| Source | Date | Title | Summary of Report | Subject/Category | Page No./Weblink | |||
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| VANGUARD | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | Two Can Play the Game: Sowore's AAC Writes Tinubu, Demands Presidential Villa for Campaign Council Inauguration | The African Action Congress has asked President Bola Tinubu to approve holding the inauguration of its Presidential Campaign Council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, with logistical support for 5,000 participants. In a letter dated October 21, 2026 and signed by National Secretary Oshiokhue Philip Ikpeminoghena, the party said it wants to hold the ceremony on November 11, 2026. It requested food, drinks and other support for attendees from within Nigeria and abroad, saying this is consistent with arrangements extended to the APC for a similar engagement. The AAC invoked "the spirit of multiparty democracy, political inclusiveness, and equal treatment of political parties." Omoyele Sowore is the party's candidate. | POLITICS; AAC; SOWORE; PRESIDENTIAL VILLA; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | "Threat to Democracy" - Kabiru Turaki Led PDP Faction Condemns Wike’s Rainbow Coalition | A faction of the PDP led by former Minister Kabiru Turaki has told party members to ignore the "Rainbow Coalition" promoted by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to campaign for President Bola Tinubu's re-election. Faction spokesman Ini Ememobong said in a statement on Tuesday that the opposition's main duty is to offer voters an alternative, and called the coalition "the greatest threat to electoral democracy" that could push Nigeria toward an electoral monarchy. He called Wike's urging of PDP members to fold their structures and back Tinubu "shameful." The faction awaits a Court of Appeal judgment on its bid to take over the party's leadership. APC governors have also opposed the coalition, and Wike has accused them of acting from fear of losing their elections. | POLITICS; PDP; WIKE; RAINBOW COALITION; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | INEC Violates Electoral Act, Fails to Publish Voter Register on Website 90 Days Before Election | INEC has not published the preliminary voters' register on its website within the 90 days before the general election required by the Electoral Act 2026. Section 19(1) requires registers to be displayed for seven days at every registration area and on the official website, and for the January 16, 2027 elections the deadline fell on October 18. INEC displayed registers at registration areas from October 9 to 15, but the online portal still showed "There are currently no preliminary registers to display." INEC spokesman Mohammed Haruna said the register was published at registration areas for claims and objections and a clean copy is due by December 15. Lawyer Mujeeb Abdulwasiu called the failure "clearly a breach." | ELECTIONS; INEC; VOTER REGISTER; ELECTORAL ACT | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| THISDAY | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | "A Return Is Inconceivable" - Peter Mbah Backs Tinubu on Fuel Subsidy Removal | Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has backed President Bola Tinubu's removal of the fuel subsidy, calling a return to the old system "inconceivable" and a "pathetic misconception." Speaking at a "Meet the Candidates" town hall organised by Afia TV in Enugu on October 21, he said Nigeria would lose ten times the gains from removal, the naira would automatically lose value, poverty would rise sharply and even discussing a return would make investors "jittery." He said the old subsidy mainly benefited wealthy Nigerians and that proceeds now fund cash transfers and seed capital for 1,000 people in each ward. Mbah listed his projects, outlined plans for 660 megawatts of power, and asked residents to support a second term. | POLITICS; ENUGU; MBAH; FUEL SUBSIDY; 2027 ELECTIONS | THISDAY | |||
| PUNCH | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | Rivers: Police Warn Politicians Against Inflammatory Comments Ahead of Elections | The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, has urged political parties and candidates for the 2027 elections to shun inflammatory comments and run issue-based campaigns. Represented by Assistant Commissioner of Police Ikechukwu Okoro at a one-day Rivers Dialogue in Port Harcourt, he said "election is not a do-or-die matter" and advised parties to obtain permission for campaigns so rallies do not clash. National Orientation Agency Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu said a credible election "cannot be guaranteed by INEC alone." APC governorship candidate Kingsley Chinda pledged to "a peaceful election and peaceful governance," and candidates of the SDP, PRP and other parties also committed to non-violent elections. | ELECTIONS; RIVERS; ELECTION SECURITY; POLICE | PUNCH | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | Imam Removed for Alleged Campaigning in a Bauchi Mosque | Imam Dahiru Abubakar of a mosque in the Madina quarters of Bauchi metropolis has been removed for campaigning for President Bola Tinubu's re-election in sermons after obligatory prayers. He was suspended after repeating the practice following the Subhi prayer on Sunday, a week after a similar incident led to the setting up of a committee. Abubakar said he had urged worshippers to stop blaming Tinubu for hardship and insecurity, which he attributed to an "end times phenomenon." Mosque committee chairman Imam Abubakar Jibrin said the committee objected to the campaigning and to Abubakar's request to rename the mosque after Tinubu. He said political activity belongs in party offices and the committee will not reinstate him. | POLITICS; BAUCHI; RELIGION; TINUBU; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PUNCH | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | State Police: Ekiti, Kebbi Endorse Bill, Tally Hits 15 | The Ekiti and Kebbi State Houses of Assembly have endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police, bringing the number of states backing it to 15. At least 13 states had already passed the bill: Osun, Edo, Oyo, Rivers, Zamfara, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Delta, Taraba, Cross River, Plateau and Enugu. Ekiti passed the Sixth Alteration Bill, 2026 with the 21 members present, and Speaker Adeoye Aribasoye directed the Clerk to transmit it to the National Assembly. Kebbi's 20 lawmakers adopted a resolution in support, with committee chairman Muhammad Garba Bena saying state police would strengthen security operations. The amendment requires the support of at least 24 of 36 states. | NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; STATE POLICE; CONSTITUTION REVIEW; EKITI; KEBBI | PUNCH | |||
| PUNCH | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: FRSC Bars Political Escorts, Restricts Officers to Traffic Duties | The Federal Road Safety Corps has barred its personnel from escorting politicians during campaigns for the 2027 elections. Zonal Commanding Officer ACM Abimbola Owolabi gave the directive during her maiden visit to the Cross River Command in Calabar on Wednesday, saying "patrol vehicles and sirens must not be used for political activities or private engagements, including weddings and funeral processions." She directed officers deployed to campaign venues to focus exclusively on traffic management and warned against leading political convoys. Owolabi also warned personnel against extortion and corruption, urged professionalism with motorists, and called for stronger partnerships with private operators to clear broken-down vehicles from highways. | ELECTIONS; FRSC; CAMPAIGN; CROSS RIVER | PUNCH | |||
| PUNCH | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | NITDA Warns of AI Manipulation Ahead of 2027 Elections | The National Information Technology Development Agency has warned that AI-powered misinformation, deepfake videos and sophisticated cyberattacks could be used to manipulate Nigerians ahead of the 2027 elections. Director-General Kashifu Abdullahi spoke at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday on the International Cybersecurity Conference 2026. He said: "Today, as a hacker, it's easier for me to hack humans than to hack systems," and urged Nigerians to verify AI-generated political content before sharing it. He said more than 95 per cent of cyber breaches result from human error. The conference, themed "Cyber Resilience in the Age of AI," will feature 13 keynote addresses, 16 panel discussions and a hackathon expected to draw about 1,946 participants. | ELECTIONS; ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; DISINFORMATION; CYBERSECURITY | PUNCH | |||
| VANGUARD | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | Ebola: UN Expresses Confidence in Nigeria's Containment Efforts | The United Nations has expressed confidence in Nigeria's ability to contain its newly confirmed Ebola case. UN Secretary-General's Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told the News Agency of Nigeria at UN Headquarters on Wednesday that the UN has "full confidence in the ability and the capacity of the Nigerian Government's health authorities," praising their swift response and extensive contact tracing. He said Nigeria is the fifth country to report a case of the Bundibugyo virus in the current outbreak, and the UN is ready to assist. The World Health Organisation said the woman developed symptoms on October 7, sought care in Abuja on October 11 and tested positive on October 20, with 44 contacts identified. | HEALTH; EBOLA; UNITED NATIONS; NIGERIA | VANGUARD | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | Greece: Students, Trade Unions Protest Rising Cost of Living | Trade unions and student organisations in Greece staged a nationwide strike and demonstration on Wednesday against the high cost of living, demanding more investment in public education. About 3,000 police officers were due to be deployed in Athens to prevent unrest like that seen in other European cities. School and university students set up tents in Syntagma Square outside parliament, demanding lower rents, higher housing subsidies, more student accommodation and additional teaching staff. Public sector workers also walked out after a call from the ADEDY trade union confederation, which said the action showed solidarity with the education protests. France experienced some of its worst rioting in years on Saturday, and smaller clashes broke out in Milan and Belgium. | INTERNATIONAL; GREECE; PROTESTS; COST OF LIVING | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | UK, France, Egypt Joins Saudi Arabia in War Against Houthi Rebels | Egypt has announced it will join the war between the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday that Cairo's proposed military support for Riyadh was to "defend Saudi territory" and did not include an attack on Yemen. Parliament has held two secret sessions and postponed deliberations until next week. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad delivered a letter from Sisi to Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. French President Emmanuel Macron said French troops would help protect the Yanbu oil terminal, and the UK announced it would deploy fighter jets. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Egyptian involvement would make the situation "more difficult." | INTERNATIONAL; EGYPT; SAUDI ARABIA; YEMEN; HOUTHIS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| VANGUARD | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Wike Asks PDP Members in FCT to Back Tinubu, APC Candidates | FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, coordinator of the Tinubu/APC Presidential Campaign Council in the FCT, has urged PDP members in the territory to back President Bola Tinubu and APC candidates in the 2027 elections. Speaking at a political stakeholders forum in Abuja on Wednesday, he said PDP members would support Tinubu, Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda and Dr John Gabaya, and promised that campaign logistics would be provided. He defended the removal of the fuel subsidy, saying every former president had called it a scam but none acted, and said living costs would fall once the reform stabilises. Wike said the Apo-Karshi Road would be commissioned by November, and that at least six projects would be commissioned in AMAC in December. | POLITICS; WIKE; PDP; APC; FCT; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Obidient Movement Members Quit Group, Endorse Tinubu | Some members of the Obidient Movement, which backed Peter Obi's Labour Party presidential bid in 2023, have endorsed President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 election and will rename themselves "Batified Obidients" under the APC. At a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, former director of operations Adesina Fagbenro-Byron said Obi, now running under the NDC, had been "out of his depth without fully realising it" in 2023. The group credited Tinubu's administration with removing the petrol subsidy, raising allocations to states and local governments, strengthening foreign reserves and easing inflation. It endorsed Vice President Kashim Shettima and pledged to campaign in states Tinubu lost in 2023. Fagbenro-Byron said other Obidients have joined the ADC or NDC. | POLITICS; OBIDIENT MOVEMENT; APC; TINUBU; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: The Strength of APC Is in Northern Nigeria, Says APC National Secretary | APC National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru has said Northern Nigeria is the ruling party's stronghold ahead of the 2027 elections. Speaking on Channels Television's Politics Today on Wednesday, he said: "The strength of the APC is in the Northern part of this country and you will see it by the grace of God when election comes in 2027." He pointed to a gathering where political, economic and industry leaders donated a campaign office called "Arewa for Asiwaju," said prominent opposition figures such as former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu are joining the APC, and said "the masses of Northern Nigeria are with us." He said the opposition "only wants to win" and should accept losses as part of democracy. | POLITICS; APC; NORTHERN NIGERIA; BASIRU; 2027 ELECTIONS | CHANNELS TV | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | Ganduje's Ally, Mansur Ahmed, Quits APC | Engr. Mansur Ahmed, a former Kano State Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport and a close ally of former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has resigned from the APC, citing its "deteriorating affairs." He submitted his letter to the APC chairman of Yakasai Ward in Kano Municipal Local Government Area. The resignation came about a week after former Nigerian Ports Authority Managing Director Aminu Dabo also left the party. Ahmed said he and his political associates assessed the state of the APC together before deciding to leave, and that he wants a party that places "protection of lives and property" at the centre of its agenda. He served as commissioner from 1999 to 2003 under Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. | POLITICS; APC; KANO; DEFECTIONS; GANDUJE | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | House of Representatives Demand Review of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Realignment | The House of Representatives on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to keep the original alignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway through Ondo State and the Escravos-Ogheye-Ugborodo corridor in Delta State, and called for a review of the proposed realignment. Thomas Ereyitomi, who moved the motion, said the route change "may compromise the project's original connectivity and economic-development objectives" and cited communities hosting oil and gas infrastructure. Inombek Abiante demanded that the expert behind the proposal appear before the House. Mark Esset's amendment asked the Ministry of Works to submit the project's Environmental Impact Assessment. Minister of Works Dave Umahi has said the government plans to use parts of the existing East-West Road in the affected corridor. | NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; INFRASTRUCTURE; LAGOS-CALABAR HIGHWAY; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | "Don't Use Ebola to Discourage Nigerians From Voting" - Atiku Tells FG | Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has demanded an account of the ₦10 billion approved for Ebola preparedness after the first confirmed case in Abuja. In a statement by Phrank Shaibu of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said President Bola Tinubu promised in June that the money would be released immediately, and asked for the amount disbursed, payment dates, contracts and recipients: "A press statement cannot replace an audit." He said the patient arrived on October 5, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought care on October 11, but the case was confirmed on October 20, leaving 44 contacts unmonitored. He criticised the Presidential Task Force chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila and warned against using the outbreak to restrict Nigerians' right to assemble and vote. | HEALTH; EBOLA; ATIKU; ADC; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | Ebola: Nigerian Lawmakers Demand Release of Outstanding Funds for Health Agencies to Strengthen Response | The House of Representatives has urged the executive to urgently release all outstanding funds appropriated for health agencies to strengthen Nigeria's Ebola response. It adopted a motion of urgent national importance on Wednesday, sponsored by Amobi Ogah, who warned that "any delay in identifying suspected cases" could increase transmission risk and raised concerns about public awareness, shortages of infection prevention supplies and emergency response capacity. The House asked the Ministry of Finance to release the funds, the Health Ministry and NCDC to assess additional resources, and the government to work with the WHO. Its Committee on Infectious Diseases was mandated to obtain updates. A woman who arrived from Uganda tested positive on October 20, and 44 contacts are being monitored. | HEALTH; EBOLA; NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | Plateau Imams Raise Alarm Over Security Threats, Urge Federal Government to Intervene | Five imams from mosques in Dorowa-Babuje, Luggere and Jol communities in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State have raised concerns over security threats as tensions run high in Barkin Ladi, Mangu, Bokkos and Riyom, where the state government has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew. Imam Yahaya of the Juma'a Mosque in Luggere said community members are being arrested without cause, social media team members have been detained and threatened, and "communities are attacked and houses burned without any reason." The imams asked for an end to the vandalising of property and burning of homes by security personnel, security at places of worship during Friday prayers, and permission for cattle to graze. They said they do not oppose lawful investigations. | SECURITY; PLATEAU; BARKIN LADI; CURFEW | DAILY TRUST | |||
| ARISE | 22ND OCTOBER 2026 | Putin Agrees to Resume Trilateral Peace Talks With Ukraine, US in November | Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to resume US-mediated trilateral peace talks with Ukraine as early as November 10, after meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg. The talks could be held in Abu Dhabi at a technical level and would focus on security guarantees, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said. The nearly three-hour meeting, their ninth in person, opened with Russia releasing retired American schoolteacher Stephen Hubbard at Donald Trump's request. Ushakov said the outcomes "do not entirely satisfy us." Moscow wants full control of Donetsk and opposes Ukrainian NATO membership. Trump warned that Ukraine must end the war or face "a very bad thing." Putin also proposed cooperation with Washington on Iran's nuclear programme. | INTERNATIONAL; RUSSIA; UKRAINE; PEACE TALKS | ARISE | |||
| GUARDIAN | 30TH SEPTEMBER 2026 | Bayero’s supporters destroy Tinubu, Yusuf’s campaign posters in Kano | Supporters of Aminu Ado Bayero, whose claim to the Kano emirship is disputed by the camp of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, destroyed campaign banners and posters of President Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf during an outing by Bayero within the city, according to eyewitnesses. The incident occurred while the Kano State Government had restricted durbar processions and horse-riding in the metropolis over fears of clashes between rival supporters. Speaking through Chief Councillor Aminu Babba Dan’agundi, Bayero reportedly expressed displeasure, directed that damaged materials be repaired or replaced, and said traditional rulers are “fathers of the people, not politicians”. | KANO EMIRATE DISPUTE; POLITICAL TENSION; 2027 ELECTIONS | GUARDIAN | |||
| PUNCH | 30TH SEPTEMBER 2026 | Benue NDC condemns ward chairman’s murder | The Benue State chapter of the NDC condemned the killing of Igbu Terhemen, the party’s Fiidi Ward Council chairman in Makurdi Local Government Area. He was reportedly attacked by suspected hoodlums who tied him with ropes, injected him with substances suspected to be poisonous and abandoned him near the NNPC depot along the Makurdi-Otukpo Road, and he died after being found almost unconscious. State publicity secretary Agile Bem disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, and state chairman Ohini Ojegbe called on security agencies to investigate and bring those responsible to justice. | POLITICAL VIOLENCE; BENUE STATE; NDC | PUNCH | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | Independence Day: Nigeria Is Moving From Reform To Prosperity, Tinubu Assures Nigerians | In his Independence Day address on Thursday, President Tinubu said Nigeria is moving from reform to prosperity and that the “emergency treatment is over”. He maintained that his reforms confronted rather than created the economy’s weaknesses and urged Nigerians to resist influential voices calling for a return to fuel subsidies. He cited economic growth above 4 per cent this year, a substantial fall in inflation, reduced oil theft, rebuilt foreign reserves and a stabilised foreign exchange market. He described prosperity as safe farming, reliable power for factories, affordable food and transport, and productive work for young people. | INDEPENDENCE DAY; TINUBU; ECONOMY; FUEL SUBSIDY | CHANNELS TV | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | Tinubu signs 2025 budget extension bill into law | President Tinubu signed the Appropriation (Amendment) (No. 4) Bill, 2025, extending the implementation period of the 2025 budget’s capital component from 30 September to 31 December 2026. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga announced the assent on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after both chambers passed the bill on 29 September. This is the fourth extension of a budget that was due to end on 31 December 2025. In December 2025 Tinubu had promised to close all prior capital liabilities by 31 March 2026 and run a single budget from April, a timeline the latest extension does not meet. | BUDGET; 2025 APPROPRIATION; NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; TINUBU | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | Police give new account of arrests of five men over ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-shirts | The Borno State Police Command said five men arrested in Maiduguri over “Tinubu Must Go” T-shirts were also found with 15 wraps of suspected Indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, a shisha pot and scissors during a routine patrol at about 6 p.m. on 25 September. The statement by spokesperson Nahum Daso followed public criticism of the decision to charge the men with criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery. The command did not explain why the alleged drugs do not appear in the charges. Amnesty International has called for the men’s release and the withdrawal of the charges, saying wearing the T-shirt is not a crime. | FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION; BORNO STATE; POLICE; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| GUARDIAN | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | Dalung tackles Zulum over arrest of ‘Tinubu Must Go’ protesters | Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development Solomon Dalung criticised Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum over the arrest and prosecution of five Maiduguri residents for wearing “Tinubu Must Go” T-shirts. In a Facebook statement he asked what offence the T-shirt constitutes and argued that if a “Tinubu Must Stay” shirt is legitimate political expression, so is the opposite message. He said a governor is not “a President’s prefect in the state” and urged Zulum to ensure the charges are dropped and the men released. | FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION; BORNO STATE; GOVERNOR ZULUM | GUARDIAN | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | Police arrest OK Movement coordinator during Independence Day march in Uyo | Police in Akwa Ibom arrested Elijah Noah, state coordinator of the Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement, as armed officers moved to stop an Independence Day march in Uyo on Thursday, despite a last-minute directive rescheduling all approved political activities for 1 October. Commissioner of Police Baba Azare said the OK Movement’s request overlapped with an approved PDP request for 1 to 3 October and that organisers had agreed at a police meeting to reschedule before proceeding anyway. Police said eight people were arrested and denied firing tear gas or any firearm, which witnesses disputed. NDC governorship candidate Michael Enyong called the response excessive, and a lawyer said police have a duty to provide cover for peaceful assembly. | 2027 ELECTIONS; AKWA IBOM; POLICE; RIGHT TO ASSEMBLY | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PUNCH | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | NDC fumes as police cancel Obi-Kwankwaso march in Akwa Ibom | The Akwa Ibom chapter of the NDC expressed anger after police cancelled a two million-man solidarity march for Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso scheduled for Independence Day in Uyo. A police statement on Wednesday directed that all approvals for political activities on 1 October be rescheduled, citing intelligence of plans to exploit gatherings to cause disturbances. Obidient Movement state director Benjamin Smith said the movement spent more than N20 million mobilising across the state’s 31 local government areas, having attended a police meeting on 29 September, and accused the police of violating the Police Act. The police described the directive as precautionary and non-partisan. | 2027 ELECTIONS; AKWA IBOM; NDC; POLICE | PUNCH | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | Lagos governorship candidates speak on education, housing, healthcare, Yoruba cultural preservation, business protection plans | Governorship candidates from four parties responded to questions from millennial and Gen Z voters at a town hall organised by The Platform Nigeria in Lagos on Thursday. ADC candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour said Lagos is Yoruba land and promised a ministry of culture, while APC candidate Obafemi Hamzat pledged to scrap untraceable levies on businesses and create a child welfare agency. The PDP candidate proposed affordable high-rise housing outside the metropolis funded by land charge revenue, and the NDC candidate promised that no child would be denied education or healthcare because of parents’ inability to pay, with a 34-point manifesto due next week. | 2027 ELECTIONS; LAGOS STATE; GOVERNORSHIP; CAMPAIGN PLEDGES | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| GUARDIAN | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | ADC dismisses growing influence of rainbow coalition in Rivers | ADC Rivers governorship candidate Dr Gabriel Pidomson dismissed the growing influence of the Rainbow Coalition in the state, saying the 2027 contest will be Rivers people against others and that the state is “nobody’s private estate”. He challenged Wike to name one project he has brought to Rivers as FCT minister and alleged that Wike’s appointments benefited his associates. He condemned reported restrictions on political activities by some local government chairmen, alleged that APC members had disrupted ADC events, and asked security agencies to investigate. He said ADC agents would monitor polling units and collation. | 2027 ELECTIONS; RIVERS STATE; ADC; WIKE | GUARDIAN | |||
| ARISE TV | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Wike Vows To Resign As Minister If Tinubu Loses FCT, Rivers | FCT Minister Nyesom Wike said he will announce his resignation on 17 January 2027 if President Tinubu loses Rivers State and the FCT in the presidential election scheduled for 16 January 2027. He spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at a stakeholders meeting with the Apo Mechanics and Traders Association on the relocation and land allocation exercise for traders and mechanics at the Apo Mechanic Village corridor. Wike said a coalition across parties is being built in the FCT and backed Philip Aduda for the Senate. FCTA technical directors said more than 4,000 verified beneficiaries would receive plots after physical enumeration, which Wike placed under his office. | 2027 ELECTIONS; FCT; RIVERS STATE; WIKE | ARISE TV | |||
| VANGUARD | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: I’ll resign if Nigeria doesn’t change in one year — Amaechi | ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi vowed to resign if Nigeria does not begin to change within one year of an ADC government taking office. Speaking on AIT’s Democracy Today on Wednesday, he named security, education and the economy as priorities and said corruption must come down to fund them. He criticised the removal of fuel subsidy, saying Nigerians had not benefited sufficiently, and claimed Nigeria imports more than 46 per cent of its finished goods. His pledge followed Wike’s statement that Tinubu should remove him from office if he fails to deliver the FCT. | 2027 ELECTIONS; ADC; AMAECHI; FUEL SUBSIDY | VANGUARD | |||
| VANGUARD | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Donald Duke better than all presidential candidates out there — Baba-Ahmed | PRP National Chairman Hakeem Baba-Ahmed said the party’s presidential candidate, Donald Duke, is better than all other candidates, while conceding that candidate quality alone does not win elections. In an Arise News interview on Wednesday, he said the PRP is at the centre of coalition-building talks guided by consensus and constitutional processes rather than an attempt to force Duke’s candidacy. He described the 2027 election as decisive for whether Nigeria addresses its fault lines or sinks into them. | 2027 ELECTIONS; PRP; DONALD DUKE; OPPOSITION COALITION | VANGUARD | |||
| PUNCH | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Baba-Ahmed, opposition leaders meet Atiku | PRP National Chairman Hakeem Baba-Ahmed and other coalition leaders held a closed-door meeting with ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar at his Abuja residence on Tuesday night, attended by members of his campaign council. PRP National Publicity Secretary Muhammed Ishaq disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday and said the meeting was part of efforts to broaden the coalition to defeat the APC, with consultations to continue with other opposition leaders and presidential candidates. Sources said the delegation also included chieftains of the Turaki-led PDP and the APM. Ishaq also condemned the reported arrest and arraignment of five youths in Borno State over “Tinubu Must Go” T-shirts, saying the coalition will take up the matter. | 2027 ELECTIONS; OPPOSITION COALITION; PRP; ADC | PUNCH | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Opposition parties push for single candidate | Opposition leaders have intensified efforts to field a single presidential candidate against President Tinubu in 2027. Representatives of the APM, PRP, a Turaki-led PDP faction and the SDP met ADC candidate Atiku Abubakar in Abuja on Tuesday night, and a source said further meetings with other presidential candidates are planned. The consultations follow an initiative by the G-100, led by Salihu Lukman, which seeks cooperation among the ADC, PDP, NDC, PRP, SDP and APM, though it remains unclear whether candidates would step aside for a consensus candidate. Atiku separately endorsed the “Tinubu Must Go” movement after receiving one of its conveners, Abba Hikima, on Monday. | 2027 ELECTIONS; OPPOSITION COALITION; G-100; ATIKU | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PUNCH | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | INEC urges Sokoto voters to collect PVCs, trust electoral process | INEC in Sokoto State announced that collection of Permanent Voter Cards will begin on 9 October 2026 and urged eligible voters to collect their cards at designated centres. In a statement issued on Thursday by Public Affairs Officer Hassan Sarki Gendane to mark Independence Day, the commission asked citizens to rely only on official INEC channels for information on the electoral process. It said it remains committed to conducting elections in accordance with the law and ensuring that every vote is accounted for. | INEC; PVC COLLECTION; SOKOTO STATE; 2027 ELECTIONS | PUNCH | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 1ST OCTOBER 2026 | Teenage Herder killed in fresh Plateau attack | A 14-year-old herder, Aliyu Ismail, was reportedly killed on Thursday at Wereng community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. Plateau chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, said the boy was ambushed at about 2 p.m. while rearing cattle, and called for arrests and for residents to avoid reprisals. The attack follows reports of killings in Mangu, Barkin Ladi and Bokkos, which have continued despite a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the affected area. The military spokesperson did not respond to inquiries. | SECURITY; PLATEAU STATE; HERDER-FARMER VIOLENCE | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 2ND OCTOBER 2026 | Edo APC Chair: Anyone who blocks 2.5m votes for Tinubu will receive ‘AK-47 fire’ | Edo APC Chairman Jarret Tenebe, speaking at a rally during Governor Monday Okpebholo’s tour of the state’s 18 LGAs, said anyone standing in the way of the party’s plan to deliver 2.5 million votes for Tinubu in 2027 would face “AK-47 fire”, in a video seen by Daily Trust. He tied the vote target to the state’s prospects for more local governments and states, and claimed the governor had earlier mobilised about 2.16 million votes in the state’s local government elections. The remark later drew condemnation from the ADC. | 2027 ELECTIONS; EDO STATE; APC; POLITICAL VIOLENCE | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 2ND OCTOBER 2026 | Troops neutralise 16 terrorists, rescue 10 prospective corps members | Troops of 226 Battalion at Garkida in Gombi and 232 Battalion at Garaha in Hong, Adamawa State, repelled simultaneous attacks at about 1 a.m. on Thursday. The Spartan element trailed the fleeing attackers and neutralised 16 of them, recovering three AK-47 rifles and other weapons. Operation UDO KA troops rescued 10 prospective corps members abducted from two commercial buses at Umonuwa in Mbaise, Imo State, while the search for the remaining victims continued. In Taraba State, attackers killed one civilian and abducted three others at Gwamagira before troops forced them to abandon rustled cattle. | SECURITY; ADAMAWA STATE; IMO STATE; KIDNAPPING | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 2ND OCTOBER 2026 | Terrorists hijack 2 buses, kidnap 19 ‘prospective’ corps members, others in Imo | Terrorists hijacked two 18-seater buses along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway at Umunoha in Mbaitolu, Imo State, in the early hours of Thursday and marched passengers into the bush. The buses left Samonda, Ibadan, on Wednesday morning for Uyo in Akwa Ibom State and Bende in Abia State, and about 19 passengers who boarded in Ibadan are known to be affected. A mother of one victim said her child’s last message was a text reading “Kidnappers!”, after which the family lost contact. The driver of the first bus escaped, and five passengers were reportedly taken from the second. | SECURITY; KIDNAPPING; IMO STATE; NYSC | VANGUARD | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 2ND OCTOBER 2026 | Obidient Movement gets new National Coordinator; Yunusa Tanko reassigned | The Obidient Movement has appointed Moses Paul as national coordinator after Yunusa Tanko was reassigned as special adviser to Peter Obi on Northern Nigeria. The movement announced this in an Abuja statement on Thursday by Onyeka Dike of its media and communications directorate. Tanko, who served three years, cited the creation of a National Advisory Council, offices in all 36 states and the FCT, and a results monitoring system linked to INEC’s Results Viewing Portal. Paul was the ADC candidate for Abuja Municipal Area Council chairman in the 21 February FCT area council election. | 2027 ELECTIONS; OBIDIENT MOVEMENT; NDC | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| THISDAY | 2ND OCTOBER 2026 | Heads of Federal Agencies Form Coalition for Tinubu’s Reelection | The Forum of Chief Executives of Federal Parastatals has resolved to support President Tinubu’s 2027 reelection and presented itself to APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and the NWC in Abuja as a structure complementing the Presidential Campaign Council. Forum chairman Dr Kazeem Kolawole Raji, who heads the National Board for Technology Incubation, said the forum is more than an association of agency heads. Publicity committee chairman Biodun Ajiboye argued that the 2027 message must move from what the APC will do to what it has done, and proposed helping with campaign messaging and grassroots mobilisation. Yilwatda welcomed the initiative, and the forum will return with detailed technical proposals. | 2027 ELECTIONS; APC; FEDERAL AGENCIES; TINUBU CAMPAIGN | THISDAY | |||
