By David Owei

The National Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress INC, Engineer Ebipamowei Wodu has submitted his interest/nomination form to contest as President.

Wodu, who is one of the leading aspirant to succeed Professor Benjamin Okaba, was accompanied to the Ijaw House, the Secretariat of the INC amidst pump and peagentry with scores of aspirants endorsing him as the most qualified for the job.

Speaking with newsmen, Engineer Ebipamowei Wodu said he played pivotal role in assisting the current leadership of the Association headed by Professor Benjamin Okaba in reviving the INC from the state of comatose.

According to Engineer Wodu, from the beginning of the struggle, there has never being a membership register until the present executive took over office and as an Engineer, he assisted the INC to draw a road map linking Ijaw communities in the coastal region.

Highlighting other achievements, Engineer Wodu explained that with his wealth of experience as National Secretary who as held several offices, if given the opportunity to pilot the affairs of INC, he will consolidate of the gains recorded and move the Ijaw nation to greater heights.

Aspirant for the the position of Vice President 2, Dame Rose Obioforibo from Eastern zone described, Engineer Wodu as a team player who listens but passionate about the Ijaw struggles .

Another Aspirant vying for the position Vice President 3, Chief Kennedy Odiowei said Engineer Wodu is the most qualified among contestants because he competent and capable to deliver if given the mandate, calling on delegates and aspirants to vote for him.

Also Aspirant contesting for the National Secretary, Chief Philip Brown-Agu said his decision to the join Engineer Wodu campaign team was because of his track record and leadership style as National Secretary of INC, describing him as a better candidate with innovations that can move the Ijaw nation to the next level.

By Nelson Ogbu

Former Senate President and National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has declared that Nigerian legislators who lack strong grassroots support are political hostages in the hands of state governors.

Mark made the assertion while chairing the public presentation of the book The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja, where he delivered a blunt assessment of the power imbalance between the executive and the legislature in Nigeria’s democratic system.

According to him, the legislature, though the backbone of democracy, is the most vulnerable and most attacked arm of government, constantly under pressure from governors, political parties, the judiciary, the electorate and internal legislative weaknesses.

He said governors, as de facto leaders of party structures in the states, wield enormous influence over lawmakers, warning that at the slightest provocation, a governor can deny a legislator the party ticket or deploy state power to frustrate legislators who belong to opposition parties.

“Once you are elected, the problem becomes compounded,” Mark said, noting that many legislators operate in fear of governors who control party machinery and political structures.

However, he stressed that the situation is reversible. Mark argued that when a legislator is deeply rooted in his senatorial district with massive grassroots backing, the power dynamics change. “If you are strong in your constituency, instead of being at the mercy of your governor, the governor will be at your mercy,” he said.

The former Senate President explained that this conviction informed his decision to begin his political career in the legislature, not because it was glamorous, but because it remains the most important pillar of democracy. He urged Nigerians to exercise patience with lawmakers, noting that legislators are burdened with responsibilities that often arise from weak grassroots governance and failed service delivery.

Author of the book, Senator Effiong Bob, said the memoir is intended as a practical handbook for current and aspiring legislators, detailing the path to parliament, the realities of legislative work and the pressures of representation. He added that the book confronts key challenges such as excessive constituency demands and the damaging influence of political godfatherism, particularly in candidate selection.

The event attracted prominent political figures, including Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Enoh, and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. The book was reviewed by Prof. Maxwell Gidado, SAN, and published by Premium Times.

By George Mgbeleke

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for heightened security coordination and vigilance as Nigeria enters a busy electoral season leading up to the 2027 General Election.

Speaking at the first regular meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for 2026, held on Friday at the INEC Conference Room in Abuja, the Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, said the rising tempo of electoral activities places increased responsibility on security agencies to ensure peaceful, credible and violence-free elections.

Professor Amupitan noted that 2026 would be particularly demanding, with Area Council elections, bye-elections and off-cycle governorship elections scheduled across several states. He stressed that effective planning, intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration and professional deployment of personnel were critical to securing the electoral process.

The INEC Chairman commended security agencies for their role in the successful conduct of the Anambra State off-cycle Governorship Election held on 8 November 2025, describing the peaceful outcome as a testament to their professionalism and dedication. He said the ability of the Commission to declare a winner on the first ballot, despite the state’s history of election-related security challenges, underscored the importance of proactive and coordinated security operations.

Ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections scheduled for Saturday, 21 February 2026, Professor Amupitan disclosed that 1,680,315 registered voters are expected to vote across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils. He said INEC had concluded major preparations, including the delivery of non-sensitive materials, training of Electoral Officers and election security personnel, and commencement of ad-hoc staff training.

He added that a mock accreditation exercise would be conducted on Saturday, 7 February 2026, in 289 selected polling units across the FCT, while sensitive materials would be delivered under strict security arrangements. However, he cautioned that administrative readiness alone was not enough, urging security agencies to maintain constant communication and rapid response, especially in flashpoint areas.

The INEC Chairman also reminded the meeting that bye-elections would hold the same day in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies in Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies in Kano State, further underscoring the need for heightened vigilance and adequate manpower deployment.

Looking ahead, Professor Amupitan said preparations were already underway for the Ekiti State Governorship Election on 20 June 2026 and the Osun State Governorship Election on 8 August 2026, stressing that early security planning was essential to preventing avoidable challenges.

He further disclosed that INEC would soon embark on a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise, alongside ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, noting that both exercises would require robust security support to protect facilities, personnel and citizens.

Delivering remarks on behalf of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and Co-Chair of ICCES, the Director of Internal Security at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Hassan Abdullahi, congratulated INEC and security agencies on the successful Anambra governorship election. He said the outcome reflected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to free, credible and violence-free elections.

Abdullahi assured that the Nigeria Police Force, as the lead agency for election security, in collaboration with other security and law enforcement agencies, was mobilising resources to secure the forthcoming FCT Area Council elections and bye-elections in Kano and Rivers States. He said adequate personnel would be deployed to polling units and high-risk areas, while political thugs, vote buyers and individuals with violent tendencies would be identified, restrained or prosecuted in accordance with the law.

He urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully, warning that any acts capable of undermining the electoral process would be dealt with decisively. He also called on the media, civil society organisations, community leaders and citizens to actively support peaceful elections as a shared national responsibility.

In his remarks, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by the Commissioner of Police in charge of Elections, CP Abayomi Shogunle, reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to massive deployment for all elections nationwide, assuring that adequate security would continue to be provided for INEC personnel, facilities and materials across the country.

The meeting ended with a renewed commitment by INEC and security agencies to sustained collaboration, vigilance and professionalism in securing Nigeria’s electoral process throughout the demanding 2026 electoral calendar.