Abuja
INEC Promises Credible FCT, Osun Polls
INEC Promises Credible FCT, Osun Polls
INEC promises credible FCT, Osun polls. According to him, the commission is prepared to reaffirm people’s confidence in INEC.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will ensure that votes count in the forthcoming February Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council and August Osun governorship elections.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Osun, Mutiu Agboke, and his counterpart in the Federal Capital Territory, Aminu Idris, gave the commitment at the commission’s 2026 Induction and Strategic Retreat.
The event was organised for the INEC newly appointed national chairman, commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the event, Mr Agboke assured residents of Osun State of strict adherence to the rule of law to ensure transparent and credible polls. “The determination of INEC in the coming election is to ensure that people’s votes count.
“The chairman was clear about the rule of law and people’s votes. In our state, there is not going to be any exception.
“We are going to do our best.
“We are going to ensure that people follow the process and their votes count,” Mr Agboke said.
According to him, the commission is prepared to reaffirm people’s confidence in INEC, having taken lessons from the recently conducted Anambra governorship election.
He said the state would also take lessons from the February FCT Area Council polls and the forthcoming Ekiti governorship election.
Mr Agboke said that the engagement and re-engagement of stakeholders remained vital, adding that the commission would not stop enlightening stakeholders on the need for violence-free elections.
“And we have been doing it in Osun; we organise stakeholders’ engagement quarterly. “We carry the message to them. They understand what we are doing. That is why Osun didn’t record any issue after party primaries conducted recently; no issue came out of it.
“The stakeholders listened to what we told them, and the atmosphere was very peaceful,” he said. Mr Agboke, however, listed vote-buying and violence as the greatest challenges facing elections, calling on all stakeholders to join hands to address them.
He said: “We also need to let them (stakeholders) understand the fact that the cankerworm that is bedevilling the activities of the commission is just two majorly: vote-buying and violence.
“INEC has no money to distribute on election day. INEC does not have weapons to give to anybody on election day. “We should talk to ourselves. In talking to ourselves, the publicity or the engagement against these must be vociferous.
“INEC should not be the only one talking about these; also, the issue of voter apathy.
“What are political parties and their publicity secretaries doing about the lukewarm attitude of people towards elections?”
He urged political parties and their spokespersons to speak more forcefully about voter apathy and to engage more with the electorate.
“The important thing, particularly when an election is coming like this, is assurance, reassurance and the confidence of the people to buy into the election,” he said.
Mr Agboke said that people must change the narrative that “nothing good can come from INEC.”
“No, it’s not correct,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Idris said that the commission was fully prepared to conduct free, fair and credible Area Council elections in the FCT on February 21.
“Before the commencement of the process, the commission released a timetable and schedule of activities. I can tell you now that we have implemented almost all the activities, almost awaiting election day.
INEC Promises Credible FCT
“The most important thing coming up in the next one week or so is the release of copies of the register to political parties and the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs),” the FCT REC said.
He said that PVCs of those who registered during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), as well as old uncollected PVCs, would be available for collection from January 15.
On expectations, Idris said that INEC remained optimistic that voters would troop out en masse to exercise their franchise at the polls.
“Our expectation is that people will come out, the voters will turn out higher than they did in the last FCT election, and that the election will be conducted peacefully.”
Mr Idris said that the retreat served as a reminder of INEC’s strategic objectives of conducting peaceful and credible elections.
Senior officials attended the event from across the 36 states and the FCT.
Obi, Amaechi, Others Meet In Abuja, Discuss Nigeria’s Democratic Future
Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, on Saturday hosted Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and other opposition leaders at his Abuja residence.
Victor Umeh, senator representing Anambra central, Achike Udenwa, former governor of Anambra; and Victor Oganku were also at the meeting.
TheCable understands that discussions by the politicians centred on strengthening the opposition front and Nigeria’s democratic future.
Amaechi, Obi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar are members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and are eyeing the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
The former minister contested the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary and came second behind President Bola Tinubu, who won the party’s ticket.
In March, Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the ADC, said the party was working to adopt a consensus approach in selecting its presidential candidate for the 2027 poll.
Abdullahi said the party had the options of direct primaries and consensus for electing its presidential candidate, adding that indirect primaries were “no longer on the table”, as stipulated in the amended Electoral Act.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, Amaechi said he has positioned himself as a viable contender for the next presidential race on the ADC platform.
Amaechi rejected the call for a consensus arrangement within the ADC ahead of the 2027 poll, insisting that aspirants must be allowed to test their popularity at the ballot.
Peter Obi
He said Nigerians are yearning for competent leadership to address economic hardship and insecurity.
The former governor of Rivers, however, said he would support Abubakar if the former vice-president emerges as the party’s standard-bearer for the 2027 presidential poll.
FG Warns Against Illegal Use Of Ambassador Title, Fake Diplomatic Identities
President Bola Tinubu-led federal government has warned against the rising abuse of diplomatic titles in Nigeria, particularly the illegal use of the designation “Ambassador” by unauthorised individuals and groups.
The warning was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, in Abuja.
“Some of the persons conferred illegally with the Ambassadorial titles unfortunately parade themselves as such in official communications and even in engagements with foreign embassies in Nigeria which has caused serious embarrassment to the federal government.
“The Ministry warns that individuals parading themselves as “Ambassadors” based on such deceitful conferment are engaging in impersonation, which is a criminal offence and therefore strongly cautions all persons involved in such illegalities or parading themselves as Ambassadors to desist forthwith,” the statement said.
The government also raised alarm over the use of fake diplomatic passports, identity cards, vehicle number plates, and other materials bearing the insignia of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by impostors.
Tinubu
According to the statement, some of those involved in the practice go as far as parading themselves as ambassadors in official correspondence and in dealings with foreign missions in Nigeria, a development it said has embarrassed the country.
It, however, stressed that only the president and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has the constitutional authority to appoint and accredit ambassadors for Nigeria, adding that no individual, group, or organisation has the power to confer diplomatic titles.
NPF Debunks False Terror Alert In FCT, Arrests Suspect For Incitement
False terror alert in FCT,. The Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically debunk a viral video circulating on social media alleging an ongoing terrorist attack in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The Force states unequivocally that no such incident occurred, and the claims contained in the video are entirely false, misleading, and malicious.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the video was deliberately curated using misleading footage sourced from online platforms to construct a false narrative aimed at causing panic, inciting public fear, and undermining public confidence in the security architecture of the nation’s capital.
In furtherance of its commitment to maintaining public order, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested one Pam Joseph in connection with the creation and dissemination of the false content. The arrest followed credible intelligence and digital forensic investigations linking the suspect to the origin and circulation of the video.
The Force reiterates that while citizens have the right to freedom of expression, such rights do not extend to the deliberate spread of misinformation capable of threatening public peace and national security. Members of the public are therefore advised to verify information before sharing and to refrain from engaging in activities that may incite fear or disorder.
Police
The suspect is currently in custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to safeguarding public order and national security, and will continue to monitor digital spaces and take decisive action against individuals who engage in the dissemination of false or misleading information.
DCP ANTHONY OKON PLACID psc(+) mni
Force Public Relations Officer
Force Headquarters, Abuja
10th April, 2026
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