Category: PM News

Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) senatorial candidate for Oyo Central, has donated millions of naira on behalf of party candidates at the fifth anniversary celebration of Akingbile-Oluana Community in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, while pledging to support the establishment of a healthcare centre if elected in 2027.

Ajadi made the donation during the community’s anniversary and ?250 million fundraising ceremony, which attracted APM candidates, political leaders and other stakeholders.

He used the occasion to appeal to residents to support APM candidates in the 2027 general election, expressing confidence in the party’s chances of securing key political offices in Oyo State.

Addressing the gathering, Ajadi declared his ambition to represent Oyo Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly. He also predicted that Bimbo Adekanmbi would become the next governor of Oyo State and that Governor Seyi Makinde would emerge as Nigeria’s next president.

‘I have come here to tell you that I am the next senator to represent you at the National Assembly. Bimbo Adekanmbi is the next governor of Oyo State, while Governor Seyi Makinde will be the next president of Nigeria, by the grace of God and with your full support,’ Ajadi said.

He commended the Makinde administration for its performance in Oyo State and urged residents to demonstrate their appreciation by voting for APM candidates in the 2027 elections.

Ajadi Pledges Healthcare Support

Speaking with journalists after the event, Ajadi said he would support the community’s request for a healthcare centre if elected senator in 2027.

He described access to healthcare as an important community need and indicated that the proposed facility would feature among the constituency support projects he intended to pursue if elected.

The pledge highlighted healthcare infrastructure as one of the development priorities raised during the anniversary celebration.

Clarifies Ancestral Roots in Ibadan

Ajadi also addressed rumours surrounding his paternal roots in Oyo State, clarifying that he hails from Ward 8, Osengere, in Egbeda Local Government Area of Ibadan.

He identified his ancestral family compound as the Ile Agunbiade family in Oja’Igbo, Ibadan, explaining that his paternal roots are connected to the Agunbiade and Amoo family lineages.

He identified his father as Sola Amoo, popularly known as Sola West, whom he described as a well-known musician. Ajadi also disclosed that his paternal family has links to Chief Bode Amao, a former President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII).

APM Leaders Seek Community’s Support

Also speaking at the event, Hon. Sikiru Oyedele Sanda, Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Oyo State and Director-General of Ajadi’s senatorial campaign organisation, prayed for the continued growth, peace and prosperity of Akingbile-Oluana Community.

Sanda expressed the hope that the community would celebrate many more anniversaries in good health and prosperity. He also said APM candidates would return to celebrate with residents the following year if they won the election.

Hon. Lekan Abiola, the lawmaker representing Akinyele Constituency I in the Oyo State House of Assembly and the APM candidate for the constituency, said the community had given considerable support to the incumbent administration during the previous election.

He explained that the candidates’ attendance at the anniversary provided an opportunity to appreciate residents for their past support and seek their continued backing in 2027.

Similarly, Toheeb Adegoke, popularly known as ADLAT, the APM candidate for Akinyele Federal Constituency, said the delegation had come to express gratitude to the community and reaffirm its commitment to maintaining a positive relationship with residents.

The Executive Chairman of Akinyele Local Government, Hon. Akinwole Ayobami Akinleye, assured residents that more democratic dividends were expected across the local government area.

He urged the community to support APM candidates in the 2027 general election, expressing optimism about further development initiatives in the area.

The anniversary celebration provided an opportunity for APM candidates to engage residents, acknowledge their previous electoral support and seek renewed backing ahead of the 2027 elections. Ajadi’s donation and pledge to support the proposed healthcare centre also brought community development needs into focus.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has described President Bola Tinubu’s attempt to blame opposition politicians for hunger and poverty in Nigeria as delusional, insisting that the President must take responsibility for the country’s economic hardship.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was reacting to Tinubu’s remarks at the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday, where the President accused the opposition of creating hunger and poverty.

In a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described Tinubu’s accusation as ‘either delusion or a staggering case of political amnesia’.

