Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Oyo State Command, has dismissed allegations that the State Commandant, Augustine Padonu, compelled personnel deployed on beats across the state to make financial contributions towards his birthday and church harvest.

The Command, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Public Relations Officer, SC Samuel Olubanjo Opebiyi, described the allegations as false, stressing that Padonu never instructed, directed or authorised any officer or personnel to contribute money towards either his birthday or church harvest.

According to the statement, the celebrations were personal to the Commandant and his family and had no connection with the official duties or resources of the NSCDC.

The Command also questioned the timing of the allegations, noting that the birthday and church harvest referred to in the publication took place in early August.

It said the allegations surfaced only after the recent redeployment and restructuring of command formations carried out on Thursday, September 24, 2026, for operational efficiency as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.

The NSCDC said the timing could be linked to dissatisfaction among some individuals affected by the postings, describing redeployment as a routine measure necessary to position the Corps effectively for its responsibilities.

The Commandant, it added, remained focused on protecting lives and property, safeguarding critical national assets and infrastructure, and supporting other security agencies in maintaining peace and security across Oyo State.

Since assuming office, Padonu has, according to the Command, prioritised operational effectiveness, discipline, professionalism, inter-agency collaboration and the welfare of personnel.

The Command further stated that it would not tolerate any unauthorised deduction from or levy on personnel allowances, urging officers with genuine complaints to use established administrative channels for prompt and fair consideration.

It warned that any personnel found to have acted improperly would face appropriate disciplinary procedures in line with the rules of the Corps.

While acknowledging the role of the media and the public’s right to information, the NSCDC urged journalists to verify allegations and give affected institutions an opportunity to respond before publication.

The Command also urged members of the public to be cautious about receiving or circulating unverified claims concerning the leadership and activities of the Oyo State Command.

It assured the public that it would remain focused on its statutory responsibilities and would not be distracted by what it described as attempts to undermine public confidence in the Corps or the leadership of the State Commandant.

The NSCDC directed members of the public seeking clarification on its activities and operations to contact the Office of the Public Relations Officer, which it identified as the designated channel for official communication.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) members and support groups in Oyo State to close ranks and deliver victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all the party’s candidates in the 2027 general elections,

The Minister stated that the President’s bold and audacious power sector reforms are already producing modest improvements in very short period, and positively impacting people’s lives.

He made the call during a series of engagements in Ibadan, beginning with the APC Reconciliation Committee, led by its Chairman, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin.

He commended the committee for healing the party after the primaries and promised to back its efforts by reaching out to aggrieved aspirants.

The Minister urged party leaders to ensure that all interests and political tendencies within the party are carried along and promised to continue to support the party.

Tegbe charged the groups to take the message to the grassroots and mobilise voters for the President’s re-election and for APC candidates at every level.

He told them that one of the strongest arguments they carry into the communities is what the reforms are doing for ordinary Nigerians.

According to him, ‘Under President Tinubu, the nation continues to record high generation and transmission, which have risen above 5,300MW in recent weeks. More power available on and off the grid means more electricity available to homes, markets, workshops and factories, and it strengthens the case for the industrial growth and job creation the President has promised.’

Tegbe who was received by the State Chairman of the APC, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, and members of the State Executive Committee at to the party Secretariat at Oke-Ado

Senator Lanlehin thanked the Minister and pledged that the committee would keep engaging aspirants and other stakeholders until full unity is achieved.

Leaders of the various support groups thanked the Minister for his consistent support of party members and pledged to work for the party’s success at the polls.

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) reported a profit before tax of N603.03 billion for the half year ended June 30, 2026, representing a marginal 0.4 percent increase over the corresponding period of 2025, as fair value losses moderated stronger underlying earnings.

The financial services group also declared an interim dividend of N1 per share, while interest income and trading income rose by 7.5 percent and 24.7 percent year-on-year respectively.

According to the audited results released yesterday to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and London Stock Exchange (LSE), GTCO’s earnings growth was constrained by a N46.2 billion fair value loss recognised during the first half of the year.

The group said the loss moderated the growth in profit before tax despite stronger performance across its interest and trading income lines.

GTCO’s balance sheet continued to expand during the period, with total assets rising to ?lN18.6 trillion, while shareholders’ funds closed at N3.3 trillion.

The group’s deposit liabilities recorded stronger growth, rising 10.3 percent from N12.87 trillion at the end of December 2025 to N14.19 trillion by June 2026.

