Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Bola Tinubu to provide daily, date-stamped photographs and videos showing him performing the lesser Islamic pilgrimage, Umrah, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, following allegations that the President could make a detour to France.

Atiku, who is associated with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), questioned the circumstances surrounding Tinubu’s planned trip, alleging that the announced pilgrimage could serve as a “smokescreen or subterfuge” for a possible visit to France.

The allegations were contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.

Tinubu is scheduled to depart Abuja on Thursday for Makkah, where the Presidency says he will perform Umrah and pray for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability and progress.

He is expected to return to the country next week.

Reacting to the announcement, Atiku called on the Presidency to disclose the President’s full itinerary and provide verifiable evidence of his presence in the holy city throughout the pilgrimage.

“If President Tinubu is truly travelling to pray for Nigeria, the Presidency should release clear, current, date-stamped photographs and videos each day showing him at the Kaaba and participating in the rites of Umrah,” the statement said.

The former vice-president also raised questions about Tinubu’s health and a reported $20 billion loan request involving a French business partner, urging the Presidency to address the issues.

Atiku maintained that Nigerians deserved transparency regarding the President’s movements and official engagements, particularly when a foreign trip was publicly presented as a spiritual mission undertaken on behalf of the country.

He said he and other Nigerians would join the President in praying for the nation’s peace and progress, but cautioned against using religious devotion without sincerity.

The ADC campaign council also argued that the trip was a matter of public interest, insisting that Nigerians had a right to know the President’s itinerary and how the visit would be funded.

Atiku consequently urged the Presidency to respond to the concerns and provide the information he said Nigerians were entitled to receive.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has pledged to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral laws and ensure the prosecution and imprisonment of individuals found guilty of electoral fraud if elected president in 2027.

Obi made the pledge on Wednesday during an NDC town hall meeting in Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, where he outlined his proposed reforms aimed at promoting electoral transparency, accountability and public confidence in the democratic process.

The former Anambra State governor said his administration would prioritise reforms to strengthen political parties and improve the conduct of elections, stressing that electoral manipulation must attract serious legal consequences.

He maintained that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other individuals found culpable in the manipulation of election results should face prosecution and imprisonment in accordance with the law.

Obi also called for stricter requirements for individuals seeking elective positions, proposing that political aspirants should provide evidence that they attended primary and secondary school.

He warned against the falsification of academic credentials, insisting that individuals who forge certificates or make false claims about their educational qualifications should be held accountable.

The NDC presidential candidate further stressed that the rule of law must apply equally to all Nigerians, irrespective of their political influence, public office or social standing.

According to him, his presidential ambition is driven by the desire to build a country where public institutions function effectively, electoral laws are respected and no individual is considered above the law.

Obi’s remarks come as political parties and prospective candidates intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with electoral integrity, credible voting processes and institutional accountability expected to feature prominently in political debates.

However, any proposed changes to candidates’ eligibility requirements would have to comply with the relevant provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and electoral laws.

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

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to replace Ibrahim Lukman with Olumuyiwa Owadara as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency I in the 2027 general election.

The court, presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko, nullified INEC’s publication of Lukman as the party’s candidate, ruling that he did not participate in the primary election monitored by the commission on May 29, 2026.

In the judgment delivered on October 20, the court held that Owadara emerged winner of the primary after scoring the highest number of lawful votes cast.

Justice Aluko consequently directed INEC to immediately publish Owadara’s name and particulars as the party’s candidate, setting aside the commission’s August 1 publication of Lukman.

The court also awarded N1m in costs against INEC and Lukman.

The suit followed INEC’s decision to list Lukman as the NDC candidate despite the party’s position that he neither participated in the recognised primary nor emerged through any subsequent primary election.

Owadara had approached the court, arguing that he won the party’s primary and completed the necessary nomination requirements but was excluded from INEC’s published list of candidates.

In its defence, INEC maintained that it published the names submitted through its platform by political parties, including the NDC.

However, Justice Aluko rejected the commission’s explanation, holding that it was not supported by credible evidence.

The judge noted that the NDC denied submitting Lukman’s name and accused INEC of imposing him on the party, stressing that the commission lacked the legal authority to determine a party’s candidate outside the provisions of the law.

Justice Aluko held that the publication of Lukman’s name violated Sections 29(1), 32(1) and 84(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which regulate the submission of candidates and the conduct and monitoring of party primaries.

The court further found no credible evidence that the NDC had invoked the statutory procedure for changing its candidate under Section 33 of the Act or conducted another primary election.

“There is no credible evidence before the court to suggest that the 2nd Defendant as a political party took steps to change its candidate in line with the provision of section 33 of the Electoral Act or that another primary election was held by the 2nd Defendant,” the judge held.

Relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in Igboke v. Chukwu (2023), Justice Aluko reaffirmed that a candidate who did not emerge from the relevant party primary could not lawfully be recognised by INEC.

The court also dismissed Lukman’s objection to its jurisdiction.

Lukman had argued that he was not properly served with the court processes, claiming that he was in London when service was purportedly effected and disputing the ownership of the WhatsApp number and email address used.

The judge, however, found that the WhatsApp number used for service matched the number Lukman supplied to INEC in his Form EC9, an affidavit of personal particulars sworn to on June 27.

The court also considered WhatsApp exchanges between the lawyers representing both sides, which indicated that the court processes had been exchanged on August 27, 28 and 31.

Justice Aluko further noted that Lukman did not file a counter-affidavit or defence to challenge Owadara’s claims.

