Category: Daily Trust

At least two Nigerien nationals and three other masterminds linked to the abduction of school children in Papiri, Niger State, have been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS).

The operatives also recovered a large cache of arms, including 15 AK rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition from them.

Gunmen, on November 21, 2025, attacked St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri village, Niger State, abducting nearly 300 students and staff.

While about 50 of the children managed to escape in the chaos that greeted the attack, over 250 others were marched for days into the Kainji Lake Reserve forest.

On December 21, 2025, the federal government and Niger State officials confirmed the rescue and safe return of the remaining 130 students and teachers, with government officials confirming that not a single pupil remained in captivity.

Giving an update on the incident, sources within security agencies disclosed that one Yusuf Mohammed, aka Bature, and his accomplice, Mubarak Ibrahim, were arrested on the Zaria-Kaduna highway.

One of the sources said Bature has been on the list of wanted members of the Boko Haram terror organisation.

According to the official, Bature and Ibrahim were on their way to collect a consignment of arms for their commanders when they were nabbed by the secret operatives.

He also revealed that a follow-up operation led to the arrest of Goni Ibrahim, an international arms courier from Diffa Region, the Niger Republic.

He added that one Tukur Sani, identified as Ibrahim’s accomplice, was also arrested.

Another security source said AK rifles, 15 magazines and 1,434 rounds of 7.62 mm live ammunition were concealed in an unnamed blue car that the arrested men were travelling in.

The source added that days after the arrests, another member of the arms courier syndicate, identified as Alhaji Adamu aka Gado Banufe, known to be supplying arms around the Kebbi axis, was arrested in Yauri, Kebbi State.

He further disclosed that preliminary investigations established that the five men served as arms couriers to the gunmen who carried out the November 2025 attacks.

Neither the DSS nor the Office of the National Security Adviser could be reached for comments on the arrest but the Country Director of Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, confirmed the arrest.

Hayab, who doubles as the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and FCT, said people of good conscience should not only criticise government when it fails to meet expectations but should also acknowledge positive outcomes whenever they occur.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, has disclosed that visa restrictions have been eased for Nigerians.

The UAE’s Ambassador to Nigeria disclosed this during a visit to Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, according to her spokesperson, Magnus Eze, in a statement on Sunday.

Al-Shamsi also explained that there were no longer visa rejections for Nigerian nationals travelling to the UAE.

According to him, no fewer than 15,000 Nigerians travelled to the UAE in the last year.

He said Nigeria’s bilateral relations with his country will soon receive a boost as First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) opens in Lagos, adding that the UAE’s leading carrier, Etihad Airways, will commence operations in Abuja this year.

Nigeria holds its relations with the UAE in the highest esteem, and the two countries have maintained warm, cordial, and mutually beneficial diplomatic ties since 1971.

Economic relations between the two countries have remained robust and dynamic, especially in non-oil trade, driven by strong trade flows, investment partnerships, and people-to-people exchanges.

The Ambassador applauded his country’s relationship with Nigeria, noting that non-oil trade between them grew from $ 4.3 billion in 2024 to $ 5 billion in 2025.

He projected that it may hit about $ 8 billion in 2027.

The envoy stated that his country stands firmly with Nigeria in its fight against terror and has issued at least eight statements to date condemning terrorist attacks in Nigeria.

On her part, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said both countries are working towards the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which they had signed.

The Minister noted that CEPA will transform economic ties between the two nations and deliver tangible benefits for Nigerian businesses, professionals and workers.

Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu said that Nigeria remains firmly committed to creating an enabling environment for Foreign Direct Investment, including from UAE-based sovereign wealth funds and private sector entities.

The minister was gratified that, through sustained dialogue and engagement, visa issues had been significantly addressed, and that over 15,000 Nigerians had visited the UAE after the easing of restrictions.

‘I am restating the commitment of Nigeria to mutual diplomatic ties with the UAE. We remain committed to working together to continue moving our bilateral relations from strength to strength,’ she stated.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said the red chamber is working towards securing tickets for some of the senators who lost the bid to contest the 2027 general elections.