This contrasted with marginal growth in the net loan book, which increased 0.5 percent from ?3.13 trillion to N3.15 trillion during the six-month period.

The lender also reported an improvement in asset quality, with IFRS 9 Stage 3 loans declining to 3.5 percent at the bank level and 4.6 percent at group level, compared with 3.4 percent and 5.0 percent respectively at the end of 2025.

Cost of risk also improved significantly to 0.6 percent from 2.2 percent during the comparable period.

GTCO maintained a strong capital position, with its group Capital Adequacy Ratio standing at 34.9 percent, while the bank recorded a CAR of 29.2 percent.

The group reported a pre-tax return on equity of 35.9 percent and pre-tax return on assets of 6.6 percent, while its cost-to-income ratio stood at 31.5 percent.

Commenting on the results, Segun Agbaje, Group Chief Executive Officer, GTCO, said the performance reflected the resilience of the group’s franchise and balance sheet, despite the impact of fair value movements on reported earnings.

‘Our half year results speak to the strength of what we have built: a resilient franchise, a strong balance sheet and a business that no longer depends on banking alone,’ Agbaje said.

He added that interest and trading income grew, deposits strengthened and asset quality improved at group level.

‘The priority now is to execute with discipline and grow responsibly. Digital is our lever for scaling across Banking, Payments, Pension and Funds Management, and for building a more diversified and resilient financial services group,’ he said.

The results come as GTCO continues to broaden its operations beyond conventional banking into payments, pension and funds management businesses across its operating markets in Africa and the United Kingdom.

The group said growth was recorded across the jurisdictions where it operates banking franchises, as well as its payments, pension and funds management businesses.

The N1 interim dividend provides shareholders with a cash distribution despite the marginal year-on-year growth in reported profit, with the company maintaining focus on balance-sheet expansion, capital strength and diversification of earnings.

A chartered accountant of Kogi State origin, Mr Michael Ayodele Tolobase, has been elevated to the position of a Partner at HLB Z.O. Ososanya and Co (Chartered Accountants).

His promotion was announced during the 70th anniversary celebration of the firm, held recently in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in the presence of staff, partners, guests and clients.

Tolobase’s elevation to the partner position was first announced by the Managing Partner, Mr Babatunde Kolawole, during a combined staff meeting held on September 16, which had in attendance Mr Simon Awotoye, a partner in the firm, and all staff from Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan, who converged on Ibadan for the 70th anniversary of the firm.

Tolobase joined HLB Z.O. Ososanya and Co (Chartered Accountants) in 2007 and qualified as a chartered accountant in 2009, passing all qualifying examinations on the first attempt. He later joined PKF Professional Services Lagos as an Audit Senior in 2010.

He also worked for Adebola Sobanjo and Co (Chartered Accountants) in 2014 as Audit Manager and later got promoted to the position of Branch Manager, overseeing the whole of the Abuja branch.

He started his own professional practice in 2020, leading the firm, Eagle Pattern Professional Services (Chartered Accountants). He subsequently rejoined HLB Z.O. Ososanya and Co (Chartered Accountants) in January 2023 until this year when he was elevated to the position of a partner.

Tolobase’s new portfolio takes effect from October 1.

At least three persons were feared dead while residents, commuters, civil servants, students and lecturers were stranded for several hours on Monday following torrential rainfall that triggered flooding across Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.

The downpour, which began on Sunday and continued for several hours, rendered major roads and adjoining communities impassable, damaged sections of roads and bridges and forced many motorists to abandon their vehicles and trek several kilometres home.

The worst-hit areas included Olorunsogo/Olorunda, Elemi Bridge along Afao Road, Opopogboro-Housing, Adehun-Ayemi axis of Adebayo Road, Ilawe-Ekiti Road, Ilupeju Avenue and Iyana Emerin, among other parts of the metropolis.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that a middle-aged man identified as Ibrahim and another person were reportedly swept away and died around Adehun Road in Adebayo, while a third victim was said to have died around Elemi Bridge along Afao Road on Monday night.

The flooding caused severe disruption to vehicular and human movement, leaving commuters stranded for hours.

Some residents who could not navigate the flooded routes sought temporary shelter, while others abandoned their vehicles and trekked home.

A staff member of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Lanre Adesuyi, described the situation as frightening, saying he abandoned his vehicle along the road at about 7 pm on Monday after the flood made further movement impossible.

Adesuyi said he trekked home and returned around 3 am on Tuesday to retrieve his vehicle, lamenting the danger posed by the recurring flooding.

