Today’s Headlines:It’s not how much we borrow, but what we build—Tinubu;Opposition’s stand on INEC

President Bola Tinubu has defended his administration’s external borrowing plans, saying Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Trans-Sahara Superhighway, electricity grid upgrades and modernisation of key commercial ports in Lagos among others would strengthen Nigeria’s productive capacity.

According to him, the loans will finance critical infrastructure and investments capable of expanding economic opportunities for future generations.

The President’s position came as the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, faulted his request to the National Assembly for approval to obtain fresh external loans of $20.5 billion and €1.45 billion, questioning the justification for continued borrowing despite claims of increased government revenue.

In a statement titled “From Reforms to Delivery: Our Infrastructure Investment and Growth Strategy,” Tinubu said the focus should be on the economic value generated by borrowed funds rather than the amount borrowed.

The publication of a preliminary voters’ register on the website of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has opened one of the most important debates of the run up to the 2027 general elections. The controversy concerns photographs attached to voter records that observers suspect were generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). It has since widened to include questions of legal compliance, institutional transparency, political accountability and the capacity of Nigeria’s electoral system to withstand emerging digital threats.

The reactions of political parties and a former national commissioner of the commission reveal a notable feature of the episode. Although the parties occupy different positions in the political landscape, they converge on the proposition that the integrity of the register is the foundation of electoral credibility. They diverge, however, on the interpretation of the evidence, the remedies required and the degree of confidence that the commission should be accorded.

The controversy emerged after INEC published its preliminary register of voters online on 26 October 2026. According to reports, the publication followed criticism that the commission had failed to make the document available on its website within the period prescribed by law. Screenshots circulated on social media showed questionable photographs attached to voter records in Ward 11, Uzairue South East, in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State. The entries included records associated with polling units such as Iyoku Utukwe Afashio Booth and Ikabigbo Primary School.

The decades-long debate surrounding the establishment of state police in Nigeria has finally crossed its most critical constitutional threshold, with Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele assuring that it will be ready on or before December 2026.

Our correspondent reports that no fewer than 30 State Houses of Assembly have officially approved the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026.

Speaking on the Bill on Thursday, the Leader of the Senate declared that multi-tier policing in Nigeria has moved from a recurring political promise into an actionable constitutional reality.

Bamidele, who also serves as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, made the disclosure while delivering a paper at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State.

After more than two weeks of suspense, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday took a final decision on the fate of candidates nominated by political parties for governorship and House of Assembly seats who were not initially cleared by the commission.

The commission’s top officials, after series of meetings with its chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, cleared former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, to contest the 2027 elections.

The electoral commission, however, rejected a petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, seeking a review of his exclusion from the list of candidates.

INEC explained that the right of those cleared to contest is subject to the outcomes of pending court cases against them.