Ayodele Arise, chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and aspirant for the ticket of the Ekiti North Senatorial District, has described the party’s primary election as a sham.

He then urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, intervene in the crisis trailing the outcome of the exercise.

In a statement at the weekend, Arise said state governors remained a major challenge for a smooth conduct of the recent APC primaries.

Recall that the APC Committee, which supervised the process, had declared the sitting lawmaker representing Ekiti North, Senator Cyril Fasuyi, as the winner.

However, Arise and other contenders for the ticket, including Dipo Bamisaye and Dare Owolabi, had since dismissed the outcome as fraudulent and manipulated.

Senator Arise, who represented the senatorial district between 2007 and 2011, said the primary was a sham and the party is paying lip service to the crisis the election had generated.

“When we talk about internal democracy, it is still a very big challenge. It’s one thing for us to have a Constitution; it’s another thing for people to try to circumvent it or the guidelines for any election.

“That was demonstrated in no small measure when I tried to come back through the primary because I knew what was in the pipeline, so I went into it to prove a point.

“It will be a shame if some of us passed through this country and we don’t have the voice to correct the anomalies and let people know that if we want to practice democracy, let us practice it. If we don’t want it, it’s a different kettle of fish.

“The experience I had during the primary, I really don’t want to overbeat that because I believe the chairman of the party has spoken with Mr. President, and I think they are looking at all the challenges, and I am sure those of us who worked and won our elections will be given our mandate in due course.”

“As we discover problems, people respond to them, and I believe, more than anybody else, that our President has been very proactive in terms of fixing some of these challenges, working on them, and ensuring that corrections are made before it’s too late,” he stated.

He added that “the issue of the governors is still a major problem in terms of trying to get to the Senate.

“Even when you aren’t contesting against them, if you aren’t their favored candidate, the chances of your making it are a little bit very challenging.”

The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has revealed how the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, can have free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.

In a statement on Sunday, Baba-Ahmed, said that INEC must be strengthened and shielded from undue political interference to enhance public confidence in the electoral process.

The former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on political matters noted that called for a review of the process for appointing the INEC Chairman, National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs.

According to him, the current system gives the executive excessive influence over the electoral body.

“The moment you hand over an electoral body to a partisan administration that wants to retain power, you create serious questions about its neutrality,” he said.

He also called for greater financial autonomy for the commission, insisting that INEC should be allowed to present and defend its budget directly before the National Assembly without executive interference.

The former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on political affairs urged authorities to impose stiffer penalties on politicians and other individuals involved in electoral fraud and violence.

Baba-Ahmed pointed out that the persistence of electoral offences is largely due to the lack of accountability for offenders.

“Politicians who compromise the electoral process must face the consequences of their actions. The culture of impunity must end,” he added.

Plateau State chapter of the Kautal Pulaaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria, KPFAN, has berated former Governor Jonah David Jang over his opposition to a recent court ruling granting indigeneship to Hausa residents in Jos North Local Government Area based on their birth and long-term stay in the state.

While reacting to the ruling in a statement on Saturday, Jang had said the judgment would come with serious implications for the state’s identity, cultural heritage, and indigenous rights.

The former governor stated that debates surrounding citizenship, residency, and indigenship in the state have remained at the center of political and social discussions for decades, and wondered why the court should hastily decide on a matter that could further heighten tension.

He argued that altering the existing framework could create tensions and undermine the rights of groups that have traditionally been recognized as indigenous to the state.

But the Fulani group, in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Haruna Idris Bayero, countered the elder statesman, describing his opposition to the ruling as not only unfortunate but dangerous to the unity of the people and the fragile peace in the state.

Bayero said Jang’s stance negates the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution which guarantees every citizen equal rights and prohibits discrimination on grounds of ethnicity, place of origin, or religion.

“The Kautal Pulaaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria (KPFAN) views with utter dismay and disappointment the recent remarks by former Plateau State Governor, Senator Jonah David Jang, opposing the issuance of indigene certificates to Hausa/Fulani residents in Plateau State,” the statement said.

Continuing, Bayero said:

“His position is not only unfortunate but also a dangerous relic of ethnic exclusivism that contradicts the clear provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended).

“Senator Jang’s stance flies in the face of Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of ethnicity, place of origin, or religion.

“Every Nigerian citizen, including Hausa/Fulani families who have lived in Plateau State for generations—some for over a century- has the right to be recognized as bona fide citizens of the state where they reside, contribute, and pay taxes. Citizenship is not a privilege to be dispensed based on parochial loyalties.

“The indigene-settler dichotomy has been weaponized over the years to marginalize fellow Nigerians. Many Hausa/Fulani communities in Plateau were born there, have their ancestral graves there, and have contributed immensely to the economy, security, and cultural life of the state. Denying them certificates simply because their great-grandparents migrated before the creation of the state is a historical injustice.