‘It was a serious situation yesterday (Monday), and I couldn’t imagine that happening again. It is very sad, and I can say that about two people were swept away along the Ayemi-Adehun road.

‘Government should do something urgently, otherwise it would be more devastating in the state capital,’ he said.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Sunday Abutu, had yet to respond to enquiries on the reported casualties as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, a public affairs analyst, Elder Ayo Arogundade, described the flooding as a recurring problem that had repeatedly paralysed movement within the state capital.

Speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, Arogundade said commuters were stranded along the Ado-Iworoko Road after the road became impassable.

He said several roads had also been damaged by the flood, making movement to communities such as Afao and Iworoko increasingly difficult.

‘Roads are not motorable because of flooding. Some places have been damaged. To get to Afao has become very difficult, to get to Iworoko has not been easy,’ he said.

Arogundade urged the relevant authorities to move beyond temporary interventions and develop a lasting solution to the recurring flooding.

He appealed to the Federal Government, Ekiti State Government and Ado Local Government to urgently repair damaged roads and other infrastructure affected by the flooding.

He also called on emergency management agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), to take immediate steps to alleviate the suffering of residents and commuters affected by the disaster.

‘The Federal Government, Ekiti State Government and Ado Local Government should do something about it. Emergency departments should take emergency action,’ he said.

Reacting to the development, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Erelu Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe, sympathised with the families of the reported victims and urged residents to prioritise their safety as the rainy season continues.

Speaking against the backdrop of the flooding in major parts of the state on Tuesday, the commissioner advised motorists, tricycle operators and commercial motorcycle riders to avoid unnecessary movement during heavy rainfall.

She urged road users to reduce their speed, maintain safe distances and avoid roads and areas where floodwater had accumulated.

Aluko-Ajisafe also warned residents against entering flowing water, drainage channels and other potentially dangerous areas during heavy rainfall.

She urged residents to keep their surroundings, gutters and drainage channels clean and free of refuse, noting that indiscriminate dumping of waste could obstruct water channels and worsen flooding.

According to her, the state government had continued to implement measures aimed at reducing the impact of heavy rainfall, including clearing and desilting drainage channels, removing obstructions from waterways, monitoring vulnerable locations and responding to identified environmental hazards.

The commissioner also advised residents to exercise caution around trees and electrical installations and report fallen trees, blocked drainage channels and other environmental hazards to the appropriate authorities.

On his part, the Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, who addressed protesting residents over the impact of the flooding around the Aayemi-Adehun Road, expressed the government’s sympathy to residents whose properties, businesses and livelihoods were affected.

Olatunbosun said the government had been aware of forecasts of intense rainfall and had commenced sustained public sensitisation following predictions by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

He said the sensitisation was aimed at encouraging residents to monitor weather forecasts, avoid vulnerable areas and take necessary precautions during heavy rainfall.

According to the commissioner, the state government had spent over ?1.18 billion between 2023 and 2026 on flood-control interventions, including the rehabilitation of waterways and drainage infrastructure across the state.

He said the investments formed part of the government’s broader efforts to address environmental challenges and strengthen the state’s emergency response capacity.

Olatunbosun, however, acknowledged that the intensity of rainfall, rapid movement of stormwater, and other environmental factors could trigger sudden flooding in vulnerable locations despite ongoing preventive measures.

The second prosecution witness (PW2) in the ongoing trial of constitutional lawyer, Professor Mike Ozekhome and one other before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bamaiyi Haruna Mairiga, on Monday, asserted that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) cannot issue passports that do not comply with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Ozekhome and Ponfa Useni, a son of the late General Jeremiah Useni, a military era FCT Minister, are being prosecuted before Justice Chizoba Oji, sitting at Maitama, Abuja, by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF) on a 12-count charge bordering on forgery and impersonation.

The prosecution alleged, among others that both Ozekhome and Ponfa Useini conspired in 2020 and made ‘a false Nigerian International Passport No. A07535463 with the name Shani Tali.

According to the prosecution, this was purportedly to have been issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service to claim a property in the United Kingdom.

The prosecution further charged them with using a false passport to facilitate the claim of the property.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

At the resumed hearing on the case yesterday, Mairiga, while being cross examined by counsel for the Useni, F.R. Onoja SAN, insisted on the distinction he made between forged document and counterfeit document in the course of giving his evidence-in-chief on June 29.

While telling the court that he stands by the distinction he made, Mairiga said his conclusion on the disputed passport in question was that the data page was forged to bear Shani Tali.

