Politics
Anti Tinubu protests politically sponsored – Presidency
On Tuesday, workers and other Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Benin, Osogbo, Akure, Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Jos, Katsina, and other urban centres protested the economic hardship in the country.
Nigerians have been grappling with economic difficulties on the heels of the fuel subsidy removal and other economic reforms being implemented by the Federal Government.
To express its dissatisfaction with the hardship in the country, the NLC on Tuesday commenced a two-day demonstration to pressure the federal and state governments to tackle hunger across the nation.
The NLC and Trade Union Congress had on February 8 issued a 14-day nationwide strike notice to the government over its failure to implement the agreements reached on October 2, following the removal of the fuel subsidy.
The unions also issued a protest notice over the Federal Government’s failure to fulfil its promises to address the economic crisis, but the TUC later withdrew from the protest, citing the failure of the NLC to carry it along.
A last-minute meeting called by the Federal Government on Monday to dissuade the NLC leadership from pressing ahead with the protest deadlocked as the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the protests would take place.
Insisting that the protest was needless, the presidential spokesperson, Ngelale, said the Federal Government had commenced efforts to alleviate the hardship in the country.
Ngelale said there was no unanimity behind the NLC’s action, citing the withdrawal of the TUC and National Association of Nigerian Students from the protests.
He stated “Any labour union that is speaking to the concerns of Nigerian families, the pains that are being felt by our people, is absolutely free to do so. It is right that Nigerians speak up in difficult situations.
“And the government has been doing everything possible to alleviate those concerns. But we also want to separate the legitimate concerns being expressed by some of the labour unions from people trying to leverage some of the situations in the country to achieve a political agenda.
“We have seen the Trade Union Congress pull out of the purported nationwide protest. We have seen the National Association of Nigerian Students pull out of the protest. There is no unanimity behind what the NLC is trying to do. I believe all of the legitimate concerns being raised by the unions are being tackled by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.”
Meanwhile, the NLC president has lamented the hardship in the country.
Ajaero, led workers to the National Assembly, Abuja, where he presented the demands of workers to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labour, Employment, and Productivity, Senator Diket Plang, for delivery to President Bola Tinubu.
The NLC president in his address at the National Assembly said Nigerians embarked on the peaceful protest because there was hunger in the land, adding that Nigeria was becoming like Zimbabwe.
Ajaero said that the protest would serve as a signal to the government to immediately tackle the country’s challenges.
NLC laments hunger
He explained, “We are here today because there is hunger in the land. In the last week, it was a struggle for us to come to the street but we are here today.
‘’History will not forgive us if we do not protest today and tell the government that there is hunger in the land. It is important to note that this is not just a symbolic rally but it is a rally to signal to the people in authority that t inhere is a problem in the land. People are dying of hunger, and banditry, among others.
“We are going to present a letter to the National Assembly for onward transmission to the President. We were here a few months back and we presented a letter. Unfortunately, those demands have not been addressed.
“We want to remind our representatives that we do not bring letters for the fun of it. Rather, actions can be taken with immediate effect. If we give you this letter and you don’t take action on it, then we will resort to self-help.’’
Referencing the food crisis, he noted, “A bag of rice is over N70,000 whereas, the minimum wage is N30,000. How long will Nigerians continue to suffer? We cannot pay school fees with N30,000 minimum wage. Let the poor eat. The currencies of Cameroon, Benin Republic, and Niger Republic, are higher than Nigeria’s because of the devaluation of naira.’’
Plang, after receiving the letter, assured the NLC that its demands would be attended to immediately.
He stated, “We understand you. We feel what you feel. We want to assure you that this letter will be discussed immediately at the plenary session.’’
Addressing journalists after the protest, Plang assured that the leadership of the National Assembly was working to address the plight of Nigerians.
The demands presented by the labour leaders to the National Assembly leadership include the full implementation of the welfare provisions as contained in chapter two of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) by making the provisions justiciable; employment generation through massive investment in agriculture and value-added manufacturing and Immediate subsidy to farmers to boost agricultural production and food security.
The protesters also asked the government to open all food storage silos and enforce equitable distribution across the country, fix abandoned factories, and revive local production and patronage of Made-in-Nigeria goods and services.
The protesters asked the government to go after the oil subsidy cabal and other economic saboteurs and put a stop to the dollarization of the Nigerian economy.
They also demanded fast-track negotiation and implementation of the new national minimum wage even as they advised the authorities to “abandon IMF/World Bank policies as they bring extreme hardship to Nigerians as well as imperil our security and sovereignty.’’
