•  Commission to release final voters’ register December 15

•  Warns against attacks on electoral officials, corps members

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has ruled out any change to the timetable for the 2027 general election without lawful justification, insisting that the polls must hold as scheduled.

He also warned that anyone who attacks electoral officials, including members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deployed for election duties, will face the full weight of the law.

Amupitan spoke on Saturday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, during an interactive meeting with INEC staff from the six South-South states to assess the commission’s preparedness for the forthcoming elections.

He said the commission would adhere strictly to its statutory obligations, adding that the election timetable would not be altered without lawful justification.

“Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must be held as scheduled,” he said.

The INEC chairman also disclosed that the commission was processing requests for corrections to the voters’ register ahead of the release of the final register scheduled for December 15.

He announced that Rivers State would receive particular attention in INEC’s preparations because it has the highest number of registered voters in the South-South geopolitical zone.

According to figures released by the commission, Rivers State has 3,736,434 registered voters, followed by Delta with 3,525,988; Edo, 2,865,263; Akwa Ibom, 2,566,198; Cross River, 1,928,978; and Bayelsa, 1,200,691.

The six states have a combined total of 15,823,550 registered voters.

Amupitan said the large number of registered voters in Rivers State placed an additional responsibility on INEC officials to ensure that no eligible voter was disenfranchised because of operational failures.

“With the 3,736,434 registered voters for Rivers State, the state leads the South-South. As a result, the commission will pay closer attention to what happens in Rivers State. It is your duty to ensure that no voter is disenfranchised because of operational failures,” he said.

On the voters’ register, Amupitan said INEC had published the document online and at designated locations for public scrutiny.

He disclosed that the commission had received more than 5,000 requests for corrections, covering details such as names and dates of birth, as well as over 600 objections.

He said the commission was addressing the submissions ahead of the December 15 deadline for releasing the final register.

The INEC chairman explained that he had initially considered revalidating the entire voters’ register after assuming office but abandoned the proposal out of concern that the exercise could come too close to the general election.

Amupitan expressed confidence in the commission’s ability to conduct peaceful, transparent and credible elections, citing lessons from recent off-cycle governorship elections, particularly the Osun State governorship poll.

He described the Osun election as encouraging, noting that it recorded the highest voter turnout in the state’s off-cycle election history and received positive assessments despite earlier security concerns.

“Osun State elections gave us the confidence that we can achieve this despite the noise. It is good that we had a series of those elections before the general elections because we learn lessons from every election,” he said.

He added that INEC would build on the experiences gained from the off-cycle elections to strengthen its preparations for the 2027 polls.

“We will conduct elections that will move the nation forward and not an election that will bring it down,” he assured Nigerians.

On security, Amupitan said INEC was working with relevant agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), to safeguard voters, electoral personnel, ad hoc staff and election materials.

He stressed that Nigerians must be able to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and exercise their voting rights without fear of intimidation or violence.

“We want every part of Nigeria to be calm during the elections so that people can come out to vote. We will not tell them to take their PVCs and then will not guarantee their safety,” he said.

Amupitan also dismissed suggestions that artificial intelligence (AI) or computer algorithms could determine the outcome of the 2027 general election, insisting that the electorate would decide the results.

“It is the people of Nigeria that will decide the outcome of the elections and not AI or any algorithms,” he declared.

He, however, acknowledged the growing cybersecurity threats associated with emerging technologies, saying the commission was exploring ways to deploy technology to strengthen the protection of its digital infrastructure against potential attacks.

The INEC chairman urged electoral personnel across the South-South to remain professional and committed to their duties, noting that the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend largely on the conduct of officials at polling units and other field locations.

He warned that anyone who threatened or attacked electoral officials, including NYSC members deployed for election duties, would face legal consequences.

“Anyone who threatens or harms INEC officials, including National Youth Service Corps members deployed for election duties, will face the full weight of the law,” he warned.

Amupitan also cautioned electoral officers against partisanship, negligence, absenteeism and financial misconduct, stressing that such violations would attract disciplinary action.

He said the readiness assessment meeting was designed to identify operational weaknesses, address logistical challenges and strengthen the commission’s preparations ahead of the 2027 general election.

…Distributes empowerment materials, promises ₦200,000 business grants to 750 persons

…As S’East governors throw their weight behind Tinubu’s re-election

•  Benjamin Kalu: Ndigbo not part of anybody’s one-term presidency arrangement, we deserve more

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday flagged off the South-East Women Mega Empowerment and the All Progressives Congress’ Women Mobilisation Directorate’s campaign across the six geopolitical zones, saying the worst was over, as Nigeria was now stepping into prosperity flowing from President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms.

The rally, which climaxed with the distribution of empowerment materials such as sewing machines, food processors, electricity generating sets and popcorn machines to women drawn from the five states of the region to support their economic activities and small-scale businesses, also attracted the presence of women leaders and members of the party from Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Imo and Anambra states.

Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, as well as the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, were also in attendance at the rally, which took place at Okpara Square, Enugu.

Addressing the women, the First Lady, Senator Tinubu, conveyed President Tinubu’s goodwill message and urged Nigerians not to be discouraged by the economic challenges associated with the President’s reforms, insisting that the country was moving towards prosperity.

She likened the process to childbirth, noting that although the period of labour could be painful, it ultimately led to delivery.

