By George Mgbeleke

As the nation draws close to 2027 election, Chairman Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof Joash Amupitan has admitted that the commission faces a significant “trust deficit” with the public and on the media to help reshape the national narrative ahead of a busy cycle of polls.

The INEC Boss made this declaration during a courtesy visit from the Executive Committee of the INEC Press Corps in Abuja on Wednesday.

Recall that this was the first formal meeting between the commission’s leadership and the specialist media group since Professor Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was appointed to the role in late 2025.

On rebuilding Public Confidence,Professor Amupitan commended the media for their professional support, noting that the commission remains acutely aware of the skepticism often held by the Nigerian electorate.

He urged the media to partner with INEC in ensuring that the transparency of the electoral process is effectively communicated to the 200 million-strong population.

Earlier,Chairman of the Press Corps, Segun Ojumu, who led the delegation, praised the “transparent manner” in which Professor Amupitan has managed the commission since taking office.

Mr. Ojumu described Nigerian elections as a “huge logistical challenge” that requires the collaboration of all stakeholders to succeed.

The Chairman was accompanied by:
John Onah, Assistant Secretary of the Press Corps and
Chux Ukwuatu, Welfare Director.

The Road to 2027 and Beyond

The meeting comes as INEC ramps up preparations for several high-stakes elections. Nigeria is currently following a revised electoral roadmap following the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026.

The 2027 General Election

The commission has scheduled the next nationwide polls for early 2027:
January 16, 2027: Presidential and National Assembly elections.

February 6, 2027: Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
Off-Cycle Governorship Polls
Before the general elections, the commission faces critical “litmus tests” in two southwest states where the electoral cycles are out of sync with the rest of the country.

These “off-cycle” elections are often seen as indicators of the commission’s readiness for the national stage:
Ekiti State: Scheduled for June 20, 2026.
Osun State: Scheduled for August 8, 2026.
Professor Amupitan, who succeeded Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has pledged to deliver “free, fair, and inclusive” polls as the country enters this intensive electoral window.

By George Mgbeleke

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has responded to the latest Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2026 report, stating that Nigeria’s ranking as the 4th most terrorism-affected country in the world is clear evidence of the failure of the Bola Tinubu-led government to secure the nation.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party cited data from the report, including a 43 percent rise in attacks and increasing civilian deaths, and said the findings point to a breakdown in governance, not just a security lapse.

To address the crisis, the ADC outlined a three-part strategy focused on improving intelligence coordination, decentralizing policing to bring security closer to communities, and shifting from reactive responses to preventive, intelligence-led security operations.

The full statement read:

Against the deeply troubling backdrop of yet another deadly terrorist attack in Borno State, where dozens of Nigerians have been killed and many more injured, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has reviewed the newly released Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2026, which delivers a clear and troubling verdict on the state of insecurity in Nigeria today.

Nigeria is now ranked the 4th most terrorism-affected country in the world. That is not an abstract statistic. It is a direct reflection of the failure of the Bola Tinubu-led APC government to secure the country.

At a moment when Nigerians are grieving and communities across the country are living under constant threat, Tinubu, his National Security Adviser, and the Minister of Defence are abroad. The contrast is clear: a country in crisis, and a leadership that is absent.

Nigerians should take note of this moment. It raises a fundamental question about Tinubu and the APC’s priorities. At a time that demands focus, discipline, and urgency, the Tinubu government appears more concerned with pageantry, paparazzi, and propaganda — rather than real performance .

The Global Terrorism Index confirms what Nigerians already know from lived experience. Terror attacks have surged by 43 percent, rising from 120 incidents in 2024 to 171 in 2025. Violence is increasingly concentrated in Borno State, which now accounts for 67 percent of attacks and 72 percent of deaths. Most concerning, civilians now make up 67 percent of those killed. That is a measure of how exposed ordinary Nigerians have become.

The threat to Nigerian families is also evolving. ISWAP is responsible for over half of all attacks and deaths across the country. Boko Haram remains active and deadly. New groups like Lakurawa are emerging, showing that Tinubu’s national security strategy is not containing the insecurity problem but expanding it.