He argued that the APC could not blame opposition politicians for Nigeria’s economic difficulties after governing the country for more than 11 years.

‘The APC governed Nigeria for eight years before you took office. You have added another three and a half years. Nigerians know who has been in power, and hardship did not begin when the opposition started talking about it,’ Atiku said.

‘Stop insulting their intelligence and answer for your record.’

The former vice-president accused Tinubu’s administration of worsening economic hardship, particularly through policies that have increased the cost of living.

He challenged the President to explain the consequences of removing the petrol subsidy and the depreciation of the naira, which he said had fallen from approximately ?471 to ?1,329 against the dollar.

Atiku also cited a World Bank estimate that 63 per cent of Nigerians would fall below the national poverty line in 2026, arguing that the figure reflected the worsening economic situation.

He further criticised Tinubu’s planned inauguration of a section of the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, accusing the President of celebrating an infrastructure project while Nigerians continued to face severe hardship.

‘A road cannot be completed with a speech or a ribbon cutting ceremony,’ he said.

The ADC presidential candidate also raised questions about the Federal Government’s management of public finances.

He challenged the administration over the extension of the 2024 budget into 2025 alongside a separate 2025 budget.

Atiku additionally demanded explanations concerning what he described as ?7.13 trillion recorded under energy security in 2024 and ?11.2 trillion in NNPC pipeline-related expenditure.

Lagos State Government plans to introduce a new automated system in 2027 to make it faster and easier for motorists to obtain and renew their driver’s licences.

Under the proposed system, motorists are expected to receive new driver’s licences within 30 minutes, while renewals will take about 10 minutes.

Rasheed Muri-Okunola, Permanent Secretary of the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA), disclosed this at the 2026 media parley organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation.

He said the government was testing the system ahead of its planned launch in 2027.

According to him, the system will allow applicants to complete some preliminary procedures from home before visiting designated centres for biometric registration and other required processes.

The initiative is expected to reduce delays that have left some motorists waiting for months or even years to receive their driver’s licences after making payments.

Muri-Okunola explained that the state government had signed a concession agreement with a consultant to automate the operations of the MVAA.

Apart from driver’s licences, the system will also cover vehicle documentation and number plate processing.

The government hopes the new arrangement will reduce the number of times motorists have to visit government offices to complete these processes.

The digital system is also expected to make the services faster and more accessible while addressing complaints about delays in obtaining essential vehicle documents.

The announcement was part of several transportation plans presented at the media parley, including railway expansion, water transportation, parking management and traffic control during the December festive season.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Abimbola Akinajo, announced plans to extend the Lagos Blue Line with three additional stations.

She said the stations at Alakija, Festac and Trade Fair are expected to become operational by the end of February 2027.

The expansion will extend the railway beyond its current terminus at Mile 2. The state’s long-term plan is to take the line to Okokomaiko.

The development is expected to improve transportation for residents and commuters travelling through the affected areas.

Akinajo also disclosed that three additional eight-car train sets were expected to join the Lagos Red Line fleet in November 2026.

The new trains are expected to increase daily train services from nine to 20 initially, with a further increase to 28 services planned before the end of 2027.

The increase is expected to provide more travel options for passengers and improve the movement of commuters across Lagos.

The Lagos State Government also plans to complete four major quality bus corridors, including their associated terminals and depots, by February 2027.

The planned improvements form part of the state’s wider efforts to expand public transportation, reduce commuting difficulties and improve connections between different parts of Lagos.

Through Kaduna, the North’s sold political capital, spoke yesterday. The echo will haunt those who spent months marketing the lie that the North has abandoned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Kaduna Township Stadium was full beyond capacity, and the mammoth crowd overflowed into the well-adorned streets. It was a confetti of colours, flags raised high and proudly: a sea of red caps, white babban riga, green wrappers, pand_Sai Asiwaju. Placards. It was a cacophony of languages-Hausa, Fulfulde, Tiv, Idoma, Gbagyi, Yoruba, Nupe, Kanuri, and English. Entire APC governors from the North, supported by their southern counterparts, sat shoulder to shoulder with former governors, legislators, imams, pastors, women leaders, and artisans who trekked kilometres to see the man they still call Jagaba, the leader.

