Headlines
INEC Conducts Lagos Supplementary Poll Saturday
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State on Thursday met with various security agencies in the state to ensure successful supplementary election in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency on Saturday.
INEC Spokesman, Femi Akinbiyi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) that the commission was ready to conclude the exercise.
NAN reports that the meeting, held at the INEC Office, Sabo-Yaba, had representatives of various security outfits including the Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in attendance.
Others at the meeting were representatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Department of State Security (DSS), the Nigerian Army, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Mr Akinbiyi said the security agents had given assurance that there would be safety of men and materials for the election.
He said: “The commission is fully prepared for Saturday April 27 supplementary election in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency.
“Today, we held an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting on the issue, and at the end of the meeting, they (security agencies) assured the people of the affected area that there is going to be adequate security of men and materials for the elections.
“As such, people in the constituency should come out en masse and vote for the candidate of their choice,” Mr Akinbiyi told NAN.
According to him, the supplementary election becomes imperative due to the margin of lead between the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that of the All Progressives Congress in the February 23 election.
“As a result of the court order that directed the commission to release the result of the election conducted on February 23, the commission declared the result on April 17 and the election was declared inconclusive.
“This was because there were anomalies, over voting and non-compliance to the use of smart card readers in some polling units in the area.
“We have 71 polling units where the elections were cancelled for reason of over voting and violence,” he said.
These, he said, cut across eight registration areas (Wards), with the total registered voters in the affected areas being 43, 660.
According to him, the materials for the poll are in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and will be retrieved on Friday for onward movement to the constituency, then to the Registration Area Centres (RACs).
“We will retrain some of the ad hoc staff that will be engaged for the poll same Friday at the RACs. The smart card readers that will be used for the area have been reconfigured,” the Public Relations Officer said.
According to the commission, the affected areas are: Ward 02, Awodi Ora with three polling units; Ward 03, Wilmer with six polling units; Ward 04, Olodi with one polling unit and Ward 05, Tolu with 27 polling units.
Others are: Ward 07, Ojo Road with two polling units; Ward 09, Alaba-Oro with two polling units, Ward 10, Mosafejo with 18 polling units and Ward 11, Temidire 2 with 12 polling units.
The PDP candidate, Rita Orji polled 31, 982 votes, while Kolawole Taiwo of the APC scored 28, 758 votes in the result declared by the commission for the February 23 election.
The difference between PDP and APC is 3,224.
(NAN)
The draw for the Champions League last 16 and knockout play-offs has been completed.
One of the most interesting fixtures, will see Benfica play Real Madrid.
The two teams clashed on the last day of the league phase with Jose Mourinho’s men winning 4-2 in Portugal.
That result saw Benfica sneak into the play-offs and denied Madrid an automatic spot.
Clubs have been paired together based on where they finished at the end of the league phase to form seeded and unseeded pairs.
The teams that finished ninth to 16th were in the seeded pairs, while 17th to 24th were in unseeded pairs.
PLAY-OFF DRAWS:
Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta
Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen
Galatasaray vs Juventus
Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid
Monaco vs PSG
Qarabag vs Newcastle
Benfica vs Real Madrid
Bodo/Glimt vs Inter
Knockout play-off round: February 17-18, February 24-25
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has rejected the call by the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) seeking the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan.
The Shari’ah Council, earlier this week, demanded the immediate removal and prosecution of Amupitan, as members of the Council questioned his integrity over a legal brief in which he reportedly acknowledged claims of persecution constituting genocide of Christians in Nigeria.
Reacting to the development in a statement on Thursday, the Chairman of Northern CAN, Reverend Joseph John Hayab, and the Secretary General of Northern CAN, Bishop Mohammed Naga, questioned the motive behind the demand, asking who was sponsoring the call and why such interests are hiding behind the platform of a religious body.
Describing the call as a dangerous attempt to politicise religion and undermine a critical national institution, Hayab stressed that Professor Amupitan has a constitutional right to freedom of religion, adding that expressing concern over challenges faced by his religion does not amount to bias or disqualification from public service.
He also pointed out that many Muslims who had served in key government positions in the past had troubling religious antecedents, yet were not subjected to similar scrutiny, urging national actors to prioritise competence and national interest over sectarian sentiment.
Hayab, who warned that the controversy further reinforces concerns about persistent religious discrimination against Christians in Nigeria, particularly in appointments to sensitive national offices, recalled that the two immediate past INEC chairmen were Muslims from Northern Nigeria, and warned against narratives suggesting that only adherents of a particular religion are qualified to lead the electoral body.
“Anyone hiding under the guise of the Shari’ah Council to demand the removal of the INEC chairman over political or sectarian interests should come out boldly. Otherwise, the ploy has died naturally, he said.
“”Are they saying that no other religion should serve as INEC chairman except Muslims? The most important question Nigerians should ask is whether Professor Amupitan is competent or not.
That should be the focus, not his faith,” the statement added.
The association commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what it described as a deliberate effort to promote national unity by appointing a Christian as INEC Chairman, despite being a Muslim.
It noted that the decision reflected statesmanship and inclusivity, similar to precedents set under the previous administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, who kept a northern Muslim as INEC Chairman against all odds.
The Christian leaders advise the Shari’ah Council to publicly identify any individual or group behind the campaign against the INEC chairman, insisting that religious platforms must not be used as “cheap cover” to pursue political interests or intimidate public officials.They, however, called on the INEC chairman not to be distracted by the controversy, urging him to remain focused on his constitutional responsibility of conducting free, fair and credible elections.
“He should concentrate on doing the right thing for Nigerians and not behave like others who openly manipulated elections in the past and now seek to remain relevant through religious blackmail,” the statement said.
Northern CAN also raised concerns about what it described as emerging signals of a coordinated political agenda ahead of the 2027 general election, citing recent comments by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, who warned that the All Progressives Congress (APC) risks electoral defeat if it drops a Northern Muslim-Muslim ticket from President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ticket.
According to the association, such statements, when viewed alongside the sustained attacks on a Christian INEC chairman, raise legitimate questions about whether there is a deliberate effort to undermine Christian participation and confidence in the country’s political process.
Headlines
FCT Council Polls: Mammoth Crowd Troops Out in Solidarity As Peter Obi Campaigns for ADC Candidates
Leading presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Peter Obi, on Tuesday embarked, on an early morning grassroots engagement across several area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of activities ahead of the council polls.
Obi, in a post on X, said he set out as early as 6:30 am from his office in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to interact directly with residents and reinforce his vision of people-centred leadership.
His first stop was Abaji Area Council, where he campaigned alongside Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) chairmanship candidate.
Peter Obi took a one-hour walk through the community, engaging the grassroots and listening to their concerns.
He later proceeded to Kwali Area Council to support Hon. Jeremiah Badoji, the ADC chairmanship candidate, where he again spent time walking through the community and interacting with locals, stressing that leadership must be accessible and rooted in the everyday realities of the people.
The former Anambra governor also visited Zuba in Gwagwalada Area Council to campaign for Pharmacist Iko Danjuma, the ADC chairmanship candidate, before moving to Deidei Market.
At the market, Obi engaged traders and residents while canvassing support for Dr Moses Paul, the ADC chairmanship candidate for AMAC.
He used the engagements to reiterate his commitment to inclusive development and grassroots-driven leadership that prioritises the welfare and aspirations of ordinary citizens.
