Today’s Headlines:2027: Pantami, Adebutu, Gwarzo’s Fates Uncertain;Ooni to Resolve Ondo Stool Crisis

The political future of former Communications Minister Isa Ali Pantami, former Ogun State governorship candidate Oladipupo Adebutu and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in Kano, Aminu Gwarzo, remains uncertain following the October 24 deadline for complaints over omissions from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and NDC have challenged the exclusions, insisting they complied with the Electoral Act, 2026, and have asked INEC to correct the omissions.

The PDP has filed an affidavit challenging the exclusion of Pantami and Adebutu, while Pantami’s legal team has also written to INEC, threatening further action. The NDC similarly complained about the omission of Gwarzo and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, and said it could pursue legal remedies. Meanwhile, the National Association of Achievers Movement has urged INEC to explain its decisions transparently, while the commission maintained that it applied a Supreme Court judgment requiring political parties to comply with membership-register rules when conducting primaries and nominating candidates.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has intervened in the prolonged dispute over the vacant Olufon of Ifon-Omima stool in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, urging contenders to embrace dialogue and prioritise peace. His appeal was delivered by the monarch of Ifon-Osun, Oba Peter Ipadeola, during a reconciliation visit to the community. The stool has remained vacant since the death of Oba Israel Adeusi in 2020, with disagreements over the selection process preventing the installation of a successor.

Community leaders welcomed the intervention and called on the Ondo State Government to ensure a transparent selection process in line with the existing chieftaincy declaration. They also appealed for an investigation into the late monarch’s killing. Major General Benjamin Badewole, president of the Ifon Improvement Forum, said previous efforts to resolve the dispute, including proposals submitted to the state government in February 2026, had yet to produce a solution. The stakeholders urged all contestants to set aside personal ambitions and work towards a peaceful resolution.

President Bola Tinubu, at the APC’s 2027 presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna, accused opposition politicians of creating the hunger and poverty they now criticise his administration over. He defended his economic reforms, promised greater prosperity and improved living conditions if re-elected, and ruled out a return to petrol subsidies. Tinubu urged Nigerians to vote for him on January 16, 2027, while APC campaign director-general Abdulaziz Yari claimed Northern Nigeria was fully behind the President and cited improvements in the exchange rate and government investments in infrastructure, healthcare and education.

The rally also featured the commissioning of an 81-kilometre section of the Abuja-Kaduna highway, with Works Minister David Umahi outlining ongoing road projects nationwide. The opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) dismissed the gathering as poorly attended, alleging that attendees had been paid between ₦50,000 and ₦100,000 to participate. ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar accused Tinubu of shifting responsibility for economic hardship onto the opposition instead of addressing Nigerians’ struggles, and criticised the commissioning of the highway during the rally.

Federal Housing Authority Executive Director Ezekiel Nya-Etok has praised President Bola Tinubu’s housing initiatives, placing him alongside former President Shehu Shagari and former Lagos State Governor Lateef Jakande for their contributions to mass housing. He said housing could become one of Tinubu’s major legacies and highlighted the proposed Enterprise Estate initiative, which he believes could transform housing delivery across Nigeria.

Nya-Etok also commended the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying it could help financially disadvantaged students complete their education. He attributed the administration’s prospects to economic reforms and greater consideration of professional competence in public appointments, adding that access to affordable housing and education would be important measures of its performance.

NewsJunkky feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com