The gathering was beyond a rented crowd; it was organic, massive, and emotional. A few photos from the event displayed that spectacularly: the excited trio waving so happily at their president who wound down the window to greet them; the many people who kept vigil at the venue so they could get a good spot to witness history; and the excited young men and women who spent the whole day under the sun waving flags and chanting praises. It was Arewa saying, without apology: we still stand with our friend.

As I wrote in February 2023, in the heat of the last campaign, when the same suspects tried to whip up ethnic sentiments against him, Asiwaju Tinubu and the North have always been friends. This friendship is not transactional. It is historic. Tinubu’s consequential political journey did not begin in Lagos. It began with the North.

In 1991, at the beginning of the aborted Third Republic, when General Ibrahim Babangida midwifed two parties, a young Tinubu had a choice. His relative, the great Chief Lateef Jakande, was in the field. Yet he chose to pitch his tent with General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua’s Peoples Front (PF) – the most organised, most progressive political machine of that era.

On the SDP platform under that PF, Tinubu became Senator for Lagos West in 1992. When MKO Abiola emerged as SDP candidate, Tinubu was instrumental in pushing Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, a son of Borno, as the running mate. He chose North, again. That choice in 1992 has defined his politics ever since.

When President Obasanjo wanted to skin Atiku Abubakar alive in 2007, Bola Tinubu saved him. In 2011, he propped up Nuhu Ribadu, and in 2015 and 2019, Muhammadu Buhari. In 2011, he supported Aminu Tambuwal for Speaker, even though Tambuwal’s own party, the PDP, opposed him. No other Southern politician has invested that much political capital in the North. FollowPolitics

Indeed, the North doesn’t forget.

This is why Arewa for Asiwaju, a political movement of the crème de la crème of the Northern political establishment, is a commendable and timely intervention. At a time when the opposition offers only recycled fuel subsidy – illegal under the PIA – and AI-generated falsehoods, which Governor Uba Sani rightly warned about in Kaduna, A4A provides what Arewa needs most: honest conversation, the voice of truth, in Hausa, Fulfulde, Tiv, Nupe, Gbagyi, Kanuri, in every market, motor park, mosque and church.

A4A is not just a campaign apparatus. It reminds us that friendship is a two-way street and that the North remains faithful to its values of fairness, justice, peaceful coexistence and national unity. As a political movement, its raison d’être is consensus-building and evidence-based campaigning. Its purpose is to counter, with evidence, the lies that, as president, Asiwaju Tinubu has abandoned his old friend, the North. How? With the Ministry of Livestock Development the North craved for 60 years? With the North Central Development Commission and North West Development Commission? With the new Federal Universities in Mubi, Kachia and Kabo? Would the person who abandoned the North rush to complete the Kano-Maradi rail or the Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi road? Would he have established cancer centres and upgraded dozens of hospitals and schools? Well, Awolowo is throwing those questions at them with hard facts.

Kaduna provided around to deflate the opposition’s acrimonious noise further. The North came together in one powerful voice. Eighteen out of 19 governors, an array of former governors from the class of 1999 to date, a horde of Young Turks, an armada of party faithful. It was a spectacle.

For months, a small but loud echo chamber in Abuja and on social media had worked hard to sell a fiction that the North regrets 2023, that the President and his campaigners can no longer enter Arewa, and that 2027 is already decided. Kaduna buried that fiction with one picture.

As the CPC Presidential Campaign’s Campaign Director-General, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, said from the podium, everyone who mattered in the North was at the stadium yesterday. Most were there in person; many more were there in spirit. The few and scattered dissenters are too insignificant to cause any political upheaval.

Vice President Kashim Shettima and Yari did not come to Kaduna to speak grammar. They came with history and with receipts.

