By George Mgbeleke

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with clarifying allegations that some of the postings and deployments recently carried out by the electoral body may have been “ethnically motivated” and given preference to officials from President Bola Tinubu’s South-West.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said it is in possession of intelligence and “direct complaints” regarding recent personnel changes and redeployments in some of the Commission’s “strategic departments and stations.”

The opposition party said it has received information that several officers from nothern part of the country who had served in departments like Electoral Operations and ICT are being moved away to other departments.

“We have specific names of officers moved from Electoral Operations and ICT in a number of northern states and replaced with officers from Lagos and other South-West states. INEC may dismiss this as routine. But we have noticed a pattern, especially along ethnic lines, and we are concerned,” the party said.

ADC said that while it is not accusing INEC of any “nefarious” plans yet, it believes that any suspicion or allegation that potentially undermines trust in and the credibility of the electoral umpire must not be dismissed lightly.

“Especially if those allegations border on sectional bias that could actively undermine the neutrality of election officials and the Commission’s own impartiality,” the party said.

“Regardless of the Commission’s motives, questions about regional concentration in sensitive departments cannot be brushed aside as routine administrative matters. And concentrating strategic operational appointments in a manner that suggests ethnic or sectional bias to give an advantage to President Tinubu and the APC must not be ignored.”

The ADC urged INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to publish the postings, selection criteria and reasons for the changes to reassure all citizens in every part of the country that they would be treated fairly and their electoral choice would not be undermined just because they speak a different language or come from another part of the country.

“Allowing such allegations to go without a serious, evidence-based rebuttal could have serious implications for the integrity of the elections,” the party warned.

HURIWA to Tinubu: Rescue 80 Abducted Borno Schoolchildren, Stop Treating Their Plight With Silence

George Mgbeleka

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take immediate and decisive action to rescue about 80 schoolchildren and teachers reportedly held captive by terrorists in Borno State for nearly six months.

HURIWA in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko said the President has a legal, constitutional and moral obligation to ensure the safe return of the abducted children, stressing that Nigerians should not have to beg their government to protect their lives.

The association expressed concern that the prolonged captivity of the victims has raised troubling questions about the effectiveness of the government’s security response and its commitment to protecting vulnerable citizens.

HURIWA said the President, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, bears a central responsibility for providing leadership, direction and coordination in the national security response.

It stressed that protecting lives and property is a fundamental responsibility of government under the Constitution, alongside the promotion of the welfare of citizens.

The association maintained that the continued captivity of the children demands urgent presidential intervention, effective coordination among security agencies and clear communication with the affected families.

The victims were reportedly abducted in two separate attacks in Mussa and Lassa communities in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State between May and June 2026.

Reports indicate that about 40 to 44 children were taken in the first attack, although the exact number remains disputed, while 36 pupils and a teacher were reportedly abducted in the second incident.

The prolonged captivity has caused severe distress among affected families, some of whom have publicly questioned why their children remain in captivity while pupils abducted in a separate incident in Oyo State were released after 57 days.

HURIWA said the concerns expressed by the parents deserve urgent attention rather than repeated assurances without publicly verifiable progress.

The association also called for a comprehensive review of the Safe School Initiative, introduced after the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State.

It said the persistence of school abductions more than a decade after the initiative’s introduction points to the need for stronger implementation, improved intelligence gathering, better coordination among security agencies and accountability for lapses.

HURIWA further stressed that securing schools must go beyond physical infrastructure to include early-warning systems, rapid emergency responses and effective protection for communities surrounding vulnerable schools.

The association urged the Federal Government to intensify lawful and intelligence-led efforts to secure the release of all the captives without exposing them to additional danger.

It also called on the authorities to provide affected families with credible updates on rescue efforts while avoiding disclosures that could compromise ongoing security operations.

HURIWA said the children must not be allowed to become forgotten victims of Nigeria’s protracted insecurity crisis.

The association insisted that the safe return of the abducted pupils and their teachers must remain an urgent national priority and called on the President to demonstrate the leadership required to bring their ordeal to an end.

By Our Correspondent

Contrary to the ongoing strike largely by techers in the Federal Capital Territary (FCT) Abuja for alleged poor welfare provision, delayed promotion among others,Teachers in both public and private schools in Enugu State have resoundingly endorsed the Governor of the state, Dr. Peter Mbah, for a second term, citing improved teachers’ welfare, increased education funding, promotions and other interventions.

