…As functionaries vow to deliver Okigwe party chairmen and govt

The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has concluded its interactive meeting with party officials and elected government functionaries from Okigwe Zone, with a strong declaration that names of all APC candidates of Imo State extraction have been uploaded in INEC portal.

The party called for grassroots mobilization, unity and full preparations for the 2027 general elections.

A release from the Okigwe Road secretariat said the meeting, held with the six Local Government Area party chairmen, ward chairmen from the 64 electoral wards in the zone, councillors and local government council chairmen, focused on strengthening the party structure ahead of future elections.

Addressing the gathering, the Imo APC State Chairman, Chief Austin Onyedebelu, said the purpose of the meeting was to assess the working relationship between party officials and political leaders in the zone and to ensure the party remained on the path of victory.

“We want to know how well you are working with the leaders from Okigwe Zone in order to mobilize the party for the upcoming 2027 general elections and set it on winning ways,” he said.

Chief Onyedebelu also dismissed speculations surrounding the party’s candidates, declaring that the nomination process had already been concluded.

“All our candidates are already at the National Secretariat in Abuja and cannot be changed. All our candidates have been uploaded into the INEC portal and all are intact,” he stated.

The state chairman charged the local government council chairmen to remain committed to effective governance, warning that their chances of securing the party’s ticket for another term would depend on their performance.

“For you to seek re-election will depend on how well you are working, and it will determine whether the party will give you its ticket or not,” he said.

In what was received with applause by party officials, Chief Onyedebelu announced that Governor Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma had approved new Hummer buses for all Local Government Area party chairmen to enhance their operations.

“For LGA party chairmen, the Governor has approved new Hummer buses for you and they will soon be distributed. For the ward chairmen, we are also working out plans to improve your mobility,” he announced.

To further strengthen the party’s grassroots structure, the chairman directed every ward chairman to establish booth executive committees across all polling units.

“Go to your wards and form 27 booth executives, and the executives must be registered voters. Supply us with the details of the 27 booth executives within two weeks,” he instructed.

He also urged party leaders at all levels to embark on reconciliation efforts by reaching out to members who may have felt neglected or aggrieved.

“Reach out to all aggrieved party members,” he charged.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Imo APC State Secretary, Hon. Onyekachi Ibezim, reminded party officials that the responsibility for electoral victories rested squarely on the shoulders of the ward and local government party leadership.

“The party structure has been handed over to the LGA and ward chairmen to win elections. The responsibility of winning elections is yours. Go and make APC proud because you are the APC the people are seeing,” he said.

Responding on behalf of Okigwe Zone, the Deputy State Chairman of the party, Arc. Allen Enwerem, reaffirmed the zone’s commitment to delivering overwhelming victories for the APC in future elections.

“Okigwe Zone has done well more than any other zone when it comes to winning elections and votes. All of Okigwe Zone has decided that we will support the Governor and the party to succeed. Despite what we have done in the past, we will do even better this time around. Okigwe Zone will deliver as usual,” he assured.

The interactive meeting was attended by five executive chairmen of local government councils from Okigwe Zone, with one chairman absent due to ill health, the six Local Government Area APC chairmen, ward chairmen from the 64 electoral wards, councillors and other party stakeholders across the zone.

The meeting forms part of the ongoing statewide engagement by the Imo APC leadership aimed at consolidating the party’s grassroots structures, promoting internal cohesion and positioning the party for continued electoral success in the 2027 general elections.

Presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the academic certificates and credentials submitted by all candidates seeking elective office ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Obi argued that making candidates’ academic certificates public would promote transparency, strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process, and ensure that those seeking public office uphold the highest standards of integrity.

The NDC presidential candidate, in a statement on Tuesday, said the call became necessary after he completed his INEC nomination form and reflected on some of the questions contained in it.

According to him, Section E, Question 1 of the form asks whether a candidate has ever been adjudged a lunatic or declared to be of unsound mind.

The former Anambra governor questioned whether Nigeria’s current political leadership could genuinely be described as exhibiting the characteristics of a sound mind in the face of the country’s worsening security and economic challenges.

