The African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Enugu State has criticised Governor Peter Mbah over the appointment of one of its House of Representatives candidates, Hon. Chinedu Onyeagba, as an aide.

Onyeagba, the ADC candidate for Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, was among 101 aides recently appointed by Mbah.

The appointments were contained in a public service announcement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia.

According to Onyia, the appointments comprised seven Special Advisers, six Senior Special Assistants and 88 Special Assistants, all of which took immediate effect.

However, in a statement on Wednesday, the ADC Caretaker Secretary in Enugu State, Comrade Adolphus Ude, commended Onyeagba for rejecting the appointment.

Ude also questioned the timing of the appointments and expressed concern over their potential financial implications for the state.

“Someone does not ask somebody returning from the market to help him buy something, but the person going to the market.

“Governor Mbah is returning from the market. His reign is coming to an end. He knows that the people of Enugu State no longer want him. Who are those going to vote for him in 2027? Is it those that he demolished their properties at Ogige Market Nsukka or Old Park Enugu, Holy Ghost Enugu or Gariki?

“He knows that people in Enugu can no longer bear his policies, particularly his ruthless and inhuman taxation policies. Even if he appoints all the Nollywood actors and actresses, and other celebrities in Nigeria as aides, he will still lose re-election,” Ude said.

He alleged that the latest appointments were linked to what he described as Mbah’s concern over the 2027 governorship election and his declining political support in the state.

Ude also argued that the appointments would increase the state’s recurrent expenditure and reduce funds available for infrastructure development.

“Enugu ADC condemns the recent appointment of 101 aides by Governor Peter Mbah at the twilight of his current administration. The latest appointments were announced three weeks after the appointment of 23 aides by the Governor.

“It means that in less than one month, the Governor of Enugu State has appointed 124 aides. This appointment bazaar going on in Enugu State calls for concern.

“The appointment of 124 aides with multiple communication and media portfolios and vague advisory roles when the current Peter Mbah administration is winding-up is sheer executive recklessness.

“Beyond political strategy, there is no rationale whatsoever for this quantum of appointments. The Governor is only interested in regaining his dwindling political influence and mobilising grassroots support across sectors for his re-election and nothing more,” he said.

The ADC official further claimed that salaries and allowances for the aides could place additional pressure on the state treasury.

He warned that increased recurrent expenditure could make the state more vulnerable to a decline in allocations from the Federation Account and potentially force the government to borrow to meet its overhead obligations.

“Already, under Mbah, the debt of Enugu State surged by over 128 percent, climbing from N82.5 billion he inherited in May 2023 to N188.42 billion by early 2026. One could imagine what will happen in the near future when the state borrows to pay the newly appointed aides of the Governor,” Ude said.

A United States-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has said that the United States will not allow Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu to rig the 2027 general elections.

Von Batten-Montague-York made the assertion in a post on its verified X handle on Thursday.

The firm also alleged that, regardless of political leaning, there is a growing consensus that the Nigerian government and its leader, President Bola Tinubu, represent a bastion of corruption.

According to the firm, Tinubu appointed an individual whom the US Department of Justice said had embezzled billions from Nigeria’s treasury during a previous administration to serve as Nigeria’s current minister in charge of the nation’s budget.

“The US cannot afford to allow President Tinubu to rig the upcoming Nigerian election.

“This level of lawlessness in the Nigerian government puts Nigeria on a path similar to those seen in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

“Free and fair elections in Nigeria are essential to protecting US interests in Nigeria and the broader region,” the firm tweeted.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the commencement of the Faculty of Law and 30 new academic programmes at the Federal University Dutse (FUD), beginning from the 2026/2027 academic session.

The approval was contained in a letter dated September 11, 2026, with reference number NUC/AP/F33/VOL.II/15, signed by the Director of Academic Planning, NUC, Abubakar M. Girei, and addressed to the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Ahmad Mohammed Gumel.

Among the newly approved programmes are LLB Common and Islamic Law, BSc Artificial Intelligence, BSc Data Science, BSc Information Systems, Medical Laboratory Science, Community Health, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Physiotherapy, Radiography and Optometry.

Others include Parasitology and Entomology, Environmental Standards, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Applied Geology and Remote Sensing, as well as several education programmes, including Physics, Biology, Mathematics, Educational Management, Early Childhood Education, Adult Education, Arabic and English.