“Mr. President said I should greet everyone. We have done reforms and we are now in prosperity. Don’t allow anyone to deceive you. The worst is over. We are stepping into prosperity,” she said.

The First Lady described the empowerment initiative as an indication of the APC government’s commitment to translating its promises into practical interventions, noting that the party was combining political mobilisation with economic support.

She expressed appreciation to the people of the South-East for their reception and support, recalling that she had visited the region several times since her husband’s assumption of office.

Senator Tinubu also announced additional empowerment programmes for women and elderly persons in Enugu State, promising that on December 3, APC senatorial candidates would be provided with funds to empower 250 women each with ₦200,000 to establish businesses.

She further announced an empowerment programme for 250 elderly persons scheduled for December 17, explaining that the beneficiaries must be aged 65 and above.

According to her, each of the two interventions would cover 750 beneficiaries across the three senatorial districts of Enugu State.

The First Lady urged the women to mobilise support for President Tinubu and APC candidates in the forthcoming 2027 general elections, asking them to hold political aspirants accountable for their records of empowerment and development interventions.

In his remarks, Governor Mbah, while welcoming the First Lady, acknowledged the contributions of women to families, communities and national development.

He said the rally was designed to empower more than 5,000 women across the South-East, adding that her office had, within the preceding 48 hours, supported more than 2,000 Enugu women through cash assistance, payment of hospital bills and the provision of tools to enable them to establish and expand businesses.

Mbah said the initiative went beyond political mobilisation, stressing that its central objective was to transform women into wealth creators rather than keeping them dependent on periodic handouts.

The governor also linked his administration’s development milestones to the economic reforms of the Federal Government, particularly the increased resources available to states through federation allocations.

He cited the construction of Smart Green Schools and primary healthcare centres across the state as examples of projects being implemented with the increased resources.

Mbah urged the women to support Tinubu’s continuation in office, arguing that the country would not abandon an ongoing journey because of temporary challenges.

“A good sailor does not abandon his ship mid-sea because of challenges. So, we must finish the journey we all started together,” he said.

He further urged the South-East electorate to participate in the forthcoming elections, describing the Igbo as a people whose economic and social engagements extend beyond their geographical region.

“We are not a people that are ethnic by nature. We are a people that are strategic,” Mbah said, calling for support for President Tinubu and APC candidates.

Also speaking, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, said the South-East would not accept a proposed four-year presidential tenure arrangement for a President of Igbo extraction.

He insisted that the region must seek an eight-year tenure when it eventually produces the nation’s president and called on the people of the South-East to support Tinubu’s re-election bid come 2027.

Kalu said President Tinubu had demonstrated commitment to addressing longstanding concerns of the South-East, particularly through the establishment of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), adding that the post-civil war promise of the three Rs — Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reconciliation — had yet to receive the full implementation of the commitments until the establishment of the commission under the Tinubu administration.

He also cited the President’s appointments of people from the South-East into his cabinet and other federal initiatives as indications of his administration’s engagement with the region.

According to Uzodimma, increased allocations from the Federation Account had also provided state governments with greater resources to execute development projects, and he urged the people of the region to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid and other APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.

Similarly, Governor Nwifuru said the APC’s central political objective was to secure a second term for President Tinubu, urging party members and supporters to work towards achieving that goal.

“We have a project and that project is our party, the APC. Our project is how to deliver the President for a second term,” he said.

The rally was marked by the presentation of empowerment equipment to women from across the five South-East states, alongside calls by party leaders for increased political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Other dignitaries included the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu; wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Uloma Akpabio; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh (SAN); and Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.

Also present were the APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr. Ben Nwoye; National Women Leader of the APC and Director-General of the Women Wing of the Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Mary Alile-Idele; South-East Zonal Woman Leader of the APC, Dr. Oby Ajih; members of the National and State Assemblies, local government chairmen and other party stakeholders.

Two suspected bandits have been killed and ₦10 million recovered after local hunters intercepted a gang allegedly involved in a kidnapping operation in Falgore Forest, Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, shortly after three suspected bandits collected the ransom demanded for the release of a 45-year-old man, Kabiru Aliyu.

Aliyu, a resident of Falgore Village, was abducted on September 11, 2026.

According to the Kano State Police Command, the suspects were intercepted by local hunters, popularly known as Yan Bula, while returning to their hideout after collecting the ransom.

Two of the suspects reportedly died during the confrontation, while the third escaped with injuries. The hunters recovered the entire ₦10 million ransom.

The police spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said preliminary investigations identified one of the deceased suspects as Dogo Isah, a commercial motorcycle operator from Maigwanda Village in Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The operation was carried out under Operation Kukan Kura, a security initiative aimed at tackling kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes in Kano State.

The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended the hunters for their intervention and directed security operatives to intensify efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspect and recover any weapons used by the gang.

The rescued victim was subsequently debriefed, medically examined and reunited with his family.

The incident highlights the role of local hunters in intelligence gathering and rural security, particularly in areas where difficult terrain poses challenges to conventional security operations.

However, the escape of one of the suspects leaves security operatives with the task of tracking him down and determining whether the gang was involved in other kidnapping incidents in the region.

The police urged residents to provide credible information that could assist ongoing efforts to apprehend fleeing suspects and prevent further criminal activities.