The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has urged Nigerians to trust the commission’s leadership to deliver free, fair and credible elections in 2027, citing ongoing reforms aimed at addressing the shortcomings of the 2023 general elections.

Amupitan gave the assurance on Thursday, November 12, 2026, while speaking at Chatham House, London, during a high-level dialogue organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) on the theme, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.”

Acknowledging that the controversies surrounding the 2023 presidential election had significantly damaged public confidence in INEC, the chairman said the commission had used subsequent off-cycle elections to identify operational weaknesses and strengthen its electoral processes.

He cited the recent governorship elections in Anambra and Osun states, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, the Ekiti governorship election and 16 legislative by-elections as evidence of improvements under his leadership.

“Why must Nigerians trust me? Nigerians must trust me because, number one, I have conducted off-cycle elections, and observers agree that the recent election in Osun State marked a clear improvement,” he said.

According to him, unlike previous experiences in Anambra and Osun, where governorship elections had sometimes taken several days to conclude, results in the two states were declared the day after voting under the commission’s improved processes.

Identifying insecurity, logistics and result management as INEC’s major priorities ahead of the 2027 elections, Amupitan disclosed that the commission had introduced additional technical safeguards to prevent inaccurate results and figures reflecting over-voting from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

He said a post-2023 assessment revealed that some of the major challenges associated with election result management occurred at collation centres rather than polling units.

“We have now devised a technical safeguard: if a result is not accurate at the polling unit, it will not go to IReV at all,” he said, adding that the new measures would strengthen public confidence in electronically transmitted results.

On the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the INEC chairman said the commission was addressing the device malfunctions associated with extreme heat and storage conditions during the 2023 elections.

He disclosed that climate-controlled storage facilities were being constructed across the states, while additional BVAS machines had been procured to improve efficiency.

He also announced that the maximum number of voters assigned to a BVAS machine had been reduced from 1,250 to 850, with polling units having more than 850 registered voters to be provided with multiple devices.

To assess the effectiveness of the upgrades, Amupitan announced that INEC would conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise on November 28, 2026, to test its accreditation and electronic result transmission systems ahead of the general elections.

On funding, he confirmed that the commission had received a substantial portion of its 2027 election budget but was awaiting the release of the outstanding balance, particularly funds required for the recruitment and welfare of ad hoc electoral personnel.

He said the commission had received assurances that the outstanding funds would be released before the end of November.

Addressing concerns about his neutrality following social media allegations linking his phone number to a controversial X account, formerly Twitter, Amupitan denied ever operating an account on the platform.

He said an independent forensic review had been obtained and the matter referred to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of Police for investigation.

The INEC chairman also dismissed suggestions that his previous legal engagements in political disputes could undermine his impartiality, insisting that he had acted strictly in his professional capacity as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria before his appointment.

“My loyalty is solely to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act,” he declared.

On allegations of irregularities in the voters’ register, including claims of an 85 per cent increase in registered voters in a ward in Ebonyi State, Amupitan said the commission had investigated and addressed the complaint in accordance with established legal procedures.

He urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to remain actively involved in the electoral process and resist the spread of misinformation and digital disinformation.

The INEC chairman emphasised the importance of verifying information before sharing it, describing misinformation as one of the major threats to Nigeria’s democracy.

The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.

Zainab Musa Kwankwaso, wife of Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and daughter of former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has reportedly approached a court in Abuja seeking dissolution of her marriage to the governor after 20 years.

According to documents obtained by DAILY GAZETTE, Zainab filed for divorce at the Upper Area Court in Gudu, Abuja, with a court summons directing Governor Yusuf to appear on November 17, 2026.

The couple got married on July 29, 2006, and their marriage produced six children.

The development comes amid reports of a prolonged marital crisis, which sources have linked partly to the political disagreement between Governor Yusuf and his father-in-law, Kwankwaso.

Zainab reportedly left the Kano Government House on October 28 and moved to her father’s residence before subsequently travelling to Abuja without her security escorts.

