Category: PM News

There was pandemonium on Thursday morning after a young man identified as Okorite Charles, in his mid-20s, died under questionable circumstances at a hotel located in Eagle Island Estate, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Police have shut down the hotel and ordered everyone to leave the premises.

Family members and friends of the deceased besieged the hotel after learning of his death in the early hours of Thursday, demanding an explanation from the management. However, the timely arrival of police personnel from the Azikiwe Police Division helped to calm the situation.

The elder brother of the deceased, identified as Obomate, told our reporter that the family was informed about Charles’ death around 5am.

He said, ‘I was at home by 5am when they called me. My younger sister said someone had taken pictures and sent them to her, informing her that my younger brother had died. We were told that he fell from the balcony of a two-storey building at the back of the hotel.

‘We visited the hotel, but we did not see any trace indicating that he fell from the balcony. What we saw were signs suggesting that someone had struggled or possibly engaged in a fight. The area was scattered, and we also saw traces of blood.

‘When we got to the hospital, the doctor told us that it was not a mere fall. He said the wound he observed on my brother’s stomach appeared to be a stab wound that had penetrated deeply. He also suspected that something had been used to hit him on the neck. It appeared that he had been severely beaten, as he also had injuries on his body.’

Mr Obomate called for Justice and thorough investigation on the incident.

A source familiar with the incident said the police action was likely aimed at securing the scene and preventing the possible tampering or destruction of evidence.

The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Agabe Blessing Karbolo, had yet to respond to enquiries by our reporter as of the time of filing this report.

The deceased’s remains have been deposited at an undisclosed mortuary by the police, while investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death is ongoing.

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have rearrested the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, shortly after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) released him after he reportedly fulfilled the conditions attached to his bail.

Bodejo was reportedly taken into custody by DSS operatives on Friday as he left the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, where his lawyers had gone to secure his release.

Daily Trust reports that his wife, Hajiya Hauwa Bodejo, expressed anger and confusion over the development, questioning why he was taken away again after meeting the court’s bail requirements.

According to Hauwa, DSS operatives had been stationed around the EFCC premises for several hours before her husband was released.

She said the EFCC had contacted Bodejo’s lawyers on Thursday night and asked them to come with court officials for his release on Friday.

However, the lawyers were subsequently informed that they did not need to return with the court officials because the documents confirming that the bail conditions had been perfected had already been submitted.

Hauwa said the family later went to the EFCC headquarters and found that Bodejo had been brought out of detention.

She alleged that as the family prepared to leave the premises, DSS operatives moved towards him and took him away in three vans.

‘But to the shock of our belief, as we were leaving the EFCC premises, the officials of the DSS, whose presence we noticed around the EFCC’s gate, rushed toward my husband, and suddenly whisked him away, in the company of three vans,’ she said.

The development has also heightened the family’s concern over Bodejo’s health.

Hauwa alleged that his condition had deteriorated during his detention and that his personal doctor had repeatedly been denied access to him.

She said Bodejo had spent almost three months in detention and questioned the basis for keeping him in custody after the court granted him bail and the conditions were reportedly fulfilled.

The DSS has not publicly disclosed why its operatives rearrested Bodejo following his release from EFCC custody.

Bodejo had been facing a 12-count charge filed by the EFCC before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged money laundering involving about $2.63 million. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The EFCC alleged that Bodejo received several cash payments, including $200,000, $100,000 and $980,000, from former Bauchi State Accountant-General Sa’idu Abubakar in transactions the commission said breached provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.

On July 20, Justice Ekwo granted Bodejo bail in the sum of N2 billion, with one surety in the same amount. The court required the surety to have a three-year tax clearance certificate and own property in Abuja valued at N2 billion. Bodejo was also ordered to surrender his international passport and remain within Nigeria unless permitted by the court.

The court subsequently adjourned the case to October 5, 6 and 7, 2026, for trial.

Bodejo’s latest detention is not his first encounter with the DSS. In January 2024, the agency arrested him over the establishment of a vigilante group in Nasarawa State, while he was later released following a court order in December 2024 after the court found his prolonged detention unlawful.

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has ordered the immediate arrest of the Managing Director of Hartland Nigeria Limited over the contractor’s alleged failure to complete an 11-kilometre section of the Benin-Onitsha Expressway despite receiving about N14 billion for the project.

Umahi issued the directive during an inspection of federal road projects along the Agbor-Asaba-Onitsha corridor in Delta State, where he expressed anger over the condition of the road and the hardship caused to motorists by the delayed work.

