Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Regional Colligate Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, South-South, Onochie Osheokwu, has urged the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to zone its presidential ticket to the South.
Osheokwu made this call on Monday while fielding questions in an interview on Arise Television monitored by DAILY POST.

His remark is coming as political parties gather momentum for next year’s general elections.

According to him, Nigerians are well aware of who would be the strongest candidate, adding that the former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, from the Southeast, also represents the South

He said, “We in the South-South want the ADC to zone it presidential ticket to the South.

“Among all the contenders, we in the Obidient movement believe the best candidate is clear. The one who embodies the conscience of the movement and the leadership that Nigerians are seeking.

“What happened at Chief John Odigie-Oyegun was a consultation. Like every other person is saying. But it’s so bad that the politics of Nigeria has been reduced to propaganda and not the basic issue confronting the country.”

The Action Peoples Party, APP, has dissolved its Imo State Executive Committee and set up an Interim Caretaker to manage the affairs of the party till further notice.

The party reached the resolution during an emergency meeting held by its National Working Committee, NWC, which was approved by the National Executive Committee, NEC.

Eight-member Interim Caretaker Committee was appointed to oversee the affairs of the party pending its congresses.

The Interim Caretaker Committee members include, Ernest Njesi as Chairman, Emeka Onwukwe as Secretary, Henry Alaribe, Deputy Chairman Owerri zone.

Others are: Ogemdi Ezemonye as Deputy Chairman, Orlu zone, Ernest Ezirim, Deputy Chairman, Okigwe zone, Cajethan Duke as Publicity Secretary and Peter Etoh as Treasurer.

Addressing the Interim Caretaker Committee members, the National Chairman of the party, Uchenna Nnadi, said that the decision taken was to restore internal harmony within party members and urged the newly appointed Caretaker Committee Executive to ensure every member is carried along in their schedule.

In a similar development, the party has officially, written to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, notifying the Commission of its preparedness to conduct congresses at Ward, Local Government and State levels.

In a letter dated March 2, 2026, and addressed to the INEC Chairman, the APP National Chairman, Nnadi, and the National Secretary, Abu Ibrahim Bossan, conveyed the party’s notification in line with statutory requirements for a 21-day notice.

The congresses, according to the National Chairman, will hold on March, 24, 2026, at ward levels, March 26 at Local Government levels and

March 28 at the State levels.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has stated it will start enforcing compliance on residents who contravene land use and those defaulting with regard to ground rent as well.

This was part of the decisions taken at the FCT Executive Committee meeting on Monday, chaired by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, at his official residence in Life Camp.

Speaking with journalists after the event, Director, Department of Lands Administration, Mr Chijioke Nwankwoeze pointed out that the administration had given defaulters ample time to comply with the Administration’s directive, hence the need to take action on non-compliance.

Mr. Nwankwoeze, further gave an update on the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy in the Federal Capital Territory. He announced that the process of issuing C of O had greatly improved.

“Unlike before when it took years or even decades, in the current dispensation, C of O issuance is possible in as short as one week. The Minister does not waste time in signing C of Os. Once we send the C of Os to him, within two days, they are back”, he revealed.

He went on to unravel the underlying causes of delay in C of O processing to include non-submission of passport photos and refusal to accept or decline the offer of Rights of Occupancy within the stipulated time of 21 days.

The Director Lands also identified other causes of C of O delay to include non-confirmation of Remita payments and the use of unverifiable addresses such as P. O. Box which are not actual physical locations.

Meanwhile a total of three memoranda were presented and ratified by the committee. TheY are, approval for the purchase of diesel for waste disposal and management plants at four districts in the FCT, ratification and procurement of food and non-food items for victims of flood-affected areas in the FCT and the approval and ratification of the contract for the supply of communication gadgets and other equipment for the support of FCT security agencies.

Elaborating on the memoranda, the Coordinator, AMMC, Chief Felix Obuah, said the purchase of diesel for waste disposal and management plants in Mabushi, Jabi, Durumi and Wuye districts was at the cost of N7,300,000,000.

