By George Mgbeleke
The African Democratic Congress has dismissed the APC’s claim that it received ADC House of Assembly candidates from Jigawa, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara States as wishful thinking and a figment of the APC’s imagination.

In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, the party said the individuals being paraded are not ADC candidates, leaders, or candidates.

“The APC cannot assemble random individuals at its secretariat, confer imaginary ADC credentials on them and then announce their defection. While the APC Chairman is welcome to receive visitors, he should stop introducing them to Nigerians as people they are not. These people are not our candidates ”

The party also mocked the claim that the supposed defectors were attracted by the administration’s “remarkable transformation” of Northern Nigeria.

“Having invented ADC credentials for its guests, the APC has supplied an equally imaginative account of its performance over the past few years. The APC should explain how these fake photo-ops bring down food prices, protect Nigeria’s communities or help struggling families pay their bills. Nigerians are asking for evidence of better lives; the APC is manufacturing photographs and congratulating itself.”

The ADC challenged the APC to substantiate the credentials it had assigned to the fake individuals that it paraded as ADC members.

“The APC should state the ADC offices these individuals supposedly held, the constituencies they represented as our candidates and when they held those positions. The APC should enjoy its photographs and spare Nigerians this unnecessary fiction.”

By our correspondent

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio has assured the Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, Hon. Milton Dick that Nigeria will support his bid for the Presidency of the Inter-Parliamentary Union(IPU).

Akpabio gave the assurance on Monday when Hon. Dick visited Abuja to solicit the support of the leadership of Nigerian Parliament ahead of the election for the Presidency of IPU next month.

The Senate President told his guests that “on IPU, which is the reason why you came, I have taken note of your candidature for the Presidency of the IPU and of your experience within the organisation, including your service as Vice President of the Asia-Pacific group and Leadership of several IPU delegation.

“The materials accompanying your visit also emphasise your commitment to impartiality, inclusion and parliamentary diplomacy. I must say that with you as President of IPU, IPU can only wax stronger, IPU can only improve.

“It is important that we complement a woman Secretary-General that we have elected with a man like you who has always shown very serious commitment.

“We are not saying that the African group in IPU will not have a divergent views. We are yet to meet. We are meeting on 4 October, 2026. I will be there to make sure that your candidature is accepted. The African group will meet. I assure you their decision will be in your favour.”

Akpabio said Nigeria attached great importance to IPU as an institution for parliamentary dialogue, democratic development, peace and international cooperation and looked forward to hearing the candidate’s vision for the organisation and his thoughts on strengthening the voice of Africa, the Pacific and developing countries within the IPU..

Akpabio also advocated for strengthening of cooperation between Nigeria and Australia particularly in the areas of mining, agriculture, education, renewable energy, technology, security and capacity building.

“If you have business men in Australia looking for areas to invest in, this is one country(Nigeria) that no matter what you invest in, the population is there, the market is available and you will make quantum profits.

“I want you to take the message back to the business community in Australia that Nigeria is awaiting their coming and that you have come to open the door and that it will never be closed again,” Akpabio said.

The Senate President said the two countries could also help to build a very strong parliamentary bridge between Africa and the Pacific.

Earlier, the visiting Australian Speaker said when he decided to run for the Presidency of IPU, he was told that he has to come to Nigeria to understand Africa.

“I know that Nigeria is the heart of Africa and your leadership is well known throughout the continent. On behalf of the people of Australia, we thank you for what you have done for democracy and we thank you for what you have done for the IPU.

“Mr President, thank you to be honoured for being with you today. I thank you for allowing me to earn your support and l promise you if I’m elected or if I’m not elected, you have a brand new friend in Australia,” Hon. Dick said.

By Our correspondent

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, on Monday called for stronger collaboration between the National Assembly and the media to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s national budget from unlawful insertions.

Bagudu made the call while presenting a paper at the 2026 Capacity-Building Workshop of the Senate Press Corps (SPC) held at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

The workshop, with the theme: *“Leveraging Legislative Oversight and Media Collaboration to Safeguard the National Budget from Unlawful Insertions,”* was organized by the SPC under its Chairman, Taiye Odewale.

According to Bagudu, national planning is not optional but a constitutional obligation, and every insertion that is outside approved development priorities undermines sustainable growth.

He said the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has introduced difficult but necessary reforms, and the budget must reflect those priorities transparently.

“The total 2026 budget rose to N68.32 trillion after necessary adjustments. We must ensure that what is finally appropriated reflects approved priorities and serves the broader interests of Nigerians,” the Minister was quoted as saying.

Bagudu reaffirmed the commitment of the Executive to work with the Legislature to close gaps between development plans and annual budgets, noting that weak alignment continues to undermine service delivery.

He stressed that legislative oversight and responsible journalism remain critical instruments to detect and expose questionable budgetary practices, including the alleged external insertion of the Presidential Fiscal and Infrastructure Project Cost (PFIPC) which is already being challenged in court by the Executive.

Earlier, SPC Chairman Taiye Odewale said the theme was chosen against the backdrop of public concern over budget padding and the need to strengthen oversight, responsible journalism and public accountability.

The workshop also included intensive training on Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools facilitated by London-based instructors from Mass Media TX Limited to equip Senate Press Corps members with emerging technologies for data analysis and investigative reporting. ba882a29