| ARISE TV | 2ND OCTOBER 2026 | PDP Factions Clash Over Tinubu’s Independence Message, Differ On State Of Nation | The Tanimu Turaki-led PDP faction criticised President Tinubu’s Independence Day message, with interim national publicity secretary Ini Ememobong accusing the president of casting himself as Moses while Nigerians face a “Red Sea of economic pain”. The faction called Tinubu “the Pharaoh” and said many Nigerians feel worse off since 29 May 2023 because of higher living costs. The faction loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, through national publicity secretary Jungudo Mohammed, instead urged Nigerians to preach peace and unity and said the future of the country remains bright. | PDP FACTIONS; INDEPENDENCE DAY; TINUBU; ECONOMY | ARISE TV | |||
| GUARDIAN | 2ND OCTOBER 2026 | Nigeria @66: Oyo, Lagos, Ondo governors preach unity, tolerance ahead of 2027 polls | Governors of Oyo, Lagos and Ondo States used Independence Day events on Thursday to urge unity ahead of the 2027 elections. Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde, represented by his deputy Bayo Lawal, urged respect for democracy and the rule of law and pointed to the Amotekun Corps and infrastructure spread across the state’s five zones. Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu praised Nigerians’ resilience and noted 27 uninterrupted years of constitutional democracy, the longest stretch of civilian rule in the country’s history. Ondo Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa appealed for maturity and restraint in the electoral process and urged leaders and youths to avoid violence. | 2027 ELECTIONS; INDEPENDENCE DAY; OYO; LAGOS; ONDO | GUARDIAN | |||
| ARISE TV | 2ND OCTOBER 2026 | ECOWAS Calls For Collective Action Against Cross-Border Security Threats | ECOWAS said West Africa faces increasingly complex security threats that spill across national borders and require stronger regional cooperation. Dr Babatunde Afolabi, the Commission’s Director of Political Affairs, represented by Gnacabja Constant, spoke at the pre-WAPSeD 2027 strategy and review meeting in Abuja, convened by the Building Blocks for Peace Foundation. He listed violent extremism, terrorism, political tensions, organised crime and humanitarian pressures as interconnected challenges and called for a shift from dialogue to action built on prevention. Participants also identified disinformation and weakened indigenous security structures as emerging gaps. | ECOWAS; REGIONAL SECURITY; WEST AFRICA | ARISE TV | |||
| VANGUARD | 2ND OCTOBER 2026 | Trump vows to hit Iran ‘very hard’ if linked to flydubai attack | US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Iran will be “hit very hard” if it is found to be linked to a flydubai co-pilot’s attack on the captain of a Dubai to Tel Aviv flight. Asked whether Iran was involved, he said the answer was yes based on what he was hearing, but that the matter was still being worked on. The UAE opened an investigation into possible terrorist intent, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Omani co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination”. Axios reported that additional Patriot batteries had been sent to Saudi Arabia and Qatar and that the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group was heading to the Middle East. | UNITED STATES; IRAN; MIDDLE EAST; AVIATION SECURITY | VANGUARD | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | 100 Days to 2027 Gen. Elections: INEC holds National Stakeholders' Meeting/World Press Conference to address Nigerians | INEC will hold a world press conference and national stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday at the BAT-ICC, Abuja, to be addressed by Chairman Joash Amupitan, as the 2027 general election enters its final 100 days. The Commission has fixed 16 January 2027 for the presidential and National Assembly elections and 6 February 2027 for governorship and State Assembly elections, and has published a final list of 18 presidential candidates, including Tinubu (APC), Atiku (ADC) and Obi (NDC). Attendance is by invitation and the event will be broadcast live. | 2027 ELECTIONS; INEC; ELECTION TIMETABLE | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | Atiku demands details of NNPC’s N11.2tn bill, questions Tinubu's campaign funding | ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, in a statement by campaign council spokesman Phrank Shaibu, asked NNPC to break down the N11.2 trillion shown as Federation receivables in its 2025 accounts, including how much relates to pipeline security, who was paid and for what. He also asked the Presidency to disclose any support given to Tinubu’s re-election campaign by government contractors, citing Tantita Security’s link to the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement and the award of the Lagos-Calabar highway to Hitech. Premium Times clarified that the N11.2tn is a receivable and not money paid to surveillance contractors, and noted that Atiku offered no evidence tying contract payments or the Chagoury family to campaign financing. | 2027 ELECTIONS; NNPC; CAMPAIGN FINANCING; ADC | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | Gunmen kill one, injure seven traders in Plateau | Gunmen on Sunday evening opened fire on a vehicle carrying traders from the Kara Bukuru Livestock Market in Jos South LGA, killing one person and injuring seven who were taken to hospital. The Plateau chairman of Miyetti Allah (MACBAN), Ibrahim Babayo, confirmed the attack, urged security agencies to strengthen security along the market route and appealed to members not to retaliate. The Police Command and Operation Enduring Peace could not be reached for comment, and the attackers’ identity and motive were not yet known. | PLATEAU STATE; ARMED ATTACKS; INSECURITY | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | Attack at PDP consultation meeting in Calabar unacceptable – IPAC | The Cross River chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, led by Effiom Edet Okon, condemned a gunfire attack on a PDP consultation visit in Calabar South, where governorship candidate Arthur Jarvis Archibong was calling on a paramount ruler. Gunfire caused a stampede, several supporters and bystanders reportedly sustained injuries and vehicles were damaged. The Police Command confirmed the incident, deployed reinforcements and opened an investigation, while IPAC urged all parties to show restraint. | 2027 ELECTIONS; CROSS RIVER STATE; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; PDP | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | ADC knocks Edo APC chair over ‘AK-47’ threat | The ADC Presidential Campaign Council, through Kola Ologbondiyan, called on the IGP, the DSS and INEC to invite Edo APC Chairman Jarret Tenebe for questioning over his remark that anyone obstructing the party’s 2.5 million-vote target for Tinubu would face “AK-47 fire”, describing it as terrorism and not politics. It also appealed to the UN, EU, AU, ECOWAS and the US to monitor the 2027 process. Edo analyst Samson Isibor criticised the police and DSS for inaction, the police could not be reached, and Daily Trust linked the remark to earlier controversial statements by a Kuje area council chairman and Senator Francis Fadahunsi. | 2027 ELECTIONS; EDO STATE; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; ADC; APC | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | Thugs attack ADC campaign train in Kogi, vehicles destroyed | Suspected political thugs reportedly attacked a joint campaign outing of ADC candidates Musa Ahmadu (Kogi West Senate) and Quincy Ahmed (Lokoja/Koton-Karfe Federal Constituency) at Gegu-Beki, Koton-Karfe LGA, on Saturday, destroying several vehicles and campaign materials and injuring party members. No deaths were reported. ADC state chairman Tom Zakari alleged the masked attackers acted on the orders of a prominent rival politician, said the party would seek legal redress, and urged supporters not to retaliate; the police spokesperson had not responded. | 2027 ELECTIONS; KOGI STATE; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; ADC | DAILY TRUST | |||
| VANGUARD | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | Kidnappers torture 20 corps members, reduce ransom to N100m — Relatives | Relatives of 20 prospective corps members abducted in Imo State on Thursday told Vanguard that the captors are beating all of them, including the women, and have cut their demand from N50m each to N5m each (about N100m in total) as a payment deadline nears. The Oyo State Government said it is working with Imo authorities and security agencies and called on the Federal Government to explain its response. The Imo police command said the victims remain in captivity and that tactical teams are searching for them, while parents accused the transport firm of withholding next-of-kin details. | INSECURITY; KIDNAPPING; NYSC; IMO STATE; OYO STATE | VANGUARD | |||
| VANGUARD | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | S’Court ruling: Tension as INEC keeps affected candidates guessing | Parties and candidates are anxious about how INEC will apply the Supreme Court’s 24 September ruling on Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which set aside the Court of Appeal’s 16 July decision and restored the rule that verified membership registers be submitted at least 21 days before any primary. INEC says it has applied for the certified true copy of the judgement and will not comment until it has studied it, and has given no timeline. The Commission is due to publish the final list of governorship and State Assembly candidates on 10 October, and opposition parties are reportedly checking submitted registers against candidates’ defection dates. | 2027 ELECTIONS; INEC; SUPREME COURT; ELECTORAL ACT 2026 | VANGUARD | |||
| VANGUARD | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | Shettima’s ‘Caracas’ claim indicts APC, Buhari — ADC campaign | The ADC Presidential Campaign Council, in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, argued that Vice President Shettima’s claim that Tinubu saved Nigeria from economic collapse is self-indicting, since the APC governed under Buhari for eight years. It alleged that Nigerians are already living the “Caracas” experience and that Tinubu has worsened hunger, inflation and unemployment. The council also faulted Shettima’s e-logistics promise of 10,600 electric tricycles, 300 buses and electric taxis and recalled the earlier promise that transport costs would fall by 1 October 2026. | 2027 ELECTIONS; ADC; APC; ECONOMY | VANGUARD | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | Joint Army, DSS, Amotekun Operation Kills Another ISWAP Leader, Abdussamad Ohida | Security sources told Channels that a joint Army, DSS and Amotekun team killed ISWAP leader Abdussamad Ohida (aka Anwar) and several of his members in a surprise raid on a forest hideout in Owo, Ondo State, at the weekend. The sources said he succeeded Abu Ikrimah as ISWAP’s head for parts of the North Central and south, was planning attacks over the festive season and the 2027 elections, and was behind several earlier attacks including the December 2025 Ipele police station raid. The sources also claimed UK intelligence partners supported the operation; the account rests on unnamed sources and no official statement was cited. | INSECURITY; ISWAP; ONDO STATE; COUNTER-TERRORISM | CHANNELS TV | |||
| PUNCH | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | Zulum denies ordering arrest of ‘TinubuMustGo’ protesters | Borno Governor Babagana Zulum, through spokesman Dauda Iliya, denied ordering the arrest of “Tinubu Must Go” protesters, saying his remarks were aimed at criminals and gangs threatening the state’s peace. The statement answered the ADC campaign council’s demand that he explain a viral video in which he allegedly threatened arrests, which the spokesman called unprofessional and politically motivated. Iliya said the governor made the remarks at a media chat in Maiduguri without naming the ADC or any opposition group, and pointed to the state’s Anti-Vices security outfit as having improved security. | 2027 ELECTIONS; BORNO STATE; FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION; ADC | PUNCH | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 3RD OCTOBER 2026 | Leaders of Peter Obi's support groups released after 24-hour detention | Akwa Ibom police released OK Movement coordinator Elijah Noah, Obidient Movement state coordinator Ben Smith and others after more than 24 hours in detention over a disputed Independence Day march in Uyo. The police said they had directed groups to reschedule 1 October processions on security grounds and arrested eight people for breaching that directive, while organisers put the number at nine. Organisers and witnesses alleged that tear gas was used to disperse supporters, which the police denied, and the police rejected suggestions that the arrests were politically motivated. | 2027 ELECTIONS; AKWA IBOM STATE; POLICING OF POLITICAL GATHERINGS; NDC | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 3RD OCTOBER 2026 | Amaechi: How Tinubu’s policies contributed to my mother’s death | ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi alleged in a Channels Television interview that Tinubu’s economic policies contributed to his mother’s death, saying the rising cost of drugs made it hard for the family to afford her medicines. He argued that many Nigerians face the same difficulty and cited NBS figures on drug imports. The claims are Amaechi’s own allegations, and he has long criticised the administration’s economic policies, including petrol subsidy removal. | 2027 ELECTIONS; ADC; ROTIMI AMAECHI; COST OF LIVING | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 3RD OCTOBER 2026 | Boko Haram kills 15 farmers, abduct 3 in Borno | Suspected Boko Haram insurgents ambushed farmers in Ala, Gumna and Musune wards of Marte LGA, Borno State, on Wednesday, killing 15 and abducting three, according to local sources and a police spokesman. A relative said the victims were forced to lie down and shot at close range. Amnesty International condemned the killings and called on the authorities to protect vulnerable communities in the North-East. | INSECURITY; BORNO STATE; BOKO HARAM; ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 3RD OCTOBER 2026 | APC leaders demand sanction of ex-Benue chair over alliance with Rainbow Coalition | A group calling itself the APC Solidarity Group petitioned the party’s NWC on 2 October seeking sanctions against former Benue chairman Austin Agada for alleged anti-party activities. It accused him of cross-party endorsement of PDP Senator Abba Moro, of saying he would not campaign for APC governorship candidate Hyacinth Alia, and of involvement in the Rainbow Coalition group in Benue. The petition asks for an investigative and a disciplinary committee, while stressing that support for Tinubu is not itself the issue. | 2027 ELECTIONS; APC; BENUE STATE; PARTY DISCIPLINE; RAINBOW COALITION | DAILY TRUST | |||
| ARISE | 3RD OCTOBER 2026 | PDP Candidate, APM Leader, Accord Aspirant, 3,000 Supporters Defect To APC In Oyo | On Friday, a PDP candidate for Ibadan North East II State Constituency, Hammed Taoreed Ademola, an APM loyalist of Governor Makinde in Oluyole, Mustapha Kazeem, and an Accord aspirant, Adedapo Ojo, defected to the APC with supporters reported at about 3,000. Ademola and Ojo said the APC was the only viable platform, while Kazeem accused the governor of failing to reward loyalty. APC State Chairman Moses Adeyemo received them and said they would be fully integrated. | 2027 ELECTIONS; OYO STATE; DEFECTIONS; APC | ARISE | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 4TH OCTOBER 2026 | ADC asks Zulum to explain video threatening arrests over ‘Tinubu Must Go’ slogan | The ADC Presidential Campaign Council, through Phrank Shaibu, asked Borno Governor Babagana Zulum to explain a circulating video in which he allegedly threatens to arrest people using the “Tinubu Must Go” slogan, saying it appears to contradict his recent denial of ordering such arrests. Premium Times said it had not independently established when or where the footage was recorded. The controversy follows the 25 September arrest of five men in Maiduguri charged over the T-shirts, although police said the arrests arose from a routine patrol, that suspected drugs were found and that politics was not the motive. | 2027 ELECTIONS; BORNO STATE; FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION; ADC | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 4TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: North-central APC set to hold rally for Tinubu’s re-election | The APC in the North Central will hold a grand rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State, next Saturday under a new North Central Grassroots Mobilisation Movement for Tinubu/Shettima, according to a statement by campaign council spokesman Dele Alake. The movement, coordinated by Sonny Echono and launched at SGF George Akume’s office, aims to deliver the highest regional vote total for Tinubu. It also plans medical outreach programmes, town halls and a reconciliation committee to address internal disagreements. | 2027 ELECTIONS; APC; NORTH CENTRAL; CAMPAIGN MOBILISATION | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 4TH OCTOBER 2026 | APC vows to mobilise Taraba voters for Tinubu, others in 2027 amid Wike coalition | Taraba APC Chairman Abubakar Bawa pledged on Saturday in Jalingo to mobilise voters for Tinubu and all party candidates at the inauguration of the state chapter of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, which was founded by Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo). The pledge comes amid differing approaches among Tinubu’s backers, including the Rainbow Coalition promoted by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who says it is for Tinubu while the PDP remains free to field its own candidates elsewhere. Governor Agbu Kefas backed the drive, which will use door-to-door visits and mobilisation in churches and mosques. | 2027 ELECTIONS; APC; TARABA STATE; RAINBOW COALITION | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 4TH OCTOBER 2026 | 8 Zamfara Assembly Members resign from APC | Eight members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly announced their resignation from the APC, citing insecurity, alleged injustice and what they described as the party’s failure to address the state’s problems. One of them, Aliyu Ango Kagara, accused Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration of neglecting rural security and alleged that members had gone 32 months without salaries and allowances. The state APC said it had not been formally notified, and Daily Trust understands the lawmakers had been suspended about a year ago over an alleged attempt to impeach the Speaker; the governor had not reacted. | 2027 ELECTIONS; ZAMFARA STATE; DEFECTIONS; APC | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 4TH OCTOBER 2026 | Vigilante Killed As Lakurawa Terrorists Attack Sokoto Community | Suspected Lakurawa terrorists attacked Ungushi village in Kebbe LGA, Sokoto State, on Sunday afternoon, killing two people, a vigilante and a farmer returning from his farm, and wounding another resident. Local vigilantes fought the attackers for over an hour, and an unconfirmed report said three of the terrorists were killed. The Sokoto police spokesman confirmed the attack and said he was awaiting details from the divisional police officer. | INSECURITY; SOKOTO STATE; LAKURAWA; TERRORISM | DAILY TRUST | |||
| ARISE | 4TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Labour Party Youth Leaders Propose Alliance With Tinubu, APC | Youth leaders of the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party proposed a political alignment with the APC and Tinubu support groups ahead of 2027, according to a statement by Edo youth leader Ken Omusi after a virtual meeting. They mandated National Youth Leader Kennedy Ahanotu, the faction’s presidential candidate, to begin consultations with the APC, the Renewed Hope Movement and other groups, citing neglect of youth after the 2023 elections. The statement said the proposal was part of ongoing dialogue and that a physical meeting in Abuja was proposed, against the background of a divided party that also has a rival presidential candidate. | 2027 ELECTIONS; LABOUR PARTY; APC; POLITICAL ALIGNMENT | ARISE | |||
| VANGUARD | 4TH OCTOBER 2026 | State Police Bill hits roadblock in states | A Sunday Vanguard survey found that only four state Houses of Assembly, Edo, Osun, Oyo and Rivers, have approved the constitutional amendment on state police, which the National Assembly sent to the 36 states on 16 September with a 30-day target. Under Section 9 of the Constitution, 24 states must concur, and several Assemblies say they have not received the bill or have yet to schedule it. Others, such as Bauchi, Ogun and Cross River, have started committee or first-reading stages. | CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT; STATE POLICE; STATE ASSEMBLIES; SECURITY REFORM | VANGUARD | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 4TH OCTOBER 2026 | ‘No Tribe Buys Fuel Cheaper,’ Obi Rallies For Unity Among Nigerians | NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi told an NDC Global Digital Townhall on Sunday that poverty and insecurity cut across ethnic and religious lines and called for a president who can unite and secure the country. He criticised the government’s handling of the kidnapping of corps members in Imo State and said security agencies should be given the logistics to track down criminals in the bush. He added that he wants a president who will lead from the front. | 2027 ELECTIONS; NDC; PETER OBI; NATIONAL UNITY; INSECURITY | CHANNELS TV | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 4TH OCTOBER 2026 | Imo NYSC Abduction: Police Locate Kidnappers’ Camp, Say Location Mined With IEDs | Imo Police Commissioner Audu Bosso said drone surveillance had pinpointed the camp where 20 prospective corps members, abducted on Thursday on the way from Ibadan to camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom, are held, but that intelligence indicates it is mined with IEDs. Police said they were deploying bulldozers and armoured vehicles, and DIG Shehu Umar Nadada was sent to coordinate the rescue. Parents said the kidnappers demanded N50m per victim, while the exact number abducted remained unclear because a manifest listed 30 passengers across two buses. | INSECURITY; KIDNAPPING; NYSC; IMO STATE | CHANNELS TV | |||
| PUNCH | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | Bolsonaro shocks Lula as Brazil heads to run-off | Right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro finished first in Brazil’s presidential election with 47 per cent against President Lula’s 45 per cent, defying opinion polls, so the two will contest a run-off on 25 October. The right also made big gains in parliament, and Jair Bolsonaro’s wife Michelle and son Carlos won Senate seats. Flavio Bolsonaro is under investigation over the financing of a biopic about his father, and US President Trump said he was watching the election closely without endorsing a candidate. | INTERNATIONAL; BRAZIL; ELECTIONS; LULA; BOLSONARO | PUNCH | |||
| PUNCH | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | 5,000 arrested as French unions back students for nationwide protest | About 5,000 people, 85 per cent of them minors, have been arrested in France since high school students began protesting over overcrowded classes, teacher shortages and run-down buildings, and around 400 schools have been shut. The CGT union has called a nationwide solidarity protest for Tuesday, the Interior Ministry has opened three investigations into alleged police violence, and Amnesty International accused police of disproportionate force against minors. The protests have become politically charged, with France Unbowed backing the students and President Macron criticising politicians who appear to condone violence. | INTERNATIONAL; FRANCE; STUDENT PROTESTS; POLICE VIOLENCE | PUNCH | |||
| VANGUARD | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | Hundreds of French high schools shut as protests persist | Lessons were suspended at hundreds of French high schools on Monday, with Education Minister Edouard Geffray saying up to 500 of 3,700 lycees would be partly or wholly closed, including a third of those in the Paris region. Protesters in Lille destroyed bus shelters and police fired tear gas, and the minister said 24 schools had been burned or ransacked. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu set out a plan to fill teacher vacancies and called a meeting on school buildings, while the government backed a bill to make those who damage public property pay for repairs, which CGT leader Sophie Binet criticised. | INTERNATIONAL; FRANCE; STUDENT PROTESTS; EDUCATION POLICY | VANGUARD | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | US Withdraws All Bomber Aircraft From UK Airbase Amid Counter-Terrorism Probe | The Pentagon confirmed that all US B-1 bombers deployed to RAF Fairford in England have returned to the United States, following a 27 September security incident in which a farmer reported masked men and vans acting suspiciously near the base. The scare led to the evacuation of 85 homes, and police found a quantity of petrol but no explosives in the vans. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were strong indications Iran played a part, which Tehran rejected, and the release on bail of six arrested Britons drew a rebuke from Washington. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED STATES; UNITED KINGDOM; IRAN; SECURITY | CHANNELS TV | |||
| THE NATION | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Fintiri, Wike hold fresh talks in Port Harcourt | Adamawa Governor Ahmadu Fintiri visited FCT Minister Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt on Monday for a closed-door meeting, as consultations among political heavyweights intensify ahead of 2027. Sources said the talks were about the political situation and possible alignments, and Wike’s aide Lere Olayinka confirmed the visit on Facebook, but neither side disclosed the agenda. The two were members of the G-5 PDP governors who opposed the party’s approach in the 2023 campaign and have stayed in close contact. | 2027 ELECTIONS; ADAMAWA STATE; NYESOM WIKE; POLITICAL ALIGNMENT | THE NATION | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Voters’ register hits 103m – INEC | INEC says the national register of voters now exceeds 103 million after the ABIS cleanup, following three phases of continuous registration that captured about 10.77 million new registrants, though figures remain subject to final verification. Chairman Joash Amupitan said the Commission has completed eight of 14 statutory activities, that the preliminary register will be displayed from 9 to 15 October, and that nationwide PVC collection begins on 9 October. He also announced a joint mechanism with the EFCC, ICPC and NFIU to monitor campaign spending, and warned of deepfakes and disinformation. | 2027 ELECTIONS; INEC; VOTERS’ REGISTER; PVC COLLECTION | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Anambra govt tells Nigerians to reject Obi | The Anambra State Government, in a post on its official X account titled “A Betrayal Alert for Ndi APGA”, urged APGA supporters to resist the NDC and declared that a vote for Peter Obi and the NDC is a vote to kill APGA, alleging that Obi has worked against the party since leaving it in 2014. The post follows a dispute over Obi’s record, in which the state said he left $123.77 million in external debt, which Obi rejects as debt he personally incurred, and his claim of an N2.1 billion ecological fund was disputed. | 2027 ELECTIONS; ANAMBRA STATE; PETER OBI; NDC; APGA | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Kano politician in soup over alleged display of firearm at rally | Kano police arrested NDC chieftain Aminu Warkal after a viral video, picked up on cyber patrol, showed him firing shots into the air with what appears to be a pump-action rifle at a rally in Janbulo, Gwale LGA. Police spokesman Abdullahi Kiyawa said the alleged conduct, if established, breaches the Firearms Act, and Warkal is being interrogated at the State Intelligence Department. Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Bakori warned against political thuggery and brandishing weapons. | 2027 ELECTIONS; KANO STATE; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; NDC; FIREARMS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: I have no issues with Obi; Atiku my presidential candidate - Rhodes-Vivour | ADC Lagos governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour said in a BBC Igbo interview that he has no issue with Peter Obi, although Atiku Abubakar is his presidential candidate because he is in the ADC, and that Lagos remains his first priority. He urged Nigerians to vote according to their convictions and rejected the description of Lagos as a no-man’s land, calling it an insult. | 2027 ELECTIONS; LAGOS STATE; ADC; PETER OBI; ATIKU ABUBAKAR | VANGUARD | |||
| GUARDIAN | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | NDC debunks rumored alliance between Dickson, APC | The NDC, in a statement by national publicity secretary Osa Director, denied rumours that national chairman Seriake Dickson is secretly aligned with the APC or plotting against the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket, saying he has no deal with the ruling party. It attributed the allegations to political opponents envious of the party’s growth and called on supporters to work for victory. The rumours themselves were not detailed in the report. | 2027 ELECTIONS; NDC; SERIAKE DICKSON; APC; PARTY UNITY | GUARDIAN | |||
