The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has released further update on the ongoing online and in-person registration of voters.

The Commission gave the latest update in a statement signed by Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee.

On the online pre-registration, INEC said as of Sunday, 14th September, 2025, a total of 4,445,505 Nigerians have pre-registered online in four weeks since the commencement of the exercise on 18th August, 2025.

It said that the figure at the end of Week Four shows that 2,141,294 (48.17%) are male and 2,304,211 (51.83%) are female.

“In terms of age and occupation, the majority 2,924,643 (65.79%) are between the ages of 18 and 34 while 1,112,344 (25.02%) are students,” INEC added.

On the completed registration, the Commission said that as of Friday, 12th September, 2025, the combined figures of the completed online pre-registration and the physical (in-person) registration is 509,929 out of which 229,758 (45.06%) are male and 280,171 (54.94%) are female. In terms of age and occupation, 378,132 (74.15%) are young people between the ages of 18 and 34 while 196,529 (38.54%) are students.

INEC said that detailed distribution of both online and completed registrations by state, gender, age, occupation and disability have been uploaded to its website and other official platforms for public information.

On ward level registration in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, the Commission said as it earlier announced, the online voter pre-registration in the FCT ends on Monday, 15th September, 2025.

“For the next two weeks, the physical (in-person) option will be at the designated venues. Thereafter, the Commission will devolve the registration to all the 62 Wards in the FCT from 29th September to 8th October 2025.

“Detailed addresses of the centres have already been uploaded to our official platforms,” the statement said.

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has struck out a suit filed by Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner, Williams Abayomi Stanley, against President Bola Tinubu, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, and its Chairman, over the conduct of the recent Local government council election in the state.

Stanley had challenged the legality of President Tinubu’s appointment of a State Sole Administrator, who in turn nominated the Chairman and members of RSIEC to conduct the August 30 local government council election.

Presiding Judge, Justice Stephen Jumbo, in his ruling on the issue of locus standi of the claimant and the jurisdiction of the court, held that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

He explained that under the constitution, only the Supreme Court has exclusive jurisdiction to hear such suits during an emergency rule.

Justice Jumbo also ruled that the claimant lacked locus standi to institute the suit against the defendants, stating that he failed to show a personal interest beyond public interest, or any civil rights and obligations violated by the defendants’ actions.

The judge further held that the claimant did not provide sufficient proof of injury, threat of injury, or hardship he would suffer if the issues in his originating summons were not addressed.

He added that the interest the claimant sought to protect was not his personal interest, but that of the state governor, a position he does not occupy.

On the conduct of the August 30 local government election, Justice Jumbo declared that the exercise was constitutional and legitimate, noting that it was conducted by RSIEC and not by the governor or the sole administrator.

The reports said that after ruling on the issues of locus standi and jurisdiction in favour of the defendants, the judge did not award any costs against the claimant.

Speaking to newsmen outside the courtroom, counsel to the claimant, Godsent Elewa, disclosed some of the grounds on which he would encourage his client to appeal the ruling of the High Court.

“I think the judge in his wisdom has given judgement. I think I will consult with my client to know the next line of action to take.

“I think there’s a window to challenge the ruling. You understand me. Because, in as much as I respect the judge so much, I think there are certain aspects of this judgement I don’t agree with the judge.

“The judgement today, basically the judgement resolved two issues today which were in jurisdiction.

“Firstly, the judge said my client lacked the locus standi, that the only person who can institute or challenge the appointment of chairman and members of RSIEC, that, that power lies, the locus standi lies only with the Executive Governor of Rivers State.

“That was the first issue of locus standi my Lord decided. Then on substantives jurisdiction, My Lord also held that he lacks the substantive jurisdiction by virtue of Section 1 (1) of the Emergency Powers Act of 1961, that every matter pertaining to emergency can only be determined by the Supreme Court by virtue of that act.”

On the comment made by the court on the validity of the August 39 local government election, Elewa said, “The court then made some statement “Let it be known that those were just statements made by the way. They were not part of the judgement of this court today.”

On his part, counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which was the fifth defendant in the suit, Monday John Otokwala, said the judgment of the court “represents the position of the law with respect to the conduct of the local government elections in Rivers State.”

The 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Sunday, urged Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, religious or political affiliation to love each other and build united country.

Obi, who gave this advice during his visit to the Olubadan-designate, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija private residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, said loving each other became imperative as this would help to build a better Nigeria.

He said, “First, I’m here to pay my sincere respect to royalty, to the Olubadan-designate before the installation. I’m here to pay respect for the man I have deep respect for.

