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Christians and Muslims in United Kingdom have endorsed Dr. Adewale Kolapo Kareem (AKK), an aspirant for 2027 Oyo State governorship election on the platform of All Progressives Congress.

The Christian community’s endorsement took place at RCCG Revival Christian Church of Enfield, under Senior Pastor, Dr. Nick Chanda and Dr. Mulenga Chanda. Kareem noted that his ambition was inspired by a conviction that Oyo State can be a model of fairness, opportunity, and balanced growth.

‘My intention is guided by faith and conviction – that Oyo State can rise to be a model of progress, justice, and shared prosperity.’

The church lauded his humility, focus, and achievements in education, youth empowerment, and philanthropy, offering prayers for his success and divine guidance.

A week earlier, the Muslim community in UK offered their endorsement at an interfaith engagement.

The Muslim leaders commended Kareem’s bridge-building approach, and prayed for his success. They acknowledged his consistent efforts in supporting education, youth development, and inclusive growth in Oyo State.

Expressing deep gratitude to both faith communities, Dr. Kareem reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to interfaith harmony, inclusive governance, and value-driven leadership.

‘Your prayers mean so much to me,’ he noted. ‘Leadership is a trust, and with God’s guidance and the people’s support, we will build a government that reflects our shared values – honesty, fairness, and compassion. I remain committed to being a servant-leader for all.’

The visits and endorsements underscored AKK’s unifying political vision – one rooted in faith, integrity, and service. They also highlight the growing support from the Nigerian diaspora as an essential part of his strategy to advance innovation, equity, and prosperity across Oyo State.

‘Together,’ AKK concluded, ‘we will make Oyo State a shining example of progress, fairness, and unity – truly living up to its name as the Pace Setter’s State. Aseyori ni tiwa!’

Ghana qualified for next year’s World Cup as Mohammed Kudus tucked away a close-range effort early in the second half on Sunday to earn a 1-0 win over Comoros and send an overflowing Accra stadium into rapturous celebration.

Kudus tapped in a square pass from Thomas Partey in the 47th minute to secure victory in front of an expectant crowd, although Ghana would have qualified even in defeat as closest rivals Madagascar were beaten 4-1 in Mali at the same time.

The Black Stars are the fifth African nation to confirm their participation at the finals in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. They have been to four previous tournaments, reaching the quarter-finals in 2010.

Ghana had a three-point lead going into the final round of Group I fixtures, with Madagascar’s slim hopes resting on beating Mali away and Ghana losing at home, but that unlikely permutation was never on the cards after Mali scored in the 10th minute.

It was the first of two goals for Lassine Sinayoko, with the others coming from Dorgeles Nene and Gaoussou Diarra.

Ghana finished with 25 points, with Madagascar second on 19 and Mali third on 18.

In the group’s other game on Sunday, the Central African Republic won 3-2 away to condemn Chad to a winless campaign with a single point from their 10 qualifiers.

Substitute Karl Namnganda scored a stoppage-time winner in Ndjamena as the Central African Republic ended their campaign with eight points.

Already-qualified Egypt, who had booked their berth on Wednesday, rested captain Mohamed Salah but still finished their Group A campaign unbeaten as they overcame Guinea Bissau 1-0 in Cairo. Mohamed Hamdi headed home the winner in the 10th minute.

Egypt won eight of their 10 group games to finish with 26 points with Burkina Faso finishing second in the standings, after concluding their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Ethiopia in Ouagadougou with a hat-trick from Scotland-based attacker Pierre Kabore.

Burkina Faso will be hoping to finish as one of the four best runners-up, who advance to a playoff competition next month.

Also in Group A, the small Red Sea state Djibouti threatened to record their first win of the qualifying campaign when they took the lead against Sierra Leone but ended up losing 2-1.

Earlier on Sunday, surprise package Niger secured second place in Group E by beating Zambia 1-0 away and look set for next month’s playoffs. Daniel Sosah, scoring for a third successive qualifier, bagged the second-half winner.

Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi has said Nigeria needs to produce about 22 million metallic tons of rice annually to meet local demand by Nigerians.