“It is no longer news that Plateau State has witnessed recurring cycles of violence. Our association firmly believes that the refusal of successive Plateau leaders, including Senator Jang, to embrace justice and equality for all citizens—irrespective of ethnic background—has been the kindling for repeated conflicts.

“When a section of society is permanently designated as “non-indigenes” despite decades of residence, you create second-class citizens who are vulnerable to exclusion, dispossession, and violence. That is the real recipe for crisis.

“In the 21st century, no modern society advances by locking out fellow citizens from certificates of belonging. Jang’s logic, if applied universally, would unravel the Nigerian federation. We call on him to use his advanced age and experience to champion inclusion, not exclusion. The Fulani are not strangers in Plateau; they are neighbours, farmers, herders, traders, and in many cases, indigenous people whose history predates the 1967 creation of Plateau State.

“We call on the Plateau State government to disregard Senator Jang’s retrogressive advice and instead move toward a unified residency-and-indigeneity framework that respects the Nigerian Constitution. No citizen should be denied state-level rights—access to employment, education, or political participation—because of their ethnic surname.

“Senator Jang’s statement is a disservice to national unity and a direct affront to the Hausa/Fulani communities who have called Plateau their home for generations.

“The Kautal Pulaaku Fulbe Association will continue to resist all forms of discriminatory policies and will support legal action if necessary. We urge Plateau leaders to learn from history: peace comes from justice, not from perpetual exclusion.”

No fewer than 46 suspected illegal immigrants residing in Ogun State have been arrested by troops of the Nigerian Army, in conjunction with operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS and the Nigerian Immigration Services.

Assistant Director Army Public Relations of the 35 Artillery Brigade, Idereghi Samuel Akari said in a statement on Sunday that the arrest followed actionable intelligence.

He said the operation which commenced on 11 June 2026, led to the arrest of the suspects at various locations within Ijebu Imushin, Ijebu Ilese and surrounding communities during a targeted security operation.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the individuals had allegedly been residing in the state for approximately six months without valid immigration documentation.

During interrogation, the suspects claimed to be merchants and workers affiliated with QNet, an online marketing platform involved in the sale of various commodities.

The arrested individuals comprise 18 nationals of Burkina Faso, 23 nationals of Côte d’Ivoire, 4 nationals of Togo and 1 national of Senegal. Among them are 36 males and 10 females.

The statement added that the suspects have been handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Ogun State Command, for further “investigation and appropriate administrative action in accordance with extant laws”.

A new assessment of the 10th National Assembly has found that lawmakers have failed to deliver 68 of 92 legislative commitments tracked since the beginning of their tenure, with the House of Representatives recording an overall fulfilment score of 26.8 per cent and the Senate 44.11 per cent.

The report, released on Sunday by civic-tech organisation AdvoKC Foundation, examined the performance of the House of Representatives and the Senate against promises contained in their respective legislative agendas as the Assembly enters its final year.

The assessment was conducted through the organisation’s Promise Tracker NG platform, which monitored 56 commitments made by the House and 34 commitments made by the Senate across sectors, including healthcare, education, economy, governance, security and political reforms.

According to the report, the House of Representatives fulfilled 13 of its tracked commitments, while four were classified as compromised and 39 as broken.

The Senate delivered nine commitments, 12 were considered compromised, and 13 were classified as unfulfilled.

The House recorded its strongest performance in healthcare, scoring 67 per cent, followed by justice and security at 57 per cent.

However, the chamber scored zero per cent in the economy and jobs category, while governance and political reform recorded only six per cent.

The report said commitments relating to electoral reforms and constitutional amendments remained largely unresolved.

The Senate performed better in some areas, recording 66.7 per cent in education and 57.1 per cent in economic development and jobs.

However, the report identified stalled reforms on constitutional amendments, youth inclusion and local government autonomy as major areas of concern.

Project Director of AdvoKC Foundation, Habib Sheidu, said legislative agendas represented binding commitments to citizens rather than political statements.

“Legislative agendas are not merely aspirational policy wish-lists; they are solemn public covenants made with the Nigerian people,” Sheidu said.

He urged lawmakers to use the remaining year of the Assembly to complete outstanding reforms and improve their record before the end of the legislative cycle.

“With only one year left before the curtain falls on the 10th Assembly, this report is not an indictment but a crucial wake-up call.

“Our lawmakers still possess a vital window of opportunity to salvage their legacies, fast-track trapped constitutional reforms, and deliver the transformational governance they promised.”

AdvoKC said the Legislative Agenda Meter was designed to provide citizens with a data-based mechanism for tracking legislative performance and holding elected representatives accountable.

The organisation said the platform would continue to provide updated information on lawmakers’ progress and encouraged citizens, civil society groups and the media to engage with the findings.