The commission also approved postgraduate programmes in Forestry and Wildlife, Accounting, Treasury and Finance, Banking and Finance, and Information Technology, alongside Master’s programmes in Banking and Finance and Accounting and Finance.

Reacting to the development, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ahmad Mohammed Gumel, described the approval as a significant milestone in the university’s efforts to expand its academic programmes.

Professor Gumel said the new programmes were introduced to respond to emerging educational and manpower needs, particularly in technology, science, education and health-related fields.

He added that the expansion would provide students with relevant knowledge and practical skills needed to meet changing industry demands and address contemporary societal challenges.

According to him, the initiative is also aimed at producing graduates who are adequately prepared for the workforce and capable of contributing meaningfully to national development.

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said he stood by his former colleagues, friends and family members at a “considerable personal cost.”

El-Rufai said that despite standing by them during their difficulties, some of his former colleagues, friends and family members have now gone silent amid his current legal and political travail.

In a statement titled “My Relationships and the Aftermath,” dated September 23, 2026, El-Rufai said he had always been guided by his Islamic faith, Arewa upbringing, personal values and conscience.

He said his support for people was never based on expectations of praise, gratitude or reciprocity, stressing that those were choices he made freely and remained responsible for.

El-Rufai acknowledged that some people may now choose to speak, remain silent, deny relationships or “try rewriting history.”

He said, “Some people have mentioned that they are worried about the quiet behaviour of some colleagues, friends and family members whom I used to support or have close ties with publicly.

“My own opinion about this is pretty straightforward, and I’m going to share it now.

“Throughout my life, I’ve tried to do my best for my co-workers and friends, my family, and people everywhere, based on my Islamic beliefs, my roots in Arewa, my personal values and, most importantly, my conscience.

“Over the years, I have supported people and stood up for causes I believed in, even when things were tough and it cost me a lot personally.

“I did it not because I expected praise, thanks or anything in return, but because I thought it was the right thing to do. Those were decisions I made on my own, and I am still responsible for them.

“In the same way, the people I have supported are now free to make their own decisions since the situation has changed. Some may speak; others may remain silent.

“Some people might even refuse to acknowledge our relationship or attempt to rewrite the past. What I’ve learned during tough times, like the last few months, might make me quietly think again about some relationships and what people who look up to me expect from them.”

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has cautioned politicians and public office holders against sponsoring pilgrims to Mecca and Jerusalem with stolen public funds.

The Sultan spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, NIREC, themed “Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria.”

He said using corrupt funds to finance religious activities could not be justified by the spiritual purpose of such activities.

“You cannot steal money and send people to Jerusalem or Mecca with corrupt funds and think God will accept your deeds.

“God is not corrupt, so you cannot use corrupt money for Hajj or anything else,” he said.

Abubakar also urged religious leaders to work with anti-corruption agencies in tackling corruption and promoting accountability.

He called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to carry out its duties without political interference.

The Sultan further urged religious leaders to promote mutual understanding between Christians and Muslims, saying stronger interfaith relations were necessary for peaceful coexistence.

He also cautioned clerics against making inflammatory statements, particularly during election periods, and urged them to pray for national leaders rather than use religious platforms to cause division.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has recognised Abubakar Bashir as the winner of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) primary for the Yola North/Yola South/Girei Federal Constituency of Adamawa State.

The court also nullified the nomination of the incumbent lawmaker, Abubakar Babazango, as the ADC candidate for the constituency in the 2027 general elections.

Justice Chigozie S. Onah gave the judgment on September 17, 2026, in a suit filed by Bashir against the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Babazango.

The case followed a dispute over the outcome of the ADC primary held on May 21, 2026, and the party’s subsequent decision to submit Babazango as its candidate.

Results from the primary showed that Bashir won with 33,931 votes. He defeated six other aspirants, including Zayyad Tumba, who scored 16,266 votes, and Yusuf Garba, who received 14,611 votes.

Abubakar Mohammed polled 10,035 votes, Abubakar Gabdo scored 8,022, Abdulaziz Abubakar got 4,501, while Babazango came last with 4,359 votes.

Babazango had defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the ADC and was seeking to retain his seat in the House of Representatives.

After the primary, Bashir alleged that efforts were being made to alter the result and replace his name with that of Babazango.

Mohammed Daud, speaking for Bashir’s campaign council, had raised concerns over a list circulating online which allegedly showed Babazango as the winner.

“It has come to our shock and dismay that a purported list currently circulating online suggests that another aspirant, who scored the lowest number of votes during the primary election, was submitted to the national headquarters as the winner,” the statement read.