According to him, ‘My conclusion is that the data page of passport A07535463 is forged to bear Shani Tali as the holder of the passport.

‘The reason for this is that ICAO has set the standard for forged character between the visual character and machine readable character recognition.

‘What I am saying is that passport number A07535463, date of birth 2nd February, 1973 and expiry date 1st July, 2026 all failed the ICAO optical character recognition test. Hence my conclusion that it was forged to reflect Shani Tali as holder.

The second prosecution witness (PW2) in the ongoing trial of constitutional lawyer, Professor Moke der.

‘The Nigerian Immigration Service cannot issue a document that does not meet ICAO standard for passport recognition.’

The PW2 further told the court that the data page of a passport could be counterfeited, while entries on the page could also be altered and referred to as forged.

He further told the court that the Nigerian passport, which he accepted was a continuous document, was a machine readable document, adding that in conducting forensic analysis of the disputed passport, he consulted the NIS E-passport verification system portal, which he said was designed to check the authenticity of Nigerian passports.

The prosecution witness, however, told the court that he did not make reference to the outcome of the consultation with the NIS E-passport verification system portal in the report of his forensic analysis of the dusputed passport, which was earlier tendered as exhibit before the court, marked Exhibit P7a.

‘In my report, I did not reference the outcome of the consultation with the Nigerian Immigration Service E-passport verification system portal. The reason is that ICAO set standard for all its 193 members. ICAO is superior to NIS,’ Mairiga told the court.

Earlier, under cross examination by the lead counsel for Ozekhome, Tayo Oyetibo SAN, the prosecution witness told the court that he was specifically requested to conduct forensic analysis of the disputed passport to check if the content of the visual zone matched the machine zone.

He said the relevant items for doing this were the passport number, the date of birth of the holder and the date of expiry of the passport and declared that, ‘All these failed the ICAO test.’

Mairiga informed the court that the A series of the Nigeria E-passport at the inception did not carry the National Identification Number (NIN), adding that when the A series passport was run on the ICAO passport document checker with passport number or NIN, it usually returned a pass.

‘When a data page is subjected to the ICAO E-passport document reader, what the system does is that it captures every data in that data page. It shows issuing country and also the sex, surname, given name and nationality of the holder.

‘However, the key element set aside for checking substitution of data or forgery of data are simply the date of expiry, passport number and date of birth,’ the PW2 told the court.

At the end of his cross examination by the defence counsels, the court adjourned further hearing in the case to tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29.

The leadership of African Democratic Congress (ADC) Kebbi State National Assembly Caucus, on Tuesday, urged Nigerian Police Force and Amnesty International to investigate alleged illegal detention of members of the party in the state.

The Caucus gave the charge during a press briefing organised in collaboration with the State Party Chairman, Mr. Safiyanu Bala, in Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of the National Assembly caucus, Senator Garba Maidoki (ADC-Kebbi) said that the circumstances around the arrest raise serious questions about due process in the exercise of police powers and citizens’ fundamental rights.

He said that the Caucus recognised the legitimate responsibility of the Police and other law enforcement agencies to investigate suspected offences.

According to the lawmaker, the ADC does not place any of its members above the law; however, political affiliation must never become a substitute for evidence, and political difference must never become a basis for the deprivation of liberty.

He stated that where criminal allegations exist, they should be investigated objectively and dealt with through established legal procedures.

‘We wish to make a respectful but strong appeal to the Judiciary to exercise the highest degree of circumspection, scrutiny, independence and fidelity to the law whenever orders affecting the liberty of citizens are sought.

‘We trust that the Judiciary will continue to serve as an independent safeguard for the rights of every Citizen, irrespective of political affiliation,’ he said.

The Senator said that a formal complaint concerning the conduct of certain police officers will be submitted to the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Inspector-General of Police.

He urged the authorities to examine the complaints and determine whether any police officer acted contrary to the law, police regulations or professional standards.

He said there is need to investigate alleged political interference, arbitrary detention, unlawful instructions, or improper conduct by individual officers.

‘We therefore appeal to the Inspector-General to examine the cases presented to his office and take whatever action is appropriate within his powers.We will also bring the relevant cases to the attention of Amnesty International, particularly with respect to allegations of excessive or arbitrary use of police powers against political opponents and supporters of the opposition.

‘Where Citizens are detained or subjected to criminal proceedings in circumstances suggesting that their political activities may have influenced the actions taken against them; such allegations raise legitimate human rights and democratic concerns,’ he said.

