Pensioners in Abia State, speaking under the umbrella of the Concerned Abia Pensioners, have appealed to Governor Alex Otti not to allocate funds for campaign activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that his performance has already earned him widespread approval.

The appeal was made during the group’s biweekly meeting on Thursday at the Sub-Treasury premises in Umuahia.

Members assured the governor of their continued backing and pledged to support efforts to ensure his re-election, emphasizing that opposition attempts to unseat him would be futile.

While expressing satisfaction with Otti’s administration, the pensioners reminded him of his promise to settle outstanding gratuities and voiced confidence that the commitment would be honored.

They also called on the governor to intervene in the ongoing leadership crisis within the Nigeria Union of Pensioners in Abia, urging the outgoing executive to reopen the union’s secretariat, which has remained locked, forcing members to meet outdoors.

In his remarks, Chief Emeka Okezie, Coordinator of the Concerned Abia Pensioners, commended the governor’s performance, noting the regular monthly payment of pensions on the 28th as unprecedented in the state.

He cautioned opposition elements against attempts to manipulate the political process under the guise of electronic registration.

“We are solidly behind this government. The governor should not waste money on campaigns. He has achieved more than expected in less than three years. I am confident that our gratuities will be paid soon, if not immediately, then before the end of this month,” Okezie said.

Former Permanent Secretary Ochu I. Ochu echoed the sentiments, reaffirming the pensioners’ unwavering support for Governor Otti and praying for the resources needed to clear the backlog of owed gratuities.

The meeting concluded with prayers offered for the governor, the state government, and his team, underscoring the pensioners’ commitment to standing by his administration.

The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party escalated on Thursday as the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the party’s National Working Committee faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission for recognising a caretaker committee backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the Turaki faction described INEC’s action as unconstitutional and provocative, warning that it would challenge the move through all available legal channels.

The development followed a Federal High Court judgment delivered in Ibadan last week, which nullified the PDP National Convention held on November 15, 2025, and directed Turaki and others to stop presenting themselves as national officers of the party.

Before the ruling, PDP governors had supported the Ibadan convention that produced Turaki and members of the National Working Committee for a four-year tenure.

However, Wike and his allies, including Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, maintained that they remained the acting national leaders of the party.

Amid the dispute, the Wike-aligned bloc set up a 13-member caretaker committee on December 8 with a 60-day mandate, even as both camps sought official recognition from INEC.

Although the commission initially declined to recognise either faction, it later acknowledged the Wike-backed committee, whose representatives attended its quarterly consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja as acting party officials.

Reacting, the Turaki-led leadership said it had instructed its legal team to file an appeal and pursue all lawful options to contest both the court decision and INEC’s action.

The faction urged party members to remain calm while awaiting judicial resolution of the leadership tussle, insisting that INEC lacks the authority to determine the party’s leadership.

Ememobong said the commission ought to have exercised restraint given that several cases on the matter are pending before the Court of Appeal, adding that the final outcome of those proceedings would determine the legitimate leadership of the party.

Meanwhile, the Wike-backed camp welcomed the court ruling that barred Turaki and others from acting as members of the National Working Committee and indicated plans to organise a fresh convention to elect new officers.

The Turaki faction, however, maintained confidence in its leadership, assuring supporters that ongoing legal efforts would stabilise the party and position it as a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the registration of two new political parties, raising the total number of registered parties in Nigeria to 21 as the country prepares for the 2027 general election.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, announced the development on Thursday during the Commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties for 2026, held at INEC headquarters in Abuja.

The newly registered parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to Amupitan, the registration followed a rigorous assessment process in accordance with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.

He revealed that INEC received 171 letters of intent from groups seeking party registration. After an initial screening, 14 associations were prequalified for the next stage, and eight successfully submitted the required documentation.

These included the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Green Future Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP), and Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).

“Out of the eight, only two satisfied the final assessment and verification of compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act,” Amupitan said.

“The Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) has fully met the legal requirements and is hereby registered as a political party, effective 5th February 2026.”

He added that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) was registered following a court directive.

“The Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025 ordered INEC to register the NDC, and the Commission has complied with this order,” he explained.

Certificates of registration for both parties will be presented in due course.

Amupitan also warned political parties to resolve internal leadership disputes, noting that persistent litigations distract INEC from its core mandate of conducting free, fair, and credible elections.

He encouraged party leaders to embrace internal democracy, dialogue, and transparency to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic process as preparations intensify for elections in 2026 and the 2027 general election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the registration of two new political parties, raising the total number of registered parties in Nigeria to 21 as the country prepares for the 2027 general election.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, announced the development on Thursday during the Commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties for 2026, held at INEC headquarters in Abuja.

The newly registered parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to Amupitan, the registration followed a rigorous assessment process in accordance with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.

