By Our Reporter

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja on Thursday for Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to perform Umrah, Lesser Haji, an Islamic spiritual exercise involving a pilgrimage to the Holy City.

A statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), said the visit gives the President an opportunity for spiritual reflection, devotion, and prayers for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability, and continued progress.

‘’While in Makkah, President Tinubu will perform the religious rites associated with Umrah, seeking Allah’s guidance and blessings for Nigeria and its people, ‘’the statement said.

Before leaving Abuja, President Tinubu will commission some equipment acquired by the Nigerian Air Force for its operations at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport.

The President is expected back in the country next week, after completing the spiritual exercise

By Our Reporter

Members of the House of Representatives have invited Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to brief them on the umpire’s readiness for the 2027 general election.

The invitation was sequel to a motion co-sponsored by Mansur Soro (APM, Bauchi) and Abdussamad Dasuki (ADC, Sokoto) during plenary on Wednesday.

Soro, the motion’s lead sponsor, told his colleague that the credibility, transparency, and acceptability of the 2027 elections would largely depend on INEC’s preparations, including voter registration, voter education, personnel training, security coordination, and the timely implementation of the election timetable.

He expressed concerns about operational challenges reported at some continuous voter registration (CVR) centres nationwide, including inadequate registration equipment, staff shortages, network disruptions, and long waiting times.

Soro said these challenges could restrict access to voter registration, particularly for first-time voters, rural residents, persons with disabilities, students and workers, if not addressed promptly.

The lawmaker said the recently concluded Ekiti governorship election offers useful lessons on election administration, technology deployment, logistics management, stakeholder engagement, security, and voter participation, which should guide preparations for the forthcoming general election.

The legislator said early institutional preparedness is crucial to procuring election materials on time, deploying technology, recruiting and training personnel, conducting effective voter education, planning security, assessing electoral risks, and managing logistics nationwide.

“Any delay in addressing existing operational gaps in voter registration, logistics, technology deployment and funding may adversely affect public confidence in the electoral process and compromise the peaceful conduct of the 2027 general election,” he said.

He asked lawmakers to invite Amupitan to, within seven days, brief the house on the commission’s readiness for the 2027 elections, including progress of continuous voter registration, the status of PVC production and distribution, the readiness of election technology and logistics, mapping of challenging areas, recruitment and training status of election officials, budgetary appropriations, funds released, outstanding releases and the implications of any funding gaps on implementation timelines.

However, Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker, rejected the demand that Amupitan should brief lawmakers during plenary.

Kalu proposed that Amupitan appear before the committee on electoral matters, and any lawmaker may attend the session.

The deputy speaker’s proposal passed when Tajudeen Abbas, the speaker, put it to a voice vote.

By Our Reporter

The Federal High Court in Lagos has rejected the bail application of Afolabi Kazeem Michael, a socialite popularly known as KC Luxury, in the alleged cocaine trafficking trial.

In a ruling on Wednesday, Musa Kakaki, the trial judge, held that the socialite’s bail application did not provide sufficient evidence to grant the request.

KC Luxury is standing trial alongside Boniface Freeman Ochoche Sule and Ikechukwu Ekugo Patriarch on a 22-count charge involving allegations of conspiring to export 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine to the United Kingdom and money laundering.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Ruling on the bail application, Kakaki held that there is no medical certificate before the court to support the request for bail.

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“There is no medical certificate to warrant the court to grant him bail,” the judge said.

“If there is special medical need for the first defendant, where a suspect claims an illness, an expert in the field would have given an explanation.”

The judge directed officials of the Ikoyi custodial centre to grant the socialite unrestricted access to doctors and medical experts for treatment of any health condition.

The judge also ordered an accelerated hearing of the case and adjourned the case to November 2, 2026, for the commencement of trial.

During the court proceedings on October 23, the socialite was brought to the premises of the court in an ambulance while reportedly receiving oxygen.

A correctional service officer told the court that KC Luxury was “critically ill” and had been hospitalised. The officer called a nurse to testify before the court.

Addressing the court, Bukki Yahya, a nurse attached to the Police Hospital in Falomo, said Michael was admitted to the hospital on October 7, 2026, and diagnosed with asthma and sepsis.

Yahya said Michael was inside the ambulance on the court premises because he was placed on oxygen.