The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has warned against the use of state institutions to manipulate the 2027 general elections, insisting that the credibility of the polls must be “non-negotiable”.

Mark also cautioned against intimidation, violence and other forms of electoral malpractice, saying the ADC expected the next general elections to be transparent, inclusive, peaceful and free from interference.

The former Senate President spoke on Wednesday in Abuja when he received a delegation from the International Republican Institute (IRI), which is in Nigeria as part of its assessment of preparations for the 2027 elections.

According to Mark, the integrity of the electoral process would be critical to determining whether Nigerians would have confidence in the outcome of the 2027 polls.

“For us in the ADC, the credibility of the 2027 elections must be non-negotiable. We expect the electoral process to be transparent, inclusive, peaceful and free from manipulation, intimidation and the abuse of state institutions,” Mark said.

He expressed concern over what he described as the recurring abuse of the electoral process by governments in power as well as non-state actors, warning that such practices could undermine democratic governance and erode public confidence in elections.

Mark made particular reference to the violence and intimidation reported during the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, which he said should serve as a warning ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said reports indicated that no fewer than 30 people were killed during the election, describing the development as reprehensible and condemnable.

“Elections should not be treated as war or a do-or-die affair. There should be a democratic process through which citizens freely choose their leaders and advance their aspirations for development and a better quality of life,” he said.

The ADC chairman said his party was committed to an electoral process conducted in a secure environment where voters could freely cast their ballots without fear or intimidation.

He added that every vote must count and that mandates freely given by the electorate must be respected.

His comments come as political parties and other stakeholders intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with concerns over electoral violence, the neutrality of state institutions and the credibility of the electoral process already featuring prominently in discussions ahead of the polls.

Earlier, the IRI delegation said its visit was aimed at assessing the country’s level of preparedness and engaging key stakeholders on issues that could affect the conduct of the elections.

The African Regional Director of IRI, Jenai Cox, said the organisation was conducting a pre-election assessment mission to evaluate preparations for the 2027 polls.

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Dele Momodu, has replied to a statement made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on the recently concluded Osun State governorship election.

Speaking during an interview on News Central Television on Wednesday, Momodu described the statement as “an empty boast.”

The minister had said he would have been in Osun State to help secure victory for the All Progressives Congress, APC, if President Bola Tinubu had wanted the party to win the election.

Replying, Momodu said Wike’s influence could not be greater than that of the Senate President and several governors who were unable to secure the desired result in Osun State.

The publisher of Ovation Magazine slammed the statement, describing it as unfortunate, and warned that the minister’s rhetoric suggested a strategy of enforcement to ensure APC victories in the 2027 general elections.

“I think it was a very unusual, uncommon and unfortunate statement for a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to make, but nothing is beyond our friend, Wike, the FCT Minister.

“When I listened to him, I had to respond instantly because I knew that was an empty boast. If he had been in Osun, he would not have achieved anything.

“He is not bigger than the Senate President and all the governors who carried themselves to Osun to try to deliver Osun to the APC. But the danger in his statement must be noted, especially as we approach January 2027.

“The only way the APC can win the next presidential election and all the governorship elections is very simple. They will need to repeat what they attempted in Osun and failed woefully.

“I need to also remind Wike, in case he has already forgotten, that five of them abandoned the PDP in the last election, and three of them were from Abia, Enugu and Benue states.

“The then governors, three of the G-5 governors, attempted to win senatorial seats in their respective states and also failed spectacularly. So, that is to tell you that governors don’t have the power of life and death.

“Wike would have to divide himself into 36 states plus Abuja for him to perform the kind of magic he thinks he can perform,” Momodu said.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has called for stronger intelligence sharing and coordinated security operations among North-West states to tackle insecurity in the region.

Disu made the call on Wednesday in Gusau, Zamfara State, while delivering the opening address at the North-West Security Summit.

The summit brought together governors, traditional rulers, security chiefs, experts, development partners, civil society representatives and other stakeholders to discuss banditry, kidnapping, arms proliferation, communal conflicts and farmer-herder tensions in the region.

The IGP said no single security agency, government or institution could effectively address the security challenges in the North-West alone.

He called for stronger inter-state cooperation, intelligence sharing, coordinated operations, improved border security, community engagement and effective early-warning mechanisms.

Disu also highlighted the role of traditional institutions and local communities in providing credible intelligence and supporting efforts to prevent crime.

The police chief cautioned against ethnic and religious profiling, saying criminality should not be associated with any particular ethnic or religious group.

He urged security stakeholders to focus on identifying and prosecuting criminal networks, their sponsors, arms suppliers, informants and other facilitators.

Disu reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to intelligence-led policing, technology-driven operations, rapid response and inter-agency collaboration.

He urged participants to ensure that the three-day summit produced practical and measurable resolutions capable of improving security and protecting vulnerable communities across the North-West.

Osun State Police Command has revealed that Nigerian music star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, was the target of the attack on the convoy of Governor Ademola Adeleke in Osogbo.

DAILY POST recalls that security personnel attached to Governor Adeleke engaged some unidentified armed men in a gun duel on Wednesday during the governor’s visit to the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo.

