Politics
Ndume Rejects New Office After Removal As Senate Chief Whip
The senator representing Borno South at the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has rejected a new office allocated to him by the Senate Services Committee.
According to parliamentary practices, Ndume is expected to move to another office following his sack as the Whip of the Senate.
The Tide learnt that Ndume was asked to vacate his current office and move to the third floor to allow for the new Whip Senator Tahiir Mongonu to take over the office.
Responding to his allocation to a new office on the third floor, Ndume, in a letter addressed to the Chairman, Senate Services Committee, Senator Sunday Karimi, yesterday, said the office given him does not reflect his seniority and high-ranking posture at the Senate.
The letter, signed by his Chief Confidential Secretary, Shuaibu Gawu, read, “I am directed to inform you that, Distinguished Senator Mohammed All Ndume, has rejected the allocation of office number 3.10 by the Committee.
“This is because offices are traditionally allocated on a seniority basis.”
The letter added, “Sen Ndume is the most Senior Senator after Sen Ahmad Lawan and will only occupy an office on the fourth floor.”
Recall that Ndume was recently stripped of his position as Chief Whip of the Senate following a letter by the All Progressives Party co-signed by its Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and the Secretary, Ajibola Basiru.
Don’t Allow Non-State Actors Destroy Nigeria, Yoruba Obas Warn Protesters
Yoruba Obas Forum, a group comprising monarchs from South West and North Central geo-political zones of Nigeria, has warned those planning to exploit the proposed national hunger protest to cause chaos in the country to perish the thought.
The royal fathers made their stand known in a statement obtained in Osogbo, Osun State capital, yesterday.
The statement was jointly signed by its National President, who is the Molokun of Atijere, Oba Samuel Adeoye, Oba Michael Ajayi, who is the Elerinmo of Erinmo, and the Public Relations Officer of the Forum, the Alayandelu of Odo Alayandelu, Oba Asunmo Aderibigbe.
The forum members said, as traditional rulers, they felt the pains and frustration being faced by many Nigerians at the moment, but suggested that the situation demands a strategic approach, noting that dialogue remains the best option.
“Protest has never been a solution for nations to solve their challenges, but rather an avenue for the destruction of human lives and properties.
“We, Yoruba Obas Forum, acknowledge the role of protests in democracy and that is why we are warning against those who might exploit these events for malicious purposes as certain groups are looking to use this protest to incite violence and crime. Please, don’t let non-state actors disrupt the already existing peace and stability of our land, please be cautioned.
“While protest is your democratic right, please consider the broader implications on our national stability and progress as dialogue, round table conference and collaboration are far more effective solutions and antidote.
“We Yoruba Obas again, implore all our youths not to follow the part of anarchy, or destruction, we too are also aware that there is hunger, insecurity and unemployment in the land. But the signals out there clearly indicate that another nationwide protest will definitely plunge this nation into more economic mess and insecurity. As your fathers, we earnestly appeal to you all to shelve the planned protest in the interest of our dear nation,” the statement partly read.
The Forum also warned that since Nigeria may not be able to afford another unrest considering the current state of the economy, people should draw solace in the fact that the relatively young administration of President Bola Tinubu was working hard to improve the standard of living of the common man.
Alhaji Mohammed Kasim, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has won the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Philip Akpeni, the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced the results on Sunday morning.
Alhaji Kasim polled 22,165 votes to defeat Alhaji Yahaya Shehu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 17,788 votes.
Alhaji Biko Umar of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) scored 1, 687 to come in third place.
“I am the returning officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Gwagwalada chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026,” Akpeni said.
“That Mohammed Kasim of PDP, having certified the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
In the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Maikalangu, the APC candidate, was declared the winner of the chairmanship poll with 40,295 votes.
Andrew Abue, the Collation Officer for AMAC, said Hon. Maikalangu, who is the incumbent AMAC chairman, was returned elected having scored the highest number of votes cast.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) came second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 3,398 votes.