| VANGUARD | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | US warns foreign financial institutions not to do business with Iran | The US Treasury issued an alert warning that foreign financial institutions continuing to transact with sanctioned Iranian banks could be targeted at any time without advance notice, and said Iran runs shadow banking channels to evade sanctions. Washington has stepped up economic pressure since late August, including sanctions on Iranian sectors and action against banks in the UAE and Turkey, amid the war the US launched against Iran in February. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED STATES; IRAN; SANCTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| ARISE | 5TH OCTOBER 2026 | US Deports LGBT Migrants To African Countries Where They Face Persecution | A Reuters investigation found at least 40 migrants who had been granted legal protection in the US over persecution linked to their LGBT status were deported to countries including Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Eswatini, the CAR, Equatorial Guinea and the DRC, where same-sex relations are criminalised or abuses are documented. Sixteen remain in those countries, 16 were returned to their home countries against their will and nine are in hiding. DHS said third-country removals are a public safety tool, and the US Supreme Court has paused a lower-court ruling against the policy ahead of December arguments. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED STATES; IMMIGRATION; THIRD-COUNTRY DEPORTATIONS; LGBT RIGHTS | ARISE | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: ADC will not accept rigged elections, David Mark says | ADC National Chairman David Mark said on Wednesday at the party's national headquarters in Abuja that the ADC will follow INEC's rules and its internal Orange Book code of conduct but will not accept rigging or "allow ourselves to be rigged out". He spoke during a visit by the Governing Council of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria Olukayode Ariwoola, who urged the party to ensure its candidates and members obey INEC's rules and avoid political violence. The report restates INEC's timetable: presidential and National Assembly elections on 16 January 2027 and governorship and state Assembly elections on 6 February 2027. | 2027 ELECTIONS; ADC; DAVID MARK; ELECTORAL INTEGRITY | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Peter Obi: I won 2023 election but there's no evidence | In a BBC Africa interview, NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi said he won the 2023 election yet admitted there is no evidence for the claim: "Everything is not based on evidence," followed by "I won the election and that's where I will end." INEC declared Bola Tinubu winner with 8,794,726 votes against Atiku Abubakar's 6,984,520 and Obi's 6,101,533. The Presidential Election Petition Court dismissed Obi's petition on 6 September 2023 and the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal on 26 October 2023. Obi said he does not like going back to the past and sustains what he said earlier. | PETER OBI; 2023 ELECTION; NDC; ELECTION PETITION | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | INEC seeks prompt release of outstanding funds for 2027 elections | Speaking at a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders' Meeting on Tuesday, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan urged the Federal Government to urgently release outstanding budgetary allocations for the 2027 elections. He said funds already released have enabled INEC to meet international vendor obligations, produce election technology, upgrade infrastructure and sustain stakeholder operations. INEC has completed nine of 14 statutory milestones in its timetable revised on 26 February 2026, with the plan covering the headquarters, 36 state offices, the FCT and all 774 local government areas. He named logistics, sensitive materials and intelligence-led security as the non-negotiable foundations of delivery. | INEC; 2027 ELECTIONS; ELECTION FUNDING; ELECTION TIMETABLE | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Reps' committee asks INEC to disqualify candidates not in parties' registers | Rep. Bayo Balogun (APC), chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, asked INEC on Tuesday to audit party membership registers and disqualify 2027 candidates whose names are not in the registers submitted to the Commission. He relied on the Supreme Court's 24 September judgment restoring sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 after the Court of Appeal had declared them unconstitutional. Section 77(5) limits participation in primaries, congresses and conventions to persons on the submitted registers. Balogun called enforcement a litmus test for INEC and said it would reduce disputes and litigation. | INEC; ELECTORAL ACT 2026; PARTY REGISTERS; NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| VANGUARD | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | INEC staff Nigeria's least paid in Nigeria – Amupitan | INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan told journalists at a World Press Conference in Abuja that INEC staff are the least paid in Nigeria, and that the Commission wants to give them a living wage if it is to hold them responsible. He said INEC has been separated from the civil service pay framework and now has its own electoral and salary structure. He added that INEC has identified several deficiencies in the electoral system and is working on corrective measures, without giving specifics. | INEC; STAFF WELFARE; ELECTORAL REFORM; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| VANGUARD | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: ADC dismisses The Economist's report on Tinubu as 'poor journalism' | ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, speaking on Trust TV, dismissed The Economist's report suggesting President Tinubu could retain power in 2027 despite insecurity and economic hardship. He called it poor journalism that elevates a story into an electoral projection, saying The Economist's standing does not excuse it. He criticised the method of interviewing a few people in Borno town and extrapolating nationwide. Abdullahi, a former ThisDay editor, said he would have rejected such a piece and that his criticism targets this report, not the publication. | ADC; TINUBU; THE ECONOMIST; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| GUARDIAN | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Delta 2027: Iyovwaye condemns sealing of NDC member's business | Deacon Chris Iyovwaye, NDC governorship candidate in Delta State, condemned the sealing of the business premises of Amb. Tobore Alex Agbah, an NDC member in Ughelli North. He alleged that Local Government Chairman Jaro Egbo did it in retaliation for a 10,000-person march Agbah organised in support of the NDC, which Iyovwaye described as peaceful. He said any planning breach should be handled by notice, time to comply or court action, and appealed to the Nigerian Bar Association and to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to intervene, warning that silence would suggest state approval. These are Iyovwaye's allegations, and no response from Egbo was reported. | NDC; DELTA STATE; POLITICAL INTIMIDATION; 2027 ELECTIONS | GUARDIAN | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Wike, Chinda Meet With Fubara, Supporters To Strengthen Reconciliation Efforts | FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and APC governorship candidate Kingsley Chinda, with their supporters, met Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his political camp at the Governor's residence in Port Harcourt on 6 October. The closed-door meeting ran from about 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is described as the first known reconciliation meeting Fubara has hosted with his supporters present. It follows years of disputes, including the prolonged dispute between the Governor and the Rivers State House of Assembly, which tensions the report says have now significantly reduced. Neither side addressed journalists, so the outcome was not disclosed. | RIVERS STATE; WIKE; FUBARA; RECONCILIATION; 2027 ELECTIONS | CHANNELS TV | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | PBAT Door-to-Door Movement mourns officers in crash, suspends campaign activities | In a press statement by National Coordinator Sunday Asuku, the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement mourned the Navy officers and other military personnel killed in the military aircraft crash. It conveyed Grand Patron Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo)'s description of the crash as a painful and monumental loss to the Armed Forces and the nation. The movement suspended all its 2027 presidential campaign activities for one week and extended condolences to President Tinubu, the Armed Forces, Ondo State and the families of the deceased. It commended first responders and residents involved in the rescue despite difficult terrain and asked the military to carry out a thorough and transparent investigation into the cause. | MILITARY AIRCRAFT CRASH; TINUBU CAMPAIGN; ONDO STATE; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Military Aircraft Crash: Ondo govt explains difficulty in rescue operation, recovering victims' bodies | Ondo State Environment Commissioner Tob Loko told a Tuesday briefing that the ATR-42 military aircraft, which crashed on Monday at Igbokoda in Ilaje LGA, nosedived into the river and broke into two parts. Local divers have struggled to locate and reach the wreckage, which lies about 500 metres from Igbokoda, so the state deployed amphibious and floating excavators after small boats proved inadequate. Works Commissioner Ayoronde Olawoye said meaningful recovery would take about five hours once the floating excavators are operational. Attaching floating tanks to the equipment took hours, and officials feared nightfall would further hamper operations. | MILITARY AIRCRAFT CRASH; ONDO STATE; RESCUE OPERATION; SECURITY | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | State Police: Four states approve constitutional amendment bill - Presidential Group | Nnadubem Moghalu, Secretary of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, said at a House of Representatives parliamentary lecture in Abuja that four state assemblies (Edo, Oyo, Osun and Rivers) have approved the state police constitutional amendment bill. At least 24 of 36 assemblies must approve. He explained that the amendment creates the constitutional basis for dual policing while the National Policing Bill supplies the operational framework, citing about 380,000 officers for over 200 million people, a ratio of 1:650 against a recommended 1:400. He acknowledged fears of abuse by governors and majority targeting of minorities and called for strong institutions and safeguards. House Speaker Abbas Tajudeen and Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu urged a debate on substance, professionalism and funding. | STATE POLICE; CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT; NATIONAL POLICING BILL; SECURITY | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | INEC finally uploads NDC logo after court order | NDC National Leader Seriake Dickson announced on Facebook on Tuesday that INEC has uploaded the party's approved logo, so candidates can print campaign materials and campaign with certainty. He thanked the judiciary and INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan for complying with the judgment. The dispute began when INEC refused to register the NDC over its logo, followed by a Federal High Court order in Lokoja and INEC's compliance in February 2026. The Peace Movement Party then challenged the registration, saying the logo resembled its own, a June ruling set aside the earlier judgment, and in September the court directed INEC to approve and upload the NDC's modified logo. Dickson urged members to resist propaganda and misinformation. | NDC; INEC; PARTY LOGO; COURT ORDER; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Taraba senator faces APC petition over alleged forged NECO certificate | Retired Maj. Gen. A. T. Ibrahim, who lost the APC senatorial primary to Sen. David Jimkuta (Taraba South), petitioned on 21 September alleging that Jimkuta submitted forged NECO certificates and false declarations to the APC and INEC. Members of Jimkuta's 2000 set at Government Secondary School, Wukari, including Haruna Magaji, say their records list him as number 98 and that theirs was the school's first NECO set. Premium Times notes that confirming his attendance does not by itself show the certificate submitted is authentic. Jimkuta's associate Obadiah Orobo challenged Ibrahim to take any evidence to the appropriate authorities. The forgery claim is an unproven allegation. | TARABA STATE; APC; CERTIFICATE FORGERY ALLEGATION; NATIONAL ASSEMBLY | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027 Polls: NPC tracks 60 violations of peace pact, calls for strict enforcement | The National Peace Committee, led by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar with Bishop Matthew Kukah as convener, said its Election Security Information Hub logged 60 violations of the 2027 National Peace Accord between 19 August and 19 September 2026. Misinformation and disinformation made up 40 per cent (24 incidents), attacks on political activities and assets 21.7 per cent and intimidation 16.7 per cent, with thuggery and inflammatory statements accounting for the rest. The Committee urged the police to investigate impartially and prosecute sponsors and financiers of violence, and asked INEC to enforce campaign guidelines under the Electoral Act 2026. | 2027 ELECTIONS; NATIONAL PEACE COMMITTEE; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; MISINFORMATION | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: INEC targets simultaneous voting nationwide | INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan told an INEC-Nigerian Guild of Editors workshop in Abuja on Monday that the Commission wants voting to start at the same time in all polling units in 2027, provided logistics and technology work well. He said INEC has begun early procurement of non-sensitive materials and readiness assessments, and has acquired 57,000 new BVAS devices now being hardened and calibrated. He also stressed transparent results management and urged editors to counter misinformation, while NGE President Eze Anaba called for elections decided by voters and not by courts. | 2027 ELECTIONS; INEC; ELECTION LOGISTICS; BVAS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Bandits kill poly student, abduct passengers | Suspected bandits attacked a vehicle carrying 12 passengers from Goronyo to Sokoto at Hawan Ado in the early hours of Monday, killing the driver and a student of Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, identified by residents as Sadik Abdullahi, and abducting some passengers. Residents said the driver refused to stop and was shot, after which the vehicle veered off the road and some passengers escaped. The Sokoto police spokesman confirmed that two travellers were killed but said the number abducted was not yet known. | INSECURITY; SOKOTO STATE; BANDITRY; KIDNAPPING | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Pantami, Nami, Adamu know fate today | INEC is expected to announce on Tuesday how it will treat candidates affected by the Supreme Court’s ruling affirming Sections 77 and 84 of the Electoral Act 2026 on eligibility to vote and contest in party primaries, delivered on appeals by the ZLP and SDP. Attention is on PDP Gombe governorship candidate Isa Ali Pantami, PDP Niger candidate Muhammad Nami and ex-IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, the SDP candidate in Nasarawa, whose party-switching and substitutions are contested by supporters and opponents. Their camps argue that the judgement made no factual finding against them, and the governorship final list is due on 10 October. | 2027 ELECTIONS; INEC; SUPREME COURT; ELECTORAL ACT 2026; CANDIDATE ELIGIBILITY | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Court affirms Gbenga Hashim as Accord Party’s presidential candidate | The Federal High Court in Abuja, in a judgment by Justice Mohammed Umar on Monday, affirmed Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the Accord Party’s presidential candidate for 2027. It dismissed preliminary objections, rejected the letter said to have cancelled the 30 May 2026 primary, and ordered the party to upload his name to INEC. Accord and INEC had argued that the primary was cancelled and not monitored, and AAC candidate Omoyele Sowore later paid Hashim a congratulatory visit. | 2027 ELECTIONS; ACCORD PARTY; PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE; FEDERAL HIGH COURT | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Chairmanship: Ekiti ADC chieftains arraigned for fighting | Two ADC chieftains in Ekiti State, Dr Bamidele Ekundayo (73) and Ilesanmi Omolayo (45), were arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado-Ekiti for allegedly threatening violence while fighting over the party’s state chairmanship on or before 2 October. The prosecutor cited sections of the Ekiti State Criminal Law. The magistrate granted each N100,000 bail with one surety and adjourned the case to 30 October 2026. | EKITI STATE; ADC; INTRA-PARTY DISPUTE; CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Saraki’s meeting with APC ‘G15’ chieftain fuels realignment in Kwara | A meeting in Abuja between former Senate President Bukola Saraki and Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki, a prominent member of the aggrieved APC group G15, has stirred talk of realignment in Kwara politics, although it was publicly presented as being about business. The G15 emerged from opposition to the APC governorship primary won by Speaker Salihu Yakubu Danladi, and Senator Saliu Mustapha, another member, has moved to the PDP. The governor’s camp says the group has lost momentum through defections, which the group disputes, and Daily Trust notes there is no public indication that Seriki has joined Saraki. | 2027 ELECTIONS; KWARA STATE; APC; G15; RAINBOW COALITION | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Ekiti: INEC to commence display of voters’ register, PVC collection Oct. 9 | INEC in Ekiti flagged off preparations at a stakeholders’ engagement in Ado-Ekiti on Monday for the display of the preliminary voters’ register and PVC collection, which will run from 9 to 15 October. The register will be displayed daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at wards and LGA headquarters so that the public can verify names and file claims or objections backed by evidence. Officials urged staff to avoid extortion, urged citizens to resist vote-buying, and noted that PVCs for the 20 June governorship election remain available at LGA offices. | 2027 ELECTIONS; INEC; EKITI STATE; VOTERS’ REGISTER; PVC COLLECTION | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Yobe ADC refunds N1m ‘inducement’ over LG poll meeting | The Yobe ADC said in a statement by its state secretary that it compelled a member who attended a 22 September IPAC meeting on the recent local government elections to return N1 million deposited into his account. It said the party’s representative had not been authorised to attend, that the money was refunded to the state government’s account and that disciplinary action was taken. The party also described the local government election as a skewed charade that lacked basic democratic tenets. | YOBE STATE; ADC; LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS; ALLEGED INDUCEMENT | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | More persons decamp to ADC in Ondo | The ADC is gaining ground in Ondo State through defections from the APC and PDP, including former Senator Patrick Akinyelure, who left the APC after allegedly learning he would not get its senatorial ticket, and two-time PDP governorship candidate Eyitayo Jegede (SAN). Jegede’s move was followed by PDP executives and others across the 18 LGAs, and Atiku and ADC interim national secretary Rauf Aregbesola visited Akure to receive him. An Akure analyst cautioned that the party must still build grassroots structures and manage internal cohesion. | 2027 ELECTIONS; ONDO STATE; DEFECTIONS; ADC | DAILY TRUST | |||
| VANGUARD | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | INEC to politicians on 2027 polls: Your ambitions not worth blood of Nigerians | INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan warned parties, candidates and campaign managers that violence, hate speech and vote-buying will attract arrest, sanctions and prosecution, and said an early-warning framework under ICCES is logging incidents. Speaking at the NGE workshop, he said he had been shown a video of an NDC candidate in Kano brandishing a gun and said someone was threatening to kill commission staff with AK-47s. He also said INEC is working with the EFCC, ICPC and NFIU to track illegal campaign spending, the register stands at over 103 million and PVC collection begins on Friday. | 2027 ELECTIONS; INEC; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; VOTE-BUYING | VANGUARD | |||
| GUARDIAN | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Why Tinubu ‘endorsed’ Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, by ex-gov | An unnamed former North-Central governor told The Guardian that Tinubu accepted the Rainbow Coalition because some APC governors were planning to hold him to ransom, a claim that is not independently verified. The Progressives Governors’ Forum has rejected any arrangement that could weaken the APC, while Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin said the coalition is no threat and urged governors to negotiate with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. The NDC’s FCT chapter dared Wike over his vow to resign on 17 January 2027 if Tinubu loses the FCT or Rivers, and Wike said 2027 would be easier for Tinubu than 2023. | 2027 ELECTIONS; RAINBOW COALITION; NYESOM WIKE; APC GOVERNORS; NDC | GUARDIAN | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | South Korea Warns Of Possible AI Use In Banking Hacks | South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said there are signs that artificial intelligence was used in a string of attacks on the financial sector, after more than seven institutions reported customer data breaches in a week, and police have opened an investigation. The Financial Services Commission says more than 68,000 people were affected, and Shinhan Bank said loan-application data of about 25,000 customers leaked. An official told AFP it is highly likely an open-source security testing tool, Artex AI, was used, but officials said this does not show the attackers were Chinese. | INTERNATIONAL; SOUTH KOREA; CYBERSECURITY; ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | CHANNELS TV | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 6TH OCTOBER 2026 | Trump Approves Firing Squad For Convicted 2009 US Military Base Shooter | The Pentagon said President Trump approved Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recommendation that Nidal Hasan, the former US Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, be executed by Army firing squad. It would be the first US military execution since 1961, with the Secretary of the Army to set the time and place. Hasan was sentenced to death by a military jury in 2013 after defending himself without calling witnesses. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED STATES; DEATH PENALTY; MILITARY JUSTICE | CHANNELS TV | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Lagos, Kano, Kaduna top voters register | INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan told a World Press Conference in Abuja that registered voters now exceed 103 million, up from 93.4 million in 2023. Lagos (7,488,633), Kano (6,000,570) and Kaduna (4,000,640) lead the register, followed by Katsina (3,876,051), Oyo (3,588,111) and Delta (3,525,988). Amupitan said INEC received the certified copy of the Supreme Court's 24 September judgment restoring sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 on 6 October and is reviewing its implications, having noted complaints from parties and National Assembly members on candidate eligibility. The register will be displayed from 9 to 15 October, Phase One PVC collection begins on 9 October, and the full register goes to parties on 15 December. Analysts split on whether higher registration will lift turnout. | 2027 ELECTIONS; INEC; VOTERS REGISTER; ELECTORAL ACT 2026 | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | After leaving APC, 7 Zamfara lawmakers in talks with 3 parties | Seven members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly who quit the APC (Ibrahim T. Tukur Bakura, Bashir Aliyu Gummi, Nasiru Abdullahi, Bashir Masama, Faruku Dosara, Shamsudeen Hassan and Bashiru Sarkin-Zango) are weighing offers from other parties. Bakura told Daily Trust they are in talks with the PRP, NDC and ADC, and that the PDP has also reached out without formal engagement. He said they must avoid a wrong choice, may consult constituents, and would announce their decision within a week. The lawmakers had earlier been suspended from the Assembly over allegations including misconduct, conspiracy, mischief and holding unauthorised proceedings. | DEFECTIONS; ZAMFARA STATE; APC; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | Borno ADC leadership crisis deepens over gov'ship ticket | The Khala-led faction of the Borno ADC has declared Muhammad Attom Magira the party's 2027 governorship candidate, relying on a Court of Appeal judgment (CA/ABJ/CV/608/2026) that set aside actions of the Senator David Mark-led national faction on state executive committees and awarded N10 million costs. Magira's team says he bought nomination forms and won a primary run by the Khala-led state structure. The Mark-aligned faction, through acting state chairman Bukar Kolo, calls the declaration laughable, null and void, insisting that only the national leadership with INEC can conduct primaries and that its legitimate primary produced Babagana Buhari. Kolo notes Magira came third in the earlier primary, and the dispute is headed to the Supreme Court. | ADC; BORNO STATE; PARTY CRISIS; GOVERNORSHIP TICKET; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| VANGUARD | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: APC doesn't want opposition candidates to campaign anywhere - Galadima | NDC chieftain Buba Galadima, speaking on Arise Television's Prime Time, alleged that blocks are being placed in the path of the opposition, that opposition candidates have been physically attacked in some places, and that the APC does not want any opposition figure to campaign anywhere. He said the situation resembled fascism, dictatorship or monarchy more than democracy, while also blaming citizens for allowing it. Galadima separately criticised the Electoral Act's N10 billion party campaign spending limit, citing a N1 billion billboard cost in Imo State and arguing that advertising across 37 states and Abuja would push parties past the cap. These are his claims, and no response from the APC or the Federal Government was reported. | 2027 ELECTIONS; NDC; OPPOSITION; CAMPAIGN FINANCE | VANGUARD | |||
| GUARDIAN | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | PDP loses bid to stop KWASIEC's conduct of council elections | Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, dismissed the PDP's suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/1061/2024) against INEC and the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission, which sought to stop the state's local government elections. The court held the suit statute-barred and an abuse of process. The elections went ahead while the case was pending, the PDP took part, filed about 24 election petitions that were all dismissed, did not appeal, and then sought to amend its originating summons to nullify the polls. Justice Lifu held that the amendment turned a pre-election case into a post-election one beyond a regular court's jurisdiction, and that the PDP was trying to relitigate matters for the election tribunals. | PDP; KWARA STATE; LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS; JUDICIARY | GUARDIAN | |||
| PUNCH | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | Obi makes U-turn, vows to return subsidy if elected | NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi told the BBC on Tuesday that he would keep the petrol subsidy if elected in 2027, saying the problem is the corruption around it: "I'll remove the corruption and retain the subsidy." Punch describes this as a reversal of his 2023 position, when he campaigned for removal, and notes it follows his running mate Rabiu Kwankwaso's September remark on Arise TV that an Obi-led NDC would bring subsidy back "in our own way" through refineries and local production. Obi also rejected stepping down for a consensus opposition candidate ("We need to do the right thing") and, asked about Buhari's anti-corruption record, said the difference is that he would be in charge. The Federal Government maintains that subsidy removal was necessary. | PETER OBI; NDC; FUEL SUBSIDY; 2027 ELECTIONS | PUNCH | |||
| PUNCH | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | Collect your PVC before 2027 elections, Makinde urges Nigerians | Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the Allied Peoples Movement presidential candidate, urged Nigerians in a video posted on Tuesday to collect their PVCs, displaying his own. His accompanying statement says INEC has confirmed collection begins on 9 October 2026, although in the video he is quoted citing 12 December, a discrepancy within the report. He said the PVC is the citizen's power and urged participation regardless of whom people support. On Tuesday his campaign inaugurated its National Campaign Management Committee in Abuja, targeting between 41 million and 68 million votes. | 2027 ELECTIONS; PVC COLLECTION; SEYI MAKINDE; APM | PUNCH | |||
| PUNCH | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | Police arraign man who filmed attack on NDC members | An Enugu East Magistrate's Court sitting at Nkwo Nike remanded Ani Chidi, 45, in prison custody after the Enugu State Police Command arraigned him on Monday on three counts under section 24(2)(a) and (c)(i) of the Cybercrime Act (as amended 2024). The police allege he published footage of the 12 September attack on an NDC meeting at Obuoffia Awkunanaw and falsely named three men, including Ani Nnabuike, as part of the armed group, and threatened one of them. The NDC, in a statement by Sampson Ukwu for governorship candidate Christian Ohaa, alleges the state is targeting the star witness who recorded the attack, whom it names as Chidi Ezeani, while perpetrators go free. The party's name for him differs from the charge sheet, and the allegations are the NDC's. | NDC; ENUGU STATE; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; CYBERCRIME ACT; POLICE | PUNCH | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027 polls: 84% intend to vote but only 41% committed - Yiaga survey | Yiaga Africa presented its third National Voter Intention Survey in Abuja on Wednesday, covering 2,470 adults in all 36 states and the FCT in September 2026. Safiya Bichi said 84 per cent intend to vote but only 41 per cent are committed, and 44 per cent of intending voters have not picked a candidate. Confidence in INEC fell to 34 per cent from 45 per cent, 61 per cent fear violence could stop them voting (78 per cent in the North-East), and 19 per cent say they have received money to vote for a candidate, including 32 per cent in the North-West. INEC's Victoria Eta-Messi acknowledged the concerns and pointed to the Osun election as evidence of improvement. | 2027 ELECTIONS; YIAGA AFRICA; VOTER INTENTION SURVEY; VOTE BUYING; INSECURITY | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: INEC's major challenge is procurement, transparency not funding - PLAC | Clement Nwankwo, director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, said on Arise TV's The Morning Show that the main challenge for INEC is weak transparency over money and procurement, not funding. He asked who the vendors supplying election materials are, whether they are partisan, and whether INEC handles procurement itself, and said INEC should disclose vendors and give parties enough information. He also pressed INEC to issue and monitor campaign spending limits under section 92 of the Electoral Act 2026 (N10 billion for presidential and N3 billion for governorship candidates) and criticised the continued absence of an Electoral Offences Commission. | INEC; PROCUREMENT TRANSPARENCY; CAMPAIGN FINANCE; ELECTORAL OFFENCES COMMISSION; PLAC | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | Poor record-keeping caused confusion over NAF crash manifest - ex-SSS director | Former SSS Director Mike Ejiofor told Arise TV's Daybreak that poor record-keeping explains the conflicting accounts of who was aboard the Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 that crashed in the Igbokoda swamp area of Ondo State on 5 October. The NAF named 25 people aboard (20 passengers, mostly military personnel, and five crew), against the 32 earlier reported by officials, and says all died. President Tinubu declared three days of national mourning and ordered an investigation. Ejiofor called for a wider review of the Air Force fleet's maintenance and condition, cited more than 10 military crashes in a decade, and urged caution on reports of a loud sound before impact until investigators establish the cause. | MILITARY AIRCRAFT CRASH; NAF; ONDO STATE; SECURITY; ACCOUNTABILITY | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Tinubu will win again if Atiku, Obi remain divided - Donald Duke | PRP presidential candidate Donald Duke said on Channels TV's Morning Brief that President Tinubu will win re-election in 2027 if the leading opposition candidates, Atiku Abubakar (ADC) and Peter Obi (NDC), do not unite. He argued that a split opposition vote could repeat 2023, when Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso ran separately, and blamed the difficulty of a common platform partly on large egos. Duke said the main opposition figures believe they are heading for inauguration and told them they would be disappointed. Asked directly whether Tinubu would therefore win, he answered "Absolutely". This is Duke's prediction. | 2027 ELECTIONS; DONALD DUKE; PRP; OPPOSITION COALITION; ATIKU; OBI | VANGUARD | |||
| VANGUARD | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | Makinde-Daura organisation inaugurates presidential campaign committee | The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation inaugurated its National Campaign Management Committee in Abuja on Tuesday, with 100 days to the polls, aiming to win a majority of votes from Nigeria's 103 million registered voters through grassroots mobilisation. APM vice-presidential candidate Lawal Daura said a national reset is the only way to fix Nigeria and warned those planning to rig that they "have a surprise coming". APM National Chairman Yusuf Dantalle asked members to deliver the Makinde-Daura ticket, and Director-General Felix Hyat urged northern youths not to back perennial candidates and citizens to reject politics of religion and tribe. | 2027 ELECTIONS; APM; SEYI MAKINDE; CAMPAIGN ORGANISATION | VANGUARD | |||
| GUARDIAN | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Atiku campaign accuses INEC of tilting presidential election in APC's favour | In a Wednesday statement by its director of media and publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the Atiku Abubakar campaign warned INEC against favouring the APC, saying the credibility of the 2027 elections depends on its neutrality and transparency. It argued that registration figures matter less than PVCs actually collected, alleged bureaucratic bottlenecks and delays at collection centres in opposition strongholds, and warned that democracy would be threatened if PVCs were available in APC areas and withheld elsewhere. It urged INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan to decentralise collection to ward level, extend hours and notify voters when cards are ready, and said any attempt to rig would meet lawful resistance. These are the campaign's allegations and claims. | 2027 ELECTIONS; ATIKU CAMPAIGN; INEC; PVC COLLECTION; ELECTORAL INTEGRITY | GUARDIAN | |||
| GUARDIAN | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | Fubara meets Wike's Rainbow Coalition in closed-door as LP joins | Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara met FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and APC governorship candidate Kingsley Chinda, with their supporters, for about four hours behind closed doors at his residence in Port Harcourt on Tuesday night, in the first reconciliation meeting Fubara has personally hosted with the opposing camp. No outcome was disclosed. Wike said he welcomed Fubara back with an open mind and that both camps would work to deliver votes for Tinubu. The report also records that the Rivers Labour Party chairman, Fredrick Nwoje, backed Wike's Rainbow Coalition, and recounts the Fubara-Wike feud since October 2023, the six-month emergency rule of 2025 and Fubara's endorsement of the coalition on 22 July 2026. | RIVERS STATE; WIKE; FUBARA; RAINBOW COALITION; RECONCILIATION | GUARDIAN | |||
| THISDAY | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | Ex-Obi campaign council members rally behind Tinubu, launch 'Batified Obidients' | Former members of Peter Obi's 2023 campaign council have launched a group called Batified Obidients to back President Tinubu and the APC in 2027. In a Wednesday statement signed by National Coordinator Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, issued after a meeting in Wuse 2, Abuja, the group said that after months of reflection it concluded Obi lacks the leadership qualities to govern, citing weak diversity management and poor use of talent, and that the Labour Party is not structurally prepared to govern. It rates Tinubu ahead on executive experience and consensus-building, says it does not speak for the wider Obidient Movement, and plans a national secretariat with zonal and state coordinators in all 36 states and the FCT. These are the group's own assessments. | 2027 ELECTIONS; PETER OBI; OBIDIENTS; TINUBU; DEFECTIONS | THISDAY | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | Rivers Labour Party backs Wike's Rainbow Coalition | The Rivers State chapter of the Labour Party has endorsed the Rainbow Coalition led by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, which brings together leaders of the PDP, APC, Labour Party and others. State chairman Fredrick Nwoje told a Port Harcourt press conference that the coalition shows governance is bigger than party, praised Wike's support for Tinubu's re-election, and said Labour is a major stakeholder and not a spectator. He criticised the APC Governors Forum, which opposes the coalition on the ground that it could undermine APC candidates, and alleged that some former governors are lobbying at the Presidential Villa against Wike. He urged Labour members in all 23 LGAs to remain calm. | RIVERS STATE; LABOUR PARTY; RAINBOW COALITION; WIKE; APC GOVERNORS FORUM | CHANNELS TV | |||