States’ protests
The protests, which were also held in Lagos, Ogun, Plateau, Delta, Benin, Katsina, Oyo, Osun, Gombe, Benue, Kogi, Ondo, and other states, recorded an appreciable turnout.
In Lagos, scores of protesters trooped out to express their grievances over the current economic hardship while pleading with President Tinubu to reverse the fuel subsidy.
The protest started at Ikeja at about 7 am from the Ikeja under-bridge and moved to the State House of Assembly.
To ease the stress of the long walk, police officers from the Lagos State command distributed bottled water and biscuits to the protesters in the Alausa area.
The cops were hailed for the kind gesture.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, told one of our correspondents that the snacks were provided by the Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, as a show of solidarity with the protesters.
Hundeyin said, “It was the idea of the commissioner of police. All credit goes to him. He believes in service to humanity and being your brother’s keeper. That was why he did that. He does not treat protesters as enemy and that was why he deployed policemen for security to make their protest easier.”
Fayoade on his part said, “It is their right to protest. Our presence is not to bring any fear, and we have been greeting and exchanging banters with them. There is nothing to be afraid of.’’
Present were the state NLC chairperson, Funmi Sessi, Deputy General Secretary, Emeka Nkwoala, Assistant General Secretary, Medinat Balogun, and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, among others.
The protesters were seen carrying various placards: ‘End suffering and poverty now,’ ‘Petrol subsidy is a fraud,’ ‘Fix the refineries now and others.
Addressing journalists before the protest, Falana stated that the Senate and House of Representatives should be merged.
He said it was ridiculous that each legislator was given a Sports Utility Vehicle valued at N160m.
Falana added, “The government has announced the merger of ministries; that report is outdated and does not reflect the current situation. As of today, Nigeria has 1,316 ministries, agencies, and parastatals.
The national president of the Precision Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association, Rufus Solusesan, said, “We are here to protest the suffering of the masses at the hands of the Tinubu-led government. We recall that since he removed the subsidy, Nigerians have been walking in abject poverty.’’
The chairman of the Association of Staff Union of University, University of Lagos, Prof. Kayode Adebayo, said the citizens voted for the present government to right the wrongs of the past government.
Kano protesters
The Kano protesters were received by the Head of Service, Abdullahi Musa, who pledged to convey their grievances to the President.
Speaking at the Government House before submitting a letter to the governor for onward submission to the President, the state NCL Chairman, Kabir Inuwa, complained that poverty is increasing daily.
“We are not against him. He is our President, we respect him but let him allow the poor to breathe,” he said.
A former spokesperson of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, has called on the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and investigate the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his reported pledge of N10 million to each of Rivers State’s 319 councillors for delivering their respective wards to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Sara-Igbe described the alleged pledge as a threat to the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process, insisting that Wike’s position as a serving minister should not shield him from investigation.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, reportedly made the promise during a media chat last week, urging the councillors to ensure that President Tinubu wins their respective wards in the 2027 elections in exchange for N10 million each.
With 319 councillors representing the state’s 319 wards across 23 local government areas, the proposed financial commitment would amount to N3.19 billion if fully implemented.
Speaking in an interview with The Southern Examiner, Sara-Igbe questioned why the FCT Minister had not been invited for questioning by security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the reported statement.
He argued that the alleged pledge raised serious concerns about compliance with electoral laws, particularly provisions relating to financial inducements and electoral malpractice.
“We are not in a banana republic where anything goes, no laws. Our security personnel must prove to Nigerians and the entire world that our laws are not implemented haphazardly, depending on who is involved,” he said.
The Kalabari elder also criticised INEC for what he described as its silence over the matter, insisting that electoral regulations must apply equally to all Nigerians, regardless of their political influence or official positions.
Sara-Igbe, who acknowledged that Wike was once his close associate, said Nigeria’s democracy could only develop when citizens rejected injustice, unfairness and inequality.
He warned that political statements capable of encouraging financial inducements could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
“Utterances such as the one Wike spewed out from his mouth could truncate our hard-won democracy and expose our nation to public ridicule. This is why the matter should not be swept under the carpet. Wike must be made to pay for such an unguarded statement,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sara-Igbe denied allegations that he was involved in instigating the renewed political disagreement between Wike and Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
He also dismissed claims that his position was motivated by ethnic considerations, maintaining that his disagreement with Wike was based on political principles and what he described as the need to protect Rivers State’s interests.
