Ahead of the 2027 general elections, a faction of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Rivers State, led by its national Chairman, Ibe Kachikwu has aligned with the Rainbow Coalition formed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Nyesom Wike.

In a viral video, the ADC Secretary in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state, Samuel Chuku was heard saying that they were instructed by their national leader to back Wike’s coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party leaders, at an engagement meeting in Isiokpo, the headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government Area, said they will work with the Rainbow Coalition for the coming elections.

The faction insisted that they remained the authentic leaders of the ADC in the council and would continue to align with the coalition pending the resolution of the leadership dispute by the Supreme Court.

They urged loyalists of the former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi to stop parading themselves as executive members of the party.

Samuel said, “Our leader, Ibe Kachikwu has directed ADC in Rivers to align with coalition led by Nyesom Wike. We are aware that some persons are parading themselves as ADC leaders in Ikwere local government.

“We are here to tell those people that they are intruders. They want to reap from where they did not sow.

“ADC leadership has directed that we should align with the coalition headed by Wike pending when the Supreme Court will decide who should be the authentic national”

The Kano State Government has directed the recovery of duplicate July 2026 salary payments mistakenly credited to some civil servants, attributing the incident to a technical glitch during the salary payment process.
The directive was contained in a notice signed by Abdulhadi Hamza, Deputy Director, KIPPIS, for the Kano State Accountant General and dated July 26, 2026.

According to the circular, the duplicate salary payments resulted from “a technical issue on the part of the bank during the salary payment process.”

The government said the affected bank has commenced the process of reversing the excess payments directly from the accounts of workers who received the duplicate salaries.

“The concerned bank is currently making efforts to reverse the duplicate payments directly from the affected accounts. In view of this, all affected staff are kindly advised not to take any action at this time and to await further directives from the Office of the Accountant General,” the notice stated.

The government added that where the bank is unable to recover the excess payment through the reversal process, affected workers would be formally notified and guided on the appropriate procedure for refunding the overpaid amount.

The Accountant General’s Office also appealed for patience and cooperation from civil servants as efforts continue to resolve the issue.

Troops of the 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army, and Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have rescued two kidnapped victims during a fighting patrol in Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State.

The rescue operation, carried out in the early hours of Saturday, July 26, followed credible intelligence on the activities of suspected kidnappers operating in the Lande Jessi general area.

According to a statement issued on Monday by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Brigade Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Umar Muhammad, the troops launched the operation after receiving reports that armed criminals had attacked Tashan Musa and Barkindan Fulani villages, abducting two residents and making away with food items.

The statement said the troops conducted targeted search-and-rescue operations across the area, leading to the successful rescue of the two victims, identified as Usman Mohammed and Usman Harusu. The victims were reportedly held captive for about one week before their rescue.

The Commander of the 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army, and Sector 3, Operation Whirl Stroke, Brigadier General Chukwuemeka Michael Akaliro, commended the troops for their swift response, professionalism, and resilience, describing the operation as a demonstration of the military’s commitment to protecting lives and property in Taraba State.

Akaliro said the operation was in line with the directive of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, to decisively tackle criminality and restore lasting peace across the country.

He urged the troops to sustain the ongoing operations and remain vigilant in denying criminal elements freedom of movement within their area of responsibility.

The brigade commander also reassured residents of the Nigerian Army’s commitment to safeguarding law-abiding citizens and appealed to members of the public to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information to aid ongoing security operations

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, for the 2027 general elections, Peter Obi, has accused President Bola Tinubu of turning Aso Rock into a bunker.
Obi made the claim on Sunday during a live appearance on Channels Television.

He challenged President Tinubu to come out of the ‘bunker’ and speak to the Nigerian people whom he is governing.

“A leader must be speaking to his people. The person we voted for in this country is Bola Tinubu. He’s no longer talking.

“President Tinubu has turned Aso Rock into a bunker. He is no longer talking. He should come out of that bunker and speak to the people. Where is the man we gave our mandate?

“We didn’t vote all these characters talking to us. I will be speaking to the people. I’ll be telling them ‘I said I’ll do this’ and that is what it will be. That’s why I said there should be commitment.

“Today, we are talking about fake agency in the government. Where is the man who is leading the country? He should be the one talking to everybody,” Obi said.

About 55 aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State who voluntarily stepped down from various elective contests in the interest of party unity have accused the party leadership and the Kaduna State Government of neglecting and marginalising loyal members.

The aggrieved aspirants, operating under the banner of the Kaduna State House of Assembly APC Aspirants Forum 2026, said they abandoned their political ambitions following appeals by party leaders, believing that their loyalty, discipline and commitment to the party would be rewarded with fairness, inclusion and recognition.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by the forum’s chairman, Godwin Luka (Maisolar), and Secretary, Tahir Gambo Abubakar, the group lamented that, despite remaining steadfast and loyal to the APC, repeated efforts to seek an audience with the party leadership and the Kaduna State Government had yielded no positive response.

According to the forum, members voluntarily withdrew from their respective contests to preserve party unity and enhance the APC’s electoral prospects, describing the decision as a significant sacrifice made in the collective interest of the ruling party.

The aspirants, however, expressed disappointment that, months after making the sacrifice, they had allegedly been excluded from appointments, consultations and other political engagements.

They further alleged that, while loyal party members who complied with the directives of the leadership had been sidelined, individuals who openly criticised the party or opposed its decisions were allegedly being rewarded with appointments and political opportunities.

The statement said, “We willingly sacrificed our personal ambitions after appeals by the leadership because we believed our loyalty, discipline and commitment to the party would be recognised and appreciated.

“We remain committed to the ideals and success of the APC, but our patience and loyalty should not be mistaken for weakness, neither should our sacrifices be taken for granted.”

The forum stressed that its members were not demanding special treatment but were simply calling for justice, fairness and recognition of those who made personal sacrifices to strengthen the party.

It warned that continued neglect of loyal members could affect the morale of party faithful as political activities gradually gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.

While reaffirming their loyalty to Governor Uba Sani and the APC, the aspirants urged the governor and the party leadership to engage members of the forum urgently and address their grievances before they escalate.

They also noted that many members of the forum command significant political influence across their respective constituencies, adding that their supporters were closely monitoring developments and would expect direction as preparations for the next general elections intensify.

“We have no regrets supporting the success of our great party. However, loyalty should be rewarded. Justice, equity and fairness remain the foundation for sustaining unity and strengthening the APC ahead of future elections,” the statement added.

The forum expressed optimism that the party leadership would resolve the matter through constructive dialogue, insisting that recognising and accommodating loyal members would further consolidate the APC’s unity and electoral strength in Kaduna State.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Kaduna State chapter of the APC nor the Kaduna State Government had issued an official response to the allegations.