“My visit is to congratulate him as the next 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland. My visit is about Nigeria, about selfless leadership, leadership that is committed to turning our society around.

“Can we unite and love each other to build a better country? We have no other country except this one. We must all build it together for the benefit of everybody,” he advised.

The former governor of Anambra State explained that Ibadan is very strategic and central to the political, social and economic development of Nigeria.

Obi expressed optimism that Ladoja would bring his wealth of experiences as a former senator, governor and business tycoon to lead Ibadan to a enviable positions.

He said, “Ladoja will bring his wealth of experience to bear as Olubadan. Ibadan is very strategic and central to the development of Nigeria. And as a former senator, governor, business tycoon, he will have all what he needs to succeed. And I will support him as Olubadan for the sake of one Nigeria.

“Most of the schools in Ibadan, University of Ibadan, for example, were attended by many people from different parts of Nigeria and they are making it in all areas of human endeavors,” he stressed.

Responding, Oba Ladoja said, “I just see my appointment as Olubadan as another opportunity for service. Many people erroneously believe that the throne is for glamour.

“The time of glamour is gone; in contemporary times, it is about service, what you have on the table for the people in society,” he stated.

Obi was accompanied by the 2023 governorship candidate of LP in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, as well as Yunusa Tanko among others.

In a related development, a member of House of Representatives representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/ Iwajowa/ Kajola Federal Constituency, Sina Oyedeji and his counterpart from Ibarapa North/Ibarapa Central Federal Constituency, Adebayo Adepoju under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, also visited the Olubadan-designate, Oba Ladoja at his private residence, on Sunday.

They explained that the visit became necessary because the former governor who is now the Olubadan is a father to all of them.

The duo, while speaking with newsmen after the visit, said the Olubadan-designate urged them to do well for their people.

They said, “We came here to pay homage to our Baba, the new Olubadan of Ibadanland. He is a big man in Nigeria.

“Like I told him, he is not Olubadan of Ibadanland, he is Olubadan of Nigeria. It is our duty to come and pay homage to him. We can’t wait till after coronation. He (Ladoja) advised us to do well, he told us to make sure that we deliver and do well for our people.

“He told us to make sure we did not disappoint our people and make sure we deliver. Those are the things that we discussed.”

Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has declined hearing of a motion filed by Biafra nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, seeking an order transferring him from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the National Hospital in Abuja for urgent medical attention.

The judge declined hearing on the ground that his fiat to sit as a vacation judge ends today and therefore he lacked jurisdiction to open such a new matter for hearing.

Justice Liman instead ordered that the case file be returned to the registry for the Chief Judge to reassign it to another judge.

At Monday’s proceedings, Asiwaju Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, appeared for the Federal Government while Uchenna Njoku, SAN, stood for the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

When the matter was called, Kanu’s lawyer informed the judge that the motion by Kanu was filed on September 1, while a counter-affidavit of 37 paragraphs opposing the transfer request was served on him by government in the open court.

The senior lawyer said that he had not read the counter-affidavit for him to respond.

He therefore applied for an adjournment to enable him to respond to the counter-affidavit and in view of the fact that the vacation of the judge had come to an end.

On his part, Awomolo, SAN, did not oppose the adjournment request and said that he would be ready to be in court anytime a new date is fixed.

In a brief ruling, Justice Liman ordered that the case file be returned to the registry for the Chief Judge to reassign the matter to another judge.

Justice Liman said that he would make a recommendation to the Chief Judge for the speedy hearing of the motion since the health of the applicant is involved.

Kanu, in the motion with charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, had sought an order of the court for the Department of State Services (DSS) to move him from DSS custody to the National Hospital for urgent medical care.

Giving an 11-ground argument why their request should be granted, lead counsel to the applicant, Kanu Agabi, SAN, said his client is presently standing trial before Justice James Omotosho in charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015.

He said Kanu, on May 19, filed an application praying the court to admit him to bail pending the hearing and determination of the terrorism charge.

The lawyer, however, said that the said application could not be taken before the annual vacation of the court, hence his continued detention.

According to him, while awaiting the resumption of the court activities, the applicant’s health took a worrisome decline, necessitating the invitation of doctors for the purpose of carrying out a thorough and extensive examination on the applicant.

“The examination revealed issues to his health including organs such as his pancreas and liver as well as an emerging lump underneath his armpit and dangerously low levels of potassium.

“The doctors have recommended that he be moved to the National Hospital as an interim measure to afford him medical attention and forestall further decline.

