By Prosper Okoye

Hassan Umar Dangaladima has won the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for Kaura Namoda and Birnin Magaji federal constituency in Zamfara State, securing 9,416 votes in an exercise preceded by security concerns and attacks on party members.

His opponent, Aminu Sani Jaji, polled 661 votes, according to the result announced by the party’s electoral committee.

The declaration was made by Mustapha Muhammed, acting chairman of the APC electoral committee from the party’s national headquarters, who served as the returning officer.

Muhammed said Umar met the party’s constitutional requirements and electoral guidelines, formally declaring him the winner of the primary.

The election took place against a backdrop of security concerns following attacks by suspected political thugs that reportedly left several APC members injured and vehicles damaged.

Security agencies subsequently intervened to restore order, allowing the voting exercise to continue.

Speaking to journalists after his victory, Umar thanked party members and constituents for their support, while acknowledging the role of security personnel and electoral officials in conducting the exercise.

He also called for reconciliation among party stakeholders, extending an olive branch to Jaji and urging supporters of both camps to unite ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Umar said unity within the party would be crucial to its prospects in the next general election.

By Our Reporter

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed artificial intelligence-generated photographs uploaded to the national voters’ register and flagged officials implicated in the practice across 10 states for disciplinary action.

INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this on Wednesday during a webinar organised by the PUNCH Media Foundation, titled ‘AI, Misinformation and Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Safeguarding the Truth, Protecting the Vote’.

Haruna, who is also Chairman of the commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee, described the development as a major challenge, noting that the commission had already taken down AI-generated photographs identified on the voters’ register.

He, however, acknowledged that INEC faced limitations in preventing members of the public from manipulating or enhancing their photographs before uploading them during voter registration.

The commissioner said the commission had also identified cases involving its own personnel and was taking steps to address the violations.

“We have already seen one of the challenges, which is that a lot of AI-generated photographs were posted onto the voters’ register, which, as we have said, we have had to take down,” he said.

Haruna explained that while it might be difficult for the commission to prevent members of the public from manipulating their photographs before submission, it had greater control over violations involving its officials.

“But the ones involving our own staff, where it is our own staff that did so, that one is within our control. We are in the process of addressing it. They have been flagged,” he said.

He disclosed that the commission had obtained the names of the officials involved across about 10 states, adding that they would face disciplinary action.

“We have their names across about 10 states, and obviously, they are going to face disciplinary action,” he added.

On INEC’s preparedness to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections, Haruna said the commission had developed an AI policy but was working to finalise it.

He noted that the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence had created regulatory challenges for countries across the world, including advanced democracies.

According to him, the evolving nature of the technology has made it difficult for governments to establish comprehensive and specific regulatory frameworks.

“As you know very well, it is new territory out there. Even the most advanced countries don’t have what you might call concrete, specific policies about AI because these things are evolving,” he said.

Haruna, however, said INEC had developed ideas on how it intended to deploy and regulate the technology, assuring that the policy would soon be finalised and made available to the media.

“But we have at least some ideas of what we want to do and how we want to use that. We have that policy. Very soon, we will concretise it, and we will be able to share it with the media,” he said.

Yunusa Tanko

By Our Reporter

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has appointed Yunusa Tanko, former coordinator of the Obidient Movement, as national coordinator of its presidential campaign council for the 2027 elections.

The SDP unveiled Tanko as its national presidential coordinator on Wednesday during the inauguration of the party’s campaign council in Abuja.

Mark Adebayo, chief media and communication advisor of the Adebayo/Bugaje presidential campaign council, also confirmed Tanko’s appointment to TheCable.

Speaking at the event, Tanko pledged to work with Adewale Adebayo, the SDP presidential candidate, and Usman Bugaje, his running mate, to secure victory in the 2027 elections.

“The SDP is a left-wing political party. For those of you who do not know, we represent the interests of the downtrodden. The SDP represents those people that you neglect on the streets. So, that makes this particular party people-oriented,” he said.

Tanko said he resigned as political adviser (north) to Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), on October 30.

He said his resignation followed his appointment to the leadership of the National Consultative Front (NCFront) after the death of Ghali Na’Abba, the group’s former co-chairman and ex-speaker of the House of Representatives.

Tanko said he had reached out to Obi and Seriake Dickson, national leader of the NDC, whom he commended for their support when he served as coordinator of the Obidient Movement.

He pledged to work with the NCFront leadership and Adebayo, saying his relationship with Adebayo dates back to 2023, and added that they share a commitment to building a better Nigeria.

“In advancing our political mission to a new Nigeria that works for all, I pledge to remain consistent and committed to our unwavering belief in good governance, justice, equity, national loyalty and dedication and unwavering commitment to new Nigeria from where it is to a better and prosperous Nigeria,” he said.

Obi appointed Tanko as national coordinator of the Obidient Movement in September 2024, following a consensus to zone the position to the north.

Tanko served as Obi’s presidential campaign spokesman during the 2023 elections when the former Anambra governor contested under the Labour Party (LP) platform.

Tanko was the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) presidential candidate in 2019 and the party’s national chairman in 2023.