“When Nigerians, including children and security personnel, are being abducted into the bushes, citizens cannot travel safely on our highways, several million Nigerians are uncertain where their next meal will come from, and several billions are being siphoned frivolously through non-existent agencies and projects, should politics really be our primary preoccupation?” he asked.

Obi said a “sound-minded leadership” would have declared the country’s security and economic challenges a national emergency and mobilised all relevant institutions, security agencies, experts, community leaders and other stakeholders to address them urgently.

He maintained that the survival, security and stability of Nigeria should take precedence over political calculations and partisan interests.

Obi also drew attention to another question in the nomination form, which asks candidates whether they have ever presented a forged certificate to INEC.

He said the provision underscores the need for greater transparency in the electoral process.

“Why shouldn’t INEC, in the interest of ensuring that our leaders are exemplary in following the rules and to strengthen public confidence in our electoral process, publish the academic certificates and credentials submitted by every candidate seeking elective office?” he queried.

According to Obi, transparency strengthens democracy and builds public trust, stressing that Nigeria’s challenges require leadership driven by competence, character, capacity, compassion and commitment to public service rather than “politics as usual.“

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that many of the conditions that led to Nigeria’s Civil War still persist, stressing that the country must never experience another civil war.

He said that despite whatever justifications some people may advance, Nigeria cannot afford another civil war and must do everything possible to prevent a recurrence.

Obasanjo made the remarks in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during the presentation of a historical document on the Nigerian Civil War titled Asaba Massacre by the Isama Aje of Asaba, Chief Chuck Nduka-Eze, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.

Warning against a repeat of the conflict, the former president said many of the issues that triggered the civil war remain unresolved.

“Some of the things that led to the civil war are still on. Now, how long will this be with us?

“I was with a colleague when General Yakubu Gowon said, ‘We will not survive a second civil war as a country,’ and I believe that we have fought one civil war too many already.

“So, to say that we will have a second civil war, God forbid. And getting ourselves to know some of what happened, and to say yes, we condemn what happened that should not have happened, and then make sure that we do everything humanly possible to prevent its recurrence.

“And then, for us to be able to say, ‘Never again.’ What are we going to have for us to be able to say, ‘Never again’?

“Thank you very much for making people know about it, for people to learn about it, and for people to take a vow that never again. And I say to you, never. I will do everything possible to say never.”

Obasanjo said the historical account was important because it would help preserve the past and enable Nigerians to learn from it.

“We pride ourselves that we preserve the past, we capture the present, and we inspire the future. We capture the past, and this is the past; we want to capture it, we want to know about it,” he said.

The former president, who participated in the civil war, said he had always admitted that he could not give details about the Asaba Massacre because the area was under the command of Murtala Muhammed.

He said many people had asked him about Murtala Muhammed’s role in the Civil War and the Asaba operations, but he could not comment on it. He, however, promised to study the transcript and audiovisual materials presented by the author.

“I must confess, and you know that I was involved in the civil war. When people talk about the Asaba Massacre, I always confess that I cannot give details of it.”

Obasanjo also recalled preventing some atrocities during the civil war, including stopping a soldier from raping a woman in Asaba, which he said would have attracted vicarious liability.

According to Nduka-Eze, the Asaba Massacre document, published in both print and audiovisual formats, is grounded in a substantial and carefully cross-referenced body of evidence, including eyewitness testimonies, recorded interviews, archival materials, audiovisual documentation and established historical scholarship.

Giving further insight into the work, he said a clear and consistent account emerged across independent sources of events following the entry of federal troops into Asaba, then a civilian population centre in the Mid-West Region.

“The evidence establishes a recurring pattern. Civilians were assembled in public places under conditions of fear and uncertainty. During these assemblies, residents were required to proclaim allegiance to the Nigerian State, including being instructed to declare ‘One Nigeria’ and otherwise demonstrate loyalty.

“In a setting where identity and suspicion had become dangerously intertwined, these acts were understood by those present as affirmations of belonging and safety. Men were then separated from women and children. Thereafter, unarmed male civilians were killed in a manner consistently described across multiple independent accounts.