“The applicant’s health is seriously deteriorating considering the nature of his confinement, thereby making more pressing the need to bring this application and have same heard by a vacation judge,” Agabi said.

He alleged that a letter by the doctors to the Director-General of the DSS, advising the transfer of Kanu, had gone without answer.

He said the urgency of the matter had, therefore, necessitated the filing of the application as a measure to arrest further decline of his health while spirited efforts are being expended to ensure his treatment.

The senior lawyer said that the grant of the application would not occasion any injustice on the complainant (DSS).

Besides, Agabi said the court “is imbued with jurisdiction to hear and grant the prayers sought in the application.”

Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother to Nnamdi Kanu, in the affidavit he deposed to, averred that the IPOB leader recently complained of weakness and pains in his body.

He said this “prompted the invitation of doctors led by the Eminent Emeritus Professor Austin A.C. Agaji, who on 1st September, 2025, at about 2:30 p.m., told him that several tests were conducted on Kanu in August.

Emmanuel said the doctor told him, at Agabi’s law firm, that it was discovered that the IPOB leader was suffering from issues relating to his liver and kidney as well as dangerously low levels of potassium.

“He was further diagnosed with a swelling around his armpit area which requires urgent attention to ascertain the cause and thereafter to seek appropriate medical treatment,” he averred.

As Rivers State prepares for the return of Governor Siminalayi Fubara on September 18 following the six-month emergency rule in the state, the sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd), has defended his tenure, stating that he fulfilled President Bola Tinubu’s mandate and stabilised the oil-rich state.

However, the opposition parties called for an investigation into Iba’s tenure, particularly his management of the state’s resources during his six-month stay in Brick House.

The Peoples Democratic Party described Ibas’s six-month administration as a waste of time, declaring it unconstitutional, a violation of democratic norms, and demanding an investigation.

Meanwhile, the New Nigeria Peoples Party dismissed the entire six-month rule under Ibas as an exercise in futility, claiming it lacked legitimacy from the outset.

The Labour Party also criticised the emergency rule, alleging it was designed to protect the interests of President Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, rather than those of the people.

In contrast to the opposition’s stance, the All Progressives Congress praised Ibas for maintaining peace and upholding the rights of citizens during his time as sole administrator.

The party lauded his efforts in ensuring that democratic processes, especially the conduct of local government elections, remained intact, describing his leadership as a stabilising force in a previously tense political environment.

Rivers State had been engulfed in political turmoil for nearly two years, largely due to a power tussle between former Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, which resulted in a prolonged governance deadlock.

In response to the crisis, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency on March 18 and appointed Ibas as the sole administrator to manage the state’s affairs during the period.

Two days later, on March 20, both the House of Representatives and the Senate endorsed the President’s declaration, effectively suspending Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly away on forced holidays despite widespread public criticism.

Objecting to what they considered an unconstitutional move, 11 PDP governors filed a case at the Supreme Court, registered as SC/CV/329/2025. However, there has been no public update on the matter since then.

Following the reconciliation between Wike and Fubara, the political climate in Rivers has eased.

The state held its local government elections on August 30, with the ruling All Progressives Congress securing 20 seats and the PDP winning the remaining three.

With a few days to the end of his tenure, the sole administrator commenced the transition process ahead of the President’s reinstatement of the suspended governor by September 18.

Thanksgiving service

Speaking at the Interdenominational Thanksgiving Service in Port Harcourt on Sunday ahead of Fubara’s return to power, the sole administrator urged political stakeholders to lay down their differences, emphasising that the progress and prosperity of Rivers State must take precedence over personal or party interests.

However, notable politicians in Rivers, including Wike and Fubara, were absent at the event. Aside from the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Ruler, many monarchs in the state were visibly absent at the thanksgiving.

However, Permanent Secretaries, local government chairmen, heads of boards, agencies, parastatals and service commanders in the state graced the occasion.

Ibas, who had last week said he has ‘successfully achieved’ the mandate given to him by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State.

Ibas noted that his administration has laid the foundation for reconciliation and called on the people to nurture that effort so it can firmly take root.

He also appealed to all stakeholders, including leaders, elders, politicians, and citizens, to always prioritise the state’s well-being above all else.

Ibas stated, “Six months ago, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, declared a state of emergency in River State. At that moment, our beloved state stood at a crossroad, torn by divisions, instability, and broken trust.  By God’s grace and with the support of Mr. President and all of you, we have worked through those difficult days together.

“Today, as a people, we return thanks to God for preserving our lives, granting us peace, and allowing the successful conduct of the local government council elections across the state and thus laying the foundation for the return of democratic governance in Rivers State.”