The minister said Hartland was engaged to complete the stretch from Summit Junction to Head Bridge, including channelisation and hydraulic structures, but had delivered only about 40 per cent of the agreed scope.

Umahi said the Federal Government had released funds to the contractor on the understanding that the 11-kilometre section would be completed.

‘Hartland, we paid them up to N14 billion. When we paid them that money, we reached an agreement that they would use it to complete 11 kilometres from the Summit Junction to this bridge, including the channelisation and hydraulic structures,’ he said.

‘But today, they have completed only about 40 per cent of the agreed work. So, I recalled the MD to discuss with him and ask them to return to site. I am going to look for him and arrest him. Controller, you should look for the MD of Hartland and arrest him,’ Umahi added.

The minister also directed officials of the Ministry of Works to begin moves to recover funds paid to the contractor and ordered a review of Hartland’s payment records and certificates across its federal projects.

He warned that the company would face sanctions over its performance on the road project.

Umahi also ordered that the approaches to the Head Bridge be filled immediately to ease the traffic congestion and suffering experienced by motorists.

‘Look at the kind of mess we are having; even to do small filling on the road, look at the kind of traffic jam in this location because of the wickedness of our contractors,’ he said.

He directed the use of stone-base materials to repair sections that could be addressed immediately and warned Federal Controllers of Works against allowing road projects to deteriorate into impassable sections.

‘Let me give a sound warning to all our controllers: if a project is going on, whether there is payment or not, you cannot allow the situation of the road to be like this,’ the minister said.

Umahi further directed the arrest of contractors whose road projects leave sections impassable, as well as individuals involved in illegal dredging along road corridors.

The minister’s latest action comes amid mounting concern over the condition of the wider Benin-Asaba Expressway, a 125-kilometre corridor that is being handled under a 25-year concession arrangement.

Earlier this week, Umahi criticised the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC) over the slow pace of work on the corridor and ordered measures to ease traffic congestion.

He subsequently asked the concessionaire to write to the Federal Government if it wanted its contract terminated, while directing that blockages on the road be removed to restore traffic flow.

The minister had also ordered Federal Controllers and engineering representatives to arrest contractors found completely removing asphalt from existing roads without appropriate measures to maintain traffic flow.

During the latest inspection, Umahi also raised concerns over the vandalisation of critical components of the Niger Bridge, including bolts, steel members and expansion joints.

He ordered the immediate replacement of the damaged components and directed the installation of solar-powered lighting and CCTV cameras to strengthen surveillance and security around the bridge.

The government also plans to resurface the old Niger Bridge, with the work expected to be carried out at night to minimise disruption to traffic.

Katsina State Executive Council has approved the 2027 State Budget Proposal of N828,638,844,091.48, alongside major projects in healthcare, road infrastructure and public transportation.

The approvals were given at the 14th Regular Meeting of the Katsina State Executive Council for 2026, held on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the Upper Chamber of the General Muhammadu Buhari House, Government House, Katsina, chaired by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Dr. Bala Salisu Zango, said the decisions of the Council were aimed at accelerating development, strengthening public services and improving the well-being of citizens across Katsina State.

Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Hon. Malik Anas, said the Council approved the proposed 2027 budget, tagged ‘Building Your Future Agenda IV,’ with a total estimate of N828,638,844,091.48.

He explained that the proposal is N69,226,234,197 lower than the 2026 approved budget, reflecting the state’s projected revenue and funding position for the 2027 financial year.

According to him, the budget is expected to be financed through independent revenue of N95,772,861,855.39, capital receipts of N234,302,919,675.27, and other expected receipts of N487,807,959,918.42.

Malik added that the state is also projecting an opening balance of about N10.7 billion for the 2027 financial year.

He said 23 percent of the proposed budget is allocated to recurrent expenditure, while 77 percent is earmarked for capital expenditure.

The Commissioner said the allocation reflects the administration’s continued focus on infrastructure and development-oriented programmes.

Giving the sectoral breakdown, Malik said the Administration Sector receives 23.97 percent, the Economic Sector 35.59 percent, Law and Justice 1.11 percent, while the Social Sector receives 38.33 percent.

He said priority areas include Education, with 13.41 percent; Works, Housing and Transport, 11.22 percent; Agriculture and Livestock Development, 10.33 percent; Health, 8.41 percent; and Rural Development, 7.92 percent.