Speaking at a public hearing on three bills to strengthen the agricultural sector organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, the Minister said presently, Nigeria was producing about 20 million metric tonnes leaving a deficit of about two million.

He said. Nigeria must sustain steady funding of the sector with a view to increasing rice yield and close existing gaps in production.

The bills are ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Agricultural Development Fund (Establishment) Act, 2025; A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Farm Settlements Agency to Promote Agricultural Development, Ensure Food Security, and Foster Economic Growth (HB 1347), and A Bill for an Act to Provide a Legal Framework for the Establishment of the National Rice Production, Processing and Research Institute, Argungu, Kebbi State (HB 423).

The Minister said the yield gap is one of the major problems that must be addressed in other people ensure food security in the country.

He said, ‘For example, the rice we are talking about. The average yield is usually put at about five tons for those who are doing very well. Hardly will you get people making six tons. But the average is between 4.5 to 5 tons. And those who are doing very well may get up to six tons.

‘But if you take countries that are producing rice at a very good level, the yield potential is nine to 12 tonnes. If we can concentrate on funding the processes for yield increase, we are double the yeild and our farmers will be able to get up to seven to eight tons. By so doing, we can get the 22 million metric tonnes demand in our country. Presently, we are doing 20 and having 2 million as deficit. If we are able to do that, we will be able to cover the need without any difficulty.

‘So, we must take anothet look at the strategy that will enable us to achieve the same thing we want to achieve. It is not by opening up more centres because, we have turned our institutes into employment centres.

‘I’ve served in that system for 20 years before coming onto the the National Assembly. I would like members to take a greater look at how we can strengthen the current system and make them to give us the maximum productivity they can give. That way, our farmers will be able to produce more.

‘If you take a look at cassava, Nigeria is the world largest producer of cassava for the past 30 years. But what is the average yield of cassava? It’s just about 11 tonnes. That is even for those ones that are doing high.

‘Now, what is possible in the research system is 49 tonnes per hectare. So if you can double that, it means the farmers can produce 22 tonnes per hectare. The current 60 million metric tonnes we are producing as a nation that made us number one, we can go uppto 120.

‘If they triple it, we can go upto 180. And that will be a massive injection into our economy. So I think I would like to plead with this House to look inwards and see how we can strengthen the current system to deliver on the current mandates that we have’.

Speaking on the proposed bills, he said the ministry and it’s agencies have aligned with most of the provisions of the bills, while saying however that there are areas that must be looked into to fine tune the bills in tandem with existing extant laws.

He added, ‘In particular, we should try to bring in those programmes and projects that we know federal government is making investment on, and for which we want it to be aligned to the National Agriculture Development Fund and its own intention.

Declaring the hearing open, l Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajuddeen said the proposed bills are more than just legislation, but a blueprint for a more secure, prosperous, and self-reliant Nigeria.

Represented by the Deputy Whip of the House, Ayokunle Isiaka, the Speaker said ‘they demonstrate our commitment to harnessing the vast potential of our agricultural resources to improve the lives of our citizens.

‘This hearing aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the declaration of a State of Emergency on Food Security, underscoring our collective resolve to tackle food insecurity and boost agricultural productivity.

‘I urge every stakeholder, expert, and citizen to engage actively, sharing your insights, expertise, and concerns. Your voices are essential to crafting robust and effective laws.

‘Let us work together to build a resilient agricultural sector that drives our economy, guarantees food security, and uplifts every Nigerian. It is my distinct pleasure to declare this public hearing open’.

Committee Chairman, Bello Kaoje said Agriculture remains the backbone of Nigeria’s economy and the most reliable path to inclusive growth and poverty reduction.

He however stated that, achieving food security and competitiveness requires sound policies supported by effective legislation.

He added, ‘This public hearing offers all stakeholders – policymakers, farmers, researchers, investors, and development partners – an opportunity to share valuable perspectives. Your insights today will help us refine these bills to ensure they are practical, forward-looking, and beneficial to all segments of the agricultural sector.

‘As a Committee, we are committed to ensuring that every law passed by this House strengthens productivity, enhances innovation, and provides real value to Nigerian farmers. We will continue to collaborate with the Executive, relevant agencies, and the private sector to make agriculture a business that drives national prosperity’.

