Nelson Ugwuagbo

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has directed all commissioners and political appointees in his administration to either join him in defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or resign from their positions.

The directive was issued during a State Executive Council meeting held on Thursday, confirming ongoing speculation about the governor’s planned defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“It’s no more news that I’m moving party. If you don’t know that by now, I don’t know what else you know,” Governor Eno said.

He made it clear that while appointees are not compelled to follow him to the APC, they cannot remain in his cabinet while belonging to a different political party.

“We want our commissioners, members of the executive council, and appointees to understand this: you are absolutely free not to join me. But you won’t remain in my State Executive Council,” the governor said.

“You better be prepared to resign the day I announce that I’m moving, because your loyalty is to me as an appointee. You can’t be in my cabinet and play anti-party. It’s not a threat — it is what it is.”

Governor Eno, who was elected under the PDP, said he still holds affection for the party but expressed concern over its internal crisis, which he believes could hinder future electoral success.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the establishment of a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division within its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun.

According to Olumekun, the creation of the AI Division was approved to harness the benefits of artificial intelligence while mitigating its potential risks to the electoral process.

He explained that the division will enhance the Commission’s ability to coordinate and optimise existing technology investments through centralised AI governance. It is also expected to improve decision-making through data-driven insights, strengthen risk management, and boost voter engagement.

“Furthermore, it will strengthen electoral credibility through predictive analytics, automation, and intelligent safeguards,” Olumekun stated.

He added that the initiative places INEC at the forefront of institutionalising AI within Nigeria’s electoral infrastructure and represents a key step in ongoing administrative reforms.

INEC also revealed that it has participated in several continental conferences focused on the implications of artificial intelligence for elections.

Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has publicly declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, distancing himself from his father’s recent defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Bello, who represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, was present at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Summit in Abuja, where Tinubu was formally adopted as the party’s sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

His endorsement of Tinubu comes just two months after Nasir El-Rufai announced his exit from the APC, citing ideological differences.

The former governor had joined the SDP in March 2025, vowing to help unify the opposition in a bid to defeat the APC at the polls.

The contrasting political stance between father and son has stirred public reactions. Commenting on the development, political commentator and activist Reno Omokri wrote on social media: “If El-Rufai can’t convince his son to leave Tinubu, how will he convince Nigerians?”

The political rift within the El-Rufai family had previously surfaced in 2024, when Bashir El-Rufai, another son of the former governor, criticised President Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani on social media.

Bashir had predicted electoral defeat for both in 2027 and described the ongoing probe into his father over alleged mismanagement of N423 billion as politically driven.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially adopted President Bola Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The endorsement was announced on Thursday during the APC National Summit held in Abuja, where the party’s National Assembly Caucus and the Progressive Governors’ Forum declared their unanimous support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, speaking at the summit, confirmed the party’s decision, citing what he described as Tinubu’s commendable performance in office.

Commenting on the development, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, said the move followed a midterm performance review of the administration, which showed that the President had delivered significantly on his promises.

Bwala, speaking later on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said: “The APC leadership conducted a thorough assessment and agreed that President Tinubu deserves another term based on his achievements so far.”

He added that the initiative reflects a progressive shift in political accountability, noting that the President had earlier introduced performance indicators for ministers and had now subjected himself to similar evaluation.

According to Bwala, the party had been engaging in a broader review of its promises and manifesto to determine whether Tinubu had fulfilled enough of his commitments to warrant a second term.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has stated that the sit-at-home order enforced by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Nigeria’s South-East region is losing its impact.

Speaking at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Summit held in Abuja on Thursday, Ribadu said security conditions in the region have improved significantly under the current administration.

He noted that several high-ranking members of IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), have been captured or neutralised, weakening the group’s operations.

“The ‘sit-at-home’ orders are becoming more and more ineffective,” Ribadu said. He also reported a decline in attacks on security personnel across the region.

According to the NSA, over 50 police stations and posts have been reconstructed as normal social and economic activities begin to resume across the South-East.

The summit featured the presentation of a two-year scorecard by the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has suspended Wilcox Job, the paramount ruler of the Swali community in Yenagoa Local Government Area, over alleged links to cult activities involving his sons.

The suspension, which took immediate effect, was announced in a joint statement on Wednesday by Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, and Thompson Amule, Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs.

According to the statement, the traditional ruler was suspended for failing to provide the leadership expected of his office in combating crime and cultism, despite credible intelligence linking two of his sons to cult activities in the community.

“The commissioner of police has been directed to declare the two royal sons and all those involved in cultism in Swali wanted,” the statement read.

The commissioners further stated that all individuals connected to cultism in the area will be arrested, investigated, and prosecuted.

The Edo State Government has uncovered and sealed a brothel allegedly operating within the premises of Ujuele Primary School in Esan West Local Government Area.

The discovery was announced on Thursday during a press briefing in Benin City by the State Coordinator for the Protection of Government Property (PGP), Eugene Okolosie.

Okolosie stated that the action followed complaints from members of the affected community who reported that land grabbers had forged signatures to illegally acquire government land, including school property.

He added that the government had so far recovered over 2,000 plots of encroached land across the state and that discussions were ongoing with Governor Godwin Obaseki on the possible conversion of the reclaimed properties.

“In Ujuele Primary School, they built a brothel inside the school. We have sealed the brothel,” Okolosie said.

He further disclosed that over 150,000 houses in the state were erected on government-owned land.