Daily Trust reports that about 40 senators across the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), among other lost the primaries.

Speaking after the 4-week recess of the Senate Akpabio congratulated those who lost the primaries in anticipation of the desired results.

He said the Senate leadership was shocked by the high number of losses suffered by incumbent lawmakers.

‘I felicitate, particularly those who have secured their mandates to represent their parties in the next election. I know that there will always be victories and disappointments, yet above every individual triumph stands a greater triumph, the triumph of democracy itself.’

‘And in this Senate, we have promised that we will have very few disappointments, and I do know that the Senate leader and the leadership of the Senate are working very hard towards that, so in advance, I will say congratulations to all of us across party lines,’ he said.

Senators Ned Nwoko, Gbenga Daniel, Danjuma Goje, Rufai Hanga, are among the lawmakers who lost return tickets.

Akpabio expressed concern over the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, assuring that the government was doing its best to ensure their return.

Describing the incident as an assault on ‘our collective humanity’, Akpabio warned politicians against exploiting national tragedies for partisan advantage.

‘At moments such as these, there is a temptation to divide, to accuse, and to seek advantage from tragedy. Politicians and aspirants must resist that temptation for such cheap publicity.’

‘Let us continue to support every lawful and necessary measure to strengthen security, protect our schools, safeguard our communities, and ensure that every bandit faces the full weight of justice,’ he said.

The Director General of the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), Prof. Saleh Yuguda, has announced the official slogan for the 2026 World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) campaign as unveiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The slogan for this year’s global campaign is: ‘One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.’

Prof. Yuguda, while conveying the message to stakeholders and partners in the blood transfusion sector, extended compliments of the season and urged greater commitment towards promoting voluntary blood donation across the country.

According to him, the campaign seeks to reinforce global efforts aimed at ensuring a safe, sustainable and adequate blood supply through regular voluntary donations.

He stated that the objectives of the 2026 World Blood Donor Day campaign include driving sustained growth in regular, voluntary and unpaid blood donation worldwide, while raising awareness about the life-saving impact of blood and plasma donation.

The NBSA boss further noted that the campaign is designed to highlight the invaluable contributions of blood donors and promote the enduring values of solidarity, compassion and humanity that underpin blood donation.

He added that the initiative would also encourage governments, development partners and relevant stakeholders to strengthen and invest in national blood programmes in order to achieve universal access to safe blood transfusion services.

Prof. Yuguda disclosed that a major focus of this year’s commemoration would be community integration and grassroots engagement, with the agency taking the blood donation advocacy campaign beyond health institutions and into communities across the country.

According to him, traditional institutions, community leaders, youth groups, faith-based organisations and local stakeholders would be actively engaged to domesticate the message of voluntary blood donation at the grassroots level and foster a stronger culture of community ownership of blood services.

He stressed that the community-based approach is aimed at deepening public understanding of the importance of blood donation, dispelling misconceptions surrounding the practice, and building sustainable donor pools capable of supporting national blood needs.

World Blood Donor Day, commemorated annually on June 14, serves as a global platform to recognise voluntary blood donors and advocate for strengthened blood systems capable of meeting the transfusion needs of patients in emergencies, maternal healthcare, surgeries and the treatment of various medical conditions.

The 2026 campaign is expected to mobilise governments, healthcare institutions, civil society organisations and citizens around the world to embrace blood donation as a humanitarian act capable of saving millions of lives, while strengthening community participation in the quest for universal access to safe blood transfusion services.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has broken its silence on the controversy involving Lere Olayinka, spokesman of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.

Olayinka had taunted Emeka Ike, a Nollywood actor, for registering in Imo State and transferring his registration details to the FCT on May 15.

He attached two images to the post, which social media users said contained details obtained from INEC’s administrative login portal.

The controversy erupted after announced that he was interested in contesting for the House of Representatives seat for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the FCT under the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).

The issue generated widespread reactions as many wondered why it was leaked through an INEC administrative webpage.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, said investigation was ongoing.

The statement said the aide did not have direct access but that he obtained the information via people who had such access.

