Voters in Ekiti State will head to the polls today, Saturday, June 20, 2026, to select a governor for another four-year term in an off-cycle governorship election.

As announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, residents of the state have collected their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, essential for casting a ballot in the election.

The latest figures from INEC indicate that 97.1 percent of registered voters in the state have obtained their PVCs and are eligible to participate in the voting process today, Saturday.

Out of a total of 1,059,360 registered voters, 1,028,929 have collected their PVCs, leaving 30,431 PVCs unclaimed.

The frontline candidates seeking for the 1,028,929 votes include the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, flag-bearer, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, who aims to secure another four-year term, Oluwole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Oluwadare Bejide from the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Other candidates in the race are Opeyemi Falegan from Accord, Oyebanji Olajuyin from the Labour Party, Blessing Abegunde from the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, Bidemi Awogbemi from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Ayodeji Ojo from the Action Democratic Party, ADP, Samuel Akande from the African Action Congress, AAC, Olaniyi Ayodele from the People’s Redemption Party, PRP, Victor Adetunji from the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, and Olu Omotoso from the Action Alliance.

Also contesting are Joseph Anifowose from the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, and Ayodele Osinkolu from the Young Progressive Party.

However, the contest is anticipated to be between the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, and the ADC candidate, Oluwadare Bejide.

Stay tuned on this thread for updates and live results from the governorship election.

The gubernatorial ambition of the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Engr. Yakubu Danladi Salihu, for the 2027 general elections, has taken a new twist with a civil society group accusing him of double participation in the gubernatorial and House of Assembly primary elections in the state.

The Citizens Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices Initiative, has dragged the lawmaker to court over alleged participation in the state gubernatorial and House of Assembly primary elections.

Joined in the suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1112/2026, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, are the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The group is questioning Danladi’s alleged participation in both the APC governorship primary and the House of Assembly primary for Ilesha/Gwanara Constituency during the same election cycle.

The plaintiff alleged that Danladi was screened, cleared and participated as an aspirant in the APC primary election for the Kwara State House of Assembly seat for Ilesha/Gwanara Constituency held on May 20, 2026.

He is also alleged to have taken part in the party’s governorship primary conducted on May 21 and another exercise allegedly held on May 22, 2026, which declared him the winner of the party’s primary election.

The originating summons filed before the court by the plaintiff is asking the court to determine whether the sponsorship and continued recognition of Danladi by the APC for two separate elective offices in the same election season is constitutional and lawful under the Electoral Act, 2026.

The plaintiff further wants the court to determine whether a candidate who participated in two different primary elections for separate offices in the same electoral cycle can validly emerge as the winner of one of the contests while the outcome of the other primary election remains unresolved or unpublished.

Reliefs sought by the plaintiff include asking the court to declare that Danladi’s nomination, screening, clearance and participation in both the House of Assembly and governorship primaries amount to a violation of the Electoral Act and provisions regulating party primaries and nominations.

The body also urged the court to declare his governorship aspiration and emergence as the APC candidate unlawful, unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.

The suit further seeks an order restraining INEC from accepting, publishing, recognising or retaining Danladi’s name as the APC governorship candidate if the court finds that he participated in the two primary elections simultaneously.

The plaintiff is relying on provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, 2026, and the Federal High Court (Pre-Election) Practice Directions in urging the court to grant the reliefs sought.

The legal action is the latest development in the growing controversies surrounding the APC’s governorship primary process in Kwara state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

DAILY POST recalls that only recently, the elders caucus of the party in the state, declared Yakubu Danladi Salihu as unfit after his emergence in the controversial primary election as the gubernatorial candidate of the party, accusing Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of imposing him on the party.

However, another group in the state chapter of the party, dismissed the claim of the elders caucus and assured that he is eminently qualified to be the flag bearer of the party for the governorship election in 2027.

Political analysts and observers described the recent developments in the state chapter of the party as a major sign of implosion which could be detrimental to its performance in the general elections in the state.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has approved the appointment of Chief Superintendent of Police, Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu, as the new Force Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force.

Iniedu succeeds Deputy Commissioner of Police, Anthony Okon Placid, who has now been redeployed to the Lagos State Police Command.