It was inevitable that the Nigeria Development Update, the World Bank’s biannual flagship report will generate some talking points. Titled ‘From Policy to People: Bringing the Reform Gains Home’, it claims, as usual to be a broad overview of the economy in terms of trends, policy outcomes, and key challenges after what is arguably, the most aggressive reform path to be undertaken by any administration since independence.

As far as its summary goes, it was particularly telling as it was instructive: ‘Nigeria has made substantial progress on macroeconomic stabilization’. The economy, it noted, expanded by 3.9% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, up from 3.5% in the same period of 2024. So was growth, driven largely by strong performance in services and non-oil industries. And just as oil production maintained a steady course, agriculture was also not left behind.

It noted the steady rise in foreign reserves currently in excess of $42 billion with current account surplus rising to 6.1% of GDP – all of these thanks to higher non-oil exports and lower oil imports. On the fiscal side, it noted that despite lower oil prices, the federal deficit is projected at 2.6% of GDP in 2025, broadly unchanged from 2024, while public debt is expected to decline for the first time in over a decade-from 42.9 to 39.8% of GDP.

While acknowledging these positive sides, it was also no time for fulsome praises for the administration’s reform efforts: ‘Stabilization gains’, it noted ‘have yet to substantially improve Nigerians’ livelihoods’.

Food inflation and poverty both of which Nigerians already acknowledged as the country’s albatross, remains unbearably high, even as the report drew attention to the need for urgent action to reduce inflation, enhance public spending efficiency, and expand social protection. It referenced the estimated 139 million citizens, said to be living in poverty, even as it warned that the country risks losing reform gains if they fail to translate into tangible improvements in people’s welfare.

Not surprisingly, the report has since torn Nigerians into two camps: the army of critics who couldn’t imagine the Tinubu administration ever getting anything right on the economy on one side, and the government and its hordes of supporters on the other, particularly with regards to the referenced 139 million citizens said to be living in poverty.

Bolaji Abdullahi, the megaphone of the African Democratic Congress, the Special Purpose Vehicle cobbled together to realise former vice president, Atiku Abubakar’s presidential dream, has since gone to town with the claim that ‘the report exposes the widening gap between the government’s propaganda of progress and the harsh realities faced by millions of citizens whose lives and livelihoods have. been devastated under the All Progressives Congress-led government’.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare has also countered that the methodology used by the World Bank in its determination was not only dated but somewhat suspect given that the ‘figure was derived from the global poverty line of $2.15 per person per day, set in 2017 using Purchasing Power Parity’.

Drawing opposing conclusions from the same set of facts being an old game is certainly not exclusive to politicians. It is nothing new particularly to development scholars depending of course on which side of the ideological spectrum that one belongs. And while it seems a fair game that a party like ADC, sworn to displace the ruling APC, will seek to weaponise that aspect of the report, I believe that the government spokesman has provided a robust rebuttal possible in the circumstance.

Yes, the economic situation in the country is bad enough, without the World Bank compounding our misery with its mystery figures whose values are utterly questionable! So much for the Breton Wood institution’s age-long fixation with the orthodoxies of ‘single stories’ of which our own dear Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her 2009 TED Talk, warns – ‘creates and reinforces stereotypes, robbing people and cultures of their dignity and complexity’; it has become for most Nigerians, like an old wife’s tale to be recycled!

So, Atiku and his ADC people as indeed those interested, may as well run to town with it! That is if it helps to supply the opposition with some oxygen at a time when everything else seems to be falling apart. The government on its part should move past the acknowledgment that things are bad to pressing the throttle. Like most Nigerians, I believe that the signs are clear enough that a lot is moving in the right direction. Time to move the needle to the micro-economy.

Away from hugging the headlines, I think Nigerians should take another look at the report to discover the one part of the report so easy to miss: the self-serving prescriptions that have, more often than not, defined the institution’s relations with developing countries. It calls it the three urgent priorities to address the problems of inflation and poverty.