The teachers also endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose economic reforms, Mbah said, had made more resources available to states to embark on massive projects such as the construction of over 267 Smart Green Schools across all the 260 political wards of Enugu State.

The teachers made their position known through over 12,000 of their members, who marched through parts of Enugu metropolis before holding an endorsement rally at Okpara Square, Enugu, on Saturday under the auspices of Teachers for Grassroots Movement (TGM).

In his address, the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Theophilus Odo, described Mbah as a Godsend, reeling out the concrete steps taken by the Governor to address the challenges that had bedevilled the education sector in the state before now.

“On behalf of the NUT, I want to say that we are happy today because God has given us a caring governor, Peter Mbah.

“He was instrumental to the domestication of the harmonised retirement benefits for the teachers even before he became governor.

“The building of over 260 Smart Green Schools is a very positive change. Our teachers and children can now compete favourably with their peers in other places.

“He has started recruiting thousands of teachers, and he is also building smart teachers by ensuring that they attend symposiums and other training programmes to gain more knowledge.

“There are no outstanding promotions, and our salaries are coming at the appropriate time.

“So, we, the teachers, are endorsing our governor for a second term in office. The votes of our teachers are only for Governor Mbah,” Odo stated.

On his part, the Chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in Enugu State, Nelson Agu, said private school teachers were joining such a rally in the state for the first time ever to encourage what he described as Mbah’s revolution in the education sector.

He noted that the introduction of Smart Green Schools had challenged private schools in the state to improve.

“When you came and started the idea of over 260 Smart Green Schools, we thought we were out of service. But we went and upgraded our schools to meet the required standards.

“Importantly, the idea of allocating 33 per cent of the budget to the education sector for three consecutive years is something to laud your administration for,” Agu told Mbah.

The Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state, Simeon Akaeme, said the Mbah administration had restored the dignity of teachers and made life better through huge investments in infrastructure and social services.

The Director-General of the Teachers for Grassroots Movement, Dr. Nwakaego Aja, described education as a springboard to liberation, self-reliance and economic development amid the systemic collapse experienced by the nation.

Aja assured him of the total support of the over 30,000 teachers in the state.

“Through experiential learning and innovation, you brought answers to the quest by our nationalists, elevating education to a catalyst for economic development,” she asserted.

“We, the teachers, are not ingrates. We see what you are doing. You promised disruptive innovation, and you have delivered disruptive innovation. That is why we are here.

“We promise you this: we will take your good news to the communities, to the staff rooms, to every market, to every polling unit, and we will deliver. Our vote is for the All Progressives Congress (APC) from bottom to top,” she stressed.

The Commissioner for Education and patron of TGM, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah, said the endorsement by the teachers in their thousands was a tip of the iceberg of the support coming his way and that of the President ahead of the 2027 general election.

He added, “On behalf of every teacher gathered here today, I have one message, and that is to thank you for believing and investing in the vision that it is through education that Enugu State will attain greater heights. You have committed so many resources to giving every Enugu child a future.”

In his remarks, Governor Mbah said the endorsement meant so much to him beyond the 2027 polls, as the future his administration wanted to build for the state depended on education and the teachers.

“Today’s endorsement carries a particular significance, and that is because everything we do, all the promises we have made, all the projections we have made — growing Enugu’s economy, becoming one of the top three states in terms of GDP, making Enugu State the number one state in terms of investment, business, living and tourism — are in the hands of our teachers.

“That is why it appears as if we are insane about education when you consider what we are doing in the sector —building over 7,000 classrooms. And we are not talking about the details because we do not talk about 464 furniture items, we do not talk about 25,000 desktop computers, we do not talk about over 5,000 tablets or the free feeding and uniforms, among others.

“For us, it is about transformation —transforming an education system. And that whole transformation, whether we fail or succeed, would lie largely in your hands.

“That is why, when I say that I see you and I value you, it comes from the depths of my heart because I understand what you go through to inculcate this knowledge into our children so that we can become that great state. So, we love you and appreciate you dearly,” he emphasised.

The wife of the Governor, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, who was represented by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, said the endorsement was a great reward for a government that had made education the cornerstone of its development agenda.

The event attracted senior government officials, political and community leaders, among others.