Former lawmaker representing Rivers South-East in the National Assembly, Magnus Abe, has urged former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to resign as the running mate to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Abe also appealed to Amaechi to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, arguing that the presidency should remain in the South.

The former lawmaker made the call on Tuesday while delivering a goodwill message at a gathering of the Rainbow Coalition held at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

According to Abe, Amaechi had previously opposed the presidency of former President Goodluck Jonathan on the grounds that it violated the power rotation arrangement between the North and the South.

He argued that it was inconsistent for Amaechi, who had led opposition to Jonathan’s presidency over the principle of power rotation, to now support a presidential candidate from the North when, in his view, it was the South’s turn to produce the president.

“Today, the same man who led us to go against our son and our brother is now trying to lead us to go and support somebody from the North when it is the turn of the South,” Abe said.

He consequently called on Amaechi to step down as the ADC vice-presidential candidate and back Tinubu’s bid for another term in office.

“On behalf of all of us here gathered in Rivers State, we want to call on Amaechi to immediately respect his own position and resign as the vice-presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar,” he stated.

Abe also declared the Rainbow Coalition’s support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“We are not just with Tinubu. We are with Tinubu. We are for Tinubu. We are by Tinubu. We are in Tinubu. We are Tinubu here in this coalition,” he said.

The former lawmaker further challenged Atiku to uphold the power rotation arrangement, noting that the former vice-president had previously served in the office and contested presidential elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the North-East geopolitical zone has 13,965,475 registered voters, representing 13.51 per cent of Nigeria’s total voter population of over 103 million.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed the figures during an assessment visit to Gombe State aimed at evaluating operational readiness and addressing challenges facing election officials across the region ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The commission explained that the voter statistics were obtained from its data-cleaning exercise following the completion of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

The assessment brought together National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from the six North-East states and other senior INEC officials for discussions with field officers on preparations for the forthcoming elections.

Speaking during the meeting, Amupitan said the visit was part of the commission’s strategy to engage directly with electoral personnel nationwide, assess their level of preparedness, identify operational gaps and strengthen arrangements for the polls.

He explained that the nationwide assessment tour began in Lagos on September 7, 2026, with a focus on the South-West. The exercise subsequently moved to Kaduna on September 28 for the North-West, proceeded to Enugu on October 20 for the South-East, and arrived in Gombe on October 26 for the North-East assessment.

According to the INEC chairman, the exercise highlights the importance of engaging directly with officials responsible for implementing electoral plans at the grassroots level.

“The true integrity of an election is not determined in the air-conditioned conference rooms of Abuja; it is forged in the field,” Amupitan said.

He further stressed that the credibility of elections depends on the preparedness of electoral personnel, the availability and functionality of operational facilities, and effective coordination of election activities.

Kun Khalifat have appointed Emmanuel Ifeanyi Nwabuwah as the club’s coordinator for the 2026/27 football season, while Warri Wolves have announced plans to appeal sanctions imposed by the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) following an attack on a match official.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Kun Khalifat confirmed Nwabuwah’s appointment in a statement published on the club’s official X account on Tuesday, welcoming him ahead of the new campaign.

“Kun Khalifat FC is pleased to announce Mr Emmanuel Ifeanyi Nwabuwah as the Co-ordinator of the club for the 2026/2027 football season,” the club stated.

“We welcome him and wish him a successful and impactful tenure in the colours of Kun Khalifat FC.”

The appointment comes after the club secured a 1-0 victory over Inter Lagos on Sunday, extending their winning run at home to three consecutive matches.

The result moved Kun Khalifat to 15th on the NPFL table, with 12 points from 10 matches.

Meanwhile, Warri Wolves are preparing to challenge the league’s disciplinary measures imposed after a match official was attacked following their goalless draw against Kano Pillars on Sunday.

The NPFL sanctioned the Delta State-based club with a ₦4.2 million fine, a deduction of three points and three goals from their record, and an order to play their next five home league fixtures behind closed doors.

In a statement released on the club’s official Facebook page, Warri Wolves said they would appeal the decision and request leniency, pointing to their efforts to identify and apprehend the individual involved in the incident.

“Following the league’s decision, an appeal will be filed, requesting leniency in view of the efforts made by the club to apprehend the suspect, the available video evidence showing the club’s caution to the individual, and the subsequent arrest of the suspect,” the club stated.

Warri Wolves acknowledged the seriousness of the incident and said they respected the league’s disciplinary process. However, they expressed hope that the appeal would receive favourable consideration.

The club also warned that the three-point deduction could significantly affect their league standing. If the sanction remains in place, their points tally would fall from 12 to nine, potentially dropping them from 14th to 17th on the table.

The Seasiders called on their supporters to remain calm and united as they await the outcome of the appeal, describing the situation as a challenging period for the club.

“Warri Wolves is bigger than any individual, administration, coach or player. It is a legacy we must all protect,” the statement added.

“As we await the outcome of the appeal, let us continue to stand behind Warri Wolves.

“We hope for the best and trust that the appeal will receive fair and compassionate consideration.”