Senator Maidoki said that the ADC Kebbi Chapter demands an immediate end to any arrest, detention or prosecution undertaken for the purpose of intimidating citizens because of their political affiliation or peaceful political activities.

He said that every ADC member or supporter currently in custody be treated strictly in accordance with the Constitution.

Senator Maidoki insisted that detainees have the right to know the basis of the arrest, access legal representation, and be brought before a competent court where required by law.

The Senator called on the Kebbi State Government and all relevant authorities to ensure that public institutions are not used to intimidate Citizens because of their political affiliation or peaceful political activities.

He urged members and supporters of the party to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding, saying that no provocation should be answered with violence or unlawful retaliation.

‘We therefore call on the relevant institutions to give these concerns the attention they deserve and we urge all parties to ensure that the rights and dignity of every citizen are protected, regardless of political affiliation,’ he said.

Earlier, Bala said that issues of alleged illegal detention of innocent citizens should not be treated with kid gloves as it breaches fundamental human rights, due process and the rule of law.

‘Our concern is not about political affiliation. It is about the principles that should govern a democratic society and protect every citizen, regardless of party, status or political persuasion.

‘We have therefore assembled here to present the facts as we understand them, raise the concerns of stakeholders, and call the attention of the relevant authorities and the Nigerian public to the matter,’ he said.

The Nigerian equities market extended its decline on Tuesday as renewed profit-taking across major sectors dragged the NGX All-Share Index down 0.29 per cent to 251,913.20 points.

The decline moderated the market’s year-to-date return to 61.88 per cent, while total market capitalisation fell by ?486.63 billion to ?163.53 trillion.

Market breadth remained negative, with 32 stocks closing lower against 27 gainers, translating to a breadth of 0.8x.

NPF Microfinance Bank, LivingTrust Mortgage Bank, WAPIC Insurance, VFD Group and ABC Transport recorded the strongest price gains, while Sovereign Trust Insurance, Unilever Nigeria, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals, UPDC and International Breweries emerged as the major decliners.

Sectoral performance was mixed, although the major sectors closed lower. The Banking Index declined 0.91 per cent, while the Consumer Goods and Industrial Goods indices fell 0.83 per cent and 0.91 per cent, respectively.

The Insurance Index bucked the trend, gaining 0.38 per cent, while the Oil/Gas and Commodity indices were unchanged.

Trading activity also weakened significantly during the session, with the number of deals, volume and value traded declining by 23.40 per cent, 46.46 per cent and 13.38 per cent, respectively.

A total of 47,301 deals were recorded, involving 548.67 million shares valued at ?34.30 billion.

The session’s decline came amid a broader moderation in the market after its strong run this year, with investors taking profits in some highly valued stocks.

Analysts at Cowry Asset Management expect the underlying positive trend in the equities market to persist as investor sentiment improves, although profit-taking could continue to constrain the pace of gains in the near term.

The latest decline leaves the market with a substantial 61.88 per cent gain year-to-date, despite recent bouts of profit-taking.

Former Cross River state governor and presidential candidate of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has called for the establishment of state and local government police, saying that Nigeria’s highly centralised security system cannot effectively confront terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other crimes across the country.

He said the country must localise policing because effective security depends more on intelligence gathered within communities than on the deployment of armed personnel after crimes have occurred.

He said Nigeria had failed to substantially redesign its security architecture since the end of the Civil War in 1970.

‘You really have not updated your security architecture since 1970.

‘It is only recently that more military divisions were created, but anything that is essential must be local. You have to localise it,’ he added.

He said the proposal for state police, and, where necessary, local government police, was appropriate, provided that the judiciary was strengthened and stringent safeguards were introduced against abuse.

‘You have got to decentralise your policing. The idea of state police, even local government police, is right.

‘Have it and set the guidelines, but you must strengthen the judiciary because there must be an institution everyone reports to when things go wrong,’ he said.

Duke dismissed arguments that governors could turn state police into instruments of political intimidation, saying the federal police had also faced allegations of being used by presidents and other powerful officeholders.

‘If you say state police will be abused, the national police will also be abused by the president. It is not only governors who can abuse the police. Set it up and put stringent guidelines in place,’ he said.

The PRP presidential candidate added that intelligence gathering should be the principal responsibility of decentralised police formations because residents were better positioned to identify suspicious movements and emerging threats within their communities.