He added that the remaining Ministries, Departments and Agencies collectively account for 48.98 percent of the capital allocation.

Malik said the proposed budget is designed to support development across different sectors of the state.

He disclosed that the full details of the proposal would be made public during its formal presentation by Governor Radda to the Katsina State House of Assembly.

The Commissioner added that the Council also approved the transmission of the 2027 Budget Proposal to the House of Assembly in line with Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

On healthcare, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Lawal Aliyu Rabe, said the Council approved the procurement of additional equipment for the new Advanced Imaging and Cancer Centre at the General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital (GARSH), Katsina.

He said the equipment would expand the centre’s capacity to provide modern medical, surgical, imaging, diagnostic and laboratory services.

According to him, the facility would also provide admission capacity for at least 80 patients.

Lawal said the initiative is aimed at strengthening access to specialised healthcare services within Katsina State and reducing the need for residents to seek treatment outside the country.

He added that the project is expected to significantly reduce medical tourism while improving the quality of healthcare available to residents.

On infrastructure, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport, QS Umar Ismail Rugoji, said the Council approved the construction of an asphaltic wearing course road at Rafukka, within Katsina metropolis.

He explained that the road had deteriorated due to erosion, poor surface conditions and inadequate asphaltic pavement.

According to him, the project will improve connectivity, ease transportation and address challenges faced by residents and commuters in the Rafukka axis.

QS Umar also said the Council approved measures for the effective deployment and management of the 30 hybrid buses recently procured by the Radda administration for intra-city shuttle services.

He said the Council approved the engagement of a consultant to work with the Katsina State Transport Authority (KTSTA) on the management and operation of the buses.

The Council also approved the establishment of a dedicated Hybrid Bus Operations and Maintenance Unit within KTSTA.

He said the unit would oversee the buses, charging facilities, maintenance and other operational infrastructure.

QS Umar added that the plan includes the recruitment and training of qualified drivers and administrative staff.

He said the target is to have at least one qualified driver from each of the 34 Local Government Areas.

The Council further approved the installation of dedicated transformer substations at the three operational facilities in Katsina, Daura and Funtua.

He explained that the substations would support the existing solar inverter systems and provide reliable electricity for charging and workshop facilities.

QS Umar said the Council also approved digital fleet monitoring, revenue management, preventive maintenance and operational control systems ahead of the commencement of full-scale operations.

The decisions, he said, are part of the administration’s efforts to strengthen critical infrastructure, improve healthcare delivery and modernise public transportation.

The projects are also expected to support the Radda administration’s broader development agenda and improve the quality of services available to citizens across Katsina State.

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to coordinate a comprehensive forensic audit of Federal Government systems, including the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and the operations of federal agencies.

The directive followed the Federal Executive Council’s resolution of August 19, 2026, which was reached in response to findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on alleged fake agencies, ghost workers and other control failures within government systems.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

Onanuga said the audit would determine the nature and extent of weaknesses in government’s control architecture and establish how such loopholes may have been exploited.

According to him, the exercise will have two interconnected components, with the first focusing on a forensic examination of government systems, particularly IPPIS and related payroll, personnel, pension and financial-management platforms.

‘The audit will investigate reported cases of ghost workers and payroll fraud, reconcile figures identified by the ICPC, trace how fictitious or ineligible persons were enrolled and scrutinise access, identity, biometric and bank-account controls.

‘It will also examine the interfaces between IPPIS and other government platforms, including the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Remita, the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Sub-TSA,’ he said.

He said the second component would cover all Federal Government agencies, departments, commissions, councils, parastatals and other government bodies.

Onanuga said the exercise would establish a definitive inventory of government entities and verify their legal basis, while examining how such bodies obtain official recognition, budgetary consideration, correspondence privileges, office facilities and access to government systems.

According to him, the audit would further assess governance, procurement, internal-audit and oversight mechanisms across government, with the objective of shutting systemic loopholes that could enable irregular entities or individuals to gain access to public resources.

President Tinubu directed that the exercise be conducted with the highest standards of independence, professionalism and forensic integrity.

He explained that the audit team would have access to relevant government systems and records and would work with the ICPC to ensure that its review complements ongoing investigations, prosecutions and recoveries.

According to Onanuga, President Tinubu expects the exercise to go beyond identifying individual instances of fraud or administrative failure.