The full assessment reports on the House of Representatives and the Senate were made available through the Promise Tracker NG platform.

The governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in Rivers State, Blessing Fubara, has declared that he has no godfather but God.

Fubara disclosed this while noting that he and his brother, Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State have a different perspective.

He spoke on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Friday night while dismissing claims that his political ambition is an extension of Fubara’s political project.

According to Fubara: “I don’t have a godfather but I have God the father. You would also agree with me that if my ambition is determined by the grounds you are mentioning, it would mean I have no clear vision or focus for what I am working toward.

“My brother, Nigerians, and indeed the wider world saw what happened between him and his party. We have different political ideologies and individual perspectives.

“It’s a trying moment for us in Rivers State and there are all sorts of narratives. They come with different narratives and try to set up a perspective for the people to run with but we are focused with our eyes on the ball that the sole of Rivers State must be rescued.”

Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has accused the Accord Party and some members of the National and State Assemblies in the state of spreading false allegations against the opposition party ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

In a statement issued on Friday by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the APC alleged that recent claims linking the party, its governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and former governor Adegboyega Oyetola to acts of violence and political misconduct were fabricated.

The party claimed that the allegations were part of efforts by its political opponents to influence public opinion as campaigning intensifies across the state.

According to the statement, the APC rejected reports of alleged attacks on political opponents and claims that vehicles were being branded with Accord Party insignia to create unrest.

“We want to enjoin the members of the public to discountenance these frivolous fabrications against our party, our governorship candidate and the leader of our party,” the statement said.

The APC further alleged that its opponents had repeatedly blamed the party and its leaders for incidents occurring during political activities in the state.

The party maintained that its governorship candidate, popularly known as AMBO, remained focused on his campaign and was pursuing electoral victory through lawful and peaceful means.

“Oyebamiji, who is a man of peace, does not need to engage in violence before he records victory in the election,” the statement added.

The APC also expressed confidence in its chances at the forthcoming governorship poll, arguing that its campaign strategy and political mobilisation had positioned the party strongly ahead of the contest.

While criticising the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke, the opposition party claimed that dissatisfaction among voters would influence the outcome of the election.

The statement further alleged that some of the accusations levelled against the APC were intended to distract attention from challenges facing its political rivals and to generate public sympathy.

Reaffirming its commitment to peaceful political engagement, the APC said it would not resort to violence under any circumstances and urged residents of the state to remain vigilant throughout the electioneering period.

The party stated, “Our party has never and will never tow the path of violence to achieve its objectives under any circumstances.”

DAILY POST had reported that on Friday, lawmakers in the Accord in the state during a press briefing called for the immediate redeployment of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan over alleged partisanship.

The spokesperson of the lawmakers, the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun also accused the APC of orchestrating violence before the crucial august 15 poll.

Edo North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, has said that the late MKO Abiola refused to sell his presidential mandate to the late former military Head of State, Sani Abacha.

Oshiomhole disclosed this during a lecture on June 12 titled “June 12 and Beyond,” which focused on the development of democracy and security issues.

The event took place in Akure, the capital of Ondo State.

Oshiomhole said he was part of a group from the Nigeria Labour Congress that met with Abacha in Abuja after the June 12 election was canceled.

“General Abacha told us he was ready to tolerate anything and do anything for MKO Abiola.

“The one thing he was not ready to tolerate was the idea that Abiola had proclaimed himself President of Nigeria,” Oshiomhole said.

He said that even though there was pressure from government officials and middlemen, Abiola would not give up the responsibility given to him by the people of Nigeria.

“He told those who sent us that he was elected President of Nigeria and would not sell the mandate entrusted to him by the Nigerian people,” he said.

Oshiomhole said Abiola’s actions showed bravery, love for his country, and putting others before himself.

He pointed out that Abiola didn’t give in and stood firm, even though many Nigerians had voted for him and made big sacrifices.

The senator encouraged young Nigerians to learn from June 12, calling Abiola a symbol of unity who won in a way that went beyond differences in ethnicity and religion.

Oshiomhole noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to speeding up changes to the constitution in order to create state police forces.

“The President is really committed to moving quickly and getting the state police amendment passed.

“He has clearly told us to get it done, but he can’t just make it happen on his own,” he said.

Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has called on the Federal Government to release detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.

Speaking to his congregation in a video sighted by DAILY POST, Primate Ayodele said if the Nigerian Government continues to keep Nnamdi Kanu, it should also arrest Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.

He said, “The Nigerian government should release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Since you keep Kanu in prison, why can’t you keep Sheikh Gumi in prison too?

“You keep Nnamdi Kanu but Gumi is free. Then, how do you want to now manage the government.

“If Nnamdi Kanu is there, then go and take Gumi. Then Nigerians will believe that the government is serious. Protest will seize this Tinubu government,” he warned.