| ARISE | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | Clement Nwankwo: INEC funding not major challenge, procurement of materials for elections and transparency in management of funds is | PLAC director Clement Nwankwo told Arise News that INEC's preparations for the 16 January 2027 elections must go beyond funding, saying he does not think funding is a major challenge and that procurement is the real problem. He asked who the vendors are, whether they are partisan and whether INEC or outsiders handle procurement. He described the register of over 103 million as bloated, which is his view, and said INEC has not yet issued campaign spending limits for parties and candidates, which it should monitor and enforce with penalties, citing billboards and broadcast advertising. He added that weak enforcement of the Electoral Act is a major constraint on credibility. | INEC; PROCUREMENT TRANSPARENCY; VOTERS REGISTER; CAMPAIGN FINANCE; PLAC | ARISE | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | Another Bauchi lawmaker withdraws from 2027 race | Yusuf Abdullahi Itas, member for Itas/Gadau State Constituency in the Bauchi State House of Assembly, has withdrawn from the 2027 elections, where he was running on the APM platform. His letter to the APM state chairman, dated 5 October, describes the decision as entirely voluntary and personal. Itas chairs the House Committee on Petitions and is deputy chairman of the Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. His exit comes less than three weeks after the Assembly's Chief Whip, Musa Wakili Nakwada, also withdrew. The report gives no reasons for either withdrawal and does not say who will replace him as the APM candidate. | BAUCHI STATE; APM; WITHDRAWAL OF CANDIDATURE; STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| ARISE | 7TH OCTOBER 2026 | Costa Rica's Grynspan leads UN Secretary-General race after latest Security Council poll | Former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan remains the front-runner to become the 10th UN Secretary-General after the Security Council's fifth informal secret ballot on Wednesday, according to two sources. She leads a field of seven candidates, though her backing fell slightly from the previous week, and no candidate has yet won decisive support. The report says the result could encourage other senior figures to enter the race and gives no vote tallies. It sets the contest against ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, reduced US funding and the US withdrawal from several UN agencies. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED NATIONS; SECRETARY-GENERAL SELECTION; SECURITY COUNCIL | ARISE | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | OK Movement Makes U-Turn on Campaign Council, Blames APC for Crisis | OK Movement spokesman Emmanuel Idakwo said on Channels TV's Sunrise Daily that the presidential campaign council it recently disowned was not created through proper process and was published by individuals claiming to be members, adding that Peter Obi had no knowledge of it. The movement had set up a 59-member council on 17 September for the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket, which the NDC disowned, warning of destabilisation, before giving Obi and Kwankwaso power to nominate leaders for its own council. Idakwo said relations with the NDC and Seriake Dickson are cordial and claimed the APC amplified the controversy to make the NDC look divided. APC spokesman Felix Morka had not responded. | NDC; OK MOVEMENT; PETER OBI; CAMPAIGN COUNCIL; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Court Reserves Ruling on Taraba APC Chairmanship Primary Dispute | Justice Mashkur Salisu of the Federal High Court, Jalingo, on Wednesday reserved judgment, with no date fixed, in the suit by Abdulhadi Haruna Lau challenging his exclusion from the Taraba APC chairmanship primary. His counsel, Musa Attah, SAN, said Lau paid the fees, got a receipt and was still refused the form. The APC, through Festus Kayode, SAN, argued the matter is internal and outside the court's jurisdiction. Counsel for the second defendant, John Okezie, said Lau paid for the form but not a separate penalty fee under the APC constitution and produced no proof of eligibility. The court must decide whether Lau met the requirements and whether it has jurisdiction. | TARABA STATE; APC; CHAIRMANSHIP PRIMARY; JUDICIARY; INTRA-PARTY DISPUTE | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Eight Soldiers Reported Dead as Troops Foil Terror Attack in Borno | At least eight soldiers were reportedly killed repelling an ISWAP attack on the 101 Special Forces Battalion base in Kukawa LGA, Borno State, according to SaharaReporters citing military sources. Operation Hadin Kai spokesman Capt. Mohammed Goni said the troops, backed by the Air Force, killed over 25 militants, recovered 14 bodies and six AK-47 rifles, and acknowledged that soldiers died without giving a number. He said operations continue to track the fleeing fighters. The figure of eight soldiers is unofficial, while the militant casualty figures come from the military. | INSECURITY; BORNO STATE; ISWAP; OPERATION HADIN KAI; MILITARY CASUALTIES | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Rivers 2027: Amaechi Ally Dumps ADC, Returns to APC | Dr Sokonte Davies, a former Rivers governorship aspirant and founding ADC member who was an ally of Rotimi Amaechi, has left the ADC to rejoin the APC, announcing it in a Wednesday statement titled "Return to the Progressive Family". He said he is committed to President Tinubu's re-election and to stability in Rivers, thanked the ADC leadership without ill will, and thanked FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for a warm reception and APC National Vice Chairman Victor Giadom for facilitating his return. The report gives no figures on followers and no ADC response. | RIVERS STATE; DEFECTIONS; ADC; APC; AMAECHI | VANGUARD | |||
| VANGUARD | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Ondo Air Crash: Imo PDP Suspends Campaigns for Three Days | The Imo State PDP has suspended campaigns and all party activities for three days to mourn victims of the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Ondo State. In a statement by State Publicity Secretary Lancelot Obiaku, it ordered its ward, local government and senatorial organs and candidates to stop all political activity, describing the dead as gallant soldiers and crew who died in the line of duty. The party also commended President Tinubu and security agencies for helping secure the release of the corps members abducted in Imo State days earlier. | IMO STATE; PDP; MILITARY AIRCRAFT CRASH; CAMPAIGN SUSPENSION; NYSC ABDUCTION | VANGUARD | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Court Dismisses El-Rufai's Suit Against DSS, EFCC, ICPC, Others | Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, dismissed Nasir El-Rufai's suit seeking to stop the DSS, ICPC and others from freezing his accounts and seizing assets, calling it speculative and lacking merit. She struck out the EFCC, DSS and the Attorney-General of the Federation for lack of a cause of action and held that the suit abused court process because he had filed a similar case at the FCT High Court. He had sought declarations that his severance pay as governor and properties bought with it are lawful, plus N1 billion damages. She added that courts cannot be used to stop agencies performing statutory duties. | NASIR EL-RUFAI; DSS; ICPC; ASSET FREEZE; JUDICIARY | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Bandits Kill Humanitarian Worker in Sokoto Attack | Suspected bandits attacked a vehicle carrying five humanitarian workers on the Kajiji-Shagari road in Sokoto State at about 7 p.m. on Tuesday, killing Lydia Chinenye Nwankwo, who worked with a development partner supporting the state Ministry of Health, and injuring two colleagues. Her sister, Victoria, said she was shot in the chest and that a colleague was shot in the leg. The Sokoto Police Command separately confirmed an attack on communities in Shagari LGA in which a police inspector died, with spokesman DSP Ahmed Rufai saying casualty details were still being gathered. | INSECURITY; SOKOTO STATE; BANDITRY; HUMANITARIAN WORKERS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Bwala Admits Tinubu's Reforms Pushed More Nigerians Into Poverty | Presidential adviser Daniel Bwala conceded on Channels TV that the government's reforms, including petrol subsidy removal and foreign exchange changes, pushed more Nigerians into poverty, while claiming marked progress since they began. The report notes that the World Bank and IMF acknowledge improved macroeconomic stability but warn that living standards have not risen enough, and that much of the poverty rise preceded Tinubu. The Federal Government calls the measures unavoidable and Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele says poverty reduction is unfinished work, while Muda Yusuf says the test is incomes and jobs. | ECONOMY; TINUBU REFORMS; POVERTY; FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PUNCH | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Police, INEC Partner to Boost Election Security in Sokoto | The Sokoto Commissioner of Police, CP Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, pledged stronger collaboration with INEC during a familiarisation visit on Thursday to Resident Electoral Commissioner Umar Yusuf Garba. Shaffa called for regular engagement and timely information-sharing on protecting electoral personnel and materials and maintaining order before, during and after the elections, and said the command will give security support within its legal responsibilities. Garba assured the police of INEC's readiness to work with security agencies, and both sides agreed to sustain consultations, with the police reaffirming professionalism and impartiality. | SOKOTO STATE; POLICE; INEC; ELECTION SECURITY; 2027 ELECTIONS | PUNCH | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Court grants bail to 5 arrested over #TinubuMustGo T-shirts | A Magistrate's Court in Maiduguri has granted bail to five people arrested on 25 September for wearing #TinubuMustGo T-shirts, according to the report, which cites the Garki branch chairman of the NBA, Barrister Alkali Askira, as confirming their release. The Borno police say the suspects were also found with 15 wraps of suspected Indian hemp, 100 tablets of suspected D5, a shisha pot and scissors, and deny targeting anyone for their politics. The ADC accused Governor Zulum of anti-democratic conduct, while the state government denied he threatened to arrest anyone wearing the shirts, called the ADC's claims impulsive, and said he spoke only about security and public order. | BORNO STATE; #TINUBUMUSTGO; FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION; ADC; JUDICIARY | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PUNCH | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Bandits attack Sokoto communities, police inspector feared killed | The Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed an attack by bandits on communities in Shagari LGA, in which a police inspector is reportedly killed. Command spokesman DSP Ahmed Rufai said on Tuesday that the DPO in charge of Shagari had briefed the command, but that details and casualty figures were still being gathered. The attack followed reports of bandits moving around farmlands and communities, particularly towards Sanyin Nawal village, where resident Hassan Sahabi had earlier posted a social media appeal for prayers as armed men moved through the community. The inspector's death is so far reported and not officially confirmed. | INSECURITY; SOKOTO STATE; BANDITRY; POLICE | PUNCH | |||
| PUNCH | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Troops kill 25 terrorists in foiled Borno base attack | Troops of Operation Hadin Kai say they repelled a coordinated attack on the 101 Special Forces Battalion in Kukawa LGA, Borno State, at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday. In a Wednesday statement, acting Military Information Officer Capt. Mohammed Goni said ISWAP fighters attacked from four flanks, over 25 were killed with 14 bodies recovered so far, and six AK-47 rifles and other arms and ammunition were seized, with air component support. He acknowledged that some soldiers died but gave no figure. Troops are continuing to exploit the area and track the fleeing fighters. The casualty figures come from the military's statement. | INSECURITY; BORNO STATE; ISWAP; OPERATION HADIN KAI; MILITARY | PUNCH | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | OK Movement makes U-turn on campaign council, blames APC for crisis | OK Movement spokesman Emmanuel Idakwo said on Channels TV's Sunrise Daily that the presidential campaign council it recently disowned was not created through proper process and was published by individuals claiming to be members, adding that Peter Obi had no knowledge of it. The movement had set up a 59-member council on 17 September for the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket, which the NDC disowned, warning of destabilisation, before giving Obi and Kwankwaso power to nominate leaders for its own council. Idakwo said relations with the NDC and Seriake Dickson are cordial and claimed the APC amplified the controversy to make the NDC look divided. APC spokesman Felix Morka had not responded. | NDC; OK MOVEMENT; PETER OBI; CAMPAIGN COUNCIL; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Court reserves ruling on Taraba APC chairmanship primary dispute | Justice Mashkur Salisu of the Federal High Court, Jalingo, on Wednesday reserved judgment, with no date fixed, in the suit by Abdulhadi Haruna Lau challenging his exclusion from the Taraba APC chairmanship primary. His counsel, Musa Attah, SAN, said Lau paid the fees, got a receipt and was still refused the form. The APC, through Festus Kayode, SAN, argued the matter is internal and outside the court's jurisdiction. Counsel for the second defendant, John Okezie, said Lau paid for the form but not a separate penalty fee under the APC constitution and produced no proof of eligibility. The court must decide whether Lau met the requirements and whether it has jurisdiction. | TARABA STATE; APC; CHAIRMANSHIP PRIMARY; JUDICIARY; INTRA-PARTY DISPUTE | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Eight soldiers reported dead as troops foil terror attack in Borno | At least eight soldiers were reportedly killed repelling an ISWAP attack on the 101 Special Forces Battalion base in Kukawa LGA, Borno State, according to SaharaReporters citing military sources. Operation Hadin Kai spokesman Capt. Mohammed Goni said the troops, backed by the Air Force, killed over 25 militants, recovered 14 bodies and six AK-47 rifles, and acknowledged that soldiers died without giving a number. He said operations continue to track the fleeing fighters. The figure of eight soldiers is unofficial, while the militant casualty figures come from the military. | INSECURITY; BORNO STATE; ISWAP; OPERATION HADIN KAI; MILITARY CASUALTIES | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Rivers 2027: Amaechi ally dumps ADC, returns to APC | Dr Sokonte Davies, a former Rivers governorship aspirant and founding ADC member who was an ally of Rotimi Amaechi, has left the ADC to rejoin the APC, announcing it in a Wednesday statement titled "Return to the Progressive Family". He said he is committed to President Tinubu's re-election and to stability in Rivers, thanked the ADC leadership without ill will, and thanked FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for a warm reception and APC National Vice Chairman Victor Giadom for facilitating his return. The report gives no figures on followers and no ADC response. | RIVERS STATE; DEFECTIONS; ADC; APC; AMAECHI | VANGUARD | |||
| VANGUARD | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Ondo air crash: Imo PDP suspends campaigns for three days | The Imo State PDP has suspended campaigns and all party activities for three days to mourn victims of the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Ondo State. In a statement by State Publicity Secretary Lancelot Obiaku, it ordered its ward, local government and senatorial organs and candidates to stop all political activity, describing the dead as gallant soldiers and crew who died in the line of duty. The party also commended President Tinubu and security agencies for helping secure the release of the corps members abducted in Imo State days earlier. | IMO STATE; PDP; MILITARY AIRCRAFT CRASH; CAMPAIGN SUSPENSION; NYSC ABDUCTION | VANGUARD | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Court dismisses El-Rufai's suit against DSS, EFCC, ICPC, others | Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, dismissed Nasir El-Rufai's suit seeking to stop the DSS, ICPC and others from freezing his accounts and seizing assets, calling it speculative and lacking merit. She struck out the EFCC, DSS and the Attorney-General of the Federation for lack of a cause of action and held that the suit abused court process because he had filed a similar case at the FCT High Court. He had sought declarations that his severance pay as governor and properties bought with it are lawful, plus N1 billion damages. She added that courts cannot be used to stop agencies performing statutory duties. | NASIR EL-RUFAI; DSS; ICPC; ASSET FREEZE; JUDICIARY | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Bandits kill humanitarian worker in Sokoto attack | Suspected bandits attacked a vehicle carrying five humanitarian workers on the Kajiji-Shagari road in Sokoto State at about 7 p.m. on Tuesday, killing Lydia Chinenye Nwankwo, who worked with a development partner supporting the state Ministry of Health, and injuring two colleagues. Her sister, Victoria, said she was shot in the chest and that a colleague was shot in the leg. The Sokoto Police Command separately confirmed an attack on communities in Shagari LGA in which a police inspector died, with spokesman DSP Ahmed Rufai saying casualty details were still being gathered. | INSECURITY; SOKOTO STATE; BANDITRY; HUMANITARIAN WORKERS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | Bwala admits Tinubu's reforms pushed more Nigerians into poverty | Presidential adviser Daniel Bwala conceded on Channels TV that the government's reforms, including petrol subsidy removal and foreign exchange changes, pushed more Nigerians into poverty, while claiming marked progress since they began. The report notes that the World Bank and IMF acknowledge improved macroeconomic stability but warn that living standards have not risen enough, and that much of the poverty rise preceded Tinubu. The Federal Government calls the measures unavoidable and Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele says poverty reduction is unfinished work, while Muda Yusuf says the test is incomes and jobs. | ECONOMY; TINUBU REFORMS; POVERTY; FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PUNCH | 8TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Police, INEC partner to boost election security in Sokoto | The Sokoto Commissioner of Police, CP Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, pledged stronger collaboration with INEC during a familiarisation visit on Thursday to Resident Electoral Commissioner Umar Yusuf Garba. Shaffa called for regular engagement and timely information-sharing on protecting electoral personnel and materials and maintaining order before, during and after the elections, and said the command will give security support within its legal responsibilities. Garba assured the police of INEC's readiness to work with security agencies, and both sides agreed to sustain consultations, with the police reaffirming professionalism and impartiality. | SOKOTO STATE; POLICE; INEC; ELECTION SECURITY; 2027 ELECTIONS | PUNCH | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027 Elections: INEC Begins Nationwide PVC Collection Today As Voter Register Hits 103 Million | INEC says nationwide PVC collection starts on Friday 9 October and that the register now holds more than 103 million voters after a three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise. Lagos REC Ayobami Salami, delivering Chairman Joash Amupitan's keynote at the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers conference, said 10,772,421 new voters were registered, biometric checks and an ABIS cleanup were completed, the preliminary display runs from 9 to 15 October, printable PVCs have been introduced and 57,000 new BVAS machines acquired. Amupitan disagreed with Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, on restrictions on projections and exit polls, saying only returning officers declare results, and panellists urged more transparency on technology and prosecution of offenders. | INEC; PVC COLLECTION; VOTERS REGISTER; BVAS; ELECTION RESULTS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | INEC to Display Voter Register, Distribute PVCs in 168 Taraba Wards | INEC will display the national register of voters and distribute PVCs in 168 registration areas in Taraba State from Friday 9 October to 16 October, daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ngunan Iyongo, INEC's Head of Voter Education and Publicity, said in a statement in Jalingo on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner that the exercise covers voters who registered, transferred or requested replacement PVCs between August and December 2025 under Phase One of the Continuous Voter Registration, and lets them lodge claims or objections over errors. Not all cards may be available, with more to be released once the state office receives them from Abuja, and collection continues afterwards at LGA offices. | INEC; TARABA STATE; VOTERS REGISTER; PVC COLLECTION; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| GUARDIAN | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | Gunmen Kill Plateau Youth Leader, Expatriate, Two Others in Kebbi | In Kebbi State, gunmen attacked a construction site on the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway at Gubba Village, Maiyama LGA, killing at least three people, two security operatives and an expatriate working on the road project, and injuring two civilians. Police spokesman SP Bashir Usman blamed suspected Lakurawa terrorists who allegedly crossed from the Kebbe axis of Sokoto State, said work at the site has been suspended and more personnel deployed, and claimed that scores of the attackers were neutralised by the military. In Plateau State, gunmen killed Rwas Danladi, a Berom youth leader, on Wednesday near Rantis Village on the Gashish-Barkin Ladi road, and the association reported two other people injured in separate attacks. | INSECURITY; KEBBI STATE; PLATEAU STATE; LAKURAWA; KILLINGS | GUARDIAN | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | Atiku, NDC Fault Federal Government's 30-Day Petrol Discount | Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele announced on Thursday a 30-day petrol discount at NNPC stations, with priority for public transporters, describing it as selling at cost and not a subsidy. In a statement by Phrank Shaibu, Atiku Abubakar called the measure election-laced and shameless, asked what happens when the 30 days end, and said no savings per litre had been specified. The NDC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Osa Director, called it tokenism and deceit, accused the government of restoring the subsidy indirectly and questioned whether designated NNPC outlets can serve the population. These are the opposition's characterisations of the policy. | FUEL PRICES; PETROL DISCOUNT; ATIKU ABUBAKAR; NDC; 2027 ELECTIONS | CHANNELS TV | |||
| ARISE | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | INEC: Parties Cannot Field Candidates Not Listed in Membership Registers at Deadline | INEC warned that parties fielding candidates missing from the membership registers they submitted by the deadline will be barred from participating in the 2027 elections and cannot substitute them. National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna, speaking on Trust TV's Daily Politics, cited past cases in Zamfara and Plateau, said some parties may be unable to field candidates for other positions depending on INEC's review, and promised a definitive position by next Tuesday after legal advice on the certified true copy of the 24 September Supreme Court judgment. Separately, Lagos REC Ayobami Salami, for Chairman Joash Amupitan, warned online publishers against unverified fraud claims, and Sokoto's REC announced the register display and PVC distribution from 9 to 15 October. | INEC; SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT; PARTY REGISTERS; ELECTORAL ACT 2026; 2027 ELECTIONS | ARISE | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | Kwara G15 Denies Split in Rainbow Coalition | The G15 Political Movement and the wider Otoge family in Kwara State have denied reports of division and reaffirmed their unity and commitment to the Rainbow Coalition, in a statement signed by 15 members. The denial answers Sulyman Sai Kai, the governor's Special Assistant (Political) for Kwara Central, who said the group had been reduced to "G3 at best" and that Seriki had returned to the governor's camp. Member Muyideen Salako told Daily Trust that a meeting attended by Seriki, Oloriegbe, Belgore and nearly all members was held to counter what he called propaganda, which he claimed is government-sponsored. The report carries no response from the governor's office. | KWARA STATE; G15; RAINBOW COALITION; POLITICAL REALIGNMENT; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | Nasarawa Police Ask Opposition to Reschedule Activities Over First Lady's Visit | The Nasarawa State Police Command, in a statement by SP Ramhan Nansel, asked opposition parties and other groups to move any gathering planned for 10 October to a later date because First Lady Oluremi Tinubu is expected in the state. The date coincides with a major APC rally at Lafia Square organised by the North-Central Grassroots Mobilisation Network to build support for President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima. The police said the request is meant to ensure security, prevent clashes between rival supporters, stop hoodlums hijacking events and allow smooth movement for dignitaries, while respecting parties' rights to assemble. CP Shetima Jauro Muhammad pledged a level playing field. | NASARAWA STATE; POLICE; APC RALLY; OPPOSITION; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | Anti-Party Allegations Split Ondo APC | The Ondo APC is divided over allegations that some state executive members and political appointees of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa are working against candidates recognised by the party's national leadership, following controversy over National Assembly primaries and a later review of some names. The allegations include that the governor backs politicians who lost APC primaries and now run on the SDP or on a coalition linked to Nyesom Wike. The latest row concerns a 6 October rally in Idanre for SDP candidate Tajudeen Adefisoye, which an anonymous APC chieftain says Aiyedatiwa's appointees attended, some in SDP colours. Aiyedatiwa has repeatedly denied sponsoring candidates against the APC, and the dispute is unresolved in the report. | ONDO STATE; APC; ANTI-PARTY ACTIVITIES; GOVERNOR AIYEDATIWA; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| GUARDIAN | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | ADC to Inaugurate Presidential Campaign Today | The ADC is to inaugurate the presidential campaign council of Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi in Abuja on Friday, with National Chairman David Mark performing the inauguration. Kola Ologbondiyan, Special Adviser to the National Chairman on Media and Publicity, said ADC leaders and its governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly candidates are expected. The campaign used the occasion to attack the Federal Government's 30-day petrol price reduction as a desperate, shameless and insulting attempt to bribe Nigerians and a publicity stunt that would not save the Tinubu administration. These are the campaign's claims, and no government response is reported. | ADC; ATIKU ABUBAKAR; CAMPAIGN COUNCIL; FUEL PRICES; 2027 ELECTIONS | GUARDIAN | |||
| PUNCH | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | ADC Insists on Releasing Election Results Despite INEC Warning | The ADC has rejected INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan's caution against publishing privately collated results, saying Nigerians have a constitutional right to collect, collate and share polling-unit results. In a Thursday statement by National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said its agents will document results, its structures will collate them and it will publish verified figures identifying their source and status. It accepts that INEC alone declares official results and winners and said its system is not a substitute or an attempt to usurp INEC's powers, arguing that INEC's mandate cannot abrogate citizens' right to share results. | ADC; INEC; ELECTION RESULTS; RESULT COLLATION; 2027 ELECTIONS | PUNCH | |||
| PUNCH | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | State Police: Senate Confident of 24 States' Backing | Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs chairman Yemi Adaramodu told Punch that there is no serious opposition to state police and that the bill will secure the 24 state Houses of Assembly it needs. The Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill on state police services was sent to the 36 Assemblies on 16 September with a 30-day deadline ending 15 October, and only Edo, Oyo, Osun and Rivers had approved it as of Thursday. Adaramodu said the process will be completed within the life of the 10th Senate and that responses are expected possibly next week. Clerk Kamoru Ogunlana said it is the only amendment bill transmitted so far. | STATE POLICE; CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT; SENATE; STATE ASSEMBLIES; SECURITY | PUNCH | |||
| PUNCH | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | Court Dismisses Eligibility Suit Against Ekiti APC Rep Candidate | The Federal High Court, Ekiti Division, on Thursday dismissed suit FHC/AD/CS/19/2026 by APC member Bayo Babalotin seeking to disqualify Toyin Okoro, the APC's candidate for Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1, for allegedly not resigning as a public servant before the primary. Justice Babs Kuewumi held that Babalotin lacked locus standi because he was not an aspirant in the primary and showed no adverse effect on his interest, and struck out the Ekiti APC as a separate defendant. Okoro's counsel, Dr Femi Ogunade, said only participating aspirants can challenge a primary, citing section 285 of the Constitution. | EKITI STATE; APC; ELIGIBILITY SUIT; LOCUS STANDI; JUDICIARY | PUNCH | |||
| VANGUARD | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | Trump Rules Out New Iran Attack Before US Midterm Elections | US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social on Thursday that the US "will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections" on 3 November, citing productive discussions with Tehran while keeping the blockade in force. His statement followed reports by The Atlantic and The New York Times of Pentagon planning for pre-midterm strikes and a spike in oil prices, with Brent reaching $105.88 a barrel. Russian President Putin and Iranian President Pezeshkian met ahead of a CIS summit in Turkmenistan, with Putin offering help to settle the crisis and Pezeshkian saying Iran wants a final framework to end the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on 28 February. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED STATES; IRAN; US MIDTERM ELECTIONS; OIL PRICES | VANGUARD | |||
| GUARDIAN | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | APC Asks INEC to Enforce Supreme Court Ruling on Party Registers | In an October 9 letter signed by National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary Surajudeen Basiru, the APC asked INEC to enforce the Supreme Court's 24 September judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party (SC/CV/495/2026), which restored sections 77(5) to 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026. It argues that the provisions are mandatory and that parties which missed the register deadline can be barred from fielding candidates. The APC asked INEC to verify whether every party submitted its register on time, apply section 77(7) where applicable and recognise only members on submitted registers, and warned that non-enforcement could undermine party democracy. | APC; INEC; SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT; PARTY REGISTERS; ELECTORAL ACT 2026 | GUARDIAN | |||
| GUARDIAN | 9TH OCTOBER 2026 | Rivers Becomes Battleground as Wike Threatens Amaechi’s 2027 Campaign Over Tinubu Remarks | FCT Minister Nyesom Wike said in Abuja that ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi could face difficulty campaigning in Rivers State over remarks he reportedly made in Edo State that only thieves and mad people would vote for Tinubu, and demanded that Amaechi withdraw them. Wike did not say what resistance Tinubu's supporters might mount. He also challenged Amaechi over his time as governor, citing a $39 million flour mill, a N68 billion monorail, a $10 million fumigation payment and a $308 million turbine sale, without providing evidence at the briefing. He also directed that striking FCT teachers face no work, no pay. These are Wike's claims, and no Amaechi response is reported. | RIVERS STATE; WIKE; ROTIMI AMAECHI; ADC; 2027 CAMPAIGN; FCT TEACHERS STRIKE | GUARDIAN | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 10TH OCTOBER 2026 | Abducted Kogi Councillor Dies in Captivity | Rosemary Adukwu, councillor for Ogugu Ward III in Olamaboro LGA, Kogi State, died in captivity after gunmen ambushed her vehicle near Oji River on the Enugu-Anambra boundary on 30 September while she travelled to Onitsha. LGA Chairman Ameh Williams announced her death on Friday, saying it was confirmed on Thursday. Her family alleges that no ransom was demanded and that, when security operatives tracked her phone, a voice said its owner was dead, with the driver and the person who answered the call reportedly arrested. Premium Times could not verify the family's account, and Kogi police did not respond. She was buried on Friday. | INSECURITY; KOGI STATE; KIDNAPPING; LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILLOR | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 10TH OCTOBER 2026 | Court Orders APC to Conduct Fresh Primaries in 10 Plateau Wards | Justice Dorcas Agishi of the Federal High Court, Jos, ordered the APC to conduct fresh primaries in 10 wards of the Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency within 30 days, in suit FHC/J/CS/42/2026 filed by Esther Danboyi against Dachung Bagos, the APC and INEC. Danboyi challenged the primary that produced Bagos. Her lawyer, Ritji Yilwatda, said the court found the elections had not been held in those wards, dismissed the defendants' preliminary objections and awarded N1.5 million costs, N500,000 against each defendant. The report carries no response from the APC, Bagos or INEC. | PLATEAU STATE; APC; PRIMARY ELECTION; JUDICIARY; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 10TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Rivers Action Alliance Backs Wike-Led Rainbow Coalition | The Rivers State chapter of the Action Alliance has endorsed the Rainbow Coalition led by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, less than a week after the state Labour Party did the same, pledging to support its candidates across the state's 23 LGAs. State Chairman Dumbari Nwigbarato announced it in Port Harcourt, describing the coalition as a platform for peace and unity and saying the party backs it because it has a candidate in the alliance. Asked whether it serves Wike's personal agenda, he said the decision does not rest on one person, and he urged whoever wins to carry other candidates along. | RIVERS STATE; ACTION ALLIANCE; RAINBOW COALITION; WIKE; 2027 ELECTIONS | CHANNELS TV | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 10TH OCTOBER 2026 | Plateau ADC Challenges Government Over Fine, Alleges Selective Enforcement of Executive Order | The Plateau ADC asked the Jos Metropolitan Development Board to explain what it calls selective enforcement of Executive Order 003, under which the party and its governorship candidate, Brig. Gen. John Sunday Sura (rtd.), were reportedly fined over political posters; the amount is not stated. State Publicity Secretary Silas Audu Wettok said posters of Governor Caleb Mutfwang and President Tinubu remain on public facilities in the same restricted area. The party demanded that the fine be withdrawn or suspended and the order applied equally, said it does not object to regulation, and accused the board of acting as an extension of the APC's political machinery. The report carries no response from the board. | PLATEAU STATE; ADC; EXECUTIVE ORDER 003; POLITICAL POSTERS; SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT | CHANNELS TV | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 10TH OCTOBER 2026 | Allies Frown as US Sanctions ICC After Navi Pillay Wins Nobel Peace Prize | The US imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court on Friday, hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, barring US companies from working with the court, with a six-month grace period and some exemptions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the ICC rogue and said the US would never allow it to prosecute Americans. It is the first sanction on the court itself, after earlier measures on officials over warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The ICC called it an assault on the rule of law, and Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and the UK said they strongly disagree. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED STATES; ICC SANCTIONS; NOBEL PEACE PRIZE; NAVI PILLAY | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 10TH OCTOBER 2026 | 'Disgraceful and Embarrasing': Trump Critizes Nobel Peace Prize Decision | At a rally in Syracuse, New York, on Saturday, US President Donald Trump called the Nobel committee's choice of Navi Pillay for the 2026 Peace Prize disgraceful and embarrassing, saying the US deserved it, and called it an indelible stain on Norway. He repeated his claim to have settled eight wars, which the report describes as false, and said he is about to settle or win two more, Russia-Ukraine and Iran, warning on Iran that a resolution would come very quickly one way or the other. The committee said the prize honours Pillay's work for peace and international law. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED STATES; DONALD TRUMP; NOBEL PEACE PRIZE; IRAN | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: INEC Excludes Pantami, Adebutu, Clears Chinda in Final Governorship Candidates List | INEC's final governorship list for the 6 February 2027 elections, released on Saturday, leaves out PDP candidates Isa Pantami (Gombe) and Ladi Adebutu (Ogun), so the PDP has no listed candidate in either state, and retains Kingsley Chinda as the APC candidate in Rivers. Gombe has 16 candidates and Ogun 13, with Akwa Ibom highest at 20 and Cross River lowest at eight. INEC gave no reasons, but the report links the exclusions to the Supreme Court's 24 September ruling restoring sections 77(5) to 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026. It notes questions over whether Chinda, who registered with the APC on 27 April, was a member when the 21 May primary held. | INEC; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES LIST; PDP; ELECTORAL ACT 2026; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | PDP Speaks on Pantami's Omission From Gombe Governorship Candidates List | The Gombe PDP, in a statement by publicity secretary Abdulkadir Dukku, urged calm after governorship candidate Isa Pantami was left off INEC's published list, saying it has received no formal communication from INEC confirming the exclusion. It stressed that INEC officials monitored the court-ordered repeat primary on 29 September, which Pantami won after the Federal High Court in Gombe nullified the May primary on 24 September while affirming his PDP membership. The party said its legal team is working to restore his name and blamed unnamed political detractors. The report carries no INEC response. | GOMBE STATE; PDP; ISA PANTAMI; INEC; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | Ogun 2027: INEC Omits Ladi Adebutu From Final Ogun Governorship List as PDP Moves to Resolve Issue | INEC’s final list of 13 candidates for the Ogun State governorship election excludes PDP candidate Ladi Adebutu and his running mate, Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, leaving the party without representation on the list. The list, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, includes the ADC’s Lawal Adebisi, following a court order, and the APC’s Senator Adeola Olamilekan. Adebutu maintained in a statement on X that he remains a duly registered PDP member, claiming his digital registration was completed on time, his membership card verified and his documents submitted to INEC. He alleged political pressure from the APC and harassment of his campaign but provided no evidence for the claims. INEC has not explained the omission. Meanwhile, Elections Integrity Watch and the Ogun Democratic Accountability Forum alleged that Adebutu’s name is missing from the PDP membership register submitted to INEC. Elections Integrity Watch said a certified true copy of the register obtained from the commission does not contain his name. Under Section 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026, a party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated deadline cannot field candidates. Section 32(2) also requires parties to notify INEC in writing within 14 days if a nominated candidate is missing from the published list. The PDP said it is taking steps to resolve the matter. INEC disclosed that 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates were nominated nationwide. | OGUN STATE; PDP; LADI ADEBUTU; INEC; PARTY REGISTER | PREMIUM TIMES PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Salisu Rejects INEC's Listing of Senator Ahmad as Katsina ADC Governorship Candidate | Salisu Uli, who contests the Katsina ADC governorship ticket, told Premium Times that his camp has challenged the nomination of former Senator Ahmad Kaita, whom INEC's list names as ADC candidate with Yar'Adua Ahmed as running mate. He said a motion was filed more than a month ago at the Federal High Court in Abuja, with the next hearing on 19 October, and that his camp would go to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court if needed. He alleged the ADC held no valid primary, and said he would remain in the ADC even if Kaita's nomination is upheld. Premium Times could not verify the claims or review the court filings. | KATSINA STATE; ADC; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE; PRIMARY DISPUTE; INEC | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | ADC Leadership Crisis: What Courts Have Decided, What Remains Unresolved | Premium Times reviews the ADC's legal disputes. INEC lists David Mark as national chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary, but Nafiu-Bala Gombe challenges how the Mark-led leadership emerged, and Justice Peter Lifu reserved judgment on 5 October in FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025. On 30 April the Supreme Court set aside a Court of Appeal status quo directive without deciding his claim. On 13 July the Court of Appeal upheld, 2 to 1, restrictions on INEC recognising state congresses organised by Mark-appointed committees, and the ADC plans a Supreme Court appeal. Several judgments' precise terms could not be confirmed. | ADC; LEADERSHIP CRISIS; DAVID MARK; JUDICIARY; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Amid Forgery Trial, Uche Nnaji Drops Degree Claim in INEC Filing, Opts for WAEC | INEC has cleared former Science and Technology Minister Uche Nnaji as the PDP's Enugu governorship candidate with Robert Ngwu as running mate, though he is on trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja on six counts of certificate forgery and money laundering brought by the ICPC, to which he pleaded not guilty. In his INEC submission he listed his WAEC certificate and omitted the University of Nigeria degree he previously claimed, which Premium Times says raises questions about that claim. He resigned as minister on 7 October 2025 after the paper's investigation. The trial resumes on 26 October. | ENUGU STATE; PDP; UCHE NNAJI; CERTIFICATE FORGERY TRIAL; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | Enugu State Government Condemns Attack on NDC Members Amid Rising Political Tensions | Enugu State Secretary to the Government Chidiebere Onyia condemned Saturday's attacks on NDC members at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport and the NDC state secretariat, and said no one died. He said police are investigating a clash at the secretariat in which 43-year-old Ifeanyi Nworie was shot and is receiving treatment, rejected reports of his death, and denied that Governor Peter Mbah's Chief Security Officer supervised any shooting. He said the NDC lacked FAAN approval for its airport flag-off. He also alleged that opposition elements plan to hire armed thugs, which is the government's position. NDC claims of deaths are disputed. | ENUGU STATE; NDC; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; GOVERNMENT RESPONSE; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: ADC, NDC Candidates Not Cleared for Cross River Governorship | INEC's final governorship list, released on Saturday, shows that neither the ADC nor the NDC has a candidate for Cross River State's 6 February 2027 election. Only eight parties are listed: APC, APP, APM, NRM, Labour Party, Action Alliance, ADP and PDP. Governor Bassey Otu (APC) and Ali Patrick (AA) are the oldest candidates at 66, and Nya Bassey (APP) the youngest. The report says INEC has cleared at least 241 candidates for 36 elective positions in the state. It carries no explanation of the omissions and no statements from the parties or INEC. | CROSS RIVER STATE; ADC; NDC; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES LIST; INEC | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | Rising insecurity: Nine Die in Benue Attacks Days After Otukpo Killings | At least nine people were reportedly killed by suspected herders in Ukum LGA, Benue State, beginning around 11 p.m. on Friday in Tse-Nyaku, Tse-Biliji and other Mbatian council ward communities, according to an anonymous local source, who warned the toll could rise as residents are missing. The attack follows the killing of three people, including a three-year-old child, in Omulonye community in Otukpo LGA on Wednesday, according to citizen journalist Meddy Olotu. PDP state constituency candidate Livinus Tyodoo called the attacks "one attack too many". Police spokesman Peter Aondongu said no report had reached him, and Premium Times could not verify the toll. | INSECURITY; BENUE STATE; HERDER ATTACKS; KILLINGS; UKUM; OTUKPO | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Atiku Demands Names of Firms Printing INEC's Ballot Papers | In a statement by Phrank Shaibu for the ADC presidential campaign council, Atiku Abubakar asked INEC to disclose which companies are printing sensitive 2027 materials and to explain reported departmental reshuffles, including Isa Magaji Gum's move to the Voter Registry Department and new heads of Electoral Operations and ICT. He alleged, citing reports, that more than half of the materials may have gone to an undisclosed company believed to be in France, questioned whether Hitech, linked to the Chagoury family, won a contract, and asked about reports that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc handles only 15 to 17 states. These are allegations and questions, and no INEC response is reported. | ATIKU ABUBAKAR; ADC; INEC; BALLOT PRINTING; ELECTORAL TRANSPARENCY | VANGUARD | |||
| ARISE | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | Atiku Accuses Tinubu of Turning NNPC's ₦66 Petrol Discount Into Political Spectacle | In a statement by Phrank Shaibu, Atiku Abubakar accused the Tinubu administration of turning the ₦66-per-litre petrol discount into a political spectacle at NNPC's expense and asked who pays for it, saying no board approval, cost or funding account has been shown. He noted that NNPC Retail has just over 900 stations for about 242 million people and said motorists must queue, download an app and pay through it, asking how much of the saving survives. He said renaming a cost does not make it disappear and that Tinubu mocked a production-based subsidy before adopting a similar idea. These are the candidate's criticisms. | ATIKU ABUBAKAR; NNPC; PETROL DISCOUNT; FUEL PRICES; 2027 ELECTIONS | ARISE | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | Protest Erupts as Police Barricade Venue of Anti-Tinubu Meeting in Kano | Members of the "Tinubu Must Go" movement protested after police blocked the venue of their planned meeting in Kano on Sunday. Convener Abba Hikima, a lawyer, said in a Facebook live video that about 10 mobile police vehicles were stationed there and that Kano Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Bakori had phoned him the day before to say the group should have notified police. He said the gathering would be enclosed and lawful, that the venue was paid for, and vowed future protests. The movement describes itself as non-partisan. Police spokesman CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa did not respond to enquiries. | KANO STATE; #TINUBUMUSTGO; POLICE; FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | INEC Publishes Full List of House of Assembly Candidates Cleared for 2027 Elections | INEC has published the final list of candidates cleared for State Houses of Assembly seats in the 2027 elections, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony and released on 10 October. The governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for 6 February 2027. The Daily Trust article does not name candidates or give totals and directs readers to the complete list in PDF form on INEC's website. | INEC; STATE HOUSES OF ASSEMBLY; CANDIDATES LIST; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| ARISE | 11TH OCTOBER 2026 | Trump Says Ukraine Needs a New President to End War With Russia | US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that "it's time for Ukraine to get a new president" who can make a deal, criticising President Zelensky for authorising strikes on Russian oil refineries, which he linked to high diesel prices, and warning that Zelensky "better damn well stop". On Friday Trump confirmed an agreement with Moscow to suspend sanctions on Russian diesel exports until 7 April. Zelensky said this gives Russia more money for weapons, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Europe will not ease pressure and expects foreign ministers to approve its largest sanctions package against Russia on Monday. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED STATES; UKRAINE; RUSSIA SANCTIONS; DONALD TRUMP | ARISE | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 12TH OCTOBER 2026 | INEC Disowns Fake Governorship Candidate List, Warns Against Misinformation Ahead of 2027 Elections | INEC has warned the public about a fake online publication purporting to list governorship candidates in six states: Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano. The Commission said the publication is fake, did not originate from it, and that it has made no special announcement on governorship candidates in those states. It urged Nigerians to disregard and not share the material and to verify information through its website, social media handles and news portal. The report does not say who created or circulated the list, when it first appeared or whether any action has been taken. | INEC; FAKE NEWS; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES LIST; DISINFORMATION; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 12TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: APC Chairman Says Party Polls Show Tinubu Will Win Presidential Election | APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda said on Channels TV's Sunday Politics on 11 October that the party's internal opinion polls show President Tinubu winning in 2027, saying "we have done fact-finding; we are leading". He named Atiku Abubakar (ADC) and Peter Obi (NDC) as the opposition and argued neither has shown enough electoral strength. He defended tax and power sector reforms, called high fuel prices temporary, said nobody is protected from corruption prosecution in the APC, and acknowledged disputes in Katsina, Kano and Kwara that he said are not an existential threat. The poll claims are the party's own and no data was published. | APC; NENTAWE YILWATDA; 2027 ELECTIONS; TINUBU RE-ELECTION; OPPOSITION | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 12TH OCTOBER 2026 | ADC Alleges Ethnic Bias in INEC Postings, Demands Answers Ahead of 2027 | The ADC, in a statement by National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, accused INEC of a pattern of redeployments that allegedly favours the South-West, saying it has names of officers moved out of Electoral Operations and ICT departments in several northern states and replaced with staff from Lagos and other South-West states. It said it sees "a pattern, especially along ethnic lines" and asked whether this could advantage Tinubu and the APC, though it stopped short of alleging a deliberate plot. The party urged INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan to publish the postings, criteria and reasons. The report gives no total and carries no INEC response. | ADC; INEC; STAFF REDEPLOYMENT; ELECTORAL INTEGRITY; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| GUARDIAN | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | Wike Names Himself Coordinator of Tinubu's 2027 Re-election Campaign in FCT & Rivers State | FCT Minister Nyesom Wike said at a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders' meeting in Abuja, on or about 12 October, that he will coordinate President Tinubu's re-election campaign in the FCT and Rivers State, calling himself the person in charge of field operations in the FCT. He said the coalition had agreed to back Tinubu for president along with APC candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives in the FCT, and urged APC and PDP members to set aside differences. PDP National Assembly candidates present publicly declared support for their APC counterparts. The report carries no response from APC or PDP leadership and gives no details of how the structure will operate. | FCT; RIVERS STATE; WIKE; RAINBOW COALITION; TINUBU RE-ELECTION | GUARDIAN | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: APC to Inaugurate Presidential Campaign Council for Tinubu's Re-election Wednesday | The APC will formally launch the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu/APC 2027 Presidential Campaign Council on Wednesday, 14 October, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, according to a Monday statement by National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka. The party said the list of directorate members expected to attend would be released shortly. The council is meant to coordinate mobilisation, explain the party's manifesto and the administration's policies, run campaign events and supervise messaging and media outreach ahead of the 16 January 2027 presidential election, in which Tinubu seeks a second term with Vice President Kashim Shettima. | APC; TINUBU CAMPAIGN COUNCIL; 2027 ELECTIONS; PRESIDENTIAL VILLA | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | INEC List: Jigawa ADC Candidate Fumes Over Running Mate Replacement | Jigawa ADC governorship candidate Sabo Nakudu is protesting INEC's final list, released on Saturday, which names Nasiru Kaugama as his running mate in place of Aminu Ibrahim, whom he nominated. He and his supporters accuse a faction within the party of orchestrating the swap, and INEC gave no reason, though sources suggested a link to the ADC national headquarters appeasing a rival faction. The row stems from the primary against Adamu Jumbo, who petitioned the party's appeal committee alleging irregularities and intimidation, and a leaked 60:40 power-sharing proposal between the camps did not settle it. Governor Umar Namadi (APC) and 11 others are on the 12-candidate list. | JIGAWA STATE; ADC; RUNNING MATE REPLACEMENT; INEC; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES LIST | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | Why ADC Plans to Restore Petrol Subsidy - Spokesperson | ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said on Channels TV's Politics Today on Monday that the party would subsidise domestic crude production, supplying refineries cheaply, if it wins in 2027, instead of subsidising petrol consumption. He said Nigerians are too poor to be left to market forces and that the Tinubu government removed the subsidy without preparing the public. He called the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway unnecessary amid hardship, criticised Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele, saying Nigeria needs a trained economist, and said he lacked the technical expertise to discuss exchange rates. He framed 2027 as a contest between the people and the APC. These are the party's proposals and claims. | ADC; FUEL SUBSIDY; ECONOMIC POLICY; 2027 ELECTIONS; COST OF LIVING | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | NDC Chair Alleges Forgery in Governorship Substitution, Demands Probe | Plateau NDC chairman Solomon Ndam told a Jos news conference on Monday that a forged INEC Form EC11B was used in an attempt to present Jonathan Sunday Akuns as the party's governorship candidate. He said he executed the form only with Alfred Dapal, the sole aspirant in the 15 September substitution primary, after he withdrew from the May primary under the zoning arrangement, and that a document with his name and photo bore a signature he disowns. He asked the police to investigate and prosecute those responsible, and said a Federal High Court has barred Akuns from presenting himself as candidate pending Dapal's suit. These are Ndam's allegations. | PLATEAU STATE; NDC; GOVERNORSHIP SUBSTITUTION; FORGERY ALLEGATION; INEC | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | Pantami Issues 3-Day Ultimatum to INEC to Publish His Name as Candidate | Former minister Isa Ali Pantami has, through his lawyers Ahmed Raji & Co., given INEC three days from a letter dated 12 October to publish him as the PDP's 2027 Gombe governorship candidate, contending that his omission from the 10 October final list is unlawful. Lead counsel Ahmed Raji, SAN, says Pantami won the 26 May primary, was published by INEC on 29 August, and won a fresh primary on 29 September under INEC monitoring after the Federal High Court in Gombe nullified the first primary on procedure while affirming his membership. INEC gave no reason for the exclusion. These are the claims in his lawyers' letter. | GOMBE STATE; PDP; ISA PANTAMI; INEC; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Omitted Bauchi Governorship Candidates to Meet INEC Leadership | Four parties in Bauchi State, SDP, NNPP, Action Alliance and Accord Party, plan to meet INEC's national leadership after their governorship candidates and running mates were missing from the published list, which names 15 candidates from 11 parties to succeed Governor Bala Mohammed. INEC has not explained, and a senior Bauchi official said only the Abuja headquarters can give a reason. NNPP chairman AbdulKarim Matori urged calm over the exclusion of Shuaibu Ahmed and Abubakar Zakari and hoped it was unintentional, while the SDP plans an emergency meeting and Action Alliance's national legal team will seek clarification. | BAUCHI STATE; INEC; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES LIST; SDP; NNPP | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: ADC Women Support Group Begins Door-to-Door Mobilisation in Kano State | Saadatu Abdulrahman Maishunku, National Coordinator of the Atiku/Amaechi Coalition for Good Governance, told supporters in Kano, including many women, that the ADC is positioned to secure women's votes to win the presidency in 2027. She announced a door-to-door campaign targeting women to prepare them to help unseat the APC, said the coalition would keep to issues without personal attacks, and warned that treating women voters as a given would harm democracy. The report gives no start date, venues or attendance figures, and the claim of positioning for victory is hers. | KANO STATE; ADC; WOMEN VOTERS; ATIKU-AMAECHI COALITION; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: INEC Duplicates Names of Candidates Across Some Political Parties | An analysis by NAN of the 164 entries on INEC's final 2027 Edo House of Assembly list found two candidates listed under two parties each: Ogbebor Samson Osemudiamen under the APM and PDP in Esan North East II, and Usman William Idenobe under the APM and PDP in Etsako East. Edo INEC spokeswoman Toyin Buoro said the state office noticed the entries too, that they came from headquarters, and that it is awaiting a reply. The report also notes that 148 of the 164 candidates (90.24 per cent) are men and 16 are women, with the SDP fielding four women, the ADP three and Labour Party two. | EDO STATE; INEC; STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY; DUPLICATE CANDIDATES; GENDER REPRESENTATION | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | ADC, NDC, PDP Decry Attacks on Opposition Parties in Enugu State | The ADC, NDC and PDP jointly condemned attacks on opposition parties in Enugu at a Monday press conference, warning that democracy is sliding toward anarchy and asking security agencies and the federal government to protect opposition members. NDC governorship candidate Chinyeaka Ohaa said he was attacked on 10 October returning from the airport, with supporters injured, vehicles damaged and journalists' phones seized, and that his convoy was blocked by security operatives. PDP's Uche Nnaji called the attacks unacceptable and ADC's Ocho Obodoeze said his party had also been attacked and reported death threats to the DSS. The state government denied involvement, and the NDC rejected its explanation. | ENUGU STATE; NDC; ADC; PDP; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | NDC Rejects Enugu State Government's Claims on Attack at Airport | The Enugu NDC, in a Monday statement by secretary Emmanuel Nebo, rejected the state government's claim that it tried to hold a campaign flag-off at the airport without approval, accusing the government of shifting blame onto victims. Nebo said supporters only gathered to welcome the governorship candidate, the main flag-off took place at his GRA campaign office, and the party notified the police, DSS, NSCDC and FRSC by letters stamped as received on 8 October, with a receipt for a payment to the airport authority. He alleged that supporters were tear-gassed, shot at by police and attacked by thugs in front of security operatives and that members were injured, and demanded an independent investigation. These are the NDC's claims. | ENUGU STATE; NDC; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; AKANU IBIAM AIRPORT; STATE GOVERNMENT | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | Court Orders APC to Submit Mandung as Jos South Assembly Candidate | Justice Dorcas Agishi of the Federal High Court, Jos, ordered the APC to submit Ayuba Mandung's name to INEC as its Jos South State Constituency candidate and restrained it from presenting Mancha Vincent, in suit FHC/J/CS/43/2026 over the 20 May primary. Mandung alleged that Giring Ward results announced at ward level were altered in Vincent's favour. The court held the results could not lawfully be altered after announcement, found that Mandung was denied a fair hearing, dismissed the defendants' preliminary objections and awarded N500,000 costs against each of Vincent, the APC and INEC. The report carries no response from the defendants. | PLATEAU STATE; APC; PRIMARY ELECTION; STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY; JUDICIARY | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | You Have Nothing to Fear in Tinubu's 2nd Term, Shettima Tells North | Vice President Kashim Shettima told a delegation of Arewa for Tinubu (A4A) on Monday that northerners have nothing to fear from a second Tinubu term and should back his re-election, saying the president loves the North. He cited N450 billion disbursed by the Bank of Agriculture to 700,000 smallholder farmers, about 70 per cent from the North. A4A Director-General Abubakar Badaru and board chairman Ibrahim Shekarau said the group is setting up a secretariat and state coordinators and will meet clerics. The report gives the year of the A4A office commissioning on 17 October as 2027, which appears to be an error for 2026. | SHETTIMA; AREWA FOR TINUBU; NORTHERN POLITICS; TINUBU RE-ELECTION; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| GUARDIAN | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | NDC Moves to Resolve Adamawa Crisis as Babachir, Binani Rift Deepens | The NDC's national chairman said the party will resolve friction in its Adamawa chapter after opposition to the appointment of former SGF Babachir Lawal, who defected in September, as North-East leader by Seriake Dickson. Six NDC governorship candidates in the region, including Aisha Binani, objected that they were not consulted, and reports say 37 Adamawa candidates also rejected it. Lawal accused Binani of leading the opposition and backing Atiku Abubakar instead of the NDC ticket, which the report says is unproven. The chairman admitted misconceptions, promised to meet both and said the party is preparing to inaugurate its presidential campaign council with Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso. | NDC; ADAMAWA STATE; BABACHIR LAWAL; AISHA BINANI; PARTY CRISIS | GUARDIAN | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Court Sacks APC Candidate for Jos South Constituency | The Federal High Court in Jos on Monday declared Ayuba Dalyop Mandung the winner of the APC primary for the Jos South State Constituency in the Plateau House of Assembly and barred the party from presenting Mancha John Vincent. Justice Dorcas Agishi held that Giring Ward results could not lawfully be altered after ward-level announcement and that Mandung had not been given a fair hearing. The court issued a perpetual injunction, ordered the APC to submit Mandung's name to INEC and awarded N500,000 costs against each of Vincent, the APC and INEC, in suit FHC/J/CS/43/2026. The article carries no statement from the defendants. | PLATEAU STATE; APC; PRIMARY ELECTION; STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY; JUDICIARY | DAILY TRUST | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | Kwankwasiyya Movement Urges Calm Over Omission of NDC Candidate From INEC List | The Kwankwasiyya Movement urged supporters in Kano to stay calm after INEC's final list left out NDC governorship candidate Aminu Gwarzo and his running mate Mustapha Kwankwaso, in a statement dated 11 October by spokesman Habibu Mohammed. It said Gwarzo registered with the NDC within the required period, that it knows of no court case or order explaining the omission, and asked INEC to clarify without delay. It pointed to section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, under which a party has 14 days to notify INEC in writing with an affidavit, and urged the party to gather evidence of registration and nomination. It said it would not prejudge INEC. | KANO STATE; NDC; KWANKWASIYYA; INEC; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES LIST | CHANNELS TV | |||
| GUARDIAN | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | Insecurity: Bandits Kill Four Soldiers, 18 Others in Zamfara State | At least 22 people, including four soldiers, were reported killed by bandits on the Gwashi-Nassarawa axis of Bukkuyum LGA, Zamfara State, after an ambush on Sunday while soldiers were on duty, according to state lawmaker Hamisu Faru. Operation Fansan Yamma's Lt.-Col. Aliyu Danja confirmed the killings in Gusau, and some bodies had not been recovered. Separately, raids displaced three communities on the Dansadau axis of Maru LGA, with more than 400 residents fleeing, over 12 vehicles burnt and a N50 million levy reportedly imposed. The Zamfara NDC condemned the violence and urged more security deployment. The report also covers the military's claim of an airstrike killing over 40 ISWAP fighters in Borno. | INSECURITY; ZAMFARA STATE; BANDITRY; MILITARY CASUALTIES; BORNO STATE | GUARDIAN | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | Insecurity: Abducted Kaduna Couple Begs for Rescue | A couple abducted with their six-month-old daughter from Alrahus Estate, Millennium City, Chikun LGA, Kaduna, appealed in a viral 40-second video for rescue, with Ahmed Abubakar Zakka saying the captors demand N300 million. Bandits struck at about 11:30 p.m. on 6 October and also took a pregnant woman, whose husband Abdulkadir Bello said he alerted police and then the military. Atiku Abubakar urged security agencies to act, and Amnesty International Nigeria said no part of Millennium City is safe. Police spokesman DSP Mansir Hassan said 12 people, eight suspected kidnappers and four alleged informants, were arrested and AK-47 rifles recovered, with more tactical personnel ordered in. | INSECURITY; KADUNA STATE; KIDNAPPING; MILLENNIUM CITY | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | Nigerian Troops Kill 40 ISWAP Fighters in Borno - Official | Operation Hadin Kai's air component says an air strike on 10 October on an enclave at Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala LGA, Borno State, killed more than 40 ISWAP fighters, including a prominent commander, and destroyed two vehicles and about 20 motorcycles. Spokesman Mohammed Goni said the strike followed intelligence that the fighters, members of ISWAP's Murabitun mobile unit, were massing for coordinated attacks on troops in Sector 3, and that damage assessment continues. The figures come from the military's own statement and have not been independently verified. | INSECURITY; BORNO STATE; ISWAP; AIRSTRIKE; OPERATION HADIN KAI | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PUNCH | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | U.S Places Nigeria on Child Soldiers Prevention Act list, Threatens to Cut Military Aid | The US has placed Nigeria on its Child Soldiers Prevention Act list, which Punch reports could restrict military training, Foreign Military Financing, excess defence articles, peacekeeping assistance and licences for direct commercial arms sales from 1 October 2026, unless President Trump issues a waiver. The listing comes from the State Department's 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, covering April 2025 to March 2026, which cites recruitment and use of children, some as young as 12, by Boko Haram and ISWAP, and puts Nigeria among 14 listed countries. The report also says Nigeria failed minimum anti-trafficking standards for the 15th straight year, with no officials prosecuted for complicity and victims receiving state assistance down from 2,058 to 675. NAPTIP said it will respond publicly, and the Presidency did not respond to Punch. | NIGERIA-US RELATIONS; CHILD SOLDIERS PREVENTION ACT; TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT; MILITARY AID; BOKO HARAM | PUNCH | |||
| VANGUARD | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | Houthi Official Warns of Swift, Painful Response if U.S Enters Yemen War | Houthi political bureau member Mohammed Al Bukhaiti told AFP on Monday that a US entry into the Yemen conflict would bring a swift and painful response against the US and its interests in the region, and warned workers at Saudi oil facilities and airports to stay away, calling them legitimate targets. A Saturday strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and wounded hundreds, and Trump called it unacceptable and said Washington is considering joining Saudi strikes. Saudi-led forces intercepted a Houthi missile over Riyadh on Monday night, airlines suspended flights, and the UN rights chief said he was appalled. | INTERNATIONAL; YEMEN; HOUTHIS; SAUDI ARABIA; UNITED STATES | VANGUARD | |||
| ARISE | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | Trump's Russian Diesel Deal Sparks Bipartisan Backlash Over Ukraine War | US President Trump faces criticism at home and abroad over his announcement on Friday that Putin agreed to release 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel initially, with 500,000 tonnes in November and a million tonnes after, and with the US Treasury understood to be suspending sanctions on Russian diesel exports until 7 April. Seven senators from both parties, including Susan Collins and Jeanne Shaheen, urged reversal, and Zelensky, Canada's Mark Carney and the UK's Wes Streeting criticised it, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended its legality. Trump also announced a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire on energy attacks, which Russia has not publicly confirmed. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED STATES; RUSSIA; UKRAINE; SANCTIONS; DIESEL | ARISE | |||