“Compliance with these demands did not secure protection. The sequence, repeated across testimonies, reflects a tragic contradiction in which individuals who openly affirmed their identity and loyalty as Nigerians were nonetheless killed in the most undignified manner by the same Nigerian State to which they pledged their allegiance.

“This sequence is corroborated by testimonies, documentary materials and scholarly works, and remains materially unchallenged. While precise casualty figures cannot be definitively fixed, the convergence of credible evidence points to a substantial loss of civilian life (over a thousand men) and a profound rupture in the fabric of the Asaba community,” he said.

Like Obasanjo, Nduka-Eze said the issues that led to the civil war are still with Nigeria, noting that ethnic groups continue to relate to one another with suspicion.

Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Navy, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, has explained why the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, lack the required political capacity to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Gagdi, who said the ruling All Progressives Congress noted that the APC is far ahead of the opposition in political mobilisation, insisted that he had seen nothing to suggest that either Atiku or Obi was preparing effectively to unseat the president.

“I have never, in my political imagination, thought that my party, APC, would lose an election,” he said.

According to him, “What are the opposition doing? What are the opposition planning or doing? I have not seen, with the activities of the opposition, those you mentioned, Peter Obi or Atiku. I have not seen any effort being put in place by them to unseat or defeat the president come 2027. I would say this any day, anytime.”

Gagdi argued that the APC had maintained sustained political activities across the country, unlike opposition parties.

“You have seen APC’s activities in the last one year across Nigeria, in the four corners of Nigeria where our political activities are ten times the political activities of any opposition political party in Nigeria,” he said.

“So who is supposed to talk to another person about planning to win an election?”

The Plateau lawmaker dismissed suggestions that only opposition politicians were strategising ahead of the next general election.

“You think Bola Tinubu and the APC are not trying to win elections in 2027? Atiku and Obi have always been defeated,” he stated.

Gagdi maintained that political parties naturally prepare for elections, saying it would be wrong to suggest that only opposition politicians were planning for 2027.

“If you think they are planning, what makes you think that the APC is not planning to win elections? Are we sleeping? What planning are they doing?” he asked.

The lawmaker also accused some opposition figures of exploiting the country’s security challenges for political advantage instead of offering practical solutions.

“From the tune of some people that are supposed to be leaders of this country when they are talking about what Nigerians are passing through, you will see it from them that they seem to appreciate the situation Nigeria is going through.”

“Instead of lamenting and proffering solutions, you lament and tie it to the fact that government is defective in solving that problem just to achieve some political gain

The  report said that the African Democratic Congress and NDC have all confirmed that Atiku’s and Peter Obi’s credentials have been uploaded on the INEC portal ahead of the 2027 general elections. This means Tinubu, Atiku, and Peter Obi will have to slug it out in the 2027 election.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, has declared that the era of electorates snatching ballot boxes or changing results are over.

Amupitan informed Nigerians that the technology used now is strong enough to make sure every vote in the 2027 general elections is protected.

Amupitan made the declaration yesterday in Abuja when he received the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, on a courtesy visit to INEC headquarters.

The INEC head remembered that the presidential election is on January 16 and the governor elections on February 6, 2027.He said the commission needs to start serious efforts to involve the public right away.

He also warned that people not caring about voting and false information are big risks to the fairness of the election process.

The INEC Chairman said, “We need to explain to them why their vote is important and how our new laws and technology help keep their choices safe.

“We need to meet the rural farmer, the marketplace seller, and the discouraged city youth straight on and tell them, in a way they can understand, that because of the existing technology, the time when people could take over ballot boxes or change results by hand is over.

“This shows that even though our technology is getting better, people are not keeping up with how the system is changing. He said,

“This is a clear sign that there is a lot more work to do in educating voters deeply and thoroughly, and it shows we can’t wait until right before the 2027 elections to start engaging with our people.”

The Delta State House of Assembly yesterday declared the seat of the member representing Udu State Constituency, Hon. Collins Egbetamah, vacant after his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and defection to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The decision followed the adoption of a motion moved by the House Leader, Hon. Emeka Nwaobi, seconded by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Arthur Akpowowo, and unanimously approved during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor.