Her departure reportedly triggered the arrest and questioning of some security personnel attached to her, while some of her siblings, including Ado Kwankwaso, were also questioned over allegations that they assisted her in leaving Kano.

In her court application, Zainab reportedly cited an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage, stating that mutual love, affection and emotional attachment between the couple had ceased to exist.

She was also said to have told the court that efforts to reconcile the marriage had failed, expressing fears that continuing in the relationship could affect her ability to fulfil her religious obligations.

The governor’s wife is seeking to end the marriage through khul’i, an Islamic divorce arrangement under which a wife may seek dissolution of her marriage by returning the dowry or other agreed marital consideration.

As part of her application, she reportedly offered to refund the dowry paid by the governor when they got married.

Meanwhile, the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Sanusi Dawakin Tofa, reportedly did not respond to requests for the governor’s reaction to the development as of the time of filing this report.

A factional leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nafiu Bala Gombe, has expressed disappointment over the failure of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to personally contact him amid the lingering leadership crisis in the party.

Bala, who spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa on Saturday, said he regarded Atiku as a father figure and expected him to reach out, particularly because they both hailed from the same geopolitical zone.

The ADC factional leader spoke while reacting to a court judgment which he said affirmed his faction’s position in the party’s leadership dispute.

He, however, expressed willingness to work with Atiku, former Senate President David Mark and other party stakeholders to strengthen the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Bala described the judgment as a vindication of his faction, maintaining that its position was founded on the provisions of the ADC constitution.

“Alhamdulillah. As we always say, truth is truth, while lies remain lies. Allah has vindicated us. The court has seen the merit of our case and our truthfulness and has decided to return the party leadership to us,” he said.

He disclosed that his faction was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before approaching the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to effect the necessary changes to the party’s leadership records.

Despite the court victory, Bala said he had no intention of using the judgment to victimise members of the opposing faction, insisting that both camps needed to put their differences aside in the interest of the opposition.

“This is not a fight. Allah has given us victory, but we are not enemies. We are extending a hand of friendship to them to stop being arrogant and whatever they may say, so that we can strengthen the opposition and face the government,” he stated.

Bala also insisted that anyone seeking to occupy a leadership position or contest an elective office on the ADC platform must comply with the party’s constitutional requirements, including proper membership registration and payment of stipulated dues.

He said the party’s constitution prescribed a minimum of two years of membership and payment of relevant dues for eligibility to hold certain leadership positions.

The factional leader further accused the opposing camp of failing to follow the party’s membership registration procedures, alleging that David Mark obtained his membership card from a former national chairman in Abuja rather than registering through his ward.

He maintained that he had repeatedly cautioned members of the rival faction against disregarding the party’s constitution but that his warnings were ignored.

Bala also dismissed allegations that he was working with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilise the opposition, explaining that his decision to approach the court was solely to defend his rights and enforce the ADC constitution.

“I went to court with only the constitution. I told the world that if they had followed the right procedures, the court should rule in their favour. But if we were right, we should be given our rights,” he said.

On the continued appearance of Atiku’s and David Mark’s names on INEC’s portal, Bala said the commission would take the necessary steps after receiving the Certified True Copy of the judgment.

He rejected suggestions that INEC was deliberately delaying action, arguing that the commission might not yet have received the official court documents.

He equally dismissed calls for him to abandon the legal battle because of the large crowds attracted by the opposing faction during political engagements in Sokoto and Kebbi states.

According to him, political influence, popularity and financial resources should not be used as excuses to disregard established laws and constitutional provisions.

Bala further alleged that some individuals involved in the leadership dispute had circulated documents claiming that he had resigned from his position, describing such claims as misleading.

On preparations for the 2027 general elections, he said his faction had directed all aspirants seeking elective positions on the ADC platform to continue their political activities and campaigns.

He urged members of the opposing faction to exercise patience, complete their membership registration at their respective wards and comply with the party’s constitutional provisions.

Speaking on the faction’s finances, Bala said it relied mainly on membership dues and contributions generated through the party’s internal activities.

He also defended his security arrangements and lifestyle, maintaining that he was entitled to adequate protection like other prominent political figures and had legitimate business interests outside politics.

