Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has dismissed a viral prophecy predicting the impeachment of his deputy, Olayide Adelami, describing it as a distraction with no basis in reality.

The prophecy was made by Olumuyiwa Akogun, General Overseer of God Central Ministry in Ekiti State, in a video circulating on social media.

In the footage, the cleric claimed to have seen a vision of political turmoil in Ondo State involving the governor and his deputy.

According to him, the vision featured what looked like a breaking news announcement declaring that the deputy governor had been impeached.

He also described seeing the governor and his deputy standing behind each other holding a flag before a sudden storm separated them — which he interpreted as a sign of looming conflict.

“I saw breaking news. I saw the picture of the deputy governor, and I saw that he was impeached. The Lord told me that a step will be taken, and that step will cause chaos between the governor and the deputy. It shall be a serious problem,” the cleric said in the video.

Responding on Friday during the commissioning of the newly constructed Ayegunle-Iwaro Oka Road as part of activities marking his first anniversary in office, Governor Aiyedatiwa dismissed the prediction.

He said there was no plan to remove his deputy and stressed that Mr Adelami had not committed any offence to warrant such speculation.

The governor described his deputy as loyal and dependable, urging the public to disregard the viral claims.

“He is a loyal deputy,” the governor stated.
After the ceremony, Mr Aiyedatiwa proceeded to commission the Isuada-Iselu Road in Owo Local Government Area.

While recent ward congresses of the All Progressives Congress have generated tension in parts of the state — with reports of violence resulting in two deaths — there are no clear indications of any rift between the governor and his deputy.

Nonetheless, political discussions about succession and the future leadership of the state have intensified in recent weeks, fueling speculation in some quarters despite official reassurances from the government.

Agents of the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress on Saturday accused members of the ruling All Progressives Congress of attempting to induce voters with cash at Polling Unit 035 in Nyanya during the ongoing Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections.

The allegation triggered a brief commotion at the polling unit as opposition agents confronted individuals they described as APC intermediaries allegedly distributing ₦1,000 to voters waiting in line.

One opposition agent, who spoke anonymously, claimed that certain persons approached voters on the queue and offered them cash in exchange for support.

According to him, the agents openly challenged the move, leading to tension before calm was restored.

An ADC representative at the unit also condemned the alleged inducement and questioned the role of security personnel present at the scene, arguing that such actions should not be tolerated during an election.

The confrontation temporarily disrupted the voting process, with heated exchanges among voters along party lines.

At a point, a voter appealed to the protesting agents to de-escalate the situation, warning that further disturbance could result in the cancellation of results from the polling unit.

Order was eventually restored following the intervention of operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, who reinforced security and monitored proceedings to ensure normal voting resumed.

Commercial activities around the area were largely suspended due to the elections, with only essential services such as Nyanya General Hospital remaining open.

Vote buying has remained a persistent concern in Nigeria’s electoral process.

Despite provisions in the Electoral Act criminalising voter inducement, enforcement has continued to pose challenges.

Analysts attribute the practice to economic hardship, weak monitoring mechanisms, and intense political competition, particularly in closely contested local elections.

Stakeholders have repeatedly urged stronger enforcement of electoral laws, enhanced voter education, and improved accountability measures to safeguard the credibility of the country’s democratic system.

The chairmanship candidate of the African Democratic Congress for Abuja Municipal Area Council, Dr. Moses Paul, has alleged that his party’s agents were subjected to threats and intimidation during Saturday’s FCT Area Council elections.

Speaking at his polling unit in AMAC, Paul expressed concern over what he described as unusually low voter turnout across parts of the council.

He attributed the situation to confusion stemming from the movement restriction imposed for the elections, arguing that it discouraged many residents from coming out to vote.

The candidate, who said he has resided in AMAC for about four decades, noted that he had never experienced similar conditions during previous elections.

He likened the atmosphere to a state of emergency, insisting that the restrictions were excessive and unnecessary.

While raising concerns over the alleged intimidation of ADC agents in Takum Shara and sections of Kabusa Ward, including Dogongada and Shereti, Paul commended officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission at his polling unit for their professionalism and adherence to laid-down procedures.

