The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Kebbi State is facing a major political setback ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The development leaves the PDP without a listed governorship candidate for the January 16, 2027, election, while the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the African Democratic Congress, ADC, are among the parties whose candidates appear on the list.

The omission raises questions about the PDP’s ability to remain a major opposition force in the state.

DAILY POST gathered that the development comes amid persistent disagreements within the party, defections by prominent members, and conflicting positions among its stakeholders over the forthcoming governorship election.

INEC’s final list contains 14 governorship candidates representing different political parties.

Governor Nasir Idris is listed as the APC candidate, while former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, is listed as the ADC candidate.

Other candidates include Basiru Musa of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Umar Faruk of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), alongside candidates from other parties.

PDP’s absence from the list is significant given its history as one of Nigeria’s major opposition parties and its previous participation in governorship elections in Kebbi State.

However, the precise circumstances surrounding the party’s failure to secure a place on the final list remain unclear.

However, findings by DAILY POST indicate that the omission comes amid the internal disagreements that have affected the party’s structure in the state.

The PDP has also witnessed defections by prominent members, with some political figures joining the APC and ADC ahead of the 2027 elections.

PDP members’ conflicting positions on Gov Idris’s second term

One of the notable developments occurred in August, when a group of PDP stakeholders led by former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd.), declared support for Governor Idris’s second-term ambition.

The group cited the governor’s performance in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and empowerment programmes as reasons for backing his re-election bid.

However, the state PDP chairman, Usman Bello Suru, rejected the endorsement, insisting that the group’s position did not represent the party’s official stance.

The disagreement exposed divisions among party stakeholders over Idris’s re-election bid and raised questions about the PDP’s political direction ahead of the polls.

While some prominent members backed the governor, the state leadership maintained that the party had selected candidates for the various elective positions.

The party’s 2023 governorship candidate, Maj.-Gen. Bello Sarkin Yaki (retd.), also declared support for Idris in August, saying he had yet to identify another individual whose leadership qualities, integrity, and record of service could be compared with those of the incumbent governor.

Sarkin Yaki made the remarks while receiving the Kebbi State Governor’s Media Team, led by the Commissioner for Information, Yakubu Ahmed BK, during a courtesy visit.

He urged those opposed to Idris’s continuity to reconsider their position, arguing that some critics were pursuing personal political interests.

The conflicting positions among PDP stakeholders have added to the uncertainty surrounding the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections.

ADC positions itself as opposition challenger

Meanwhile, Malami has emerged as a prominent opposition figure in the emerging contest, with the ADC positioning itself to challenge the ruling APC.

In August, the party inaugurated more than 600 members of its campaign council in Kebbi State as part of its preparations for the election.

The Kebbi ADC has also expressed confidence in its ability to challenge the ruling party and unseat Governor Idris.

​Its campaign activities have placed Malami among the prominent opposition figures seeking to contest the governorship election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Lagos State has introduced QR codes to enable eligible voters to identify designated centres for collecting their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The commission said voters could access the codes through its official website and social media platforms and scan them to obtain information about where to collect their cards.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos, Professor Ayobami Salami disclosed this during a press conference at the commission’s state headquarters, where he urged eligible voters to collect their PVCs, confirm their registration details and obtain election-related information only from official sources.

Salami emphasised the need for greater voter participation as INEC steps up preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The commission also disclosed that preparations were progressing in other critical areas, including the procurement and testing of voter accreditation devices, upgrades to election-result transmission systems, logistics arrangements, and the recruitment and training of electoral personnel.

According to INEC, the measures are aimed at strengthening its operational capacity and ensuring an orderly electoral process.

The introduction of the QR codes forms part of the Lagos office’s efforts to make voter information more accessible and encourage eligible residents to verify their registration details and collect their PVCs before election day.

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has assured telecommunications subscribers that mobile phones and other SIM-enabled devices already in use before the commencement of its Type Approval Compliance implementation will not be affected by the new regulatory measure.

The Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the Commission, Engr. Edoyemi Ogoh, gave the assurance while responding to questions from journalists during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ogoh explained that the Commission had taken steps to ensure that existing devices were captured before the device checker became fully operational, adding that subscribers who had been using their devices before the implementation would not be required to take any action.

According to him, the Commission had already registered approximately 233 million subscribers and about 131 million devices across the country before the system became fully operational.

“As at the time the device checker came back and actually became fully operational, we had already registered about 233 million subscribers and about 131 million devices across the country,” he said.

He added that the compliance requirements were primarily intended to address devices being purchased and introduced into the Nigerian market rather than phones already in use.

“The subscriber does not have to do anything. Those that bought the devices before now and have been using them do not need to do anything,” Ogoh said.

The NCC said the implementation was designed to ensure that communications devices imported, sold and used in Nigeria meet applicable technical and regulatory standards.

The initiative is also expected to strengthen consumer protection, improve network integrity and promote the use of approved communications equipment across the country.

Addressing concerns about businesses willing to comply with the new requirements but facing difficulties, Ogoh urged affected operators to contact the Commission through its short code, 315, for assistance.

He said the NCC had established an online process to make it easier for businesses to register their operations and upload information about their existing stock of devices.

According to him, businesses are expected to have the appropriate registration documents, such as business name registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) or registration as a limited liability company.