The ADC factional leader urged Nigerian youths to remain peaceful and law-abiding, warning against allowing themselves to be used to fuel political confrontations.

He stressed the need for political actors to respect democratic institutions, party constitutions and the rule of law.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has challenged the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, to clarify the party’s position on the singing of Nigeria’s former national anthem, giving him 48 hours to respond.

Keyamo made the demand on Saturday through a post on his X handle, following the controversy generated by the singing of the old national anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots”, at an NDC town hall meeting in Lagos on Thursday.

The minister argued that the national anthem was a symbol of Nigeria’s history, values and sovereignty, insisting that deliberately adopting a different anthem could amount to laying the foundation for secession.

According to him, any political group whose leader officially endorses the use of an alternative national anthem risks being regarded as a secessionist movement.

He said, “A national anthem is one of a country’s national symbols. It represents a country’s history, values and sovereignty. It is meant to unite citizens.”

Describing Dickson as his former classmate and friend, Keyamo called on the former Bayelsa State governor to publicly state whether the NDC had adopted the former anthem as its official national symbol.

He wrote, “I am therefore officially calling on the original ‘Countryman’, my classmate, my friend and a man of considerable courage from our school days, Senator Seriake Dickson, the official leader of the NDC, to within 48 hours speak up as to whether the NDC officially endorses a proscribed anthem as its own national symbol. The world is waiting.”

The controversy erupted during Thursday’s NDC town hall meeting in the Oregun area of Lagos State, where some participants were seen singing “Arise, O Compatriots”, which was Nigeria’s national anthem before its replacement in May 2024.

The party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was among those who participated in the singing and displayed the party’s two-finger gesture.

However, the NDC’s Lagos State governorship candidate, Funso Doherty, subsequently explained that the singing was a spontaneous reaction by participants in an emotional atmosphere.

Doherty maintained that the current national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee”, was also performed at the gathering, emphasising that the country had only one legally recognised national anthem.

The Federal Government had in May 2024 restored “Nigeria, We Hail Thee”, which was first adopted at independence in 1960, replacing “Arise, O Compatriots”, introduced in 1978.

The National Assembly passed the National Anthem Bill, which President Bola Tinubu subsequently signed into law on May 29, 2024.

Speaking separately during an interview on Eagle 102.5 FM on Friday, Keyamo also criticised Obi and other NDC members over the incident, accusing them of showing disregard for national symbols, the law and the office of the President.

He questioned their suitability to seek the country’s highest political office, arguing that their conduct could influence how moderate voters perceive the party.

However, the minister acknowledged during the interview that he was unaware of any specific punishment prescribed by law for singing the former national anthem.

“There’s no penalty that is prescribed by law. No penalty. The law just says this is our new national anthem and then you should think we should all abide by it. It becomes a crime when there’s a penalty attached to it,” he said.

The Lagos East senatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Adeola Adebanjo, has been hospitalised after sustaining a broken leg during an attack on party members in Lagos State.

The party disclosed that Adebanjo suffered the injury when an iron pierced his leg as he attempted to escape from the attackers.

The Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Olushile Akinyemi, revealed this on Friday during an appearance on News Central Television’s Breakfast Central programme.

Suspected political thugs had reportedly invaded an NDC town hall meeting in the Oregun area of Ikeja on Thursday, attacking party supporters and forcing participants to flee.

The assailants, said to be armed with cutlasses, cudgels and stones, allegedly disrupted the gathering, scattered chairs and triggered a confrontation with some NDC members who resisted the attack by throwing chairs at them.

Speaking on the incident, Akinyemi confirmed that the party’s Lagos East senatorial candidate was among those injured.

“I should put it on record that our senatorial candidate for Lagos East, Adeola, had his leg broken during the mayhem. He is currently in hospital as I speak,” he said.

Akinyemi also alleged that NDC supporters travelling from Ojo Local Government Area in three branded vehicles were attacked by suspected thugs at Opebi before reaching the town hall venue.

According to him, the attackers damaged the vehicles and made away with personal belongings, including mobile phones.