The ADC denied the allegation, saying there was no plan to manipulate the result.

Bashir later approached the court, challenging Babazango’s nomination. He asked the court to determine whether the primary was conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act, the ADC Constitution and the party’s guidelines.

He also argued that his name could not legally be replaced by an aspirant who did not win the primary.

In its judgment, the court ruled in Bashir’s favour, finding that the process through which Babazango was accepted and published as the winner did not comply with the ADC Constitution and its guidelines.

Justice Onah referred to Section 12 of the ADC Guidelines for the Conduct of Primary Elections, which allows a declared winner to be replaced only if the winner dies or withdraws from the race.

The court found that neither of those conditions applied to Bashir.

The judgment stated: “It follows, as a necessary consequence, that the acceptance and publication of the name of the 3rd Defendant as the winner of the said primary election, having been founded upon a process which this Court has found to be inconsistent with the Constitution and the Guidelines of the 1st Defendant, cannot be sustained.”

The court therefore nullified Babazango’s nomination and directed INEC not to recognise him as the ADC candidate for the constituency in the 2027 election.

Babazango was also barred from presenting himself as the ADC candidate for the seat.

The court directed INEC to recognise Bashir as the winner of the May 21 primary and as the ADC candidate for the House of Representatives seat.

The ADC was also ordered to recognise Bashir as its duly elected candidate.

Justice Onah further held that the party was required to comply with the Electoral Act 2026 and its own guidelines when conducting its nomination process.

The court said the ADC could not lawfully nominate anyone other than Bashir as the winner of the primary and its candidate for the constituency.

Bashir had asked the court to award him N25 million in litigation costs. However, the judge rejected the request, saying solicitors’ fees could not be awarded in the manner sought. Instead, the court awarded N1 million in costs against the ADC and another N1 million against Babazango.

On Tuesday, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, said that a Peter Obi-led administration would bring back fuel subsidies in a modified form.

Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, stated this in an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday.

DAILY POST reports that the NDC running mate was discussing the fuel subsidy policy of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration and the positions of presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 election.

Both Obi and Kwankwaso have criticised the current administration’s handling of fuel pricing and agreed that Nigerians need relief from high pump prices.

However, they appear to differ on a key question: whether the subsidy should return.

Recall that Obi, the NDC presidential candidate and former Anambra State governor, has consistently defended the removal of fuel subsidy.

DAILY POST reports that his position, as reflected in his 2023 manifesto and subsequent interviews, is that the subsidy should have been removed in a structured and phased manner.

According to Obi, the government should have first tackled corruption and established a transparent pricing framework with operators in the downstream petroleum sector.

Also speaking recently at the Nigerian Bar Association conference in Port Harcourt in August 2026, Obi rejected calls for a return to the old subsidy regime.

“I subscribe and maintain that you need to remove subsidy. Mismanagement of the proceeds shouldn’t be the reason for not removing it,” he said.

The NDC presidential candidate also argued that the savings should have been invested in critical sectors such as healthcare, education and agriculture, while also strengthening the country’s sovereign wealth fund.

Obi further claimed that the government recovered trillions of naira from subsidy removal but failed to transparently channel the funds into productive investments that would cushion the impact on Nigerians.

On the contrary, DAILY POST reports that Kwankwaso is approaching the issue from a different direction.

In an exclusive interview with Arise News on Tuesday, the NDC vice-presidential candidate said an Obi-led government would bring back subsidy, although not in the form previously operated.

“We are bringing subsidy in our own way,” Kwankwaso said.

The former Kano governor also faulted President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove the subsidy on May 29, 2023, arguing that the policy was implemented without adequate preparations.

According to him, the decision contributed to what he described as a “total mess economically.”

Kwankwaso acknowledged that the major contenders in the 2023 presidential election had campaigned on eventually removing the subsidy.

Kwankwaso said the government should encourage and support the expansion of both private and public refineries to ensure that petroleum products are produced locally and supplied at lower prices.

“If individuals in this country can build refineries, I see no reason why government under certain circumstances will not build refineries,” he said.

He added that the objective would be to do “whatever it takes to put the price of oil down.”

The comments have raised questions about how the NDC would reconcile the positions of its presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

While Obi has maintained that Nigeria should not return to the old subsidy regime, Kwankwaso has openly spoken about bringing subsidy back “in our own way.”