‘The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to allegations currently circulating on social media and in some sections of the media regarding the alleged unauthorised access to the Commission’s Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database and the subsequent publication of information on a candidate in the recent primaries of a political party in the Federal Capital Territory.’

‘The Commission takes this allegation seriously and has immediately commenced a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding the incident.

‘As part of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise nationwide, authorised INEC Registration Officers were granted controlled access to specific components of the CVR system to enable them register new applicants, process requests for transfer of registration and update voter records where necessary. Such access is restricted to official duties only and is withdrawn at the conclusion of the exercise.

‘The audit trail from the preliminary investigation has enabled the Commission to identify the user account through which the information was accessed. Accordingly, relevant personnel have been questioned, and all units connected with the incident are cooperating fully with the investigation.

‘The Commission is also examining all technical, administrative and operational factors associated with the matter in order to establish individual responsibility and determine the circumstances surrounding the use of those credentials and identify any breach of internal access-control protocols before taking appropriate action against anyone involved.

‘Preliminary findings from the Commission’s audit trail so far, however, indicate that there was no external breach of the CVR database, no hacking incident, and no unauthorised external access to the Commission’s ICT infrastructure. Rather, the information in question was accessed through valid user credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing CVR exercise but released without authority.

‘The incident under investigation relates to the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not indicate any compromise of the Commission’s broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of over 90 million registered voters.

‘The Commission wishes to state categorically that it takes the security, confidentiality and integrity of voter data with the utmost seriousness and remains committed to transparency, institutional integrity, and the protection of voters’ personal information.

‘Furthermore, the Department of State Services (DSS), on its own accord, has commenced an independent investigation into the matter. The Commission will continue to cooperate fully with all relevant security agencies and will not hesitate to refer any person found culpable for appropriate legal action.

‘Members of the public and the media are therefore urged to disregard unfounded speculations while investigations remain ongoing. The Commission will continue to keep the public informed of its final findings and any measures taken in response to the incident in due course.’

Motorists and commuters in parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have raised concerns over recurring flash floods on major roads and streets across Abuja, saying each rainfall now leaves several routes waterlogged and difficult to navigate.

Areas around the Jabi Under Bridge, Wuse, Utako, Berger Junction and parts of Aminu Kano Crescent, among others, were affected by recent rainfall, with road users blaming blocked drainage channels and poor road infrastructure for the situation.

Many motorists who spoke with Abuja Metro described driving through flooded roads in the nation’s capital as stressful, risky and expensive.

A commercial driver in Wuse, Musa Sani Aliyu, said several roads become flooded minutes after rainfall, forcing motorists to drive slowly to avoid damaging their vehicles.

‘Sometimes the water rises to the middle of the tyre. Drivers become scared because you don’t know what is inside the water,’ he said.

Sani said some motorists abandon flooded routes entirely during heavy rainfall.

Another driver, Polycarp Jonathan, said many vehicle owners spend heavily on repairs after driving through flooded roads.

‘When water enters the engine or electrical parts, you will definitely spend money. Some cars stop in the middle of the road immediately after passing through the water,’ he said.

Jonathan said the situation was becoming worse around Jabi and Utako during rainfall.

A taxi driver, Abdullahi Idris, said movement across some parts of Abuja had become difficult whenever it rains.

‘You can be inside traffic for almost one hour because everybody is trying to avoid flooded areas,’ he said.

He added that some drivers take dangerous shortcuts to escape flooded roads, increasing the risk of accidents.

A mechanic in Jabi, Mustapha Chakwa, said vehicles brought to his workshop after rainfall often develop faults linked to water entering sensitive parts of the engine.

‘Most drivers try to force their vehicles through deep water. Later, the engine starts developing problems,’ he said.

Chakwa said some motorists ignore the risks until their vehicles break down completely.

Another driver, Ismaila Garba, described the situation as embarrassing for a capital city.

‘This is Abuja. Roads should not become rivers each time it rains,’ he said.

Garba blamed poor drainage and lack of proper maintenance for the recurring flooding on major roads.

Another motorist, Victor Eze, said flooded roads also hide potholes and open drainage covers.