He, however, said some of the stolen phones were later recovered following the intervention of the All Progressives Congress chairman in Ikeja Local Government Area.

Akinyemi explained that the APC chairman arrived at the scene in an APC-branded Sienna bus, approached the NDC members to find out what had happened and subsequently helped recover the stolen devices.

He said some party members were contacted less than an hour later and handed their recovered phones.

“But the funny thing was that we recovered the phones. The APC chairman in Ikeja Local Government recovered those phones for us,” he said.

Reacting to the attack, the NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, described the incident as unfortunate and unwarranted.

He accused the APC of promoting what he called barbaric politics and alleged that the attacks were part of an attempt to undermine Nigeria’s democracy.

“The attacks perpetrated against our members in Lagos State are unfortunate and unwarranted. The hard-earned, ruinous APC is planning to destroy our hard-earned democracy by their desperation and demonic politics of barbarism,” Director said.

However, the Lagos State chapter of the APC had earlier condemned the attack and denied any involvement in the incident.

The party’s State Publicity Secretary, Seye Oladejo, dismissed allegations linking the APC to the violence as baseless, challenging the NDC to submit credible evidence to security agencies instead of making public accusations.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports circulating on social media that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, is planning to resign from office.

The commission described the report, which was shared alongside an image on social media, as false, fabricated and misleading.

INEC made its position known on Saturday through a statement published on its official X account, urging Nigerians to disregard the claim and refrain from spreading unverified information.

“The claim is FALSE, FABRICATED AND MISLEADING,” the commission stated.

It advised members of the public to rely on its official communication channels for accurate information about its activities and leadership.

The denial comes amid mounting scrutiny of Amupitan’s leadership following controversies over the preliminary voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections.

On November 9, the INEC chairman announced that the commission had removed 1,608,660 invalid registrations from the preliminary register after reviewing entries from the 2025 and 2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercises.

He also disclosed that 54 individuals across 10 states had been identified over alleged registration irregularities and could face disciplinary action, including prosecution.

The controversy has also attracted protests outside Nigeria.

On Thursday, demonstrators confronted Amupitan’s vehicle outside Chatham House in London, demanding his resignation over alleged irregularities in the voters’ register.

The protesters surrounded his vehicle as he left an engagement on Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 elections, with some calling on him to step out and address their concerns.

During the Chatham House discussion, Amupitan acknowledged that controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections had significantly eroded public confidence in INEC.

He, however, urged Nigerians to trust his leadership, assuring that the commission was introducing measures to address previous shortcomings and improve future elections.

The INEC chairman also announced that the commission would conduct a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise on November 28 to test upgrades to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the electronic transmission of results ahead of the 2027 polls.

According to him, technical safeguards have also been introduced to prevent inaccurate polling unit results and figures suggesting over-voting from being uploaded to the commission’s Result Viewing Portal.

The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will take place on February 6.

The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, has commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the party’s national leadership following a Federal High Court ruling ordering the restoration of his name to the list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship election.

Adebutu expressed his appreciation in a statement posted on his X handle on Friday, particularly acknowledging Wike, whom he described as the party’s national leader, and the PDP National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, for their support.

The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to restore Adebutu’s name to the candidates’ list within 24 hours.

The order followed the omission of his name from INEC’s published list for the election.

Reacting to the judgment, Adebutu said the decision affirmed the validity of his PDP membership, registration and emergence as the party’s governorship candidate.

He maintained that the party had remained confident in its position and pursued the matter through the appropriate legal process.

“Today’s ruling represents an important step towards resolving the issue,” he said.

The PDP candidate added that the judgment reinforced the importance of due process and the need for political disputes to be resolved on their merits rather than speculation.

He said his priority remained engaging residents, addressing their concerns and building a future for Ogun State based on accountability and inclusive development.

Adebutu also urged his supporters to remain calm and uphold democratic values, assuring them that the legal dispute would not distract him from his commitment to the people.

Meanwhile, the PDP State Chairman in Ogun, Abayomi Tella, described the ruling as a victory for justice, the rule of law and the people of the state.

