High-Risk Zones Identified: Ahead of the upcoming Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency by-election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has pointed out security vulnerabilities in specific council areas.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Threats of Thuggery: According to Gombe State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Umar-Mukhtar Gajiram, Gombe and Funakaye LGAs have been marked as high-risk zones primarily due to the potential threat posed by political thugs known as ‘Kalare boys’, who might intimidate voters or disrupt the process.

• Kwami Under Close Watch: Meanwhile, Kwami LGA is being closely monitored due to recent herder-related attacks and its shared border with Borno State, raising the need to watch out for cross-border security spillover.

• Proactive Measures: The electoral commission clarified that mapping these areas as high-risk is not meant to stigmatize local communities, but rather to enable security agencies to deploy targeted preventative strategies.

Strong Rebuttal: Abimbola Adekanmbi, the governorship candidate for the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State, has firmly rejected allegations that he is being sponsored or controlled by Governor Seyi Makinde.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Pledge for Independence: Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, the former Commissioner for Finance declared that, if elected, he would run an independent administration based on his own policy agenda and would take full responsibility for his decisions.

• Clearing the Air: Adekanmbi explained that his political relationship with Makinde should not be misconstrued, revealing that the governor had even advised him not to inherit the political disputes or liabilities of the current administration.

• Inclusive Process: The APM candidate also dismissed claims that Makinde single-handedly handpicked the party’s candidates, stating instead that their emergence was the result of a transparent process involving consultations with various groups across the state.

Clerical Shift to Tinubu: The Charismatic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, headed by Leonard Kawas, announced that its members have switched their allegiance from 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi to President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Principled Stance: In an interview with Channels Television, Kawas explained that his initial backing of Obi in 2023 was a matter of conviction rather than convenience, and their current decision to support Tinubu is guided by a belief that the administration is on the right track to elevate Nigeria.

• APC Campaign Appeal: Meanwhile, Abdulaziz Yari, Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, has called on the North to back President Tinubu’s second-term ambition for 2027.

• Call for Reciprocity: During a visit to the palace of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, the former Zamfara State governor argued that the North should reciprocate the backing Tinubu historically provided to former President Muhammadu Buhari, including stepping aside in 2019 to allow the North to complete its tenure.