He also alleged incidents of vote-buying in some parts of the capital, describing the practice as criminal and undemocratic.

Despite the reported challenges, Paul maintained confidence in his chances at the polls, urging residents to stand firm against intimidation and demand transparent and accountable leadership.

Voting in parts of Kubwa, Bwari Area Council, was hampered on Saturday by poor voter turnout and technical hitches involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System during the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections.

At Polling Unit 044, LEA Primary School, Kubwa II, only about 50 voters had been accredited and cast their ballots out of more than 700 registered voters as of late morning.

The Presiding Officer, Abdulmalik Hussaini, described the turnout as extremely low, noting that although voting began at 8:30 am, participation remained minimal.

He stated that officials were present and prepared on time but had accredited just 50 voters on the BVAS device, adding that voting would close at 2:30 pm in line with guidelines.

A similar situation was recorded at Polling Unit 048, where the Presiding Officer, Ahmed Tijjani Baba, said only 50 out of over 750 registered voters had been accredited.

At Polling Unit 046, which has 770 registered voters, accreditation was slowed by technical issues with the BVAS.

The Presiding Officer, Abdullahi Yusuf, explained that while the device sometimes captured voters’ fingerprints or facial images, it failed to complete the accreditation process.

Observers witnessed a case where the BVAS took nearly two minutes to accredit a voter after previously failing to verify four others who attempted fingerprint and facial authentication.

Yusuf said efforts to contact the Registration Area Centre technician to resolve the malfunction were unsuccessful, as calls to the official went unanswered.

In addition to the technical setbacks, electoral officials complained of inadequate logistics.

According to Yusuf, they were not provided with chairs or canopies and had to source furniture from nearby classrooms, leaving them exposed and vulnerable to interference from security personnel.

Three prominent opposition parties — Peoples Democratic Party, New Nigerian Peoples Party, and African Democratic Congress — were absent from the ballot papers used in Saturday’s Kano State House of Assembly by-election.

The development was first reported by Arise News, which disclosed that the affected parties were not listed among the nine political parties featured on the ballot by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the exercise.

The by-election is being held to fill two vacant seats in the Kano State House of Assembly following the deaths of the former legislators last year.

The deceased lawmakers were members of the NNPP prior to their passing.

Meanwhile, the poll has reportedly witnessed low voter turnout in several polling units across Kano Municipal Local Government Area, despite the early deployment of INEC officials and materials.

As of mid-morning, many polling centres had only a few voters present, while electoral officers remained on standby awaiting more constituents.

Security personnel were visibly stationed across the area to maintain order and ensure the safety of voters and election officials.

INEC officials were observed seated with materials properly arranged, ready to conduct the exercise as they waited for increased voter participation.

Voting has commenced in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as residents head to the polls to elect chairmen and councillors in the six Area Councils.

Unlike elections conducted in Nigeria’s 36 states where state electoral bodies oversee local government polls, the FCT council elections are organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

As of early Saturday morning, polling units in several locations had begun setting up, with INEC ad hoc staff seen arranging materials and preparing for accreditation of voters.

At about 8:09 am, the final vehicle transporting sensitive materials departed the Registration Area Centre (RAC) for designated polling units.

Shortly after, by 8:12 am, officials were already putting finishing touches in some school premises serving as voting centres.

By 9:21 am, voting had commenced in parts of the territory, with voters queuing to cast their ballots.

Security presence, movement restriction
Police personnel and other security agencies were deployed across the FCT to maintain order.

Authorities had earlier announced a 12-hour restriction of movement to ensure a peaceful and hitch-free exercise.

The FCT comprises six Area Councils — Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Gwagwalada, Kuje, Bwari, Abaji, and Kwali — which serve as the grassroots administrative units of the capital territory.

INEC had disclosed ahead of the polls that over 1.5 million registered voters collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), raising expectations of significant turnout.

Election observers and journalists are monitoring developments across the councils, with updates expected throughout the day as voting progresses.