Category: Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, has condemned the deaths of 37 persons in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, describing the incident as deeply troubling and demanding urgent answers on the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Obi stated this in a statement titled “Let’s Begin to Give Dignity to Human Lives in Our Land”, in which he said the deceased were suspects who, regardless of the offences they were accused of committing, remained entitled to humane treatment while due process took its course.

“The death of 37 persons in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, is a deeply troubling tragedy that demands urgent answers.

“These were persons who had been arrested as suspects. Whatever offence they were suspected of committing, they were still human beings, and the responsibility of the State was to keep them alive, safe, and treated humanely while due process took its course,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor said it was particularly disturbing that such a large number of people could die in a place of detention within a short period.

While investigations were ongoing into the cause of the deaths, including reports concerning disease, overcrowding and inadequate ventilation, Obi said Nigerians deserved a transparent, independent and credible investigation to establish exactly what happened.

He said the incident also highlighted the need to view security beyond the arrest of suspects.

“This tragedy also reminds us that security is not merely about arresting people. Security is about protecting lives, upholding the dignity of every citizen, and ensuring that the institutions entrusted with our safety operate within the law,” he said.

Obi said a country could not claim to value human life if people entered government custody alive and died without immediate, transparent and credible accountability.

He extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and urged the authorities to ensure that justice was done.

“Nigeria must become a country where the rule of law protects every citizen, not only those who are free but also those who are in custody,” he said.

Obi prayed for strength for the bereaved families as they mourned their loved ones.

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has reiterated the party’s mission of building “One Secure Nigeria” under “One Republic, One Security System”.

Adebayo stated this in a campaign manifesto he personally released on Thursday, outlining a four-year plan focused on security, economic development, job creation, infrastructure and accountable governance.

On security, the SDP candidate said that, if elected, his administration would establish a joint intelligence and operations platform, create a National Anti-Kidnapping and Banditry Command targeting weapons, ransom and illicit mining, and introduce state policing operating under national standards.

The manifesto, titled “Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity”, presents Adebayo’s proposed approach to addressing insecurity and economic hardship, with emphasis on measurable targets and public accountability.

The blueprint is organised around 12 missions, each assigned a lead institution, quarterly milestones and a public dashboard through which progress would be monitored.

Under Secure Nigeria, Adebayo proposes restoring intelligence-led security, strengthening policing and defence readiness, and protecting Nigeria’s borders and critical infrastructure.

The Feed Nigeria mission focuses on increasing agricultural productivity, reducing post-harvest losses, expanding irrigation and mechanisation, and developing food value chains.

Under Power Nigeria, the manifesto proposes stabilising grid electricity while expanding distributed, embedded and renewable power generation.

The Affordable Energy mission seeks to reduce the cost of fuel and electricity through domestic refining, gas development and logistics reforms.

On employment, the Jobs and Enterprise mission makes productive employment a central measure of economic policy, with emphasis on industrialisation, financing for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and skills development.

The Educate, Skill and Empower mission proposes modernising basic education, expanding technical and vocational training, and linking education and skills development to national production.

Under Healthy Nigeria, Adebayo proposes strengthening primary healthcare and universal health coverage, retaining medical personnel and expanding pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The Modern Infrastructure mission seeks to integrate roads, rail, aviation, waterways, broadband, housing and water infrastructure around national productivity.

Under Innovate Nigeria, the SDP candidate proposes using science, artificial intelligence, digital public services and indigenous technology to improve productivity and state capacity.

The Transparent Government mission focuses on professionalising the public service, digitising public finance and procurement, and publishing measurable performance data.

On governance, the United Federation mission proposes cooperative federalism and performance-based partnerships to improve coordination among the Federal, State and Local Governments.

The final mission, Nigeria in the World, proposes placing the national interest, Africa-focused diplomacy and the protection of Nigerian citizens at the centre of the country’s foreign policy.

Adebayo, a lawyer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, said the blueprint was intended to provide practical answers to questions about what his administration would seek to change if elected.

He said the proposed system of named institutions, defined targets, quarterly milestones and public dashboards would make government performance open to public scrutiny.

ENUGU, Nigeria (NPA) — The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State on Tuesday flagged off its campaign for the September 26 local government elections, promising a decisive victory across the state.

The campaign, held at the Isi-Uzo Council Secretariat, attracted party leaders, stakeholders and supporters from communities across the council area.

The State APC Chairman, Dr Martin Chukwunweike, presented the party’s flags to the chairmanship candidate, Chief Brendan Ani, and the 11 councillorship candidates contesting the election in the council area.

The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) has fixed September 26 for elections for chairmen and councillors in the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.

Speaking at the event, the outgoing Chairman of Isi-Uzo Council Area, Mr Obiora Obeagu, said the party was well prepared for the election, citing the turnout and support at the campaign as evidence of its popularity.

Obeagu said the administration of Gov. Peter Mbah had executed several projects in the area, including roads, smart schools and healthcare facilities.

He said the projects had contributed to opening up economic corridors and improving the lives of residents.

“We are very prepared. Our people are here. We have massive turnout, and you can see that they are happy and supporting the government because we have witnessed the kind of change we have never seen in Isi-Uzo.

“These projects have done our campaign for us, and today, the governor, as our leader, has united us in Isi-Uzo. We are standing strong and we are going to have massive victory,” he said.

