News
INEC Issues Fresh Timetable For 2027 General Elections
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash O. Amupitan (SAN), has disclosed that the commission will issue a revised timetable for the 2027 General Election following the enactment of the new Electoral Act 2026.
Amupitan stated this on Wednesday during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and the swearing-in of Dr. Chukwu Chukwu-Emeka Joseph as REC representing Abia State.
President Bola Tinubu recently assented to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 barely 24 hours after it was controversially passed by the National Assembly.
Prior to then, INEC had announced that the presidential and National Assembly elections would take place on February 20, 2027, while governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls were scheduled for March 6, 2027.
The timetable drew criticism from sections of the public, particularly Muslim groups, who argued that the proposed dates clashed with the holy month of Ramadan.
READ ALSO:JUST IN: INEC Announces Timetable For 2027 Elections
The amended Clause 28 now provides that INEC shall, not later than 300 days before the date fixed for the conduct of an election under this Act, publish a notice in each state of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
Amupitan explained that although INEC had issued a Notice of Election on February 13, 2026, it was issued under the provisions of the old Electoral Act, as the new law had not yet been enacted.
“I must not fail to inform you that we now have a new Electoral Act, 2026. We had on 13th February 2026 issued a Notice of Election before the new Act was enacted. The Notice was issued under the old law. With the introduction of the new Electoral Act, we have to make some adjustments and issue a revised Timetable for the 2027 General Election”, Amupitan stated.
The INEC chairman noted that the development would require procedural alignments to ensure full compliance with the new legal framework guiding the conduct of elections in the country.
He also disclosed that the commission would soon commence a comprehensive Voters Revalidation Exercise aimed at further sanitising the national register ahead of the 2027 polls.
READ ALSO:Do INEC Staff Have Special Disease – Oshiomhole Slams Commission
According to him, the clean-up exercise, which was extensively discussed during the commission’s retreat in Lagos in January, is part of efforts to strengthen the integrity of the voter register and enhance public confidence in the electoral process.
Amupitan reminded the RECs that the second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which commenced on January 5, 2026, is ongoing and will run until April 17, 2026.
He added that the entire CVR cycle is scheduled to conclude on August 30, 2026.
The meeting came on the heels of the recently concluded Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and bye-elections in select constituencies in Kano and Rivers states, which. Amupitan described as largely peaceful and successfully concluded.
The INEC chairman also addressed operational matters raised during the FCT polls, including delayed openings of polling units, which he described as unacceptable and damaging to public confidence.
READ ALSO:Do INEC Staff Have Special Disease – Oshiomhole Slams Commission
He said staff and logistical failures identified in the exercise would be investigated and, if necessary, sanctioned under commission regulations.
Amupitan praised the generally peaceful conduct of the elections but acknowledged “ugly incidents” at some collation centres, urging stronger coordination with security agencies to prevent such occurrences in future exercises.
The INEC chairman also highlighted improvements introduced into the commission’s result management system, noting that experience has shown that the most vulnerable stage of the electoral process is not voting at the polling units but the collation of results at various levels.
To address this, he said, additional safeguards have been integrated into the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to prevent manipulation of results before transmission to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
READ ALSO:FCT Council Election: UN Observer Blames INEC For Low Voter Turnout
He said under the strengthened procedure, the Presiding Officer is required to capture and upload an image of the completed Form EC8A to IReV and simultaneously enter the scores of each political party directly into the BVAS device.
According to him, the BVAS now performs internal validation checks to ensure that total votes entered do not exceed the number of accredited voters, that figures are mathematically consistent, and that any instance of over-voting is automatically flagged and cannot be finalised.
He said the enhanced system was tested during the FCT Area Council election and the Kano and Rivers State constituency polls, where uploaded results were confirmed to be accurate, with about 97 per cent of FCT results already available on IReV.
News
Migration Agency Warns Migrants Against Irregular Travel Routes
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with Giving is Healing Foundation, has sensitised residents of Ayobo in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State on the dangers of irregular migration and the need to embrace legal travel procedures.
Speaking during a sensitisation programme held at Megida Ifelodu Community Development Association in Ayobo, the founder of Giving is Healing Foundation, Mr. Gbolahan Ayediran, warned intending migrants against using illegal travel routes.