Although both men have criticised the manner in which the subsidy was removed and have argued that Nigerians should not continue to bear the full burden of high fuel prices, their approaches differ mainly on the mechanism.

For Obi, the emphasis is on maintaining subsidy removal, preventing waste and corruption, and using the savings to improve public services and the economy.

For Kwankwaso, government intervention should include supporting domestic refining and introducing measures that would bring fuel prices down, including subsidy in a new form.

Obi, Kwankwaso may clash over leadership if elected – economist

Speaking to DAILY POST about the development, Chief Economist of ARKK Economics & Data Limited, Dr Samson Simon, expressed concern that a potential Peter Obi-Rabiu Kwankwaso administration could face personality and leadership clashes if elected in 2027.

Simon said Kwankwaso’s age and longer experience in politics could create tension with Obi, whom he described as not being primarily a politician but a former bank chairman.

He said the two opposition leaders needed to resolve their differences and agree on common policies before the election.

“For Peter Obi and his running mate, I am beginning to be concerned. Kwankwaso is older and he has been in politics longer than Peter Obi. And Peter Obi is not primarily a politician; he was a bank chairman,” he said.

“I’m afraid that if they get to power, they may have a clash of personality and Kwankwaso might feel too big to take instructions from Peter Obi.

“They need to sit down together. They can’t be singing discordant tunes. They have to sit down and agree on a policy.

“I think Kwankwaso should defer to Obi as the head of the ticket, even if he doesn’t agree. That’s one thing about leadership. The thing about power is not about age,” he added.

Obi, Kwankwaso must harmonise positions on fuel subsidy – Analyst

For his part, a political analyst and communication expert at Peaceland University, Enugu, Nduka Odo, said the disagreement between Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso over fuel subsidy shows the need for the opposition ticket to harmonise its economic policies ahead of the 2027 election.

Odo told DAILY POST in a chat that although both politicians could have different views on economic management, they must present Nigerians with a clear and coherent position on fuel subsidy.

“You cannot be running on the same ticket and be sending different signals on an issue as sensitive as fuel subsidy,” he said.

According to him, the issue should not be reduced to political rhetoric, as the policy has direct implications for the cost of living and the broader economy.

“They need to sit down, look at the figures and agree on a position that is economically sustainable and politically clear to Nigerians,” Odo said.

He added that Obi and Kwankwaso should explain what they intend to do differently and how their proposed approach to fuel subsidy would affect ordinary Nigerians.

Nigeria’s power sector recorded a total available generation of 5,403.3 megawatts on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, according to the Daily Load Allocation Table released by the National Control Centre, NCC.

According to the report, out of the total generation, 4,379.07MW was successfully delivered to various electricity distribution companies (DisCos) across the country.

The figures revealed that Abuja DisCo received the highest load share at 700MW (15.20% NERC percentage), followed closely by Ikeja DisCo with 581MW (15.01%), Ibadan DisCo with 550MW (11.93%), and Benin DisCo with 531MW (8.04%).

Other distribution companies also received their respective allocations under NERC guidelines, including Eko with 519MW, Enugu with 512MW, Port Harcourt with 466MW, Kano with 161MW, Kaduna with 155MW, Jos with 134MW, and Yola with 70MW.

Meanwhile, a subtotal of 1,024.18MW was categorised under exempted loads, covering power stations and auxiliary consumption (108.07MW), transmission losses and substation services (367.87MW), as well as various bilateral and international supplies, including allocations to Niger and local industrial consumers.

Recall that the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, attributed improved electricity supply in the country to the restoration of the 375MW Alaoji power plant after three years offline, as well as other efforts by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Ogun State Police Command has commenced a documentation and verification exercise for all Supernumerary Police, SPY, personnel operating in the state.

The exercise, according to the Command, will run from September 23 to October 7, 2026.

This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi.

He said the exercise was aimed at strengthening the proper documentation, verification and oversight of SPY personnel in the state.

He said all organisations with SPY personnel are directed to ensure that their personnel report for the exercise.

“Accordingly, all organisations with SPY personnel are directed to ensure that their personnel report to the Police Public Relations Department, Ogun State Police Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta.

“They are required to come with their training certificates and photocopies, warrant cards or certificates of ‘To Whom It May Concern’, recent passport photographs in approved uniform, and other relevant documents,” he stated.

The Command described the exercise as proactive, adding that it would ensure effective monitoring and accountability of SPY operations in Ogun State.