| ARISE | 13TH OCTOBER 2026 | Burnham Urges Britain to Reconsider Its Long-Term Relationship With EU | UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham was due to tell parliament on Monday that Britain should consider a closer relationship with the EU, arguing that a new agreement could support growth and help control immigration, a departure from former Prime Minister Keir Starmer's avoidance of the debate. A Downing Street source said keeping the current arrangement without pursuing a growth-boosting deal would be a major dereliction of duty. Burnham will urge other parties to back his position. At Labour's conference he said Britain should examine options including rejoining, and some EU leaders responded cautiously. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED KINGDOM; BREXIT; EUROPEAN UNION; ANDY BURNHAM | ARISE | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Ahead of 2027, INEC Moves to Implement AI Guidelines for Elections | INEC and the Network of Electoral Commissions of ECOWAS are moving to put guidelines on artificial intelligence in elections into practice across West Africa, Daily Trust reports. The step followed a courtesy visit to INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan in Abuja by an ECONEC delegation led by Serigne Mamadou Ka. The guidelines stem from a November 2025 symposium and were validated at a two-day meeting. Mamadou said "AI is here to stay anyway". Amupitan named electoral technology, result management, voter education, security and dispute resolution as cooperation priorities, and urged action against misinformation. Electoral bodies from Senegal, Togo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kenya and Uganda attended. | ELECTIONS; INEC; ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; ECOWAS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | APC Announces Kano Campaign Council | The Kano State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has unveiled a 155-member Campaign Advisory Council for the 2027 elections, with Governor Abba Yusuf as chairman, Premium Times reports. Members include former governors Ibrahim Shekarau and Abdullahi Ganduje, former military administrators Habibu Shuaibu, Lawan Jafaru-Isa and Yakubu Bako, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and Senators Kawu Sumaila and Rufa'i Hanga. State chairman Umar Doguwa said all APC candidates and House members from Kano are included. The council will provide oversight for a campaign directorate to be announced later. The report adds that the NDC and ADC have yet to name councils. | POLITICS; APC; KANO; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | APC Drafts PDP, Accord, APGA Into Tinubu's Campaign Council | The Presidency and the ruling APC have added opposition figures and governors to President Bola Tinubu's re-election council for the 16 January 2027 poll, despite reported pushback from some party members. FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, a PDP member, is named coordinator for Rivers State and the FCT. Governor Ademola Adeleke of Accord is named for Osun and Governor Chukwuma Soludo of APGA for Anambra. Abdulaziz Yari stays Director-General, with Adams Oshiomhole and Femi Gbajabiamila as deputies. Dapo Abiodun and Zacch Adedeji lead fund-raising, while Abdullahi Ganduje and Babatunde Fashola handle stakeholder mobilisation. The council was due to be inaugurated in Abuja on the day of publication. | POLITICS; APC; TINUBU; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| VANGUARD | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | No Pathway for Peter Obi's Victory in 2027, Says APGA Chairman | The National Chairman of APGA, Sly Ezeokenwa, has said there is no realistic path to victory for Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, in the 2027 election. Speaking on Arise Television's The Morning Show, he called this "the bitter truth" and argued that backing President Bola Tinubu is better for the South-East's strategic interest as Ndigbo. He said APGA would campaign across the region to persuade voters to support Tinubu, rather than focus on how many votes Anambra could deliver. Vanguard links the remarks to Governor Chukwuma Soludo's appointment as Tinubu's Anambra campaign coordinator. The report carries no response from Obi or the NDC. | POLITICS; APGA; PETER OBI; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| VANGUARD | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | "It is Regressive": IMF Warns Nigeria Against Restoring Petrol Subsidy | The International Monetary Fund has advised Nigeria against restoring broad petrol subsidies, recommending targeted support for vulnerable households instead. Rodrigo Valdés, director of the Fund's Fiscal Affairs Department, said at a Bangkok briefing that "protecting people is not the same as protecting the price of fuels", adding that fuel subsidies cost countries 1 to 1.5 per cent of GDP in 2026. Davide Furceri suggested options such as subsidised bus fares, school feeding and support for farmers. Vanguard notes the Federal Government recently announced a 30-day petrol discount at NNPC stations, which Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele described as temporary relief rather than a return to subsidy. | ECONOMY; PETROL SUBSIDY; IMF | VANGUARD | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Ekiti, Osun Polls: Votes Sold for ₦50,000, Says EU Observer Group | The EU-backed Election Observation Hub says vote trading was widespread in the June 2026 Ekiti and August 2026 Osun governorship elections, with voters paid up to ₦50,000. Presenting findings in Abuja, Prof. Bolade Eyinla said 77 per cent of 84 verified incidents were vote trading, mostly by party agents, and described it as "becoming a pandemic". He said no arrests or prosecutions were reported in Osun. The Hub urged ward-level result uploads and commended the electoral commission and security agencies for peaceful polls. CEMESO's Akin Akingbulu said 598 observers covered Ekiti and 823 covered Osun, according to Daily Trust. | ELECTIONS; VOTE BUYING; EKITI; OSUN | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Rivers ADC Names Ex-Senator Uchendu as Chairman of Campaign Council | The Rivers State chapter of the ADC has unveiled its Governorship Campaign Council for 2027, naming former Senator Andrew Uchendu, who represented Rivers East, as chairman. State Chairman Dr Chukwudi Dimkpa announced the structure in a signed statement in Port Harcourt, naming Chimbiko Akarolo, a former Port Harcourt City council chairman, as Director-General. Daily Trust describes Uchendu as an ally of Rotimi Amaechi, the party's vice presidential candidate. The council will coordinate campaigns across the state's 23 Local Government Areas. Dimkpa said membership of its 12 directorates will be published two at a time from 14 October, and urged appointees to work harmoniously. | POLITICS; ADC; RIVERS; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Project Realignment: Makinde's Campaign Organisation Demands Audit of ₦15trn Lagos-Calabar Highway | A campaign organisation backing Seyi Makinde, the APM presidential candidate, has demanded an independent audit of the ₦15 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. Director-General Felix Hyat questioned the 2024 contract award and Works Minister David Umahi's explanation for a route realignment in Ondo State, calling it "an admission of technical incompetence". The group alleged the contract lacked an approved design, open bidding and appropriation, and claimed it was a conduit for financing APC election expenses. Premium Times notes it offered no evidence for that claim and its allegations were not independently established. It urged voters to reject President Bola Tinubu in 2027. | POLITICS; INFRASTRUCTURE; LAGOS-CALABAR HIGHWAY; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Court to Rule as Atiku Seeks Amendment of Suit Against Tinubu, APC's Eligibility | The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed 20 November to rule on whether Atiku Abubakar and the ADC may amend their suit challenging President Bola Tinubu's and the APC's eligibility for the 2027 election. Justice Inyang Ekwo set the date after hearing arguments. The plaintiffs allege a forged NYSC certificate was submitted to INEC and want Tinubu removed from the candidate list. Tinubu's counsel, Wole Olanipekun SAN, argued the amendment was statute-barred, and the APC and INEC also sought dismissal. Tinubu and the APC deny submitting any forged document. The allegations remain unproven, and INEC's preliminary objection is undetermined. | COURT; ELECTIONS; ATIKU; TINUBU; ADC | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Enugu: Mbah Speaks on Shootings at NDC Secretariat, Vows to Prosecute Perpetrators | Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has pledged that those behind Saturday's attack on supporters of the NDC will be prosecuted. In a Facebook video on Monday night, he called for a "thorough and impartial investigation" by the police and said those found responsible "must be held accountable" regardless of political connections. Premium Times reported shootings at the NDC secretariat during the party's governorship campaign flag-off, and an attack on supporters at Akanu Ibiam International Airport. The state government secretary, Chidiebere Onyia, denied government responsibility and said the NDC gathered at the airport without approval, which the NDC state secretary rejected as false. | SECURITY; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; ENUGU; NDC | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Reps Speaker Warns Lawmakers Against 2027 Campaign Distractions, Unveils 100-Day Legislative Plan | House of Representatives Speaker Abbas Tajudeen has proposed a 100-day legislative programme as the House resumed from its annual recess. Warning lawmakers against neglecting duties for 2027 campaigns, he said "we must remain focused" and asked committees to clear outstanding reports within set timelines. He said the House had received 2,747 bills and passed 363 by mid-June 2026. Priorities include the constitutional review, with the state police and reserved seats for women bills, and the 2027 Medium Term Expenditure Framework. He cited economic figures, including inflation of 15.39 per cent in August, which are the Speaker's claims. He also voiced concern over abducted schoolchildren in Borno. | NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Wike Admits Working With APC to Defeat PDP in 2024 Edo Governorship Election | FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has admitted working with APC members to defeat his own party, the PDP, in the September 2024 Edo governorship election. Quoted by Premium Times, citing The Punch, he said: "I was behind it, and I don't have any regrets about it." Speaking at a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders' meeting backing President Bola Tinubu's re-election, he said the aim was to stop then-Governor Godwin Obaseki from installing a successor. APC candidate Monday Okpebholo won with 291,667 votes against PDP's Asue Ighodalo with 247,274, according to INEC. Wike, still a PDP member, declared himself Tinubu's campaign coordinator for the FCT and Rivers. | POLITICS; WIKE; PDP; APC; EDO | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| GUARDIAN | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Tinubu's Re-Election Bid: Osun APC Rejects Parallel Campaigns | The Osun State chapter of the APC says it will not tolerate parallel campaign activities for President Bola Tinubu's re-election. State Chairman Tajudeen Lawal told a stakeholders' meeting in Osogbo that anyone wishing to support the campaign should work through the party's state leadership. The statement followed the appointment of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Accord as Tinubu's Osun campaign coordinator, which unsettled APC stakeholders who expected Minister Gboyega Oyetola to be named. The Imole Campaign Council welcomed Adeleke's appointment and pledged 1.5 million votes for Tinubu, a pledge that remains unverified. The Guardian says this sets up a contest between the APC structure and the Accord-led Imole structure. | POLITICS; APC; OSUN; TINUBU; 2027 ELECTIONS | GUARDIAN | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: INEC Launches QR Codes to Assist Voters Locate PVC Collection Centres in Lagos | INEC in Lagos has introduced QR codes to help eligible voters find Permanent Voter Card collection centres ahead of the 2027 elections. Resident Electoral Commissioner Prof. Ayobami Salami told a press conference that voters should collect their cards, check their registration details and "rely on official information". The commission said preparations in Lagos include procuring and testing accreditation devices, improving result transmission, strengthening logistics and training election staff. Channels reports that the timetable was revised after the Electoral Act 2026 took effect, with the presidential and National Assembly elections now set for 16 January 2027 and the governorship and State Assembly elections for 6 February 2027. | ELECTIONS; INEC; PVC; LAGOS | CHANNELS TV | |||
| ARISE | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: INEC Explains Exclusion of Governorship Candidates, Gives Parties October 24 Deadline to Challenge Omissions | INEC has explained why some names are missing from the final 2027 governorship candidate list and given parties until 24 October to challenge omissions. National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna said the commission applied the Supreme Court's 24 September ruling in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, which upheld Sections 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 requiring submission of membership registers. He said non-compliance "renders the defaulting political parties ineligible to sponsor any candidate". The presidential and National Assembly list was published on 12 September, before the judgment, so it was not affected in the same way. Haruna cited Section 32(2) of the Act for the 14-day window. | ELECTIONS; INEC; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES; SUPREME COURT | ARISE | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Impressive turnout: INEC Commends PVC Collection in Kano State | INEC in Kano State says voters are turning out in impressive numbers to collect Permanent Voter Cards across the state's 44 local government areas. Public Relations Officer Nahila Bello Dandago told Daily Trust the commission deployed 171,000 cards in the first batch, and that people with older uncollected cards are also coming forward. She said the cards have been distributed to INEC offices in all 44 areas and urged anyone yet to collect theirs to visit their local office. Daily Trust's report gives no figure for cards collected so far, no total printed and no start or end date for the exercise, so the "impressive" turnout is INEC's own characterisation. | ELECTIONS; INEC; PVC; KANO | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Abductors of 3 Travellers in Taraba Demand ₦30m Ransom | Kidnappers in Taraba State have reportedly demanded ₦30 million for three travellers, Abdulrasheed Mai Mota Hussaini, Ezekiel Elkanah and Mrs Wapuken Ika, who were seized on Sunday at Rafin Kada in Wukari Local Government Area. Sources told Daily Trust they were returning from Takum after buying paddy rice when about four gunmen stopped their convoy near Jakundo village around 7pm. The abductors reportedly asked for ₦10 million per victim. The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Victor Mshelizah, said the command had yet to receive reports of the incident, and the victims' families had not approached the police. The claims are sourced and not officially confirmed. | SECURITY; KIDNAPPING; TARABA | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Amotekun Operatives Arrest 9, Rescue Abducted Clergyman | Ondo State's Amotekun corps says it rescued abducted prophet Joshua Oluwaseun after foiling an attempt to collect a ₦100 million ransom. Commander Adetunji Adeleye told reporters in Akure that the victim, taken from a church around the Ogbese/Uso axis, was found alive on 7 October, and credited agency cooperation and public tips. He said the command followed the state's no-ransom directive. Nine suspects were paraded on charges including armed robbery, motorcycle theft and kidnapping. Adeleye also warned residents against fake bank transfer alerts. The victim said he was beaten and threatened. Daily Trust's account of a grave being dug is attributed to an unidentified "Ariyo". | SECURITY; KIDNAPPING; ONDO; AMOTEKUN | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Nigeria Elected to UN Human Rights Council | Nigeria has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for a three-year term running from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2029, Premium Times reports, citing the council's announcement on X. The UN General Assembly chose 15 countries, including Brazil, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Japan, Ukraine and Zambia. The council, established in 2006, has 47 member states and sits in Geneva. It can adopt resolutions, convene special sessions, run the Universal Periodic Review and authorise commissions of inquiry. The report notes the council cannot enforce its recommendations, although its resolutions can pressure governments to address abuses. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED NATIONS; HUMAN RIGHTS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| ARISE | 14TH OCTOBER 2026 | Xenophobia: Nigeria Demands Probe Into Nigerian's Death in South African Police Custody | The Nigerian Consulate General in Johannesburg has demanded a thorough investigation into the death of Odueze Chimezie Odueze, who allegedly died after being tortured by South African police in Cape Town. Consul General Ninikanwa Okey-Uche said he died on 9 October in Parklands after being arrested on suspicion of drug possession. The consulate says no drugs were found at his residence, but alleges he was tortured anyway; these claims are not independently verified in the report. It voiced concern over alleged extrajudicial killings of Nigerians, urged prosecution of anyone culpable, and appealed to Nigerians in South Africa to stay calm. | INTERNATIONAL; SOUTH AFRICA; DIPLOMACY; HUMAN RIGHTS | ARISE | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES DAILY TRUST | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Tinubu to Skip APC Campaign Rallies as ADC Spokesperson Okonkwo Questions His Fitness for Office, Calls for Resignation | President Bola Tinubu has said he may skip some APC campaign rallies ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing the demands of governance, a position that has prompted opposition spokesperson Kenneth Okonkwo to question his fitness for office and call for his resignation. Speaking at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, Tinubu said he could not accompany the campaign team everywhere because his presidential responsibilities would continue alongside the campaign. He cited outstanding bills and obligations to American creditors, while pledging his commitment to the party’s manifesto and urging campaign council members to deliver their wards and votes. Reacting, Okonkwo, a spokesperson for ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, described Tinubu’s planned absence from some rallies as a sign that he was unfit to continue in office and urged him to resign. He also claimed that the APC was indirectly advising the President to prioritise his health, calling on Nigerians to vote for Atiku. Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima questioned the unity of opposition parties, while Senate President Godswill Akpabio warned APC governors against neglecting their states. | POLITICS; TINUBU; APC; 2027 ELECTIONS; CAMPAIGN COUNCIL | PREMIUM TIMES DAILY TRUST | |||
| VANGUARD PUNCH | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | Rainbow Coalition: Governor Adeleke Backs Tinubu’s Re-Election Bid as Accord Leaders Demand Clarity Over His Political Allegiance | Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke urged Nigerians on Wednesday to support President Tinubu's re-election, speaking at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja. He said he could feel victory coming in 2027, that he was ready to lead the movement, and that supporters would sing and dance all the way back to Aso Rock. He asked Nigerians to give the president time for his reforms to work, acknowledging that this was not easy, and said he wanted action rather than too much talk. | POLITICS; OSUN; ADEMOLA ADELEKE; APC; ACCORD; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD PUNCH | |||
| VANGUARD | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | ADC Accuses APC of Coercing Opposition Governors Into Campaign Council | The ADC Presidential Campaign Council accused the APC of coercing opposition governors into its campaign council, alleging that the ruling party was undermining multiparty democracy ahead of 2027. Its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, made the claim in a statement reacting to the council's inauguration in Abuja, describing it as 'political abduction' and 'political banditry', and alleging that state power, security agencies and the judiciary were being used to weaken the opposition. He also claimed the APC had 'weaponised poverty, hunger and insecurity'. The statement presented Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi as the ADC ticket. | POLITICS; ADC; APC; KOLA OLOGBONDIYAN; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | AI Won't Decide Outcome of 2027 General Election - INEC Chairman | INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan said at the AI and Democracy Forum 2026 in Abuja on Wednesday that algorithms must never decide the 2027 vote, which belongs to Nigerians, but that AI could support logistics, results anomaly detection, voter register deduplication and cybersecurity. He said INEC has created an AI unit and is finalising a governance framework with IFES. The commission is preparing for over 100 million registered voters across 176,846 polling units, with presidential and National Assembly elections set for 16 January 2027. | ELECTIONS; INEC; ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; YIAGA AFRICA; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: We Know How to Stop Tinubu From Getting Second Term - Momodu | Dele Momodu, an ADC chieftain, said on Arise Television's Prime Time on Wednesday that the party knows how to stop President Bola Tinubu from securing a second term in 2027, but he declined to disclose its strategy. He alleged that Tinubu had appointed too many South-West indigenes to INEC and claimed that 90 per cent of Nigerians would say they do not trust the president to conduct a free and fair election, including his own supporters. Momodu also alleged that governors, judges and legislators were afraid of Tinubu and that some public supporters privately hoped he would lose. | POLITICS; ADC; DELE MOMODU; TINUBU; INEC; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | Insecurity: Police Reports One Dead as Suspected Hoodlums Attack Oriyomi Hamzat's Supporters in Oyo State | The Oyo State Police Command confirmed on Wednesday that one person died after suspected hoodlums attacked supporters welcoming politician and broadcaster Oriyomi Hamzat back to Ibadan. The Command's spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the group was attacked shortly after leaving Molete while heading towards Iwo Road, where Agidigbo FM is located. The deceased, identified as 40-year-old Azeez Tajudeen of Oke Amu in Itesiwaju Local Government Area, sustained a severe injury to his right eye and was confirmed dead at the State Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan. Commissioner of Police Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga ordered an investigation and urged organisers of processions to notify police 48 hours in advance. The attackers have not been identified. | SECURITY; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; OYO; ORIYOMI HAMZAT; POLICE | CHANNELS TV | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | No One Owns Voters, Obidients Tell Wike | The Obidient Movement warned FCT Minister Nyesom Wike against any attempt to manipulate the 2027 elections, following his declaration of himself as 'field commander' for President Tinubu's re-election in Rivers State and the FCT. The APC has named him campaign coordinator for both territories. In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Media and Communications Directorate, the movement said coordinating a campaign does not confer ownership of voters or control over the electoral process. It urged INEC and security agencies to remain impartial, called on Nigerians to document and report irregularities, and said any manipulation would be an 'unforgivable electoral offence'. | POLITICS; OBIDIENT MOVEMENT; NYESOM WIKE; RIVERS; FCT; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PUNCH | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | Police will Take Lessons From Recent Elections, IGP Speaks on Conduct of Police Ahead of 2027 | Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu said the conduct of police personnel before, during and after the 2027 general elections would make Nigerians happy and proud of the Force. He spoke to journalists after the launch of a book, The Origin of Women in Nigeria Police Force, by 96-year-old retired DCP Stella Okuyiga. He said the Force had just concluded a conference of all commissioners of police and other senior officers, where lessons from recent elections, including where the police did well and where they did not, were reviewed to perform better in the 2027 polls. | SECURITY; NIGERIA POLICE FORCE; IGP; 2027 ELECTIONS | PUNCH | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | Strait of Hormuz Attacks Reach Highest Level Since Start of War | At least ten vessels have been attacked in or near the Strait of Hormuz since Sunday, including six on Sunday and four on Tuesday, the highest single-day count since the war between the United States, Israel and Iran began, security data from the International Maritime Organisation, the British agency UKMTO and the security firm Vanguard showed. Two seafarers are reported missing and a container ship reportedly sank. Twenty-three attacks have been recorded since the start of October, almost double the monthly average. Analyst Barun Gupta attributed the rise to Iran seeking to show it can still disrupt recovering Gulf oil flows, now around 80 per cent of pre-war levels. The IMO says 24 seafarers have died in the area since the conflict began. | INTERNATIONAL; IRAN; STRAIT OF HORMUZ; SHIPPING; UNITED STATES | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | APC Campaign Council Tasks Governors, Lawmakers With Grassroots Mobilisation for Tinubu's Re-Election | Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Secretary of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, charged APC governors, lawmakers, council chairmen and party executives on Wednesday in Abuja to take President Tinubu's re-election campaign to the grassroots. He said the party controls the federal government, both chambers of the National Assembly, 31 of 36 states and about 685 of 774 local government councils, but warned against mistaking structure for voter support. He moved a vote of confidence in the Tinubu-Shettima ticket. Speaker Abbas Tajudeen claimed 4.2 per cent economic growth in the first half of 2026 and external reserves above $54 billion in September; these are the Speaker's figures and were not independently verified. | POLITICS; APC; PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN COUNCIL; HOPE UZODIMMA; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Akpabio, Bamidele Back Wike's Rainbow Coalition, Other Opposition in APC Campaign Council | Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele endorsed the Rainbow Coalition promoted by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, speaking at the end of Wednesday's plenary before lawmakers left for the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. Bamidele said the coalition was on the move and commended Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke of Accord and Anambra Governor Charles Soludo of APGA for agreeing to mobilise for President Tinubu. Akpabio called the inclusion of opposition figures historic and said a second Tinubu term would be a unity government. APC governors have opposed the coalition, alleging that Wike is backing politicians who lost APC primaries, and Wike has named Governors Uzodimma, AbdulRazaq and Abiodun as opponents. | POLITICS; NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; NYESOM WIKE; RAINBOW COALITION; APC; PDP; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Atiku Urges Nigerians to Collect PVCs, Promises Economic Relief | ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar urged registered voters in a post on X on Wednesday to collect and keep their Permanent Voter Cards, describing them as a peaceful means of demanding change. He said Nigerians face hunger and insecurity at the same time, citing parents worried about feeding their children, pensioners forced to choose between medicine and food, and families fearing kidnapping. He blamed President Tinubu's administration for the rising cost of living, saying that Bola made life expensive, and pledged to make life affordable again and restore security if given the opportunity to govern. | POLITICS; ADC; ATIKU ABUBAKAR; PVC; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| GUARDIAN | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Six Opposition Parties Begin Talks With Presidential Candidates | Six opposition parties, the ADC, APM, NDC, SDP, PDP and PRP, have begun consultations with presidential candidates to implement the resolutions of the G100 Opposition Summit ahead of the 2027 elections, in a statement signed by Salihu Moh. Lukman on behalf of the coalition parties. The talks involved the parties' national chairmen and secretaries and the candidates Atiku Abubakar (ADC), Governor Seyi Makinde (APM), Peter Obi (NDC), Adewole Adebayo (SDP) and Donald Duke (PRP), and took place at different times over the past two weeks. The statement said the aim was to discuss a framework for cooperation and a shared democratic agenda. It did not announce any agreement, and said Nigerians would be informed of substantive decisions. | POLITICS; OPPOSITION; ADC; APM; NDC; SDP; PDP; PRP; 2027 ELECTIONS | GUARDIAN | |||
| GUARDIAN | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | Oyo APC Alleges APM Supporters Vandalised Alli's Campaign Billboards | The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) accused supporters of APM governorship candidate Bimbo Adekanmbi of vandalising campaign billboards of APC candidate Sharafadeen Alli and his running mate, Soji Adedeji, at locations in Ibadan including Mokola, Sango, Monatan-Olodo Road, Odo-Ona and the Toll Gate-Iwo Road section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Its media director, Bisi Oladele, called the act unacceptable, urged Governor Seyi Makinde and Adekanmbi to call their supporters to order, and asked police to apprehend those responsible. SSACO linked the incident to a reported attack on Alli's wife and two other APC candidates the previous week. | POLITICS; OYO; APC; APM; POLITICAL VIOLENCE; 2027 ELECTIONS | GUARDIAN | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 15TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: You Must Deliver Your States, Wike Tells APC Governors | FCT Minister Nyesom Wike told APC governors at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja on Wednesday to deliver their states for President Tinubu in the 2027 election, saying any governor who does not should not claim victory if the president wins. He said he had told the President's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, the same about Lagos. Wike said he was committed to delivering Rivers State and the FCT, declaring that Rivers and the FCT were taken, and said he had told FCT area council chairmen that visible projects would earn votes for Tinubu. He was named coordinator for Rivers and the FCT. | POLITICS; NYESOM WIKE; APC; RIVERS; FCT; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | Ahead of 2027, President Tinubu Pledges Support for The Special Seats For Women Bill | President Bola Tinubu has pledged to support the Special Seats For Women Bill, a proposed constitutional amendment to increase women's representation in the legislature. Speaking on Wednesday at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, he told women supporters: "You women are the greatest mobilisers, and I assure you of a sponsorship of the Women Reserve Seat Bill." The bill, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and others, proposes one additional Senate seat for women from each state and the FCT, plus reserved seats in the House and State Assemblies. It requires approval by the National Assembly and two-thirds of state Houses of Assembly. Only eight of Tinubu's 48 ministers are women. | POLITICS; TINUBU; WOMEN; CONSTITUTION REVIEW; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Former INEC Commissioner Raises Concerns Over AI Use in Results Management | Okechukwu Ibeanu, a former INEC National Commissioner, has warned that the commission's plan to use artificial intelligence in results management could erode confidence in the 2027 elections without clear rules. Speaking at the AI and Democracy Forum in Abuja, organised by Yiaga Africa, he said INEC should publish and implement an AI governance framework before deploying the technology, and asked how AI would extract figures from physical EC8A result sheets and who would resolve discrepancies. He said INEC could issue preliminary guidelines under Section 151 of the Electoral Act. Yiaga Africa's Cynthia Mbamalu also called for a public results management protocol, independent audits and stress tests of result transmission. | ELECTIONS; INEC; ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; RESULTS MANAGEMENT | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: INEC Set to Inaugurate Multi Agency Logistics Committee Today | INEC is to inaugurate its 2027 general election logistics committee on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at its headquarters in Abuja. The commission's leadership will hold an inaugural meeting with committee members immediately afterwards, aimed at perfecting logistical arrangements for the election. The committee includes representatives of the Nigeria Road Transport Union, the Maritime Workers Union, the Nigeria Airport Authority and the Road Transport Owners Association, as well as security agencies including the police, the Air Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. INEC is expected to brief members on its expectations so that logistics and distribution for the election are hitch-free. | ELECTIONS; INEC; LOGISTICS | CHANNELS TV | |||
| DAILY TRUST PREMIUM TIMES | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | NDC Vice Presidential Candidate, Kwankwaso Accuses APC of Plot to Manipulate 2027 Election Results | NDC vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso has said people around the APC are boasting that they will manipulate the 2027 presidential results even if they win only 1,000 votes. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, he said the information came from people close to APC figures. He criticised the 31 governors who have endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, saying they “themselves believe that they are not competent enough to win elections on their own,” and that Tinubu cannot win alone. Kwankwaso said Peter Obi is highly popular in the South and the NDC has built a strong presence in the North. He predicted the APC would realise its mistakes on election day, and said insecurity and hardship are eroding support for Tinubu. | POLITICS; NDC; KWANKWASO; ELECTION INTEGRITY; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PUNCH ARISE | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: APC Rally to Begins in Kaduna on 24 October and End in Lagos | The All Progressives Congress has proposed a nationwide rally schedule for the 2027 elections, beginning in Kaduna on October 24, 2026 and ending with a major rally in Lagos on January 9, 2027. The schedule lists rallies across the states and the FCT, with Calabar on November 2 and Gombe on November 3 among the early stops. Tinubu will lead the campaign in only twelve States: Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Jos, Ibadan, Maiduguri, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Asaba, Kano, Yola and Lagos. Tinubu won only Rivers, Oyo and Borno in 2023 and lost the other nine, so 75 per cent of the planned appearances fall in states he lost. Anambra State is absent from the schedule despite Governor Chukwuma Soludo's role as Tinubu's coordinator there. The schedule runs through December, with rallies in Makurdi, Katsina, Abeokuta, Umuahia, Osogbo, Ilorin and Abuja, among others. | POLITICS; APC; 2027 ELECTIONS; CAMPAIGN | PUNCH ARISE | |||
| PUNCH | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Minister Umahi Inaugurates APC Infrastructure Campaign Team | Minister of Works David Umahi has inaugurated members of the Office of the Deputy Director-General, Infrastructure, Mobilisation and Sensitisation, of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Umahi said the team's primary responsibility is to identify, document, compile and publicise infrastructure projects the Federal Government is executing across ministries, departments and agencies in the six geopolitical zones. He said coverage should extend beyond the Ministry of Works and showcase the Renewed Hope Administration's achievements. Umahi described infrastructure as a driver of economic growth and highlighted the adoption of continuous reinforced concrete pavement technology, which he said would reduce dependence on imported bitumen. | POLITICS; APC; INFRASTRUCTURE; 2027 ELECTIONS | PUNCH | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Obi’s Media Group, APM Campaign Fault Tinubu’s Plan to Skip Rallies, Say He Must Face Voters or Withdraw | The Peter Obi Media Reach, the Allied Peoples Movement and the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation have criticised President Bola Tinubu’s plan to skip some campaign rallies, which he announced at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council on Wednesday. Obi group spokesman Idris Zekeri Jnr said Tinubu cannot hand off accountability for his economic record to surrogates, who “can speak for the President, but they cannot answer for his failures.” Richard Ihediwa of the Makinde/Daura organisation called the plan a “desperate attempt to evade public resentment” and said Tinubu should campaign in all states or withdraw. He called him an “absentee and lethargic president.” Zekeri said: “A President who seeks the people’s mandate must be prepared to face the people.” | POLITICS; NDC; PETER OBI; TINUBU; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | Gombe ADC Clears Gaddafi to Contest Fresh Primary Election | The ADC has cleared Bashir Abdullahi Gaddafi to contest a fresh primary for the Akko Federal Constituency in Gombe State, scheduled for Friday, October 16, 2026. State chairman Keftin Amuga announced the exercise, saying it complies with a Federal High Court judgment in Gombe, Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/6/2026. On October 9, Justice Vera E. Ibrahim nullified Gaddafi's emergence as the ADC candidate and ordered INEC to organise a fresh primary within 21 days, in a suit by Adamu Hassan Kashere, who said no ward primaries were held. The court held that Gaddafi remained a registered member entitled to contest. Amuga appealed for peaceful conduct and cooperation with the primary committee. | POLITICS; ADC; GOMBE; PRIMARIES; COURT | DAILY TRUST | |||
