The Chairman of the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC), Mamman Nda-Eri, has assured voters and political parties that the commission will safeguard valid votes and ensure they are duly counted in Saturday’s local government election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Chairman of the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC), Mamman Nda-Eri, has assured voters and political parties that the commission will safeguard valid votes and ensure they are duly counted in Saturday’s local government election.
Nda-Eri gave the assurance while monitoring the electoral exercise, reaffirming the commission’s commitment to conducting a fair election and maintaining political neutrality.
He acknowledged that some political parties had raised complaints about the process but dismissed certain allegations circulating on social media, describing some of the claims as inaccurate. He also maintained that some parties had failed to satisfy the requirements for participating in the election.
The KOSIEC chairman admitted that electoral commissions often face accusations of bias but said his commission would make every effort to demonstrate its impartiality.
“Electoral commissions often face allegations of bias, but we will do our best to show that we are impartial. We will also ensure that no polling unit closes at 3 pm if voters are still waiting in queues,” Nda-Eri said.
He further assured voters that everyone eligible to vote who was still waiting in line would be given the opportunity to exercise their franchise.
Nda-Eri attributed voter turnout to increased voter education and the efforts of political parties to mobilise and sensitise their supporters during their campaigns.
He explained that preparations for the election had begun approximately 360 days earlier and that the exercise was being conducted in line with the commission’s approved timetable.
The KOSIEC chairman urged eligible voters who had not yet cast their ballots to participate in the election, emphasising that voting remained essential to strengthening democratic accountability and ensuring that elected representatives reflected the will of the people.

Tighten the election reportLead with the polling-unit assurance

A faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, who identifies himself as the party’s national chairman, has cautioned former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar against presenting himself as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The faction also dismissed claims of any agreement to enter into an alliance, merger or coalition with the G100 Coalition.

It accused Atiku and some members of the coalition of allegedly attempting to pressure its leadership into accepting an arrangement that could compromise the party’s independence.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Gombe maintained that the ADC would participate in the 2027 elections independently, insisting that the party would not allow its political future to be determined by individuals driven by personal ambitions.

He reaffirmed the faction’s position that the party would make its own decisions regarding its political direction and electoral participation.

The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has stated that it has no official record indicating that Nigerian singer Olayemi Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings, was brought to the facility before his death.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The clarification comes amid public outrage over allegations that several hospitals in Ibadan, Oyo State, failed to provide emergency medical care to the singer after he reportedly collapsed.

Toluwanisings’ personal assistant, Babadunni Olayemi, had claimed that efforts to save the singer were unsuccessful despite taking him to between seven and eight hospitals in the city.

According to him, some of the hospitals reportedly cited a doctors’ strike, while others allegedly declined to admit the singer.

He said, “They took him to different hospitals. Some said doctors were on strike, while others said hospitals rejected him. We all tried, praying for him and taking him around to hospitals. We took him to about seven or eight different hospitals here in Ibadan, but God said it was his time.”

The incident has generated widespread reactions, with some Nigerians linking the reported difficulties in obtaining emergency treatment to the industrial action by resident doctors at UCH. Others have criticised the government over what they described as inadequate attention to the country’s healthcare sector.

However, UCH’s Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Enitan, told The Punch that the hospital had previously experienced an internal strike but had resumed normal services following the suspension of the resident doctors’ industrial action.

Enitan clarified that the dispute was an internal hospital strike rather than a nationwide industrial action.

She also maintained that the hospital’s management had not received any official notification that Toluwanisings was brought to the facility.

“The hospital is running its services. The strike was a local one within the hospital; it was not a national strike. I was not aware that he was brought to UCH. I was not officially informed that he was brought to UCH. There was no record of it with the management,” she said.