The redeployment comes less than three months after Placid assumed office as Force PRO on March 8, 2026, following the exit of former police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin.

A source familiar with the development said the latest reshuffle forms part of efforts by the Inspector-General of Police to reposition the Force and strengthen its public communication framework.

Confirming the appointment in a statement, outgoing Force PRO, DCP Placid, described CSP Iniedu as an officer with extensive experience in public communication, intelligence coordination, operational policing and administrative management.

Prior to his new appointment, Iniedu served as Head of the Complaint Response Unit at Force Headquarters in Abuja, where he supervised public complaint management and coordinated initiatives aimed at promoting transparency, accountability and public confidence in the police.

He previously worked as Public Relations Officer at the Police College of Information Technology, Kobape, Ogun State, and also held several operational and administrative assignments across the country.

His previous postings include Operations Officer at Maisandari Division in Yobe State, Area Crime Officer at Umuahia Area Command in Abia State, Staff Officer at the IGP Secretariat, Second-in-Command of the 50 Police Mobile Force Squadron in Kubwa, and Officer-in-Charge of the Force Headquarters Situation Room.

At the Situation Room, he reportedly coordinated nationwide security information gathering and dissemination.

CSP Iniedu, who hails from Etinan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, holds a degree in Pure Chemistry from University of Uyo.

He has also undergone several professional trainings in intelligence analysis, strategic communication, crime scene management, investigative interviewing and human rights-based policing.

The Inspector-General expressed confidence that the newly appointed Force PRO would strengthen the Force’s communication system and improve engagement with the public as part of broader reforms within the Nigeria Police Force.

The Military Pension Board, MPB, has warned military retirees and their families to be alert to fraudulent schemes aimed at stealing their personal and banking information under the pretext of processing pension benefits.

The board raised concerns over what it described as an identity theft operation targeting pensioners and next of kin across the country.

According to the board, fraudsters posing as pension officials and agents have been attempting to obtain sensitive information such as Bank Verification Numbers, BVNs, National Identification Numbers, NINs, bank account details and ATM card information from unsuspecting retirees.

In a statement issued by the board’s Public Relations Officer, Aliyu Mohammed, the Military Pension Board disclosed that it had received several reports involving individuals requesting confidential information from pensioners.

“The Board has received reports that some individuals are demanding personal details such as Bank Verification Numbers, National Identification Numbers, bank account details, ATM card information and other confidential data,” the statement said.

The board strongly advised pensioners not to disclose such information to unauthorised individuals, groups or online platforms.

It stressed that the Military Pension Board does not engage third parties to collect personal or banking information for the processing of pensions, gratuities, loans or other related benefits.

“The Military Pensions Board does not engage third parties to collect pensioners’ personal or banking information for the purpose of processing loans, pension payments, gratuities or any other benefits,” the statement added.

The board urged retirees and their relatives to remain vigilant and immediately report suspicious requests or activities to the appropriate authorities.

It also warned that any request for sensitive information from unofficial sources should be treated with caution to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.

The Director, Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Sam Amadi, had described the anti-defection policy of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, as dubious.

Amadi made this statement on Friday during an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’.

He was speaking on the recent anti-defection policy introduced by the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The policy required candidates seeking elective offices on its platform to sign legal documents committing to vacate their positions if they leave the party after winning elections.

Reacting, Amadi said, “I think this NDC’s anti-defection policy is dubious. The psychology and sense in which the party is pushing this act could be considered as a distrust in its candidates and shows weakness.

“Their focus should be on winning the election and the presidency. Once you win the presidency, the people there will stay with you. And so the history says that once you lose, people will likely go for the winner’s party.

“And so, for me, at this point, it quite doesn’t suggest strength, it doesn’t suggest coherence, it rather suggests distrust of their own candidates.

“So, NDC doing this looks like innovation, but in essence, it’s really a sign of lack of trust on those who are taking the ticket, and a sense of its own weakness.”

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has expressed optimism that God will continue to guide President Bola Tinubu in leading Nigeria until 2031 to further the country’s development.

Umahi stated this on Thursday during an inspection tour of ongoing bridge projects in Lagos State, including the Carter Bridge, which is scheduled for reconstruction beginning next week.

According to the minister, Tinubu’s administration would continue to receive divine support in addressing the nation’s challenges, particularly insecurity.