‘Instead, the administration wants the review to strengthen the architecture of government, close systemic loopholes, improve data verification and reconciliation, reinforce accountability and ensure that only legally constituted entities and eligible personnel have access to government resources,’ he added.

The exercise, he said, underscored Tinubu’s commitment to transparency, accountability, fiscal governance and institutional integrity across the Federal Government.

Dr Babatunde Afolabi, Director, Political Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, has called for deliberate efforts by the regional organisation to tell its own stories and correct what he described as erroneous narratives surrounding its peace and security interventions in West Africa.

Afolabi made the call on Thursday, August 27, 2026, in Abuja at the official launch of publications documenting ECOWAS’ peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding interventions across the sub-region.

He said documenting the organisation’s experiences was important not only to preserve history but also to help future generations understand ECOWAS’ role in restoring peace and stability in countries affected by violent conflicts.

According to him, ‘we need to tell our own story’ because accounts of ECOWAS’ interventions have often been written from perspectives that do not fully reflect the experiences and contributions of the regional body and its member states.

Afolabi, who is an expert in peacebuilding and international affairs, said there was a need to correct what he described as ‘false narratives’ that had circulated for years about ECOWAS’ interventions.

‘Secondly, we need to correct erroneous narratives that have been out there for a long time,’ he said, noting that students and scholars of international affairs, particularly those studying West Africa, had encountered different accounts of the region’s conflicts and peace efforts.

He observed that while some accounts contained elements of truth, others were inaccurate and needed correction through authoritative documentation by ECOWAS itself.

He also stressed the importance of what he described as the intellectual ownership of the organisation’s peace efforts.

‘Thirdly, we need to appropriate ECOWAS’s intellectual ownership of outcome documents from the exercises, from the various peace efforts. We need to take ownership of these efforts,’ he said.

Afolabi said the publications would also enable ECOWAS and its partners to draw lessons from previous interventions and apply them to emerging peace and security challenges in the sub-region.

He urged participants at the event to use the platform to deliberate, reflect and consider how future peace interventions in West Africa could be made more effective.

The ECOWAS official also called for greater recognition of member states, community citizens, military personnel and other actors who made sacrifices during the organisation’s peacekeeping and peacemaking interventions.

He said many of those who contributed to restoring peace in the sub-region had paid the ultimate price, while others had died before seeing their efforts documented. Afolabi said their sacrifices must not be forgotten.

The documentation of ECOWAS’ peace interventions is particularly significant given the organisation’s role in responding to major conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau through diplomatic initiatives and the deployment of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group, ECOMOG.

Academic literature has described ECOWAS’ interventions as a major evolution of the organisation from an economic integration project into an important regional security actor. Its interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone, in particular, remain among the most prominent examples of African-led peace support operations.

Afolabi said the publications would help ensure that the experiences of those interventions were not lost, particularly at a time when a large proportion of West Africa’s population was too young to have witnessed the conflicts or the regional efforts to resolve them.

He expressed concern that younger generations had increasingly encountered narratives that focused more on the negative aspects of ECOWAS while paying insufficient attention to the organisation’s contributions to peace and stability.

‘We feel that this would allow us to put it out there for the youths of today and those that are unborn to know exactly what transpired in their sub-region,’ he said.

He added that the documentation should be widely disseminated so that it could reach young people, researchers, policymakers and the wider public.

Afolabi further said the initiative should stimulate conversations around peace and security, particularly in light of the new threats confronting West Africa.

The region continues to face complex security challenges, including terrorism, violent extremism, political instability and unconstitutional changes of government, making lessons from previous regional interventions relevant to contemporary peace and security policy.

The publications launched at the Abuja event included the Definitive Accounts of ECOWAS Peacebuilding Interventions, After-Action Review Reports and the ECOWAS @50 Commemorative Publication. Also unveiled was Prof. Amadu Sesay’s Fighting Bushfires: ECOWAS and Peacemaking in West Africa – The Experience and Learning Curves, which examines ECOWAS’ experiences in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau and draws lessons for future interventions.

The event also featured recognition of former ECOMOG commanders and journalists who covered the conflicts and documented the organisation’s peacekeeping efforts.

Among those honoured were several former commanders, including Lt. Gen. Arnold Quainoo, Maj. Gen. Tunji Olurin, Maj. Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro, Maj. Gen. Rufus Kupolati, Maj. Gen. John Shagaya and Gen. Timothy Shelpidi. Two Frontline journalists, Mr Krees Imodibie and Mr Tayo Awotunsin, who lost their lives while reporting the crisis in Liberia, were also honoured.