VP Shettima was as sharp and straight as always. He used a clincher to remind Northern voters of their options: ‘We won in 2023 not because we were the wisest or richest, but because you saw the options before you and knew the alternative was a calamity. We have come to ask you to renew a second term for the APC from top to bottom.’

Senator Yari, who was evidently pleased by the turnout across all walks of life, assured: ‘By God’s grace, Northern Nigeria is 101 per cent behind you, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we are determined to deliver our promise on 16 January 2027.’ Speaking further in Hausa, Senator Yari said the President should as well go to sleep and wait for victory.

Yet, President Tinubu did not just go to Kaduna to excite the crowd or display supporters. He went with deliveries. In a first for campaign rallies, President Tinubu used the occasion to inaugurate the 81-kilometre section of the Kaduna-Abuja highway with a symbolic ribbon-cutting. It is just one of many dividends Kaduna got from the Tinubu administration, as Governor Uba Sani reeled out so many benefits Kaduna reaped from the Tinubu administration in his welcome address. They range from roads to rail, universities, and health institutions. Governor Sani testified that the North has never had it this good.

From Peoples Front in 1991 to Arewa for Asiwaju in 2026, President Tinubu has always operated as a friend. Kaduna proved it yesterday. On 16 January 2027, the ballot will confirm it louder.

*Abdulaziz Abdulaziz is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media and Director of Media and Communication, Arewa for Asiwaju.*

Troops of Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued three kidnapped victims following an operation in Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi.

The Media Coordinator of the operation, Osoba Olaniyi, confirmed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Birnin Kebbi.

Olaniyi stated that the rescue took place on Oct. 24 adding that two victims were rescued at Makuku Village, while one was rescued at Dankolo village.

‘The rescued victims include A’isha Aminu, 46, Sumayya Aminu, 27, and Nana Abbas, 15,’ the media coordinator said.

He disclosed that the victims were subsequently handed over to the District Head of Dirindaji, Alhaji Usman Muhammad, through the Chairman of Sakaba Local Government Area.

Olaniyi noted that the operation was concluded successfully without any incident, stressing that the troops remained committed to the protection of lives and property.

A 28-year-old school bus driver has been arrested in Delta State for allegedly kidnapping a 14-year-old female student, sexually assaulting her and collecting ?503,000 in ransom from her father.

The suspect, identified as Onome Lucky Ughagha, allegedly abducted the teenager in Sapele while she was preparing to leave for school.

The Delta State Police Command disclosed the arrest in a statement issued on Sunday, October 25, by its spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe.

According to Edafe, the girl’s father reported the incident to the Sapele Area Command on October 20 after discovering that his daughter had been abducted.

The suspect subsequently contacted the father and demanded ?503,000, threatening to kill the teenager if the money was not paid.

The distressed father reportedly paid the ransom to secure his daughter’s release.

However, after receiving the money, the suspect allegedly abandoned the girl along Oton Road in Sapele.

The teenager was later reunited with her family in a traumatised condition, with indications that she had also been sexually assaulted.

Following the report, police operatives launched an investigation while the girl was taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment.

As part of the investigation, the school’s principal and vice-principal were invited for questioning.

Meanwhile, the suspect allegedly abandoned the school bus and fled, prompting security operatives to intensify efforts to locate him.

Edafe said investigators subsequently received credible intelligence that led them to a hideout in the Ajimele area of Sapele.

Onome Lucky Ughagha was arrested at the location on Friday, October 23, three days after the incident was reported.

According to the police spokesperson, Ughagha admitted his involvement in the crime during preliminary interrogation.

He added that arrangements were underway to transfer the suspect to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Asaba for further investigation.

Reacting to the incident, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Samuel Erale, condemned the alleged crime and assured the public that the investigation would be thorough.

He maintained that the command would ensure that anyone found culpable was brought to justice.

