By David Owei,Bayelsa

The National delegates election of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) has kicked off on Wednesday in Yenagoa with three aspirants indicating their readiness to contest for the position of the President with the procurement of nomination forms.

Among those who procured nomination forms on wednesday at the Ijaw House include the incumbent Secetary of the INC, Engr. Ebipamowei Wodu, Chief Kennedy Odiowei and the 2nd Vice President, Alabo Nengi James (OON).

They are all aspiring to succeed the outgoing President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Benjamin Okaba.

The incumbent Secetary of the INC, Engr. Ebipamowei Wodu, While speaking with newsmen after the collection of nomination form, vowed to bring new innovations, dynamism and sustained change to the Ijaw nation.

Wodu, noted that there has been notable division and infractions in the fold of the INC,” As Ijaw people have not been working together and the present executive have tried. We are going to ensure the unification of the Ijaw people and that the Ijaw people speak with one voice.”

” We will also ensure that we are have a one voice at the international levels and we will amplify the voice of ijaw nation.”

He reiterated his long standing call for resource control and urged the Nigerian government to allocate 50 percent of resources derived from Ijaw land to the Ijaw people.

He emphasized that his foremost priority would be to unite the Ijaw nation, ensuring the people speak with one strong and united voice.

He also promised to provide the INC with a befitting and well equipped national secretariat.

Engr. Wodu also assured that he would work closely with multinational companies and government institutions to promote sustainable development within Ijaw communities.

As part of his plans, he pledged to establish a contract and complaints desk where Ijaw people can report cases of oppression or unfair treatment, with the aim of ensuring justice and protection for all.

By Abdulwaheed Olayinka Adubi, Kaduna-Nigeria

The executive members of the northwest zone of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), converged on Kaduna for a strategic meeting, and discussed issues around the progress of the party in the zone.

At the maiden meeting of the zone on Wednesday, the party declared that the people of the northwest and Nigerians require leadership that focused on public interest and responsive governance.

In his opening remarks, the Zonal Vice Chairman of the northwest, Hon. Jafar Sani, disclosed that the northwest zone occupies a strategic position in the political landscape of the country, hence the need for proper coordination of the party in the zone.

While speaking, the Zonal Vice Chairman also declared that arrangements are on the top gear for the unveiling of the Zonal Secretariat, as well, the State Secretariats across the seven states within the zone.

On the ongoing mobilisation, revalidation and membership exercise of the ADC across the country, Sani said, “we are aware that some of the states have commenced this exercise around November last year, with many of us trying to follow suit, especially in the northwest.”

He added that: ” whatever steps the northwest is taken would definitely have a significant effect on the nation’s polity, so today, we are going to look into all the reports that we have received from all the states within the zone, and treat each of them accordingly.”

Fielding questions from Journalists shortly after the meeting, the Zonal National Secretary of the party, Hon. Abubakar Sa’ad Fakai, explained that the party leadership at all levels are working round the clock to ensure that the party is rooted in the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.

This is just as he also disclosed that the leadership of the party is considering all the issues one after the other, and to ensure that they are addressed based on the issues common to each state.

” If you have been following the activities of the National Secretariat of the party, you will see that the national leadership of the party is working on issues, one at a time, and in no distance time, all issues will be addressed in the interest of Nigerians,” Fakai explained.

When asked on the chances of the party to take over power in 2027, Fakai said: ” I am convinced that the ADC provides a credible platform that is already the choice of Nigerians, and with this, I can assure you that ADC is a part that everybody want to belong to ahead of the forthcoming general elections in 2027. Northwest Zone Holds Strategic Meeting In Kaduna

. . . Says Nigerians Require Responsive Governance.

By Abdulwaheed Olayinka Adubi, Kaduna

The executive members of the northwest zone of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), converged on Kaduna for a strategic meeting, and discussed issues around the progress of the party in the zone.

