The Nigerian Army has deployed a new battalion and an artillery regiment to Kano State as part of efforts to strengthen security and enhance its ability to respond to emerging threats.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division, Major General Abubakar Sadique Muhammad Wase, disclosed this during an operational assessment visit to the 24 Battalion in Tudun Wada and the 311 Artillery Regiment in Dambatta between October 28 and 29, 2026.

Wase, who also serves as the Commander of Sector 1 of the Joint Task Force, Operation Fansan Yamma, said the newly established military formations required commitment, resilience and adequate support to achieve their operational objectives.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 1 Division, Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, the GOC assured personnel that the division was working with the Kano State Government to ensure the units attained full operational capacity.

“Being fledgling formations, these units require collective resilience and dedication to achieve the desired objectives behind their establishment,” Wase said.

He also promised to prioritise the welfare of military personnel and provide the necessary logistical support to enable the formations to become fully operational and carry out their duties effectively.

During the visit, Wase was accompanied by the Commander of 3 Brigade, Brigadier General Saka Jimoh. The delegation also held meetings with local government officials in Dambatta and Tudun Wada.

The GOC urged residents of the host communities to cooperate with the military and support the newly established formations, emphasising that collaboration between security agencies and local communities was vital to maintaining a safe environment.

The Army explained that the deployment was part of its broader expansion and restructuring efforts aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and improving operational responsiveness.

The assessment visit also provided an opportunity for the GOC to evaluate the units’ operational readiness and identify areas where additional support would be required before they fully assume their responsibilities.

The House of Representatives has summoned the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, to provide details of the commission’s preparations for the 2027 general elections amid concerns over insecurity and the risk of eligible voters being disenfranchised.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Lawmakers directed Amupitan to appear before the House Committee on Electoral Matters within seven legislative days to give a comprehensive briefing on INEC’s readiness for the polls.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion jointly sponsored by the Minority Whip, Mansur Soro, and the Deputy Minority Leader, Abdussamad Dasuki, during Wednesday’s plenary.

INEC has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027.

The House instructed its Committee on Electoral Matters to scrutinise the commission’s preparations in key areas, including Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), the production and distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), election logistics, technological deployment and security arrangements.

Lawmakers also requested an assessment of INEC’s plans for deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal.

The committee is expected to examine the recruitment and training of electoral personnel, voter education programmes and measures to address operational challenges across the country.

It will also review INEC’s budgetary allocations, funds already released, outstanding payments and the potential consequences of funding shortfalls for the implementation of the electoral timetable.

Additionally, the lawmakers want the committee to assess lessons from the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, particularly regarding election administration, logistics, technology deployment and voter participation.

The motion’s sponsors had initially proposed that the INEC chairman address the entire House on the commission’s preparations. However, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu opposed the suggestion, arguing that the responsibility should be handled by the standing committee overseeing electoral matters.

Kalu maintained that inviting Amupitan before the full House, shortly after he had briefed the nation, could undermine the oversight responsibilities of the relevant committee.

“While I agree such oversight should be carried out, I believe that the oversight should be by the committee of the House that has been given this responsibility to do so,” he said.

He added that lawmakers should have confidence in their committees, noting that their members were adequately equipped to carry out the necessary oversight functions.

Presenting the motion, Soro cited Sections 76, 116, 132 and 178 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, relevant provisions of the Constitution’s Third Schedule and the Electoral Act 2026, which establish INEC’s responsibility for organising, conducting and supervising elections.

He argued that the credibility, transparency and public acceptance of the 2027 elections would depend largely on the commission’s preparedness in voter registration, voter education, logistics, technology, personnel training, security coordination and funding.

Soro also pointed to the recent governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun, saying they offered important lessons in election management, logistics, technology deployment, stakeholder engagement, security and voter participation.

The lawmaker expressed concern over reported difficulties at Continuous Voter Registration centres across the country, including inadequate registration equipment, insufficient personnel, network failures, lengthy waiting times and increased demand from citizens seeking to register or update their voter details.

According to him, these challenges could prevent eligible citizens from participating in the electoral process, particularly first-time voters, rural residents, persons with disabilities, students and workers.

“These operational difficulties particularly affect first-time voters, rural citizens, individuals with disabilities, students, and workers, limiting their access to registration and threatening the participation of eligible voters in the electoral process without timely interventions,” Soro said.

Contributing to the debate, Dasuki said the motion was aimed at addressing concerns about the ability of eligible voters in areas affected by insecurity to participate in the forthcoming elections.

“This is the very first time we are going into an election with 11 months of security concerns,” he stated.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has dismissed claims that the President’s planned trip to Saudi Arabia is for medical treatment, insisting that he is travelling to perform Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Olusegun made this clarification on Thursday in a post on his X account while responding to comments by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, who had raised concerns about Tinubu’s health ahead of the trip.

The presidential aide rejected suggestions that the President was travelling abroad to seek medical attention, explaining that the visit was intended for religious purposes.

According to Olusegun, Tinubu plans to visit the holy land to pray for Nigeria and seek divine guidance ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In his post, he wrote that the President was travelling to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, a religious exercise undertaken by Muslims around the world.

“President Tinubu is not heading to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment. He is heading to the Holy Land for Lesser Hajj (Umrah), like other Muslims across the world, to offer supplications for the country and commit his re-election journey into the hands of God,” Olusegun stated.

He described the trip as a familiar practice, noting that Muslims often undertake religious journeys when preparing for important events or major milestones.

Olusegun also recalled that Tinubu travelled to Makkah twice in 2022 to perform Umrah, first in April ahead of the APC presidential primary and again in late December before the presidential election.

According to the aide, the President’s previous visits were followed by electoral success, adding that Tinubu had decided to undertake the pilgrimage again.

“It is only sensible to stick to a potent strategy, hence the President is going again,” he added.

The presidential aide also cited Tinubu’s recent official engagements as evidence against concerns about his health.

He noted that the President attended the APC re-election campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday, received former African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina, and separately hosted the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, Ola Awakan.

Olusegun further stated that Tinubu chaired the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, during which several key decisions were taken.

He argued that the President’s busy schedule contradicted claims that he was unwell.

“Mr Sowore, a ‘sick person’ would not have this many itineraries to accomplish. Mr President is fit as a fiddle, and no evil, as you are wishing for, will befall the People’s President,” he said.