Declaring the seat vacant, the Speaker said the House acted in accordance with Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires a lawmaker elected on the platform of a political party to vacate his seat upon joining another party, except in circumstances recognised by the Constitution.

Guwor directed the Clerk of the House to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant authorities.

He urged the electoral body to commence the constitutional process for a by-election to fill the vacancy in line with Section 116(2) of the Constitution.

Moving the motion, Nwaobi said documentary evidence before the House confirmed that Egbetamah defected from the APC to the NDC while still serving as a member of the Assembly, thereby triggering the constitutional provision on loss of legislative seat.

Earlier, the Speaker read Egbetamah’s letter dated June 19, 2026, informing the House that he had resigned from the APC on April 30, 2026, to pursue his political aspirations.

In the letter, the lawmaker expressed appreciation to the APC and its stakeholders for their support during his membership of the party.

The Nigerian Democratic Congress(NDC), on Monday confirmed that it had filed a notice of appeal against the Federal High Court judgment that set aside its registration, assuring members and supporters that the party remained legally recognised and would soon serve the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with the court processes.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Osa Director, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, saying the party’s legal team successfully filed the appeal at the Court of Appeal in Lokoja, Kogi State.

“Yes, we succeeded in filing the appeal today. We are going to serve INEC very soon. Our legal team was in Lokoja, Kogi State, today,” he said.

Director dismissed reports suggesting that the party had been deregistered, insisting there was no cause for alarm.

“We are not in panic mode. Our candidates need not fear. The NDC is a registered party. This is still reflected on the portal of INEC,” he stated.

He also faulted media reports on the court judgment, arguing that the suit merely challenged the party’s logo and not its existence as a political party.

“The narrative in the media is not even right. The group only challenged the use of our logo in court. That does not mean we are deregistered.

“That is why we are thanking our members, supporters and Nigerians for their understanding and solidarity,” he added.

The appeal follows days of emergency strategy meetings involving the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi; his running mate, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso; NDC National Leader, Seriake Dickson, members of the National Working Committee and other key stakeholders.

A senior party official had earlier told our correspondent, that the leadership held marathon meetings over the weekend to fine-tune its legal strategy before approaching the Court of Appeal.

The development comes after the Federal High Court in Lokoja set aside its earlier judgment directing INEC to register the NDC, a decision the party has described as a legal setback it is determined to overturn.

The party has maintained that the judgment does not amount to its deregistration and has reassured its candidates and supporters that it remains a legally recognised political platform pending the outcome of the appeal.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said no fewer than 1,565,873 Nigerians have successfully completed their voter registration as of June 26.

This is at the conclusion of week seven in the Phase III of its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

According to statistics released by INEC yesterday in Abuja, the figure comprises 620,933 citizens who completed their online pre-registration and 944,940 who registered physically.

The commission, however, said that the statistics remained preliminary, pending a comprehensive data clean-up during the scheduled period for public claims and objections, which would be followed by the deployment of the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).

The state-by-state breakdown reveals that Kano State recorded the highest voter turnout, accounting for 118,207 registrants, representing 7.55 per cent of the national total.

It was followed by Lagos State with 78,360 registrants, representing five per cent, and Delta with 76,395, representing 4.88 per cent.

INEC also said that the registration had been temporarily suspended in Ekiti and Osun due to the just-concluded governorship and upcoming governorship elections in strict compliance with Section 9 (6) of the Electoral Act 2022.

The gender distribution also reveals that female registrants accounted for 821,276, representing 52.45 per cent, while males accounted for 744,597, representing 47.55 per cent of the total registrants.

The distribution also shows that the youth demographic, ages 18 to 34, dominated the exercise, with 1,082,985 representing 69.16 per cent of all registrants, with the middle-aged individuals between 35 and 49 following with 331,376 at 21.16 per cent, while the elderly and seniors made up the remainder.

The occupational breakdown also shows that students formed the largest bloc of new registrants at 384,093, representing 24.53 per cent, followed by business owners at 333,539, representing 21.30 per cent, and those engaged in farming or fishing at 273,627, representing 17.47 per cent.