Ogoh explained that the Commission had deliberately made the registration process digital to eliminate unnecessary manual procedures and make compliance easier for businesses.

He said businesses experiencing challenges could call 315 for guidance and consult the frequently asked questions section on the Commission’s website for further information.

The director stressed that the process was designed to be straightforward for businesses with the necessary documentation.

NCC Addresses Concerns Over Wrongful Blocking

Ogoh also dismissed concerns that the implementation could lead to the wrongful blocking of genuine mobile devices, insisting that the Commission’s system was designed to identify legitimate devices.

He said there was no expected scenario in which a genuine device would be wrongly blocked, while assuring subscribers that the Commission would provide assistance if any issue arose.

“There is no scenario of wrongful blocking because every device that is genuine, we are able to tell that the device is genuine,” he said.

He added that, in the unlikely event of a problem, affected subscribers could contact the Commission through its short code, 315, for assistance.

The NCC further advised Nigerians to check the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number of a device before purchasing it to determine whether it complies with the applicable requirements.

Ogoh explained that consumers could find the IMEI number printed on a phone’s packaging without opening the box or switching on the device.

He noted that phones with multiple IMEI numbers would have the respective numbers indicated on their packaging.

The director encouraged prospective buyers to use the Commission’s device-checking process to verify a phone’s status before completing a purchase.

In her opening address, the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Nneka Okoha, sought media support for public awareness, urging journalists to communicate the new regulatory requirements in simple language that ordinary Nigerians could understand.

She said effective public education was necessary to ensure that regulatory policies achieved their intended objectives.

“Whatever beautiful regulation that might come out of this Commission, if you don’t interpret it, if you don’t take it to the grassroots, all our efforts will be mocked,” she said.

She further commended the media for its role in educating the public, explaining that the briefing was organised to improve understanding of the device checker, Type Approval and the Commission’s efforts to promote safer devices, better network quality and stronger consumer protection.

She described telecommunications as a major pillar of Nigeria’s digital economy and reiterated the Commission’s commitment to ensuring the smooth implementation of the compliance initiative without unnecessary disruptions to subscribers and businesses.

Okoha added that clear communication with consumers and industry stakeholders remained important as implementation continued, particularly in helping Nigerians understand their responsibilities and the benefits of using approved communications devices.

The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, CPPE, has explained why the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) temporary petrol price discount does not amount to a return to the fuel subsidy regime abolished by the Federal Government.

CPPE said the initiative was a temporary intervention to cushion Nigerians against rising petroleum prices triggered by shocks in the global energy market, rather than a reversal of the policy of petroleum subsidy removal.

The Chief Executive Officer of CPPE, Dr Muda Yusuf, stated this in a policy brief issued on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, while addressing concerns that the fuel price relief initiative could undermine the government’s economic reforms.

According to Yusuf, the recent increase in petroleum prices was driven largely by geopolitical tensions that pushed global crude oil prices above $100 per barrel, affecting both oil-producing and oil-importing countries.

He argued that the development was an external economic shock rather than a consequence of Nigeria’s subsidy removal policy.

“Such an interpretation is misleading and fails to distinguish between a fundamental policy reversal and a temporary intervention in response to an extraordinary economic shock,” Yusuf said.

Explaining the difference between the current initiative and the former subsidy regime, CPPE said the previous arrangement imposed a substantial fiscal burden on the government by subsidising nationwide petrol consumption, which was estimated at between 50 million and 90 million litres daily at different times.

The economic group noted that the former subsidy regime placed significant pressure on public finances, crowded out development spending and contributed to macroeconomic instability.

In contrast, CPPE said the current intervention covered approximately 70 million litres of NNPCL’s fuel supply monthly, compared with estimated national petrol consumption of 50 million litres daily.

“Reinstating a broad-based consumption subsidy would recreate serious fiscal vulnerabilities and consequential distortions in the economy,” Yusuf said.

“The current fuel price relief initiative should be understood as a limited response to an extraordinary global energy shock, not a reversal of the policy on petroleum subsidy removal,” he added.

Amnesty International Nigeria has raised the alarm over escalating bandit attacks in parts of Niger and Zamfara states, warning that hundreds of residents have been forced to flee their communities and abandon their homes and farms.

The human rights organisation, in a post on Tuesday, said the attacks had affected several communities around Rijau in Niger State and parts of Zamfara State, leaving residents fleeing for safety amid persistent insecurity.

Amnesty International said many villagers had abandoned properties and belongings they had spent their lives building, while farmers were leaving their farmlands as the harvest season approaches.

“The Nigerian authorities have displayed gross incompetence and a total disregard for people’s lives,” the organisation said, condemning the authorities’ response to the attacks.

It accused the Nigerian government of failing to adequately protect rural communities in the northern region from armed groups responsible for deadly attacks over the years.

“The Nigerian authorities have left rural communities in the north at the mercy of rampaging gunmen who have killed hundreds since 2018,” Amnesty International said.

The organisation warned that continued attacks and mass displacement could push affected communities towards a major humanitarian crisis, with serious consequences for food security and residents’ livelihoods.

“The Nigerian authorities’ failure to stem the violence is costing people’s lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action many more lives may be lost,” it added.

It called for urgent action to protect vulnerable communities and prevent further loss of lives and livelihoods.