Owadara’s legal team was led by Festus Ogun, Managing Partner of FOLEGAL, alongside Tofunmi Adetunji and Omobola Olayanju.

Reacting to the judgment, Ogun described the decision as a victory for democracy and the rule of law, expressing satisfaction that the court had upheld the rights of the recognised primary winner.

He faulted the last-minute emergence of a candidate who did not participate in the recognised primary, describing such a development as an injustice to the legitimate winner and a threat to the credibility of the electoral process.

Meanwhile, the NDC, through its counsel, Ikechukwu Onodi, had argued that INEC lacked the authority to substitute a duly nominated candidate, maintaining that candidate substitution was an internal party matter governed by statutory requirements.

INEC’s counsel, Segun Bello, also argued that determining whom a political party sponsors was not the commission’s responsibility and that the electoral umpire was required to remain neutral.

Following the judgment, FOLEGAL, in a letter dated October 23, forwarded a certified true copy of the decision to the INEC National Chairman and requested immediate compliance with the court’s orders

As political parties and their candidates intensifying engagements with stakeholders across the country, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, is scheduled to visit Enugu State on Thursday for a town hall meeting.

The meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for the former Anambra State governor to engage with participants and discuss issues of public interest.

Obi’s visit comes as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has raised the alarm over an alleged move to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into postponing the January 16, 2027 presidential election, warning President Bola Tinubu against using the Ebola outbreak as a justification for delaying the poll.

The council alleged that the Presidency was considering shifting the election, which is about 80 days away, and urged INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to resist any attempt to alter the announced timetable.

The allegations were contained in a statement titled “Tinubu Must Face Nigerians At The Ballot Box, Not Hide Behind Ebola,” signed by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.

The campaign council claimed it had received information suggesting that the INEC chairman could be summoned to the Presidential Villa and directed to postpone the election.

It called on Tinubu to abandon any such move, while urging Amupitan to make public any attempt to influence the commission’s electoral schedule.

“If President Tinubu believes Nigerians want another four years of his government, he should face them at the ballot box, not seek more time through the back door,” the statement said.

The ADC-PCC argued that Nigerians had endured three and a half years of rising prices, declining incomes and worsening economic hardship, insisting that voters should be allowed to decide the government’s fate at the polls as scheduled.

“A government that has made life this difficult for Nigerians must not be allowed to postpone its day of judgment,” the council added.

While acknowledging the seriousness of the Ebola outbreak, the opposition campaign council said public health authorities must be allowed to contain the disease, while INEC should implement appropriate measures to protect voters and election officials.

However, it cautioned against turning the public health situation into a political justification for postponing the election.

The council also cited the reported position of the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that there was no current justification for delaying the poll, warning that the agency’s position should not be misrepresented to serve political interests.

It called on INEC, domestic election observers and international monitoring organisations to scrutinise any proposal to alter the electoral timetable.

According to the council, any decision to change the date must be publicly explained, backed by documented health evidence and subjected to public scrutiny.

“The Presidency must not use a health emergency to escape an electoral verdict,” the statement said.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a ₦10 billion fundamental rights suit filed by Nollywood actor Emeka Ike against Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the alleged publication of his voter registration details on social media.

Justice Salim Ibrahim, in his judgment on Wednesday, upheld preliminary objections filed by the respondents, ruling that the suit was incompetent and improperly constituted.

The judge also dismissed the substantive suit for lack of proof.

Ike had instituted the action following an alleged social media post by Olayinka in May, which reportedly contained details of the actor’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to Abuja.

The actor alleged that the publication of his personal information on X, formerly Twitter, without his consent violated his fundamental right to privacy and the protection of personal data.

Ike, who contested for the House of Representatives seat representing AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in Abuja under the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 general elections, had lost the party’s primary election.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026, the actor sought a declaration that Olayinka’s publication of his voter registration details constituted a violation of his rights under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Sections 24 and 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.

He also asked the court to declare that INEC breached its statutory duty to protect the personal information of registered voters.

Among other reliefs, Ike sought ₦10 billion in general and aggravated damages against the respondents, jointly and severally.

He further requested an order compelling Olayinka to remove the alleged offending post from his X account and issue a written apology.

The actor also argued that INEC’s June 2 press statement responding to the circulation of his voter information amounted to an admission of liability.

However, both respondents urged the court to dismiss the case.

In its counter-affidavit, INEC maintained that the information in question was neither classified nor confidential, arguing that the publication and display of voter information were authorised under the Electoral Act, 2026.

The commission said its statutory responsibilities included compiling, maintaining, displaying and publishing the register of voters in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and applicable data protection laws.

INEC further denied breaching its duty to safeguard voters’ information, maintaining that it had not suffered an external security breach or unauthorised access to its information technology infrastructure.

Olayinka, on his part, argued that the information he shared consisted only of Ike’s name and passport photograph, which he claimed were already in the public domain.

He denied obtaining the information unlawfully and maintained that he did not owe the actor a duty of confidentiality regarding details that were publicly accessible.

The presidential aide also argued that Ike had made his name and photograph public by presenting himself for election, insisting that the publication did not warrant the damages being sought.

Olayinka further contended that the information was shared to draw attention to the actor’s voter registration transfer and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.

He denied responsibility for any alleged injury suffered by Ike, arguing that he was not a data controller under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, and therefore had no obligation to safeguard the actor’s voter registration records.

The respondents consequently urged the court to dismiss the suit in the interest of justice.

In its ruling, the court upheld their preliminary objections and dismissed the substantive case for lack of proof, bringing the ₦10 billion legal action to an end at the trial court.