On his part, Director, FCT Department of Procurement, Alhaji Musa Idris, revealed that the supply of communication gadgets and other equipment for FCT security agencies cost the administration N1,133,802,500.

He stated that the essence of the procurement was to support the agencies in their assignments of securing the FCT.

Also addressing journalists, Chief of Staff to the Minister, Chidi Amadi expressed appreciation to the media for its consistency in the reportage of the policies and programmes of the FCT Administration.

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Kano has rejected separate ex parte applications seeking to restrain the Kano State Government from retrieving official vehicles from former commissioners who recently resigned from the State Executive Council.

The ex-commissioners had asked the court to grant an interim injunction preventing the government from taking back the vehicles pending the hearing and determination of their motion on notice.

In their suits, the claimants joined the Attorney General of Kano State, the governor, and the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission as defendants.

Represented by Suraj Sa’ed (SAN) and five other lawyers, the former commissioners argued that their applications were filed pursuant to Order 17 Rule 1 of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2017.

The applicants include former Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Yusuf Ibrahim K/Mata; former Commissioner for Internal Security, AVM Ibrahim Umar (rtd); former Commissioner for Special Duties, Nasir Sule Garo; former Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Adamu Aliyu Kibiya; and former Commissioner for Youth, Mustapha Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.

They contended that the vehicles were allocated to them as part of their conditions of service upon appointment and argued that, by convention and in line with the determination of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, commissioners are entitled to retain such vehicles at the end of their tenure.

According to affidavits filed in support of their applications, the former commissioners resigned in January this year and urged the court to grant the interim reliefs in the interest of justice, maintaining that the balance of convenience favoured them.

In his ruling, Justice Mahmood Abba Namtari declined to grant the interim orders sought and instead directed that the defendants be put on notice.

The cases were adjourned to March 10 for hearing of the substantive applications.

The Federal Government has approved N48b to 12 selected universities for engineering upgrades.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this disclosure on Monday at the inauguration of the Implementation Committee on Tertiary Education Trust Fund Special High-Impact Intervention Projects in Abuja.

Alausa said the funds would either upgrade existing facilities or support the construction of new engineering workshops where necessary while adding that an additional N20 billion has been provided in the 2026 TETFund guidelines to upgrade engineering facilities in other selected universities.

According to him, beneficiary institutions to receive N4 billion each include:

Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State

Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State

Federal University of Technology, Babura, Jigawa State

Federal University of Technology, Ikot-Abasi, Akwa-Ibom State

Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State

Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State

African Aviation and Aerospace University, Abuja

Shehu Shagari University of Education, Sokoto State

Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences

University of Ilesha, Osun

Delta State University

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University

The Abia State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has condemned the statement attributed to the former Senate President, David Mark, and other leaders of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, during the launch of Abia ADC’s membership mobilisation, registration, and revalidation exercise in Umuahia.

The ADC National Chairman, who was represented at the registration event on Saturday by ADC National Welfare Secretary, Nkem Ukandu, said that the APC-led Federal Government lacks direction, adding that the government has abandoned Nigerians amid economic hardship.

Reacting to the opposition party’s statement, the Abia APC Caucus accused the ex-Senate President and the ADC of attempting to mislead Nigerians with rhetorical political rallies.

“We strongly reject the misleading narrative that the APC-led Federal Government lacks direction and has abandoned Nigerians to hardship.

“Nigeria is navigating complex reforms under the bold leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. These necessary reforms are aimed at stabilising the economy, strengthening the naira, boosting local production, and creating long-term sustainability,” the APC Caucus said.

The Abia APC further stated that individuals who have occupied the highest levels of leadership for decades in the country should not attempt to distance themselves from structural issues that accumulated over time.

On allegations that it was plotting against a free and fair election process in the country, the Abia APC Caucus said the party is committed to free, fair, and credible elections, not the manipulation of outcomes.