Erale also urged school proprietors, parents and transport operators to exercise greater vigilance when entrusting children to drivers and other caregivers.

The police commissioner stressed that protecting children from violence, exploitation and other forms of abuse remained a priority for the command.

The suspect remains under investigation, and the allegations against him have not been determined by a court.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu extends his heartfelt condolences to the Okonjo royal family of Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, on the passing of Prof. Kamene Okonjo, who died at the age of 96.

Prof. Okonjo was a distinguished scholar, a champion of women’s empowerment, and a revered matriarch.

The President particularly commiserates with her daughter, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, other family members, and the people of Ogwashi-Uku over the loss of their beloved mother, matriarch, and community leader.

The President describes Prof. Okonjo’s passing as the loss of an accomplished academic whose life was defined by intellectual distinction, service to humanity, and an enduring commitment to advancing women and society.

President Tinubu acknowledges her contributions to scholarship and her inspiring example as a woman who combined professional excellence with dedication to family, community, and the preservation of traditional institutions.

The President prays that Almighty God will grant the departed eternal rest and comfort the family and all who mourn her passing.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said it is considering paying ?100,000 weekly to people isolated because of the Ebola outbreak to help them support their families during quarantine.

The Director General of the NCDC, Dr Jude Idris, disclosed this at a press briefing on Sunday. He said the number of people being monitored after Nigeria confirmed an imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease had increased from 44 to 53.

The people being monitored include those who may have come into contact with the infected person, healthcare workers and domestic staff.

Idris said the proposed weekly payment was a temporary measure aimed at reducing the financial burden on people in isolation and easing tensions during the quarantine period.

He added that arrangements were being made for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to take over the responsibility.

According to him, state governments are responsible for providing support to people placed in isolation.

Meanwhile, a suspected Ebola case in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has tested negative, bringing some relief to health authorities working to contain the outbreak.

Idris also disclosed that the University of Abuja was preparing its isolation centre and making arrangements to quarantine people who might need to be monitored as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s response to the disease.

The confirmed case involves a 42-year-old Ugandan woman married to a Swiss national. She arrived in Nigeria after travelling to Uganda.

The NCDC director general said health officials were finding it difficult to establish the woman’s complete travel history. This could make it harder to identify and monitor everyone who may have been exposed to the virus.

The NCDC is continuing its surveillance and response efforts as authorities work to identify contacts and prevent further spread of the disease.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the Federal Government before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice over alleged financial irregularities involving ?78.8 billion allocated to federal cash-transfer and social-protection programmes.

The organisation is seeking an order compelling the government to account for the funds, investigate the alleged irregularities, recover any money found to have been unlawfully spent or diverted, and ensure that vulnerable households receive the assistance intended for them.

The suit, numbered ECW/CCJ/APP/42/26, was filed last week, according to a statement issued by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, on Sunday.

SERAP said the allegations were documented in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report, published on August 7, 2026, covering various periods between January 2023 and December 2024.

According to the organisation, the report identified questionable transactions involving the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO).

Among the issues raised was approximately ?33.751 billion reportedly transferred to more than 3.2 million households across 35 states in 2023, for which, SERAP said, adequate records to verify payments and reconcile beneficiary details were not provided.

The report also questioned ?36.744 billion in payments allegedly made without prepayment audits, ?4.616 billion in unsupported expenditures, ?350.182 million allocated for enrolment, ?89.511 million spent on store purchases and ?17.422 million in diesel advances.

SERAP argued that the alleged failures in financial accountability raised concerns about whether public funds intended to support vulnerable Nigerians had been properly managed and whether beneficiaries had received the assistance meant for them.

‘The failure to investigate the ?78.8 billion cash-transfer scandal, account for the questioned funds and recover any unlawfully spent amounts violates Nigeria’s obligations to protect the human rights of vulnerable households,’ the organisation stated in its court filing.

The group maintained that cash-transfer programmes were designed to help households experiencing extreme poverty meet essential needs, including food, clothing and housing, and that failures in their administration could undermine protected socioeconomic rights.