He accused Wike and his supporters of attempting to undermine Fubara’s administration, arguing that the governor should be allowed to exercise his constitutional mandate without undue political interference.
Sara-Igbe further disclosed that his political position informed his decision to support the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, and the party’s Rivers State governorship candidate, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, ahead of the 2027 elections.
He described Lulu-Briggs as a candidate with the capacity to pursue economic development in the state, highlighting proposals to decongest Port Harcourt, develop other urban centres such as Ahoada, Omoku and Bori, and harness Rivers State’s tourism potential.
He also criticised the Rainbow Coalition over what he described as the introduction of ethnic considerations into the search for an APC governorship candidate in Rivers State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed November 28, 2026, for a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The exercise is aimed at testing upgrades to the commission’s Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and electronic results transmission ahead of the polls.
The development comes as INEC disclosed that it had commenced the distribution of non-sensitive election materials to some states in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), announced the planned mock exercise on Thursday during a dialogue at Chatham House in London.
The event, organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative, was themed, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.”
According to a statement issued in Abuja and signed by the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, Amupitan said the exercise would simulate the presidential election and enable the commission to assess the efficiency of its accreditation and electronic results transmission systems.
“On the 28th of this month, we will conduct a mock accreditation and voting exercise across all states of the federation to simulate the presidential election and verify that we have gotten both accreditation and electronic result transmission right,” the INEC chairman said.
Amupitan also disclosed that the commission had introduced additional technical safeguards to prevent inaccurate polling unit results and figures indicating over-voting from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal.
He said the measures were part of efforts to strengthen the credibility, transparency and reliability of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Deputy National Organising Secretary of All Progressives Congress, Chief Emeka Okafor Esq, has called on Voters of Igbo Extraction living in Ondo State to come out in their numbers and vote massively for APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 16th of January 2026.
Chief Emeka Okafor made the call in Akure during the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Rally which took place in Akure, Ondo state.
The Deputy National Organising Secretary stated that South East and Ndi Igbo have benefitted massively from the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and All Progressives Congress. He opined that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu meant well for the Country and the President’s reform is yielding the necessary results.
Barr Emeka Okafor stated that Ndi Igbo has always been part of National Party. “Being with the Party at Centre has always been beneficial to Ndi Igbo and 2027 will not be an exception. He urged Igbo Voters in Ondo to support APC and Mr President’s re-election bid.
The chieftain also urged stakeholders to support all APC candidates for the National and State Assemblies in the forthcoming elections, saying party members must work hard to deliver the desired results.
Barr Okafor made the appeal as He joined the Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, other APC leaders and stakeholders at the party’s campaign rallies in Akure, the Capital of Ondo state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned political actors against the use of the controversial slogan, “Rig and Die”, ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that such inflammatory rhetoric could trigger electoral violence and endanger innocent lives.
The Commission also warned that electoral officials, including ad hoc staff, who compromise the integrity of elections would face prosecution in accordance with the law.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, gave the warnings during a media engagement forum for journalists and media executives from the South-East, South-South and South-West geopolitical zones held in Enugu.
Haruna expressed concern over the increasing use of inflammatory political statements and threats, noting that such utterances could put the lives of presiding officers, electoral ad hoc personnel, party agents and election observers at risk.
He urged political parties and their supporters to embrace peaceful participation, stressing that grievances arising from election outcomes should be addressed through established legal channels, including INEC, security agencies and the courts, rather than through violence.
The National Commissioner also called for stronger collaboration between INEC and the media to promote credible, peaceful and transparent elections in 2027.
He described the media as an indispensable partner in the electoral process, noting that public confidence in elections depended largely on accurate, balanced and professional reporting.
Haruna warned journalists against publishing unverified results, manipulated videos, misleading projections and sensational political narratives capable of misleading the public and undermining confidence in the electoral process.
He specifically cautioned against premature result announcements, insisting that only INEC, through its duly appointed returning officers, had the authority to declare election results.
“Results are declared only by the Commission through its duly appointed returning officers. Projections and unofficial figures must be clearly labelled as such,” he said.
He further advised media organisations to verify allegations against the Commission through appropriate channels before publication and exercise caution when reporting electoral incidents.
Haruna also advocated inclusive election coverage, urging journalists to give adequate attention to women, youths and persons with disabilities, particularly the challenges affecting their participation in the electoral process.
He encouraged media organisations to intensify voter education on Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), accreditation procedures, electronic transmission of results and peaceful participation.
