Category: The Nation – Nigeria

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has identified poverty, unemployment, poor education and social disintegration as notable drivers of conflicts, saying his administration is committed to building a secure, stable and prosperous Nigeria.

Tinubu spoke on Saturday at the passing-out ceremony for cadets of the 73rd Regular Course (Army, Navy and Air Force), Short Service Course 49 (Army), Direct Short Service Course 34 (Air Force) and Branch Commission Course 3 (Air Force) at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

The President, who was represented by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, said addressing the underlying causes of insecurity remained an important component of the government’s non-kinetic strategy.

He identified job creation, macroeconomic stability, human capital development and social protection as measures being pursued alongside security operations.

‘Despite the diverse challenges our dear country has been confronted with, my administration has remained steadfast, focused and committed to building a secure, stable and prosperous Nigeria,’ he said.

Tinubu said the government would continue to strengthen measures aimed at addressing socioeconomic conditions that could contribute to conflict and insecurity.

He urged the newly commissioned officers to uphold professionalism, discipline and loyalty in the discharge of their responsibilities.

‘Through the continuous and surgical application of all elements of national power, including, and most importantly, the military, we have continued to stabilise the situation, improving our responses and expanding as well as modifying our interventions, which thankfully are yielding desired outcomes.

‘We aptly recognise that kinetic military operations alone cannot defeat insecurity since poverty, unemployment, poor education, and social disintegration are notable drivers of conflicts. That is why under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we are pursuing job creation, macroeconomic stability, human capital development, and social protection in tandem with our security efforts.’

The President said his administration is also enhancing Nigeria’s regional and global collaborations and cooperations, due to the transnational nature of the threats. He also said Nigeria will continue to provide leadership and assistance to fellow countries in West Africa.

According to him, ‘Nigeria will continue to enhance our commitments to democracy and stability in our region and indeed globally. Despite the setbacks in the cooperation within the subregion, especially in the Sahel, Nigeria under my leadership, through the auspices of ECOWAS and other regional bodies, will continue to pursue inclusive diplomacy, security cooperation, and economic integration.

‘Consequently, with the military’s unalloyed support for democratic governance, Nigeria’s continental and regional leadership role will continue to be upheld and intensified.

‘We remain opposed to unconstitutional changes of government, however we will not abandon our brothers and sisters in Mali, Niger, or Burkina Faso. Preserving five decades of ECOWAS achievements, covering free movement, trade, and regional coordination, is essential to our collective security and prosperity.’

The President since the establishment of the NDA in 1964, the institution has lived up to the expectations of its founding fathers and the nation and has evolved in line with nascent security challenges by developing a training curriculum which blends military training and academics with a focus on character development.

President Tinubu also said that a critical aspect of this is a realistic and enhanced Counter-Terrorism and Counterinsurgency training designed to suit contemporary security challenges. This, he noted, is in addition to the rapid integration of technology into training and research.

The President Tinubu who acknowledged that some NDA cadets are undergoing military training in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Brazil, and France said, ‘I am particularly encouraged that the Nigerian Defence Academy is increasingly receiving international recognition through invitations extended to its cadets to participate in highly competitive military cadet competitions in the United States, Brazil, and most recently, the People’s Republic of China.

‘Such invitations are earned through demonstrated excellence. They attest to the remarkable improvements in the Academy’s training standards, professionalism, and global standing, while affirming that Nigeria is producing officers capable of competing and excelling alongside the very best military institutions in the world.’

The President added that the Academy equally continues to serve as a regional hub for military education by training cadets from several African countries, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, The Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.

‘These engagements strengthen military diplomacy, deepen professional cooperation, and reaffirm Nigeria’s leadership in defence education and capacity development across the African continent,’ he said.

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reassured supporters that the club remains confident it can prove its innocence after being found guilty of 114 Premier League financial-rule charges.

The verdict was reported on Friday, although no sanctions have yet been determined.

In a message to supporters, Al Mubarak said the Premier League’s disciplinary process was still ongoing and that the club remained committed to challenging the findings.