The statistics also disclosed that 18,919 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), were registered within the period.

INEC urged eligible citizens who were yet to register to utilise its online portal at https://cvr.inec.gov.ng or visit designated physical CVR registration centres nationwide to ensure their votes count in the upcoming elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has restored the Nigeria Democratic Congress’ (NDC), access to its candidate nomination portal, allowing the party to upload the names of its National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson and presidential candidate, Peter Obi, despite the ongoing legal battle over the party’s status.
Dickson disclosed the development in a post on his X account yesterday.
He described it as a positive step after the party filed a notice of appeal and an application for stay of execution against last week’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja.
He said the appeal and accompanying applications had been served on the electoral commission, with a covering letter urging it to act in accordance with the law.
According to him, the NDC remains a duly registered political party and has validly conducted its primaries under INEC’s supervision.
“Today, the NDC has filed an appeal against the ruling as well as a stay of execution/injunction, which has been served with a covering letter to the INEC chairman and his team to do what is right according to law and what is legally sensible.
“The Nigeria Democratic Congress has come to stay and remains a duly registered party in Nigeria which has participated in all the political processes so far.
“Nomination processes have already been concluded and, in the eyes of the law, candidates have already emerged from the party for all offices across the country in primaries observed, monitored and recorded by INEC.
“What is left is the administrative process of submitting the names to INEC, and we have been granted access to the portal to upload our qualified candidates,” he said.
Dickson disclosed that his name and that of the party’s presidential candidate had already been uploaded to the commission’s portal.
“My name and that of the presidential candidate have been uploaded to the INEC portal, while that of the vice presidential candidate will be done tomorrow upon completion of the deposition. The process is also ongoing for other candidates,” he stated. The Senator urged party members not to panic, noting that there was still sufficient time to complete the nomination process within INEC’s timetable.
“In accordance with the INEC timetable, which we have religiously abided by, we have between now and the 11th of next month to upload all National Assembly candidates, while those of governors and State Houses of Assembly will end on the 17th of July.
“So there is enough time for all candidates’ names to be submitted to INEC and there is no reason for anyone to panic,” he added.
The former Bayelsa State governor also appealed to unsuccessful aspirants to support the party, saying reconciliation efforts had commenced.
“The reconciliation processes have started and we expect them to reach everyone. We assure them that all those who expressed interest will be carried along in the party’s campaigns, committees and structures because they constitute the grassroots strength and the backbone of our party,” he said.
Dickson thanked INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, for what he described as the commission’s professionalism and urged the judiciary to determine the appeal in accordance with the law. “We thank INEC, led by Professor Joash Amupitan, for their professionalism so far, and we expect them to continue on this path.
“Having filed and served our appeal and the accompanying applications, the ball is now in the court of the judiciary, and we expect the judiciary to do what is right under the law,” he said. The development comes days after the NDC filed an appeal challenging the Federal High Court judgment that sparked uncertainty over the party’s registration, insisting the judgment neither dissolved nor deregistered the party.
The opposition party has maintained that it remains legally recognised pending the determination of its appeal.

Former Senate President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, and former Action Congress (AC), vice-presidential candidate, Senator Ben Obi, have begun high-level consultations with Nigerians in the United States as part of efforts to mobilise support for free, fair and credible elections in 2027.

The consultations, which cut across party lines, are aimed at rallying progressive Nigerians at home and abroad to defend the country’s democratic institutions, preserve political pluralism and resist any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.

Speaking in a telephone interview with Our correspondent, Wabara said the meetings with Nigerians in the diaspora and some officials focused on growing concerns over the state of the nation’s democracy, the shrinking democratic space and the need for patriotic forces to unite in defence of constitutional governance.

According to him, participants expressed concern over what they described as increasing pressure on opposition parties, the erosion of public confidence in the neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the danger of weakening Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

Wabara described the consultations as “very fruitful,” saying they centred on building a broad national consensus on how to restore confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“The common objective of these consultations is to rescue Nigeria from state capture, free up the democratic space and ensure that the will of the people, not the will of a few powerful individuals, prevails in 2027,” he said.

