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 Tony Chuddy 

The National Democratic Congress, (NDC, has dragged  the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court over it’s alleged refusal to list it’s governorship candidate in Kano state, Abdusalam Gwarzo for the 2027 election in the state

NDC filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the exclusion of Gwarzo, from the list of candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The party wants the court to order INEC to include Gwarzo’s name on the list, maintaining that he has met all the requirements to contest the forthcoming governorship election.

An NDC chieftain and member of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Yusuf Kofarmata, who announced the legal action, urged party supporters to remain hopeful while awaiting the court’s decision.

Kofarmata expressed confidence that the court would rule in the party’s favour, allowing Gwarzo to participate in the governorship race despite his absence from INEC’s published list.

The lawsuit comes amid uncertainty over the NDC’s participation in the Kano governorship election, as the party seeks legal intervention to resolve the disagreement with the electoral commission.

The party is seeking to protect its political interests and ensure its preferred candidate has the opportunity to contest the election.

Meanwhile, Kofarmata has encouraged supporters to remain committed to the party and continue their political activities as the legal process unfolds.

By Nkem Okereh

Former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo emphasised the need for true democracy to be centered around the people, if it must pass the test of time and gain mass approval.

Osinbajo who gave the charge on Tuesday in Yola while delivering a lecture entitled “Democracy and Development: The Imperative of People-Centred Governance,” as part of activities marking the 59th birthday of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, stressing that democracy is all about the people, said democratic governance, must be participatory and accountable, with officials of government ensuring that policies translate into tangible benefits for the citizens.

He said democratic institutions can only retain public trust when citizens experience meaningful improvements in their living conditions, and therefore urged leaders to embrace people-centred governance by addressing economic hardship, tackling corruption, and restoring public confidence in democratic institutions.

In his remarks, the  chairman of the occasion, and Governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas, advised political leaders to protect democratic freedoms, respect citizens’ rights, and allow them freedom to express their opinions without such opinions being viewed as an attack.

According to him, “Public trust grows when leaders fulfil their responsibilities and citizens exercise their rights responsibly,” 

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who expressed joy that his birthday provided him an opportunity to express his gratitude to God and sober reflection on his contributions to society, adding that his experiences as a husband, father, businessman and politician have offered him opportunities to serve humanity, announced plans to establish the Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri Foundation after leaving office, explaining that the foundation would be providing scholarships and other forms of help to vulnerable members of society.