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Tinubu’s 2023 Electricity Promise Quoted Out Of Context–APC Campaign Council

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council says the electricity pledge made by President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2023 elections was quoted out of context.

 

In a statement issued on Sunday, Dele Alake, spokesperson of the campaign council, said Tinubu made the pledge during a meeting with the organised private sector (OPS) in Lagos ahead of the election.

Alake said Tinubu, who was then the APC presidential candidate, spoke about how he would tackle the systemic and institutional problems that had bedevilled Nigeria’s power sector for more than five decades.

He said Tinubu specifically identified estimated billing as a major burden on households and businesses.

According to him, Tinubu promised to address the problem, alongside other challenges in the power sector, to ensure Nigerians have a stable and reliable electricity supply.

Alake quoted the president as saying: “Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept.

“If I don’t keep the promise and I come for a second term, don’t vote for me, unless I give you adequate reasons why I couldn’t deliver.”

He, however, said some recent public commentaries had reproduced the campaign promise without its concluding qualification that Tinubu would owe Nigerians an adequate explanation if he failed to deliver before seeking re-election.

The APC campaign council spokesperson argued that a fair assessment of the promise should consider the full statement alongside the administration’s record since 2023.

He said the record should be assessed against measurable improvements in electricity supply, metering, infrastructure and market stability.

Alake acknowledged that resolving the power sector crisis remained a work in progress but said the president was working consistently to fulfil his promise to Nigerians.

Listing some of the administration’s interventions in the power sector, Alake said Tinubu signed the Electricity Act, 2023, on June 9, less than two weeks after assuming office, liberalising and deregulating the sector.

He said several states, including Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna and Niger, had taken advantage of the law to establish their own electricity regulatory agencies and attract private investment.

“President Tinubu took on the over N6 trillion legacy debt that had accumulated from 2015 to 2025. He started a Presidential Metering Initiative to close the over 7 million metering gap,” he said.

“In the last three years, over 1.5 million customers have been metered under the Presidential Metering Initiative

Alake said the government had also unveiled plans to modernise the Osogbo Grid Control Centre, which was built over 60 years ago, and construct an east-west super grid.

He said the administration established a N4 trillion bond programme to settle verified legacy debts owed to 21 power generating companies (Gencos) and gas companies (Gascos).

According to him, the first and second tranches of the programme had raised over N1.2 trillion to settle part of the verified debt.

Alake maintained that Tinubu had repositioned the power sector and reduced market risks for future investment, adding that the impact was becoming evident in Gencos’ investments to upgrade their power plants.

He said the president had not deviated from his commitment and would present his scorecard in the power sector as he seeks a second term, explaining to Nigerians what remained to be done.

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Plane Crashes In US State Of Florida

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Emergency crews on Sunday afternoon responded to the scene of a plane crash in Greenacres, a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States.

 

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, in a statement, said the incident occurred in the area of Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North.

All northbound and southbound lanes of Military Trail are currently closed until further notice, with motorists advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.

Videos online show the aircraft taking a sharp turn before nosediving into the ground near a mobile home park, demolishing one trailer in a huge fireball.

There are reports of “several fatalities,” although the figure is still unconfirmed. It is also not yet clear whether anyone on the ground was killed or injured.

The aircraft, a Learjet 60, had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

Learjet 60, a business jet manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace, is typically configured to accommodate six to seven passengers alongside a two-person crew.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, according to the FAA.

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SERAP Gives Tinubu Seven Days To Order Probe Into INEC Voter Register Irregularities

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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to launch an independent investigation into alleged manipulation of personal data and the appearance of suspected artificial intelligence-generated photographs in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s preliminary Register of Voters.

 

The organisation warned that the reported irregularities could compromise the integrity of the voter register, expose Nigerians’ personal information to unauthorised alterations and undermine public confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a letter dated October 31, 2026, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP asked Tinubu to direct the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the questionable registration records.