Ayediran said many Nigerians desire to migrate abroad in search of better opportunities but often ignore proper procedures, thereby exposing themselves to several dangers.
“Lots of people want to migrate and most of them do it in the wrong direction. The reason for the programme is for us to advise people on how they can migrate in the right way. As much as migration is their right, they should do it correctly,” he said.
READ ALSO:How Wike Rescued Me From Political Oblivion — Oshiomhole
He advised intending travellers to obtain the necessary travel documents before embarking on any journey, noting that such documents include international passports, visas, flight tickets and yellow cards, depending on the destination country.
According to him, migrants should also gather adequate information about their destination countries to enable them make informed decisions before travelling.
Ayediran further highlighted some of the dangers associated with irregular migration, including abuse, exploitation, discrimination and forced labour.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Megida Ifelodu Community Development Association, Elder Mathews Amusan, commended the organisers for enlightening members of the community on safe migration practices.
READ ALSO: He Can’t Fix His Party Let Alone Nigeria – Oshiomhole Blasts Atiku
He urged residents planning to travel abroad to always follow legal migration procedures to avoid falling victim to human trafficking and other migration-related challenges.
One of the participants, Mr. Kolawole Adenoko, said the programme enlightened him on the dangers of irregular migration and the importance of travelling through the proper channels.
He added that he would also educate his relatives and friends on the risks associated with illegal migration.
News
Shatta Wale Bailed Burna Boy From Ghana Prison After Arrest For Smoking Weed – Captan
Ghanian singer, Captan, has claimed that his former record label boss, Shatta Wale, once bailed Nigerian singer Burna Boy out of prison in Ghana after he was allegedly arrested for smoking weed.
Speaking in a recent podcast interview, Captan claimed that Shatta Wale sent him and others to free Burna Boy from police custody.
He also claimed that Shatta Wale and his group once accommodated Burna Boy when he was being hunted by some dangerous men.
READ ALSO: Wale Edun Opens Up After Sack
Captan said, “I once bailed Burna Boy out of prison in Ghana when he was arrested for smoking weed. Shatta Wale sent me and some guys to go and free him from police custody.
“There was a time we also accommodated him when some people were after his life. We helped him settle the case.”
He added that he and Burna Boy are no longer in good terms after the Nigerian artist’s fallout with his mentor, Shatta Wale.
He, however, said he and Shatta Wale are open to reconciling with Burna Boy if he asks for it.
Watch the video here
News
Children’s Day: Chaos At Ogbe Stadium As Dozens Faint
Chaos erupted on Wednesday during the Children’s Day celebration as dozens of students reportedly collapsed following a stampede triggered by the use of pepper spray.
The event,
organised by the Edo State Ministry of Education at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was disrupted after some male students of Ihogbe College allegedly made uncompromising advances towards female students at the venue.
A parent who identified himself as Oboh Emmanuel said, “the behaviour of those uncultured students attracted the attention of bouncers stationed at the stadium as they rebuked the male students.”
Oboh said the affected students later regrouped and attacked the bouncers, leading to a confrontation within the crowded arena.
READ ALSO:Children’s Day: Edo Commits To Child Protection
It was gathered that in the ensuing confusion, the bouncers were reported to have deployed pepper spray in an area occupied by a large number of students.
Several students, particularly female students, reportedly fainted after inhaling the substance, while others sustained injuries after being stepped on during the ensuing melee.
The panic was said to have spread across the stadium as students, teachers and parents scampered for safety.
Many of the affected students were reportedly rushed to the Edo Specialist Hospital for medical attention.
READ ALSO: Egor LG Chair, Ogbemudia, Vice, Osawe Impeached
Reacting to the incident, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Dr Patrick Ebojele, said the security personnel that fired the tear gas had been detained.
He said all the students, except two, that were rushed to the hospital have been discharged.
Ebojele stated that doctors wanted to observe the students till tomorrow before allowing them to go home.
“The two students are not seriously injured. Doctors want to observe them overnight. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education is still at the hospital. The man who used pepper spray has been detained.
“The incident did not happen the way it is being exaggerated. All modalities were put in place to ensure the children enjoyed their day.”
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