According to Abue, the total number of valid votes in the chairmanship poll was 62,861, while the total votes cast stood at 65,197.
He added that the number of registered voters in AMAC was 837,338, while the total number of accredited voters was 65,676.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr. Joshua Ishaku of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Bwari Area Council Chairmanship election.
Announcing the result on Sunday in Bwari, the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Mohammed Nurudeen, stated that Ishaku polled a total of 18,466 votes to emerge victorious in the February 21, 2026 poll.
“I am the Returning Officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Bwari chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026. That Joshua Ishaku, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Nurudeen said.
According to the results declared, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured 4,254 votes, while the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) polled 3,515 votes to place second and third respectively.
The declaration adds to the series of results emerging from the 2026 FCT Area Council elections, as political parties assess their performance ahead of future contests.
INEC UPLOADS 2,602 OF 2,822 FCT CHAIRMANSHIP RESULTS ON IReV
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had uploaded 2,602 out of the 2,822 expected polling unit results from Saturday’s chairmanship elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as at 5:55am on Sunday, data retrieved from its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) showed.
According to The Tide source, the figure represents an overall upload rate of about 92.2 per cent across the six area councils of the territory.
A council-by-council breakdown indicates that Municipal Area Council recorded the highest number of submissions in absolute terms, with 1,309 of 1,401 polling unit results uploaded, representing 93.43 per cent.
In Gwagwalada Area Council, 330 of the expected 338 polling unit results had been uploaded, representing 97.63 per cent — the highest upload rate among the six councils.
In Bwari Area Council, INEC uploaded 463 of 485 polling unit results, translating to 95.46 per cent.
In Abaji Area Council, 129 of 135 polling unit results had been uploaded as at 5:55am, representing 95.56 per cent.
In Kwali Area Council, 164 of the expected 201 polling unit results were available on the portal, representing 81.59 per cent.
In Kuje Area Council, 207 of 262 polling unit results had been uploaded, representing 79.01 per cent — the lowest rate among the six councils as at the time of review.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, the group described the swift assent as a clear demonstration of political will to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We see the decision by President Bola Tinubu to sign the reworked 2022 Electoral Act into law within a few hours of its passage as a demonstration of political will to ensure an improved electoral process which the new law envisages,” the group said.
The TMSG expressed confidence that the development would enable the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) to quickly align its operations with the new provisions in preparation for the 2027 polls.
The group noted that the provision for electronic transmission of results had been contentious but described its codification in the law as a significant step forward.
“So, for the first time, the country’s electoral law would be recognising the use of the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the result viewing portal, IREV, which were just INEC guidelines in 2023,” it stated.
According to the TMSG, although the Act provides for electronic transmission of results from polling units to the IREV portal, it also makes room for manual transmission of Form EC8A result sheets as a backup in the event of technological failure.
“Unlike some Nigerians, we do not see anything wrong with the fallback plan but we agree with the President that no matter how beautiful a process is with improved technology, the onus lies on the people manning it to show good faith and ensure that the votes of the people really count at the end of the day,” the statement added.
The group highlighted other key provisions in the amended law, including the streamlining of party primaries to either consensus or direct primaries, early release of funds to INEC, reinforced measures against over-voting, and stiffer sanctions for electoral offences such as falsification of results.
It also pointed out that the mandatory notice period for elections has been reduced from 360 days to 300 days, giving INEC more flexibility in adjusting the timetable for the 2027 elections, especially where it may clash with Ramadan.
The TMSG further observed that the President’s decision to sign the bill days before the forthcoming Area Council Election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) underscores his desire for the law to take immediate effect.
“And by signing the amendment bill a few days before the Area Council Election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is obvious that the President is keen on ensuring that the 2026 Electoral Act takes immediate effect.
“Nigerians would also have an opportunity to see some of the key provisions of the new electoral law become operational, especially the electronic transmission of results,” it said.
The group expressed optimism that the current INEC leadership would leverage the new legal framework to deliver a more credible and widely acceptable electioneering process than in previous electoral cycles.
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