I start with the first and perhaps the most curious of them all: the prescription that the government tackle food inflation by ‘removing trade barriers such as import bans and excessive duties, while addressing structural bottlenecks in seeds, input supply, security, logistics, and infrastructure (including transport, power, storage, and cold chains)’. Familiar?

How about this in the age of Trumpism, of trade barriers and protectionist walls? Imagine a hugely-endowed agrarian economy being asked to throw its borders open for unrestricted food imports so the army of its poor can avail of cheap foods!

Yes, the prescription is right there in the book!

So also is the other prescription: the removal of ‘structural bottlenecks in seeds, input supply’ – all in the guise of enhancing farmers output and productivity, policies that have proven over time to perpetuate the same old cycle of dependency and the despair that our farmers have suffered and continue to suffer.

With friends like this, who needs an enemy?

And finally, the same barely tolerable, long-winding, if meaningless sweeteners: improve the efficiency of public spending through greater fiscal transparency, stronger discipline in Federation Account (FAAC) deductions, and a national pact to align fiscal policy with development objectives, especially human capital investments, and, expanding and institutionalizing social protection, including regular, domestically financed cash transfers for the ultra-poor and a shock-responsive safety net system to help households manage crises – bland grammars which merely masks their true intent?

My question: What will it take for these busybodies to remove themselves from our national affairs so we can concentrate on fixing our broken parts?

Cape Verde have qualified for the World Cup, beating Eswatini 3-0 in their last group match on Monday to top the standings ahead of Cameroon and complete a fairytale campaign.

The wind-swept West African archipelago overcame first-half nerves to win in Praia with second-half goals from Dailon Livramento, Willy Semedo and veteran Stopira and book a first-ever appearance at the finals.

They started two points ahead of Cameroon, whose eight previous World Cup finals appearances are the most by an African country. Cape Verde finished Group D on 23 points, four ahead of Cameroon, who were held at home to a goalless draw by Angola.

Cape Verde rarely played international football some 25 years ago but now head to next year’s finals in North America as one of the nine African representatives.

They join Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and Ghana who have qualified already.

Livramento took advantage of Eswatini’s failure to clear to steer home the ball from close range three minutes into the second half while Semedo also had a tap-in for the second six minutes later.

Stopira, 37, had only come on as a late substitute as an acknowledgement of his long service with the team since 2008, and put a cherry on the cake with a stoppage-time goal.

The island’s 600,000 inhabitants had been given the day off to support their team but there was little to cheer in a tentative first half before Livramento scored. After that, the celebrations could not be contained.

Cape Verde are the second smallest country to qualify for the World Cup after Iceland, who competed in Russia in 2018.

Cameroon will likely advance to the playoffs for the four best runners-up across the nine African qualifying groups but were jeered off in Yaoundé after failure to beat Angola whose 39-year-old goalkeeper Hugo Marques made several telling stops.

Meanwhile, Tunisia completed their World Cup qualifying campaign without conceding a goal as they beat Namibia 3-0 in their final Group H game.

They ended the campaign unbeaten with nine wins from their 10 games, scoring 22 goals.

A first-half penalty in Tunis converted by Ali El Abdi was followed by second-half strikes from Hannibal Mejbri and captain Ferjani Sassi.

Namibia finished second in the group despite the defeat, their third in the last four qualifiers.

But they do not have enough points to finish as one of the best four group runners-up. They were 13 points adrift of Tunisia, who had already secured their place in the finals.

Liberia finished third in the group after a 1-1 draw at Equatorial Guinea, who were fielding a new-look team and with a new coach after a player strike meant they did not travel for last week’s qualifier in Malawi.

A 62nd -minute penalty from Portuguese-based striker Ronald Lumungo earned Sao Tome e Principe their first points of the campaign as they edged Malawi 1-0.

It ended a run of 18 winless matches for the tiny island nation, who are 195th in the world rankings.

Growing up in Enugu State in the 1970s, the commonest medicine for fever, cold, aches and pain was APC. Every mother had those over-the-counter, white looking tablets, handy in a small jar, at home. Our village dispenser, in charge of the community dispensary at Nwankwo, Ogwofia-Owa, one Romanus Ozobu (God rest his soul), would grind it, and with a little water, force it down our young throats to quench the fever and aches that followed the reckless plays and junkets.

