Politics

1.5 million FCT voters collected PVCs ahead of council poll – INEC

Published

2 weeks ago

February 19, 2026

As voters prepare for Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission has released the number of voters that are expected to participate in the exercise.

In a statement signed on Thursday by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information & Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, INEC, as of the close of PVC collection on February 10, 1,587,025 voters out of 1,680,315 registered in the FCT had collected their cards.

According to the commission, the figure represents a 94.4 per cent collection rate, while a total of 93,290 PVCs remained uncollected.

The statement provided a breakdown by Area Council stating, “Abaji Area Council recorded 75,517 collected PVCs out of 79,471 registered voters, representing 95.0 per cent collection rate.

“Bwari Area Council recorded 276,360 collected PVCs out of 295,711 registered voters, translating to 93.5 per cent.

“Gwagwalada Area Council recorded 196,184 collected PVCs out of 208,057 registered voters, representing 94.3 per cent.

“Kuje Area Council recorded 144,109 collected PVCs out of 148,286 registered voters, representing an outstanding 97.2 per cent collection rate.

“Kwali Area Council recorded 99,774 collected PVCs out of 107,203 registered voters, representing 93.1 per cent.

“Municipal Area Council recorded 795,081 collected PVCs out of 841,587 registered voters, representing 94.5 per cent.”

According to INEC, several Registration Areas recorded collection rates exceeding 99 per cent, highlighting strong grassroots engagement across the territory.

“The Commission commends voters in the FCT for their responsiveness and cooperation throughout the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and PVC collection exercises.

“The impressive figures recorded across the Area Councils indicate strong citizen readiness to participate in the electoral process,” the statement added.

INEC reiterated that only duly registered voters in possession of valid PVCs will be allowed to vote on Election Day and assured that all necessary arrangements have been made to conduct a free, fair, and credible election.

Politics

PDP, threat to APC in 2027, says George

Published

1 week ago

February 28, 2026

The Exclusives

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) member, Chief Olabode George, has said the main opposition is a threat to the second-term ambition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

He said, despite efforts to liquidate PDP, the platform will survive and reclaim power.

George, a former military governor of Ondo State, raised the alarm that the APC-led Federal Government is forcing PDP members to defect, saying that it is an affront on democracy.

He said, “Because APC is threatened with the way we conducted our convention in Ibadan, they are now using INEC to truncate that process. But, Nigerians know their undemocratic game plan. That is why voters who have suffered from the APC’s bad policies are waiting to re-elect PDP in 2027.”

The party elder spoke at the swearing-in of newly elected ward, local government and state officers who emerged at the recent congresses.

At the ceremony held at the party secretariat, in Ikeja, were former Ekiti State Acting Governor Sunday Odeyemi, Senator Kofo Akerele-Bucknor, Mrs Aduke Maina, governorship aspirant Funso Doherty and Dr Amos Fawole, the chairman of the chapter.

George said, “Our governors and lawmakers are being forced and threatened to defect, but we are not bothered because the PDP is the only true national party in the country today. APC is just a coalition of strange bedfellows.”

He said PDP has lived up to expectations as a democratic party, unlike the APC that has indulged in the culture of imposition.

George said PDP stands for what is just, fair and equitable, adding that the Saminu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) has vowed to sustain these values as it prepares for next year’s polls.

Although he did not tender any evidence, George alleged plans by the APC to rig the 2027 elections, vowing that the PDP would resist the move.

He added, “In this rigging plot, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should also be careful. In PDP, INEC cannot choose our leaders for us. Opposition parties will resist this irresponsible behaviour from the umpire.

“What INEC is doing is shameful. Some of the characters in INEC were not born in 1962 when the crisis in the defunct Western Region started, due to the manipulation of democratic processes by the powers that be then.

We all know what happened between then and 1966, which eventually led to the civil war between 1967 and 1970, when over two million Nigerians died. So, INEC should be very careful.”

George urged party members not to panic, assuring that “the challenge PDP is facing today is temporary.”

He added, “Nigerians are waiting for us in 2027. Remain in the party and work for its progress.

From the North to South, East to West, PDP remains a strong political platform, offering great opportunities for members and Nigerians.

“It is only in the PDP that the interest of Nigerians can be better served.

“There is no coalition in today’s Nigeria that can be stronger than the PDP.