‘I have been part of this club for 18 years. I have had the privilege to stand with you in the Etihad, at Wembley, and in Istanbul,’ Al Mubarak said.

‘This club matters to me, and you have shown and told me, time and time again, how much Manchester City matters to you. This is why I am writing to you today.’

The chairman acknowledged that the verdict had led to questions from supporters, as well as friends, family and colleagues.

He said he had told his family that the process was far from over and that City remained confident in its position.

‘The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the club’s innocence are just as strong as when this began,’ he said.

Al Mubarak said the club could not disclose more details about its position because of the confidentiality surrounding the legal process.

‘There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position,’ he said.

‘But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it mean I cannot do that at the moment. Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies.’

The City chairman also urged supporters to read the club’s previous statements on the case, including its response issued in February 2023 when the Premier League announced the charges.

He said the club would remain focused despite what he described as the ‘noise’ surrounding the verdict.

‘While some people have been quick to reach their own conclusions, and there is so much noise swirling around us, nothing has changed,’ Al Mubarak said.

‘We have faced challenges together before and have prevailed. There remain many who want to undermine the momentum of our club. We will not give them that opportunity.’

Al Mubarak also pointed supporters towards upcoming fixtures, including City’s trip to Anfield and their Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad Stadium.

He concluded by thanking supporters for their continued backing.

In a separate statement, Manchester City reiterated that the Premier League process remains ongoing, with ‘significant elements’ still to be completed and subject to strict confidentiality.

The club said its position remained consistent with its February 2023 statement and that it had observed due process throughout the proceedings.

‘The club has diligently observed due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would act as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence,’ the statement read.

The crisis over control of the 2027 campaign machinery of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) deepened yesterday as presidential candidate Peter Obi backed the party leadership and rejected the 59-member campaign council unveiled by the Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement.

Obi, speaking on Arise Television on Thursday night, said the OK Movement, Obidient Movement, Kwankwasiyya and other platforms supporting his presidential bid were support groups and should not operate as parallel structures to the political party.

His position directly contradicts the OK Movement’s insistence that it is an independent political organisation entitled to establish and manage its own campaign structure.

‘NDC is the political party we all belong to, and I agree entirely with the position of the leader. OK Movement, Obidient Group, Kwankwasiyya and other support groups are supporting groups,’ Obi said.

‘They must play their role as supporting groups, supporting the party. They should not play the role of the party,’ he added.

Asked specifically whether the OK Movement’s 59-member Presidential Campaign Council had been constituted with his approval, Obi was unequivocal.

‘Not at all. And I say it here, it is wrong,’ he said.

Obi added that any activity undertaken in the name of the joint Obi-Kwankwaso ticket should have the express approval of both candidates.

The development is the latest twist in an escalating dispute between the NDC leadership and the OK Movement over the boundaries between the party’s official campaign machinery and independent groups mobilising support for its candidates.

The NDC had earlier disowned the 59-member council, while National Leader Seriake Dickson warned support groups against assuming the functions of the party.

Dickson had described the establishment of a separate presidential campaign council by a support group as ‘unheard of’ and ‘nonsensical’, insisting that support groups should concentrate on grassroots mobilisation rather than compete with the party for political space.

But the OK Movement has refused to retreat.

In a statement yesterday by its National Director-General, John Ozyl Ughulu, the group reaffirmed that its campaign council remained ‘valid and operational’ despite the positions expressed by the NDC leadership and Obi.

‘The OK Movement wishes to reaffirm, unequivocally, that its position remains unchanged. The Presidential Campaign Council structure already constituted and announced by the OK Movement remains valid and operational, irrespective of the position or opinion of any individual leader of the party or presidential candidate,’ Ughulu said.

The group maintained that its independent status meant its internal structures did not require the approval of NDC officials.

‘We have stated clearly and consistently that the OK Movement is an independent political organisation,’ it said.

‘Accordingly, its existence, internal structure, leadership decisions and organisational mechanisms do not require the validation or approval of the National Leader of the NDC Party, HE Senator Seriake Dickson, or any other individual within the party leadership.’