At the maiden meeting of the zone on Wednesday, the party declared that the people of the northwest and Nigerians require leadership that focused on public interest and responsive governance.

In his opening remarks, the Zonal Vice Chairman of the northwest, Hon. Jafar Sani, disclosed that the northwest zone occupies a strategic position in the political landscape of the country, hence the need for proper coordination of the party in the zone.

While speaking, the Zonal Vice Chairman also declared that arrangements are on the top gear for the unveiling of the Zonal Secretariat, as well, the State Secretariats across the seven states within the zone.

On the ongoing mobilisation, revalidation and membership exercise of the ADC across the country, Sani said, “we are aware that some of the states have commenced this exercise around November last year, with many of us trying to follow suit, especially in the northwest.”

He added that: ” whatever steps the northwest is taken would definitely have a significant effect on the nation’s polity, so today, we are going to look into all the reports that we have received from all the states within the zone, and treat each of them accordingly.”

Fielding questions from Journalists shortly after the meeting, the Zonal National Secretary of the party, Hon. Abubakar Sa’ad Fakai, explained that the party leadership at all levels are working round the clock to ensure that the party is rooted in the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.

This is just as he also disclosed that the leadership of the party is considering all the issues one after the other, and to ensure that they are addressed based on the issues common to each state.

” If you have been following the activities of the National Secretariat of the party, you will see that the national leadership of the party is working on issues, one at a time, and in no distance time, all issues will be addressed in the interest of Nigerians,” Fakai explained.

When asked on the chances of the party to take over power in 2027, Fakai said: ” I am convinced that the ADC provides a credible platform that is already the choice of Nigerians, and with this, I can assure you that ADC is a part that everybody want to belong to ahead of the forthcoming general elections in 2027.

By George Mgbeleke

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published and presented the revised Register of Voters for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of the February 21, 2026, Area Council Election, with the total number of registered voters rising to 1,680,315.

The presentation took place in Abuja on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, during a Stakeholders’ meeting with political parties, where the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the FCT, Malam Aminu Idris, described the exercise as a critical constitutional requirement in the Commission’s preparations for the election.

The REC recalled that INEC resumed the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise on August 18, 2025, beginning with online pre-registration and followed by physical registration nationwide from September 29, 2025.

He explained that, in compliance with Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the CVR was suspended in the FCT on October 12, 2025, to allow the Commission revise the Register of Voters for the Area Council Election.

According to him, the revision process, carried out pursuant to Section 10(6) of the Electoral Act, involved biometric deduplication of the register, its display for claims and objections, and the compilation of a supplementary list arising from the exercise.

He noted that the revised register now supersedes all previous registers.

Malam Idris disclosed that the total number of registered voters in the FCT increased from 1,570,307 recorded in 2023 to 1,680,315, adding that detailed statistics were made available to political parties at the meeting.

He further briefed stakeholders on the Commission’s level of preparedness for the February 21, 2026, Area Council Election, which will fill 62 councillorship seats and six chairmanship positions across the FCT.

He listed activities already undertaken by the Commission to include the monitoring of party primaries, publication of final lists of candidates, commencement of campaign monitoring, receipt of non-sensitive materials, activation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), voter education and sensitisation, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

The REC urged political parties and candidates to sustain the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the FCT and intensify voter mobilisation ahead of the election.

He also announced that Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for newly registered voters, as well as those who applied for transfer or updates during the CVR exercise, had been delivered to the FCT, noting that the Commission would announce the commencement date for PVC collection in due course.

In a related development, INEC has resumed the Continuous Voter Registration exercise in Anambra State.

The CVR exercise was suspended on July 20, 2025, to enable the Commission clean up the voters’ register, as well as produce and distribute Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the November 8, 2025, governorship election in the state.

The resumption of the CVR exercise at the Anambra State office and the 21 Local Government Area offices is expected to provide eligible voters the opportunity to register, update their records, apply for replacement of lost or damaged PVCs, and transfer their voting locations ahead of the 2027 General Election.