It is asking the court to declare that the government’s failure to investigate and address the reported financial irregularities, where they impair or threaten access to intended benefits, violates Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.

SERAP is also seeking an order directing the relevant government agencies to provide comprehensive and verifiable records of the questioned funds, including payment documents, beneficiary verification records and financial reconciliation details.

The organisation further wants an independent, prompt and effective investigation into the identified irregularities, with the recovery of funds improperly spent, diverted or lost where established, as well as appropriate legal or administrative action against persons found responsible, subject to due process.

In addition, it is asking the court to direct the government to strengthen auditing, beneficiary verification, financial reconciliation and oversight mechanisms to prevent a recurrence of the alleged lapses.

The group said the case was brought in the public interest to protect affected households and promote accountability in the management of public resources allocated for social protection.

SERAP disclosed that it had previously written to President Bola Tinubu and relevant authorities on September 5, urging them to account for the questioned funds, publish audit records, investigate irregular expenditures and recover any money unlawfully spent or diverted.

It also requested payment and beneficiary records, verification documents and explanations for missing Remita records, according to the statement.

The organisation said the deadline it gave the government to address the Auditor-General’s findings had elapsed without adequate action, prompting it to seek judicial intervention.

SERAP is relying on provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the United Nations Convention against Corruption in arguing that governments have obligations to protect public resources, ensure transparent financial management and provide remedies where rights are affected.

The case places the administration of federal cash-transfer programmes under legal scrutiny, particularly regarding the documentation of disbursements, verification of beneficiaries and accountability for public expenditure.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has said that Nigerians alone will determine the outcome of the 2027 general election, stressing that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) will support the electoral process without taking away the power of voters.

Amupitan explained that AI technology would assist the commission in handling key aspects of election management, including logistics, result verification and cybersecurity.

The INEC chairman’s position highlights the potential role of emerging technologies in improving election administration while ensuring that the decision on who wins an election remains in the hands of the electorate.

According to the position outlined by the chairman, AI tools are expected to support the commission’s operations and help improve the efficiency of electoral activities before, during and after the polls.

One of the areas where AI could prove useful is election logistics. Organising a nationwide election requires the movement of personnel, sensitive materials and other resources across different parts of the country. Technology could help the commission coordinate these activities, identify possible challenges and improve planning.

AI tools could also assist in checking election results and identifying inconsistencies that may require further investigation. However, such tools would serve as support systems rather than replace the official procedures for collation, verification and declaration of results.

Cybersecurity is another important area where AI could play a role. As election management increasingly depends on digital systems, protecting electoral data and information technology infrastructure against cyberattacks has become a major concern.

AI-powered security systems can help detect unusual activities, identify potential threats and alert relevant personnel to possible attempts to compromise digital platforms.

Despite these potential benefits, the use of AI in elections also raises questions about transparency, accountability and the accuracy of automated systems. Election officials would need to ensure that any technology deployed is properly tested, secure and subject to human oversight.

The technology must also operate within established electoral laws and procedures to maintain public confidence in the election process.

Nigeria’s electoral process has continued to attract public attention, particularly over the credibility of elections, the transparency of result management and the role of technology in strengthening democratic institutions.

The 2027 general election is expected to be a major test of the country’s electoral system, with voters, political parties and other stakeholders likely to closely monitor the preparations and conduct of the polls.

INEC will therefore face the task of ensuring that its systems, personnel and logistics are adequately prepared for the elections, while addressing concerns about transparency and the protection of voters’ choices.

The commission’s ability to deploy technology effectively, communicate clearly with the public and follow established electoral procedures will be important in building confidence ahead of the polls.

Amupitan’s position reinforces the principle that technology should serve as a tool for improving election administration rather than determining electoral outcomes.

Ultimately, Nigerians will exercise their democratic rights by voting for their preferred candidates, while INEC will be responsible for conducting the election in accordance with the law and announcing the results through the established process.