By Our Correspondent

As 2027 election draws close,two senators from Taraba State, Haruna Manu and Shuaibu Lau, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party,( PDP) from Taraba state, have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), citing crises in their former party as the reason.

The two Lawmakers made their separate declarations via separate letters addressed to the Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read during plenary on Wednesday.

Both Manu, who represents Taraba Central Senatorial District and Lau of Taraba North, respectively said they had formally resigned their memberships of PDP from their wards after wide consultations with constituents and relevant stakeholders.

In his letter, Manu stated: “I write with due respect to formally notify the Senate of my decision to withdraw my membership from the PDP and to align myself with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The decision follows deep reflection, extensive consultation with my constituents, political associates, and key stakeholders, as well as a careful assessment of the prevailing political realities and the developmental aspirations of the people I represent.”

According to the lawmaker, joining the APC would better serve his constituents and national interests.

“I have become convinced that my continuous service to my constituents and my contributions to the legislative and developmental agenda of our nation will be better advanced on the platform of the APC,” he added.

In his own letter, Lau said the PDP’s internal crises and current direction have become a serious concern to him, hence the need to change the party.

He stated: “I hereby express my intention to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and to join the APC. I have become consistently concerned about my current party’s direction and internal issues.

“I believe the All Progressives Congress aligns more closely with my values and vision. Please accept this letter as formal notification of my defection to the APC.”

Configuration of senators across party lines in the Senate now shows that APC has 80, PDP 23, Labour Party three, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA two, New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP one, totalling 107 out of the 109 seats

Seats of Enugu North and Nasarawa North Senatorial Districts are vacant due to the demise of Senators Okechukwu Ezea and Godiya Akwashiki.

By George Mgbeleke
Ahead of 2027 general elections,the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has completed work on the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election.

Making this declaration in Abuja on Wednesday,during an engagement with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, reaffirmed the Commission’s its readiness to conduct a credible poll despite delays in the amendment of the Electoral Act at the National Assembly.

According to him, the Commission has already forwarded its recommendations on the proposed Electoral Act amendments to lawmakers and is currently awaiting legislative action. He noted, however, that the timing of the amendment could influence certain aspects of the election schedule.

Prof. Amupitan explained that while the timetable has been finalized, some outlined activities may require adjustments depending on when the National Assembly concludes work on the amended law

He added,”Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 empowers the Commission to issue a notice of election not later than 360 days before the date of the poll. While the National Assembly is currently working on amendments to the Electoral Act, the Commission has made its submission as required. We are mindful of the growing public interest and anticipation surrounding the release of the timetable and wish to assure political parties and the Nigerian public that the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election has been finalised in full compliance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and the Electoral Act, 2022.

“Having said that, we seek your support in urging the National Assembly to expedite action on the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.”

He emphasized that INEC remains committed to delivering a transparent and credible election and will continue to operate within the provisions of the existing legal framework until any new amendments are passed and signed into law.

The development, he said, underscores the Commission’s proactive planning approach ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle

On Voter Revalidation, Amupitan noted that a credible register of voters remains the bedrock of free, fair and transparent elections.

“No electoral process can command public confidence without trust in the integrity of its voters’ register. Nigeria’s national register, first compiled ahead of the 2011 General Election, has since been continuously updated and deployed in the General Elections of 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023, as well as in several off-cycle governorship and bye-elections. As of the 2023 General Election, the register stood at 93,469,008 voters.

“However, persistent challenges —including duplicate registrations, under-age registration, registration by non-citizens, deceased voters and incomplete or inaccurate records— continue to generate legitimate concerns. Such anomalies undermine public confidence in the electoral process.”

He noted in response the need to give the electorate the opportunity to participateat the 2027 election, the Commission will embark on a thorough clean-up with a view to further sanitising and strengthening the integrity of the register.

Accordingly, the Commission will be embarking on a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election.

On the Commission’s preparedness for the conduct of FCT area council elections in February 21st, Prof Amupitan disclosed that , “non-sensitive materials have been delivered and are being batched at each Area Council. Recruitment of Ad Hoc personnel have been concluded and their training began on 2nd February 2026.

“While Election Security Personnel have been trained, Supervising Presiding Officers (SPOs), Presiding Officers (POs) and Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs) are currently undergoing training. Furthermore, BVAS devices are being configured for accreditation and upload of results to the IReV portal, and sensitive materials will be delivered a day before the election. There will be a mock accreditation on Saturday, 7th February 2026, in 289 selected Polling Units (PUs) across the six Area Councils.

” The selected PUs will be made available on the Commission’s website. While INEC has deployed specialised resources and targeted sensitisation programmes to empower voters with disabilities and ensure inclusivity, 83 domestic and five foreign observers have been accredited for the polls.”

By George Mgbeleke

Disturbed by the sudden death of a snake bite victim in Abuja recently, Senate on tuesday called on governments at all levels to urgently address gaps in emergency healthcare delivery by mandating the availability of minimum stocks of anti-venom and other life-saving antidotes in hospitals across Nigeria, particularly in high-risk and snake-prone areas.

The resolution followed a point of order raised by Senator Idiat Adebule (Lagos West), who drew lawmakers’ attention to the death of a young Nigerian, Ifunaya Nwangene, allegedly due to the absence of anti-venom at the hospital where she was taken after suffering a snakebite.

Describing the incident as a painful and avoidable tragedy, Senator Adebule said no Nigerian should lose their life to treatable emergencies because of poorly equipped health facilities.

“It is heartbreaking that in this day and age, a young Nigerian could lose her life simply because a hospital did not have access to basic anti-venom,” she said. “This is a systemic failure that requires urgent legislative and executive intervention.”

The motion received overwhelming support from senators, who called for stricter regulations to ensure that hospitals, especially those in rural and high-risk communities, maintain mandatory stocks of anti-venom and other critical antidotes.

Contributing to the debate, Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) stressed the need to prioritise states with high incidences of snakebites.

“In many parts of the country, snakebites are a common occurrence, yet our hospitals are grossly unprepared. This resolution is about saving lives and enforcing accountability,” Karimi said.

Also speaking, Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) urged that compliance with minimum medical stock requirements be linked to hospital licensing.

“We must go beyond resolutions. Hospitals that cannot meet basic emergency care standards should not be allowed to operate,” Ani stated.

Similarly, Senator Titus Zam (Benue North-West) noted that rural dwellers are often the most affected by inadequate healthcare facilities.

The poor and those in remote communities bear the brunt of these failures. Ensuring access to anti-venom is a matter of social justice,” Zam said.

The Senate consequently resolved that compliance with minimum anti-venom and antidote stock requirements should be made a prerequisite for the licensing of new hospitals and the renewal of licences for existing ones nationwide.

In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and Nigerians at large, describing the incident as deeply saddening and unacceptable.

“This is a loss that should never have happened. As a nation, we must do better to protect the lives of our citizens,” Akpabio said.

He thereafter led the chamber in a minute of silence in honour of the late Ifunaya Nwangene.