Today’s Headlines: Fake governorship list INEC raises alarm; Non-indigenes in Ogun back Yayi

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has alerted Nigerians about a fake online publication on governorship candidates in six states.

The commission listed the states as Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano, describing the purported announcement as fraudulent.

The Commission wishes to categorically inform the general public that the publication is FAKE and did not originate from INEC,” INEC said in a statement.

The electoral body urged Nigerians to disregard the publication and avoid sharing it, warning that the information could mislead members of the public.

Non-indigenes in Ogun State have pledged support for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola.

The coordinator of the group, Ambassador Tony Momoh, disclosed this in an interactive session with journalists in Lagos at the weekend.

Momoh, who is also the Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Grassroots Movement in the South-South region for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, disclosed that after weighing the options, the leadership of non-indigenes living in Ogun State resolved to vote for Adeola.

He said that the decision was taken after a thorough assessment of the credentials of the front-runners in the election and their chances of winning the election.

Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are seeking President Bola Tinubu’s approval for a campaign strategy that would limit his appearances on the 2027 presidential campaign trail and place governors and other party leaders at the forefront of nationwide mobilisation.

Daily Sun learnt that the governors, who are expected to meet the President this week, plan to present a template under which they would lead rallies, grassroots mobilisation and other public-facing activities, while Tinubu makes selective appearances at politically strategic events.

The proposal reflects concerns over the President’s standing in parts of the North, South-South and South-East, as well as the risks associated with repeated appearances before large crowds. The governors believe a controlled deployment would protect Tinubu from the physical demands and potential controversies of the campaign while allowing them to use their local structures to strengthen the party nationwide.

The proposal marks a significant departure from earlier arrangements under which the President was expected to appear at least once in each of the six geopolitical zones.

That plan appears to have been modified, with Saturday’s North-Central campaign gathering in Nasarawa State proceeding without the President.

The Kwankwassiyya Movement has revealed its next line of action following the omission of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, deputy governorship candidate in Kano State, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, from the final list of candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Kwankwaso and his principal, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, were omitted from the list published by INEC.

The NDC has since described the omission as an error, saying it is seeking a correction.

Speaking on Arise Television, Habibu Mohammed, spokesperson for the Kwankwassiyya Movement, said there was no apparent reason for the omission, adding that the movement would engage INEC to resolve the issue.