Ours is a reborn political party that has weathered every storm and can never go under. Those defecting must return to this Iroko political party. PDP is coming back to take over its place as the ruling party in the country.

I want to assure Nigerians that come 2027, PDP will take Nigeria to its rightful place in the comity of nations”

Politics

Islam, Christianity, Nigeria’s double strength — Adebayo

Published

1 week ago

February 28, 2026

The Exclusives

Islam, Christianity, Nigeria’s double strength — Adebayo

Clerics and faithful from the Muslim and Christian communities gathered on Tuesday at the Al-Ahfad Mosque in Gombe for a special Ramadan Iftar aimed at fostering unity and religious tolerance.

Speaking at the event, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Prince Adewole Adebayo, described the coincidence of Ramadan and the Christian Lenten season as a unique opportunity for national rebirth.

“The central message in this holy Ramadan, which coincides with Christians’ Lent, is an opportunity to redeem ourselves, renew our faith, and reflect on who we are as a community,” Adebayo said.

According to him, the presence of Christianity and Islam in Nigeria should be seen as a “double blessing” rather than a source of division. He urged Nigerians to embrace the core values of both religions — peace, justice, and responsible leadership — to build a united and progressive nation.

“If we are united and use the tenets of our religions to raise a new generation, they will not be thinking of how to get rid of each other; rather, they will be thinking of how to get rid of bad leadership,” he stated.

“The faith and characteristics of our religions talk about peace, justice and raising leaders who will unite us together, and the earlier we start, the better for us.”

Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Imam of the mosque, Dr. Umar Dokaji, said the gathering was timely as both Muslims and Christians are observing fasting periods.

He noted that inviting Christian and Islamic scholars to break fast together was a practical demonstration of religious tolerance, especially at a time when the country faces allegations of religious persecution, as well as ethnic and terrorist crises in some parts.

“This kind of gathering will help unite the two major religious faiths and will go a long way in preventing deadly religious crises in the largest Black nation on earth,” Dokaji said, while also calling for support for vulnerable groups and stressing that justice remains key to resolving Nigeria’s lingering challenges.

Also speaking, former North-East Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Reverend Abare Kalla, who represented the Christian invitees, described the joint fasting period as divinely orchestrated.

He said the prayers and supplications offered by Muslims during Ramadan mirror those of Christians during Lent, emphasising that the overwhelming majority of Muslims globally reject terrorism. He added that Christians and Muslims working together can overcome the forces of violence and division threatening the country.

Kalla recalled how Christian and Muslim communities in Nasarawa had previously resolved a misunderstanding over a place of worship amicably, describing it as a model of peaceful coexistence.

The interfaith Iftar brought together Islamic scholars, Christian clerics and community leaders, all united by a common call for peace, justice and national cohesion.

Politics

2027: ADC faces fresh challenge

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

The Exclusives

The Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) has urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the South or risk derailing the very redemption millions of Nigerians are counting on.
Addressing the press in Abuja, the CGG, a coalition of former national party chairmen and ex-presidential candidates from all six geopolitical zones, said equity, national balance, and electoral realism make Southern zoning a strategic necessity, not a political favour.
“The nation is deeply polarised and economically distressed.
“The path to victory and national healing lies in fairness. Zoning the ticket to the South is both morally compelling and electorally strategic,” the group declared.
It warned that failure to decisively resolve the zoning question could trigger internal fractures and weaken the ADC’s credibility as a genuine alternative platform ahead of 2027.
In a statement formally signed and endorsed by Sir Okey Chikwendu, its National Chairman, and Attah Ikeleji Ikeleji, its National Secretary, the CGG also launched a scathing attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the signing of the amended Electoral Act, describing it as “a dangerous regression” that undermines public confidence in elections.
According to the coalition, rejecting mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results leaves room for manipulation, intimidation, and post-election chaos.
“Electronic transmission safeguards data integrity, reduces human interference, and restores trust. Any resistance to it is resistance to transparency,” the statement read.
The group labeled the new law “electoral banditry” and “a civilian equivalent of a coup,” accusing the National Assembly of enabling democratic erosion. It called on the international community to prevail on Nigerian authorities to reverse what it termed anti-democratic legislation.
The coalition further warned of what it described as a creeping one-party state under the ruling All Progressives Congress, citing the wave of defections by opposition governors and lawmakers.
“A one-party state eliminates accountability, suppresses dissent, and erodes constitutional democracy