By Our Correspondent

The Senate has through its committee on Public Accounts , rejected records of volume of Petroleum importation presented to it by Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority ( NMDPRA) for 2022 and 2023 on account of wide disparities between them and those presented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited ( NNPCL).

It consequently resolved to summon heads of NMDPRA , NNPCL and Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative ( NEITI) for possible reconciliation of the records or final exposure of suspected fraud to have been carried out.

Wide disparities in records of NMDPRA and NNPCL on volume of PMS imported by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2022 and 2023 , came to the fore when management of NMDPRA responded to queries leveled against it in the NEITI Audit report of 2021 to 2023 .

Authority Chief Executive of NMDPRA ( ACE) , Mallam Rabiu Abdullahi Umar , represented by a Deputy Director , Uzoamaka Ugwu – Ojobe , had in responding to NEITI query, told the committee that NMDPRA records on volume of Petroleum importation were credible despite disparities with those of the NNPCL .

” We stand by 3.29billion litres of PMS as volume imported in 2022 and 6.02billion litres as volume imported in 2023 against 6.27 billion litres recorded by NNPCL in 2022 and 3.88billion litres in 2023.

” The slight disparities are being looked into for possible reconciliation “, she said .

Irked by her submission , a member of tbe committee, Senator Abdul Ningi ( Bauchi Central ) , said disparities of over 50% are not slight but wide and very disturbing and suspicious .

” The disparities in records of PMS importation between NMDPRA and NNPCL in 2022 and 2023 as stated in the NEITI Oil and Gas Industry Audit report of 2021 to 2023 , are too wide to be described as slight or being looked into without the seriousness required”, he said .

Also miffed by the huge disparities in the records , Senator Dayo Faduyile ( Ondo South ) , said the disparities leave a lot of room for someone to think that something is amis .

Outrightly rejecting the NMDPRA’ s defence , Senator Anietan Bassey ( Akwa Ibom North East ) , said thorough investigation of the wide disparity must be carried out by the committee as according to him, Nigerians must not be allowed to be shortchanged on yearly basis as glaringly shown with the NMDPRA and NNPCL records of PMS importation .

“Mr Chairman and very distinguished colleagues , these questionable records of volume of PMS importation by the two agencies , must be thoroughly investigated to safe Nigerians from being yearly shortchanged and expose those milking the country dry .”, he said .

Consequently , the committee chaired by Senator Hassan Dankwabo ( Gombe North ) , rejected the NMDPRA defence and resolved to call for tripartite meeting of the agencies involved soonest .

“In view of the unacceptability of presentations made by representative of NMDPRA on queries raised against it in the NEITI Oil and Gas Audit report covering 2021 to 2023, specifically on volume of PMS imported within the years under review , this committee resolved to summon heads of NMDPRA , NNPCL and NEITI for reasons behind the wide disparities “, he said .

By George Mgbeleke

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said the Commission’s National Zonal Physical Assessment Tour has formally reached the South-East, as part of preparations for the 2027 General Election.

Prof. Amupitan stated this on Monday 19th October, 2026 in Enugu during a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council and Chairman of the South-East Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Sir Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu.

The Chairman, who led National Commissioners and senior management of the Commission on the visit, said the tour was beginning in the zone with homage to its traditional institutions.

“We consider it an essential administrative protocol and a deeply cherished tradition to begin our work in Enugu State by paying homage to the revered custodians of our culture, tradition, and community values,” he said.

He said the Commission had, across the geopolitical zones visited so far, prioritised direct engagement with leading traditional rulers.

“The Commission has made it a priority to interface directly with top traditional rulers, recognising that royal fathers are the ultimate anchors of grassroots peace, civic engagement, and community stability,” he stated.

Prof. Amupitan explained the purpose of the tour in the South-East.

“Our presence in Enugu and across the South-East zone is focused on auditing our operational readiness on the ground and evaluating field personnel preparedness down to the Registration Area (Ward) level,” he said.

He said the tour followed a series of operational tests under his leadership, including three off-cycle governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States, one Federal Capital Territory Area Council election and 16 bye-elections across the country.

The Chairman noted that each of the exercises had helped the Commission to refine election logistics, early poll openings and technological deployments.

He recalled that the Commission, a few days ago in Abuja, hosted a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders Engagement to mark 100 days to the first ballot of the 2027 General Election, where it reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, procedural integrity and strict adherence to its statutory schedule.