The movement said its members were drawn from different political parties but were united by their support for Obi and Kwankwaso.

It also rejected the suggestion that its campaign council amounted to an attempt to supplant the NDC.

‘The OK Movement has never claimed superiority over the NDC Party,’ it said, stressing that the NDC was a political party with its constitutional structures while the OK Movement was an independent organisation with its own principles, values and organisational framework.

Ughulu further argued that neither the NDC nor its presidential candidate had exclusive authority over the internal organisation of an independent movement.

‘There is no provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, nor any provision of the NDC Party Constitution brought to our attention, that automatically vests exclusive authority in a political party or its candidate to determine the internal organisational structure of an independent political organisation,’ the statement said.

The group said it would continue to mobilise for the NDC candidates but would not surrender its national, state, local government and ward structures to the party.

It also insisted that its position was not motivated by confrontation.

‘Our position is not about confrontation. It is about clarity, institutional respect and the protection of organisational independence,’ it said.

The OK Movement said it was prepared to work with the NDC but would not accept what it described as attempts to subordinate or dismantle its structures.

‘If the party chooses to work with the principles, values and structures of the OK Movement, we remain prepared to engage constructively.

‘However, the movement cannot be compelled to abandon its principles or organisational identity in order to satisfy the ambitions or preferences of any individual or group,’ it said.

The latest development places Obi himself squarely on the side of the NDC leadership in the dispute, after the presidential candidate explicitly disowned the campaign council and affirmed the party’s authority over the formal campaign structure.

The OK Movement, however, has maintained that its support for the NDC ticket and its independent organisational identity can coexist.

The dispute has consequently shifted from a disagreement over a campaign council to a broader contest over how independent political movements supporting the NDC ticket will relate to the party as the 2027 election campaign takes shape.

Veteran actor Peter Fatomilola has hailed skitmaker Debo Adebayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, describing him as exceptionally generous.

Speaking in an interview with African A-List, the Nollywood icon recalled his encounter with the content creator on a movie set in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Fatomilola said after wrapping up his two scenes, Mr Macaroni met him, walked him to his car and offered to support him with fuel money.

He noted that while he received N50,000 from the producer who engaged him for the job, Mr Macaroni gave him N200,000.

The veteran added that on another occasion, Mr Macaroni invited him to feature in a project with Pete Edochie and paid him N1 million for a single scene.

‘Mr Macaroni saw me on set one day. I had just finished the two scenes I was called for, and he escorted me to my car. He offered to give me fuel money and handed me 200k. Even the person who called me for those two scenes only gave me 50k. Macaroni still called me for another job with Pete Edochie another day and gave me 1 million Naira for just a scene’, he said.

Abia State Governor Alex Otti yesterday kicked against the agitation for the return of fuel subsidy and said those rooting for it don’t mean well for the country.

According to him, subsidising what people consume can only encourage laziness and corruption instead of supporting production and efficiency.

‘When you subsidise consumption rather than production, you are just subsidising laziness. You are subsidising, sometimes, corruption. You know, because there’s just no way that people will not want to take advantage of the system,’ the governor said on Arise News.

He said that instead of subsiding the price of fuel,government should focus on creating reliable systems that allow businesses and individuals to produce as people tend to use resources more efficiently when they have to pay for them.

‘When you have to pay, you are much more efficient. And anyhow you slice and dice it, it’s still cheaper than darkness. And if you have to run a generator, buy the diesel, provide for the maintenance, you will find that you are paying a whole lot more than public power supply,’ he said.

He added: ‘for the people who use it for production, for their factories, those people, they really don’t need the subsidy. They just need the constant power supply. And once you’re able to guarantee them constant power supply, they’ll pay. So businesses don’t need subsidy.’

‘Low-income earners can always manage. And I’ve given you an idea of how they can manage. Well, in many parts of the world, they turn off the electricity to save power.’

He described the removal of petrol subsidy as a right decision and warned:’You know, as election approaches, people will be making all sorts of arguments. But removing the subsidy was the right thing to be done.’