The former Senate President warned that Nigeria’s democracy was facing one of its most critical moments since the return to civil rule, likening its condition to a patient in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

“Our democracy is currently in the ICU. Unless urgent and sincere efforts are made to strengthen our democratic institutions and guarantee credible elections, the future of our nation could be endangered,” Wabara said.

“What we have in Nigeria today is a distorted version of democracy. This is not the democracy our founding fathers fought and made enormous sacrifices to bequeath to us. We cannot afford to stand by and watch a few greedy political merchants hold the destiny of over 200 million Nigerians by the jugular.

“It is time for all patriotic and progressive Nigerians to rise above partisan interests and unite to defend democracy, protect our constitutional order and ensure that the will of the people prevails through free, fair and credible elections in 2027.”

He called on opposition parties, civil society organisations, professional groups, youth and women organisations, and other patriotic Nigerians to place national interest above partisan considerations and forge a united front in defence of democracy.

“This is not the time for political divisions or narrow party interests. Every patriotic Nigerian who believes in democracy must come together to protect our constitutional order and ensure that the 2027 elections are free, fair, transparent and acceptable to the Nigerian people,” he said.

Wabara also urged eligible Nigerians yet to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to take advantage of the ongoing voter registration exercise before the July 10 deadline, stressing that active citizen participation remained the strongest safeguard against electoral manipulation.

“Democracy belongs to the people. This is not a time to be spectators. Every eligible Nigerian must register, collect a voter’s card and be prepared to participate actively in determining the future of our country,” he added.

Explaining the purpose of his visit, Wabara said: “I visited Senator Ben Obi in New Jersey on Sunday. We seized the opportunity to deliberate extensively on the political situation in Nigeria, the imperative of defending democracy and the way forward. We also met with some officials and concerned Nigerians.”

He noted that the US consultations followed similar high-level engagements he held in London during a recent visit to former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, who was recuperating after surgery.

According to Wabara, the London meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the state of Nigeria’s democracy, the future of the opposition and the need to build a broad coalition to safeguard democratic governance ahead of the 2027 general elections.

… Announces N100m for 2,000 Jigawa beneficiaries

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has clarified that the Federal Government’s economic empowerment drive covers more than akara sellers, saying tomato, pepper, vegetable, roasted plantain and other petty traders are also targeted.

Mrs Tinubu spoke on Monday in Jigawa State while inaugurating the newly completed Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall at the Emir of Hadejia’s Palace.

A recording of the event was later aired by TVC News.

Her clarification comes after an earlier remark referencing akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli businesses drew criticism online, with some Nigerians arguing it downplayed the country’s economic challenges.

Responding to the backlash, the First Lady said the Federal Government had already released N100 million to Jigawa State to support 2,000 small-scale traders.

“Because of the atmosphere and everything that is going on, I’ve told Her Excellency that we have already donated about N100 million for the empowerment of 2,000 petty traders,” she said.

“I know people have been saying I mentioned only akara. It is not only akara. We also have tomato sellers, boole sellers, those selling pepper and vegetables in our markets.

We will continue to empower them and strengthen their businesses so their trades can become sustainable. That is exactly what we are doing.”

According to her, each of the 2,000 identified women in small businesses will receive N50,000 to recapitalise and expand their enterprises. “The N100 million has already been provided,” she added.

Mrs Tinubu said criticism would not derail the intervention. “I know the people directly affected appreciate what we are doing.

We are not intimidated by inaccurate reports. We will continue moving forward to ensure our people are properly supported and cared for,” she said.

The First Lady also urged young Nigerians to look beyond crude oil, noting the country’s agricultural and natural resource potential.

She cited a visit to an orange orchard in Benue as an example of untapped opportunities.

“Nigeria is truly blessed. As I travel across the country, I pray our young people will recognise the enormous resources we have.

We have concentrated so much on oil, yet there are countless other opportunities waiting to be explored,” she said.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has cleared the coast for the registration of the All Democratic Alliance, ADA, by ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to generate and subsequently release Access Code for the party’s registration to the Chief Akin Rickett-led leadership of the ADA.

Justice Peter Lifu in a judgment yesterday gave INEC 72 hours within which the access code must be released to the Protem Secretary of the ADA.

