parties in others, insisting it must be APC from top to bottom.

The governor gave the charge on Thursday at Amagunze, headquarters of Nkanu East Local Government Area, during a well-attended APC grand rally jointly organised by Nkanu East and Nkanu West councils ahead of Saturday’s September 26 local government council election in the state.

‘Let no one lie to you. Let no one deceive you about splitting your votes by voting different candidates of different political parties for different positions. It is all lies. Vote APC all the way, from top to bottom. There is no room for vote sharing,’ Mbah said.

He urged APC supporters to turn out en masse on Saturday and support the party’s candidates, saying the performance of the APC-led administration in the state and those of the local government councils were made possible to a large extent by the support and reforms of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal government.

‘You have to vote in the coming local government elections because of what you see around you. If our opponents ask you why you should vote APC, tell them to look around. It is as clear as daylight.

‘Remember, don’t take anything for granted. It is not over until it is over. Come out on Saturday and thumbprint for APC,’ he stated.

The governor said his administration recognised that rural communities remained a critical area requiring greater attention, stressing that sustainable poverty reduction must begin at the grassroots.

‘We recognise that our weakest link is our rural areas and that is why we are paying serious attention to providing infrastructure in our rural areas – roads, Smart Green Schools and Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres, among others,’ he said.

According to him, local government chairmen have been encouraged to compete in delivering projects such as boreholes, rural roads and health facilities to their communities.

He said increased funding to states and local governments had created greater fiscal space for the implementation of development projects, adding that some of the projects would not have been possible without federal support.

The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, who is also the Council Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Area, Hon. Sydney Okechukwu Edeh, welcomed the governor to his local government area and pledged the continued support of the people to the APC and Mbah’s administration.

Edeh described the forthcoming council election as an opportunity for the people to demonstrate their support for the APC and all its candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Similarly, the Chairman of Nkanu West Local Government Area, Chief John Ogbodo, commended Mbah for the Smart Green Schools and other development projects across the council.

The member representing Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Nnoli Nnaji, also commended Mbah for his development initiatives.

Nnaji said federal lawmakers from Enugu East Senatorial District had been working to complement the efforts of the state government, citing the provision of electricity transformers to each of the 14 wards in Nkanu East Local Government Area, as well as mobility support (vehicles) for party officials and the Neighbourhood Watch in the Federal Constituency.

The rally was attended by the Senator representing Enugu East Senatorial District, Senator Kevin Chukwunwike; APC Deputy National Chairman, South, Dr Ben Nwonye; South East APC Zonal Woman Leader, Dr. Oby Ajih; APC Enugu State Chairman, Dr Martin Chukwunwike; members of the National and State Assemblies, among other party leaders and supporters.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will secure ‘maximum victory’ from the South-South region and other parts of the country in the 2027 presidential election, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said.

Akpabio, who described Tinubu as a friend of the South-South zone, made the statement on Wednesday during activities marking the 39th anniversary of the creation of Akwa Ibom State in Uyo.

‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a friend of the South-South zone, and he will get maximum victory from the region and other parts of the country,’ the Senate President said.

The former Akwa Ibom governor also called on the people of the state to sustain their support for its development, saying the anniversary provided an opportunity to reflect on the state’s progress and future.

Akpabio said Akwa Ibom had recorded significant growth since its creation in 1987, attributing the progress to the resilience and contributions of its people.

‘Our greatest resource has always been our people,’ he said.

He also reflected on his tenure as governor, saying the infrastructure, institutions and human-capital investments made during his administration provided a foundation for subsequent governments to build upon.

‘The years of Uncommon Transformation demonstrated what is possible when vision is matched by courage, when public resources are deployed for the public good, and when leadership refuses to accept yesterday’s limitations as the boundaries of tomorrow’s possibilities,’ he said.

Akpabio urged the people to look beyond the anniversary celebrations and focus on creating greater opportunities for young people, enterprise and innovation.

‘The task before us is not merely to celebrate how far we have travelled, but to imagine how much farther we can go,’ he said.

‘Akwa Ibom is rising. And together, we shall continue to build a future worthy of the dreams of our founding fathers.’