| ARISE | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | Tinubu Meets Service Chiefs Over 2027 Election Security, Orders Rescue of Kidnap Victims Nationwide | President Bola Tinubu presided over a five-hour National Security Council meeting at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, focused on security for the January 2027 election. Defence Minister General Christopher Musa said Tinubu wants a free, fair and credible election and assured political parties that the military would be neutral. Musa said the president ordered the military to rescue everyone abducted nationwide and eliminate bandit camps. He denied that minors are being recruited into the military, suggesting terrorist groups may have used children. Musa announced that Tinubu will soon commission about 10 new aircraft and helicopters, and that the new salary structure will extend to police, paramilitary personnel and pensioners. | SECURITY; TINUBU; 2027 ELECTIONS; MILITARY | ARISE | |||
| PUNCH | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | Troops Rout Lakurawa Fighters, Destroy Camps in Sokoto | Troops of Operation Fansan Yamma have neutralised several Lakurawa terrorists and destroyed their camps during a clearance operation in Waria Forest, Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, on Thursday, October 15. The Joint Task Force North West's Media Information Officer, Lt Col Aliyu Danja, said Sector 2 troops advanced through hideouts around Alela, Bilange and Kandam villages, engaged the terrorists in a firefight and forced them deeper into the forest. Weapons and five motorcycles were recovered. Danja said troops would sustain clearance and domination operations to deny terrorists freedom of movement, and urged residents to provide timely information. The military did not disclose the number killed or weapons recovered. | SECURITY; TERRORISM; LAKURAWA; SOKOTO | PUNCH | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | Opposition Parties Backing Tinubu Remind Us of Abacha's 'Leprous Fingers' Transition, Says Duke | Former Cross River governor Donald Duke, the Peoples Redemption Party's presidential candidate, has said opposition parties backing President Bola Tinubu's re-election resemble the manoeuvres of the Sani Abacha transition programme. Speaking on Arise TV's Morning Show on Thursday, he invoked the "five leprous fingers," the five parties that endorsed Abacha in the 1990s, saying one "finger has dropped off." He warned that Nigeria was "looking at disaster." Duke also criticised interest rates in the "30-something per cent" range, said Nigeria should raise 15 to 20 per cent of GDP through its budget, and listed energy, health, education and infrastructure as priorities. He declined to promise a salary increase. | POLITICS; PRP; DONALD DUKE; RAINBOW COALITION; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | Omission of NDC Candidates: INEC Should Fix This Promptly, Dickson | NDC National Leader Seriake Dickson has urged INEC to promptly correct the omission of some of the party's governorship candidates from its published list for the 2027 elections. In a Facebook statement on Thursday night, the former Bayelsa governor said the party had taken adequate steps on the affected cases and that all the candidates were registered with the party before the 21-day statutory deadline. "We urge INEC to remedy this apparent omission promptly," he said. Dickson said the party's candidates were chosen through careful screening and expressed confidence INEC would act without delay. He told supporters to continue consultations, town hall meetings and campaigns in all states while the matter is resolved. | ELECTIONS; INEC; NDC; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES | VANGUARD | |||
| GUARDIAN | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | INEC Trains Persons With Disabilities in Oyo Ahead of 2027 Elections | INEC in Oyo State has trained persons with disabilities on electoral participation ahead of the 2027 elections at a workshop at its Ibadan office. Representing Resident Electoral Commissioner Prof. Rahmon Adeniran Tella, Agnes Abosede Oluwatomisin said inclusion goes beyond registration and voting to include accessible information and polling-unit access. Tella said INEC would provide magnifying glasses, Braille ballot guides and instruction posters for voters with hearing impairments, and keep engaging qualified persons with disabilities as ad hoc staff. The commission is distributing 77,015 newly printed PVCs across 351 registration areas. JONAPWD state chairman Abiodun Kolawole urged fair consideration of persons with disabilities as observers and ad hoc staff. | ELECTIONS; INEC; PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES; OYO | GUARDIAN | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | Make Sure Subsidy Savings Go to Poor Citizens, IMF Tells Nigerian Government, Others | The IMF has urged the Nigerian government and other African economies to channel savings from subsidy removal into social protection for poor and vulnerable people. Zeine Zeidane, Director of the IMF's African Department, spoke in Bangkok at the presentation of the Regional Economic Outlook Update for Sub-Saharan Africa. He said energy subsidies mostly benefit wealthier groups and advised phasing them out gradually with "a targeted system of support to the most vulnerable." The IMF acknowledged Nigeria's progress in lowering inflation, noted that interest rates remain elevated, and urged higher non-oil revenue. It projected Sub-Saharan Africa growth of 4.5 per cent in 2026 and 2027. | ECONOMY; IMF; FUEL SUBSIDY; SOCIAL PROTECTION | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | Soldiers, Terrorists Killed in Midnight Terror Attack on Borno Military Base | About 20 security personnel and an unspecified number of terrorists were killed in a midnight attack on a military base in Mairari, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State, on Tuesday. Security sources said the assailants were jihadists from Boko Haram or the Islamic State West Africa Province, and that 15 soldiers and five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force died. Local government chairman Umar Sheriff said the military repelled the attack, and residents said many terrorists were killed. Last month, an ISWAP attack on a military position in Mairari was repelled with air support, with four fighters killed and weapons recovered. | SECURITY; TERRORISM; BORNO; BOKO HARAM; ISWAP | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | Gunmen Kill Traditional Ruler in Plateau | Gunmen killed Jatau Samkwar, the Mishkaham Bokkos, at his residence in Daffo, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, on Monday night, October 12. The Mwaghavul Traditional Council, Bokkos branch, announced the killing and identified the attackers as Fulani militias. The monarch was shot in the legs, taken to a hospital in Daffo and referred to another facility, where he died. Kefas Mallai, chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos, said the attacks in the area keep recurring, and that the ruler's son had been abducted but regained his freedom on Sunday. In a related incident, two people were killed and one injured on a motorcycle in the area. | SECURITY; PLATEAU; BOKKOS; KILLINGS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | Terrorism: Court Sentences Two to Life Imprisonment for Aiding Boko Haram | The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Abba Mustapha and Bukar Ibrahim, both from Borno State, to life imprisonment for supporting members of Boko Haram. Justice Salim Ibrahim delivered the sentence on Thursday after both men, arrested by the DSS, pleaded guilty. Prosecutors said the pair aided the insurgents' operations and concealed information about their whereabouts. The court imposed life imprisonment on the first count and 20 years each on the second. The ruling came as the Federal Government resumed another phase of its mass trial of alleged terrorists, with at least 59 suspects scheduled before several judges. In June, more than 600 people linked to terrorism were prosecuted. | SECURITY; TERRORISM; COURT; BOKO HARAM | VANGUARD | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | Terrorism: Finnish Court Reduces Simon Ekpa's Six-Year Jail Term | Finland's Court of Appeal has reduced Simon Ekpa's six-year prison sentence to four years while upholding his terrorism convictions. Ekpa, leader of the Autopilot faction of IPOB, had been sentenced in 2025 by the Päijät-Häme District Court, which also convicted him of aggravated tax fraud. He argued that south-east Nigeria was in an internal armed conflict, so international humanitarian law should apply. The court found that the intensity and frequency of the fighting did not meet the legal threshold. It found the circumstances resembled civil war, self-defence and necessity, which justified the reduced sentence. The ruling is not final and may be taken to Finland's Supreme Court. | INTERNATIONAL; FINLAND; SIMON EKPA; IPOB; TERRORISM | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 16TH OCTOBER 2026 | Kwankwasiyya Supporters Protest in Kano, Petition INEC Over Omission of NDC Governorship Candidate | Supporters of the Kwankwasiyya Movement protested in Kano on Friday over the omission of Aminu Gwarzo, the NDC governorship candidate, from the list released by INEC. Led by deputy governorship candidate Mustapha Kwankwaso, they marched to INEC's state office and submitted a petition seeking his reinstatement, with Kwankwaso calling the exclusion "unjust." Resident Electoral Commissioner Abdu Zango said an appeal window remains open until October 24 and the petition would go to national headquarters, adding, "we are very neutral." Zango said he was satisfied with turnout for PVC collection, which began on October 9. The movement cited Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which gives a party 14 days to notify INEC of an omission. | ELECTIONS; INEC; NDC; KANO; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES | CHANNELS TV | |||
| VANGUARD | 17TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Opposition to Name Single Presidential Candidate Before Polls, Lukman | Salihu Lukman, convener of the G100 political pressure group, has said opposition parties allied with the group will announce a single presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, possibly two months before the vote or only days before it. Speaking on Channels Television's Hard Copy, he said the effort extends beyond the six parties now involved and that a working group created at an August 31 summit will work on selecting the candidate. He named the "trust deficit" among parties and candidates as the main obstacle, argued that "you can't split votes five ways and expect victory in one of you," and said the vehicle could be the ADC, another party or a new party formed through an alliance. | POLITICS; OPPOSITION; G100; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 17TH OCTOBER 2026 | Osinbajo's Spokesperson Rejects Ex-SGF Babachir Lawal's Claims About Ex-Vice President | Laolu Akande, former spokesperson for ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has rejected claims by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal about Osinbajo's relationship with ex-President Muhammadu Buhari and the staffing of his office. Lawal had said Buhari considered Osinbajo's 2022 presidential bid immoral and that a memo proposing more than 20 staff names was delayed. Akande said Buhari offered to support Osinbajo on at least four occasions, asking "If I don't support you, who will I support?", and that "There was no such memo." He described the office as "one of the most inclusive, pan-Nigerian offices" in that government, noting that Muslims held key roles. | POLITICS; OSINBAJO; BABACHIR LAWAL; BUHARI | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 17TH OCTOBER 2026 | Two Officers Killed as Gunmen Attack Police Station in Abia | Two police officers were killed on Saturday when gunmen attacked a divisional police headquarters in Urratta-Eziukwu Area of Aba South Local Government Area, Abia State, at about 2:26 a.m. State police spokesperson Maureen Chinaka said three inspectors were injured and that explosives caused a fire that damaged part of the building and a patrol van. Residents said the attackers threw improvised explosive devices and set a police van ablaze. Chinaka said no firearms or ammunition were taken. Commissioner of Police Wilfred Afolabi led a tactical team to the area, vowed to track down the attackers and urged residents to report information. No group has claimed responsibility. | SECURITY; ABIA; POLICE; ATTACK | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 17TH OCTOBER 2026 | Gunmen Kill Four Vigilantes in Plateau Community | Gunmen killed four vigilantes in Shurum village, Dorowa Babuje District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Plateau State, at about 11:56 p.m. on Friday. Community member Bulus Bature said: "They were watching over our community when the gunmen struck and killed them," describing the victims as volunteers protecting the community. Rwang Tengwong, National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, said four people were killed. He condemned the killings, called on security agencies to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice, and urged the government to strengthen security so residents do not live in fear while those volunteering to protect them are targeted. | SECURITY; PLATEAU; BARKIN LADI; KILLINGS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 18TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: We'll Not Step Down for Atiku, Kwankwaso Replies ADC | NDC vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso has said he and presidential candidate Peter Obi will not withdraw for the ADC or any other party in the 2027 race. In a Facebook statement on Sunday, he rejected claims that the "Obi-Kwankwaso ticket" is working for the APC and accused the ADC Presidential Campaign Council of spreading falsehoods. ADC spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan had accused him of covertly aligning with President Bola Tinubu, saying his call for Atiku Abubakar to step aside for Obi was meant to split the opposition vote. Kwankwaso called the NDC the country's most formidable opposition party and the ticket a "healing ticket" focused on security, education, healthcare, infrastructure and the economy. | POLITICS; NDC; ADC; KWANKWASO; ATIKU; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 18TH OCTOBER 2026 | Atiku Tackles Tinubu Over Police Exit Bill | Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Bola Tinubu to explain why he has not acted on the Police Exit Bill. In a statement issued on October 18 by Phrank Shaibu of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said serving officers are withdrawing from their pension savings while retired personnel survive on small stipends, citing a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police on a ₦29,000 monthly pension. He said the bill was sent to Tinubu in March and cited Section 58 of the Constitution, which gives the President 30 days to act. Atiku pledged a Police Dignity Guarantee Plan if elected, covering pension arrears, a pension floor, healthcare and a salary review. | POLITICS; ADC; ATIKU; POLICE WELFARE; TINUBU | VANGUARD | |||
| ARISE | 18TH OCTOBER 2026 | Baba-Ahmed Accuses Tinubu, APC of Underestimating Northern Voters Ahead of 2027 | PRP National Chairman Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has said supporters of President Bola Tinubu and the APC are misjudging voters in Northern Nigeria ahead of 2027. In a Facebook statement on Sunday, he named Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, Borno, Yobe, Kwara, Kaduna, Plateau, Kogi and Nasarawa and asked what Tinubu's campaign would tell residents there. He said the ruling party believes it can buy northern support with money distributed on an unprecedented scale, but that "they underestimate the people of Northern Nigeria." He warned that if the APC and Tinubu are rejected, nobody should attempt to manipulate or overturn the result. "Let the contest begin," he added. | POLITICS; PRP; BABA-AHMED; NORTHERN NIGERIA; 2027 ELECTIONS | ARISE | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 18TH OCTOBER 2026 | Kogi LG Elections: APC Sweeps All 21 Chairmanship and 239 Councillorship Seats | The APC won all 21 local government chairmanship seats and 239 councillorship seats in Kogi State's local government elections held on Saturday, covering the state's 21 local government areas and 239 wards. The Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission declared the results at its headquarters in Lokoja. Chairman Mamman Nda-Eri called the election "peaceful and credible" and commended security agencies, observers, journalists and voters. He said the poll completed 13 activities outlined for the 2026 local government elections, a process that began almost a year earlier, and that Certificates of Return would be issued "in due course." The outgoing chairmen and councillors were sworn in on October 23, 2024. | ELECTIONS; LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS; KOGI; APC | CHANNELS TV | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 18TH OCTOBER 2026 | Amuwo-Odofin Seat: NDC Aspirant Umeadi Sues Dickson, Party for Alleged Substitution of Name | The Federal High Court in Lagos has adjourned until October 27, 2026 a suit by Azubike Umeadi, an aspirant for the Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituency seat, challenging the NDC's replacement of his name with that of Olawande Folarin as its candidate for the 2027 election. Umeadi says he won the party's direct primary on May 29, 2026 and learned of the substitution when INEC published its candidate list around September 14. He asks the court to nullify Folarin's nomination and compel the NDC to submit his name. NDC National Chairman Seriake Dickson is a defendant. Justice Daniel Osiagor directed both sides to file their processes before the next sitting. | POLITICS; NDC; LAGOS; COURT; PRIMARIES | CHANNELS TV | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 18TH OCTOBER 2026 | 5 Security Operatives Killed as Boko Haram Attacks Adamawa Communities | Five security operatives, four soldiers and a Forest Guard, were killed when Boko Haram insurgents attacked the Tela-Bala and Guyaku communities in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State. The attackers stormed the communities around 11:20 p.m. on Saturday, opening fire and forcing residents to flee, then tried to advance on Gombi early Sunday before troops repelled them. They also fired at close range on a military armoured personnel carrier at a Guyaku checkpoint, causing severe damage. Gombi lawmaker Rufa'i Umar Gombi said he had heard that scores of people were killed. Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri urged the Federal Government to modernise land borders with drones and other technology. | SECURITY; TERRORISM; BOKO HARAM; ADAMAWA | DAILY TRUST | |||
| GUARDIAN | 19TH OCTOBER 2026 | NDC Withdraws Recognition of Diaspora Chapters Over Court Judgment | The Nigeria Democratic Congress has withdrawn recognition of its diaspora chapters, citing a judgment of the FCT High Court in Maitama that held political parties lack authority to establish or operate chapters outside Nigeria. In a statement by National Publicity Secretary Osa Director, the party said all earlier recognitions of its foreign chapters were withdrawn. It cited Ali Alao v. APC & Anor, Suit No. CV/187/2025, and said it has referred the judgment to its Legal Department and begun harmonising groups operating under its name abroad. The party urged supporters abroad to keep backing presidential candidate Peter Obi and promised to maintain contact through lawful channels. | POLITICS; NDC; DIASPORA; COURT | GUARDIAN | |||
| GUARDIAN | 19TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Violent Attacks Raise Fears Over Free Electioneering in States | Incidents of violence have raised fears over free campaigning ahead of the 2027 elections. In Benue, youths blocked NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi's convoy on Gboko Road, Makurdi, on his way to Yelwata, and police later announced 46 arrests. In Edo, the ADC said its campaign train was attacked in Igueben on October 6 and a supporter, Jerry Oliha, was shot, naming APC loyalists, which council chairman Endurance Azemegbe denied. In Enugu, NDC governorship candidate Chinyeaka Ohaa said he and his supporters were attacked on October 10, which the state government denied. APC spokesman Abimbola Tooki said allegations should be backed by "verifiable evidence." | POLITICS; ELECTION VIOLENCE; 2027 ELECTIONS | GUARDIAN | |||
| VANGUARD | 19TH OCTOBER 2026 | Rivers: Wike Reportedly Leads Delegation to Meet Fubara in Reconciliation Move | FCT Minister Nyesom Wike led members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the state's 23 local government chairmen to a closed-door meeting with Governor Siminalayi Fubara at his residence in Port Harcourt on Sunday evening. The delegation included Speaker Martin Amaewhule, APC candidate Kingsley Chinda and other Rainbow Coalition members. Sources said the meeting continued reconciliation talks between the Wike and Fubara camps, with the aim of ending the political crisis and accommodating Fubara's loyalists ahead of 2027. Wike, Fubara and the lawmakers were all smiling at the end, and Amaewhule and others greeted the governor as "Your Excellency." The visit follows a two-year conflict between Fubara and the Assembly. | POLITICS; RIVERS; WIKE; FUBARA; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 19TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Uba Sani Targets 3 Million Votes in Kaduna as Top El-Rufai Allies Defect to APC | Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has raised the APC's target to three million votes in the 2027 elections, up from two million. Speaking in Zaria on Saturday at a ceremony where former finance commissioner Muhammad Bashir Sa'idu and other ADC politicians rejoined the APC, he said Kaduna has 4.6 million registered voters and 96 per cent have collected their PVCs. Sa'idu, a former Chief of Staff to Nasir El-Rufai, said over 200,000 ADC members joined the APC through his group, Kaduna De-Initiatives, and that the ADC was "teleguided by a family." Other defectors included Jafaru Sani and former Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari. Sani promised door-to-door campaigning. | POLITICS; APC; KADUNA; DEFECTIONS; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 19TH OCTOBER 2026 | Matawalle Leads Eight Suspended Zamfara Lawmakers to Tinubu, Reaffirms Loyalty to APC | Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle led eight suspended members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, who recently resigned from the APC, to meet President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa. In a statement, Matawalle's media aide Ahmad Dan-Wudil said the lawmakers affirmed their support for Tinubu and intended to stay in the APC, and Matawalle pledged to bring them into the Tinubu Again Movement. The House suspended the eight on February 26, 2024 over gross misconduct, conspiracy and an illegal sitting, and extended the suspension on May 13, 2026. In their resignation letters, the lawmakers cited injustice, disunity among APC stakeholders in Zamfara and the government's handling of insecurity. | POLITICS; APC; ZAMFARA; MATAWALLE; TINUBU | CHANNELS TV | |||
| GUARDIAN | 19TH OCTOBER 2026 | SERAP Sues INEC Over ₦126bn Election Appropriation | SERAP has sued INEC at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking a full account of more than ₦126.46 billion appropriated for electoral operations. The group says the money was diverted, lost, mismanaged or unaccounted for, citing the 2023 audited report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on August 7, 2026. The funds were earmarked for ballot boxes, electoral devices, result sheets, vehicles, accreditation devices, audit and consultancy services and digital archiving. SERAP wants details of amounts released, beneficiaries, contractors and their beneficial owners. It called the findings "particularly disturbing" and a breach of public trust. No date has been fixed for the hearing. | ELECTIONS; INEC; SERAP; PUBLIC FUNDS; COURT | GUARDIAN | |||
| PUNCH | 19TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Kano Commissioner of Police Rejigs Security Architecture ahead of General Elections | Kano State Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Bakori has assured residents of adequate security before, during and after the 2027 general elections. Speaking as special guest of honour at the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Kano chapter's annual general meeting on Saturday, he said, "We will employ robust security architecture to guarantee peace." He said the command has begun stakeholder engagements, training and sensitisation with youth groups, political actors and the media, while sustaining intelligence-led operations to counter hate speech, political thuggery and fake news. Bakori urged information officers to manage election results with accuracy over speed. INEC's Kano Resident Electoral Commissioner, Zango Abdu, assured of the commission's preparedness. | SECURITY; ELECTIONS; KANO; POLICE | PUNCH | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 19TH OCTOBER 2026 | Gombe: PDP, APC Trade Words Over Attack on Pantami's Campaign Office | The Gombe State chapters of the APC and the PDP are trading words over the attack on the Kumo campaign office of former Communications Minister Prof. Isa Ali Pantami in Akko Local Government Area, around 2 a.m. on Saturday. Pantami ally Muhammad City said Akko council chairman Abubakar Usman Barambu had threatened to send thugs to destroy the office, and urged Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya to caution him. APC Publicity Secretary Murtala Usman Wurotale said the party was unaware of the attack, challenged the opposition to produce evidence and suggested the PDP staged it. PDP Publicity Secretary Abdulkadir Ahmad Dukku called for an investigation. Police spokesman DSP Buhari Abdullahi said the police would investigate. | POLITICS; GOMBE; APC; PDP; POLITICAL VIOLENCE | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 19TH OCTOBER 2026 | Three Killed, Several Injured in Farmers-Herders Violence in FCT | Three people were killed and several others injured in a farmers-herders clash in Paikon-Kore community, Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, which began on Saturday afternoon and lasted until Sunday morning. Houses, a motorcycle and shops at the village market were set ablaze. Resident Danlami Ibrahim said it began when herders allowed cattle into an unharvested groundnut farm and a herder severed a farmer's hand, after which residents retaliated and three herders were killed. MACBAN's Gwagwalada secretary, Mohammed Usman, said three herders lost their lives. Council Chairman Kasim Mohammed Ikwa visited the community and called a stakeholders' meeting, while soldiers, police and vigilantes were deployed. The clash follows one on August 11. | SECURITY; FARMERS-HERDERS CLASH; FCT | DAILY TRUST | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 19TH OCTOBER 2026 | Police Lost Control During Nationwide Protests in France, Says Interior Minister | French police "lost control" during nationwide protests that turned violent over the weekend, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez admitted on Monday. President Emmanuel Macron ordered a security review but refused Nunez's resignation. Saturday's cost-of-living protests drew about half a million people, with town halls and shops looted and set alight. More than 2,500 people were arrested and nearly 1,000 security forces were injured. Nunez cited a "lack of anticipation," saying about 60,000 officers were deployed. Chamber of commerce president Alain Di Crescenzo said more than 2,000 shops were affected, with damage running into hundreds of millions of euros. Macron said local authorities could ban rallies if necessary. | INTERNATIONAL; FRANCE; PROTESTS; POLICING | CHANNELS TV | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 19TH OCTOBER 2026 | Trump Endorses Netanyahu in Israel's Upcoming Election | US President Donald Trump on Sunday gave Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his "complete and total" endorsement ahead of Israel's October 27 elections, writing on Truth Social that "BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" He called Netanyahu "a Great Warrior Prime Minister" and an ally in the war against Iran, which began in late February and has continued as Tehran disrupts global energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said that without Netanyahu the United States would be alone in confronting Iran's government. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, thanked Trump on X, saying the two would "complete the mission" together. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED STATES; ISRAEL; ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 19TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027 Elections: INEC Decries Exclusion of Persons With Disabilities From Elective Positions in Akwa Ibom | INEC has criticised the absence of persons with disabilities from candidate lists fielded by political parties in Akwa Ibom State. At a press briefing in Uyo on Thursday, Resident Electoral Commissioner Anugbum Onuoha said "no political party fielded persons with disabilities for any elective position in Akwa Ibom," which he called unfair. He said INEC has completed nine of the 14 activities on its timetable, and that parties must submit polling agents' names by December 10 for the presidential and National Assembly elections and by January 6, 2027 for governorship and State Assembly elections. Recruitment of ad hoc staff closes on November 18. Onuoha said INEC has tested BVAS and urged parties to shun violence and vote-buying. | ELECTIONS; INEC; PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES; AKWA IBOM | CHANNELS TV | |||
| GUARDIAN | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | ‘I Have No Regrets’: Tinubu Defends Subsidy Removal, Other Policies | President Bola Tinubu has said he has no regrets about removing the petrol subsidy or his administration's other economic reforms. Speaking at the City Boys Movement retreat in Abuja, he said the country cannot achieve greatness through borrowing, defended ending the subsidy on his first day in office because the country was near financial collapse, and said his government would not be pushed back from its reform agenda. Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele said in Bangkok that even a signal of reinstating the subsidy would push the naira toward ₦3,000 to ₦4,000 per dollar. ADC spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan called this scaremongering and demanded the model behind the projection. | POLITICS; ECONOMY; FUEL SUBSIDY; TINUBU | GUARDIAN | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Ogun State PDP Governorship Aspirant Threatens to Sue INEC Over Exclusion From List | Ogun State PDP governorship aspirant Topa Olusegun Peter has threatened to sue INEC over the omission of his name from its list of candidates. In a letter dated October 14, 2026, his lawyers at Neplus Ultra Attorneys said there is "no lawful basis for his exclusion." They said he obtained the party's nomination forms on May 12, took part in the May 27 primary and appears as entry number 15,783 on the membership register submitted to the commission. They asked INEC to verify his records within 48 hours and publish his name if they confirm his nomination, warning of court proceedings for declaratory and mandatory orders otherwise. | ELECTIONS; INEC; PDP; OGUN; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES | DAILY TRUST | |||
| THISDAY | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Former Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan Dies at 71 | Former Delta State Governor Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan died on October 19, 2026 at age 71, his family announced in a statement by Toju Anire Uduaghan. President Bola Tinubu sent condolences, describing him as a public servant devoted to the state's development. The Delta State Government declared three days of mourning, and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori ordered flags at half-mast. Tributes came from Senator David Mark, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh, among others. Uduaghan, a medical doctor, was Commissioner for Health from 1999 to 2003 and Secretary to the State Government from 2003 to 2007, and succeeded James Ibori as governor in 2007. | OBITUARY; DELTA; EMMANUEL UDUAGHAN | THISDAY | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | In Fresh Twist, Bauchi NDC Governorship Candidate Resigns From Party | Barrister Ibrahim Kashim, the NDC governorship candidate in Bauchi State, has resigned his party membership, effective October 16, 2026. He announced the decision in a statement titled "A Message to My Supporters and the Good People of Bauchi State," describing it as the result of careful reflection. Kashim did not say whether he would pursue his governorship ambition under another party. He said his exit would not weaken his commitment to Bauchi's development, which he said requires competent leadership, a stronger economy, more opportunities for young people and women, and better security. "Our political journey is far from over," he told supporters, promising to announce the next phase in due course. | POLITICS; NDC; BAUCHI; RESIGNATION | CHANNELS TV | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Eight Zamfara Lawmakers Make a U-Turn, Set to Return to APC After Meeting Tinubu | Eight members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly who recently resigned from the APC have announced their return to the party after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa. They were led by Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle and Rep. Aminu Jaji. The lawmakers, who had been expected to join the ADC, earlier cited friction in the party, insecurity in rural communities and unpaid allowances. They said Matawalle's reconciliation effort is addressing their grievances and pledged to work for the party's victory in 2027. The Assembly leadership had suspended them for attempting to remove the Speaker. Nasiru Abdullahi had been screened for the Maru North seat under the ADC. | POLITICS; APC; ZAMFARA; DEFECTIONS; MATAWALLE | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| VANGUARD | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | My Message Twisted: Obi Denies Telling UK-Based Nigerians to Abandon Loved Ones | NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi has denied telling Nigerians in the United Kingdom to abandon relatives who depend on them financially, saying political opponents distorted his remarks. In a statement titled "My Message Has Been Twisted" on X on Tuesday, he said diaspora remittances pay for school fees, hospital bills, rent and food, and wrote, "I never asked them to abandon their loved ones." The clarification followed backlash over a viral video from a town hall with diaspora supporters in Manchester on Sunday, in which he urged Nigerians in the UK to stop sending money to relatives. Obi said Nigeria should not be a country where millions rely on relatives abroad to survive. | POLITICS; NDC; PETER OBI; DIASPORA; 2027 ELECTIONS | VANGUARD | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | NDC Petitions NJC, INEC Over Court Ruling Replacing Its Candidate in Kano | The NDC has asked the National Judicial Council and INEC to investigate a Federal High Court ruling that displaced its candidate for the Gwale Federal Constituency in Kano State. Gwale chairman Dr Naziru Yusuf Abdullahi told a briefing on Sunday that the party's officials were never called to give evidence in the suit by Abdulmajid Hamisu, and that the party's May 29, 2026 consensus exercise endorsed Dr Muhammad Hamisu. Kano chairman Hussaini Isa Mairiga and secretary Prof. Salisu Mohammed Tudunkaya said they neither signed nor authorised a June 15, 2026 letter listing the party's candidates. Abdullahi asked the NJC to review the judge's conduct and said the party would pursue redress through legal channels. | POLITICS; NDC; KANO; COURT; CANDIDATES | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Zamfara ADC Crisis: Mahdi Petitions INEC Over Alleged Backdated Primary Report | Mahdi Aliyu Mohammed, an ADC governorship aspirant in Zamfara State, has petitioned INEC over a plan to submit a backdated report of the party's governorship primary. In the petition dated October 19, 2026, his counsel said some party members and aspirants planned to submit a report replacing his name with another aspirant's as winner, undermining the outcome of the May 22 primary held at Command Hotel, Gusau, and monitored by INEC officials. The petition asks INEC to reject any document suggesting another primary was held on May 28 and to rely on its original monitoring report. It cites the Electoral Act 2026 and the Penal Code. | POLITICS; ADC; ZAMFARA; PRIMARIES; INEC | DAILY TRUST | |||