These outcomes point to something deeper than isolated security lapses. They reflect a breakdown in governance. The GTI identifies weak governance, internal instability, and economic hardship as key drivers of terrorism. That is not a political talking point. It is the assessment of an independent international body.

A government that is truly focused on protecting its people would demonstrate coordinated and visible leadership during crises strengthen local security architecture and address the economic and social conditions that fuel recruitment into extremist groups. Instead what Nigerians see is a leadership class that is more preoccupied with political positioning than with the urgent business of governance.

This is why the ADC will take three decisive steps to fix Nigeria’s broken security system and restore safety across the country.

First, we will fix coordination. Nigeria does not lack intelligence, it lacks coordination. Today, agencies operate in silos, warnings are missed, and response is delayed. The ADC will establish a legally mandated national intelligence coordination system, led by a Coordinator of National Intelligence, and a unified Joint Terrorism Task Force. The goal is simple: no more missed signals, no more confusion, no more excuses.

Second, we will bring security closer to the people. Nigeria cannot be policed effectively from Abuja alone. The ADC will implement a decentralized policing system with federal, state, and community layers, each with clear roles and national standards. This will ensure faster response, clearer accountability, and security that reflects the local realities of the 774 local government areas.

Third, we will shift from reaction to prevention. Today, Nigeria reacts to attacks after lives are lost. The ADC will build an intelligence-driven, preventive security system that is powered by data, early warning systems, and rapid response units in every state.

Our focus will be to stop attacks before they happen, not merely respond after tragedy strikes.

By David Owei,Bayelsa

Bayelsa State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining and consolidating the prevailing peace and security in all the eight local government areas of the state.

The Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Akpe, stated this while officially receiving a draft copy of the proposed bill on the Community Peace Commission from the State Peace Architecture (SPA), a non-governmental organization, at his office in Government House, Yenagoa.

Dr. Peter Akpe, who clarified that there were several legislations on peace and security in the state, such as the anti-cultism, anti-kidnapping laws, amongst others, said the proposed bill, when passed into law, would complement the existing laws.

He, however, pointed out that the proposed bill would first be thoroughly appraised by appropriate government institutions to ensure that the legal framework was in harmony with extant laws on peace and security in Bayelsa State.

Emphasizing the overriding importance of peace and security to development, the Deputy Governor noted that it was imperative for Bayelsa to establish a security trust fund such as the Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF), to get all stakeholders involved.

He said, “I want to appreciate your organization for this initiative and gesture. Talking about peace, we have several legislations; some are due for amendment. We have the anti-kidnapping law, secret cults prohibition law and the anti-open grazing law. All these laws we made are to institutionalize our control of these security-related issues in the state.

“This draft proposal will be sent to the appropriate quarters. But I want you to know that efforts are underway for our state to have a Security Trust Fund. For that purpose, we have sent an amendment bill to the House of Assembly.

“The reason is that the way the Education Development Trust Fund is running now, that is the way we need a security trust fund to be running also in the state.”

Presenting the draft proposal bill of the Community Peace Commission to Dr. Akpe, on behalf of the State Peace Architecture,(SPA) ,Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange intimated the deputy governor that the document was in three parts, covering communities, local government councils and the state.

Senator Amange, who is the Chairman of the drafting committee of the bill, expressed hope that the proposal would be given expedite action by the appropriate organs of government.

Also lending his voice to the draft bill, the State Co-ordinator of SPA, Dr. Preye Inebaraton, highlighted the principles embedded in the proposed law, stating that the SPA had support from the European Union, Search for Common Ground, and other partners.

While applauding the state government for strategic investments in the security sub sector, he said, it had contributed largely to making Bayelsa one of the most peaceful states in the country.

According to Dr. Inebaraton, the SPA has the structure to effectively address conflicts using a non-kinetic approach at the community level through the community peace architecture volunteers.

The Member representing Yenagoa Constituency One in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Chief Ayibanegiyefa Egba, Consortium Manager, Search for Common Ground, Mr. Chorbe Joshua Gonlur, the Chairperson of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Bayelsa Chapter, Mrs Grace Orumieyefa, her FIDA counterpart, Dr Boma Miebai, a representative of the DO Foundation, Tokoni Dufegha, among other critical stakeholders of the SPA, were part of the delegation.