Asked who he would vote for in next year’s presidential election between President Bola Tinubu and the NDC presidential candidate,Peter Obi,Otti said:’ I will not speak on who I will vote for here, but it must be somebody that will win.

Pressed whether he was supporting President Tinubu for the election, Otti said:’For the 2027 election, I have said that I have a presidential candidate.’

When he was asked again whether he was supporting Tinubu, Otti said:’What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?’

On his decision to remain in the Labour Party even after the exit of the party’s presidential candidate in 2023,peter Obi,the governor hinged his decision on the need to resolve the internal disputes and court cases facing the party.

Those issues,according to him,have now been resolved.

He said:’But you have seen that we’ve solved the problem. There is a saying that you don’t relocate from your house because armed robbers came.

‘Armed robbers came and attacked the house, so tomorrow you move and go to your neighbor’s house? You need to solve the problem, so I remained, and I’m sure you agree with me that we have solved the problem.

He spoke of his efforts to stop Obi from dumping the LP.

His words: ‘He came and met with me, and I told him that for me, I was staying back. But he said he was leaving.

‘I also predicted some of the things that happened, particularly where he went to first, and then he left that place again. Is it for me to tell him where he will be? Absolutely no, but at least I offered him my own piece of advice based on my understanding.

‘You know he’s a more senior person, so there are things he could have seen that I didn’t see.’

Responding to Obi’s claim that the Labour Party’s problems would not have been resolved if he had remained in the party, Otti said the resolution process was already underway.

‘Okay, but the process of resolution was already on. So for me, I could see that resolution.

‘Like I said, he could have seen what I wasn’t seeing, and I’m not in a position to-I don’t even have a superior idea or knowledge.

‘But what I could see at that time, including what I saw where he was headed, eventually turned out to be right. Otherwise, he would have stayed there, but he now left to where he is now.

‘So it’s a matter of debate whether the problem could have been resolved with him there or not; I don’t know,’he said.

How God saved me from assassination attempt in 2015 – Otti

And speaking during the ‘Abia Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service’ in Umuahia,on Thursdayy evening, Otti narrated his journey into politics, saying his decision to serve God sustained him through life-threatening political challenges.

He gave a vivid account of an ‘assassination attempt’ on him.

He said that a friend recently reminded him of events surrounding his journey in politics, particularly an incident in July 2015 which, according to him, could have claimed his life.

Otti recalled that he contested the 2015 Governorship Election and went to the tribunal to contest the election result when the victory was given to the Peoples Democratic Party’s Governorship Candidate, Okezie Ikpeazu.

He said that he was in Abuja trying to hold a meeting with someone, who repeatedly shifted the dates, until the meeting still did not take place.

Otti said that he subsequently informed his friends that he would leave Abuja the following day since the meeting didn’t hold, in spite their objections.

‘There was only one flight from Abuja to Owerri then.

‘All my friends objected. I said, well, I have received a message that I must leave Abuja.

‘So, to make it make sense, I told them I wanted to be at the tribunal on Friday, so they grudgingly accepted.

‘That night, assassins attacked my residence in Abuja, shot two policemen dead, and they were looking for me.

‘Of course, God had taken me away,’ he said.

Otti said the attackers, after failing to find him, apparently believed he was still within the premises and proceeded to search the adjoining compound.

He said: ‘When they finished and couldn’t find me. They were convinced I was there.

‘They had so much time. By the way, this was Maitama.

‘They jumped into the next compound, and I learnt that they were up to 12.

‘They jumped into the next compound, and stripped the whole building.’

Reflecting on the incident, Otti said there had been no obvious reason for him to leave Abuja at that particular time, but he believed that his departure was divinely directed.

‘They thought I jumped first, but I left.

‘There was no reason for me not to be there but God had taken me away from there,’ he said.

The governor also recounted how some friends tried to discourage him from entering politics, while others advised him to seek protection through traditional or other means.

‘A lot of friends, after trying to dissuade me, found I couldn’t be dissuaded.

‘They said, okay, if you decided to do this thing, you can’t go in there empty-handed.