That APC meant a combination of Aspirin, Phenacetin, and Caffeine, which is no longer in use. But the APC of my interest today, is the All Progressive Congress, a party formerly derided in the Southeast, as Janjaweed Ideology. Those who supported the party then, were reminded that the medical APC was no longer in use, and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), taunted the party as an expired drug. To propagate APC as an alternative to PDP, in the state, was considered an insalubrious anathema.

A few ignored the abuses, and continued to support and propagate the party. Today, the governor of Enugu State, Barrister Peter Mbah, and majority members of the PDP at all levels in the state, have joyously ingested APC, and they are looking forward to the party returning them to power in 2027.

This column which has for the past ten years recommended APC as an alternative to PDP, joyously welcome them to the progressive party. They must inculcate the Igbo saying: ‘Obialu be onye abiagbu kwe n’eya’.

In my most recent piece on Governor Peter Mbah barely two months ago, which I christened: ‘Dilemma of Governor Mbah’, I had given ample reasons why Mbah should move over to APC. I quote extensively: ‘With the PDP doddering, Governor Peter Mbah who got elected by a controversial razor tin vote advantage in 2023 must be weighing his options, as the race to the 2027 general election dominates the political landscape. Mbah’s challenge is made worse by the fact that the politically conservative Enugu State voters, appears to have shown inflexibility with the recent result of the Enugu South Urban Constituency reordered election.’

I went further: ‘Apparently, to the shock of Mbah and his supporters, one Bright Ngene, who originally won the state legislative assembly election in 2023, again won the reordered election after postponements arising from repeated disruptions. To make it more embarrassing for the ruling party in the state, Ngene of the Labour Party, who was sentenced to seven-years imprisonment for a community related dispute, won the election from the prison. It remains to be seen whether he will serve what is remaining of his tenure from the prisons.’

I also stated: ‘From the whiplashing the PDP received in the 2023 general election in the state in the hands of the Labour Party (LP) and the recent mud on its face in the Enugu South Urban Constituency reordered election, the PDP on whose platform Mbah was elected is seriously in decline. The PDP which dominated the state like a colossus, making it nigh impossible for any other party to breath in the state must be wondering what happened to her glorious days in the sun.’

As the new leader of APC in the state, Governor Mbah’s biggest challenge would be how to harmonize the interest of the decampees from the PDP with those of the APC members, which they met on ground. Of course, the temptation would be to hijack most of the available positions, and yield little to the old members of APC. I hope the governor also realizes that he needs all the help he can get, to move those who voted for him in PDP over to the APC.

It will be poor appreciation of political idiosyncrasies for the governor and his team to think that moving from PDP to APC, automatically means the addition of the voters on both sides to become one. A lot of work needs to be done to convince the PDP voters that APC is not the demonized caricature that they painted it as, prior to this transition. One of the surest way to do this, is by ensuring a peaceful harmonization of contending interests, under the banner of new APC.

Those contending against the entrance of Governor Mbah into APC, led by the erstwhile state party chairman, Barrister Ugo Agballa, should not be discarded without giving them a hearing. Now that the tide has turned, may be they would be willing to make peace, if given a chance. While arguing that they be given a fair hearing, this writer urges them to appreciate the enormous advantage the governor brings to the party in the state. Without the combination of forces, there was no chance for APC to win over the state, all by its former self.

Luckily, Governor Mbah has shown himself worthy of a second term, within two years of his administration. So, he should be encouraged to deliver on the great promises he has set for the state. It would be a great disservice to the state to undermine the giant infrastructural developments he has been pursuing, and so, I urge those opposed to his emergence to give peace a chance. Running to the court would only compound the situation for those accused of anti-party activities, even as they may make the party weaker.

Again, the state APC needs peace within its rank to deliver a reasonable percentage of vote to the party at the presidential election in 2027. Such delivery would aid the receipt of greater federal interventions in the state. For instance, Governor Mbah’s promise of 1,000 megawatts of electricity through coal needs the support of the federal government to succeed. Since the right over coal, which is a mineral resource, falls within the exclusive legislative list, the governor needs the approval of the federal government to explore it.