“The same God that brought him is going to be there to solve all the problems,” Umahi said while appealing to Nigerians to support and cooperate with the current administration in its efforts to tackle security concerns across the country.

He noted that no leader desires instability during their tenure, but added that any responsible government must confront challenges directly whenever they arise.

“There is no leader who will not want his reign to be peaceful, but when crises come, the leader must confront them. That is exactly what we are doing,” he said.

Umahi further stated that regardless of whether the country’s security challenges were politically motivated or not, he believed Tinubu would receive the wisdom and strength required to overcome them and address other national issues.

The minister also expressed confidence that the present administration would complete all projects initiated under its watch.

“Your hands that have started this will complete it,” Umahi stated, adding that the government remained confident that Tinubu’s leadership continued to enjoy divine favour.

Speaking on the Carter Bridge project, the minister disclosed that the reconstruction of the bridge is expected to be completed within three years.

The governorship candidate for the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, in Kano State and former Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has called on the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf to present solid evidence to back his claims that funds were diverted from local government councils via his (Gwarzo) son, Mujahid Aminu Abdussalam.

Gwarzo’s remarks came in response to statements made by the spokesperson for Governor Yusuf, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa that funds from local government councils were funneled to the former deputy governor through his son.

In a statement released on Thursday by his spokesperson, Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu, Comrade Gwarzo characterized the allegations as unfounded, outrageous, and a completely absurd effort to damage his well-established integrity throughout his public service.

“These allegations are simply products of the Governor’s imagination and lack any factual basis. We therefore firmly challenge the accuser to present credible and verifiable evidence to support these malicious claims. Mere accusations, regardless of how frequently they are repeated in the media, do not constitute proof,” the statement continued.

The NDC governorship candidate asserted that throughout his career in public service, he has adhered to the principles of transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.

He expressed his belief that the truth will eventually come to light and urged the public to dismiss what he termed as baseless allegations.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has constituted a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness.

Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, inaugurated the task force on Thursday in Abuja, with the aim of taking action early to prevent an outbreak and to avoid a repeat of the 2014 Ebola crisis.

“We did the inauguration today on the preparedness of Nigeria for the Ebola virus disease. We’ve covered a lot of ground.

“Right now, there’s no reported case, which is good news, and that’s why all hands have to be on deck to make sure the measures we are taking are preventive, not curative,” he said.

Gbajabiamila stressed that the government wants to be proactive rather than waiting for an outbreak to happen.

“We don’t want to be in the situation we were last time, where we had a carrier in the country and we’re all running helter-skelter,” he added.

According to him, the group has created special teams to handle different areas, including tracking diseases, managing border control, and coordinating emergency responses.

He further explained that while previous safety efforts focused mostly on airports, the new task force is putting extra focus on monitoring land borders and informal travel routes.

He noted that they are now covering more ground because there is a lot of cross-migration through land borders, involving immigration, the Border Control Development Agency, and local border communities.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, confirmed that health checkpoints have already been strengthened at major entry points.

He explained that the new plan links several government ministries and state authorities together to ensure the country does not get the virus.

Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources in Lagos State, Tokunbo Wahab, has disclosed that the 226 beggars arrested during a statewide enforcement exercise on Thursday will be repatriated to their various states of origin.

The individuals were apprehended by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Task Force in collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps during a coordinated operation carried out across different parts of the state.

In a statement issued after the exercise, Wahab explained that the operation formed part of the state government’s ongoing environmental clean-up and enforcement campaign aimed at enhancing public safety and maintaining environmental sanity.

According to him, the exercise specifically targeted street begging activities, which he said contribute to environmental pollution and constitute a public nuisance in the state.

“In continuation of the ongoing daily clean-up and enforcement exercise across Lagos State, a total of 226 beggars were apprehended today,” the commissioner stated.

He noted that the enforcement exercise was jointly conducted by the two agencies and added that those arrested would first undergo proper profiling and documentation before being relocated to their respective home states.

Wahab reaffirmed the commitment of the Lagos State Government to sustaining enforcement and environmental sanitation operations across the state.

He added that the initiative was part of broader efforts to promote a cleaner, safer and more orderly environment for residents and visitors.