Quoting some Bible passages, he said thanksgiving was a solemn testimony of God’s faithfulness to the state, saying, “We have survived storms-political, social, economic, and through it all, God has been faithful.”

Ibas added, “The seeds of reconciliation have been planted. These seeds need your deliberate nurture to take root. Our collective sacrifices and commitment to peace is what we must all strive to guide at this time.

“My brothers and sisters, this Ecumenical Centre (venue of the event) is itself a symbol of unity, different denominations under one roof, lifting one voice to one God. In the same spirit, Rivers people must rise above bitterness, rivalry and self-interest to pursue the greater good of our state.

“The progress and prosperity of the River State must be placed above personal and or partisan interest. I make a special appeal to our political actors, sheathe your sword. Politics must never be an excuse to destroy the very state we are called to serve.

“The progress and prosperity of the River State must be placed above personal or partisan interest. River State cannot afford another season of division and acrimony. We must forgive one another, reconcile with sincerity, and embrace tolerance. Let us remember that no political victory or personal gain is worth the blood of our brothers and sisters.’

He called on all stakeholders to focus their efforts on fostering and maintaining peace in the state.

Ibas added, “Let us forgive, let us reconcile, and let us heal. For where there is peace, there is progress, and where there is love, there is prosperity. To our youth, you are the strength of Rivers State. Do not allow yourselves to be used as tools for violence. Channel your energy into building, creating, and sustaining peace. Your future, our collective future, depends on it.

“While efforts at peace and reconciliation take hold, all stakeholders, leaders, elders, political actors, and citizens alike should put Rivers State first. Let us guide the peace we have, nurture it with love, and grow it with stability and prosperity for generations yet unborn.”

“Our elders must continue to guide with wisdom. Our faith leaders must sustain prayers for peace. Our young people must commit to learning, working, and creating so that Rivers State will continue to shine as the treasure base of the nation.”

In his sermon, Pastor Organ Barasin highlighted that every individual experiences a moment of intervention, noting that the emergency rule was implemented in the state due to prevailing challenges and instability.

“We must admit that we didn’t do well,” he said, pointing out that before the declaration of emergency rule, the intense political tension in the state could have led to a bloodbath if not for divine intervention.

He stated, “Some people may have been killed. The plan of the enemy was to destabilise Rivers State, but Rivers State belongs to God. The plan of the enemy will not stand.

“We are thanking God for his continued sustenance. There is peace in this land. Rivers State will grow industries.

“The peace we have now must be sustained, and God wants us to forget the past. If you don’t let go of the past, you can’t reach out for the future. Brethren, we must learn to forgive and forget the past so that we can move forward.”

The cleric, who lamented the losses the state has endured due to the emergency rule, called for a change in attitude upon Fubara’s return.

He stated, “As we prepare to hand over to a democratic government, if our attitudes don’t change, nothing will change in this state. Our leaders, service chiefs, judiciary and the legislature all have a role to play. Billions have gone.”

Opposition, APC clash

Reacting, the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, Timothy Osadolor, condemned Ibas’s tenure as unlawful.

In an interview with, Osadolor called for a comprehensive investigation into the governance in Rivers State under the sole administrator.

He stated, “Well, like I mentioned at the very beginning, he had no business being there as the sole administrator of Rivers State. Rivers State had an elected governor, so that six months of illegality should be corrected and documented, so that when he is there, he can be thoroughly investigated.

“More so, the numerous resources he expended and presided over belong to the Rivers State people, who did not elect him, who did not decide over their affairs or their resources. Therefore, his handover notes should be well-titled in everything they did because the six months must be probed.

“No matter what, we also believe that Mr. President has no right to truncate or suspend the tenure of an elected public officer that was elected the same way he was elected. For checks and balances, those powers should be vested in the Nigerian National Assembly and not in the office of the President.

“More importantly, no elected officer should be made to stay out of the mandate for more than 90 days, if that makes any sense.”

He added that, “His (Ibas) appointment was built on illegality. So he did not achieve anything.”

Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, said Ibas’s tenure lacked legitimacy ab initio.

“The tenure of Rivers’ military administrator is almost like an exercise in futility. This is because his take-off was an aberration of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We still maintain that it was an illegality. For one reason or another, they seem to have found some sort of political solution to the problem that was not even half as dangerous as what we had in some parts of Northern Nigeria, which needed a state of emergency to improve the insecurity they are facing.