As I wrote earlier this year, in January, in a piece I tiled: ‘Two Ideas Men’, Governor Mbah and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are men of ideas, and a synchronization of their God-given talents would benefit the state and the country at large. As I wrote back then: ‘So, when PBAT went to Enugu State, last Saturday, this writer was excited that a knowledgeable president was visiting a knowledgeable governor. Instead of a clash of ideas, there will be a synergy of ideas.’

While President Tinubu is pushing to deliver $1 trillion national economy, Governor Mbah is working to move the state economy to $30bn. As the PDP flag is lowered for the APC flag, in my beloved Enugu State, we wait to see what further impetus it would wrought to the pace of governance. Congratulations NdiEnugu. Let President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda join forces with Governor Mbah’s promise of tomorrow in Enugu State.

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has launched the Renewed Hope Health Initiative in Rivers State.

The initiative targets 106 million children across the country.

Mrs. Tinubu reiterated her commitment to expanding the initiative, which currently involves the vaccination of children and women in selected states.

The Nation gathered that Rivers is among the Fourth Stream of Phase One states participating in Africa’s largest-ever health initiative, targeting over 106 million Nigerian children for vaccination against Measles, Rubella, Polio, and HPV.

The campaign, being implemented by the RHI in collaboration with the Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board, C-WINS and international partners, including WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and the Vaccine Alliance, was designed to protect millions of children and women from preventable diseases.

The rollout in Rivers State is expected to begin next February for children aged nine months to 14 years across the 23 local government areas.

Mrs. Tinubu stated that the ongoing measles and rubella vaccination campaign in Rivers would surpass all previous records in scope and success.

The First Lady spoke through the wife of the Rivers State governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, during the launching of the Measles, Rubella, and HPV Vaccine sensitisation campaign, organised under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Port Harcourt yesterday.

She said: ‘We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the measles vaccine coverage achieved through this campaign exceeds that of the past.

‘Through technical and financial support, this partnership will ensure that by February 2026, well-trained staff are deployed across communities to vaccinate all eligible children.’

Senator Tinubu highlighted the risks of the targeted diseases, describing Measles and Rubella as ‘highly contagious and potentially deadly’.

She noted that Rubella could cause severe complications for unborn babies, if contracted by an expectant mother.

‘The best way to prevent both diseases remains vaccination,’ Mrs. Tinubu said

She applauded the efforts by the Rivers State Ministry of Health, the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, and the State Task Force on Primary Healthcare, led by Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu.

She urged parents and caregivers across the state to cooperate with health workers and exercise no fear about the vaccines

She said: ‘The Measles-Rubella vaccine is safe, effective, and free in all our health centres. Please, ensure your children are vaccinated at the right time to protect them from these deadly infections.

‘Let us all play our part in spreading awareness. Together, we can safeguard the health and future of our children,’ she said, before formally declaring the sensitisation programme open.

Prof Odu praised the Renewed Hope Initiative for its sustained impact in Rivers State.

The deputy governor stressed that the Measles, Rubella, and HPV Sensitisation Programme marked ‘a significant step in promoting public health awareness, particularly among women and children’.

She described the HPV vaccination as ‘an investment in their future health and empowerment’ for the girl-child.

The Rivers State Coordinator of WHO, Prof. Giwa Abdulganiyu, praised the collaboration between RHI and the State Government.

The RHI Rivers State Coordinator, Mrs. Tonye Briggs-Oniyide, reaffirmed the initiative’s goal of reducing the incidence of Measles and Rubella in the state.

He said: ‘These diseases have the potential to cause emergencies and great distress in families. Today’s flag-off represents our collective determination to raise awareness and prevent such tragedies.’

The National Assembly is proposing a shift in Nigeria’s election calendar for the presidential and governorship polls to be moved from the traditional February or March dates to November 2026.

The proposal is part of draft amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, at a one-day public hearing yesterday in Abuja.

According to Section 4(7) of the proposed bill, elections into the offices of the President and governors ‘shall be held not later than 185 days before the expiration of the term of office of the last holder of the office’.

Given that the current administration ends on May 29, 2027, the next presidential and governorship elections would take place around November 2026.

