There was a massive turnout in Arogbo, headquarters of Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State, as a political support group, Ondo Riverine for Tinubu and Ojogo, in collaboration with the Apoi Youths Congress, staged a solidarity walk in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and Hon. Donald Kimikanboh Ojogo.

The well-attended rally, which drew youths, women, community leaders and supporters from Apoi, Arogbo and neighbouring riverine communities, saw participants march through major streets and junctions in the town, chanting solidarity songs and displaying banners with inscriptions in support of Tinubu and Ojogo.

Ojogo, a former Commissioner for Information in Ondo State, is the incumbent member representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the constituency in the forthcoming general elections.

According to the organisers, the programme was sponsored by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and facilitated by a former House of Representatives member, Hon. Kolade Victor Akinjo (Esq).

The walk is the latest in a series of grassroots mobilisation efforts by pro-Tinubu groups in Ondo South Senatorial District, aimed at consolidating support for the President in the coastal communities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking with journalists during the walk, the Chairman of the Apoi Youths Congress, Comrade Arekete Joshua, commended Tunji-Ojo for his unwavering support for the group, describing him as its Grand Patron.

Joshua said the minister’s financial and moral support had encouraged members to remain committed to their activities across the riverine communities, noting that his contributions to youth development in the state were commendable.

He explained that the solidarity walk was organised to demonstrate the resolve of riverine youths to stand behind President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and to ensure massive support for Ojogo’s return to the National Assembly.

“We are here today to show that the riverine people are fully behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Hon. Donald Ojogo. We believe in their leadership and we will continue to mobilise our people from house to house, community to community,” Joshua said.

He expressed optimism that Tunji-Ojo would continue to support youth-oriented programmes across the state, particularly in the riverine areas where he said more empowerment initiatives were needed.

In his remarks, the Director-General of the Ondo Riverine for Tinubu Support Group, Joshua Akinte, thanked the minister for sponsoring the event and praised participants for turning out in large numbers.

Akinte said the event provided an opportunity for members and supporters to openly identify with Tinubu’s re-election project and Ojogo’s candidacy, stressing that the group would not relent in its mobilisation drive.

He urged youths in Ilaje and Ese-Odo to remain united, peaceful and orderly in their political activities, noting that violence-free participation was crucial to democratic growth.

The organisers, while thanking participants for the peaceful conduct of the rally, pledged to extend the mobilisation to other communities in Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Areas in the coming weeks.

The Presidency has reacted to the controversy generated by the continued absence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the President is hale and hearty.

There have been concern over the absence of the President who travelled for a three-week vacation but did not return when he ought to last Monday.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, had said the president extended the vacation by “a few days”.

Many Nigerians, especially opposition figures, have demanded information on the whereabouts of Tinubu.

In a statement on Sunday, Onanuga said Tinubu did not need to be in Abuja physically to perform his duties.

“Nigeria’s President is hale and hearty. He has been on a working vacation, which he is perfectly entitled to. In this digital age, he does not need to be physically present in Abuja to do the work for which he was elected in 2023.”

“And we have seen that he has indeed been working, meeting investors in France, most recently facilitating a $7 billion deep-sea port in Ogun Waterside, an initiative of the Ogun State Government.”

On the absence of Tinubu from the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Onanuga said, “Two other important African leaders were not in New York for the UNGA: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

“Ramaphosa booked himself off public engagements. Johannesburg and Pretoria made no uproar over Ramaphosa’s absence at UNGA. And Egypt did not erupt that Sisi did not go to New York.

“The Nigerian President announced he was taking his annual vacation and delegated attendance to his able and dependable Vice President. Yet Peter Obi pretends to be unaware of President Tinubu’s whereabouts and asks the puerile question his followers are asking on X.”

The Presidential spokesman concluded by saying Tinubu would return home this week to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary and honour MKO Abiola by attending the premiere of a movie in MKO’s memory in Lagos.

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.