‘Once the road is covered with water, you cannot see anything again. That is how accidents happen,’ he said.

He recalled damaging his tyre after driving into a pothole hidden beneath floodwater last month.

Pedestrians are also not left out, as many have expressed concern over the situation.

A civil servant, Grace Matthew, said crossing roads after rainfall had become difficult in some parts of the city.

‘You either remove your shoes or wait for the water to reduce before crossing,’ she said.

Matthew added that many workers arrive late to their offices because of flooded streets and traffic caused by rainfall.

Another civil servant, Ummul’Khair Ahmed, said pedestrians were often splashed with dirty water by vehicles struggling through flooded roads.

‘Sometimes you cannot even stand close to the road because vehicles are pushing water everywhere,’ she said.

Residents called on the FCT Administration to clear blocked drainage channels and improve road drainage across flood-prone areas before the peak of the rainy season.

Blocked drainages, illegal structures worsen Abuja flooding – Expert

Speaking with Abuja Metro, a former Director of Works and Maintenance Services at the Federal University of Lafia, Engr. Riyadh Ojulari, blamed the flooding largely on blocked drainage channels, illegal structures built along waterways and indiscriminate waste disposal.

‘The major cause of this flooding is clogged drainage. Most of the drainages are blocked,’ he said.

Ojulari said he recently visited parts of Abuja, including Aminu Kano Crescent, during rainfall and observed debris and waste blocking water channels.

‘We found out that there was debris everywhere along the drainage path where the water was supposed to pass through. It was already blocked with waste,’ he said.

According to him, many of the affected roads were not suffering from poor engineering design but from blocked drainage systems preventing the free flow of water.

‘There are drainage systems in many of those areas, but several of them are blocked. If the waterway is not blocked, the water will flow easily,’ he said.

He also blamed developments on drainage paths and flood plains for worsening the situation in some parts of the capital city.

‘When you build illegally on drainage routes, it will cause this kind of problem,’ he said.

Ojulari identified areas such as Jabi, Utako, Berger Junction and Aminu Kano Crescent as vulnerable because of their low-lying topography, saying large volumes of water naturally flow towards such areas during rainfall.

‘Aminu Kano is lower. Gravity pulls water to the lowest point. The water is supposed to flow through, but the drainages are blocked,’ he explained.

He warned that the flooding could become more dangerous as rainfall intensifies in the coming months if urgent action is not taken.

‘If it is not checked and corrected, it will cause a lot of inconvenience. It is very risky for commuters as well as motorists,’ he said.

He added that flooded roads could damage vehicles and expose pedestrians to hidden dangers such as uncovered manholes.

‘Some of these manholes are open. You can be walking and accidentally fall into them,’ he said.

Ojulari also said Abuja’s growing population had increased pressure on existing drainage infrastructure, stressing the need for upgrades and stricter enforcement of the city’s master plan.

‘The population of Abuja has increased tremendously. There is a need to upgrade the drainage infrastructure and check developers building along drainage lines, especially in the outskirts where there are violations of the master plan,’ he said.

He said agencies responsible for environmental enforcement and sanitation, including the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), should intensify monitoring and public sensitisation against indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage channels.

‘We should not wait until the rain starts. Drainages should be cleared as often as possible,’ he added.

Ethiopians flocked to the polls on Monday, with the Prosperity Party (PP) of incumbent Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed all but guaranteed to win a landslide victory.

Abiy, who has ruled the Horn of Africa nation of 130 million people since 2018, is criticised for growing authoritarianism, in contrast to his early years when he won the Nobel Peace Prize for mending relations with neighbouring Eritrea.

Despite internal conflicts, repression and high poverty rates, Ethiopia’s economy is seeing fast growth thanks largely to a state-led construction boom and surging exports such as coffee.

‘The coming five years will be a period of historic transformation for our nation,’ Abiy told reporters after casting his ballot in his native Oromia region, home to the largest of Ethiopia’s 80-odd ethnic groups.

‘Achieving this change will demand even greater determination, sacrifice and effort than we have demonstrated in the past,’ he said.

