By George Mgbeleke

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said the Commission’s National Zonal Physical Assessment Tour has formally reached the South-East, as part of preparations for the 2027 General Election.

Prof. Amupitan stated this on Monday 19th October, 2026 in Enugu during a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council and Chairman of the South-East Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Sir Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu.

The Chairman, who led National Commissioners and senior management of the Commission on the visit, said the tour was beginning in the zone with homage to its traditional institutions.

“We consider it an essential administrative protocol and a deeply cherished tradition to begin our work in Enugu State by paying homage to the revered custodians of our culture, tradition, and community values,” he said.

He said the Commission had, across the geopolitical zones visited so far, prioritised direct engagement with leading traditional rulers.

“The Commission has made it a priority to interface directly with top traditional rulers, recognising that royal fathers are the ultimate anchors of grassroots peace, civic engagement, and community stability,” he stated.

Prof. Amupitan explained the purpose of the tour in the South-East.

“Our presence in Enugu and across the South-East zone is focused on auditing our operational readiness on the ground and evaluating field personnel preparedness down to the Registration Area (Ward) level,” he said.

He said the tour followed a series of operational tests under his leadership, including three off-cycle governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States, one Federal Capital Territory Area Council election and 16 bye-elections across the country.

The Chairman noted that each of the exercises had helped the Commission to refine election logistics, early poll openings and technological deployments.

He recalled that the Commission, a few days ago in Abuja, hosted a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders Engagement to mark 100 days to the first ballot of the 2027 General Election, where it reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, procedural integrity and strict adherence to its statutory schedule.

Prof. Amupitan reconfirmed the dates for the polls. The Presidential and National Assembly Elections will hold on Saturday, 16 January 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will hold on Saturday, 6 February 2027.

The Chairman told the royal fathers that the Commission could not secure peaceful elections on its own.

“While INEC manages the technical and administrative aspects of elections, the moral authority to ensure peaceful voting resides within our traditional institutions,” he said.

He accordingly requested their blessings, prayers and support in three areas.

The first, he said, is grassroots Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection, with the royal fathers mobilising citizens in all communities and Wards to collect their PVCs at designated centres, “as the PVC remains the sole instrument for accreditation.”

The second is the fight against voter apathy and vote buying, through sensitisation of communities against apathy and “the illegal practice of selling votes for short-term financial gains.”

The third is the promotion of peace and non-violence, with traditional rulers using their royal stools “to urge political parties, candidates, and youth groups to maintain decorum, avoid inflammatory rhetoric, and reject violence before, during, and after the elections.”

Prof. Amupitan said these efforts complemented the Commission’s work with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to ensure that elections are conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.

He disclosed that the collaboration was already yielding results, with the recent arrest of the alleged kingpins behind the kidnapping of National Youth Service Corps members, who form the bulwark of the Commission’s ad hoc personnel.

“The DSS will arraign those behind these evil acts within the week,” he said.

The Chairman assured the traditional rulers of the Commission’s resolve.

“Under my leadership, INEC remains unshakeable in its commitment to neutrality, transparency, and procedural fairness,” he said.

He added: “Every valid vote cast by Ndi Enugu and citizens across the South-East will count and be accurately reflected in the final election results.”

Prof. Amupitan thanked the Chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council and members of the Council for their warm reception, wise counsel and continued prayers for the peace and unity of the nation.

Responding, the Chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, His Royal Majesty Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, the Ogadagidi I of Edem-An Ogwugwu Ancient Kingdom in Nsukka Local Government Area, pledged the support of traditional rulers for the Commission ahead of the 2027 General Election.

His Royal Majesty assured the Commission that traditional rulers would encourage indigenes who registered and are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in their communities to do so.

“We promise that we will encourage our people to collect their PVCs,” he said.

A major highlight of the visit was the presentation of kola nuts, in keeping with Igbo tradition, alongside traditional ornaments to the INEC Chairman. In return, Prof. Amupitan presented a plaque and souvenirs to the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council.

By George Mgbeleke

The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has dismissed Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s response to its earlier statement as diversionary, insisting that his reaction has further raised questions about his political alignment with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The ADC-PCC had earlier advised Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), whose presidential candidate is Peter Obi, to stop attacking the ADC presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and redirect his energy towards holding the ruling APC accountable for its failures.

The Council maintained that, as an opposition figure, Kwankwaso should be challenging the Tinubu administration over the worsening economic hardship, insecurity and declining living standards confronting Nigerians, rather than repeatedly targeting Atiku and the ADC.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC-PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Kwankwaso’s response had failed to address the substance of the Council’s concerns.

According to the ADC-PCC, Kwankwaso casually mentioned the APC in his defence but devoted much of his response to attacking the ADC, a development it said raised questions about his priorities as an opposition leader.

“Why is Senator Kwankwaso making our candidate the issue instead of confronting the ruling APC, whose policies have made life increasingly difficult for millions of Nigerians?” the Council asked.

It argued that Nigerians were more concerned about hunger, insecurity, high fuel prices, the depreciation of the naira and the crushing economic hardship under the APC-led government than political exchanges among opposition figures.