“When we say a state of emergency, we are not talking about removing an elected government for one appointee. There is nowhere in the Constitution that allows it. We still maintain that. So, the earlier the illegal tenure comes to an end, the sooner we return to constitutional order and to the expression of the will of the people in Rivers State.

“How do you justify the administration of a military administrator? You look at things from a democratic value. It is just an exercise in futility,” Johnson told The PUNCH.

Speaking in a similar tone, the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Tony Akeni, alleged that Ibas merely served as a placeholder for Tinubu and his political ally, Wike.

“There are two designs by President Tinubu and his favourite South-South sidekick, Wike, in the coup and siege against democracy in River state. The political and the economic designs,” Akeni claimed.

He alleged that the “political design” was to emasculate Fubara and secure Rivers for the ruling APC ahead of 2027, while the “economic design” was to divert state revenues through local councils loyal to Wike.

“To assess Sole Administrator Admiral Ibok-Eke Ibas’s performance during the period, his only achievement is that he did a good job standing in for his adopted new masters, Tinubu and Wike,” Akeni stated.

“In both plots, Tinubu and Wike fully succeeded. The only plot left they don’t know about is that they do not own tomorrow. Yes, they don’t. In 2027, Tinubu and Wike may wake up to find that it is God and Rivers State’s 7.2 million reborn citizens who actually own and will determine their destiny in 2027.

“Not the two clay emperors riding roughshod over their governor, Simi Fubara, and their treasury today.”

However, the APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, praised the sole administrator for restoring peace and safeguarding the citizens’ electoral rights.

In an interview with The PUNCH, Ibrahim stated that only the President, who defined the administrator’s terms of reference, is in a position to properly assess Ibas’ performance.

He stated, “Well, you see, as a party, we are not privy to the terms of reference given to the administrator in Rivers. But whether he has achieved or acted according to the provisions or the expectation of the terms of reference is another thing.

“What matters to us as a party is the peaceful coexistence of the people and the freedom given to the people of Rivers State to exercise the franchise of election, as done during the local government election.

“That has been done peacefully, democratically, and in an era that shows that, yes, the people are happy with the dividend of democracy given to them under the national leadership of the APC.

“So, to that extent, we are happy with the conduct of the affairs of the administrator. But whether he has acted according to what he was sent to do is an assessment that can basically be given by the presidency, which gave him that task.”

The APC called on Fubara to embrace democratic principles once his suspension is lifted.

He added, “Well, if his suspension is lifted and he’s asked to resume, I think he must have learned. He would have licked his wounds so well as to leave no room for infection.

“He should not allow anything to happen in a way and manner that would put him off the seat of power. As provided by the mandate given to him by the people, he should be a democrat. He should play democracy by the book and do as expected of him as a politician who was elected to serve the people.”

Groups demand probe

Additionally, the President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Jonathan Lokpobiri, alleged that the six-month emergency rule was marked by widespread corruption.

He added, “If you seek my honest opinion, Rivers State has lost not just the issue of governance, but investors’ confidence in terms of people’s perception about the stability in terms of polity.

“Also, I do believe that Rivers’ resources were plundered, which the man has no business having access to. It became private resources where he didn’t limit his tenure to doing the basics about governance in terms of maintaining the peace and all of that. He has gone into the dimension of an executive governor of Rivers State, where if the President did not make it clear to him, he would have wished to even continue.’’

Also commenting, the Publicity Secretary, Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People,  Oscar Imeabe, argued that the emergency rule impacted negatively on the state.

“The emergency rule has reportedly crippled economic activities in the state by chasing away investors and entrepreneurs. It has been a major setback to the history of Rivers State. The Administrator dissolved state institutions like the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, the Rivers State Micro-Finance Agency, boards of many tertiary institutions and agencies that were appointed by a democratically elected governor and proceeded to make illegal appointments which he wants to leave behind,” he stated.

Imeabe, who is also the Coordinator, South-South Youths Initiative,  called for an investigation into Ibas’ tenure.

“MOSOP is hereby calling for an investigation into the financial management of the state by the administrator. And my organisation, South-South Youths Initiative, the coalition of youths bodies, call on the EFCC and ICPC to probe the allegations of financial misappropriation by the state administrator.”

A former Senator, Lee Maeba, who represented Rivers South-East District in the National Assembly, described the situation during Ibas’s tenure as dire.

In an interview with our correspondent, he stated, “Rivers State has lost so much money, and we have to account for it. President Bola Tinubu has to account for our money. We have lost a huge amount of money. Six months of allocation, Internally Generated Revenue, and all other statutory earnings, I mean.

