The Kwankwassiyya Movement has said the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) will take advantage of the available legal provisions and engage the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address the omission of its deputy governorship candidate in Kano State, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, from the commission’s final list of candidates.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

It would be recalled that Kwankwaso and his principal, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, were left out of the list released by INEC. The NDC has described the omission as an error and said it is working to have the situation corrected.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, the spokesperson for the Kwankwassiyya Movement, Habibu Mohammed, said there was no clear justification for excluding Kwankwaso from the list. He added that the movement would engage the electoral commission to resolve the matter.

Mohammed maintained that Kwankwaso completed his registration with the NDC within the stipulated timeframe.

He said, “It came as a shock because there had been no issue with INEC. Kwankwaso, a former deputy governor, is registered with the NDC and met the stipulated deadline.

“Electoral provisions give candidates 14 days to seek redress if their names are omitted from the list. We will explore that opportunity and engage with INEC.

“Actually, we believe there is no particular reason for the omission. INEC itself has not advanced any reason. We believe it may be an administrative error or something else because we do not have any pending judgment or court order.

“This is a man who has already served as a deputy governor, so we cannot even question his qualification. We also believe he was duly registered with the NDC within the stipulated period.

“Therefore, the omission came as a shock. However, in politics, we have seen many things, and we believe there are always ways to resolve issues. There is also a provision in the Electoral Act.

“If he is not on INEC’s list, I believe the Kwankwassiyya Movement, being law-abiding and committed to doing things the right way, will explore that opportunity and engage INEC. We are confident that the matter will be resolved because we see no reason why it should be otherwise.”

Nigerian striker Victor Boniface has received a warning from Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes after reportedly walking towards the dressing room when he realised he would not feature in Saturday’s 4-3 Bundesliga win over Mainz.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The 25-year-old forward remained on the bench as Leverkusen coach Carles Martínez made his final substitutions in the 84th minute, introducing Equi Fernández and Jonas Hofmann in place of Aleix García and Patrik Schick.

Boniface reportedly left the bench and headed down the tunnel after discovering that he would not be given an opportunity to play.

Martínez said he was unaware of the incident during the match but indicated that he would discuss the matter with the Nigerian international.

“If that’s what happened, we’ll speak to him,” the coach told Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, adding that decisions over team selection were part of football.

Rolfes also commented on the situation, issuing a warning while adopting a somewhat humorous tone.

“Perhaps he went into the dressing room a little too early today. It won’t happen next time,” the sporting director said.

Despite the reported incident, Rolfes praised Boniface’s improving fitness and professionalism, describing him as a valued member of the squad and training group.

The Super Eagles striker has struggled to secure regular playing time this season, making only one Bundesliga appearance so far. He played five minutes in Leverkusen’s 3-2 opening-day defeat to SV Elversberg, during which he provided an assist for Christian Kofane.

Since then, Boniface has missed out on appearances against Union Berlin, Leipzig and Mainz, while he was not involved in the match against Augsburg.

However, an injury to Kofane could create an opportunity for the Nigerian forward to compete for more playing time as he seeks to revive his career at Leverkusen.

The German club’s Europa League trip to Lech Poznań on Thursday could provide Boniface with another chance to impress, depending on Martínez’s team selection.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned Nigerians against a fake announcement circulating on social media concerning governorship candidates in six states.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The commission clarified that the publication, which mentions Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano states, did not originate from it.

INEC disclosed this in a public notice shared on its official X account, describing the announcement as fraudulent and urging members of the public to disregard it and refrain from sharing it.

The electoral body also dismissed claims that it had released a special announcement concerning governorship candidates in the affected states.

It advised Nigerians to confirm electoral information through its official communication channels instead of relying on unverified publications circulating online.

According to the commission, members of the public can access authentic information through its official website, inecnigeria.org, and its news portal, inecnews.com, as well as its verified social media accounts.

INEC identified its official social media platforms as INEC Nigeria on Facebook and @inecnigeria on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram.

The commission also provided the following contact details for enquiries and further clarification:

• Call Centre: 0700-2255-4632
• Short Code: 4632
• Phone Numbers: 090844444333, 09050858629
• Email: iccc@inec.gov.ng
• Website: inecnigeria.org
• News Portal: inecnews.com

INEC urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and verify election-related information through its authorised platforms to avoid being misled by false announcements.

The commission reaffirmed its commitment to providing accurate information to the public and called on citizens to disregard the fraudulent publication.