Today’s Headline:NDC Concedes DG Campaign Council To Obi/Kwankwaso;INEC Clear Chinda For Rivers Poll

The crisis over the naming of the presidential campaign council for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has been resolved with the party agreeing to allow the presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to select key members of the council.

The party had disagreed with a support group within its fold, the OK Movement, over the naming of a presidential campaign council leading to a major crisis.

He explained that the series of consultations among the layers of leadership within the party has been responsible for the delay in naming a presidential campaign council adding that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) is fully in agreement with the decision.

He the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the party, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso must be involved in setting up the council because they would lead the campaign and contest the election on the party’s platform.

He said the delay was deliberate to avoid mistakes in forming a campaign structure for an election he described as critical to Nigeria’s future.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared Kingsley Chinda for the 2027 governorship election in Rivers State.

Chinda was number 5 in the 19-man list released by the electoral commission, on Saturday.

The former minority leader of the House of Representatives was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

His emergence as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the forthcoming governorship election had generated interest as news of his defection to the APC did not make headlines.

Attention shifted to Chinda and some other notable political figures after the Supreme Court restored Sections 77(5), (6), (7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, barring parties from fielding candidates whose names were not in the membership register submitted to INEC within the stipulated time.

But the ally of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, made the final governorship list.

Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of copying his production subsidy model.

Reacting to the 30-day fuel discount announced by the Federal Government, on Thursday, Atiku accused Tinubu of wrongly copying his production subsidy model.

The Presidential candidate made the declaration at the inauguration of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, on Friday.

“You copied my production subsidy proposal, stripped away the part that makes it work, and handed Nigerians a 30-day discount,” Atiku alleged.

The ADC Presidential candidate recalled that in his last press conference, he agreed to share his economic relief plan with Tinubu, but said instead of accepting that offer in the national interest, he gave citizens just 30-day discount.

Atiku however said, “I am glad you have finally acknowledged the failure of your approach,” adding that he offered a plan because Nigerians’ welfare matters more to him.

The All Progressives Congress has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to bar political parties that fail to submit their digital membership registers within the statutory timeframe from fielding candidates in the 2027 general elections.

The ruling party made the request in a letter on Friday addressed to the INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, following the September 24, 2026 Supreme Court judgment in the suit between INEC and the Zenith Labour Party.

Signed by the APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, and the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, the letter urged the commission to enforce the apex court’s ruling and apply the sanctions stipulated under Section 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 against defaulting parties.

The APC asked INEC to verify whether political parties submitted their digital membership registers at least 21 days before their scheduled primaries, congresses, or conventions.

The party also urged the electoral body to ensure that only members whose names appear in the registers submitted to INEC are permitted to vote or be voted for during internal party elections.

It stressed that political parties must not be allowed to use alternative membership registers for their internal polls.

Citing the Supreme Court judgment, the APC noted that the legal effect of Section 77(7) is that any party failing to submit its digital membership register within the prescribed period may be precluded from fielding candidates in the general election.

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