By George Mgbeleke

The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has declared that the party will not allow itself to be rigged out in the coming elections.

Senator Mark made this statement during a courtesy visit by the Governing Council of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development to the party headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

The Council, led by the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, said the courtesy call was part of the Centre’s ongoing stakeholder engagements with political parties and political leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The retired justice expressed the Centre’s commitment to promoting free, fair and credible elections and urged the ADC leadership to encourage its candidates and members to comply with INEC’s rules and eschew all forms of political violence.

In his response, Senator Mark declared the ADC’s commitment to playing by the rules.

“We are committed to playing politics in a manner that promotes public confidence in democracy,” he said.

He also emphasised that the party would comply with INEC’s rules guiding the elections, as well as the ADC’s code of conduct, articulated in its Orange Book. He said, the party would, however, not accept rigging.

“We hold ourselves to the highest standards of good conduct as a political party. We will play by the rules. But we will not accept rigging or allow ourselves to be rigged out,” he concluded.

Justice Ariwoola’s entourage included members of the Savannah Centre’s Governing Council, otherwise known as the “Council of the Wise”.

They included Professors Abdullahi Shehu and Azeez Musa Dankano; the Executive Director, Ambassador Sani Bala; Mr Tunji Lardner; and Ambassador Godswill Ighali, among others.

The Bayelsa State Government has thrown its weight behind the one-day public sensitisation and enlightenment programme being carried out in the state by the Nigerian Army on its 92nd nationwide regular recruitment exercise into the military.

Governor Douye Diri pledged the state government’s full support for the military sensitisation exercise when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Army led by Brigadier-General Ben Ogbuji in Government House, Yenagoa, on Wednesday.

Governor Diri, who spoke through his deputy, Dr. Peter Akpe, assured the Army that his administration would mobilise all relevant government agencies and stakeholders, including the youths, to participate fully to ensure success of the exercise in the state.

Describing the ongoing military recruitment as a form of employment for unemployed youths of the state, he noted that suitably qualified Bayelsa youths would be encouraged to fill the statutory quota of about 750 slots allocated to Bayelsa.

The Bayelsa Chief Executive, however, commended the military for its civilian-friendly disposition in contemporary times, and called for greater military-civil collaboration in the face of mounting national security challenges in the country.

His words: “The contemporary Nigerian military or army relations with the people has become very civil; the military has made it so civil; the fear that civilians cannot mix well with military personnel has been dispelled. We want to appreciate you on that.

“On the issue of sensitisation, our people have this general challenge of getting involved in some of these things. I remember a time I had packed some of the boys for recruitment into the army.

“They agreed with me they are ready, but one by one they sneaked out, while some of them were actually knocked off or disqualified for one reason or another.

“Thank you very much for the enlightenment and I believe that talking to the people more will be helpful. There is one statement you made that really caught my attention: ‘Whether Bayelsans fill their quota or not, the Nigerian Army would fill it.’

“We want to appreciate you profusely from the depth of our heart. On behalf of His Excellency the Governor, and the Government of Bayelsa State, I want to say a big thank you.

“In your sensitisation town-hall meeting with our people, you need to explain the recruitment qualifications and criteria such as physical fitness.

“The recruitment is also a form of employment and we are talking about 28,000 potential recruits to be evenly distributed among all the states. With this fresh zeal, all of us in society, political leaders, traditional rulers, community leaders and those in governance should do our bit to ensure our quota is filled otherwise, others will take up our chances again in this recruitment exercise. So everyone must participate in this sensitisation programme.”

Earlier in his remarks, Brigadier-General Ben Ogbuji, remarked that the military delegation was in the state for the sensitisation exercise on the directive of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, who wants Bayelsa to take its full allocation in the 28,000 new recruitment slots recently approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Brigadier-General Ogbuji, who is Director of Coordination, Army War College, Abuja, pointed out that it had been observed over the years that Bayelsa had not been meeting its quota as required by the Constitution of Nigeria in Army recruitment exercises, a development that has necessitated the public sensitisation in the state.

He said the focus of their engagement was on the 92nd Regular Recruitment that is already ongoing, and to dispel some misconceptions and disinformation that have resulted in the general apathy among young Bayelsans towards the Nigerian Army recruitment programmes in the past.

According to him: “We are here this morning on a sensitisation visit in respect of the ongoing recruitment exercise for 92nd regular recruit intake of the Nigerian Army.

“Over the years, it has been observed that, unfortunately, the people of Bayelsa State have not been meeting up with their quota as required by the Constitution of Nigeria. And that concern has come to the notice of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

“So, in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice, he has sent us here to do a sensitisation to educate the people of Bayelsa State about the ongoing recruitment exercise, and also take the opportunity to dispel some of the disinformation and misconceptions that possibly would have caused that apathy towards the military recruitment exercises, so that the people of Bayelsa State can take their rightful place in the affairs of the military in the country.

“Because whether the state fill its quota or not, at the end of the day, people from other states fill that quota allocated to Bayelsa.
It is the desire of the COAS that the people of Bayelsa State take their rightful place and that is basically why we are here this morning.”

Also present at the visit was the Secretary to State Government, Professor Nimibofa Ayawei.

By Georbe Mgbeleke

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed its sadness over the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, Ondo State, on Monday, while raising questions about the non-implementation of defence budgets needed for the regular maintenance of aircraft in service with the Nigerian Air Force.

In a statement released in Abuja on Tuesday and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party commiserated with the families of the victims of the crash.

Describing the incident as “tragic and unfortunate”, the party stated that it highlighted the poor funding of defence budgets in the country.

“While we do not intend to prejudice ongoing investigations into the cause of this tragic crash, we believe that this sad moment also provides an opportunity to raise, yet again, questions about the non-implementation of the defence budget and the perennial neglect of military equipment,” the party said.

Citing official figures, the opposition party stated that, by December 2025, the Federal Government had released a paltry N4.5 billion, representing only about 13.98 per cent of the N34.71 billion budgeted for the maintenance of Nigerian Air Force aircraft. This, the party said, stood in sharp contrast to the N20.74 billion allocated for the maintenance of the Presidential Air Fleet, of which N20.27 billion had been released over the same period, representing 97.76 per cent.

“Put simply, while the fleet that serves a handful of people in power got almost every kobo it asked for, the fleet that serves and protects 200 million Nigerians was left with crumbs,” the ADC said.

“The safety of the President matters. But what also matters is the safety of the pilots and airmen who put their lives on the line in defence of the country. Patriotism does not replace spare parts, and condolence messages do not take the place of accountability,” the party maintained.

The party therefore demanded that investigations into the cause of the crash also examine the maintenance of defence equipment, especially the Nigerian Air Force fleet, and include an audit of maintenance expenditure and budgetary releases.