The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has warned Supervisory Presiding Officers, SPOs, and transport unions against partisanship.

It directed them to ensure the timely deployment of personnel and election materials across the state.

The warning is coming ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, issued the directives on Friday during separate engagements in Osogbo as part of his readiness assessment tour ahead of the off-cycle governorship election.

Addressing leaders of transport unions at the INEC State Office, Amupitan said the Commission expected complete neutrality from all transport providers engaged for the election, stressing that vehicles contracted for the exercise would operate strictly under INEC’s supervision.

He said the commission had entrusted the unions with election logistics because of their operational capacity, but warned that any display of political allegiance by drivers or transport operators would not be tolerated during the electoral process.

“The moment we engage you for the purpose of this election, we are supposed to own your fleet, and therefore use it in accordance with our regulations.

“We are not supposed to take sides with anyone,” Amupitan said.

The INEC Chairman also emphasised the importance of punctual logistics, directing that vehicles should be available before Registration Area Centres, RACs, become operational at noon on the eve of the election.

He added that election personnel and materials must arrive at polling units by 7.30 a.m. to enable voting to commence at 8.30 a.m. as scheduled.

According to him, the Commission has introduced a real-time monitoring dashboard to track the opening of polling units nationwide, noting that delays caused by vehicle breakdowns or driver unavailability would not be accepted.

He added that Osun’s 30 local government areas, 322 registration areas and 3,763 polling units would require efficient logistics, particularly in difficult terrains.

The INEC Chairman while addressing Supervisory Presiding Officers undergoing training at Ataoja School of Science, Osogbo, warned them against compromising the integrity of the electoral process by yielding to pressure from politicians.

He instructed the officers to comply strictly with the Commission’s operational manuals, insisting that election materials must not be delayed, diverted or released in instalments during the exercise.

“No delay of materials on your part, no diversion of materials, and please don’t allow politicians to use you,” Amupitan told the trainees, describing the Osun governorship poll as the final off-cycle election before the 2027 general elections and one that would attract nationwide attention.

Responding on behalf of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, the union’s Head of Organisation, Olayioye Adesina, assured INEC that adequate measures had been put in place to guarantee smooth logistics throughout the election despite the union’s internal leadership disputes.

Adesina said the National Executive of the union had assumed responsibility for coordinating the Osun assignment to avoid allegations of factional influence.

He added that only roadworthy, unbranded vehicles would be deployed, while drivers and coordinators had undergone sensitisation on INEC’s operational guidelines in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps.

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Timi Frank, has criticised former President Olusegun Obasanjo, claiming his political influence no longer carries electoral weight ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Frank made the remarks in a statement issued on Friday while reacting to Obasanjo’s recent comments about the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

According to him, Obasanjo had developed a pattern of attacking Atiku whenever a general election approaches instead of promoting any preferred candidate.

He accused Obasanjo of repeatedly blaming Atiku for the failures of the administration they served in together, describing the former president’s interventions as a recurring election-year ritual.

Frank argued that Nigerians had become familiar with what he described as the former president’s recurring criticism of his former deputy, insisting that such attacks would not influence the outcome of the 2027 election.

“Your political value is whitewash and a ruse because any candidate you support has always been defeated at the polls, even in your state of Ogun,” Frank said.

He urged Obasanjo to openly campaign for any candidate of his choice instead of, according to him, repeatedly directing criticism at Atiku.

“Sell your candidate if you have one at all and refrain from allowing yourself to be used before the issue of Atiku becomes a nightmare that may eventually consume you,” he added.

Frank also challenged the former president to focus more on the performance of the current administration rather than making Atiku the centre of his political interventions.

“Atiku isn’t the problem of Nigeria right now and we dare you to criticize the current government like the way you cry about Atiku,” he stated.

He maintained that political leadership would ultimately be decided by Nigerians at the polls and not by the endorsement or opposition of any political figure.

“If it is destined for Atiku to become President, neither you nor anyone else can stop it,” Frank said.

The Irigwe Youth Movement, IYM, has swiftly countered allegations by the Plateau State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, that a herdsman, identified as Muhammadu Alh. Rebo, was killed in Ancha Village of Bassa Local Government Area of the state.

In a statement issued on Friday by MACBAN Chairman, Alh. Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, the association had alleged that the herdsman was attacked and killed in Ancha Village of Bassa Local Government Area.

But in a counter statement signed by the IYM Publicity Secretary, Joseph Yokpa, the youth group refuted the allegations, saying MACBAN was pushing out lies to justify planned attacks on communities.

The IYM stated that it was a grand plot often employed by the Fulani people whenever they intend to unleash violence on Plateau communities and called on security agencies to be on the alert to avert any violent invasion.

Insisting that no attack or killing occurred in any part of Irigwe land, the group said instead, a 60-year-old man, Bulus Turu, was brutally murdered by Fulani militias in Ancha village.

“The attention of the Irigwe community has been drawn to a misleading statement released by the MACBAN, alleging that Irigwe youths killed a young man. We categorically refute this falsehood and wish to set the record straight,” the statement said.

“For clarity, there have been no cows within our village and its surroundings throughout the past week, let alone any grazing activities on Ancha village and its surroundings.

“The fabricated narrative was deliberately concocted to divert public attention and seek sympathy, while concealing the heinous acts of Fulani militias who brutally murdered Mr. Bulus Turu, aged 60, on his way back from his farm.

“The Irigwe youths are known to be peaceful, loving, and law-abiding. At no time have they taken the law into their own hands. This truth has been affirmed by security operatives who have testified that the claims made in the said statement are baseless, unfounded, and a complete fallacy.

“We urge the public and stakeholders to disregard the cooked story circulated by MACBAN. The Irigwe people remain committed to peace, justice, and the protection of lives and property in Plateau State.”

The Catholic Diocese of Otukpo and the Benue State Police Command have presented conflicting versions of events surrounding the disappearance of seminarian, Kelvin Ochai from the residence of the Catholic Bishop of Otukpo, Most Rev. Michael Ekwoyi Apochi.

While the Catholic Diocese maintained that Ochai was abducted on Wednesday night from the Bishop’s residence in Asa III, Otukpo, the police said the incident is currently being investigated as a missing person case.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Diocesan Chancellor, Rev. Joseph Itodo, disclosed that no communication had been received from the alleged kidnappers since the incident occurred.

He added that efforts were being intensified to ensure the seminarian regained his freedom.

The statement read in part, “The Catholic Bishop of Otukpo Diocese, Most Rev. Michael Ekwoyi Apochi, expressed deep sadness over the incident and called on all Christ’s faithful within the diocese and people of goodwill to offer earnest prayers for the seminarian’s quick and safe release.

“The Bishop also assured the faithful that efforts are being intensified to secure Mr. Ochai’s freedom.”

The diocese further entrusted the safety of the missing seminarian and other kidnap victims across Nigeria to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, praying for their swift and safe return.

However, the Benue State Police Command said available information does not yet support claims that the seminarian was kidnapped.

Speaking on the matter, the Police Public Relations Officer, Peter Aondona, explained that investigators were handling the case as a disappearance pending further findings.

“The report in our possession is that the seminarian went out to take his bath, and the place where he went is different from where he resides. After some time, he could no longer be found. For now, it is still a case of a missing person,” the police spokesman said.

Aondona also stated that the command had no official report of an alleged attempted abduction at the bishop’s residence about two weeks before the latest incident.

“The rumour was that about two weeks ago, some persons came to the house and attempted to abduct the seminarian, but that was never officially reported to us. It was only after this incident that we started hearing about it,” he said.

The police spokesperson added that investigations are continuing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding Ochai’s disappearance.