Akwa Ibom was created on September 23, 1987, by the military administration of former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida.

The Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN), the female wing of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Ibadan Chapter, has taken its ‘Catch-Them-Young’ career outreach programme to students of Anglican Commercial Grammar School, Orita-Meta, Total Garden, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The programme, held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the school premises, commenced at 8:00 a.m. and was aimed at sensitising students to the accounting profession and the pathway to becoming chartered accountants.

The Principal of the school, Chief (Mrs.) Olanrewaju Oluwanikemi, who received the SWAN, Ibadan team alongside the students, commended the association for choosing the school for the outreach.

She described the initiative as timely and impactful, particularly in helping students make informed career choices.

Leading the delegation was the 5th Chairperson of SWAN and 3rd Chairman of ICAN, Ibadan, Queen, Dr. (Mrs.) Temitope Babajide, FCA, who was accompanied by executives and members of the association.

Members of the delegation included the Vice Chairperson, Queen. Adedipe Atinuke, FCA; General Secretary, Queen. Omotunde Olawale, FCA; Assistant General Secretary, Queen. Farodoye Funmilayo, FCA; Technical Secretary, Queen Tosin Popoola, FCA; Treasurer, Queen. Adijat Oladipupo, FCA; Welfare Officer, Queen. Wojuade Olasunbo, FCA; Social Secretary, Queen. Anuoluwapo Oyewale, FCA; Financial Secretary, Queen. Aloba Mary, FCA; Queen. Olabisi Ayuba, FCA; Queen. Olabimpe Alo, ACA (Ex-Officio 1); and Queen. Olusola Omole, ACA (Ex-Officio 2), among others.

Speaking during the programme, Dr. Babajide said the initiative was designed to introduce young students to ICAN, expose them to the opportunities available to chartered accountants and encourage them to consider accountancy as a career from an early age.

According to her, SWAN also organises various in-reach and outreach programmes as part of its contributions to society.

She said these include medical outreaches conducted in collaboration with medical personnel, school visits to campaign against drug abuse and bad gang association, as well as public enlightenment programmes on the relevance of ICAN and SWAN to society.

Dr. Babajide urged the students to remain focused and disciplined and begin preparing early if they wished to pursue careers in accountancy.

She noted that becoming a chartered accountant through ICAN could provide opportunities for professional growth and global relevance.

The students were also taken through the step-by-step process of becoming chartered accountants and educated on the benefits of belonging to ICAN.

The programme ended with the distribution of writing materials to the students and an interactive session during which they asked questions about career opportunities and prospects in accounting.

A support group mobilizing for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027, Young Professionals for Tinubu 2027 (YPAT), has commenced the distribution of educational materials to 1,500 pupils in public primary schools across Ekiti State.

The initiative, tagged the ‘Tinubu Back-to-School Programme,’ was launched in Ikere-Ekiti by the Ekiti State Coordinator of YPAT and member of the Governing Council of Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Barrister Abimbola Daramola.

The event was attended by the representative of the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye; former Deputy Governor of the state, Abiodun Aluko; Chairman of Ikere Local Government Area; and Squadron Leader (Rtd.) Olu Egbejoda Adamolekun, Chairman of Ikere West LCDA; Rufus Olorunfemi; and Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, Ayomide George-Ojo, among other dignitaries and stakeholders.

Daramola said the program was designed to support pupils and their parents while complementing efforts to improve access to basic educational materials in the state.

She said the beneficiaries were drawn from 15 selected public primary schools across the state and would receive school uniforms, sandals, school bags, and writing materials, with more than 5,000 writing materials to be distributed.

According to her, the initiative also included an empowerment component aimed at engaging local artisans in the production of some of the materials.

She said 50 parents were selected to benefit from the program, with tailors, shoemakers, and bag makers engaged to produce uniforms, footwear, and school bags.

Daramola said, ‘What we are doing here is the Tinubu Back-to-School Program in Ekiti State. We are Young Professionals for Tinubu 2027, a support group committed to impact and empowerment while mobilizing support for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.

‘We have selected 15 public primary schools and will be giving back-to-school materials to 1,500 children across Ekiti State. These include sandals, uniforms, writing materials of over 5,000, and school bags.