Similarly, under Section 4(5), elections into the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly are to be held ‘not later than 185 days before the date on which each of the Houses stands dissolved’.

Explaining the rationale, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Adebayo Balogun, said the adjustment aims to ensure that all election litigations are concluded before new leaders are inaugurated.

‘We are proposing that all election cases be resolved before the swearing-in. To achieve this, tribunal judgments will take 90 days, while appellate and Supreme Court decisions will each take 60 days – all within 185 days before inauguration,’ Balogun said.

The lawmaker noted that corresponding amendments to sections 285 and 139 of the 1999 Constitution would align the new timelines.

Stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), represented by Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, expressed support for reforms that would enhance transparency through electronic voting and result transmission.

Under the proposed Section 60(5), presiding officers must transmit results electronically and manually, with non-compliance attracting a one-year jail term, a N1 million fine, or both.

The draft also introduces early voting for security agents, INEC workers, journalists, observers, and ad hoc workers, allowing them to vote up to 14 days before the main election.

Another significant change moves election timelines from the Constitution to the Electoral Act to permit future adjustments.

At the hearing, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Abbas Tajudeen said an electoral reform was essential to sustaining democracy and ensuring leadership legitimacy.

Abbas, represented by the House Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, said: ‘Our democracy rests on credible elections. Unless contests are freer, fairer, cheaper, and less contentious, we endanger the Fourth Republic.’

The Speaker said the proposed Bill seeks to strengthen measures against electoral fraud, improve access for persons with disabilities, and establish firmer timelines for resolving disputes. ‘Our goal is to make elections less litigious, reduce costs through single-day voting, and make party primaries more democratic,’ he said.

He added that the reforms – including e-transmission of results, creation of an Electoral Offences Commission, and deadlines for dispute resolution – were based on submissions from citizens, civil society, and election monitors.

‘The National Assembly aggregated ideas from Nigerians and stakeholders who made it clear that transparent and credible elections are not yet guaranteed. We must make the ballot sacred and ensure every vote counts,’ Abbas said.

Akpabio, who was represented by Senate Whip Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, described electoral reform as ‘the lifeblood of democracy.’ He said the new Electoral Act 2025 aims to correct weaknesses in the 2022 law and reflect Nigeria’s evolving democratic realities.

‘When citizens believe their votes count, they invest faith in the Republic. Our duty as legislators is to build a system where every Nigerian knows their vote is sacred and immune to manipulation,’ Akpabio stated.

Senator Simon Lalong said the exercise demonstrated the legislature’s belief that laws affecting all Nigerians must benefit from public input.

‘Elections are the lifeblood of democracy. Our goal is to strengthen integrity and public confidence in the process,’ he said.

Balogun noted that while the 2022 Act introduced innovations, like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), experience from the 2023 polls showed some gaps in technology use, internal party democracy, and campaign financing.

Prof. Zuru sought an amendment to Section 47(1) to allow electronically downloadable voter cards and early voting for essential workers. He also advocated legal backing for diaspora voting, saying: ‘This happens in many countries; why not Nigeria?’

The Head of Development Cooperation, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Cynthia Rowe, lauded the National Assembly’s bipartisan approach, describing the hearing as ‘a testament to Nigeria’s democratic progress’.

He added: ‘Public hearings give citizens a voice. Reforms must not just be for the people but with the people.

‘The decisions taken here will have far-reaching implications for credible, transparent elections that include all Nigerians.’

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has expressed delight over the admission of the National Association of Judges in Nigeria (NAJN) into the International Association of Judges (IAJ).

In a statement yesterday in Abuja by her media aide, Mr. Tobi Soniyi, the CJN noted that it was truly a moment of pride and privilege for Nigeria to join the global community of judges, which is dedicated to the rule of law, judicial independence, and the protection of human rights.

She said: ‘Nigeria embraces this membership with humility, commitment, and a deep sense of responsibility.

‘We recognise the values that this association upholds, and we are determined to contribute actively to its mission.

‘We are committed to further strengthening the independence of our judiciary, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring the continued protection and promotion of human rights in our country.’