Tella said the judgment had strengthened his confidence in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man, adding that he had never doubted that justice would prevail.

He noted that the decision would reassure residents who had expressed concern over the party’s exclusion from the electoral process.

The state chairman reaffirmed the PDP’s determination to participate in the 2027 governorship election, insisting that the party remained committed to taking over the leadership of Ogun State.

He added that the ruling was not merely a victory for the PDP and its candidate but also for the people of the state.

The Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has admitted a Supreme Court judgment upholding the forfeiture of seven properties, $2.045 million and share certificates linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

The certified true copy of the judgment was admitted on Friday by Justice Rahman Oshodi as Exhibit L in the ongoing trial of Emefiele over alleged fraud involving $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion.

The trial judge overruled objections by the defence, ruling that the certified judgment was admissible as a public document.

He also dismissed the argument that the document was incomplete because it contained only the lead judgment.

However, Justice Oshodi restricted its use to establishing the decision reached by the Supreme Court in the earlier forfeiture proceedings.

He stressed that it could not be used as evidence for or against any of the defendants in the ongoing trial.

The prosecution, led by Rotimi Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, tendered the judgment through an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigator, Alvan Gurumnaan.

Emefiele’s counsel, Ojo Olalekan, SAN, opposed its admission, arguing that the copy was signed by only four justices, whereas Supreme Court decisions were ordinarily delivered by panels of five or seven justices.

He further contended that the judgment arose from non-conviction-based forfeiture proceedings and was irrelevant to the charges against his client.

Counsel to the second defendant, Henry Omoile, Adeyinka Kotoye, SAN, also backed the objection and urged the court to reject the document.

But Oyedepo maintained that the judgment was a duly certified public document admissible under Sections 102 and 104 of the Evidence Act.

The Supreme Court judgment was delivered on July 17 by a five-member panel led by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, now retired.

The apex court overturned a Court of Appeal decision that had set aside a Federal High Court order for the final forfeiture of the assets.

It consequently restored the forfeiture order made by Justice D.I. Dipeolu on November 1, 2024, following an appeal by the EFCC.

The assets include seven properties, $2.045 million and share certificates belonging to Queensdorf Global Fund Limited.

The properties are located in Lekki Phase 1 and Ikoyi in Lagos, as well as Agbor in Delta State.

They include duplexes, apartments, undeveloped land and an industrial complex under construction.

The EFCC had said its investigation showed that the assets were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.

The commission sought their forfeiture under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
Investigator continues cross-examination

Following the ruling, Gurumnaan continued his cross-examination by the defence.

The investigator told the court that he personally obtained statements, analysed bank records and coordinated other members of the investigation team.

He confirmed that he interviewed Zenith Bank Managing Director, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, but said he could not immediately remember whether a statement was obtained from him after the interview.

Gurumnaan also disclosed that the investigation involved hundreds of interviews with CBN officials, commercial bank employees and personnel of other government agencies.

At the previous sitting, he had told the court that investigators traced several properties worth billions of naira to Emefiele through associates.

He alleged that some of the former CBN governor’s associates received money and acquired properties on his behalf.

Among the assets he identified were twin duplexes in Lekki Phase 1, two mansions on Queens Drive, Ikoyi, an 11-storey building under construction comprising about 94 luxury flats, and an estate of approximately 750 houses in the Lokogoma district of Abuja.

He further claimed that investigators recovered more than $2 million from the office of a lawyer, Ifeanyi Omeke, who allegedly admitted acting as a front for Emefiele.

The Lokogoma estate was the subject of a separate EFCC case in which Emefiele was accused of acquiring 753 housing units with an alleged accomplice, Eric Ocheme.

The estate was subsequently forfeited to the Federal Government. Emefiele is standing trial alongside Omoile on 22 counts.

Nineteen counts against the former CBN governor include allegations of receiving gratification, corrupt demands and abuse of office involving transactions valued at $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion.

The remaining three counts accuse Omoile of unlawfully accepting gifts.

Both defendants have denied the allegations, and the charges remain before the court.