‘You can’t go there without belonging to some societies.

‘You can’t go there without going to some native doctors for protection and you will be shocked at the kind of people that are making these suggestions and some of them are leaders in churches.’

The Deputy Chief of Staff to the Delta State Governor, Sir Christopher Osakwe, has urged operators in the entertainment industry to mobilise grassroots support for President Bola Tinubu, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other candidates of the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Osakwe made the call on Friday when members of the Entertainment Movement for Oshimili North and South (ENFONS) paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba.

He said President Tinubu’s reforms had brought changes to the country, adding that their effects were also being felt in Delta State.

According to him, the reforms had helped address some of the challenges previously experienced by Nigerians, including salary arrears and fuel scarcity.

Osakwe said Governor Oborevwori and his deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, had continued to support the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government through the implementation of programmes in the state.

‘Our Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, and his deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, Ph.D., are champions of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President in practical terms, and all of us are beneficiaries.

‘Continue to send out the message through your professional activities,’ he said.

The Deputy CoS stressed the importance of grassroots mobilisation in strengthening communication between government and citizens.

He urged the group to expand its membership and reach, saying: ‘Going forward, grow your numbers, grow your reach, and let the people feel your impact.’

Osakwe said sustained engagement with the grassroots would create greater awareness of government programmes and policies while providing opportunities for citizens to communicate their concerns to government.

He added that the government would welcome groups supporting the President and the state administration.

Earlier, the leader of ENFONS, Hon. Frank Otoide, expressed the group’s readiness to mobilise support for President Tinubu and Governor Oborevwori ahead of the 2027 elections.

Ghanaian film Bed of Thorns has secured a streaming deal with Homi TV, expanding the film’s reach to a wider audience.

The deal follows the film’s recognition at the San Francisco Film Festival, where it became the first Ghanaian film to win an award at the festival.

The production also received recognition at the Abia International Film Festival.

Bed of Thorns was written and directed by Kenny Dee and produced under Sir Nelson Productions.

The film is a romantic drama that combines suspense, emotional conflict and unexpected twists.

It features Nelson Emmanuel, Haillie Sumney, Kofi Adjololo and Sylvia Davis in leading roles.

Sumney, popularly known as ‘Ghana Goddess,’ is a Canadian-born, California-raised Ghanaian actress, television personality, brand influencer, philanthropist and entrepreneur.

She has appeared in productions including Heels and Sneakers, Real Lagos Fake Life, A Way Back Home, Blood Vessel on Netflix and Kintampo on African Magic.

Sumney has also worked across Nollywood, Ghallywood and Hollywood and served as a red-carpet host at the 2018 BET Awards.

The Homi TV agreement marks another stage in the film’s distribution journey, making it available to a broader streaming audience.

Bed of Thorns began streaming on Homi TV on September 18, 2026.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking between the two countries.

According to a statement from the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the MoU was signed on Saturday, on the sidelines of the ongoing 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), described the agreement as the culmination of years of steady engagement between the two agencies.

He said the pact would deepen intelligence-sharing and joint enforcement action along the Nigeria-UAE corridor.

Marwa disclosed that between 2021 and 2026, the NDLEA intercepted about 354.7kg of illicit drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, rohypnol, ecstasy and khat, concealed in consignments destined for the UAE.

He said the seizures resulted in the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects, underscoring the urgency of the new partnership.

The NDLEA boss also highlighted the agency’s nationwide record between January 2021 and July 2026, which he said included more than 91,000 arrests, including 243 drug barons; the seizure of over 15.5 million kilograms of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals; and 16,469 convictions.

He added that more than 53,000 drug users had received counselling, treatment and rehabilitation, while the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign had reached nearly 5.9 million Nigerians through community and school engagements.

Marwa said the new partnership with the NDEA would build on the exchange of liaison personnel, the sharing of operational information, and the technical cooperation already established between the two agencies.

He added that the UAE would provide Nigerian travellers with a comprehensive list of prohibited items to help guard against inadvertent violations.

