By Agency Report

Millions of Americans are heading to the polls on Tuesday, 3 November, for the 2026 US midterm elections. The vote will determine which party controls Congress for the next two years and how much power President Donald Trump will have to advance his political agenda.

Midterm elections take place halfway through a US president’s four-year term. They give voters an opportunity to elect new members of Congress and decide which party will control the legislative branch of government.
Unlike presidential elections, Americans are not voting for a president. Donald Trump will remain in the White House regardless of the outcome.

Instead, voters will elect all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 members of the 100-seat Senate. Elections for governors in 36 states are also taking place, alongside thousands of state and local contests.
Voting takes place on Tuesday, 3 November, but the results will not come in all at once.

Polling stations close at different times across the country, depending on the state. The first results are expected after polls close on the East Coast, while voting continues further west.

For European viewers, the first results should start arriving during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday.
The biggest question is whether Republicans can retain control of both chambers of Congress.
Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in the House and Senate. Democrats need a net gain of four seats in each chamber to take control.

If Republicans retain their majorities, the president will have a clearer path to passing legislation and advancing his domestic agenda.

Several closely contested Senate races could determine which party controls the chamber.
Maine, Ohio, North Carolina, Iowa and Georgia are among the key states to watch.

Republicans are also defending seats in other competitive states, while Democrats face the challenge of protecting some of their own vulnerable seats.

The House battle is different. All 435 seats are contested, with control potentially coming down to a small number of closely fought congressional districts.

The midterms are also widely seen as a referendum on the president’s first two years in office.

Voters’ concerns about the cost of living, the economy, immigration and foreign policy could shape the outcome.

The results will offer an indication of public support for Trump’s policies and help determine the political landscape ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

By Abubakar Mohammed, Gombe

Less than 70 days to January 16,2027 presidential election,the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has pledged to remove barriers preventing persons with disabilities (PWDs) from participating fully in the elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Gombe State, Alhaji Umar Gajiram, gave the assurance at a sensitisation workshop on disability inclusion, accessibility and the effective deployment of electoral interventions for PWDs.

Gajiram said the commission was strengthening measures to address physical, communication, information and procedural barriers that hinder persons with disabilities from participating in elections as voters, candidates and election officials.

He said the initiative was aimed at ensuring that eligible voters with disabilities could exercise their civic rights without discrimination or unnecessary difficulties.

The workshop brought together INEC officials, representatives of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), disability organisations and other stakeholders to discuss strategies for improving electoral access and inclusion.

Among the interventions highlighted by the commission were Braille ballot guides for visually impaired voters, EC30 written instruction posters for deaf voters and magnifying glasses for persons with visual impairment and albinism.

INEC also identified voter education materials in Braille, jingles, flyers and posters as part of its efforts to ensure that electoral information reached persons with disabilities in accessible formats.

The commission said the measures were supported by Section 54 of the Electoral Act 2026, the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 and its framework on access and participation in the electoral process.

It urged electoral officers and disability organisations to strengthen collaboration to ensure that the materials reached their intended beneficiaries and were effectively deployed during elections.

Also speaking, INEC’s Administrative Secretary, Fadimatu Aliyu Bakare, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to ensuring that persons with disabilities enjoyed equal opportunities to exercise their voting rights.

Bakare said the commission had a dedicated department responsible for voter education and publicity, including providing persons with disabilities with relevant information about the electoral process.

She urged eligible voters with disabilities to participate in the forthcoming elections, assuring them that they would receive the necessary support and consideration.

Some participants commended INEC for the initiative but stressed the need for effective implementation to translate the measures into tangible improvements at polling units.

A physically challenged participant, Auwal Babangida, said persons with disabilities often faced discrimination and difficulties accessing polling units during elections.

He appealed to members of the public to show consideration for PWDs and allow them to exercise their civic rights without intimidation or avoidable obstacles.

Babangida said the success of the initiative would depend largely on the commitment of electoral officials and members of the public to implementing the measures.

INEC urged stakeholders to sustain their collaboration ahead of the 2027 general elections to ensure that no eligible voter was denied the opportunity to participate because of disability.

By David Owei, Yenagoa

Niger Delta Development Commission ,NDDC, officials took journalists on Monday to inspect the ongoing construction of the 600-metre Otuogori Bridge in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State following an incident at the project site.

During the media tour on Monday, the NDDC State Director in Bayelsa, Engr. Godknows Alamieyeseigha, said the commission had commenced an on-the-spot assessment to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Alamieyeseigha dismissed concerns that the incident was caused by structural failure, describing it as an accident that occurred during construction.

He expressed confidence in the competence of the contractor, Jillian Group of Companies, to address the issues identified by the commission and deliver the project to the people of Otuogori.

He said preliminary investigations were ongoing and that the commission would make its findings public at the conclusion of the exercise.

Also speaking during the inspection, the Managing Director of Jillian Group of Companies, Engr. Christian Omiezor, explained that the bridge was still at the preparatory stage, with the contractor yet to complete the construction of the bridge structure.

According to him, the incident occurred during the launching of the bridge beams, which were being positioned on their bearings as part of the construction process.

Omiezor explained that the beams were not yet permanently secured and could slide while resting on the bearings, adding that this was what happened during the incident.

He said the occurrence was a minor accident and attributed the absence of casualties to the safety measures put in place at the construction site.

“We are constructing a 600-metre bridge, but as you can see, we have not constructed a bridge yet. What you are seeing is just preparations for the bridge,” he said.

“What was going on was the launching of the beams, and in the process, there was a slight accident. Because the beam was resting on a bearing and had not been secured, it could slide. That was what happened. The good thing is that, with the safety measures put in place, no life was lost.”