Long queues formed at polling stations in the capital, Addis Ababa, with some waiting since 2:00am.

Later, the authorities unexpectedly extended voting by six hours, saying they would stay open until midnight.

‘It is a critical time to decide the fate of our country,’ said Binyam Gideyelem, 38, a telecoms worker voting for the first time, at a station near the international airport.

Despite the enthusiasm – in a country where the population is under close surveillance – analysts say the vote is little more than a formality to keep Abiy in power.

Abiy’s PP won 96 per cent of the seats in the last parliamentary election in 2021 and is running unopposed in dozens of the 547 constituencies this time.

Independent journalists are stifled, opposition parties are divided and under-resourced, and the country faces multiple insurgencies that make monitoring in conflict areas all but impossible.

The head of the election board, Melatwork Hailu, told reporters that 143 of roughly 48,000 polling stations were not opened due to ‘security issues’ and said voting was ‘interrupted’ in others, without giving details.

The election is ‘likely to be among the least competitive of the seven national elections held since multiparty democracy was introduced in 1991,’ Ahmed Soliman and Abel Abate Demissie of the Chatham House think tank wrote last week.

‘Many challengers to the ruling PP will not contest the elections,’ they noted. ‘Some are in exile, some are banned, some are imprisoned, and many may see little incentive to abandon their armed struggle against the government.’

Results are expected by June 11.

Rapid growth

No election is taking place in the northern region of Tigray due to ongoing tensions between regional and federal authorities.

More than a million people remain displaced from the brutal civil war of 2020-2022.

Ethiopia also faces insurgencies in the two most populous states, Oromia and Amhara.

In Amhara, with a population around 20 million, Fano nationalist militias have threatened to disrupt the electoral process, while a group called the Oromia Liberation Army is also active against federal forces.

Ethiopia also has tense relations with neighbours.

Abiy has angered Somalia and Eritrea with his push to gain direct sea access for the landlocked country, Egypt fears the impact of a new megadam on the Nile, and Sudan accuses him of backing Sudanese rebels.

Despite the challenges, the International Monetary Fund expects the economy in Africa’s second most populous country to grow by more than nine per cent this year – one of the fastest rates in the world – largely thanks to infrastructure and industrial investments under previous governments.

Abiy has made tentative steps to open up the economy, which has boosted exports, but Ethiopia still faces huge debt, high inflation and a poverty rate around 40 per cent

Observers from the African Union, headquartered in Addis Ababa, as well as the East African regional bloc IGAD, monitored Monday’s poll.

Ethiopia did not accept a proposal from the European Union to send observers, according to an EU source.

The Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria (CODARAN) has warned that the growing presence of low-cost milk substitutes and creamers marketed as milk products is misleading consumers and denying them the full nutritional benefits of genuine dairy products.

Speaking at the 2026 World Milk Day Conference in Abuja, CODARAN National President, Muhammadu Damakka Abubakar, urged Nigerians to make informed purchasing decisions and carefully examine product labels.

He said that while creamers and milk substitutes may serve certain culinary purposes, they do not provide the same nutritional value as fresh milk and dairy products derived from fresh milk.

‘We encourage consumers to choose fresh milk and dairy products whenever possible to maximise the health and nutritional benefits they offer,’ he said.

Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said Nigeria has embarked on one of its most coordinated livestock and dairy transformation programmes in recent years.

He noted that Nigeria’s annual milk demand stands at about 1.7 million metric tonnes, while local production ranges between 600,000 and 700,000 metric tonnes, creating a significant supply gap that fuels dairy imports estimated at over $1.5 billion annually.

Maiha said a major milestone was achieved in November 2025 when stakeholders met in Abuja to develop practical strategies for strengthening local milk production, processing, cold-chain systems, pasture development, animal health services and private-sector participation.

The engagement led to the validation of the National Dairy Policy Implementation Framework, which was officially unveiled at the World Milk Day Conference.

World Milk Day, celebrated annually on June 1, highlights the importance of milk and the dairy industry to nutrition, livelihoods, employment and economic development.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Nigerian Navy for its significant contributions to maritime security and economic growth, describing its achievements in combating piracy, crude oil theft and other maritime crimes as critical to Nigeria’s development.