Prof. Amupitan reconfirmed the dates for the polls. The Presidential and National Assembly Elections will hold on Saturday, 16 January 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will hold on Saturday, 6 February 2027.

The Chairman told the royal fathers that the Commission could not secure peaceful elections on its own.

“While INEC manages the technical and administrative aspects of elections, the moral authority to ensure peaceful voting resides within our traditional institutions,” he said.

He accordingly requested their blessings, prayers and support in three areas.

The first, he said, is grassroots Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection, with the royal fathers mobilising citizens in all communities and Wards to collect their PVCs at designated centres, “as the PVC remains the sole instrument for accreditation.”

The second is the fight against voter apathy and vote buying, through sensitisation of communities against apathy and “the illegal practice of selling votes for short-term financial gains.”

The third is the promotion of peace and non-violence, with traditional rulers using their royal stools “to urge political parties, candidates, and youth groups to maintain decorum, avoid inflammatory rhetoric, and reject violence before, during, and after the elections.”

Prof. Amupitan said these efforts complemented the Commission’s work with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to ensure that elections are conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.

He disclosed that the collaboration was already yielding results, with the recent arrest of the alleged kingpins behind the kidnapping of National Youth Service Corps members, who form the bulwark of the Commission’s ad hoc personnel.

“The DSS will arraign those behind these evil acts within the week,” he said.

The Chairman assured the traditional rulers of the Commission’s resolve.

“Under my leadership, INEC remains unshakeable in its commitment to neutrality, transparency, and procedural fairness,” he said.

He added: “Every valid vote cast by Ndi Enugu and citizens across the South-East will count and be accurately reflected in the final election results.”

Prof. Amupitan thanked the Chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council and members of the Council for their warm reception, wise counsel and continued prayers for the peace and unity of the nation.

Responding, the Chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, His Royal Majesty Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, the Ogadagidi I of Edem-An Ogwugwu Ancient Kingdom in Nsukka Local Government Area, pledged the support of traditional rulers for the Commission ahead of the 2027 General Election.

His Royal Majesty assured the Commission that traditional rulers would encourage indigenes who registered and are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in their communities to do so.

“We promise that we will encourage our people to collect their PVCs,” he said.

A major highlight of the visit was the presentation of kola nuts, in keeping with Igbo tradition, alongside traditional ornaments to the INEC Chairman. In return, Prof. Amupitan presented a plaque and souvenirs to the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council.

By George Mgbeleke

The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has dismissed Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s response to its earlier statement as diversionary, insisting that his reaction has further raised questions about his political alignment with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The ADC-PCC had earlier advised Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), whose presidential candidate is Peter Obi, to stop attacking the ADC presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and redirect his energy towards holding the ruling APC accountable for its failures.

The Council maintained that, as an opposition figure, Kwankwaso should be challenging the Tinubu administration over the worsening economic hardship, insecurity and declining living standards confronting Nigerians, rather than repeatedly targeting Atiku and the ADC.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC-PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Kwankwaso’s response had failed to address the substance of the Council’s concerns.

According to the ADC-PCC, Kwankwaso casually mentioned the APC in his defence but devoted much of his response to attacking the ADC, a development it said raised questions about his priorities as an opposition leader.

“Why is Senator Kwankwaso making our candidate the issue instead of confronting the ruling APC, whose policies have made life increasingly difficult for millions of Nigerians?” the Council asked.

It argued that Nigerians were more concerned about hunger, insecurity, high fuel prices, the depreciation of the naira and the crushing economic hardship under the APC-led government than political exchanges among opposition figures.

The Council insisted that these national challenges should be the priority of any politician genuinely committed to providing an alternative to the Tinubu administration.

It further challenged Kwankwaso to explain why his political attacks appeared more frequently directed at Atiku and the ADC than at the ruling party responsible for the country’s current challenges.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the ADC cannot and will not be distracted by Senator Kwankwaso,” the Council declared.

Describing the ADC as a strong and increasingly accepted political platform, the ADC-PCC said it remained focused on mobilising Nigerians around its commitment to rescuing the country from what it described as the failures of APC governance.

The Council also challenged Kwankwaso to stop using attacks on the ADC to curry political favour with the ruling party and instead demonstrate the courage to openly align himself with the APC if he shares its political agenda.

The ADC-PCC reaffirmed its determination to remain united, focused and committed to offering Nigerians a credible alternative in the 2027 general election.