| GUARDIAN | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | INEC Charges Staff on Professionalism, Non-Partisanship Ahead of 2027 | INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan has urged commission staff to stay out of party politics ahead of the 2027 elections. At an interactive session with South-East staff in Enugu, he said: "You should not pick interest in any political party: be neutral and firm." He called reported partisan interest among some staff "absolutely wrong" and said INEC has put a reward and sanction mechanism in place at local, state and national levels. Amupitan said staff are being moved out of the standard civil service salary structure into a special one from January 1, 2027, to make them less susceptible to inducement, and that INEC is working with other agencies to secure funding. | ELECTIONS; INEC; STAFF NEUTRALITY; ENUGU | GUARDIAN | |||
| PUNCH | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | INEC Plans Voting Centres for Plateau IDPs | The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Plateau State, Prof. Samuel Egwu, has said the commission is planning voting centres for internally displaced persons in nine local government areas: Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Jos South, Mangu, Kanam, Kanke, Wase and Bokkos. He said displaced persons have a fundamental right to vote and the initiative is meant to ensure no eligible voter is disenfranchised. He spoke at a multi-stakeholder dialogue on election security in Jos convened by CLEEN Foundation, whose Executive Director, Peter Maduoma, said the dialogue would culminate in a peace accord signed by stakeholders. Plateau Commissioner of Police Faniyan Ayodeji said credible elections depend on stakeholders doing the right thing. | ELECTIONS; INEC; PLATEAU; IDPS; ELECTION SECURITY | PUNCH | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Osun Police Declare Ex-NURTW Chief Wanted Over Killing of Adeleke's Ally | The Osun State Police Command has declared Nurudeen Alowonle, a factional NURTW chairman, wanted over the September 13 killing of Accord Party chief Olalekan Oyeyemi, known as Emir, at Mayfair Motor Park in Ile-Ife. Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Zungura said six suspects, four of them Amotekun personnel, have been arrested, and that police are pursuing another NURTW figure, Ojo Adeyemi, known as Sibi. He said suspect Hammed Olalekan Dauda, found with a sawn-off firearm, told investigators Alowonle gave him the weapon. Governor Ademola Adeleke suspended NURTW activities statewide after the killing, saying there would be "no sacred cows." | SECURITY; OSUN; NURTW; POLITICAL KILLING | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Cross River PDP Chairman Resigns After Five Years, Gives Reasons | Venatius Ikem, chairman of the PDP in Cross River State, has resigned after five years in the post, effective immediately. In a letter posted on Facebook on Friday and addressed to the party's national and state secretaries, he cited the party's struggles with direction and consistent leadership, and the difficulty of balancing his duties with internal disputes and conflicting positions "as we enter a critical electoral season." He wrote that "a clearer vision and a new pathway are necessary." Ikem thanked Senators Sandy Onor and Jarigbe Jarigbe, and called the contribution of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike "indelible." He did not announce his next political move or say whether he is leaving the PDP. | POLITICS; PDP; CROSS RIVER; RESIGNATION | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Plateau ADC Unveils Deputy Governorship Flagbearer, Presents 2027 Candidates at Statewide Rally | The ADC in Plateau State has unveiled Chungdung Pwajok-Kele as the running mate of its governorship candidate, retired Brigadier General John Sunday Sura, and presented its candidates for all elective positions at a rally on Monday at the Zumji Event Centre. It was the party's first major statewide outing, drawing supporters from the state's 17 local government areas. Sura named security and sustainable rural development as the pillars of his agenda and pledged to strengthen local security structures and revive agriculture. Pwajok-Kele promised to restore the dignity of women and promote their inclusion in governance. Sura urged supporters to unite behind the mantra "One Tribe, One People, One Plateau." | POLITICS; ADC; PLATEAU; 2027 ELECTIONS | CHANNELS TV | |||
| GUARDIAN | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | NDC Shifts National Campaign Council Inauguration to October 26 | The NDC has postponed the unveiling and inauguration of its National Campaign Council from Tuesday, October 20, 2026 to Monday, October 26. In a statement on October 19, National Publicity Secretary Osa Director linked the change to the schedule of presidential candidate Peter Obi, who has a tight schedule and an important overseas engagement. Director apologised for any disruption and urged members and supporters to stay focused on the party's campaign objectives and on securing victory for Obi and other NDC candidates. The statement closed by reaffirming the party's slogan, "A New Nigeria is POssible." | POLITICS; NDC; PETER OBI; CAMPAIGN COUNCIL | GUARDIAN | |||
| GUARDIAN | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: NDC Candidates Accuse Kwankwasiyya of Intimidation, Harassment of INEC | Five NDC National Assembly aspirants in Kano State have accused the Kwankwasiyya movement of intimidation and of harassing INEC to replace the party's candidate list. They are Abdulmajid Isah Umar (Gwale), Shaaban Ibrahim Sharada (Kano Municipal), Ishmael Idris Sani (Kumbotso), Ibrahim Bashiru Bango (Sumaila/Takai) and Nasir Alli Ahmed (Nassarawa). Their seven-page complaint dated October 17, 2026, signed by Bola Aidi, SAN & Co., calls for respect for an October 14 Federal High Court judgment in Kano, which confirmed two of them as authentic nominees and reserved judgment on three. They said no Kano NDC leader can override the national headquarters' submission, and described the campaign against them as the work of an "aggrieved dictator." | POLITICS; NDC; KANO; KWANKWASIYYA; INEC | GUARDIAN | |||
| PUNCH | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: PDP, NDC Threaten Legal Action if INEC Fails to Enlist Candidates Friday | The PDP and the NDC have said they will consider legal action against INEC if it does not include their omitted candidates in the list for the 2027 elections by October 24. PDP National Publicity Secretary Mohammed Jungudo said there is "a likelihood that we may end up in litigation," adding that the party will exhaust the 14-day window first and noting that Prof. Isa Pantami's lawyers have already written to INEC. NDC National Publicity Secretary Osa Director said INEC has acknowledged the party's letters but not responded. Those left off the list include Pantami in Gombe, Oladipupo Adebutu in Ogun, Aminu Gwarzo in Kano and Danjuma Tella La'ah in Kaduna. INEC said the parties failed to submit membership registers. | ELECTIONS; INEC; PDP; NDC; GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES | PUNCH | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Fresh Air Strikes Kill 103 Terrorists in Adamawa, Borno, Says Military | The Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai, says intelligence-led air strikes against ISWAP fighters in Adamawa and Borno neutralised 103 terrorists and destroyed logistics hubs and storage facilities between October 10 and 18, 2026. Acting Military Information Officer Captain Mohammed Goni listed seven strikes, including Gudumbali, Badu, Mairari, Duste Uku in Gombi, Adamawa, and Arina Woje in Monguno. A precision strike on October 13 east of Badu hit more than 100 militants, neutralising around 30. The October 18 strike targeted the alternate residence of Abu Saleem, ISWAP's Wali of South Lake Chad, and destroyed nine boat engines and several motorcycles. The military said the campaign would continue. | SECURITY; TERRORISM; ISWAP; ADAMAWA; BORNO | CHANNELS TV | |||
| GUARDIAN | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: IPC, CEMESO Train INEC Officials on Electoral Communication | The International Press Centre and the Centre for Media and Society ran a two-day capacity-building programme in Ibadan for INEC officials from the South-West on public communication, handling false information and voter engagement ahead of 2027. INEC Deputy Director of Information and Publicity Wilfred Ifogah said the training would help officials explain the commission's procedures clearly and quickly, and urged journalists and the public to "Verify before you amplify," especially on AI-generated content and deepfakes. IPC Executive Director Lanre Arogundade said electoral trust is built well before polling day. CEMESO Executive Director Dr Akin Akingbulu urged participants to repeat the training in their states. Jos, Enugu and Kano will follow, funded by the European Union. | ELECTIONS; INEC; VOTER EDUCATION; MISINFORMATION | GUARDIAN | |||
| ARISE | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Taiwo Oyedele: Investors Have Written Off Nigeria's Opposition as Unserious | Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Taiwo Oyedele has said domestic and international investors have largely dismissed the opposition as unserious on restoring fuel subsidies. Speaking at a press briefing on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, he said the markets "have largely written off the opposition in Nigeria as being unserious," which is why they have not priced in a proposed return of subsidy. He warned that the effect would show quickly if President Bola Tinubu signalled a change: "If Mr. President says today we are considering subsidy, you will see the reflection in price." Oyedele said restoring subsidies could trigger capital flight and weaken the naira. | ECONOMY; FUEL SUBSIDY; IMF; OPPOSITION; OYEDELE | ARISE | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | The North Will Reject Tinubu and His Money" - Hakeem Baba-Ahmed | PRP National Chairman Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has accused President Bola Tinubu's administration of demeaning and neglecting people in the North and warned Tinubu's supporters against trying to win northern votes with money. In a Facebook post, he said: "We know they will share money on a scale never before seen in Nigerian politics," and urged northerners to show "that we, too, are human beings with dignity." Kaduna State Commissioner for Information Ahmed Maiyaki replied on behalf of Tinubu's supporters, saying they would campaign for the president "without fear or doubt," that "nobody is more of a Northerner than anyone else," and that anyone attempting to intimidate northerners would be confronted. | POLITICS; PRP; BABA-AHMED; NORTHERN NIGERIA; TINUBU | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Tinubu Campaign Spokesperson, Showunmi, Breaks Silence on Wife's Fresh Role at INEC | Segun Showunmi, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, has rejected suggestions that his wife was rewarded with a new INEC position following his inclusion in the council. Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi was moved from the commission's administration department in Lagos to head Electoral Operations, while Isah Magaji Gummi was redeployed to the Voter Registry Department. On Channels Television, Showunmi said: "Don't you dare say that about me. Reward who?" He described his wife as a Level 17 career officer who has worked in INEC all her life, and asked whether the move was tied to his politics. | POLITICS; INEC; APC; SHOWUNMI; ELECTORAL INTEGRITY | DAILY TRUST | |||
| ARISE | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Court Upholds INEC's Refusal to Register AAA, Says Political Party Registration Is Not Automatic | The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that an association's right to be registered as a political party is not absolute, upholding INEC's refusal to register the All Allies Alliance. In suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1049/2026, brought by AAA member Jyde Adelakun, Justice James Omotosho rejected INEC's argument that the Electoral Act 2026 invalidated the case, but found that AAA had not met the registration requirements. INEC had said the association lacked an Abuja address and a Protem Secretary. The judge said AAA's letter "does not really strike me as a letter of intent," and that even if it were, it "still falls short of the Guidelines." Adelakun had sought to have AAA deemed registered and ₦50 million in damages. | ELECTIONS; INEC; POLITICAL PARTIES; COURT; AAA | ARISE | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Court Dismisses El-Rufai's ₦120 Million Rights Suit Against SSS, EFCC, ICPC, AGF | The FCT High Court in Maitama has dismissed former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai's ₦120 million fundamental rights suit against the SSS, EFCC, ICPC and the Attorney-General of the Federation. Justice Sylvanus Oriji found the case lacked merit and ordered El-Rufai to pay ₦200,000 in costs to each of the four respondents. The judge held that the SSS acted within its powers to "place persons of interest on its watchlist and arrest them where necessary," that the passport seizure was lawful, and that EFCC and ICPC invitation letters did not violate his rights. El-Rufai had complained over the seizure of his passport and an attempted arrest at Abuja airport in February. He has other rights cases pending. | COURT; EL-RUFAI; EFCC; ICPC; SSS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Police Rescue Abducted Catholic Priest, 7 Others in Benue | Police in Benue State have rescued a kidnapped Catholic priest and seven other victims in Ohimini Local Government Area and arrested two suspects, Echefu Emmanuel and Obonyilor Emmanuel. Police spokesman DSP Peter Aondongu said in a statement on Monday that armed men seized the seven on October 13 as they returned from a village market along the Ugbokolo-Ajegbe-Awume Road before Ipiga village. Two victims were freed on October 16 and six on October 18. They were taken to the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo. Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu praised the operatives' "prompt response and professionalism," and police are pursuing other gang members who fled. | SECURITY; KIDNAPPING; BENUE; POLICE | DAILY TRUST | |||
| CNN | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Alberta Rejects Secession Referendum, Chooses to Remain Part of Canada | The Canadian province of Alberta has rejected the pathway to secession and will remain part of Canada. About three quarters of voters chose to stay, while one quarter opted for a second, binding vote on separation later, with roughly 45 per cent of polls counted early Tuesday. It was Canada's first plebiscite of its kind since the 1995 Quebec referendum. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Albertans and all Canadians "will move forward together with renewed purpose and high ambition." Premier Danielle Smith said she was "very pleased." Separatist leaders had met US officials in Washington, and Elon Musk urged Alberta to separate. Pro-unity leader Thomas Lukaszuk said: "Canada is not up for grabs." | INTERNATIONAL; CANADA; ALBERTA; REFERENDUM | CNN | |||
| CNN | 20TH OCTOBER 2026 | Vance Declines to Endorse Netanyahu's Reelection Bid, Breaking With Trump | US Vice President JD Vance on Monday declined to say whether he endorses Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection, after President Donald Trump threw his support behind the Israeli prime minister. "I endorse American candidates, and that's where I'm focused on is the midterm," Vance told journalist Mark Halperin aboard Air Force Two. "I'm not getting involved in Israeli elections." He said he was neither for nor against endorsing Netanyahu. Earlier this year, Vance travelled to Budapest to support Trump-endorsed Viktor Orbán, who lost his election. Trump gave a full endorsement of Netanyahu on Saturday. The comments came days before Israel's election, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced trip to Israel and met Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. | INTERNATIONAL; UNITED STATES; ISRAEL; ELECTIONS | CNN | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | Ebola Outbreak: FG Confirms FCT Case, Begins Contact Tracing for 44 Close Contacts | The Federal Government confirmed one Ebola case in the FCT on Tuesday. In a statement, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Pate said the patient is a woman who recently arrived on an international flight from Uganda and is isolated at a private hospital. Contact tracing has begun, with 44 close contacts identified, and health facilities nationwide were told to be on high alert. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya, after speaking with Pate, urged immediate financing, supplies, diagnostic equipment and trained responders, saying: “ACT NOW.” He described the outbreak, declared on May 15, as the most geographically widespread Ebola outbreak in history. | HEALTH; EBOLA; ABUJA; NCDC; AFRICA CDC; NIGERIA | PREMIUM TIMES PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Former APC Publicity Secretary Timi Frank Alleges Threat to Atiku’s Safety, APC Denies Assassination Plot | The APC Presidential Campaign Council has denied allegations by ADC member and former APC deputy national publicity secretary Timi Frank that the Nigerian government is plotting to assassinate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general elections. In an open letter dated 19 October, Frank warned of possible threats to Atiku’s life, arrest, detention and political intimidation, urging US President Donald Trump and other international leaders to intervene and call for an independent investigation. The allegations also raised concerns about the security protection available to Atiku. However, APC spokesperson Dele Alake dismissed the claims as politically motivated, insisting that Atiku’s security had not been compromised and that President Bola Tinubu had strengthened protection for political candidates. No publicly verified evidence of an assassination plot was presented in the reports. | POLITICS; ADC; ATIKU; APC; SECURITY | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | #EndSARS Anniversary: Police Fire Tear Gas at Attendees at Lekki Tollgate | Police broke up a memorial procession at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos on Tuesday, firing teargas at attendees marking the sixth anniversary of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests before the wreath-laying could start. ADC Lagos governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and NDC candidate Funso Doherty were among those affected, along with reporters. The Enough is Enough movement organised the event, and organisers abandoned the ceremony as people ran for safety. Some people were injured and others had difficulty breathing. The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry confirmed nine deaths at the tollgate on October 20, 2020 and listed four others as missing and presumed dead. Organisers had brought 15 wreaths, including one for journalist Pelumi Onifade. | SECURITY; POLICE; ENDSARS; LAGOS; HUMAN RIGHTS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | 2027 Elections: PLAC Executive Director Clement Nwankwo Questions Legal Basis for INEC’s Proposed Use of AI in Result Verification | PLAC Executive Director Clement Nwankwo has questioned the legal basis for INEC’s proposed use of electronic systems and artificial intelligence (AI) to verify election results before making them public ahead of the 2027 general elections. Speaking at the 8th annual lecture of the Just Friends Club in Abuja, he urged the commission to identify the specific legal provisions authorising the process, stressing that technological innovations must operate within the law. He also warned that restricting the public announcement of polling-unit results could undermine transparency, urging voters and party agents to document results independently to guard against possible alterations during collation. Nwankwo further called on political parties to deploy agents to every polling unit to strengthen electoral accountability and ensure that disputes over results can be supported by evidence. | ELECTIONS; INEC; PLAC; POLLING UNIT RESULTS; AI | DAILY TRUST DAILY TRUST | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | Zamfara North: Court Upholds Order for Fresh APC Primary | The Court of Appeal in Sokoto has dismissed an appeal by Senator Sahabi Ya'u Kaura against a Federal High Court judgment in Gusau, upholding the order for a fresh APC senatorial primary in Zamfara North. The suit was brought by APC aspirant Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, who said the primary was never properly conducted. The appellate court ruled that the lower court had jurisdiction and rejected Kaura's claim that the burden of proof was wrongly placed on him. Shinkafi's counsel, Bello Galadi, called the judgment a victory for democracy, saying the evidence showed non-compliance with APC rules and guidelines. The Federal High Court had ordered a fresh primary within 14 days. | POLITICS; APC; ZAMFARA; PRIMARIES; COURT | DAILY TRUST | |||
| CHANNELS TV | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | Zamfara: We Haven't Returned to APC, Only Met Tinubu Over Suspension, Entitlements, Say Eight Lawmakers | The eight suspended members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly have denied returning to the APC, saying their meeting with President Bola Tinubu was about their suspension and unpaid entitlements. Their spokesman, Ibrahim Tukur Bakura, who represents Bakura Constituency, told journalists the lawmakers had neither defected back to the APC nor promised to do so. He said the visit to the Presidential Villa aimed to address the reasons for their suspension, their outstanding entitlements and possible ways to resolve both, and called online reports of their return "false and misleading." Bakura said: "If we decide to return to the APC officially, I will personally call journalists." Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle led the group to the Villa. | POLITICS; APC; ZAMFARA; DEFECTIONS | CHANNELS TV | |||
| ARISE | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | PDP Rejects Wike's Call to Back Tinubu, Warns Against Electoral Monarchy | The PDP has rejected FCT Minister Nyesom Wike's call for its candidates to dissolve their party structures and support President Bola Tinubu's re-election in 2027. In a statement on Tuesday, Interim National Working Committee National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong said genuine PDP members would not back Tinubu or align with the APC-led government, and that Wike's appeal was meant for "pretenders in the opposition" working for the ruling party. He called the proposed "rainbow coalition" "the greatest threat to electoral democracy" that could push the country toward an "electoral monarchy." Ememobong told members to stay loyal while the party awaits a Court of Appeal judgment in its leadership dispute. | POLITICS; PDP; WIKE; RAINBOW COALITION; 2027 ELECTIONS | ARISE | |||
| ARISE | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | NDC Accuses APC of Bribing Candidates to Defect, Plans Fresh Congresses | The NDC has accused the APC of bribing some of its candidates to defect and said it will hold fresh congresses to replace them. In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, National Publicity Secretary Osa Director said "some candidates of our party have been bribed by the APC to defect" for "pecuniary reasons," saying the APC offered money, political appointments and other incentives. He told the candidates, "good riddance to bad rubbish," and said the party would "immediately conduct fresh congresses" in the affected constituencies in line with the Electoral Act 2026. Director urged members not to be concerned, calling the bribery "the last kicks of a dying horse." | POLITICS; NDC; APC; DEFECTIONS; 2027 ELECTIONS | ARISE | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | APC Stifling Opposition Parties, Says Makinde | APM presidential candidate and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has said the APC is stifling opposition parties. Speaking at the MakindeDaura 2027 Presidency South-South Town Hall in Uyo on Tuesday, he said the APC had no real presence in the South-South before the 2023 election but began suppressing other parties afterwards and is working to ensure "the opposition does not unite." He said he is "one hundred and one percent sure" the zone will vote APM, and urged residents to "retrieve your mandate." Makinde criticised the Tinubu administration for starting huge projects and abandoning them, citing a proposed super highway, the presidential CNG initiative and the Naira-for-crude scheme, and outlined APM's "Reset Agenda." | POLITICS; APM; MAKINDE; SOUTH-SOUTH; 2027 ELECTIONS | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PUNCH | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | 2027: Yahaya Bello, Natasha Battle for Kogi Central Votes | Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central and belongs to the PDP, have reignited their battle for control of the district ahead of 2027. Bello, who governed from 2016 to 2024 and is seeking the seat on the APC platform, told TVC's Politics Sunday: "The result will speak for itself," predicting a "massive vote" and "decisive victory" for himself and the APC. Akpoti-Uduaghan said only voters would decide and urged them to judge candidates on achievements, listing roads, water projects, school blocks, scholarships and healthcare facilities. She said she intends to "consolidate on the foundation I have laid" from 2027 to 2031. | POLITICS; KOGI; APC; PDP; 2027 ELECTIONS | PUNCH | |||
| VANGUARD | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | Zamfara 2027: Governor Lawal, 14 Other Candidates Sign Peace Accord | Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal and 14 other governorship candidates have signed a peace accord to ensure peace and order in the 2027 general elections. The Zamfara State Police Command organised the signing at the Peace Accord and Election Security Summit in Gusau on October 20. By signing, candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly seats pledged not to violate or work against election processes before, during and after the elections. Commissioner of Police Ahmed Mohammed Bello Daga warned that any aspirant or party member who breaks the law would be "decisively trailed and charged before the court of law." Deputy Commissioner Kabir Abdul Randawa urged parties to shun intimidation and violence. | ELECTIONS; ZAMFARA; PEACE ACCORD; ELECTION SECURITY | VANGUARD | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | State Police: Nasarawa Assembly Joins 11 Other States to Approve Bill | The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has unanimously approved the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, which would establish state police, becoming the 12th state legislature to do so. Lawmakers passed all 26 clauses in plenary in Lafia on Tuesday, and Speaker Danladi Jatau directed the Clerk to inform the National Assembly. The other states are Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Zamfara, Plateau, Taraba, Ogun, Delta, Kwara and Adamawa. The bill would amend Sections 214, 215 and 216 and add a new Section 317A. An amendment needs approval by two-thirds of the 36 Houses of Assembly, or 24 states, so another 12 are required. No state police force can be set up until the process is completed. | NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; STATE POLICE; CONSTITUTION REVIEW; NASARAWA | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PUNCH | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | 2027 Polls: Customs Chief Seeks Tighter Arms Control to Enhance Electoral Security | Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi has called for tighter arms control and vigilance ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that smuggled weapons could end up with criminal groups and threaten electoral security. Speaking at the University of Ibadan on Tuesday, he cited the interception of 844 rifles and 112,500 rounds of ammunition at a bonded terminal in Onne, Rivers State, on June 21, 2024, hidden in a container from Türkiye. He said "every rifle stopped at the quay is a rifle that never reaches a forest camp, a kidnapping gang or a polling unit." Adeniyi said intelligence, data and joint patrols work better than border closure, and described the 2026 revenue target of ₦11.07 trillion as demanding. | SECURITY; CUSTOMS; ARMS CONTROL; 2027 ELECTIONS | PUNCH | |||
| GUARDIAN | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | NAF Airstrikes Kill 103 Terrorists, Destroy ISWAP Logistics Hubs in Borno, Adamawa | The Nigerian military says airstrikes against ISWAP fighters in Borno and Adamawa killed 103 terrorists and destroyed key logistics assets between October 10 and 18, 2026. Captain Mohammed Goni, acting Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, said seven intelligence-led strikes hit locations in Guzamala and Monguno in Borno and Gombi in Adamawa. A precision strike on October 13 on a gathering of more than 100 fighters about 23 kilometres east of Badu neutralised approximately 30 terrorists. The October 18 strike on the alternate residence of Abu Saleem, ISWAP's Wali of South Lake Chad, killed his chief security guard Jindullah and Shura Council member Abul Kissa, and destroyed nine boat engines. | SECURITY; TERRORISM; ISWAP; BORNO; ADAMAWA | GUARDIAN | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | APC Campaign Council Creates New Directorates, Names Betta Edu, Others as Directors | The APC Presidential Campaign Council has created a new Directorate of Stage Organisation and Management and changed the leadership of the Directorates of Youth Mobilisation and Women Mobilisation. Farouk Aliyu is director of Stage Organisation and Management, with Adejare Bello as co-director. Ayo Olawande is director of Youth Mobilisation, with Dayo Israel as deputy. Mary Idele is director of Women Mobilisation, with Betta Edu as deputy and Imaan Suleman as secretary. The council said the changes follow its inauguration and aim to strengthen coordination and efficiency ahead of the 2027 election. The statement was signed by council Secretary Hope Uzodimma, who said the structure is meant to mobilise young people and women for President Bola Tinubu's re-election. | POLITICS; APC; CAMPAIGN COUNCIL; TINUBU; 2027 ELECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | Adamawa PDP Local Government Chairpersons, Councillors Defect to APC | The chairpersons of all 21 local governments in Adamawa State and 226 councillors have defected from the PDP to the APC. The move began late on Monday and became public on Tuesday when resignation letters appeared on social media. Yola North chairman Ibrahim Jibril Jimeta said he was driven by a personal resolve to align with the governing APC. APC Publicity Secretary Victor Dogo said the council leaders were aligning with "their Godfather," Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who left the PDP on February 27. State PDP Chairman Belmont Dogo said, "We are not alarmed by what has happened," noting that Fintiri defeated an incumbent APC governor in 2019 when the PDP had no elected council chairpersons. | POLITICS; PDP; APC; ADAMAWA; DEFECTIONS | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | Bauchi NDC Governorship Candidate Resigns, May Join APC | Ibrahim Kashim, the NDC governorship candidate in Bauchi State, has resigned from the party in a statement dated October 16. Kashim, a former Secretary to the Bauchi State Government appointed in June 2021 under Governor Bala Mohammed, left that post in December 2024 amid a rift between the governor and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. He said he reached his decision after careful reflection, that leaving does not diminish his commitment to political reform, and that details of the next phase of his movement will be announced later. Speculation is growing that he may join the APC. NDC State Chairman Abdullahi Misau said the party is "deeply disappointed" but insisted "we are still in the race." | POLITICS; NDC; BAUCHI; RESIGNATION | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| PUNCH | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | Political Elite Do Not Believe in Free, Fair Elections - Ex-INEC Commissioner | Festus Okoye, a former INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, has condemned vote-buying among the political elite, saying it undermines the sovereignty of the electorate. Speaking on Channels Television's The Morning Brief on Tuesday, he said: "The political elite in this country really do not believe in free, fair and transparent elections. They just want to buy the votes of the people." He said a free election requires voting without intimidation, coercion or duress, and that parties have no ideologies and are not campaigning on any issue. Okoye urged continued deployment of technology "as at when due" and advised the media and civil society to focus on the activities of the political elite. | ELECTIONS; VOTE BUYING; INEC; FESTUS OKOYE | PUNCH | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | SSS Arraigns Five Linked to Kidnapping of 20 NYSC Members in Imo | The SSS arraigned five men on Tuesday at the Imo State High Court in Mgbidi, three over the October 1, 2026 abduction of 20 prospective NYSC members along the Owerri-Mgbidi-Onitsha Expressway. Usman Aliyu, Babangida Aliyu and Mohammed Ali face charges of abduction, hostage-taking, collecting a ransom of ₦48 million and dollars, and illegal possession of firearms, including three AK-47 rifles. Aminu Haliru and Tange Ibrahim are charged over a separate kidnapping of four people on October 4 for which ₦8 million was collected. All five pleaded not guilty, and Judge Emeka Orafu ordered them held at an SSS facility. The corps members were freed on October 7 in a joint operation by the SSS, military and police. | SECURITY; KIDNAPPING; IMO; NYSC; COURT | PREMIUM TIMES | |||
| DAILY TRUST | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | NSCDC Officer Shot Dead, Businessman Abducted in Plateau | Gunmen killed a member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and abducted a businessman in Pushit community, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, at about 9:30 p.m. on Monday. Residents said the gunmen spotted the officer, a Deputy Superintendent in plain clothes, as he rode a motorcycle to a shop to buy a recharge card, and shot him near his residence, apparently thinking he was coming to stop the abduction. Community member Lawrence Tabitha said the businessman deals in fuel, cement and fertiliser, and that residents are worried about repeated attacks in Vodni, Sabon Gari and Nchiya. Plateau NSCDC spokesman ASP AR Rimvyok said, "it is true." | SECURITY; KIDNAPPING; PLATEAU; NSCDC | DAILY TRUST | |||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 21ST OCTOBER 2026 | Europe Protests Persist Over Rising Living Costs, Low Wages, Poor Education and Corruption | Protests over the cost of living, low wages, poor-quality education and corruption are continuing in France and other European countries, with demonstrations in Portugal, Albania and Italy involving looting, injuries and clashes with police. French authorities have arrested over 2,400 people nationwide, and Portuguese police arrested 55 in Lisbon. The French protests began on September 21 as a small school protest at Saint-Exupéry high school in a Parisian suburb. National Rally's Le Pen blamed the looting on "decades of immigration" and said President Emmanuel Macron no longer has "credibility or authority." Macron said "nothing justifies" the violence and promised "full transparency" on the police response. Tent camps have been set up in Spain and Portugal over housing costs. | INTERNATIONAL; FRANCE; EUROPE; PROTESTS | PREMIUM TIMES |