On allegations by opposition parties that APC members were involved in disrupting their meetings, Obeagu dismissed the claims as unsubstantiated allegations.

He said it was possible for individuals to trigger crises and subsequently accuse political opponents of being responsible.

Also speaking, Chukwunweike urged residents of Isi-Uzo to vote for APC candidates in the council election and support the party in the 2027 general elections.

He said the party was fully prepared for the election and would mobilise voters at the grassroots to support its candidates.

The chairman also rejected allegations that the APC was involved in attacks or disruptions of opposition party meetings, describing some of the disputes as internal matters within the affected parties.

Chukwunweike urged the electorate to support the administration of Gov. Mbah, saying its projects had made an impact on residents across the state.

The APC South-East Zonal Woman Leader, Mrs Oby Ajih, urged residents of Isi-Uzo to turn out en masse on election day and vote for APC candidates.

Ajih described the APC as the party with the mandate of President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Mbah, urging supporters to work for victory from the chairmanship to councillorship positions.

The APC chairmanship candidate in Isi-Uzo, Chief Brendan Ani, expressed appreciation to Gov. Mbah for what he described as significant development in the council area.

Ani listed roads, smart schools and Type-2 hospitals among projects he said had positively impacted residents.

He also commended the governor for bringing members of the party together in the council area, saying the unity within the party would translate into electoral support.

Ani said the people of Isi-Uzo were happy with the administration and promised that the APC would receive massive support in the 2027 elections.

He said the governor had also demonstrated commitment to improving rural roads, recalling that some communities, including his village, had previously been difficult to access because of poor roads.

The chairmanship candidate called on residents to continue supporting the APC and its candidates in the forthcoming council election.

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Obidient Movement, a political group aligned with the aspirations of Mr Peter Obi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clarify the whereabouts and official engagements of its Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, amid concerns over his recent absence from official duties.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Media and Communications Directorate, the movement said the demand had become necessary following what it described as the chairman’s “conspicuous absence” from his official responsibilities.

The group referred to an X (formerly Twitter) post published by INEC on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, which introduced Prof. Rhoda Gumus as Acting Chairman of the Commission.

According to the movement, Gumus represented Amupitan at an official meeting with an African Union election monitoring delegation in Abuja on Tuesday.

The Obidient Movement said it was unaware of any official communication announcing that Amupitan had handed over his responsibilities to another official, either in an acting or substantive capacity.

It said the situation raised questions about the chairman’s current location, official schedule and the circumstances surrounding his absence.

“As Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections, the INEC Chairman cannot operate in secrecy,” the movement said.

The group alleged that Amupitan had “strong affection for the APC” and argued that Nigerians had a right to know where the head of the country’s electoral commission was, who he was meeting and what official responsibilities he was undertaking.

The movement subsequently called on INEC to publicly clarify five issues concerning the chairman’s absence.

It asked the Commission to state where Amupitan was currently, when he left Abuja and the official purpose of his absence.

It also sought clarification on who authorised his absence from the Commission’s headquarters and what meetings or engagements he had held since leaving Abuja, if he had travelled outside the country.

The group further asked whether the INEC chairman had met, or was scheduled to meet, President Bola Tinubu, the APC National Chairman or any representative of the ruling party.

The Obidient Movement said the questions were necessary because of INEC’s constitutional responsibility for conducting Nigeria’s elections and the importance of public confidence in the independence and credibility of the electoral process.

“These questions are not unreasonable. INEC is constitutionally responsible for conducting Nigeria’s elections, and the independence, transparency and credibility of its leadership have continued to be a cause of concern and are matters of urgent public interest,” the statement said.

The group urged INEC to provide clarification to prevent what it described as room for suspicion, particularly as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.

It also called for the electoral commission to demonstrate impartiality and transparency in its engagements with political actors.

“The electoral commission belongs to the Nigerian people. Its leadership must therefore be accountable to the public and must not leave room for speculation about secret political engagements,” the movement said.

The Obedient Movement maintained that INEC should disclose the chairman’s location and official engagements, describing the matter as one of public interest.

“INEC must tell Nigerians where its chairman is and what he is doing,” the statement said.

AWKA, Nigeria (NPA) — The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, has denied claims by the Anambra State Government that his administration left behind inherited debts, including a ₦2 billion ecological loan, contractor liabilities and unpaid salaries, gratuities and pensions.

Obi, in a statement issued on Tuesday and titled “Debunking the Phantom Debts and Ecological Loan Fallacy,” described the allegations as completely false and said his administration had settled outstanding liabilities inherited from previous administrations.

According to the former Anambra State governor, his administration liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, with payments exceeding ₦35 billion.

He said that at the point of handover, the state had no outstanding obligations in salaries, gratuities or pensions and owed nothing to contractors for projects that had been duly executed and certified.

On the alleged ₦2 billion ecological loan, Obi said the funds were released about three months before the end of his tenure to address the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis.

He said he declined pressure to spend the money before leaving office, insisting that the funds should remain available for his successor because “government is a continuum” and the money was earmarked for a specific project.

Obi said the funds were subsequently left intact in a First Bank account, which he identified as Account No. 2018779464, with a balance of more than ₦2.13 billion.

He further argued that funds earmarked for specific projects or purposes were not included in the more than ₦75 billion in savings he said his administration left behind.

The NDC candidate challenged anyone disputing his account to provide evidence to the contrary.

“If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning,” Obi said.