The Council insisted that these national challenges should be the priority of any politician genuinely committed to providing an alternative to the Tinubu administration.

It further challenged Kwankwaso to explain why his political attacks appeared more frequently directed at Atiku and the ADC than at the ruling party responsible for the country’s current challenges.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the ADC cannot and will not be distracted by Senator Kwankwaso,” the Council declared.

Describing the ADC as a strong and increasingly accepted political platform, the ADC-PCC said it remained focused on mobilising Nigerians around its commitment to rescuing the country from what it described as the failures of APC governance.

The Council also challenged Kwankwaso to stop using attacks on the ADC to curry political favour with the ruling party and instead demonstrate the courage to openly align himself with the APC if he shares its political agenda.

The ADC-PCC reaffirmed its determination to remain united, focused and committed to offering Nigerians a credible alternative in the 2027 general election.

By George Mgbeleke
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly condemned the Minister of State for Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, for what it describes as a misplaced fixation on President Bola Tinubu’s second-term prospects while Nigerians endure crushing poverty, soaring petrol prices and an escalating cost-of-living crisis.

HURIWA in statement by its national coordinator,Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko,says Oyedele should stop acting like a political promoter for the President and concentrate on the economic responsibilities for which he was appointed. The association observes that Nigerians need urgent answers to their economic problems, not assurances about what international investors supposedly think of Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 election.

HURIWA maintains that the minister’s suggestion that markets and the international community are already pricing in a Tinubu second term is, at best, his own assessment and cannot be presented as a verdict on Nigeria’s political future. The power to elect the country’s next president belongs to Nigerians, not foreign investors, global financial institutions or powerful boardroom interests.

The association says it is disturbing that a senior economic official would use an international economic gathering to project the President’s re-election prospects when he should be explaining how the government intends to arrest worsening hardship, revive productive sectors, create jobs and restore the purchasing power of ordinary citizens.

HURIWA observes that the Nigerian economy cannot be defended with political projections while citizens are being battered by the consequences of policies they can barely survive. The association challenges Oyedele to explain how the administration intends to make life bearable for workers whose wages have been overwhelmed by the cost of food, transportation, electricity and other essential needs.

HURIWA further says the government must confront legitimate concerns about its growing reliance on borrowing. It observes that reports of increased revenue collections by government agencies should provoke questions about expenditure priorities, fiscal discipline and why borrowing remains a recurring feature of public finance.

The association recalls that economic commentator Dele Oye raised serious concerns about the growth of Nigeria’s public debt under the Tinubu administration in a report published by The Guardian on May 25, 2026. HURIWA says the government owes Nigerians a transparent account of its borrowing decisions, the projects financed with the loans and the concrete benefits those debts are delivering.

It warns that borrowing without demonstrable improvements in citizens’ welfare risks transferring an increasingly heavy financial burden to future generations. HURIWA insists that economic managers cannot demand public patience indefinitely while the costs of government policies continue to fall disproportionately on ordinary Nigerians.

On fuel subsidy, HURIWA rejects the argument that every form of subsidy is inherently incompatible with economic development. The association observes that governments in advanced economies provide various forms of public support to protect vulnerable households, sustain essential services and cushion citizens against economic shocks.

HURIWA says the real problem is corruption, waste, poor oversight and the failure to design and implement public interventions transparently—not the principle of helping citizens cope with unbearable economic pressures.

The association maintains that the removal of petrol subsidy without adequate protection for low-income households has aggravated the hardship facing millions of Nigerians. With petrol prices remaining exceptionally high and wages struggling to keep pace, HURIWA says the government cannot simply invoke market forces while ignoring the human consequences of its decisions.

HURIWA cites Professor Pat Utomi’s criticism of the government’s handling of petrol prices and wages, published by TheCable on October 16, 2026. Utomi questioned the President’s response to the suffering of citizens, asking: “But does the President care? How does he even sleep at night, knowing that millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive in a country blessed with abundant natural resources?”

HURIWA says this question captures the anger and frustration of citizens who see a country rich in natural resources struggling to provide economic security for its people. The association observes that economic reforms lose public legitimacy when citizens are repeatedly asked to endure sacrifices without seeing corresponding improvements in their living conditions.

The association therefore demands that Oyedele redirect his attention from political speculation to the urgent task of economic recovery. It calls on the Federal Government to explain how it intends to reduce the cost of living, expand employment opportunities, strengthen household purchasing power, tackle corruption and ensure that public revenue is translated into tangible benefits.

HURIWA insists that the success of economic reforms must be measured by how Nigerians live, not by how international investors assess the President’s re-election chances.

The association warns that no government can sustainably claim economic progress while millions of its citizens struggle to afford basic necessities. It urges the Tinubu administration to demonstrate greater sensitivity to public suffering, embrace transparent fiscal management and consider targeted relief measures that protect vulnerable Nigerians without opening fresh channels for corruption.

HURIWA stresses that Nigeria’s political future will be determined by the electorate, and no amount of international investor sentiment can substitute for the judgment of citizens who must live with the consequences of government policies.