The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that candidates whose names were not included in the membership registers submitted to the commission could be barred from contesting the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The warning follows the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment, which affirmed the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026.

The apex court also upheld INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.

Speaking on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme on Wednesday, INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission would not permit political parties to benefit from violations of electoral laws.

Haruna explained that parties would not be allowed to substitute candidates affected by the membership register requirement, arguing that such a move would amount to benefiting from their own violation.

He said, “It’s like you committed an offence. And then, you come and benefit from it. You remember cases that we had of some in Zamfara, you remember Plateau? The same thing.

“And the law was very clear. Once you do that kind of thing, you cannot benefit from it. You are benefiting from it, if you are able to substitute a candidate.”

According to the commissioner, the implications of the Supreme Court judgment could extend beyond individual candidates, with some political parties potentially unable to field candidates in certain governorship elections.

“Some parties may not be able to finish with even governorship candidates,” he said.

Haruna said the membership register requirement applied to candidates contesting from the presidential level down to the state Houses of Assembly.

“All the candidates, all the way to the Houses of Assembly, we interviewed them. If their names are not on the party register, they were not members of the party at the time that they contested for those tickets,” he stated.

The INEC commissioner acknowledged the concerns generated by the Supreme Court ruling but said the commission needed to carefully examine the certified judgment before taking a final position.

He explained that INEC had only recently obtained the Certified True Copy of the judgment and would consult its legal experts before making a definitive pronouncement.

“You can’t be too careful with these things because even when you see copies, and they tell you it’s a CTC, it may be forged,” Haruna said.

He recalled previous instances in which individuals allegedly forged Supreme Court judgments, stressing that INEC must ensure that the document it relies upon is authentic.

Haruna said the commission expected to issue a clear position on the matter by Tuesday next week.

The commissioner also expressed concern over threats being made during political campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that threatening political opponents or other actors was unacceptable regardless of the number of people involved.

“Those kinds of things, even if it’s a minority, it’s a cause for concern, because nobody should be threatened at all,” he said.

He described such rhetoric as “not reassuring at all” and said it should concern all Nigerians, including supporters of the ruling party.

Haruna further disclosed that INEC was working to secure the funds required to conduct the 2027 elections.

He said the commission was facing increasing pressure due to the limited time available and could no longer afford delays in making the necessary preparations for the polls.

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, has challenged African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, his running mate Rotimi Amaechi, and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi to disclose whether their private businesses have made progress under the Tinubu administration.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Bwala made the statement during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday night.

According to the presidential aide, the commercial bank where Peter Obi serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees recorded profits under the current administration.

Bwala also criticised those who questioned President Tinubu’s recent statement that prosperity in Nigeria would begin on October 1.

He argued that the President’s comment should be understood in the context of the administration’s ongoing reforms and programmes, rather than as an indication that Nigerians would only begin experiencing prosperity from that date.

Bwala said, “Anybody who sat, watched the President’s speech and left the room would think that, within the context of what the President was saying, he meant that it was from October 1 that people would start to see prosperity.

“I would classify that kind of person as a member of ADC or NDC that has divided the brain into four; three parts are locked, and the one that is functioning is the one that wants to project their point.

“Otherwise, one million families whose children have benefited from the NELFUND programme, what they are benefiting from is called prosperity.

“Otherwise, they could not afford the funds to go to school. You can relate that with any part of the economy.

“If you go to an environment or a place where there has been no road and we have established infrastructure there, what has come to them is prosperity, and it didn’t start on October 1.

“Go to the bank that Peter Obi chairs and look at the profit they posted last year; that’s prosperity.

“If you look at Rotimi and Atiku, if they have private enterprises and they can be truthful before God, let them tell you that they have not made progress and profit in the last two years.”

Nigeria’s Flamingos have arrived in Casablanca, Morocco, ahead of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup as head coach Akeem Busari leads the team into the final phase of preparations for the tournament.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Nigerian delegation arrived in Casablanca on Wednesday, October 7, and checked into the Ibis Hotel, where the players and technical crew are expected to continue their training ahead of their opening fixture on October 17.

Busari selected a 21-player squad for the tournament, with captain Harmony Chidi leading the team as the Flamingos seek another impressive outing on the international stage.

The Flamingos secured their World Cup ticket after winning the WAFU-B U-17 Girls Championship with a perfect record of five victories in five matches. The team conceded only one goal throughout the competition.

Nigeria has been drawn in Group B alongside Poland, Puerto Rico and two-time defending champions Korea DPR.

The Flamingos will begin their campaign against Poland on Saturday, October 17, before taking on Puerto Rico on October 20. They will round off the group stage against Korea DPR on October 23.

All three group-stage matches are scheduled to take place at the Women’s Football Complex in Rabat.

The Flamingos finished third at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and will be hoping to surpass that achievement in Morocco.

The tournament is scheduled to run from October 17 to November 7.