The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has appealed to the Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, CFR, to use his exalted platform to counsel political parties, candidates and their supporters on the imperative of non-violent, issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The INEC chairman made the appeal on Sunday during a courtesy visit to the Emir’s palace in Zaria, Kaduna State, as part of the Commission’s nationwide Zonal Readiness Assessment and Interactive Staff Engagement for the 2027 general elections.

“Elections must never be treated as do-or-die affairs, but as a peaceful celebration of civic choice,” Prof. Amupitan said, urging the monarch to “strongly counsel our youth not to allow themselves to be used as tools in the hands of politicians or instruments of political violence and thuggery.”

He further called on the Emir to encourage the people of Zazzau Emirate to actively participate in all stages of the electoral process, from the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) to turning out peacefully to vote on election days, stating that “a vibrant democracy requires an engaged, informed, and participating electorate.”

Amupitan explained that the visit was part of the Commission’s established tradition of deep engagement with traditional rulers, recalling similar consultations with the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti during the Ekiti governorship election, more than 50 Osun monarchs, including the Ooni of Ife and the Ataoja of Osogbo, ahead of the Osun governorship election, and the Oba of Lagos and the White Cap Chiefs during the Commission’s South-West Zonal Assessment tour.

He noted that conducting a national election in “Africa’s largest democracy,” with a national voter register rapidly approaching the 100 million mark, required early planning, operational discipline and deep stakeholder engagement.

He added that the Commission had moved away from last-minute logistics in favour of testing, auditing and strengthening its operational readiness well ahead of time.

He disclosed that the Commission had fixed the statutory dates for the 2027 general elections, with the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027, and the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, February 6, 2027.

He stressed that all administrative, technological and logistical frameworks were being fortified across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The INEC chairman assured the Emirate that under his leadership, “INEC remains unreservedly committed to absolute neutrality, fairness, and transparency,” stating that the Commission had “no candidate, no political party, and no interest other than the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.”

Responding, the Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, commended the INEC chairman for leading the Commission’s delegation to the palace and for providing timely information on preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The Emir described the engagement as remarkable and important, noting that the visit had helped the Emirate and its people gain a clearer understanding of the Commission’s preparations and the election calendar.

He identified fairness, justice, a level playing field, security, timely dissemination of information and the prompt release of results as critical elements for a successful electoral process.

The Emir also urged INEC to address concerns arising from previous elections, particularly the late distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials and technical challenges associated with election technology.

He called for election equipment to be adequately tested before deployment and for election officials and materials to arrive at polling units on time, saying such measures would strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.

The Emir further appealed to political parties and their supporters to conduct themselves responsibly during the campaign period and minimise hate speech and other actions capable of threatening peace and national cohesion.

He expressed optimism that Nigeria would continue to remain united and sustain democratic governance.

The INEC chairman and his entourage are in Kaduna in continuation of the nationwide readiness assessment and are expected to meet with staff from the North-West states on Monday, September 28, 2026.

President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa and the West African subregion will be sustained and intensified.

Tinubu spoke on Saturday through Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, at the passing-out ceremony for cadets of the 73rd regular course and short service course 49 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna.

The president said Nigeria would continue to promote democracy, stability, security cooperation and economic integration across the continent.

He said the transnational nature of emerging security threats made regional and global cooperation increasingly important.

“Nigeria will continue to enhance our commitments to democracy and stability in our region and indeed globally,” Tinubu said.

“Despite the setbacks in cooperation within the subregion, especially in the Sahel, Nigeria under my leadership, through the auspices of ECOWAS and other regional bodies, will continue to pursue inclusive diplomacy, security cooperation, and economic integration.

“Consequently, with the military’s unalloyed support for democratic governance, Nigeria’s continental and regional leadership role will continue to be upheld and intensified.

“We remain opposed to unconstitutional changes of government; however, we will not abandon our brothers and sisters in Mali, Niger, or Burkina Faso.

“Preserving five decades of ECOWAS achievements, covering free movement, trade, and regional coordination, is essential to our collective security and prosperity.”

Tinubu said despite Nigeria’s diverse challenges, his administration has “remained steadfast, focused, and committed to building a secure, stable, and prosperous Nigeria”.

“Through the continuous and surgical application of all elements of national power, including, and most importantly, the military, we have continued to stabilise the situation, improving our responses and expanding as well as modifying our interventions, which thankfully are yielding desired outcomes,” Tinubu said.

“We aptly recognise that kinetic military operations alone cannot defeat insecurity since poverty, unemployment, poor education, and social disintegration are notable drivers of conflicts.

“That is why under the renewed hope agenda, we are pursuing job creation, macroeconomic stability, human capital development, and social protection in tandem with our security efforts.”

Tinubu said since its establishment in 1964, the NDA has lived up to the nation’s expectations.

He said the academy has evolved in response to emerging security challenges by developing a training curriculum that blends military training and academics and focuses on character development.

The president said the institution has enhanced counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency training designed to suit contemporary security challenges, including the rapid integration of technology into training and research.

“I am particularly encouraged that the Nigerian Defence Academy is increasingly receiving international recognition through invitations extended to its cadets to participate in highly competitive military cadet competitions in the United States, Brazil, and most recently, the People’s Republic of China,” he said.

“Such invitations are earned through demonstrated excellence. They attest to the remarkable improvements in the academy’s training standards, professionalism, and global standing, while affirming that Nigeria is producing officers capable of competing and excelling alongside the very best military institutions in the world.”

Tinubu said the institution also serves as a regional hub for military education, training cadets from several African countries, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, The Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, says more than 10 million vulnerable Nigerians who benefited from the N75,000 conditional cash transfer programme do not have access to mobile phones or social media.

Yilwatda disclosed this on Saturday while speaking with journalists after a three-day retreat of the APC National Executive Council in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The beneficiaries, whom he described as poor and vulnerable Nigerians, were largely unable to participate in public discussions about government policies because they lacked access to phones, television and social media.

“We have given 75,000 naira to over 10 million Nigerians across the country using the conditional cash transfer under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.

“Mind you, these people who are poor and vulnerable don’t have telephones to make calls; they are not on social media. They don’t have a television. They cannot come and challenge and discuss as we are doing here, but they are out there,” he said.

Yilwatda also criticised former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over his position on the fuel subsidy.

“We are constructing roads and paying people that are working on the road site, and construction is going across the country,” he said.

“Over 30 states could not pay salaries and pensions. After we removed subsidies, all states can pay salaries and pensions, and no state is left behind.

“Today, if you return it, you are saying states shouldn’t pay salaries again. And what suffering are you bringing to Nigeria?”

The APC chairman also argued that a return to fuel subsidy would affect the government’s student loan scheme and other projects.

“The projects we are doing across the country, like the coastal road and gas project to the north, which have passed Abuja, which are aimed at easing the suffering of Nigerians, will be suspended,” he said.

Yilwatda further accused Atiku of seeking to reverse the gains of the Tinubu administration in pursuit of the presidency, saying the APC and Nigerians would not accept such a move.

The APC chairman said the NEC retreat also reviewed the party’s activities at the national, state, local government, ward and polling-unit levels.

According to him, the party concluded that it remained strong and prepared for the 2027 general elections.

He said the NEC passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and other APC candidates who emerged from the party’s primaries for the 2027 elections.