Speaking at the occasion, Minister of Defence Christopher Musa commended the sacrifices of West African troops, particularly those deployed under ECOMOG, and said the publications would help preserve the lessons of the region’s peacekeeping experience. He also stressed that military intervention alone could not provide lasting solutions to contemporary insecurity.

For Afolabi, however, the documentation goes beyond remembering the past. It is also about giving West Africa greater ownership of its history, ensuring that the region’s experiences are accurately recorded and using those experiences to shape future approaches to peace and security.

He described the Abuja launch as the first in a series of activities designed to deepen engagement with the West African community and broaden conversations around ECOWAS’ peace and security role.

Afolabi expressed hope that the initiative would generate wider media coverage, clarify ECOWAS’ position on key issues and decisions, dispel misconceptions and encourage greater public discourse on the future of peace and security in the sub-region.

His call reflects his longstanding engagement with ECOWAS peace and security issues. Afolabi has published extensively on ECOWAS peacemaking and preventive diplomacy, including work examining the organisation’s role in conflict prevention and its interventions in West Africa.

At the heart of his message was a simple argument: if West Africans do not document and tell the story of their own interventions, others will continue to define the history of the region for them

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kano/Jigawa Area Command, has intercepted a consignment of illegally traded wildlife and arrested three suspects on the Kano-Daura Road.

Public Relations Officer, CSC Tahir Balarabe, revealed this in a statement on Friday in Kano.

He said the wildlife were intercepted on Aug. 25, following an intelligence-led operation, in accordance with Section 55(1)(i) of the NCS Act 2023 and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The Acting Deputy Comptroller of Enforcement, AC Muhammad Zanna, who spoke on behalf of the Acting Customs Area Controller, DCC Usman Adamu, said the operation was conducted following credible intelligence.

‘The operation was carried out by our patrol team based on credible intelligence at about 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 25. The team intercepted the endangered wildlife and apprehended three suspects on the Kano-Daura Road,’ he said.

He, therefore, commended the patrol officers for demonstrating a high level of professionalism during the operation as the suspects made multiple attempts to offer them bribes.

‘The efforts of these gallant officers have therefore, disrupted this supply chain and will play a huge role in reducing the trafficking of endangered wildlife,’ Adamu said.

He further stated that following a physical examination, the intercepted wildlife were identified as follows: four caracal wild cats, four chimpanzees, and two baby gorillas.

Others, he said, were seven red-coloured Patas monkeys, two galagos (bush babies), one honey badger, two albino alligators, six rock fowls, one civet cat, and 19 greater bustard wild birds.

‘The wild animals and suspects were subsequently handed over to the representative of the Special Wildlife Unit, Office of the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters, for further investigation and prosecution,’ he revealed.

Katsina governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has gifted N7 million, laptops and Postgraduate (PG) scholarships to three outstanding medical students of Bayero University Kano (BUK) for their exceptional academic performances.

Governor Radda met with the students at the Government House, Katsina.

They were among BUK’s top-performing medical graduates.

The beneficiaries are Dr. Ismail Abubakar Muhammad, Dr. Abba Bashir, and Dr. Fatima Tukur Sada, who distinguished themselves in various disciplines at the College of Health Sciences.

Dr. Ismail Abubakar Muhammad emerged as the Best Student in Biochemistry, Best Student in Medicine and Surgery, and Overall Best Student.

Governor Radda rewarded him with ?3 million cash, a brand-new latest-model Lenovo laptop and sponsorship for postgraduate training in Nuclear Medicine.

Dr. Abba Bashir emerged as the Best Student in Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, as well as the Second Overall Best Student.

He received ?2 million cash, a brand-new latest-model Lenovo laptop and sponsorship for postgraduate training in Nuclear Medicine.

Dr. Fatima Tukur Sada emerged as the Best Student in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

She was rewarded with ?2 million cash, a brand-new latest-model Lenovo laptop and sponsorship for postgraduate training in Nuclear Medicine.

In total, Governor Radda awarded the three students ?7 million, three Lenovo laptops and postgraduate training sponsorship.

The gesture reflected his commitment to academic excellence, youth development and human capital investment.

Governor Radda congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to remain committed to excellence, professional growth and service to humanity.

He assured that his administration would continue to support outstanding students and develop skilled professionals for the advancement of Katsina State and Nigeria.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osun Sector Command has decorated 41 personnel in mass promotion to various ranks in the command.