“How can you just suspend a governor and begin to play with all the monies meant for the state? The Administrator is behaving however he likes. An Administrator who was asked to go and restore security, but he went there and became completely in charge of politics.

“So, it’s a terrible thing to do. I don’t believe the President can go this low. It is the lowest level a President can go. He does not have any respect for anybody in Rivers because we elected him President. It’s a terrible thing to talk about.”

Maeba, who called for an investigation into the six months, stated that those who supported the state of emergency would face the consequences.

He stated, “The Constitution does not envisage that you will suspend a governor. There is nowhere in the Constitution that you will suspend a governor. And the terrible National Assembly stood by the President to do all the terrible things he did in Rivers. So, may that which happened in Rivers not happen in another state in Nigeria. I don’t pray it happens to any other state at all.’’

“And what has happened to Rivers is not gone. We will stand up to demand all the money that came to the state and the power of the Administrator to just jump into a state and start spending state money in the name of an emergency that does not exist. The State of Emergency that we hear is to restore security breaches or the breakdown of law and order. Now, in this case, the man just came for politics because there was no case of insecurity. He came and started using state resources without any constitutional powers or law allowing him to do that.”

When the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convened its long-awaited 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja a couple of weeks ago, casual observers might have dismissed it as just another routine gathering.

But for veterans of Nigeria’s political terrain, this was no ordinary assembly. It was a statement of survival, a fragile rebirth for a party once dismissed as politically extinct.

Unlike the previous NEC sessions that collapsed into chaos, rancour and dramatic walkouts, the 102nd NEC meeting held firm.

For a political organisation battered by post-2023 recriminations, sabotage and bitter internal feuds, the very fact that the NEC convened and ended in one piece was extraordinary.

In Nigerian politics, where the optics could be as decisive as the outcomes, that survival was itself a victory. The PDP has always lived dangerously, walking the thin line between collapse and resurgence. Its history is fraught with crises that would have killed lesser parties.

In 2006, the “Third Term” saga nearly tore it apart. In 2014, the dramatic walkout of governors at the Eagle Square convention gave birth to the All Progressives Congress (APC). After the 2019 elections, leadership feuds once again paralysed its national secretariat.

The 2023 elections represented another low. The G-5 rebellion led by Nyesom Wike openly defied the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. The PDP lost not only at the federal level but also its claim to being Africa’s largest political party. Many analysts wrote its obituary.

Yet, the 102nd NEC showed that, true to form, the PDP retains a survival instinct. Each cycle of crisis has forced a reinvention. The party’s resilience lies not in the absence of fractures, but in its ability to patch them together enough to remain relevant.

The path to the 102nd NEC 2025 was strewn with landmines, explosive issues that could have sunk the party if mishandled. Three things stood out. The National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, became the lightning rod of factional anger.

A determined push to unseat him threatened a constitutional crisis, one that could have crippled the party’s organisational framework. Saraki’s committee diffused this by insisting on compromise, revalidating Anyanwu’s mandate, and avoiding a destabilising legal showdown.

Former Rivers governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, loomed over the PDP like a storm cloud. His defiance in 2023 was still raw. His sympathisers within the PDP remained influential and outright confrontation risked another split.

Saraki’s strategy was containment, not confrontation, keeping Wike’s bloc engaged without letting it dominate until the amiability leading to the NEC.

Perhaps the most critical fault line was between PDP governors and the National Working Committee (NWC). Without their cooperation, no opposition party could stand.

Saraki recognised that APC’s strength in 2023 was rooted in the unity of its governors behind Bola Tinubu. He worked to rebuild consensus between PDP governors and the NWC, a task that paid off at the 102nd NEC when both camps spoke with rare unison.

The meeting did not just avoid implosion; it produced outcomes that could shape PDP’s future. Both the National Chairman and Secretary were affirmed in their positions, silencing rumours of imminent removal and ending months of uncertainty.

Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has called on political actors in the state to sheathe their swords, saying the progress and prosperity of  Rivers  State must be placed above personal or partisan interest.

This is as Ibas said his administration has planted the seed for reconciliation, but said it’s the people who nurture it to take root.

He urged all stakeholders, including leaders,  elders,  politicians, and citizens, to put the  State first at all times.

Ibas spoke during an Interdenominational Thanksgiving Service in commemoration of Transitional activities to usher in Democratic Governance in Rivers State in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

Notable politicians in Rivers State, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike were absent at the event.

Aside from the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, many monarchs in the state were visibly absent at Thanksgiving.