“Our party believes in competition based on ideas and performance, not unfounded allegations. Institutions responsible for elections and public finance operate independently within the bounds of the Constitution, and sweeping accusations of manipulation only weaken public confidence without evidence,” it said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has called on the Nigerian government to demystify the recently amended Electoral Act for easy comprehension by the electorate.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, explained that what Nigeria needs is a simple legislation on the Electoral Act, written in a simplified language, that will be easy for every Nigerian to understand.

Prof Amupitan made the call at a citizens’ town hall meeting organized by the Civil Society Network on Election Integrity and the Electoral Act, held in Abuja, on Sunday.

The INEC Chairman’s call comes amid the controversy surrounding the real-time transmission of election results, which he said must be clarified, considering that Nigeria is a highly diverse society, especially in its political and electoral landscapes.

He said, “We have gone through the Electoral Act, from the beginning to the end, and we have looked at some of the contentious areas, especially in a country that is highly diverse.

“What Nigeria needs is actually what I call simple legislation, a simple language legislation, whereby it will be possible for every Nigerian to understand and appreciate the provisions of every section.

“Talking about the transmission of the result, when INEC came in, we thought that transmission should be mandated. But let us be sincere about this, the only problem we had is how to define what we call real time.

“For instance, the FCT area council election that just took place, in Kuje, results came out on time in five area councils, but the result from Kabi ward did not come until the following day, Sunday. We could not reach our officers; they were not accessible by phone.

“I don’t see the issue of transmission as a problem; the problem is the adequacy of the network we have.
“You expect that in a place like FCT, you should be able to transmit your results without any encumbrance.
“But we had a situation where it was impossible for us to have a real-time transmission of results because of coverage.”

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago has appealed to residents, particularly those in Minna metropolis, to remain patient amid the ongoing water shortage, assuring that his administration is working to address the situation.

The governor made the appeal while briefing journalists at the Government House in Minna on critical issues affecting residents, including water scarcity, electricity supply, and insecurity in parts of the state.

Bago attributed the water challenges to decades of neglected infrastructure, noting that many pipelines, some over 30 to 40 years old, are broken.

He also cited ongoing construction works and the growing population in the state capital as factors putting pressure on the existing water system, adding that the government has commenced steps toward a holistic overhaul of the water infrastructure to provide a lasting solution.

According to him, “Efforts are underway to desilt the Tagwai Dam, replace old pipelines, and revamp the distribution network in Minna, while expanding reservoirs and water articulation systems to ensure improved access to potable water.

“In the interim, we are deploying water tankers to distribute water to affected communities. We are also collaborating with development partners to drill boreholes in areas where residents need potable drinking water.”

On electricity supply, he urged citizens to consider alternative power sources, noting that the state government has already migrated critical public institutions, such as hospitals, schools, and the Government House, from the national grid to ensure uninterrupted services.

Bago disclosed that the state is working closely with the Federal Government to tackle insecurity and restore normalcy in troubled communities.

The governor further lamented that over 300,000 persons have been displaced by insecurity and flooding across 10 local government areas.

He then appreciated members of the press for their support and encouraged them to continue reporting government activities professionally and objectively.

The Edo State Migration Agency, EDMA, said it secured the conviction of 35 traffickers in 2025 in the state.

DAILY POST reports that the Director-General of the agency, Mr Lucky Agazuma, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen shortly after a stakeholders’ dialogue on migration and reintegration in Benin City.

The stakeholders’ dialogue, involving non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, and religious leaders, was organized by International Returns and Reintegration Assistance (IRARA).

Agazuma also disclosed that the agency rescued over 393 trafficked victims in the state within the period.

“We secured the conviction of 35 traffickers and also rescued 393 trafficked victims within the period,” he said.

He added that among the rescued victims, 365 were female, 20 were children, while eight were male.

He attributed one of the major challenges for rescued victims to family rejection, noting that many families expect the victims to return with affluence, but when that does not happen, they are often rejected.

He noted that the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo has a zero-tolerance policy for human trafficking and is doing everything possible to curb it in the state.

Agazuma, however, called on communities to promote safe migration rather than irregular migration, where victims are subjected to inhuman treatment.