Justice Lifu in the judgement faulted the electoral body for releasing the access code to one Dr Umar Ardo, who was not a recognized Protem Secretary of the political association and consequently declared the action of INEC as illegal, wrongful, null and void.

The court further ordered INEC to open its portal for a period of one week to enable the plaintiff upload necessary documents, including membership digital register into INEC’s custody as required by law.

The plaintiff through his counsel, Stephen Atabo, had dragged the electoral body and Ardo before the court, seeking declarations among others that INEC has not issued an access code to the plaintiff for the purpose of uploading their information and documents for the registration of their political association, the All Democratic Alliance as a political party, in compliance with extant laws.

They also sought another declaration that INEC was in violation of the extant laws when it issued the access code to the second defendant, Umar Ardo, who is neither the Protem National Chairman or the secretary of the association, instead of the plaintiff, who is the protem national chairman.

Plaintiff further pleaded with the court to declare that the information uploaded into INEC’s portal by a wrongful person, or Umar Ardo on behalf of ADA, was in violation of the extant laws, as it was at variance with the information in the plaintiff’s letter of intent and should therefore be declared illegal, unlawful, null and void and of no effect.

Besides, the plaintiff asked for an order of the court against INEC directing it to release access code to the plaintiff for the purpose of uploading their information and documents for the registration of their association as a political party.

Plaintiff also asked for an order directing INEC to register their political association as a political party and as well issue a certificate of registration to the plaintiff.

Similarly, an order of the court directing INEC to extend the deadlines of May 10, 2026 and May 30, 2026, for the submission of their digital register of members and submission of candidates respectively to the electoral body.

After reviewing the submissions of counsel to parties involved in the legal battle, Justice Lifu agreed that Umar Ardo was neither the national protem chairman nor secretary of the political association and therefore nullified all the steps, and actions taken on behalf of the ADA.

Although, the plaintiff requested for 96 hours for INEC to generate access code to him, Justice Lifu however granted only 72 hours.

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has defended President Bola Tinubu against criticism over Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, saying the president has fulfilled his responsibility by giving directives to the military.

Adeboye made the remarks while speaking at the US-Nigeria Faith Heroes Award Gala organised by the Save Nigeria Group in Washington on June 23.

The cleric said those blaming Tinubu for the country’s security challenges were unfair in their assessment of the president’s role as commander-in-chief.

“I need to make this one clear: I don’t support those who are accusing the president of not doing enough. When the commander-in-chief has given instructions to his subordinates, he has done his bit. You don’t expect him to go and put on khaki and fight,” Adeboye said. Mike Bamiloye Drawing a comparison with the United States, he said commanders-in-chief are expected to issue directives rather than personally participate in military operations.  “When my friend Trump gives instructions to go and bomb anywhere, he doesn’t leave the White House. He has done his bit. ‘I hereby command, bomb Iran,’ and then he goes to his bedroom and sleeps. The rest is left to the supporters,” he added. While defending Tinubu, the respected preacher admitted that the country’s security situation has deteriorated, with kidnappings and terrorist activities no longer limited to northern Nigeria.  “Things have gone far, far worse than before the bomb came,” he said.  “The terrorism, kidnapping and so on that were in the North are now even at my doorstep. They have come all the way down to the South. And, of course, the sponsors—they are all known, and they are still moving about freely.” Adeboye disclosed that he had discussed the security situation with President Tinubu and First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, urging the president to give the nation’s security chiefs a 90-day ultimatum to eliminate terrorism or resign.

“I told him to tell all the military boys, all the army, navy and air force: ‘You have 90 days. Wipe out this rubbish or resign.’ And then take care of the sponsors,” he said.

The cleric described the sponsors of terrorism as influential politicians and wealthy businessmen, insisting that tackling them was key to ending the violence.

“You know them. Some of them are businessmen. Some of them are politicians. Go after them. Because if you do not deal with those who are supplying these people with arms and ammunition… the problem will continue,” he said.

Adeboye also called on the United States and other countries to support Nigeria’s efforts in the fight against terrorism.