In his remarks, NDEA Chairman His Excellency Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to working closely with Nigeria to disrupt trafficking networks that exploit the strong trade, travel and people-to-people ties between the two countries.

He described the MoU as a natural evolution of an already productive relationship between the two agencies.

Both agencies said the agreement would lead to stronger intelligence-sharing, more successful joint operations, and the dismantling of trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-UAE axis.

They said the partnership aligned with the shared global responsibility championed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The aspirations of many candidates in next year’s elections are now hanging in the balance as the implications of Thursday’s verdict of the Supreme Court, validating Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, begin to unravel.

The apex court, in the ruling, restored the powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on party membership registers and nomination which the Court of Appeal had taken away on the ground that those sections of the act were inconsistent with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

In specific terms, any one who participated in more than one party primary risks disqualification, while those whose names are not in a party’s register as at May 2026 are deemed not to be members of the party also risk qualification.

Sources across the political parties told The Nation, yesterday, that their lawyers were studying the Supreme Court ruling and its implications, if any, for their candidates.

Some political observers expressed concern over the fate of the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) senatorial candidate for Kwara Central Saliu Mustapha, the party’s senatorial candidate for Kwara North, Kolo Jiya, and other candidates sponsored by the Bukola Saraki G15 alliance in the state, as well as candidates sponsored in Rivers State by the Nyesom Wike-led Rainbow Alliance.

Also feared to be in jeopardy are the aspirations of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, PDP senatorial candidate in Ogun Central, Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo, NDC senatorial candidate in Delta Central, Ovie Omo-Agege, Labour Party governorship candidate in Adamawa, Elisha Abbo, NDC governorship candidate in the state, Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani, APM governorship candidate in the state, Abdulrahman Haske, Social Democratic Party governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, Mohammed Adamu.

Former Communication Minister, Isa Ali Pantami, whose nomination as PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State was annulled by a court, on Thursday, is set for a fresh primary as ordered by the court.

The exercise is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29.

Pantami defected from the APC to the PDP after losing in the APC primary.

Obi

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 election, switched camps to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in December last year only to move to the NDC five months later.

He officially joined his new party on May 3, 2026, along with his running mate, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Obi picked the NDC presidential nomination and expression-of-interest forms on May 17 and was screened two days later by the party’s leadership.

On May 20, the NDC screening committee cleared Obi, expressly stating that he had satisfied the requirements of the party’s Constitution, the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.

He was thus adopted as the party’s presidential candidate on May 29.

Responding yesterday to a question yesterday, an NDC source said: ‘if by ‘was Peter Obi’s name on the NDC register’ you mean whether he had formally become an NDC member before emerging as the party’s presidential candidate, the record says yes. He had received an NDC membership card 26 days before May 29.’

Mustapha, Jiya, other candidates of Saraki-G15 group

Senator Mustapha, Jiya and several other candidates sponsored by the alliance were, until recently, members of the APC in Kwara State.

They fell out with the APC governor of the state, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, following the party primaries.

Mustapha, having lost out in the governorship race, expected the governor to allow him a return ticket to the senate.

But he was denied the APC senatorial ticket also missed him, he left for the PDP with other aggrieved party members.

Gov Makinde

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde declared his presidential ambition on what he called APM/PDP platform on May 14.

And a major highlight of his declaration was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the APM and his faction of the PDP.

PDP chieftains, however, say there is no record of his resignation from the party.

Omo-Agege

Former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege was, until May 22, a member of the APC.

He initially wanted to contest the gubernatorial ticket with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori who had defected from the PDP.

But having hit a wall in that adventure, he sought the senatorial ticket for Delta Central. That bid too failed, leading to his resignation from the APC and subsequent crossing to the NDC, which gave him a waiver to contend for the same seat on its platform.

Ex-IGP Adamu

Former Police Inspector General, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, threw practically everything into the APC governorship race in Nasarawa State, only to lose to Senator Aliyu Wadada in the primary.

On May 25, Adamu resigned from the APC citing ‘recent developments within the party especially the conduct of the governorship primary election processes in Nasarawa State, have made it difficult for me to continue with my political activities under the platform of the party.’