However, Permanent Secretaries, local government chairmen, heads of boards, agencies, parastatals, and service commanders in the state graced the occasion with their presence.

Ibas said last week that he has ‘successfully achieved’ the mandate given to him by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State.

Recall that he was appointed Administrator of the State on March 18th  for an initial period of six months, by the President who declared a State of Emergency in Rivers following rising political tensions and the attack on oil pipelines in the state by suspected militants.

Tinubu also suspended the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu and the state House of Assembly for the period, which will elapse on September 18th.

In his address at the event, the Administrator stated, Six months ago, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, declared a state of emergency in River State.

At that moment, our beloved state stood at a crossroad, torn by divisions, instability, and broken trust.

By God’s grace and with the support of Mr. President and all of you, we have worked through those difficult days together.

“Today, as a people, we return thanks to God for preserving our lives, granting us peace, and allowing the successful conduct of the local government council elections across the state and thus laying the foundation for the return of democratic governance in Rivers State,” he said.

Quoting some Bible passages he said thanksgiving is a solemn testimony of God’s faithfulness to the State, saying, “We have survived storms Political, social, economic, and through it all, God has been faithful.”

Ibas continued, “The seeds of reconciliation have been planted. These seeds need your deliberate nurture to take root.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed a report claiming that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed a list of its state chairmen across Nigeria.

In a statement on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the circulating report titled “Coalition Update: INEC Confirms ADC State Chairmen Nationwide” as “fake news” aimed at creating confusion within the party.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission, to the best of our knowledge and verification, has issued no such confirmation, neither officially nor unofficially,” Abdullahi said.

He explained that choosing and approving state leaders is the party’s internal responsibility, not INEC’s.

“The process of constituting and ratifying state leadership within any political party lies squarely within the party’s constitutional prerogative. INEC only recognizes what the party submits through the appropriate channels after due process,” he added.

Abdullahi urged ADC members and the public to ignore the fake list and wait for official communication.

“We therefore urge our members and stakeholders to remain calm, vigilant, and guided by official communication from the national leadership of the ADC,” he said.

He reassured supporters that the ADC remains committed to discipline, structure, and internal democracy, adding that any genuine updates on party leadership will be shared through verified platforms

The Director-General of the All Progressives Grand Alliance campaign organisation, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, has said that the party and its candidates remained focused on the future of Anambra as the campaigns for the November 8, 2025, governorship election in the state gather momentum.

As the November 8, 2025, Anambra governorship election draws closer, political campaigns have intensified, with candidates and their supporters trading words over credibility and competence.

APGA, which currently holds power in the state, has the governor of the state, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, as the governorship candidate and his deputy, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, as his running mate.

In a statement issued on Friday, Chukwulobelu, who is also the Secretary to the Anambra State Government, said the issue of who has the basic qualifications to govern Anambra has remained a legitimate issue in the electioneering process, both now and in the future, adding that Anambra is far too sophisticated to be governed by semi-illiterates and/or people of easy virtues.

The statement read in part, “The 2025 Anambra governorship election is on November 8, and various political parties/candidates are exercising their constitutional rights to campaign for the office. Frustrated by the general opinion polls that the Soludo-Ibezim ticket is the consensus of Ndi Anambra for the election, some candidates are beginning to show desperation with the intent to distract or destroy.

“We are working hard to earn every vote based upon the value that we have created and will still create for the people. But the issue of who has the basic qualifications to govern Anambra will remain a legitimate issue in the campaign — both now and in the future! Anambra is far too sophisticated to be governed by semi-illiterates and/or people of easy virtues.

“The recent tantrums and despicable obscenities by the Deputy Governorship candidate of the APC, Senator Uche Ekwunife, are one example. Our response is that we will remain razor-focused on the issues about the future of Anambra, and no number of fabricated obscenities can distract us. We will not take the bait to get into the gutter with them. And we will not dignify them either!

The Senate has reiterated its call on Journalists to always educate Nigerians on the content of its Standing Orders to avoid misconceptions about actions taken against any erring senator during plenary sessions.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja at one day capacity – building workshop for members of the Senate Press Corps, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator YemiAdaramodu, APC, Ekiti South Stressed that one of the rules Nigerians need to be educated on is section 6( 1) of the Senate standing rules which empowers the President of the Senate to allocate and re – allocate seats to Senators at any time necessary.

Adaramodu who was referring to the genesis of the crisis between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, PDP, Kogi Central and the Senate in February this year, said that the refusal of any Senator to obey the rules , will always lead to avoidable crises.