The NAJN, which will represent Nigeria at the global judicial body, was admitted at the 67th annual meeting of IAJ, held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The admission of Nigeria into the global body demonstrates international recognition and confidence in the Nigerian judiciary.

Before admitting NAJN, the IAJ had considered some of the challenges the Nigerian Judiciary faces, but also acknowledged the reforms being implemented by Justice Kekere-Ekun.

The IAJ was founded in Salzburg (Austria) in 1953. It is a professional, non-political, international organisation, bringing together national associations of judges, not individual judges, approved by the Central Council for admission to the association.

The main aim of the association is to safeguard the independence of the judiciary, which is an essential requirement of the judicial function, guaranteeing human rights and freedom.

The organisation currently encompasses 92 such national associations or representative groups, from five continents. Nigeria has now become the 93rd member of the association.

The Central Council of the IAJ is its executive body. Each member-association has two representatives in the Council. The Central Council meets annually, preferably in a different country.

At the Taipei Central Council meeting, which took place during September 2023, the judge from Croatia, Mr. Duro Sessa, was elected President of the IAJ for the following two years.

The judge of the Civil Court in Turin, Mr. Giacomo Oberto, was confirmed as the Secretary-General for a sixth mandate.

The association has consultative status with the United Nations (UN) – with specific reference to the International Labour Office and the UN Economic and Social Council and with the Council of Europe.

The last National Independence Day messages from the state governors were heartwarming, as they resonated with the renewed hope mantra of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Without doubt, the governors and even local government administrators need to use the enormous resources accruing from the increased revenue from the Federation Account to make life more meaningful for the people they govern.

So, when they made promises in their broadcasts, Nigerians are hopeful, because they have the financial muscle to deliver.

From a meagre N700 billion shared by the Federal Government, states and local councils from the Federation Account before the removal of fuel subsidy, the allocation rose to N2.2 trillion in August. One item that reverberated in the addresses by the governors was the promise of shared prosperity.

None of them engaged in the hitherto lamentations about the lack of resources to pay salaries, pensions and or to develop infrastructure. The labour unions were also not marching on the streets, over unpaid salaries and wages.

Of course, the nation still has a long way to go, to lift the majority of Nigerians out of poverty. The most recent pointer is the controversial figure of 139 million Nigerians that the United Nations claimed are suffering from multi-dimensional poverty, as against the Federal Government’s claim of 88 million. Regardless of which projection is more accurate, the fact is that governments at the three tiers must work harder to drastically reduce the poverty level in the country.

Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State put it succinctly: ‘As patriotic citizens, let us continue to support the laudable reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose bold steps have set a template for sustainable development.

As a nation, we are reaping the fruits of his courage.’ Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State was also candid: ‘In two years of the administration, Nigeria has been freed from the chaos of long fuel queues, and from the satanic subsidy rackets, which siphoned our national wealth and left the masses in abject poverty.’

He went further: ‘The Renewed Hope has also expanded our economy and freed the states from having to queue for bailouts in Abuja before they could pay workers’ salaries. That era is over. We can only be grateful for these and other interventions of the Tinubu administration.’

Governor Mbah of Enugu State praised ‘the bold reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that brought stability to the economy.’ He affirmed that: ‘The sacrifices may be huge today, but the end will vindicate the decisions if we stay the course.’

Indeed, the governors need to engage in bold poverty alleviation programmes that would help alleviate the economic hardships, some of which are the direct fall-out of the economic programmes that have put more money into their pockets. They cannot leave it to the Federal Government alone. They should establish social registry of the poorest segments in their states who should receive monthly allowances to reduce the percentage of those living below poverty line.

Each state and all the local governments should develop other economic alleviation and empowerment programmes that would touch the lives of the poor. It does not make sense that while the purse of the three tiers of government is burgeoning, a reasonable number of the people whose welfare the fund is meant for, are sinking into poverty.

Such a thing contradicts the praises showered on the economic programmes that have put more money in the pockets of the three tiers of government.

The federal, state and local council authorities should jointly develop economic alleviation programmes that would lift a sizeable number of people from poverty every year.

While rhetoric may lift peoples’ hope, actions would lift their lives.