The presidential running mate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused politicians of stealing result sheets at unit level during polls.

Amaechi warned that politicians steal result sheets at the risk of the lives of ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Addressing a group of youths, the former Rivers State governor said: “On the day of election in your Ward and in your Unit, you  finish voting, you stand for the counting. I have been a politician all my life, I have never worked anywhere before.

“I left university in 1987 and joined politics that same year, so you won’t teach me, unit level is where they vote.

“Politicians steal result sheets at the unit level risking the life of the INEC adhoc officer. As he comes, show us the result sheet or you are not going because politicians don’t care about your life, some parents must stop their children who want to be adhoc staff.”

He charged Nigerians to always insist on their votes being counted at the polling units during elections.

He added: “If there is a result sheet, we will queue up and when they finish counting, if you don’t upload it you are not going

“If we finish the election and there are one million persons in front of INEC and trust me if you do all these, ADC can mobilize one million people to INEC office.

“Don’t forget that there is an election that would have been rigged in Nigeria, the election that made Kwankwaso governor, how many of you remember that, when they looked outside and saw 500 persons what did they do, they announced.”

National leader of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, has insisted that the party remains legally recognised and that all its candidates will be on the ballot for the 2027 general election despite a recent Federal High Court judgment that nullified an earlier order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Dickson described the Lokoja Federal High Court judgment as “irregular” and said the party had already commenced the appeal process.

His comments followed Friday’s judgment by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, which set aside the court’s December 10, 2025 ruling directing INEC to register the NDC.

The court acted on an application filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which argued that it was not joined in the original proceedings despite having a legal interest in the matter. Justice Dashen held that parties with vested interests should have been joined and ordered that the case be heard afresh.

Dickson, however, maintained that the judgment neither deregistered the NDC nor invalidated the candidacies of those who emerged from the party’s primaries.

“I assure all our candidates and members, nominations are done at the primaries that took place at the various levels. The submission to INEC is an administrative procedure. So, the NDC is a party. The court itself did not direct its deregistration and no step has been taken whatsoever to that effect,” he said.

The former Bayelsa State governor urged party members, candidates and stakeholders to remain calm, saying the appellate courts would overturn what he described as an anomaly.

“As soon as possible, as the party has said, once the appeal is lodged and the necessary papers are filed, it is a matter that will go to the highest levels to set aside the irregular judgement,” he said.

Dickson argued that the party had validly conducted primaries for State Houses of Assembly, National Assembly, governorship and presidential elections under the supervision of INEC, with all nominees acquiring vested legal rights.

“We expect that the appeal process and the applications that will follow… will correct this matter. So, we are on course,” he said.

He further stated that all nominations already concluded and monitored by INEC remained valid.

According to Dickson, the Lokoja judgment merely nullified the earlier order directing INEC to register the NDC and did not contain any mandatory order requiring the electoral commission to deregister the party.

“This ruling did not do that. But there’s a judgement that INEC had that compelled INEC to register. That judgement in the hands of INEC is now a nullity. That judgement means nothing.

“Courts don’t function that way. Orders of courts are to be construed strictly. It was possible for the court to have made that order on deregistration if that was what it wanted. But the court did not say so,” he said.

He also argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the application and expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would resolve the matter in the party’s favour.

Dickson questioned the legal standing of the Peace Movement Party, contending that it is not a registered political party under Nigerian law and therefore lacked the legal capacity to institute the action.

“I would like you and all Nigerians to know this. The party that went to file an application… is not a registered political party at all.

“It is actually a non-entity. It is unknown to the laws of Nigeria,” he said.

He further alleged that the organisation had unsuccessfully sought registration in 2015 and had remained inactive ever since, describing the proceedings initiated by the group as “frivolous” and “embarrassing.”

Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, Dickson expressed confidence that the NDC would perform strongly at the polls and said the party remained open to alliances that could enhance its electoral prospects.

He also maintained that President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could be defeated in the next election if Nigerians united behind a common objective.

On security, Dickson welcomed moves by both the executive and the National Assembly to establish state police but advocated a broader decentralisation of policing through zonal, state and local government structures to improve internal security.