‘We also decided to empower 50 parents by creating economic activities within the state. Parents who are into tailoring, shoemaking, and bag making are being engaged to produce the materials for the children.’

She said the flag-off in Ikere marked the first phase of the program, adding that distribution would be extended to the other selected schools and local government areas in the state.

Daramola said the initiative was aimed at supporting pupils and their parents and boosting the children’s confidence as they resumed for the new academic session.

She added that the program was also intended to contribute to the renewed hope narrative being promoted by the Tinubu administration, particularly among young people and families.

Representing the deputy governor, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Victor Adeniyi, commended Daramola for the initiative, saying it aligned with the renewed hope agenda of President Tinubu.

He said the distribution of 1,500 school bags, 1,500 pairs of sandals, 1,500 school uniforms, 5,000 writing materials, and sewing machines would help reduce the burden of education on beneficiary families and encourage pupils to remain in school.

The Nigerian naira depreciated slightly against the United States (US) dollar, trading at N1,328.4974 at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) official foreign exchange (FX) window on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

The data shared on the CBN’s official platform shows that the naira traded at the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) rate of N1,328.4974 per dollar and closed at N1,328.0000 per dollar.

The currency, which traded at an NFEM rate of N1,327.7784 on September 22, 2026, depreciated slightly by at least N0.72 after trading activities on Wednesday.

At the parallel market, the buying rate remained the same while the selling rate increased by N2, when compared to the previous trading rate on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

According to Aboki FX , the Naira-to-dollar exchange rate at the black market on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, was N1,382 and N1,387 per dollar for buying and selling rates, respectively.

THE National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), alongside its Governing Board and Management, on Wednesday continued its inspection tour of automotive assembly and manufacturing facilities across the country.

The visit took the NADDC Board to KOJO Motors and Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) to assess their operations, technical capabilities, production capacity and areas requiring further support.

Speaking during the tour, chairman of NADDC Governing Board, Chief Emma Eneukwu, expressed satisfaction with the level of investment and technical development witnessed at the facilities.

Eneukwu explained that the visit was designed to provide board members with first-hand information on the technical know-how, production capacity and challenges confronting local vehicle manufacturers.

He stressed the need for a strong NADDC industry law that would empower the council to effectively regulate the automotive sector, address the influx of used and substandard vehicles into the country, protect local manufacturers and create an enabling environment for locally produced vehicles to compete favourably in the market.

Eneukwu commended the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu for its support towards the development of Nigeria’s automotive industry.

‘Greater emphasis must be placed on local content, technology transfer and skills development, enabling Nigerians to acquire the technical expertise required not only to assemble vehicles but also to manufacture complete vehicles locally,’ he said.

Addressing the team, the Executive Director of KOJO Motors, Mr Chinedu Oguegbu, said the company had operated in the automotive industry for more than 30 years and had built partnerships with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) globally, through which it has benefited from technology transfer and international best practices.

Oguegbu noted that KOJO Motors complied with global standards in vehicle assembly and provided warranty and after-sales support through its service centres.

He explained that the company’s partnership with Yutong, one of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers, had enabled the assembly of its products in Nigeria, while the OMAA brand, a Nigerian product, is being developed with the ambition of reaching international markets.

At Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co Ltd (IVM), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Innocent Chukwuma, highlighted the importance of transitioning to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Electric Vehicles (EVs) as part of efforts to address the challenges of high fuel costs and promote sustainable transportation.

He commended the Federal Government’s investment in CNG infrastructure and called for a review of policies, including vehicle import duty concessions, which he said could place local manufacturers at a disadvantage.

Chukwuma emphasised that supporting local manufacturing would create employment opportunities, strengthen the economy and ensure that investments in the sector deliver wider benefits to Nigerians.

In his remarks, the Director-General/CEO of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Osanipin, said the tour was organised to enable the Governing Board and Management to understand the operations, capabilities and development needs of vehicle assemblers and manufacturers across the country.

Osanipin expressed delight at the scale of investment witnessed at Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, particularly its production of commercial buses and mass-transit vehicles, as well as its processes for building vehicles from the chassis stage.