‘Eighty per cent of security is intelligence. You cannot be in Sokoto and expect to know what is happening in Calabar. You need local people to gather that intelligence.

‘Only about 20 percent of policing is enforcement. Their main preoccupation should be intelligence gathering.’

He described as embarrassing Nigeria’s failure to infiltrate Boko Haram and develop reliable advance intelligence on the terrorist organisation after years of insurgency.

‘It is a shame that after almost 20 years of Boko Haram, we don’t have adequate intelligence on them.

‘We have not infiltrated their ranks. We ought to have infiltrated their ranks by now to know what they will do next,’ he said.

Duke compared Nigeria’s structure with the United States, where the National Guard gives individual states access to locally based security formations while remaining subject to defined federal authority.

‘In the United States, they have what they call the National Guard, which is military and it is in every state.

‘It is really like having a division in every state. They have decentralised security,’ he stated.

The former governor also traced the expansion of terrorism, kidnapping and banditry partly to extreme poverty and the absence of legitimate economic opportunities.

He recalled the Maitatsine uprising of the late 1970s and early 1980s, noting that violent movements often gained ground in deeply impoverished communities.

‘The northeastern part is the poorest part of the North. You find that those things are exacerbated in those areas,’ he said.

‘Now, it is creeping all over the North and coming down South.’

He said criminal activity became particularly difficult to combat when young people discovered that kidnapping and banditry could yield sums far beyond what legitimate employment offered them.

‘A kidnapper kidnaps someone and gets N20 million. You then tell him to take a steady job that pays N250,000. It cannot work.

‘He has already tasted blood, and it becomes very difficult to wean him off it,’ he said.

Duke added that policing reforms must therefore be supported by education, employment and wider measures aimed at making citizens economically productive.

He said security could not be achieved solely through military deployments while poverty and hopelessness continue to supply criminal groups with recruits.

‘The reason we need a government is to ensure the utmost productivity of our citizens within a safe and orderly environment. If people are productive and the environment is safe, what more should the government do? That is the foundation of a stable country,’ he said.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State on Tuesday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate the alleged importation of foreign nationals by some politicians in the state with the intention to use them for electoral malpractices in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during a one-day pre-election training workshop in Ilorin, organised for over 3,000 PDP women across the three senatorial districts of the state, titled ‘Our vote, our power- Standing Together for Our Future’, the state PDP chairman, Mallam Isa Bawa, said that the foreigners had allegedly been issued voters’ cards to enable them to vote in the next general elections.

The PDP chairman, who identified Baruten local government area in the Kwara North district of the state as one of the areas involved, charged INEC to be good umpire by bringing the perpetrators of the act to book.

He also called on the INEC to look into alleged activities of agency of government charged with regulating pasting of posters and erection of billboards, which he said had pulled down billboards of PDP candidates in the 2027 general elections.

PDP chairman wanted the INEC to check the campaign of calumny among politicians as the campaign had started, advising the electoral body to organise dialogue/debate among candidates to enable them talk with Kwara people on their plans for the state and its people.

He assured PDP women that the opposition party would make a difference when it returns to power, tracing recent electoral victory in Osun State to women’s involvement and participation, and charged them to take 2027 general elections more seriously and prepare to defend their votes.

Also speaking, the Kwara State PDP Women Leader, Hajia Aminat Isola, said that women constitute voting power in any free, fair, peaceful and credible elections in every democracy.

Hajia Isola, therefore, tasked women in the state to master the voting process from accreditation to voting, counting and declaration of results at the polling units and collation at the ward level during the 2027 general elections in the country.

‘Women constitute the largest voting bloc in any elections. We are mothers, we are sisters and we are traders, farmers, teachers and nation builders

‘Yet, our numerical strengthen means nothing until we translate it into power at the polling units.

‘When we talk about leveraging women’s voting power, the work starts long election day but victory is determined at the polling unit and we must therefore be strategic, educated and organised’.

Hajia Isola, who said that, ‘Ignorance is greatest challenge in the struggle to our power, added that, ‘Today, we will master the entire voting process from accreditation, to voting, to sorting, counting and declaration of results at the polling units and collation at the ward level.

‘When we walk into the polling unit on election day, you must walk in confidently, knowledgeably and unshakeably.

‘Our assignment does not end with our vote. I charge every woman here to go back and educate at least five to 10 other women in your streets and communities especially the aged women. Teach them on how to thumbprint correctly so their votes will not be invalid. One rejected ballot is one silenced voice’.