SERAP specifically called for an examination of the nature and extent of the alleged irregularities, the number of affected records, their geographical distribution, when and how they were created or altered, and the individuals or institutions responsible.

The organisation’s demand follows INEC’s acknowledgement of concerns over suspected AI-generated photographs and questionable registration records identified during the nationwide display of the preliminary voter register between October 9 and 15.

According to SERAP, INEC, in a statement issued on October 27, acknowledged that suspicious photographs had appeared in the preliminary register published on its website.

The commission also reportedly disclosed that questionable registration records had been identified and flagged for further examination during the physical display exercise, adding that it had commenced a review and was taking corrective action.

SERAP, however, maintained that INEC’s internal review should not replace an independent investigation by the data protection commission.

It urged the NDPC to conduct a forensic examination of the affected database and systems to establish whether personal data had been unlawfully accessed or altered and determine whether the electoral commission breached provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

The organisation also asked the commission to establish whether the reported incidents constituted a personal data breach under Section 65 of the Act and whether INEC complied with its notification and record-keeping obligations.

SERAP further called for stronger security safeguards and accessible procedures that would enable affected Nigerians to verify and correct their voter information without being unfairly excluded from the electoral process.

It also demanded the publication of the investigation’s findings and recommendations, subject to lawful protections, and accountability for anyone found responsible for wrongdoing.

The organisation cited Sections 24 and 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, which require personal data to be processed accurately and securely and protected against unlawful alteration, loss or unauthorised access.

It also referenced Section 40, which requires data controllers to notify the NDPC of certain personal data breaches within 72 hours of becoming aware of them.

SERAP warned that the alleged irregularities were particularly concerning because INEC’s voter database contains the personal information of millions of Nigerians and is central to their constitutional and democratic rights.

It argued that any unlawful manipulation of the information could undermine the reliability of the register and expose eligible voters to wrongful exclusion.

The organisation also invoked Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right to privacy, as well as provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protecting citizens’ rights to participate in public affairs and vote in genuine elections.

Meanwhile, INEC has reportedly maintained that the preliminary register is not the final certified version and that verification, adjudication and data-cleanup processes would be completed before the final Register of Voters is certified on December 15, 2026.

SERAP asked Tinubu to ensure that the requested measures were taken within seven days of receiving or the publication of its letter, warning that it would consider legal action and other lawful measures if the authorities failed to respond.

The organisation said an independent investigation and transparent resolution of the allegations were necessary to protect Nigerians’ personal information and preserve confidence in the voter register ahead of the 2027 elections.

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Police Kill Two Suspected Kidnappers In Delta

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The Delta State Police Command has neutralised two suspected kidnappers and armed robbers during a gun duel with security operatives in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state, recovering an AK-47 rifle, 26 rounds of live ammunition and other suspected criminal materials.

 

Police spokesperson Bright Edafe who confirmed the development said the operation, which took place on October 31, 2026, followed credible intelligence received by operatives of the Commissioner of Police Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT) about the activities of suspected kidnappers and armed robbers operating from a forest hideout in Ekrerhavwe, Ughelli North Local Government Area.

Edafe disclosed that the operation was conducted at about 8:35 p.m. by CP-SAT operatives in collaboration with members of the Ughelli Vigilante.

According to him, the security operatives stormed the suspected criminal hideout following intelligence reports, but the operation turned into a gun battle when the suspects allegedly opened fire on sighting the approaching security team.

The operatives reportedly responded to the attack, resulting in a gun duel during which two of the suspected criminals sustained gunshot injuries, while other members of the gang escaped into the surrounding forest.

The injured suspects were immediately evacuated to a hospital for medical attention but were subsequently confirmed dead by a medical doctor, he added

Items recovered from the scene included one AK-47 rifle, 26 rounds of live ammunition and two face masks suspected to have been used by the fleeing criminals in carrying out their operations.

The police said efforts were ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects, adding that the command would sustain its intelligence-led operations to dismantle criminal networks and rid the state of kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes.

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