He revealed that INEC received 171 letters of intent from groups seeking party registration. After an initial screening, 14 associations were prequalified for the next stage, and eight successfully submitted the required documentation.

These included the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Green Future Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP), and Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).

“Out of the eight, only two satisfied the final assessment and verification of compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act,” Amupitan said.

“The Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) has fully met the legal requirements and is hereby registered as a political party, effective 5th February 2026.”

He added that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) was registered following a court directive.

“The Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025 ordered INEC to register the NDC, and the Commission has complied with this order,” he explained.

Certificates of registration for both parties will be presented in due course.

Amupitan also warned political parties to resolve internal leadership disputes, noting that persistent litigations distract INEC from its core mandate of conducting free, fair, and credible elections.

He encouraged party leaders to embrace internal democracy, dialogue, and transparency to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic process as preparations intensify for elections in 2026 and the 2027 general election.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has denied the authenticity of a viral video purportedly showing him massaging a woman’s feet aboard a private jet, insisting the clip was manipulated using artificial intelligence.

The video, which surfaced on social media earlier in the week, features a man resembling the former Edo State governor engaged in conversation with a woman whose feet rest on his lap.

It quickly gained traction online and generated widespread reactions.

Initial reports misidentified the woman as Lara Fortes, wife of the Edo North senator.

Subsequent accounts, however, named her as Leshaan Dagama, a South African lifestyle influencer and adult content creator, who was said to have first shared the clip on TikTok before deleting it.

The footage sparked criticism from many Nigerians who described the scene as inappropriate, especially in light of the country’s economic challenges.

Others referenced Oshiomhole’s recent controversial remark suggesting that some Nigerians complain that food prices are becoming “too cheap.”

Reacting to the controversy, Oshiomhole’s media aide, Oseni Momodu, dismissed the video as fake, describing it as a poorly produced AI-generated clip intended to tarnish the senator’s image.

He alleged that unnamed individuals orchestrated its circulation as a form of cyberbullying and political attack.

According to him, a closer review of the footage revealed noticeable inconsistencies, particularly between the opening seconds and the remainder of the video, suggesting deliberate manipulation.

He added that steps were being taken to trace the origin and distribution of the clip.

The media office urged the public and the press to verify content before sharing, warning against the growing misuse of artificial intelligence to spread misinformation and damage reputations.

It also called for stricter regulations on social media platforms to curb the spread of fabricated materials.

Meanwhile, Dagama responded to the backlash on her Instagram story, shifting criticism toward the senator.

“Your senator is the problem. Go be mad at him, not me,” she wrote.

The Senate Minority Caucus has dismissed reports that the National Assembly rejected electronic transmission of election results while passing the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, insisting that the provision remains intact.

The clarification followed widespread criticism and media reports suggesting lawmakers voted against electronic transmission and other electoral reforms, including a proposed 10-year ban on vote-buying.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio had earlier described such reports as misleading, maintaining that the upper chamber retained the electronic transmission framework contained in the 2022 Electoral Act.

Addressing journalists, former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the caucus considered it necessary to correct what he called a misrepresentation of proceedings during Wednesday’s plenary.

He stressed that the Senate did not at any point reject electronic transmission of results and only reaffirmed the existing legal provision guiding the process.

According to him, the bill passed by lawmakers supports electronic transfer of results as earlier established, a position he said was also clarified by the Senate President on the floor of the chamber.

Abaribe explained that extensive legislative work preceded the decision, including joint committee engagements between the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as consultations with the Independent National Electoral Commission and civil society organisations.

He noted that the committees held several retreats and public hearings, during which stakeholders agreed on the importance of electronic transmission as a key mechanism for improving electoral transparency.

Following the submission of the committee’s report, an ad hoc committee was constituted to review outstanding issues before the bill returned to plenary.

Its recommendations, he said, were discussed during a closed-door session and later adopted.

He added that confusion may have arisen during plenary due to movement and noise in the chamber, giving the impression that the provision had been rejected.

Abaribe further explained that the Senate is yet to adopt the votes and proceedings of the session, a procedural step required before harmonisation with the House of Representatives can begin.

According to him, a harmonisation committee will reconcile differences between both chambers’ versions of the bill and produce a unified document for presidential assent.

He emphasised that the final record must accurately reflect the Senate’s position on electronic transmission of election results.

The lawmaker also stated that the Senate retains the authority to manage its internal processes, including the decision to set up an ad hoc committee alongside the standing committee on electoral matters.

Abaribe maintained that senators across party lines support transparent elections and see electronic transmission as central to safeguarding credibility in the electoral process.

He concluded that harmonisation cannot proceed until the Senate formally adopts the votes and proceedings confirming the provision for electronic transmission, insisting that the final document must reflect the true outcome of deliberations.