Speaking at the International Fleet Review held to mark the Nigerian Navy’s 70th anniversary, at the Eko Atlantic waterfront, Victoria Island Lagos, the President praised the service for evolving into what he described as Africa’s most formidable naval force.

The event had as its theme: 7 Decades of Operational Excellence.

Tinubu noted that the Navy’s effective deployment of surveillance systems, rapid-response mechanisms and enforcement operations had helped eradicate piracy in Nigerian waters while substantially reducing crude oil theft and other criminal activities within the maritime domain.

‘The improved security environment has enhanced the safety of coastal communities, boosted investor confidence and contributed to increased oil production, thereby supporting national economic growth,’ he stated.

The President also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the Navy’s operational capabilities through sustained recapitalisation efforts.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, he commissioned three new vessels acquired to bolster maritime security operations and protect Nigeria’s strategic economic assets.

Looking beyond maritime security, Tinubu commended the Navy’s contributions to counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations across the country, particularly the efforts of the Special Boat Service and the newly inducted Nigerian Navy Marines.

‘I am confident that the Navy will continue to play a vital role in securing the nation’s maritime environment and supporting the development of Nigeria’s blue economy,’ he said.

The President also inaugurated the Combined Maritime Task Force, a multinational security initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation among Gulf of Guinea nations in tackling emerging maritime threats and promoting regional stability.

He praised the collaborative efforts of participating countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, describing the initiative as a demonstration of shared commitment to maritime governance and security.

Earlier, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Idi Abbas, highlighted the Navy’s ongoing fleet modernisation programme and growing international partnerships.

Abbas disclosed that the service had intensified the use of emerging technologies, including unmanned aerial vehicles and artificial intelligence, to improve maritime domain awareness and enhance its response to maritime crimes such as oil theft, illegal bunkering and smuggling.

He also announced the successful training and induction of the first batch of 328 Nigerian Navy Marines, noting that the elite force would strengthen maritime security, counter-terrorism and inland security operations.

The naval chief reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to professionalism, capacity building and collaboration with regional and international partners to ensure a safe and secure maritime environment.

The anniversary celebration featured an international fleet review, aerial combat displays and a parade of naval assets from Nigeria and allied countries, underscoring the growing stature of the Nigerian Navy as a key maritime security force in Africa.

Dignitaries at the event include the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Speaker House of Representative, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Chief of Defense Staff, General OO Oluyede, the Chief of Army Staff, W. Shaibu, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal SK Aneke, delegates from participating nations among others.

A group known as the Kogi East APC Elites Forum has appealed for calm and greater respect for internal party structures in the handling of political affairs in the senatorial district.

The forum called on key political stakeholders to allow party members in Kogi East to continue to take the lead in determining the political direction of the district through established democratic processes.

It said political activities, particularly primary elections within the state, should be guided by fairness and due process to strengthen unity within the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of future elections.

A statement signed by Dr Ben Ogwuche, Lead Spokesperson of the Critical Members of the Kogi East APC Elites Forum, noted that members of the party in the district are well positioned to manage their internal political affairs.

The group also expressed support for Chief Joe Erico, describing him as a preferred choice among several stakeholders in the area.

It further urged all interested parties to respect the views of APC members within Kogi East and allow democratic structures to guide decision-making processes.

The statement reads: ‘Kogi East possesses capable leaders, experienced party elders, and a vibrant grassroots structure fully capable of determining its political future.’

It added that, ‘the final determination of who represents Kogi East should reflect the wishes of APC members and stakeholders within the district.’

Reaffirming its stance on internal democracy, the forum said decisions reached through party processes should be respected to sustain unity within the APC.

‘Our purpose is simple and clear: to reaffirm our collective support for Chief Joe Erico, whom we recognise as the candidate who emerged through the accepted democratic process,’ the group stated.

The forum also appealed to the APC national leadership to continue to promote fairness, transparency and justice, while encouraging party members across Kogi East to remain calm and united.