Journalists Urged to Uphold Professional Ethics
In a separate presentation on ethical and professional standards in election reporting, resource person, Mr Osaretin Imahheyierobo, urged journalists to familiarise themselves with the Electoral Act 2026, INEC’s election coverage guidelines and the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.
He expressed concern that some journalists covering elections were not sufficiently conversant with the legal and regulatory frameworks governing electoral reporting.
Imahheyierobo urged media organisations to establish dedicated election desks, develop editorial guidelines and strengthen fact-checking mechanisms ahead of the 2027 polls.
He also stressed the need for journalists to understand INEC’s technological innovations, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), to ensure accurate reporting of accreditation, voting and result-management processes.
He warned media practitioners against compromising professional ethics for financial inducements, commonly referred to as brown envelopes. He maintained that political candidates should be subjected to objective scrutiny rather than having their claims and manifestoes amplified without proper examination.
The resource person also called for equitable media coverage of all political parties and candidates, noting that voters relied on credible information to make informed electoral decisions.
Earlier, the Enugu State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, disclosed that INEC had received approximately 35,000 Permanent Voter Cards for distribution across the state’s 260 wards.
He appealed to journalists to support public enlightenment campaigns to ensure that eligible voters collected their PVCs ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Chukwu described the media as a strategic partner in voter education, public opinion formation and institutional accountability, warning that misinformation could erode public confidence in the electoral process.
While acknowledging the media’s independence and watchdog responsibilities, the REC urged journalists to uphold accuracy, objectivity, fairness and professionalism in their coverage of electoral activities.
He assured stakeholders that the Commission remained committed to conducting credible, transparent, inclusive and peaceful elections in 2027, adding that it was open to constructive criticism and recommendations from media practitioners.
NUJ Raises Concerns Over Election Logistics
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu State Council, Comrade Obinna Ogbuka, commended INEC for organising the engagement but regretted that the initiative had not commenced early enough to accommodate more journalists before the election cycle gathered momentum.
Ogbuka also raised concerns over the apparent lack of adequate budgetary provisions for journalists’ logistics during election assignments, stressing that media practitioners required sufficient support to perform their duties effectively.
He further called on INEC to take deliberate steps to rebuild public confidence in the Commission ahead of the 2027 elections.
Participants at the engagement commended INEC’s preparations but urged the Commission to address weaknesses observed in previous elections, particularly the technical challenges that affected the electronic transmission of results during the 2023 presidential election.
They also called on INEC to recognise journalists as critical stakeholders in the electoral process and involve them more meaningfully in its preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended his promise to reward councillors with ₦10 million each for delivering their respective wards ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the offer is a reward for political commitment and not an attempt to buy votes.
Wike made the clarification on Tuesday during an inspection tour of ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja, dismissing criticisms of the proposed incentives.
He argued that rewarding political mobilisers for their hard work and electoral performance should not be confused with inducing voters to influence election outcomes.
The minister had reportedly pledged ₦10 million to each councillor who successfully mobilises support and delivers their ward, a promise that sparked concerns over the possibility of vote-buying ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Responding to the criticism, Wike said he never instructed the councillors to share money among voters in exchange for their votes. Rather, he challenged them to demonstrate commitment and deliver the expected electoral results.
“I didn’t tell them, ‘Take this money and go and buy votes.’ I said, ‘Go and work. Show commitment. Demonstrate that you really mean what you are talking about. When you win, come and we are going to reward you,’” he said.
To justify the offer, Wike compared the proposed political incentive to rewards given to athletes who win international competitions, arguing that such promises motivate people to achieve outstanding results.
He cited instances where athletes are promised houses and other benefits for returning from competitions with trophies, questioning why similar incentives in politics should automatically be considered bribery.
The FCT minister also faulted sections of the media for what he described as their failure to distinguish between legitimate performance-based rewards and vote-buying.
He argued that political parties and candidates routinely spend money on campaign advertisements without attracting similar criticism.
Wike challenged journalists to examine the distinction between financial inducements intended to influence voters and rewards promised to political organisers for meeting mobilisation targets.
Meanwhile, the minister expressed satisfaction with the progress of ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja, including Interchange Section 2 (ISEX 2), the Southern Parkway and the S1 Road, which incorporates a fire station.
He said the projects were expected to be completed by December 15, ahead of the January 16, 2027 general elections.
Wike further argued that the infrastructure achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration would provide a strong basis for its re-election campaign.
He maintained that his support for Tinubu was driven by the administration’s development agenda rather than party affiliation, insisting that Nigerians who genuinely desire progress should support policies and programmes aimed at national development.
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