The promotion covers fourteen officers and 27 Marshals across various cadres. Out of the officers three were promoted from the rank of Chief Route Commander (CRC) to Assistant Corps Commander (ACC).

Other two officers were elevated from the rank of Route Commander to Superintendent Route Commander (SRC), four Deputy Route Commanders to Route Commander, and five Assistant Route Commandants (ARC) to Deputy Route Commander (DRC) respectively.

According to a press release forwarded to PM NEWS on Thursday by RC J Owolabi, the marshals decorated to higher ranks were 27 in number.

Speaking during the decoration ceremony in the command, on Wednesday, the sector commander who represented the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed congratulated all officers and men, describing the elevation as a recognition of dedication, professionalism and commitment to the Corps.

The Sector Commander Sunday Tayo Adebayo urged the beneficiaries to see their new ranks as increase of responsibility and a renewed call to service.

He stressed that the elevation demands greater commitment, discipline, leadership, accountability and dedication to the statutory responsibilities of the Corps.

He further charged the promoted officers and marshals to uphold the values and ethics of the FRSC by shunning all forms of indiscipline, bribery, corruption and other unethical practices. He emphasized that every officer and Marshal must remain conscious that their conduct, both on and off duty to uphold the image of the Corps.

‘Our interaction with members of the public must be guided by professionalism, courtesy, integrity and fairness. There must be no compromise in the fight against corruption, and nobody should use position or rank to undermine the integrity of the Corps,’ he stated.

The Corps Marshal said the promotion exercise was conducted in line with established rules and procedures, including Annual Performance Evaluation Reports, interviews, examinations, federal character principles and the availability of vacancies.

He encouraged officers and men who were not successful to remain focused and see the outcome as motivation to improve performance ahead of future opportunities.

He reaffirmed the Corps’ resolve to continue to motivate personnel for improved service delivery in line with FRSC’s mandate of reducing road crashes and saving lives.

The candidate of African Democratic Congress, ADC for Adamawa 2027 governorship election, Omar Suleiman has expressed shock over alleged endorsement of his substitution with Alhaji Hamantukur Modibbo by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar

Suleiman expressed the shock on Friday in Yola while informing journalists that he has approached the court to challenge his alleged substitution by the party.

While affirming that the people’s mandate given to him cannot be rewritten through manipulation, Suleiman raised concern over a statement attributed to Atiku endorsing his substitution with Modibbo.

He claimed Atiku endorsed Modibbo as the ADC governorship candidate, describing the development as shocking, given Atiku’s position as the party’s national leader.

‘Let me therefore state clearly and unequivocally that I remain the duly elected gubernatorial candidate of the ADC in Adamawa State,’ he said.

Suleiman said the party’s governorship primary was conducted under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and witnessed by members and the public.

According to him, he emerged victorious in the primary, while Modibbo came second, adding that his name was subsequently submitted to INEC as candidate.

He said he approached the Federal High Court to protect the integrity of his mandate and prevent any unlawful substitution of his name.

‘Because I anticipated the possibility of precisely this kind of political manipulation, I approached the Federal High Court to protect the integrity of that mandate.

‘I sought judicial intervention to prevent any unlawful substitution of my name.

‘I also sought from the court an injunction restraining INEC from accepting any substitution of my name by the party or any person,’ he said.

Suleiman said the court processes had been served on INEC and the ADC at both national and state levels.

He added that he had been informed that Atiku was also briefed by the party about the legal action.

‘Until the court determines otherwise, no individual, regardless of his position, influence or stature, has the legal or moral authority to rewrite the result,’ he said.

Suleiman said the issue was not about personal ambition but the sanctity of the democratic process and respect for party members’ choice.

‘If the votes of party members can simply be overturned with fiat after an election, then we are not building democracy; we are replacing it,’ he said.

He called on Atiku to withdraw the alleged post and refrain from actions capable of undermining the party’s process already before the court.

He said leadership demands restraint, fairness and respect for due process, particularly from those who aspire to lead the country.

He stressed that the mandate belongs to the people who gave it, hence cannot be appropriated by an individual,’ he added.

Suleiman urged ADC members, supporters and the public to remain calm, vigilant and resolute in defending the mandate through lawful democratic means.

‘Democracy means that the people choose and that their choice must be respected.

‘Adamawa ADC members have made their choice; it is left for our political leaders to respect it or disregard it,’ he added.