Davido, who is the governor’s nephew, had accompanied Adeleke and his children to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, office, where the governor received his Certificate of Return, before they proceeded to the palace.

Confirming the attack, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said preliminary investigations showed that members of the Eye Confraternity allegedly targeted Davido during the visit.

Ojelabi explained that one Adebayo Taoreed, popularly known as “Small Rugged”, an ex-convict and alleged member of the cult group, attempted to approach Davido but was stopped by members of his security team.

He said, “the ensuing confrontation reportedly attracted other suspected gang members in the vicinity, who temporarily blocked the entrance to the palace and obstructed the movement of the convoy of the governor.”

The police also confirmed that a 60-year-old man, identified as Tajudeen Yusuf, was shot during the incident and later died at a hospital.

The attack adds to growing concerns over political violence in Osun State.

The Accord Party had alleged that over 28 citizens were killed by suspected political thugs during the election period.

However, the All Progressives Congress, APC, accused the Accord Party of sponsoring violence that led to the death of some of its members.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Kebbi State has appointed a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sani Tadurga, as Director-General of its Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 elections.

The appointment was approved by the party’s governorship candidate, Abubakar Malami, SAN, following consultations with stakeholders across the state.

Also appointed are three Deputy Directors-General representing the state’s three senatorial districts: Arch. Bala Sani Kangiwa for Kebbi North, Hon. Shehu Aliyu Sambawa for Kebbi Central and Alh. Aliyu Jibrin Bagaruwa for Kebbi South.

Barr Aminu Bunza was named Secretary of the Kebbi State Campaign Council.

According to the party, the appointments are aimed at strengthening its campaign structure and enhancing coordination ahead of the 2027 elections.

With the new structure, the party said its appointees are expected to deploy their leadership experience and grassroots networks to mobilise support and advance the ADC’s political objectives across the state.

It urged the new appointees to approach their responsibilities with commitment, unity and dedication as preparations for the 2027 polls intensify.

Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the ruling Accord Party have exchanged accusations over alleged attacks on their members following Saturday’s governorship election.

The APC alleged that supporters of the Accord Party launched attacks on its members and supporters after Governor Ademola Adeleke was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Accord, however, rejected the allegation and accused the opposition party of being responsible for attacks on its own members.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Osun APC Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, condemned what he described as a growing wave of post-election violence allegedly perpetrated by Accord supporters across the state.

Olabisi claimed that incidents of attacks on APC members began shortly after Adeleke was declared the winner of the governorship poll on Sunday.

He also alleged that local government chairmen aligned with the ruling party had moved into various council secretariats despite what he described as their “illegal sit-at-home” status.

The APC spokesperson further alleged that some members of the state executive of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) had used suspected thugs to gain access to motor parks across the state.

The party warned that the alleged attacks could undermine public peace and potentially trigger retaliatory violence if not brought under control.

The APC called on the Osun State Police Command to strengthen security measures and protect its members and supporters from further attacks.

However, Osun State Accord chairman, Victor Akande, dismissed the allegations, insisting that the party was committed to peaceful political engagement.

“Accord is not known for hooliganism,” Akande told journalists when contacted by telephone.

He instead alleged that APC supporters had been behind attacks on Accord members, claiming that the police had also been used to target members of the ruling party before, during and after the election.

According to him, several Accord supporters were allegedly attacked and unlawfully detained.

Akande described the APC’s allegations as propaganda and urged the public to disregard them.

“They are known for their propaganda. They are the ones attacking our members. I didn’t know any of our members attacking their members,” he alleged.

He maintained that Accord was a peace-loving party and attributed Governor Adeleke’s electoral victory to what he described as the overwhelming support of Osun residents.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has recovered 2.3 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, commonly known as diesel, valued at approximately N4.485 billion, allegedly diverted from Prudent Energy and Services Limited by Mamemo Ibru of Ibafon Oil and Gas in Lagos.

The recovery followed an investigation launched by the anti-graft agency after Prudent Energy and Services Limited petitioned the EFCC over an alleged shortage of petroleum products it had entrusted to Ibafon Oil and Gas for storage.

EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale disclosed the development in a statement, saying the petitioner alleged that its products stored at the depot had been unlawfully withdrawn, resulting in a substantial deficit in its stock.

According to the agency, the company claimed that repeated withdrawals from the stored products continued until its outstanding stock stood at 2,574,031 litres.

However, a subsequent physical inspection and reconciliation of the products reportedly showed that only 206,761 litres remained in the storage tanks, leaving a shortfall of 2,367,270 litres.

The EFCC said its investigation established that Ibafon Oil and Gas is engaged in the purchase and sale of diesel and also operates a storage facility where its products are kept alongside petroleum products belonging to customers.

The commission further alleged that Ibru, who owns the company, exploited his position to authorise the movement of petroleum products.

The EFCC said the excess products allegedly belonged to Prudent Energy and were converted for Ibru’s personal use.

Following the intervention of the anti-graft agency, the commission said the suspect surrendered the recovered petroleum products to Prudent Energy and Services Limited.

The development, according to the EFCC, forms part of its ongoing efforts to investigate allegations of economic crimes and recover assets obtained or diverted through unlawful means.