On September 5, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) named him its governorship candidate following a substitution primary held in Lafia, the state capital.

The original candidate Musa Angba had withdrawn from the contest.

Pantami

Isah Pantami left the APC after failing to clinch the party’s governorship ticket in Gombe State.

He found home in PDP and got the ticket he wanted there.

However, last Tuesday, a Federal High Court sitting in Gombe nullified the governorship primary that produced Pantami and ordered a rerun within one month.

The state chapter of the party announced yesterday that it has Pantami, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry for a fresh governorship primary election scheduled for Tuesday.

Iyabo Obasanjo

Iyabo, daughter of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, lost out in the race for the APC governorship ticket in Ogun State.

On May 31, 2026, a few days after Senator Solomon Adeola emerged as the APC governorship candidate, Iyabo resigned her membership of the party.

By June 17, she returned to the PDP and immediately became its candidate for Ogun Central.

Elisha Abbo

Elisha Abbo, a former senator representing Adamawa North, was one of the several political heavyweights who dumped the ADC in Adamawa State following the bad blood generated by the party’s governorship primary.

By the end of May, he emerged as LP’s consensus flagbearer having been cleared by the national leadership of LP.

Aisha Binani

Like Abbo, Binani felt betrayed by the ADC in the conduct of its governorship primary.

She resigned from the party and pitched her tent with the NDC on May 1, 2026.

Binani was presented her party membership card on the day by Seriake Dickson, the party’s national leader, who welcomed her and announced her as the head of the NDC in Adamawa, pending internal democratic processes.

She subsequently emerged as the NDC governorship candidate.

Abdulrahman Haske

Abdulrahman Haske contested the APC governorship primary in Adamawa State but lost.

He was named APM’s governorship candidate only two weeks ago.

Rivers APC dismisses fears over Chinda’s candidature

The Rivers State chapter of the APC, yesterday, dismissed fears that the Supreme Court ruling could jeopardise the candidature of its governorship candidate, O.K. Chinda.

The party’s Publicity Secretary, Chibike Ikenga, said there was no cause for alarm, insisting that Chinda’s candidature remained intact.

The judgment sparked speculation in Rivers State, on Friday, with some claiming that Chinda’s emergence as the APC candidate could be affected because of questions surrounding the timing of his membership of the party.

The concerns followed Chinda’s public emergence as an APC member in May and his subsequent participation in the party’s governorship primary, which he won.

His resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his former party, was read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during plenary.

However, indications emerged that Chinda’s formal resignation letter from the PDP was dated April 23, 2026.

The development has also drawn attention to the timeline for submission of party membership registers.

INEC had initially fixed April 21, 2026 as the deadline for political parties to submit their registers but later extended the deadline to May 10.

The commission said the extension remained consistent with the Electoral Act 2026, which requires political parties to submit their membership registers at least 21 days before their primaries.

Reacting to the controversy, Ikenga said the Supreme Court judgment did not invalidate Chinda’s candidacy but, rather, reinforced it.

He said: ‘The Supreme Court judgement affected our governorship candidate positively. Those claiming that his name was not in the register, where they the people, who submitted the register?’

Ikenga insisted that the party had no doubts about Chinda’s status as its candidate, urging APC supporters to remain focused on the election.

‘Our governorship candidate remains OK Chinda. He will run and he will win,’ he said.

He added: ‘People should continue to have faith; mobilise and reach out to voters and continue the process of inclusiveness bringing everybody together so that we can defeat our opponents squarely, creditably in a free, fair and credible election.’

From a lawyer/human rights activist’s perspective: Implications of the ruling

Reviewing the Supreme Court ruling yesterday, human rights activist, lawyer and former presidential adviser, Okoi Obono-Obla, described it as ‘arguably the most important pre-election judgment for 2027.’

His words: ‘On Thursday, September 24, 2026, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Adamu Jauro allowed the appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission in SC/CR/495/2026 and set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division delivered on July 16, 2026.