He said : ” Journalists like lawmakers, are supposed to have the knowledge of the standard rules together so that when somebody fails to observe the rules either in the Senate or House of Representatives , you let the public know in your reports .

” If you are supposed to sit on seat number 10 and you go and sit on seat number 13 , you will not be recognized by the president and if the affected person insists that he or she must be recognized , ‘ katakata’ will surely come up .

” Also, seats allocated to Senators are not permanent , the reason why the President of the Senate as mandated by provisions of rule 6(1) , can re- allocate seats of Senators .

“The National Assembly is not a banana republic where there are no laws . Our laws must be obeyed by us and understood by Nigerians who are to be educated on them by those of you covering the theSenate .

” In fact , parliamentary reporters like those of you covering the Senate , are expected to be educated and knowledgeable like lawmakers themselves and even more knowledgeable.”

Activist Aisha Yesufu has said that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is motivated by personal grievances against President Bola Tinubu.

Yesufu, in a post on X yesterday, explained that El-Rufai’s decision to align with opposition voices was not about joining Peter Obi or herself, but about seeking revenge after being sidelined by his political allies.

“El-Rufai came because he has been hurt by his team mates and he needs revenge. It’s personal to him and he wants by all means for Tinubu to be removed, which is a goal that currently unites us,” she said.

The activist stressed that her focus remained on ensuring Nigeria has rule of law, citing the unresolved disappearance of AbubakarIdris, popularly known as Dadiyata.

She added that different roles exist within a movement, describing some as hardliners and others as bridge-builders, while calling for patience in the quest for justice and accountability in governance.

“People have paid for genocidal acts even after decades. It can happen in Nigeria too. Let’s get a nation with good governance and rule of law,” Yesufu said.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, and the 32-member House of Assembly will return to office on September 18.

Indications that the suspended governor, his deputy, as well as the state lawmakers will return to office were rife last week after a closed-door meeting between the President and the Sole Administrator in the Presidential Villa, where Ibas was given a matching order to submit a comprehensive handover note of his six-month emergency rule before his 10-day vacation ends.

President Bola Tinubu, had, on March 18, proclaimed an emergency rule in Rivers and suspended the state governor, his deputy and the Assembly for six months to douse the political tension between the governor and the former governor of the state and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

The action of the President was aimed at addressing escalating political and security challenges in the oil-rich region, following the increasing tensions between Fubara and various political factions, including former allies like Wike.

According to the president in the broadcast, wherein he declared the emergency rule in Rivers, “The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started, with the good people of the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy”.

The President then appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd) as the Sole Administrator to run the affairs of the state for the six months that Fubara and the lawmakers are suspended.

In the handover notes, the sources said, Ibas is expected to explain all the funds he inherited from Fubara, revenues accrued within the six months of the emergency rule and their respective sources “as well as expenditures during his stewardship and the various projects the funds were channeled into within the period under review, with clear specifications.”

The President may likely make a pronouncement to lift the emergency rule on September 18, a date that would make it exactly six months since the state of emergency was proclaimed.

Source said Fubara, as a condition for reinstatement, agreed not to seek re-election in 2027. “He is expected to serve out his current term and vacate office without rocking the boat,” the source stated.

Fubara was also said to have accepted Wike’s leadership and consented to allowing him to nominate candidates for all local government elections under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) across the state. These nominees are to be elected without internal opposition in the election expected to take place before the end of October.

“On his return, the suspended governor will also pay all outstanding allowances and entitlements of the 27 lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister, who were suspended from the state assembly. In exchange, the lawmakers will cooperate and work peacefully with the governor to enable him to complete his tenure,” a source said.

On February 28, the Supreme Court, in a judgment in respect of about eight consolidated appeals concerning the political crisis in Rivers, based on several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of rule of law that have been committed by the Governor of Rivers State as shown by the evidence before it pronounced that.

“A government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution as amended. In this case, the head of the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without the legislature as a despot. As it is, there is no government in Rivers State.”

The apex court held in the said judgment that the 27 members of the House who had allegedly defected “are still valid members of the state House of Assembly and cannot be prevented from participating in the proceedings of that House by the 8th Respondent (that is, the Governor) in cohorts with four members”

The Supreme Court then made some orders to restore the state to immediate constitutional democracy. These orders include the immediate passing of an Appropriation Bill by the Rivers State House of Assembly, which up till the day the emergency rule was declared, was not been facilitated.

Tinubu had said, while declaring the emergency rule, that, “With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will stand by and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order and security.

“In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, 18th  March 2025 and I so do.

“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.

“In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State,” the President said.