‘The origin was Suit No. FHC/ABJ/509/2026 filed by Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) challenging the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.

‘Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court Abuja had on May 5, 2026 dismissed ZLP’s suit for lacking merit. On appeal in CA/ABJ/CV/750/2026, the Court of Appeal partly allowed ZLP’s appeal and struck down the provisions, holding they conflicted with Sections 221 and 222 of the 1999 Constitution governing political parties.

‘INEC, represented by Dr Alex Izinyon, SAN, appealed to the Supreme Court. On September 24, the apex court reversed the Court of Appeal, restored the Federal High Court judgment, held that the provisions are not inconsistent with the Constitution, and awarded N2 million costs against ZLP.

What the restored provisions say

‘The judgment restores the full statutory regime for membership registers and nomination:

‘Section 77(5): Only persons whose names appear in the membership register submitted to INEC not later than 21 days before the date fixed for a primary, congress or convention are eligible to participate in the exercise.

‘Section 77(6): Prohibits a political party from using a membership register other than the one submitted to INEC for its primaries, congresses and conventions.

‘Section 77(7): A political party that fails to submit its membership register within the prescribed period is not eligible to field a candidate for the election.

‘Section 84(2): The procedure for nominating candidates for elective offices shall be by direct primaries or consensus. This excludes indirect primaries.

Immediate Legal Implications

1. Finality and Constitutional Settlement

‘The Supreme Court has settled the long-running debate on the relationship between party autonomy under Sections 221/222 of the Constitution and the National Assembly’s power to regulate elections under Section 228. The Court held that regulating membership registers and nomination methods is permissible electoral regulation, not an unconstitutional encroachment on internal party affairs. The Court of Appeal’s view that ordinary legislation cannot introduce disqualifying conditions has been rejected.

2. The Death of Indirect Primaries for 2027

‘Section 84(2) as restored makes direct primaries and consensus the only lawful modes. Any party constitution or guideline providing for indirect delegate primaries is now void to that extent. The litigation had generated considerable debate because it went to the relationship between constitutional autonomy of parties and the National Assembly’s power to prescribe rules.

Ahead of the expected groundbreaking of Kenya’s proposed East Africa Refinery in Lamu, President William Ruto has visited Lagos for a tour of billionaire Aliko Dangote’s mega oil refinery.

ýRuto arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport yesterday and was received by Dangote and other senior Nigerian officials.

ýRuto’s visit together with First Lady Rachel Ruto and senior government officials of East Africa Refinery came five days before the planned groundbreaking ceremony on September 30.

ýThe planned Lamu facility, with a projected capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, is expected to become a major component of Kenya’s strategy to expand refining capacity and strengthen petroleum supply in the region.

ýThe Lagos visit came after Ruto met Dangote and Africa Finance Corporation chief executive Samaila Zubairu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York earlier in the week.

ýThe discussions focused on financing and final preparations for the Lamu project.

ý’We are ready to break ground on the East Africa refinery in Lamu, a transformative project that will enhance the region’s energy security, deepen local value addition, create jobs and advance our industrialization agenda,’ Ruto said after the New York meeting.

ýThe proposed refinery is expected to process crude from Kenya’s oilfields in Lokichar, Turkana County, and supply refined petroleum products to markets in East and Central Africa.

ýThe project is being developed with Dangote’s involvement and support from the Africa Finance Corporation.

Current reports have placed its investment value at between $15 billion and $17 billion, equivalent to roughly Sh2 trillion at prevailing exchange rates.

ýThe September 30 groundbreaking is expected to bring together regional leaders and other key stakeholders, with preparations already under way in Lamu.

ýThe Lagos refinery tour gives Ruto an opportunity to inspect Dangote’s existing refining operation before the Kenyan project moves into its construction phase.

ýUpon arrival at the refinery, Ruto was taken on a guided tour of the sprawling facility by Dangote and other senior company officials.

ýThe tour covered key sections of the refinery and the adjoining petrochemicals complex, giving the President an overview of the plant’s operations, processing capacity and infrastructure.